I just passed through the Orc camp in Highpass today. I had to camouflage
myself to get by them. There was an Elven Paladin trying to slip by ahead
of me, he wasn't so lucky. Three berserk Orcs and an Orc medic charged down
from the cliff ledges where they sit high above, watching for the unwary to
pass them by. One of the berserkers slammed a powerful blow to the back of
the Paladins head and he went down on one knee, throwing his hands out in
front to catch himself least he lose his balance. But he was back up,
springing back from the ground, sword in hand. With one quick thrust he ran
the first Orc through and kicked at another. The first Orc crumpled to the
ground; it's lifeless body twitching in obscene spasms as its blood gurgled
from the wounds.
The third berserker came around from behind and lifted the Paladin right off the ground and crashed his frail body up against the rocks. I tried to cast my Healing on the poor soul but the Orc Medic saw me, for my camouflage had worn off. He charged me and I had no choice to flee to the nearest Highpass guards. As I ran I turned to look back, I saw the Paladin struggling to get up, but the two remaining Orc's fell upon him and torn him apart, throwing his limps in all directions and then ripped his head right off. They rammed the head down onto a rusted halberd that lay nearby and stuck that into the ground, as a warning to others.
The guards at the bridge by the waterfall made short work of the medic that was chasing me. They hacked it down in seconds, their Captain even racing out to help. One slash spilt the medic's innards onto the bridge and it staggered as the Captain himself delivered the killing blow from behind, splitting the medic's head clean in two. It collapsed onto the bridge, it's brains oozing out and dripping into the water below. I turned, leaned over the railing and retched. One thing this world will never lack of, is the violence. It never ends. I started to learn that at about my fifth season…
I was in the fields north of Qeynos when I hit my fifth, I was hunting young Gnoll pups at the time. Strangely, must have been through some dark, sinister evil force, Fippy Darkpaw seemed to be resurrected countless times for his futile charge against the Guards at the main gates to the city. I even managed to kill him myself once. I found him standing in the field, between the trees, a couple pups nearby. He charged me and I smashed him hard in the head with my staff and then used my magic to burst him into flames. It was his death, caused by me that brought me to my sixth season. I then decided it was time. I myself had made Fippy a martyr to his own kind, even the pups now seemed to fear me.
I hiked into the hills and again sought out the den of Black Burrow. Only this time I did not race blindly into the wretched lair. This time I remained patient and scouted the terrain outside the den. I found that a number of Gnolls kept watch from the shade of nearby trees and a few more were on a hill. I knew I could kill one of them on my own, but if the others were to gang up on me? Perhaps I could use the magical forces of nature to my advantage, I was a Druid after all. I sat to study some more of my new spells, trying to understand exactly what it was they were supposed to do, I had purchased them a few days before in preparation of their use. As I was studying someone poked me. I put my book down and looked up. A human Magician, with some sort of a floating apparition at his side that acted like it was his pet. He pointed back at the Gnolls standing watch under the trees and asked, "You camping them yourself, or can I help?"
"How many seasons are you?" I asked him and he replied he was of his seventh so I agreed. We grouped up and he sicked his pet on one of the watchers while I beat another down with my staff. The third charged my new friend and his pet rushed to his aid. I managed to kill my opponent, turned to see his pet's original opponent run off for help. He and his pet had the third Gnoll engaged so I chased down the one that was running for help. I brought him down with only a few hits. I turned to see the Magicians pet tearing the arms from the third Gnoll as it collapsed to the ground, dead. We came out of the fight none the worse for wear, he had sustained minor injuries, as myself had but I quickly used my magical skills to heal us both and we ran over to attack the other three watchers on the hill.
They must have seen us kill their brethren because they ran down the hill yelling curses and challenges at us, we met them in combat half way up the hill. The fight was much the same as the first. I was excited and I wanted to run off to find more.
The Magician turned to me and said, "Let's sit by that gray shed and wait, more will pop."
"Pop?" I wondered, "What do you mean?" I asked as I ran around the hill looking for more Gnolls.
He hesitated, "You know, respawn. They'll come back."
"Oh!" I understood him now, "You mean they'll be resurrected, like Fippy Darkpaw is all the time!"
