Fitness Quest: The Runes of NorthRoy🧙‍♂️

JohnStrong

Well-known member
Guardian from Alberta
Posts: 458
"No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable. -Socrates"
I climbed through the carnage left in the wake of my rune activation; a steaming pile of Ogre! Yuck. I thanked my lucky stars that I'd caught the monster in the middle of eating (the only thing Ogres love more than razing villages).

I headed north to chamber #46 and encountered a small, but steely arachnid! At first, I chuckled. However - I underestimated it's wiliness!
It was swift, pouncing about the chamber, biting me repeatedly with terrible fangs. I nearly squealed! (don't tell the other Guardians)

I took a quantity-over-quality approach and cornered the thing with rapid, zone-controlling slashes. Finally, I spiked it from the air and it's thick, shiny carapace gave way under my boot. Gotcha!

Rune count: đź’Žđź’Žđź’Ž
 

Laura Rainbow Dragon

Well-known member
Bard from Canada
Posts: 1,730
"Striving to be the change."
The rainbow flame which finds you this morning is quite feisty, dancing rapidly, and shooting off excited little sparks:

"Greetings my friends!" says the Rainbow Dragon. Even through her mindspeak you can hear her excitement. "This morning I awoke bright and early, stretched out my sinuous dragon body, and decided to go for a run. There are so many cleared chambers now, and I wanted to ensure they had remained so. (Good news: they have! News of our prowess in battle has obviously spread far and wide throughout this dungeon and no monster dares yet to creep back into a chamber one of our brave cohort has already conquered.)

"I had already had the pleasure of seeing first-hand the excellent work of our mighty Guardian and intrepid Ranger. But what of the exploits of our courageous Sorceress and fearless Barbarian? These are tales I had only heard of in passing: whisperings on the wing of tiny birds, and secret messages racing along walls. I decided it was time to witness their pursuits for myself, to break this dungeon wide open and connect our various paths one to another. So I paused in my travels to spend some time Enforcing our dominion over chamber #67 and to finish off a Zombie I found lurking in chamber #44.

"Our victory grows closer, friends. Stay strong!"
 

Anek

Well-known member
Sorceress from Bavaria, Germany
Pronouns: She/her
Posts: 2,169
"If the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember Cedric Diggory."
Now that Schatten is well fed, he can't seem to wait to explore all these chambers ahead of us. I need to come up with some sort of harness, or he'll run off! As I strain to follow him I see a beautiful rainbow mist glittering through some of the nearby chambers. "Oh!" I say to Schatten "this must be the famous dragon Bard I've been hearing for days! What an amazing creature she is! And look! She has cleared some of the tough enemies around! Fantastic!" Seeing that the Bard has already secured the chambers in this area, we turn south, intending to look for other pesky problems. But a Goblin is still lurking in chamber 66, and Schatten, with a well placed paw swing, makes short work of it. In chamber 94 we encounter another Zombie, but these are a no-brainer (ha! See what I did there?). Schatten however keeps straining towards chamber 95. What's lurking there my kitty, that is making you so excited? Well, who would have guessed it! Another kitty! And by the look on Schatten's face, this one must be a lady cat! The Romeo picks up his ears, tail nice and straight, and after a few minutes of reciprocal sniffing the lady is purring like she's not even a panther. No shame! Well, I can't leave Schatten's new love behind, so the menagerie will increase. Let's hope I find enough food for them both...

Total runes: 8
 

JohnStrong

Well-known member
Guardian from Alberta
Posts: 458
"No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable. -Socrates"
Can I get in on this @JohnStrong ? Looks fun. But you are pretty far along already.
Absolutely! Welcome @Logan ! You have entered the south-western entrance! Refer to post #10 of this thread for the full play guide :)
We'll need all the help we can get for the Dungeon Boss!
 

chickadee

Member
Barbarian Posts: 20
Another quick check in! Chambers 53, 45, and 54 are cleared! How disappointing to have been so ready to battle, face to face with a beast of an ogre, only for a few small runes to tumble to the ground and… just like that! The creature crumples into a pile of ash and dust!

