Quest: Attack of the Carrot Crew

Objective: Save as many of the mothkin crew as you can.

Alternate Objective: Join Spring Jack and the Carrot Crew and kill Captain Luma.

Reward: Novice Growth Orb

Accept? Yes. No.

Nate accepted the quest as they ran with all haste back toward Gronwood. Nate used his Grappler Whip to pull himself through the forest, only taking a step every 20 feet or so, propelling himself forward. He found to his delight that when he released the extension effect of the whip, it would pull him toward where it was connected.

Their practice on the parkour course in Gronwood was showing dividends, their movement through the jumbled forest faster than ever before. Fuzzball used his control over plants to clear areas that had become too overgrown, and in half a day they reached a clearing near Gronwood.

Black smoke billowed up from numerous sections of town and they could hear the sounds of combat.

“No!” Ellisandra screamed as she surged ahead. There was no sign of Mothkin flying around or the airship.

“Stay near me!” Nate said as they reached the edge of town, spotting the airship off in the distance. A portal opened in front of him and he ran through, followed closely by the others. They stepped onto the roof of the Gronwood Saloon, Krypdyr's aura helping to keep them undetected.

Night’s Wrath. Aura. Effect: Allies within the aura receive a temporary boost to their physical strength, allowing them to hit harder and perform feats of strength more easily. The aura shrouds you and your allies in shadows, making you harder to detect and target. The aura can infuse your allies' and your attacks with a venomous effect, causing your strikes to apply a minor poison that damages those struck over time.

At Apprentice rank, the shadow that shrouds you and your allies lasts a brief time outside of the aura. While it persists, the strength and venomous damage effects also persist.

A blue furred rabbit knelt in front of Captain Luma, who sat bound in one of Nate's crafted leather chairs. Around her sitting on the ground were about half of the crew. Nate noticed that no one that wasn't present was within his chat range. He sent Captain Luma a request as the chimeran rabbit man spoke.

“I really need you to tell me where the one with the Interface Podium is,” Spring Jack said, “Blackwing enjoys killing your crew as much as the next guy, but I'd rather we did this as peacefully as possible.”

Luma only glared at him, but spoke fervently through the chat. “Nate! Took you long enough! They're looking for you.”

“Did we hear him right?” Nate asked with an unexpected coldness.

“Yes,” the sorrow was thick in her voice.

“Did any of them not on my list escape?”

“Most fled into the woods. We lost two in one of the house fires. You need to get into the airship. They have explosive gel. We can use it to our advantage.”

Nate shook his head, a determined look crossing his face. “No one else will die today because of me. Krypdyr, you shadowstep into the airship and try to get some of the gel without being detected. We’ll keep the pirates distracted while you work.”

“I am to protect you, which I cannot do if I’m in the airship.”

“Getting that gel will both take a weapon from them and grant us a whole bunch of chaos, and Zeff can use it to improve his turret's efficiency. Zeff, can you fix the airship if it happens to break?”

“Yep!”

“Let’s go.”

Krypdyr sank into the shadows as Nate opened a portal underneath Luma, dropping her chair next to Ellie on the roof, who quickly cut her free.

“What th-” Spring Jack said as he spun around looking for where she went. “Ah. Our target must be here. Blackwing?”

Blackwing leapt into the air as black wings sprung out from his back, taking him into the air with a burst of movement. Krypdyr’s shadowy aura clung to Nate and the others, and they were able to squeeze into the second story windows before being spotted. “No sign of them from here.”

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At the last second, Nate decided to stay behind, hopping gently to the ground below.

“Find cover until I give the safe word. Safe word? That’s not right. Go code? Let’s go with go-code. And it’s ‘Jenga.’ Try to keep casualties to a minimum. Captain, when it starts, get your people to safety.”

“Come on out,” Spring Jack yelled, “Or we start killing more of these people.”

Nate ran to the corner of the building, crouched low, utilizing his recently unlocked Sneak perk.

Cling to the Shadows. Novice Sneak Perk. Passive ability. Cooldown: None. Cost: None. When leaving shadows while hidden, you remain hidden for up to five seconds. Attacking, using a power or spell, and certain other actions negate this effect.

Nate flitted from shadow to shadow until he was near the airship, away from the cantina. Then he drew his new bow, conjured his arrows, and stepped into the light.

Vinebow. Type: Weapon, Shortbow. Weight: 3 lbs. Value: 1000 gold pieces. The limbs of this bow are the green of vibrant leaves with ten glowing red runes carved all along them from tip to grip. This bow deals double damage against plants. You can activate a rune on this bow when firing an arrow to imbue the arrow with a vine trap that wraps up your target. A target with sufficient Athletics skill can break free.

