Friends, I have cause to tell you of a recent
journey I have made. It was taken lightly, as I was caught up in much excitement, but it
did not end so light, alas! It all began just outside the Orc Fort near to the little
hamlet of Cove. Many a day I have battled there slaying Orc and Ettin in the Defense of
that small town but today was a slow day, perhaps the Orcs heard us coming and hid, I know
not. In any case, I happened to meet a brave warrior soul who was non other than THE Lord
Draco. Some of you may not know of him but he has been in the Land a LONG LONG time. His
tales I had heard of, for he was once a mighty killer. None could stand against him back
in the lawless days of Beta. His death toll soared up close to a thousand back then. He
was a close friend with the one known as RAINZ as well. Those who have not heard of RAINZ
may well not have paid much attention to UO in its dawn for he is well known to have slain
Lord British! Together these two knew many secrets of Sossaria and I was eager to learn
from Lord Draco. Yes he once was a murderer, but now he is a Lord of great power! His ways
hopefully reformed, he led us away from Cove to a "secret way" not known to
many, perhaps not know to any but he.
Traveling through the tangled forest east and
south of Cove for not too long a time, I become lost and disoriented. Never before has
this happened to me. I pride myself at my abilities in the wood from tracking the most
elusive animals to even taming them and yet it was so, I was lost! I stayed close to Draco
and the one other brave soul who followed us, fearing to lose them. Soon we came to an
ancient ruin. I am not one to shrink from danger nor one to let fear sway me from my
chosen path and yet, as we entered that ruin I almost turned back. Clearly scripted on the
wall in blood where many warnings but we headed then not. Eventually we came to a stone
Pentagram carved into the very floor. Upon this rested a blood red statuette of unknown
origins. This statuette felt odd. I could feel the power emanating from it yet that power
was unclean. I know no other word to describe it. Carefully Draco stepped around it and
stood in the center of the Pentagram. When I looked again he was not there. Quickly I
stepped on with my other companion (forgive me I cant recall his name).
Without so much as a word I found myself
elsewhere. Hewn stone beneath my feet and a thick mist in the air, I found myself on the
top of a small tower overlooking an underground river or lake, I’m still not sure
which. Carefully I looked around and saw my small group began to descend a stone stair. I
followed. At the bottom was a small room and double steel doors. We paused and readied
ourselves. It was then that I broke the silence, "Where in the nine hells are
we?"
Draco responded with a smile, "Shame,
four levels down."
I swallowed hard!
Draco opened the doors!
I almost ran right there except there was
nowhere to run but out. So instead I pulled out my heavy crossbow and tried not to notice
the wails as we exited the small tower and slowly crossed the stone bridge to the shore of
Shame.
Together we
stepped onto the shore and walk in about 20 yards. "I dont…." My unnamed
companion began.
"Sshhh…
We…" Draco was cut off, "Damn!"
An Air Elemental
suddenly appeared off to his right. All talk ceased as we rushed into battle. My hand
ached from the steady thrum of my crossbow firing and my head was filled with the shrill
wailing of the creature as we took it down in short order.
"Well,"
I smiled, "that wasn’t so bad!"
Draco just looked
at me.
I stopped smiling.
We readied ourselves again and continued our
march up the cost. Soon we heard the unmistakable sounds of combat. Running hard we came
upon a lone warrior doing battle with what looked like a red air elemental. My companions
ran foreword to his aid and I again began my onslaught from afar. I soon realized by the
curses of my companions that this was no ordinary air elemental. It was in fact something
far more dangerous. It was a Blood elemental and as I struck it a particularly nasty blow
it turned its baleful gaze to me. Cursing I worked my crossbow faster. It was on me in
seconds. I left my feet with the first blow and my crossbow fell from my hands. Its second
attack sizzled into my flesh and left me numb, electricity causing my limbs to jerk for a
few more seconds. Shaking my head and sitting up I saw that my companions plus one where
not doing well either, yet they fought on. Frantically I grabbed my reagent bag and called
upon my limited magic abilities. "Vas In Mani" flew from my lips as I healed
each of the fighters before me. Then a "Flam Sanct" for each as well. I even
managed to get off a lightening bolt or two. This monster was a tough one and had powerful
magics. I knew it had to be killed quickly. A simple teleport spell took me behind the
beast and I threw my heater shield on and lifted my Hammer Pick from my belt.
Into the combat I ran. I barely noticed Draco
break off in the heat of battle and disappear behind me. It turns out that he probably
saved all our lives. Apparently he had spotted two more Blood Elementals and charged them
rather than let them catch us off guard. We finished off our foe and turned to meet this
new threat. Too late for poor Draco however. But he did lead one off and damaged the
other. After another viscous battle we rested and gathered Draco’s belongings
together and prepared to Gate him and us off to safety. As luck would have it another of
those damnable hellspawns appeared along with another air elemental. Thinking quickly I
loosed two shots from my recovered crossbow, one at each, and the chase was on. I lead
them quickly away from the party and back toward the tower. As I reached the bridge,
spells slammed into me from the side, as yet another air elemental joined the chase. I
knew I was in trouble, big trouble. Frantically, I crossed the bridge and swung open the
doors. Running up the stairs I noticed that one had followed me. Up the stairs it came as
I tore into my reagent bag. Damn! I was out off recall reagents and had no scroll. Cursing
violently I met the fiery spell that was cast at me and ran through the beast back down
the stairs and out across the bridge. Again I ran through two more shrieking denizens of
this deep hell, even now I shiver at the thought. Turning, I fled back toward where my
companions had last been, hoping beyond hope that I might find some aid. I heard the roar
of three Fireballs flying towards me as I came within sight of… Yes… There in
all its blue glory was a Gate. I dove hard and appeared…
On the ground face up watching the three
fireballs cut through the dissipating blue mist of the Gate and strike me like a ton of
molten ingots.
It was about an hour later as I drifted
bodiless over my corpse that a kind Great Lord found me. He resurrected me gave me some
reagents and sent me on my way. With the words "thank you" barely off my lips I
ran back to the Tower’s top and recalled away from that Foul Dungeon vowing to not
return again without an army at my back and hoping that my companions made it out alive.
There is something to be taken from this
story. Something all adventurers should learn. It is simple but painfully true. Never
undertake anything without proper preparation. It is simple logic and yet easy to forget
in the heat of the moment. So I advise all ye of the clan, please, read up on the postings
of such great men as STORMCROW and the like. Their wisdom, had I listen may have saved me
from that fate in Shame. And also do as I from now on…
Always keep a recall scroll close by.
You never know when you may run out of
reagents and have to leave in a hurry. J
