“You’d have thought there would be horses or wagons?” Theo scrunched his nose up as the group glared out into the curtain of rain.
Sally shrugged and looked up to the firing platforms. “Fire at will, Jacks.”
“Understood, boss.”
The clattering footsteps almost drowned out the yelled response of the mobster as village goblins ascended the ladders and steps to grab their bows and take a position on the defensive walls.
Her finger pointed out, and she squinted an eye. “Still too far out for my spells. I think I’ll keep Slow on the Champion. If we can defeat them, then that will be a huge blow to their morale.”
The Death Knight nodded. “Agreed. It will not be that easy, of course.”
“Of course.” She idly tapped at the handle of her dagger. The dark shapes had become more clear now that the regiment was closer - individual marching bodies could be made out through the rain. “Where’d the snail Wizard go?”
Humphrey shrugged and then pointed out to the middle of the woods away from the path. “He said he was going to climb a tree and cast something. Very slowly.”
“Ominous.” Sally wondered how many last-ditch saving graces they had in their deck now. Probably enough; statistically speaking the defenders always had an advantage - especially with the time to make the preparations that they had.
The Death Knight turned to the vampire. “Here, got you both some last-minute gifts.” He held out two bladed fist weapons to Theo.
“Punch-blades? Oh, thank you - I guess they-“
“Are low enough damage for your [Novice Strike] meme interaction, yes.” With a nod, he then turned to the zombie.
His plated hand held out a metal crown - a cold silver, almost blue in tone, with a green emerald in the centre of the spiked front.
“Humps! It’s been too long since I’ve had an accessory.” Sally eagerly took it and propped it atop her damp blonde hair.
[Title Unlocked: Queen of the Dead.]
[Gravecrown]
[A focus for necromantic power]
The blue text windows that popped up shifted and flickered as if unsure of how to conduct themselves with the Architect gone. Sally gasped as it faded away.
“A new title!” Her eyes blazed bright red as she hopped from foot to foot. “Does the crown actually do something?”
“Yes, probably,” the Death Knight shrugged.
Theo, having donned his pair of bladed gloves, threw some test punches in the air. The jagged black blades whizzed through the air as his fists shot back and forth. “Attack speed too; you shouldn’t have.”
“Just don’t die and let them go to waste. You're still lower Level, so the more you can hit, the better.” Humphrey huffed, a big grin across his face. “There wasn’t much I could get for Archie-“
“That’s okay, big brother.” The cat mewed from by their feet.
“-and you should see Jackie’s one soon.”
Sally nudged his plated arm. “Get yourself something too?”
The Death Knight just turned and gave her a brief nod; perhaps a wink would have accompanied it if he was capable of such an act.
“Alright!” Jackie yelled from above, drawing their attention away. “You little green shits better know how to aim. Fire at will in five..”
Sally squinted back at the shapes. Definitely closer. A large figure of an armoured woman led from the front - towering over the rank-and-file guards marching in formation behind. There was no risk in betting on that being the Champion.
“Fire!”
The twangs of bowstrings rang out in an offset pattern, quickly followed by the sound of cutting air as the dark arrows leapt through the rain towards the regiment. Most fell short by twenty feet or so, clattering on the road. Others went completely awry and ended up in the woods to either side. Two arrows from the first volley landed amongst the guard but were deflected by the silver metal armour most of them wore.
“Not a bad start,” Sally murmured to herself, feet itching to run and begin the melee.
A deluge of curse words and panicked goblinoid screeches came from the firing platforms as Jackie chastised their first attempt. Bows were drawn once more for the second volley. The mobster herself levelled Betty into the air, slowly adjusting the angle as red energy flowed around the metal frame.
As the second volley of goblin arrows whipped into the air, they were joined by the flaming bolt of Jackie’s [Explosive Shot] - then a second and third quickly followed. The aflame bolts arced through the darkening sky towards their target.
“[Triple Shot] scroll,” Humphrey grinned.
Explosions rang out across the first group of guards. Amber light flared and lit up the impact points, joined by the pained yells of those struck. As the glow faded, the Champion at the front remained unaffected - a translucent orb of light blue energy fully encircling her. A handful of guards were not so lucky to be defended as such, and four or five had fallen - their position in the regiment quickly replaced by those behind.
