Patch 17 (Realm of Arkon) by G. Akella, Mark Berelekhis Page A
Authors: G. Akella, Mark Berelekhis
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Vaedarr," I wasn't going to traumatize the NPC with my tales of skyscrapers and airplanes, "fell asleep by some kind of temple, and woke up here. The gods must have chosen me to carry out some mission yet unbeknown to me," I concluded with a glorious fib.
"What year is it, and who governs in Vaedarr?" the mage continued his questions.
"Year 1376 from the last Chaos War," I quickly looked up the answer in the wiki. "And Rayan I Erast, dubbed 'the Wise,' is the ruler."
Archmage Altus fell in thought for a moment, then made a casual gesture and two chairs materialized out of thin air. He took a seat on one, putting the staff, which he had been holding in his right hand, on his knees.
"Sit and tell me what the temple at which you fell asleep looked like." He frowned. "And what are these rags you're wearing? Are you a beggar?"
"I am a mage!" I declared, trying to instill my voice with confidence. Noticing Altus' look of irony and amusement, I corrected myself, "Well, um, I intend on becoming one."
"How the times have changed," the archmage shook his head despondently. "Used to be that the gift would only awaken among the noble, but now..." he sighed heavily. "So, about the temple?"
The two of us made a quite a comical sight—a human and a ghost, sitting in the middle of a road at night, a quarter mile from the closed gate of a demon village, engaged in a calm conversation.
"I'm not sure, it was nighttime," I was scanning the information on gods, out of which only Myrt was known to me. "It might have been Setara or Loaetia," I added, finally pulling up the list of Arkon's pantheon.
Your reputation with Archmage Altus of Erantia has increased! Archmage Altus is neutral to you.
The bar above the NPC's head changed color from pale red to yellow.
"Setara, you say," said the archmage contemplatively, "perhaps it was her who sent you—to put an end to my three-hundred-year-old solitude."
In this scenario, I was supposed to be offered a quest...
"How may I be of service?" I spoke the standard phrase for such a situation.
He sighed and gave me an intent look, whereupon he seemed to have reached a decision.
You've accessed the quest: Duty Calls.
Quest type: hidden, chain.
Help Archmage Altus perform his final duty to his people.
You've accessed the quest: Duty Calls, Part I.
Quest type: hidden.
Listen to Archmage Altus' story.
Reward: experience.
Hidden quests were highly coveted by all players. Acquiring one was only possible by being in the right place at the right time, and after fulfilling a heap of conditions to boot. In one example, a player from South Korea spent a whole month pummeling a mannequin. The sheer stubbornness must have had its effect, as the governing AI eventually took mercy on the poor bastard, whom his fellows Koreans were already beginning to perceive as an NPC, and offered him a secret quest for some unique profession.
I accepted the quest, looked at the archmage sitting across from me, and was transfixed by his gaze...
***
The royal palace—Vaedarr's chief structure—was built by the renowned Vel'cato during the reign of Erast the Great, who had used both sword and coin to unite the eight Great Princedoms under his banners. The palace's beauty was staggering, its tiniest detail materialized with the utmost love by the architect. Time appeared to stand still, and you could hardly resist the illusion that the warrior by the wall could step down off his pedestal, square his shoulders, shaking off the weight of fifteen centuries, and finally breathe in a chestful of air. It was here, at a graduation ball two hundred sixty years ago, that the master of flame, still young at the time, had met his Elsa.
Archmage Kyam Altus, Grandmaster of the four elements and one of Arkon's mightiest mages, chased away the somber memories. He looked around the small hall of the Royal Council, and the rulers of Erantia that had gathered there around an oval table. All were waiting
"What year is it, and who governs in Vaedarr?" the mage continued his questions.
"Year 1376 from the last Chaos War," I quickly looked up the answer in the wiki. "And Rayan I Erast, dubbed 'the Wise,' is the ruler."
Archmage Altus fell in thought for a moment, then made a casual gesture and two chairs materialized out of thin air. He took a seat on one, putting the staff, which he had been holding in his right hand, on his knees.
"Sit and tell me what the temple at which you fell asleep looked like." He frowned. "And what are these rags you're wearing? Are you a beggar?"
"I am a mage!" I declared, trying to instill my voice with confidence. Noticing Altus' look of irony and amusement, I corrected myself, "Well, um, I intend on becoming one."
"How the times have changed," the archmage shook his head despondently. "Used to be that the gift would only awaken among the noble, but now..." he sighed heavily. "So, about the temple?"
The two of us made a quite a comical sight—a human and a ghost, sitting in the middle of a road at night, a quarter mile from the closed gate of a demon village, engaged in a calm conversation.
"I'm not sure, it was nighttime," I was scanning the information on gods, out of which only Myrt was known to me. "It might have been Setara or Loaetia," I added, finally pulling up the list of Arkon's pantheon.
Your reputation with Archmage Altus of Erantia has increased! Archmage Altus is neutral to you.
The bar above the NPC's head changed color from pale red to yellow.
"Setara, you say," said the archmage contemplatively, "perhaps it was her who sent you—to put an end to my three-hundred-year-old solitude."
In this scenario, I was supposed to be offered a quest...
"How may I be of service?" I spoke the standard phrase for such a situation.
He sighed and gave me an intent look, whereupon he seemed to have reached a decision.
You've accessed the quest: Duty Calls.
Quest type: hidden, chain.
Help Archmage Altus perform his final duty to his people.
You've accessed the quest: Duty Calls, Part I.
Quest type: hidden.
Listen to Archmage Altus' story.
Reward: experience.
Hidden quests were highly coveted by all players. Acquiring one was only possible by being in the right place at the right time, and after fulfilling a heap of conditions to boot. In one example, a player from South Korea spent a whole month pummeling a mannequin. The sheer stubbornness must have had its effect, as the governing AI eventually took mercy on the poor bastard, whom his fellows Koreans were already beginning to perceive as an NPC, and offered him a secret quest for some unique profession.
I accepted the quest, looked at the archmage sitting across from me, and was transfixed by his gaze...
***
The royal palace—Vaedarr's chief structure—was built by the renowned Vel'cato during the reign of Erast the Great, who had used both sword and coin to unite the eight Great Princedoms under his banners. The palace's beauty was staggering, its tiniest detail materialized with the utmost love by the architect. Time appeared to stand still, and you could hardly resist the illusion that the warrior by the wall could step down off his pedestal, square his shoulders, shaking off the weight of fifteen centuries, and finally breathe in a chestful of air. It was here, at a graduation ball two hundred sixty years ago, that the master of flame, still young at the time, had met his Elsa.
Archmage Kyam Altus, Grandmaster of the four elements and one of Arkon's mightiest mages, chased away the somber memories. He looked around the small hall of the Royal Council, and the rulers of Erantia that had gathered there around an oval table. All were waiting
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