Prelude
Something Ends, Something Begins
In the distance, the sun had begun to touch the horizon. The once bright blue sky now taking on hues of purple, deep orange, and red as day gave way to night. Still, much of the fertile basin could be seen with great clarity. The farmer's fields filled with golden wheat and their small hamlet just beyond. Upon the trade road, a few strangling caravans were carrying out their routine shipments of goods. Seated at the end of the road a major port city stood awaiting those travelers. Usually bustling place full of activity now a distinct lack of such commotion. To any observer, this sunset wouldn't seem particularly unusual, just another mundane occurrence of the world. But the sunset held new meaning this night.
It was the herald of the end. This sunset would mark the final nightfall for the worlds of YGGDRASIL.
YGGDRASIL.
The game of choice for the many gamers who subscribed to Dive Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games. Or DMMO-RPG for short.
It was a game that made use of a Neural-nano interface game console to truly immerse players in the game's virtual world.
Almost from launch YGGDRASIL was very fondly looked upon. For its twelve years of life, the game had been a second home for countless players. Some players went on to create entire lives through their virtual avatars as they explored the myriad of diverse avenues opened by YGGDRASIL's comprehensive character creation.
The game's 700+ races available for players to choose from were just the tip of the veritable iceberg. The real meat of YGGDRASIL's attraction was the job-class systems. Consisting of over 2,000 different classes, including numerous prestige classes. There were even a number of hidden classes that were obscured behind equally ill-defined prerequisites.
Altogether there were copious permutations available for players to explore.
Just about anything was a possibility from the classic adventurer and explorer builds who sought renown and glory as they journeyed across the landscape in search of the unknown. Combat-orientated players were common enough. In particular, were individuals who specialized in player versus player –PvP– style combat. These players competed against one another in anything from simple duels to glorious sponsored tournaments with a wide assortment of valuable prizes to be won.
Such character builds were common enough. But some players weren't content with the status quo and decided instead to take on far more unique and specialized classes.
Classes such as Master Chef, these were players which specialized in the culinary arts and traveled the lands of YGGDRASIL seeking the finest ingredients to fashion the most delectable cuisine the world had ever seen.
Alchemists who hunted for the rarest of reagents to brew elixirs of extraordinary might.
Craftsmen that spent their time experimenting with materials gathered from the farthest reaches to fabricate items of unparalleled skill.
Sorcerers and wizards which coveted magical knowledge as they generated wondrous enchanted items and crafted spells.
To even simple bards, scribes that recorded YGGDRASIL's lore and the shared history of its players.
All were examples of the level of freedom the developers had granted YGGDRASIL's player base.
It was this freedom.
Freedom to craft their avatar, to tailor just about every aspect –clothing, armour, weaponry, and many other cosmetic details– to their liking and write their own stories that was so sought-after by its players.
With this power to shape their destinies so to speak, players would make their way through the nine worlds of YGGDRASIL: Asgard, Alfheim, Vanaheim, Nidavellir, Midgard, Jotunheim, Niflheim, Helheim, and Muspelheim. All along the way uncovering the rich histories of the worlds and delving into the story that had been crafted.
With all this going for it, YGGDRASIL quickly rose into prominence.
Yet now after these many years, the game's developers had decided that YGGDRASIL had run its course. That there no more stories left to tell, and the story of YGGDRASIL had reached its end. All this rich history would soon be wiped away at the stroke of midnight like the tide washes clean the sands of the beach.
It was this information that weighed on the mind of the figure standing upon the clifftop overlook.
He was of a reptilian race known as Dragonoids.
Standing a little less than eight-foot-tall, over eight and a half if one were to include the horns. Overall his body was humanoid in shape covered with golden scales and possessing a large muscular physique. His head possessed a striking resemblance to the great prehistoric reptiles, the dinosaurs. Primarily he bore a resemblance to something along the lines of an Allosaurus.
His reptilian muzzle was powerfully built and filled with rows of serrated dagger-like teeth. The tips of some of these teeth could be seen protruding passed his lips, even when his mouth was closed. His eyes bore a vertical slit pupil instead of the rounded mammalian style. Around them was an iris of fiery red-orange that shone with a metallic glint. These features made his eyes appear ablaze as if lit by some inner inferno. Above his eyes, the scales were thicker and more swept creating an almost spiny crest-like appearance to his brows. These heavily scaled ridges swept backward to meld with a pair of smooth silver horns with black tips, pointing up and back from the head roughly twelve inches long.
From his shoulders, a pair of bat-like wings sprouted. Their size was seemingly smaller in their folded resting-state yet could unfurl large enough to easily carry him aloft. Behind him, a tail hung, its thick base situated where a human's tailbone would be. It stretched out almost as long as he was tall ending in a bullwhip-like tip allowing for quick movements. Legs showcased their animalistic heritage with their digitigrade stance and reptilian feet with three large main toes that splayed out and a smaller fourth hind toe. All were equipped with strong, sharp talons.
Contrasting the colour of his scales he was adorned in a set of dark silver plate armour made from rare YGGDRASIL ore called Star Silver. It was an ore that was said to be one of YGGDRASIL's extraordinarily rare prismatic ores. Furthermore, the armour had been enhanced placing it on the tier of divine class gear. Beyond that its appearance had been customized to the wearer's tastes.
The pauldrons were crafted to look like the head of a large wolf had come to rest upon each shoulder. Their canine snouts extended down to cover the overlapping scale-shaped plates of the upper arm. The detailing of each head was exquisite with the look of windswept fur captured in the metallic surface. Each of the heads wore a different expression from its twin. The wolf's head on the left was calm, almost serene, with open eyes and perked ears. Its partner was the direct opposite with its lips curled in a vicious snarl revealing its fangs, eyes squinting, and ears swept back in a threatening display.
The armour's plates were designed to be reminiscent of scales. This was achieved by applying a simple scale pattern to the plates themselves. Yet in some places, chiefly in the upper arms and legs, it was made of actual overlapping scale-shaped plates. The armour even extended the length of his tail, sheltering it beneath a trail of interlinked segments of silvery metal for flexibility. As for his feet, the armour came down his shin to only cover the main body of his foot and leaving his scaled toes exposed.
Upon close inspection of the surface of the armour, delicate scrollwork could be seen covering the majority. The intricate engraving was inlaid with white gold as part of a runic enchantment placed upon the armour to buff its wearer's stats. The final addition was a fine scarlet cape emblazoned with the top-down view of a dragon skull with a pair of stylized angelic wings.
"Hey, Tiberius," a voice broke the stillness.
At the sound of his name the draconic player pulled his attention away from the landscape before him. Turning around his gaze fell upon the cluster of players that had amassed in the grassy field atop his perch.
