Come on baby, light my fire.
Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2003 4:23 pmFollowing is an account of the fire demon invasion in Occlo on November 15, 2003.
For the last two weeks I've found scarce time to fully manifest myself in the World of Dreams. The OtherWorld has been too demanding and the few times I have managed it, the time was brief and my new brother who is training to be a mage has jealously taken the lion's share of the experience. I have freely given him the time though since he gave up his unsettling studies in the dark profession of an assassin and focused on clear magery. I meditated upon the World and discovered a remarkable small number of fellow inhabitants. There were only about seven or eight others roaming the world at the time.
I was tired and had only intended to finish packing up the new Jhelom house, in anticipation of moving sometime in the near future. The last chest thudded resoudingly to the planked floor and I leaned back against the wall, catching my braeth. I heard a death cry sound throughout the land and then another. I msg'd Jocilyn and asked if there was anything I could do to help and she responded tersely, "Invasion in Occlo! Mutant gargoyles."
Hmmm, another overpowered monster invasion. Such quests could be enjoyable but often were extraordinarily deadly. Regardless, how could I refuse to offer my abilities as a warrior? I sent a prayer of thanks winging into the heavens as I remembered that my brother Shao had just repaired my armor a couple of days earlier and it was in perfect condition.
Making a quick campfire, I cast the polymorph spell and felt ... better! My mind was sharper, my arms bulged with kinetic force and I felt agile enough to do the Blade Dance in barefeet. Swiftly, I drank potions and my powers increased even more. A couple of spells later I felt as if I was glowing with the barely controlled energy of a small star. My tiredness was gone and a battle light flashed in my eyes. I made a gate to Occlo and entered.
Emerging at the bank, I immediately noticed splatters of blood decorating the pavement. I admired the delicate sprays of gore for a moment and then shook my head. Wow, all those buffs must have twisted my brain! Cautiously, I urged Darlin forwards, her porcelain hoofs clicking delicately upon the cobblestones.
We rounded a corner and saw a group of people along with a veritable horde of hulking earth elementals. I rode up, hailing the group, and discovered that the earth elementals were summoned protectors. Just as I arrived, a gargoyle who's skin was shaded a virulent dark orange color flew clumsily upwards from the south. It roared and spit fire as we defended ourselves.
Nicad and I performed tank duties while Rocks Silivan, Jocilyn and Thorn Stormrider manipulated the eldritch energies of the earth and sphere. The mutant gargoyles came in several flavors. The dark orange ones appeared to have been mutated from ancient dragons, the lighter orange from royal dragons while the bright greens may have once been Greats. What horrific force had forced these once proud dragons into gargoyle form? Regardless of the cause, they were rather upset about it and took out their fury upon us. They were now fire demons, filled with anger and hate and reeking of sulfur and brimstone. They roared their pain and hatred to the skies as they lusted for our flesh.
I learned that the valiant Jaena had falled earlier in the battle, before I arrived, and due to the confusion of the battle, had been left in her insubstantial form by the docks. Fortunately, a slain healer resurrected himself and her as well. But, her crossbow of destruction had been lost and she wisely decided to avoid the fire demons. Fortunately, I found her bow on the brightly colored corpse of a demon and returned it to her later.
When we all worked together, the foe was quickly subdued, Nicad and I keeping the gargoyle's attention along with swarms of summoned earth elementals while the mages struck from behind and healed us. While we worked as a team, we destroyed the foe with a flair. But, all too often we were overrun, our plans put to disarray by the simultaneous attack of several of the foe. Two great fire demons and an ancient one were mixing it up with myself and a group of stolid earth elementals when the demons decided I looked more appetizing than the shambling hulks. My health dropped precipitously and my bandages and potions could not keep up. Mages and druids who had once been healing were distracted by other demons and as I charged away from the group, I was struck repeatedly with balls of dragon flame emanating curiously from fire demon throats. I fell and spiralled into the gray world of death.
Immediately, I was msg'd by other folk whom I had not known were on. The Occlo battle had raged without pause and time had passed swiftly. Macitor, Cathavene and Ciara all asked what was happening and if I needed assistance. I notified them all of the invasion and then stood impotently as a only a ghost can stand, watching the battle rage around me. Eventually, I was ressed and recovered my possessions. Before I could get dressed, more fire demons were winging their way towards us. I hurriedly mounted my undamaged Darlin and rode around a house, hurriedly pulling on my armor.
