AN: Nothing happens this Chapter. You can skip it.
I recovered from Covid mostly. Just a lingering cough left. My family got it too, but they seem mostly alright. My mother is still feeling unwell, though, and we all have that notorious Covid cough.
I've been playing Red Dead Redemption 2 to occupy myself between work and typing. I never played it until now, playing it on the PS5. At first it was slow, but it's starting to pick up and there's so much to do. Definitely put in more hours than God of War and I'm only halfway through the story, which is good. No spoilers plz.
Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add cocktail shakers.
Chapter 218
Thalassophobia
[Rosses Point]
The kingdom of Nitebane had many outlying villages.
Contrary to popular belief, they didn't all just spontaneously vanish when the Tragedy of Nitebane occurred. These were outlying villages, far enough away from the capital kingdom to avoid all the bloodshed that followed. But the ruined and war-torn capital invited Griefers - and a few Hackers - to thrive on the dying whale carcass that was Herobrine's pride and joy. They flocked there at the first opportunity, and any villages they passed through to get there were quickly overrun. The capital was in no position to send guards to help protect these villages, and the Crafters and Testificates were forced to flee for their own safety. The Griefers ate and stole all that was there, and, when nothing was left, they moved on.
For a long time, these outer villages in Nitebane's territory were left empty. Desolate ghost towns, all of them. It was only recently they started gaining settlers once the Paragons ousted the Griefers and Nitebane was declared a kingdom again.
The village of Rosses Point was one of these villages. It was located on the coast, just south of the Cadboro Bridge and east of the Woodland Forest. The topography of the coast was like a wave; a low beach, then a peak cliff where the bridge connected to the mainland, then another low beach, and then finally a gradual incline leading to the rocky cliffs of Nitebane to the far south. The sight of that towering bridge as it connected to the sloping hills of the forest was something out of a postcard. Which was good, since the village of Rosses Point wasn't much to look at before or after the Tragedy.
As per usual with coastal villages, it had a lighthouse. It also had a moderate number of visitors. Not in the 'rent a room and visit' sense, but more of a 'camp amongst the ruins' kind of way. People camped out in the abandoned buildings to keep dry from the rain or to keep the Mobs out. They would use Rosses Point as a rest stop before taking the bridge.
Now it was in full reconstruction. Crafters had fixed buildings and walls and brought in Testificates to repopulate. Scheduled supplies and emeralds were getting shipped in from the capital. A few Paragons acted as guards to oversee progress. Things were starting to turn around.
But then one day, a certain person showed up to sour the pleasant atmosphere. A Berserker by the name of Trishmegistus, or more commonly referred to as-
"Lady Trish! Lady Trish!"
The Bounty hunter - Lady Trish - had fair skin, blue eyes, and platinum blonde hair tied in a shoulder-length side ponytail by a black hair tie. She wore a red and gold off-shoulder crop top and a gray tank undershirt underneath. She had white and blue bubble shorts and boots, a blue belt and backpack, and a multicolored bracelet on her left hand that seemed to have a bit of every color in the spectrum. She also had light green particles swirling around her while she basked in the sunlight and adoration.
Crafters and iron golems glared at the woman lounging on a beach chair with a drink in hand while Testificates threw themselves over each other to worship her. They showered her with emeralds and gifts and offered her prime deals on all trades. All to repay her for being the Hero of the Village.
Except she only showed up two days ago and did NOTHING to deserve such adoration.
"Lady Trish! Have some bottles o' enchanting!"
"How thoughtful." She accepted sweetly, her smile making the Testificate bashful.
"Some cookies! Just for you!"
"Ooh, aren't you just the sweetest thing, sugar." She ate the cookie from the Testificate's hand and giggled at his reaction.
"I don't have much to offer, but please take this stone hoe as a sign of-"
"Ew. No. What am I gonna do with that? Gross." She took the tool and threw it away like garbage. Far from being insulted or discouraged, the Testificate toolsmith looked positively ecstatic to be spoken to by the Hero of the Village. Five more Testificates took the toolsmith's place and offered all that they had to the Berserker.
Standing a couple yards away from Trish and the crowd was a man who looked miserable while he cleaned his crossbows. He had short brown hair, yellow teeth, a long nose, chocolate brown eyes, and a five o'clock shadow. He wore a black gambler hat, a dirty blue shirt worn underneath a light brown jacket, brown pants tucked into black boots as well as a black neckerchief and brown spurs. He most closely resembled a cowboy or an outlaw. He had a brown belt and backpack, and his name was Alfonso_Bialetti.
He was Trishmegistus' partner. Her unwilling protector.
He let her revel in her riches - let her prop herself up as an idol to the Testificates like she did in every village they visited. He let her take in the spoils. He wouldn't get an emerald of it, but he didn't complain. Not anymore. The one time Alfonso made a protest, Trish made a threat that cowed him into submission. Now he just cleans his crossbows and keeps his mouth shut.
Alfonso's keen eye caught sight of trouble from down the street. "Here we go..." He tipped his hat up and leaned back in his chair as he watched things unfold.
Trish didn't notice the trouble until it was breathing her air. A crowd of over twenty irate Crafters stood before her, flanked by no less than five armed Paragons.
"Do you need something?"
"We need you to leave." One Crafter put it bluntly, though he received several nods from the others.
The Testificates rushed to her defense, spreading their arms wide as they placed themselves between the disgruntled Crafters and their hero, Lady Trish. "How dare you talk like that to Lady Trish! She is the Hero of the Village!"
"Then tell us what she did to deserve that title!" One Paragon snapped.
"She is the Hero of the Village!"
The Crafters and Paragons collectively groaned as if they had to endure something tedious. This had been the umpteenth time they had to listen to the Testificates' circuitous logic. Trishmegistus was the Hero of the Village because she was the Hero of the Village. No rhyme or reason. She just was, and everyone was sick of it.
"We're trying to fix up a village." Another Crafter reasoned. "A repaired village will be a safer place for you Testificates to live, but we can't get any work done when you're showering all your best trades on this one woman. We're trying to make you masters at your profession, but all you seem to want to do is kiss Trish's posterior!"
"But Lady Trish is our hero!"
"She's done nothing since she got here!"
"The Testificates don't have a problem with me." Trish played with her hair. "I've done nothing to warrant such vitriol."
"They don't mind getting used because you've charmed them."
Trish giggled. "I charmed them? What am I, a temptress? You think I've cast some spell on them? Do you hear yourself?"
"There's no better excuse for why these Testificates kiss the ground you stand on!"
"Maybe because I'm charming?" Trish volunteered with a little smirk. "Maybe because I'm charismatic and heroic and noble and beautiful? Maybe because I'm kind and strong. Maybe because I'm the whole package." She ran her hands over her body. "Maybe because I'm what you all dream you could be."
"Who'd dream of becoming a has-been from a dying guild?"
Trishmegistus' grin twitched, her blue eyes going to the Paragon. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Exactly what it sounds like. I saw your information, Berserker." The Paragon continued mockingly. "Once upon a time, your guild was hot shit, but ever since Desideratum got revoked in Jolin, you Berserkers have been on the slide. Your Bird of Prey pal over there knows what that's like." A hand was thrown Alfonso's way, making the cowboy avert his eyes. "Like a bleeding animal, you and your influence are dying out."
Trish fought to keep her face calm and content. "You don't know what you're talking about. The Berserkers are as strong as-"
"Please." Another Paragon chimed in. "The Scouts are taken more seriously than you lot." Trish's teeth began to grind. "You lost big in Jolin. Lost to some small-time guild of misfits from what I heard. Your guild is an embarrassment."
