The customer continued haranguing on the line. Steve ignored her and continued documenting his report. He kept giving placating words at regular intervals until he heard the magic words.
"I want to speak to your manager!" The lady screamed.
"Yes ma'am. I will transfer you to my supervisor immediately. One moment please" Steve politely and patiently said. He put the call on hold and pressed the direct line to his team captain's cubicle. It beeped once then connected.
"TL, escalation call" Steve said.
He tried to keep his tone reasonable even though he was feeling sorry for his lead. Nobody really enjoys an escalation call and that's all what captains get. Steve doesn't know how the team leaders don't quit after the first day. The huge salary probably has something to do with it.
His team captain took a deep breath and after a beat, told him to transfer the call. Even in the noisy operations floor, he could hear the lady's voice yammering away at the captain who was just two cubicles to the right.
Answering calls from angry Americans can be a harrying experience. Customer Service is not a job anyone sensitive should take. It was such a bad job that they are mostly outsourced to countries that speak passable English. Along with India, the Philippines is the most popular location for contact centers for English speaking countries. It's way cheaper to hire a Filipino employee than an American one.
Steve Arcilla has been working in the call center industry for eleven years. He started working as an outbound agent selling credit cards until he moved to inbound calls four years later when he moved to a different company when his previous one was absorbed by a Canadian contact conglomerate. He was not one of the selected employees to remain on board.
Steve performs well at his work even though he finds his job boring. He does enough to keep his assessment scores high but with the interoffice politics leaving a bad taste in his mouth, he never bothered to apply for a higher position. He has no plans in being a slave to a spreadsheet result.
Steve continued working, taking calls one after another. The low drone of people talking in the operations floor doesn't even register to him at all. He has mastered the art of selective listening. He even had automated responses that require very little thinking in his part whenever the customer asks him a trigger question. What makes Steve effective at this line of work is that he is able to emotionally detach himself from what he is doing. It doesn't matter that the customer just called him a monkey, or that they just verbally abused his parentage. He knows that all of those are words and they probably don't mean it. There were always a few people being called in the QA office after some agents get heated when insulted. Not Steve though.
It was nearing the end of the day when Steve ran out of water. He wasn't allowed to stand up to get more so he just had to deal with it. He hated it when that happens.
A couple of minutes before his shift ended, his replacement was already sitting on a chair behind him.
They were very strict on time in his company. You are given five minutes at the end of your shift to end the call, log out of the system, and take your mug and headset as you leave.
Steve got the system down pat. By the time his shift ended, all he needed was a minute to get everything wrapped up. He gave his replacement, somebody he doesn't know, a brief smile and stood up with his mug and headset with him. He glanced around the operations floor and saw the same routine happening all around him. He stretched a bit, popping his spine after two hours sitting down without a break then proceeded to the exit. He joined the gaggle of agents talking and moving towards the locker room. Agents are not allowed to bring anything to the operations floor except for their mugs and headsets.
Steve was putting his mug and Headset in the locker while taking out his satchel bag when his friend Rommel sidled up next to him, opening the adjacent locker. Rommel has been working the same shift as Steve but the work is starting to wear on him. He was looking tired most days. Steve thought that it wouldn't be long before his friend asks for a dayshift. He'd probably take the salary hit for a chance to work regular hours.
"Ano pare, are you logging in tonight? You told me you got your system assembled yesterday" Rommel asked.
Steve had to replace his old computer because it was becoming too dated. He spent a fortune for the rig he has right now. It's not the top shelf in computer gaming but it was respectable and in line with the majority of computer gamers.
"Oo pare. I would be diving in later. Any tips for a beginner?" Steve excitedly answered.
He finally had a computer good enough to play Geas Online. The VMMORPG had very high system requirements that Steve had to wait months to bring his computer up to par. He had to take a contract for the GranTech headgear for two years but the monthly billing was within his budget. Today will be his first time getting to play the game at home.
Steve just started VR gaming a couple of months ago. All of his experiences with it was from rented VR recliners in PC shops. He was never really satisfied with the rented experience. Majority of the shops have poorly made chairs that can only recline so much before you hit the chair behind you. The GranTech headgear also smells awful from the sweat of the previous user. Steve has this unreasonable fear of contracting hepatitis from the sweat stains on the GranTech cap. Needless to say, this pushed Steve to own one.
"Just let the game guide you. Don't think that this is like other games wherein you can power level from the get go. You'd be doing yourself a disservice. Take your time. Here, let me give you my character name. Throw me a message when you're ready"
Rommel took his phone from his hand while Steve was fiddling with it and typed something in. He gave it back after messing with it a bit then waved goodbye to Steve. He was hurrying home to play, probably.
Steve took a look and found his friend character name in one of the phone's stickynotes. He saved it and pocketed his cellphone.
Steve shouldered his bag then walk towards the elevator banks. The security guard at the door towards the company's exit door ensured that everybody logged out using the biometrics.
The elevator was a quick ride and deposited its passengers at the ground floor. The early morning sunlight was illuminating the lobby with a bright light that everybody shied away from. There is a reason why we're also known as vampire workers. Most of us work the American western seaboard time zone. You can see everybody grabbing sunglasses.
Steve exited the building into the warm and humid weather of the Philippines. He really hated the feeling of moving from a cold, climate-controlled environment to the sweltering weather of the country. Steve crossed the busy street towards the waiting shed and stood in line with the other waiting for a jeepney ride.
The office is located in central Quezon City, Cubao. It is a popular district for businesses because of the presence of multiple shopping malls and quality restaurants.
Cubao wasn't always the high tech center it is today. About fifteen years ago, it was a dirty, smelly, dimly lit, area with a wet market abutting the Araneta Coliseum. The oldest mall in the Philippines, Ali Mall, was also notorious for its seedy movie houses and unregulated shops.
It took the construction of a large Canadian call center and Gateway Mall before the place started becoming more welcoming. The government took notice and started working on making the area as the new tech hub for Quezon City. The new Cubao is almost unrecognizable from its earlier sight.
Steve spent the time waiting for a ride by reading news from the Geas Online website on his phone. He already registered for the game two weeks ago and was trying to read up about the latest. He also checked that all the requested information for his profile was filled in the and the permissions for his game allowed.
The jeepney arrived in the terminal and started loading passengers. Steve sighed in relief when we noticed that it was an electric one. He didn't want to deal with the noise and smoke an old jeepney emits.
About half of the city jeepneys were already running on batteries but the other half were reluctant to retire their diesel-run vehicles. The major transport groups were hammering an agreement out with Land Transportation Office.
The Jeepney quickly and efficiently loaded the passenger and was on its way in short order. Steve lives a couple of blocks away so it was a short ride for him. He got off at his stop and walked towards the apartment complex he currently resides in. It is an old building but the landlord kept the complex in good order. It is a popular place for young adults and singles because most of the units for rent are the studio type. There are a few single bedroom ones but the price for those are a lot higher. Steve lives on the third floor of the building.
He briskly walked through the lobby of the apartment complex giving Manuel, the dayshift security guard, a wave. Manuel was sitting on a chair beside the lobby door reading a tabloid. He didn't think Manuel even noticed the wave.
