theGameWizerd
Steampunker
Preface
Yeah, I made a post like this a long time ago, over a year at this point. It was a story of a single terrarian's adventure to the moon lord, but it was stopped short because I had no idea how to continue the story progression and make it interesting at the same time. Point is, this is kinda a half-remake, half-reboot, half-new work, half-boredom impulse writing. That makes two wholes, and there's gonna be a lot more of those in the story as we go along bc I'm not gonna be thinking about how the story lines up too much. Obviously there'll be consistency, but if anything doesn't make too much sense, it's either not going to ever or I'll put a little writing stucco into it and see if I can't at least make it readable. Regardless, I hope you guys enjoy this rambling of a tale.
Chapter, the First: The Past is Merely a Tale of Creation
A small, dimly lit room was once the only thing that existed in the universe. A work bench of sorts, where the materials were elements of the cosmos and the tools were the imaginations of the Celestials. The table held everything that ever existed, exists, and will exist. Time is as much of a moldable material at this table as was dirt or gold, and the only carpenter who could temper and create with these elements had no name. Well, no self-assigned name.
As the being created and wove the fabric of the universe together, the creatures that were intelligent enough to realize that... it... existed, and was responsible for everything, they scrambled to name it in order to at least comprehend an idea of his existence. Amused by their need for a definition for everything, or at least a term to refer to it, he created a written language, and began to interact with his little creations more than just dropping them wherever he so pleased and watching them fight and coexist in their own way.
Eventually, they began to ask greater questions than, "Is it daytime?" or, "Is this edible? Will it kill me before tonight?" He led them to a small extent, lending them a particle of a fraction of his infinite wisdom and knowledge, and even then that kind of power was almost impossible for them to wield, let alone contain. The being realized he needed a way to amplify their bodies in order for their souls to better use this knowledge. He employed the use of his new written language to bind a clone of the shadows of the power he had to books, tomes, staffs, and other objects, leading to magical weapons that were immensely powerful, armor and materials that had different effects and could be found in different places, flora and fauna and creatures who could harness a small fraction of these abilities, and finally, what the being sought for; mana.
At least, that's what his little creations called it. The small symbols that signified this was really just a three dimensional interpretation of the magical energy that surged through the user's veins. in order to slowly increase their ability to siphon this energy for their own purposes, the being allowed some of the stars that peppered the night sky to fall and crater. He taught the people how to use these stars to create a small crystal that could increase their magical abilities up to a certain extent before their bodies would explode into stardust and dark matter.
Unfortunately, some of the people were overcome with the energy, and wished to harbor it all for themselves. This led to a division between the people and the creatures. In order to stem the flow of catastrophe, the being created creatures that could stop them; from lawless pirates to lizard people to martians, and even allowed a small split in the separating veil of dimensions in order to allow otherworldly being from an alternate universe to enter and attack. Unfortunately, the being could not stop them with these means, as the terrarians were already sufficiently powerful enough to withstand both the creatures' onslaught. They began to turn on each other as well, some fighting for all the power possible, while the others fought to defend their creator from the onslaught of the rebels. They began to forge better weapons, armors, accessories, armies, buildings, nations, and sought to end the other rivaling faction no matter the cost.
Meanwhile, the being had had enough of their little quarrel and decided to purge the creatures and start anew. However, since his ethereal form only allowed for the addition of materials, not the manipulation or destruction, he had two options; physically manifest himself into the universe, or corrupt the creatures into following his bidding. The being, however mad he was towards the terrarians, did not want to outright control their every move, but merely wanted order and respect. So he did both options. He created a small puppet figure that could contain his soul and energy for a sufficient amount of time, and laid corruption and other spreading vices across the universe, spotting every planet with a purge or purple, red, teal and magenta.
As these evils spread, the terrarians ceased their actions and all came to the realization that their creator was out to end their lives. So they united under one banner and began to build and fight in order to reach the soul of their creator, which resided in the cosmic beast they came to call "Lunatic." They fought the being's corruptions and creatures, and eventually, the day of the final duel arrived.
The being lowered his vessel from the heavens and descended upon the terrarians, both sides ready to lay siege against the other. The battle began, bloody and gruesome. The terrarians fought with all their might, but the Lunatic turned out to be too strong for the people. He ended as many as he could bear to destroy, and finally made the remaining straggling survivors kneel and pledge allegiance to him once more. Very few people truly kept their swear of allegiance, and they began to refer to the being as the Lunar King, others as the Moon Lord, still others as Cthulhu, which in their language meant, "The Merciful Destroyer."
As the being rose into the cosmos once more, he stopped a ways off from the planets. He decided it was in its' best interest to create a guardian for the corruptions he spread across the universe. It returned to the plates and collected every fallen body and tossed them into the infernal cores of the planets, and gave them new life, fused as one creature in order to work in harmony in death as they did in life. As the being saw this creature's raw strength, he entrusted it to be both the door and the seal of the corruption of the worlds. If the wall should fall, the corruption would spread once more, ending them all. It also decided there should be other creatures to act as sentinels, in case the terrarians should become too powerful. It fused metal with breathing souls and flesh, it created exaggerated idols and body parts in order to act as the guardians of the corruptions. After he deemed the worlds sealed and protected, the being departed from the physical realm, and watched as the worlds flourish, and those who rose against it fell to the guardians.
There was little hope to be free of the guardians, and the people began to fear them as they began attacked who set out to create armor and weapons to defend themselves, deeming them as threats. Soon, the terrarians, or those who were left, decided enough was enough. They would either live free of the oppression of these guardians, or cease to exist at all, but they would not live under the constant fear and paranoia of being attacked while they slept by a creature that could trespass through walls and end their lives with a single blow.
The people began to use the magic that Cthulhu had left them in order to increase their strength and power, while avoiding creating any strong weapons or armor in order to avoid detection by the guardians. One terrarian, however, absorbed too much power, against the warnings of both the Moon Lord and his neighbors. His soul became too strong for his body to contain, and he split into pieces. There was, however, one vital piece of information the being had left out; you don't explode, you split into duplicates of your body, each body containing a single attribute, amplified by the magic more than a regular terrarian, but everything else was far inferior.
The terrarian who split was split into five pieces of his abilities, each taking a small piece of personality along with them. His last name, from his clan, was Thundersteel. His first name before he fractured was Sidereus. His names after the split, they have yet to determine. In fact, they have yet to even remember who they are, where they are, and why they all look alike.
---===+++===---
Chapter, the Second: Confusion and Collaboration
As the light of dawn shattered the night sky's darkness, a collective groan was heard from an empty field. Lying in the grass were five strikingly similar individuals, each with strikingly different clothing styles and colors.
The first was garbed with a solid red t-shirt, which discretely displayed a dull orange skull. He had a dark maroon pair of jeans on, a stylish pair of shiny brown leather working boots, and a sturdy leather belt and right arm bracer of the same color and luster. His face had some dirt along his chiseled jawline where it had rested against the grass, and a fine layer of sweat across his forehead plastered a few choice strands of wavy dark brownish-red hair to it. His eyes opened to reveal a light brown iris, with hints of hazel and anger showing. He was firmly built, with his shirt perfectly fitting his body enough to display his toned upper body without risking the fabric from tearing at the seams.
Next to him, almost blending in with the grass he lay on, a similar person wore a deep emerald cloak, with a simple turquoise shirt underneath. His pants were a shade of olive green, with other shades of green in a subtle camo pattern splattered across the fabric. His jaw was slightly pointier than the first man, and his nose was thinner. He silently lifted his head and warily darted his jade eyes in eight general directions, gaining a sense of direction and spatial awareness. His body was not as visibly strong as the crimson man's was, but he was still physically fit. Finally, he ruffled his straight, jet-black hair awry in order to knock any grit and dust out of it, stood along with the red doppelganger, and wiped off his jungle green and white sneakers.
As he did so, the third man jerked into a sitting position immediately. His light brown hair fluttered in the breeze magnificently, as did the collar of his muted cobalt blue trench coat. A bright purple undershirt was visible underneath it, and his worn jeans were held up by a neat onyx double ring belt, with a pair of dark blue boots, bordering on black, complimented his entire wardrobe choice. He peered around at the two standing figures, and cracked his young face into a gleeful grin, with a shining pair of gunmetal blue eyes staring fixedly at the duo. His physique was hidden from the rest from his flowing garbs.