“We keeping count of the remaining guards?” Theo asked, eyes darting around the approaching group. “I kind of want to, for some reason.”
Sally didn’t respond. Instead, she ground her fangs together nervously. The Champion had magic abilities, she could tell. Not just from the glowing orb of protection, but the sheer presence the armoured woman commanded - the brazen confidence as she strode forward…
“Forty-four.” The vampire licked his lips, mentally double-checking his maths.
The third volley went into the air.
“One more volley and they’ll be at the pits,” Humphrey growled, his eyes focused on the Champion.
Arrows clattered amongst the road and the regiment, on the whole, a much better result than the first two attempts.
“Forty-three.”
Sally went through her Inventory and cleared all the consumables out. Stat Boost? Activated. Weapon and Armour Enhancements - now spent and used. Hoarding was one thing, but there was no joy in being a really lootable corpse. One by one, she removed a Skull from the flickering UI screen and walked along the edge of the defensive wall, placing one of them down every couple of feet.
The next volley went out as a crack of lightning illuminated the background. They were close enough to where you could see where each arrow was hitting amongst the rain-slick silvers and muted brown armours.
“Forty… uh, Forty-three still.” The rumble of thunder punctuated the vampire's count.
Low steam swept across the approach to the village as the increased rainfall had all but put out the coal fires. The Champion stopped just before the first trench that had been dug out.
The woman raised a staff into the air, and her voice boomed out across the area.
“Invaders of Yarch! We have come to remove you from the-“
An errant arrow from a nervous goblin sailed through the air and clattered to the floor by the Champion’s feet.
“Promote that gobbo!” Sally yelled out through cupped hands.
“Yeah, these lectures and proclamations get old pretty quick,” Theo yawned before quickly pretending he wasn’t tired.
“Invaders of-“
Sally released her own crossbow bolt. The flare of the protective orb lit up as her attack struck but was absorbed.
The Champion growled and gnashed her teeth - as a full volley of arrows came from the firing platforms, accompanied by the repeated shots of [Hell Trigger].
“Forty-one,” Theo scratched his chin and tried not to poke his own eye with his bladed fist, “that was mostly Jackie’s doing.”
“To arms! Reclaim Yarch for the Throne! Kill the Leaders!” The Champion now unable to get her monologue out, resigned to sending the guards to battle. With her staff levelled out towards the Party, she cast a spell.
[Neutral Ground]
The road returned to normal. All the traps and pits dug, trenches and zombie hideaway they had planned to slow down the assault were now rendered to nothing. A clear path of cobbled stone lay between the Champion and the defences. A flash of lightning brought the angered charge of the scores of guards as they surged past the large woman.
“That’s not particularly fair,” Sally grumbled as a weight lurched in her stomach. "All my zombies!"
“Ah, well,” Humphrey turned to her, a grin still across his skeletal face. "It never is fair for the underdogs. Scratcher said that your attack last night destroyed all their ranged ammunition. So I consider that an even trade.”
The Death Knight then leapt down from the battlements and landed on the road, standing to withdraw his greatsword. Sally and Theo joined him, landing each side of the plated undead.
“Watch this.” He held out his sword towards the onrushing enemy. The flames from the back of his head, sizzling from the rain, petered out and disappeared. A brief second of nothing, and then his extended weapon burst into crimson flame.
“Neat party trick, big brother!” Archie called down from atop the defences.
“Now you made it less cool,” Humphrey pouted, deflating slightly. “At least the horse isn’t here.”
“Where did he go?” Theo asked, limbering up his shoulders.
“As far from here as I could send him,” Humphrey growled.
[Dead King’s Court]
A pulse of energy flowed through the trio of undead. A volley of arrows peppered the guards now no longer in formation as they charged.
“Forty,” Theo whispered to himself.
“Stick together, heal if you need to, don’t get overwhelmed. Stay alive.” Humphrey assumed a stance with his sword, the blade at the ready.
“Yes, Dad.” Sally rolled her eyes and drew her pair of weapons. It was now seconds before the two sides would clash and her muscles felt tense.
“I have reports that the two Player parties are moving in closer,” Archie called from above.
She bared her fangs at the first wave of guards. Lightning flashed, and thunder rolled across the village soon after. One last easy breath was taken.
When it rained, it poured.
