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0carkki0 · 1 year

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What Does Taimi think of Vivs??

Path of Fire!!

For those who don’t know, I put my iTunes on shuffle. Each song was about what Taimi would think of Vivs on Personal Story Chapter 1= 1 Song. Chapter 2 = 2nd song etc. If the singer is female. It’s what Taimi thinks of Vivs, or would assume what Vivs would be thinking or have told her what he thinks. If the singer is a male, it’s what Taimi assumes is what’s going on in Vivs’ head, or he has told her. Depends on the lyrics!

We have reached Path of Fire already.

The overall song: Beautiful With You by Halestorm.

Taimi feels like Vivs accepts her as she is. With faults and all. He somehow makes Taimi feel less like an idiot when she’s interacting with him.

Chapter 1: Sparking the Flame. The Vommander gets ready to go to Elona and get there on an airship. There they encounter Balthazar’s Herald. She manages to kill a bunch of people and loses the Vommander off her tracks by setting a village on fire so that the Vommander has to stay to help the villagers as well as leaving few Forged to fight him. When the Vommander finally gets to go after her, he goes through a cave that has a few raptors surrounded by spiders. When he’s through the cave he meets a few people who tell him they have not seen the Herald of Balthazar but tell him to go to Amnoon. Vommander thinks that why not.

Song: Cthulhu Dawn by Cradle of Filth.

Taimi could not get a clear connection to the Vommander’s communicator. Hopefully, he got Taimi’s advice to try to reach higher ground. Clearly, Vivs thought Balthazar to be now an even bigger threat than the Elder Dragons. He went after him even without knowing how to defeat a God. At least Balthazar seemed weak for a God, but he is consuming magical powers as we speak, and was planning to go after the Crystal Elder Dragon. Most likely to get his magical power. They have to stop him before he gets it! Hopefully, Vivs comes up with a plan... Or any of the Dragon’s Watch!

Chapter 2: Blazing a Trail. The Vommander talks to Captain Rahim and he tells the Vommander to go talk to three different people about Balthazar. (Can be interacted with any order.) Deputy Ayob talks after the Vommander has brought water, medicines, and food to the campers. Deputy Qais directs Vommander to Casino to meet Zalambur. Archon Iberu, who is on the side of Joko interrupts and the Vommander has to fight some awakened. Then we go meet with Chief Councilor Imann and we have to decide if the city of Amnoon should join forces with the Sunspears, become independent, or join forces with the Palawa Joko. After this, the Vommander finds a high spot where the communicator’s connection is clear and can fill Taimi with what has happened and what info he got. Especially about the info about Aurene’s brother.

Song: End My Path by Cipher System.

Taimi gets a bit concerned since the Vommander has not contacted via the communicator with her in a while. There he was chasing a God of Fire, and Taimi could not be there... Oh! At last, he called! Aurene’s brother?! Taimi has to finish Scruffy 2.0 fast!

Chapter 3: Night of Fires. The Vommander talks to Captain Rahim again. Zalambur told the Vommander about camps that the Forged, Balthazar’s army had put up on the eastern side of Crystal Oasis. One smaller camp at the north and another at the east. Canach and Rytlock were scouting the main camp while the Vommander took care of the smaller ones. Then he met with the two guild mates and took care of the main camp. First, take care of the Forged that might alert others about the Dragon’s Watch, and then take care of some Officers and then finally a Forged Bastion. After that, the Vommander and others go to the Temple of Kormir to meet with Kasmeer and meet Shadow Agent Kito. Balthazar’s Herald appears there and they fight her off, but then she escapes. The Vommander has to stay to help with the injured. Then we find a spot where we can contact Taimi again.

Song: Tomb of Tephra by Miseration.

While Taimi was working on Scuffy, she at times visited Aurene to see how she was. She also found a new song by Vivs’ band to listen to: Tomb of Tephra. It was very fitting with the current situation. Still wasn’t quite the music Taimi listened to, but how could some people keep growling like that without damaging their throat? When the Vommander contacted Taimi again, his voice sounded smooth as usual. You really couldn’t tell that he made that kind of music.

Chapter 4: The Sacrifice. When the Vommander and others arrive at Akali Outpost in Desert Highlands, Shadow Agent Kito talks to the Vommander and he learns that Vlast, Aurene’s brother had been there. The Cavaliers won’t let anyone out in the fear of the Forged, but the Dragon’s Watch goes over the gate. The Dragon’s Watch fights the Forged and helps Nomads escape. They encounter the Herald of Balthazar trying to talk Vivs to join forces with Balthazar. The Vomamnder and others finally defeat her, but then Balthazar himself began to battle with them and got Vivs downed. But when he was about to kill the Commander. Vlast, who Balthazar and his Herald had fought till now protected the Commander and died. Balthazar also called Rytlock a friend. Then they start following Vlast’s crystals and hear his voice in them. He mentions the prophet’s shadow. Rytlock recognizes it to be Glint’s Lair. The crystals are like recordings of Vlast’s thoughts. Rytlock explains why Balthazar called him his friend. Again he contacts Taimi. The Vommander continues to follow Vlast’s crystals and gets another mount: Springer.

Song: 1000000 Lightyears by Amaranthe.

When Taimi heard that Balthazar had become stronger and almost killed Vivs... But she understands that the Vommander can’t stop. At least Balthazar could not use Vlast now to lure Kralkatorrik to him if you had to pull anything positive out of the horrible situation. If only the Vommander... and everyone else would keep their distance until they came up with a plan. And still, stay on the track of the rogue God...

Chapter 5: Crystalline Memories. They arrive at the Prophet’s Shadow, the area where Glint and Snaff died. First, Destiny’s Edge fights off more Forged. Then the Branded. After that Glint’s memory crystals appear and the Vommander and Rytlock need to collect them. Most likely because Vivs is the Champion of Aurene and Rytlock was one of Destiny’s Edge. When the last one is collected, the portal to Glint’s lair opens. A spear Glint made from her own blood to kill Kralkatorrik was still there, which they assume is the weapon Vlast talked about in his memories there still. And one of Glint’s crystalline guardians. Dragon’s Watch had to take it down. After that, they got another memory crystal from Glint and came to the conclusion that it had to be destroyed.

Song: Perpetual Nation by The Agonist.

Aurene is very upset while Taimi tries to calm her down, but can't do that. At least the Vommander contacted her again... The situation was crazy. We were protecting an Elder Dragon from the God of War, while people get killed left and right... Surely Aurene was upset because of her brother, but did the Vommander tell Taimi everything? Was Aurene upset about the Vommander as well?

Chapter 5: Hollowed Ground. Dragon’s Watch head out to see if they can talk with any of the other Gods and if they knew anything about Balthazar. They head to the tomb of Primeval Kings where a portal to the Mists was. The Dragon’s Watch has to fight themselves in, just to face with few royal ghosts. They think that this group has bad intentions, so they fight the group to only lose to them. Though the Vommander doesn’t want to intrude without convincing the royal passed rulers that they only want to talk to the Gods. And succeed.

Song: Mariah Is Hot Like a Fire by Acting Lovers.

In the chaotic situation, Taimi was thinking how hot of a couple she and the Vommander would make. What would Taimi look like in Elonian fashion? Or the Vommander? And then he called again.

Chapter 6: Facing the Truth. The group enter the portal and enter the Mists, but to enter a Temple of a God they had to solve some riddles. They enter the Temple of Kormir and soon find her and talk with her. She tells them that the Gods can’t take action, since that may result in world destruction. It was up to the mortals to do. She was the last remaining of the Gods and she also left after discussing with the group.

Song: Some Day My Prince Will Come by Adriana Caselotti (Disney’s Snow White)

Trying to calm things down and ease the Exalted Taimi started to tell them how she met the most interesting mind... One of them asked who it was, and that’s when the Vommander called again.

Chapter 7: The Way Forward. The Vommander and others split up, and the Vommander goes to the Elonian Riverlands. There he learns about a lost city where Vlast was born. Asks a lot of people about it, and following clues and found the lost city of Kesho. When he enters it Taimi could hear him clearly. They work together to get the nonworking Exalted pedestals in power and it also opens a door where this still moving and alive Exalted appears. Turns out that the Exalted on red pedestals were Forged Exalted, and now were reviving because the power was turned on. The Vommander takes care of them and learns more about Vlast from the pedestals activated. Then the Vommander smashes through in Braham style an inactive door to activate the final pedestal. Then he leaves through a portal making the last Exalted of Kesho seal the lost city forever.

