Escape from Darom, page 14
-Rend, causes the target to bleed with every successful hit for an additional 30 points of damage for 5 seconds.
While it wasn’t his Spirit Lochaber of Chieftain Diongmhalta, Zeven had to admit that the polearm was a damn nice backup for his broken primary weapon. If he were being honest with himself, it was probably a better straight up fighting weapon with the Knockback and Rend special abilities. Both, he was sure, would be very helpful in getting Nahi back.
“Thanks, Skovreck,” Zeven said, taking a practice slash as the Smith stepped back to give him space, “this is pretty damn sweet.”
The length was nearly the same as the Lochaber, but the head was a bit heavier, making it almost like swinging an oversized two-handed axe. It really added to the chopping power when you got a solid swing in. The only problem, Zeven thought as he went through several practice forms, was that there wasn’t really any part of the blade for dealing with mounted riders.
“Hey Skovreck,” Zeven thoughtfully said, a frown coming to his thick black lips as he turned to the Smith and held up the polearm, “Think you could put a hook on it?”
“Ye be wanting me to be doing what?” the Smith asked, not sure he was correctly understanding what the Beast Kin wanted as a look of confusion knitted across his brow.
“Put a hook on it,” Zeven said more forcibly as he turned the heavy blade down and nodded to the backside, “You know, for dragging riders off their mounts.”
“Um, it’s doable,” Skovreck gruffly agreed, running a sweaty hand through his wild hair thoughtfully, “some of our larger polearms be having something similar. It just isn’t going to be looking very pretty,” his large lips twisted distastefully, “and yer gonna have to be watching out for the hook whenever ye be doing an overhead two-handed swing.”
“That’s fine,” Zeven said unperturbed, “Could you add it while I’m trying on the armor?”
“Of course, I can,” Skovreck grumbled, snatching the weapon out of Zeven’s clawed hands, “any apprentice could.” He distractedly waved a hand at the pile of gear. “Go ahead and try out yer armor incase ye be having any more fool requests.”
“Don’t worry,” Mutoline said in an amused tone at seeing Zeven’s raised eyebrows, “Skovreck is always a bit fussy when he’s asked to add something extra to a weapon that he thinks doesn’t belong.”
“Thanks, Muto-” Zeven began to say as he headed over to the pile of gear, when a shout from Skovreck in the back room cut him off.
“That’s because it’ll be as useless as tits on a Tusked Stone Boar Charger.”
“See what I mean,” Mutoline gleefully said as Zeven rolled his eyes.
“Everyone’s a critic,” Zeven tactfully agreed as he picked up the top piece of gear.
The fine blue hide was soft like a well-made leather jerkin except much heavier and cool to the touch. Pressing his clawed fingertips together at the bottom edge of the material, Zeven was surprised to see that he couldn’t make a dent in the leather. Thoughtfully, he cast an Identify on the long-sleeve jerkin as a System Window popped open before his eyes.
Beithir Hide Long-Sleeve Shirt
Item Quality: Uncommon
Item Type: Crafted
Slot: Chest (under armor)
Defense: 600
Armor Type: Medium
Durability: 300/300
Weight: 4 kg
+15 Strength
+10 Stamina
+5 Spirit
-Plus 10% resistance to all Piercing Weapons.
-Plus 10% resistance to all Slashing Weapons.
-Plus 15% resistance to all Lightning Type of Elemental Air magic attacks.
-Plus 10% resistance to all Air, Fire, Earth, and Water Slashing/Piercing spells below level 45.
-Waterproof
*This item has been crafted from the rare hide of the World Boss Warptooth the Thunderstrike. Due to the Journeyman Leather Worker that worked the hide, many of the original resistances from the Elite Beithir's hide were transferred to the armor.
Zeven’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head at all of the Special Resistances and this was considered an undershirt and not armor! The resistances to all Piercing and Slashing Weapons were ridiculous even if it was only ten percent, but adding to that the Lightning and Elemental magic ones was just plain overpowered. Quickly ripping off his equipment belt, kilt, and peasant blouse, he set the gear aside and wiggled into the jerkin. Looking down at himself, Zeven was surprised to see that the shimmering blue actually went quite well with his silver fur.
