Correspondence between Gafer’s Hotel Agency and Headquarters and Sword, Board and Song™ from the 5th of September to the 6th September, 2103.
(Sent on the 5th of September.)
Hi,
[see link]
We want vouchers to our hotels to drop as random upgrades from bosses in your dungeons. For acceptable values, [see link]. Please inform us if this is within acceptable perimeters.
Vern
(Sent on the 6th of September.)
Greetings Vern,
This is acceptable.
Bob
This letter is from a SWORD, BOARD and SONG™ verified account.
Jake. 30th of September.
“So why are we going to this dungeon?” Jade asked again as the connection crackled. Jake hoped it was not from something on his side.
“John and I are trying to upgrade our ‘Leg Biter’ titles and the Mutated Monkeys have an average of six tails and eight legs, so basically every hit we make will give us a percentage point up. Also the wreck is supposed to have some percentage chance of giving out a pill that improves a Singer’s effect by 5%.”
“You should have led with that,” Jade said as the static on her side cleared.
“Then let’s move out!” John said as the party moved.
It had been over a month since they had travelled together and their number had grown. Michael had found a girl in his class at school who wanted a new group and asked her to come. Jake had asked her name, but she had just answered with her characters name, ‘Helen of Morgan.’ Jake was not sure if she was embarrassed of her real name or if she was a deep role-player.
Her character was a specialized [Cleanser] from the Patter type, which meant that this was not a great mission for her, but Jake didn’t really care. Her character was sort of pretty, but she was a wearing a company hat for the stats and he didn’t like that. He disliked the broccoli company and all they stood for. Still, he would let Michael bring a friend.
Michael had turned his character into a [Legionnaire-Hoplite] which meant he was really, really good at standing still in formation and gained a small amount of xp for just standing guard over a structure if the owner asked him to and he agreed to it. He gained a bit less xp from combat, but from what Jake saw, Michael basically used the world as a form of social media, occasionally dueling or training with people he liked.
John had focused his character into the [Descendant of Duchess Jeanne Hachette], which gave him a significant bonus into killing champions, flag-bearers or lords with his axe. He did suffer an xp loss from gathering treasure, but he liked the more aggressive play style.
Jade had not gotten a focus yet as she rarely played, but her character did have a few more songs memorized from being left for two weeks alone in a newly built song school. Her character was nearly out of money so she had been more eager to delve than usual.
They walked in a loose formation, except for Michael’s character who automatically marched, and the two mules that he led, which had been animated to look happier when not carrying any extra weight, which was funny. Also kind of creepy. Jake didn’t like to look at human expressions on mules.
After three or four minutes of fast travel on the ‘Blessed Highway 67’ which he had helped guard, Jake was feeling especially pleased. To reach this area before the highway was built would have taken over thirty minutes, even if the hills had already been flattened. It was very satisfying to feel he had some part of this work. And it was also nice to pass and be passed by other people who were already using the road for their own purposes. It just made him feel like he was really part of the world.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
They reached the dungeon after a brief bit of cross country travel without incident. The dungeon was a ship that had been corrupted by Chaos by a dark piratical ritual involving many captives, a plank and an attempt to summon a greater chaotic beast. This had failed, but the place was still an unnatural mix of a ship broken on the rocks, a mix of tentacles of wood and rot mixed with rocks and a collapsed lighthouse.
“Does anyone know if we can cleanse this?” Jake asked as though to the group, while he hoped Helen would answer.
“I might be able to, but do we want that to happen? If it is cleansed we won’t be able to use it again and neither will anyone else.”
John snorted and said, “I want my character to survive for the next world and it doesn’t take much to think that this will be a base for Chaos when they attack next year. Once we get to the core, or whatever this dungeon has at the center, we should cleanse it.”
Helen made a sound that did not sound convinced and Michael stepped into vocalize, “It is a long time till that happens. Like most of a year. Come on. Let’s just play it out.”
Jake didn’t feel too strongly, as he did want to come down alone, once he knew the dungeon’s layout and do some title growing, but it did need to be destroyed, eventually.
