— CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO —
Dawn of the Vanguard
- Sept 23 - Day 1 -
{Lucy}
I woke up on a couch in a house. It wasn't my house - it was an NPC's residence I'd... invited myself to stay at. The owner worked a forge by West Boulevard, and their hours were so long that I didn't have to worry about them - provided I remembered someone was going to come in late at night. Good roommate; never complained, didn't make messes, covered the rent - highly recommended.
Anyway, I sat up and brushed my hair out while I checked my messages.
[Davi Crockett]: Clark and I just finished our first contract - escorting some Ethanolics Anonymous folks on a gathering run! It's not an exciting job, but check out this view!
Attached were pictures of drifting clouds against a backdrop of open plains, painted in hues of orange and pink from the setting sun.
[Lady Lucia]: Congratulations! I'll send you some pictures from the gardens when we get up there.
Once I sent the message, I pushed myself up from the couch, shaking off the last vestiges of sleep. Outside was a cool day and the streets were bustling. NPCs went about their routines, vendors called out their daily specials, and the distant sound of hammers striking anvils echoed through the alleyways. I strolled over to the local market, where a colorful array of stalls lined the cobblestone path. Picking up a copy of the Celestial Daily from the newsstand, I kept on walking toward South Boulevard.
Should I get breakfast? Oh, why not?
Outside a cafe, I settled in under the fading autumnal trees - deep crimson and gold leaves piling up on the ground, a steaming pumpkin hot chocolate with cinnamon to sip on, and the morning news.
Guild vs. Government: Should the World Guard's Structure Change?
We've made it no secret here at the Celestial Daily that we support the World Guard, but that's not to say it's a perfect organization. To highlight that, last night, a debate was held over whether the World Guard's structure as an in-game 'guild' is conducive to its role as the burgeoning central leadership of the player base. Arguing in favor of the Guard's current structure was Poe, the World Guard's head of logistics and a lynchpin in its negotiations with other high-profile guilds. Arguing against was Benedict Clerk Pascal, founder and head administrator of the Protectorate. A full transcript of the discussion is available in the Protectorate's library, but here is a brief of each side's argument.
Pascal:
The guild structure, while effective for organizing like-minded individuals towards common goals within a game, falls short when it comes to governing a diverse player base. Guilds, as with many 'group' structures, inherently create an 'us versus them' mentality, drawing a clear line between members and non-members. This exclusionary dynamic can lead to favoritism, unequal treatment, and limited representation for those outside the guild.
In a government setting, inclusivity and representation are crucial. A guild's primary focus is often on its own interests and members' advancement rather than the well-being of all players. Decisions made within a guild may not consider the broader player community's needs or viewpoints, leading to policies that benefit a select few at the expense of many.
Furthermore, the hierarchical nature of guilds can hinder equal participation and decision-making. Leaders within a guild hold significant power over its direction without necessarily being accountable to the wider player population. This lack of transparency and democratic processes can result in decisions that do not reflect the majority's wishes.
Governments should aim to serve all players equally, regardless of their affiliations. By moving away from a guild-centric model towards a more representative system, the player base as a whole can have a voice in shaping policies that benefit everyone. A government structure promotes unity, fairness, and cooperation among all players, fostering a more harmonious gaming environment where every individual's perspective is valued and considered.
Poe:
I see your point, and at a fundamental level, I agree, but that does not take account for the full situation at hand. While there is a guild called the 'World Guard', what people have begun commonly calling the World Guard is not a singular entity. It is an interwoven alliance of many formal and informal groups and guilds, including the Trade Union, Ethanolics Anonymous, Shake Spear, and even the Protectorate.
To even say that our goal is to 'govern' is not accurate to the philosophy the Guard was founded upon. In connecting together these major guilds, the World Guard has assumed the role of a facilitator. It's a nucleus, a platform, the operators of a phone exchange* that allow the multitude of people to converge and pool resources and expertise for the greater good.
Rather than a government imposing decisions from above, by its nature of weaving together disparate threads, it embodies a democratic ethos prioritizing collective well-being.