As he excitedly snatched up the next piece, Zeven saw that it was an armored set of pants made from the same set of Beithir hide. Though, unlike the shirt, this had been crafted much thicker to act as armor. At least, they had been on the legs. The crotch and waist though were more like the shirt. Oblivious to his surroundings, he stepped into the legs and pulled the pants up underneath his kilt as he cast Identify. Once again, he let out a silent whistle at the screen that popped open before his eyes.
Beithir Hide Jodhpurs
Item Quality: Uncommon
Item Type: Crafted
Slot: Legs
Defense: 500
Armor Type: Medium
Durability: 300/300
Weight: 5 kg
+25 Strength
+20 Stamina
+15 Spirit
-Plus 15% resistance to all Piercing Weapons.
-Plus 15% resistance to all Slashing Weapons.
-Plus 20% resistance to all Lightning Type of Elemental Air magic attacks.
-Plus 15% resistance to all Air, Fire, Earth, and Water Slashing/Piercing spells below level 45.
-Waterproof
*This item has been crafted from the rare hide of the World Boss Warptooth the Thunderstrike. Due to the Journeyman Leather Worker that worked the hide, many of the original resistances from the Elite Beithir's hide were transferred to the armor.
Damn, Zeven silently thought, pulling up his Character Sheet. The buffs were even better on the hide pants. Not only that, the Special Bonuses were adding up. He now had a twenty-five percent resistance to Piercing and Slashing weapons and a thirty-five percent resistance to Lightning attacks. That was crazy powerful if the whole set was like this!
Well, maybe not, Zeven silently thought, forcing himself to calm down. While the pieces added to his overall defense and resistances, he knew from personal experience that most damage was determined by where and how you were struck for Physical Damage taken. In that way, Magical Damage was much different, being that it truly added up to your total overall resistance.
Another odd part to all of this was that this was Zeven’s first-time wearing pants in The World. That might sound odd but most Badger Kins simply wore their Great Kilts for clothing along with a shirt and nothing else. With their thick natural fur coat, the combination was truly all that they generally needed for decency’s sake which was why pants suddenly felt so odd for him to wear.
Luckily, whoever had decided to craft the pants as jodhpurs had made the right decision since the fur around his groin, thighs, and buttocks was especially thick. The legs of the pants noticeably tightened around the knees and lower legs giving him a definitive “puffed out” appearance in the thighs. Dropping his Great Kilt back down, he was surprised at how well the two pieces of clothing worked together while still giving him a flexible full-range of movement.
The next piece was much sturdier what with the large Beithir’s scales being used on the front and back like a large chest piece. Though, beneath the large scales was a fine mesh of much tinier scales. From the look of it, the Smith had somehow taken several of the larger scales and punched out tiny scales that he’d bound together with steel wire. They even went underneath the larger scales that made up the chest and the back like a traditional sleeveless breast and back plate. As he squeezed the armor over his head, Zeven curiously cast another Identify, the information popping before his eyes as he got the heavy armor piece over his shirt.
Beithir Scale Breast Plate
Item Quality: Uncommon
Item Type: Crafted
Slot: Chest
Defense: 1200
Armor Type: Medium
Durability: 300/300
Weight: 6 kg
+30 Strength
+25 Stamina
+20 Spirit
-Plus 25% resistance to all Piercing Weapons. -Plus 25% resistant to all Slashing Weapons.
-Plus 30% resistance to all Lightning Type of Elemental Air magic attacks.
-Plus 25% resistance to all Air, Fire, Earth, and Water Slashing/Piercing spells below level 45.
-Waterproof
*This item has been crafted from the rare scales of the World Boss Warptooth the Thunderstrike. Due to the Adapt Smith that crafted this armor's scales, many of the original resistances from the Elite Beithir's hide were transferred to the armor.
