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. Everything was crumbling apart. They had been in first place and would have stayed th...
2025-01-23 14:00:03 +0000 UTC
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Finally, 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’s Witch Hat]
(Copper Rank, Armor)
(Legendary)
2025-01-22 14:00:04 +0000 UTC
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Mel 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 an alarm against the element of surprise. Ruining her element of surprise might cause the ambushers ...
2025-01-21 14:00:03 +0000 UTC
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Mel 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 quick turning speed wasn’t possible for Gwen.
Her strength had nothing on Mel’s agility.
...
2025-01-20 14:00:06 +0000 UTC
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Charlie 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 with another. The ring that clutched a tiny green jewel in its teeth offered a minion damage enhanc...
2025-01-19 14:00:07 +0000 UTC
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Jacob 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’s blade to make room for the next covenant member rushing to greet him.
“Where did Shrubley ...
2025-01-18 14:00:03 +0000 UTC
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Quest 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 Coins].
Divergent Objective: Sacrifice your plague beast in the Ritual of Blac...
2025-01-17 14:00:04 +0000 UTC
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Mel 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!”
Heath smiled innocently and shook his head. “I don’t hear it.”
“He really needs to s...
2025-01-16 14:00:08 +0000 UTC
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They 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 Gwen, Mel rolled over some boulders for seating and looked through her completed quest.
2025-01-15 14:00:05 +0000 UTC
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Mel 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 creature crawled across the ground, eating up the accumulations of sulfurous crystals.
She sum...
2025-01-14 14:00:03 +0000 UTC
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“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 wetly, like it was a blood popsicle that would melt at any moment. She tossed it up and down in her...
2025-01-13 14:00:05 +0000 UTC
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Mel 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 create the other two. If she didn’t, she would only have one nail to use until her cooldown was up. Wit...
2025-01-12 14:00:04 +0000 UTC
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They 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 felt bad that he hadn’t been able to join in the battle with the plateau beast, but she didn’t h...
2025-01-11 14:00:07 +0000 UTC
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The 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 compromised. There could be other people looking for us–for me. Even if they were acting alone…” ...
2025-01-10 14:00:07 +0000 UTC
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Yok’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 falling upon a dead world, now illuminated their chamber.
How Yok’sal missed those days. He st...
2025-01-09 14:00:05 +0000 UTC
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Donny 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, lazily dragging a heavy ball and chain. While some parts of her revealing armor were smoking, she seemed ...
2025-01-08 14:00:09 +0000 UTC
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“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 lack the nerve to kill this demoness? She terrorized the grasslands for weeks. The corpses ...
2025-01-07 14:00:12 +0000 UTC
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“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 latent, which you don’t.”
“Why—”
Mel raised a finger to halt him. “Hush.”
2025-01-07 02:12:34 +0000 UTC
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You 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] has been stored in your inventory.
(1) [Tarikan Pelt] has been stored in your ...
2025-01-07 02:12:02 +0000 UTC
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Thick 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, but it was not entirely dissimilar to its lesser cousin, the lional.
By hunting them, they i...
2025-01-07 02:11:27 +0000 UTC
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Thomas 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 racking up the Battle Points.
Despite the cause for celebration, both Thomas and Gwen seemed m...
2025-01-07 02:10:58 +0000 UTC
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Gwen 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 this to win. Just like Mel.
Mel didn’t really blame the creature for running, even though it wa...
2025-01-07 02:09:48 +0000 UTC
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Mel 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,” she said thoughtfully.
Gwen turned to Thomas. “You’re being awfully quiet.”
“I th...
2025-01-07 02:06:56 +0000 UTC
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“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 moments, his pursuers paused to consider the confusing and breathless jumble of words.
“I heard ...
2025-01-07 02:06:22 +0000 UTC
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The 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 [Primeval Brew]. “Though I do need more vigor.”
“You could reset your brew,” Thomas pointed ...
2025-01-07 02:05:52 +0000 UTC
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Mel 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.
Imprint: Use to temporarily accelerate the natural growth of the Vigor attribute through training, battl...
2025-01-07 02:05:22 +0000 UTC
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“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 his own damn business. She turned to the quest rewards, taking out the [Cinder Ampoule] first.
<...
2025-01-07 02:04:46 +0000 UTC
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The 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 the runes of the kill.
It was strangely comforting to watch.
Thomas found their old campsi...
2025-01-07 02:04:04 +0000 UTC
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Mel 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 wondered why her hand disappeared, but the items hadn’t. The first item was an opulent flask of si...
2025-01-07 02:03:30 +0000 UTC
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Mel 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 silvery light traced between them like spider silk. From time to time, Mel could see shapes in the ...
2025-01-07 02:02:55 +0000 UTC
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