Nate pushed his aura out behind him, getting as much of the airship as he could to help Krypdyr. “You must be Spring Jack.”

“I am indeed! You must be the one with the Interface Podium. Glad my reputation precedes me. Should make this easier.” Spring Jack drew his rapier but did not advance.

“I only just learned your name. My name is Nate. I like the whole Pirate Bugs Bunny thing you got going on, so I'll give it to you straight. You and yours killed two of my people. I've thus far only killed monsters, and frankly I'd like to keep it that way. But you came after my family. I have a problem with- why are you staring at me like that?”

Spring Jack's face had shifted from confidence to confused shock.

“There's something scary right behind me, right?” Nate said mockingly without turning. “I'm not falling for that.”

Spring Jack took a step closer, letting his aura wash over Nate, who felt the chaotic energy surround him. Nate stood unfazed.

“You're an Apprentice Rank. Honestly kind of surprising. They already sent an Adept after me, yet here I stand. You know, I've read that aura used like that is rude in polite society, though pirates are historically not usually polite, so I’ll give you a pass for now.” Nate shifted his own aura over Spring Jack just as one of the airship windows exploded outward. A chimeran with the head and torso of a frog flew out, rolling amidst the shards of glass that narrowly missed Spring Jack. Krypdyr sprung out of the same window, a barrel under each arm.

One he tossed Nate's direction while still airborne. Nate moved to catch it using his lucky aura to guide him when he felt Spring Jack's push it away. The barrel began an off-kilter spin and it slipped from his grasp, smashing into the ground next to him.

Nate instinctively jumped backward, the explosion launching him much further than his jump alone. He harnessed his luck, arcing his trajectory to land hard on the roof of the smithy.

“JENGA!”

Krypdyr landed in the shadow of the airship, stepping out inside the cantina next to Zeff.

“I brought you some fire.”

Ellie and Krypdyr led the charge out of the cantina. Zeff pushed his aura out as far as he could and threw the barrel to the ground at his feet. Fire swirled around them, blinding the Carrot Crew who were too close. The fires stayed but began to move into a circle around him as a magic circle sprang up in front of him, his Magitech Turret rising up out of the ground and locking into place. His aura protected his friends in the flames.

Pyrotechnic Shield. Aura. Effect: Allies within your aura gain resistance to fire and lightning damage, as well as a minor defense boost. Enemies within your aura take additional damage from fire and lightning damage sources. While your Magitech Turret is within your aura it deals additional magical damage of your choice between fire and lightning. Your Stalwart ability costs less depending on how much fire and lightning is present within your aura.

With as much fire as was in his aura, Zeff's Stalwart ability cost him nearly nothing and he stood next to his turret as Fuzzball gripped the handles. Lightning charged rounds blasted from the turret, smashing into the pirates over the heads of the bound mothkin crew, cutting many to writhing on the ground.

The sweeping spray reached Spring Jack, but a burst of movement and black feathers put Blackwing in front of the blast. Arcing lightning blasted into his wings, and individual feathers separated out to encircle him, deflecting bullets.

Though Fuzzball was aiming specifically for non-fatal areas, the bullets that neared Spring Jack’s chaos aura veered askance, dropping many of his own nearby crew into writhing piles of pain.

Ellie and Krypdyr struck out, blades crossing blades. Venom mixed with blood before Ellie syphoned it to herself, springing up low metal walls to break up the battlefield.

Nate focused his Lucky power into his arrow and fired from the smithy rooftop. The arrow struck the nearest barrier and ricocheted, striking a pirate in the leg. A predatory grin spread across his face. Orange translucent arrows began raining down into the mass of combat, narrowly missing Ellie and Krypdyr as they cut a swath through the pirates. Captain Luma, trusting in Ellie and the others, began freeing and directing her crew to flee into the woods.

Blackwing sprang back into the air and flew over the battlefield. Nate lost track of Spring Jack in the masses and fired an arrow at Blackwing, but one of his feathers intercepted it as he dove at Nate. An oddly chill sensation washed over him, and he was drawn back to the battlefield, finding himself unable to move. It almost felt to him like an out-of-body experience. He saw the Carrot Crew pirates push forward, many more coming from the airship, and rush the turret.

Fuzzball’s magic ran out and the turret sputtered to a stop. A cry of pain tore his eyes to Ellie, who was pierced by numerous blades around her, shattered scales falling all around her. Arrows from the Carrot Crew archers pelted Krypdyr, who silently fell to the ground, his swords clattering to the bloodsoaked cobblestone.

Fuzzball stared ahead in shocked silence as Zolis Fezim, his former master, appeared through a black portal. He barely noticed as he was cut down.

Zeff’s Stalwart shield kept him alive the longest, but Nate knew he was no fighter. Their numbers were too great.