As he got closer to his unit, Steve felt his excitement bubbling up. He has been waiting since forever to finally play the game and he was now a couple of minutes away from that. He was too impatient to wait for the elevator so he took the stairs. He lives on the third floor anyway. He took the stairs two at a time and was pleased that he was still breathing normally when he arrived at his floor. His exercises were paying off. He was already closing his door to his apartment when he finished with that thought.
Steve's apartment was nothing special. It was about thirty square meters. It has a bed, a round dining table with two chairs, a computer desk, and a well-stocked kitchen nook. He likes to cook when he has time since it was good for him and it helps keep costs down. The bathroom was just to the right of his entrance door.
Steve tossed his bag on one of the chairs and immediately booted up his computer. While the computer was waking up, Steve took the time to get himself ready. He went to the bathroom to empty his bladder. He also drank a glass of water and changed into a more comfortable outfit. By the time he was done, the game was booted up and was waiting for him to get his GenTech headgear on. Steve situated the heavy device on his head properly and laid down on his bed, shifting around a bit to get comfortable.
Happy that everything was alright, Steve pressed on the button to the left of the headset. The advanced VR platform came to life as Steve slowly dropped into unconsciousness...
***
The white light slowly faded and gradually Steve was able to see his surroundings. He found himself sitting on the ground in front of a campfire with his back to a tree. As the images around him sharpen, Steve sat up and looked around. He was amazed on how clear and lifelike everything is. Looking at the ground, he would swear up and down that he is looking at real soil. Running his hands through the soft, patchy grass, his hands registered every sensation on what you can expect when you, well, run your hands through grass. This was incredible!
Steve looked up and saw the night sky, clear of clouds and rich with stars. He was a bit confused at first because there was apparently two moons and the constellations were all wrong then he remembered that he was in a game. One of the moons has a reddish tint to it but otherwise both moons were spectacular. He could get lost just looking at the majesty of the sky.
"Oi! Finally awake, are we?" A rough voice said.
Steve's head snapped forward towards the speaker. He was so enamored with the environment that he hasn't been paying attention to his immediate front.
Sitting across the campfire was a thickset man working with a piece of leather strap.
"Uh...What?" Steve belatedly replied. He was too busy taking everything in that his brain was still catching up.
"Well, that answers that." The man softly mumbled.
He finished messing around with the leather strap and dropped it in the pouch on the ground beside him. The man then stared at Steve. Now that he was paying attention the person who was addressing him, Steve noticed the man was a bit on the older side. His long messy hair was tied in a pony tail but white streaks could be seen around his temple. The man has that sun-kissed look with his rough brown skin but he still radiates vitality. His arms and hands are scarred and looking closely, Steve could see that his left pinky is missing from the second knuckle. The man's long face has that hard look that only people who have gone through hardship could get. His flint grey eyes stared back at Steve like he was examining his soul. The man's nose was a mess. It probably has been broken a few times but Steve could see that it used to have a hawkish shape before it got mashed. He also has thin, wide lips that breaks easily into a smile if the lines around his mouth are to be judged.
The man stood up and walked around the fire to stand before Steve. He stood there observing him with arms crossed.
"Get up and let me get a good look at you." the man said.
Not having anything else to do at the moment, Steve stood. The man placed his hands on his shoulders. He looked serious when he addressed Steve.
"Are you ready for this? This will be your first real fight. I know you have trained and you would not be here if your clan master has not thought you are ready but skills is one thing. Confidence is another. Are you ready to fight? Are you ready to take a life?" The man asked.
Steve was confused. Fight? What fight? His peripheral vision caught something while the old man was talking. When he paid attention to it, he noticed that his was not the only campfire around. He could see quite a few of them around the area and could see people talking and laughing around them. Drawing from what he can see, he surmised that this is a warband. Everybody looks tough and armed. That means he would be in a fight shortly. Steve became apprehensive when he realized this because he was expecting a character creation screen, not being thrown in the fire immediately.
He decided that he best be honest for the moment. He got the feeling that answering the man's questions truthfully would help him. Who knows, he might be one of those starting NPC guides.
"I don't know. I think I'm ready but I'm not sure how ready I really am." Steve confessed.
The man just nodded and gave him a little smile.
"It's good that you recognize that. Most young warriors are all fire and vinegar but most of them are quick to meet their god." The old man quipped.
He then unlaced the small wine skin on his waist and gave it to Steve.
"Get us some water then come back. Fill yours too if you want to last the night. Killing is thirsty work."
The man gave him a nod then turned around walking back to his spot. He dropped to the ground and was again working on another strap. When he noticed that Steve was still standing there he gave him an irritated shooing motion.
Steve looked around and saw the stream a ways from the camp site. The moonlight was reflecting on the water making it sparkle in the night. Steve slowly jogged towards it. While he was moving, he took the time to look around in more detail. He could see that the camp was sited on a wide rolling grassland with copses scattered about. A forest line could be seen a distance away but he couldn't make much details since it is nighttime and his vision is quite limited.
Steve arrived at the small stream and made sure of his footing while approaching the waterline. He knew that he was not really going to get wet but his brain was convinced that his virtual body is no different from his real one.
As he was bending over to fill the skins, everything suddenly froze. He could see that even the water stopped flowing. He could hear no sound nor move. Steve was getting concerned that his game bugged out when the cloudy water he was looking at started clearing up. His perspective suddenly pulled out and now he was looking at a man bending over to fill skins with water. the figure of the man shifted over the right of his vision. On the left side, Steve found himself looking at his likeness that faded in standing there looking back at him. Beside his body, he could see floating windows showing a multitude of options. The perspective zoomed closer and Steve realized that the floating windows are actually customization options. He was looking at the character creation tool.
Well, that's neat. A prompt suddenly appeared at the upper right corner of his vision.
Greetings! Welcome to Geas Online. You have decided to embark on an adventure in the world of Geas. Your decisions in this world will shape who you are and the world around you. Will you be a great warrior or an industrious builder? do you prefer to be a world acclaimed artist or a reviled bandit? Whatever you choose, you will shape your destiny.
Welcome to your new life.
Wow. Normally you do the character creation first but the game has different ideas. Now that he knows what is happening, Steve moved his attention back to his character. At the moment, it was showing him an identical representation of himself. He doesn't really have a commanding presence. Steve decided that he would change how he looks like in the game but nothing too big that he would be a completely different person. He has no plans in turning himself into a handsome beefcake.
Steve spent about an hour fiddling with the creation screen until he was satisfied with the result. He took his time to do things right because from what he understood from the tips he got about the game, his looks would be permanent unless he gets access to a special quest allowing him access to the customization screen. From what he heard, that's pretty rare.
His character now looks different from himself but hints of similarities are still apparent. He kept his height which is 5 foot 8 inches. He thought about adding more but he never really felt small. He was comfortable with how tall he is. He gave his character chestnut-colored ear length hair. Being on the thin side in real life, Steve added some meat in his figure but restrained himself from making himself into a muscled god. People could argue that this is a game so there is nothing wrong in doing just that but it would be too much of a deviation from himself that he would not feel any connection with his character. He also lightened up his skin some but just a touch as his brown shade is actually nice.