"Uh… yeah. Right. That's what I meant. People call it a pop."
And so we waited, and he was right, they sort of just popped right back into place just a few minutes later and we charged them. This went on for a good part of the day and suddenly in the middle of a fight he cried out, "DING! 8!"
"I didn't hear anything, you mean that loud ding noise from the sky when we reach a new season?"
"You're a role-player aren't you?" This as he brought down another watcher with the help of his pet.
"Uh, I'm… not quite sure I understand, but yeah, I guess I used to roll around when I played."
He laughed so loud I thought it would bring more Gnolls down on us. We waited for a few more of these "pops" and pretty soon I too "dinged". I couldn't understand why he didn't hear it; it was so loud I thought all of Norrath had to have heard it. He congratulated me on my new season but then said he had to leave. After he left I went running to tell the druid leaders of Surefall Glade of my victories and train myself in my skills. When I finished I decided I was ready to go onto the den itself.
The stench was worse then I remembered. The place just reeked of some foul odor. Dead Gnolls littered the ground everywhere, charred, decayed, or just hacked to pieces. There must have been a whole army of them. Some people searched the corpses for treasure and others sat just inside the cave that led back outside. A monk was binding the wounds of someone else. I looked around in bewilderment and suddenly a shout echoed throughout the den, "TRAIN! CHUG CHUG TRAIN TO ZONE!"
I was about to ask what that meant when someone nearby said, "Ok everyone get ready! Here it comes!"
A Barbarian came racing out of a nearby cave that led further down into the den, he was being chased by at least a dozen Gnolls, one of them a commander and several guards. Everyone around me all jumped up, some even started shooting arrows off at the oncoming Gnolls. A few Warriors, whose wounds were still on the mend charged head long into the fray, shouting various battle cries. I considered attacking some of them myself, saw a couple scrawny looking ones that I figured I could take so I jumped on them. I had them both down in a matter of minutes, but it hurt. The fight left me severely injured, very bloodied and bruised.
I managed to get loot off my kills and limped back to the cave. Several others were already there and some were still fighting. The fight was the fiercest around the commander and what I assumed were his guards. A Wolf pranced around in the cave, which I thought funny and then was shocked when it began casting Healing spells on everyone. Then the Wolf spoke to me, saying I should use my Roots spell to trap them as they try to run off, and with that, it healed me! I jumped up and ran back out into the fight. This went on for some time, people ran down into the den and minutes later would come racing back with a horde after them. Eventually I achieved two more seasons but I was too excited about all the fighting so I stayed! Finally someone began shouting something about a Splitpaw Commander coming and the Wolf raced around healing people.
Someone came running out of the caves, the biggest and meanest Gnoll that I had ever seen was close on their heels. It was big and white. And only the strongest in the area would try to fight him. More Gnolls came rampaging out of the den from below then, running to the fight. I saw a scrawny looking one and cast my magic, thus causing powerful roots to reach out of the very ground and grab hold of the vile beast. It stopped him short. I then used my destructive powers to repeatedly burst him into flames. When I ran out of my mana and charged him and beat him down with my staff, turned… and gasped. I guard stood over me, scowling menacingly. He slammed a paw into my head, sent me sprawling to the ground. I staggered back to my feet and panicked. I looked around for help, more Gnolls were shouting and running from the caves from below.
Then a loud voice echoed through out the entire lair, "I Trannix Darkpaw have embraced the powers of Bertoxxulous!"
I did not hear the rest. The guard hit me again, almost knocking me unconscious. People started shouting about Trannix, some warning others. Most of the more severely wounded started limping out to the Qeynos Hills. More Gnolls ran up from below. People started falling to the ground. Then he came. I knew it was he; for he reeked of evil. Trannix charged from the den and cast his magical spells on people everywhere and lashed out with his paws. He felled more people on his own then the entire horde. I ran for the cave and raced back out into the Qeynos Hills. I ran out to the gray shed and started healing myself and then sat for a bit. I decided I should go sell all the loot I had gathered and then go to Surefall to train and purchase new spells. I was finally at my ninth Season. When I finished purchasing my new spells I ran back to the gray shed outside Black Burrow and sat to study them. When I finished, I noticed the moon was high up and it was late, so I decided to prepare my camp for the night.
