by N H Paxton
“Yes, they are all true.” Horace nodded, the bald pate of his head glowing in the sunlight.
Eberand closed his fist at the statement, validated.
“How to get in, though?” I bunched my eyebrows, thinking out loud.
I recalled Garret’s tale of the party that went looking for it but couldn’t find an entrance.
“You’re enterprising, Keeper. You’ll figure it out. You always do and always will. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve an appointment to keep.” Horace looked down at his arm, as though he were wearing a watch, and tsked.
I saw nothing on his arm. He gave a quick, polite bow, then started to head off to the north. It reminded me of the timeframe I had on the Guild Banner quest. It was also ticking down.
“But wait, we have so many more questions!” Garret started to run after the man, who was moving much faster than his gait belied.
Garret was only gone for a few moments before he came back, looking defeated.
“I lost him behind a damn tree. He stepped behind it, then he was gone. Like, poof. Is everything in Eldgard meant to be so damned unhelpful?” He huffed, out of breath as he leaned over, bracing his hands on his knees.
“Was not unhelpful, affirmed knowledge of The Dearth. Is important and useful. Not very informative, but useful.” I checked the timer on the quest when I finished speaking.
We were down to less than forty-eight hours. Things were beginning to get tight.
“You are good now?” I looked to each of the members of the party in turn. Everyone nodded when my gaze fell on them.
“Good, much distance to cover, more now with interruption.” I struck off toward the southeast, the rest of the Ebenguard falling in behind me.
The salt air and the calm of the sea left us as quickly as it had arrived, and we were engulfed in the stagnation, humidity, and stink of the marshes and swamps once again. We passed the halfway mark of our journey and began our journey southward. Everything was more difficult here; the terrain seemed to do everything it could to hinder our advance, and the swampy ground made every footstep feel like a struggle.
Ken had run ahead to scout, leaving the three of us to travel the grossness of the trail he left. It had been but a few minutes since he left before the marshlands began to thunder with the sound of crunching wood and crashing metal.
“That’s not good.” Garret’s rough voice bit through the noise as he looked around.
The noise seemed to be coming from the south, which was the direction Ken had headed off in. I had hoped to gain more distance, but like every good plan, things changed rapidly.
There was a shout from ahead, then a clamorous thud, followed by the sound of Ken approaching rapidly, screaming.
He shot through the trees and undergrowth, rolling repeatedly before smacking hard into Garret, who was knocked down. The intense crashing poured through the trees, heading in our direction. It was closing fast.
“Jesus, dude!” Garret was scrambling to get to his feet while Eberand rushed forward to get in front of all of us.
“It was huge! And it’s coming back, man!” Ken picked himself up and got his blades ready.
He was covered in leaves and pieces of wood, along with blood. He looked like the fighting had been intense. I was glad he was still alive.
There was a deep rumbling, followed by the sound of wood snapping.
A hulking tree monster rushed out of the darkness of the swamp. It was a mass of writhing vines, limbs, and roots. The trunk was split open in the middle, rotted away to look like a gaping maw of shredding teeth.
“Ah damn.” Eberand pulled his sword from his back and rushed toward the creature, shouting loudly as he ran.
The air around us shimmered, then reverberated, and I was hit with a notification.
<<<>>>
Buff Added
Avenger’s Fury: Avenger’s Fury brings the might of the ancients to battle for the Lore Warden, increasing their party’s combat stats by 5%. Duration, 3 minutes.
<<<>>>
I felt lighter on my feet, my arms felt stronger, and I could see everything. The darkness of the swamp no longer hid any secrets. To that end, I could also see that there was a second tree monster, annotated as [Corrupted Treant Trunk], quietly approaching so as to hide its movements.
“There is second one!” I moved quickly to intercept it and lobbed one of my alchemic grenades in its general direction.
I misjudged the throw, though, and it fell short. As if to make matters worse, the grenade landed in a puddle of muck, sticking firmly. It didn’t even rupture.
“What are you doing? Shoot it, man!” Ken rushed by me, his body a blur as he ran toward the hiding treant.
