Bluefire [IC][R-16]

[Ren✧]

Click Here to go the <OOC Thread>

 

The members of Ithaca were scattered on a ridge high in the Adralian Mountains. The wind bit at any exposed skin and a flurry of snow obscured their vision, however, through the storm they could see a large clearing below. In the upper right corner of their HUD, the name of the location would read Mountaineer's Refuge. It was a deceiving name. If the information they had was correct, what waited for them at the bottom of the bluff was anything but safety. 

 

Cass steeled herself against the cold, pulling the robes she wore tight around her. She tried to focus on the task in front of her, but her mind kept drifting. It had been a week now since the mysterious message had been left on the guild's message board. 'Directions for escape to follow.' There was no indication of whom it had been sent from, no signature left on the note. As far as Cass knew, there was no way for a player to do such things, which raised another question. Did the message come from inside or outside Bluefire? Each passing day, Cass began to grow a little more disheartened, perhaps she had been a fool to think that anything would come from such a cryptic message. However, she refused to sit and wait for instructions that may never arrive. 

 

Two days prior, the guild had received some information that players were being lured up to Mountaineer's Refuge with the prospect of some easy to find rare items. However, when they arrived they found only high-level monsters and no chance of escape. Misinformation like this had been increasing in circulation lately. It was making the message board an untrustworthy source of information for players, and since it was the only way for most of them to communicate, it was imperative that they do something about it.

 

Ithaca had been tracking a group of Deceivers, the title given to those that spread this type of misinformation, through a series of fraudulent messages posted on the message board. Unfortunately, they hadn't been making much leeway in discovering their location.  

 

At the moment, however, they had more pressing concerns. It seemed that the most recent victim of this artifice was a small party of three fairly underleveled players. The guild had been fortunate enough to run into a hysterical friend of the players that had left for Mountaineer's Refuge and, unknowingly, their deaths. They had a few hours head start on the guild, but Ithaca hoped that they had made up for it in their hurry. 

 

"Anything?" Cass asked their resident Marksman, glancing in the Faun's direction. She would be the guild's best shot at spotting the naive players. The Oracle squinted her own eyes, narrowing them down into slits, trying to make out anything in the coniferous trees below. It was times like these she wished she had invested some skill points into the Scry ability that would allow her to sense the location of other players. Before Girasol could answer Cass' question, a powerful roar shook the mountain face. Out of the trees that surrounded the clearing below shot two small figures, easy to miss in the heavy snow, but what pursued them was not. Hulking forms crashed through the trees, their size apparent even from a distance. There appeared to be a half dozen of them.

 

Ape-like in appearance, the monsters quickly covered the terrain running on all fours, their knuckles pummeling the frost hardened ground. They quickly rose to their hind legs, cords of muscle rippling beneath their thick white fur, as they struck out against the outnumbered players. Even if they were appropriately leveled, they wouldn't last long with only two of them. Cass watched as one of the creatures prepared to charge. It lowered its heads, a pair of horns aimed menacingly for the frantic Paladin. 

 

"Let's go."

---

[spoiler=OoC]

Jumping right into a battle scenario, I thought we'd skip all the introduction stuff for now. Your first objective: Go kick some ass. But first, you probably want to know some things, right? 

 

[spoiler=Like what you're fighting...]

Name: Dzu-teh

Level: 30-35

The Dzu-teh roam the Northern Wilds looking for prey. They tend to hunt in troops of 6-8 and are very territorial creatures. They do not usually eat their food in the wilds, but rather will take it back to their den to eat. Dzu-teh tend to fight by clawing at enemies, grabbing them and throwing them, or charging at them with their horns. Dzu-teh are intelligent enough to use surrounding materials as weapons, but do not usually have a need for it. Fire elemental attacks do 30% more damage on Dzu-teh, but if a Dzu-teh sees fire it will immediately become enraged. 

 

 

[spoiler=Who you're saving...]

Screen name: Kirin

Level: 19

Gender: Female

Race: Orc

Class: Paladin

Appearance: Onyx black skin, white hair. Giant black shield with veins of glowing red running through it and a fairly ordinary spear.

 

 

Screen name: Epik_4

Level: 21

Gender: Male

Race: Elf

Class: Shaman

Appearance: Very pale skin, long blonde hair, dressed in blue robes with sigils along the cuffs that vaguely resemble the sun. 

 

 

 

You are free to take control of the Dzu-teh in whatever way you like. I'd ask that you not kill them in your first post, but if that's where it takes you, alright I guess. You can take control of Kirin and Epik in the sense that you can save them, push them out of danger, make them do some minimal attack or minimal dialogue, etc. Don't damage them too badly. Definitely no death for them. 

 

Also just quick thing to remember while posting, you've known the people in the guild for at least two weeks. So no need to pretend not to know their names or basic information about them. Okay, have at it. 

 

 

[Yui]

---

Melethil shivered, pulling the cloak around his body tightly around him. Even with the furs draped around his body, Melethil still was somebody who had only just recently left the Pernicies Desert. He wasn't very well suited for the cold, and up here, there seemed to be plenty of it. The boots over his feet felt uncomfortable too.  He was far more used to sandals that let his feet breathe, but the alternative to the boots was feet covered in snow. However, Melethil had higher priorities than thinking about how cold it was here, as did those he followed. There were Deceivers about, luring players into dangerous areas with false promises of rare loot. Melethil wasn't all too happy with the prospect. Every dead player was a potential client thrown down the drain, and were he not aware of the situation, he may well have been next.

 

While most of the group checked ahead of them for any signs of the Deceivers, Melethil's interest kept shifting to the frosty grounds behind them. After all, he was the healer. If there was an ambush somewhere and they attacked from behind, he was wide open. Which would be bad news for everyone else, to say nothing of his probable death, being a squishy elf and all. Every now and then he saw a bird, or a goat, or some other form of wildlife. They weren't creatures Melethil really got to see in the wild back home. Though some pretty sights alone weren't enough to make Melethil wish he wasn't in Adrale expanding his business or negotiating good rooms for low prices for him and his party, rather than out here in the wild with his face feeling like it was slowly turning to ice.

 

As Girasol looked ahead for any sign of the latest victims of the Deceivers - a small group of weaker people that weren't ready for this place - Melethil brought his hands up to his mouth, breathing into them before rubbing his briefly-warmed hands on his cheeks. He repeated the process a couple of times, before a roar shook the mountain. "Eee!" Looking up ahead, Melethil could see...monsters. Big ones. A decent handful of them at that. The people they were here to find must have gotten their attention already.

 

"Let's go."

 

"U-Understood!" Melethil focused on what was going on between the beasts and the people now running from them. One of the beasts was getting ready to charge one of their new victims. That would probably hurt, but not on Melethil's watch. Bringing one of his arms out from under his cloak and grabbing his trusty staff with one swift motion, Melethil pointed the head of the staff directly at the one being charged, buying them some time with a use of Power Word: Shield. Melethil's next move was to turn his attention to Stacks, the group tank, before turning his staff to point at her and gift her with the Respite buff. That'd let her get a strong start in the fight. "Kn, Knock them dead, Stacks!"

