by Quinn Dallas
Two arrows whizzed past me, an attack launched by our cleric Shauna. The projectiles struck home taking down two more of the Rattaris.
Leonidas let out a rebel yell and leaped over me. His blade swung in a wide arc striking the remaining three attackers in a well-placed AOE. The beasts shimmered and then exploded in a shower of light. The first wave down, but reinforcements could show up at any moment. I counted four more attackers, much bigger than the previous. I could tell from my HUD display that these beasts were well prepared. They were also armed with poison tipped clawed gauntlets.
[CRITTER NAME: Rattari SARGENT]
[LEVEL: GREEN ] [HIT POINTS: 90]
[PRIMARY ATTRIBUTE: STRENGTH +2]
[SIGNATURE ATTACK: POISON STRIKES]
[ARMOR CLASS: ENHANCED +2]
[FIGHTING SCORE: EXCELLENT +2]
“Careful,” I called out to Leonidas. “Those claws have a poison DOT!”
“Bring it on!” Yvir cried out as she rushed into battle.
I knew the Barbarian was counting on her rage buff to carry her through. That buff would increase with the amount of damage she took. So a swipe from those poison claws would work as a buff for her.
Still, it was a dangerous game to play. Yvir swung her battle-mace and struck one of the hulking warriors in the chest. That drew enough aggro from all three. The Rat-Men swiped and bit at her. I cringed when multiple attacks hit successfully.
“Can’t let you have all the fun,” Leonidas jumped into the fray. His entire body glowing with a Paladin's healing energy. I breathed a sigh of relief as his healing aura washed over Yvir, repairing her rapidly declining Hit Points.
While those two were tough tanks, they didn’t have the DPS to take on the armored Rattari. That would require defense penetration, which was my expertise. I toggled on my dodge buff and prayed it would be enough to protect me from those nasty poison-tipped claws.
I moved swiftly and performed a double-strike on the nearest Rattari. The beast howled and then swiped it’s metal claws at me. I ducked and avoided the blow. Praying that my luck would hold out I stabbed forward again. This time my blow hit the creature's abdomen, bypassing it’s armor with ease. The monster growled and backhanded me. That blow landed and sent me flying backward.
“Dammit,” I muttered. “A knockback attack.”
That meant I would lose time getting back on my feet. The Rattari pressed forward and bit down on my shoulder. I gasped at the severity of the pain. I hadn’t expected that. There wasn't’ much time. I needed to take out this monster! Since I’d just been attacked, and my stealth had been placed on a cool-down.
So no time for a surprise crit attack from stealth. I struck again with my dagger, thankful for the extra poison damage it dealt. I’d shaved off a fair amount of the creature's hit points. But it wasn’t enough, the beast lunged forward.
I braced myself for the expected pain and damage from the Rattari attack, but then something amazing happened. The monster’s eyes widened and then he dissolved in a burst of pixilated light. Standing behind him was Rolf the Gnome-rogue.
The little man grinned and spoke “Shadow Strike gets them every time!”
I got to my feet and thanked the Gnome thief, “That was a close one!”
“Let’s finish the rest of this lot off,” he snarled.
The two of us advanced on the Rattari fighting both Yvir and Leonidas. The two warriors had done an excellent job of holding aggro. Shauna and Cairngorm both launched distance attacks, but the monsters had some kind of ranged defense buff that aided them.
“Grymme,” I spat. “That damned dragon has buffed these mobs.”
My stealth ability had come off recharge and was ready for use. Without hesitation, I toggled it on and advanced on the foe fighting Yvir. She had shaved off a fair amount of the beast's hit points. I readied my Shadow Strike and crept behind the Rattari. There was no time to waste, when close enough, I launched my attack.
My blade struck satisfyingly into the monster's back. It screeched and then dissolved - defeated! Another howl caught my attention. I spun around to discover that Rolf had taken care of the monster attacking Leonidas. I exhaled in relief. We’d survived our encounter with the buffed Rattari.
“Whew,” Leonidas grinned wide. “It sure is useful having you stealthy sorts around.”
“Those criticals were amazing!” Shauna rushed towards us.
“We should get healed up and press on,” Cairngorm frowned. “I doubt this is the last of Grymme’s deterrents."
CHAPTER 23
"We can't waste any more time!" Leonidas sheathed his sword.
