"What do you mean we missed out?!" one of the reserve players fumed in disbelief, while the rest grasped the grim reality.
"They pulled it off without us," a second player responded through gritted teeth, "We never tagged it so no treasure for us."
The vanguard donned their new armaments, arcane trinkets; some would bring the wearer back from the brink of death for a time as a shambling monstrosity, one shield summoned phantasmal armies of Circle soldiers to fight on the wearers behalf.
Worst still, Karl had acquired another incredible relic. Even with all the rage that surrounded, he was proudly flaunting his new fluorescent pink leg warmers that he had attained from another impressive accomplishment. The leg warmers complemented his rose-colored star sunglasses with an unsettlingly perfect match.
Lord OhZone watched in real time as more and more guild membered switched from his camp, to the sanctuary beneath Karl's overshadowing wingspan.
The transfer from general guilds to Karl's ranks was swift, many desperate for whatever favoritism he could offer. Even Lord OhZone had not expected these players to secure such powerful artifacts while the veteran gamers were left wanting. The scene was a pandemonium unmatched by any other.
“Let’s move out and secure the next objective - ” Lord OhZone was quick to cut off further discussion before it escalated.
"Gonna split us up again?" A random nobody asked, as if his opinion mattered the slightest bit.
lord OhZone pointed to the looming gate ahead. "Obviously we must split up, there's too many of us to fit through all at once." the guild leader failed to conceal his annoyance at his lessers daring to interject their own thoughts into the proceedings.
"I think that-" A second foolish soul followed suit, and Lord OhZone was too deafened by his own rage to hear any of the yapping that followed.
The tension in the air was palpable as Lord OhZone surveyed his guild. How could these mere minions think of questioning him? His eyes blazed with seething rage, refusing to bow to their whims any longer. After all, it was he who had finally established the Taco Knights, he who was leading this raid.
Yet somehow, his dominion was on the verge of chaos. This was the Under the Sea expansion all over again! And all the problems stemmed from his 'trusted' officers. Coop had left with Karl without prior warning, Nekomata had ventured ahead and saved the vanguard without consulting Lord OhZone, Karl had somehow discovered superhuman abilities when Lord OhZone least needed him to, and BowsGoBrrrr just vanished. Everyone blamed Lord OhZone for their misfortunes, leaving him alone to battle with the storm of fire now raging upon them.
But those were only a few among the many instances of utter disrespect that had gone on throughout this expansion. Those were just examples of the one's who should be unquestionably on Lord OhZone's side. The rabble were even worse.
The players around him seethed with anger and accusation, blaming OhZone for every ill-fortune that had come to pass since the last expansion they'd taken to saying 'thanks OhZone' every time a minor misfortune were to occure.
All Lord OhZone's careful planning and hard work meant little when compared to their naivete and audacity. It was all too much for him to bear. He slowly tuned out their grumbling as he configured the loot settings for the upcoming raid boss.
Then, a raid wide warning clanged in every players user interface in front of the Great Gate.
Raid Loot Settings Adjusted.
Loot Council -> First Come First Serve
It was the loot setting that WNC kept in the game out of pure stubbornness. Only the first 10 players to tag the boss were eligible to roll for loot.
A deep silence fell upon the throng as they digested the news. Some of the more shrewd adventurers began to edge away from the collective, hoping to gain a strategic advantage while others hurtled through the Great Gate towards their fate.
At once, pandemonium erupted. Adventurers stormed through the gargantuan portal like wildfire, desperate to reach the next raid boss before anyone else. Lord OhZone watched them go, seeing what lengths his people would resort to in their selfish quests for power and glory.
**********
The mob of adventurers ran and shouted as they stormed through the tunnels, brandishing their weapons. Orcs, goblins, and ogres sprinted for cover - Giznak had never seen such a scene before.
Almost one hundred heroes flooded in, obliterating all resistance as they stormed forward like an unstoppable wave. The ground shook, as if it was in a state of perpetual thunderous applause.
Some of Griznak's fellows cried out for mercy that would never come; others bared their teeth in meaningless defiance; most simply froze in horror and were slain where the stood.
The adventurers spread through the compound like a virus. They overturned furniture, smashed barrels and plundered whatever they could find. Everywhere they went chaos and destruction seemed to follow in their wake.
Giznak fled with wild abandon - it was as if some ancient god had descended upon the compound, delivering judgement upon those who lived here. He dropped his sword, it had only been slowing him down, and held both hands over his mouth, lest his screaming draw their ire.
Eventually he did get the attention he so wanted to avoid, "We got a runner!" a man in red steel plate shouted, or at least it was painted red now, after the unspeakable acts the man had born into the world.
"Get him before he agrros any more!" Their words were meaningless but Giznak fled all the faster.
Spears lodged into the ground around him, elemental fury bounced off of the cave walls.
Giznak did whatever he could for survival, ran through groups of his fellows, those confused by his hurry, only to hear them torn apart as the flood close behind brought death.
He knew there was only one who could break this wave, Magog the Titan, the Circle's chosen who was to lead the assault on this world.
Magog stood in a massive chamber a intricate summoning circle at it's center. The room was filled with Circle warriors who were just starting to equip their kits of war, just now hearing the roar of the incoming wave. Dragons woke from their slumber, seven just like the one who had ventured out to the Great Gate earlier.
Giznak turned, ready to see the fear in the adventurer's eyes at the tables being turned, but instead witnessed nothing but pure joy in the faces of the demented souls who chased him.
Magog the Titan roared in challenge, and started, "Who dares to intrude one me while-" A great ball of fire hit the Titan in the face.
Magog paused, taken aback.
"Hah, i'm first! That's loot for me!" The mage delighted.
Magog aimed his hand at the mage who dared interrupted him.
"Uh, any tanks out there gonna pick up aggro?"
The mage was wiped from existence.
"As I was saying," Magog began again, but speaking only drew the attention of the rest, adventurers poured in, desperate to land any hit they could on the great ogre.
Giznak hid behind Magog's throne. He knew not who would win between a mad titan and madness, but he did not want any part of the fight.