The fourth person slowly parted their eyelids to reveal piercing silver irises, matching their hair color to a T. The hair flowed down to their shoulders, and the bangs in the front swooped in front of one eye. The fourth duplicate wore a dark magenta dress, with eggplant and silver details, accents, and trims. Light caramel sandals firmly wrapped around their feet, winding and wrapping their way halfway up their shins, and a single violet earring hung from their left earlobe. Their face was not obviously feminine nor masculine, but the body build was most certainly more muscular, with hands that show signs of both delicate and rough work. They remained motionless on their back until a small breeze began to pick up again, where they finally stood up to greet the whispers of the air.
The final fifth man stood, towering at least a half foot over the rest. He wore a sleeveless shirt that was the same color as the dawn sky, and matching bracelets on either arm. He wore a peculiar pair of deep mustard jeans, with a light canvas belt wrapped across his waist to hold them in place. His boots were a gentle shade of cream, and were obviously rather new. The other four people had to look up to glimpse as his face; a kind yet authoritative facial display, with an oval jawline, understanding amber eyes, and a baked golden halo of hair circled his head gingerly, almost angelically.
The group stood facing one another, regarding each other carefully, examining, analyzing, evaluating. Finally, the one in red broke the ice; "Alright, we all gonna stand here and stare at each other like we've never seen another person in our lives or is someone gonna explain why the hell we're in the middle of a damn field? What is this, the X-Men? 'Son, I'm interested in talking to you about the 'Waking Up In Some Random Field' Initiative.'"
The one in blue raised an eyebrow, but refrained from responding. Instead, the man in green spoke for him, "No one really knows why we're here, I gather. You all brandish the same look of ignorance to the situation, yet we all bear uncanny similarities."
Blue responded, "How do you know that even you look similar to everyone else?"
"Because you just confirmed my assumption."
Yellow smirked, then gave a slight chuckle before adding, "Well, you're the clever one, it seems, Green. At any rate, we should introduce ourselves. Who would care to go first?"
The five awkwardly looked around the circle, before Red chimed in, "Why don't you go first, hotshot? It was your idea after all."
Yellow gave a sheepish smile before replying, "Heh. Well, truth is, uh-"
"You don't remember your name, do you," Purple spoke for the first time, a light yet strong pitch to their voice. After seeing Yellow's hesitation to respond, Purple continued, "It's fine. Being honest, I don't either. In fact, I don't remember much. Just pieces of fragments of memories that feel like less than a figment of my imagination."
Blue looked with slight astonishment, then mumbled, "I wake up just to get philosophized to by some trap in a field. Socrates had it good, I can say that much now."
Purple turned fiercely onto Blue and demanded, "Did you just call me a trap," while rearing to give Blue an open palm slap.
Yellow briskly stood between the two, and calmly held Purple's arm mid-swing. He spoke with a hint of control in his voice, saying, "Calm down, Purple. Blue didn't mean that. He was just pointing out how you don't have obviously masculine features. Right, Blue?" Yellow aggressively added the question, turning to face Blue behind him, who nodded in agreement. "Good. See, just a simple misunderstanding." And with that, he let go of Purple's arm.
Purple rubbed their wrist and said, "Sorry, Blue. I'm not a trap, though. I'm a girl. Thought that was obvious enough. Guess not though."
Another round of awkward silence lapped the five, before Yellow broke it by calling out, slightly louder than normal, "Alright! I remember my name!"
"Do you really? Or are you just saying that to break the silence?" responded Green.
Yellow retorted, "Have you bothered to check your feet? We all have tools around us, and they have our names engraved on them!"
Sure enough, surrounding the group were copper tools that flawlessly refracted the sunlight off their metal parts. Each person bent to pick up a pick, axe, and small short sword, and checked their handles. Red spoke first saying, "Name's Gladius, I guess. Also, this sword is super unbalanced. Like, look at this! Most of the weight is off to one side of the damn handle! Maybe if it was sided on the blade, but no, the handle, of all things! What am I gonna do, half-sword with this oversized butter knife? It's not even properly sharpened!"
Green interrupted, "*sigh* Well, I'm Arcum, according to this blade, at least. Red, you do have a point about the sword being unbalanced, but just calm down a bit, please?"
Blue followed up, saying, "Yeah, well, my sword says that my name is Magus. pleasure to meet all of you, honestly. You guys seem like a great group of people! Apologies about what I said earlier, Purple. Forgive me?"
Purple hesitated for a second, then responded, "Apology accepted on one condition; call me Lin, not Purple. I'm not a Sharpie or a Gatorade bottle. Thanks."
Yellow capped off the introductions by announcing to the four, "And I am Rex! Fantastic, so we've recovered one vital piece of information for all of us! Hopefully this isn't just a one time thing. Now then, we should see if we can't find someone nearby that can help us."
Arcum spoke up, saying, "don't worry, I already have. Hey, mister, don't be shy. Come out, we won't bite. Well, Gladius might, but don't mind him."
The rest of the group faced in the direction Arcum was facing, and saw as a person stood up from behind a bush, about fifty meters off. The man had light brown hair, not natural but bleached form the sun. His long sleeve shirt was also sun bleached, now a mix between a light green and gray, and his jeans were significantly more worn than Magus's pair. His shoes were rather weather-beaten, being a faded black. A wooden longbow was slung across his back, the bowstring crossing his chest, and he held a small leather-bound pocketbook. He had gray eyes, and his face was one that told a story of the horrors it had seen prior, yet still held an aura of youth and hope.
The man walked over, and addressed the five as a whole, saying, "Apologies for spying in on your conversation. I was merely surprised, is all. You may call me Jacob, a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He shook the hands of all five people, then stepped back and drew his bow, "Careful!" He aimed for a few seconds before he let loose an arrow, and gave a small jeer as is missed its target by a few inches; a green slime that had slapped into view from behind the trunks of a few trees which guarded the entrance to a nearby forest. As it hopped closer to the group, the man notched another arrow into his bowstring; but Arcum, in one swift motion, lunged and grabbed hold of the bow, aimed the notched arrow for a fraction of a millisecond through his peripheral vision, and fired. The arrow soared in a flawless arc, and spiraled half a rotation to perfectly connect with its target, rewarding the archer with the sound of victory; a tremendous splat, accompanied by the visible explosion of the slime, and a shower of green gel.
Arcum handed the man back his bow, and told him, "It's a 35 pound draw weight, slightly springy bowstring, possibly made of a strip of well-spun fabric, and the arrow was slightly crooked, which is what caused your initial shot to miss. You made those arrows recently, and in a hurry, because you showed skill with the draw and the aim, but the arrow was not straight enough to guarantee straight flight, which is why I had to curve it slightly off target so it would land." With that, Arcum picked up his sword, which he had dropped in order to decimate the foe with the man's bow.
The man, stunned at Arcum's ability to have perfectly analyzed the issues and details of his bow and arrows with a single shot and watching him have fired only one, slowly replied, "That's... correct. I was being chased by a few zombies before dawn broke, and I had run out of arrows. Anyway, I'm what you would call a Guide; someone who leads wandering adventurers and other foreign warriors when they're under-equipped, need advice or help, or are just new to the region in general. As it stands, however, the only thing you guys are going to need seems to be equipment to compliment your skills. Come on, I'll teach you what I know about the area.
The caravan of six walked towards the forest, while the Guide spoke, "Take your hatchets and knock down a few trees. Carve up the logs into usable planks of wood, and make a small bench in order to be able to work on a sturdy surface. There's boulders and stone deposits around this forest, too, so you can use your pickaxes to chip some to make arrows. Collect enough of that stone and wood and we might even be able to build a shelter for the night and withstand the zombies a bit better. If you're lucky, you can find some iron or copper veins in the rocks, too. Oh, and someone should go scrape as much of that gel from the slime we killed as possible; it makes a fantastic fuel source. It's very flammable. Rather tasty, too, if you're in a pinch."
As the group scoured the forest for wood, stone, and gel, the sun hoisted itself higher into the sky before lowering itself under the horizon, with its rays reaching out as a final wave to the day that had passed. As the moon rose, the slimes began to scamper and hide. Lin asked Jacob, "Why are the slimes running off? It's not like they're smart enough to know and fear us when they see us, right?" Jacob responded, "No, they only get scared when night falls. They fear zombies." At that, Jacob looked up and realized how far down the sun was under the horizon before saying, "Oh, crap. Alright, everyone, quickly! Use some of the stones to make a foundation for a building. Link the wood up using any method possible, and try to make it stable to it can withstand a beating.