He leapt over it with a quick spin, peppering the creature with throwing knives that appeared from nowhere. They were solid metal and left enormous gouges in the trunk of the plant.
Destroy? Need destroy. Gamma called out in my mind.
I pulled Gamma from my shoulder and took aim. I pulled the trigger rapidly, releasing several Chaotic Bolts at the encroaching tree.
They stuck to the wood, then exploded. The resultant explosion set a nearby bush on fire. Damn, I was glad my alchemic grenade didn’t go off!
“Don’t set the whole swamp on fire, dude!” Garret shouted, parrying a heavy limb from the first treant.
Yes, I know, setting swamps on fire is frowned upon. Especially if those swamps are currently surrounding you with combustible vegetation.
Several crunches followed the sound of burning as Eberand slammed his greatsword into the side of the first treant repeatedly. Splinters of wood shot in every direction, and the entire tree monster tilted to the side.
Ken shifted into the shadows, then appeared above the treant Eberand had rocked. He dove downwards, his blades extended, shearing off a large portion of writhing vine. The creature’s HP bar dropped by a third as it reached a near critical state. The treant roared, then spun in a tight circle, vines thrashing, limbs sweeping Eberand and Ken away from its body. Garret had backstepped in time and was pulling his axe back, preparing to slam it with a mighty chop.
Garret bellowed fiercely as he swung, the axe biting hard into the trunk, nearly splitting the treant in half. The force of Garret’s blow was so intense that it carried the treant a short distance with his momentum. The HP bar above the monster flashed, then vanished.
“One down.” Eberand’s sure voice carried over the sound of a tree creaking and crashing.
I turned to see the second treant raise a pair of its branches. It pulsed with a green light for just a moment, then two projectiles, which could only be described as enormous acorns, flew through the air. They slammed into Eberand, knocking him to the ground and taking a fifth of his HP off.
“Damn!” Eberand fought to get to his feet.
Garret ran past him, a red tinge outlining his body. So far I had been virtually useless in this fight, aside from putting everyone in danger.
Ken was behind the second treant in a flash, his blades biting into the wood. He used them like climbing hooks, quickly mounting the flailing tree beast. It turned about, thrashing, trying to dislodge the firmly seated Rogue that was repeatedly stabbing it from above.
Garret smashed into the treant like a stone, his axe outstretched like a spear, the puncturing head on the top of the weapon punching through the thick bark of the elemental monster.
“Stop moving!” Garret ripped his weapon from the trunk of the monster and swung his axe again.
It smashed a large portion of the treant’s wood mouth, causing it to cave in slightly. Ken tumbled from his perch as the thing writhed.
There was a sudden explosion of black flame that surrounded the treant, incinerating it.
“Umbral magic.” I sputtered as I watched the husk of corrupted tree burn away, leaving only ash in its place.
Ken was by my side in an instant, his motion a shadow, his daggers drawn. Eberand and Garret followed suit, their weapons at the ready.
“Hail,
outsiders.” A dusky voice called from the depths of the swamp, where the treants had come from.
“To what do we owe the pleasure?” Eberand was in full diplomat mode, already trying to take steps in the right direction.
“Forgive me, I have not yet introduced myself.” A tall Dokkalfar, or Murk Elf, strode out of the shadows of the swamp.
He was attired in heavy metal armor, layered with leathers and skins. There were bones of various large animals inlaid into his garments and tusks of some sort hanging from his ears.
“I am Val’darn, Shadow Templar of Rai Nam. I thank you for the assistance in vanquishing the corrupted treants. They have been encroaching closer to our territory these past moons, and it has proven difficult to keep them away.” He bowed deeply to us, his eyes closed.
In the short time I’d considered studying Asian cultures, I learned that bowing to someone and taking your eyes off them signified trust.
“If you would listen, I’ve been given the authority to pass on a mission to adventurers who travel our lands.” His hands were raised up in a symbol of offering.
I nodded at him, as did the rest of our small group.
