Leona had dreamed of becoming an adventurer like her father before her but she had never had a talent for the sword or a knack for the arcane. What she did have however, was a small frame and a light step.
She had often wondered if the world had a sense of humour in forcing her to choose the life of a thief after being raised by a man who valued justice above all.
As she drew her thoughts back to the task at hand she surveyed the ragtag party that had been assembled to descend into the Burning Mountain dungeon. She knew she should have more faith in a dungeon delving party but she was by far the highest level and she wasn't even a fighter.
As she actived her menu she found exactly what she expected.
Name: Leona D'Marco Class: Master Thief Age: 23 LVL: 32 XP:
237/320
MP: 10/10 SP: 200/200 Str: 54 Agi: 185 Mag: 20 Skills:
Eagles Vision - Cost: 2SP/Min - You have the eyes of the eagle. You can see far into the distance and are able to detect things more easily than others.
Eagles Talon - Cost: 5SP - A spectral Eagles talon appears over your hand or weapon and causes great damage to anyone struck by it.
Spiders Stealth - You are an expert at hiding in the shadows and remaining undetected. You gain a passive boost to any stealth related activity.
Lesser Appraisal - Cost: 4MP - You have a lesser version of the (appraisal) spell. You can gain surface information about things.
Dagger Mastery - You are a master with a dagger in your hands. You gain a passive boost to any action taken with a dagger.
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Master Thief - You are the pinnacle of thievery. You gain a large passive boost to any actions related to thievery. You also gain the ability to ascertain the value of an item at a glance.
Resentment - You have a deep hatred for an aspect of your world. This translates as the unfortunate side effect of losing control when you are faced with this. - (Curse of an angered deity)
As her eyes ran across her level she released a sigh. She had been stuck at level 32 for almost a year and half now. It was one of the reasons she had taken on this awfully thought out delve.
As the highest levelled person by a margin, and the only one to have delved before, she was the de facto leader of the group. She surveyed her temporary companions and couldn't help but think that at least half of them probably wouldn't be coming back.
As she thought of the true companions she had lost over the years to the damned dungeons. she felt her mood souring immeasurably but managed to stop the effects of resentment kicking in by thinking about how her current party wouldn't survive without her.
As she glanced to her side she saw her longest serving companion, the Assasin, Fuug. They had been travelling companions for at least 3 years at this point. She had thought they could be more but had always held back her feelings because of their profession. Maybe she would confess if they ever had to retire.
As she allowed her head to fill with her fantasy she heard the party hush around her. She came back to lucidity to see the ever imposing entrance to the dungeon. It was a basalt door carved straight from the surrounding volcanic rock.
The door was slightly ajar as it had been ever since it had been opened. The group was buzzing as over half of them had never delved into a higher order dungeon before.
She couldn't help but sigh in exasperation at the idiots who weren't anywhere near ready for the dangers that awaited them inside. She had only taken this job because the pay from the guild had been almost triple the regular rate. Some noble wanted his son to obtain the status the status that would accompany delving into a higher order dungeon.
As she observed the rookies doing their final checks she drew her dagger and pushed past the group into the open doors.
Just as she got inside she was met with a worrying sight. The entry golem was missing. This was a massive worry as they only ever left their post to deal with anomalies. They were normally the ones who dealt with the stronger monsters who tried to leave.
She was about to pull her head back out of the doors as she heard a rhythmic beating and she activated her (Eagles Vision) and peered further into the darkness. She could vaguely make out the shape of the fast approaching guardian.
She felt a sigh pass her lips as she stepped fully into the entry hall. She stood and waited patiently until the golem got to its post. As soon as it locked back into place she approached it and held her guild badge up to its eye. A deep rumble sounded as the red gem in its chest rotated to show a solid green gem roughly hewn into a crescent moon.
She could hear the idiots outside becoming increasingly rowdy and decided that she'd best get this ill thought out expedition over with before they attracted the attention of something truly troubling.
She popped her head outside and nodded to Fuug. He nodded in return and began herding the small crowd in after her.