 

Starting preparations done with, Melethil hung behind the group, but not far enough to be out of healing range. He'd heal others as needed, and keep his attention on everything going on. Such was his job as the healer.

---

[Super Chaos Sonic]

 

 

Why did I get my hide dragged up here?

 

This was the overall thought going through Do'jhera's head, as he held the cloak around him. As a Khepura, he did have a nice fur coat about him, but it didn't mean he still wasn't chilled. Thankfully Ithaca was smart and handed out a nice amount of cloaks to keep their guild-mates warm during this little mission. And what mission would that be?

 

Simple. They were here on Mountaineer's Refuge to find out about Deceivers, group of people who really apparently like to screw with players and present them with false information. They must've enjoyed getting off at other people's failure...least that's what Do'jhera thought. And of course, Ithaca was mainly looking for the victims of the Deceivers, a small party that came up here in search of whatever the Deceivers were selling...

 

Makes no sense...what sort of messed up people wants to see players just die by following misinformation? Do'jhera thought, shaking his head some. That was just something that made no sense. Then again...so many things in this world made no sense to him. After all, he was still only a beginner. And it was just made more known to him when he saw the HUD's statistics on those he surrounded himself with...namely their level. The bulk of them, in the 40s and 30s. There were the occasional ones that were in the 20s...but he was the lowest one of the bunch.

 

However, from what he saw ahead, had his fur standing on end. Quite a number of creatures, Do'jhera's HUD showing the name: Dzu-teh. And it was obvious that they were pissed, giving their obvious look in their eyes.

 

"Let's go."

 

Gulping, Do'jhera could feel himself shake a bit. S-Stop it! Y-You can do it...j-just use your buff and attack...a-after another of the members strike. he thought, shaking his head some. It was simple, just like WolfSlayer78 taught him. Buff yourself and find an opening...then strike! Simple enough....right?

 

The Khepura Duelist let out a deep breath, before placing his hands together, activating his Duelist Fighting Spirit skill. He just needed to find a way to slay one of these beasts and his buff would continue to work. ...he just needed to wait until one of them struck out at these creatures.

[VCR_CAT]

Stacks4Daze

 

Stacks trudged through the snow, her mantle pulled around both shoulders and clutched by her hands as the wind forced the cape to billow out from behind her.

 

"Stupid fuckin' message board," Stacks grumbled angrily under her breath. "Oh yeah, just follow the anonymous message, what could possible go wrong? Now I'm in this stupid fuckin' snow freezin' my tits off."

 

As the group continued along its path, they passed by the bodies of three other adventurers. Stacks paused and looked at their loot, specifically their winter gear, but all of it was under-leveled compared to her's. Stacks would be at a disadvantage in case anything jumped out at them, all just to feel warmer. Growling under her breath, she continued along the path with the others. A roar shook through the mountain ranges, snow falling from nearby trees and what few birds remaining flying off in fear. Whatever roared was close. As if on queue, two other players appeared from the forest line, running helplessly. In their wake, two hulking Dzu-teh's charging after them. Those players were under-leveled, and they were about to meet their end.

 

"Let's go." Cass ordered the group. 

 

"U-Understood!" Melethil stuttered in response. Stacks felt her strength slowly return to her, her breathing slowing down. Melethil must have cast one of his spells on her. "Kn, Knock them dead, Stacks!"

 

"You don't have to tell me twice!" Stacks responded with gusto, sprinting forwards to meet the ape-like creatures head-on. As she neared the charging Dzu-teh, Stacks raised her shield and used a Suncharge close to the end of her sprint. "TAKE THIS!" Her body dashed forward, wreathed in flames, and her shield met the Dzu-teh's tusks directly in a burst of heat; the snow immediately around her turning to steam and bathing the two in an explosive, misty cloud.

[👀 REP 👀]

 

---

 

Lichiethro let out a visible sigh, clutching his lantern with a shivering hand. It wasn't necessarily dark; if anything it was too bright, with the snow reflecting the sunlight right into his eyes. "Maybe I should get shades on these things..." He thought to himself, checking the area around him and his fellow guild members. It had only been a little over a week since he met these people and yet here they were, on top of some mountain looking for some idiots that bit of more than they could chew. Not like they knew danger was coming - they had been deceived by the, well, Deceivers. Still, who would believe that going onto the top of some mountain would be a safe way to get free rare items? Begrudgingly, he continued on, frustrated with the lack of anything interesting on the mountain.

 

He kicked over some of the bodies of fallen players - from what he could tell, they were a much lower level than he or anyone in the guild was. "Poor sap probably fell for those message board scams..." He thought out loud, leaning over to close their eyelids. "Fucken idiots..." He got up, cracking his neck as he stood. "You'd think with all the bodies there'd be something interesting." He spoke, clearly frustrated by the lack of anything, before letting out a sigh. He kept going, searching for the lost party. Suddenly, the mountains seemed to shake at the sound of a monstrous roar. Out of a nearby forest were two figures running out frantically. Behind them were the silhouettes of hulking beasts in hot pursuit. 

 

"Let's go." 

 

"Finally some action." He raised his lantern in front of him. As the lantern's light seemed to glow brighter, arms seemed to sprout around him like flowers. Five skeletons erupted from the ground, and following the five were five more. The Dzu-teh that had initiated the charge against the young adventurer was being dealt with by Daze. The Dzu-teh around them seemed to become more hostile, especially towards the tank. He took a deep breath, before pointing his finger at one of the Dzu-teh that was behind Daze. "Attack, my legion!" On his command, the group of skeletons rushed forward to the target, swords in hand. While the skeletons started making their way towards the hulking beast, Lichiethro raised his lantern again. This time, instead of skeletons coming out of the ground, a trio of specters emerged from his lantern. He took a deep breath. "It's showtime, baby!"

[bury the year]

Girasol

 

Being a faun meant that the shaggy fur across much of Girasol’s body did an admirable job of trapping heat, and her sniper’s cloak helped to minimize the loss of whatever escaped. That said, it was still pretty effing cold. She couldn’t let the weather distract her, though. That would be an embarrassment to her role as a Marksman. Small puffs of frosty air escaped from her lips as she laid prone on the ground, Kybele rested on a makeshift tripod of rock. Cass - Ithaca’s leader - was standing next to her, scanning the scene. The rest of Ithaca, eight in total not counting the faun herself, were scattered in the immediate vicinity of the ridge, alternately polishing weaponry and griping about the cold. She heard Lichiethro kicking at bodies and cursing, and she gave a wry grin. At least someone else agreed that they’d brought it upon themselves.

 

"Anything?"