"Those bastards were guarding something," Shauna held up her light crystal. The illumination from the glowing gem cast eerie shadows on the cave's metallic flecked walls. Tiny specks of silver sparkled like stars. I pulled up my HUD display, searching desperately for some kind of clue. A shimmering outline appeared on the east facing wall. I had found something! A system notification popped up and I read it:
HIDDEN DOOR DETECTED!
YOUR ROGUE'S KEEN INSIGHT HAS
ALLOWED YOU TO FIND A SECRET PASSAGEWAY. USE YOUR SKILLS TO DISCOVER HOW TO OPEN IT!
"Guys, I've found something!" I called out.
"What's going on?" Yvir turned to face me.
"A concealed entrance, of course." I ran my hand over the wall, searching for some way to open the secret doorway.
My fingers traveled over the cold and rocky surface, searching for any irregularities. Soon I found what I was looking for. One of the rocks was discolored. I pushed the odd stone inward and there was a distinct clicking sound. A large slab of stone slid away, revealing an entrance. A glowing message screen materialized before me:
YOU HAVE OPENED A SECRET PASSAGEWAY
YOUR DETECT HIDDEN OBJECTS SKILL HAS INCREASED TO 45%.
"Good job thief!" Leonidas slapped me on the back.
Shauna held up her light crystal and entered the mysterious passageway. "Come on guys, let's get moving!"
We stepped into the rocky hallway with Shauna and myself in the lead. Thanks to the light coming from the crystal we could see a fair distance ahead. Still, I had reservations. This seemed a little bit too easy. It was quite possible that Grymme had an even worse trapped in store for us.
"Let's be careful!" I cautioned, as we made our way.
A cool breeze informed me that we were coming to the end of the tunnel. Without thinking I placed my hands on my daggers. I wanted to be ready for a fight if the time came. I couldn't help but notice that Rolf was standing far behind the rest of us. Obviously, most concerned for his own safety.
The little gnome thief had come in handy, but I still didn't completely trust him. I figured he'd take off as soon as any real trouble started. I should've been paying more attention to our surroundings. Then I would've noticed the trap before anyone triggered it. But it was too late. Shauna stepped forward and a distinctive click echoed through the rocky passageway.
"A trap!" I yelled. Before the rest of the group could do anything, I pushed Shauna out of the way. The Divine Cleric fell forward, an indignant look on her face. Without thinking I'd taken her place on the discolored stone plate.
"What in the hell are you doing?" She sputtered.
Before I could answer, the floor beneath me fell away. Then I tumbled down into the darkness. Before long, I hit the ground with a thud. The game automatically opened a message window informing me of how much damage I suffered:
YOU HAVE TRIGGERED A TRAP.
YOU HAVE TAKEN 35 FALLING DAMAGE.
Disoriented from the fall, I looked upward towards the trap door. To my dismay, it slammed shut, sealing me in my new prison. I should've seen it coming! Now I was separated from the group. Chances were they would try to rescue me. I pulled up my HUD display and scanned the room. The trap door was sealed by magic. So there was no way my friends would be able to get it open. While a good thief could possibly re-
open the door, I wasn't sure if Rolf was so inclined.
For all I knew, they had succumbed to other traps hidden to deter intruders. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my light crystal and held it high above my head. A mystical blue light illuminated the world around me. To my left was a gated archway.
Pressing against the gate, I discovered it was locked. Next, I reached into my holding bag and pulled out my burglary kit. Then I went to work on the lock. After a few moments there was a satisfying click and the gate swung open. Time to make my way out! I travelled in the dark until I heard guttural voices. My heart sank! I was walking straight into a pack of Rattari.
I turned off my light crystal and stuck it in my pocket. Luckily, being an Elf meant I had good night vision, but so did the Rat-Men. Continuing down the hallway, I moved silently. Soon I reached another entrance way and I peered around a corner. In the next room a group of Rattari waited. They sat around a large open table, drinking and talking excitedly. I noticed a variety of weapons hung on the walls. An unexpected message flashed on my display HUD.
MISSION QUEST: DEFEAT THE Rattari PACK LEADER!
YOU'VE STUMBLED UPON A PACK OF GUARDIAN Rattari. THE LEADER HOLDS THE KEY TO YOUR NEXT MISSION. YOU MUST DEFEAT THE PACK LEADER AND TAKE THE KEY FROM HIM...