A few more touches here in there in his facial features like raising his cheekbones, changing his eyebrow style, and making his eyes a bit bigger then he was done. He took some time ensuring that everything is to his satisfaction by having his perspective rotate around his character then he mentally hit the 'finished' button. A small widow popped on the upper right of his vision again.
"Are you sure? Excepting certain quests or events, this will be the last time you would have access to you character creation screen." The window prompt asked.
Giving his character one more glance, Steve confirmed again. As soon as he hit yes, his perspective suddenly changed and he found himself looking at his character's reflection on the water. He was back again in his game body, bent over the water filling skins. He almost took a dive because it was so unexpected. He was able to catch himself but it was a near thing.
Righting himself quickly, Steve secured his footing again and focused on filling his skins. He was able to fill both containers he had with him in short order. With that task done, he jogged back to the campfire.
Once he got there, he tossed the old man's skin back to him. He was doing some stretching and he could see that he was very supple for an older guy. Even bent sideways, the man had no problem catching the flying waterskin.
"Thanks lad. Now, you better loosen up because from what I'm hearing, we'll be moving out soon. It would be dangerous if you suddenly get a cramp in the middle of a fight. C'mon, get that body moving" the man said.
A new window popped up in front of Steve. This time it showed his character sheet. While he was busy stretching out his limbs, Steve took a closer look at his character sheet.
Name:Health: 100/100Stamina: 100/100Age: 32Affilitation: Raging Boar ClanStatus:FamePrimary StatisticsSkillsTalentsAbilitiesStrength: 10PugilismPerception: 10DiplomacyEndurance: 10CamaraderieDexterity: 10Agility: 10Intelligence: 10Wisdom: 10Luck: 10Unused PointsGold:
Well, it looks like 10 is the base number for all his primary statistics. He was expecting a number of points would be given for distribution and he was right though to his disappointment, He was only given five points. It was a bit low. Fiddling with it a little bit, Steve confirmed that he couldn't go lower that the base number. He was hoping that he could take a few points here and there so he could basically dump a load of points in one stat but it was not meant to be. Geas Online doesn't allow for min-maxing. Weird.
He decided that he would allocate the points later when he as a better handle of the game. One of the things that grabbed his attention is the space provided for his name.
'Of course I need a name' he thought.
It would be totally uncool be called 'Steve' in the middle of a group of obviously badass warriors. Steve had already thought about it during his VR orientation phase so he quickly filled in the spot.
Baron.
Now, people might say that the name is quite ordinary or boring but Steve has no plans being called 'XxShadowBladezxX' or some other stupid moniker. Baron is both simple and dignified. An easily recognizable name. Steve took the same route as Mr.T when the action star added Mr. in his stage name so that people would address him with respect.
The other curious thing was that his talent field has a few things in it already. Steve brought up the game manual. Huh, the game added those automatically as soon as his character was made based on his personality profile. Steve remembered the bruhaha about how when you signed up for the game, you are also signing a disclaimer that you are giving the game access to your social media to help mold the game to your personality. Privacy advocates made a lot of noise about how the company is collecting unnecessary data and saying that their information is not safe in the hands of Drachen Games but it never really went anywhere. The president of the company, Mr. Julian König, was very clear about this during the game reveal two years ago in Gamescom. He explained that the information the game would be gathering would be used as the basis on how your introduction to the game would be presented. It would also affect character creation giving you a very unique character not just because you changed how you look and the skills you choose but on what things you are good at in game. How you live your life will reflect on the game itself so a real world photographer would have a bonus in his perception or have the talent 'discerning eye' while a teacher could have a boost in the intelligence stat or the talent 'teaching.' The company was in compliance with international privacy laws so the complaints were relegated as people just making noise. Noise that has a point, but still noise.
Baron closed the character window and went back to focusing on what he was doing. It's kinda weird to be doing some stretches in a game when you know for a fact that you are lying in bed. You feel the pressure in your limbs but all of those are just neural feedback signals.
If you could just convince your brain of that.
"You done?" The old man asked. He has already done with his and was taking a sip from his waterskin.
"Yes. I think I'm okay."
"Good. Get yourself armed and come back here. A little sparring wouldn't hurt. I want to see how far the old warbird was able to teach you" the old man cackled.
He waved his an arm toward a stack of weapons sitting below the tree trunk Baron was leaning against earlier.
Baron nodded and hurried to get himself a weapon. He was excited and was eager to see what was in the offering.
Looking down on the stack, he could see a veritable trove of weapons, both normal and unusual, overflowing from a crate and a sack beside it. He could see that weapons range from antiquity up until early 15th century so he has a wide variety of selection.
As he was going over the numerous weapons, the all-powerful window popped up again. This time it was showing him a window to select combat skills. There was a lot to choose from but majority of the weapon skills were greyed out saying that he does not meet the requirements. Curious, Baron concentrated on the halberdier specialization. it says that he does not meet the required strength, dexterity, and two-handed weapon skill rank.
"So...choosing a good starting combat skills would pay dividends later. right" Baron mused.
He took the time to go over the available skills then made his choices. He first had to make a decision between one-hand or two-handed weapon handling skills, then he would choose a weapon specialization, lastly two combat abilities based on the weapon specialization. There was also a secondary weapon specialization but he could see that if he doesn't get training for it, there are massive penalties to accuracy and weapon handling. He had more chances dropping the weapon or hurting himself than actually using the weapon on an opponent. He didn't have to get weapon handling training for his initial weapon specialization as that was given as a bonus.
Steve has always been fascinated by the ancient cultures. He could remember spending hours at a time as a child watching videos in front of the TV about how people live their lives before industrialization. It was during this time he learned about the importance of being a citizen in the past. As a citizen, you also fight for your city or country. Sure, a slave or peasant would do too but freemen or landowners are the ones that form the backbone of every army of the classical age. It was during these video binges that Steve found love for the idea of the spearman. They always espouse the importance and elegance of the sword in literature, movies, and games but historically, the spear has always been the main fighting weapon of civilizations all over the world. He remember that as an imaginative child, if he could go back in time, he would want to be a spearman. A man representing the masses. Fighting side by side with your neighbor or friend. The spearman was a man's dream for a young impressionable mind.
Well, he now has the opportunity to realize that dream.
Baron chose Two-handed weapon handling as his primary fighting skills. He then chose 'spear and shield' as his weapon specialization then he went to the combat abilities screen to choose his two abilities. There was a lot of abilities to choose from. Even not counting the greyed-out abilities, it was still over a hundred. He took some time checking each ability to ensure that he doesn't waste his ability points. After a couple of minutes, he realized that he was supposed to arm up for a spar. Looking back at the old man, he could see he was swinging an axe around. It looks like he was going through some forms or something. It's clear that the game wanted him to make an informed decision.
Now that he wasn't being rushed, Baron went back to the extensive list. It feels like he spent at least 30 minutes before he came to a decision for his ability picks. Baron chose both 'Far Step 1' and 'Shield Ram 1' as his initial abilities.
