QJ waited patiently with his group near the GnG gate. Leah spotted him and immediately sent him a raid invite.
[System Message] You have been invited to a PvP Scored event by the Fora Development Faction. Do you Accept?
"Yes," QJ answered.
[Guild War: Fora vs. Righteous Hand]
(Scoring breakdown)
Successful Deployment into Territory (1000 points)
Destruction of a Structural Asset. (150 points)
Death of a Guild Leader or Vice Leader. (200 points)
Death of an Allied Commander. (200 points)
Death of a Guild Member. (5 points Officer, 1 point member)
Loot Acquired. (Based on assigned gold value 10 points/1k gold)
[Fora: Colonel Fintree] Welcome QJ.
[Fora: Robin] ♥
[Fora: QJ] Thanks. Good luck.
[Group: QJ] Let's stay in Group Chat to avoid interfering with their comms.
[Group: Ringo] Good idea.
[Group: Breeze] Holy Crap, I'm in a raid with the Knights of Ravenwood!
[Group: Lotte] Do you think Righteous Hand will try and hit Fora in TAP?
[Group: QJ] God, I hope so. That conversation will end with one word.
[Group: Breeze] Which is?
[Group: QJ] Gunship.
[Group: Ringo] We should record this, Wu.
[Wu] No worries, I'll be your eyes, ears, and whatever else you need today.
[Group: Breeze] I need a boyfriend.
[Wu] Don't you like QJ?
[Group: Breeze] Not fair! Everyone likes QJ.
[Group: QJ] That's not true.
[Group: Ringo] Yes, it is.
[Group: Lotte] Pretty much.
QJ checked the time on his hud.
[Group: QJ] Be ready; we'll head in right after they do.
[Fora: Commander Q] Status Check XO.
[Fora: Colonel Fintree] Raven Battalion, Report!
[Fora: Vess] Dagger Company, present at GnG gate and standing by.
[Fora: Captain Yaya] Silverleaf Company, present at GnG gate and standing by.
[Fora: Captain Crow] Orion Company, present at GnG gate and standing by.
[Fora: Captain Jinn] Raven Company, present at GnG gate and standing by.
[Fora: Commander Quickill] Gryphon Flight is standing by at GnG gate.
[Fora: Commander Nightingale] Songbirds, present at GnG gate and standing by.
[Group: QJ] Let's mute Raid Speak. Wu, could you monitor them and keep us updated?
[Wu] I got it.
[Group: QJ] There they go.
The Raven Battalion entered the GnG by company; Silverleaf was the last to leave.
[Group: Breeze] Damn, they are slick.
[Group: QJ] On me.
QJ entered the gate and immediately moved off to one side. Raven was already out of sight. He turned and waited for the group.
[Group: QJ] Stealth up, jetpacks on.
[Wu] Head north. The river you need to follow is three miles straight ahead.
The group kept low to the ground in a two-by-two formation with Ringo and QJ leading the way. In less than two minutes, they arrived at their destination.
[Wu] Follow the river. It leads directly to the canyon.
The river was fifty meters wide, meandering slowly in a reasonably straight path with steep rocky banks. Forestlands ended close enough to fragrant the air with the fresh smell of pine.
[Wu] Morbin owns all of this.
The steep banks grew high within a short period while the river narrowed to a third of its original width. The water no longer meandered, its current too fast to cross on foot. A few miles further, the steep, high banks turned into canyon walls that stretched into the sky. The strong current became an angry white water rapid approximately five meters across.
[Group: QJ] Increasing altitude, stay close.
QJ climbed until they were a few meters over the mist that hovered over the raging river.
[Group: Breeze] We could go White Water Rafting here.
[Group: Lotte] Let's start the Water park first.
[Wu] Raven just hit Maelstrom. They split their forces. Half are heading to the Righteous Hand HQ while the rest are hitting the Palace.
QJ used his sleeve to dry his face; despite their precautions, they were all damp. The temperature was steadily dropping. After twenty minutes, they approached the cliff face, marking their entry point. He hovered in place and waited.
[Group: QJ] Any movement from Morbin's knights yet?
[Wu] Nothing yet. The city and Palace defenses are taking heavy damage already. Morbin may not bother if he feels that all is lost.
[Group: QJ] Crap, let's get into position anyway. Worst case scenario, we try it without any diversion.
QJ powered up his jetpack and started gaining altitude rapidly.
[Group: QJ] Single file from here; stay close and keep your head on a swivel.
[Wu] Haven has attacked the Southern Continent; they are having it easy for now. Righteous Hand is concentrating on trying to defend against Fora.
QJ crested the cliff and moved toward his objective. He cut his jetpack power but didn't remove it. The garden boasted an enormous white marble fountain with a statue of Morbin.
[Group: Ringo] Think of the resources needed for this garden.
[Group: QJ] Or the ego of someone with a three-meter statue of themselves in their backyard.
QJ stayed next to the stone wall bordering the garden's edge. The room facing them was entirely made of glass. Even from the walkway, multiple suits of armor and weapon racks were visible. A slight movement caught his attention.
[Group: QJ] Sweet mother.