Damn, that’s crazy, Zeven thought, seeing his stats and resistances shoot up yet again. Why hadn’t he been more focused on gearing up like he usually did in all of the other MMOs that he’d ever played? Reaching for the last of the gear on the countertop, Zeven silently considered the issue.
Thinking back to the conversation he’d had with his brother, Big Red, about this, Zeven realized it was probably more of a Beast Kin thing than anything else. That was mostly because the Kingdom of Ocilimma was resource poor and lower-tech then the other Kingdoms around them. Also, with how Beast Kin had naturally thick fur and hide that was nearly equal in strength to basic leather armor, gearing up didn’t have the same level of need as it did for most other Humanoid races.
Slipping on the gauntlets, Zeven could only shake his head as he watched his stats and resistances go up yet again. Once again, he cast an Identify on his new gear.
Beithir Hide-Gauntlets
Item Quality: Uncommon
Item Type: Crafted
Slot: Hands
Defense: 200
Armor Type: Medium
Durability: 300/300
Weight: 1.05 kg
+5 Strength
+4 Stamina
+2 Spirit
-Plus 5% resistance to all Piercing Weapons. (Not Cumulative)
-Plus 5% resistance to all Slashing Weapons. (Not Cumulative)
-Plus 5% resistance to all Lightning Type of Elemental Air magic attacks.
-Plus 5% resistance to all Air, Fire, Earth, and Water Slashing/Piercing spells below level 45.
-Waterproof
*This item has been crafted from the rare hide of the World Boss Warptooth the Thunderstrike. Due to the Journeyman Leather Worker that worked the hide, many of the original resistances from the Elite Beithir's hide were transferred to the armor.
Zeven could only shake his head in disbelief. Obviously, he’d been missing out big time. Maybe this whole side quest hadn’t been a total waste of time. If he could get the rest of this Beithir hide and scales made into armor, his Badger Kin would be a force to be reckoned with in the future. And that, Zeven realized, was the crux of the problem.
The lack of proper gear was the main reason his people hadn’t stood a chance against the triple “A” guild’s brutal raid. Right then and there, Zeven silently promised himself that he’d do whatever it took to make sure his people were properly geared up and prepared for the next time someone tried to raid their home. He clenched his fists in frustration. None of this would’ve happened if he hadn’t lost power for a week. Before Zeven could get lost down that emotional rabbit hole, a gruff voice called out behind him.
“Now ye be looking like a true force to be reckoned with,” Skovreck approvingly said, tossing him the Mountain Dwarven Bardiche.
“Thank you, Skovreck,” Zeven nodded to the old Dwarf as he snatched the polearm out of the air, before clapping the female Dwarf standing next to him on the shoulder, “and you too, Mutoline. Seeing all of this makes me feel like I truly can get Nahi back from the raiders that kidnapped her.”
“Don’t be forgetting your Gabhail-Anman,” Strorgouni’s voice called out from the doorway to her shop with a happy looking Bright Claw plodding after her, “Here catch.”
“Huh, thanks,” Zeven said, catching the clump of shrunken skulls by the long hair. Immediately, a pop-up window flashed open before his eyes.
Congratulations! You have successfully completed the Secret Quest Learning to Capture the Souls of Your Enemies!
You have gained 5000 Experience Points. You have gained 500 to Reputation. You have successfully defeated your enemies and managed to find a way to capture their souls by creating Gabhail-Anam Shrunken to make a portion of their strength your own. You have acquired the title, Headhunter. You can have up to five captured heads active at any one time. At level fifty, you will have another five slots become available. This will continue with each additional fifty levels.
Zeven couldn’t help the savage snarl that curled his thick black lips as he cast Identify on the closest head. This so rocked, he excitedly thought, looking forward to seeing what kind of bonuses this would mean as another System Window popped open before his eyes.
Gabhail-Anam Shrunken
(Nacario Deathreaver)
Number of Active Shrunken Slots: 1 of 5
Item Quality: Superior
Item Type: Unique
Location: Belt
Durability: 200/200
Weight: 0.3 kg
+10 Agility
*Captured soul fragment that’s active when displayed on outer clothing or armor.