 

"Please don’t disturb me while I’m scoping." For Girasol, to use "please" meant that she was showing an above-average amount of courtesy. Cass was one of the few Ithaca members who received that honorific. It was because the Oracle hadn’t done anything to piss her off: while that seemed mundane, her ire was easily invoked yet hard to quell. There were other members of the guild who had managed to provoke her already (Melethil and "Dodger," to name two). Letting the momentary heat of her annoyance warm her bones, the sniper raised a bony arm and pointed it over the crest without raising her eyes from the scope. "I see some rustling in that copse to the east. If we don’t expect any other parties, that should be th-"

 

Girasol’s report was cut off by a rumbling roar that shook the trees, as a pair of PCs burst out from the treeline headed west. Behind them were half a dozen monsters, what appeared to be rape babies of a yeti and an orc. And they were pissed. Whomever these kids were, they’d not done a good job of brushing up on where they were going-although in that case, they wouldn’t have ended up here in the first place. Dzu-tehs didn’t tolerate intruders, and they wanted to rend these interlopers sinew from bone.

 

The others dashed ahead, leaving the sniper alone on her mountain crest. She said nothing. Girasol was fine with this - always the lone wolf, after all. Anyways, this let her play tactician, seeing the field of battle spread out in front of her. Inconsequential ants and all below her.

 

She readied Kybele and peered down the scope, carefully moving the arc of her rifle’s barrel in time with the beast’s loping charge. Girasol knew how to prioritize, as she had immediately covered the one which was second closest to hitting the orc paladin. Not the first one, though: Melethil’s spell had intercepted its swing at the paladin, meaning it was covered for the moment. Performing her standard pre-fire shot routine, the faun breathed in, held it for a second, and exhaled as she squeezed the trigger.

 

The round leapt from the muzzle in a flash of gunpowder, bucking imperceptibly. Girasol had corrected for the movement, of course: she knew her weapon well by now. She aimed for the Dzu-teh’s knee, hoping to take it down and trip up its cohort. Its level was too high to take down in one shot (it was as strong as she was!), but that wasn’t going to stop her from trying.

[Dad]

Brrrrrrrrrando!

 

Despite his natural resistances to cold, "brr" was about all he could mutter from his frosted lips.  Brando stood at the heap of the mountain, at the rear of the rest of Ithaca.  That was the only real disadvantage he felt he had, being that his short legs could only carry him so fast.  Unless there was a drink involved, he was nearly always last to the party.  When he finally was able to clear the towering giants that were his guild mates--save for Melethil--Brando found himself trying to stare down into an immense coniferous forest.

 

No thanks to his awful sight, he could barely make out the treeline.  There seemed to be a few things. . .dangling on the way down the mountainside.  Some poor, low level adventurers were probably pushed off the side, no thanks to a bunch of sneaky Deceivers.  Brando pulled his hood close, snug over his head, as he silently prayed for the fallen adventurers.  But his moment of peace was interrupted, when a bellowing roar shook him.  Raising his head and squinting his eyes, Brando could see two blurry shadows sprinting hastily away from the forest.

 

And now, behind them, the trees shook, and cracked as a pack of angry Dzu-teh appeared on his H.U.D.  

 

"Let's go."

 

Like clockwork, Cass and company immediately sprang into action.  Girasol was already in place, finding a makeshift tripod rock to balance her weapon.  Their leading tank, Stacks, took the lead with Melethil's help.  Lich had also entered the frey with his army of undead minions at his side.  

 

Brando rubbed the back of his neck, never one to shy away from a good fight.  As the crack of Girasol's rifle went off, Brando could feel a warmth burning within him.  He immediately drafted an absolutely absurd and dangerous, not to mention stupid way of getting to the enemy Dzu-teh from this distance.  He grinned, as he took a bundle of dynamite from his pocket.  Brando leaped forward, and latched onto a nearby tree.  Snapping from it a large piece of wood, he dragged it downwards and onto the mountainside, beneath his feet.  His feet weren't locked into the wood, so his balance was off.  However, Brando was now snowboarding down the mountain side, directing himself to the middle of the pack of Dzu-teh.

 

He flicked a match on his side, and prepared an explosive.  As he neared the bottom of the mountain, just outside the crest of the forest line, Brando leaped, exhaling with a mad scream.  "YARBLARRARGH!" he roared back at the Dzu-teh, as he latched onto the back of one of the immense creatures.  The caught Dzu-teh instinctively pulled away, dragging itself away from its friends, and leaving the pack.  Brando's explosive was nearing its countdown timer, and he had to get rid of it.  He had only one destination for the bomb:  the Dzu-teh's jabroni.  Using a massive fist, Brando took his explosive and punched it as hard as he could into the anus of the creature, before leaping from its back.  Running as fast as his little legs could carry him, he chuckled to himself.  "Explosive diarrhea, incomin'."  With but a second to spare, he dove into a snowbank away from his soon to be butt blasted enemy.

[Saiba Aisu]

The howling wind intensified as the members of Ithaca came to a halt on a high ridge, their boots sinking slowly into the fresh snow underfoot. The proud, jagged spires of the Adralian Mountains seemed to surround them on all sides, twisting savagely into the air, superbly disdainful of the mortal drama unfolding at their feet.

 

I hope we're not too late...

 

Chloé bit her lip as she scoured the clearing below, straining to make out the wayward trio of missing players, tugging on her long blonde braid with one hand—a bad habit of hers, particularly when she was feeling shy or nervous. Like right now.

 

Unlike most of her fellow guildmates, grumbling and cursing under their breath at the harsh weather, the bitter cold had no grip on Chloé. On the contrary, it seemed to slide off her like rainwater, thanks to the enchanted raiment she wore. For the umpteenth time, she closed her eyes and murmured a quick prayer of gratitude to her older brother, thanking him for the gift. Without his protection, she wouldn't have survived a day in the brutal world of Bluefire. Without his guidance, perhaps she'd be one of the brash players somewhere below, lured to Mountaineer's Refuge by false promises of rare items.

 

Antoine...

 

A primal roar shattered the silence, bringing her reverie to an abrupt end. Two figures burst suddenly from the cover of the forest, sprinting desperately. Only a few paces behind, a pack of huge simian monsters crashed through the trees in pursuit, catching up to their prey within moments, forcing them to turn and fight.

 

"Oh no!" Chloé murmured softly, her eyes widening in horror as she recognized the beasts. Dzu-teh. Nasty ape-like carnivores armed with superhuman strength, sharp claws, and even sharper horns. Not to mention territorial. Very territorial.

 

"Let's go!" Cass declared, her voice ringing as she urged her teammates into action. The guild sprung into the fray without hesitation, as if they had been doing this their entire lives... which, to be honest, most of them had. As far as Chloé was aware, she was the group's least experienced member, an impression heightened by the sight of her fidgeting with her braid once more.

 

"Ha!" the girl cried, yanking the light blue ribbon from her pale blonde hair, leaving it free to tumble over her shoulders. Twisting her fingers around its small wooden handle, she twirled it like a conductor's baton, weaving a complicated pattern with its silken lengths, a magical hum accompanying her movements.

 

"Contract Beast Summoning! Come forth, Heljä!!"