Without needing to think he recognized these individuals. For they were not just mere players, but his fellow guildmates of The Sanguine Dragons.
"What are you doing out here?" a masculine voice emanated from the leader of the group.
It was an individual named, Charming Rock.
So-called for two main points.
His voice was smooth and elegant as if its owner had spent many hours learning the art of refined mannerisms. The second was his distinctive character appearance. His avatar stood on the order of six feet tall with a rugged build adorned in a formal-looking business suit. Though he appeared human from a distance up close it was clear he was not. For the entirety of his left side was not but rough-hewn stone rather than flesh. It was this distinctive feature that marked him as a member of the race of Half-golems.
"I was feeling a bit nostalgic so I figured I'd do one last quest, for old time's sake" Tiberius replied with an unnatural stillness to his face. "I was gonna head back to the guild to drop off the loot. But I got distracted by the view."
Communication was one of the limitations of YGGDRASIL.
Although the game offered incredible levels of detail and customization –with more added in later expansions- animations for character models were lacking in many ways. While the more human races –Humans, Elves, Dwarves, and the like– had a few basic facial expressions that players could use. The more inhuman avatars lacked such animations.
Early on in the release, YGGDRASIL's developers had addressed the matter. Their answer was simple. The time and resources required to give all the races proper facial animations was something that they were unable to go through with.
So instead the avatars of inhuman players were forced to rely on emoticons to signify emotions.
The group of players advanced till they stood only a couple of yards away from Tiberius. As the group spread out naturally Tiberius was able to look over each in turn.
There were seven of them: Charming Rock the Half-golem, Green Tea Tsunami the Arcane Ooze, Weeping Martyr the High Elf, Wiseman King the Dwarf, ArtisticSeer the Seraphim, Revenant F00L the Demilich, and Socrates Architect the Automaton.
"Oh yeah? What quest was it? Retrieving wyvern scales, collecting frost giant fangs? Oh, how about the one where you escort the soldiers to protect the princess. Or maybe slay the vampire lord?" an excitable voice rang out.
"Nothing like that," Tiberius shook his head "It was just one of the starting quests, you know taking out that pack of wolves for the farmer."
The once excitable speaker –a bandage-covered high elf- seemed to gawk. "Really? That's a total noob quest! You only get like a handful of coins for that."
Tiberius seemed to ignore the comment before continuing. "So did the seven of you come to join me in watching the sunset?"
"Sorry, but no," the Arcane Ooze spoke with a soft feminine voice. The amorphous blob of ooze shimmied closer, the swirls of arcane energy within its body sparkling in the light. "The others have already logged out and we were going to as well."
"But we couldn't without saying goodbye one last time," Weeping Martyr interrupted, his once energetic tone having left him.
Oh, it's time already.
"I can't say I blame them for heading off," the golden armoured dwarf, Wiseman King, commented. "We have been running marathon sessions these last two months and this one was no different. Heck, I could do with a good forty winks myself." The end of the statement was punctuated with a heavy yawn.
"I agree," Tiberius concurred, "These last two months have been rather chaotic for the guild. Yet look at what we were able to accomplish. We went from placing in middling four hundreds to being amongst the top twenty-five guilds still active."
At these words, the Demilich stirred.
"Yeah, yeah but our rank would be even higher if we hadn't limited ourselves to raiding only abandoned guild bases." He punctuated his statement with an emoticon of a red disgruntled face. "Hell, we probably could've made it all the way up to the top ten or even number one. Not to mention all the sweet loot we missed out on."
"Now, now Revenant. We took a vote on the matter and we all agreed to abide by the outcome" the older almost grandfatherly voice of Socrates Architect chided gently. He was an odd character.
He was probably the oldest in the guild and usually acted as the fond grandfatherly type. One of his habits was his spouting of sagely pearls of wisdom.
His avatar was an automaton designed with the emulation of an older man with a long beard and sharp features garbed in fine wizardry robes. The most striking thing was his face was made of brass and silver and hung like a mask on a simple frame. For behind that wizened face were visible clockwork mechanisms of gears, springs, and levers.
"They worked long and hard to build what they have just as we. It would be wrong of us to rob them of all they accomplished on the eve of the end. What harm has been done by allowing them to keep their glory when all are set to lose it equally."
"And besides wasn't it you who came up with the idea of going after the abandoned guild bases in the first place." Wiseman King admonished his friend with a finger shake in his direction.
Though the Demilich's facial expression remained unchanged it was clear to the group he was glaring at the dwarf. This change of demeanor served only to rouse a bout of laughter from the collective.
"Whatever," Revenant grumbled, "It's getting late and I am gonna take off."
To Tiberius, it seemed that the laughter receded as promptly as it had come. These words, this reminder of the situation did well to sober them. Silence once again descended upon the group as they stood about unmoving.
"I think I will be going as well." The words seemed to echo as one by one the others chimed in to announce their intent.
"What about you, Tiberius?" Weeping Martyr inquired displaying an emoticon of a face with a raised eyebrow denoting puzzlement.
"I'll be sticking around a while yet," the draconic player answered, "Still got to deposit the reward back at the treasury to finish the quest."
"Persevere to the end in any enterprise begun," Socrates Architect rattled off an excerpt from the guild's edicts in his usual fashion.
A soft chime rang out bringing the attention of the group back to the Half-golem. With a raise of his hand, Charming brought up his in-game console to silence the alarm.
"Well, my friends. Our time it seems draws to a close. It has been a great honour and pleasure to have the privilege of traveling with you all these many years" Charming Rock punctuated his words with a deep bow to his gathered friends.
Socrates Architect stroked a hand along the length of his firm metallic beard "Shall we say our goodbyes one final time? Perhaps we should conclude this as we have all our assemblies?"
Without a word the assembled players shifted and began to spread out forming a small circle. In practiced unison, the group extended their right arm and placed their right arm across their chest to rest a closed fist upon their left shoulder.
"Formed from many, now as one. United we stand, together we stay. Honour binds us with wisdom and strength. Through power we achieve purpose. The first, the last, the eternal Sanguine Dragons."
The words were spoken as if in a single voice but from many mouths. With the words spoken, their arms then lowered returning to their usual resting position.
Charming Rock was the first to log off. With one last look at his gathered comrades he sighed, the opaque in-game console reappearing before him. Then he raised his right hand and pressed something thereon and simply vanished in a flash of blue light.
The golden armoured dwarf was the next to go with a final wave. Subsequently was Green Tea Tsunami raising a jellied tendril in a similar sign of farewell. Then one by one the group's numbers dwindled until it was only two who remained.
The bandage covered High Elf and the gold-scaled Dragonoid.
