The jug bounced once and lost its lid, bounced twice and cracked spilling a few cups worth of honey then bounced a third time to split open sending several remaining gallons spilling down the stairs. I grinned when I saw the first of kobolds reach the bottom of the stairs just in time to slip and fall, the honey making the stairs too slippery even for their clawed feet.
I reached over and removed one of the burning torches from its metal fixture and gazed down at the squealing creatures. If one jug of Firebeetle honey could cause enough damage to destroy a small pack of the creatures and light a few tents on fire , what would three do? I wasn’t even halfway up the stairs, but I had my barrier spell prepared just in case as I let the torch fall from my hand.
I quickly moved upward again and soon heard a whooshing sound followed by an explosion so loud it felt like the entire cavern shook. With a cry I gripped the staircase railing to steady myself. Heat scorched the bottom of my boots, but I kept moving and didn’t look back. I cast Lesser Barrier of Light, but rather than anchoring it just above my palm as I had been, this time I centered it on the stair below me and most of the flames and explosive debris were successfully deflected away.
I kept moving until I reached the top of the staircase until I stood before a metal door with the symbol of Ara etched upon it. It was slightly ajar and swung open easily at my touch. Then, I finally risked a glance below me, but all I saw was a dark plume of smoke that smelt of burnt meat. With a grimace of disgust, I finally entered the Temple of the Gods and shut the door to the cavern behind me with a final crash.
The door had a deadbolt, but it was broken off, so sealing it behind me was unfortunately out of the question. I could only hope it would be some time before the kobolds could reorganize themselves. If any had survived, that is. I hadn’t planned it this way. My original idea had been to get a few Kobolds drunk then kill them in their sleep. I suppose my tripping accident did end up having a similar result, but using Fade to sneak by would have been less messy.
I would need to check over my notifications as soon as I was able, but first I needed to find a secure place to hide and rest a bit. I was winded from all those stairs, but not as much as I thought I’d be. I knew I had the additional points in my Constitution to thank for pushing me beyond my normal limits. Still, I now really needed a rest.
I was in a subterranean hallway, but this one had clearly been shaped by hand. Dwarven hands, I surmised. The ceilings were high enough for a Human to stand up in, thankfully. In fact, looking at the doors that lined the hallway and the height at which the torches (more of the red stones) were set into the wall, it made me wonder if perhaps the Dwarves had made this Temple so that it would be convenient for Humans to traverse as well?
My heart had stopped its frantic beating and even after waiting several minutes with my staff gripped tightly in my hands near the metal door, not a single Kobold emerged. Finally, I decided I had no more time to waste. I was near dead on my feet and could barely keep myself focused any longer.
I tried the first door and found it locked, but the second swung inward to reveal a room that had been ransacked. Broken boxes, scattered pages torn from books and once holy vestments torn to shreds. I was too tired to curse the Kobolds any more. Instead, I gathered together a large pile of ruined clothing and arranged it against the far wall from the door. Then, I pushed half of the debris against the door. It wouldn’t stop anyone determined enough from entering, even a kobold, but it would slow them down. Using the rest of the debris I made a small wall of rotten wood I could hunker down beside on my pile of clothes. If I was lucky, if anyone did come in while I slept, they would overlook me and see only piles of debris.
Finally, my defenses as well and as pathetic as they could be, I collapsed and was asleep within moments.
***
WARNING! Shadowmurk Mutation in 9 hours, 57 minutes, 10 seconds! Exit Sector 13AX4 immediately or risk permanent mutation!
I blinked my eyes up at the soul window floating above my head. This was really not the first thing I wanted to see upon waking up from a deep sleep.
NOTICE! You have 9 hours remaining in the Monk’s Faith Test Challenge! Complete your Primary Quest within the allotted time or forfeit all Faction gains!
Nor was that.
I groaned and sat up. Looking around, I found everything still as I had arranged it before falling asleep. I had not received any visitors.
No complaints about that. I had notifications blinking insistently in the lower right corner of my consciousness. The soul windows I had ignored during my escape from the cavern below were demanding I acknowledge them and with a sigh I allowed them to slowly expand before my eyes and expand they did in a rush.
“Ahh!” I couldn’t see! The entirety of my vision was filled with soul windows!
You have killed a Level 4 Kobold Harvester!
You have killed a Level 3 Kobold Scavenger!
You have killed a Level 5 Kobold Slinger!
You have killed a Level 5 Kobold Gorger!
It went on and on. Kill after kill that I had been given credit for and after a while I lost count. Yet, it was the final kill that mattered the most.
