She gestured towards an empty space along one of the tent walls. “Put the boxes there, I’ll get to them later.”
We stacked the crates in the indicated spot and headed back over to the cook. I caught a whiff of some pretty intense spices in the air and barely held off a coughing fit.
I backed away and dabbed at my eyes with my sleeve, trying to stay clear of the fumes rising from the pot.
Velka looked up from the mixture and glanced over to see the crates stacked where she wanted them. “Good, your pay is on the table near the door. Good day.”
*** Quest Complete! Special Delivery ***
*** Your party has gained 250xp! ***
*** You have gained reputation with the Stormbreak Tribe of the Bedjvain! Unfriendly → Neutral. ***
Sitting on a countertop next to the door were two neat stacks of silver pieces awaiting us. We collected our fee and then looked around for Jabis, but he was nowhere to be found.
Luckily the minimap functionality would make getting back out of the encampment pretty easy, but before that we had another task ahead of us.
I moved back into the pavilion and saw Velka was still chopping away at her pile of veggies. She looked up and said, “You’re still here?”
Kjara answered, “I see that you have a good collection of spices and herbs. Can you point me in the direction of the herbalist who supplies you? I have a need of some myself.”
Velka continued chopping away and answered, “I would, but Reya’s not in camp. Headed off to the Mu’gori Oasis a week ago to find some rare herbs she needed for an alchemist friend of hers. She normally stays there for a couple days. Says she likes the wildness of it all.”
***Quest Update: Broken supply chains. ***
***Reya was last seen a week ago heading towards the Mu’gori Oasis to collect some rare herbs. Visit the oasis and locate the missing herbalist. ***
*** Map Updated with new location: Mu’gori Oasis. ***
We thanked the woman and left the Stormbreak encampment, putting a little distance between us and the guards before searching our maps for the next destination.
The Mu’gori Oasis was about three or four hours to the northeast of the Stormbreak camp through the broken lands that bordered the desert.
“So, the oasis is to the north east quite a way away, but if we go straight north first, we can hit up the salt mine for the infestation quest on the way and maximize our walking to fun ratio. What do you think?” I asked, tracing the line on the map.
“Ug, I really want a mount, or a cadre of servants with a palanquin to carry me everywhere,” she lamented. I stifled a laugh as she continued wiht a mock sigh, “But without those fine luxuries, I guess your plan is the best we can hope for.”
We headed northwards, keeping an eye out for any wandering bandits or creatures, but they all seemed to have made better life choices than us, likely lounging in the shade somewhere instead of exposing themselves to the hot desert sun.
After an hour or so of travelling, I was in the middle of another deep drink of water when another notification flashed on my screen.
*** System Alert: A player has completed your quest Poetic Justice! You receive 5xp! ***
Let me tell you something, snorting water out of your nose is unpleasant in any environment. Kjara looked at me and raised an eyebrow.
I gasped and cleared my nose of the water, took a drink and swallowed it quickly before answering, “Just got another notice that Fae-bio is singing soprano.”
She chuckled and we continued. The scenery lost a little of its luster after hours trudging under the hot sun, and the trek transformed from a pleasant stroll to a hot, sweaty exercise in torture broken up by the frequent water breaks necessary to stave off the dehydration debuff.
Eventually we crested a dune and saw the mine ahead of us, the area around the entrance cluttered with broken wagons and mining equipment.
“Did you happen to bring torches this time?” she began, “I know I forgot to remind you about that light spell, but you were dead at the time.”
“Oh, no,” I answered, and she began cursing under her breath until I held up a hand for her to relax. “I’ve got something better than that.”
I gave her a quick recap of my adventures in the afterlife and the new spells and abilities I had learned.
“Isn’t level three a bit early for specializing?” she asked.
I shrugged, “This game is so different in so many ways, I have no idea what is or what is not normal. But even if it is a bit early, you have to admit, it’s pretty cool. I haven’t tried using any of the new spells yet since they are mostly anti-undead.”
“Well at least you won’t be blind.” She grinned and unslung her bow, knocked an arrow. “Ready to Rumble?”
I gave her a thumbs up and readied my spear and shield, following her down the hill towards the mine entrance.
The first hint we got of the gibs was the smell; an unholy mixture of unwashed bodies, cow manure, and some form of cheese.
*** Constitution check successful! ***
As the first wave of it hit us, I almost vomited but luckily had made my constitution check. Kjara seemed to barely hold her lunch down as well.
From within the main mine entrance I could hear a high-pitched chattering. I focused on my new senses and peered into the darkness of the entrance, making out several spindly humanoid figures wandering around.
They had a pale, grayish-green skin, short tusks and huge bat-like ears. Each carried crude weapons, and both their fingers and toes ended in some pretty nasty looking claws that were probably just as deadly.
There were four of the little guys in the entryway to the mine, all first level. I met my companion’s eyes and nodded, readying my Sunstrike spell as she took aim with her bow.
TWANG!
*** Kjara has killed Lesser Gib! Your party gains 25xp! ***
The three remaining gibs sprung back from their dead friend and scrambled out of the cave, looking for the source of the shot, by which time Kjara had another arrow heading their way. The target dodged the shot at the last second and it shattered on the cavern wall.