Song: Sacrament of Wilderness by Nightwish.

It was nice to be able to talk to the Vommander a little longer this time. Was starting to miss his incisive indications. This is how it works. Only by working together, we can come to a solution. Like Braham would say, our Pack. Too bad Braham was still dissing the Vommander and was only Rox by his side out there somewhere. Why was Aurene so restless? Glint saw to the future. Could Aurene already see into the future as well? If so what did she see?

Chapter 8: The Departing. After telling Taimi to meet at the spiral of Skimshallow Cove to get on an airship, the Vommander is greeted by the rogue God of Fire instead and gets killed, right before Aurene appeared there and was kidnapped by Balthazar. He finds himself in the afterlife, the Domain of the Lost without memories of his identity. He finds another spirit talking with a caged none-spirit, none other than Palawa Joko. He talks to him as well to find out that he was left there by a God of Fire after he helped Balthazar by showing him how to claim spirits to turn them into his Forged. The other spirit interferes and helps Vivs’ spirit to get to the Judge. The Judge tells him that Vivs must find out who he was, and first, he has to collect his weapons and memories. Then, he makes an agreement with the judge; to kill the Eater of Souls, which arises there after Balthazar left. Vommander did so and got enough life force to be returned to his physical body on Tyria, Elona. After he gained his body back, the others were mourning his death around him. He told them he had a plan for how to proceed to aim to kill a God.

Song: God is an Automation by Sybreed.

Aurene slipped through Taimi’s and others’ hands. She learned to fly. Did she foresee the Vommander’s death? It would make sense. Taimi did already have her eyes tearing up in disbelief, but then she heard the others shouting. And then the Vommander spoke. What a relief... and strange. The domain of the Lost? Gotta write that down! There was a place called that in the afterlife? Fascinating! And the Vommander came up with a plan! *sigh* Of course he did... We were going to borrow an army? There was going to be an old-fashioned war now, wasn’t there? Against the God of War? Taimi decided that she really needed to focus on helping the Vommander now that they were going to have an army to fight an army. If she stayed in the Dragon Lab any longer, she was going to keep on getting interrupted. And Aurene is kidnapped and all. Scruffy 2.0 is nearly completed. Only a few adjustments. No reason to stay there.

Chapter 9: Bringing Out the Archon. The Vommander has a conversation with the Shadows Agent Kito about the plan. The Commander starts to invade small Awakened camps to put Sunspears banners up there to make it look like the Sunspears attacked the camps. Then he went to the Bone Palace to wait for him.

Song: Mercy Mirror by Within Temptation.

Taimi really wanted to be there to help the Vommander and others as much as she could. Managing to kill the Vommander shook Taimi up. Of course, the situation was what it was. It was a fact that Taimi could not participate in fights of that level that the Vommander was facing without the Scruffy 2.0. She had to stay behind. But soon she could see him again. Now that Taimi knew the Vommander pretty well, his appearance began to look attractive as well. Perhaps it was good to keep a little distance between the two. Taimi did find the Vommander’s mind fascinating, even after she found out about his flaws. He actually appeared even more interesting. That was starting to make the Vommander’s voice affect her ears too. So it was first good to get used to his voice, more or less, without showing any temptation. And now that Taimi thought she could keep herself calm by hearing him talk his mind, now she could see him again face to face.

Chapter 10: Enemy of My Enemy. The Dragon’s Watch kills Iberu off and then Kasmeer creates an illusion to make the Dragon’s Watch look like the Awakened. Then they go to the Bone Palace as disguised to wait for the Grand Vizier Utumishi. They trick them to turn the army against the army of the Forge. Then was the Troopmarshal Olori Ogun’s turn. This time, though, the Vommander has to go into a Forged’s base to gather more corpses for the army of the Awakened. After he returned, Rylock and Canach went on ahead to meet with the Beastmarshal Oluwa Eranko and put Vommander to prove his Raptor riding skills. Everything goes according to plan.

Song: Get Ready by 2 Unlimited.

Taimi was preparing to leave the Rata Novus for good. She had not heard from the Vommander or others. Well, they will contact her when they can. Better let them contact her rather than her trying to contact them and maybe pick up the worst time. The Vommander did sound confident. What was he doing in the Domain of the Lost, anyway? You better be ready when he does call. Keep her mind sharp!

Chapter 11: Beast of War. The Awakened are waiting for Balthazar and his army to show up. Kralkatorrik’s roar is heard, so Balthazar should not be far. Rytlock gives his Sohothin to the Vommander and then the Vommander goes to check up on the leaders below him when the Forged finally arrives. Balthazar appears with his warbeast where Aurene is trapped in. The Vommander goes after him while fighting a lot of the Forged on the way. Taimi tries to contact the Vommander, but the connection is too static, but he reaches finally Balthazar and starts to fight his Warbeast to get Aurene out. And succeeds.

Song: Everything Behind by Sleeping Romance.

The Vommander did contact Taimi and told her what he was planning. Pretty crazy, but smart. No wonder he was so confident. Gotta do some research about what Taimi and the Vommander found out about Vlast and ask people around. The Vommander nearly died in this mission. No. He DID die but somehow got himself resurrected. Right. Taimi has to remember to ask him about that. It’s seriously time to be more independent and help her guild the best way she can! Past mistakes were past mistakes. Everyone’s still alive. So, Taimi asked the Exalted about Vlast and also told them what she thought was necessary for them to know. After that, she tried to contact the Vommander again, but he wasn’t in the area that could have given him a clear connection. Taimi had to now wait again for the Vommander to contact her.

Chapter 12: To Kill a God. The Vommander is pretty much fighting Balthazar with Aurene and Sohothin in his hands. After the rogue God of War was dead, Kralkatorrik consumed his power, and Aurene flew after him.

Song: The Game by Lacuna Coil.

He actually did contact Taimi, but he was about to rescue Aurene! From Taimi calling now was understandable since Taimi did not know what the Vommander was doing at the time doing... Anyway. Taimi was ready to leave the Rata Novus. Everything was ready. It was time to face the Vommander and the others and join the fight for real again. Was Taimi ready to see his face? YES! No more dying Vommanders from now on!

Chapter 13: Small Victory. The Vommander sees Taimi in Amnoon. Right then the Vommander is asked to give a speech in celebration of the rogue God’s death. The Vommander first starts with a dark tone, then slowly makes it happier. When that’s done the Dragon’s Watch meets at the docs to discuss what to do next. Marjory joins them as well, and then they hear a lightning storm and see Kralkatorrik flying on the horizon with a bit larger Aurene after him.

Song: We Come to Ruins by Sirenia.

Seeing the Elder Dragon so close up was terrifying. How do you begin to deal with such a big threat with Kralkatorrik having the Fire God’s consumed magic in him, and was Aurene bigger now? Taimi still has to tell the others about Glint’s Legacy.

The next day she had to pull a practical joke on Phlunt. She ticked Phlunt to think a bunch of Charr was gonna attack Rata Novus! Uh oh... Was that too childish? Well, the Vommander seemed to enjoy it as well. Perhaps the Vommander isn’t that much of an adult himself.

Phew! For some reason Path of Fire was a bit more difficult to remember of what happened and where. So forgive me if there are some points wrong here. ^^

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licensetocannibalize · 4 years

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currently reading the neverending story, by Michael Ende. one of my favorite books and a beautiful first American edition copy

#neverending story #michael ende #bastion balthazar #atreyu #childlike empress #fantastica

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plague-of-nice · 3 years

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2, 4, 7, 10, 12, and 16 for the Bad Boy F/O Asks? :)

[ ask game ] Hi, Natlyia! Thank you so much for the asks <3 I'll answer for the secret F/O I've been keeping for a while... Balthazar (mostly bc He's the only truly bad boy F/O I have, and I figured this specific ask game would suit him.)

My answers got long, by the way, which is why I opted to put everything under the cut.

2) What was the hardest part of forming the relationship?

The realization of getting the hots (pun intended) for a fallen god of war and fire...the one who once swore to reduce the world to ashes in his crusade for revenge, was the first and significantly difficult step on my s/i, Jonah's, behalf. There's very obviously lots to unpack thanks the catastrophic destruction Balthazar has already caused, which was then also very abruptly halted just because she came into the picture. No normal mortal would ever be prepared to shoulder that kind of baggage.

It had its rocky beginnings, especially from the struggle to realize what exactly their relationship was and what Balthazar's true intentions were with her, but things somehow work out in the long run. All it really took was the vengeful god getting harshly humbled, and perhaps a foolishly open-minded mortal sticking by him and picking him up from his slump.