The five did not question him, but did as he said. To the guide's astonishment, the five managed to find stones that linked perfectly together, creating an incredibly sturdy surface to stand on. Gladius and Lin worked with the walls, creating notches into the ends of the planks in order to create an interlocking corner mechanism that was as sturdy as nailing and gluing the planks together. Arcum worked on creating an entrance, and a door to block said entrance. Rex brought in the work bench to the house, and quickly rubbed some sticks in the gel against the stone to ignite a spark and have working torches, and set them into small torch holes carved evenly into the walls throughout the interior of the base. Magus worked on creating wooden weapons for the six of them which were stronger and better balanced than the supplied gear, and also created a few chairs for them to sit in, employing Gladius and Lin's interlocking concept to hold up the chairs.
As the final rays of light disappeared form the sky, leaving the stars and the moon in the void above, the Guide gaped in awe at the masterpiece that was the base the five had created in under an hour. It was a single-story building, with a few gaps in the walls acting as windows, but blocked off from the outside by wooden fencing. The foundation crept out slightly yet evenly around the entire house, and the door hole had a slight overhand above it. It was nothing compared to some of the villages in the surrounding area, but considering that five amateur builders had hand-crafted the building in approximately 45 minutes with no measurement tools or anything apart from the blunt ends of their axes, it was a feat very few master builders could have even dreamed of accomplishing.
He would have stared all night had an audible groan not startled him into consciousness. The sound was not human; at least, not anymore. Jacob snapped into action, calling out to the adventurers, now architects-in-the-making, "Brace yourselves! The zombies are approaching!"
Magus nonchalantly responded with, "You want arrows for that slingshot of yours, Jacob? Or do you want to come into the building?" Jacob looked back at Magus, who was holding bundles of arrows in his arms and a knowing smirk plastered on his face. He shrugged and told Magus, "Sure, I'll take a few arrows, and that offer. Let me in." He entered the building, and was greeted with yet another surprise; a working furnace and fireplace. At this point, the Guide was beyond flabbergasted, but was past the point of shock. He merely acknowledged the work station and furniture piece, dragged an extra chair that Magus had made, and wedged it firmly under the door handle to keep the beasts from breaking in.
The six of them cycled through lapses of idle chatter and peaceful silence, the only thing telling the passage of time was the crackle of the fires, the occasional check out the window for daybreak, and the muffled groans and scratches of the zombies at the door. Eventually, a few thumps were heard outside, different form the obvious pounds of the undead outside their door. The residents exchanged glances with each other, then prepared to open the door and waste anything on the other side. Jacob, not wanting to waste time with talk, slowly reached towards the chair, and kicked it aside in one swift motion. The door swung open, revealing three shambling creatures.
None of them had identifiable features; one was missing an arm, another half his face, and the third was wearing some sort of bone mask, presumably a skull from a larger zombie. They all had the same pale green skin showing, wherever the blood hadn't run and dried on them, that is. Their clothes were beyond torn, and their only noises were low growls and other primitive noises. The six of them easily dispatched of them, with Gladius taking one's head, Arcum using a second as a pincushion for his arrows, and Magus, Lin, and Rex hacking the third into mincemeat with their wooden blades. Gladius checked the bodies, finding some copper and silver coins on their persons, and inspected his bloody wooden blade that Magus had made for him. He remarked, "Not bad for a sharpened wooden plank. Magus, you've outdone yourself with this. It's actually balanced, unlike this hunk of metal," Gladius heaved his old copper short sword into the furnace, allowing the blade to melt into molten copper.
While Rex tended to the sword in the furnace, the other four ventured outside the base to investigate the sounds. About five meters from the door came a calm, pulsing glow, alternating between a soft gold to a pale green and blue, mixed with some purple. Magus led the vanguard, and picked up the source of the light: a fallen star. Magus held it and said, "A star. Forged in the cosmos of the heavens, surging with the raw energy of the creator himself. You take a few of these, say, three, and with a little effort, you can fuse them into a crystal that fuses itself with the user's soul itself, increasing your magic output and power by increasing your mana potential permanently. There seems to be a few more around here, since it seems to be pulling in the direction of those glows over there."
When the group returned to the base, they carried seven fallen stars between them. Magus set to work, examining the stars, pushing and prodding at them until six of them fused into two light blue crystals, resembling the shape of the stars used to make them. Magus took one and handed the other to Rex, reasoning, "Hey, I made them, and Rex couldn't go outside because he had to make sure the copper didn't spill." They both held the crystals with both hands and closed their eyes. The crystals began to glow brighter, and shone a brilliant white, until the crystal was no more. instead, a pure white energy flowed up both theirs arms, and was absorbed into their chests. As the white faded, they both took a deep breath and exhaled with a satisfied sigh. The Guide, marveling at what he just witnessed, said, "Tomorrow, we should head east. There's a small village there, it only consists of a few residents, but I feel they could really use your guys' help. And who knows? they could show you guys a few tricks, set you up with some gear to defend yourselves, and even remind you who you guys are. Sound like a plan?"
They nodded in agreement, and settled down to spend the rest of the night safe in their base.
---===+++===---
Chapter, the Third: Dawn of the Second Day (preview)
As the sun's rays stretched out to greet the clouds and the adventurers, they prepared themselves for a few hours' trek through the forest to the Guide's village. Gladius was honing the edges of all their sword blades and axe heads while Magus catalogued his findings on the herbs he had found.
"Right," said he, "so this one here is a Daybloom, then?" Magus carefully gave the small golden flower a once-over.
"Yep," responded Jacob, "it's used in a multitude of different potions from what I've heard. It's good for basic healing potions and a decent defense potion. Other than that I have little clue as to what else it may be useful for."
Magus absorbed the Guide's information, peeled a small strip of the stem off and chewed it delicately with his front teeth, and reported, "The stem of the plant is nothing special in and of itself, but it does harbor one particular skill which it excels at; it can amplify the effects of any other substance it's properly mixed with. No other plant is adept enough to have both healing and protective properties, but this plant's stem and petals can be crushed into a light paste that can strengthen its medium. The healing potions you use are made of healing mushroom, and the defense potion made from iron filings and small fragments. Am I right?" Magus spun on his heels to face the Guide, tearing his vision from the herb for the first time in a while. Jacob struggled to respond verbally, but managed to convey a strained nod of confirmation. "As I suspected. This will come in handy later on." Magus pocketed the herb and the other ones he had collected.
The six tore down the base, managing to salvage most of the materials used for the building, save some of the walls that had been warped from the heat of the fires they had sustained. They split the load and began to head off in the direction the Guide had pointed out, off into the middle of the forest they were currently in. Arcum brandished a torch left over from the house as a dim light source for the darker spots of the forest while Gladius kept his blade accessible and prepared, yet at ease at the moment. Rex and Jacob kept tabs on the group, with the Guide being the leader while Rex took the rear. Magus explored the foliage surrounding them, a gleeful smile wide across his face while in awe at the amount of vegetation the trees covered. Lin kept to herself, staying towards the center of the group, and keeping a keen eye out for anything moving in the canopies.
About twenty uneventful minutes passed before their first opposition on their journey reared its head; a horde of slimes. Taken by suprise, Jacob gave a curt warning shout, while the other five fell into action. Rex quickly analyzed the situation, thinking to himself, Right, so there's about... two, seven... twenty slimes in plain sight, three to the left, five mid-left, four mid, six mid-right, two far right. Trees in the way of a strafing maneuver with eye contact, but can be accomplished solo. Gladius is in position for a left sweep, Lin is set for mid with Magus, Arcum can flank while Jacob and I take the right half. He called quick, drill sergeant-like orders with a barking tone, "Magus, Lin, headlong attack! Gladius, take the left, Arcum, flank from the left and come from behind, Jacob, with me!"
The group split into action, and carnage ensued. Gladius charged with the speed of a cheetah and the strength of a semi plowing into a wooden wall. A few swift motions of his blade connected with the first slime, a green one, and it found itself instantly diced into salvageable gel for torches. A second volley of jabs and blows rendered the green and blue slimes little more than sticky puddles on the grass.