But then suddenly; and without any warning at all, before I could even start to prepare my camp, three enormous Gnolls suddenly "popped" right in front of me. They were huge, massive, they must have been god's themselves! I considered them and noticed they had names: Nappy, Reorix, and Flippy. I shouted that there were three new Gnolls outside Black Burrow, and then… Poof! One of them vanished into thin air, another ran off towards the ruins and a third ran off deeper in the hills. People came running.
Suddenly people started shouting, Some mentioned, GM's on a killing spree? What in all of Norrath was a GM, was that some sort of a god, a God Master or something. I jumped up and ran for where the shouting was the fiercest, the ruins. There was Flippy, howling and running in circles. People swarmed around him and then he was dead. We turned and Reorix was right there. Some charged him and suddenly, poof! He vanished. Others shouted about Nappy running amok in the hills and people ran off to find him. I heard someone shout about Reorix near the Black Burrow entrance, so I ran there. On the hill just to the right of the cave stood Reorix, locked in combat with a Barbarian, and he towered above the Barbarian. I ran to help but then Reorix turned on me, nuked me, and then hit me dead faster then I thought would have been possible.
Poof, I was resurrected and pleased to see I had not lost a Season or any experience. I got my corpse back, Reorix and the Barbarian were no where to be seen. People were shouting about Nappy, so I ran to find them. They were near the rode, Nappy was running circles around the bunch that chased him, he ran fast and then would double back and charge through them, hitting as he ran and then would run away from them again. They just couldn't stop him. I thought, maybe my roots spell would help. Or better yet, maybe my new wind spell. I could create a whirlwind to slow him down! I sat to study and organize my spells. More people started shouting about Nappy. He ran off into the hills and the crowd chased after him. When I finished with my spells I jumped up and yelled for where they all had gone. They were at the guard tower now, I ran! When I got there… nothing. I yelled again. They were at the lake! I ran, and again missed them. Finally, people started shouting they needed a Druid to stop Nappy. I realized I was probably the only Druid in the Hills and I couldn't even find them!
Eventually I caught up with the fight, Nappy still going strong so I instantly rooted him in place. The warriors pounced on him. They hacked at him, but he broke my roots and started to run, he could run fast! I blasted him with a huge gust of wind, which slowed him enough to root him again. The Warriors pounced again. I stood there casting my roots over and over and he saw me doing it and he started nuking me like crazy! A cleric ran over and started healing me, so I just kept that mutt rooted in his place as the Warriors swarmed around him and hacked him to pieces. He howled in pain and continuously nuked me and cast all sorts of spells on me, he knew I was holding him there so they could kill him. Finally a quick slash across his gut spilt his innards onto the ground and he collapsed to his knees. A Barbarian took one mighty swing and sent Nappy's head flying from his shoulders. It was finally over. Then someone handed out treasure! They gave me the Coronet of Zaharn and a Jaded Emerald Bracelet, the two together increasing my mana by nearly fifty percent! When everyone had finished showing off their new treasures they all said good bye and went their separate ways. I returned to the gray shed in front of Black Burrow, only then feeling all the fatigue and the lateness of the hour. So I camped for the night.
So, that was the end of my true infancy. I had finally come face to face with the dreaded gods of Norrath themselves. Three of them at once even. I have met several others throughout my travels, usually with a strange green name floating magically above their heads. I have learned since of who they really are, but I still call them gods, for surely they must be with the powers they wield. Once, I even got lost while attempting to enter the Arena at Lake Rathetear. Everything went dark and I thought I had died, forever, never to return to the world of Norrath ever again. However, one of these, God Masters, resurrected me. Just recently, right here in Highpass I cast myself into a tree, and when I attempted to return to myself my treeform stayed! Alas, I could move about but I was still a tree! It was a God Master who came to my aid and cast a spell over me, four times, and turned me back into myself again.