You have killed K’Bargan’kek the Unfathomable, a Level 9 Kobold Fel Shaman!
Curiosity got the best of me and I focused upon the Fel Shaman notification and cycled back through to the beginning of its demise.
Firebeetle Blast causes 36 points of damage to Fel Shaman! Fel Shaman is critically wounded! Fel Shaman is Bleeding!
Fel Shaman takes 4 points of Burning damage.
Fel Shaman takes 3 points of Bleeding damage.
Fel Shaman takes 4 points of Burning damage.
In total, I had done over 80 points of damage to the Fel Shaman. First, he took a terrible wound when the Firebeetle jugs exploded, likely the ones I had left by the stairs, and then the bleeding and being set on fire finished him off. I wasn’t sorry about any of it, but I was still shocked over how successful it had been. Especially when I saw the notifications of the gains I had made.
Ding!
You have reached Level 6!
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Ding!
You have reached Level 7!
Ding!
You have reached Level 8!
Ding!
You have reached Level 9!
I had brought about the destruction of enough kobolds to take myself halfway into Level 9. Just like that, I now had 8 additional Green Nodes to place. That wasn’t all.
Achievement Unlocked! Baptism of Fire I
For successfully destroying a group of {10} enemies utilizing environmental damage you receive 2 Green Nodes and 1 Blue Node.
Achievement Unlocked! Baptism of Fire II
For successfully destroying a group of {100} enemies utilizing environmental damage you receive 2 Green Nodes and 1 Blue Node.
Bonus Challenge Complete: You have destroyed the Kobolds who have desecrated the Temple.
Bonus Challenge Reward: You have gained +100 Faction with Wik!
I shook my head in disbelief, but not from the Faction gains. No, I wasn’t surprised Wik was pleased with the kobold massacre. It suited his domain of Vengeance. It was the amount of nodes I now had to spend. A total of 12 Green Nodes and 3 Blue Nodes meant that I could now, should I so choose, take every Divine starter spell currently available to me, including the one I had been looking forward to getting the most and now had the Faction to acquire.
Lesser Shadow Leech
Cost: 1 Divine Active
Duration: 5 seconds
Description: Conjures a shadow leech which invades and drains the target for 7-10 points of health over 5 seconds and restores half the health gained to a designated target not exceeding target’s total health.
Cool down: None
The ability to both do damage and heal simultaneously was too good not to take, as I had learned already. I plugged in one of my Green Nodes and took the spell, happily adding it to my repertoire. I also took the next Green node Wik had available. At a positive 100 Faction with Wik now, I could start the path down his web.
Wik Node 2: +6 DEX
Perhaps I wouldn’t trip as often now. Next, I took the Green node in Sul’s web bringing my Threat reduction to 3%. Threat reduction wasn’t currently important for me, but necessary in order take Fade. I spent my first Blue node point and knowledge of the spell filled my mind.
Fade
Mana Cost: 2 Divine Active
Description: Temporarily reduce Threat by 100% and disappear from enemy sight.
Cool Down: 3 minutes
Lore: Priests of Sul often use this ability to scout if no other option is available, but any combat action will break the spell.
Advanced Lore: Caster will appear as a gray shadow, not total invisibility.
That was good to know. So he would still have to be careful and not simply walk out into the middle of a room surrounded by enemies, as they would still likely be able to see him. If he kept to the shadows, however, he should be able to achieve a decent level of stealth.
There was no sense in bemoaning any further Ord’s silence. His section of the web remained grayed out still. He either had to prove himself or Ord was waiting for him to complete the quest Brother Bernabo had given him.
You have been given the Quest: Deliver the Rune Lockbox to Hierophant Johannes. There is no time limit on this quest.
Success: Ord, +500 Faction.
Failure: Ord, -1000 Faction.
Lore: Within the Lockbox is a [LEVEL INSUFFICIENT]. Hierophant Johannes is one of three Hierophants of Ord and is a Senior Red Cardinal of the Synod of Light.
Advanced Lore: Hierophant Johannes can be found in Port Tyren.
Lore Sight is truly amazing. A shame I can’t see what’s in the lockbox, but no matter. I wonder if the information on the Hierophant would update if he were to leave Port Tyren? I need to escape Goodlabor and find a ship to take me to him as soon as possible. Completing this quest will please Ord. It has to!