Magus and Lin brandished their blades and regarded the slimes they were facing. five of them were directly in front, but their presence was attracting a few of the slimes from their right as well. Magus took a calculated jab at the closest slime, and followed it up with a fierce overhand slice, finishing the blue slime. Removing the blade from the divot made in the dirt upon impact, he switched targets and deflected a green slime that had leapt at him from his left. Lin jumped in front of Magus, transferring her forward aerial momentum to her wooden sword, and after that into the airborne slime, cutting it clean in half. Lin landed softly, and swiftly spun and decimated a second slime who had jumped as she landed. A third one, however, jumped under her next swing, and forcefully attached itself to her leg, causing her to yelp in disgust and mild pain. Struggling to wrestle her ankle free of the slime's gelatinous form, another one hopped onto her arm, freeing the sword from her grasp. Magus sprinted at her and slid the blade cleanly through the slime on her forearm, and grabbed the fallen weapon to use it for chopping the other slime on her foot. Lin gasped for air, then quickly brandished her copper axe and plowed it through a blue slime that had vaulted towards the duo, popping it like a water balloon.
Arcum had circled behind the rest of the slimes, while Rex and Jacob attacked head-on. Rex ran a quick number count, noticed that there were eleven left, and began his work from right to left. He jumped forward and came down with the power of a fallen oak onto the first slime, rolled into the landing and stabbed upwards to catch a second one that had leapt at him off guard. Both enemies split to the touch of his blade. Jacob let loose a volley of arrows from a distance, clipping one and ending another. Arcum closed in a certain distance with a stealthy approach, then sprinted at mach speed, plowing through two blue slimes and flinging a third with the speed and force of the blunt face of his sword. Gladius had made his way towards the crew, and came down with a finishing blow on another slime, further dyeing his sword a bright green. Magus flipped Lin's sword towards her as she leapt into the air, caught it, and brought it down on a slime that had jumped to meet her in the air. Jacob finished off the two wounded slimes, Rex smacked one with the flat end of his blade towards Arcum, who punted it into the air and skewered it onto his sword as it came down.
The group stood still as they scanned the splotches of slime that littered the shaded opening that was their battlefield moments ago. Rex gave a quick nod of approval at their handiwork before yelling, "Jacob, your left!" The Guide spun to his call-out in time to see a green slime spring inches from his face before it being whisked away by some force, followed by a solid thunk of wood. Arcum lowered his arm, and everyone turned to look at where he had thrown his sword; straight at the slime in question, with enough force not only to impale it and carry it, but also the accuracy and precision to have beamed it from ten meters away and have it stick firmly into the trunk of a nearby tree, pinning the unfortunate victim between the bark and the blade. Jacob exhaled a nervous breath of air, and expressed his gratitude. "Come on, we shouldn't dawdle too long here. We need to make it to the village before sundown."
The entourage followed Jacob the rest of the way through the forest, and climbed a small ridge at the other side where they came out. As their vision rose past the crest of the rise, their eyes were greeted with a spectacular sight; a small yet magnificent village spread in front of them, in a shallow valley with natural rivers flowing from three directions into a large lake the village bordered. Some of the houses were shoddily built, with gaps visible here and there, and the occasional rotted or worn wall spot. Other houses were fairly new or had withstood the test of time to tell the tale, with solid framing and foundation supporting red brick roof tiles or slabs. Off to the side stood a blacksmith's forge, which seemed to double as his dwelling, and the monotonous clinking of the owner at work resounded throughout the valley. A small marketplace was the closest thing to the lake, and a nearby fishing dock that stretched out into the water was crowded with people.
Jacob gave a content sigh, and with audible joy in his voice he introduced the village; "Welcome, everyone, to Lower Eldritch." He began his descent down into the valley, towards the main entrance of the village, where a sign overhead bore the same name the Guide had announced. He happily led everyone through the streets of the town, introducing the people he knew were residents, and meeting those who were just travelers passing through.
"This is Finn, everyone! He's the oldest resident in the village, both in his age and how long he's lived in those crumbling walls of his." Jacob gave a light-hearted chuckle, which Finn sarcastically returned. He was a man in his mid-40s, with a magnificent silver beard that reached halfway down his chest. He wore a long, undyed leather trench coat, a pair of worn denim jeans, and casual black shoes. His hat was a rather peculiar thing; a floppy cap that softly squished at the back, almost like a beret, but it was also made of leather, and a small white feather jutted out from the side. He adjusted said hat slightly, then addressed the five, "Don't pay this rapscallion any mind, gents. And, madam," Finn hastily added as he saw Lin, who responded with, "Oh, well you didn't have to point it out, now did you?" Finn nodded in acknowledgment and made amends with her, saying, "Er, yes, sorry about that. Here, tell you what, youngin. I'll sell ya this special piggy bank for twenty silver coins. Nobody else in the entire town has ever gotten a deal like this, and just to add to it, you buy two and I'll charge ya thirty-five."
Lin held the small piggy banks in her arms, a confused yet subtly grateful expression mixed on her face. They were a bright pink, and the blacks of the eyes shone in the light. Magus and Arcum shared a look but said nothing, silently following Jacob. They turned a few corners and realized he was leading them towards the blacksmith's establishment. He spun on his heels and introduced everyone to the owners, a dwarven demolitionist named Durim and an arms dealer named Dante.
Durim was rather stocky, but his strength made up for his lack of height. What was visible of his face and arms from soot and soil was tanned to the point where his skin was the shade of caramel, with bright cider eyes. The dwarf's faded yellow mining helmet obscured his brilliant ginger hair, but it crawled down the sides of his face into an intricately braided beard. He wore a soiled white collared shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a pair of brown overalls that got most of its color from the splotches of different kinds of dirt and mud on it, and his construction boots weren't much different.
Dante, on the other hand, was much different. The arms dealer was black, with gray kinky hair, and piercing platinum eyes. His jeans showed signs of little wear yet much age, and his short-sleeved red shirt sported a collar and a gold chain to adorn it. Over it, Dante wore a canvas trenchcoat, where he kept his dual Berretas, along with so many other firearms it was mind-boggling to see him even walk, much less work with his gear on.
The arms dealer was also the town smith, not just the gunsmith. Durim worked the molten metals since his dwarven ancestry gave him the strength to work foundries bare-handed without eye protection or any other gear. Dante's one advantage over Durim was his precision with his crafts, which made him more capable with the forging and forming of the weaponry and gear they supplied. Whereas Durin would grind away excess material on a blade, Dante would be certain to hammer it all in place, making sure no metal, weight, or strength on the blade was put to waste.
When the two men saw the newcomers, they greeted Jacob and addressed them as a whole. Durim gave a hearty laugh, saying, "When ye said there'd be a few new friends a' yers, a didn't think ye'd 'ave brought 'em back to the village! How are ye, laddies? Name's Durim, dwarf o' the village, and not jus' in stature, aye?" He laughed again, his entire body shaking at the force of his lungs. Dante shook his head and gave a smirk, telling them, "Don't mind him, he laughs way too much when he makes a joke. It is a rather contagious laugh, though, so I don't mind too much. I'm Dante, arms dealer. You need anything that can blast a zombie or a slime from more than an arm's length away into next week, I'm your guy."
Arcum's ears perked up a little in interest. "What's your most accurate weapon?"
Dante gave a look of surprise. "A fellow ranger, I see? Well, I have an arsenal of handguns you might be interested in." He drew back his trenchcoat to reveal to the five about twenty different pistols and light rifles and submachine guns, along with an assortment of attachments and modification parts. "Well, the most accurate would be this bad boy right here. Spent a solid week on it myself." He reached into the coat and drew out a Colt 1911a1, or at least an expertly modified one. "The slide on this one is perfect in every aspect. Never catches, won't break, and it's got grooves on it so it's easier to cock. The magazine chamber was extended just slight in order to fit an extra round in the custom clip made for it, the trigger's got a lighter pull weight than the default, and the safety is less proud on the surface, allowing for a slighter motion for putting it in and out of firing mode. Wanna give it a try?"
Arcum gazed at the handgun, then asked, "If I wanted to buy it, how much?" Dante replied with another signature smirk and said, "Ten gold." Arcum slowly picked up the pistol and felt its weight, looked down the iron sights of the gun, then proceeded to field strip the weapon at an inhuman velocity. Before Dante had time to process what happened, the gun was disassembled and reassembled with expert skill and speed, and Arcum loaded in the special clip with a single round, held it at arm's length, and called, "The slime at the edge of the town, due west give or take a few degrees, about two hundred meters from my calculations. It's bright blue, can't miss it." With that, he accounted for the sight southern breeze and the bullet drop slightly, and pulled the trigger. The sharp crack and explosion of the gun went off and the bullet left the chamber. After a few seconds, a distant squelch was heard, and the blue slime was no more. He handed back the pistol to Dante with a smirk, and bargained, "Five gold."
to be continued...
