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Raid Breakers: Chapter One New!

 
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Kalanna Rai
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 31, 2012 12:37 am    Post subject: Raid Breakers: Chapter One New! Reply with quote

As a long time video game addiction victim, over the course of my career, questions have popped up. Questions like, where does the gold on the creatures come from? Why do you usually run into the same creatures in Random Encounters? Who makes sure that creatures of various strengths stay in corresponding areas? And many, many more. This story is my attempt to delve into what might be happening behind the scenes. Enjoy!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Raid Breakers

Prologue: Home Invasion

"Three!?"

Krad tried not to wince at the shrill tone of the slug-like monstrosity in front of him, it's slimy appendages quivering as it held the paper tautly in them. If it applied any more pressure it would tear the report in half. And he'd worked so hard to compile that copy for the creature's benefit.

"Listen...Suggzor was it?" At the creature's tense affirmation, Krad continued, "As I was saying, I went through your dungeon three times, each time using the equipment and abilities available to a standard human hero of corresponding ability. As a level one hero, your guards in the second chamber here were rather effective at overwhelming my defense and 'killing' me. As a level two hero the guards were less of a problem, it was instead the 'mini-boss' that you've got waiting in the central chamber...your wife I believe? However, as a level three hero I've managed to make my way in here and 'kill' you...barely. Thus your dungeon has an HSP, Human Stopping Power, of three. If you have any other questions, concerns, or would like a re-evaluation before the opening of Dungeon Season I suggest you forward them to the head office for prompt review."

With that he bowed, teleporting himself in a puff of mist back to his desk and dropping the report on Suggzor's 'Swamp Temple of Terror' in his outbox. Life in the Dungeon Evaluation office wasn't exactly glamorous, but it paid good gold and kept him physically fit. Still, it had been years since Krad had found a real test of his abilities. Not since he'd retired from his position as a World Boss across the way in Random Encounters. He lovingly touched a scar on his cheek, remembering the bad old days.

"Hey Krad! Dracmarvo caught a bad case of death. Can you take over his evaluations list?"

Before Krad could say anything, a fat imp dropped a stack of files almost as tall as he was into the 'Inbox' on his desk. He shoved them aside, staring at the plump figure, a hand shooting out and grabbing it's tail. With a swift jerk, he whipped it off it's feet and held it dangling a foot from his own face.

"Someone killed Dracmarvo? Who? Not an evaluation...we haven't had a dangerous dungeon in ages."

The imp wiggled a bit before giving up and letting itself slowly rotate to face him. "Heroes. Apparently they ambushed him last night while he was heading home. The newbies over at R.E. found him this morning during one of their usual patrols. Took his head and mounted it over the doors of their Keep according to Intel."

Krad dropped the imp, both dark brows raised in surprise. "Holy Hells. How's his wife taking it?"

The imp shrugged. "Not well I hear. There's a sympathy card going around you might want to sign if you get a moment. But right now, the boss man wants these evaluations done stat."

With a sigh, Krad took the first file from the top and started reading. "Mountaintop Mayhem..."
----------------------------

Home had never looked so good to Krad. He shuffled into his lair wearily, shutting the portal barrier behind him as he crossed his threshold, engaging his alarms. The bag in his hand was dropped onto the kitchen counter, spilling assorted foodstuffs across it. He pinched the bridge of his nose and set to sorting things, putting them away in various places, his mind on other things. He couldn't believe that Dracmarvo was dead...and in such a manner. Heroes were normally predictable creatures. They fought whatever they were pointed at, charged there way into whatever was marked off for them, and claimed their spoils when they succeeded. Or died and whatever they possessed was added to the spoils of the dungeon with a neat tax shipped off for the Company to continue operations.

But even Krad couldn't deny things were becoming dire. The Heroes had been winning more and more often, getting stronger and stronger. It seemed that there weren't any new Heroes these days, only the extremely experienced. They were dying less, leaving behind less loot...it was slowly driving the company under. What good was a challenging dungeon if there was no treasure to lure Heroes? They wouldn't fight for nothing...so why Dracmarvo...the old beast hadn't terrorized anyone since Krad was young. Were the Heroes getting desperate for new things to kill, loot, and pillage?

Still dwelling on that disturbing thought, Krad made himself a cup of cocoa and took a seat in his favorite chair in front of the fire. Reaching down, he scratched the heads of the elderly cerberus that dozed in a basket next to his chair, leaving a little raw meat mush in the three nearby bowls for the three heads. Finally...he could relax.

Picking up the paperback he'd been trying to read for weeks, he'd managed to turn three pages when his alarms went off. The three heads of the cerberus rose, growling and snarling though there were nearly no teeth left in the drooling maws, aged legs trembling with the effort. "Hush Relor, Telor, Betty. It's probably nothing."

However, Krad still picked up the black sword from above the door, shifting into his human form and wandering out to the entry tunnel to see what he could see. And it most certainly wasn't nothing.