“You’d have thought there would be horses or wagons?” Theo scrunched his nose up as the group glared out into the curtain of rain.
Sally shrugged and looked up to the firing platforms. “Fire at will, Jacks.”
“Understood, boss.”
The clattering footsteps almost drowned out the yelled response of the mobster as village goblins ascended the ladders and steps to grab their bows and take a position on the defensive walls.
Her finger pointed out, and she squinted an eye. “Still too far out for my spells. I think I’ll keep Slow on the Champion. If we can defeat them, then that will be a huge blow to their morale.”
The Death Knight nodded. “Agreed. It will not be that easy, of course.”
“Of course.” She idly tapped at the handle of her dagger. The dark shapes had become more clear now that the regiment was closer - individual marching bodies could be made out through the rain. “Where’d the snail Wizard go?”
Humphrey shrugged and then pointed out to the middle of the woods away from the path. “He said he was going to climb a tree and cast something. Very slowly.”
“Ominous.” Sally wondered how many last-ditch saving graces they had in their deck now. Probably enough; statistically speaking the defenders always had an advantage - especially with the time to make the preparations that they had.
The Death Knight turned to the vampire. “Here, got you both some last-minute gifts.” He held out two bladed fist weapons to Theo.
“Punch-blades? Oh, thank you - I guess they-“
“Are low enough damage for your [Novice Strike] meme interaction, yes.” With a nod, he then turned to the zombie.
His plated hand held out a metal crown - a cold silver, almost blue in tone, with a green emerald in the centre of the spiked front.
“Humps! It’s been too long since I’ve had an accessory.” Sally eagerly took it and propped it atop her damp blonde hair.
[Title Unlocked: Queen of the Dead.]
[Gravecrown]
[A focus for necromantic power]
The blue text windows that popped up shifted and flickered as if unsure of how to conduct themselves with the Architect gone. Sally gasped as it faded away.
“A new title!” Her eyes blazed bright red as she hopped from foot to foot. “Does the crown actually do something?”
“Yes, probably,” the Death Knight shrugged.
Theo, having donned his pair of bladed gloves, threw some test punches in the air. The jagged black blades whizzed through the air as his fists shot back and forth. “Attack speed too; you shouldn’t have.”
“Just don’t die and let them go to waste. You're still lower Level, so the more you can hit, the better.” Humphrey huffed, a big grin across his face. “There wasn’t much I could get for Archie-“
“That’s okay, big brother.” The cat mewed from by their feet.
“-and you should see Jackie’s one soon.”
Sally nudged his plated arm. “Get yourself something too?”
The Death Knight just turned and gave her a brief nod; perhaps a wink would have accompanied it if he was capable of such an act.
“Alright!” Jackie yelled from above, drawing their attention away. “You little green shits better know how to aim. Fire at will in five..”
Sally squinted back at the shapes. Definitely closer. A large figure of an armoured woman led from the front - towering over the rank-and-file guards marching in formation behind. There was no risk in betting on that being the Champion.
“Fire!”
The twangs of bowstrings rang out in an offset pattern, quickly followed by the sound of cutting air as the dark arrows leapt through the rain towards the regiment. Most fell short by twenty feet or so, clattering on the road. Others went completely awry and ended up in the woods to either side. Two arrows from the first volley landed amongst the guard but were deflected by the silver metal armour most of them wore.
“Not a bad start,” Sally murmured to herself, feet itching to run and begin the melee.
A deluge of curse words and panicked goblinoid screeches came from the firing platforms as Jackie chastised their first attempt. Bows were drawn once more for the second volley. The mobster herself levelled Betty into the air, slowly adjusting the angle as red energy flowed around the metal frame.
As the second volley of goblin arrows whipped into the air, they were joined by the flaming bolt of Jackie’s [Explosive Shot] - then a second and third quickly followed. The aflame bolts arced through the darkening sky towards their target.
“[Triple Shot] scroll,” Humphrey grinned.
Explosions rang out across the first group of guards. Amber light flared and lit up the impact points, joined by the pained yells of those struck. As the glow faded, the Champion at the front remained unaffected - a translucent orb of light blue energy fully encircling her. A handful of guards were not so lucky to be defended as such, and four or five had fallen - their position in the regiment quickly replaced by those behind.