"If I had been in Jolin that day, none of that shit would have happened." Trish swore. Alfonso moved over to her to act as support in case things went off.
"I'm not gonna argue what might have been." A Paragon concluded. "Your guild is a guild of leeches, sucking out wealth from people. Same story with these Testificates. We may not know how you're doing it, but we have enough evidence to know you've done something to sway their minds." The Paragon adjusted his bow pointedly. "That's reason enough to run you out of town."
"Yeah!" The Crafters cheered.
"No!" The Testificates wailed as they flocked to Trish' side. "You can't send her away! Lady Trish is the Hero of the Village!"
"Don't care. Your hero has ten seconds to get out of town or else we'll run her out ourselves."
"You can't treat Lady Trish like this!"
"Lady Trish has been nothing but a godsend to Rosses Point!"
"You all wish you could be as heroic as her!"
"Okay, okay. Settle down, everyone." Trishmegistus was all smiles as she made an effort to defuse the situation. She quieted the Testificates so she could say a few words to the angry Crafters. "If you wish for me to leave, I'll leave. No need to get violent."
"No! Lady Trish, please don't go!"
"We'll miss you, Lady Trish." A young female Testificate pleaded in a small voice. She barely came up to Trish's waist. The Berserker knelt down and patted her on the head.
"Sorry, little lady. I know when I'm not wanted." She pointedly stared at the Crafters. "Consider me gone."
"Thank you for your cooperation." The Paragons nodded respectfully, though they made a point to escort the woman to the stables where her horse was hitched. Alfonso followed, somewhat surprised by Trish's maturity.
Then he saw the look in her eye and knew things were about to get ugly. He tilted his hat down and shoved his hands in his pockets.
Trish and Alfonso mounted their horses without a fuss and were led to the outskirts of the village. There, Trish slipped a hand into her belt, her left hand coming to her mouth so she could lick her thumb with a wet slurp.
She took out a simple book and flipped it open to reveal an index of text in a wide range of colors. Usually book text was kept black, but this was unlike any other book in Minecraftia. It was the Vivlio Zythopoiias - the brewing book. To Trish, it was just a magic book of unknown origin that she guarded covetously and used liberally.
Using her licked thumb, she flipped the pages and selected a particular line of text with her pointer finger. As soon as it touched the paper, dark green particles swirled around her - similar to the light green particles that had been flitting about her from the start.
Bad Omen V. She thought to herself.
She made a point to steer her horse back into the village in a quick turn while her body was covered in dark green particles. Her Testificate admirers came to the gate to watch her leave and wave her goodbye. When she quick turned into the village, the dark green particles vanished as quickly as they came, and the Testificates' fond farewells soon morphed into panicked screams as a red bar began filling up over Rosses Point.
"IT'S A RAID!"
"They're coming!"
"Lady Trish! Help us! Come back!"
Trishmegistus spurred her horse and took off at a gallop. Alfonso tipped his hat forward and rode after her. Both of them ignored the pleas behind them.
When the war horns began, Trish and Alfonso were well enough away from the village. Pillagers began to assault the community while the Paragons and Crafters moved to defend it. They could have left it at that and left, but Trish wanted a front row seat.
"Like that?" Trish muttered to herself while she watched the chaos with a hungry smile. "Has-been, am I? Well, consider yourselves was-beens. How does that feel?" The first wave ended, but the next one began. This time introducing Vindicators. "Call me washed up? Fuck you. Yeah, fuck 'em up."
Alfonso kept a cautious gaze on Trishmegistus while she relished the Raid on Rosses Point. She didn't care for the Testificates that had showered her with gifts and praise. The same Testificates that were now scared and fleeing for their lives when the first Ravager bulldozed into town. The Paragons couldn't contain such a Mob, and if they killed it, a worse wave of Mobs would follow.
Thunder cracked and rain pelted the land. Lightning flashed behind Trish, giving her a haunting look as her eyes were shadowed, and her gleeful smile became more pronounced.
Alfonso was terrified of her. So much so that he watched the Raid of Rosses Point with a kind of detached indifference. He made no move to argue her actions or antagonize her while she had that book.
For as scary as she was, she was preferable to the Endward Cult's particular brand of ruthlessness.
[Cobb]
Thunder cracked above. It was a terrible storm, just as Professor Fulgur predicted.
It was November 17th now. We were still on foot and moving south to the Cadboro Bridge. We briefly considered using boats, but those Guardians and Drowned made navigating the coast harrowing, and we gave up that idea before even starting it.
It was five days since Milstatt. After the Raid ended, we found ourselves with four new traveling companions - Ines, Arwen, Belenzia, and the old Testificate Fulgur. They were the only survivors.
The engineers came with us because their exploration of the outpost proved fruitless. There was no redstone to be studied, and they needed to find a new community and were without escort. Lenz couldn't leave his fellow alumni, so he offered they tag along to Oak Docks or some other populated settlement. Z7 had looked annoyed - apparently, she had figured this might happen. However, she allowed it since Lenz was hanging out with her more than the engineers. The guy was already advancing in his Quickdraw training, moving from daggers to crossbows. I was still stuck learning Quickswap in between endurance training, though my reflexes were getting better. Lenz also seemed to be teaching Z7 common in his spare time, the Jibberwoman uttering things that almost sounded like words.
We were sticking to the coast of the Woodland Forest when the storm hit. We had to hunker down under the base of a tree while the rain and thunder crashed outside. Professor Fulgur's forecast had proven true. The older Testificates could sense minute changes in the pressure and humidity to predict when storms would occur, even if it was days later. It was born from experience.
"Theeere'll beee aaanother stooorm ooon theee 26th." Fulgur reported in his usual drawn-out drawl. The old Testificate watched the violent lightning and cacophonous thunder with content. "Aaa thuuunderstorm as baaad aaas thiiis."
The 26th. We'll be on the bridge then. I thought to myself, storing that information away. What cover could we find on a bridge?
"Thaaat liiightning phenomenooon iiis clooose." Fulgur stated. He was looking towards the coast where lightning was striking. "Reeeal clooose."
Despite his annoying lightning factoids and exhausting way of speaking, we couldn't just abandon Professor Fulgur to the wilds. The Mobs would chew him up and spit him out. We had to bring him along, though he was heading south anyway to observe some phenomenon. It was why he came so far from home in the first place.
He moved to leave our shelter and go towards the flashes from the coast. I stopped him.
"Whoa there, old man. You don't wanna be out there. One zap and suddenly you're a witch."
"Theee ooodds ooof liiightning striiiking yooou aaare leeess thaaan ooone iiin aaa miiillion peeer yeeear."
"Just stay here where it's safe." I guided him to the ground wearily. Why was I the only one looking out for this oldie? Keeping him from going out into that storm was like herding cats. Or herding Creepers with cats like 4Blite did. I was getting sleepy and nobody else was willing to deal with the annoying professor. I yawned loudly and tried to slap myself awake. "You do your meteorology at Blitz Peak, right?"
"Thaaat's riiight." Fulgur smiled genially. "Bliiitz Peeeak iiis theee siiingle mooost faaascinating phenomenooon ooof uuuncommon liiightning striiikes iiin aaall ooof Minecraftiaaa."
"And other Testificates work with you?"
"Thaaat's riiight."
