[Killing players does not award experience points.]
[For the following 24 hours, you will be marked by Nokti’s sigil.]
[A player with Nokti’s sigil has a very high likelihood of dropping multiple pieces of equipment on death, regardless of preventative measures.]
[While marked by Nokti’s sigil, players and non-player characters may treat you rashly and unfairly.]
“What?” thought Dakkon. “What’s going on?” He had killed his attacker in an instant with a single attack which shouldn’t have been lethal.
The dagger thrower loosed another missile at Dakkon as other players rushed in his direction. Dakkon tried to dodge, but was much too slow as a dagger buried itself in his right bicep.
[Kareen has stabbed you with a hurled dagger for 84 damage. Remaining HP 476/650]
[Poison courses through your veins! Your health will slowly drain away.]
A second red, flashing icon was now anchored in his vision—likely to ensure the player was aware that they were, in fact, still poisoned.
As soon as the first two attackers had dropped, three more charged toward Dakkon. Sift rushed forward to intercept the incoming second wave of assailants as Dakkon’s mind snapped together the pieces of the puzzle. The two men who rushed him had been the feverishly-warm pair who had glowed under the inspection of his thermal sight. Had they poisoned themselves to make it so any counterattack would have proven fatal? Players that never contributed to the quest and kept to themselves; a surprise attack; poison; attackers dying instantly; an increased chance to drop items; and, ultimately, Gullen’s threat along with Ramses’s warning to not leave the city. It wasn’t a certain thing, but if Dakkon had this player-killer mark on his cheek, he would be far more likely to drop his coveted dagger upon dying.
Sift stopped the first assailant’s full momentum with a bone-destroying fist, supported by his firmly-planted foot as though he were an iron rod wedged against the earth. The jarring blow struck the center of the man’s face, pulping his nose into orphanage-grade meatloaf. The man would have howled if he could, but instead settled for a more manageable, guttural, ‘Hrmmfk’ noise as he fell to the ground. Sift intercepted an attack from the next assailant’s short sword by kicking her hand with force gained through whipping his body around 360 degrees.
The shamans’ influence over the giant spirit wolf’s head was undermined by the sounds of battle. The wolf appeared to stir as if from slumber, shaking its head slightly as it took in its surroundings. The three shamans continued their spirit-soothing chant despite the change until the wolf’s eyes shone with crimson light. One shaman turned to flee, drawing the spirit’s attention along with its wrath. The wolf spirit lunged out of the small plume of smoke as if being pulled from the aether. Zelle and the other shaman watched in muted horror as the demon-like wolf ripped into the downed third shaman.
Sift batted away an incoming dagger using the backside of his hand and completed the motion with a chopping strike at his second opponent’s exposed neck. An arrow from Cline pierced the tender pit of her upraised arm. The second assailant let out a wail cut short by Sift’s shove to her abdomen by the flats of both his palms. She stumbled back and into the larger, third approaching attacker.
Dakkon felt his strength and vitality leaving him. If this was the effect of poison in Chronicle, then he’d need to be extra careful in the future—and perhaps invest in his own supply. Dakkon was sweating and began to grow very dizzy. He wanted to help, but the meager act of staying upright was growing into a massive task. Dakkon staggered backwards towards the remaining members of the expeditionary force.
“Heal… poison…” Dakkon managed to croak out.
Despite the chaos brewing on both sides of the expeditionary force, blue energy surged into and around Dakkon’s body, forcing the lodged daggers out and closing his skin. The spells came from a pair of apprentice level druids without the capabilities to cure Dakkon of his poisoned status. Still, the waves of healing which crashed over him gave Dakkon the strength to stand, if not to fight. He used his renewed vigor to seek out Zelle, wading through the force.
A large, white, magical wall formed between the two shamans and the wolf spirit, obscuring the parties’ views of one another. With the chance to flee granted to them, the shamans gladly retreated. The wolf spirit did not appear alarmed by the barrier, electing to casually chew upon its first catch.
Dakkon halted Zelle from her flight and asked for aid which she lent after only a quick look back toward the wall of white. After a few quick gestures accompanied by slowly spoken words, Dakkon’s body was covered in translucent blue leeches which drank hungrily from his body. Despite being covered in leeches, he felt better.
Sift’s two-palm strike knocked the second assailant into the third’s legs, tripping him. The bulkier, third attacker toppled onto the ground, attempting to break his fall by bracing with both arms. His two-handed sword landed awkwardly beneath him. Before the assailant had fully fallen, Sift leapt upwards. Sift drove his feet downwards into the man’s back—feet on opposite sides of the large, two-handed blade.
The bigger, third assailant wailed out in pain—once again attracting the attention of the wolf spirit. Despite being jumped on after landing on his sword, the man was sturdy and still appeared to have some fight left in him. Sift moved off of the man to dodge yet another incoming dagger.
Damak had been assessing how to best salvage the situation when the second loud cry returned the gigantic spirit’s attention to the fresh, human chew toys that made up the expeditionary force. The spirit walked up to Saden’s magical barrier and tore through it with one claw swipe as though it were thin paper. The barrier faded away and Damak knew they had to act quickly.
“All right!” yelled Damak. “Forget about the brawl behind us! The finish line is just ahead! Focus!”
The portion of the force members watching the fight in the rear were in awe of Sift’s martial prowess, but they turned to face their goal at Damak’s command.
The dagger-throwing assailant who had been keeping his distance pulled out a short sword and moved to his two remaining allies. The three regrouped into a defensive formation and moved to attack Sift as a unit. The monk circled around them to prevent any attempt they might make to flank. He seemed to welcome the opportunity for a three versus one fight.
A volley of assorted projectiles, both mundane and magical, flew at the spirit. Most projectiles passed through harmlessly with no effect. A translucent prompt appeared for Dakkon.
[Lucky!! Your Luck stat has randomly revealed one of a boss’s special skills:
Not of this World: Boss spirit Geh`hen’s essence does not reside in this plane of existence. It is only vulnerable to strikes focused on the spirit’s connection with the other world.]
Dakkon didn’t hesitate to share the oddly gleaned information. “I just got a message saying it’s mostly invulnerable!” he yelled.
“Exorcists can sense its spiritual core,” interjected Saden, loudly enough to be heard so the information would spread. It was evidently no surprise to him. “Big, ancient spirits like this one can move their cores around the inside of their bodies. We’ll have to hit that core to sever its tie to the other world if we want to take it out.”
The spirit wolf howled with a deep, powerful resonance.
[You have resisted: Fear]
The combat formations of the expeditionary force broke rank chaotically. Players and NPCs bolted away from the massive spiritual beast. In sport-like pursuit of its prey, the wolf bounded from fleeing man to fleeing man, ending lives with swift strikes and bites from its powerful maw. The wolf spirit’s aura tinged more crimson with each victim it claimed, though the spirit ignored those who had not turned to run.