Yeah, I made a post like this a long time ago, over a year at this point. It was a story of a single terrarian's adventure to the moon lord, but it was stopped short because I had no idea how to continue the story progression and make it interesting at the same time. Point is, this is kinda a half-remake, half-reboot, half-new work, half-boredom impulse writing. That makes two wholes, and there's gonna be a lot more of those in the story as we go along bc I'm not gonna be thinking about how the story lines up too much. Obviously there'll be consistency, but if anything doesn't make too much sense, it's either not going to ever or I'll put a little writing stucco into it and see if I can't at least make it readable. Regardless, I hope you guys enjoy this rambling of a tale.
Chapter, the First: The Past is Merely a Tale of Creation
A small, dimly lit room was once the only thing that existed in the universe. A work bench of sorts, where the materials were elements of the cosmos and the tools were the imaginations of the Celestials. The table held everything that ever existed, exists, and will exist. Time is as much of a moldable material at this table as was dirt or gold, and the only carpenter who could temper and create with these elements had no name. Well, no self-assigned name.
As the being created and wove the fabric of the universe together, the creatures that were intelligent enough to realize that... it... existed, and was responsible for everything, they scrambled to name it in order to at least comprehend an idea of his existence. Amused by their need for a definition for everything, or at least a term to refer to it, he created a written language, and began to interact with his little creations more than just dropping them wherever he so pleased and watching them fight and coexist in their own way.
Eventually, they began to ask greater questions than, "Is it daytime?" or, "Is this edible? Will it kill me before tonight?" He led them to a small extent, lending them a particle of a fraction of his infinite wisdom and knowledge, and even then that kind of power was almost impossible for them to wield, let alone contain. The being realized he needed a way to amplify their bodies in order for their souls to better use this knowledge. He employed the use of his new written language to bind a clone of the shadows of the power he had to books, tomes, staffs, and other objects, leading to magical weapons that were immensely powerful, armor and materials that had different effects and could be found in different places, flora and fauna and creatures who could harness a small fraction of these abilities, and finally, what the being sought for; mana.
At least, that's what his little creations called it. The small symbols that signified this was really just a three dimensional interpretation of the magical energy that surged through the user's veins. in order to slowly increase their ability to siphon this energy for their own purposes, the being allowed some of the stars that peppered the night sky to fall and crater. He taught the people how to use these stars to create a small crystal that could increase their magical abilities up to a certain extent before their bodies would explode into stardust and dark matter.
Unfortunately, some of the people were overcome with the energy, and wished to harbor it all for themselves. This led to a division between the people and the creatures. In order to stem the flow of catastrophe, the being created creatures that could stop them; from lawless pirates to lizard people to martians, and even allowed a small split in the separating veil of dimensions in order to allow otherworldly being from an alternate universe to enter and attack. Unfortunately, the being could not stop them with these means, as the terrarians were already sufficiently powerful enough to withstand both the creatures' onslaught. They began to turn on each other as well, some fighting for all the power possible, while the others fought to defend their creator from the onslaught of the rebels. They began to forge better weapons, armors, accessories, armies, buildings, nations, and sought to end the other rivaling faction no matter the cost.
Meanwhile, the being had had enough of their little quarrel and decided to purge the creatures and start anew. However, since his ethereal form only allowed for the addition of materials, not the manipulation or destruction, he had two options; physically manifest himself into the universe, or corrupt the creatures into following his bidding. The being, however mad he was towards the terrarians, did not want to outright control their every move, but merely wanted order and respect. So he did both options. He created a small puppet figure that could contain his soul and energy for a sufficient amount of time, and laid corruption and other spreading vices across the universe, spotting every planet with a purge or purple, red, teal and magenta.
As these evils spread, the terrarians ceased their actions and all came to the realization that their creator was out to end their lives. So they united under one banner and began to build and fight in order to reach the soul of their creator, which resided in the cosmic beast they came to call "Lunatic." They fought the being's corruptions and creatures, and eventually, the day of the final duel arrived.
The being lowered his vessel from the heavens and descended upon the terrarians, both sides ready to lay siege against the other. The battle began, bloody and gruesome. The terrarians fought with all their might, but the Lunatic turned out to be too strong for the people. He ended as many as he could bear to destroy, and finally made the remaining straggling survivors kneel and pledge allegiance to him once more. Very few people truly kept their swear of allegiance, and they began to refer to the being as the Lunar King, others as the Moon Lord, still others as Cthulhu, which in their language meant, "The Merciful Destroyer."
As the being rose into the cosmos once more, he stopped a ways off from the planets. He decided it was in its' best interest to create a guardian for the corruptions he spread across the universe. It returned to the plates and collected every fallen body and tossed them into the infernal cores of the planets, and gave them new life, fused as one creature in order to work in harmony in death as they did in life. As the being saw this creature's raw strength, he entrusted it to be both the door and the seal of the corruption of the worlds. If the wall should fall, the corruption would spread once more, ending them all. It also decided there should be other creatures to act as sentinels, in case the terrarians should become too powerful. It fused metal with breathing souls and flesh, it created exaggerated idols and body parts in order to act as the guardians of the corruptions. After he deemed the worlds sealed and protected, the being departed from the physical realm, and watched as the worlds flourish, and those who rose against it fell to the guardians.
There was little hope to be free of the guardians, and the people began to fear them as they began attacked who set out to create armor and weapons to defend themselves, deeming them as threats. Soon, the terrarians, or those who were left, decided enough was enough. They would either live free of the oppression of these guardians, or cease to exist at all, but they would not live under the constant fear and paranoia of being attacked while they slept by a creature that could trespass through walls and end their lives with a single blow.
The people began to use the magic that Cthulhu had left them in order to increase their strength and power, while avoiding creating any strong weapons or armor in order to avoid detection by the guardians. One terrarian, however, absorbed too much power, against the warnings of both the Moon Lord and his neighbors. His soul became too strong for his body to contain, and he split into pieces. There was, however, one vital piece of information the being had left out; you don't explode, you split into duplicates of your body, each body containing a single attribute, amplified by the magic more than a regular terrarian, but everything else was far inferior.
The terrarian who split was split into five pieces of his abilities, each taking a small piece of personality along with them. His last name, from his clan, was Thundersteel. His first name before he fractured was Sidereus. His names after the split, they have yet to determine. In fact, they have yet to even remember who they are, where they are, and why they all look alike.
---===+++===---
Chapter, the Second: Confusion and Collaboration
As the light of dawn shattered the night sky's darkness, a collective groan was heard from an empty field. Lying in the grass were five strikingly similar individuals, each with strikingly different clothing styles and colors.
The first was garbed with a solid red t-shirt, which discretely displayed a dull orange skull. He had a dark maroon pair of jeans on, a stylish pair of shiny brown leather working boots, and a sturdy leather belt and right arm bracer of the same color and luster. His face had some dirt along his chiseled jawline where it had rested against the grass, and a fine layer of sweat across his forehead plastered a few choice strands of wavy dark brownish-red hair to it. His eyes opened to reveal a light brown iris, with hints of hazel and anger showing. He was firmly built, with his shirt perfectly fitting his body enough to display his toned upper body without risking the fabric from tearing at the seams.
Next to him, almost blending in with the grass he lay on, a similar person wore a deep emerald cloak, with a simple turquoise shirt underneath. His pants were a shade of olive green, with other shades of green in a subtle camo pattern splattered across the fabric. His jaw was slightly pointier than the first man, and his nose was thinner. He silently lifted his head and warily darted his jade eyes in eight general directions, gaining a sense of direction and spatial awareness. His body was not as visibly strong as the crimson man's was, but he was still physically fit. Finally, he ruffled his straight, jet-black hair awry in order to knock any grit and dust out of it, stood along with the red doppelganger, and wiped off his jungle green and white sneakers.
As he did so, the third man jerked into a sitting position immediately. His light brown hair fluttered in the breeze magnificently, as did the collar of his muted cobalt blue trench coat. A bright purple undershirt was visible underneath it, and his worn jeans were held up by a neat onyx double ring belt, with a pair of dark blue boots, bordering on black, complimented his entire wardrobe choice. He peered around at the two standing figures, and cracked his young face into a gleeful grin, with a shining pair of gunmetal blue eyes staring fixedly at the duo. His physique was hidden from the rest from his flowing garbs.