"Aren't you scared of getting struck by all that lightning?" I asked seriously. "You'd turn into a Witch if you're hit, and lightning is constantly hitting that mountain. Doesn't that frighten you?" My head lowered as my eyelids grew heavy. "You lose all reason and become a Mob. You might kill your friends. You'd have to be killed yourself. That doesn't bother you?"
"Aaah." He said. "Maaaybe aaat fiiirst iiit diiid, buuut I becaaame aaa meeeteorologist beeecause I waanted tooo chaaase stooorms. I waaanted tooo understaaand liiightning."
My head nodded as I struggled to stay awake. Why did his voice have to be so lulling?
"Ooonly byyy understaaanding sooomething caaan weee controool ooour feeear ooof iiit."
I woke up much later and with Fulgur nowhere to be seen. The bastard slipped away while I was asleep.
"Shit." I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and swept our shelter for Crafters that were awake. It was Dwight and Aurand on watch. Everyone else was asleep.
"Hey. You guys see Fulgur walk out of here?"
Dwight looked over. "What do you mean? The geezer's over - oh." He blinked at an empty spot in the corner. "I mean, he was there."
"For Herobrine's sake..."
"Hey! Don't go spouting those words." Dwight admonished. "That name is taboo. People might get the wrong idea."
"Like they haven't already. How long ago did you see him?"
"Ten or fifteen minutes." Aurand answered.
Not long then. I grabbed some gear and went to the shelter entrance. "I'm going to go out and find him. I'll be back."
"Want one of us to go with you?" Aurand offered. "We can help you look."
"Nah. I'll be fine." My eyes looked to the lightning strikes over the trees and near the coast. "I know where's he's going."
I wasn't looking forward at the prospect of getting soaked searching for the old Testificate, but I couldn't just leave him to die. Stupid he might be for venturing out in this, but he was my responsibility the second we agreed to take him with us. I willed off my hoodie and went out in my light blue undershirt and pants. My shirt would get soaked, but my hoodie would stay dry while it was willed off. I'd swap out my dripping shirt for my dry hoodie when I got back.
The canopy of trees offered a moderate amount of cover from the rain. Water only leaked through the gaps in the leaves, which I avoided. Only when I neared the coast did the trees begin to thin and the water came down in full force, soaking through my clothes and making them stick to my skin and rub uncomfortably.
A Skeleton crossed my path and I dispatched it quickly. If Mobs were spawning in this overcast darkness, lightning was the least of Fulgur's worries.
I broke out into a jog as I cleared the treeline and skid down a sandy cliff. As I slid to a stop on my rear, I noticed the beach I was sat on was swarming with Mobs. Also, there was a light crunch from underneath me. All thoughts that I broke an ass bone soon fled when I sat up and saw I was sitting on broken eggshells. They were the same color as the sand and dotted green.
"Eggs...?" I asked aloud. I stood up and noticed other bundles of eggs all along the beach. They were in bundles as big as four in some spots, and they were being targeted by Zombies and Drowned alike. The undead Mobs went out of their way to trample the eggs until they broke.
They seemed more interested in that than attacking me. I didn't know what laid those eggs, but I had a Testificate to find. No time to get sidetracked.
I stepped carefully over the dotted eggs so I wouldn't crush them before moving south to where all that lightning was hitting. Still no sign of the Professor.
I wiped some rain from my eyes and mouth before shouting for him. I soon realized how useless it was since the thunder was drowning out my voice.
While scanning the beach, something whizzed by and nearly struck my side. It was a trident. The thrower was a Drowned that was clambering onto the beach to trample eggs before realizing it couldn't breathe on land and going back into the water. There were ten more Drowned beside it, two of which had tridents as well.
I had my own trident, but more couldn't hurt. I still had no idea what Apostolos' Riptide enchantment did. I wanted more tridents. It was why I enchanted a Looting sword in the first place. Trident wielding Drowned were rare to begin with, and yet there were three in this storm!
Fulgur first. I decided with great willpower. I moved out of range of their tridents and scanned the beaches.
That's when I found him.
A Witch cackled with the name Fulgur over its head. I stared at the Mob emotionlessly while it prepped a potion to throw at me.
I took out my diamond sword and stalked forward, tanking a Splash Potion of Poison without batting an eye. My endurance training made such pain feel like a slap on the wrist. I reached up and hugged the Mob close before jamming my blade into its torso. The transformed Fulgur cried out in pain before I wrenched upward and gutted it. The Witch died fast, its loot falling to the beach.
I looked down on it with regret, my fingers coming up to rub at my eyes while I sighed wearily. I gathered the Witch's gear and burned it. A proper funeral pyre made more difficult in such a storm.
I redirected my frustration towards the Drowned with the tridents, taking out my Looting sword and diving into the water with reckless abandon and no shirt or pants. I dual wielded, doing most of the damage with the diamond sword and finishing up with the Looting sword. The other Drowned moved to attack, but they were slow compared with the ones with tridents.
I killed one, got nothing. A trident struck my back. I killed the second one and got nothing. The third one's trident missed, and I resurfaced for air briefly before diving back down.
The trident struck my shoulder and knocked me back, but I worked through the pain and sliced across the Drowned's bloated belly before finishing it with a gold sword through the brain. It exploded in a shower of EXP...
...and one trident.
The weapon floated for a second before I seized it and floated to the top, ignoring all the other Drowned as they tried to rip me apart. I swam back to shore and crawled onto the beach with low Health. Those tridents did a ton of damage.
I placed my new trident in my Pocket Box quickly. It glowed with some sort of enchantment, but I didn't take a close enough look on account of the Zombies approaching. With my business concluded and Fulgur gone, I fled the beach and ascended those sandy cliffs.
When I returned to the shelter, Aurand and Dwight were still up and asked what had happened to Fulgur. I willed my dry hoodie on and sat by the campfire to dry myself further from the rain sticking to my skin.
"Fulgur's dead." I said shortly.
The rest of the night was passed in silence before I nodded off.
[Soul]
"Remind me again." I spoke, feeling more than a little annoyed. "In the distance I could see the capital kingdom of Exter. The capital stood out on the black terrain of obsidian. It was also at the center of four massive lakes of lava that worked as a kind of moat. Two tall walls encased the place, guarding it against Mobs, Griefers, or worse, Stigmata.
And instead of being in there, we were circling to the south of it.
"Why are we not entering Exter when it's RIGHT THERE!?"
"We'll get to it." Anibal assured. She was in much better spirits since leaning how to make the deadly rockets for her crossbows. Trenay had messaged her the recipe, though she had to take a nightly Nether trip with Carys and Noman to get some of the Blaze powder she needed. The Beta-males weren't sparing any of their potion supplies. Anyway, she now had some white fireworks. White fireworks for Anibal_Whiteclaw.
"But we're so close!" I stressed, pointing at the capital. "And I need to go food shopping! I'm out of steak."
"We need to talk with Tinker first." Anibal explained. "He's the source of those weapons the Cult keeps finding ways to get ahold of. We need to question him and see if Cobb's suspicions are correct. This whole trip is based off a hunch, after all. Once we have more information, we can poke around Exter for the cult's Western Division. That's only if Tinker gives us anything worthwhile."
"And Tinker lives to the south of Exter? Why doesn't he live it up in the capital? It's less dangerous than living all secluded out here with Stigmata roaming."
"Tinker is an eccentric hermit. He's seen four-hundred years and is the only one who knows how to craft unique weapons. He might be at greater risk out here, but he has his privacy. Nobody can steal his secrets."