I finally was rearmored and joined the fray once again. Ciara rode up, her purkle calmness infusing the situation and her dragon bow wreaking havoc among the foe. I found a note on a fire demon guard that said, "Guard the Lord" and we all noticed the Fire Demon Lord a short distance to the north. After slaying him, we tried again to maintain some sort of group but the teamwork was broken by massive assaults of these incredibly powerful creatures.
I wondered if a slight taint of insanity had affected us because it seemed every member was off on their own. That had to be insanity because no single individual could confront these multiple foe. Time and again I heard death cries sound out. Whenever I tried to join others, swarms of fire demons attacked and drove me away. The lack of cohesive focus was costing some members dear as their deaths were announced with depressing regularity. Herakles and Macitor showed up to battle the potent foe and struck doughty blows for the Light as well!
Rocks, Jocilyn and Thorn's strategies of summoned earth elementals worked extremely well and even though the town was littered with piles of crumbled earth elementals, I avoided death many times only due to the summoned elementals unstinting ferocity. At one point, I had two ancient fire demons and a great one chasing me about town. If I could isolate one of them, I might have a chance to put him down but I stood no chance at all with three. I nearly died a dozen times, somehow escaping the final grayness of dissolution by mere chance or a lucky bandage. Through it all, Ciara rode calmly, taking aim and putting down fire demons with a long practiced skill and patience.
I rode past her and waved, two ancient fire demons now slavering behind me. Everytime I stopped to get off a shot with my bow, they would close in rapidly and I would have to take off again. My waraxe alone did great damage but my healing abilities could not keep up with the damage I received. At another point I had four or five fire demons following me but finally a few headed deeper into Occlo. Utilizing skills I had learned from Sachiko and emulating Ciara's calm resolved strategy, I eventually managed to down the remaining two of my lethal followers and rode back to where I last saw the scattered group.
Eventually, in fits and starts, we managed to eradicate the fire demon menace and Occlo was clear. I rode past the farm I had just purchased two days before and breathed a sigh of relief to see my crops untrampled. Now, Occlo was a grand island that was normally quiet and pastoral. A man could live out here in quiet and peace, at least when there weren't invasions. I had initially loved my big house in Jhelom but city life just wasn't for me. I needed elbow room and soon I would move here to this island paradise permanently. At least I had plenty of fire demon fertilizer for the fields.
For the last two weeks I've found scarce time to fully manifest myself in the World of Dreams. The OtherWorld has been too demanding and the few times I have managed it, the time was brief and my new brother who is training to be a mage has jealously taken the lion's share of the experience. I have freely given him the time though since he gave up his unsettling studies in the dark profession of an assassin and focused on clear magery. I meditated upon the World and discovered a remarkable small number of fellow inhabitants. There were only about seven or eight others roaming the world at the time.
I was tired and had only intended to finish packing up the new Jhelom house, in anticipation of moving sometime in the near future. The last chest thudded resoudingly to the planked floor and I leaned back against the wall, catching my braeth. I heard a death cry sound throughout the land and then another. I msg'd Jocilyn and asked if there was anything I could do to help and she responded tersely, "Invasion in Occlo! Mutant gargoyles."
Hmmm, another overpowered monster invasion. Such quests could be enjoyable but often were extraordinarily deadly. Regardless, how could I refuse to offer my abilities as a warrior? I sent a prayer of thanks winging into the heavens as I remembered that my brother Shao had just repaired my armor a couple of days earlier and it was in perfect condition.
Making a quick campfire, I cast the polymorph spell and felt ... better! My mind was sharper, my arms bulged with kinetic force and I felt agile enough to do the Blade Dance in barefeet. Swiftly, I drank potions and my powers increased even more. A couple of spells later I felt as if I was glowing with the barely controlled energy of a small star. My tiredness was gone and a battle light flashed in my eyes. I made a gate to Occlo and entered.
Emerging at the bank, I immediately noticed splatters of blood decorating the pavement. I admired the delicate sprays of gore for a moment and then shook my head. Wow, all those buffs must have twisted my brain! Cautiously, I urged Darlin forwards, her porcelain hoofs clicking delicately upon the cobblestones.
We rounded a corner and saw a group of people along with a veritable horde of hulking earth elementals. I rode up, hailing the group, and discovered that the earth elementals were summoned protectors. Just as I arrived, a gargoyle who's skin was shaded a virulent dark orange color flew clumsily upwards from the south. It roared and spit fire as we defended ourselves.