What is around us is already far beyond a mere 'guild' and is instead something formed directly by the collaboration of the community. This inclusive approach ensures that policies and actions taken are reflective of the diverse player community's needs and aspirations.
[*Reporter's Note: Landline telephones** used to have human operators that manually connected callers to recipients.]
[**Reporter's Note: Phones used to be connected by wires.]
This is one of many subjects of discourse that have been floating around about the nature of the World Guard. The evolution and maintenance of a political machine is a dynamic and constant process, and we would like to encourage everyone to make their opinions heard. For anyone interested, the World Guard holds town hall meetings in each district every weekend. You can find the location of your nearest meeting at Evermoon Gardens.
-Editor Reggie
Underneath the headline article was a reminder that there would be a public forum on property rights scheduled for the 25th in Syzygy Square. I noted to go - I needed to lock down that house I was staying at. For today, however, I had to meet my new guild.
Tempest held is organizational meeting in the barbican at the south gate of the city. There, the city's walls surrounded a football-field-sized kill zone between two overbearing gates. South Boulevard came in on one side and exited the other as the Southern Walk - a highway that went all the way down to the coast.
And today, the pit was filled with members of Tempest - a sea of adventurers buzzing with anticipation. Hundreds of people, maybe even a thousand. It was even more crowded than the recruitment convention.
At the entrance, a woman with a clipboard flagged me down. "Welcome! We've sorted everyone into starting groups - your designated captain will have details on your assignments. Let's see - Lucia... you're in... Team 13! East side - look for the flag!"
Thanking her, I navigated through the crowds until I spotted the little banner pinned on the wall of the barbican, well in the shadows. The crowd thinned toward the edges, finally giving me the space to breathe as I got to the table. Under the banner was a man sat on a table. He was an older man- ... Older? Older! I used to think people in their mid-twenties were older! I'm in my mid-twenties right now!
(Percival) You're an older woman now, and there's nothing wrong with that - it's part of life. I, for one, like a woman with experience.
{Lucy} Oh dear lord.
So, he was a very young and spry gentleman, barely a sapling at around 25 with quaffed hair. By his armor, he was one of the melee classes. His nameplate read Matt. Just Matt. The limited player count left a lot of ground uncovered for naming.
He straightened up from his slouching as I approached. "Hey hey, welcome welcome! You're first here, so get comfortable!"
Taking a seat on the edge of the table, I asked, "Would I be correct in guessing this will be a standard five-man team?"
"Yeah, that's right. We're breaking up into normal parties to start with, then things will get shuffled as we settle in."
"Ah, well, nice to meet you. Please call me Lucy."
"Right, right. I guess you can call me Matt. Part of the OG Tempest that came here with the guild."
"Oh, are all of the group leaders from the core guild?"
"You kidding? There's, like, 20 of us. We spread out as best we can, but unless we gave everyone their own raid, that'd be impossible."
"Mhm. And... how were these groups chosen?"
"Are you asking if it's an accident you ended up with an insider?" He smirked.
"I don't want to make accusations."
"Well, I wouldn't say it's 'stacked'. At least, not all the way. We did a first pass, picked out the people we knew had potential, and made sure they were in groups we could easily see the progress of, then assigned the rest mostly randomly - a few adjustments for roles. We had a bit of trouble getting enough healers. Our group's got 2 random assignments."
As he was speaking, he sat up a little straighter and made a quick wave-salute hybrid at someone behind me. "Archie! Sir!" The hint of stink he put on that 'sir' gave me the impression he'd been reprimanded previously.
I turned to face an older man - which is a statement I will likely regret when I am also in my late thirties. He had impeccably trimmed hair and a thin mustache. Looked a lot like Vincent Price, actually. He stood with his arms folded behind his back like a general surveying his troops. Archibald, his name was.
"Matthew." he replied with an acknowledging nod. Then his gaze shifted to me. "And Lucia. Terrific you could join us. Do you know what happened to the other three that stood their ground against Oxtongue? Fritz Carlton, Percival, and Sebastopol?"