 

A billowing cloud of smoke consumed the girl, hiding her from view. When it cleared, she was no longer alone—a massive she-bear stood at her side, her glistening white fur illuminated by the shining pentacle beneath her. The beast snarled, her large dark eyes flashing fiercely as she took in the scene.

 

"Heljä, my dear!" Chloé cried, running forward and throwing her arms around the creature's neck, burying her face in its fur. "Friend, lend me your strength! We have to save them! Please!"

 

"Chloé!" Heljä growled, arching her neck as she returned the embrace. "You summoned me... to battle a pack of overgrown snow monkeys?!"

 

There was a brief pause during which Chloé only tightened her grip, as if pleading with her.

 

"... Very well. Stand aside, little one. My claws will make short work of them."

 

With an earsplitting roar of her own, Heljä charged down the mountainside like an avalanche, gathering speed as she went, barreling sideways into one of the Dzu-teh, knocking the creature onto its back. Before it could recover she was upon it, using her superior weight to keep the beast grounded, dealing a series of brutal blows with her forepaws.

[Mr. Hyde]

 

The track up the mountains had been quite tedious, and Reebus was quite over it already...travelling vast distances across the map was not to his liking.  The cold weather was even worse, frosting up his precious Mask of Echoes!  How he longed to curl up next to a fire.  Sadly...the heroes of this game, Ithaca, would take on the task of saving some forlorn players, tricked by their wicked cohorts.  Reebus groaned while the sharp wind pushed him back, as the valley-like scene came into view.  His H.U.D. was flooded with hostiles in the area...what came to be Yeti inspired creatures, surrounding a group of two.  It was strange...the information they had said that three players were lured down here.

 

"That means..." Reebus mumbled, followed by a slight growl.  "Done in by their own greed.  Will humans ever learn?"

 

"Let's go."

 

Cass, the guild leader, let the command fly.  And as it did, so too did their melee companions, charging into the fray.  Mindless.  But it was good that they had no brains...that meant that Reebus could work in peace, without obtaining much aggro.  In the back where his squishy partners, Lichiethro and Girasol.  Lichiethro summoned his horde of skeletal minions to join the fray against the Dzu-Teh that charged the group, whilst Girasol took her first shot.  Needless to say, their efforts were in vain, as neither of their attacks seemed to phase the creatures much.  

 

"My, my...looks like ol' Reebus here has to step in and save the day.  But then again, what else is new?"  He could feel the Mana leave his body, as the H.U.D. showed that some of it had been drained.  A small, dark cloud started to form above the Khepur's head, as he pointed a finger at the Dzu-teh that had been shot by Girasol.  An easy target that could be finished off with a simple-

 

"Sky Crack." The dark cloud that rumbled above his head shot off a single bolt of lightning, striking the Dzu-Teh in the chest, leaving a smoldering mark behind.  Reebus made a quick glimpse at the Dzu-Teh's health pool, and noticed that it had depleted significantly.  "Have anyather one...for good luck!~"  He purred, shoving more of his Mana into the cloud, forcing the static friction to let loose another one of his Sky Crack attacks.  

[Ren✧]

Steam rose from the Dzu-teh's nostril, it's breath escaped in small explosions from its jagged maw each time its curled fists pummeled the permafrost, closing the distance between itself and the Orcish Paladin. She raised her shield to defend herself, but even that would do little to protect against the incoming destruction that the Dzu-teh would bring. Neither of them, however, noticed the translucent, yellow bubble that appeared around the Orc moments before impact. So, both were equally surprised when the glacial creature glanced off to the side, rolling slightly in the snow. The Dzu-teh's confusion was not enough to overwhelm its anger, it was determined to kill this troublesome trespasser, now. It swung at the tourmaline barrier, its claws scraping fitfully against it. Again the monster struck, and again. By the third hit, Melethil's spell faded. The Orc seemed petrified with terror as the Dzu-teh raised its claws to bring down in a deadly arc. 

 

Fortunately, a furry mass of muscle, tooth, and nail, this one friendly...for the most part, intercepted the Dzu-teh's killing blow, knocking it on its back. Heljä would keep this one well occupied for the time being. She would not, however, appreciate a second Dzu-teh charging to join the fray. The prophetic crack of Girasol's rifle would signal the end to that problem, as a bullet tore through the gargantuan monster's knee. The mountainous creature tried to right itself, but as it did, a bolt of lightning arced towards its chest. A second followed, but the Dzu-teh moved in a blur of motion, roaring in pain on account of its injured leg. The second bolt of lightning streaked harmlessly passed, scorching the earth.

 

Stacks had badly wounded one of the Dzu-teh, but in her fervor attracted the attention of another. At the sight of the flames that still coiled around her shield, the two Dzu-teh shrieked with rage, pounding their chests in a challenge. If anyone was paying attention to their health and stamina bars they would've noticed that the monsters' stats had just doubled as they began to meticulously circle Stacks. They chattered wildly, an ominous sound in contrast to their fearsome roar, as though they were talking. The determination to kill the painful red flower that danced upon the woman's shield was evident in their eyes. 

 

In the bedlam that often accompanies the start of a fight, no one had noticed Brando's entrance, nor had they exactly taken note of the dwarf riding off into the treeline atop the Dzu-teh. It was easy to miss small details when one's blood was coursing through their veins, beating like a drum in their ears, and their life was on the line. However, the loud explosion was impossible to miss. Even with only a couple of weeks under their belt, the members of Ithaca knew a Brando trademark when they heard one. And to the few that saw the giggling dwarf emerge from the trees, they knew their would be a good story to follow. 

 

Cass, however, was too preoccupied to pay Brando much attention. She had dropped into the clearing in a flurry of fallen snow and rushed towards the two players under attack. Most Oracles played at a distance, but Cass found she could be more useful if she took a more proactive approach. Once she got within range of the Orc and the Elf, she activated her Telekinetic Pull, yanking them further away from the conflict. Fortunately, her guildmates had been able to draw most of the fighting, but still it wouldn't do them any good if the reason they came up here ended up dying from a stray attack. 

 

"Try and take cover." Cass directed as the two landed with a dull thud next to her. They looked at her with fear and confusion, buy obeyed. Cass looked to Do'jhera, who was waiting on the outskirts of the fight. "If you're just going to stand there, be useful and look after them." Cass empathized with his fear, she was afraid too, but right now was not the time to coddle him. Now was the time to fight.

 

Cass did a brief survey of those most in need of assistance. Clearly, Stacks was in the most danger as she was not only going two on one, but the Dzu-teh she was fighting were buffed considerably. However, Lichiethro was struggling as well. His legion of undead were being easily swatted away by the Dzu-teh's considerable strength, the skeletons were quickly being smashed apart. Worse, it seemed that the swords stuck in the creature's hide did little more than anger it. The necromancer was closer to her position, hopefully Stacks could hold off just a little while longer. 

 

Closing a little more distance between them, Cass swung with a telekinetic push at the back of the Dzu-teh causing it to stumble. She slammed it again, drawing its attention. The monstrosity hissed at her, its hot spit steaming in the snow before it set off at a loping charge towards her. Cass prepared her telekinetic barrier. "If you're gonna do something," She called to Lichiethro, "do it soon." 