"It's been fun," Weeping Martyr spoke his chipper tone again returning to him. "Who knows, maybe once YGGDRASIL 2 comes out we all can pick up right where we left off."
"Yeah," the Dragonoid nodded, "I'd like that."
Then in a blink, Tiberius found himself standing alone on the escarpment once more.
For several moments he stood unmoving as he simply stared at the spot previously occupied by his friends. With a slow sigh, he turned to look back out over the horizon taking note the sun had moved even lower. "I guess I should get moving."
Raising his hand the same opaque screen appeared before him.
I could simply teleport back to the guild. Or perhaps since I'm being all nostalgic.
With a wave of his hand, the menu's listing changed instead of bringing up a catalog that offered a different means of returning to the guild base. Scrolling down the list he found what it was he was looking for and with a simple tap, the choice was selected.
Several yards ahead of him the ground seemed to shimmer and ripple like the surface of a lake on a sunny day. This was a summoning circle, a type of portal used to call forth a variety of things into being. But chiefly it was used by players for summoning creatures.
The gateway's fluid-like surface rippled and shone brightly as a puddle on a sunny day.
Only a moment had passed before that surface was disturbed by the passing of a large object.
It raced into the air above at great speed in an ever-widening spiral to a height of perhaps several hundred feet. Three times it circled before making a wide arc and began to descend.
As it came to rest upon the spot of the now-closed summoning portal Tiberius was afforded a better look at it.
It was a creature known as a River Spirit dragon.
As with any role-playing game YGGDRASIL had many creatures that players could acquire as mounts.
This one was usually gained early on in the game after the completion of the Spirit World crossover event.
The dragon was some twenty feet long with a body as big around as a horse and stood six feet at the shoulder. Its lengthy body was serpent-like in shape but rather un-reptilian with a pelt of silver fur in place of scales. Although its body was not entirely devoid of scales as along the underbelly, forelimbs, and rear limbs was a covering of earthen-toned reptilian scales. The dragon's head was also decidedly non-reptilian but that of a mammal. Canine in fact –or more precisely that of a wolf- complete with a black nose pad and short whiskers on its canine snout. While atop its head a set of triangular canine ears twitched and flicked at varying intervals. Just behind those ears was a pair of two-foot-long segmented horns. Starting between these horns a tuft of green fur sprouted moving along its neck lengthening into a proper mane. This mane traversed the length of the body along the spine to the haunches then down the tail where it terminated in a large fluffy tuft at the tail's tip.
Tiberius grinned though his face failed to register.
Sure this particular mount was rather common and its outdoor summoning animation was overly flashy and goes on for too long.
But it didn't matter to the Dragonoid.
This mount was the first mount Tiberius had obtained where he felt a sense of achievement in doing so. Thusly it held a certain level of nostalgic pride and was among his top five favorite mounts.
With practiced movements, Tiberius took his place upon the creature's back just behind its shoulders. Gripping its fur with his hands and wrapping his legs about its body he was ready. With a tug, the dragon reared its head back and leaped into the air taking to the sky once more. Its body undulating slightly in a serpentine fashion much like the waves of the ocean as it sailed across the evening sky. Leaning his body and with a nudge from his right foot, the mount received its command and began to turn.
Farmer's fields passed swiftly under the pair as they soared through the air as easy as a bird in flight. Tiberius gave a glance as they flew over the small hamlet its NPC farmers now shut up tight in their houses
Continuing onwards Tiberius pressed his hands against the dragon's furred shoulders commanding it lower. Their altitude dipped to just above a hundred feet as they approached the city.
One final look.
The last the traveler's wagons had made it through the city's gates. Upon the walls, he could see the town's NPC guards standing at the ready. Beyond the city's outer walls it was much the typical medieval cityscape. It was like a maze of alleyways between the stone and wood buildings divided up into city blocks and further divided into districts.
Tiberius still couldn't help but still marvel at the levels of detailing the developers had placed within YGGDRASIL. Not just at the level of landscape details but also for A.I programming to give the NPC inhabitants routines imbuing the cities with a simulated sense of life.
The city's night guards patrolled the cobblestone streets watchful for a crime. Shop keepers turned out their lanterns to signify their closing. Here and there in the shadowed alleys, black market fences came out of hiding, waiting to do business with players of the games more nefarious job classes. Unfortunately, none it seemed would be getting any business this night.
Passing over the town market square Tiberius searched for any sign of remaining players.
The square was routinely filled with players of the merchant class seeking to sell their wares. While players of the craftsman build would be found with all manner of goods spread before them. Yet alas the once lively square seemed little more than a ghost town.
Its only occupants were the vacant vendor stalls that stood in orderly rows.
Seeing the city so empty only reinforced the solemn feeling that had persisted throughout the day and those preceding it.
Since there seemed no reason to loiter Tiberius shifted his position upon the back of his mount. The Spirit dragon again rose higher and higher still leaving the port city behind.
Tiberius leaned to his left turning his steed in an arc putting the city to his back as they flew north. A final cursory glance was all Tiberius spared as the city shrank into the distance.
o - o - o - o
In the time since departing the city, Tiberius had traversed a variety of landscapes. All of them acting as a testament to the breadth of this virtual world its creators had bestowed upon it.
Currently, his mount was carrying him over a verdant grassland with gently rolling hills. Just below a mighty river snaked its way through the verdant scenery on its voyage to unite with the sea.
By now the sun had all but retreated below the horizon with only the trailing light still lingering. Yet this was enough to illuminate the landscape. At the head of these fields of green loomed the goal of his journey.
To the north lay the Whitewyrm Steppe Mountains, a great chain of mountains which stood as guardians to the northern lands.
At the leading edge of this chain lie one mountain of particular interest.
It was here within this mountain that a guild member, ArtisticSeer, had discovered what would then become home to the Sanguine Dragons. It was the discovery of one of YGGDRASIL's legendary dungeons. These dungeons were incredibly rare and very difficult to clear, often possessing specific requirements. Yet the Sanguine Dragons had persevered and in their triumph had earned the guild's members a surprising amount of prestige amongst their peers.
This grand achievement of the guild was a testament to what they could accomplish together. It was something that never failed to make Tiberius beam with pride.
Towering over the valley stood the monolith of stone that held his destination.
The mountain sat somewhat removed from its fellows within the chain. This was Mount Drengrfold as it was originally known. However, the Sanguine Dragons never much cared for this name and after a short discussion instead chose to refer to it by the title held by the legendary dungeon within, The Pinnacle of Tyrnaust –or more simply Tyrnaust.
So it was the name spread and before long other players too had started to refer to the mountain by that name.
