388 days until the Arkon Shield falls
All living things possess spirit. —Trials Infopedia.
The loggers and their guard companies caught up with Tara and me soon after.
It seemed that when the scouts had caught sight of the strange burning light through the trees, the loggers had already been heading back for the Outpost.
The train of logs, hau...
2021-10-15 13:13:34 +0000 UTC View Post388 days until the Arkon Shield falls
It didn’t take the pack long to resume their assault.
They were more wary, but no less persistent. The three hounds, scorched and scarred from dragonfire, blinked in, tested me with feinting attacks, and then jumped out again.
They did this often enough that I lost count of the number of assaults I fended off. Each time,...
2021-10-15 13:12:20 +0000 UTC View Post388 days until the Arkon Shield falls
Of course, I stood no chance of catching the soldiers.
I could only follow in their wake and hope that when I got to wherever they were going, disaster hadn’t overtaken either the spearmen or the loggers. Reaching the Outpost’s eastern trench line, I found it unguarded and crossed over without fuss.
I knew I should hav...
2021-10-15 13:11:26 +0000 UTC View Post388 days until the Arkon Shield falls
2 days to Earth’s destruction
2 days until the Warren is destroyed
“Jamie? Jamie, wake up, I have to talk to you.”
I groaned and rolled over, but Tara didn’t let me go back to sleep. She tugged at my shoulder again.
I blinked open my eyes and stared blearily at the dark...
2021-10-15 13:10:06 +0000 UTC View Post389 days until the Arkon Shield falls
3 days to Earth’s destruction
3 days until the Warren is destroyed
Tara met me on the lower riverbank. “Good job, Jamie,” she said quietly.
I nodded, not breaking stride. I was trying hard not to think of what I had done. Once again, the Trials had rewarded me for my efforts, a...
2021-10-15 12:57:12 +0000 UTC View Post390 days until the Arkon Shield falls
I ducked into my tent, emotions in turmoil. For a long time, I sat alone in the darkness, staring at nothing.
I had been elated by our successes today. I’d felt that I had accomplished something good, both for my own cause and the people here. And while the conference had underscored how desperate the Outpost’s situation was...
2021-10-15 12:54:13 +0000 UTC View Post390 days until the Arkon Shield falls
4 days until the Warren is destroyed
There was no way to remove the queen’s body from the lair without cutting it up, and none of the bladed weapons we had were suitable for the task.
After burning free the silk cloth covering the hole, I ended up climbing back down and using flare to burn off t...
2021-10-15 12:52:53 +0000 UTC View Post390 days until the Arkon Shield falls
I got my wish, but not in the way I had hoped.
Ten minutes after leaving the nursery, the five of us were stretched out flat on a ledge and staring down on what was without a doubt our last obstacle to claiming the warren.
The central tunnel had continued its arrowlike path for another hundred yards before abruptly ending ...
2021-10-15 12:51:59 +0000 UTC View Post390 days until the Arkon Shield falls
Cassandra had been spot-on about the location of the warren’s entrance. After travelling only a few dozen yards farther, we drew to a halt at the base of another hill.
A large hole had been dug out in the ground, and judging by the cobwebs stretched across its width, it was unmistakably the entrance to the spiders’ warren. E...
2021-10-15 12:50:52 +0000 UTC View Post390 days until the Arkon Shield falls
It was a two-hour hike to the foothills north of the Outpost. The sisters believed the intervening region to be safe—relatively safe, anyway. It didn’t stop the pair from jogging off to scout ahead though.
After the sisters disappeared over the horizon, Tara turned to the rest of us. “Alright, let’s get moving. We have t...
2021-10-15 12:49:34 +0000 UTC View Post390 days until the Arkon Shield falls
After the battle, Tara and I were left with little to do. My conversation with the old lady had been so brief, I hadn’t had a chance to question her about her sorcery or dungeons, or even about her intentions regarding the settlement.
What now? I wondered, chewing at my lip. “Let’s go find the medics,” I said ev...
2021-10-15 12:48:39 +0000 UTC View Post390 days until the Arkon Shield falls
The morning stillness was shattered as, all along the line, sergeants and captains shouted out orders and spearmen rose to their feet.
The water’s frothing intensified and more murluks surfaced. A lot more. Soon it seemed as if the entire river was coated by a carpet of living blue. The horde made no move to advance t...
2021-10-15 12:47:39 +0000 UTC View Post390 days until the Arkon Shield falls
4 days to Earth’s destruction
Many believe dragonfire to be myth and not fact. Yet the snippets of lore and text the Elders left behind are rife with mention of it. Dragonfire is as real as the Elders. —Arustolyx, gnomish archaeologist.
Despite my exhaustion, sleep did not come easily, and whe...
2021-10-15 12:46:31 +0000 UTC View Post391 days until the Arkon Shield falls
It seemed we had missed the call for supper and the cooks had already dampened the fires in the crafting yard. Which was a relief. I wasn’t quite ready yet to face those who had witnessed my berserker rage on the training grounds.
Tara helped me back to the tent I had been assigned, one close to her own and the commanders. Lea...
2021-10-15 12:44:57 +0000 UTC View Post391 days until the Arkon Shield falls
Magic is a manifestation of the caster’s will through the use of mana, but very few possess mana. Only those with Magic Potential are so gifted. —Trials Infopedia.
Tara laughed.
“Don’t worry, Jamie,” she said. “No one is going to make you hold a position in the wall anymore. You’re too important. For...