Six heroes crept forward, weapons drawn. In the case of the mage his hand was aloft with a glowing orb of light, the weapons of the cleric shining brightly with their own white brilliance. They'd come armed for trouble...big trouble...Krad sized trouble.

Why? He was retired from anything to do with fighting Heroes...he had been since the great grandparents of these six were in diapers. They were running on myth and legend here...and perhaps the deathbed description of a particularly long lived elf. But still. His home wasn't a registered Lair. It wasn't on any map or in any list of 'Places One Should Not Go'. Hell he'd just had a landscaper terrace the steps up to the entry with flowering shrubs and cooking herbs. He'd bought a hanging fuscia two weeks ago to make the bare rock seem a little more colorful. There was nothing that suggested a monster dwelled in the caverns beyond and he was damned proud of his good reputation with the few local hermits that knew of him.

He could hear their whispers, the stories and battleplans that hissed between them. They were scared. Nervous. His reputation had apparently grown over the years. But he wasn't going to come out sword swinging. Not yet. He wanted to give them a chance to realize their mistake and leave. So he stepped free of the deeper shadows of the inner tunnel and approached them.

"Good evening travelers. Can I help you?" He had no weapons other than a charming smile, no armor other than a dressing gown and pair of house slippers. And that sowed some obvious confusion. However, as a credit to their training, none of their weapons wavered.

"You are Krad Varakkian correct? Krad the Darkener? The creature that destroyed Martian the Bold, Grover the Cunning, and Talia the Beautiful? The Scourge of the Red Mountain. Gatekeeper of the Dark Way. Lord of-"

"Lord of the Plagues. Master of the Black Hunt....yes yes. Days gone past. 'Fraid I'm out of the 'evil monster' business these days so is there some other-" He whirled left, missing the enchanted bold the ranger unleashed as well as the blast of blue fire that came from the staff of the mage. The time for talking now well over, Krad cast aside his human form, calling his armor to him and leveling the black blade in their direction.

He took two massive steps forward, his cloven hoof lashing out and catching the knight full in the breastplate and booting him straight out the tunnel mouth and down the mountainside. His tail swept around, catching the mage and flicking him contemptuously after the night. The tip of his blade swept downward, opening a rift in the floor from which flaming skeletal hands rose, gripping the ankles of the cleric and ranger and pulling them into the fissure. Their screams were cut off when the stone abruptly snapped shut again. The sorcerer swept in with spell and blade and Krad backhanded him into the wall, the rock embracing him, crushing him into a paste. The Rogue, having seen the fate of his comrades, had tried to quietly sneak away. Krad moved forward, a cloven hoof coming down on the hem of the rogue's cloak...pinning him like a needle might a butterfly. The human gazed up at him with a nervous smile, Krad returned the smile warmly and shook his head before driving his blade downward and slicing the human in two.

Then came the tedious work of collecting their gear, storing it in his large hoard, and grinding their bodies into food for his dog. Once again settled in his chair, he sipped his cocoa and grimaced, finding it cold. Reaching for his orb, he dialed an old friend, waiting for the scaled blue face to appear in the swirling depths.

"Krad? Do you have any idea what time it is here?"

"Apologies Elaina...I just thought you'd like to know about the peculiar thing that just happened. I was attacked by Heroes...in my home."

A puff of smoke swirled through the air in front of him, the slender dragoness perching on his mantle and staring at him. "Alright Krad...you have my undivided attention."
------------------------------------

I know it's long and it's bulky. The chapters themselves should be much shorter. But I'd love your commments and opinions on this one guys. Hope you liked!
_________________
"It's not just about living forever...the trick is living with yourself forever..."

"Music makes you braver."


Last edited by Kalanna Rai on Sat Sep 22, 2012 1:30 am; edited 1 time in total
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Kalanna Rai
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 22, 2012 1:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

At long last, the very first installment in the story. I hope you enjoy.
-----------------------

Chapter One: A New Challenge

Lydia's day had been utter shit, absolute and utter horror. Her customers had all been snotty nosed brats that didn't know a Fatality from a Finisher and thought that a quick-time event was superior to the sheer satisfaction that came from the frantic button mashing that often took place when the boss reached that last bar of health. The controller snapping anguish when you were just a moment too slow, the blisters that rose on your thumbs after hours of frustrating play. No, these spoiled brats these days. Privileged and fed and endless stream of generic ultra-violent shooters, tired and downtrodden sequels to once great games, franchises that needed to die, and the occasional cry of a truly good game drowned in the sea of crap.

Slinging her bag over in the corner, she didn't feel like herself until her hated uniform shirt was stuffed under her bed and a shower was had. Clad in a shirt that said 'Cloth Armor +1' and a pair of fuzzy pajama pants, Lydia slipped on her headset and pulled the tray that her laptop sat on over as she flopped on her bed. A few moments later she was booted up and logged in, entering the chat channel the moment her character entered the world.
-------------------------

Hey guys, what's new?

Hey Syr, take a look at this. Apparently there's some new challenge opening up. Treasure looks just beyond sexy. Although, from what I hear, it's going to be a real bitch to clear.