The fourth person slowly parted their eyelids to reveal piercing silver irises, matching their hair color to a T. The hair flowed down to their shoulders, and the bangs in the front swooped in front of one eye. The fourth duplicate wore a dark magenta dress, with eggplant and silver details, accents, and trims. Light caramel sandals firmly wrapped around their feet, winding and wrapping their way halfway up their shins, and a single violet earring hung from their left earlobe. Their face was not obviously feminine nor masculine, but the body build was most certainly more muscular, with hands that show signs of both delicate and rough work. They remained motionless on their back until a small breeze began to pick up again, where they finally stood up to greet the whispers of the air.
The final fifth man stood, towering at least a half foot over the rest. He wore a sleeveless shirt that was the same color as the dawn sky, and matching bracelets on either arm. He wore a peculiar pair of deep mustard jeans, with a light canvas belt wrapped across his waist to hold them in place. His boots were a gentle shade of cream, and were obviously rather new. The other four people had to look up to glimpse as his face; a kind yet authoritative facial display, with an oval jawline, understanding amber eyes, and a baked golden halo of hair circled his head gingerly, almost angelically.
The group stood facing one another, regarding each other carefully, examining, analyzing, evaluating. Finally, the one in red broke the ice; "Alright, we all gonna stand here and stare at each other like we've never seen another person in our lives or is someone gonna explain why the hell we're in the middle of a damn field? What is this, the X-Men? 'Son, I'm interested in talking to you about the 'Waking Up In Some Random Field' Initiative.'"
The one in blue raised an eyebrow, but refrained from responding. Instead, the man in green spoke for him, "No one really knows why we're here, I gather. You all brandish the same look of ignorance to the situation, yet we all bear uncanny similarities."
Blue responded, "How do you know that even you look similar to everyone else?"
"Because you just confirmed my assumption."
Yellow smirked, then gave a slight chuckle before adding, "Well, you're the clever one, it seems, Green. At any rate, we should introduce ourselves. Who would care to go first?"
The five awkwardly looked around the circle, before Red chimed in, "Why don't you go first, hotshot? It was your idea after all."
Yellow gave a sheepish smile before replying, "Heh. Well, truth is, uh-"
"You don't remember your name, do you," Purple spoke for the first time, a light yet strong pitch to their voice. After seeing Yellow's hesitation to respond, Purple continued, "It's fine. Being honest, I don't either. In fact, I don't remember much. Just pieces of fragments of memories that feel like less than a figment of my imagination."
Blue looked with slight astonishment, then mumbled, "I wake up just to get philosophized to by some trap in a field. Socrates had it good, I can say that much now."
Purple turned fiercely onto Blue and demanded, "Did you just call me a trap," while rearing to give Blue an open palm slap.
Yellow briskly stood between the two, and calmly held Purple's arm mid-swing. He spoke with a hint of control in his voice, saying, "Calm down, Purple. Blue didn't mean that. He was just pointing out how you don't have obviously masculine features. Right, Blue?" Yellow aggressively added the question, turning to face Blue behind him, who nodded in agreement. "Good. See, just a simple misunderstanding." And with that, he let go of Purple's arm.
Purple rubbed their wrist and said, "Sorry, Blue. I'm not a trap, though. I'm a girl. Thought that was obvious enough. Guess not though."
Another round of awkward silence lapped the five, before Yellow broke it by calling out, slightly louder than normal, "Alright! I remember my name!"
"Do you really? Or are you just saying that to break the silence?" responded Green.
Yellow retorted, "Have you bothered to check your feet? We all have tools around us, and they have our names engraved on them!"
Sure enough, surrounding the group were copper tools that flawlessly refracted the sunlight off their metal parts. Each person bent to pick up a pick, axe, and small short sword, and checked their handles. Red spoke first saying, "Name's Gladius, I guess. Also, this sword is super unbalanced. Like, look at this! Most of the weight is off to one side of the damn handle! Maybe if it was sided on the blade, but no, the handle, of all things! What am I gonna do, half-sword with this oversized butter knife? It's not even properly sharpened!"
Green interrupted, "*sigh* Well, I'm Arcum, according to this blade, at least. Red, you do have a point about the sword being unbalanced, but just calm down a bit, please?"
Blue followed up, saying, "Yeah, well, my sword says that my name is Magus. pleasure to meet all of you, honestly. You guys seem like a great group of people! Apologies about what I said earlier, Purple. Forgive me?"
Purple hesitated for a second, then responded, "Apology accepted on one condition; call me Lin, not Purple. I'm not a Sharpie or a Gatorade bottle. Thanks."
Yellow capped off the introductions by announcing to the four, "And I am Rex! Fantastic, so we've recovered one vital piece of information for all of us! Hopefully this isn't just a one time thing. Now then, we should see if we can't find someone nearby that can help us."
Arcum spoke up, saying, "don't worry, I already have. Hey, mister, don't be shy. Come out, we won't bite. Well, Gladius might, but don't mind him."
The rest of the group faced in the direction Arcum was facing, and saw as a person stood up from behind a bush, about fifty meters off. The man had light brown hair, not natural but bleached form the sun. His long sleeve shirt was also sun bleached, now a mix between a light green and gray, and his jeans were significantly more worn than Magus's pair. His shoes were rather weather-beaten, being a faded black. A wooden longbow was slung across his back, the bowstring crossing his chest, and he held a small leather-bound pocketbook. He had gray eyes, and his face was one that told a story of the horrors it had seen prior, yet still held an aura of youth and hope.
The man walked over, and addressed the five as a whole, saying, "Apologies for spying in on your conversation. I was merely surprised, is all. You may call me Jacob, a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He shook the hands of all five people, then stepped back and drew his bow, "Careful!" He aimed for a few seconds before he let loose an arrow, and gave a small jeer as is missed its target by a few inches; a green slime that had slapped into view from behind the trunks of a few trees which guarded the entrance to a nearby forest. As it hopped closer to the group, the man notched another arrow into his bowstring; but Arcum, in one swift motion, lunged and grabbed hold of the bow, aimed the notched arrow for a fraction of a millisecond through his peripheral vision, and fired. The arrow soared in a flawless arc, and spiraled half a rotation to perfectly connect with its target, rewarding the archer with the sound of victory; a tremendous splat, accompanied by the visible explosion of the slime, and a shower of green gel.
Arcum handed the man back his bow, and told him, "It's a 35 pound draw weight, slightly springy bowstring, possibly made of a strip of well-spun fabric, and the arrow was slightly crooked, which is what caused your initial shot to miss. You made those arrows recently, and in a hurry, because you showed skill with the draw and the aim, but the arrow was not straight enough to guarantee straight flight, which is why I had to curve it slightly off target so it would land." With that, Arcum picked up his sword, which he had dropped in order to decimate the foe with the man's bow.
The man, stunned at Arcum's ability to have perfectly analyzed the issues and details of his bow and arrows with a single shot and watching him have fired only one, slowly replied, "That's... correct. I was being chased by a few zombies before dawn broke, and I had run out of arrows. Anyway, I'm what you would call a Guide; someone who leads wandering adventurers and other foreign warriors when they're under-equipped, need advice or help, or are just new to the region in general. As it stands, however, the only thing you guys are going to need seems to be equipment to compliment your skills. Come on, I'll teach you what I know about the area.
The caravan of six walked towards the forest, while the Guide spoke, "Take your hatchets and knock down a few trees. Carve up the logs into usable planks of wood, and make a small bench in order to be able to work on a sturdy surface. There's boulders and stone deposits around this forest, too, so you can use your pickaxes to chip some to make arrows. Collect enough of that stone and wood and we might even be able to build a shelter for the night and withstand the zombies a bit better. If you're lucky, you can find some iron or copper veins in the rocks, too. Oh, and someone should go scrape as much of that gel from the slime we killed as possible; it makes a fantastic fuel source. It's very flammable. Rather tasty, too, if you're in a pinch."
As the group scoured the forest for wood, stone, and gel, the sun hoisted itself higher into the sky before lowering itself under the horizon, with its rays reaching out as a final wave to the day that had passed. As the moon rose, the slimes began to scamper and hide. Lin asked Jacob, "Why are the slimes running off? It's not like they're smart enough to know and fear us when they see us, right?" Jacob responded, "No, they only get scared when night falls. They fear zombies." At that, Jacob looked up and realized how far down the sun was under the horizon before saying, "Oh, crap. Alright, everyone, quickly! Use some of the stones to make a foundation for a building. Link the wood up using any method possible, and try to make it stable to it can withstand a beating.