The mountain's outwards appearance was much like any other. Tyrnaust was a colossal wedge of granite rising out from the earth to ascend to a height of nearly thirteen and half thousand feet. The summit was snow-capped and typically surrounded by wisps of white clouds. While heavy snowdrifts created the illusion of the mountain's surface being smoother than they truly were. Yet concealed beneath these piles of snow were dangerously jagged outcroppings of stone. When viewed from directly above would allow one to see the mountain's seven ridgelines spreading out akin to the roots of a tree to form the rocky foothills. These foothills were spread like the spokes of a wheel. While the mountain itself was bereft of any vegetation. The foothills were strewn with moss and lichen-covered boulders and dotted with foliage consisting mainly of scrub brush and small groupings of fir trees.
Up on high of the mountain's southern face, a portion of the rock looked to have been cut away creating a wide plateau at roughly the halfway point –about seven and half thousand feet up. This plateau is where the final level of the Pinnacle of Tyrnaust was located.
Although it may have looked exposed and there would be little to stop players from simply bypassing the rest of the dungeon and going straight for the end. They would be mistaken.
Should a player attempt to climb the rock face they would discover the various traps that littered the mountain face. These traps included areas prone to avalanche; tsunamis of snow which would come cascading down ready to overwhelm any who attempted to climb. In other areas, a collapse of stone sending great boulders would rain down to crush any beneath. These boulders were also magically enhanced to allow for the bypassing of magical barriers. Some of the larger boulders were magically charged to explode on impact in an area of effect spell or better known as an AoE spell.
But what if the players instead chose to use the [Fly] spell or perhaps a flying mount?
The shroud of clouds that covered the summit was in truth a magically created defense.
Should a player endeavor to fly they would first encounter an intense fog bank obscuring their vision to nearly nothing. Next, they would be assailed by a fierce storm with typhoon force winds. These winds were supernaturally cold and coupled with freezing rain to cause a paralysis debuff. This would leave players in a state of helplessness while the incredible winds would batter them against the mountain stone or send them tumbling from the sky to be smote upon the earth.
Not to say the foothills were not without dangers of their own. Deep fissures hid under unstable ground ready to swallow up any unlucky traveler and steep trails make it an arduous journey. This is in addition to the POP monsters that patrolled these areas.
These countermeasures meant that there was only one way to gain entrance into the dungeon and that was through the chosen entrance. An access point that was situated on Tyrnaust's southern face at the head of a horseshoe-shaped valley.
It was in this valley that Tiberius currently found himself traversing. Having forgone flight he landed his mount at the valley's entrance and now rode along the dirt road that snaked a path towards the mountain.
While not hurried, their pace was not a languished one as the Spirit dragon below him moved with an elegant gait at the equivalent of a brisk jog.
The dirt path stopped at a stone bridge crossing a narrow crevasse some thirty to forty feet wide and perhaps near a hundred-foot deep. It was here Tiberius paused, gazing up at the entrance to Tyrnaust.
The aptly named Grand Gatehouse.
The Grand Gatehouse took the form of a massive keep carved into the mountain's granite face. Being so recessed into the mountain gave the impression that the stone had somehow come to devour much of this great citadel.
Although dwarfed by the mountain encapsulating the fortress. It still stood at an impressive height of five hundred feet high.
The fortress was made of three separate levels that narrowed as one progressed upwards. Each floor stood at a towering height yet the bottom floor was the tallest and widest by far.
Standing before this stone citadel the first thing that caught the eye besides the obvious scale were the two immense statues that flanked the entrance.
Raw stone had been hewn into the form of two armour-clad knights standing a hundred feet tall. These granite knights stood in distinct full plate armour with their helmeted heads bowed in unspoken prayer. Silent sentinels directing their ever-watchful gaze upon any who would approach the mountain. Gauntlet-clad hands clasped the hilt of their downturned longswords, the tip of the blade buried in the rock at their boot-clad feet. Hanging from their shoulders a cape was draped and flowed down to shroud much of the statue's figure.
The outer wall of the lowest level was divided by three stone arches. Archways that rose from the ground to reach halfway to the next floor. At the apex of each arc was carved an inset opening in the form of a cross and inside a stained glass window. In the dug-in spaces between each column was a series of engravings. Each of the outer two etchings illustrated a pitched battle with armies advancing from the outer edges to clash at the center. On the inner side, a great dragon sat perched upon a rock projecting their dominance as they appraised the clashing forces before them. The central archway housed the main gates, each of the massive doors stood some fifty feet high and was made from heavy planks of rich dark wood. Belts of dark steel overlay the wood lending their strength to the doors. Imprinted into the metallic bands were runic markings set between the star-headed rivets.
Standing well above the arches were ramparts that ran the width of the first level. These ramparts were protected by a chest-high wall of thick stone. While even spaced blocks of stone called merlons, complete with arrow slits, offered further protection from attackers. Set back from these battlements stood the walls of the second floor. The walls were sloped like a wedge that stood on the narrow end and leaned out over the ramparts of the first floor. Because of this incline, the second-level battlements sat on a slight overhang. From there the walls of the third level traveled upwards. These walls were more embellished and ornate with the walls being divided up by distinctive pleats creating a wave-like pattern. The two outer segments formed the basis for a set of towers with their tops blended into the mountain stone above. The central section was topped by another balcony. This veranda was rather simple intended more for decoration and observation than being any kind of actual fortification. Only a basic waist-high cobblestone retaining wall offered any form of security. Behind this terrace, the mountain had been carved to look like the trunk of the great world tree Yggdrasil. The massive stone tree trunk rose with its many branches spreading out and grafting themselves to the mountain's face. The impressive sight gave the impression that perhaps this tree was holding the mountain at bay.
Keeping it from finally devouring the fortress.
It never fails to impress. The devs sure put a lot into their designs. Can't imagine just how long they spent working on the model.
The Dragonoid's gaze lingered a while yet before he took notice of how long he had been staring.
Shifting Tiberius descended from his dragon mount, armour clinking softly with his movements. Dismounted Tiberius strode around the front of the loyal creature. Standing before it he gave the silver furred beast one last look, then much like his guildmates the dragon departed in a flare of blue light. Abruptly he turned once more facing the mountain and with a certain resignation to his actions Tiberius strode across the stone bridge.
The doors of the Grand Gatehouse parted before Tiberius allowing entrance into the main room.
The entirety of this bottom level was naught but one massive room with a span of three hundred feet and a depth of half that of the width. The room was designed in the style of classic gothic architecture, particularly like those of the European cathedrals. On the wall opposite the massive doors of the entrance was a stairwell a quarter the size which led up to the next level. The floor was black marble with white veins of quartz streaking throughout. At the center, a great seal of inlaid gold in the form of a heraldic shield emblazoned with a winged sword. Around the perimeter of the room was a vaulted cloister that proved a sheltered walkway. The cloisters were held aloft by a series of towering columns shaped of semi-transparent crystal that stretched from floor to the arched ceiling some hundred-fifty feet above. High up above a group of immense crystals hovered above the center of the room. Each was some fifteen feet long and held aloft by magic which lit the room with a soft natural light.