Baron selected 'display ability' on his abilities windows to read the ability description one more time before he select confirm.
'Far Step 1'
Combat movement ability. Allows the player to take a sliding step in any direction at the cost of 15 Stamina. Step distance for 'Far Step 1' is 5 ft. Cool down is 20 seconds.
'Shield Ram 1'
Combat attack ability. Requires shield. Requires 10 feet minimum distance from the target. 'Shield Ram 1' will allow the player to use his shield to batter his opponent. At the initial rank, opponents smaller in stature and weight in comparison with the player has a high chance of getting knocked down. Matched opponents has a chance of being unbalanced. Larger or heavier opponents has a low chance of being unbalanced. Interrupts charged attacks/spell casting. No Damage. Narrow AOE.
Baron has a feeling that 'Far Step' would keep him alive more than his shield. In all the games that he had played, even a perfectly defended attack generates a minimum damage of sorts. 'Shield Ram' is a great way to start a fight though. Stabbing an unbalanced opponent would give Baron critical hit bonuses.
After confirming his two abilities. Baron turned his attention to the piles of weapons on the ground. Swords, wands, spears, axes, staves... Every kind of weapon available for any form of play style is available. Drachen Games did promise that you can play the way you want so if you want to be an axe-wielding mage, you can. If there is anything consistent about the weapons he was looking at is that all of them are, well, shit.
Baron bent over and got hold of a spear. There were two spears on the ground but only one which Baron suspected would be serviceable. Even in the evening light, he could see the point of the other one needs to be work on if it doesn't snap off at the first time it gets blocked during combat. It was also a bit too long for his taste. Baron concentrated on the spear in his hand.
Worn Hunting SpearCommon spear used in hunting wild boars. This spear has seen heavy handling though can still be of use. This spear has bet cut down to a more functional size for combat. Can be used in conjunction with a shield.Base damage: 5-7 Durability: 16/16
It's a typical starter weapon. The leaf-shaped head of the spear looks to be in good condition even if there were some nicks on it. The lugs at the base of it are also flared out properly. He could use that to yank a shield or hook armor. It might create an opening. Running his hand on the pole, he could feel that it was well-used because of its smoothness. The black streaks that he can see ingrained in it informs him that the pole was fire-hardened. It won't break easy.
Satisfied, Baron went around the box to look at the shields. Like the spear, the pickings were poor. There were three leaning on the box but one of them he disregarded immediately. It looked less of shield and more of a door. It was too big and heavy for his purposes. The other two were of the right size. Baron picked up the one on the left. Slipping it on, he took the classic spearman stance with his left foot forward, knees bent, shield on high guard, and the spear in an overarm grip.
He felt like a badass!
It was comfortable enough. He replaced the shield and took up the other one. He again took a fighting stance and there was a noticeable difference this time. Though the size of the shields were the same, he could feel that the one he was holding was much lighter. Baron took a couple of practice thrusts and it felt natural. The shield was not limiting his movement when he tried moving with it so he thought he has a winner here.
Baron stabbed the butt of his spear on the ground keeping it upright so he could hold the shield on both hands so he can examine it.
Barrel Lid Shield Formerly designed to be used as a cap for an ale barrel, this shield may has been modified as a defensive implement of a very poor cooper. Deflects damage. Durability: 22/24
Reading through the description, it seems that shield don't necessarily block all damages. Stamina would play a role on how long you can hold it up while the strength, momentum, and weapon quality of the other guy battering on it would act as a modifier on how much damage would leak through. Very poor and poor weapons would have zero chances of penetrating the Barrel Lid Shield but that's nothing special. It would be a miracle if the shield would last a prolonged battle but then again, it was not supposed to be. He would have to find a better one soon.
Baron felt complete now that he has both spear and shield but he's not done. He has to get a secondary weapon. If his spear breaks or if he loses it, he'll be easy meat. Beside the box is a stack of swords. This time, he was lucky. There was a wider selection and he was able to find exactly what he was looking for.
Baron picked up a Kopis. The sword was a bit shorter than what the Persians used to carry. It was a tad longer than a Xiphos so he suspected that it was modified to be carried by Greek Hoplites. The longer version of the Kopis was more popular among the cavalry since it carries weight as a slashing weapon but there was a lot of historical evidence that it was quite common among the heavy infantry even if the Xiphos is the most prolific in records. Baron checked out the sword.
Worn KopisThis weapon has survived a few campaigns. It's old and of an unpopular design but well taken care of. Base Damage: 4-6 Durability: 14/18
Unlike when he was wielding a spear, He didn't feel comfortable waving it around. He tried slashing with it but he felt like a dork. Baron was initially confused as to why he is so incompetent when he realized that he has no training in swords. The game has an auto correct feature that allows your character to use the skills you supposedly 'learned' so if you stab with a sword and you are a master swordsman, it would look like a master swordsman stabbing with a sword not a larper dicking around. The neural learning feature was turned off for most of the game's features since your local police department wouldn't like it if people start going postal on the streets. You really don't want to arm trained keyboard warriors with actual swords.
He would need to find a trainer or a skill crystal to learn how to use his pig sticker. For the moment, he belted it on to keep it in his person. Who knows, he might get a chance to work with it in the future.
Properly armed, Baron looked around for some armor but it was a futile effort. The best he could do was a stinky arming cap. It doesn't have any bonuses nor provide any defensive abilities other than keeping his hair from covering his eyes. He planned on getting some protection as soon as practical.
Baron jogged back to his campfire looking ready for a fight. He felt pleased that he was able to find everything he needed to complete his spearman persona and was looking forward to the upcoming battle.
The old man was waiting for him. He was armed with a targe and an axe. By the intricate design on his shield, he must be an important person.
"Here. Slip this on your spearhead." The old man said.
He tossed Baron a small hide sheath used to cover his spear point. Baron noticed that the old man's axe edge was also covered by leather. It might not have a naked edge but getting hit by a blunt axe will still be damn painful.
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As soon as he was done covering his spear point, the old man suddenly dropped into a fighting stance. He slammed his axe on his shield twice then he was suddenly in Baron's space. The old man was lightning quick. He was able to close the distance in two quick steps and was attacking before Baron could do anything. The old man swung his shield hitting Baron on the side of his head. Baron staggered a couple of steps back disoriented. Even while he was shaking his head trying to clear his vision, he immediately took a defensive stance. Being surprised is probably the deadliest thing in a fight. He wanted to circle left even though he couldn't see well but a small window was telling him he was stunned for five seconds. Baron cringed and gritted his teeth waiting for the hit he knows coming. Five seconds passed and he was still standing. His disoriented status cleared and he could move again. he old man had not moved since he bashed him with a shield and was shaking his head.
"Pay attention! You knew we were going to spar. Your enemies won't wait for you to get ready. Shall we try again?" The old man admonished.
He again signaled the start of the fight by slamming his axe on his shield and tried the same move. This time, Baron was ready. The old man flashed in his personal space and started to swing his shield. The disadvantage of that particular shield attack was that it was slow. He has to first place the shield across his body then throw a backhand swing ensuring the flattest part of the shield would hit flush against his opponent. Baron deduced that it was for his benefit. The old man doesn't really want to hurt him. He could have used the edge but that could potentially maim him.