The five did not question him, but did as he said. To the guide's astonishment, the five managed to find stones that linked perfectly together, creating an incredibly sturdy surface to stand on. Gladius and Lin worked with the walls, creating notches into the ends of the planks in order to create an interlocking corner mechanism that was as sturdy as nailing and gluing the planks together. Arcum worked on creating an entrance, and a door to block said entrance. Rex brought in the work bench to the house, and quickly rubbed some sticks in the gel against the stone to ignite a spark and have working torches, and set them into small torch holes carved evenly into the walls throughout the interior of the base. Magus worked on creating wooden weapons for the six of them which were stronger and better balanced than the supplied gear, and also created a few chairs for them to sit in, employing Gladius and Lin's interlocking concept to hold up the chairs.
As the final rays of light disappeared form the sky, leaving the stars and the moon in the void above, the Guide gaped in awe at the masterpiece that was the base the five had created in under an hour. It was a single-story building, with a few gaps in the walls acting as windows, but blocked off from the outside by wooden fencing. The foundation crept out slightly yet evenly around the entire house, and the door hole had a slight overhand above it. It was nothing compared to some of the villages in the surrounding area, but considering that five amateur builders had hand-crafted the building in approximately 45 minutes with no measurement tools or anything apart from the blunt ends of their axes, it was a feat very few master builders could have even dreamed of accomplishing.
He would have stared all night had an audible groan not startled him into consciousness. The sound was not human; at least, not anymore. Jacob snapped into action, calling out to the adventurers, now architects-in-the-making, "Brace yourselves! The zombies are approaching!"
Magus nonchalantly responded with, "You want arrows for that slingshot of yours, Jacob? Or do you want to come into the building?" Jacob looked back at Magus, who was holding bundles of arrows in his arms and a knowing smirk plastered on his face. He shrugged and told Magus, "Sure, I'll take a few arrows, and that offer. Let me in." He entered the building, and was greeted with yet another surprise; a working furnace and fireplace. At this point, the Guide was beyond flabbergasted, but was past the point of shock. He merely acknowledged the work station and furniture piece, dragged an extra chair that Magus had made, and wedged it firmly under the door handle to keep the beasts from breaking in.
The six of them cycled through lapses of idle chatter and peaceful silence, the only thing telling the passage of time was the crackle of the fires, the occasional check out the window for daybreak, and the muffled groans and scratches of the zombies at the door. Eventually, a few thumps were heard outside, different form the obvious pounds of the undead outside their door. The residents exchanged glances with each other, then prepared to open the door and waste anything on the other side. Jacob, not wanting to waste time with talk, slowly reached towards the chair, and kicked it aside in one swift motion. The door swung open, revealing three shambling creatures.
None of them had identifiable features; one was missing an arm, another half his face, and the third was wearing some sort of bone mask, presumably a skull from a larger zombie. They all had the same pale green skin showing, wherever the blood hadn't run and dried on them, that is. Their clothes were beyond torn, and their only noises were low growls and other primitive noises. The six of them easily dispatched of them, with Gladius taking one's head, Arcum using a second as a pincushion for his arrows, and Magus, Lin, and Rex hacking the third into mincemeat with their wooden blades. Gladius checked the bodies, finding some copper and silver coins on their persons, and inspected his bloody wooden blade that Magus had made for him. He remarked, "Not bad for a sharpened wooden plank. Magus, you've outdone yourself with this. It's actually balanced, unlike this hunk of metal," Gladius heaved his old copper short sword into the furnace, allowing the blade to melt into molten copper.
While Rex tended to the sword in the furnace, the other four ventured outside the base to investigate the sounds. About five meters from the door came a calm, pulsing glow, alternating between a soft gold to a pale green and blue, mixed with some purple. Magus led the vanguard, and picked up the source of the light: a fallen star. Magus held it and said, "A star. Forged in the cosmos of the heavens, surging with the raw energy of the creator himself. You take a few of these, say, three, and with a little effort, you can fuse them into a crystal that fuses itself with the user's soul itself, increasing your magic output and power by increasing your mana potential permanently. There seems to be a few more around here, since it seems to be pulling in the direction of those glows over there."
When the group returned to the base, they carried seven fallen stars between them. Magus set to work, examining the stars, pushing and prodding at them until six of them fused into two light blue crystals, resembling the shape of the stars used to make them. Magus took one and handed the other to Rex, reasoning, "Hey, I made them, and Rex couldn't go outside because he had to make sure the copper didn't spill." They both held the crystals with both hands and closed their eyes. The crystals began to glow brighter, and shone a brilliant white, until the crystal was no more. instead, a pure white energy flowed up both theirs arms, and was absorbed into their chests. As the white faded, they both took a deep breath and exhaled with a satisfied sigh. The Guide, marveling at what he just witnessed, said, "Tomorrow, we should head east. There's a small village there, it only consists of a few residents, but I feel they could really use your guys' help. And who knows? they could show you guys a few tricks, set you up with some gear to defend yourselves, and even remind you who you guys are. Sound like a plan?"
They nodded in agreement, and settled down to spend the rest of the night safe in their base.
---===+++===---
Chapter, the Third: Dawn of the Second Day (preview)
As the sun's rays stretched out to greet the clouds and the adventurers, they prepared themselves for a few hours' trek through the forest to the Guide's village. Gladius was honing the edges of all their sword blades and axe heads while Magus catalogued his findings on the herbs he had found.
"Right," said he, "so this one here is a Daybloom, then?" Magus carefully gave the small golden flower a once-over.
"Yep," responded Jacob, "it's used in a multitude of different potions from what I've heard. It's good for basic healing potions and a decent defense potion. Other than that I have little clue as to what else it may be useful for."
Magus absorbed the Guide's information, peeled a small strip of the stem off and chewed it delicately with his front teeth, and reported, "The stem of the plant is nothing special in and of itself, but it does harbor one particular skill which it excels at; it can amplify the effects of any other substance it's properly mixed with. No other plant is adept enough to have both healing and protective properties, but this plant's stem and petals can be crushed into a light paste that can strengthen its medium. The healing potions you use are made of healing mushroom, and the defense potion made from iron filings and small fragments. Am I right?" Magus spun on his heels to face the Guide, tearing his vision from the herb for the first time in a while. Jacob struggled to respond verbally, but managed to convey a strained nod of confirmation. "As I suspected. This will come in handy later on." Magus pocketed the herb and the other ones he had collected.
The six tore down the base, managing to salvage most of the materials used for the building, save some of the walls that had been warped from the heat of the fires they had sustained. They split the load and began to head off in the direction the Guide had pointed out, off into the middle of the forest they were currently in. Arcum brandished a torch left over from the house as a dim light source for the darker spots of the forest while Gladius kept his blade accessible and prepared, yet at ease at the moment. Rex and Jacob kept tabs on the group, with the Guide being the leader while Rex took the rear. Magus explored the foliage surrounding them, a gleeful smile wide across his face while in awe at the amount of vegetation the trees covered. Lin kept to herself, staying towards the center of the group, and keeping a keen eye out for anything moving in the canopies.
About twenty uneventful minutes passed before their first opposition on their journey reared its head; a horde of slimes. Taken by suprise, Jacob gave a curt warning shout, while the other five fell into action. Rex quickly analyzed the situation, thinking to himself, Right, so there's about... two, seven... twenty slimes in plain sight, three to the left, five mid-left, four mid, six mid-right, two far right. Trees in the way of a strafing maneuver with eye contact, but can be accomplished solo. Gladius is in position for a left sweep, Lin is set for mid with Magus, Arcum can flank while Jacob and I take the right half. He called quick, drill sergeant-like orders with a barking tone, "Magus, Lin, headlong attack! Gladius, take the left, Arcum, flank from the left and come from behind, Jacob, with me!"
The group split into action, and carnage ensued. Gladius charged with the speed of a cheetah and the strength of a semi plowing into a wooden wall. A few swift motions of his blade connected with the first slime, a green one, and it found itself instantly diced into salvageable gel for torches. A second volley of jabs and blows rendered the green and blue slimes little more than sticky puddles on the grass.