This Barbarian must hasten to other chambers, lest the remaining magic stones see more blood than these fists!

Runes: 6
 

TopNotch

Well-known member
Ranger from Australia
Posts: 1,610
"Motivation is temporary. Discipline is forever."
If we want to save some runes for the Big Boss I can do cross tricep extensions and help someone take on ogres.
Just give me time to cut a path to the cleared rooms.
Don't worry about that - we'll have plenty of runes. Besides, we don't yet know what will defeat that BB!
 

TopNotch

Well-known member
Ranger from Australia
Posts: 1,610
"Motivation is temporary. Discipline is forever."
This relentless battle was beginning to take its toll on me, but whispered on the feotid air came the news that another hunter, a Gladiator no less, had joined the quest. I no longer felt alone in these southern reaches.
My first chamber today was #126 and the Zombie within soon fell to my trusty bokken. Chamber #125 was filled with a multitude of tiny foes I had never encountered before - Spiders! Fortunately, I have no great fear of spiders, but their webs make my skin crawl. I had to duck beneath them and was constantly having to wipe them off me, but finally, their creators were gone and the chamber was clear. Onward to chamber #111, where again, frustrated by my suprior skill, the Gargoyle burst into flame and left only a pile of ash. I could hear the fearsome roar of an Ogre in chamber #110, and again I scooped out six runes from my scrip, slotted them into the niches in the wall and
ZAP!
the chamber was cleared of its gruesome occupant.
I turned back to my cleared passages and found strength within me for one last chamber. #166 - a Phantom. I had encountered one before, once or twice, and I knew that it would certainly keep me on my toes, but before I wearied too much, it was defeated.
Runes collected: 4
Runes deployed: 6
Total runes: 16
 

Anek

Well-known member
Sorceress from Bavaria, Germany
Pronouns: She/her
Posts: 2,169
"If the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember Cedric Diggory."
Now who would have thought that two majestic creatures like panthers would be afraid of phantoms? When we entered chamber 107 and saw it contained one of these ghastly ghosts, Schatten and Ombra (ofc) cowed behind me with their ears flattened. Luckily I had the right spell at my fingertips and in no time the Phantom was no more, but I'll have to spend the day cuddling the cats to calm them down before we proceed.

Total runes: 9
 

JohnStrong

Well-known member
Guardian from Alberta
Posts: 458
"No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable. -Socrates"
Bloody howls and war cries echoed about the great dungeon now; the end of this evil home was nigh. I briefly greeted the Sorceress and high-fived Schatten (OW my hand).

I great wailing came from the south, anger and pain. The last of the Dungeon's guardians must lie that way. I sprinted off.

Being a Guardian myself, I can sympathize with these monsters. There was no warning, no sign, that the blight of their family would be erased tonight so the once proud kingdom of NorthRoy could be restored. But it is so. Like the light beats back the darkness, so does our conquering of this dungeon make way for glory, and for the good.

Suddenly an omen in chamber #78 - a Blackbird! That a winged scavenger should already find it's way into the bowels of this place must mean the stench of death has become too concentrated for natural forces to ignore. It's beak was already splashed with blood from feeding on the dead. I unsheathed my sword and sent it to eternal slumber! Rune count: đź’Žđź’Žđź’Žđź’Ž

And then - my head nearly hits the chamber ceiling as the ground jumps, shaking violently!!

A great quaking from the depths!

Walls begin to crack and crumble, dust fills the air. Something has awoken. Then... a vibration... a buzzing growl traveling through the ground that I feel in my very skull. I can make out words, like they're sounding from the walls themselves:

My... My.... children!!! Who kills my precious CHILDREN?!