As soon as the old man started his swing, Baron triggered his ability 'far step 1' and took a step back. By the time the old man's swing was fully extended, Baron was already out of range. That left the old man open. Baron took advantage of the opening and quickly stabbed with his spear. One, two, three...three consecutive strikes flew towards the old man. Baron was counting on finishing the fight early but he hadn't factored in how good the old man is. The first strike was deflected by his axe. The second strike was battered away by his targe and the third strike he let it pass by taking a small step to his left.
Baron backed off taking advantage of his longer reach and started circling waiting for an opening to strike.
"That was good." The old man said. He tracked Baron's movement presenting his shield. The old man was smiling.
"You learn quickly. That would have worked... but not on me." The old man said in a mocking tone.
He moved in close and another flurry of strikes were exchanged.
The sparring session continued for ten minutes before the old man signaled for a stop. Baron collected a few bruises but most of those were love taps. He could have broken some bones if the old man have gone all out. He was able to tag the wily fighter a few times but most of his hits were scratches or non-debilitating hits.
A man approached their camp fire.
"Evening Richer. What news?" The old man asked.
"Evenin' Iro. Chief's calling for a meetin.' We gonna make sure everybody knows what they'll be doin' before we hit the Ugars. We'd be puttin' the unblooded in front so make sure he knows what he be doin' right?" Richer said.
The small man smiled at Baron and gave him a wink. Baron was keenly aware that the man was having way too much fun saying that.
"Don't you worry lad. We'll be right there with you. this is your acceptance trial. You get first kill on the Ugars but we ain't leavin' you and the other unblooded hangin" Richer assured Baron.
It would be nice to have backup. He didn't know that he was being tested or what an 'Ugar' was but at least he will be fighting with others. The old man, Iro now that Baron finally got a name to address him with, just gave a smile and a nod.
"Ugars breed and live in the plains. They could be dangerous when fought in great numbers but we shave them down regularly. That's why us clansmen are tough. We make sure that there is enough of them around for our younglings and clan petitioners to blood themselves. Experience is the harshest and best teacher." Iro explained.
Richer went around the other campfires to deliver the same message while Baron and Iro walked towards the center of the encampment. Baron could see some were already dousing their fires and packing up equipment. All told, Baron would say that there were about fifty or so warriors in this band. Interestingly, most of the people were of distinct difference. He could see the tall and massive midlanders chatting with one of the dark-skinned ocean going Samuli. A small group of Iceborn were standing in a group whispering to each other. Their light blonde hair shining in the fire light. Even a number of the Astuana Mountainfolk were stomping around the place.
Baron was expecting a traditional clan of kin or at least of people from the Idumantai plains.
Both warriors entered the throng of people at the central fire waiting for the leader to speak. The leader, when Baron was able to eyeball him, is younger than Iro but not by much. He doesn't exude the same vitality he experienced with Iro but Baron thinks that Iro is a singular specimen.
He was a taller than average for a plainsman. Just like most fighters, his arms and hands are also scarred. He has a kindly-looking face, the kind of face that makes you think that if you speak, he will listen. The man is fit but not heavily muscled. The ornate vest he was wearing did little to hide his athletic body. The leader was sitting on a stool while a clansman beside him, probably a bodyguard of some sort, was eyeing the crowd forming.
Everybody was at the central fire in short order. Satisfied with what he was seeing, the clansman muttered something to the leader ear. The leader stopped cleaning his nails with a small dagger and stood up to address the patiently waiting crowd. He started pacing about the fire while he gave his speech.
"Evening petitioners. You are here tonight because you expressed your desire to join the Raging Boar Clan. Now, asking to join the clan is good because like any good clan, more people means more power. The more people we have, the more warriors, farmers, builders, and so on and so forth we would have. We would be expanding the influence of our clan across the plains."
The man paused from his pacing and faced the warriors.
"You have chosen to test yourselves through combat to gain acceptance. Tonight, you would either shed your title as an unblooded or you would be dead. You are required to kill at least one Ugar to be accepted in the clan. Do not think to cheat us on this. Observers would be following you to watch your fight and count your kills" The leader said then waved to a group of people standing to his left.
The observers were both men and women and all were armed with a ranged weapon of some type. They were all carrying some variation of a bow or crossbow. One large plainsman was even carrying an oversized heavy crossbow. The quarrel was almost the size of an arrow.
The leader then resumed his pacing and continued addressing the petitioners.
"Fear not. We will not leave you to your devices. The observers would intervene if you find yourself in a dire situation. Your minders that have been working with you will also be not far in case the numbers of Ugars are more than expected. The only thing you need to concern yourself with is following orders of the clansman that will lead you."
Again the leader stopped and faced the listening crowed. His face hardened.
"You will follow your battle leader. Disobeying orders will automatically disqualify your petition and result to expulsion from the plains. In case your disobedience leads to death, your life is forfeit. There is no grey area here. You follow or you leave. Dead or alive is up to you. Is that clear?" The man asked.
Heads nodded around the campfire. Some vocalized their agreement.
Satisfied that everybody understood the severity of his warning, the leader added one more thing to his speech.
"Your minders will leave you now. As soon as I'm done jawing at you, a clansman will collect you and group you with other unblooded. That clansman will also be your battle leader. Move quickly because we will leave in a few minutes." He said.
He smiled and added, "Kill me some Ugars"
A cheer went up around the fire. The leader then turned back and sat back down on his stool talking to two of the observers that approached him.
"Right. I'll be going now lad. Just keep your shield up and pay attention. I'll be seeing you later." Iro reminded.
He briefly squeezed Baron's shoulders then jogged away towards the other clansmen.
Baron stood by the central fire with the other unblooded. He thought about going through the game's codex to read up on the Ugars but the battle leaders wasted no time organizing the petitioners.
The leaders waded in the crowd pushing and guiding people into groups. Baron was herded into a group of five people. A midlander, two of the iceborn, and the solitary Samuli. The clansman that grouped them together had them move away from the fire. He talked to them while they moved.
"The name's Harn. I don't know you and you don't know me. If you want to survive, follow my orders. You don't have to know me to do that. A group of six warriors is called a fist. You five are the fingers and I am called the hand. You will call me as 'Hand,' understand?" the hand asked.
Everybody said yes or nodded and in the case of the Samuli, put his hand together in front of his face not unlike a Buddhist monk and gave a small bow.
"Alright. Let me explain what's going to happen. We will be moving toward the edge of the forest. As you can see, the tree line is quite thick so fighting in there is not a good idea. A lot of chances for your sword could get stuck in a tree. There are less idiotic ways to die.
The warband will approach the forest as soon Chief Salar gives the signal. We will be moving silently so pad your equipment well. When we are about fifty meters from the edge of the forest, we will stop and ready ourselves. Our scouts will enter the forest and bait the Ugars to attack. They're quite stupid. Ugars responds to attacks with savage aggression. What they lack in stature they make up with savagery and numbers. Once the creatures gets stirred up, they will swarm their enemies.
