Chapter 2
Continuing Session-
User: Maryweather
Flanoire
The Church of the Faithful is the largest guild in all of [the World], so large that the administrators of the World have provided it with the largest venue in all of Flanoire: what was once a mock cathedral, a backdrop, is now the Church of the Faithful headquarters, and my home. I step through the large crowd of Church members gathered in the small square in front of the cathedral. As I sweep past them, the members of the Church bow: a proper sign of respect for their leader. Mirielle and Xio trail behind me and together we create a path to the cathedral, a crowd of followers parting as we pass.
Maryweather: Good morning, my Faithful.
The cathedral door opens in front of us and my attendant, Lillith, pokes her head through the entrance. With a small, polite smile she welcomes us inside and closes the huge wooden door behind us. She wears long robes of purest white and carries a long arm weapon at her side.
Lillith: Greetings, Madam Maryweather. Was your quest successful?
Maryweather: It was. RANCID FLEEING SHADOW is no longer plagued with the purple fog.
Lillith claps her hands together and beams up at me brightly.
Maryweather: Brilliant, Madam.
She follows us as we make our way past the pews to the altar. I motion for her not to follow as we move past the altar, entering my study through a hidden door built into the stone wall.
Maryweather: Please enter, Mirielle, Xio.
They make their way into my study and Mirielle stops, amazed, gazing at my collection of artifacts. Two huge bookcases filled with old, new, and rare texts cover the side walls and an array of weapons, potions, armor, and other artifacts completely covers the back wall. I make my way to my desk and sit down with my back to the wall of artifacts. Mirielle and Xio still stand in the center of the room, Xio's eyes on the weapons, Mirielle's on the other rare items. I look down at the new documents strewn across my desk.
Maryweather: Now, to the matter of your payment. 50,000 gold each is our agreed payment and so that is what you shall receive. I will have it sent straight to your inventory.
I look up and see both of the hired hands still stand in the center of my study, staring at my wall of artifacts.
Maryweather: That is all.
Mirielle lowers her eyes to meet mine.
Mirielle: Would it be possible to receive my payment in the form of artifacts?
I chuckle.
Maryweather: Do you think any of these artifacts are worth that low of a sum? I think the least expensive of these items is 500,000 gold. No chance. Forgive me, but I must ask you to leave now, I have much work to do.
I motion the two to leave. They hesitate for a few seconds but then exit through the small door into the church's main room. I wait a few seconds and hear the front doors of the cathedral open and close with a clatter and I am left to look over my paperwork. Balmung has sent me a notice of a future event: a Valentine's Day event. I stand, the memo in hand, walk through the door and hand the memo to Lillith.
Maryweather: Post this on the notice board. I think some of our members will be interested in a treasure hunting event.
Lillith: Yes, Madam Maryweather.
Lillith gives a small curtsy. As I turn back toward my study the cathedral doors fly open behind me and strike the stone walls on either side with a CRACK. I swivel around and see a party of three long arms entering the cathedral. The one opening the doors raises his weapon high above his head and shouts:
Thelos: The Church of the Faithful will fall!
Server: Iota
Root Town: Flanoire
Sign In-
User: Thelos
Class: Long Arm
Administrator Note: Known leader of the Steel Arms
Log In Completed.
Welcome to the World.
The tall buildings surrounding the Chaos Gate cast long shadows across the hard surface of the stone ground. A cluster of newbie players stand close by, chattering about the realism of the scenery or their character models. I emerge into the sunlight of the pathway toward the town center and begin to walk through the crowds of other users. A hubbub of excited conversation about the coming Valentine's Day event is clearly audible above all else in the crowded walkway. I feel sharp jabs of daggers and sword hilts through my armored side as I push through the mob. I soon turn into an alleyway leading off the main way. The alley is almost empty except a few Informants and Traders concealed in dark robes or cowls. They whisper with grunt, raspy voices at me as I stride past, I hold my coin pouch with one hand and inconspicuously place my other hand on the shaft of my long arm. I manage to exit the alley without an attempted pickpocket and quickly pass through another bustling walkway and into a small alcove. A reinforced metal door stands without description alone in the small space. I knock two times and a low, grumbling voice answers.
Raine: State your business.
Thelos: To strike down the Faithful and regain fairness in the World.
I knock three more times on the door and it swings open. A tall, slim girl with long, ebony hair and pure black eyes stands demurely in the doorframe. She holds a winged halberd in her hand and the other hand waves nonchalantly at me.
Raine: Thelos. Welcome. You're late.
Thelos: Forgive me; I had issues in the real world.
I turn quickly away from her and walk deliberately down the dark hallway.
Raine: Oh? Please elaborate, Thelos.
I swing around and stare coldly into Raine's glinting black eyes.
Thelos: Do not test me, Raine. You know that it is forbidden to talk of the real world as a member of the Steel Arms; and you also know that we have no time to talk of such things in the current situation. We are undertaking the most extreme action that the Steel Arms have ever endeavored to do and you are speaking of things that do not matter. Now, come with me to wake Valerio so we can be on our way.
A voice echoes into the hallway from a side room.
Valerio: Don't bother.
Valerio pokes his head into the hallway.
Valerio: I'm already up.
He grins a huge, toothy grin and then withdraws his head quickly back into the room. Raine, in complete silence, has moved directly next to me in the shadows.
Raine: Why does he insist on pretending that he sleeps?
Thelos: He says it makes it seem more real if he lies down and closes his eyes for a bit before moving around in the World. He says it's like he really had a full night's sleep here.
Raine: He's such a sappy fool.
Valerio: But I'm your sappy chump.
Valerio throws a large, muscular arm around Raine's shoulders and she shrugs it off. Why are they acting like this is no big deal!?
Thelos: Excuse me; can you please stop acting like today is any other day? This is the most important day of our lives in the World and we must be prepared!
Valerio turns to me, his smirk now replaced with a line of a mouth.
Valerio: Let's get to it, then.
We set out at midday, when our actions would be most visible, to make the most impact on the onlooking crowd. We each hold 10 potions of healing in our inventories as we walk through crowds of people clogging up the pathways on our way to the huge cathedral of the Church of the Faithful. A few newbie players stop and gawk or else cling to our armor, attempting to persuade us to give "a poor, pathetic noob" 100 gold. We simply ignore them and they wander off soon enough. The tip of the cathedral's roof quickly comes into view atop the buildings and we step quickly into the small square where the Church of the Faithful gather, in front of their hallowed headquarters. I move even quicker forward and just as I reach the bottom steps that ascend slightly to the door of the cathedral, the wooden doors swing open and a wavemaster and a heavy blade exit, their faces stoic. I stand perfectly still for a few seconds, contemplating my next actions. And then I run forward with Raine and Valerio walking slightly behind me and shove the great wooden doors open with both hands.
A slight, crimson-robed woman standing next to the altar in the back of the cathedral swivels around and her companion, a white-robed, even smaller girl, reflexively drops a flyer from her hand and draws a white, carved wooden staff from a sheath on her back. Maryweather of the Faithful, the crimson-robed woman, summons a long, shimmering staff out of thin air and funnels crackling magical energy into the crystals glowing brightly on top of the staff. I hold my spear above my head and open my mouth to speak. . .