This didn't seem like an easy task. I counted six Rattari and one very large pack leader in the room. It was sheer luck none of them had discovered me by now. Just how was I supposed to defeat this many monsters on my own? I scanned the room for the monster's stats. The minions had relatively low hit points. But the boss was buffed to the gills. One on one I might be able to take him on. But with a small army surrounding him I didn't have a chance. Much too preoccupied by current circumstances, I didn't notice the Rattari warrior sneaking up behind me. A dull thud cracked across my skull. Before I slipped into darkness the following message scrolled up my status window:
Rattari GUARD HAS DEALT 45 BLUNT DAMAGE TO YOU!
Rattari GUARD HAS APPLIED A TKO TO YOU!
YOU HAVE BEEN KNOCKED OUT!
###
Unsure of how long I'd been down, I awoke in a dank cell. I rubbed my head and groaned as the world came into focus around me. The windowless room had been carved into the very wall of the mine. The only way out, a rusty iron gate that was bolted securely to the stone. Once I got my bearings I stood up and leaned against the cell wall. On the other side of the bars, stood the pack leader. He growled when he saw me and demanded,"Who are you?"
I didn't say anything. I simply returned his icy stare. At this point in time it seemed best to keep my mouth shut.
"Let's loosen her tongue!" The pack leader gestured and a Rattari appeared holding a hot branding iron.
Realizing the painful torture the Rattari had in mind, I needed to come up with a convincing cover story. If they knew I'd come to steal the gem, it would be game over.
"Wait a minute!" I held up my hands, "I'm just an adventurer searching for treasure."
"How unfortunate for you then!" The pack leader crossed his arms. "All treasure in this mine now belongs to us!"
"Just let me go and I'll never come back!"
"We can't do that!" You'll make a tasty snack for our King."
These Rattari planned to feed me to the beast. This elevated escape to highest priority. I took note of the key hanging around the Pact leader's neck. That must open the door to the inner caverns and the Rat King's lair. My mission was clear. Get to the Rat King and get the gem. But how in the world was I going to escape this prison?
The pack leader grinned wide and revealed rows of sharp teeth. "Our King likes food that fights back!"
With that the Rat's leader walked away, leaving me alone in my cell. I knew I had to escape. So, I pulled up my HUD display and checked out the lock. It was only a level two lock, but my burglary tools had been confiscated. I scanned the room for anything I could use and found nothing. I heard the shuffling sound of someone approaching and quickly formulated a plan. I concentrated and then faded into shadow. I wasn't completely invisible. Someone with Stealth Sight could spot my blurred outline. So, I hid in a shadowy corner and waited.
Before long a Rattari guard appeared and inspected my cell. Shock registered on his face when he realized I seemed to have escaped. He pulled a ring of keys from his belt, unlocked the cell, and crept inside. This left me only seconds to act. A bare handed attack wasn't the deadliest. But it would have to do. I struck him hard shaving off a number of his hit points and landing a TKO. The Rattari fell to the ground with a thud. With little time to waste I stepped out into the hallway. My shadow ability was now on a cool-down. Before taking another step, a game achievement notification popped up:
YOU HAVE EARNED THE ESCAPE ARTIST ACCOMPLISHMENT!
DESCRIPTION: YOU HAVE BEEN IMPRISONED AND CAPTURED A NUMBER OF TIMES. YET, NO PRISON OR TRAP SEEMS CAPABLE OF HOLDING YOU FOR LONG!
So I crept silently down the hall. The sound of approaching footsteps caused my heart to rise in my throat. I noticed a slightly ajar door. Taking a deep breath, I ducked inside. The small dark room was filled with bottles of wine. I hid behind the door and waited for the footsteps to pass. Something about these wine bottles piqued my curiosity. So I picked up a flask and inspected it. The following item description was printed on it's label in elegant script:
Rattari WINE (5 USES)
THE RAT-MEN ARE FOND OF STRONG DRINK. THIS SPECIAL BREW WILL APPLY THE DULL PAIN BUFF WHEN CONSUMED. DULL PAIN PROVIDES A BRIEF +15% HIT POINT BUFF. IT ALSO PROVIDES PROTECTION FROM COLD DAMAGE AND SLOW MOVEMENT DEBUFFS.
Deciding the beverage was more than useful, I tucked the flask in my belt. When I figured enough time had elapsed, I crept back into the hall. I noticed that my shadow ability had refreshed. Without hesitation, I slipped back into invisibility. Moving carefully I went in search of the pack leader. In order to progress on this main quest I needed to complete the side mission. And that meant stealing the key he wore around his neck. Before long I came to another room. Inside were two more Rat-Men. I scanned the room and noticed my holding bag lay on a table behind them. It was obvious that I needed to take both of them out and get my tools. Without another thought I leapt into action!
A surprise attack from shadow knocked out the first guard. The second Rattari took no time pulling out his sword. He swung the blade at me and I ducked. I next struck him in the chest with an open palm strike. A standard martial arts knock-back attack. The Rat-Man flew backward and hit the wall. But he wasn't down for the count. I followed up with a series of rapid unarmed strikes. This ate away more of his hit points. Before long the Rattari slumped to the ground unconscious. So far so good!
It would be awhile before my shadow ability refreshed. So I took my time gathering my weapons. I also looted the unconscious Rat-Men. One dropped a damage potion, and the other a healing potion. Pocketing them both, I lifted my head at the sound of more Rattari approaching. There was no way I could afford to be caught now. I had to act fast.
CHAPTER 24
With no time to waste I tied up the two Rattari. I couldn't afford to be seized now! Next, I closed the door to the armory. Luckily my shadow ability had recharged. I quickly faded into shadow and stood next to the threshold.
The sound of marching soldiers soon faded out. I bit my upper lip and sighed in relief. The guards had chosen not to check the armory. This was an unbelievably good stroke of fortune. Moving quickly I opened the door and stepped out into the anteroom. The passageway was dark enough that I could stick to the shadows. As quiet as possible I crept down a hall. Keeping a sharp eye out for any approaching guards. Before long, I progressed to a large oaken door. I knelt down and peered into the keyhole. Inside sat the pack leader and two guards.
They were drinking Rattari wine and talking loudly. While he wasn't alone, he wasn't overly protected either. I could possibly knock out the guards and dispatch the pack leader as well. I picked up a pebble and flung it. The pebble hit the doorway and
I waited.
"See what that was about!" The Rattari pack leader growled.
Soon the door opened and the two guards stepped out into the hall. The guards seemed confused as they couldn't determine the source of the commotion. One of them turned left and peered into the darkness. Finally it was my chance! Not wasting any time, I slipped behind him and performed a Shadow Strike. The guard didn't have time to make a sound before he dissolved into a shower of pixels.
His companion was in shock as I materialized into view. Not wasting any time I struck with both blades. Still having a stealth bonus, I landed a critical hit. It wasn't enough to take him out. He drew his sword and swung it in a wide slashing arc. Luckily, I managed to dodge and then attack. This time my dagger landed squarely into the guard's chest. He made a surprised sound and then exploded in a shower of light.
Now I had to take on the pack leader. My stealth power was on cool down. So I dug into my holding bag and found a smoke bomb. This would render me untargatable for three seconds. Which should be enough time for a Shadow Strike. I needed to act quickly. As one mistake could easily be fatal. I peered around a corner into the room. The pack leader stood there seemingly confused. I realized his AI was perhaps downloading new instructions in response to my arrival. I mentally summoned my HUD overlay and peeked at his stats:
[CRITTER NAME: Rattari PACK LEADER]
[LEVEL: GREEN ] [HIT POINTS: 120]
[PRIMARY ATTRIBUTE: STRENGTH +2]
[SIGNATURE ATTACK: HEAVY BLOW(SPECIAL)]
[FIGHTING SCORE: +2]
Not wasting a second I tossed my smoke bomb into the room. Soon a large cloud of gray smoke exploded into the air. With the boss still firmly targeted I rushed ahead. I plunged my daggers into him. The pseudo stealth provided by the smoke bombs was enough to land a critical hit.
Thick blood oozed from the wound in the Pack Leaders back. He swung around and struck me with his claws. I winced in pain. A flickering icon appeared on my HUD display. The pack leader had inflicted a debuff: Deadly Wound. It was a combination of both poison and bleeding DOT. There also appeared to be a slow movement the debuff as well.