Magus and Lin brandished their blades and regarded the slimes they were facing. five of them were directly in front, but their presence was attracting a few of the slimes from their right as well. Magus took a calculated jab at the closest slime, and followed it up with a fierce overhand slice, finishing the blue slime. Removing the blade from the divot made in the dirt upon impact, he switched targets and deflected a green slime that had leapt at him from his left. Lin jumped in front of Magus, transferring her forward aerial momentum to her wooden sword, and after that into the airborne slime, cutting it clean in half. Lin landed softly, and swiftly spun and decimated a second slime who had jumped as she landed. A third one, however, jumped under her next swing, and forcefully attached itself to her leg, causing her to yelp in disgust and mild pain. Struggling to wrestle her ankle free of the slime's gelatinous form, another one hopped onto her arm, freeing the sword from her grasp. Magus sprinted at her and slid the blade cleanly through the slime on her forearm, and grabbed the fallen weapon to use it for chopping the other slime on her foot. Lin gasped for air, then quickly brandished her copper axe and plowed it through a blue slime that had vaulted towards the duo, popping it like a water balloon.
Arcum had circled behind the rest of the slimes, while Rex and Jacob attacked head-on. Rex ran a quick number count, noticed that there were eleven left, and began his work from right to left. He jumped forward and came down with the power of a fallen oak onto the first slime, rolled into the landing and stabbed upwards to catch a second one that had leapt at him off guard. Both enemies split to the touch of his blade. Jacob let loose a volley of arrows from a distance, clipping one and ending another. Arcum closed in a certain distance with a stealthy approach, then sprinted at mach speed, plowing through two blue slimes and flinging a third with the speed and force of the blunt face of his sword. Gladius had made his way towards the crew, and came down with a finishing blow on another slime, further dyeing his sword a bright green. Magus flipped Lin's sword towards her as she leapt into the air, caught it, and brought it down on a slime that had jumped to meet her in the air. Jacob finished off the two wounded slimes, Rex smacked one with the flat end of his blade towards Arcum, who punted it into the air and skewered it onto his sword as it came down.
The group stood still as they scanned the splotches of slime that littered the shaded opening that was their battlefield moments ago. Rex gave a quick nod of approval at their handiwork before yelling, "Jacob, your left!" The Guide spun to his call-out in time to see a green slime spring inches from his face before it being whisked away by some force, followed by a solid thunk of wood. Arcum lowered his arm, and everyone turned to look at where he had thrown his sword; straight at the slime in question, with enough force not only to impale it and carry it, but also the accuracy and precision to have beamed it from ten meters away and have it stick firmly into the trunk of a nearby tree, pinning the unfortunate victim between the bark and the blade. Jacob exhaled a nervous breath of air, and expressed his gratitude. "Come on, we shouldn't dawdle too long here. We need to make it to the village before sundown."
The entourage followed Jacob the rest of the way through the forest, and climbed a small ridge at the other side where they came out. As their vision rose past the crest of the rise, their eyes were greeted with a spectacular sight; a small yet magnificent village spread in front of them, in a shallow valley with natural rivers flowing from three directions into a large lake the village bordered. Some of the houses were shoddily built, with gaps visible here and there, and the occasional rotted or worn wall spot. Other houses were fairly new or had withstood the test of time to tell the tale, with solid framing and foundation supporting red brick roof tiles or slabs. Off to the side stood a blacksmith's forge, which seemed to double as his dwelling, and the monotonous clinking of the owner at work resounded throughout the valley. A small marketplace was the closest thing to the lake, and a nearby fishing dock that stretched out into the water was crowded with people.
Jacob gave a content sigh, and with audible joy in his voice he introduced the village; "Welcome, everyone, to Lower Eldritch." He began his descent down into the valley, towards the main entrance of the village, where a sign overhead bore the same name the Guide had announced. He happily led everyone through the streets of the town, introducing the people he knew were residents, and meeting those who were just travelers passing through.
"This is Finn, everyone! He's the oldest resident in the village, both in his age and how long he's lived in those crumbling walls of his." Jacob gave a light-hearted chuckle, which Finn sarcastically returned. He was a man in his mid-40s, with a magnificent silver beard that reached halfway down his chest. He wore a long, undyed leather trench coat, a pair of worn denim jeans, and casual black shoes. His hat was a rather peculiar thing; a floppy cap that softly squished at the back, almost like a beret, but it was also made of leather, and a small white feather jutted out from the side. He adjusted said hat slightly, then addressed the five, "Don't pay this rapscallion any mind, gents. And, madam," Finn hastily added as he saw Lin, who responded with, "Oh, well you didn't have to point it out, now did you?" Finn nodded in acknowledgment and made amends with her, saying, "Er, yes, sorry about that. Here, tell you what, youngin. I'll sell ya this special piggy bank for twenty silver coins. Nobody else in the entire town has ever gotten a deal like this, and just to add to it, you buy two and I'll charge ya thirty-five."
Lin held the small piggy banks in her arms, a confused yet subtly grateful expression mixed on her face. They were a bright pink, and the blacks of the eyes shone in the light. Magus and Arcum shared a look but said nothing, silently following Jacob. They turned a few corners and realized he was leading them towards the blacksmith's establishment. He spun on his heels and introduced everyone to the owners, a dwarven demolitionist named Durim and an arms dealer named Dante.
Durim was rather stocky, but his strength made up for his lack of height. What was visible of his face and arms from soot and soil was tanned to the point where his skin was the shade of caramel, with bright cider eyes. The dwarf's faded yellow mining helmet obscured his brilliant ginger hair, but it crawled down the sides of his face into an intricately braided beard. He wore a soiled white collared shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a pair of brown overalls that got most of its color from the splotches of different kinds of dirt and mud on it, and his construction boots weren't much different.
Dante, on the other hand, was much different. The arms dealer was black, with gray kinky hair, and piercing platinum eyes. His jeans showed signs of little wear yet much age, and his short-sleeved red shirt sported a collar and a gold chain to adorn it. Over it, Dante wore a canvas trenchcoat, where he kept his dual Berretas, along with so many other firearms it was mind-boggling to see him even walk, much less work with his gear on.
The arms dealer was also the town smith, not just the gunsmith. Durim worked the molten metals since his dwarven ancestry gave him the strength to work foundries bare-handed without eye protection or any other gear. Dante's one advantage over Durim was his precision with his crafts, which made him more capable with the forging and forming of the weaponry and gear they supplied. Whereas Durin would grind away excess material on a blade, Dante would be certain to hammer it all in place, making sure no metal, weight, or strength on the blade was put to waste.
When the two men saw the newcomers, they greeted Jacob and addressed them as a whole. Durim gave a hearty laugh, saying, "When ye said there'd be a few new friends a' yers, a didn't think ye'd 'ave brought 'em back to the village! How are ye, laddies? Name's Durim, dwarf o' the village, and not jus' in stature, aye?" He laughed again, his entire body shaking at the force of his lungs. Dante shook his head and gave a smirk, telling them, "Don't mind him, he laughs way too much when he makes a joke. It is a rather contagious laugh, though, so I don't mind too much. I'm Dante, arms dealer. You need anything that can blast a zombie or a slime from more than an arm's length away into next week, I'm your guy."
Arcum's ears perked up a little in interest. "What's your most accurate weapon?"
Dante gave a look of surprise. "A fellow ranger, I see? Well, I have an arsenal of handguns you might be interested in." He drew back his trenchcoat to reveal to the five about twenty different pistols and light rifles and submachine guns, along with an assortment of attachments and modification parts. "Well, the most accurate would be this bad boy right here. Spent a solid week on it myself." He reached into the coat and drew out a Colt 1911a1, or at least an expertly modified one. "The slide on this one is perfect in every aspect. Never catches, won't break, and it's got grooves on it so it's easier to cock. The magazine chamber was extended just slight in order to fit an extra round in the custom clip made for it, the trigger's got a lighter pull weight than the default, and the safety is less proud on the surface, allowing for a slighter motion for putting it in and out of firing mode. Wanna give it a try?"
Arcum gazed at the handgun, then asked, "If I wanted to buy it, how much?" Dante replied with another signature smirk and said, "Ten gold." Arcum slowly picked up the pistol and felt its weight, looked down the iron sights of the gun, then proceeded to field strip the weapon at an inhuman velocity. Before Dante had time to process what happened, the gun was disassembled and reassembled with expert skill and speed, and Arcum loaded in the special clip with a single round, held it at arm's length, and called, "The slime at the edge of the town, due west give or take a few degrees, about two hundred meters from my calculations. It's bright blue, can't miss it." With that, he accounted for the sight southern breeze and the bullet drop slightly, and pulled the trigger. The sharp crack and explosion of the gun went off and the bullet left the chamber. After a few seconds, a distant squelch was heard, and the blue slime was no more. He handed back the pistol to Dante with a smirk, and bargained, "Five gold."
to be continued...
Last edited:
