and so, the brave adventurers set forth....

[Zak33]

For years now, the Clan Talon had been fighting, adventuring, exploring and generally "doing good" in the lands of Lineage 2.

Clan Leader Sir Andrew had made it his life's work to keep his Clan fully equipped, financed and in fighting form. His early adventurers had been solo, learning his craft and his dreams of a fully fledged Clan begqn to form many years ago.

Stardock, Elven elder has progressed slowly as first, building good healing knowledge, and then, on one deep delve into the Underworld, had been mortally wounded by the Undead, and he'd taken a vow to rid the world of the stinking filth of from the Grave. Stardock joined Sir Andrew and together Clan Talon was formed.

Sair had been wandering the woodlands and plains, fast elven rangers speed covering many miles, and with a new found love of nasty pointy knives and an already fantastic bow skill, she was now mastering the skills of evil back stabbing, and stealthy hidden creeping. Her love for Stardock was only equalled by her love of bleeding people dry!

And then, a year later a young female mage called Sigyn met Sir Andrew in a store, while he was selling Enria, and she was soon signed up to Clan membership, and the rate that she could nuke monsters was impressive from day one. But the silken robs she wore afforded zero protection, and the mental strain of the casting soon wore her down. Stardock and Sigyn particularly worked well together, and while Stardock was no tank, his ability to shield Sigyn when the mobs got close (rarely) was good enough, and his new found skills of transfering Mana worked wonders. Sir Andrew then paid for Star to climb more levels, funding weapons and potions, and after many months, Stardock reached Sir Andrew's experience, and then took on full set of religious body tatoos, to please the gods, and transfered much of his attck magic skills to mana replenishment and additional healing.
In partnership with Sigyn, the two literally flew up the ranks, people in the streets of the towns seeing them, day after day running forth to kick monsters butt!

A small red dwarf called Starbug wandered into the Clan rooms one day, sat down in their midst and without and words, began crafting. Sir Andrew and Starbug became close trading and crafting buddies and so another perfect team was made. Equipment and upgrades became a little easier, and they dedicated many months to market trading. The money began to roll in, which was good as Sigyn was constantly in need of new staff's and magical swords.

And as Sir Andrew aged, he decided to recruit a young warrior, and teach him all of his knowledge in the ways of defense and shielding his group but with the real attack skills available through the local warriors guild. With money, and a heavy recruitment drive, Marko was found, and with weapons of a cost rarely seen in Stardock and Sir Andrew's early days, Marko found his speed of improvement meteoric

Clan Talon was complete....a Leader, a Healer, a stealthy ranger, a Nuker, a crafter and a really fast slicing and dicing killing machine. OK....Marko didn't always see the targets and sometimes he ran straight past the fight into the trees,.....but his swords glowed so he looked cool

[Zak33]

Not that everything always went well.

There was that time when Stardock and Sigyn were completing a quest for a local trader who had asked for a supply of rare ingredients, which after much research, Sigyn had stated were in the dessert. Fully equipped the pair had braved the searing heat and after many days....found none of the required monsters. What they DID find was large group of lowly inexperienced adventurers, all of whom were clearly being controlled by some evil, demonic being, and this vast group were mullering the entire stock of monsters in the area and were clearly profiteering with no "human" intervention.

To this day 'Dock isn't sure why, but he bet Sigyn that she'd not "scratch one with a small spell" She didn't really scratch him...she blew him to kindom come, and it transpired they really were VERY low level and as they were possesed by some spirit known as "bot" they ignored their downed partner and carried on reaping the spawning monsters.

SO Stardock killed one to even things up...and then Sigyn tripped and accidentally set off another spell on the tip of her tongue and a few more died and eventually after the pair had massacred all 11 they wandered off home. Half way, a do gooding character decided it would be good to kill these "evil player kilers" or in his own language, some form of chavvy troll esque tongue "omg omg pk'er pk'er.....gettim"

It took 5 or 6 deaths for him to see the error of his ways, everytime Sigyn killed him, Stardock got a guilt complex and ressurected him, the fool attacked them again and tried to run off. After a merry chase across many miles ..... a distant fiure emerged from the mist and nuked both Sigyn and Stardock in one hit each. Clan's huh..... so after much "beyond the grave" ramblings, the diplomatic Stardock expalained, the rather powerful seniior mage gave thier inexperienced clan member a lesson in "askng before shooting" and all was well.

[Zak33]

and so to bring the story up to date: Progressing the Clan.

Sir Andrew spent many hours poring over his tomes and one day recently sent message to his Clan members that to move the Clan to the next level of status a brave and herois thing needed doing. Three of them had to die for him!

Marko was first and literally through himself on his swords, and in his death throes the proof of the Clan's devotion to their leader began. Stardock resurected him and then Stardock himself had to die. As the dark velvet glove of death embraced his heart, Sir Andrew cast the Resurection scroll and 'Dock returned to life, the second stage complete.
No one knows why Sair's death was not required, but she offered and an angel told her thaty her heart was true, her faith and trust in her leader were believed and she got off scott free.

And so the clan moved back to reading the ancient tomes and all became clear.

Sir Andrew would now have to prove HIS faith in hos clan....he must take a poison draft, swalowing it all down,and then his clan must sally forth and collect the required mystery ingredients while he languished in his death throes...... and the time would tick past as death crept upon him.

The Clan assembled, planned their game and with full back packs and heavy hearts, each moved to a far corner of the world. Not knowing what would be required and from which area was exciting enough, but not knowing the hardness of the monsters, and deciding to do it individually and not as a team was a hard choice. But it was made.

At a preset time (and with the assistance of the communicatiions god, Skype) Sir Andrew gulped the posion, and the distant Clan members heard the final swallow....the scream came.

