Surface- Valley of Origins
Empire of Night- City of Eternal Night
Palace of Night- Mess Hall
The Mess Hall was full, all the guildmates were up early they had no idea how long the quest to clear the Obsidion Kingdom was going to take. So Jacob and all those going had a mandatory wake up call an hour before sundown. That would give them a maximum amount of time to explore and figure out what they had to do to reclaim one of the Dwarven homelands.
No one knew what to expect so they were going loaded for everything. Potions that boosted resistances to everything and from what little Glagor and Creacher had told him, they could expect anything there. The Obsidian Kingdoms secrets were buried deep, so deep not even their people knew what was fact and fiction anymore. As far as what happened to that specific kingdom, the stories say it was either plague or invading armies that were the most common stories.
"All tanks are being issued double Health and Stamina potions. We are issuing two Minor Potions of Possibilities to everyone, it will stack with resistance potions, but not regen or Stoneskin Potions. Mages are getting double Mana potions, Rogues double Stamina and Stealth boosting potions. This dive is digging deeply into all our potions reserves for Resistance based potions." Anastasia stated as she ate a fruit bowl and what looked like waffles.
Jacob had bacon and eggs, or Itheas' equivalent, and tea to round out his breakfast. "Make sure everyone has their equipment repaired and that everyone has spares of everything. We are going in blind and have no idea what to expect or how long we will be down there. Make sure everyone has blood, food, and drink, it would suck to survive whatever is down there just to die or suffer De-Buffs because we lack necessities." Jacob told her.
The Raid leader snorted, "You want to tell me how to aim my bow too?" Anastasia asked sarcastically.
Jacob smiled and dipped his head in acknowledgment. "I am sure he wouldn't mind if you gave him a personal lesson.' Darren quipped. Jacob glared at him causing him to blink, 'Did I say that out loud? Sorry, I am still waking up." Jacob just shook his head, everyone was still waking up, including his homegrown spy. Jacob dismissed the Rogues words and concentrated on his food.
Alert...
Buff received Well Fed: Increase Constitution and Strength by 4 (Duration 2 Hours), Health and Stamina Regeneration increased by 25% (Duration 4 Hours)
Buff received Minty Fresh: Increase Intelligence and Wisdom by 4 (Duration 2 Hours), Mana Regeneration increased by 25% (Duration 4 Hours)
Alert...
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"What do you need?" the Local working as the Armory officer asked as Jacob stepped up to the window. He would monitor everything that people were issued. The Immortals logs would be turned over to officers at the end of the raid of when they used the potions, if they didn't turn over any unused potions, guild members would be fined or the Armory officer would not issue potions next time they came for more.
"I need four Medium Healing Potions and four Large Healing Potions, two Small Healing Tonics and two Medium Healing Tonics, four Small Stamina Potions, four Small Mana Potions, four Small Anti-Venom Potions, and two Minor Potions of Possibilities," Jacob told the Drow who nodded and sent his little Goblin helpers scampering to pull all the potions.
"You know the rules sir, any potions not used during your raid, have to be turned back over to us within 24 hours. Please be prompt." The Drow stated and Jacob nodded as he started to Analyze the potions as they were dropped off on the desk and he picked them up.
Spoiler: Spoiler
Name: Medium Healing Potion
Effect: Restore 2,000 Health Points over 30 Seconds
Description: This Cherry flavored Potion is brewed to mend wounds and restore your health potion.
Name: Large Healing Potion
Effect: Restore 4,000 Health Points over 30 Seconds
Description: This Cherry flavored Potion is brewed to mend wounds and restore your health potion.
Name: Small Healing Tonic
Effect: Repairs Bone and Muscle Damage, Restore 1,000 Health Points over 1 Minute
Description: This Strawberry tasting potion can mend bones and partially restores your health.
Name: Medium Healing Tonic
Effect: Repairs Bone and Muscle Damage, Restore 2,000 Health Points over 1 Minute
Description: This Strawberry tasting potion can mend bones and partially restores your health.
Name: Small Stamina Potion
Effect: Restore 1,000 Stamina Points over 30 Seconds
Description: This Orange flavored potion restores your Stamina pool so you might continue in your adventures.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Name: Small Mana Potion
Effect: Restore 1,000 Mana Points over 30 Seconds
Description: This Blueberry flavored potion restores your Mana pool so you might continue in your adventures.
Name: Small Anti-Venom Potion
Effect: Removes 2 Minor Poisons/Toxins
Description: This Watermelon flavored potion was created to get rid of those nasty Poisons/Toxins.
Name: Minor Potions of Possibilities
Effect: Increase all Primary Stats by 10
Duration: 4 Hours
Description: This Chocolate flavored potion unlocks your hidden potential...for only a certain amount of time.
"Got everything?" Tarren asked as he walked into the room.
Jacob snorted, "Hopefully, we are going in completely blind. We don't even have Lore to give us some form of insight to what threat lays down there. All we have is vague rumors from ancient stories, no facts what-so-ever, but if we succeed it could prove to be a huge boon for us as a Guild and for the Empire. So we cannot afford to not try." Jacob replied.
Tarren nodded, "All true. Now your Seneschal is waiting in the entryway for you. She has some last-minute reports for you before we leave." Jacob nodded as he headed toward the entry hall of the Guild House.
The new Full-Blood was waiting with Chalxae and June, the two Drow were looking at everything while Eiloma was studying the trophies from the guild downing the Regional Bosses. They offered no bonuses to the guild, just visible proof of what the guild had accomplished. "Welcome ladies, how can I help you?"
"Just wanted to give you the final update from all the former slaves you liberated from the mines of Ordgan. A little over twelve thousand enlisted, of the remaining eight thousand, Ineford, Oblivion, and Gahlin each got 1,000, Aramore and Middlebrough are getting an infusion of 1,000 people, of the remainder some are being released to the Underdark or surface, but most will be coming here. Some will continue to the various forts throughout the Valley, but most will be staying within the city." Eiloma reported.
Jacob nodded, it had been almost three weeks since the raid and two weeks since they had visited the southern Orc Tribes. "What about the Orc tribes, have they upheld their part of the agreements we made with them?" Jacob asked Eiloma.
The High-Elf Full-Blood nodded her head, "Yes they are upholding their oaths. Already 12,000 recruits have signed up and have been transferred to either the Fortresses of Midnight, New Dawn, or Bloodscorched for training. Our stores of armor and arms will be exhausted equipping all of the recruits, but new work orders have gone out to all the cities to replenish them and a steady stream is expected within two weeks. Do you know how long you will be gone?"
Jacob shook his head, "I have no idea. Everything is fine though. Nadal is in charge if anything happens on the military side, with the defeat of the army from Ordgan, the north should be silent for now. Those new Legions are critical, we need them trained and equipped as soon as possible." Jacob told her. Eiloma nodded before bowing and leaving.
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Underdark- Forelorn Depths Region
Fallen Obsidion Kingdom- Border Outpost
Entry Hall
The portal spit Jacob out into a large hallway beautifully carved from the bedrock of the world. Jacob was pretty sure the only thing that would rival it would be the Dark Iron Thiag or one of the other fallen Dwarven Kingdoms. It was only an echo of it once was though, dust, wreckage, and ruin were strewn everywhere. No lights light the halls, no one was walking around, whatever had happened here, nothing apparent jumped out at him though and he was the only living thing within the immediate area. Jacob tried to send a message through Guild chat but it was blocked.
Alert...
Due to the Status of the Obsidion Kingdom...
External Communication is blocked.
All outbound Portals are Blocked
All outbound Teleportations are Blocked.
Respawn point is now bound to...Outer Entry Hall
Until the ongoing Kingdom-wide event is ended, these restrictions will remain.
Alert...
Jacob cursed and he couldn't even warn his guild that the trip was one way. Suddenly the others started to pour through the open portal. Within a minute the remainder of the raid was through and the Rogues were spreading out scouting the immediate area. "Well people, I know this was going to be a difficult mission, I am sorry that it might have become a one-way trip until we clear it though," Jacob called out over the raid channel.
"We have no mobs or locals in the immediate area, no traps either. Just ruins, well made, but still ruins." Darren called out over the channel.
"What about bodies? Anything that could indicate what happened here." Jacob responded.
"No bodies, but we have found signs of battle. I also got something I want you to look at. A professional opinion based on your Earth-based life." Darren called out over the channel. He pinged the local map and a golden arrow and path appeared.
A short walk later brought Jacob and his party to the Rogue. The main raid group remained at where the Portal had dumped them. The Rogue was looking at had once been a major road or path that lay between the ruins and the Obsidion Kingdom, and what Jacob assumed was the Underdark beyond. Someone had done a thorough job of collapsing the path leading out into the Underdark.
"Well, that is certainly interesting." Jacob quipped as he studied the collapse from a viewpoint he had not used in years.
"Was I right?" Darren asked.
Jacob continued to study the collapsed tunnel and the scorch marks around it, "I believe so. If I would have done the job, this is how I would have done it. It gives us a hint that someone here survived long enough to rig then trigger the collapse a physical way out. Based on whatever is happening in the Kingdom prevents Magical pathways. So, we are cut off from the outside world. We can't even dig our way out, it would take weeks to clear this, even if we had tech from our world to do it." Jacob stated.
"So we can only go forward. Has your quest updated?" Darren asked.
Jacob shook his head in a negative, "Time to push forward into this Border Outpost, hopefully, we will find a hint of what happened there or a clue as too what we have to do." Jacob stated as he started to walk the highway too the Outpost
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Approaching the outpost, they encountered the first mobs. The Rogues reported skirted the groups and reported the whole outpost was encircled by them, they could not go forward without clearing them out. Jacob analyzed the nearest one that appeared to be a hybrid of Dwarf or Duergar and Drow.
Name: Mind Warped Guardian
Level: 30
Health: 30,000/30,000
Abilities: Unknown
Jacob dismissed the information as he studied the area, they traveled in groups of six to ten. They randomly roamed the area, no set patterns, they were just there to protect the border outpost, but hopefully, something lay within. "Anastasia, until we are done clearing the Outpost, you are in charge. Get us rolling."
The Arcane Archer nodded as she studied the layout and all the information the Rogues had brought in before she started snapping out orders. "We are going to clear all the mobs outside the outpost before we push inward if we have to retreat, I don't want a fight to our back and front. Buff, save your potions, group one kicks us off in two minutes."