Welcome to Blue Beard’s Galleon!
Four Hundred Years ago, in a dark and stormy night, the dread pirate Blue Beard was caught in a storm, sent by the Righteous Choir of Bede’s Cathedral. To counter this storm, he sacrificed 1000 captives to summon a Greater Chaotic Octopus. This was not enough to save him and his ship ran aground. Delve to find Blue Beard’s treasure, earning power, money and reputation with the current owners of Bede’s Cathedral.
“Pays one thousand and doesn’t get help. That’s a lesson kids, crime doesn’t pay,” Jade said imitating one of their less liked teachers.
“This is a bigger ship than I was expecting,” John said as they approached the massive gash in the battle-ship sized, wooden ship.
“Its like a cursed Noah’s Arc,” Michael said as they entered.
“Except no doves and more parrots,” Helen quipped.
Jake wanted to make a joke, but he didn’t really know enough about the story of Noah or pirates. He picked up a piece of scrap paper and wrote, “Read Noah+Watch Video About top ten funniest pirates!” Then he adjusted his headphones and joined Michael and John’s characters as the front group. Helen lit a torch, while Jade sang a new song.
“This one is officially my easiest song, and it increases your damage by +1, so I hope you enjoy it.”
Michael started to make a comment, but then they were attacked. A dozen Corrupted Parrots appeared and rushed down on them screeching loudly. John freed his hatchet and began swinging, while Michael snapped his spear out like a machine, while Jake drew his own sword. He tracked the damage and noticed he wasn’t receiving a full +1 from the song. Closer to 0.1. Was the song being suppressed by the parrots?
He could not focus on it, as he was now being raked by parrots. His armor was holding up, but if their claws got through, he expected to get poisoned.
“A little help!” Helen asked.
John ignored her and rushed past her as he swatted the next two parrots that were attacking Jade.
“HELP!” Helen shouted as she tried to strafe away from the parrots as six of them swarmed her. Her hands were glowing.
Jake turned and attacked the nearest parrot and as it was distracted, he got that one too, before another that had silently flown up behind him, bit between pieces of armor and his shield dropped from his hand. He yelped, quietly, as he did not want to disturb his parents and turned his character around, but the parrot has escaped.
Helen kept asking for help, while Jake chased his parrot and ignored everything else.
A few minutes later, they had finished the parrots off.
Helen’s company hat was ruined and she was covered in cuts. She had stuck her torch into a convenient wall niche and she generally looked really bad. Everyone else looked fine.
“Can you do a healing song? We are not in combat. Or are you still ignoring me? Like everybody else?”
Helen was also not very happy.
“Wait, Jake, weren’t you helping her?” Michael asked with confusion, “I thought that was why you left us.”
Jake frowned and then said, “I thought you would help her…” It occurred to him that saying, because you invited her, might not be taken well so he let the pause become a sentence end.
“Sorry. That was a mistake. We are clearly not used to working together right now,” John said quickly and then he said, “We need a focus for the next one. Michael, you can’t leave the line for your class, right?”
“Yeah, if I leave the line of battle, I take double damage from attacks to the back. I’m sorry Helen,” Michael said before pivoting his character towards Jake and saying, “Why didn’t you…”
“Not now,” John said with his command voice and Michael quieted.
“Ok, so in the future, Jake, you and I are going to be ranging around the other three, Michael you are the formation’s front. Don’t leave. We will focus on helping the other two. Helen, it might be better if you run around. Don’t engage, unless you can get them buy surprise. I think the monsters picked up on your [Cleanser] class, because Chaos animals or things, hate it and will try to get you.”
“Oh, that makes sense,” Helen said, “Sorry, for freaking out.”
Well that made Jake feel bad and he had to force himself not to mumble as he said, “Sorry, I should have helped you sooner… I should have helped you.”
“Well that is settled,” John said authoritatively before adding, “From what the priest told me, the monkeys are not as quick as the parrots, which makes sense, but they are corrupt. I am not sure what effect that has in game terms, but be ready for anything.”