Our scouts will retreat while taking shots at the Ugars to keep them following. They will continue to run and shoot until they exit the forest. As soon as they are free from forest, the scouts will run to their fullest back to us.
This is where you will earn your clan mark. Our fist, along with the other unblooded, will arrange ourselves into five fists. The hands will position each fist to be far enough from each other that when the Ugars spots us, they will be forced to separate into smaller groups." The hand explained.
He then lifted the crossbow he was holding. It was a rugged repeating crossbow. He gave us a good look then re-holstered it on his belt so he can continue explaining.
"The observer and I will take our shots as soon as they come into range to ensure that some of them will attack us. The other fists will do the same. All of the unblooded will receive the attack. You will kill all of them.
If at any point I feel that our situation is untenable, I will blow my signal horn three times. Our clansmen will quickly come to assist us but I don't expect that to happen. If we are really in trouble, you will hear a long, deep, horn call that will signal for us to move to the closest fist. By that time, Chief Salar would have called for us to form the warband. The swarm would be flooding the plains for the Chief to do that. Gods be cursed if it reaches up to that point." The Hand muttered the last part slowly but we still heard it.
"Any questions?"
Nobody said anything. looks like everybody just wants to get it over with.
"Fine. Pad your armor and weapons then take the time to get to know your fist. Do it quickly, we'll be leaving soon. The scouts have already left." the Hand advised.
He turned away and jogged over the other fist to talk to its hand. He was an abrupt man and Baron understood that he was not happy leading the bunch.
Baron didn't really have anything on him other than the things he picked up at his campfire. He checked if anything rattled or made any kind of noise by shaking himself and taking small hops. He adjusted his shield strap to keep it nice and tight but other than that, he was good to go.
Baron noticed the two Iceborn approaching him. The Midlander and the Samuli warrior were also walking towards the Iceborn. He turned around to face them.
The Iceborn live in the far east of Geas. From what Baron can remember from the map and lore of the game, the Iceborn would have traveled a good four months to get to the Indumantai Plains. It's a hard, lonely country with very little in the way of luxury. The Iceborn live in small communities of twenty families or less rather than towns or cities. Their land is wide but has very few places that are both safe and viable for growing food winter fruits.
The Iceborns were twins. The male was of the same height of Baron. His hair was cut short almost near to the scalp. The man was wearing a muted red brigandine over a long sleeved white tunic. He was carrying a longsword strapped on his waist. The woman was a bit shorter than the man. Her long blonde hair was tied into a single braid that was wound around her neck like a scarf. For protection, she was wearing a thick brown jacket over a gambeson that matches her wide calf boots. She was armed with a cavalry sabre but Baron could see that she also has a dagger tucked in her belt.
"Hello. I'm Jeppa. This is my sister Vallenya. You can call us Jep and Val. It's much easier yes?" Jeppa said.
Jep was the outgoing type. Baron could see how comfortable he is at talking with strangers. He is very relaxed and has an inquisitive look. His sister was a bit more reserved, letting Jep lead the introductions though she did give a brief smile while Jep was talking.
The Midlander and the Samuli caught the conversation when they arrived and also introduced themselves. The Samuli gave a small bow.
"Honor to you friends. I am Shadlar Kai. May my spear make us stronger" the dark Samuli intoned.
He has an interesting lilting accent to his speech. It almost sounds like he was on the verge of singing.
Shadlar was the only other person in the fist that was unarmored like Baron. He was wearing a simple attire. Just a green tunic and dark brown pants. An intricately tied turban wraps his head. being used as a walking stick was a long, two-handed spear. It was of simple yet effective design. It has a small bill attached just below the spearhead for extra versatility.
The big Midlander introduced himself next
"I'm Calavan of Two Towns. Nice to meet you all."
The man is massive. Not that he was the tallest man you would ever meet, he'd probably be a little taller than the average NBA baller but his girth is something else. He's built like a power lifter. He actually has a bit of a gut spilling over his belt. What you can see are massive muscles like huge iron plates flexing just under a layer of fat.
Though he has an intimidating size, he was smiling at everyone. His face is plain, verging on boring. There was a sense of...normalness to it. If he wasn't so big, he would easily be forgettable. The only memorable about his face is his missing left ear.
Calavan is probably the best prepared amongst the group. Protecting his body is a scratched and dented cuirass. His forearms are sheathed in metal bracers while his shins are similarly covered by metal greaves. He carries a large kite shield to work in conjunction with his morning star. While not quite two-handed in length, his morning star is still longer and larger than what's comfortable for the average wielder. It just looks normal in his hands.
Everybody made their introductions so they all looked at me.
"Crap. I haven't thought about my background yet" Baron silently cursed.
The game allows for artistic flair in giving your background. To allow for completely unique characters, the game's AI will build your character's history through what you say about yourself and what you have accomplished throughout the game.
Luckily, for this moment, they were more interested in Baron's name.
"Evening everyone. My name is Baron."
He gave everyone a smile. He felt like he was in one of those alcoholics international meetings.
Now that everybody at least got a name, Calavan cleared his throat to get everybody's attention.
"Since we will be fighting together soon, I believe getting to know our strengths in battle would be appropriate. I was a former soldier from the Midlands so I'm intimately familiar with fighting in a battle line. I'm not very quick but I can take a charge or two and continue swinging" The big man said.
Shadlar, who was listening intently to the group, spoke next.
"I used to work as a fisherman for our village. I was also an armsman of our Datu. The Samuli are good spearmen since most of our time we spend spear fishing. I am particularly good with the long spear. I won the village tournament last year. I hope to prove myself in battle today."
Shadlar placed his hands on his waist. Apparently satisfied with himself.
The twins were bickering softly so Baron decided that it was his turn.
"I'm a spearman. Just like Calavar, I work well fighting at the front. I've not the speed to make quick work of enemies but I can keep a number of them occupied." Baron said.
He could see the twins smiling at what he said then quickly glancing at each other.
"Jep and I worked the caravan routes. We are tired of poor food and cheap wagon masters. Jep is good with his longsword. I used to fight on horseback but we had to sell my horse to get here. I can still fight competently on foot. I'm proficient with both sword and dagger."
At the mention of the two weapon fighting style, Jep rolled his eyes. Val must have noticed it because she slugged her sibling on the shoulder. The brother yelped and rubbed his stinging shoulder while giving his sister the stink eye.
"It is true! This piece of excrement right here hasn't seen my graceful self fighting with both weapons because whenever we are assigned together, I'm on horseback. I am serious!"
She added that one last bit because her brother, still not learning from previous experience, snorted quite loudly. He flinched back when Val raised her hand.
Baron got the feeling that Jep's arms are normally decorated with bruises when they're together.
"Good! This fist has more brains than the last one I led. Calaver and Baron, both of you will be at the front. Jep, Val, and Shadlar, you would be the wings of the fist. I know that all of you are experienced fighters but against Ugars, you have not the pleasure of killing. Enough of the talking. Pick-up your weapons and let's get moving."