"All the more reason to think he's guilty of supplying the Cult with his weapons." Carys noted darkly.
"Or the Cult knows quality when they see it." Noman interjected. "And they're robbing Tinker's customers of their weapons. The blacksmith might not be involved."
"We'll get the real story. One way or another."
"I would prefer it if it's the one way that doesn't involve violence."
"That's up to Tinker."
"Please, please, can you for once not jump to violence right away?"
"I'm giving it to you straight, Notaman. Either he gives us a good explanation or he's a corpse. However much pain he goes through before that is entirely up to him."
Noman glared disapprovingly at the scythe-wielder, but Carys just stared back, unflinchingly. Noman was beneath her. He could argue all he wanted, but he would never act because he was bound by Aikido not to start a fight. Even if he threw the first punch - or shield - Carys could soundly subdue him. She proved she could do as much. Still, those two were always in each other's way. They were what two opposite ideologies looked like facing one another.
But that Notaman jab was just cold.
"Anyway, it's probably best we put off the capital until we have more information." Spaatz added. "Most of the capitals have at least a handful of eyes and ears working for the Endward Cult. It's not a place we can carelessly enter. Soul and Noman can go in publicly, but the rest of us are too noticeable. We need to keep acting like the Beginners and Paragons are separate."
"Actually, I had a thought about getting Floyd and me into the capital." Kalmarin spoke up. "Carys and I are still ironing out the details, but if all goes to plan, we might even be granted an audience with the king."
"I think I know what you're planning, and I already don't like it." Floyd complained.
I was still disappointed not to enter Exter - the capital growing smaller and smaller as we ventured south - but I understood why it was necessary. Carys and her Paragons were professionals. Before they could make a plan, they needed more information. If it were Cobb's choice, we would just sneak in without knowing what we were getting into. That got Floyd imprisoned in Jolin and Cobb imprisoned in Akasha.
Carys, who prided herself on haste, must have loathed the slow approach, yet she was going along with it because she knew it was the right way. She knew when to restrain herself.
[Cobb]
November 19th.
Two days after the storm and Fulgur's death, we stopped by a beach for training. It had a bunch of sea turtles chilling out. I came to realize that those eggs I saw before may have come from the turtles. I couldn't imagine why the Zombies and Drowned sought to trample them, though.
Anyway, we rested at the beach to get some training done and I took a closer look at the tridents I collected. Dwight and Trenay felt cheated that I had wrangled a second trident, but I reminded them that I had to kill Fulgur when he became a Witch, so it balanced out.
I felt bad for the meteorologist - and I think Dwight and Aurand felt partly responsible since they were on watch - but he himself went out into that storm. After he became a Witch, killing him was the only sensible thing to do. The only merciful thing to do. Otherwise, he'd just go on terrorizing Crafters and his own kind until something else killed him. Who knew what Mobs felt or if any of Fulgur's sense of self still lingered? Killing him felt like sparing him a whole load of suffering.
I finally checked the enchantment on my new trident. The durability was partly used up, but it had Loyalty II and Channeling. The words meant nothing to me, just like with Apostolos' Riptide, but Channeling not having a numeral assigned to it stuck out. I had to do some testing to see what they could do. I was in need of a new fishing weapon anyway after losing Backlash in the Raid. That fishing rod had been a dependable partner that served me well through my many fights. It wouldn't be the same without it, but maybe I could develop something new with the tridents.
From what I gathered, the trident could be used as either a melee weapon or a ranged weapon. I did a few practice thrusts and found that it had a greater range than a sword but took longer to bring back to my original fighting stance. In other words, I sacrificed recovery time for range. If someone dodged the initial thrust, I'd be wide open. My Normal Sense was telling me tridents paired particularly well with shields for this very reason. Dual wielding a trident and shield could maximize a fighter's range while protecting them from any counterattacks.
Since Trenay and Dwight were interested in the trident and lingered as I was thrusting, they generously agreed to help me test it out. I didn't clarify the specifics until after I stuck them with the prongs.
"OW!" Dwight shouted. "I just lost four-and-a-half Hearts!"
"Four-and-a-half Hearts." I mentally noted of the Channeling trident before switching to the Riptide and stabbing Trenay. She winced, but she didn't cry out like a wuss. "Also, four-and-a-half. Hm."
My diamond sword could only do three-and-a-half Hearts. The trident was stronger.
"What would you have done if that killed us!?" Dwight shouted, outraged.
"Apostolos used this to fight those Pillagers and couldn't kill them in one jab." I explained. "I figured they have similar Health, so you wouldn't die."
"This isn't what we thought you meant when you asked for help testing." Trenay sighed.
"Sorry." I apologized and meant it. "Mobs don't have Health Meters telling me how much damage I do."
"I can heal you up." Witige already had a brewing stand out and was concocting Potions of Healing II. "And Perry, before you ask, yes I'm brewing drinks."
"Good. A man can die of thirst on this beach." Perry was satisfied. "Wouldn't mind a tall glass of Mundane Potion."
"Stiff drinks plus beach expanse equals BEACH PARTY!" Wing cheered, willing off his clothes - save his trunks - and running to the water. Heather giggled at his antics before willing off her clothes - save her undergarments - and joining him. Luis looked torn between going with them and looking stoic and serious.
"Oh, just have fun." I threw out an arm. "Enjoy your moments while you can, right?"
"Right... You're right! Hey, guys! Wait for me!" Luis willed off his clothes and ran down the length of the beach, splashing into the water after his friends. I heard a high-pitched squeal of delight as Heather got splashed in the face before she leapt upon Luis and dunked his head in the water.
"A beach party, huh?" Baltic remarked.
"Is that okay?" I asked his permission. "I know we're in a rush-"
"I don't mind. We can use a little levity after the Raid. A little swimming and drinking would do us good." Baltic smiled kindly before joining Witige with brewing drinks. "Make a little tiki bar out of it."
"So we're really doing this?" Shroud asked in disbelief. "A beach party?"
"It seems so." Aurand let out a light chuckle. "If Carys were here, we'd never get away with it."
"If everyone else is gonna chill, so am I." Doyle willed off his clothes and proceeded to lounge in the sand and soak up some sun. Eventually, Shroud just shrugged and stuck a banner in the sand, using it like a beach umbrella for the shade. Ines and Belenzia settled down and buried Arwen in the sand.
Watching Heather and Luis be a lovey-dovey couple filled me with equal parts joy and loathing. I was happy for their happiness, but I also despised them for reminding me of my failed relationship with Jade. Any couple I saw was like a sucker punch to the balls. Being the mature adult fucking sucked, and I forced myself to focus on the tridents instead of their budding romance and gleeful laughter.
"Oi! I'll take a stiff Thick Potion." Dwight raised his hand.
"I wouldn't mind a Mundane Potion." Trenay raised a hand while willing her clothes off in motes of light.
"Awkward for me if you've got it!"
"It's coming, it's coming. Sheesh." Witige complained beside Baltic. "Since when are we bartenders?"
"I mean, that's Team Beta to a T." Baltic commented before sliding some drinks down a makeshift bar of wooden planks. It was an actual tiki bar. Gosh, they built that fast.
Z7 already wore minimal clothing and no shoes or socks; she was dressed for the beach. However, she and Lenz were more focused on Quickdraw training, the engineer drawing a loaded crossbow from his belt as fast as he could and getting it knocked out of his hands every time by one of Z7's daggers. It was heavier than the dagger he practiced with, so his draw speed suffered.