"Last I heard, Sebas went missing. Avoiding attention, we're guessing. Then Fritz and Percy are out somewhere - they won't be working in the Citadel."
"That's a shame - spine like that is a rare resource. Nevertheless, I'm glad you could join us."
"I'm happy to help."
With another side look at Matt, he continued walking through the crowd, observing the assembling groups.
Watching him leave, Matt said, "So, uh, that's Archie, one of our raid assistants. He's a real stickler for schedules - if he gives you a time, he expects you to be there 30 minutes early. I gotta say, I liked him better when I couldn't see his face. But, you know, here, at least, I can understand the strictness - this one isn't just a game. But that's just me rambling. You got any other questions?"
"What will we be doing once the rest of the group has arrived?"
"The schedule right now is to alternate days between doing dungeons to get to know each other and get geared up, then go into rotation exploring the gardens. There'll be people observing our performance in the gardens - you know, checking efficiency and how well we work together. They'll take that data and use it to form the raid group when it's time to tackle a boss. Our group is starting with the gardens today, but we're just getting a grip on the conditions - not anything too harsh. I'd call it a half-day for introductions."
I liked the general professionalism and planning. No surprises, expectations laid out, and clear goals. Very clean.
- Sept 24 - Day 2 -
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I woke up on the couch of my stolen house and sat up with a stretch, pulling up my messages. Yesterday, I had sent Rose some pictures from the regions of the garden we had explored, and now she'd sent me back their recon on the lower layers. It looked like a cave made of plants - all sorts of vines and fungi growing out of the ceiling, walls, and floor lit by colorfully luminescent mosses. It'd be a wonderful place for a stroll - nice and tranquil on the surface, dark and adventurous in the depths - if only it wasn't full of patrolling mobs.
Rose's tips included a warning that some of the vines would grab and try to drag you into carnivorous plants hanging off the ceiling. That part sounded like a real mood killer. Maybe the enemies would clear out as we progressed deeper into the Citadel. But that was a thought for another day.
With a sigh, I got up and went outside, walking to the market in the cold, early morning light. After getting my paper, I wondered, Do I want to get breakfast? It's going to be a long day - I should.
So I went to a cute little retro corner diner and got a full breakfast, eating pancakes with syrup as I read. And today's headline was about me! Well, everyone in the Citadel.
Dawn of the Vanguard
Today marks a landmark up at the Citadel. Following last week's recruitment drive, a myriad of guilds have assembled with the intent to push through the game's story and bring it to an end. They are now champing at the bit to get in there, and the first properly organized groups are set to begin exploring the gardens today. We'll have reports of the conditions inside tomorrow, but today we have a different pressing issue.
Many people have started to give this collected group nicknames, and we have to agree - 'those fighting in the Citadel' is quite the mouthful. As a matter of convenience and in recognition of their courage, we would like to put forward the name 'Vanguard' - those leading the charge against the game. It's simple, sweet, and to the point. If you feel you have something better, please write in.
And to those in the Vanguard that may be reading this: Everyone here at the Celestial Daily salutes you. o7
-Ace reporter, Cherry Keane
After that, I went to the train station to meet my group. We took the train out to Stonehearth City together, then headed out into the countryside, hiking up a river valley to a dungeon north of the city.
I had never been in a dungeon before. The first time was nerve-wracking, but it was nothing like the Oxtongue fight. Honestly, there was no real challenge to it. The tank and healer knew what they were doing and remained firmly in control, so all I had to do was focus on maximizing damage. By our 10th run through of the day, it was all very rote. It was good gear and experience, though.
- Sept 29 - Day 7 -
I woke up on the couch of my house, as usual, and checked my messages, as usual. Looks like Flora opened her own pet store. And it wasn't too far from that sub place. Good for her. I didn't want a pet; I had a hard time seeing the animals in the game as anything more than disposable critters, and keeping one around seemed like a chore. Still, I decided I should swing by and congratulate her in person.