4) How easy was it for them to admit that they love you?

It took a good long while and it's not a huge surprise considering Balthazar's entire character.

He used to pour his attention to the mortal that interested him in rigid ways early on, only treating her as a vessel that empowers him. But after a good while of having to act, and being treated, as her equal while they travelled in hiding together, he would eventually find himself feeling and thinking things he never really had before. And surprisingly, he's very blunt about it with Jonah.

7) Do you keep the relationship mostly private out of fear or for other reasons?

In character/universe, both Jonah and Balthazar went into hiding and laid low all thanks to the aforementioned destruction caused. That's never easy to bounce back from, but the fallen god will give back to the world by helping out with the bigger threat, an Elder Dragon. (Which is...quite ironic considering that was the same dragon he once wanted to leech magical power from.)

Out of character, I was (and still am) quite afraid to be honest about the fact that I like this character. He is commonly detested and dismissed in the fandom for his character, and he's also widely outshined by the charming antagonist that came right after him.

10) Have they changed for the better since they met you? Have you changed for the worst since you met them?

He changes for the better, much to the surprise of many. He still retains a good chunk of his knack for violence and he's still prone to act brashly with his short temper, but he mostly drops his destructive ambitions for the world and chooses to become content with what (or to be more accurate, with who) he has.

12) Were you actually attracted to their behaviour? Or was it other things?

Partially, yes. I liked his character in a general sense, how unwaveringly uncaring he was, and how big of a bastard he turned out to be when he was supposedly revered as a "righteous bastion" kind of god.

I also completely fell the moment I started to project the qualities my Ultimate F/O, Jane, into Balthazar.

16) Are your friends supportive or mostly worried about you in this relationship?

Ultimately supportive!

There was room for critique both narratively and IRL, but honestly I'm just very relieved nothing too bad has happened thanks to having a character like Balthazar as an F/O.

In-universe, it's hard to tell, even after his first big step to redemption. The people who knew Balthazar and what he did in the past as a vengeful god are certainly more worried and scared. There's a long road ahead of him to become better, but he's willing to try now that he has someone to support him through it.

#joie answers #thank you again Natlyia!!#ive never felt 'i am cringe but I am free' as hard as I do now #im honeslty super happy just getting to talk about [Redacted]

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oldworldfantasyrp · 3 years

Video

youtube

When the telltale signs of Chaos emerged upon Runeterra, it was not the Demacians nor the Noxians who first noticed. It was the Freljordians, a fourth Barbarian tribe of demonic worship appearing was hardly a thing that could be ignored. but as they cut a bloody swathe southwards towards ‘civilised’ lands word reached Noxus first, for it was towards their great immortal bastion upon which the army marched.

The Empire’s Visiting paragom, Balthazar Gelt, begged the Noxians to stamp out this invasion with them, to march to the border and meet them head on before their corruption spread. But The Noxian generals turned their back to the threat for the Demacians were making their play and they had never known the horrors the warriors of chaos could unleash. Word was sent to The Emperor and his forces mobilised from their colonisation efforts in the south lands. With or without their Noxian Allies, The Empire would hold the line.

@corvoimperiale

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talk-of-tyria · 4 years

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Saul D'Alessio: I'll see your two silver and raise you three gold. "Helpful Friend": Hold on. Hold on. What have you got up those sleeves. - Saul D'Alessio: Pleasure doing business with you. "Helpful Friend": What? How could you— - Saul D'Alessio: Show me your cards. "Helpful Friend": Balthazar's backside. I won again! - Saul D'Alessio: Don't make bets you can't pay off. - "Helpful Friend": You're a liar and a cheater! Saul D'Alessio: Come on. You can trust me. Does this look like the face of a liar? - "Helpful Friend": Damn, Saul. You keep losing like this and your grandkids will be paying off your debts. - Saul D'Alessio: What? That's impossible. Three in a row? No way I'm quitting now. "Helpful Friend": Pay up, D'Alessio. You lost fairly. Saul D'Alessio: Come on! At least leave me with a little something to get home. "Helpful Friend": Your word's not good around here anymore. - Saul D'Alessio: Roll the dice! "Helpful Friend": You're all tapped out, friend. Saul D'Alessio: Gods! OK, OK. One more round. Come on. "Helpful Friend": We don't allow paupers in this game, D'Alessio. Get your ass out of here! - Saul D'Alessio: You lying cheater! I saw what you did! "Helpful Friend": Hand over the gold unless you want a beating. Saul D'Alessio: You want the shirt off my back, too? "Helpful Friend": Every day you're late with payment, I'll break a finger. Run out of fingers? I'll snap your neck.

From Bastion of the Penitent. Heard inside The Chamber of the Guilty.

| Saul the Drunkard. |

#guild wars 2 #gw2 #raid #bastion of the penitent #audio only

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paragonbroadcasting · 7 years

Photo

July 25th, 2017 Release Notes for Living World Season Finale - “One Path Ends”

The Paragon Broadcasting Readable Edition

ParagonBroadcasting.com note: It took a bit longer then hoped to get our Blog’s readable version of the “One Path End” ready for press. The text is the same as that published by ArenaNet but some items have been marked in bold or place in italics to draw the reader to their importance:

ALSO, as requested by our readers, the notes now feature a jump cut!

Balthazar has disappeared again, and it’s top priority to find him—especially if what he’s planning could bring disaster to Tyria. And if one thing’s for sure, it’s that he’s gearing up for something big. He’s already managed to collect magical power from a bloodstone, and now he’s set his sights on an Elder Dragon. With Taimi’s device broken, you’re on your own—for now.

New Legendary Sword

A new legendary weapon is now available. Speak to Grandmaster Craftsman Hobbs in Lion’s Arch to learn how to craft the new sword precursor, Save the Queen, and forge the new legendary sword.

New Legendary Hammer

A new legendary weapon is now available. Speak to Grandmaster Craftsman Hobbs in Lion’s Arch to learn how to craft the new hammer precursor, Might of Arah, and forge the new legendary hammer.

World Polish

General

Players can now turn in midair while jumping.

The event “Kill the Risen before they reactivate the Statue of Lyssa” now rewards players with the same chest as the event “Kill the Corrupted High Priestess.”

The skeleton and his treasure hoard have been located and returned to their ship in the Gilded Hollow.

Blazeridge Steppes

Fixed an issue in which the Shatterer event failed to start when both prerequisite events were completed.

Prerequisite events for the Shatterer will now automatically fail if they are not completed within the time limit to lure out the Shatterer.

Fractals

New Fractal: Shattered Observatory

A new fractal is accessible through the Mistlock Observatory.

Added a new Shattered Observatory fractal achievement category under Fractals of the Mists on the Achievements tab of the Hero panel.

New rewards are available from BLING-9009 in the Mistlock Observatory.

The continued perseverance of adventurers has again caught the eye of the Harbinger.

Molten Furnace

Fixed a bug in which wiping during the final fight with the Weapons Test Engineer could cause the instance to stall on retry.

Molten Boss

Falling from the platform during the battle against the Molten Berserker and Molten Firestorm will now result in death.

Nightmare

Fixed a bug in which completing the fractal would not award some daily achievement progress.

The Nightmare fractal is now accessible at scales 24, 49, 74, and 99, replacing the fractals previously at those scales.

Mistlock Instabilities

Adrenaline Rush now permanently enrages enemies and applies a 150% damage increase instead of a 200% damage increase.

Miscellaneous

The glider animation for Ad Infinitum has been updated to be more suitable for a legendary glider.

Fixed a bug in which Fractal Avengers were prevented from finishing players.

Mist-potion boon icons are now invisible outside of fractal maps.

Reduced the gold cost of medium and heavy ascended chest pieces by 1 gold to match the WvW ascended armor cost.

Raids

Added a new achievement for acquiring legendary armor pieces.

Bastion of the Penitent

Fixed a bug in which safe zones in the Cairn the Indomitable encounter became out of sync with certain attacks.

Adjusted the initial impact arc of Orbital Sweep during the Cairn the Indomitable encounter.

Fixed a bug in which players took multiple instances of damage from Cairn the Indomitable’s Energy Surge attack.

Fixed a bug in which Rigom behaved erratically when stunned and brought to 0 health at nearly the same time.

Fixed a bug in which Samarog abandoned the fight when pushed past certain health thresholds too quickly.

Personal Story

Items

Exotic backpacks acquired from the Druid Stone collections in the “Flashpoint” release now have an upgrade slot.

