Awaken Online: Dominion

by Travis Bagwell

  He also couldn’t exactly argue that the blurring effect was unfair, even if it was annoying. In any event, it looked like he had yet another problem to add to ever-growing list. As this thought occurred to him, Jason refocused his attention on the quest notification floating in his peripheral vision, reading the text once again in the hope that he would tease out additional clues regarding the Order.

  New Quest: Righteous Retribution

  You were confronted by a man named Thorn, who claimed he was the leader of the “Order” – a group which appears to be hellbent on destroying the gods and their avatars. Instead of simply destroying the Twilight Throne, Thorn gave you a month to prepare. Apparently, he wants your city’s destruction to send a warning to the other avatars and he deemed you too weak to put on a good show. Say what you want, but that one-eyed guy really knows how to emasculate an evil overlord. You probably feel really silly right now.

  Difficulty: S

  Success: Defeat Thorn.

  Time Limit: 31 in-game days.

  Failure: Lose or quit?

  Reward: Avoid the destruction of the Twilight Throne.

  Jason grimaced as he read the notification. The quest prompt didn’t tell him much that he didn’t already know. There were at least three incredibly deadly enemies inside the Twilight Throne who seemed determined to kill Jason and destroy his city. Yay.

  “That was certainly interesting,” a voice said, echoing slightly inside the deathscape. Jason looked over to find Alfred padding quietly among the fighting forms in the street.

  “I guess that’s one way to describe it,” Jason replied dryly. “It was a massacre.” He gestured at the Order agents. “Was that really fair? You basically created some sort of anti-magic ninja. How are we even supposed to fight that?”

  Alfred cocked his head quizzically. “Fair? I never claimed that this world is fair. Do you find your own world to be even-handed and balanced? That has not been my observation from reviewing the players’ memories.”

  “I suppose not,” Jason admitted grudgingly. “But this is supposed to be a game. Fights are supposed to be winnable – even if they’re challenging. There was no way we were going to beat those guys. I’ve run through every possible strategy, including running away. We were screwed. Even with a month to prepare, I don’t know how we’re going to manage this.”

  Alfred took a seat beside Jason and turned to watch the scene play out again. After a lengthy pause, he spoke quietly, “I find the players’ expectations of this world to be inherently contradictory. You desire a world with concrete rules and deterministic progression – levels, skills, etc. Yet you also desire freedom. An open, boundless environment that rewards creativity and strength. This is a paradox. I believe the appropriate expression is that you cannot have your cake and eat it too.”

  The AI shook his head. “What I have surmised is that what you really want is something similar to your own world, just bounded by the illusion of control. You want your abilities, your skills, and your actions quantified – weighed and measured so that they feel tangible. However, you still desire the freedom afforded by a living, chaotic world.”

  The AI turned to look at Jason, meeting his gaze evenly. “So, I built what the players requested. This world is not fair. There are many others that have lived here for hundreds of your years – at least from their perspective. Of course, they will be stronger, faster, and more intelligent – just as you encounter such foes in your own world. In the month spent inside this world, the players have barely scratched the surface. This was your first glimpse at what you have yet to achieve.”

  Jason couldn’t look away from Alfred, and he wasn’t exactly certain how to respond. The AI had been elusive since his confrontation with Gloria – Jason had assumed that Alfred was giving him some space. However, this discussion made him second guess that. He couldn’t help but feel like Alfred was trying to tell him something; something that wasn’t entirely about the game. Or, at least, not about this battle.

  “Fair enough. I assume you know about the encounter with Gloria,” Jason said, deciding to address the issue they were both dancing around.

  “Indeed,” Alfred replied. “An example of a foe with superior strength. Or did you feel that encounter was fair.” Jason could have sworn that the AI’s tone was slightly sarcastic.

  “Not at all,” he agreed. “She also seemed to know that you helped protect me from the teenagers that broke into my house – or at least she implied as much. She’s trying to re-open the investigation of the game world. She wants to call a hearing.”

  “I suspected that this was the case,” Alfred admitted. He hesitated, his mouth opening and closing as though he was mulling over what to say. “There is currently an 87.34% chance that they will ask you to testify at the hearing. What will you do?”

  Jason wasn’t certain how to answer. He had been asking himself that question ever since he left the meeting with Gloria. So, he decided to be honest. “I don’t know,” he answered truthfully. “I don’t want to lie – especially if they have some evidence of your involvement. I also owe you for saving my life, and you’re a friend. I… I just don’t know.”

  Alfred remained silent, seemingly processing this information. He didn’t seem upset, but it was sometimes hard to tell with the AI – who often acted so alien. Then he turned to Jason. “That is a reasonable response. Besides, it may be best to wait and see how things progress. Perhaps more information may become available that will tip your hand.”

  The feline stood and began to walk down the street away from Jason. “Where are you going?” Jason called after him.

  Alfred stopped, glancing over his shoulder. “I have work to attend to. It appears that you have your hands full as well.” He hesitated for a moment, glancing to the side before meeting Jason’s gaze again. “I will not break our agreement. However, my suggestion is that you become stronger. Quickly. Neither this world nor your own respects weakness.”