[Super Chaos Sonic]

 

 

One by one his guild-mates jumped into the fray, from Stacks' Suncharge to Brando's...uh..."interesting" attack. Nevertheless, Do'jhera gripped the hilts of his twin blades, preparing to pull them from their sheaths and strike after one of his allies...however...

 

His grip tightened on his blades, preparing to go forward and step onto the battlefield...but he couldn't. Something kept his feet rooted right there. Was it fear? Or was it his guilt? Or perhaps...a mixture of both?

 

-BGM-

 

A split second, as Do'jhera blinked slightly, he could see small glimpses of them...those from the other guilds he was apart of before Ithaca. His eyes wavered slightly and he could feel his grip on his hilts growing even tighter. All of them...all of them...dead. I-Its...its my fault... he thought, now beginning to tremble slightly. He blinked once more, before seeing that his vision was now back in the present time and place. But his mind...he couldn't...

 

"If you're just going to stand there, be useful and look after them."

 

Do'jhera blinked again as he shook his head, seeing Cass had spoken to him, already ushering the two players they were tasked with rescuing his way. He only nodded, realizing he was literally standing there now on the sidelines. "O-O-Of course..." he said quickly, looking away from Cass as his gaze turned to those who he was now tasked to protect. "J-Just stay with me..."

[Yui]

---

Melethil watched with some degree of awe as Stacks charged forward. He'd always admired that quality in tanks. The courage to charge into the fight headfirst, trusting that your teammates had your back...Melethil lacked that kind of bravery. He was much more content to just sit at the backlines and be the one having everyone's back. And speaking of being at the backlines, it gave Melethil the chance to observe the Dzu-Teh Stacks was now in the frontlines against. And their reaction to her fiery attack. Their stats were increasing. This didn't bode well.

 

Figures, "Melethil" thought to "him"self venomously. That little remark would have to stay in the mind though. It wasn't part of Melethil's character.

 

Instead, Melethil threw down a Holy Circle at Stacks's feet, and cast upon her the Regenerate buff. That was his core heal-over-time spells dealt with. He would have given her a Power Word: Shield of her own, but that wasn't quite ready yet. For good measure, he also chose to Smite one of the Dzu-Teh.

 

"Lichiethro," the elf beckoned. "D-Don't be afraid to go big on the mana if it means t, taking these guys down fast. Same for the rest of you. I'll restore your mana if it runs low...u-unless, that is to say, if I need to keep healing Stacks at the time."

---

[Saiba Aisu]

BGM

Thank goodness! Chloé thought, relieved to see that Heljä had managed to floor the first Dzu-teh before it landed its killing blow, creating an opening for Cass to use her telekinetic powers to pull the wayward pair of players to safety. Girasol, Reebus, and Brando had also put their skills to work, crippling the second monster with a series of ranged combination attacks and... shoving an explosive grenade up the rear end of another?! Charming.

 

Still, they weren't out of danger quite yet, especially Stacks, whose bold charge had carried her the farthest away from her teammates, right into the middle of the pack. Chloé bit her lip nervously as she fumbled with her HUD for a moment, her heart sinking at the sight of the Dzu-teh's massively buffed health and stamina bars. As Cass forged ahead, opting to reinforce Lichiethro, Chloé began to run down the mountainside, only too aware of how foolish she must have looked to the others. A little girl, practically unarmed, heading straight for the enemy?

 

"Please don't trip, please don't trip!" she murmured to herself, tightening her grip on the flimsy ribbon that was her only weapon, grateful for her outfit's ability to facilitate movement across frozen terrain—without it, she'd have been on her ass in moments, with a mouthful of snow for good measure. Even after four months training and fighting in Bluefire's virtual world, she still wasn't completely comfortable with running. For some strange reason, at times, her body seemed to think she was still in reality. A cripple, frail and powerless, confined to a hospital bed.

 

The old Chloé might have hesitated before leaping into the middle of a fray. Not anymore. Now, there were people counting on her, giving her a reason to fight. A reason to win.

 

She hurtled past Heljä in a blur, busy ripping out the throat of her downed prey, only pulling up short when she was in range of Stacks and the remaining monsters, still fixated on the female knight's flame-wreathed form.

 

"Subjugating Strike!" Chloé cried, swinging her arm behind her in a wide circle, weaving her silk whip into a cyclone, its blue lengths crackling with magical energy. She lashed out at the closest Dzu-teh, catching firm hold of the monster's bulging forearm from behind, pulling with both hands, her petite form hunched over as she heaved with all her might. To everyone's surprise, the beast howled as it was yanked abruptly off-balance, collapsing to its knees.

 

"I can't hold him for long! Stacks, now's your chance!!"

 

 

[spoiler=Note]Chloé hasn't suddenly gained superhuman strength. Rather, she's using "Subjugating Strike," a skill which charges the Beast Master's whip with magical energy to hinder the target's movements. This skill is at its most effective against NPC wild beasts, like the Dzu-teh.

 

[bury the year]

Girasol

 

Girasol watched impassively as Reebus called down a few lightning bolts to continue assaulting the monster she had just hit. It seemed as if they flurry of lightning had little effect, doing less damage than the single iron round that had gone through its knee. “No kill-stealing,” she said to Reebus sourly, lowering the barrel of her rifle to load another bullet. The thing was primitive compared to real-life weapons, acting more like a musket than anything else. The manual nature of the priming solidified Girasol’s role as a sniper: if she tried to rattle off bullets rapid-fire, she’d miss horrifically and probably get herself killed in the process. Or at least maimed, which wouldn’t be half as fun.

 

But that was all just a distraction right now. She had a job to do, and that job was kill monsters.

 

Girasol leaned back and set Kybele back up on her rest, grumbling internally at the precious time her kneejerk reaction to Reebus had cost her. Arrogant twit… there was a reason she respected Cass much more than she did Ithaca’s second-in-command. The stupid cat was a glory whore, to the point where it had managed to interfere in the team’s strategies. If one of those yetis ran up the cliff and smacked him into oblivion, she’d only spare half a tear for him. And yes, she was a bit of a hypocrite in chiding Reebus while she herself was concerned about getting the final shot in, but the one thing you didn’t do was disrupt a sniper’s work.

 

Speaking of such… The faun sighted her scope, swiveling the muzzle to track the monster that she had previously wounded. It was much trickier to set up the second shot than the first, as now Ithaca’s other members had joined the fight, causing more erratic movements from her target. That didn’t stop her, though. Whispering the activation code for Oathshot, she breathed in, sighted, and fired. The bullet, now laced with an inky and malicious darkness, arced straight into the Dzu-teh’s skull, the thing jerking back in abrupt surprise as metal entered flesh. Whether it was enough to take the beast down was another question entirely. With all the crazy things Girasol had seen so far, she wouldn’t be surprised if that hadn’t been enough to end the Dzu-teh’s life. However, if it wasn’t, it would certainly be hanging on by a thread.