As usual, I went out to the market to buy a paper. Should I get breakfast? It's a big day, it needs to be something special. A breakfast sandwich with king crab and... would a cheese pair well with that? Why not give it a try; I'd like a nice burrata spread.
So I got a sandwich, then split it with Flora at her shop. It was a nice little place. Kind of in a back alley, so I was worried about visibility, but it was nothing a sign on the next street over couldn't fix.
I then made my way up to the Citadel, reading the paper as I walked, though I didn't need to look at the headline too thoroughly.
Citadel Progress to Pick Up Soon
Today will be the seventh day the Vanguard has spent exploring the Citadel gardens. So far, things have been quiet up there with early efforts devoted to mapping the labyrinthine layout. With multiple vertically- stacked layers and dense foliage, this has proven to be quite the task. That, however, is not what has been stopping our intrepid Vanguard from making progress.
Similar to the gate to the Citadel, the bosses and distant sections of the gardens are partitioned off behind more gates that require the donation of significant amounts of crafting resources. Be they vine walls that require the financing of Resistance flamethrower teams to incinerate or the fortifications around the keep's main gate requiring a Loyalist trebuchet to be smuggled in to smash, the game seems determined to make us work for every inch.
It is a reminder that 'progression' is not simply the responsibility of the Vanguard, but something that will require the joint efforts of the entire player base. Gatherers and crafters, such as those within Ethanolics Anonymous' networks, and dungeon-farming teams, including those contracted by Shake Spear, are essential for both supplying our fighters and keeping our momentum. If you would like to help with the story but don't feel the intense combat is right for you, consider dedicating your time to one of the support tasks.
But the news is not all bad! According to insiders, the Trade Union has prepared a package to open one of these resource gates, and the Vanguard guild Tempest has been given the go-ahead to begin attempts on the second raid boss of the game. We have not yet gotten confirmation of what the boss is, so stay tuned for tomorrow's report!
-Ace reporter, Cherry Keane
Stepping through the gates of the Citadel, I found myself on a circular platform below the highest layer of the garden's hedges, enclosing me in the lush greenery with scattered glimpses of the middle layers of the labyrinth poking out. Dead ahead was a trench bisecting the east and west halves of the gardens. Floating between the walls of plants, a pair of bridges spiraled around each other in a double helix pattern. They pointed right at the doors at the foot of the keep opposite where I stood.
In the center of the span between Oxtongue's courtyard and the keep, the bridges briefly paused at another platform with stairs to access into the gardens proper. That is also where our raid gathered. I joined Matt and our group's healer as everyone assembled. Due to limited space, our tank was staying out - there were only 3 tank positions in the full raid of 50 - one for each statue plus an emergency backup. Our third DPS also didn't make the cut.
The arena for this fight was the front door of the Citadel itself. It was a smaller arena than Oxtongue - limited to a half-circle roughly 50 feet in radius. And the boss appeared to be a pair of statues - ominous, dark-granite beaked humanoids watching us with gleaming ruby eyes and halberds as tall as apartment buildings.
On the ends of the bridges, just outside the arena, sets of bleachers had been erected out of pyramids of tables and benches and were filling with people. A reporter from the paper that I didn't recognize was there. Well, I recognized the name - it was Lekowski, usually their business reporter - but I didn't know the man. The rest were members of Tempest and the other Vanguard guilds, including Filius and Brian. They weren't only there to watch, but to take notes - what happens, what works, what doesn't. To provide analysis for future improvement.
Following preliminary mechanical testing after the boss was unlocked last night, we already had a basic idea of what the fight was. Heavy AoE damage was thrown out from the stone shards that broke from the ground with every attack, and we needed to keep the bosses apart. Neither mechanic was my responsibility; I was on pure damage. The general plan of action was then to stay ready to evacuate the arena if we were surprised by any mechanics - to retreat, adjust the plan to the new information, then go in again, getting a little farther into the fight each time.