Baron didn't see the hand joining the fist so he was surprised when he started talking. He was just behind Baron when he started giving orders. He and the observer were very good at stealth.
Baron and rest of the fist started quick marching towards the tree line. The plains was an easy land to walk on with its short grass and sparse boulders jutting around. On the march, Baron wanted to ask why they were not dismantling the camp but decided to keep his mouth shut.
He tried to keep himself from making noise or keeping it as little as possible. Even big man Calavar was making very little sound.
Baron took the time to look at their warband while they were on the move. The other fists were also moving silently but he could still hear some sounds. He guessed that this particular warband is not exactly made for stealth attacks.
It took about almost an hour before they reached the battlegrounds. It was not much. It was an open field with a few boulders here and there being used by those with bows and crossbows as a platform.
Baron's fist silently moved to the left side after the hand started drifting that way. The hand, when he was satisfied with their positions, quietly gave orders to Shaldar who was closest to him. Shaldar passed the orders down to the next person until the messenger reached Baron.
"Hand says we make a stand here, yes? He and the observer will climb boulder and shoot Ugars. Good hunting." Jep whispered in Baron's ears.
After Baron nodded his understanding, Jep then moved to Calaver's right side and a little to the back. He was giving the big man swinging room. Jep has his longword drawn. Baron could see him using a rag tied to his belt to wipe his hands.
Jep was not good at whatever passes for the common language in the plains. The game translates everything in English for Baron except when the person he is talking to is speaking a different language than what he 'knows.' Game mechanics requires you to learn the different languages of Geas if you want to speak it. Once you learn a language, the game would then translate the language into English or whatever your native language is. You can change the default language you see and hear through the game menu.
Steve has always been more comfortable with English than Filipino. In fact, a lot of the educated Filipinos are. It is becoming more of the norm to hear a Filipino speaking in Taglish than straight Filipino or English. The Commission of Higher Education actually had to push a resolution ensuring that the medium of instruction in school be strictly Filipino when not teaching English. Mass media is already in English. The government doesn't want to corrupt or lose the native language.
Baron passed the hand's orders to Val then took his position beside Calavar. The Midlander gave a nod then settled himself. The man has his morning star on his belt and his shield resting upright on the ground. It was the classical pose of a solider doing what every soldier does since the existence of organized fighting, waiting.
Baron decided he should do the same thing. He checked himself over ensuring that nothing is going to catch when he moves. It was a quick check since he doesn't have anything other than his weapons.
Behind him to his left was Val. She was a bit twitchy, her head swinging like a pendulum, checking everywhere. She was restless. She kept on gripping and releasing the pommel of her sabre. She was also spinning her dagger in her left hand. Baron thought she was doing that unconsciously. She was not paying any attention to it.
At the middle just behind Baron and Calavar was Shaldar. He has his spear planted and was drumming his fingers along the pole. He is the only one that looks truly comfortable. If Baron didn't know that they would be in a scrap, he would have thought that the Samuli spearman was busy admiring his spear.
The plains was quiet and the warband was pumped with energy. People were trying to keep the noise down but some rattling or soft cursing was still floating around. The moons were high so there was enough moonlight to give some sort of vision. Baron could see the people around him and a few meters around.
The land is beautiful, in the barren sort of way, it was slowly relaxing Baron. The mild, cool wind blowing was also adding to the feel of serenity. He took this moment to wonder and be amazed on how a game, a digital world, feels so much better than the real one he lives it. It's sad that he would rather spend time in Geas than in Manila.
Baron didn't know how much time he spent day dreaming but he was startled to attention when the scouts came running out of the tree line. The lead runner was flying through the plains. She was half way from the chosen battleground when she stopped, turned around, then shoot with her crossbow. A loud snap could be heard when she fired followed immediately by a loud hissing sound coming from the tree line.
The woman didn't waste her time loading her crossbow. She turned away from the forest and continued her sprint towards the warband. The other scouts were running beside her at this point.
Loud hissing sounds could be heard coming from the forest and after a few moments, the Ugars made their appearance. A large number of them exploded from the forest hissing and spitting in anger. The creatures paused momentarily when they saw people waiting for them but that didn't stop them from attacking. It just means that there is more food for the brood.
The Ugars are strange creatures. They have the body of a gorilla with a crocodile tail and the head of a walrus. They stand about four foot tall but they walk and run hunched over, their long arms dragging on the ground. They run at a respectable speed on a skipping stride like a lemur. Their body is covered with scales with a red stripe running from the top of their heads all the way across their backs to the tips of their tails. The fangs on their faces are about a foot long and is razor sharp. Their large, black eyes sparkles in the moonlight.
The Ugars are semi-intelligent. They don't make sophisticated weapons. They can make primitive clubs and spears but they prefer scavenging metal weapons from those they kill or find. It doesn't matter what condition they get it in, what matters is that they believe they have a superior weapon at hand. The reality is most of the weapons they get are either of poor quality, or broken. Those that were able to grab a good one won't have a good weapon for long. They have no concept of weapon maintenance so after a couple of weeks, their weapons are nothing more than dirty and rusted hunks of barely usable metal.
Ugars breed very quickly. The clansmen make it a point to regulate the population of the creatures by regularly wiping out a number of breeding grounds. They tried to kill off the Ugars in the past but the population of the other more dangerous predators increased dramatically. Somebody among the clansmen was able put two and two together and since that time, they ensured the continued existence of the distasteful creatures in the plains.
The Ugars charged the clansmen waiting for them in a savage fervor. Some were even shoving others aside so that they can reach the hated humans faster.
Baron and his fist prepared to receive the charge. Those who had ranged weapons were firing at the running creatures, dropping some of them. The Ugars split into uneven groups as they ran towards the fist nearest to them.
A group of twelve was charging Baron's fist. Something flew over their heads and dropped in front of the running Ugars. It must have been a bottle since Baron heard a shattering sound. What looked like small insects flew away from the container that trapped them and started emitting a soft, yellow light. The entire front of the tree line was bathed with the dim glow allowing the warriors to see the creatures easily.
When the Ugars were about a half a dozen meter ahead, Calavar dropped lower in his stance and suddenly burst forward, his shield in front. He smashed into the lead Ugar, flattening it to the ground and continued on hitting another one mid-jump, ramming it away. Jep was right at his heels, longsworld stabbing the downed Ugar in the face. A soft ripping sound could be heard as he quickly pulled his sword back and met another one swinging a rusty sword at him.
"Ha! You think I'm easy fight. Stupid creature, where is head now!?" Jep shouted as he parried the clumsy attacked and riposte with his longsword, decapitating the Ugar.
Calavar was an unstoppable force. He met every Ugar that came his way with his morning star. He was striking using large sweeping motions, hitting multiple enemies at one stroke. The Ugars were not proving much of a challenge to the Midlander. Baron could see that three were already dead at his feet. Two of them had their heads crushed like a melon.