The room, however, was not devoid of decoration.
Evenly distributed upon the columns were a series of magnificent banners.
The banners measured in at thirty-five feet long and twenty feet wide. They were a dazzling array of colours and adorned on each was a different sigil. These works of art were the heraldic standards of the ninety-two members of the Sanguine Dragons. The sigils were personalized crests showcasing their membership while the banner's style and trim denoted their rank and position within the guild.
In total ninety-two banners were hung in an orderly fashion, one for each member of the guild. As to be expected over the years some of its many members had left the game for one reason or another. Yet the guild had never removed their banner in remembrance of their lost comrade. By the end, the guild had lost thirty-five members but its remaining fifty-seven had carried on.
Though these banners were an impressive sight to behold. They paled in comparison to the largest among them.
Hung opposite the floor's entrance above the stairwell was the flag of the Sanguine Dragons.
Stretching some sixty feet long it was twice the size of any others. While the size alone was striking it was what festooned upon it that garnered attention.
A fiery orange arcane circle sat upon a black drop with a royal purple trim. Around the circle like stars in the sky were the ninety-two sigils of the guild's members. While within the circle a ferocious five-headed dragon sat on its haunches. Each of the dragon's five heads was of a different breed: red, blue, black, green, and white. All had mouths agape, fangs bared, and their glowing eyes held a terrifying gaze. The dragon's wings were wrapped along the circle's edges and sitting before it a crystalline globe. Within the globe was the Yggdrasil world tree.
The detailing on the dragon was exquisite and possessed an almost lifelike quality. This attribute made it seem that the beast could leap from the cloth that held it at any moment.
This particular dragon was a rather well-known dragon for its various depictions throughout a multitude of mediums. It had been selected by the guild's founding members to represent them. The reasoning was simple: Tiamat was an amalgamation of different dragon breeds that had been merged to create something new and more powerful than they had been separate. It was the same for them who had come together to create the Sanguine Dragons and had grown more powerful for it.
At the closing of the oaken doors, Tiberius strode forth into the room.
The light jingle of his armour and the sounds of his footfalls might as well have been as thunderous as cannon fire in the silence. Striding forth Tiberius came to stand atop the heraldic emblem at the center of the room.
Here the draconic player paused.
With a tilt of his head, his gaze lifted to take in the majesty of the grand tapestry hanging before him. His eyes traced over the design before shifting to look upon its smaller brethren.
My friends.
One by one he took in the various banners affixed around the room. With each banner, a name associated with it entered his mind. Names were promptly followed by their accompanying memories.
"Weeping Martyr, Charming Rock, Socrates Architect, Wiseman King, Artistic Seer, PR0PH3CY5H4X0R, ΩmenForcer, DeathWail, Wishmaster, Warrior Grave, Green Tea Tsunami, PunyTea Puddle, Gemcrawler…"
One by one the names of his comrades flowed from his lips and were cast adrift into the still air. He recited their names with purpose as if by calling out to his friends he may summon them back to this wondrous place that held such meaning for them all. Still, he knew it was not but false hopes as he spoke the final name.
I hate goodbyes.
Without a word, Tiberius extended his right hand and his gaze fell to one of the five rings he wore.
Normally a player could only equip two rings per hand. However, should a player be willing to pay a rather exorbitant fee for a certain permanent cash shop item. They would be allowed to equip a full ten rings, one per finger, and use all their abilities at once. Of course, this decision was not without its consequences. Once the player had assigned the rings to be worn the choice was irrevocable.
Still, to many, the trade-off was worth it. So this tactic was found to be used by the higher tier players seeking to gain that extra advantage. After all, in a battle, it was sometimes the smallest of things that could make all the difference.
It was on his right index finger Tiberius had equipped this particular ring.
The Dragon's Brand they had called it.
It was a ring crafted from rare YGGDRASIL ore that held a gold luster and shaped like a serpentine dragon coiled around the finger. Resting within the creature's fixed metallic jaws sat a fiery orange-red gemstone about the size of a pea.
This specific ring, however, was not meant to aid in combat or anything like that. It was instead intended for a different purpose. That function was to circumvent the guild's anti-teleportation barriers.
As was common practice amongst guilds the Sanguine Dragons had set up defensive magics that prevented unsanctioned teleportation about their guild base. These barriers blocked all teleportation into and within the dungeon itself. Thus the guild rings allowed its wearer freedom from these limitations, even allowing them to use teleportation into the dungeon from outside. Yet, there were some restrictions with the only off-limit locations being: fellow member's rooms, the guild treasury, and the throne room.
After a moment's pause, the translucent window appeared before him. With a simple gesture, the screen changed to a basic wireframe mockup of Tyrnaust and the various floors it had to offer.
o - o - o – o
In its original configuration, the Pinnacle of Tyrnaust possessed only six distinct levels placing it on par with YGGDRASIL's other legendary dungeons. This changed after the Sanguine Dragons had conquered the dungeon and requisitioned it to be their headquarters. Through the use of real-world currency, they had purchased additional data storage pushing up the level cap threshold to fuel their extensive remodeling efforts. At one point the group had thought of pushing the floor number to twelve or even more, but fell short and stopped at ten.
The main reason for this was they had simply run out of ideas for further levels.
Each of the floors was unique amongst its fellows. The main idea for their designs lays primarily with guild members, Socrates Architect. It was he who suggested creating a level design reminiscent of the trip from the earth to the underworld and then to the heavens above. Something he claimed was inspired by an ancient book about someone doing just that.
The first floor was known as the Undercroft was a typical fortress dungeon.
The second floor better known as the Caverns was a series of pitch-black labyrinthine caves.
The third floor, or the Enchanted Forest, was a typical fantasy-inspired forest bathed in perpetual twilight.
The fourth floor, the Underworld, was a floor divided into four distinct biomes: desert, marsh, icy tundra, and mountains.
The fifth floor, the Abyss, was designed to be the very visage of a hellscape being naught but a fire and ash-strewn wasteland.
The sixth floor, the Plains of Battle. This floor was a prairie filled with tall ash-coloured grass and littered with the remnants of wars long passed.
The seventh floor, Heaven's Halls, was a glittering palace of angelic beauty.
The eighth floor, the Celestial Spire, was a continuation of the previous floor made to look like the interior of a crystalline tower.