*Adds an equal negative stat to the original owner whenever they fight against the Gabhail-Anam Shrunken’s owner. Can only be nullified by winning the fight and recapturing their lost head.
“What the fuck?” Zeven swore under his breath as soon as he saw the plus ten bonus to Agility. The World actually gave you bonuses for collecting your enemies’ heads and wearing them. That was completely awesome, he giddily laughed, albeit fucked up. Not only that, Zeven realized as he continued reading further, he even got a bonus against any future fights against those same assholes. Hurriedly casting Identify on the rest of the shrunken heads, he happily exclaimed, “Oh, hell yeah!”
Gabhail-Anam Shrunken
(Xxnos Copexx)
Number of Active Shrunken Slots: 2 of 5
Item Quality: Superior
Item Type: Unique
Location: Belt
Durability: 200/200
Weight: 0.3 kg
+10 Agility
*Captured soul fragment that’s active when displayed on outer clothing or armor.
*Adds an equal negative stat to the original owner whenever they fight against the Gabhail-Anam Shrunken’s owner. Can only be nullified by winning the fight and recapturing their lost head.
Gabhail-Anam Shrunken
(Stannis Dickatheon)
Number of Active Shrunken Slots: 3 of 5
Item Quality: Superior
Item Type: Unique
Location: Belt
Durability: 200/200
Weight: 0.3 kg
+9 Agility
*Captured soul fragment that’s active when displayed on outer clothing or armor.
*Adds an equal negative stat to the original owner whenever they fight against the Gabhail-Anam Shrunken’s owner. Can only be nullified by winning the fight and recapturing their lost head.
Gabhail-Anam Shrunken
(Carebear Slayer)
Number of Active Shrunken Slots: 4 of 5
Item Quality: Superior
Item Type: Unique
Location: Belt
Durability: 200/200
Weight: 0.3 kg
+9 Agility
*Captured soul fragment that’s active when displayed on outer clothing or armor.
*Adds an equal negative stat to the original owner whenever they fight against the Gabhail-Anam Shrunken’s owner. Can only be nullified by winning the fight and recapturing their lost head.
Gabhail-Anam Shrunken
(Muhrder Piehole)
Number of Active Shrunken Slots: 5 of 5
Item Quality: Superior
Item Type: Unique
Location: Belt
Durability: 200/200
Weight: 0.3 kg
+9 Agility
*Captured soul fragment that’s active when displayed on outer clothing or armor.
*Adds an equal negative stat to the original owner whenever they fight against the Gabhail-Anam Shrunken’s owner. Can only be nullified by winning the fight and recapturing their lost head.
“Um, I’m glad to see you’re so happy with your heads,” Mutoline uncomfortably said, eyeing the gruesome heads that Zeven hung from his belt.
“These are going to be perfect,” Zeven assured her, already thinking of his next meetup with those PKing cock-sucking assholes. Wait until they realized what was going on, he excitedly thought, imagining the looks on their faces. They were going to freak the fuck out, especially with his new gear. As the Dwarven crafters came over to check the fit of his armor, Zeven was too distracted to listen to what they were saying as he quickly pulled up the information on the shrunken heads in The World’s Wikipedia.
Gabhail-Anam (Anman(pl)) Shrunken - Throughout time immemorial and called numerous names, Humanoids and Demi-Humans have used the shrunken heads of their enemies to capture a portion of their defeated enemy’s strength to add to their own. This works out to be a percentage of the enemy’s primary stat and can only be acquired once per unique Humanoid or Demi-Human’s captured head. Although this tradition is no longer commonly practiced amongst the more civilized Humanoid cultures of the Norden Region (except within the Kingdom of Ocilimma amongst the Beast Kin tribes) a small number of clans, houses, and tribes in all kingdoms still actively practice this ancient art. Depending on the group, utilizing this ancient art will give a negative or positive reputation bonus.
* A player starts with five Active Shrunken slots and gains an additional five Active Shrunken Slots every fifty levels.
* A player can display more Shrunken than the base Active Shrunken Slot limit allowed but only the current number of available slots will be active.