“We keeping count of the remaining guards?” Theo asked, eyes darting around the approaching group. “I kind of want to, for some reason.”
Sally didn’t respond. Instead, she ground her fangs together nervously. The Champion had magic abilities, she could tell. Not just from the glowing orb of protection, but the sheer presence the armoured woman commanded - the brazen confidence as she strode forward…
“Forty-four.” The vampire licked his lips, mentally double-checking his maths.
The third volley went into the air.
“One more volley and they’ll be at the pits,” Humphrey growled, his eyes focused on the Champion.
Arrows clattered amongst the road and the regiment, on the whole, a much better result than the first two attempts.
“Forty-three.”
Sally went through her Inventory and cleared all the consumables out. Stat Boost? Activated. Weapon and Armour Enhancements - now spent and used. Hoarding was one thing, but there was no joy in being a really lootable corpse. One by one, she removed a Skull from the flickering UI screen and walked along the edge of the defensive wall, placing one of them down every couple of feet.
The next volley went out as a crack of lightning illuminated the background. They were close enough to where you could see where each arrow was hitting amongst the rain-slick silvers and muted brown armours.
“Forty… uh, Forty-three still.” The rumble of thunder punctuated the vampire's count.
Low steam swept across the approach to the village as the increased rainfall had all but put out the coal fires. The Champion stopped just before the first trench that had been dug out.
The woman raised a staff into the air, and her voice boomed out across the area.
“Invaders of Yarch! We have come to remove you from the-“
An errant arrow from a nervous goblin sailed through the air and clattered to the floor by the Champion’s feet.
“Promote that gobbo!” Sally yelled out through cupped hands.
“Yeah, these lectures and proclamations get old pretty quick,” Theo yawned before quickly pretending he wasn’t tired.
“Invaders of-“
Sally released her own crossbow bolt. The flare of the protective orb lit up as her attack struck but was absorbed.
The Champion growled and gnashed her teeth - as a full volley of arrows came from the firing platforms, accompanied by the repeated shots of [Hell Trigger].
“Forty-one,” Theo scratched his chin and tried not to poke his own eye with his bladed fist, “that was mostly Jackie’s doing.”
“To arms! Reclaim Yarch for the Throne! Kill the Leaders!” The Champion now unable to get her monologue out, resigned to sending the guards to battle. With her staff levelled out towards the Party, she cast a spell.
[Neutral Ground]
The road returned to normal. All the traps and pits dug, trenches and zombie hideaway they had planned to slow down the assault were now rendered to nothing. A clear path of cobbled stone lay between the Champion and the defences. A flash of lightning brought the angered charge of the scores of guards as they surged past the large woman.
“That’s not particularly fair,” Sally grumbled as a weight lurched in her stomach. "All my zombies!"
“Ah, well,” Humphrey turned to her, a grin still across his skeletal face. "It never is fair for the underdogs. Scratcher said that your attack last night destroyed all their ranged ammunition. So I consider that an even trade.”
The Death Knight then leapt down from the battlements and landed on the road, standing to withdraw his greatsword. Sally and Theo joined him, landing each side of the plated undead.
“Watch this.” He held out his sword towards the onrushing enemy. The flames from the back of his head, sizzling from the rain, petered out and disappeared. A brief second of nothing, and then his extended weapon burst into crimson flame.
“Neat party trick, big brother!” Archie called down from atop the defences.
“Now you made it less cool,” Humphrey pouted, deflating slightly. “At least the horse isn’t here.”
“Where did he go?” Theo asked, limbering up his shoulders.
“As far from here as I could send him,” Humphrey growled.
[Dead King’s Court]
A pulse of energy flowed through the trio of undead. A volley of arrows peppered the guards now no longer in formation as they charged.
“Forty,” Theo whispered to himself.
“Stick together, heal if you need to, don’t get overwhelmed. Stay alive.” Humphrey assumed a stance with his sword, the blade at the ready.
“Yes, Dad.” Sally rolled her eyes and drew her pair of weapons. It was now seconds before the two sides would clash and her muscles felt tense.
“I have reports that the two Player parties are moving in closer,” Archie called from above.
She bared her fangs at the first wave of guards. Lightning flashed, and thunder rolled across the village soon after. One last easy breath was taken.
When it rained, it poured.