[Wu] Morbin's knights are heading toward Maelstrom; he is leading them. Sorry for the delay. I had to wait until Fora's Ba'Avriel scouts reported in.
[Group: Ringo] What's wrong QJ?
[Group: QJ] Waylo is here.
[Group: Ringo] Vampire Lord, Waylo Maelstrom?
[Group: Lotte] Crap... That's bad, right?
[Group: Breeze] He's looking right at me. He can't see us, right?
[Group: Ringo] He couldn't see through stealth when we raided his lair, but who knows what abilities the Legend's Waylo has.
[Group: QJ] It's okay, follow me.
QJ dropped stealth and walked through a glass door in the middle of the windows. He stopped short of the person watching. "Greetings Lord Maelstrom."
The old Vampire had seen better days. His wrists and ankles were shackled with silver chains. There was a stake partially protruding from his chest. His white hair was slicked back, and his white robe was stained with his own blood. "Who are you? More of my nephew's men? Come to see the great Waylo Maelstrom?"
QJ shook his head. "You're nephew is a complete idiot. We're just common thieves, looking to pilfer a bit while his eyes are looking elsewhere."
The Vampire Lord stared at him, causing QJ to suppress a shiver that threatened to run down his spine. "My nephew left suddenly. Do you know the reason?"
QJ ignored the question. "What does he have on the King? There must be a reason why the King has become a figurehead."
"My brother no longer rules?" The news obviously came as a considerable surprise to Waylo.
Ringo moved through the room, careful to maintain her distance from Waylo. "Considering the actions of Iya, they may have teamed up to plot against the King."
"My brother's wife conspires against him?" Waylo gripped his chains with shaking hands.
[Wu] That must be how Righteous Hand could ally themselves with Maelstrom.
QJ took notice of the workbench near Waylo. Morbin was obviously taking advantage of his uncle's gunsmith skills. "What really happens if Righteous Hand Keep is burned to the ground and most of their members are killed?"
[Wu] It costs them a lot of credits and sets them back a few weeks, perhaps a month. Ultimately, they will rebuild, and nothing changes except for losing the Southern Continent territories to Haven.
"However, if Morbin is ousted and the King regains the throne." QJ left the rest unsaid while studying the Vampire Lord.
[Wu] Maelstrom is their seat of power. Holy Shit, QJ, It could completely eliminate them on this server. We're talking about the collapse of Legend's strongest guild.
[Group: Ringo] I'm okay with that. They tried to swim in our pond, let's muddy their water a bit.
[Whisper QJ: Q] Dad, capture Prince Morbin and the Queen. Make sure to secure the King in a safe place. I'm sending Waylo Maelstrom to your location. He's a Vampire Lord, so be wary.
[Whisper Q: QJ] Understood.
QJ moved toward Waylo, stopping just outside of his reach. "My father is going to capture Morbin and the Queen. What will you do if I free you?"
Waylo's cold black eyes flickered slightly. "I will find my brother and help him.
"It's dangerous to free him, QJ." Ringo spoke from the door, "Waylo and the King hate each other."
Waylo shook his head. "I am a monster, that is true. My brother and I made up years ago. Morbin must be using me to steal my brother's power."
[Wu] It's possible, guys. When you eliminated Waylo on the Phoenix Server, the brothers still hated each other. They may have made up in the years since.
Ringo let out a long sigh and looked at QJ. "What do you think?"
QJ grinned at her and turned back to the Vampire Lord. "Before we let you go, tell me where the valuables are. This room has weapons and armor. What else can we take?"
"Most items in this room are replicas; the real treasure is in the vault beneath the floor." Waylo pointed to the corner. "It can be opened by pulling the draft lever on the corner fireplace."
"If you try and harm us, your brother will most likely be slain."
QJ steeled his nerves and decided to take a chance. "How do I free you?"
"These silver chains have special keys. They are also stored in the vault," Waylo answered.
Ringo walked to the corner fireplace and pulled the draft lever. Immediately, a large section of the floor slid to one side, exposing a stone stairway. "I'll check it out."
Ringo disappeared down the stairs and returned after a few minutes; her face was decidedly pale. She held up a pair of keys and tossed them to QJ.
QJ caught the keys. "You'll leave immediately and not bother us."
Waylo nodded in agreement, "I'll need to grab a few of the guards to feed. My powers are too weak at the moment."
"Good enough." QJ stepped within his range and started unlocking the silver shackles. When he was through, he pulled the stake from Waylo's chest.
The Vampire Lord grunted and collapsed to his knees. After several tense seconds, he climbed to his feet, staggering as he made his way to the door.
"Once you unite with your brother, your best move is to play it straight with Commander Q." QJ's face looked pleasant, but his voice carried a hint of dread. "He might look harmless, but he's definitely not someone you can handle."
The group watched Waylo leave; Ringo locked the door behind him.
"Let's see what we have." QJ descended the stairs to the vault, and the rest of his group followed close behind.
[Group: Breeze] Holy... This place is the size of a soccer field.
[Group: Ringo] Let's get this stuff and move out fast.