However... Well, the fight began smoothly enough. We spread out, the tanks keeping the statues separated easily. I focused on maintaining my rotation, unleashing a barrage of arrows, occasionally swapping between them to keep their health pools roughly equal. The stone shards flew through the air each time they smashed the blades of their halberds into the ground, but our healers were on top of it, mending the wounds almost as quickly as they appeared.
As the battle wore on, the statues' movements grew swifter, more erratic. Their attacks came faster, the aim somewhat randomized, the stone shards whipping through the air with increasing frequency. Our healers began to struggle. Still, it wasn't their fault.
A scream tore through the arena as one of our melee fighters crumpled to the ground, his head lolling at an unnatural angle. A jagged line encircled his neck where the stone shards had chipped away at the texture. The blue light crawled over his body, consuming him before he burst into a cloud of glowing dust. There was nothing anyone could have done; spells didn't close the wireframe scars. And command didn't think it was a severe enough problem to call off the attempt, so we kept up the fight.
As we registered what happened, the statues continued to churn out damage, forcing our healers to their limits. They eventually had to tag out with the backup team waiting in the stands. Even with fresh mana reserves, they struggled to keep up on throughput.
In the end, we managed to take the statues down on that first attempt - no surprise phase changes - but not without further loss. Another fighter fell, overwhelmed by the damage right at the end. As the pair crumbled and disintegrated, the arena fell silent save for the labored breathing of the survivors.
I stood there, numb, trying to process what had just happened. We had won, yes, but it felt so... simple. Why had it been so much more smooth than the first fight? Was it our preparation? Was the boss simply easier? The lack of an instant kill mechanic certainly took some pressure off. But still, it felt... underwhelming. I could only hope I was overthinking it.
And standing there trying to stay focused on the job as people died in front of me... There was both comfort and worry that not every fight would be as precarious as Oxtongue. Not everything would be that stressful. But at the same time, there was a chance to simply slip through the gaps. To take one bad hit by pure chance. Like speeding down the highway at 150 mph on every commute to work - statistically, you can only dodge the odds so many times. And when it did happen, everyone was going to do their best to ignore it and keep on. Walk over your body without a glance.
I shook my head. We were alive. We had won again. That was two bosses down. That had to be enough for now. I glanced towards the front gate of the Citadel, where some of the raiders were poking around looking for a way to open it or pull up the menu to submit resources.
No such luck on that. Figures we couldn't simply skip over the rest of the gardens. And so, the Vanguard continued its progress down in the labyrinth.
- Oct 1 - Day 9 -
I woke up in my new bed, the sun filtering through my windows and glinting on the pair of medals hanging on the wall - one featuring a bull and the other a pair of statues. Honestly, I'd probably have to move them; the glare could get annoying in the morning.
Checking my messages, it looked like Fritz and Percy found something new. They were asking if anyone could look some things up for them at the Protectorate library. Then about an hour ago Fritz followed up saying Flora had volunteered to cover it. I'd have to ask them about their discovery later tonight.
I stepped outside, the crisp morning air filling my lungs. That's right, I needed to get a sign made with my registration info to put out front. What was it? Name, address, registration number. At least the registration fee had been reasonable - the property itself was a steal, if it was your only property.
Strolling across the street, I collected the newspaper from the mailbox, delivered conveniently as always. Should I get breakfast? Going out felt like too much effort. Maybe it was time to stock up on some groceries to have on hand.
Settling onto a bench in a nearby park, I unfolded the paper.
Trade Union Introduces Orders
The Trade Union announced yesterday the introduction of a public system to buy and sell crafting materials for competitive market prices.
The game's in-built player market system, accessed through the market board located in each of the four major major cities, provides the functionality of listing goods for sale and allowing the automated purchasing of those goods. However, this system comes with some limitations. First of all, it does not allow users to place offers for automatic fulfillment, and, especially when it comes to new, high-level, and rare materials, severe price fluctuations have been observed, creating economic waves with every new tier of materials unlocked.
The Trade Union's answer to this, to make trading more convenient and to stabilize the prices as the economy settles, is their new 'ordering' system. Put simply, the Trade Union will, on the spot, buy or sell crafting materials for a 'blue book' value calculated based on supply and demand. There is no wondering how much something is worth and no waiting for someone to accept your offer.