Fixed a bug in which killing the Eye of Zhaitan in the Promenade of the Gods in Cursed Shore would not progress the Flameseeker Prophecies III collection.

The Jade Maw Lens is now required to test items at the Metal Forest for the Bifrost III collection.

Players who have deleted the Humming Krait Crystal without crafting the Krait Focusing Crystal for the Kraitkin III collection can now purchase a replacement from Grandmaster Craftsman Hobbs.

Players who have misplaced components for the Incinerator III collection can now purchase replacements from Grandmaster Craftsman Hobbs.

Fixed various legendary journey text bugs.

Two sets of Heirloom Seed Pouches have been renamed to avoid champion loot bag confusion.

Fixed a bug in which certain weapons prevented progression of the Twice-Told Legend achievement.

The Charged Quartz Orichalcum Amulet now has a chance to drop from grand exalted chests in Auric Basin.

The following jewels can be converted into infusions in the Mystic Forge:

Preserved Queen Bee

Chak Egg Sac

Poly-luminescent Undulating Refractor: Black, Green, Orange, and Teal

Vial of Liquid Aurillium

The following legendary weapons now have custom projectile effects:

The Juggernaut

The Moot

Bolt

Meteorlogicus

Charged Thorns are now classified as Rare.

Elonian Wine is now classified as Exotic.

Mystic Forge Stones are now classified as Rare.

Fractal Research Pages are now classified as Rare.

Mystic Runestones are now classified as Legendary.

Bricks of Clay are now classified as Uncommon.

Bank

The Material Storage tab has been updated and now allows many additional items to be deposited.

Two new Material Storage collections have been added:

Cooking Ingredients

Scribing Materials.

The Common, Fine, and Rare Materials collections have been renamed to Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced, respectively.

Structured Player vs. Player

PvP Lobby

Cautrell the Traitor has returned from his exile and is back to vending in the new lobby.

World vs. World

General

Made the following adjustments to participation grace times:

Defending caravans has been changed from 2 minutes to 5 minutes.

Hitting a player/objective with a siege weapon has been changed from 1 minute to 2 minutes.

Capturing a shrine has been changed from 2 minutes to 5 minutes.

BLACK LION TRADING COMPANY GEM STORE

New Items and Promotions

For a limited time, a new set of Abaddon weapon skins are available from Black Lion Weapons Specialists for 2 Black Lion Claim Tickets. Keys can be found in the Special category of the Gem Store for 125 gems each.

The Shield of the Goddess has returned for a limited time and can be found in the Style category of the Gem Store for 600 gems.

Introducing the Mistlock Sanctuary—the most elaborate Black Lion lounge to date. In addition to a full suite of general services and amenities, the Sanctuary also contains everything a fractal explorer could need. For easy access, pick up the lifetime pass in the Utility category of the Gem Store for 1,000 gems, or check out some of the Mistlock Sanctuary’s unique features with a two-week pass for 150 gems.

Improvements

The Black Lion Chest has been updated to the Return to Orr Chest and can be previewed for a full list of its contents.

The Black Lion Material Bag has been added as the new guaranteed item. It contains a collection of high-quality crafting materials, special Living World Season 3 materials, and a few surprises.

The Unidentified Dye and Tome of Knowledge have been removed, and the Mystic Forge Stone and the new Black Lion Booster have been added as common drops.

The Communal Boost Bonfire has been added as an uncommon drop.

The new Mini Dwayna’s Messenger is available as an uncommon drop for the duration of the Return to Orr Chest.

The new Feathers of the Zephyr Package with the Golden Zephyr Backpiece and Feathers of the Zephyr Glider is available as an uncommon drop for the duration of the Return to Orr Chest.

The new Advanced Leather Rack and Advanced Cloth Rack are available as rare drops.

The Daydreamer’s Weapon Collection is now available as a rare drop for the duration of the Return to Orr Chest.

The Dwayna’s Weapon Collection is now available as a super rare drop for the duration of the Return to Orr Chest.

Mac Client

Fixed an issue in which the command-key symbol was not shown in some contexts.

Enabled use of the minimize button in windowed mode.

Fixed keyboard navigation behavior in text boxes.

Improved the support for non-US keyboard layouts.

Improved the rendering of some visual effects.

Fixed a few shadow bugs.

Source:

GW2 Forum: Game Update Notes - July 25, 2017

#Guild Wars 2 #Gw2 #gw2 patch #gw2 patch notes #gw2 living world #gw2 season 3 #gw2 one path ends #gw2s3e6 #gw2 news

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stormcloudgeneral · 4 years

Text

Hero’s Legacy, Friend’s Memory

The village of Jarkynn had changed drastically since Adeia had last come to it. In fact, it was no village any longer; forty years had seen it grow into a burgeoning city, with many of the old streets she once knew to be trodden dirt now covered over in cobbles. The old town square had grown to twice its size, an unfamiliar statue in the center depicting a bastard sword of silver metal impaling the marble skull of a dragon. Shopkeepers proudly hawked their wares to passersby, and children darted about. The old hunger and strife that had beset the former trading village had given way to growth and prosperity. And though Jarkynn had always had a temple to Nelandr, the temple now was thrice its former size, and Adeia spied priests of every god in the Glödraun pantheon tending to it. Never had the speed of human lives impressed her so as now. But then, the speed of human life was exactly why she’d come to Jarkynn.

The last and only time she’d come, she had been little more than the guard of a merchant caravan. She initially hadn’t wanted to, but humans were such easily impressed folk, and having a Nularyan guard seemed to them to be worth paying her triple her mercenary’s rates. Back then, her life had been so much simpler, albeit harder. Adeia almost missed the simple days of taking odd jobs, cooking hunted food over a fire, and learning about the short-lived nation that had sprung up beside her native Ilguardia. But Jarkynn had ended that, and she only had one man to blame for it: Balthazar.

Winding her way through the city streets, hood up and snug against her long ears, Adeia did her best to follow the streets that her memories told her led to Balthazar’s home. He’d only been a militiaman at the time, so it had been in the village’s military district, near to the guardsman’s keep. Said keep was growing into a bastion now, and the former ramshackle houses had been replaced with sturdier constructions. That three-story manorhouse, didn’t that used to be the one-story dwelling of the smith who’d made her bodkin arrowheads? Where did he go? Where was his forge? Did the past four decades run him off, or was this still his family’s home?

The Snow Elf shook her head to dispel her recollections of the old homes, nearly running into a scampering pair of children playing at soldiers. She couldn’t count on such thoughts anymore, it seemed. Gods above and below, what felt like such a short time ago was a lifetime for these mortals. Sighing, Adeia let herself lean against a corner, staring up at the buildings. Why was such melancholy in her heart? It wasn’t as though she didn’t expect things to change. Perhaps she wasn’t as used to humans as she liked to tell herself.

The moment’s reverie was broken by a light cough. “Pardon me, ma’am, but have you business here? The merchant district is back towards the Temple, and–”

Adeia turned her head, ears twitching futilely beneath the cloth of her cloak. The person who’d questioned her—a shieldmaiden, judging from her chainmail armor and spear—recoiled at seeing the icy blue skin of Adeia’s face. “Oh! Forgive me, my lady, I didn’t realize what you were.”

“Being an elf makes me a lady, does it?” Adeia’s lips tightened at the formality; wariness of Aryans hadn’t changed in forty years, it seemed. “No matter. I happen to be looking for the house of...a colleague.”

“Then perhaps I can direct you.” The shieldmaiden gave a small, informal salute. “The Dragonslayer District is my responsibility, so if they live here, I can help you find their home.”

“I suppose so.” The Snow Elf tapped one foot against the cobbles, considering whether or not to ask. Finally, her resolve weakened, and she crossed her arms. “Then would you happen to tell me where Balthazar lives?”

The words hung in the air for a few moments before the shieldmaiden seemed to pick them up. A look of pure amusement crossed what was visible of her face beneath her spangenhelm, and she laughed. “Jarl Dragonbane will be holding council tomorrow at the keep, if you have business with him. In the meantime, I can help you find an inn, perhaps?”

“I’m not here on business. This is a social visit.”

The shieldmaiden’s mirth dimmed a little, suspicion in her aquamarine eyes. “Social? You called him a colleague.”

“Colleague and friend.” Adeia set an elbow down on the hilt of her sabre, feeling the creep of misunderstanding growing ever closer. “I would rather leave it as such.”

“Then I’m afraid I cannot direct you to his home, my lady.” The shieldmaiden shook her head. “I’ll have to insist I take you to an inn.”