“Oh, good. And here I thought you would perhaps decline. You seem the busy sort.” He chuckled somewhat at his own comment, then cleared his throat and continued.
“There is a large collection of these treants at a spawning grounds of sorts. It is due south of Rai Nam, near the peninsula. The entire area has been changed, the once damp and fertile soil has been turned to stone and ash. I and my clan would see the source of these monsters ended. There is no need to report your success, we will know.”
A prompt filled my vision when he finished speaking.
<<<>>>
Quest Alert: Purge the Unclean
Val’Darn, a Shadow Templar of Rai Nam, has requested, on behalf of his entire clan, that you destroy the seeding grounds of the Corrupted Treants, far to the south near the peninsula of the Storme Marshes. There is no need to report the completion of this quest; the clansmen will know if you succeed.
Quest Class: Ultra-Rare
Quest Difficulty: Deadly
Success: Either destroy the treant seeding grounds or destroy the cause of the corruption.
Failure: Fail to cleanse the land; allow the corruption to spread.
Reward: Improved relations with the Shadow Templars of Rai Nam; 45 gold pieces; 5,000 XP per group member
Accept: Yes/No?
<<<>>>
I noticed that everyone else’s eyes had glazed over; they had received the offer as well.
“Well, hell yeah, dude.” Ken was the first to accept, followed immediately by Garret and Eberand.
I eyed them all, then looked at Val’Darn.
“The Ebenguard accepts mission. So too will Vlad,” I said.
Val’Darn clapped his hands together, nodding happily.
“Wonderful, wonderful. Now, off you go. Best of luck. Don’t be too long,” Val’Darn said with a smile.
“Wait, what?” Garret looked at the Murk Elf askance.
“Is there a problem?” Val’Darn’s smile faded, a look of confusion on his face.
“Yeah, don’t you guys normally, you know, go with us? Like, as a guide kind of thing? Is that not how this usually works?” Garret had his hands out questioningly.
The dark-skinned warrior stood there for a moment, his face stone. Then he erupted into laughter.
“No, no, no. You see, I’m needed elsewhere. Yes, I have important, erm—anyway, good luck!” Before our eyes, he vanished in a puff of inky black smoke.
“Well, that sucks.” Garret slid his axe into place on his back, shifting his shoulders.
I acknowledged the statement. Yes, that did indeed suck.
Napping in Dirt
THE SWAMP AND STORME Marshes proved to be a bountiful place to gather materials. Herbs of various kinds sprouted through the muck like children reaching to the sky, hoping to be noticed beside their brother trees who attempted to block out the light. Several things were incredibly useful, including the patches of black [Stinkblade Moss], which smelled absolutely awful, but was useful for potions and poisons alike.
There were other things to gather as well. A puddle of stagnant water that Garret fell into held a larval nest of [Giant Mosquitos]. I was able to gather dozens upon dozens of larvae and eggs, carefully placing them in jars with some of the fetid water to ensure their survival.
“Dude, you smell terrible.” Ken held his nose as he waved a hand at Garret, who had finally dried off an hour after falling into the putrid pond.
“Better than being terrible, I guess.” Garret grinned wickedly as Ken’s face fell, his humor lost to the insult.
“Children, please.” Eberand called them to attention.
We had been walking for a few hours, and aside from a couple roving patrols of monsters, we had remained relatively unassailed. Nothing more than a few [Crocogators] and [Scorponets], the latter the horrible fusion of a scorpion and a hornet, unsurprisingly. They yielded some excretions, which I collected in jars for later experimentation.
“Hold up, bros.” Ken shot a hand into the air, then crouched, his body disappearing into the shifting shadows of the swampland around us.
We waited impatiently for Ken to return, listening for any sign of him, but there was nothing. In fact, I couldn’t hear anything at all. There was complete and total silence. We had been so inundated with the buzzing and squishing that often provided ambience in a swamp that we had failed to realize everything was gone.
Within the blink of an eye, the air was filled with an intense thumping sound. It was getting faster by the moment and much, much louder.
