“So… what are you?” The woman asked Sebas while inspecting him, admiring the slowly burning feathers on his body, inspecting the red hot claws that sat on scaled palms, and inspecting his small ears that flickered every time he moved.
“Usually, when people talk to me, they say “Hello” first, but you can break the pattern,” Sebas said while going over the quest information.
----------------------------------------
[Quest: Big Fish in a Large, Dead Pond]
[Description: Ihta, the Goddess of the Hunt, pissed off by ??? Offers you a better quest, cooler than whatever that loser ??? Can come up with.]
[Objective: Kill: Field Boss: “Death Knight” 1/1
Kill: Field Boss: “Flesh Aberration” 0/1
Kill: Dungeon Boss: “Lesser Lich Sariel” 0/1]
[Reward: 1x
----------------------------------------
“Surely you aren’t trying to use some cynical psychological digs to try and put me down?”
“Lady, if you crossdress into old men, that's your deal, but I have things I need to do.”
“Like what?” She asked.
“...give me a moment,” Sebas said, placing a burning finger on his chin to think of a response.
“Does that hurt?”
“No, but I’m worried I’ll never be able to hold my lover again, what would she think after seeing me like this,” Sebas gestured towards his burning and regenerating torso.
The elf woman laughed, “You have a strange sense of humor.”
“You’re the one laughing.”
The Elven woman responded with a silent smile.
[The Goddess of Mercy tells you to put out the fire.]
“Sorry, the voices in my head are telling me to quench myself, are you going to follow me around like a lost puppy?”
“More like a stalking tiger than a small companion.”
“That weird; you are weird,” Sebas told her before walking towards the river.
The woman watched him turn back, and slowly disappear into the dim shadows when he was out of sight.
Sebas stood in the waist-high dark glowing rushing river water while holding up the pair of burnt-looking pants with his burning hands. He the back of his smouldering hand, and watched as the white-gray pants failed to light the rugged pair of pants. He nodded and smiled as he put it on before dunking his body fully in the glowing water.
“You do know most people would check items dropped in an undead dungeon for curses first.” The woman said to him from the bank of the rushing water.
“You know, women your age are usually staring at me while I’m shirtless, it’s also always elves… and when I’m wet… do you think there’s a deeper meaning to it?”
“Did you get cursed or not?”
Sebas focused on the pants that he wore, admiring them as he hadn’t had proper clothes in a while.
[Ash-Stained Leggings]
{Uncommon Field Boss Drop}
24/24 Durability
+1 Resistance to Fire
+4 Constitution
Enchantments: {Unknown}, {Unknown}
Curses: {Unknown}
“Wrought through the flames of battles that freed the souls of the damned, these soot-laden pants are marked by an eternal flame that refuses to fade.”
“Yep,” he said nonchalantly.
“Great.”
“It’s not that bad is it?” Sebas asked her, running his fingers in the pockets.
“What the curse?”
Sebas shrugged at the woman.
“What's your
“Eleven.”
She dragged a hand across her face, peering at him from between her fingers.
“What?”
“Do you only put your attributes into physical stats?”
“Of course, there's no point in training your mana and channeling if you don't have an affinity.”
“You just survived being eaten alive while on fire, you think you might have a fire affinity?”
“No, I would know.”
“Oh?” She said, getting a grin, “And what peeks an insight into that information, second in complexity only to the soul?”
“I’ll have you know I’m a prospective heir, and I’ve bested the hero of humanity in training combat.”
The elf shook her head at Sebas, trying not to smile, “Do you tend to space out for long periods of time?”
“I also have voices that talk to me,” Sebas added to the conversation.
[The Goddess of the Hunt discreetly points you towards your next target]
“Speaking of, my voices are telling me something now,”
“Oh? What kind of voices?”
“THE VOICES OF GODS,” He said before leaping up as he started scaling the mountain’s side.
“You’re either telling the truth or deeply damaged.”
“I can be both, now fuck off.”
“Why should I? My favorite activity is following around lunatics.”
“I’m sorry, I should have told you from the beginning,” Sebas began, looking over to her as she deftly leaped up the rockfaces, landing on small peaks as if skipping, “I’m afraid of women, now go, you’ll give me a panic attack.”
“You are a strange one, Sebas.”
“Okay,” Sebas said opposedly, squinting at her.
“What’re you thinking about?” She asked, crouching down next to him as he slowly dug his claws into the nooks of the rockface.