The ninth Floor was best known as the Divine City. It was on this floor that the ninety-two members of the Sanguine Dragons kept their private residences within the guild headquarters.
Then finally the tenth floor, the Pinnacle, was a temple palace situated upon the mountain's plateau.
o - o - o - o
Tiberius looked over the ten floors on the list. Selecting any of these would bring up a submenu that would list all the predetermined teleportation sites available on the desired floor. Each of the floors had at least seven of these to make it easier to move about the guild base.
This was not so for the level that Tiberius had selected.
The topmost level in the mountain lair was the suitably named The Pinnacle. This level had only two points.
With a press, the world around him changed near instantaneously. No longer was he standing in the cathedral-like surroundings of the Grand Gatehouse. The Dragonoid player now stood on a tiled mosaic in the open-air courtyard under the night sky.
Tiberius raised his eyes to the sky as he had done countless times in the past. The sun had set completely by now leaving the virtual skybox to its opposite. The moon now sat high above circled by the innumerable twinkling stars that dominated the heavens. If one looked they could make out clear patterns of stellar constellations. One of the most interesting characteristics was the great amorphous nebulas of iridescent gasses that could be seen in hues of green, purple, red, and blue.
Tearing his gaze away from the heavenly display above Tiberius inspected the area of the plaza.
The area he stood was a courtyard a hundred feet across with a smooth tiled floor of marble. At its center was a great stairwell leading the way down to the Ninth Floor below. The stairwell was wide enough for six men to stride side by side with arms extended and still have room. An ostentatious mosaic of a blazing star decorated the floor with the stairwell at its heart.
Each of the courtyard's four cardinal directions was dominated by a separate feature.
To the south was the plateau overlook.
Here a triumphal arch some thirty-five feet high stood as the gateway to the veranda beyond. Beyond the archway, an ovoid balcony some seventy feet wide bordered by a low retaining wall. At the apex of the curve, a raised dais with three steps stretched out to overhang the cliff face.
To the east was a small botanical garden.
The garden had been a pet project of the guild member, Superwurm. She had a love for all things green and growing –this probably had influenced her choice of druidic character- and something she was adamant about their need for it.
"Everyone should have a place of green peace to relax in" she had said.
In its creation, she had gathered a wide variety of plants for her project. A large tree coated in many hanging vines from which sprouted many a beautiful soft pink flower like a weeping willow-cherry blossom hybrid. An impressive number of flowering bushes could be seen but none more so than the crowning centerpiece.
At the garden's center sat a rose bush unlike any other. This bush was made from precious gemstones. The stalks were crafted of jade and the leaves were emerald. The rosebuds themselves were created from many different gems: red rubies, blue diamonds, yellow sapphires, purple amethyst, and others.
Superwurm had considered this her crown jewel. All Tiberius knew about it was she had received it as the grand prize for some competition.
Turning westward he could see the Valkyrie Stronghold.
The structure was nestled into an alcove cut into the mountain stone. The stronghold was a castle-tier structure crafted in a design following the style of the Norse Ritual Buildings or a Stave Church. It is here that the last line of defense for the guild's base, The Valkyries, were stationed here. Within the building, each of the team of seven was given a room and adorned with decorations their creators felt would best befit them.
Finally to the north of the courtyard stood the imposing stone structure of the Rotunda.
Before it, two sets of steps with a break between them lead the way to the building. The building was a Greco-Roman-style palace jutting out from the mountain stone. Enormous columns of marble supported the triangular pediment. Inset on the pediment's tympanum was a sculpted frieze depicting all ninety-two guild members standing shoulder to shoulder. To the far rear of the structure rose a tower with a domed crown.
With a small grunt of satisfaction, the Dragonoid crossed the plaza.
Like silent sentinels, a set of twenty-foot tall cathedral-style doors stood. The doors were crafted from pure Titanite.
Titanite was an extremely rare ore within YGGDRASIL, though not as rare as the Prismatic Ores. Prized for its strength and the Damascus steel-like pattern the metal produced when used in crafting. Their creation had been seen as a bit of waste by some within the guild. However, by the majority, it was taken as a sign to others of how prosperous the guild was. After all, only a high-end guild could afford to waste such prized materials on something so trivial as a set of doors.
The heavy metal monoliths moved with a practiced fluid motion as they pivoted on their hinges. The doors parted before the towering Dragonoid to reveal the majesty of the interior that lay beyond.
The hall was some sixty feet in length where it opened to a large room. Above a high arched on the ceiling where gold chandeliers hung in series along its length. Below the light reflected from the brilliantly polished floor of blue sapphire upon which lay a carpet of emerald green with gold trim. The length of the hall was lined by columns of obsidian ringed with silver coils.
Along the right and left alcoves were set between each pillar.
The figures on the left all exhibited monstrous features projecting the barbarous ferocity only demons could possess. In their outstretched arms, they grasped a glowing crystal skull. The skull was held with jaw agape as if in scream and emitted an ominous violet glow.
These stone horrors were opposed by those on the reverse wall.
Sculptures of flawless beauty and angelic radiance. Cradled within their cupped hands are miniature sculpts of stars. From these shapes emanated a warm glow that imbued a feeling of tranquility and comfort.
The end of the hall opened to the Throne Room.
An immense hemispherical chamber a hundred feet across.
The great dome of the ceiling overhead looked to have a height perhaps twice the width of the room. Supporting this colossal dome was a series of pillars and buttresses that ringed the room's edge. On the west side from the foyer, a passageway led to the Orrery tower that stood behind the Rotunda.
To enter the chamber was to have your eyes immediately drawn to its central feature.
From the apex of the domed ceiling was a great chain with glittering links forged of pure diamond. The gemstone links were easily twice Tiberius' height and equal in their width. It was illuminated by a pillar of light that shone through a triangular aperture into which the lower portion of the chain descended. Within this column of illumination, the diamond chain links sparkled and refracted the light into a dazzling display that danced across the roof of the chamber.
Positioned on either side of the colossal chain were a pair of equally colossal statues.
Effigies of proud dragons whose magnificent horned heads were just shy of scratching the ceiling. The pair sat upon their haunches back to back with their mighty wings held folded and tails draped around their feet. The light glinted off the scales of their metallic bodies while the jewels of their eyes seemed to glow. The two were of exceptional quality and rather life-like with care taken to convey every nuance of their bodies in exacting detail.
Just a short distance away from the base of these sculptures sat another set of stone figures. dragon-headed knights clad in full plate armour kneeling in reverence before their pure-blooded kin. Though they were far smaller than the dragons before them. The knights were still mammoth in size. The knights rested one knee upon a stone plinth, heads bowed, backs bent. Their gauntleted hands grasping onto either side of their sword's crossguard while the blades were buried in the stone. A closer look at the pedestal on which the figurines rested showcased what appeared to be but a foundation of boulders. Yet, it was not so. Each rounded stone was carved in resemblance to a damaged helmet. This gave the impression that these knights were kneeling upon a hill of helms belonging to their vanquished adversaries.