[Dad]

Brrrrrrrrrrrrando!

 

As he rose from the snow, he found himself hissing with steam.  Brando turned around to view the now lifeless half-corpse of the Dzu-teh he had successfully downed.  "That's one pint," he said with a smirk.  But looking around, the battle had yet to be won.  Cass had gotten the two frail adventurers out of harm's way for now, thankfully.  She tossed them Do'jhera's way, and he in turn protected them.  However, the Oracle was now in harm's way, knowing full well that she shouldn't be in melee range of such a powerful monster.

 

Stacks too was surrounded, being now assisted with concentrated healing by Melethil.

 

"Feeling kind of toasty . . ."

 

And yet another of their more fragile players was now streamlining towards the Dzu-teh.  "Chloe!?  Chloe, no!" Brando hollered.  But she was already at the bottom of the mountain.  She charged headlong towards a Dzu-teh and rendered it temporarily mobile with her ribbon's magic.  A smart, if dangerous move.  Brando gritted his teeth.  Stacks couldn't take on all of the Dzu-teh alone.  Even with covering fire.

 

Speaking of fire--

 

Brando's passive ability "Hot!  Hot!  Hot!" had kicked in right on time.  His body was submerged in flames, and he was now a walking, flaming target.  Perhaps he could assist Stacks with her aggro.  He could at least draw the Dzu-teh away from Cass and Chloe.  He charged ahead, purposefully bolting towards Cass, his entire body ignited.  He shoved his way between Cass and the Dzu-teh, looking up at the creature in its eyes, as he passed.  He let slip a cocky smirk, as he was sure he got the brute's attention.  That may have helped Cass, but Stacks wouldn't be pleased.

 

He zipped through the snow as fast as he could, now charging towards Stacks.  He passed just by Chloe, hoping the stink of his singed Dwarf hairs would cause the Dzu-teh to follow him.  "Stacks!  I got somethin' for ya!" Brando loudly proclaimed as he neared her.

 

Brando put his back to Stacks', and prepared three explosive dynamite bundles.  "When I tell ya, hit the deck," Brando said over his shoulder.  Thanks to his reduced cooldowns and cast times with "Hot!  Hot!  Hot!" active, Brando's bundles were ready in mere seconds.  He threw all three bundles of dynamite into the snow at his feet, and waited for the Dzu-teh to get into range.  As they were within a meter of Brando, he lit the dynamite bundles.  "Git down!" he bellowed, diving into a snowbank some feet from Stacks.

[👀 REP 👀]

 

---

 

He laughed as the beasts made quick work of his skeletons. "My, my. How predictable." He taunted, raising his lantern up. Suddenly, the yeti was pushed away by seemingly nothing. He turned to who he assume had done it - Cass, the leader of the guild, had used her skills to interfere. "If you're gonna do something, do it soon." He smirked at the leader, snapping his fingers. "Lichiethro," Melethil, their cleric, had also chimed in. "D-Don't be afraid to go big on the mana if it means t, taking these guys down fast. Same for the rest of you. I'll restore your mana if it runs low...u-unless, that is to say, if I need to keep healing Stacks at the time."

"So little confidence!" He laughed as the ground in front of the beast suddenly erupted. "Where's your guy's sense of theatrics!?" He cackled as the arms coming from the ground tripped the beast, sending it face first into the snow. Suddenly, he heard an explosion shake the ground beneath them. Without having to look, he knew exactly what had happened "See? Boom gets it!" He again snapped his fingers - this time, the specters he had summoned early suddenly dive bombed into the Dzu-teh as it began to get up and attack the skeletal arms. The first specter turned into a blood red orb, slamming right into the Dzu's back. A curse had been laid upon the beast, who was now glowing red like the orb. The other two specters turned into dark purple arrows as they pierced the cursed beast's chest, knocking it back down to the snow. Lichethro took a deep breath as he summoned another gang of five skeletons and three specters, before letting out a short laugh. "You think an overgrown monkey is a challenge for me? I could solo these damned apes if I wanted to!" He cackled again as his new army finished forming.

[VCR_CAT]

Stacks4Daze

BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kf9gS4_xBXc

 

The Dzu-Teh that Stacks had charged reeled backward from her attack, dazed and weak from the damage that it had sustained. Yet, it regained its composure, and not only that, roared in anger at the sight of the flames still licking at Stacks's shield. As if on queue, a second Dzu-Teh joined the fray, drawn by the glow of the fire. Stacks watched their health and stamina meters expand, expecting the same to have happened to their normal stats. She laughed, banging her sword against her shield a couple times and readying herself with a stance.

 

"Bring it on you fuckin' apes, I LIVE FOR THIS!" Stacks taunted, doing her best to keep her eyes on both enemies. In response to these threats, Stacks activated her Sunmail ability, coating her armor in a layer of golden flames, these flames forming the vague shape of a helmet around her head. A regeneration circle appeared around Stacks's feet and the HP of one of the Dzu-Teh's took a dip as Stacks noticed Melethil's contribution to the fight; the other back-row fighters in their group throwing in their own attacks.

 

However, there was another that decided to contribute as well, and Stacks noticed Chloe running into the fray, using some kind of spell to put one of the Dzu-Teh's into a hold.

 

"Chloe what the HELL are you doing down here?" Stacks shouted, blocking a swipe from the other Dzu-Teh with her shield and knocking it back with a quick bash.

 

"I can't hold him for long! Stacks, now's your chance!!" Chloe shouted back.

 

"God... funking-" Stacks cursed, spinning on her heal and delivering an upward Sunstrike to the subdued Dzu-Teh, her sword white-hot and leaving a plume of flames in its wake, the Dzu-Teh practically incinerating on the spot as Stacks's sword effortlessly passed through its body. At the enemy's death, Stack's body began to glow a faint orange aura as her Fleetfire passive kicked in. There weren't many enemies, and but hopefully she can use this to distract their attention. 

 

"You need to get back to the rest of the-- OOF" Stacks was cut off immediately as the other Dzu-Teh regained its footing and brought its fist right into the center of Stacks's back. In the meantime, Stacks caught quick sight of a bright blur run past Chloe and Stacks herself, distracting the other Dzu-Teh enough to keep it from landing a second blow on Stacks.

 

"Stacks!  I got somethin' for ya!" Stacks heard a familiar voice shout.

 

"Brando?!"

 

"When I tell ya, hit the deck," Brando said, with his back to Stacks's.

 

"What are you talking about-?!"

 

"Git down!"

 

Brando leaped past Stacks, giving her little time to react to what was going on around her.

 

"SONUVA jabroni, BRANDO!" Stacks yelled again, diving in the same direction and snagging Chloe with her shield-arm to get all three of them out of the blast radius of the explosion. With their faces practically  right in the snow, Stacks could hear the deafening boom of the dynamite and the rush of hot wind bathe their backs. Of course, she didn't know if this would have killed the other Dzu-Teh, and wasted no time getting herself back on her feet to witness the results of Brando's trap.

