The group tensed. Everyone wanted to scream, but none so more than Dakkon. Instead they all collectively hung their shoulders. No one was truly at fault. They had all worked hard to get to that point, and no one expected to find a relic such as that. It came into their lives and it left. Easy come, easy go.
A stirring at the bottom of the staircase reminded the adventurers what it was the relic really did. They assumed their fighting positions, when the little goatman hopped up the stairs and picked up his gladius before waddling up to them without a trace of malice, bending down and picking up his bearded axe, then tucking the weapons away. He climbed up on his throne, and smiled. “Thanks,” he said in a voice that was far more civil than the rough sounds made by the other goats. The little trest nodded towards Dakkon.
“What the hell is this!” Mina yelled, in a rare loss of her composure.
Melee gently put her arms on her friend and attempted to calm her down. “Just forget about the last five minutes. We killed the boss, we finished the quest, and nothing else. Oh, look, there are bodies to loot. How lucky,” the crimson haired brawler said in a voice that was drained of emotion and far from sincere.
Roth held out his hand, “Book!” he said. A large tome appeared and he flipped through the pages. “It still says we need to kill or drive off the goatmen. Killing the boss wasn’t enough?”
“I think I need a break, guys,” said Cline. “Today’s been… a bit of a rollercoaster for me.”
Dakkon looked at the squat goatman sitting on the throne before him as though he owned the world. “What’s your name?”
“Yill,” said the little ball of man and goat parts.
“Ok, Yill. You’re the boss of the trest, right?” asked Dakkon.
“I’m the boss here, anyway,” replied Yill.
“Did you have plans to burn the crops and salt the soil, Yill?” Dakkon asked.
“…” Yill sat there without a look of shame. “Perhaps,” he replied.
“Can you tell your subordinates to not do that, and to get the hell out of here and stay away from Greenburne?” Dakkon suggested.
“Hmm,” Yill looked more thoughtful than one might expect the face of a goat could manage, then said, “Sure. I owe you more than that, at any rate. I have ambitions to carry out before I depart from this world.” The little goatman hopped down from the throne, walked down the stairs like a man lost in thought, and strolled down the corridor.
Mina looked over to the group, still distraught. “What if the goat just rallies his forces and marches back here to finish us off?”
“Hold on,” said Roth, still looking at his quest log. “It says that we’ve convinced the leader of the goatmen to have them leave. We just need to have a word with Barrcus and we’re done.”
Cline’s stress melted away instantly, “We’re done? We actually did it? I can get my reward?”
“Looks like our little ranger is getting a bow,” said Melee with a grin.
The look of pure joy on Cline’s face lifted the spirits of the party, and they set to looting the two remaining bodies.
|Name: Felling Hatchet
|Item Type: Weapon – Chopping
|Durability: 40/60
|Damage: 28
|Attributes: +15 damage to plant-class creatures.
|Description: This axe was created by a renowned craftsman for a powerful noble’s son who played at being a lumberjack. It has been enchanted to greatly improve a person’s ability to cut down trees.
|Name: Chanter’s Bead Focus
|Item Type: Accessory - Stone
|Durability: 22/30
|Armor Rating: 0
|Attributes: -5% chanting time, +5% chanted spell efficacy
|Description: The wearer of these beads can focus upon them to cast spells more efficiently.
|Name: Prowler’s Boots
|Item Type: Armor - Leather
|Durability: 39/50
|Armor Rating: 9
|Attributes: +5 Agility
|Description: These boots made of thin, high-quality leather have been enchanted to make their wearer nimbler. This style of boots is particularly popular amongst thieves.
|Name: Mighty Greaves
|Item Type: Armor - Iron
|Durability: 65/90
|Armor Rating: 22
|Attributes: +5 Strength
|Description: The weight of these heavy metal boots is partially offset by their strength bestowing enchantment.
|Name: Archer’s Vambrace
|Item Type: Armor - Leather
|Durability: 35/40
|Armor Rating: 10
|Attributes: +5 Dexterity, +1 Strength
|Description: The lacings on this atypical vambrace are intended to be worn outwards, allowing the string of a bow to slide past unhindered. The vambrace has been enchanted to improve aim and helps its user to better grip their bow.
|Name: Large Shield
|Item Type: Shield - Wood
|Durability: 82/100
|Armor Rating: 30
|Damage: 4
|Attributes: May prevent some or all incoming damage.
|Description: This common shield consists of two thin layers of wood set perpendicular to one another with a hand strap and an iron band around it.
The loot was varied, and for the first time each of the party members would be able to have their own item of uncommon rarity. Dakkon took the prowler’s boots, Mina the beads, Cline had a vambrace perfect for his calling, Melee happily put on her new heavy, iron boots, and Roth replaced his stash of human bone clubs with the hatchet and shield. The party decided that it was important to search the temple, even if only cursorily, in search of any other additional treasures that the temple might have. After twenty minutes of searching, Yill reappeared and let them know that the temple’s treasures had been almost entirely cleaned out even before the trest had arrived. They hadn’t even broken every statue.
The players decided that they all deserved a short vacation from hunting and, after collecting their portion of the quest’s bounty, they would spend a leisurely day looking for equipment upgrades before hunting again. It was far more practical to carry gear with them than money, as dying ensured the loss of a large portion of a player’s coin. After giving their rushed goodbyes, Mina and Melee logged off together to eat and Roth tried to keep pace with Cline as he rushed ahead towards Greenburne to be the first one in the glorious spotlight, and then he’d be off to finally get his very own bow. Dakkon suspected that the entirety of Cline’s reward money would go towards the very best bow he could afford.
Dakkon was the only player who opted to remain behind. He was happy about his new boots and completing the quest, but he still felt robbed on some level. He held a new and wonderful life in the palms of his hands and, just as unforeseen circumstances in the real world, something unfortunate stopped him from achieving his goals. He knew the sentiment didn’t do him any good, but it remained and tortured him nonetheless.