The false king has nearly arrived. Only 1 Ogre of his litter left to destroy to invite our confrontation. Who will complete the task?
@Laura Rainbow Dragon Be sure to announce your rune count soon so that their magical might can be tallied in the final encounter! đź’Ş
 
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Laura Rainbow Dragon

Well-known member
Bard from Canada
Posts: 1,730
"Striving to be the change."
The rainbow flame which enters your chamber this morning is glowing brighter than usual. Your colourful compatriot must be really fired up today!

"Something monstrous is coming to this dungeon. I can feel it in my bones. Yet I feel no fear. My friends and I are up to the task, and I hear tell that our ranks have been strengthened yet again this day with a Gladiator joining our number. We will be victorious! I must prepare myself for this final battle.

"I begin my day in chamber #33, warming up my talons on the Dark Elf I encounter there. The fiend is feisty. But I am feistier still, and skilled at balancing on one leg to take out that pointy-eared problem with the other.

"With chamber #33 cleared I move on to chamber #34. Herein lies a Goblin. Its face contorted into a gruesome expression, the creature drools goodness knows what bodily fluid from its misshapen lips as it taunts me.

"'Ha!" I bellow. 'I will not be toyed with, Goblin. Not today. Not by the likes of you.'

"I make quick work of dispatching the Goblin and then move on to chamber #35. The sounds of slick skin slithering across the smooth stone of the dungeon floor told me another of kin lurked within this chamber. A Sand Snake is no threat to me. But I don't want it to take a bite out of any of my friends. So I dance with my cousin for a bit, then I get down to its eye level and mesmerize the snake, convincing it that it wants nothing more than to burrow down deep through a crack in the stone floor and wind its way to a new home far, far away from here.

"Having sent my cousin on its way I then retrace my own steps, heading back south and east. I stop by chamber #36 on the way to dispel its resident Phantom with a whiff of my brimstone breath.

"Deep in the heart of the dungeon I encounter another Goblin in chamber #99.

"'Begone, beast!' I bellow. I know well how to deal with those little imps by now!

"The day grows long, but in chamber #79 there lurks another Dragon Knight. I cannot suffer those fools to live! So I announce my presence and engage my foe. I am fired up now, and ready to have a bit of fun. I dance with the danger, taunting the knight with long views of my undulating underside. The knight is quick with his sword, but he's no match for a Rainbow Dragon. When I think he has suffered enough for his folly I finish him off.

"Word in the dungeon is that we have only one Ogre left to defeat. The monster is nearby. I could take it out today. But perhaps our new Gladiator friend wants to join in on the fun? I will see if he or any of the others wishes to take on the challenge, but I shall remain nearby in case anyone requires my assistance. Chamber #79 is nice and spacious, a good place to stretch out and count all these shiny runes I have tucked beneath my scales

"One, two, three, four... twenty-six. Twenty-six brightly-glowing runes, ready and waiting to work their magic on whatever danger may lie ahead."

In your mind you hear the Rainbow Dragon cackle with glee. Her flame messenger dances in time to the laughter, then winks out.
 
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Laura Rainbow Dragon

Well-known member
Bard from Canada
Posts: 1,730
"Striving to be the change."
It seems the wise plan would be to clear every area first for more ammunition against the final foe. Plus the fewer minions that could be called to their aid the better.
Maybe hold off on the ogre @Laura Rainbow Dragon ?
Since I was asked to disclose the number of runes I have been hoarding prior to the arrival of the Dungeon Boss, I suspect said Boss will arrive with a life force magically enhanced by a number of hit points equal to the combined total power of runes we have amassed. ;) But I have already taken out two Ogres. I am allowing someone else to have fun with the final one, as my previous rainbow flame missive indicated.
 