[Mr. Hyde]

 

 "If you're gonna do something, do it soon." 

 

 "Lichiethro, D-Don't be afraid to go big on the mana if it means t, taking these guys down fast. Same for the rest of you. I'll restore your mana if it runs low...u-unless, that is to say, if I need to keep healing Stacks at the time."

 

The comments were directed towards the resident necromancer, and Reebus couldn't help but twitch his ears.  Did they not remember their most powerful asset?  One of the most powerful shaman's in the game?!  The disrespect of this guild...it was almost enough to make him run away from the scene entirely.  Luckily for Ithaca, Reebus was a merciful master.  He clacked his sphere twice against the icy ground, and cleared his throat.  His staff, Nature's Roar, began to shine at it's tip.  

 

"Spirit's of the Air...I humbly comeownd you to strike down all who have forgotten your ways!"  Reebus pointed Nature's Roar at the center of the battlefield, making sure to get most of the Dzu-Teh's in the general vicinity in range of his spell.  "STORM!"  As he shouted, a large storm cloud appeared over the battlefield, launching many previous casts of his prior spell Sky Crack at the crowd of Dzu-Teh's.  It would strike them at random intervals, for as long as Reebus could hold out his mana costs.  A bead of sweat dripped down his forehead after the first three seconds cause the cost of the spell to double.  Of course, the lightning bolts wouldn't target any friendly in the domain, but the stimuli would probably freak them out...although it was not the concern of Reebus.  While he stood motionless, he looked over to Girasol.  

 

"Watch my back...You know as well as me that I can't move once this spell is casted...unless I cancel it myself...But I have no intention of doing so until all of those beasts lie smoldering on the ground."  A smirk traced the Khepura's lips as well, as he purred, "It's not kill stealing by the way.  You're just too slow.  Nyohohoho."  

[Dad]

Brrrrrrrando!

 

 

As the concussive sound, smoke, and mist cleared, Brando stood to his feet.  He chuckled with satisfaction, noting the heavily damaged Dzu-teh.  The combined explosions were enough to kill one of the, and gravely wound two others.  "Two pints for me.  Sorry about the mess, Stacks.  I'll leave you to it.  Gonna see if I can get some mana from Melethil.  Runnin' low."

 

Now that "Hot!  Hot!  Hot!" had worn off for Brando, he was no longer drawing the flaming aggression of the Dzu-teh.  Not that they wouldn't attack him, but he had at least relieved Cass, Chloe, and Stacks just a bit.  There was a crack of lightning above his head, that made Brando pause, and look up.  Reebus was hard at work.  He threw a thumbs up to the Khepura, not that he expected Reebus to see it.

 

Marching over to Melethil, Brando plopped down in the snow.  "How's it goin' over here, Melethil?"  Brando took his pistol from its holster, and shined it up with his singed hands.  "Say.  In case one a those mucka-mucks gets a grand idea to attack again, could I get some mana from ya?  Sorry ta pester ya."  Truth be told, Brando was relaxed.  He quite enjoyed being able to blow things up.  It was soothing.  For both him, and Macy--his player.  The way all of his skills uniquely worked together to create a symphony of explosive chords was satisfying.  He wouldn't mind if another Dzu-teh approached him now.  He was itching to use his pistol and punish it.

[Ren✧]

It was a gruesome sight to watch the Dzu-teh's head snap back in such a dramatic fashion. It was as though the snow that swirled around the conflict paused for a moment, as though the sound of fighting died away, and in that instant the only thing that existed was the primal understanding of death. The Dzu-teh did not make a loud sound as it fell, simply collapsing into the snow with a dull sigh. Then, the blizzard returned, the cacophony of combat clamored on, and silently the scarlet blood of the slain monster stained the snow. 

 

Cass watched Brando carved a path through blanket of white, his body wreathed in flames. Her eyes weren't the only to trace his movements. The Dzu-teh that had been charging at her, turned its head to follow the dwarf, its stats rising exponentially as its nostrils flared with rage. Cass wanted to give the dwarf a good lashing right there for being so reckless, but she was more concerned with the immediate danger he had just put himself in. 

 

"Where's your guy's sense of theatrics!?" Having completely forgotten about the necromancer, the Dzu-teh was easily tripped up by the mass of skeletal hands that Lichiethro had conjured. Falling flat on the ground, the Dzu-teh suffered an onslaught of attacks from the sorcerer, offered little reprieve as he fired one spectral strike after another. Cass prepared to lend a hand in the attack, when her attention was once again drawn by Brando.

 

"Git down."

 

Cass wasn't sure if she truly thought her actions through, so much as she acted on instinct, but instead of attacking the downed Dzu-teh she turned her sights to Lichiethro. Using her Telekinetic Pull on the necromancer, she immediately put up a Telekinetic Barrier as a concussive force washed over them. The aftermath of which left herin the snow and a terrible ringing in her ears, but she was none worse for the wear. 

 

Glancing at the battlefield through the HUD, Cass noticed that all but one of the hostiles had been killed. Rising from the snow, she was greeted with the sight of a Dzu-teh hefting its massive from where it had been thrown from the explosion. All around it were the broken remains of Lichiethro's skeleton army, either crushed by the Dzu-teh or destroyed in the explosion. Its white fur was darkly singed, and only a small portion of its health remained, still Cass stared into the monster's eyes and felt less than confident about the task in front of her. 

 

However, before either of them could make a move a bolt of lightning blackened the ground a meter or two from where the Dzu-teh stood. Glancing momentarily at Reebus, Cass recognized the spell. She just needed to wait the beast out for a little while. Thrusting both of her hands forward, Cass put as much mana as she could into a Telekinetic Push, allowing herself just enough time and mana so that she could cast...

 

"Phantasm."

 

The Dzu-teh seized up, Cass saw the fear spread through its body as the illusion took hold. She always wondered what they saw. Then she always reminded herself that they were usually a digital rendering and could not really see anything. Still, she was no stranger to fear but to be immobilized by it was a foreign concept to her, a concept that scared her. 

 

Unable to move it did not take long for the Dzu-teh to be struck by one of the bolts of lightning that rained down from the sky, causing the rest of the monster's health to depleted. It was over. They had won. 

[Saiba Aisu]

"Chloé, no!"

 

"Chloé, what the HELL are you doing down here?!" 

 

To Chloé's utter dismay, her teammates seemed less than thrilled to see her fighting alongside them in the thick of battle. A heavy mantle of shame and disappointment settled upon her, even as she struggled to keep the Dzu-teh subdued for Stacks' finishing blow. She knew she had done something wrong—but what? Had she only managed to make things worse?

 

Antoine... If only you were here, you'd know what to do...

 

In any case, the girl didn't have long to brood on matters. One moment, she was watching Stacks deal the coup de grâce, slicing through the monster with an elegant stroke, flames streaming like feathers from the edge of her white-hot blade. The next thing she knew, she was face-down in a nearby snowbank, still clutching her whip, instinctively curling her petite frame into a protective ball as a deafening boom and a wave of blistering wind rolled past her. The air was suddenly filled with an acrid, unpleasant smell, akin to scorched flesh, accompanied by a deep roar of outrage.