[Zak33]

His voice hoarse, Sir Andreww croaked the instructions....Sair was off like an arrow and with painful accuracy and great knoweldge of the country side, homed in on her targets, to find them far far superior to herself. She watched from a distance, judging and trying to pre guess the weaker of the monsters, and finally, with a darkened nod, she blended into the hedgerow, crept along the rank of the monsters, and stabbed.

All hell broke loose as they realised a killer elf was in their midst. Sair popped a potion of healing before the first blow landed on her, and she twisted and writhed to avoid the numerour clubs, claws and dagger.

Mean time, Stardock was sprinting in his light armour to the Waterfalls to find the monsters he knew were there, and as he waded through them, stunning and holding them with his magic, and smoting with his axe, the call erupted from the far valleys...

Marko had found his prey and with blue-glowing dual swords, the human mincing machine ripped through the bad guys.

[Zak33]

Sir Andrew's life was draining, and with a weak call he asked for help.

Success...the first pack of monsters that Marko had dispatched had been holding the magical herb required for the solution to Sir Andrew's poison, and so Sir Andrew asked who needed Marko's help? At this point, the god of communication decided that Marko was a num, and dropped his link. Sir Andrew started typing frantically. Decision: go help Sair.

The dagger, the stabbing, the main artery targets that she specialised in were not easy, but the morrass of monsters begun falling to her blade. As she weakened, she ran through the pack, broke for freedom, and as she ran, sheathed her dagger, drew her bow, and rained down pain upon them. Keeping them at a distance, she popped another heling potion, and once she was replenished, the bow was slung, and with a scream she waded back in, bouncing off the trees and sliding down the monsters backs, drawing blood everywhere.

Stardock faired less well. His heart leaped for joy as the final blow fell on the monsters neck and as it crumpled to the floor....three other creatures from some dark plain of hell spawned in their place! Could this be the required battle? With a flick of his wrist, the furthest monster was stuck down and as Stardock backed away, gently mumbling, the nearest suddenly stopped, and it's eyes drooped....the sleep spell had worked. With a laugh, he dived upon the third, slowing it's movements with a windshackle spell, and by the time it had taken Dock's blows, and was nearing death he'd moved onto the sleeping monster, dispatched it and found the last one just struggling free. Crowd control: ok he may not be able to attack with a lightning bolt, but three monsters, controlled and penned in, fought singularly....the pride swept through him as the last one died and on the floor was the prize.

Or was it? Noo....NOOOOOO...this item is from ANOTHER QUEST, one that he started long ago.....NOOOOOOO..... it's not going to save Sir Andrew!!

[Zak33]

Stardock then did what he didn't want to do. He called for help, and Marko was redirected (with much typing and misspspelling) to change direction, leaving the lower level Sair to fight the harsh beasts alone, so that Marko could come and help the pitiful elven healer who was getting the wrong drops!!

another potion was heard to be swallowed by a hard pressed elven girl, who had managed to attract more attention than normal and was fighting, litereally for her life AND Sir Andrew life.

And then the joyous noise of Elven Female Supremacy....."I've got it...I've only bloody got it"

As she ran, fleet of foot, with agile side stepping between the monsters, the outpaced them and with the map flapping ih her slender fingers, worked out which way her elven life-partner was, the useless healing numpty.

Stardock was surrounded, and had resorted to healing himself twice now, while smashing around him with his axe, but the mobs were overpowering..... his latent ability to calm the monsters came forth and The Song of Eva came to his throat. With godly assistance, half of the monsters stopped attacking, and with a Dryan Root spell to tie another down, he ran....ran like a girly, towards the soft blue glow that was thundering towards him. Marko....! Never before so glad to see him rush straight past, Stardock knew that now it would be ok. He litereally fell to the floor to regain his strength, and pray to Eva for more mana, as Marko....ran right through the coud of monster and onward to who knows where! Luckilty the creatures awoke and took chase. It was at the far end of the valley that the warrior turned, smiled, and started removing limbs!

Stardock, panting on the floor, hair wet and plastrered to his head, felt her cool breath on his neck....

"You not got your ingredients yet?" she laughed, and then she sprinted down the hill to the pack of three monsters that had just spawned close by. The sounds of dying were horrible.

But the sound of Marko screaming "I've got it" were fantastic.....

Marko 2
Sair 1
Stardock 0

Sir Andrew's weak voice filtered through "ok go to the cavern and trade the ingredients for the cure for my poison"

But it was miles...miles and miles away and time was nearly out.

Stardock shouted "follow me, quick" and ran north to the end of a dead end valley. This made no sense, but he knew...he knew. At the far end, pushed up against the base of the mountain, with his clan gathered close, Stardock cast his most powerful spell. Party Return.

And 3 seconds later they were stood in Hunter village. "Follow me" he shouted and they ran towards the village centre, where the teleporter was, and in a trice they were in the cavern.

Sir Andrew was saved, the clan promoted, the night was a ripping success and Lineage 2 rocks!

[Allen]

Nice work Zak! Such an enjoyable read. You don't get to hear stories like that too often, sounds like you're having fun in Lineage 2.

And yes, I must admit, reading through that makes me want to try it out, but am a little worn out after 3 years of WoW...

[Geist]

Good read Zak

I know a few people who have done simmilar things and they seem to all turn out good. Suppose its the fact that you know the world and can relate so well.

[Zak33]

was typing it while my boy played on the floor on Sat morning. Just awoke with it in my head, after a few days of pondering. Not actually very good at all, but exactly as it came from my brain.

Which does say something

What it shows is that after a long time of one game, there is still magic left.

Not as much as in IL-2 1946 though. That still makes me shivver