“I’m trying to determine if it would be funnier to imagine the god of Humanity as a balding man, or if it would be better to imagine him with a manbun.”
[The God of Humanity twitches his eye as he watches you.]
“Why are you so cynical?”
“My mother killed herself when I was young, My biological father wants to turn me into a hunting dog for politically prestigious reasons, and I’m separated from my party, so forgive me for being a bit secretive. Why are you following me, do you want to make a hunting dog out of me?”
She paused for a moment, facial expression unwavering as he spoke as if studying his expression to find the truth behind the impassive nature, but eventually spoke again, “I am part of an organization, not a cult, and think you would be a half-decent member.”
“Smugglers? Thieves? Some sort of prostit-”
“Assassins,” She cut him off.
“Hmm… I’m not exactly built for stealth, but also, why should I? I don't owe you anything lady.”
“That could change.”
“It could, but at the current time,” Sebas said, finally and unsteadily standing on the peak of the mountain, “I don’t even know your name.”
“I feel like you don’t care about names.”
“Okay, well, yes, but also, how dare you call me out on my bullshit.”
She giggled softly at him.
Sebas looked out towards the dark landscape, crouching down and squinting to get a better look across the dark forests, rocky landscapes, and strange dilapidated homesteads.
“Ihta?”
[The Goddess of the Hunt points her finger towards the northeast, having her mouth covered by the Goddess of Mercy]
“That isn’t my name.”
“I don’t care what your name is,” Sebas said to her, letting his wings spread to each side, “I’ve got something I can get for free.”
“Care to give me a lift?”
“Lady? What is your deal?”
She tapped a finger to her lip to think of how to properly answer him.
“I’m doing something later today, and until then my schedule is considered free.”
“And you want to follow around a teenager?”
“How old are you?”
“Seventeen.”
Her expression changed into something curious and then hardened before she grabbed him by the face and inspected him closely.
“You’re hardly an adult, how have you managed to do what you’ve done to yourself at such a young age.”
“I’m pretty sure there's something inherently wrong with punching a woman, however, my fear of you is so overwhelming I want to anyway.”
“Tell me, boy, what are you? What is a nightmare?”
“I ate an owlbear and got really bad food poisoning, and looked like this when I woke up.”
She began to squeeze down on Sebas’ face, causing his jaw to audibly pop as she spoke, “I’m curious about what you are, something I’ve never encountered in my two hundred and fifty years on Starrous.”
“Ow.”
“I just want an answer.”
“Ow,” Sebas said again, increasing pain in his voice.
“Why are you the way you are?”
“My mother told me I was different than the other kids, she called me special.”
She released him from her grip, and Sebas yelped as he hit the rock face.
“OW!” he exclaimed, “That fucking hurt!”
“It hurts me to talk to you, child, but I still do it.”
“Nobody asked you to!”
“Just start flying Sebas.”
Sebas mocked her, repeating her words in a winging voice and spreading his wings, “I can’t fly, They’re still growing, have been for a month.”
“Can you carry me?”
“Why should I?”
“Because we're heading in the same direction, and you're a gentleman.”
“I can’t wait to get out of jail, I wouldn’t wish this on anyone.”
Sebas leapt and clamped his legs on the Elven woman’s shoulders, and began flapping his wings.
“Can’t you just hold me in your arms… Arm?”
Sebas groaned and looked down at her, before dropping her a few inches above the ground.
He slowly flew over the mountain next to the woman and struggled before landing again without tumbling down the mountain. Sebas groaned and dragged his hand across his face.
“How?”
“Have you never held someone before?”
“No.”
“Just hook your arm and pick me up.”
Sebas squinted at her before looking down at his arm turning it inward to his body, making a small chair for her, “This is stupid.”
“Shut up and pick me up.”
Sebas grumbled at her, and hesitated before picking her up, holding the woman close to him. Sebas had changed significantly since his seventeenth birthday, from having electricity surge through his body multiple times, losing an arm, and becoming a proper monster, he noticed a new change. He had gotten taller, and his arms and legs had become longer, be it from the blessing Ihta bestowed on him, or from just finally growing up, he was much larger than the tiny elven woman, properly dwarfing her as she clung to his body.
“Hold on,” Sebas said, in a grouchy tone, once again spreading his wings.
He ran across the mountaintop, the tips of his talons clacking against the rock as he ran forward, until he dived, and aimed for the ground below, slowly rising as his wings picked up the downwind.
The elven woman whooped while she clutched onto his shoulder, staring at the ground from the air above.