2021-10-15 12:43:44 +0000 UTC View Post391 days until the Arkon Shield falls
We know even less of sorcery than we do of magic. It is a potent tool, some would say, even more so than magic, but its uses are limited by how deeply its spells draw from the spirit. —Taura Biaxal, svartalfar mystic.
I picked myself up slowly, then pretended to dust myself off to hide my embarrassment. Tara was not b...
2021-10-15 12:42:26 +0000 UTC View Post391 days until the Arkon Shield falls
Mana is a living, breathing thing. Anger it at your peril. —Cale Ames, elven spellweaver.
We were ushered out surprisingly quickly after that. Well, I was. The commander kept Tara back a little longer. Routine orders, Jolin had explained.
While I waited for Tara, I reflected on my meeting with the old lady. I ha...
2021-10-15 12:41:22 +0000 UTC View Post391 days until the Arkon Shield falls
Sorcery is magic of the spirit and is fuelled by spirit itself. Even those with no Potential for magic may harness it. —Trials Infopedia.
The inside of the tent was brightly lit with torches. In its centre was a log table. I frowned at its crude construction. The table had been made from hacked-off logs, bound togethe...
2021-10-15 12:39:49 +0000 UTC View Post391 days until the Arkon Shield falls
The runes of the Elders are just one of the many mysteries of the Trials we hope to uncover. Although we know beyond doubt that the runes are how players are enhanced, not even our best minds have been able to duplicate their effect. —Taura Biaxal, svartalfar mystic.
Your health pool has increased to: 63%. 2021-10-15 12:37:27 +0000 UTC View Post
391 days until the Arkon Shield falls
Overworld is too dangerous for the humans to survive on their own. Let them come to us with caps in hand. Or perish through their own folly. —Unknown royal advisor.
I limped after Michael and re-joined the line.
While we waited for the next attack, I rolled up my leather vest and inspected the jagged wound in my...
2021-10-15 12:36:10 +0000 UTC View Post391 days until the Arkon Shield falls
Magesight is a Technique granted by the Trials to all players with Magic Potential. It is the foundation of both magic and sorcery, and without it, any would-be mage is blind. Truly, without the gift of magesight, magic itself is not be possible. —Cale Ames, elven spellweaver.
I don’t know how long Tara and I spent ...
2021-10-15 12:35:19 +0000 UTC View Post391 days until the Arkon Shield falls
It is no secret that the Trials permanently accelerates a player’s learning rate of Neophyte Disciplines and Attributes beyond what is ‘natural.’ Yet, with the newcomer buff, the Trials does even more for players on their first day. While the buff is in force, a player can rapidly advance his Disciplines and Attributes to Tr...
2021-10-15 12:34:32 +0000 UTC View Post391 days until the Arkon Shield falls
5 days to Earth’s destruction
No matter what your Potentials, without Traits and Feats, you’ll never amount to anything more than an average player. Accumulate as many of them as you can, as quick as you can. —Anonymous Veteran.
Straight out of the gate, I stumbled and yelped in shock. I spr...
2021-10-15 12:33:40 +0000 UTC View Post12 May: 5 days to Earth’s destruction
We cannot ignore the facts. The Elders were here: on this planet, Earth. We must know why. —Arustolyx, gnomish archaeologist.
I blew out a calming breath as the open purple windows disappeared and were replaced by a single golden one.
Thousands of Traits scrolled through the window.
I gulped. Ho...
2021-10-15 12:32:35 +0000 UTC View Post12 May: 5 days to Earth’s destruction
The humans show an uncanny aptitude for magic. Enslaving them will serve us well. —Orgtul Silverbane.
I left one world and entered another between one step and the next. The transition was seamless and without the slightest misstep in my footing.
I looked around.
Earth’s bright blue sky and concrete bu...
2021-10-15 12:31:46 +0000 UTC View Post12 May: 5 days to Earth’s destruction
The humans’ technology is strange and admittedly powerful. Yet it will benefit them little on Overworld. Given their technology’s nature, the Trials will not allow it to function. And without the aid of their Earth-forged weapons, the humans are weak and ripe for conquest. We should prepare for immediate invasion once the Ar...
2021-10-15 12:30:57 +0000 UTC View Post12 May: 5 days to Earth’s destruction
Gentlemen, we must face reality: humanity has been subjugated. We cannot do anything to save Earth’s millions, but we can still save ourselves. We must negotiate with the overworlders. —Unknown politician.
Awareness returned slowly.
With it came voices, reaching my ears as if muffled by great distance.
06 May: 11 days to Earth’s destruction
Sir. All attempts to establish contact with the svartalfar have failed. They slaughter our envoys on sight. We have been forced to conclude negotiations, with the overworlder race impossible, and recommend discontinuing this line of investigation. —Military report.
The next few days went by in a blur.
To my g...
2021-10-15 12:28:08 +0000 UTC View Post05 May: 12 days to Earth’s destruction
Sir. There have been 10,214 confirmed Overworld gate sightings worldwide. Of the gates identified, the orcs control approximately forty percent, the elves roughly thirty percent, and the gnomes less than five percent.
While the gnomes seem the least threatening of the alien species, judging by gate numbers, they ...
2021-10-15 12:26:29 +0000 UTC View Post05 May: 12 days to Earth’s destruction
My colleagues believe the humans are dangerous. I disagree. Certainly, they are a violent and bloodthirsty species, but they also possess a capacity for greatness and ingenuity that I find remarkable. In time, the humans may prove to be our salvation. —Arustolyx, gnomish archaeologist.
The next day, the second sinc...
2021-10-15 12:25:30 +0000 UTC View Post