I then noticed something on the Faction Web that made me frown. Opening up Sul’s Tier II web revealed several branching threads that moved in different directions, which logic told me would lead to different spell types and node bonuses. That was the good part. The part that made me frown was the cost. As I followed one of the three branching threads to the next Green node for something called Beguiling Sermon, the cost of the spell had gone from one node to three!I suddenly had less leeway than I thought. Without a doubt with each bit of progress I made upon the Faction Web I would be forced to accumulate more and more node points in order to get higher tier abilities.
I’m going to have be even more careful about the path I take. I don’t want to offend any of the Gods, but I’m only receiving so many nodes as I level and there is no guarantee how or when I might get Achievements for additional node points. I need to focus on what I need to achieve my goals. Right now, completing the Dungeon takes precedence and then escaping Goodlabor. Oh right. Not turning into a mutant from Shadowmurk would be ideal as well.
A solution to the Shadowmurk predicament would be found here in the Temple, I could feel it. Time to explore and see what I could find. If I truly had removed the Kobold threat, then I at least wouldn’t have to sneak about as I had been. I could move more swiftly if I didn’t have to fear an ambush as I searched for any helpful lore.
I had 9 remaining Green Nodes and 2 Blue Nodes to spend. Out of curiosity, I followed all three of Sul’s Tier II Web paths that branched off from Fade. My options here were limited, but there were other Tier II spells I could take should I so choose.
One path, which led to 3 Green Nodes that would cost 3 points each, were for Mental Resistance at an increase of 2% each for a total of 6% Mental Resistance. This then led to the Blue Node spell called Secret Knock.
Secret Knock
Cost: 2 Divine Active
Cool Down: None
Description: Divine Mana is forced into a sealed lock, portal or ward allowing passage and/or ingress. Spell success is dependent upon WIS+PSY versus strength of lock/ward.
Lore: Higher levels of Secret Knock can rival the greatest Lockpicks, but may not always open the path one expects.
Advanced Lore: Does not remove Traps.
Hmm, the Psychic attribute factors into this spell’s success, which of course is hidden from me. I like the idea of having a chance of opening up sealed doors. Unless it’s trapped and I end up getting killed by my own curiosity.
The second path led to Nodes that would increase his Luck stat by one for each node for a total of three additional points in the attribute. Again, Luck was a hidden stat, but one he would be able to see once he took the time to read the book he had acquired. Having more Luck was undoubtedly good, but was it worth 9 precious node points to get it? The Blue Node that followed was interesting, however.
Gambit
Cost: 2 Divine Active
Duration: 5 seconds
Description: Temporarily double your Luck attribute.
Cool Down: 24 hours
Lore: A spell that has the potential to change Fate, but is limited by the caster’s own Luck. The greater the Fate to change, the greater the Luck needed.
Advanced Lore: Both success and failure of this spell will result in Faction point changes.
He had been excited about the spell up until the point where it mentioned that casting it would guarantee him to either gain or lose Faction. I interpreted it as spell success that would please some, but anger others.
The Gods probably don’t like it when someone messes with Fate. Yet, Fate is my domain, after all.
“Of course, I have no way of knowing that for certain since I still don’t have a good sense of what I’m supposed to do with the Prophet Class?”
The final path was a let down. These Nodes led to increases in the Charm skill of all things, which he didn’t have and the Tier II spell it unlocked was called Coin Seeker.
Coin Seeker
Mana Cost: 2 Divine Active
Duration: 5 seconds
Description: Automatically know the hidden whereabouts and exact amount of coins within the target’s current possession.
I suppose that would come in handy if I wanted to rob someone. I don’t see the benefit to myself this spell holds.
While there were no restrictions on following either one or all of the paths in Sul’s Web, I was really only interested in Secret Knock for the ability to get through any door I might need to. It was just the expense that held me back from acquiring it right away. If there were any Tier II spells I was interested in I felt they would be found in Mir’s web more than the others. I currently had 135 Faction with her and if I was successful in completing a few of the dungeon’s challenges, it would be enough to propel me to Mir’s Tier II spells. I wanted to be certain that when that happened I would have enough Nodes to take the spells I wanted, especially if they involved better healing and cures for sickness.
I’m going to bank my remaining Nodes for now. I have both Lesser Shadow Leech and Fade added to my spell list and that should be fine for now. I hope.
I willed my Status closed and stood. I also remembered to equip the Ara’s Stole of Concentration, which settled comfortably upon my shoulders like a half cloak. The white cloth with gold thread etchings contrasted greatly with the plain brown of my monk’s habit, but I didn’t care. It was the attribute increases I cared about more than the fashion sense.
I crept to the door, shoving aside the debris barrier I had set up and poked my head out the door to behold an empty hallway.
“Time to find some answers,” I whispered.