Sebas scoffed at her reaction, thinking back to the first time he had properly glided if he wasn’t in a verbal kerfuffle with the God of Humanity, he would probably have hooped and hollered like the elf did.
[The Goddess of Mercy glares at The Goddess of the Hunt]
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[The God of Afterlife tells Mercy to just let her be, she is young but she favors the mortal, let her have her fun, he’ll get himself killed eventually]
[The God of Humanity groans, wishing that you got yourself killed faster.]
[The Goddess of the Hunt secretly tells you to go that way as she points]
Sebas chuckled to himself and tilted his body to the left, he flew over the forests and rocklands below, watching as it slowly turned into a pale blue grassland, headed towards a large outcropping of stone pillars around a strange altar.
“Is this the place?”
The elf looked up at him, with a curious expression, “Is what the place?”
[The Goddess of the Hunt tells you to drop the floozy if you want to know]
“Guess it is,” Sebas said, dropping the elf when they were a few feet in the air.
She landed with a graceful landing and inspected the closest column of stone, tracing the inscriptions with her fingers.
“Why here?”
Sebas shrugged at her and waited.
[The Goddess of the Hunt says she doesn’t like her…]
Sebas gave the air in front of him a flat look, as if tired of a day that never ended.
[The Goddess of the Hunt says yes, it is the right place, with a pout]
Sebas looked around, first taking time to inspect the alter. A large table of some smooth white stone sat in a magic circle, that seemed to be faded from neglect or some other environmental factor, the gray-blue color in the air seemed to be more gray than anywhere else in the underground’s gloom.
Seven square pillars sat at equal distances around the altar, each holding strange inscriptions that Sebas was unfamiliar with. Each pillar held some type of glyph, circuit, or rune that matched none of the others when he cross-referenced each one.
“Maybe I should’ve brought my hammer,” Sebas joked.
“Why’d you leave it behind?”
“It was too heavy.”
“And you were just going to start smashing each pillar to… what, vent?”
“Well…” Sebas began, trailing off, not finishing his sentence. Returning to the altar, Sebas placed his hand against the reflective stone, and peered at his reflection, the muddled image showed a feathery creature, who slowly opened its unhinging jaw.
“What are you doing?”
“Might got something in my teeth.”
“Get away from that thing, it might be trapped.”
Sebas groaned and inspected the ground near the magic circle, prodding the earth beside each rune and circuit.
“D’you got anything?”
“Give me a minute, we just got here, go fight if you don’t want to try using your brain.”
Sebas shook his head back and forth while repeating her words in a low grumble before marching into the distance.
Sebas walked up and down the rolling hills of the dungeon, exploring every inch that he could, it was an expansive land, the dark blue grass that layered the ground was always a little damp, and short trees sat in small groves that were always square in layout. Rushing water flooded through the depths of the valleys, leading into a small lake formed in a crater. Small hounds were seen trudging around the lakeside, attacking ghouls that manifested in blue lights as they spawned.
Sitting on the damp grass, Sebas watched as the rotting dog carcasses, pudgy and stumpy, ran through ghouls, charging and stampeding before ripping into them with their teeth. The hounds would help each other de-limb the undead shamblers, and dig into their bodies, running away yelping when the blue flames consumed the bodies.
“What a bunch of freaky little cannibals… aren’t you all supposed to be on the same side?”
[The God of Afterlife says that it's not all simple, Right and Wrong, Good and Bad are just a spectrum when it comes to the world, and the dungeons don’t change the nature of the creatures they create.]
“Wow, that was so profound, really, that was amazing.”
[The God of Afterlife chuckles, calling you an asshole]
“Do you think I need to repaint the magic circles there to get the “Flesh aberration” to spawn, or maybe put some of these dogs on that altar, and some fucked up creature will sew ‘em together and send them back?”
[The God of Afterlife says he’s not sure, but it’s a good start. Also, you should quit asking the Gods for help, Mercy is getting on our cases.]
“Well, you people hang out in my headspace, don't you?”
[The God of Humanity scoffs, muttering “Is that what we're calling it now?”]
“Shut up Humanity, you’re probably bald,” Sebas said, placing his hand behind his head as he lay against the grass.
[The Goddess of the Hunt says that she wants to help you more, but she can’t]
“Because?”
[The Goddess of Mercy says it is because you are not a follower.]
“So?”
[The Goddess of Mercy says that your connection to The Goddess of the Hunt is solid, but it is draining to her, if you were her apostle, it would be much less taxing on her.]