QJ moved quickly to the center of the room. "You guys head upstairs while I store..." He stopped in mid-sentence as an object on the wall caught his attention. "Shitballs..."
[Group: Lotte] What's wrong QJ?
[Fora: QJ] I found a prototype weapon in Morbin's Vault. He likely has more. Be careful.
QJ linked the weapon specs in Raid Chat.
[Incisor] (Magnum Opus)
Sniper Rifle with Optics
Description: A prototype sniper rifle capable of hitting
targets up to one mile away. The first hit is always critical.
Additional Description: Optic Scope ignores stealth capabilities.
[Group: Ringo] Do you think he made more?
[Group: QJ] Probably, however, only one would be a Magnum Opus. Additional weapons would be no higher than Masterpiece. Everyone out, we have to go.
QJ ran to the center of the vault and opened Yaya's box. He sprinted for the stairs, barely getting out of the way before everything started flying. It was over in a minute. QJ stashed the box in his inventory and then returned up the stairs.
[Group: Ringo] Got it?
[Group: QJ] Cleaned it out. Damn... We need one of these.
The group restealthed and fired up their jetpacks. As quickly as possible, they began to retrace their steps.
[Wu] You were right, QJ. Silverleaf reports a squad of six that are armed with those sniper rifles.
[Group: QJ] Shit... Injuries?
[Wu] A few, but no fatalities were reported. The entire company has been forced to ground.
[Group: QJ] They'll continue on foot and return to the air once out of sniper range.
[Wu] It's going to be tight. There's a company of Knights closing in on them.
[Group: QJ] Whose Knights?
[Wu] Given their location, I am guessing Baron Schrae.
[Group: QJ] Show me the map.
The group hovered next to the canyon wall while they studied the map. After a minute, QJ removed the box from his inventory and handed it to Lotte.
[Group: QJ] Bring this back to Ravenwood. Do not stop for anything.
[Group: Breeze] We should stay together.
[Group: QJ] I'd like that too. If we die during the Guild War, all our items become loot for whoever recovers our bodies. So if you take the box away, there won't be any consequences if I don't make it.
[Group: Ringo] He's right. Breeze, your new mission is to guard Lotte and ensure she gets to the gate. If you have to sacrifice yourself, then do it. Lotte, get moving and don't stop for anything. I will go with QJ.
[Group: Lotte] I understand. Be careful.
[Group: Breeze] I'll lead the way, Lotte.
They waited until Breeze and Lotte left and then used their jetpacks to altitude.
[Group: Ringo] What's the plan, QJ?
[Group: QJ] Get as high as possible, try and utilize some cloud cover. Although the snipers shouldn't be pointing in our direction.
[Group: Ringo] The Knights will be charging down that gorge north of the Silverleaf position.
[Group: QJ] Schrae created a small dam to raise the level of the Lake. It's actually a slick setup. Irrigation and fishing in his territory are much higher than anywhere else in Maelstrom.
[Group: Ringo] That the secret to his wealth?
[Group: QJ] Maybe in part. If we manage to dump a few million gallons, by the time it hits that narrow gorge...
[Group: Ringo] It will wash everything away, probably not fatal, but enough to slow them.
[Wu] Don't take this the wrong way, but I love you guys! This is some crazy shit.
[Group: QJ] At OP, we love crazy.
[Group: Ringo] True.
The dam was only about ten meters high; it was built near the mouth of Schrae Lake, causing it to rise a few meters. The control station was a small brick building directly on the dam.
QJ and Ringo landed quietly a few minutes later and cut their jetpacks. They walked single file across the solid stone dam.
[Group: Ringo] I'll peek, stay here.
[Group: Lotte] We made it to the GnG gate, heading to Ravenwood now.
[Group: Breeze] Stay safe!
Ringo came back a few minutes later. She held up two fingers.
[Group: QJ] Two workers?
[Group: Ringo] Looks like that. There's a control panel with three levers; I am not sure what does what.
[Group: QJ] Three levers should mean three valves. They probably pull one regularly to keep the level constant. Of course, we want all three.
[Group: Ringo] I'll toss a flashbang while you hit the levers. Then we hightail it out of here.
QJ nodded, and Ringo tossed a flashbang into the building.
*Engineer Wodsi has been stunned*
*Guardsman Leva has been stunned*
QJ sprinted into the room and pulled down all three levers in succession. Seconds later, he was out the door just as Ringo tossed another flashbang.
*Engineer Wodsi has been stunned*
*Guardsman Leva has resisted stun*
QJ sprinted down the width of the damn, the roar of water drowning out the sound of pursuit. He fired up his jetpack and shot upward.
*You have been stunned*
*Ringo has been stunned*
QJ landed hard on the stone dam; a moment later, Ringo landed on top of him.
[Group: QJ] Shitballs.
QJ struggled to reach his feet; a quick glance showed the guard running toward them. Without time to think, he grabbed Ringo and rolled off the dam.
The duo splashed into the cold water and were instantly sucked into the depths. QJ retained his grip on Ringo while his other hand clawed frantically at the rocky lake bed. A sudden pain in his head caused him to be enveloped by blackness.
*You have died.*