“Oh fine.” The elf clucked her tongue, and cast back her hood, letting the silver circlet holding back her tawny hair catch the afternoon sun. “My name is Adeia Crestalla. And that should explain to you why this is a social visit.”

Another long pause as the shieldmaiden processed the words, then a louder laugh. The human woman collapsed against her spear to hold steady as the guffaws racked her frame. Embarrassed, Adeia lifted her hood back up. “You think I lie?”

“No, no, I, oh Madyr…” The woman gasped a few times to recover her breath, then removed her own headgear, copper braids frizzy from their captivity in the helmet. “What do you want with my grandfather?”

Though unable to feel the cold of winter, Adeia felt as though a glacier had just run over her heart. “...grandfather?”

“My name is Imma Carlottasdottir, who is the wife of Lafki Balthazarson.” The shieldmaiden let the targe on her shoulder swing onto her arm, revealing four entwined serpentine dragons, each biting the next’s neck. Adeia knew the design immediately; Balthazar had painted it on his own shield, decades ago. And if the Nularyan woman knew anything of humans, it was that they were just as picky about family heraldry and patterns as were Aryan nobles. So it seemed the shieldmaiden was speaking truth.

While Adeia processed this, Imma swung her shield back to a more comfortable position. “So, are you really Lady Crestalla? Grandfather’s stories of you made me think you’d be...gruffer? More stern?”

“Perhaps when I am not caught out of my element.” Adeia raised a hand to cover her eyes. “Balthazar...married?”

“The jarl of a principality has to produce heirs, so, yes.”

“He could have told me.” The elf felt her voice crack slightly as yet more evidence of time passing struck her heart with sledgehammer blows.

Imma frowned lightly, and reached out a hand to pat Adeia’s shoulder. “Well, come on, I’ll let you ask him about it yourself. I’m willing to believe you, but if grandfather turns you away...well, I’ll do my duty.”

“Of course. Lead on then.” Adeia lowered her hand, and stared up at the sky, melancholia settling around her like chains.

As it happened, Balthazar didn’t live in the keep. He lived adjacent to it, in the grandest of the district’s houses. From the stonework, it seemed that the council of Jarkynn had hired Dwarven stonecrafters to build their jarl’s abode, and all the timber seemed high quality as well. The interior was equally lavish, all perfectly made furniture and rare fur rugs. Painted tapestries hung here and there, and the halls were lit with oil lanterns rather than the typical candles of the region. It was a far cry from the soldier’s house Adeia remembered. And despite sitting in a parlour across from the man introduced to her as Jarl Dragonbane, Adeia couldn’t help but feel that she’d been misinformed.

Balthazar in her memories was tall, muscular, and weathered from work and battle. She remembered a man with tanned skin against a wild copper beard and back-length hair, golden eyes glinting with mirth and focus as he would practice swordplay or tend to his leather armor. She remembered his booming laugh when he would make jokes, the snarl of pain when she would treat his wounds, and the broken sobs he gave when they’d been told his parents had been killed in a drake attack. She remembered a human man full of light, life, vigour, and emotion.

The man across from her was a shadow of such a man. His hair was storm grey, neatly braided back and to his shoulders, beard trimmed close to his jaw. Where once was armor and soldier’s clothes now lay elegant robes, trimmed with wolf fur. A golden circlet rested on his brow, and if she really wanted to, Adeia could convince herself that it was the metal’s weight that was causing his face to be so sagged and wrinkled. But the old man’s hands trembled slightly as he took a long sip of mead, eyes less gold now and more like bronze as he stared at the elven woman.

Adeia, she knew, hadn’t changed. What were forty years to an elf, after all? Her muscles were still firm and defined from her training, her face unwrinkled and unblemished, her eyes youthful to match her movements. She was still a young adult by elven standards, barely 1500 years, and she knew she looked it. And the Jarl knew it too, judging from the sadness in his eyes. Finally, the man gave a drawn out sigh, then smirked. “You’re late for our morning spar, Adeia.”

Despite herself, Adeia felt tears clamour for time in her eyes; even with forty years and old age making his voice waver slightly, it was very much still Balthazar’s voice, the same one that had rung out over their campfires during their travels. “I didn’t see you coming to Ilguardia, so I’d say we’re even.”

“I don’t think I ever got an invitation for a state visit.” Balthazar chuckled. “Not like Glödraun is recognized as a worthy power by your Elder Council, no matter which jarl sends them a letter. And it isn’t as though you sent me any yourself.”

That made the elf’s ears twitch in surprise. “I...sent five within ten years, Balthazar. You never answered.”

“Hm. I sent ten in four.” The human man rested his chin on a fist. “I guess Jarl Ordel was right; messages between humans and elves don’t make it to their recipients.”

Adeia winced. She could have figured that out for herself, if she were honest about it. But now at least she knew her old friend’s silence wasn’t malice. After all, here he was, genial as ever towards her. “I...probably should have come sooner, then.”

“You should have. You missed my wedding, after all.” Balthazar lifted his left hand, letting the golden band on his ring finger shine in the firelight. “I had to go for my second-choice of witness.”

“You know I’d have done it if word had gotten through.”

“Adeia, it’s in the past.” Balthazar waved away the apology. “I’m not angry about it. Not anymore, anyway. You’re here now, aren’t you?”

“And missed most of your life in the process.” The elf’s grip tightened on her own mead, the drinking horn creaking under her fingers. “I missed it all.”

The wrinkles on Balthazar’s face deepened as he listened to her voice. “You had your own matters to attend to, and I mine. Don’t blame yourself.”

“Who else can I blame?” Adeia closed her eyes tight. “I came here to scold you for not getting in contact, but...I forgot how fast things change. I missed your wedding, your children’s youth, and even your grandchildren are adults now.”

“Imma’s only barely an adult, but the other jarls don’t begrudge me for having let her become a shieldmaiden so young.” Balthazar grinned. “She always liked stories about you, by the way. Even with plenty of tales about Freyja and ancient shieldmaidens, she’d always ask to hear about the Archer of Ilguardia. Pretty sure there’s a tapestry of you in her room, actually. So hey, my granddaughter’s your fan.”

Adeia scoffed slightly at the change in topic, though her reaction was equal parts embarrassment and annoyance. “Be that as it may, your people remember you, not me. Not Vishas either, or Moqita.”

“I did my best to make sure they got credit.” The jarl glanced into the fire, his own sadness doing nothing to stop Adeia’s own from surging in her. “But the people of Glödraun have heard plenty of stories about the fairfolk champions and their mighty deeds. They wanted their own, so...here I sit. The Dragonbane.”

“Not as though you don’t deserve it.” Adeia took a long drink of her mead. “Even the Aryans are buzzing about it, thanks to my talking some of their ears off.”

“Please tell me they’re praising me and not saying that Runhaarzaal was frail by the time I got to him.”

“Depends on who you ask. A few nobles try to spin the tale so that Runhaarzaal died of overindulgence, and you just poked him in the eye a few times before calling yourself a dragonslayer.”

The both shared a small chuckle at the ridiculousness of people denying Balthazar’s achievement, but melancholia replaced the mirth far too fast. Adeia took the moment to control her breathing, recenter herself, then looked her friend in the face. “I...miss you, you know. Travelling has felt wrong these past forty years without a brute of a human sharing my fire.”

“Well, I’d have only been a decent swordhand for twenty of those.” Bathazar tapped one knee. “The fall I took after stabbing him has come back to bite me in my old age; walking is an absolute chore.”

“A good enough healer could fix that, Balthazar, if you wanted them to.”

“And I don’t.” The man leaned back in his chair. “I don’t want to lose the memory, no matter how old I get.”

“Fair enough. I didn’t let them heal the scars I got from it.” The elven woman placed a hand against her abdomen, the feeling of dragon talons raking through flesh as vivid in her mind as the human hero’s geniality. “But...I am sorry I took this long to come back.”

“Then make up for it by staying awhile.” Balthazar drained his drinking horn. “I have an opening for a berserkr, and there’s no one I trust with my life more.”

Adeia’s hand tightened more around her own drinking vessel. “I...I don’t know. Your people probably won’t accept–”

“So what? I’m the Dragonbane, Adeia, hero of Glödraun. I think they’ll let me name an Aryan woman to my berserkir as opposed to naming her a shieldmaiden. I can get away with that.”

“What about your wife?”