JohnStrong

Well-known member
Guardian from Alberta
Posts: 458
"No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable. -Socrates"
It seems the wise plan would be to clear every area first for more ammunition against the final foe.
@Anek @chickadee @TopNotch @Laura Rainbow Dragon @Logan If people are strategizing, I think it's only fair I contribute a bit of information here so adventurers can make an informed decision for themselves :)

100 HP

If you wish to defeat them in one rune-energized blast that might take awhile! But, perhaps you want to teach them a lesson or two in hand-to-hand combat anyway? :LOL: Also, during the Dungeon Boss workout, every set completed shaves off 1 HP. Much higher return.
 

chickadee

Member
Barbarian Posts: 20
I’m happy to clear the entire dungeon; after all, why would we not banish all the evil in order to whip ourselves into the ultimate battle rage before we fight the final foe? (There has already been a couple of instances of overlap between myself and others clearing out the same chambers, but that’s fine. It just means we both benefit from the same workout.)
 

chickadee

Member
Barbarian Posts: 20
Chambers 15, 16, and 32 are clear, fellow warriors! A phantom menace, a relatively small giant spider that had actually been a shapeshifter, and a few fools cackling “No one expects the Spanish Inquisiton!” have been dispatched. The sludge that had dripped from the stalactites runs clear again, untainted by evil (and foolishness), and the air becomes less stale almost immediately.

Runes: 10
 
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Logan

Well-known member
Gladiator from Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania, US
Pronouns: He/Him
Posts: 167
"Once more, once more."
118, 104, 106 done so I'm connected now.

For some reason, after plenty of training I went for extra work testing my Iron Will. The burn of 90 lunges made me unaware I had wandered into this strange valley. Oh well, might as well see what is out and about.
I first wandered into a Dark Elf who challenged me to a face kicking contest. After a satisfactory KO he dropped a rune, shiny!
My inner magpie was interested in seeing if this kind of thing is common here.
A Gargoyle seemed to be susceptible to a weeping angel style attack.
A Goblin coughed one up after I caught it in an agility course and some threats got it to talk. Apparently some rampaging Bunny had been kicking ass nearby recently. And I found the area to the North already cleared of troublesome beasties.
I'll have to explore around more to see what else can be found.

3 Runes đź’Ž
 

Anek

Well-known member
Sorceress from Bavaria, Germany
Pronouns: She/her
Posts: 2,169
"If the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember Cedric Diggory."
Amazing! A Gladiator had entered the dungeon, what skills we have now! And he has cleared the way for me to get to chamber 105 and get rid of the Zombie that was hiding there.
Then, as Schatten and Ombra have recovered from their phantom scare, I unleash them into chamber 109 where they toy with that monster of an inquisitor. "Ha!" I taunt him "how do you like to feel the pain you have inflicted on my sisters now on your own worthless skin?" The slime tries to beg for mercy, but I (and Schatten and Ombra) have none.

I lean my staff against the wall, surveying a job well done, and once again golden words run off into the distance, bringing a message of victory to my comrades. May we all meet again soon!

Total runes: 12
 

TopNotch

Well-known member
Ranger from Australia
Posts: 1,610
"Motivation is temporary. Discipline is forever."
I strode through the chamber I had recently cleared of an Ogre into Chamber #134 where there were more of those tiny Spiders. I knew how to deal with them, and quickly before their sticky webs trapped me. I hurtled through that chamber into the next, #146 and the smell alone was enough to tell me that there was a Zombie to chop up with my well-practiced bokken. A brief moment of rest before I entered chamber #145. Oh no, a Sand Snake! These things are tricky and don't go down easily. The sweat was pouring off me by the time it was finally down, and I staggered back through cleared corridors. It was strangely hot in the dungeon today, and the heat sapped my energy. I wanted - no, needed to rest. But there was one chamber not yet cleared and deceptively located between two cleared chambers, just waiting for the unwary. It was another zombie, but bearing in mind the possibility of some sort of Hive mind with these creatures, I changed my tactics with this one, and before I fell from exhaustion, it fell.