In addition to speed, orders can be processed at any of the Trade Union's depot offices, of which there are currently four in Celestia Grand and one in Stonehearth City, though Townsville, Falconworth, and Florin locations will be opening in the coming days. Further expansion is anticipated, but not firmly planned until initial rollout is over.
Currently only available for crafting materials, the Trade Union has stated, if the system is received positively, they will consider expanding into other spaces. One proposed expansion would be to commission completed goods such as gear or furniture by ordering the raw materials and having them automatically crafted by Ethanolics Anonymous' contracted associates.
-Lekowski
The Guard and associates were slowly spreading their control. Their next step would be imposing full-on trade regulations. Excalibur's office would finally have something to do. I made a mental note to examine the new rules for any exploitable loopholes, then went up to the gardens.
My group... didn't really exist in its original form anymore. Our other DPS quit, and the healer was reassigned to cover another group. I had been put on Combat Oversight Committee until further notice. And honestly? It felt like a better fit for my skill set.
My job was to sit in the audience and watch fights. The goal was to give a critical, third-person view of the fight to better understand mechanics and team performance. And today promised to be an exciting one! This wasn't another day going over Tempest's practice fights - another guild was going in for a boss encounter!
By that point, we'd thoroughly mapped out most of the available space in the gardens, and signs had been planted at every intersection listing elevation, giving them our own numbering system, and listing directions to nearby landmarks. The gardens were a complex place - multiple floors of walkways freely weaving between each other with environments ranging from caves to the canopies of the trees. And yet, they were no match for human categorization. All I had to do was follow the directions to the far east section.
The gardens were laid out with rough correspondence to the world map. The area for today's fight represented the Black Marshes on the east coast, south of the King's Woods and north of the Woodsea. We were one floor down from the top, nestled right up against the curtain wall. Dense foliage pressed in from all sides, and the branches of the colossal tree that dominated the east side cast dappled patterns on the muddy ground.
The observation stands were set up on the walkways above the field - like a zoo exhibit - and looked down on a still, algae-covered lake. At its center was an island - or what appeared to be an island if you didn't look at the slowly blinking eye watching from just above the waterline. Across the glade, the members of Doughnuts Per Second assembled.
What struck me immediately was that they were going in with a smaller group - only 20 or so - and their composition was light on healers. They seemed to be taking a more aggressive, action-oriented approach to the fight. One of their tanks in particular caught my attention. Rather than the heavy plate armor most of them wore, they were instead running leather with a heavy blade.
As they started the fight, and the massive gator came surging out of the water, it became clear why. They dodged most of the attacks, and, when forced to take the hit, blocked it with the flat of the blade. It was a good idea; shields didn't block all of the damage - some chip still got through to the wielder. It was negligible for most mobs, but it could add up, especially on bosses that could take significant chunks out of health bars with each attack. Weapons, however, didn't have that leakage. In addition to physically dodging attacks, the tank was blocking all damage.
The group also incorporated mages - usually left out because of the low damage - but what they did was freeze spans of the lake. The ice wasn't thick enough to trap the gator, cracking and shattering as it thrashed, but it was an interesting attempt of a tactic.
The damage dealers had an unusual approach as well. The archers focused their fire on its eyes and other potential weak points. Meanwhile, the melee fighters hit the joints and gaps in its plating. They weren't trying to whittle down its health; they were attempting to literally cripple and kill it like an animal.
And incredibly, it was working. The mages managed to freeze one of its eyes open, and the ranged DPS concentrated their attacks and burst the orb in a spray of dark, goopy fluid. The gator howled and reared back, but the short-range fighters pressed the assault, hacking at its jaws and breaking several of its teeth.
By the time we went into the last leg of the fight, it was a shadow of its original threat. It slumped into the water and dissolved into glittering blue dust with barely a whimper. I had to admit, I was impressed. They'd turned it into a swift, clean execution.
It was excellent data, and I wrote it all down in my report.