I must finish for the night now someone in the Orc camp needs a healer for their group and they just sent me a message asking if I would like to join with them. Well, I do need money. I got all my Nineteenth season spells except for my port spells, I can't afford them yet and I would like to move on to the Lake of Ill Omen in Kunark. Maybe if I spend some time killing Orcs I can save up some money again.
Well, I ended off the story at my ninth season, don't give up on me yet. It's after my ninth season where the fun in Black Burrow really starts. Till next time, Safe Travels.
The third berserker came around from behind and lifted the Paladin right off the ground and crashed his frail body up against the rocks. I tried to cast my Healing on the poor soul but the Orc Medic saw me, for my camouflage had worn off. He charged me and I had no choice to flee to the nearest Highpass guards. As I ran I turned to look back, I saw the Paladin struggling to get up, but the two remaining Orc's fell upon him and torn him apart, throwing his limps in all directions and then ripped his head right off. They rammed the head down onto a rusted halberd that lay nearby and stuck that into the ground, as a warning to others.
The guards at the bridge by the waterfall made short work of the medic that was chasing me. They hacked it down in seconds, their Captain even racing out to help. One slash spilt the medic's innards onto the bridge and it staggered as the Captain himself delivered the killing blow from behind, splitting the medic's head clean in two. It collapsed onto the bridge, it's brains oozing out and dripping into the water below. I turned, leaned over the railing and retched. One thing this world will never lack of, is the violence. It never ends. I started to learn that at about my fifth season…
I was in the fields north of Qeynos when I hit my fifth, I was hunting young Gnoll pups at the time. Strangely, must have been through some dark, sinister evil force, Fippy Darkpaw seemed to be resurrected countless times for his futile charge against the Guards at the main gates to the city. I even managed to kill him myself once. I found him standing in the field, between the trees, a couple pups nearby. He charged me and I smashed him hard in the head with my staff and then used my magic to burst him into flames. It was his death, caused by me that brought me to my sixth season. I then decided it was time. I myself had made Fippy a martyr to his own kind, even the pups now seemed to fear me.
I hiked into the hills and again sought out the den of Black Burrow. Only this time I did not race blindly into the wretched lair. This time I remained patient and scouted the terrain outside the den. I found that a number of Gnolls kept watch from the shade of nearby trees and a few more were on a hill. I knew I could kill one of them on my own, but if the others were to gang up on me? Perhaps I could use the magical forces of nature to my advantage, I was a Druid after all. I sat to study some more of my new spells, trying to understand exactly what it was they were supposed to do, I had purchased them a few days before in preparation of their use. As I was studying someone poked me. I put my book down and looked up. A human Magician, with some sort of a floating apparition at his side that acted like it was his pet. He pointed back at the Gnolls standing watch under the trees and asked, "You camping them yourself, or can I help?"
"How many seasons are you?" I asked him and he replied he was of his seventh so I agreed. We grouped up and he sicked his pet on one of the watchers while I beat another down with my staff. The third charged my new friend and his pet rushed to his aid. I managed to kill my opponent, turned to see his pet's original opponent run off for help. He and his pet had the third Gnoll engaged so I chased down the one that was running for help. I brought him down with only a few hits. I turned to see the Magicians pet tearing the arms from the third Gnoll as it collapsed to the ground, dead. We came out of the fight none the worse for wear, he had sustained minor injuries, as myself had but I quickly used my magical skills to heal us both and we ran over to attack the other three watchers on the hill.
They must have seen us kill their brethren because they ran down the hill yelling curses and challenges at us, we met them in combat half way up the hill. The fight was much the same as the first. I was excited and I wanted to run off to find more.
The Magician turned to me and said, "Let's sit by that gray shed and wait, more will pop."
"Pop?" I wondered, "What do you mean?" I asked as I ran around the hill looking for more Gnolls.
He hesitated, "You know, respawn. They'll come back."
"Oh!" I understood him now, "You mean they'll be resurrected, like Fippy Darkpaw is all the time!"
"Uh… yeah. Right. That's what I meant. People call it a pop."
And so we waited, and he was right, they sort of just popped right back into place just a few minutes later and we charged them. This went on for a good part of the day and suddenly in the middle of a fight he cried out, "DING! 8!"
"I didn't hear anything, you mean that loud ding noise from the sky when we reach a new season?"