Runes collected: 5
Total runes: 21
 

JohnStrong

Well-known member
Guardian from Alberta
Posts: 458
"No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable. -Socrates"
All of my greatest lessons as a Guardian have been humbling. During the defense of Ravenhill Keep, I disobeyed orders to instead chase and spear a drake out of the sky that was torching all of our proud flags off their posts. Not on my watch! I thought. But my foolishness allowed one of the raiding Goblins to slip through our ranks and nearly stab our Queen! The lashings I received the next day felt deserved.

"If we intend to finish this, we should go ALL the way."

Now here I stand, humbled by a Barbarian Bird. The fist-sized @chickadee was right. A job half-done is not done at all.

I returned to my origin point, convicted to do some cleaning. I entered chamber #13 encountering a spider, but I switched to Zombie tactics to confuse and defeat the beast.

By my count, only 1/3 of the chambers remain uncleared!
 

JohnStrong

Well-known member
Guardian from Alberta
Posts: 458
"No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable. -Socrates"

Logan

Well-known member
Gladiator from Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania, US
Pronouns: He/Him
Posts: 167
"Once more, once more."
119

Encountered a melanistic jaguar (black panther). Odd this is a bit too tropical of a cat for this neighborhood. Fortunately I had some pulled pork for it.
After moving about on all fours for a while and filling its belly with slow cooked pig it turned out to be a calm and sleepy feline more interested in tummy rubs than murder.
+2, 5 total
 

JohnStrong

Well-known member
Guardian from Alberta
Posts: 458
"No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable. -Socrates"
POOF!
^The sound of me vapourizing a BlackBird in chamber #27!

Rune count: đź’Žđź’Žđź’Žđź’Žđź’Žđź’Ž
 

Logan

Well-known member
Gladiator from Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania, US
Pronouns: He/Him
Posts: 167
"Once more, once more."
122

Enforcer? What the hell is with this guy? Murder on the abs and lower back. I really don't know the story here but I did manage to defeat him on a low level at least. It counts right?
And for what? He was guarding a dead end! Seriously fuck that guy. I'm backtracking and feeding him to the panther.
+2, 9 total
 

Logan

Well-known member
Gladiator from Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania, US
Pronouns: He/Him
Posts: 167
"Once more, once more."
144
I back tracked a bit and ran into a Lone Warrior and after the last maniac I attacked straightway. Fortunately it was merely another adventurer who stumbled into this hellscape. After subduing him and finding him not a monster but a scared man lost in this place, all too happy to have me show him the exit. He rewards me with a rune he found.
+1, 10 total
 

chickadee

Member
Barbarian Posts: 20
Fellow warriors! Chamber 17 has been cleared of a dark elf!

Like so many others before, the creature laughed derisively at the size of the adventurer. This only fuelled the Barbarian’s frenzy and, stork raven mad, the Barbarian grabbed a rock and pelted it into the elf’s eye. The elf could not have ducked in time. Instead, it stumbled forward, only to lose its footing and impale itself on a stalagmite. Robb(in)ed of breath, the creature could only heave and shudder in dismay before it passed. The Barbarian had no egrets over that short battle, for it well knows that it’s not the size that counts, but how you use it. Purging the evil from these caves is a thrill — an absolute lark!

Runes: 11
 

Logan

Well-known member
Gladiator from Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania, US
Pronouns: He/Him
Posts: 167
"Once more, once more."
132
Shadow? Creepy sentient shadow. Don't have the magic like the Lagomorphic sorceress with the blue and white rautenflagge presumably can.
I can't hit it but I can cut some of the canopy. The light comes in and the shadow disappears.
The light also catches a glint off a rune in the dirt. Don't mind if I do.
+1, 11 total
 

Anek

Well-known member
Sorceress from Bavaria, Germany
Pronouns: She/her
Posts: 2,169
"If the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember Cedric Diggory."
I decided to split forces and send Schatten and Ombra to chamber 65 to deal with the werewolf there while I take care of the Phantom in chamber 108. A good day's work! And so I don't need to spend the day reassuring the cats. Maybe we'll manage to move into some more chambers later, but for now, a rest (wrapped in my blue and white rautenflagge, ofc :LOL:)

Total runes: 14
 

JohnStrong

Well-known member
Guardian from Alberta
Posts: 458
"No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable. -Socrates"
I entered chamber #24 to an inhuman roar. A ferocious Werewolf squared off with me, foam leaping from it's long fangs.
Thankfully the Dwarf I'd obtained my sword from was a wise, and experienced smith. He had gilded one edge of my blade with fine silver, making my slashes ones that would stick.

