Hail friends,
All great stories have a beginning, middle, and end. This one is no different. And like any good beginning, it's humble origins look tame and commonplace at first glance. Like any good beginning, there's always more than meets the eye. (And like any good beginning, the true crime is hidden between the lines and the reader is challenged to dig a little deeper.)
Let's begin.
Public Posting by Spree:Siege Perilous First Annual Cat Herding Event
DATE: Thursday July 31
TIME: 9:30 PM Eastern TIME
WHERE: Skara Brea
Rules: All people attending will be given a crook and a robe. Players will be dived in to two teams. Cats will be herded in to the back rooms of the Skara Brea Town Hall. Herding skills only. NO TAMING ALLOWED!!! The game is over when all the cats are in the back rooms. The team with the most cats is the winner.
{cats can be herded with the human jack of all trades bonus}
News of the cat herding festivities travels quickly and it was posted a few days in advance. I've been going through the motions of the plan in my head ever since. The day had already come but show time wasn't until later that evening... at least for them. With what I had in mind, I'd have to get started early to keep suspicion to a minimum -- even from my own guild.
Today was a big day. It was also clearly a solo mission. I tell no one of my plans.
(No human shields are necessary.)
I put my plan into action.With no offensive to speak of -- save for Poison and Mind Blast spells -- my options were limited. I forgot to bring some night sight with me, but no matter. The plan will work in the dark just the same.
First one...
Then many.
I kill dozens of them in Dungeon Despise and spend thousands of gold pieces in Luna, re-stocking reagents. Progress was slow. And yet, I always do manage to find entertainment.Akasha of NEW...?
(I just can't help myself.)
I move in and take a peek, if nothing else.
--And she bolts for the exit!BLAST!
I've only just begun and already my cover is blown. And for what? To snoop an obviously empty pack? I follow and try to minimize the potential damage.
It would be a full day's work and there would be little room for error. The slightest mis-step could lead to oblivion... and potential public embarrassment!
(I have a reputation to maintain!)
Seeing as it's the mount-less chasing the mounted, I lose Akasha at the pass. I go back to the lizards and am soon in need of regs once more. I head back to Luna and find AEowyn of Gilfane waiting for me.AEowyn: Naughty boy.
AEowyn: You scared away one of my NEW!
She catches my attention but I hope "scaring a NEW" is all she suspects.
I head back to Despise and find Akasha back at it just the same. The lizardmen were getting the best of her. Being as gracious as I am, I decide to lend her a helping hand (and pump her for information).
Akasha: AEowyn already knows.
(Yes, it's true!)
I kill a few more lizardmen but it was clearly the wrong approach. Time for Plan B.Tony Emerald? (One of my guildmates.)
He asks what I need and what for.
...
(I give him nothing.)Anyways... he finds his own entertainment as he jumps a red gate and lets me off the hook for all the cloak & dagger.
(Where was I?)
Ah-ha!
I find a Willis of RSA. A master scribe that can provide me exactly what I need! And like a person with massive amounts of issues, AEowyn interrupts my brief moment of victory.
AEowyn: So I have issues, do I?(Note to self: Akasha re-pays greater heals in times of need with squealing like a squeally squealler.)
*ponders*
...
(I decide to find out just exactly how much she suspects.)
She doesn't bite.
(She doesn't suspect a thing.)
In fact, she even has a few scrolls to spare!
Willis soon returns.
I get my much needed scrolls, Willis gets his much needed money, and I get back to my very honorable and not evil plan.
I head straight to the lower levels of Dungeon Shame.
(I've wasted enough time.)
And with the mighty red mages in place of lowly lizardmen, it doesn't take long.
And there it is:
With my notoriety now Notable (and with my Scoundrel title shed) I buy a few supplies and kick back.
(Everything was going according to plan.)