After Dwight and Trenay were fully healed - and more pliable while full of booze - they happily agreed to keep testing the damage capacity of my tridents. I performed Critical Hits next, the white sparks emanating off my trident as I attacked while leaping forward. Both tridents did six-and-three-quarters of Hearts of damage - a considerable improvement.
As I waited for them to heal up for a third round of damage testing, Baltic came over offering me a drink. I turned it down, not really being a fan of drinking.
"I prefer to be 100% in charge of my actions 100% of the time." Was my go-to response.
Baltic respected my wishes and instead handed off the drink to Wing as he came back from the water. Heather and Luis took some drinks too, the two doing that nauseating thing where they interlock elbows with each other before downing their drinks. Ugh! They were giving me diabetes watching them! I tore my eyes away.
So far, none of the enchantments on my tridents had become apparent. Their damage didn't seem to be affected since they did the same amount with different enchantments. Critical hits too. All that was left was throwing them and seeing how they did.
"Come on, Witige! Keep the drinks coming!"
Perry and Shroud were nursing their second drinks, but Wing was catching up fast, guzzling the bottles like they were water. Lenz and Z7 seemed to share my aversion to liquor, the two of them ignoring the offers and continuing to practice Quickdraw.
"Okay, guys. Hold still." I advised, taking careful aim at Dwight with the Riptide trident. The man sipped his drink easily, uncaring for the weapon aimed at him. I let it fly with a mighty hurl and stuck Dwight in the chest. He gave a piteous groan before falling on his back, his arms spread eagle. Trenay shambled over and checked his arm dutifully without spilling her drink.
"Four Hearts!"
"Alright. Decent." I took up the final Channeling, Loyalty trident and aimed at Trenay. "Last one! Get ready!"
Trenay showed her back to me just before I lobbed the thing. It cut through the air and sailed smoothly before sticking Trenay in the back. She couldn't quite keep her voice down this time, but she reported the damage. "...Four Hearts. Satisfied?"
Not really. I was still no closer to figuring out what those enchantments did. Apostolos - God rest his soul - made it out like Riptide was some enchantment of a higher caliber, but so far it showed no discernible improvement to the Channeling, Loyalty trident I got off the Drowned.
I was about to go over and retrieve my tridents from the Crafters stuck to the end of them, but I needn't have bothered in Trenay's case. I was treated to the familiar sight of the trident in her back shivering slightly before it unstuck super fast and hurtled toward me. I held up my hand in reflex to shield myself, but the trident whirled around handle first before slapping into my waiting palm.
Just like in my coma dream, the trident returned to me.
"Whoa!" Trenay exclaimed appreciatively. "It flew back to you. Apostolos' never did that. That's the Channeling and Loyalty one, right?"
I nodded wordlessly as I ran a hand over the polished handle and held it up with the prongs pointing to the sky. I threw it a few more times to confirm, and the weapon returned to me every time.
It returns. It comes right back to my hand like it has a mind of its own. It's loyal...
"Loyalty." I correctly guessed what the enchantment did. Apostolos' remained embedded in Dwight. "Instead of having to retrieve your trident every time you throw it... you can just pop on a Loyalty enchantment and recall it with ease."
It was almost like what the Drowned were capable of. They could repeatedly throw their tridents, never running out in a similar fashion to Skeletons and their unlimited arrows. In that sense, I could keep throwing and recalling the trident until the durability ran out.
I retrieved Apostolos' Riptide trident from Dwight's front and compared the two side by side. I figured out Loyalty, but Riptide and Channeling remained a mystery.
I was broken from my thoughts by some enthusiastic whoops of laughter and some annoyed protests. Looking over, I saw Perry, Shroud, and Wing working together to throw Witige into the water. The three were definitely tipsy, laughing and swaying as they got their ally soaked. Witige sputtered above the water, looking cross and swearing never to serve them more than four drinks again. The drunk trio laughed before choosing Doyle as their next victim. The assassin failed to get away and was seized and held overhead before being brought towards the water.
Lenz complained to Z7 in Jibberish. I couldn't understand any of it, but I noticed Z7 looking at her dagger thoughtfully before she sheathed it and beckoned with one hand to Lenz. The engineer brought out a loaded crossbow and handed it to Z7 who then stuck it in her belt. Then the two stepped back a fair distance and got into their Quickdraw stances. Seems like they were both practicing with crossbows now since Lenz thought there was an unfair advantage. Z7 knew daggers her whole life. Both using crossbows would even the odds, he thought.
He was right in a way. Z7 drew her crossbow faster, but instead of pulling the trigger she threw the thing at him spinning in an underhanded toss that clocked him in the nose. Z7 held up her hands awkwardly as she approached a wailing Lenz. His Jibberish was even more undecipherable with his hands covering his nose and mouth. She looked to be apologizing profusely. She was just used to throwing the things she Quickdrew from her belt.
I think they both agreed to let her go back to daggers. Lenz put the crossbow he gave her back into his Pocket Box and Z7 went off to get the guy a Potion of Healing for his nose.
I stowed my two tridents away in my own Pocket Box. Without knowing what Riptide and Channeling did, I was better off not wasting the durability. Maybe investing in a new fishing rod was the right way to go.
I also needed to take advantage of the beach. Not just to take it easy, but also for the supply of sand. Sand was glass, and I needed it to make more empty bottles for EXP appropriation as well as more of those deadly End Crystals. I didn't have iron, but I had enough cobblestone and planks to make a stone shovel for excavation. I crafted it quickly and started digging some furrows in the beach. Arwen, Belenzia, and Ines mistook me for building a sandcastle.
Sand went fast when baking it into glass. Being on the coast meant I'd find an abundance of sand as we traveled, and Oak Docks was full of beaches too. After venturing across the mainland for so long, having an available source of sand was a breath of fresh air. I wouldn't have to buy it off some greedy Testificates. Two or three stacks seemed like a good amount to have. I'd need a second shovel to gather as much, but I had the space for it. It was important to gather resources now while I had the-
"Hey. What are you-? No! Stop! Unhand me!"
I looked up and saw the sloshed trio of Perry, Shroud, and Wing selecting their next victim to toss into the water.
Lenz. The three drunks had the engineer hoisted over their heads while they guffawed.
"Come on, little buddy. No getting out of it."
"You haven't touched the water yet. Time to get your feet wet!"
"Water's fine. Time for a dip!"
I shook my head in amusement at their antics. Poor Lenz was about to get dunked. I almost went back to digging but I did a double take when I heard Lenz's protests. It was beyond the indignation or annoyance Doyle and Witige displayed.
There was terror in his voice.
"NO! LET ME GO! LET ME GOOOO! PLEASE!"
I stood up, my eyes sharpening and the amused smile dropping in a heartbeat. Across the beach, I saw Z7 whirl around from the tiki bar, one hand holding Lenz's Potion of Healing. Her eyes were on him as she took in his panicking voice hitting an octave I'd never heard from the engineer before. So she noticed too. It drew the attention of Baltic, Trenay, the engineer trio, and others. The drunks carrying him remained blissfully unaware, thinking his screams were the usual protests of a nerd that didn't want to get wet. This was just some playful ribbing. Some tame horseplay between allies.
Lenz didn't seem to think so.
"LET ME GO LET ME GO LET ME GO!" Lenz kicked and screamed. He sent an elbow into Perry's jaw. It was more physical violence than I thought him capable of. He was like a wild animal in their arms, spitting and spasming to get loose the closer they got to the water.
