His “Mireguards” as he had referred to them, were the massive bear-like creatures that were bred for endurance and defense. He took a page from the book of the bears he had defeated and created a Vescarid version to better defend the hive. They had thick chitinous armor, layered and segmented for maximum protection against all forms of physical attacks. He knew they wouldn’t do terribly well against magical attacks, but having only seen a single spell-caster, he felt the odds were in his favor to lean towards melee defense.
They were littered with spikes that prevented the large draconic creature from shoving them aside as the humans did in their last attack. He made sure to reinforce their limbs so that they would not fall to a few strikes. Darian put a lot of effort into creating the three beasts he was able to muster in these short days and was confident that even if they should all fall, they would be the deciding factor between victory and defeat.
The hulking beasts gathered around him in concern as he hemorrhaged a fear-laced pheromone that launched every one of his kin into a defensive posture. The drones ceased their digging and gathered around the Mireguard, as did the hunters, who were ready for whatever siege they were to face. He reached along his tethers and signaled all prowlers and hunters to retreat back to the hive, and should they come into contact with the enemy, they were instructed to take ambush positions, only returning across the final distance should they believe the coast the clear; otherwise they were to hold and flank the enemy after the first phase of combat.
It all came a bit too easily to Darian, who shared human memories of tactics, and combat. The thousands of years of much different Vescarid battle also swarmed within his mind. It begged that he throw everything he had at the humans, to wash over them like an unyielding wave. Yet, the human side begged caution, halting his attack for more favorable conditions. Darian gave in to his humanity and waited, setting the stage for an epic battle. His Vescora had leeched out into the surface world and even now painted him an image of the surroundings. No humans had yet to tread upon its surface, but it awaited eagerly for the moment they stepped foot on its surface and were able to relay this information to the hive master.
Darian dashed into the view of each prowler that confirmed sightings of the human wave. They stood motionless in the trees, observing as one, two, five, ten, and twenty humans pressed through the woods toward the hive. The sense of urgency that was delivered to Darian was not like the fear a human feels when seeing a pack of wolves descend upon them, but rather a gentle tugging that signaled prey is nearing and may cause damage. With their cold, unfeeling eyes, they delivered images to Darian.
With every passing moment, the thrill of the hunt pushed harder on his core, forcing him into action, though Darian resisted every instinct to attack. The humans grew closer, four teams in groups of five, each acting independently. Darian was the resident expert when it came to coordination, and he could clearly tell that they acted separately from one another, though their actions were coordinated with stunning precision. He tensed as they grew closer; 500 feet, 400 feet, 200 feet, 100 feet… and they stopped. The group stopped just at the tree line his drones had created, one hundred feet from the hive entrance. Darian wanted a clear zone to attack from the safety of his hive, and the humans quickly identified this region as being a danger. He sighed in disappointment but ushered his children to close in on the humans, but to not make themselves known. He wanted them to be surrounded but he did not want to tip them off as to what he had planned.
Within the hive, Darian had created a multitude of mindless defensive measures. Within the walls were many hollowed-out regions that housed dozens of tentacled creatures, each one with a deadly spike on its tip, designed to impale anyone who did not register as Vescarid. The floors descending into the main chamber were cleansed of nutritious nutrimoss and replaced with wavy blades of semi-intelligent grass. The flora, or would it be fauna, was capable of tripping up intruders and causing massive irritation to exposed skin. Extended exposure would cause mild paralysis, which would then further present the prey to additional exposure. The familiar nutrimoss at the entrance was now a variation that would erupt in a cloud of spores that would cause intruders to rapidly lose health, and eventually be forced unconscious. Darian wanted to do more, but these three methods of defense were all he could muster in such a short time. He only hoped it would be enough.
Dravok raised his hand and the team of adventurers stopped in their tracks.
“Rowanthir, you have news to share?” the familiar draconic tank questioned, as all twenty-plus adventures awaited his command.
“Yes” a tall dark elven figure replied as it materialized into view. “We passed multiple scouts that you had previously mentioned. The spider-like creatures clearly noticed our passing and it is likely that the boss is aware of our approach” he continued, gesturing behind them to several trees that faintly glimmered with the presence of predatory beasts waiting in ambush.
“Expected” Dravok responded, “We weren’t successful in our last attempt, but it is clear that the boss has amassed a significant army in the time we spent licking our wounds. I thank you and your companions for your support, for it is with your aid that we will squash this threat to new players and veterans alike.” Dravok declared in a tone that exceeded his experience but radiated authority nonetheless.
“You heard the man” a voice from nowhere, and yet all around them responded, the voice of the rogue named Talon echoed. “We failed in our last attempt, but with all of you, we should have an overwhelming victory” it continued, “That being said, I don’t plan on dying beside you, so tread carefully” and as quickly as it had interjected, the voice was gone, never revealing its location, yet the mere presence offering a touch of safety to those in the forest.