 

Chloé kept her eyes closed and took a deep breath, trying to will the world around her to stop spinning, her ears still ringing from the blast. She could feel someone next to her—Stacks, perhaps?—getting back up with a clink of metal, crushing the fresh snow underfoot.

 

"Chloé! Open your eyes!"

 

The girl rolled over at the sound of the familiar voice. Heljä stood above her, her large dark eyes filled with concern as she nuzzled the girl's shoulder with her snout, her lower jaw still stained with the Dzu-teh's scarlet blood.

 

"Heljä!" the girl cried, getting to her feet and hugging her companion. "I'm so glad you're safe!"

 

"As am I, little one," the she-bear replied, humming deeply in her throat. "You gave me quite a scare. Are you alright? What possessed you to charge in like that?"

 

"I'm fine, just a little dizzy, but... Oh, no! Heljä, you're hurt!"

 

Chloé gasped, tears welling in her eyes at the sight of the deep gash on the bear's neck, a parting gift from the slain Dzu-teh.

 

"A minor scratch, don't bother..."

 

But it was too late, Chloé had already accessed her mana pool, pressing a small, trembling hand against the injury. A current of light blue magic flowed from her fingers, sealing the wound within moments. Only when she finished did she realize she should have thought to ask Melethil instead.

 

"Little one, don't push yourself too hard..."

 

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine," the girl lied, trying to keep her legs from buckling from exhaustion. "Not much mana left, though. Will you be okay now?"

 

"I would've liked to taste snow monkey for the first time," Heljä growled, torn between amusement and exasperation. "But it will have to wait. The battle is over and my work here is done. You may dismiss me."

 

"Thank you for your help, friend. Rest now," Chloé murmured, kissing the bear's forehead gently. She took a step back and twirled her whip, forming the signs of dismissal, watching as Heljä disappeared in a cloud of billowing smoke.

[Mr. Hyde]

 

As the last life bar in the horde of Dzu-Teh's drained itself of it's crimson color, Reebus canceled his cast.  After a quick breather, he opened his eyes to see smoke rise in the air.  It seemed only half of his Mana had been depleted...it seemed the savages were too weak to actually push him to any sort of limit.  

 

He let another purr out, as he rolled his neck and shoulders.

 

"And Reebus saves the day...as always."  He turned to Girasol with a delighted smirk.  "Too slow, pipsqueak...as always."  Reebus casually strode down the hillside, where the rest of the team had left to leap into the fray.  He looked among the group to find Cass, but she was a hard person to find in the crowd.  Reebus didn't much care to talk to the others, or congratulate them...it would just be more noise.  The only one that he would even consider honoring would probably be...

 

He saw her out of the corner of his eyes, and turned his head to face her.  He nodded slightly, the same smirk painting his face.  His face hinted a slight trace of gratitude.  It was the highest honor Reebus could bestow onto a non-Shaman.  Still, Stacks was not Cass, but he would find her soon anyways.  Striding up to the Ithaca guild leader, he yawned.

 

"So what's next...this detour has really cut into our gold grinding...don't you think?"  

[VCR_CAT]

Stacks4Daze

 

Stacks looked around her as the remaining Dzu-Tehs were cleanly taken care of by their spell-casting back row fighters. Stacks's flaming armor vanished in a burst of smoke, and she put her sword and shield away with several annoyed grumblings and expletives. She looked around and caught Reebus's eye, who gave her a curt nod. Stacks just kinda blinked and shrugged. He was always pretty dramatic with these things; but it probably meant something good. As the others took care to take tally of the kill counts or whatever, and Chloe continued to talk to her bear like it was a real person, Stacks went about the various Dzu-Teh corpses for looting. As expected, all she was able to find was just meat, Dzu-Teh tusks which, as an uncommon crafting material, would fetch a shiny penny in a larger amount, and the odd coin or two.

 

"Chloe, you should be careful running into the front like that," Stacks said as she looked over the last few corpses. "Not for nuthin', you just don't really have the gear or stats to really take many hits, and we just don't want you gettin' hurt until we can get you some nicer sheet."

 

Once Stacks was done collecting a small amount of Dzu-Teh tusks, a business venture Melethil will probably try to get in on, or at least try to guilt Stacks into forking over some because of the work he put into for support, she looked over the group and remembered the under leveled adventurers they had encountered.

 

"Oh, we should see if those lil' shits are okay; they're a lil' too low-level to be up here."

[👀 REP 👀]

 

---

 

"Git down."

 

Lichiethro felt himself being pulled back as the words left Boom's lip. Before he knew it, an explosion erupted in the snowy wasteland, knocking down many of the Dzu-teh and the skeletons that he had summoned. The fires of the blast seem to split in front of him and Cass, although the raw force of the explosion could still be heard. As the fires waned, Lichiethro could only hear a loud ringing in his ear. Still, he was mostly fine thanks to Cass' barrier. However, they weren't out of the woods yet. A single Dzu-teh stood among the remains of his undead legion, staring at Cass' eyes. He could hear Cass' rapid breathing, whether it be due to the explosion or because a hulking beast was staring right at her. "Relax." He placed his hand on the girls shoulder, raising his lantern at the beast. "I've go-" Before he could finish his sentence, a bolt of lighting struck close to the front of the beast, startling it. He didn't even have to look back to know who cast the lighting bolt. "I guess he's good for something." He remarked, stepping back from the fight as Cass propelled herself away. It would be a waste of mana for him to get involved.

 

He watched as the hulking beast froze in horror before being struck by lighting, removing what little life it had left and sending it to the cold abyss. "A job well done, if I do say so myself." He chuckled as he made his way towards the two scrubs that had found themselves lost in this winter hellhole. "I hope you two learned a lesson 'ere. See those bones?" He pointed to what little remained of his army. "That could of been you."

[Super Chaos Sonic]

 

 

Do'jhera did his best, keeping the two players from any harm...seeing Brando, Reebus, and Cass doing quite a number of abilities to stop the Dzu-teh. But where did he watch it all go down? The sidelines. He wanted to help...but his fear and memories of the last two guilds kept him from doing anything. Once again...he was helpless to do anything to help.

 

He looked back at the two players, noting that they were alright, which forced a sigh of relief to escape his mouth.

 

"Oh, we should see if those lil' shits are okay; they're a lil' too low-level to be up here."

 

"I hope you two learned a lesson 'ere. See those bones? That could of been you."

 

Do'jhera only moved out of the way, allowing his guild-mates to approach the low-leveled players. He only sighed again, wanting to add to this, but what could he say? "Oh you guys should definitely be more careful! Don't head into danger like that without being a proper level. And not without a party!" ...like HE was one to talk. If he did something during the whole battle than standing on the sidelines and cower with his tail between his legs, then maybe he could say something. But he didn't...so there was no point.

 

The Khepura only crossed his arms and looked away, knowing it would only be eventual that they'd give him a firm yelling at...again.