“She seems fine to me.”
[The Goddess of Mercy sighs, and prays for you]
“Ihta, you feel sick? Do Gods get sick?”
[The Goddess of the Hunt smiles, and says she’s fine, thank you for asking]
“See?”
[The Goddess of Mercy prays for you]
[The God of Afterlife says you are in trouble with a wisecracking tone]
“Whatever,” Sebas rolled his eyes at the god, slowly got up from his lie down, and began walking down the hill. The first hound that saw him charged forward with reckless abandon as if it smelled him. The stumpy beast bounded in its charge, dashing up the hill with its lifeless eyes locked on Sebas. It barked, its voice made little more than a whoop as the large hole in its throat failed to function in its intended fashion.
Sebas held his hand outward as if accepting its attack. He watched as the creature leaped off of the ground a few times, spanning a great distance as its glowing fangs went for his throat on the final jump. Sebas grabbed the creature by the nape of its neck and roared in its ears after snatching it from the air.
[Player has alerted the Horde.]
Sebas slowly squeezed down on the rotten flesh of the abominable dog, until its neck properly popped, signifying the spine separating.
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 21 Zombie Hound]
[Experience has been gained.]
Sebas watched its corpse fall to the ground and slowly roll past the tens of maggot-filled hounds that bound the hill with their rounded bloated bodies jiggling as they chased him uphill. Sebas began to leap backward, locking eyes with the leader of their pack.
[The God of Alchemy asks if he's doing something stupid again before going back to work]
[The God of Afterlife nods, confirming it.]
Sebas watches at the frothing maws bite at his legs as he runs back, occasionally kicking one in the head if it gets too close to his ankles. The largest hound howls and each one starts speeding up as they run across the fields of grass, kicking dirt up underfoot. Sebas turns and starts dashing, slowly gaining distance away from the dogs. He turns to a loud snarl as one of the hounds latch onto his back, biting down on his wing.
[(Risk-Taker) has been activated]
[You have been inflicted with: Decay]
Sebas sneered and flipped forward, slamming his back into the ground.
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 25 Zombie Hound]
[Experience has been gained.]
Sebas turned his head and watched as they leaped from above, each trying to land on his back as he sidestepped his lunging strides. Sebas looked forward to the stone outcropping that finally appeared within his vision, punching a dog as it leaped for his hand.
The elven woman looked over as the stampede of hounds chasing Sebas descended down the hill after him, and gave the monster a tired look before descending into the shadows, turning invisible as her body lost its matter.
“That’s pretty fucking cool…” Sebas said to himself as he ran towards the altar. He jumped up over the magic circles around the ritual site and planted his feet on the altar as he watched tens of hounds run toward him.
Sebas bellowed and hung his hand over the edge of the altar, as he awaited for their arrival.
[The Goddess of Mercy asks why you do this to yourself?]
“To feel something.” Sebas swung his arm out as a hound reached his neck, bisecting it from its body, splattering congealed blood over the altar’s stone top and the feathers on his chest.
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 25 Zombie Hound]
[Experience has been gained.]
[Sacrifice Detected]
Sebas grinned and bounced around from the altar and the pillars, rounding the hounds up as he jumped off of each pillar, jumping over their heads as they charged, and watched as their stubby bodies had to spend proper time turning before they could continue their charge towards him.
He sat atop a pillar and kicked over the hounds as they lept towards him.
“Hey! Do you need any help?” Sebas asked his surroundings, searching for the invisible elven woman.
“Oh Ha Ha,” the air said to him.
Sebas grinned and hung down the pillar, charging a purple glow in his fist as he reeled it back. Launching a volley of blows toward the hounds below. One of their heads slammed into the ground, while another had its lower half run away from its head before collapsing.
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 24 Zombie Hound]
[Experience has been gained.]
[Skill Experience has been gained.]
[Sacrifice Detected]
Sebas grinned and let the hounds chase him as he vaulted over their ranks, sometimes flourishing his body with a victorious pose in the air before his purple fist sent rounds of multi-layered punches into the creatures.
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 21 Zombie Hound]
[Experience has been gained.]
[Skill Experience has been gained.]
[Sacrifice Detected]
Over and over, Sebas’ hand would destroy the heads of hounds as they chased him.
“Hey, how come you’re able to keep up with so many enemies of your level?”
“I’m really cool!” Sebas said while pulling his arm out of a hound's body, “Like really, really cool!”