“Alright, let’s do this!” Dravok cheered, disregarding any further stealth and charging into the clearing. “For Transcendence!” he declared, smashing his mace onto his shield and bolting for the hive entrance, dozens of other players following in toe.
As the group pushed past the trees they were immediately met with resistance as a dozen razor-sharp spines launched into their ranks. The shields of various mages succeeded in defending as spines shattered on the invisible mana barriers they produced to defend the team. Still, several met their mark as multiple players were sent spinning to the earth upon impact.
“Bolster the shields!” Dravok bellowed as he raised his shield high to receive multiple shots that were aimed for his head. “Defend the vulnerable!” his voice rang strong as the various other races of tanky players lifted their shields in turn.
They were making excellent time, hauling over the open space, blocking a majority of the spines with the express goal of funneling into the hive and eliminating the threat to their gaming experience. It wasn’t until the voice chat shouted in horror, that Dravok had any sense of regret.
With the mechanical ding giving a warning to a player in the voice chat, a disturbing message followed, “Dravok! We’re getting slaughtered out here!” Fire and Flame, one of their backline mages declared. “A bunch of spiders just took out our back line!” it continued, “I managed to torch one of them, and some of our dps peeled the bastards off, but we lost five!” Fire and Flame’s reports went silent as the proximity chat was no longer able to register him after being taken out.
“Rear tanks, get your head in the game god dammit, we knew they would try this. Don’t let any more DPS fall to the bugs!” Dravok cried as he collided with several worker drones who had poured out of the hive to stall him.
Fireballs, ice balls, and lightning bolts all zipped across the battlefield, decimating the workers as they drew closer to the hive. Several hunters had attempted to snipe their backline but were cut down as multiple rogues revealed their position and launched sneak attacks. Both sides suffered significant casualties before Dravok finally pressed into the mouth of the hive.
“On your guard!” Dravok jeered, a pang of annoyance entering his tone as he dove into the entrance of the hive. “We don’t know what else this bastard has in store for us!”
The speed at which Dravok entered Darian’s layer was more than he expected. None of his defenses were prepared for it, and so Dravok met none of the resistance set in place for his arrival. However, those behind him were less lucky. Dravok had triggered Vescora’s senses that began to set the defenses off. As he plunged deeper into the nest, multiple tentacles sprouted from the earth, shaking off a fine powder that filled the entrance of the cavern. As others dashed through, those with low vitality levels began to collapse to the floor, foaming at the mouth and convulsing violently.
Dravok ventured further, again, meeting no threats as those behind him had to deal with the barbed tentacles that punctured the light armor dawned by the players who were not expected to receive the bulk of the damage. Many of them survived, but all of them found themselves with several more holes than they had when they entered.
Finally, Dravok had reached the first floor, and it was clear from a brief scan, that the monster had not planned for them to get this far. Before him lay half a dozen drones, posting themselves in the standard defensive position, with a couple of hunters set up behind them to offer cover fire. If he had been with his original group of four, without a healer, he knew he would be better than to force a respawn. Now, however, he was much more prepared as he requested, “Sound off!” and a cacophony of voices replied, starting with the damage-per-second combat (DPS) oriented players.
“DPS 1, here”
“DPS 2, here”
“DPS 3, here”
“DPS 4, here”
“Tank 2, here”
“Healer 1, here”
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“Healer 2, here”
And as the primary tank, Dravok shouted with all of his might, “Leeroooy, Jennnkiinnns!” and charged forward.
Dravok plowed into the front line of Drones and took significant damage, as they had clearly been upgraded with combat in mind. He was pummeled in the joints by their hammer-like claws, but just as soon as he was hit, the multiple healers removed the pain from his body and restored him to full health. His damage mitigation was doing its job, and the points he put into strength seemed to cleave through the creatures’ carapace. His mace shattered their armor with every strike, despite the obvious additional resistance he noticed. His mind was lost in the frenzy of combat, however, and he swung with reckless abandon.
In addition to his attacks, the majority of the damage was done by the various teammates behind him. Rangers let arrows loose, mages blasted the front lines with spells, and every once in a while, a rogue would pop out of nowhere and take down a drone in a single strike. Seconds passed before a pile of corpses lay before them and they pressed forward to the second level.
“Dravok” a voice pipped up, “We lost communication with most of the team. It seems that the tunnels had traps we didn’t anticipate. A couple of our tanks, several DPS, and a healer are stationed at the mouth of the cave, preventing any lingering forces from flanking us, but between us and them, there is no one else.”
“Thank you for the communication, tell them to hold their ground and see if you can’t take care of the traps. We are pushing further down and will keep an eye out for anything that took out our buddies. Godspeed!” Dravok declared, raising his shield and climbing over the insect bodies that were piled before him.