Baron had to stop observing the two as a hissing Ugar with a club was rushing him. Just like Calavar, Baron didn't give the Ugar a chance to swing. He walked towards the creature with his shield forward and tight to his body while activating his 'shield ram 1' ability. The ability triggered when the enemy came into range and Baron found himself dashing forward. The creature was surprised going by how its eyes enlarged but it couldn't do anything. Baron hit the Ugar and it flew a couple of feet away. He did not have the same mass and strength as Calavar but the ability had the same result.
The Ugar lost its club and was stunned. It's body was not responding properly as it kept on trying to stand up. Baron stabbed down with his spear, aiming for center mass. The spear went through the creature's stomach but didn't penetrate as deep as Baron has expected. The Ugar felt that as it hissed so loud that it stung listening to it. It tried to grab on the spear but Baron knew that grabbing the spear is the easiest and most common way to defeat a spearman so just like in boxing, he was quick to pull back his arms, or in this case spear, after striking.
The Ugar was able to shake its stunned effect after getting stabbed and quickly stood up, rushing the spearman. Baron was able to react rapidly by taking a few steps back and jabbed with his spear. The spear caused the Ugar to shy away but it was still trying to dodge the spear point. Baron kept thrusting until he was able to catch the creature when it tried to follow the spear on the return.
Most people don't know why the spear dominated the classical and medieval ages. The uninformed think that since it is a long weapon, it must be slow and unwieldy. Once you pass the point, the spearman in easy game.
What people don't seem to understand is that you can half-choke your grip for smaller and quicker jabs. Thrusts are also easy and quick controllable motions. Just because the person wielding the spear tends to strike at a distance doesn't mean he or she couldn't thrust faster when needed.
The Ugar attacking Baron learned that to a deadly effect. Baron was actually baiting the creature to close in by stabbing in slower intervals so as soon the Ugar ran forward, he expertly pulled back then stab directly at the surprised creature. This time, he ran the Ugar through cleanly. He pushed the spear in more until it caught at the lugs then pushed the creature down to the ground. The dying Ugar hissed and weakly tried to swipe at him with its long arms as he kept it at bay but it was losing strength quickly and couldn't gather enough energy to do anything other than to stare at him while it died.
Once the Ugar stopped squirming, Baron pulled out his spear and took stock on what's happening around him.
Val was not lying when she said she was good with the sabre and dagger. She was flitting around an Ugar, using her footwork and her fast moving blade to keep it from arms length. The frustrated creature was already injured with seeping wounds on its chest and right leg. It's left arm was useless from a cut on the shoulder so it was trying to swat at Val with its club with its right arm. The Ugar got creative when it tried using its tail as a hidden weapon when Val was recovering from a diagonal backhand cut. The tails would have met its mark if not for Val catching it with her offhand dagger. She sliced it off cleanly then proceeded to run the cunning creature through the chest as it was commiserating its lost tail. Just to make sure that it was really dead, Val also drove her dagger in the creature's brain, instantly stopping its movements. The dead Ugar slid off the woman's sabre dropping to the ground. Val looked for another Ugar to kill then rushed forward to engage another one.
Shaldar was proving to be the most effective when it comes to crowd control. He kept his spear flashing forward, stabbing Ugars left and right. He was herding the stupid creatures to the center, ensuring that the fist won't be surprised by an attack from the side or the back. The Samuli warrior was very accurate with his jabs too. Baron could see neck and face wounds on the Ugars he was harassing. A couple of them were already dead with gaping holes in their faces.
Shaldar was pacing himself, pushing the Ugars slowly backwards while giving the illusion of him backing off by sliding a step back once in a while. It kept the enraged creatures from getting frustrated and their attention on him while Val and Jep attacked them from the side.
Baron took his place beside Calavar and went to work. He started jabbing at the Ugars that were now clustered in front. They were being pressured into a more compact space as Val and Jep started wrapping on them from the sides.
The fight was progressing well as more and more of the Ugars died. With only three left, the creatures became desperate. They know that they were in trouble and they couldn't get away.
A cornered animal is a dangerous animal. Baron doesn't know if an Ugar counts as an animal but the sentiment is the same.
The Ugars, driven by their precarious situation, turned absolutely savage. They must have concluded that dying was inevitable so they decided to take as many warriors with them. Their hissing suddenly grew to a loud, whining pitch then all three of them charged forward. One of the creatures carrying a rusted sword struck a hard blow towards Calavar. The Midlander took the attack on its shield but was surprised at how powerful it was. The big man was shoved a step back. Jep tried to slash at the enraged Ugar and was able to cut it on its left arm but it paid no attention to the damage. It was single minded on its rage against the offending man standing in front of it. Calavar was off-balanced from the heavy strike and could not respond to the heavy blows other than using his shield to ward of attacks. The Ugar was astonishingly fast and strong. Luckily, Jep was there give a lending sword. He concluded that the angry Ugar will become a serious problem if they have to fight it in a long engagement so he timed his strike and this time he was able to cut off the creature's right arm.
"HA! No have sword now you noisy creature. Not so strong anymore, yes?" The Iceborn crowed. He jumped back after severing the appendage when the creature tried to swipe him with its tail.
Calavar finished the fight by slamming his morning star in the Ugar's head, pulping it to mush.
While this was happening, the two other Ugars were also attacking the others. The one at the back took a leap and landed on Baron's shield. The Ugar jumped so fast that Baron was not able to stab it with his spear. The creature was heavier than expected. Both of them crashed to the ground with Baron on his back and the Ugar on top of him. Baron had his shield in front of him, keeping the strong creature from getting a clean hit on the grounded fighter with its fists. Cursing, Baron let go of the spear. It would not help him in his current situation anyway. He tried pushing with both arms using his shield as a lever to throw off the Ugar that was wailing on him but the wild creature was too strong. Changing tactics, Baron grabbed the hilt of his short sword. He was able to draw it by shifting and bucking around. He could have done it faster but the threat of those deadly fist to the face made defense a priority.
"Good thing these Ugars don't know MMA or I would have been dead in short order" Baron thought.
Baron finally got his sword free and frantically stabbed around his shield toward where he think the Ugar is sitting. He kept stabbing even if he couldn't see clearly until the creature hissed loudly and the weight pinning him to the ground was gone. Baron didn't bother getting up to a standing position. He was on his knees when the Ugar attacked again. It was in front of Baron with its hands high in the air dropping them on his head like a hammer strike. Baron lifted his shield and blocked the heavy blow. He grunted with the effort of defending himself. The Ugar left its stomach open after that attack, giving Baron the chance that he needs. Baron stabbed forward, putting his weight behind the thrust. It burst through the Ugar's stomach and out on its back. Baron twisted the sword to enlarge the hole then pulled back. He was about to stab again when the creature dropped lifelessly to the blood-soaked ground.
Baron noticed his stamina bar flashing. All that blocking ate through his reserves quickly. He didn't notice he was breathing heavily until after the Ugar was dead. His arms were also shaking and were having a difficult time lifting his weapons. He slowly got to his feet and picked up his spear again after sheathing his sword.
Baron could see that all the Ugars that attacked their fist were dead. With Val decapitating the last one pinned by Shaldar on the ground with his spear, their test ended with a success.
A window popped up in front of Baron's eyes.
Event Quest: Joining The Clan 1 - Completed!