This set of figures were not just purely for decoration. In truth, they were actually a pair of high-tier golems. Each one set around level ninety and ready to defend the Throne Room should any invaders ever make it that far.
Between the regal knights and before the majestic dragons was a raised platform. The dais was made of three concentric rings situated atop the other. Each platform had a set of three steps one had to traverse.
Situated atop the podium sat a striking throne.
The throne was quite tall and carved from a single block of a gemstone called Auroracite. So-called for the dramatic appearance the mineral possessed. Like an aurora made solid, captured in crystalline form, the stone shimmered with radiant luminescence. A swath of colours; hues of blue, green, and purple glowed, swirled, and changed depending on the viewer's direction.
This room was the crown jewel of the dungeon.
While the redesign of the other floors had been a simple matter. This floor, however, had posed a problem. There were so many opinions on what they should do with it. It took weeks just for everyone to agree on a finalized design and then several months to gather the resources.
Looking back it seemed so difficult at the time. If only we knew what lay on the horizon.
With a wistful sigh, Tiberius made his way along the carpeted hall. Upon setting foot in the main chamber his attention was garnered not by its splendor.
Huh, who brought them in here?
Only the gentle clink of his armour rang out as the carpet below damped his steps. Striding forwards he eyed the group of seven individuals standing in two unequal groups at the end of the carpeted path.
The all-female team known as the Valkyries stood at silent attention.
Trying and failing to grasp the names his guildmates had bestowed upon them he turned to an alternative. Reaching out his hand he navigated the in-game menu once more. Tiberius searched through directories until he found the page accessible only to members.
After finding the setting he wanted he simply had to change the option that had been selected. In doing so, their names now became apparent as overhead text.
Synnova, Gairwyn, Shar're, Pyria, Ifni, Eudeira, and Ryoko.
A battle group of such varied individuals. They were drafted from a wide assortment of races: Draklyn, Birdman, Draegloth, Half-Celestial, Half-Fiend, Banshee, and Kitsune. Their appearances shared similar features in some cases were drastically different in others. After all, one was a human-avian hybrid and another was a dog-headed four-armed monster. One trait that all seven of them shared was the care taken to craft them as the paragon of that race's ideal beauty.
The group's equipment was just as varied. One wore armour akin to those worn by ancient Roman Legionnaires. Another adorned with a set similar to those of the samurai of eras past. One even wore something that could hardly be called armour. But there was one piece the group shared, or more precisely it was the lack of one piece, none of them were equipped with any sort of head covering.
Too bad we never got to see them in action. I wonder how well they would've performed in a real fight.
Finishing his inspection of the gathered female warriors Tiberius moved on. Paying little attention as each gave the preprogrammed response to bow with his passing.
A dozen feet or so ahead of him stood the iridescent throne waiting atop the three-tiered platform. It was here a group of three more NPCs waited patiently. While the Valkyries had been a rare sight within the Throne Room these three were a regular fixture. The Dragonoid didn't need to activate the character names to know these three.
Each of the three stood on a separate level of the dais in an offset fashion creating an almost diagonal line.
Farthest from the throne and standing upon the lowest tier was an odd little creature. It was a bipedal reptile known as a Kobold.
Kip, he was called.
The reptilian figure stood around four feet tall and near six and a half feet from snout to tail. Lean and sinewy in his build and covered in rust coloured scales. His head was almost dragon-like with two short horns but leaned more towards that of a lizard. Silver coloured cat's eyes that seemed to gleam in the light. It made the Kobold seem almost happy. He stood on digitigrade legs that ended in lizard-like feet with three clawed toes per foot.
Kip was dressed in a rather impressive ensemble.
A white shirt with puffy sleeves and a pair of wyvern leather vambraces. Over the long shirt, he wore a gold vest and a red spell caster's robe with a jade green half cape. The cape had sky blue embroidered edges and was worn draped over his right side and fastened with a pin that appeared like a hand holding a dagger. His legs were garbed in pair of deep royal purple slacks and bloused about his ankles leaving his feet bare. The final piece of apparel was the feathered beret he wore with holes for his horns to poke through.
Most intriguing was the lute that he carried on his back. It was a fitting instrument for the guild's official bard and messenger. As a bard, his purpose was to use his skills to buff guild member allies while simultaneously applying debuffs to any opponents.
The Sanguine Dragons were role-players at heart. So to them, it seemed only natural that there would be a bard in their court. But when the individual placed in charge of the task unveiled his creation the choice was a rather surprising one. Tiberius could remember asking Wizart about it.
"I love the combination of something unexpected. I mean a Kobold bard, who would've ever thought of such a thing? Besides just look at him with that little hat, he's so friggin' cute."
The memory made Tiberius chuckle.
Wizart had always loved to create such out-of-the-ordinary combinations. Several times he had reset his character build just to attempt whatever class mixture had come to mind. Ninja Chef was perhaps one of the more amusing combos he had thought of.
Upon the next tier stood a man, Nido Rethaflla.
Nido was a man with a brawny build and the bearing of a warrior. Nido's lengthy dark hair was just starting to show hints of grey at the roots. His hair was combed backward in a windswept style. Though he appeared relatively youthful, his face seemed to tell a different story. His features appeared weathered like someone who had seen much in his life with a hint of dark stubble about his face. The most notable feature was his single brilliant blue left eye. Its twin was missing and over its empty socket, he wore a golden eye patch that seemed fused to the skin. Surrounding the orbital socket of his missing eye was a tattoo of a Celtic Knot Circle.
He wore a set of dark blue trousers and a white sleeveless tunic beneath a gold and bronze coloured cuirass. With what seemed to be Norse runes engraved upon stylized discs inset on the breastplate. His boots looked to be armoured by the same material. A tasset of white and gold silks hung about his waist. His forearms were covered by vambraces of dark steel while from his shoulders a black cape with a neck lining of raven feathers.
Nido had been created to act as the guild's Chief Attendant. In this, he served the role of aiding members around the guild with various tasks.
I guess that's a fancy name for a butler. Well, he certainly helped the newer members acclimate.
Finally, there was the beauty that stood upon the highest level of the dais beside the throne.
Tiberius advanced up the platform to stand before her. The woman robotically inclined her head to account for his greater height. She wore a pleasant smile upon her face as she awaited any command he should give.