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 29 Zombie Hound]
[Experience has been gained.]
[Skill Experience has been gained.]
[Sacrifice Detected]
Sebas was pushed over and pinned by the zombie hound’s pack leader and screamed when it bit chunks of flesh out of his neck. He grabbed it by the face and slid it across the dirt before hounds began to pile over top of him.
[[Unyeilding Rage] has been activated]
[Pain Resistance, Strength, Dexterity, Fainting Resistance, and Bleed Resistance have been bolstered by a minor amount]
[Intelligence and Sanity have been impaired by a minor amount]
Sebas bellowed from within the pile of undead canines before he began to rise from the dirt and roared at the ceiling as he ripped hounds off his body one by one, his feathers were standing on edge as he killed them, a head crushed by his palms, his teeth remove what used to be a throat, feet used to send a dog across the horizon.
[The God of Humanity finds you horrific]
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 27 Zombie Hound]
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 27 Zombie Hound]
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 27 Zombie Hound]
[Experience has been gained.]
[Skill Experience has been gained.]
[Multiple Sacrifices Detected]
[Ritual has started]
Sebas landed on one hand and turned his head forward at the slowly encircling hounds, frothing at the mouth as he looked at each of them, swiping at those that got close.
Two leaped at him from behind, and he grabbed them both with his taloned feet, ripping chunks out of them and pounding them with his fist. He made a noise that was a mixture of a roar and a screech at their corpses untiled they quit moving.
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 26 Zombie Hound]
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 27 Zombie Hound]
[Experience has been gained.]
[Skill Experience has been gained.]
[Skill: [Unyielding Rage] LV 1 -> LV 2]
[Senses, Pain Resistance, Strength, Dexterity, Fainting Resistance, and Bleed Resistance have been bolstered by a minor amount]
[Intelligence and Sanity have been impaired by a minor amount]
[Sacrifices Detected]
Sebas looked at the invisible woman above him, standing on the pillar with her arms crossed. He watched the false moonlight that reflected off of her transparent body before settling back to its invisible shine.
He snapped his vision towards the pack leader, staring at it as it took a step forward before grinning and leaping forward, sinking his red glowing teeth into its body, throwing chunks from side to side as his hand ripped its stomach open, the beast hardly had time to get a proper yelp out before Sebas eviscerated the creature.
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 30 Alpha Zombie Hound]
[Experience has been gained.]
[Skill Experience has been gained.]
[Congratulations]
[Nightmare Level 27 -> 28]
[Access. 15 Stat Points are available for Distribution.]
[Sacrifice Detected]
Sebas’ body rose from the corpse and looked around at the different canines that stood around, surprisingly aghast for undead creatures. His jaw clicked as his smile beamed from his face, and he started slaughtering every one of them, a fraction of a second needed between each claw bisecting each head, or each foot squishing a spine, teeth ripping out the stomach or leg of a fleshy dog.
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 26 Zombie Hound]
[Experience has been gained.]
[Skill Experience has been gained.]
[Sacrifice Detected]
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 24 Zombie Hound]
[Experience has been gained.]
[Skill Experience has been gained.]
[Sacrifice Detected]
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 25 Zombie Hound]
[Experience has been gained.]
[Skill Experience has been gained.]
[Sacrifice Detected]
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 23 Zombie Hound]
[Experience has been gained.]
[Skill Experience has been gained.]
[Sacrifice Detected]
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 25 Zombie Hound]
[Experience has been gained.]
[Skill Experience has been gained.]
[Sacrifice Detected]
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 21 Zombie Hound]
[Experience has been gained.]
[Skill Experience has been gained.]
[Sacrifice Detected]
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 25 Zombie Hound]
[Experience has been gained.]
[Skill Experience has been gained.]
[Sacrifice Detected]
Sebas watched as the creatures ran from him, tilting his head from side to side as he crawled forward.
“They don’t want to play with you anymore, child.”
Sebas snapped his head to the invisible woman, hardly listening in his impaired state.
“They’re too scared, Nín-gaur”
He watched as she slowly turned visible, his eyes locked on her figure as it returned to the material plane.
“Your inner Tyelair-graw is showing, Nín-gaur, don’t you have something to do?”
He looked at her curiously as the thought went through his mind, did he have something to do?
She gestured to the now glowing, red circle of magic as the flesh of the Zombie hounds disappeared from its surface, and was dragged into the altar by some black orb of magic.
[Ritual is in Progress]