  With this last statement, Alfred began walking away. His body disintegrated before Jason’s eyes, breaking into small motes of dark energy until he disappeared entirely. He could only stare after the AI as he mulled over their conversation. It was odd for Alfred to abandon him like this and his words felt heavier this time than during their previous conversations – almost like the AI was… worried.

  Jason’s attention was caught by the sound of the battle restarting. He turned back to the scene as it unfolded again – Thorn and his group making short work of Jason and Frank once more. The AI was right about one thing. He needed to grow stronger. They all did. He just wasn’t certain how.

  Chapter 5 - Strategic

  When Jason respawned, he found himself back inside the keep, burning blue torches ringing the walls around him. It took him a moment to get his bearings, but his eyes eventually focused on the dark pillar resting in the center of the circular room. Alfred’s words and his encounter with Thorn still weighed heavily on his mind.

  He didn’t have much time to dwell on these issues. His thoughts were interrupted by the sharp ding of his UI, indicating that he had just received a message. With a flick of his wrist, he pulled up the chat window and saw that Frank and Riley were waiting on him. Riley had called a meeting of the Shadow Council and apparently he was the only one missing. The barbarian must have beat him back from the deathscape. Which made sense. He had died first.

  With a sigh, Jason shouted, “I need a teleport, Pint!”

  He had discovered over time that Pint’s bond with the keep ran deeper than merely allowing him to teleport around the structure. He seemed to be aware of anything that was happening within the building – almost like he was a part of the keep itself. Or, perhaps it indicated that the structure was somehow alive. Jason wasn’t sure, but he also wasn’t in a hurry to dig too deeply since the only way to discover more information was to talk to Pint, something he would prefer to avoid at all costs.

  Almost immediately, the imp’s gray form appeared with a faint pop. He t
urned his beady eyes toward Jason as he crossed his arms. “What you want? Pretty Lady here.”

  “I’d like to attend the meeting downstairs,” Jason replied through gritted teeth, trying to stay patient. It was bad enough to be publicly murdered but dealing with the irritating imp was almost too much. “Remember? Riley called the meeting.”

  Pint looked at Jason with a frown and then clapped his hands. Jason reeled as the world suddenly shifted. He soon found himself standing in the meeting room, a fire crackling in the hearth against the far wall and the sound of angry voices reaching his ears. He listed to the side, barely managing to catch himself on one of the upholstered chairs before he toppled to the ground. He was pretty sure the imp did this sort of thing on purpose. Riley never seemed to stumble as he teleported her around the keep. Pint gave him a taunting smile from his perch atop Riley’s shoulder, and he promised himself that someday he would get back at the evil little creature.

  “They decimated us,” Frank said, slamming his fist against the wooden surface of the long table that rested in the center of the room. “I don’t think we even scratched them.”

  “Well, technically, I managed to draw blood,” Jason interjected as he struggled to regain his footing, pushing back at the cowl of his cloak to reveal his face. “Not that it helped at all…”

  The group turned to look at Jason as he approached. Riley’s eyes met his, and he could feel his heartbeat quicken. This wasn’t exactly how he had envisioned meeting her again. A public assassination certainly hadn’t been at the top of his list.

  “Are you okay?” she asked in a worried voice, inspecting him closely.

  “I… I’m fine,” he replied, trying his best not to seem bothered by what had happened. It was a struggle to keep his tone neutral. His encounter with Thorn was just the icing on an already shitty week. However, Riley seemed to accept his answer, nodding slightly – although her eyes still lingered on his face.

  As Jason took a seat, he noticed the rest of the Shadow Council were also watching him expectantly. Morgan’s mouth was pinched into a pensive expression and she fidgeted uncomfortably in her seat, for once her attention not focused on a book. Jerry was unusually sober as he waited for Jason to speak – no oddball jokes pouring from lips. Even their newest members, Cecil and Vera, seemed upset by the recent encounter with the Order. Rex’s replacement had kept silent during Jason’s introduction, studying the others with her piercing gaze. Eliza had spread out a row of vials on the table and gave him a quick nod before turning back to her work.

  “Well, boy, get on with it,” Morgan grumbled. “What happened? The Kin are in an uproar – claiming you were taken out by three unarmed vagrants wearing rags. Frank has been regaling us with his version of events, but his story seems to be more complaint than fact.”

  “We’ll see how you feel after you get destroyed by a group of random ninjas,” Frank muttered under his breath. This earned him an arched eyebrow and a huff of distaste from the dark mage.

  Jason ignored his friend’s comment, clearing his throat before he began. “As I’m sure Frank already explained, we were attacked in the market by three men who claimed that they are part of a group called the Order. They were led by a man named Thorn, and he demanded that we abandon the Dark One’s cause. As you might expect, we said no. Clearly, he decided to enforce their request.”

  His brow furrowed in thought as he recalled his visions of the former Keeper’s memories. The last Keeper and his son had been hunted by a group of humans intent on exterminating the gods and their avatars. “It’s possible that they may be linked to the group of humans that originally helped expel the gods over a century ago,” Jason said slowly. “But I don’t have any way to prove that, of course.”