That gave Balthazar a moment of pause, after which he gave a chuckle. “Hilda knows what we were and what we weren’t. She’s not about to be jealous because my old friend came back. She might be jealous that you still look so good despite the years, though, while she frets over every sign of age.”

“Age. That’s another thing.” Adeia felt the tears rise again as she lifted her gaze to Balthazar’s, piercing his bronzing eyes with her vermillion ones. “Tell me the truth, Balthazar: how long until you…?”

The human man set his horn aside, a cloud shadowing his face. “No idea. But I probably won’t make another decade. That’s mortality for you. You’re lucky you never have to experience it.”

“Lucky?” Adeia’s lips pulled back in a hiss. “I’m lucky that I don’t age, am I? Lucky that my life is endless? Lucky that I’ll outlive the humans I’ve met? Lucky that I’ll have millennia upon millennia of life left after this city dies? Lucky that I’ll outlive you?”

A crack rang out through the room as Adeia’s fingers shattered the drinking horn, sending her mead cascading down to the floorboards. Red blood dyed her blue skin as she let the fragments of horn clatter down to join the drink, and the sadness she’d been holding back finally started making streams run down her cheeks. “Lucky, Balthazar? I’m cursed! Even if I had never left after you killed Runhaarzaal, that’s still barely any time with you! Your whole life has gone by, and...and what have I done aside from travel, spread stories, and fight a bit more? Even if I become your berserkr, what am I supposed to do with myself when you’re dead and gone, and I no longer have a friend to guard? Tell me, damn you! What am I supposed to do with this curse of life if your time runs down before mine?”

The aged hero sat silent as Adeia struggled to find her composure again, the flickering firelight turning his wrinkles to canyons. He sat silent as she wiped her tears, silent as she used a small pulse of magic to heal her hand, silent until her breathing was steady again. Only then did Balthazar look her in the eyes, and give a sad smile. When he spoke, the elf finally heard in her friend’s voice the tone of the leader he’d become in her absence.

“Adeia...we humans believe that everyone deserves to live life to the fullest. We only have eight decades in us at best, and not all of those are useful. So we live. We do everything we can, try everything that interests us. We fight, we laugh, we love, and we pass the torch to our children. I rule so that my son can take my title and build off it, so that Imma can find a worthy husband and maybe raise little heroes of her own. As a mortal, I try to leave a legacy behind that my children and people can be proud of. So I can’t tell you how to live an endless life. What I can tell you is that I missed you these long years, and if I’m going to die soon, I’d like to die with my friend nearby. And because the only things I can leave behind are memories and stories, I want you to have as many of those as possible so that my legacy can life forever on in you. My passing will hurt. Hilda will cry, Lafki will beg Lalnur to honour my soul, and Imma will hide her sorrow in her work. But I wouldn’t be human if I didn’t die. So, my friend...please be with me until the end, be there for my family after I pass on, and remember me until your time comes. Please?”

Breath shaky, Adeia stood from her seat and walked over to Balthazar. Standing over him for a moment, she bent down and wrapped him in a hug. “I never did learn how to not go along with your dumb plans, you brute.”

A sniff came from the man as he embraced his comrade to him. “So much for Aryan superiority, then.”

“Shut up. But you’d better last as long as possible, or I’ll kill you myself.”

“It’s a deal.” Balthazar squeezed his friend, the tightness of the hug far less so than the old ones Adeia could remember, but warm nonetheless. “Welcome home, Deia.”

The elf nodded, feeling the chains about her heart start to loosen, replaced by the armor of duty and camaraderie. “I’m home, Bal.”

A month later, Adeia Crestalla, Dragonslayer and Archer of Ilguardia, was named to Jarl Balthazar Dragonbane’s berserkir to no complaints from anyone. Two years later, she was in the crowd at the wedding of Imma Carlottasdottir to a jarl of another province. In another two years, she was named godmother of Imma’s son, Balthus. A year after that, Adeia spoke at the funeral for Hilda, dead from plague. And three years from then, Balthazar the Sword of Victory passed in his sleep, entombed in the Pantheonic Temple. It was Adeia who signed off on Jarl Lafki’s decision to rename Jarkynn to “Balthasberg,” and Adeia a century later who helped finalize the decree from the Council of Jarls that Balthasberg and its province would forever be under the rule of the Pantheonic Temple. After this, she vanished from Glödraun, insisting that she had matters to attend to elsewhere.

A millennia onward, Balthasberg was a metropolis, a holy mecca for Glödraun, and the Pantheonic Temple had grown strong and influential. The leaders for each of the pantheon’s gods ruled well, spread their divine’s word, and never faltered in their duties. In the city center now stood a dramatic statue of a youthful human man, bastard sword held at the ready, posed bravely and defiantly in the face of the implied Rogue Dragon Runhaarzaal. Forever memorialized now was Balthazar, God-Hero of Victory and Success. His triumph served as one of the catalysts for elven nations across the world beginning to draft interspecies relations laws, for the fairfolk the world over to accept hominids as potential equals. His legacy was that of power, change, and divinity. Truly a scion of human potential, even if his bloodline had vanished from the world over time.

And yet, every decade, on the anniversary of his death, a hooded figure would appear at the statue at dawn. Every decade, she would place something at the statue’s feet that she’d found on her travels: a scroll of foreign poems, a decorative axe, a crystal sculpture of a sphinx, and so on. Every decade, this woman would spend the rest of the day in the inn that boasted of being Balthazar’s favourite as a youth, telling lesser-known tales of the God-Hero to anyone who would listen. When asked why, she would give no answer aside from “I haven’t stopped remembering him.” And she never did.

#Long Read #short story #fantasy #elf #snow elf #humanity #aging #memory #Glödraun #escheluon #mortality #friendship #legacy #dragonslayer

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aspirgallant · 6 years

Text

Ringing. That was all Aspir could hear. Not shouting, not thunder, not the clashing of metal. Just ringing. The world spun around him while he felt frozen in place. He wasn’t even sure where he was anymore.

Am I dead? Did I die? He began thinking to himself. Didn’t hurt as much as I thought it would. I’m sorry The-

“Outlander!” a voice yelled out.

It cut through the ringing like a knife, shocking Aspir out of his trance. One by one his senses started to return. He recognized that the voice belonged to Amal, who was calling out for him with what seemed to be confusion. What did she have to be confused about? That he was still alive? Admittedly, he was rather confused about that himself. The answer came when he was finally able to focus his eyes.

His prosthetic arm was engulfed in blue fire, which extended forward to form a translucent shield. Waves of light pulsed out from the shield, creating a solid barrier that surrounded him. The ground was smoking and charred right in front of it.

“Did… did I…” Aspir murmured. He lowered the shield; the barrier fading as he did so. He brushed it with his other hand, and found that despite its flaming appearance, it was only mildly warm to the touch.

He was familiar with spirit weapons, but never thought himself skilled enough to summon one. His grasp on magic was always shaky at best, and yet here before him was the purest manifestation of a guardian’s magic. How was this possible?

He did not have long to ponder on the question before the sound of another blast echoed out.

“Outlander! Move!” Amal shouted.

But there wasn’t enough time. The ball of energy already came barreling straight at him. In an act of pure instinct, Aspir once again raised the shield, the barrier materializing around it. The ball collided into the barrier head on, but rather than exploded on impact, it pushed into the barrier, causing it to distort inwards.

Aspir’s senses were buzzing as his body strained against the pressure of the attack. It were as though he was being electrocuted. Every ounce of strength and magic in his body was used to keep that barrier up. Yet, despite the struggle, he stood strong. He felt strong.

I can do this, he screamed in his head.

He took the slightest step forward, pushing back against the blast.

I can help these people!

With a furious cry and another push, the barrier bursted into a ripple of force. Sand flew up into the air and the blast launched backwards. Aspir fell onto all fours, gasping harshly and fighting just to not pass out.

The forged commander and its bastion watched as the volatile energy came hurtling back towards them. The commander immediately sprinted out of the way, but the bastion was helpless as its heavy, lumbering body futility tried to walk towards safety. The ball smashed right into its face, exploding into a shower of lights and sparks. As soon as they cleared, it was revealed that there was merely a blazing hole where the construct’s head had been. It stumbled around clumsily, sparks of energy discharging from the new cracks in its torso. Something from within its chest lit up, and suddenly its entire middle erupted. With that, the bastion’s limp and thoroughly shattered form fell to the ground.

Save for the distant thundering of the brandstorm, the battlefield had gone totally silent. Forged and humans alike stared at each other, neither seemingly ready to make the next move. Amal walked over to Aspir, who was still resting on the ground. She squatted down to his level, and tapped him on the shoulder to grab his attention.

