Yok’sal ground his teeth together until they cracked. All Nymasolth had to do was stay the course! Just a few measly turns of this pitiful sun and they would have everything they wanted. Why was that so hard?!
“I do not know, your Eminence,” Em’trath said, bowing low.
Yok’sal froze. He hadn’t meant to say that out loud. It was a testament to how far he had fallen....
2025-01-23 14:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostFinally, Mel thought to herself as she studied the gorgeous, wide-brimmed crimson hat. She lifted it up to the light, turning it around to view the leather band that girdled the crown. The conical tip was appropriately floppy, weighed down by a polished copper tip.
Runes and sigils stitched in dark thread gave the hat an otherworldly appearance.
[Elphaba...
2025-01-22 14:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostMel raced back to the camp as fast as [Windstorm] would take her.
[Windstorm]: Enhances Sense, movement speed, and wind-based skills while reducing the effects of earth-based skills.
With her sense enhanced, Mel could pick out the three bodies creeping stealthily up to the sleeping forms of her friends.
In that instant, she weighed the cost of shouting ...
2025-01-21 14:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostMel and Gwen pulled ahead of the group. Little wonder, since they were faster than the others. With the highest agility, Mel could physically move her body the fastest, but Gwen’s monstrous strength caused every footfall to propel her over longer distances.
In fact, the Berserker started to lose speed when she hurtled too high into the air. Initially envious, Mel realized that qu...
2025-01-20 14:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostCharlie Asleton lounged on her floating [Charred Apostate Staff], observing the battle unfold from a place of relative comfort and peace.
It was easy to plot and plan when you weren’t in the thick of things. Vantage points offered an excellent strategic advantage.
She studied her black painted nails thoughtfully, then removed a single skull ring out of many. She replaced it...
2025-01-19 14:00:07 +0000 UTC View PostJacob slid back under the rabid assault of a covenant member dressed in black robes and armed with two long, sinuous daggers. He kept his shield up, biding his time until the man’s burst of frenzied excitement wore off.
The moment his flurry lapsed, Jacob struck like a viper, taking the man in the throat. His arms fell limp to the side and Jacob shield bashed him off the sword’...
2025-01-18 14:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostQuest Update: All or Nothing
Objective: Maintain the Black Fence by keeping Jacob, Camilla, Shrubley, and Smudge confined to the Hall of Martyrs (0/1).
Reward: Increased favor among the Lormar Covenants.
Runes of Flesh, Plague, Dark, Omen, and Devour aspect experience.
(100) [Copper Rune C...
2025-01-17 14:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostMel didn’t know how to respond to that. “What do you mean? Why would I leave any of you?”
“I’m just making sure everyone knows this doesn’t have to be temporary,” Gwen said.
“I’m riding Mel’s coattails to the top,” Heath admitted. “She’s going to need somebody to beat off all her admirers.”
Mel looked at him. “Come on, man!”
<... 2025-01-16 14:00:08 +0000 UTC View PostThey set up camp around Gwen, dragging her off to the side where it was slightly sheltered. She was easier to move now that she wasn’t literally on fire.
Thomas glared daggers at Heath, but didn’t say anything as he lit the fire and tucked Gwen into her sleeping bag.
Her absence was felt when there was nothing cooking over the fire.
While Thomas was taking care of G...
2025-01-15 14:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostMel pressed her back to a crystalline tree as their target emerged out of the thermal spring. It looked like a rocky toad the size of a grizzly bear.
Gwen was just a few feet away, her back pressed to another tree. They both peeked out, watching the monster.
[Gorlash (High Copper Rank—Plateau Beast)]
Mel kept an eye on it, staying out of sight as the ...
2025-01-14 14:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post“Why did you give her the branch?” Heath asked. “Is that just something Magi do? I’m having a hard time figuring you guys out.”
“No,” Gwen said. “Not usually. Thomas sure didn’t, and he has more aspect skills than me.”
“Then?”
Mel tuned them out while she conjured a [Condensate] nail, sacrificing a portion of her coat to do it.
It glistened...
2025-01-13 14:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostMel quickly figured out a few of [Condensate’s] limitations by zipping around the thermal springs dotting the landscape.
Firstly, if she only conjured one nail, she couldn’t wait several minutes to conjure another one. Creating the nails was an intrinsic part of the process before she could push or pull against them. If she created one, she had a limited amount of time to creat...
2025-01-12 14:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostThey made camp near a prismatic spring, surrounded by sulfurous pillars and crystalline trees.
Gwen loped around the perimeter, doing a quick search for ingredients. She was followed by an overly enthusiastic Hush, who was trying to learn what was edible in the area.
Mel smiled, watching the little snake flick his tongue at a crystalline apple Gwen was holding up to him. She ...
2025-01-11 14:00:07 +0000 UTC View PostThe fires were getting out of control. They were already beyond Mel’s ability to smother with her [Hidden Mist]. It took Gwen to remind her that they had other options to snuff out the flames.
Using her ball and chain, Gwen was able to plow great furrows in the ground to create firebreaks.
Mel put a hand on her arm to stop her. “No,” she said. “Our camp is already com...
2025-01-10 14:00:07 +0000 UTC View PostYok’sal lounged in his seat and leaned back from the display. “Shut it off, Em’trath.”
His steward bowed his head and waved a hand. The scrying vision vanished, plunging the small chamber into gloom.
Without another word, Em’trath ignited the corpsewax candles, bringing back a semblance of light. The comforting half-life of old Lormar, its cold and lifeless light fa...
2025-01-09 14:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostDonny slunk forward, licking his lips. Some part of him felt a little thrill at what he was about to do.