The gibs let loose a high-pitched war cry and charged. When the first came within range, I sent a Sunstrike directly into its midsection, dropping its health bar down to about ten percent.
*** You cast Sunstrike on Lesser Gib! Sunstrike burns your target with Holy Fire! ***
It fell to the ground, groaning in pain as the edges of its wound continued to smoulder.
Its two companions jumped over it, waving their weapons in challenge as they continued their charge. The closest had a crude club made out of some large creature’s leg bone while its partner had a rusty knife.
I raised my shield and thrust my spear out to take advantage of the bonuses my weapon had vs charging opponents and grinned as the little monster impaled itself on my spear, its bone club falling to the ground from its limp hand.
*** You critically strike Lesser Gib with your bronze spear, inflicting a mortal wound! ***
*** You have killed Lesser Gib! Your party gains 25xp! ***
Kjara finished off the other charger with a quick swing of her sword and then rushed forward to put the one I had burned earlier out of its misery.
*** Kjara has killed Lesser Gib! Your party gains 25xp! ***
*** Kjara has killed Lesser Gib! Your party gains 25xp! ***
“Well, that wasn’t so bad”, I said, looting the nearby corpses but only finding a few copper coins. I handed half to my companion, and she dropped them into her pouch as we moved closer to the cave.
“There are a lot of Gibs that lurk in the Dreamwood,” Kjara explained. “They are like cockroaches, they can eat anything, and where there are four, there are probably many, many more. We need to be ready for swarms of these little bastards, so make sure you have that Flamestrike ready. We may need you to summon your pet too.”
“If things are looking grim I will, but until I earn some more favor with my god it
's quite limited. Right now, I can theoretically cast the spell twice, but I’m not quite sure on the rules for doing so. It might be perfectly fine, but using it to kill some gibbers may be a no-no.”
“Noted. I’ll leave it up to your judgment,” she said.
…
Chapter 11
We moved into the mine, wincing as the smell intensified. I hoped the mine owners had some way of cleaning out the place after we were done or they would be hard pressed to find anyone willing to work the place.
Kjara led the way, arrow at the ready as her eyes scanned the darkness ahead. I followed behind, spear and shield at the ready.
We tried to sneak, but again my own lack of any semblance of stealth made it difficult for us. Luckily, the creatures own insane ‘Gibbering’ was more than enough to cover the minor scrapes I was making.
Deeper into the mine we went, the sound of more enemies getting louder as we descended.
The tunnel opened onto a ledge overlooking a large chamber with several smaller tunnels branching off of it. A small fire was burning in the center, surrounded by gibs, and roasting over the fire were the remains of some sort of animal, charred beyond recognition.
A pathway lead around the outside of the room, spiraling down towards the floor where the creatures awaited. We paused at the beginning of the ramp and took stock of our surroundings before returning to the tunnel to devise our strategy.
“There had to be ten or more by the fire, and who knows how many more down the side tunnels. What’s the play?” She whispered.
“You seem to be familiar with these things. Can they climb?” I replied.
Her eyes lost focus for a second before she replied, “Trees? Yes. Rock walls? I don’t think so.”
“If they can’t climb rocks we should be able to use the ramp as a choke point, pick off most of them as they come around from range. I’ll drop a Flamestrike into the group by the fire and that should get us off to a good start.”
She nodded in agreement and I continued, “I’m still a little worried about how many more there could be in the side passages, but it’s worth a try.”
“Sounds like a solid plan.” She grinned. “We have the high ground after all…”
Laughing at her reference as I moved to the front and glanced back down near the fire, finding where the most gibs were gathered. They were busy blabbering away in their own language and taking bites out of whatever had been cooking over the fire.
I leaned my spear against the cavern wall and cast the Flamestrike spell, marveling again at the flaming javelin that took shape in my hand.
Leaning slightly over the edge of the ramp, I aimed at the center of the gaggle and let fly. The flaming javelin narrowly missed the creature I was aiming for and embedded itself in the ground.
The gibs all took a step away from the spear and turned to face it, curiosity sparkling in their eyes for the fraction of a second before it detonated.
*** You successfully cast flame strike! ***
*** Flamestrike burns the Lesser Gib with magical fire, inflicting a serious wound! ***
*** Flamestrike burns the Lesser Gib with magical fire, inflicting a mortal wound! ***
*** You have killed Lesser Gib! Your party gains 25xp! ***
*** Flamestrike burns the Lesser Gib with magical fire, inflicting a serious wound! Lesser Gib is on Fire! ***
*** Flamestrike burns the Lesser Gib with magical fire, inflicting a minor wound! ***
*** Flamestrike burns the Lesser Gib with magical fire, inflicting a minor wound! ***
*** Flamestrike burns the Lesser Gib with magical fire, inflicting a minor wound! Lesser Gib is on Fire! ***
*** Flamestrike burns the Lesser Gib with magical fire, inflicting a mortal wound! Lesser Gib is on Fire! ***
*** You have killed Lesser Gib! Your party gains 25xp! ***
***Discerning Eye check successful!***
*** Congratulations you have gained Rank 2 in Discerning eye! ***
Each of the injured gibs gained a small health bar above their head showing just how injured they were, making priority targeting much easier without having to focus on them first.