"You're a role-player aren't you?" This as he brought down another watcher with the help of his pet.
"Uh, I'm… not quite sure I understand, but yeah, I guess I used to roll around when I played."
He laughed so loud I thought it would bring more Gnolls down on us. We waited for a few more of these "pops" and pretty soon I too "dinged". I couldn't understand why he didn't hear it; it was so loud I thought all of Norrath had to have heard it. He congratulated me on my new season but then said he had to leave. After he left I went running to tell the druid leaders of Surefall Glade of my victories and train myself in my skills. When I finished I decided I was ready to go onto the den itself.
The stench was worse then I remembered. The place just reeked of some foul odor. Dead Gnolls littered the ground everywhere, charred, decayed, or just hacked to pieces. There must have been a whole army of them. Some people searched the corpses for treasure and others sat just inside the cave that led back outside. A monk was binding the wounds of someone else. I looked around in bewilderment and suddenly a shout echoed throughout the den, "TRAIN! CHUG CHUG TRAIN TO ZONE!"
I was about to ask what that meant when someone nearby said, "Ok everyone get ready! Here it comes!"
A Barbarian came racing out of a nearby cave that led further down into the den, he was being chased by at least a dozen Gnolls, one of them a commander and several guards. Everyone around me all jumped up, some even started shooting arrows off at the oncoming Gnolls. A few Warriors, whose wounds were still on the mend charged head long into the fray, shouting various battle cries. I considered attacking some of them myself, saw a couple scrawny looking ones that I figured I could take so I jumped on them. I had them both down in a matter of minutes, but it hurt. The fight left me severely injured, very bloodied and bruised.
I managed to get loot off my kills and limped back to the cave. Several others were already there and some were still fighting. The fight was the fiercest around the commander and what I assumed were his guards. A Wolf pranced around in the cave, which I thought funny and then was shocked when it began casting Healing spells on everyone. Then the Wolf spoke to me, saying I should use my Roots spell to trap them as they try to run off, and with that, it healed me! I jumped up and ran back out into the fight. This went on for some time, people ran down into the den and minutes later would come racing back with a horde after them. Eventually I achieved two more seasons but I was too excited about all the fighting so I stayed! Finally someone began shouting something about a Splitpaw Commander coming and the Wolf raced around healing people.
Someone came running out of the caves, the biggest and meanest Gnoll that I had ever seen was close on their heels. It was big and white. And only the strongest in the area would try to fight him. More Gnolls came rampaging out of the den from below then, running to the fight. I saw a scrawny looking one and cast my magic, thus causing powerful roots to reach out of the very ground and grab hold of the vile beast. It stopped him short. I then used my destructive powers to repeatedly burst him into flames. When I ran out of my mana and charged him and beat him down with my staff, turned… and gasped. I guard stood over me, scowling menacingly. He slammed a paw into my head, sent me sprawling to the ground. I staggered back to my feet and panicked. I looked around for help, more Gnolls were shouting and running from the caves from below.
Then a loud voice echoed through out the entire lair, "I Trannix Darkpaw have embraced the powers of Bertoxxulous!"
I did not hear the rest. The guard hit me again, almost knocking me unconscious. People started shouting about Trannix, some warning others. Most of the more severely wounded started limping out to the Qeynos Hills. More Gnolls ran up from below. People started falling to the ground. Then he came. I knew it was he; for he reeked of evil. Trannix charged from the den and cast his magical spells on people everywhere and lashed out with his paws. He felled more people on his own then the entire horde. I ran for the cave and raced back out into the Qeynos Hills. I ran out to the gray shed and started healing myself and then sat for a bit. I decided I should go sell all the loot I had gathered and then go to Surefall to train and purchase new spells. I was finally at my ninth Season. When I finished purchasing my new spells I ran back to the gray shed outside Black Burrow and sat to study them. When I finished, I noticed the moon was high up and it was late, so I decided to prepare my camp for the night.