My shield deflected a flurry of the monster's claws but, I yielded, allowing one to reach it's painful mark across my chest, so I might trade a flesh wound with a fatal one. I seized the moment and thrust my sword through the beast's neck severing head from body.

Runes: đź’Ž(7)
 

TopNotch

Well-known member
Ranger from Australia
Posts: 1,610
"Motivation is temporary. Discipline is forever."
For a change today I decided to head Northward.
Chamber 128 held a new foe, a Guardian, obviously the rift version of the one that fought alongside us! He was tenacious but I was ... tenacious-er? He fell before me, and I saw that all he guarded in this dank chamber was a single rune. I wondered if there were something else that he had been guarding, something that would show itself when I least expected it...
The second northward chamber was #114 and there I confronted and bested a blackbird, beating at its wings with such ferocity that it could not withstand my attack.
Chamber #100 held an unpredictable Maniac. Jumping and kicking were the best methods of defeating this foe.
Confident that my comrades were working well at clearing this dungeon, I rested after my labours.

Runes collected: 3
Total runes: 24
 

JohnStrong

Well-known member
Guardian from Alberta
Posts: 458
"No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable. -Socrates"
I entered chamber #25, lit by a single torch hanging from the ceiling in the center of the room. As I approached the light, my shadow loomed larger and larger on the backwall until it took on a life of it's own! We quarreled in the dark until my sword found something fleshy within and cut it out from it's core.

Runes: đź’Ž(8)
 

Anek

Well-known member
Sorceress from Bavaria, Germany
Pronouns: She/her
Posts: 2,169
"If the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember Cedric Diggory."
And in two shakes of a panther's tail chamber 55 is cleared of the Goblin. We then proceed to chamber 91, and that damn shapeshifter doesn't want to hold a pose! Makes it hard to choose the right spell, but eventually Schatten manages to pin it down with a claw, and the thing turns into a Zombie. That's an easy spell, and poufff! The shapeshifter is no more.
We'll rest a while now, and greet the Ranger and Barbarian who are passing by. I still see the beautiful rainbow mist from our Dragon Bard, and the Guardian and the Gladiator are doing such a good job! Maybe I'll go look for the other panthers that are sleeping or playing with catnip or digesting dinner, and build up a big pride.

Total runes: 16
 
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TopNotch

Well-known member
Ranger from Australia
Posts: 1,610
"Motivation is temporary. Discipline is forever."
The first battle of the day, in Chamber #127, was a Rogue Warrior. He was tough, but a Rogue is generally without honour and without discipline. His fighting was rough and sometimes ragged and his failure to maintain consistency in his training showed in the end as he surrendered to me. The Shapeshifter in chamber #112 tried so hard to best me that it ended up vapourising itself. The Lone Warrior in chamber #113 was someone to respect. I always have respect for those who work alone, as we Rangers tend to, those who have to be more self-reliant. We practiced against each other for quite some time, our muscles straining, until we finally decided to call it a draw, and sat down to have a chat about battles we had won, blood we had spilt (both our own and others'), and other such cheery topics. Before I left him, he gave me a rune.
I passed through a chamber I had cleared earlier, and, moving into chamber #115, encountered another Blackbird. I don't like these noisy twitchy things and made short work of this one, looking forward to a decent lunch.
Runes collected: 5
Total runes: 29
 

Anek

Well-known member
Sorceress from Bavaria, Germany
Pronouns: She/her
Posts: 2,169
"If the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember Cedric Diggory."
Chamber 77 has been cleared of that pesky werewolf. However, in chamber 69 I encountered a Guardian, and that felt like fighting against a comrade. So a quick spell and poufff I turned it into a Blackbird, which as you can guess is now riding on my shoulder.