“Shit, shit, shit, shit.” Garret had his axe out, Eberand had his sword out, and Ken had reappeared with the lot of us.
We stood in a circular formation, our backs to one another, weapons drawn. The sound seemed to come from everywhere at once. It was deafening.
“What the hell is it!?” Eberand’s voice was barely audible, even with him shouting, over the thrumming.
“Huge-ass Scorponet!” The fear in Ken’s words was palpable.
My eyes went wide as I watched an unbelievably large Scorponet barrel through a series of trees, bark and leaves exploding everywhere. The beast had a stinging, segmented tail attached to the body of a great flying insect with a bulbous abdomen. Eight gargantuan wings beat the air in a constant, near invisible motion, propelling the scientifically impossible body forward. Fangs protruded from its face, dripping a noxious green liquid.
The tag above the creature read [Queen Scorponet – Guardian of the Hive]. We were screwdrived. Or was that screwdriven? It didn’t matter, we were going to die.
“Plan! We need a plan!” Eberand called for order as things went sideways quickly.
Garret rushed forward, a battle cry ringing from his throat. Garret’s form shimmered for a moment, then a luminescent barrier snapped into place, coating his body. He leapt from the ground, the weight of his greataxe carrying him forward. It slammed into the body of the great flying menace, sticking there.
“Damn, I guess it’s rush.” Ken took a half step forward, then vanished from sight, his figure blurring into an indistinct haze as he bolted across the battlefield.
A series of green gashes appeared along the body of the Queen Scorponet as Ken ran his daggers along her ungodly large frame. Garret was hanging from his axe, which was firmly embedded in the queen’s abdomen. He was kicking his legs wildly, trying to find enough leverage to release his weapon and take another swing. He was still shouting angrily.
“What is worst that could happen?” I shrugged, then immediately regretted my words.
The entire swamp around us began to vibrate and buzz as a dozen other [Lesser Scorponets] ripped from the undergrowth, all menacing tails and dripping fangs.
“That, man. That’s the worst. Never say that.” Eberand sighed, then hefted his sword high above his head, shouting in an unfamiliar language.
Great stone barriers erupted from the earth, one appearing next to each of us. They glowed slightly, then turned to dust, coating our bodies. A notification popped up in front of me, along with a small green shield icon, overlaid with an up arrow.
<<<>>>
Buff Added
Skin of the Aegis: The Ancient Lore Wardens once communed directly with the elder gods, being granted their knowledge and power in equal measure. The Skin of the Aegis is one of the ancient talents passed down for generations. Though most of its power is lost in the translation of the Unknown Tongue, it still carries fortitude in its wake.
Skin of the Aegis: Grants the party an aura that provides a barrier against attacks. Absorbs 15% of the individual’s total Health in damage. Lasts 2 minutes, or until the absorption is overwhelmed.
<<<>>>
Eberand’s skills were impressive and diverse; and a Lore Warden? I’d had no idea that class even existed.
“Aren’t you going to set them on fire or something?” Eberand hollered as he ran toward the queen, pulling me out of my amazed stupor.
I should probably attack the nasty little blighters. I took quick stock of the monsters surrounding the party. We had twelve Lesser Scorponets and one monstrous Queen Scorponet to deal with. If we wanted an advantage, we needed to tackle the lesser ones first. Even a thousand tiny needles can kill a man over time.
I spun in place, fishing a pair of Fireball grenades from my pouch. I used my momentum to lob the grenades at the farthest pair of bugs. Thankfully, both of the grenades shattered on impact. Unfortunately, they also erupted in an unexpectedly large ball of fire.
I might have overdone it on the explosive formulation. The fire spread quickly and out of control, but it also served to stop the other encroaching Scorponets. A few of them caught fire, their papery wings igniting from the intense heat.
“Nice—wait, no. Damnit, Vlad!” Eberand growled as he swung his greatsword at the queen, who was now missing at least one wing and was starting to list to the side.
There was a spreading ring of fire surrounding our small area, hemming us in with the giant demonic insect.