The initial strike had only taken out two of the little bastards, but it had injured several and lit three on fire.
As we prepared for our next strike, one of the uninjured gibs started shouting and pointing up at where Kjara and I were situated on the ledge. Examining him revealed was some sort of officer.
*** Gib Sub-Chief ***
***HP: 100%, SP: 100% ***
The rest of the creatures started scrambling towards the base of the ramp, just out of range of my spells, but not so for Kjara’s bow. Arrows sprouted from the chests of the two of the leading gibs, dropping one to the ground to be trampled under the scrambling claws of its cohorts.
*** Kjara has killed Lesser Gib! Your party gains 25xp! ***
The clustered gibs presented a very tempting target so I formed another Flamestrike and launched it at the charging mass.
The gib leading the charge's eyes widened as the burning javelin soared across the chamber. It dropped to the ground, dodging the missile and leaving the second rank to take the hit.
The unlucky gib gasped as the burning spear plunged into his chest and began to sizzle. His flesh started to burn and he fell to his knees, shrieking in pain.
The gibs around him tried to scatter, some even choosing to jump off of the ledge to the ground below before the spell detonated, turning the main target into red mist and damaging those too slow to escape its radius.
*** You successfully cast Flamestrike! ***
*** Flamestrike critically burns the Lesser Gib with magical fire, inflicting a devastating wound! ***
*** You have killed Lesser Gib! Your party gains 25xp! ***
*** Flamestrike burns the Lesser Gib with magical fire, inflicting a mortal wound! ***
*** You have killed Lesser Gib! Your party gains 25xp! ***
*** Flamestrike burns the Lesser Gibs with magical fire, inflicting a minor wound! Lesser Gibs is on Fire! ***
*** Flamestrike burns the Lesser Gib with magical fire, inflicting a minor wound! ***
*** Collateral damage from a fall has killed a Lesser Gib. Your party gains 25xp! ***
A quick glance at my gauges showed my mana was down under half, so offensive magics were now on hold. I grabbed my spear from where I’d left it and braced myself for the melee to follow.
Meanwhile, Kjara fired off a shot at the Sub-boss who had remained below, the arrow finding a home in his collar and dropping his health by half.
In a very courageous move, the sub-boss fled into one of the side passages and disappeared. Kjara cursed under her breath and then slung her bow over her shoulder and drew her swords.
The fire from my spell continued to burn the gibs as they made their way up the ramp before eventually going out, but not before they were nice and softened up for us. Then it was melee time.
The narrow ledge kept them from surrounding us, but they fought together like a giant ball of fury, somehow crawling over each other to strike out and then quickly being reabsorbed back into their gestalt of slashing claws, rusty daggers, and gnashing teeth.
Kjara’s blades flashed out, cutting through two of the nasty little buggers as well as taking a good sized chunk out of the health bars of the leading edge of the gibs swarm.
*** Kjara has killed Lesser Gib! Your party gains 25xp! ***
*** Kjara has killed Lesser Gib! Your party gains 25xp! ***
She danced back out of reach and I moved up to assist. Using my longer reach, I attacked whenever a gap appeared, but compared to the speed of my companion I might as well have been a snail.
“A little healing here” Kjara said, bringing my attention to her own health bar. She was down to forty percent or so.
“Sorry,” I said. “Got a bit fixated on the stabbing.” I focused on casting Soothing Touch and fed mana into the spell, then watched as the glow began to flow up my
spear.
I quickly drew my spear away from the enemy, not wanting to help them out and pressed the haft against Kjara’s side, letting the magic flow through my spear and into my companion.
*** You cast Soothing Touch, healing Kjara’s wounds. ***
I split my attention between my casting and fending off the gibs with my shield, but was only partially successful, taking some wounds myself as they took advantage of my split focus.
*** Lesser Gib strikes your calf with a rusty knife! You have taken a minor wound! ***
*** Lesser Gib claws your shoulder! You have taken a minor wound! ***
My health dropped to eighty percent and I grimaced with the pain of the wounds, barely managing to maintain my healing spell.
*** Combat Casting check successful! ***
*** You channel Soothing Touch, healing Kjara’s wounds. ***
*** You channel Soothing Touch, healing Kjara’s wounds. ***
Her health climbed back up to seventy five percent before another strike got past my shield and ripped a nasty gash on my spear arm.
*** Lesser gib strikes your forearm with a dingy shortsword! You have taken a minor wound! ***
*** Combat Casting check unsuccessful! ***
I hissed between my teeth in pain and drew my arm back, barely managing to hold on to the spear.
Seeing Kjara preparing to strike, I dashed forward and smashed my shield into the remaining mass of gibs, bunching them up a little bit more and even causing one near the ledge to tumble to its death on the cavern floor. Kjara dashed in and with another broad sweep of her blades cut down most of the remaining goblinoids.
Crimson Sands Page 16