“Are you… alright?” she asked.

Aspir looked up to her face, still breathing heavily. His entire body ached with the exertion of what he’d just done. Not to mention he could still feel the salt on his cheeks from the tears of his breakdown minutes before.

“I’m… I’m not sure,” he answered honestly.

She raised an eyebrow. “Do you think you can still fight?”

He responded by attempting to get back up, but found himself falling back onto his knees. “I just… need a moment to rest.”

Amal nodded. “Don’t take too long now, because this is far from over.” She raised herself up and pointed her chin at the forged commander, who appeared to be literally fuming.

The commander’s sword flared up once more as it swung it towards the humans. “Enough of this! Kill them! Kill them all! FOR BALTHAZAR!” It dashed forward, dozens of forged following close behind.

Amal crossed her daggers and crouched down, prepared to strike. “Keep them away from the academy! We end this now!” She sprung up and started rushing towards the commander. The defenders of Yobash bellowed out their own warcries and ran after her, clashing with the forged mere meters from the school’s perimeter.

As the two forces collided, the commander launched a fireball at Amal, who sliced through it with ease. She jumped for its legs, daggers ready, but a swift kick sent her tumbling away.

“Look at you all; weak and frail. What is the point of this?” the forged commander asked with a rumbling voice as it brought its sword down on Amal, who barely rolled out of the way.

She quickly flipped back onto her feet and bared her teeth at the commander. She circled around it, looking for an opening of any kind.

“Is Balthazar not your god as well? Did you not once serve him? Why resist!?” Every sentence came with a swipe from its sword, which Amal nimbly dodged.

“It doesn’t matter what he was to us before, we’ve been spent our whole lives fighting one slave master! We’d never pledge ourselves to another!” She tossed a dagger at its back, which scratched its ribs as it turned around to face her. The metallic creature groaned as the anti-magic imbued within the blade tore through its fiery aura, but ultimately the damage was minimal.

The commander unleashed a wave of flame from its blade. Amal succeeded in avoiding it, but it continued on to hit another of the defenders, who fell instantly in burning agony. Amal took only a second to watch in horror before she had to continue her circling, lest she suffer the same fate.

“Look how easily you all burn. Balthazar offers strength! A new place in his world! You could fight for more than mere survival!”

As Amal ran around the commander, weaving through its strikes, she could see Aspir striding through the battlefield with his arm ablaze and determination on his face. For just a moment, they caught each other’s eyes. She came to a skidding halt in front of the commander and leapt up with magical strength, sending her above the commander’s head. As she began to descend, she pointed her remaining dagger downwards.

The commander extended its hand towards her, burning red hot and primed to sear through the flesh of her neck. However, in the second before contact, a flying hammer made of brilliant, blue fire slammed into its stomach, resounding with a loud clang and knocking the commander onto its back.

“I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM!” Amal cried.

The dagger landed right in the space between its neck and torso. The commander growled in pain and rage as Amal’s magic cut into its arcane essence. With a roar, she shot out a wave of golden energy from the dagger. The flames sputtering from the commander’s body went dark as the wave washed over it. It began to still, save for one last, meek effort to reach out for her. It managed to grab her wrist, only for its hand to go limp. With the dagger still lodged in its neck, the commander laid in the sand, dim and lifeless.

The clashing of steel and throwing of spells ceased as the remaining forged paused to stare at the motionless husk of their former leader. They swapped glances between each other and slowly began to pull back from their foes. The defenders moved away in turn, but kept their weapons at the ready.

Amal pulled the dagger from the commander’s neck and lifted herself up. She stared back at the forged with eyes full of defiance; just daring for another to step forward.

The forged stood quietly in formation until one in the front finally shouted to the rest.

“Retreat!”

Others repeated the order as they started to run towards the dunes, one after the other. Freerunners, sharpshooters, hounds; all running off into the distance.

The defenders all broke out into cheering, raising weapons and hugging each other in the face of their victory. Some shouted insults at the retreating forged, laughing all the while. Amal simply turned around and walked several feet towards Aspir, who was struggling to stand only a few feet from the commander’s body. She wrapped his arm around her shoulders and had him lean against her. Once he was stable, she smiled.

“How do you feel now?” she asked.

“Like someone dropped a bag of bricks on me,” he groaned.

Amal chuckled. “After what we just went through, I’m surprised you don’t feel worse. Especially after that little trick with the spirit weapon. You’re more impressive than I thought.” She started walking towards the school grounds, the small guardian in tow.

“That was... new to me too.” He stopped to cough, then continued speaking. “But... I didn’t do anything anyone else here couldn’t have done.

She sighed at that reponse. “You know, you’d do well not to doubt yourself so-”

The sound of a massive boom drowned out all other noises. The cheering ceased as everyone frantically started searching for its source. They expected to see another wave of forged war machines, but instead saw a swirling cloud of crackling energy and dust miles away. It spread outward at incomprehensible speed, threatening to swallow them all.

The humans quickly began running towards the barrier surrounding the school, hoping the djinn’s magic would shield them all from the impending disaster. Amal’s eyes were wide with panic as she attempted to drag Aspir to safety. He tried to walk along with her, but found himself too drained to do much more than hobble along with her.

The winds came upon them quickly, scooping them up and tossing them forward. They both went flying through the barrier, still tangled together. They landed on the ground with a thud; the air knocked out of their lungs.

Aspir unraveled his arm from Amal’s shoulders, setting her free. He rolled onto his back and looked upwards, finding all vision of the outside totally obscured by the sand. Thankfully, the barrier managed to keep out the worst of it, the wind passing around the barrier as opposed to through it. Save for a few rocks and other heavier objects occasionally getting thrown in, they were safe.

He felt so weak. As the others huddled together and murmured amongst themselves over what caused this storm, he could sense his consciousness slipping away. He closed his eyes, and fell asleep to the sounds of close-by whispers and distant roaring.

#gw2 #gw2rp #a hero's tale

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aspirgallant · 6 years

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It was the Forged who charged first; metal monstrosities of varying shapes and sizes all speeding over the dunes towards the school grounds. Many of the terrestrial Forged walked into the carefully laid rune traps, which bursted with elemental magic and shattered their bodies in a show of lightning and thunder. But the onslaught did not pause as the floating ones merely passed over them, hurtling ever closer.

Amal leapt forward, daggers drawn and ready. She assaulted a Forged mage, which didn’t even have enough time to fling a fireball before she swiped her blades across its body. Despite the daggers not even leaving so much as a scratch against its hard, metallic skin, the mage suddenly began to spasm before the flames animating it went out. Amal smirked and moved on to the next foe, who didn’t last much longer.

Aspir gazed in wonder as the warrior jumped gracefully from foe to foe, leaving each a pile of lifeless iron. He wasn’t familiar with the magic she was using, but it proved to be brutally effective against the Forged, cutting through their magic like paper. Inspired by her efforts, Aspir raced forward himself. He held his shield upfront, the blue light of aegis projecting out from it and washing over his body.

He clashed with a gliding forerunner, absorbing its momentum with the aegis. It attempted to bash him with the maces it had in place of fists, but all its blows were met with the shield. Aspir swung his own mace towards the forerunner’s leg, knocking it off balance. With the opening he created, he struck its chest with magical might, causing it to fall to the ground. He sprung up over the forerunner, and with another empowered strike, he crushed its hollow head under the mace.

The other defenders soon joined in. Elementalist flung out volleys of lightning or casted sand storms that obscured the vision of the Forged sharpshooters. Those capable of wielding a weapon fought with the Forged that made it to the schools perimeter, preventing them from advancing further. Yobash had become utterly filled with the sounds of battle as the night progressed.

As more of the iron soldiers rushed in to replace their fallen comrades, one in particular stood atop a nearby dune. It was taller than the rest, and its body was more ornate. In its hand, it held a massive sword that burned just as bright as its wielder. It surveyed the battlefield, displeased with what it saw.

It gripped the sword with both hands and raised it up above its head. With tremendous force, it slammed the blade down into the ground. A column of fire spewed out from the sword, traveling along the sand like a wave. One of the school’s defenders was in the middle of a duel with a hookhead when he was suddenly consumed by the wave. His screams lasted for mere seconds before he fell to the ground, charred and stinking of burnt meat.

“The enemies of Balthazar shall burn for their heresy!” the large Forged called out.