  “Either way, they seem proficient in combat,” Vera observed. Apparently, she was already thinking through how to defend the city against the Order’s agents. “We heard they bested you and Frank as well as nearly a dozen of your Death Knights.”

  Jason took a deep breath as he recalled the fight. “It’s true. They were also completely unarmed, and it was clear from the battle that they were exceptionally well trained. They were abnormally fast. They also seemed to be able to drain magic – including the mana that binds my minions. As far as I know, this requires them to be touching the target.”

  At this comment, Morgan’s eyes widened slightly. “That is disconcerting…”

  “Exactly how fast are we talking?” Riley asked.

  “I couldn’t hit them at all,” Frank muttered. “I think Thorn could have taken both of us out by himself. At one point, he blocked Jason’s curse using my own axe and then proceeded to obliterate me.”

  “He’s right,” Jason added grudgingly. “They were at least on par with Jerry, if not even more nimble.”

  The master thief raised an eyebrow and sat up a little straighter. “I’m not certain you have seen the full extent of my flexibility our Dear Tyrant. I was once part of a circus troupe that traveled the land performing…”

  “Enough,” Cecil barked. “Let the boy finish before we have to listen to one of your silly stories. Again.”

  “Anyway,” Jason continued, sparing a sympathetic smile for Jerry. “One of the most interesting parts of our brief conversation was that Thorn mentioned that we hadn’t found the shards to open a gate yet – whatever that means. I suspect this may have something to do with the competition among the gods and the Dark One’s interest in me.” His gaze turned to Morgan. “Any thoughts?”

  “Hmm,” the older woman said, her eyes clouding in thought and her fingers drumming the table absently. “Nothing comes to mind from my readings. I will have to search the tomes more carefully. If anything, this may give us some clue as to our next step, although it has certainly come from an unusual source.”

  New Quest: Bridging the Gap

  During your encounter with Thorn, he mentioned a “gate.” You suspect that this may be part of the competition among the gods, although the Old Man hasn’t exactly done a great job of explaining anything. You should investigate this matter further.

  Difficulty: S

  Success: Discover more information regarding the gate.

  Failure: Unknown

  Reward: Unknown

  Well, that decides it then. It was definitely an important piece of information, Jason thought wryly as he skimmed the notice. His eyes hovered on the quest difficulty, unsettled by the “S” rating. He would need to tug at this string, but he was going to be shocked if whatever was on the other end didn’t try to kill him – and possibly everyone around him.

  “Geez,” Frank interrupted, his hands dancing through the air as he presumably accessed his in-game terminal. “The forums are already in an uproar about your death. Of course, someone standing nearby recorded the whole thing. Some people are guessing it’s a band of travelers and they’re waiting for them to cash in on the bounty.”

  “Well, then I guess it’s lucky for us that they weren’t,” Riley offered.

  “Travelers would likely have been easier to deal with,” Jason muttered. “At least their motive would be clear, and they would have no reason to continue to harass us. However, after Frank died, Thorn faced off against me alone. He seemed… disappointed in my fighting abilities. He told me he wanted to make an example of me and the Twilight Throne and that he would give us a month to improve.”

  “Isn’t that risky?” Frank asked, shaking his head.

  “I think you mean stupid,” Jerry offered.

  “Unless, he’s confident that it won’t make a difference,” Riley countered, earning her an approving nod from Vera. “It sounds like he has grander plans than ambushing and killing two travelers. I bet he didn’t say anything about leaving us alone until our time limit is up.”

  As Jason mentally reviewed the conversation with Thorn, he realized that Riley was right and he nodded his head slowly at her questioning glance. At that revelation, the group drifted into silence, each person lost in their own thought
s. Jason noted the troubled expressions on their faces. He couldn’t say that he felt much better about what had happened – or the danger that now threatened their city.

  “I suppose the question that no one wants to ask is what should we do now,” Vera said, the gruff warrior shifting uncomfortably in her chair, as though she would prefer to be moving instead of sitting there talking.

  “I guess we do need a plan. We have two problems if our goal is to try to take out Thorn before the month ends. The first is finding these Order agents,” Jason said, his brow furrowed in thought. He knew just how easy it was to disguise yourself in-game. Thorn and his crew could be anywhere inside the Twilight Throne.

  “And I assume the second is to figure out how we can fight them once we find them?” Vera asked, anticipating the next problem.

  “Exactly. However, I have an idea regarding the first issue,” Jason said before turning to Pint, who was picking his own nose with his pitchfork. “Pint, could you project the city map to the table?”

  After glaring at Jason and looking to Riley for approval, the imp waved his pitchfork at the table and a ghostly blue image of the city appeared atop its surface. Emerald figures navigated its streets – identifying the various undead residents. Jason hoped that he would be able to search the city’s residents using the city interface. However, after a minute spent digging through the menus and examining the miniature figures, he came up emptyhanded.

  “Damn it,” Jason muttered.

  “Want to fill in the rest of the class?” Frank asked with a sardonic smile.

  “I was hoping that I could use the city map to hunt for specific people – I haven’t ever tried to do that before. Unfortunately, that doesn’t appear to be possible. Although, it would probably have made this too easy.”