But then suddenly; and without any warning at all, before I could even start to prepare my camp, three enormous Gnolls suddenly "popped" right in front of me. They were huge, massive, they must have been god's themselves! I considered them and noticed they had names: Nappy, Reorix, and Flippy. I shouted that there were three new Gnolls outside Black Burrow, and then… Poof! One of them vanished into thin air, another ran off towards the ruins and a third ran off deeper in the hills. People came running.
Suddenly people started shouting, Some mentioned, GM's on a killing spree? What in all of Norrath was a GM, was that some sort of a god, a God Master or something. I jumped up and ran for where the shouting was the fiercest, the ruins. There was Flippy, howling and running in circles. People swarmed around him and then he was dead. We turned and Reorix was right there. Some charged him and suddenly, poof! He vanished. Others shouted about Nappy running amok in the hills and people ran off to find him. I heard someone shout about Reorix near the Black Burrow entrance, so I ran there. On the hill just to the right of the cave stood Reorix, locked in combat with a Barbarian, and he towered above the Barbarian. I ran to help but then Reorix turned on me, nuked me, and then hit me dead faster then I thought would have been possible.
Poof, I was resurrected and pleased to see I had not lost a Season or any experience. I got my corpse back, Reorix and the Barbarian were no where to be seen. People were shouting about Nappy, so I ran to find them. They were near the rode, Nappy was running circles around the bunch that chased him, he ran fast and then would double back and charge through them, hitting as he ran and then would run away from them again. They just couldn't stop him. I thought, maybe my roots spell would help. Or better yet, maybe my new wind spell. I could create a whirlwind to slow him down! I sat to study and organize my spells. More people started shouting about Nappy. He ran off into the hills and the crowd chased after him. When I finished with my spells I jumped up and yelled for where they all had gone. They were at the guard tower now, I ran! When I got there… nothing. I yelled again. They were at the lake! I ran, and again missed them. Finally, people started shouting they needed a Druid to stop Nappy. I realized I was probably the only Druid in the Hills and I couldn't even find them!
Eventually I caught up with the fight, Nappy still going strong so I instantly rooted him in place. The warriors pounced on him. They hacked at him, but he broke my roots and started to run, he could run fast! I blasted him with a huge gust of wind, which slowed him enough to root him again. The Warriors pounced again. I stood there casting my roots over and over and he saw me doing it and he started nuking me like crazy! A cleric ran over and started healing me, so I just kept that mutt rooted in his place as the Warriors swarmed around him and hacked him to pieces. He howled in pain and continuously nuked me and cast all sorts of spells on me, he knew I was holding him there so they could kill him. Finally a quick slash across his gut spilt his innards onto the ground and he collapsed to his knees. A Barbarian took one mighty swing and sent Nappy's head flying from his shoulders. It was finally over. Then someone handed out treasure! They gave me the Coronet of Zaharn and a Jaded Emerald Bracelet, the two together increasing my mana by nearly fifty percent! When everyone had finished showing off their new treasures they all said good bye and went their separate ways. I returned to the gray shed in front of Black Burrow, only then feeling all the fatigue and the lateness of the hour. So I camped for the night.
So, that was the end of my true infancy. I had finally come face to face with the dreaded gods of Norrath themselves. Three of them at once even. I have met several others throughout my travels, usually with a strange green name floating magically above their heads. I have learned since of who they really are, but I still call them gods, for surely they must be with the powers they wield. Once, I even got lost while attempting to enter the Arena at Lake Rathetear. Everything went dark and I thought I had died, forever, never to return to the world of Norrath ever again. However, one of these, God Masters, resurrected me. Just recently, right here in Highpass I cast myself into a tree, and when I attempted to return to myself my treeform stayed! Alas, I could move about but I was still a tree! It was a God Master who came to my aid and cast a spell over me, four times, and turned me back into myself again.
I must finish for the night now someone in the Orc camp needs a healer for their group and they just sent me a message asking if I would like to join with them. Well, I do need money. I got all my Nineteenth season spells except for my port spells, I can't afford them yet and I would like to move on to the Lake of Ill Omen in Kunark. Maybe if I spend some time killing Orcs I can save up some money again.
Well, I ended off the story at my ninth season, don't give up on me yet. It's after my ninth season where the fun in Black Burrow really starts. Till next time, Safe Travels.