The sword erupted into a great inferno, leaving a trail of fire as he began charging forward. It let loose a bellowing warcry, and all the other Forged cried out in turn. They began to fight with renewed vigor, pushing the defender back towards the school.

Amal made her way back to Aspir. She leaned in close, and pointed at the large Forged. “I’m guessing that thing is this group’s commander.”

“I think you’re right, but what should we do?” Aspir kept looking back forth between Amal and the burnt body nearby. He started to look increasingly squeamish. “I don’t think we can get close without getting crisped.”

Amal held a hand out. “Give me some protection. I’ll handle the rest.”

Aspir nodded and grabbed her wrist. He focused his magic into it, forming an aegis around Amal and pumping her with empowering energy. As soon as he let go, she sprinted towards the Forged commander.

The commander waved his sword, shooting out a fireball, but Amal easily cut through it. Just before crashing into her enemy, she leapt up high and pointed her daggers downwards towards the commander’s head. But before she could stab it, one of its hands quickly released its grip on the sword to grab her by the throat and toss her several meters away. She landed with such force that aegis protecting her shattered. Amal barely had enough time to collect her senses before she had to roll out of the way of another fireball.

The Forged commander was upon her as soon as she got back onto her feet. It kept swinging its blade, forcing Amal to frantically dodge its attacks. She could barely keep herself from flying again whenever she had to use her magic to deflect a swipe.

Suddenly, the commander ceased its assault to jump back. An arc of lightning zapped the ground where it stood, leaving a spot of soot.

Aspir turned back to see Ma’bud, who was completely wreathed in electricity. Wind and ice started to whip around him as well as he slowly floated towards the Forged commander. He looked absolutely furious.

“I, the Great Ma’bud, have protected this sanctuary for centuries! You will not be the ones to defile it, you abominations!” The Djinn’s voice bellowed like thunder and echoed from all directions.

He loosed a barrage of elemental attacks upon the commander, but it proved to be durable, withstanding the various hits. It attempted to hit Ma’bud with attacks of its own, but the djinn managed to deftly avoid each one. Soon, the two were locked in battle, trading blow after blow.

“Amal!” Ma’bud shouted out, “I will handle this one! Destroy its underlings before they overwhelm our warriors!”

Amal followed his command and returned to cutting down the Forged soldiers. She moved on to the spots where the Forged were nearly about to overtake the defenders. She would spin through them like a tornado, disabling their spells and leaving them as empty shells.

In comparison, Aspir was struggling. He did all he could to support the defenders, but he had never faced foes in such large numbers. Having to fight so many enemies while watching over so many allies, he just wasn’t sure what to do. He simply pumped out spell after spell to protect and invigorate the others, hoping it would be enough.

But thoughts of doubt kept growing in his mind. Am I doing enough? Am I even doing anything? How long can I keep this up?

He shook his head, trying to focus on the fight around him. He saw a Forged soldier pulling its sword back, ready to impale one of the defenders from behind. Aspir ran and smashed into its side with his shield, pushing it away. The defender twirled around and, as soon as she saw the soldier, jabbed a spear into the cracks of its torso. Lightning traveled from her hands, through the spear, and into the Forged. The electricity disrupted its flaming joints, rendering it inert.

Their eyes crossed, and Aspir realized it was the sentry from earlier. He’d need to ask for her name later. It was important to know who you were fighting with… and for.

The roar of something immeasurably huge reverberated throughout the land.

Sounds of thunder rumbled across the battlefield. It was not that of the elementalists’ magic, nor did it come from a raincloud. Forged and human alike gazed up, and found a sky obscured by dark, purple clouds. They spread ever outward, as if they were reaching for something beyond the horizon. Magenta lightning violently erupted from them, leaving formations of a similarly colored crystal wherever they struck.

Aspir’s heart sank. “Kralkatorrik,” he said with shaky breath.

The battlefield became hectic as warriors on both sides had to dodge out of the way falling, crystalline meteors. Occasionally, someone would be struck by the lightning and encased in a crystal prison, forcing their allies to break them out lest they return as Branded.

Ma’bud was still dueling the Forged commander when the rolling thunder caught his attention. As he looked towards the sky, his face turned to that of horror. “No…”

The djinn shifted into a gust of wind and absconded from the duel, leaving the commander behind. The gust blew its way passed the fighting soldiers and defender and straight to the center of the school, where the inactive pillar lied.

Around him, the lightning bore down on the school, scarring and corrupting it. If this continued for much longer, it would be left near uninhabitable. He immediately started channeling magic into the pillar, and soon a barrier of enchanted wind extended out from it and over the school. Once up, the lightning bounced harmlessly off the barrier, saving the school grounds from further destruction.

The Forged commander, no longer occupied by Ma’bud, watched this all closely. It pointed its blade towards the pillar, and called out to the other Forged.

“Summon the bastion! I want that barrier down! The Brandstorm will leave the rats with no more holes to hide in.”

“Bastion?” Amal asked as she paused her flurry of attacks. She looked around, seeing that the Forged had started to back off. They weren’t in full retreat, but had given Yobash a wide berth. The other defenders had started to look relieved, but Amal swiftly saw to it that they’d keep their guards up. “This isn’t over! Something is coming! Be prepared!”

From the dunes came a new type of Forged. It towered over the rest, nearing three times the height of the already-tall commander. Fire blazed out of every crack and hole in its iron body, which was made up of loosely connected and incredibly bulky segments. Mostly notably, however, was the cannon-like muzzles it had in place of hands.

The commander once more directed its sword at the pillar lying in the center of Yobash. “Blast it to pieces!” it shouted towards the giant.

The bastion pointed both arms at the pillar and widened its legs to ground itself. An intense light made up of bright and warm colors started to build within each muzzle, along with an increasingly loud hum.

Amal’s face was overcome with dread as she realized what was about to happen. She turned to the others and shouted frantically. “Elementalists! Destroy that monster before it-”

A great boom drowned out all other noises as the energy building within the bastion exploded out in the form of a huge sphere. The defenders could do nothing as it flew right over them and into the barrier. It crashed straight into the pillar, blowing out large chunks of stones and nearly toppling it over. Thankfully, Ma’bud’s magic kept it upright, and the barrier stood firm.

“The barrier won’t be able to survive many more hits like that! Hit that Forged with everything you got!” Amal yelled.

The elementalists shot out a volley of spells at the bastion. They pelted it with bolts ice and lightning, yet barely managed to scratch it. It aimed its arms at the pillar, but was promptly stopped by the commander.

“The barrier can wait. I’ve had enough of these heathens. Annihilate them.” The commander pointed a finger at the defenders, and the bastion followed suit. It reorientated itself, and began charging another blast once more.

“Damn it,” Amal cursed under her breath, ”we’ll need to tackle it head on. Outlander, come with me, I’ll need your magic if we’re to… Outlander?” She twisted to see Aspir frozen in place.

His breathing was out of control as his whole body trembled wildly. He lost grip on his weapons, the shield and mace clanging lightly against the sand as soon as they hit the ground. Sounds and images flashed across his mind.

The sky turning red. People screaming. Cannons firing. An explosion. Indescribable pain. Theo desperately shouting his name. Numbness.

He crouched and covered his head with hands. Tears streamed down his face as he yelled at himself in his own thoughts. I shouldn’t have come here. I can’t help these people. Everyone was right. I’m just stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid-

“Outlander!”

The sound of Amal’s voice was followed by another boom, finally ripping Aspir from his trance. When he looked up, another sphere of furious energy was zooming towards them. The others were ducking for cover while Amal tried to urge him towards safety. There wasn’t any time, though. He had to do something.

It felt as though time began to slow. He raised himself upward and jumped past Amal, moving towards the blast rather than way. She tried to say something to him, but he could barely perceive the noises around him. All Aspir could hear was the beat of his own heart.

Why am I doing this? he wondered to himself.

He didn’t know the answer to that question. It was just a feeling. A feeling he had long since grown familiar with. It was the same feeling that drove him into harm’s way so many times before. That drove him in between a young child and a pack of bullies. A terrified man and some cruel thugs. Helpless townsfolk and a jade cannon. His lover and a vengeful assassin.

It was a desire to help people, and with every beat, it grew stronger. It filled him. Consumed him. Kept pushing him forward. It burned hot and bright in his soul, like a blazing fire. A fire to light the darkness.

The blast was almost upon them. Amal was still shouting at Aspir to move, but he stood firm. He held out his metallic arm in front of him, and braced for impact.

There was a blinding light, and a deafening explosion. Then… silence.

#gw2 #gw2rp #a hero's tale

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