Unfortunately for Darian, he had not established much of a second, third, or fourth line of defense. The humans attacked sooner, and in far greater numbers than he had anticipated. Something that if he were to survive, he would not make a similar mistake. The humanoids made their way down the second and third floors, only losing a damage dealer and a single healer. Inside the hive, Darian himself only had three Mireguards, a single hunter, and about five drones. Against three soldiers, a tank, and a healer, he wasn’t sure how well he would fare. They seemed to be far superior to his creations, though he could not understand why. Reaching out with hive tremor-sense, he could tell that if things went south for the humans, they had another two damage dealers, a healer, and a tank at the mouth of his nest that could work their way down and support the main army. With great reluctance, Darian waited to meet his foes.
Having collapsed the tunnel to the fourth floor, Darian thought he would buy himself a moment of respite, but Dravok plowed through the loose earth like it was nothing, and now stood before him exhausted, but with a deadly look in his eye. Darian stood before Caretaker, who sat as a statue in the center of the chamber, guarded by the three Mireguards and their entourage.
“Huu..mans! Why, kill, why… Invade?” he hissed.
To his surprise, Dravok paused at the question.
“You are blight to our world and must die” Dravok responded, almost in a scripted response.
“Must… Die…” Darian replied as he launched his hands forward, not only declaring the attack his children must make but launching several fireballs at the unsuspecting tank.
As multiple flaming bolts of magic careened toward Dravok, he instinctively flung his shield up to block them. Taking the brunt of the assault, he was sent flying backward onto his ass, gazing on as his shield began to melt before his eyes.
“ATTACK!” Dravok bellowed, his forces dashing around him and taking up position. Several casters returned strikes with their own bolts of arcane energy, tearing apart the few worker drones Darian was able to assemble. A ranger fired off shots that impacted the Vescarid King in the chest, though they seemed to do little damage. A single player faded into the darkness to launch a surprise attack, but because he tread on Vescora, he was quickly taken down by a Hunter's spine to the heart.
Another volley of spells launched toward the hunter, but the Mire guards pushed forward, taking the brunt of the damage. Darian was aghast as the arcane energy rent the spiked chitin from their bodies, leaving them exposed to several arrows. One of the Mire guards fell while another, less damaged than the others, took its place in front, absorbing the physical damage with ease. Dravok’s secondary tank was busy with the second Mire guard, the two beastly creatures taking up nearly all of the free space in the chamber before them.
The battle waged on as one of the mire guards fell lifeless to the floor, overwhelmed by the damage the humans dealt again and again, while the other cleaved its tanky opponent in two. Quickly the forces were dwindled down to Dravok blocking damage, with a single healer and two DPS pressing forward against Darian, a severely damaged hunter, and his last mire guard holding on by the carapace of its chitan.
Darian could feel the forces outside of the hive dwindling, unable to combat the defensive positioning of his enemies who funneled them into the cave entrance and executed them summarily. It took little time before the reserve troops abandoned their position to launch the final attack on him, and knowing his fate, Darian pressed back into Caretaker, no more tricks in his sleeve.
The hunter fell with several arrows finding purchase in the tender flesh between its segmented carapace. The Mire guard managed to take out a caster before a mace landed dead center of its brain, bypassing the armor and crushing it to death. As the ranged DPS took sight of Darian, he flung a spell at them, acid hissing against the ranger’s face, sending him sprawling to the ground before lying motionless.
When the dust cleared, it was Darian against Dravok, a healer who had just topped him off, and what appeared to be a caster, though he was not sure what type, as the chaos of the fight had left him overwhelmed. His tremor-sense told him that several more players were actively making their way down the tunnel and a sense of dread finally set in. Darian had others outside of the hive, but none of them would make it in time. He had traps set, but most of them had been thwarted by the enemy. He had a brood-queen, but she was tucked away in the back, and at such a young age, would be no use to them in battle. Darian knew he had lost, but he couldn’t resign himself to defeat. Pushing himself off of the cold stony form of Caretaker, he sought to make his final stand.
With an other-worldly shriek, Darian launched forward, straight for Dravok. Raising what was left of his shield, Drakov took over as the DPS began to cast. Waiting for the impact, Dravok was surprised to feel little resistance as Darian used the shield as a springboard and leaped into the ranger who had just received a blast of healing magic from the cleric. He dug his claws into the ranged DPS and pulled out his heart before flinging it at the healer who ducked for cover. The caster launched a bolt of lightning that struck Darian in the chest. For a moment it looked as though it was over, but Darian began pressing forward, using his body to fight against the bolt of electricity. The caster gazed on in horror as Darian inched forward before eventually grasping the casting arm of the mage and tearing it from their torso.