"Hey, quit messing around!" I shouted harshly before jogging toward them. "Drop him!"
"You heard the man!" Shroud grinned drunkenly. "Drop him, boys!"
"""Heave HO!"""
The three of them bent their knees before heaving him in tandem straight off the beach and into the ocean. Lenz screamed the whole time in the air until his body broke the surface. They only threw him four meters from shore, but it was a spot where the terrain dipped and the water was deep. There were ripples and a few bubbles as his body sank like a stone.
Why isn't he swimming? Why isn't he swimming? Why isn't he swimming?
The three drunks guffawed at their practical joke at first, fully expecting the engineer to resurface and curse them or something. As the seconds dragged on and the air bubbles dissipated, their laughs soon turned to nervous chuckles, then worried silence.
Z7 dropped Lenz's potion and sprinted toward the water with her hair flying behind her and showing her scarred face in full. She looked determined and worried. I also ran to the beach, but the assassin beat me to it, shoving the three drunks out of her way before performing a perfect dive into the water.
I lingered on the edge helplessly with the other gathering Paragons and engineers. Ines in particular looked worried for her pen pal.
Before long, a pair of bodies broke the surface. Long, wet purple hair stuck to Z7's head and splayed out floating in the water. The assassin had Lenz held close, though Lenz looked to be clinging to Z7 for dear life. His fingers were hooked into her back like claws, his face was buried in her shoulder, he was coughing up water and getting his breath back before that devolved into hyperventilating. Z7 was keeping them both afloat as she kicked with her legs, Lenz refusing to do anything except hold on and keep his vision obscured. Z7 tried talking to him in Jibberish, but the engineer was unresponsive, uttering pitiful mutters more garbled than any Jibberish.
Z7 wasted no time bringing him back to shore. The Paragons helped drag him out of the water. Only then did Lenz regain lucidity and awareness. He stared at the sky and took deep breaths while hunched over and hugging his knees in the sand. He sat far away from the water. Indeed, he refused to even look at it.
The drunken trio sobered up pretty damn quick after that.
"Did you know he was afraid of water?"
"He can't be afraid of water, and I've seen him swim. Look at him. He's never been like this."
Baltic, Trenay, Ines, and I were all huddled together under the shade of the tiki bar. We studied Lenz from a distance. The engineer was still huddled in the sand where we left him. Z7 and Arwen were there, rubbing his back, comforting him, or else trying to coax some words out of him to no avail. Not even redstone tech was enough to snap him out of it. None of the others were drinking or in the water. Beach party fun time was over.
"He's showing all the signs of a phobia." Ines pointed out.
"Aquaphobia?" Trenay guessed. "Fear of water?"
"I just told you he can't be afraid of water. He drinks it, doesn't he?" I snapped.
"That doesn't mean anything. Guy could be afraid of chickens. Doesn't make them any less delicious."
"I've seen him swim up bucketed water." I reiterated. "He's not afraid of water and he knows how to swim. He just... didn't swim for some reason." Everyone heard my uncertainty.
"Maybe it's a fear of the ocean?" Baltic suggested.
"He's said he's never been this far east. Never seen the ocean. Maybe..." I briefly considered before dismissing it, "but no, no I don't think it's just the ocean. How can he be afraid of something he's never seen?"
"He was awfully hesitant back when we were crossing the Primary River."
"I remember." I nodded.
"So it's not just the ocean he's terrified of." Ines commented.
Trenay hummed in thought. "What about Thalassophobia?"
"Thalassophobia. Yes. I know what that is. Verily."
Trenay rolled her eyes. "Thalassophobia is fear of deep water. Lakes, rivers, oceans. Anything where he'd be in over his head." She leaned an elbow on the bar and looked on towards the recuperating engineer. "It can be caused by anything from witnessing a Guardian attack, to a near-drowning experience, to never learning how to swim."
That explained his aversion to crossing the deeper parts of the Primary River. It also explained why he wasn't bothered swimming up waterfalls. I thought back to the time he threw himself into Ringwood's pond to drown himself after he realized we'd be roughing it in the wilderness with no redstone. Then, when we attacked those Drowned off the coast just before hitting Milstatt, he didn't offer any ranged support because he couldn't stand peering into the watery abyss. How many other times had his phobia of deep water rear its ugly head? Why hadn't I noticed it sooner?
Lenz once told me redstone dust could be washed away by water. Redstone and water didn't mix. It seemed a fitting summation for the engineer.
[Lenz]
I was vaguely aware of Z7 rubbing my back as I stared vacantly into the sky. She rubbed it in big, slow circles, the contact helping to comfort me more than I let on. I did not care about Arwen's redstone machinations. I did not care to be talked to at the moment. I really did not care for the three drunks that tossed me into the ocean despite my desperate pleas for them not too. I did not care how intoxicated they were. I did not care that they did not know about my thalassophobia. I wished they would stay the hell away from me right now - a wish they granted without my saying so.
Hunkered down in the sand as I was, I felt the ocean breeze blowing across the warm sand without any of the disadvantages of looking at that watery expanse. I foolishly thought I could traverse the coastal region without my phobia flaring up. I had been naive; we were not even in Oak Docks yet.
The slow circles on my back became a soft patting as Z7 moved around to take up my vision. We were close enough that I could make out her black eyes through her curtain of purple hair.
"(You want to tell me what that was all about?)"
Not particularly, but I felt she would not take no for an answer. Carys' best assassin was out here comforting me. A few months ago, she would have wanted to kill me. Funny how things can change so quickly. She pulled me out of the water. She deserved to know.
"(Long ago,)" I began in Jibberish, "(before my competency with a bow, before college, before I was even in Daymonte, I was a noncombatant traveling northeast of the Origin with a band of nearly two-hundred Crafters. Most of them were noncombatants also, but there was a small percentage that were big and tough. And stupid.)" I could not help but tack on that last bit. "(Those knuckle-dragging, mouth-breathing neanderthals were the bulk of our fighting force to stave off the Mobs. They hunted for us and fought for us, but when they started dying for us, well, things started getting heated between us.)"
"(They claimed we were dead weight, doing nothing to benefit the group except be an extra mouth to feed. I...)" I hesitated. "(I will not say they were entirely wrong. The noncombatants - myself included - let them do the brunt of the fighting, not be choice but by necessity. We were small and frail with no chance to take up a sword. It stands to reason a split would erupt between us. Especially counting all the times we fled and abandoned the tougher Crafters to their foes.)"
I thought back morosely on those times and of the day that remained vividly etched in my brain.
"(We were at the Primary River when it happened.)" I continued. "(Some of those burly neanderthals were short with me because I was more burden than boon. I believe their exact words were...)" I trailed off. "(Huh. Come to think of it, I cannot remember what their exact words were. Probably because what happened next was so much more impactful and all-consuming.)"
"(I can only guess they decided having one less mouth to feed would be of no consequence. So they grabbed me by my scarf - tugging me towards the water like a dog on a lead - and they proceeded to give me the worst swirlie of my life.)"
I shuddered and shut my eyes. That was a mistake, as the trauma from that day played in the darkness of my sealed eyelids. Two sets of thick arms holding my head under the water. A hand gripping a fistful of my gray, wet hair. The burning in my lungs as holding my breath devolved into desperate screaming muffled by water and showing up as bubbles that barely disturbed the water's surface. Everything was muted in the water except my blood thundering in my ears, propelled by a frantically beating heart threatening to burst. The water flowing in. My vision fading. My fruitless struggles lessening.