She was an exotic beauty of average height with a soft tan complexion and bewitching figure. A trim yet curvy body with a buxom chest made sure to capture the eye. Her face was slim with fine features, luscious lips, and hypnotic almond-shaped green eyes like creamy jade. Dark hair possessed a feathered styling and worn down to her shoulders. Her bangs hung loosely brushed to the side to partially cover her left eye.
She was garbed in a Doric peplos of white that fades into a sky blue. The full-length gown was fastened at the shoulders by a gold ring to which the cloth was tied. Its long sleeves hung freely from her elbows to drape down past her waist to flutter about should she move. The gown was cinched at the waist by a golden rope that was tied slightly off-center with the excess cord hanging free. There was emerald green embroidering all along the cloth's edges.
Yet appearances were deceiving for this was not her true self
Behind this striking façade was something many would consider rather unattractive.
For this was but a form she possessed to keep up appearances amongst the court. Her real form was that of an immense serpent stretching out some twenty-five feet long and three feet across. Her scaled body is mainly a uniform dark tan colouration while along the length of her spine is a series of irregular diamond shapes. These markings incorporate various shades of colour from white to brown to yellow to black. A scaled humanoid torso sits where a normal snake's head should be. Her torso is muscular and her arms although lean were packed with dense muscle. Her serpentine neck is several times longer than normal for a human. Upon this elongated neck sits the head like that of a cobra with jade green eyes.
This was the Deceptive Beauty, Guardian Overseer Yuliana.
The Dragonoid lingered looking upon her for several moments more before turning away.
Beyond her the throne shimmered, its colour shifting from blue to green as he approached. Standing before the regal seat he turned looking back out across the room. His eyes skimmed the room to the grand foyer he had passed through and to the great set of doors that stood at its end. Then he returned to the faces of the assembled NPCs.
I know they're just simple A.I routines. Still, it bothers me to lose them like this. This isn't some glorious battle defending the guild. It's just someone somewhere flipping a switch.
"I thank you all for your service."
Tiberius' words echoed for a moment before dying out. Words meant just as much for the NPCs as for his absentee friends. Those gathered remained unfazed by the proclamation.
Lowering himself onto the throne Tiberius took his habituated place. Raising his hand a pair of menus opened before him.
He scanned over the list of names on the left. Each of the many names was solidly greyed out denoted their offline statuses.
So I am the last one, huh?
With a groan, he reclined himself into his seat. Tiberius had hoped that perhaps one of his fellow guild members would be online. Maybe they had forgotten something or were spending some time with other friends.
Or at the very least that someone from his extensive contact list would still be around.
Then he could spend these last moments in YGGDRASIL enjoying a pleasant conversation and companionship of a friend. Lazily the Dragonoid swiped his left hand across the screen causing it to disappear. The menu once on the right moved to become centered in his gaze. Navigating the categories he came upon the listing for his inventory.
The listings were arranged alphabetically so luckily there wouldn't be much hunting for the desired items. A quick scroll down and the item he sought after was found, Bag of Gold (12). Highlighting the listing a set of choices appeared in a sub-menu from which he selected the transfer option. A moment later the bag of gold had been taken from his inventory to be deposited into the guild's treasury.
"Quest complete" the Dragonoid spoke aloud.
A swipe of the hand and the menu had closed out. Yet not before he caught a look at the time and seeing about an hour remained before the shutdown.
Slouching further into the chair Tiberius dropped his arms to hang rather lifelessly from the throne's side. His draconian head lounged back and his eyes stared blankly at the ceiling above as he fell into thought.
So many memories deeply embedded began to bubble to the surface.
He remembered the day he first logged into the game's servers to create his character. Never before had he seen so many choices in a game. So many combinations that it practically overwhelmed him and prompted him to quickly log off. This turn of events got him to realize there was more to this game than he had first thought. Soon thereafter he did his research and created the character he'd been playing ever since.
The first encounters he had with those individuals who would become his friends as they crossed paths.
How those simple and brief conversations progressed into friendly banter and long talks where time just seemed to disappear. Arranging the first meet-up and organized dungeon crawl party. Then came the monumental day when the eleven of them reached the decision to create a guild.
Things had become a whirlwind after that as a whole new selection of quests had opened up to them. Then as time went on new members were added to the roster and the guild grew to new heights. It was then he and his fellow members really began to shell out the cash. Two-thirds of the guild's members could be classified as big spenders as they poured money into the game. Purchasing a variety of items both personal and for the guild itself.
They used to joke about how they were singled handily supporting the game with their purchases.
So many achievements had followed and some of them were not all in-game. A few of the guild's members actually got married. Four of them got hitched to fellow members. Oh, the party they threw for them in-game.
A smile came to Tiberius as he recalled the jovial attitudes and celebratory chatter that came. They had set up an impressive firework display for the newlyweds and all members gave some really rare gifts.
"We shared such great times here. I really am gonna miss the place."
The Dragonoid recalled the day of the announcement that YGGDRASIL would be shutting down.
With the news came such an influx of emotions from sadness to anger to simple resignation. After putting so much time and energy into this world it had become just as real to him as everyday life.
It was almost like he was losing a close friend.
After that, the guild really pulled out the stops and knuckled down. During a meeting of the guild's members, they had decided to go out with a bang. For months preceding they pulled marathon game sessions. Some members even made use of their vacation time and paid time off from work to spend more time in the game. Sometimes he like others had gone just about a full twenty-four hours of raiding and questing.
The guild had taken up every challenge they could and competed in several major tournaments. Along the way, they had even managed to settle old scores with a number of rivals.
They ventured into every dungeon they could find all for the sake of bringing further glory to the guild.
For their collective efforts, the Sanguine Dragons saw their guild gain more prominence on the leader boards. Little by little they climbed the ladder of success as their rank rose ever higher than it ever had before. Yet they started to stall as one could only gain so many points from these actions.
Then came the guild's decision to take on raiding other guilds.
But to rob these players of their accomplishments so close to the end just didn't sit right with some of the members. So a vote was taken and though it was a close call. The choice was made that if a guild had even one active member it was off-limits.
As they conquered one guild base after another the Sanguine Dragons' rank soared. With it came a flood of treasure that swelled their coffers further and further.
How ironic it was that only in the dwindling days of YGGDRASIL did they make their greatest achievements.
Now those triumphs would disappear like tears in the rain.
Sprawling on the throne Tiberius could almost feel his thoughts of the past pressing down on him like a weight. He felt reluctant to let go of something that meant so much to himself and others.
If only we didn't have to. I wish we could've kept going.
He yawned as he felt the energy seemingly drain from him. Perhaps all this was beginning to catch up to him. His eyelids grew heavy; his breathing slowed and became more drawn out. Then like a light being switched out, he fell asleep where he sat.