It was to be expected. While he didn’t want to like watching the lifeblood drain out of a person, some part of him enjoyed it.
Something stepped out of the cloud of lingering aspect energy. Defying all reason, the beast of a woman stepped towards him, lazil...
2025-01-08 14:00:09 +0000 UTC View Post“Are you sure this is a good idea, Donny?” Eloise asked.
“You saw what this monster did to our friends!” Donny hissed at her. “You want to let her run free after all that she’s done? She’s a goddamned serial killer, Eloise! Do you remember what she did to your brother?”
Eloise turned away.
Donny looked at his band of assassins. “Do any of you ...
2025-01-07 14:00:12 +0000 UTC View Post“How does this work?” Heath asked. “I’ve never heard of ‘latent runes’ before. And I’ve been in a lot of groups.”
Thomas looked over, but Mel held up a hand. “I’ve got this, champ.”
Rolling his eyes, Thomas went back to what he was doing.
“So there’s, like, two different types of runes. Prime, which is the stuff you see prompts about, and laten...
2025-01-07 02:12:34 +0000 UTC View PostYou defeat a [Tarikan (High Copper Rank—Plateau Beast)].
You gain extra runes of Divine, Mist, Blood, Serpent and Omen experience for slaying a Plateau Beast.
You gain extra Battle Points for slaying a Plateau Beast.
(1) [Blitz Pearl] has been stored in your inventory.
(1) [Wind Ember] h...
2025-01-07 02:12:02 +0000 UTC View PostThick mist surrounded the clearing below as Mel and her allies stayed high up in the trees while the large creature prowled beneath them, looking for the threat.
For the past day or two, they studied and stalked the plateau beast while hunting the lionals. It was clear from even a casual observance that the two were related. The tarikan was clearly an evolved or heightened creature...
2025-01-07 02:11:27 +0000 UTC View PostThomas was pushing them harder each day. He usually wasn’t so reckless, but they would have crossed right in front of the plateau beast’s path if not for Mel’s vigilance.
It helped that the closer they were to the monster, the more sensitive Mel’s awareness became.
There was no denying the gains they were making. With the [Primeval Brews] at their disposal, they were ...
2025-01-07 02:10:58 +0000 UTC View PostGwen tore across the ground, chasing the monster out of hiding. An intimidating werewolf went both ways.
Either a monster was provoked into attacking or ran out of pure fright. The howling usually made the ones on this plateau skittish, especially when the Brawler was covered in blood from a fresh kill.
Something Mel was pleased that she did not shy away from. Gwen was in thi...
2025-01-07 02:09:48 +0000 UTC View PostMel turned her arms over, flapping them madly. “Hah! It kinda tickles.”
With a look of utmost curiosity, one befitting of any Magi, Gwen reached out to touch the fire. Because of course she would.
Her fingers passed right through the flames harmlessly, though Mel did notice that the fires pulled back from her fingers, as if they were reacting to her presence. “Huh,” s...
2025-01-07 02:06:56 +0000 UTC View Post“I am not a monster!” Shrubley cried out as he sprinted, growing more and more out of breath, his speech picking up without pause. “Well, in fact, I am a monster. However, I am an awakened monster, yet I fear that the distinction would be lost on you in your present mental state and that you would take a rather reductive view of the entire premise!”
For the briefest of mome...
2025-01-07 02:06:22 +0000 UTC View PostThe brew that Mel made looked similar to Thomas’ and Gwen’s, despite it being tinged blue like her favorite slush drink. “What’s the plan?” Mel asked, holding onto her [Primeval Brew] like it was the most precious thing in her possession.
In a way, it was.
“Good thing I didn’t pick another branch instead,” Gwen said, peering into the contents of her own [Prime...
2025-01-07 02:05:52 +0000 UTC View PostMel opened the Emporium and looked over the branches available.
[Copper Emporium Core Items]
[Petrified Branch of Vigor]
(Copper Rank, Item)
(Common)
A wooden branch fossilized in ambient elemental Earth mana, suffusing it with the power of Vigor.
Impr...
2025-01-07 02:05:22 +0000 UTC View Post“Those are pretty,” Gwen said.
Mel had taken off the old bracers and put on her new ones. Though they were weaker, their imprint was vastly better.
Don’t need increased pain tolerance or blunt defense if you move too fast to get hit!
“Fancy,” Thomas agreed. “Are you going to start accessorizing now?”
Mel gave him a flat stare until he minded...
2025-01-07 02:04:46 +0000 UTC View PostThe graveyard surrounding the tomb was covered in about ten different groups. None of them seemed aggressive toward each other.
In fact, it reminded Mel of playing MMOs long ago when people flocked to a good camping ground. Every so often, the ground would rumble and a skeleton or zombie would pull itself up just to get nuked into oblivion by three different groups all vying for th...
2025-01-07 02:04:04 +0000 UTC View PostMel stepped up to the altar and peered into the basin. The water still reflected the stars above without showing her face, but now she could see two items submerged in the clear water.
Reaching out was awkward since the water didn’t reflect her hand. A hand that disappeared as soon as she plunged it beneath the surface.
It took her a few attempts to grab the two items. She ...
2025-01-07 02:03:30 +0000 UTC View PostMel shut her eyes, opening them once the transition was over. She knew, logically, that she was still in the ritual chamber. The stones were firm under her boots.
However, her eyes and every other sense told her that she was in the middle of space. A sea of stars greeted her. Mel knew instinctively that they were all Worldshards.
More than the Magi ever charted.
A faint...
2025-01-07 02:02:55 +0000 UTC View Post