Tossing the arm to the floor, Darian leaped forward and bit a chunk out of the caster's throat, leaving them grasping the bloody mess that was their neck before dying in agony. Dravok finally broke free from the stunning sight he had witnessed and crashed into Darian, but to his surprise, the creature did not fall back. Darian held Dravok back with a single arm, though not without difficulty, as he began to form a spell in his other hand. As Darian pried the shield from Dravok’s grasp, he could see the terror in the dragonkin’s eyes before his last remaining ally, a druidic healer, slammed his wooden staff into Darian’s hand, causing him to lose grip of the tank’s shield.
Twisting around, Darian stumbled to the side and tumbled to the ground.
Dravok regained his footing and the healer took their place behind him as another tank was followed by a healer and two more DPS had finally made it to the main chamber. Exhausted, Darian lay on the floor, gazing up at the draconic man, the shambles of his assault assembling behind him.
“You did well monster, but this is your end” he announced proudly, the healer tending to the new arrivals as his comrade had drained most of his mana getting them down to this point.
“Why…?” Darian begged, his body no longer responding to his desires, his limited mana depleted, his mind running through all the reasons why these humans had put so much effort into killing him.
Not even bothering to hear him, Dravok continued, “What last words does this heretic have before we cleanse this world of his existence” he asked, a sick satisfaction plastered across his face. Dravok was going to do what RangerDanger so spectacularly failed to do, he was going to get all of the loot of this dungeon and secure a place in the rankings for his newly formed clan.
“We… Human” Darian choked out the words, almost inaudible.
“We… Vescarid” his words even more faint than before.
“We… Frien…” Darian managed before darkness set in and he passed out before his enemies.
“Say again, foul beast?!” Dravok’s declaration drowned out Darian’s words. With no further words from the insect-man, Dravok finished, “Very well, let us be done with this!” he shouted, his mace flying through the air toward the head of King Darian.
A thundering voice echoed through the minds of all within the hive as the shell of Caretaker vibrated. "You dare… to challenge us? To defile what you cannot comprehend?"
A claw lashed out, slamming Dravok into the wall like a ragdoll and sending rock from the ceiling tumbling down on his allies.
"Frail mortals, your weapons break upon the stone of our will." he bellowed again, dashing forward and slamming the healer into the wall, leaving nothing but a fine paste.
The other players tried to get into formation but Caretaker continued.
"What you break, we rebuild. What you destroy, we reclaim. Your efforts are but ripples against a tidal wave." his words shattered their minds as more weapons dropped to the floor followed by the massive frame of Caretaker plowing player after player into mist. He struck with a fury that no creature of the hive had yet to exhibit. He stuck out like a beast backed into the corner.
"Your victories are fleeting, but our vengeance echoes through the marrow of time,” the words stained the walls as the blood of their enemies followed shortly. Though they tried to fight back, no amount of damage caused Caretaker to so much as flinch as he rended and tore through each enemy.
Few were left to stand against Caretaker’s might. A poultry set of DPS and Dravok himself, who lay crumpled on the floor. Rising to his feet, no healers to aid him, he took a potion to his lips and drank deep. Dravok tightened his grip on his battered shield, the weight of his allies’ lives pressing down harder than any blade.
“Listen well,” Dravok growled, his voice trembling with both defiance and resignation. He took a step forward, shielding the two behind him. “I’ve faced many threats of this world, I’ve stared into the abyss, and walked through hellfire... but this? This isn’t a fight. This is survival!”
The ground beneath him trembled as Caretaker roared in opposition, the air thick with the oppressive energy of battle.
Dravok planted his feet, turning slightly to address his companions, his voice low and urgent. “Run. Remember this day. Tell them we stood against a goddamned storm and didn’t falter.” He exhaled, his tone shifting into something steely, resolute. “I’ll hold him. You need only survive!”
Raising his weapon high, he shouted into the oncoming darkness, “Come at me beast! You’ll have to break me before you touch another one of mine!”
"You believe your defiance is strength," Caretaker rumbled, his voice carrying the weight of countless generations. "But strength is not in standing alone. True power flows through unity, through purpose, through the unbreakable bond of the Hive."
He surged forward, his claws tearing through the ground as he bellowed, "You stand as one against the swarm. And one… will always fall!"
As Dravok surged forward, his voice rose one last time, a war cry swallowed by the sound of battle. "FOR THE LAST BREATH OF THE BRAVE!"
After Caretaker’s massacre was complete, he collapsed on the floor beside Darian, most of his chitin in tatters, and oozing Vescarid blood across Vescora who exploded nutrimoss around them in a cloud of healing spores, desperate to restore bits and pieces of their comrades. The earth shuttered in response to their needs.
The two entities lay helpless on the floor, showered in healing spores but fading quickly.