Onwards my friends!

Total runes: 18
 

TopNotch

Well-known member
Ranger from Australia
Posts: 1,610
"Motivation is temporary. Discipline is forever."
Chamber #98 help a mere Shapeshifter and I made short work of it because from an adjacent chamber, I heard the roar of an Ogre, the last of its kind in this foul place. Approach the wall of chamber #97, I dug out six of the runes I had collected and fitted them into the niche. There came that lightning flash and deafening roar and
ZAP!
the last of the ogres was defeated.

Runes collected: 1
Runes deployed: 6
Total runes: 24
 

JohnStrong

Well-known member
Guardian from Alberta
Posts: 458
"No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable. -Socrates"
Upon entering chamber #40 I was horrified. A foe flying colours of the order of the Guardian!
"BASTARD!" I cried, charging the snickering betrayer.

But I was a fool to let my emotions guide my entry, particularly against another Guardian. He easily shifted, glided, past my reckless attacks and scored multiple blows on my limbs.

But I could tell he was not a veteran, but must have been a bright-eyed graduate when some shadow convinced him to turn on the brotherhood. Inside his closed helmet, I could make out young eyes captured in an aged visage. Evil commitments always drain vitality.

I began to pity the young man, and this settled my gait and made me more sure of foot. I stopped reacting and started putting an end to it.

I dealt a blow so straight and direct my opponent was hurled up against a stone statue; some ancient eroded figure of a succubus whose claws seemed to be reaching for him. I ran him through and he lurched to the chamber floor. What was left of his life poured into the muck he had allied himself with.
 

JohnStrong

Well-known member
Guardian from Alberta
Posts: 458
"No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable. -Socrates"
"What do you remember?" asked a hazy, sing-songy voice.

I hurt all over. I didn't know where I was, barely who I was. But I sorted my mind for an answer.

"Well, I remember... entering chamber #8. I confronted an Orc."

"Yes. That much we know. Do you know what happened next?"

My answer was no. But in a rush, some things were returning to me. Running, desperately. Dragging... no holding... trying to hold something heavy...

"The next thing I remember I saw you [LRD] and the Ranger chatting in an empty chamber!"

"Yes. We remember that too. Do you remember what you were covered in"?

"Um, no?"

"Orc feces. We don't understand how you managed that. Nor do we understand how you reached us dragging that enormous Orc's head, never mind kill the thing."

"I killed it?!" I asked with glee.

"YES you killed it. You also ruined my aunt's wool blanket which you've been lying in for 8 hours. I told the Ranger Orc's blood doesn't smell LIKE THAT. Yuck."

I rested my head back on a cobble stone, smiling proudly. The feces was making my eyes water, but there were tears of joy in there too.

Runes: đź’Ž(11)
 

TopNotch

Well-known member
Ranger from Australia
Posts: 1,610
"Motivation is temporary. Discipline is forever."
Inspired by one of my fellow hunters (and having heard goadings on the foul air from another), I entered chamber #129 and faced my first Orc. It was a huge beast and I knew the battle would be mighty. I also knew, from our Guardian's recent experience, what to watch out for. Never stand behind an Orc! This fight was a greater test of strength than any other I had yet experienced, and my whole body was quivering from effort but I pushed on, determined that I would not fail - I must not fail! Finally, it was over and I had not failed, and it was the Orc's blood that dripped from my hands.
Weary but elated, I forged ahead into chamber #101 (never a good omen with its connotations of torture), and a small but fast Goblin sprang out at me. The Orc blood on my hands and arms caused the creature's grip to slip and I dodged and struck until finally, it too was dead at my feet.

Runes collected: 3
Total runes: 27
 
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