Nicad and I performed tank duties while Rocks Silivan, Jocilyn and Thorn Stormrider manipulated the eldritch energies of the earth and sphere. The mutant gargoyles came in several flavors. The dark orange ones appeared to have been mutated from ancient dragons, the lighter orange from royal dragons while the bright greens may have once been Greats. What horrific force had forced these once proud dragons into gargoyle form? Regardless of the cause, they were rather upset about it and took out their fury upon us. They were now fire demons, filled with anger and hate and reeking of sulfur and brimstone. They roared their pain and hatred to the skies as they lusted for our flesh.
I learned that the valiant Jaena had falled earlier in the battle, before I arrived, and due to the confusion of the battle, had been left in her insubstantial form by the docks. Fortunately, a slain healer resurrected himself and her as well. But, her crossbow of destruction had been lost and she wisely decided to avoid the fire demons. Fortunately, I found her bow on the brightly colored corpse of a demon and returned it to her later.
When we all worked together, the foe was quickly subdued, Nicad and I keeping the gargoyle's attention along with swarms of summoned earth elementals while the mages struck from behind and healed us. While we worked as a team, we destroyed the foe with a flair. But, all too often we were overrun, our plans put to disarray by the simultaneous attack of several of the foe. Two great fire demons and an ancient one were mixing it up with myself and a group of stolid earth elementals when the demons decided I looked more appetizing than the shambling hulks. My health dropped precipitously and my bandages and potions could not keep up. Mages and druids who had once been healing were distracted by other demons and as I charged away from the group, I was struck repeatedly with balls of dragon flame emanating curiously from fire demon throats. I fell and spiralled into the gray world of death.
Immediately, I was msg'd by other folk whom I had not known were on. The Occlo battle had raged without pause and time had passed swiftly. Macitor, Cathavene and Ciara all asked what was happening and if I needed assistance. I notified them all of the invasion and then stood impotently as a only a ghost can stand, watching the battle rage around me. Eventually, I was ressed and recovered my possessions. Before I could get dressed, more fire demons were winging their way towards us. I hurriedly mounted my undamaged Darlin and rode around a house, hurriedly pulling on my armor.
I finally was rearmored and joined the fray once again. Ciara rode up, her purkle calmness infusing the situation and her dragon bow wreaking havoc among the foe. I found a note on a fire demon guard that said, "Guard the Lord" and we all noticed the Fire Demon Lord a short distance to the north. After slaying him, we tried again to maintain some sort of group but the teamwork was broken by massive assaults of these incredibly powerful creatures.
I wondered if a slight taint of insanity had affected us because it seemed every member was off on their own. That had to be insanity because no single individual could confront these multiple foe. Time and again I heard death cries sound out. Whenever I tried to join others, swarms of fire demons attacked and drove me away. The lack of cohesive focus was costing some members dear as their deaths were announced with depressing regularity. Herakles and Macitor showed up to battle the potent foe and struck doughty blows for the Light as well!
Rocks, Jocilyn and Thorn's strategies of summoned earth elementals worked extremely well and even though the town was littered with piles of crumbled earth elementals, I avoided death many times only due to the summoned elementals unstinting ferocity. At one point, I had two ancient fire demons and a great one chasing me about town. If I could isolate one of them, I might have a chance to put him down but I stood no chance at all with three. I nearly died a dozen times, somehow escaping the final grayness of dissolution by mere chance or a lucky bandage. Through it all, Ciara rode calmly, taking aim and putting down fire demons with a long practiced skill and patience.
I rode past her and waved, two ancient fire demons now slavering behind me. Everytime I stopped to get off a shot with my bow, they would close in rapidly and I would have to take off again. My waraxe alone did great damage but my healing abilities could not keep up with the damage I received. At another point I had four or five fire demons following me but finally a few headed deeper into Occlo. Utilizing skills I had learned from Sachiko and emulating Ciara's calm resolved strategy, I eventually managed to down the remaining two of my lethal followers and rode back to where I last saw the scattered group.
Eventually, in fits and starts, we managed to eradicate the fire demon menace and Occlo was clear. I rode past the farm I had just purchased two days before and breathed a sigh of relief to see my crops untrampled. Now, Occlo was a grand island that was normally quiet and pastoral. A man could live out here in quiet and peace, at least when there weren't invasions. I had initially loved my big house in Jhelom but city life just wasn't for me. I needed elbow room and soon I would move here to this island paradise permanently. At least I had plenty of fire demon fertilizer for the fields.