And the depths. Observers, the dark depths of that water that I knew would swallow my soul. My watery grave staring back at me.
I felt a hand on my forehead and my eyes snapped open, dispelling the scene. Z7 was wiping my forehead as a cold sweat had begun to form. I shook my head to shake off the memory and tried to compose myself to finish the story.
"(Anyway... the... someone from the group witnessed the near-drowning and got others to confront the perpetrators. They pulled me out of the river and saved my life, but...)" I hugged myself, "(phobias are not so easily resolved. I have been afraid of deep water ever since. Anything deeper than I am tall - anything I can drown in - sets me off.)"
"(The perpetrators that tried to drown you.)" That was the first thing Z7 asked. "(What happened to them?)"
"(They perished en route to Daymonte.)" I answered. "(It was a case of them staying behind to fight while the noncombatants got away. That sort of stuff happened a lot.)"
"(So they're dead?)"
"(To my knowledge at least.)"
"(Then they're lucky.)" She scowled under her curtain of hair. "(Because they would not want the Slumbering Death to catch them alive.)"
I snorted. It was the first sign of amusement since getting tossed into the ocean. "(What kind of moniker is that?)"
"(The kind you get moving quietly enough to kill Crafters in their sleep.)" She replied evenly. "(And do you have any right to criticize nicknames, Gray Eagle?)"
"(Touche.)"
I was still shaking slightly when Z7 laid out a cake between us. She took a slice and gestured for me to take one too. I will admit, the smooth, creamy frosting, fluffy exterior, and sugary moist interior helped my nerves as it slid down my throat. The good sugar high overrode the phobia.
A silence stretched between us as we sat together in the sand and ate the cake a piece at a time. I had the feeling Z7 wanted to ask more about my fear of water, but she also did not want to pry past my comfort zone or put me into another panic.
"(...Thank you for saving me.)"
"(No problem.)"
"(It was a problem for everyone gawking at me.)" I grumbled. "(I thought Cobbert would get to me first.)"
"(Not his fault I beat him. Oh wait, it is. He's a slowpoke.)" She taunted. "(A fisherman who loses out on his own turf.)"
As amusing as their rivalry was, I had to be serious about something. "(My fear is not going to be a problem to our mission.)" I emphasized. "(I will not be a burden in Oak Docks. I promise.)"
"(I don't care about that. Fears are fears. They're irrational. I'm not supposed to understand them.)" She dismissed. "(All the same, this might've been avoided if you told us you had a fear of water.)"
"(Not all water. Just deep water.)" I bothered to defend myself.
"(Did Cobb know?)"
"(It never really came up. We have been sticking to the mainland for most of our travels.)" I helped myself to another slice of cake. "(When I first heard we were going east to Oak Docks... I knew it would come to this eventually. The peninsula is surrounded by an ocean. I should have said something, but Cobbert was going through his own demons at the time and things were still rocky between Beginner and Paragon.)" I sighed. "(I did not want everyone to look at me as another burden again.)"
Z7 patted my shoulder before gripping it close and pulling me into her side. My body bent awkwardly and my glasses slid down slightly as I tried to figure out what was going on.
"(You're not a burden. You've changed from the noncombatant you used to be.)" She assured. "(I've seen you shoot. Your draws are getting faster. Nobody here considers you a burden. We just need to help you conquer your fear of water.)"
"(Deep water.)"
"(Oak Docks is surrounded by deep water. How do you think you'll fare with that without getting over your fear?)"
"(Looking at the sky usually helps...)"
"(I've heard to teach people how to swim, Carys would push them into the deep end and tell them to swim for their life...)" She saw my eyes go as wide as dinner plates and backtracked immediately. "(Or we, ah, we can start off smaller. Gentler.)"
"(I do not know what is worse. The insult to my masculinity, or the fact that I cannot refute it.)"
"(Maybe we start you off with a nice kiddie pool.)"
"(...I know which is worse now.)"
After a few more exchanges and bites of cake, I felt well enough to stand on my own two feet and rejoin the others. Cobbert fussed over me but was tided over by my assurances that I would be fine so long as nobody threw me into the ocean again. Perry, Shroud, and Wing came over to apologize for that, but I made it blatantly clear I would need time away from them before I was ready to forgive them. They respectfully agreed and kept their distance at the front of our formation when it was time to move out, even without Z7 stationing herself between us like a barrier.
The further away we were from the water, the easier it was to forget.
Inventory (Cobb): 1 Carved Pumpkin, 1 Leather Tunic [Dyed Green], 1 Diamond Leggings [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Diamond Boots [Protection IV, Feather Falling IV, Depth Strider III], 1 Diamond Sword [Sweeping Edge III], 10 Cobblestone, 2 Glass, 16 Ender Pearls, 9 Ender Pearls, 56 Glass Bottles, 1 Stone Pickaxe, 1 Stone Shovel, 1 Furnace, 17 Flint, 1 Flint and Steel, 13 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Stick, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Clock, 1 Water Bucket, 1 Lava Bucket, 1 Milk Bucket, 10 Coal, 64 Snowballs, 10 Snowballs, 3 Ender Chests, 36 Obsidian, 27 Steak, 1 End Crystal, 13 Rotten Flesh, 1 Book {How to Kill Stuff for Numb Nuts}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Mobs of the Nether}, 1 Book {Mobs of the Bounty Days}, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}, 1 Green Shulker Box {Pocket Box}
Green Shulker Box {Pocket Box}: 64 Eyes of Ender, 64 Chorus Fruit, 1 Potion of Strength II {1:30}, 4 Nautilus Shells, 32 Blocks of Emerald, 8 Emeralds, 1 Lapis Lazuli, 64 Books, 2 Books, 64 Sand, 64 Sand, 64 Sand, 1 Golden Sword [Sharpness IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Golden Sword [Sweeping Edge III, Sharpness IV], 1 Golden Sword [Looting II, Knockback II, Sharpness III], 1 Enchanting Table, 1 Totem of Undying, 1 Totem of Undying, 1 Totem of Undying, 1 Totem of Undying, 1 Trident [Riptide III, Unbreaking III], 1 Trident [Loyalty II, Channeling]
[EXP: 30]
Inventory (Lenz): 1 Chainmail Helmet, 1 Dragon Head, 1 Chainmail Chestplate, 1 Chainmail Leggings, 1 Chainmail Boots, 32 Pumpkin Seeds, 6 Bones, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Stone Axe, 14 Ender Pearls, 2 Cobblestone, 1 Compass, 28 Gunpowder, 1 Bow, 1 Bow [Infinity], 1 Crossbow, 42 Arrows, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 56 Charcoal, 62 Dark Oak Planks, 4 Steak, 1 Stick, 60 Chorus Fruit, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Akasha Entry Pass}, 1 Red Shulker Box {Pocket Box}, 1 Gray Shulker Box {Pocket Box}, 1 Book {Redstone Textbook}
Red Shulker Box {Pocket Box}: 1 Shears, 1 Lever, 9 Redstone Torches, 8 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 18 Blocks of Redstone, 2 Hoppers, 3 Pistons, 2 Sticky Pistons, 1 Book {Airship Piloting 101}
Gray Shulker Box {Pocket Box}: 1 Crossbow, 1 Crossbow, 1 Crossbow, 1 Crossbow, 1 Crossbow, 1 Crossbow, 1 Crossbow, 1 Crossbow, 58 Arrows of Poison {0:11}, 64 Arrows of Harming II, 62 Arrows of Harming II, 61 Arrows of Weakness {0:30}, 57 Arrows of Slowness {0:30}, 64 Arrows of Fire Resistance {1:00}, 64 Arrows of Healing II, 64 Arrows of Invisibility {1:00}, 64 Arrows of Leaping {1:00}, 64 Arrows of Slow Falling {0:30}, 64 Arrows of Night Vision {1:00}, 63 Arrows of Strength II {0:12}, 64 Arrows of Swiftness {1:00}, 63 Arrows of Swiftness II {0:11}, 64 Arrows of Water Breathing {1:00}
[EXP: 21]
Inventory (Baltic): 1 Iron Helmet [Protection III, Unbreaking III], 1 Iron Chestplate [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Iron Leggings [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Iron Boots [Protection III, Unbreaking III], 1 Iron Sword [Sharpness II, Unbreaking III], 1 Shield, 1 Bow, 1 Diamond Pickaxe [Silk Touch I, Mending I, Unbreaking II], 10 Arrows, 3 Brewing Stands, 1 Water Bucket, 28 Bones, 1 Ender Chest, 1 Map {Paragon Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Gold Citizenship Pass}, 20 Emeralds, 26 Cooked Chicken, 1 Lingering Potion of Slowness {1:00}, 1 Lingering Potion of Slowness {1:00}, 1 Lingering Potion of Healing II {0:05}, 1 Lingering Potion of Regeneration II {0:05}, 1 Splash Potion of Swiftness II {1:30}, 1 Blue Shulker Box {Pocket Box}
Blue Shulker Box {Pocket Box}: 58 Glass Bottles, 64 Dragon's Breath, 62 Dragon's Breath, 43 Blaze Powder, 35 Nether Warts, 30 Soul Sand, 63 Phantom Membranes, 64 Blaze Rods, 20 Fermented Spider Eyes, 51 Carrots, 50 Melon Slices, 55 Rabbit's Feet, 49 Gold Ingots, 1 Gold Nugget, 53 Gunpowder, 54 Redstone Dust, 50 Glowstone Dust, 63 Ghast Tears, 53 Sugar
[EXP: 30]
Inventory (Z7): 1 Diamond Helmet [Protection III, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Chestplate [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Leggings [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Boots [Protection III, Unbreaking III], 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 32 Cobblestone, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 21 Charcoal, 14 Torches, 9 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Cake, 1 Cake, 13 Baked Potatoes, 1 Bucket, 1 Potion of Swiftness II {1:30}, 1 Potion of Slow Falling {4:00}, 1 Map {Paragon Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Gold Citizenship Pass}, 1 Purple Shulker Box {Pocket Box}
[EXP: 42]
Inventory (Floyd): 1 Mob Head {Creeper}, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Diamond Helmet [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Diamond Chestplate [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Diamond Leggings [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Shears, 2 Iron Ingots, 18 Steak, 2 Sticks, 29 Coal, 20 Torches, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Minecart, 1 Bed, 1 Boat, 1 Diamond Boots [Projectile Protection IV], 16 Gunpowder, 16 Ender Pearls, 2 Ender Pearls, 1 Splash Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Bucket, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}
[EXP: 44]
Inventory (Soul): 1 Diamond Axe [Sharpness V], 1 Iron Pickaxe, 62 Iron Ingots, 20 Flint, 12 Gold Ingots, 1 Shears, 1 Milk Bucket, 1 Diamond Helmet [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Diamond Leggings [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Boots [Protection IV, Feather Falling IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Crafting Table, 1 Jukebox, 1 Music Disc {chirp}, 1 Bed, 1 Furnace, 24 Torches, 34 White Wool, 61 Cobblestone, 32 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Armor Stand, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Exter Entry Pass}
[EXP: 41]
Cat-Face the Cat
Christopher Squawken the Parrot
Inventory (Noman): 1 Diamond Sword [Sharpness I], 1 Diamond Chestplate {Severe Shield}, 1 Leather Boots {Bottes Zephyr} [Dyed White], 1 Iron Helmet, 1 Diamond Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 60 Nether Warts, 20 Soul Sand, 18 Steak, 1 Flint and Steel, 1 Shears, 10 Cobwebs, 1 Milk Bucket, 1 Water Bucket, 5 Buckets, 1 Bed, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Brewing Stand, 33 Glass Bottles, 4 Packed Ice, 1 Ender Chest, 16 Ender Pearls, 4 Ender Pearls, 3 Phantom Membranes, 61 Glowstone Dust, 29 Gunpowder, 18 Redstone Dust, 61 Blaze Powder, 62 Gold Nuggets, 61 Brown Mushrooms, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Exter Entry Pass}, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {The Art of Peace}, 1 Enchanted Golden Apple
[EXP: 35]
Inventory (Kalmarin): 1 Diamond Helmet [Protection III, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Chestplate [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Leggings [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Boots [Protection III, Unbreaking III], 1 Mob Head {Skeleton}, 1 Diamond Sword [Sharpness III, Unbreaking I], 1 Map {Paragon Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Gold Citizenship Pass}, 28 Cooked Chicken, 34 Apples, 1 Bow [Power I], 36 Arrows, 12 Ender Pearls, 1 Bed, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 40 Torches, 31 Sand, 12 Cobblestone, 21 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Water Bucket, 1 Lava Bucket, 1 Milk Bucket, 43 Coal, 1 Clock, 1 Compass, 1 Iron Pickaxe [Unbreaking I], 1 Wooden Pickaxe {Old Reliable} [Unbreaking III, Efficiency V], 1 Book {Meetup}
[EXP: 37]
AN: This is the beginning of the All Out Spaghetti Arc.
I know what you're thinking: Why is it called All Out Spaghetti? What does Spaghetti have to do with a world that doesn't have Spaghetti as an obtainable item? What the actual fuck is gonna happen? Well, questions are for nerds, and if you keep talking like that, someone's gonna shove you in a locker and call you Lenzington. What I will say is that you're in for a treat, as I will do my damnedest to write with the same level of tight quality and suspense that you all saw in the Darkest Arc.
RIP Professor Fulgur. He died as he lived: Getting struck by lightning. Actually, wait, no, he died getting stab-hugged by a fisherman, so I guess he didn't die like he lived. But there was lightning involved, so I'm sure he wouldn't be too bummed about how things ended. His lengthy, lightning anecdotes will be missed, but know that there is a special, unused and rarely visited place for all those trivial anecdotes in Cobb's eidetic subconscious. Had to do some quick testing to see if a named villager getting struck by lightning keeps that name when transformed into a wtich. They do. So there.
Many of you guessed Lenz's phobia. He's afraid of deep water because he was nearly drowned by some bullies. Easy way to remember that is the classic 'redstone and water don't mix' analogy.
Two new Characters. Trishmegistus (what a name) and Alfonso_Bialetti. When designing them, all I had was a color pallette and the hair design for Trish. I asked my discord pal Puppet3 for help and gave a basic idea of her personality and character. I was expecting a clothing description and I got a full-blown illustrated sketch for Trish. Wow. And it was done in like minutes I couldn't believe it. Anyway, shoutout to Puppet3. As for Alfonso, I was looking for a cowboy/outlaw/gunslinger design before I had Red Dead Redemption 2's Arthur Morgan staring me in the face. The color pallette for Alfonso was brown, so Arthur Morgan's 'gunslinger' outfit worked just fine.
FAV. FOLLOW. REVIEW. PM. FORUM. DISCORD. DONUTS.