Syr pushed her way through the throng in front of the signpost and plucked down one of the tattered flyers there, wandering back to where her group of companions stood. As an epic Cleric, she'd bested numerous challenges before. She took great pride in clearing dungeon after dungeon, hunting down and destroying World Bosses, and sponging evil from the lands of M'yrrika. But of late she had nothing left to do. There were no dungeons that proved any kind of challenge, not a one. The new World Bosses were tiresome creatures of paper, destroyed by an easy swing of her legendary mace High Lightning Foebreaker.

Her eyes scanned the flyer and she raised a brow at it. You're kidding right. Didn't Krad the Darkener get removed for having a glitch that made him unbeatable? Her eyes looked from the flyer to her nearby companion.

Martin, a Ranger, stared back at her and shrugged. Guess they must have fixed it. Still, I did some looking into it. They've brought back ten of the nastiest Bosses that ever graced the screen and tossed them all in the equivalent of a beautiful deathtrap. Nice scenery...everything can kill you. And the cherry on top of the cake...to get any of the loot you've got to beat the place in Hardcore mode. Otherwise all you get is gold.

Syr couldn't believe that. Hardcore Mode...if you died in Hardcore that was that. No resurrections, no second chances. You were gone, as if you'd never been, and all your stuff was gone too unless some player managed to loot your corpse and save it for your next character. Syr had risked herself in Hardcore Mode a few times, each time her heart pounding as the threat of death had loomed over her. Each time Provenience had spared her. I'm thinking we get the crew together and run this place a few times in the other modes. Depending on how that goes...maybe tackle Hardcore. Anyone tried it yet?

Martin shook his head. No, but one of the big guilds is organizing an attempt tonight. Want to go watch and see how they do? Maybe they'll beat it ya know.

Syr shrugged. Those guys that play-test always have an advantage when it comes to beating it for real...what's that look for. Don't tell me they released this without having opened it for outside play-testers first?

Nope. Apparently this one was kept under wraps and done strictly in-house. Nobody knew a thing about it until about a week ago when a group of Hardcore players stumbled across the opening quest to Krad's lair and triggered the event that opened this place. Not one of them survived though, so they're not too happy about having to restart with newbie characters.

Syr wouldn't be either. Well...I didn't log in for long tonight...it was a long day. So...depending on how long it takes these guys to clear the encounter maybe I have time to watch.

Martin shrugged. I have time. You can tag along or I'll just wait for them to wrap up and ask them when they're done. Maybe I'll talk to my connections and see if we can get the recording f the attempt even if they fail. Up to you though Syr.
-------------------------------------

What will Syr do. Will she go watch and wait for someone to come out of the Challenge? Will she just let Martin do it and get the gossip from him tomorrow. Or do Martin's 'contacts' come through and get them a video from inside the Challenge itself. Or is there another option we're missing, only you know dear readers.
--------------------------------------

And you thought this would just be a fantasy story. Sorry if it's confusing right now, it'll get less so as the story goes on.
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"Music makes you braver."
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Tikanni Corazon
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 15, 2012 7:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hey Rai!


This is a very interesting concept that you have here, though as of yet, when combining the prologue and the first chapter, I'm not entirely sure what our setting is in full. I'm pretty certain that's intentional though. Wink When reading the prologue, it came across that we were dealing with a type of fantasy, in a traditional style but with a distinct modern twist to it. And then in chapter one we're thrown straight into modern, fantasy aside, and into the world of the gamer. And, considering that the SG is set in General Fiction rather than Fantasy, I'm guessing that it's going to continue along the current path. It'll be interesting to see where it goes to. Smile

As with all the other SGs of yours that I've read, the writing style is pretty much flawless, engrossing and very readable, with a high standard of grammar and form.


Found a couple of minor typos...


Quote:
His tail swept around, catching the mage and flicking him contemptuously after the night.


Knight

Quote:
Maybe I'll talk to my connections and see if we can get the recording f the attempt even if they fail. Up to you though Syr.


'Of', I'm thinking.


For the DP...well, Syr doesn't seem particularly competitive about completing the game before the other guild, so I'd say she waits and...*ponders*...if Martian thinks he can get a recording of the other guilds' progress, then wait for that. I'm not actually a gamer and never have been, so I have no idea how a gamer would react to it, but that's what I'm going to say. XD


Much enjoyed, Rai! Keep up the good work! Smile

_________________
.... there is no religion without love, and people may talk as much as they like about their religion, but if it does not teach them to be good and kind to man and beast, it is all a sham....
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell, 1887


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Seraphi
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 07, 2012 10:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You have captured the attention of my inner gamer geek, and she is positively tickled by this tale!

Tikanni already got the few typos I spotted as I was reading. And as she said, your writing is flawless otherwise.

After weighing the options I think Syr should sit out this run-through that the guild is doing. If others are fool enough to try what is potentially the most difficult dungeon ever made, then let them at it...and see if Martin can get that video. I have a feeling it will be anything but carnage-free. Wink
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