“The two-souled finally make their way back to us,” her voice was a bell touched with a hint of husk, like a long-time smoker. “You looking for the quests I can give you?”
“Yes, ma'am,” Alburet said, snapping a salute to her. “We are Alpha Company, ma'am. We are here to help as much as we can.”
The sergeant glanced at the emblems they each wore on their left breast. “You formed a guild? Well, maybe you won't be a complete loss then if you can think ahead. Clear out fifty gnolls for one of my tasks, clear five encampments for another and if you’re really suicidal, kill their Head Shaman in the cave system in their territory.”
Quest: Kill fifty gnolls
Reward: Twenty gold and increased rep with Stormguard guards
Quest: Clear five encampments of gnolls
Reward: Thirty gold and increased rep with Stormguard guards
Quest: Kill the Head Shaman of the gnolls
Reward: Fifty gold and an item from the Quartermaster stores.
Alburet smiled, “We will gladly do the first two right away, but for the last we shall have to enlist some aid. We’ll complete all of them as soon as we can, ma'am.”
The sergeant nodded, “Dismissed then, Alpha Company.”
Alburet and Karen snapped off salutes, followed a beat later by Fluffball and Stacia. Turning, they walked out of the fort. “Well, she seems like an old warhorse, doesn't she?” Karen chuckled.
“Someone who came up the ranks, I would say,” Alburet agreed. “Probably loved and feared by her men.”
As they walked out the gates, Alburet looked at the trees growing in the distance. “I take it they live out there?”
“Yes,” one of the guards said. “Gnolls love their trees and caves.”
“Okay, then,” Alburet said with pursed lips as he studied the trees for a second. “Guess we get this show on the road.” He summoned Tiny and Bob to his side, noting the guards tensing slightly as the demons appeared. “Gnolls today guys. You ready for it?”
“Yes, master,” Tiny rumbled.
Bob just nodded his head, “Sure thing, master.”
Karen chuckled, “So excited today, Bob. Can ya say that any more monotone?”
Bob swiveled his head to meet Karen's eyes, “Sure thing, sexy.” The words came out flat and lifeless.
Snorting, Alburet shook his head, “Wow. Okay then. Let's get moving, shall we?”
The group set off at a trot towards the tree line. Once they reached it Alburet had Stacia shift into her demon form then copied her. “Okay. We have the band all together, let's see what we can do. Karen, let's start with a solo gnoll first, okay?”
Karen sighed deeply, “Fine, we can play it safe.” She led the group to the area she could remember from beta. They walked for a few minutes before coming to an obvious trail. Karen nodded. “Okay, this should be one of the paths. We just hunker down here and wait for a Gnoll Wanderer to come by. I'll be up in the tree waiting to ambush it. Try to stay back a bit so you don't get spotted right away.”
The others fell back a few feet, hiding behind the trees and waited. It was a bit boring until they heard something coming. Alburet peeked out from behind his tree to see what gnolls were like in this game. He blinked at the creature he saw coming down the path. It wasn’t quite what he’d thought it would be.
The Gnoll Wanderer looked like a weird cross between a hyena and a Lunari, with what looked like green fur and tentacles coming off its back. It was hyena like in facial structure, with the snout and fur markings associated with the animal but stood hunched over on its hind feet and had sharp claws at the ends of its fingers. As it got closer, Alburet saw that the tentacles and green fur were actually plants, a green fuzz like mold and vines that waved gently as it walked, growing in the dirt and mud plastered on the beast’s back. Even hunched over, the beast was over six feet tall.
Still trying to wrap his mind around what he was seeing, he failed to notice the guild icon blinking. He was surprised when the gnoll grunted and went to one knee as Karen appeared with her blades gashing its scalp as she ambushed it.
A second later the others rushed out to join her in attacking the level 20 Gnoll Wanderer, currently at 1300/1600 health thanks to Karen’s attack. Just as the others were about to reach it, it spoke in a guttural tongue. Alburet started forward to join his friends, when they were suddenly held in place by vines that shot out of the ground to entangle their feet.
The gnoll let out a barking laugh, exactly like a hyena, as it backed away from Karen and began to speak again. Seeing that the creature was a caster, Alburet stopped just outside the area of entanglement and began to cast his Fire Blast.
“The entanglement lasts for about ten seconds and he can recast it five seconds after that, so be ready to rush him again,” Karen shouted as she strained at the vines. “It takes a high strength to break these fuckers otherwise.”
Fluffball strained at the vines holding her as well, the vines flexing but not breaking as she tried to break free. “I think I'm just short of the requirement to break them,” Fluff said as she eased off straining against them, waiting to rush forward as the Fire Blast from Alburet hit the patch holding her right leg.
The vines withered and fell away as the fire hit them, “Bob, aim for the vines.” Alburet called out as he prepared another attack.
“Can't,” Bob said, causing Alburet to take stock of his imp. Bob was completely wrapped, his short body was only leg high to the rest of them after all.
“Wow, that sucks,” Alburet noted before tossing his next Fire Blast onto the vines holding Fluff's other leg. “Go get him, Fluff.”
Fluff let out a growl as she ran at the gnoll, who had just finished another spell. A dark cloud rose up in the area where the group was held by the vines. Alburet heard his friends start to cough as their health bars began to dip from the AoE attack. Fluff came out of the cloud coughing a few feet away from the gnoll, who began to back up again.
Silently cursing, Alburet started around the area of the cloud as Fluff wiped her eyes clear. “Fluff, looks like you and me for a few. You are the tank.”
Fluff nodded once as she targeted the Gnoll Wanderer and charged as it began to speak again. Alburet rushed forward, skirting the area affected by the spell. Fluff launched herself the last few feet, letting out a leonine roar as she brought her axes around at the gnoll. The gnoll froze in terror, which interrupted its spell. Fluffball’s axes hit it, carving off some of its life but also canceling the fear effect on it.
Alburet was aware of his friends in the cloud beginning to move out of it while coughing as he closed the distance to help Fluff. “We’ll need a new plan for the next one we attack,” he called out as he rushed to Fluff's aid.
Fluff hacked at the gnoll, but it turned so her blades mostly hit the dirt and plants on its back. A burst of green filled the air around her, making Fluffball retch as she inhaled the pollen. The gnoll laughed again as it retreated further down the path.
The others had recovered from the coughing fit and the cloud had vanished, allowing them to start moving towards the target. Alburet passed by Fluff, hoping she would be okay as she vomited and her life dropped some. He closed on the gnoll, bringing his axe around on it.
The gnoll turned its back fully to the attack. Alburet held his breath and closed his eyes as the axe struck. He heard a howl of pain as he sidestepped, hoping to clear the green burst he expected.
He opened his eyes after a few feet, and not seeing any cloud, he took a deep breath as the gnoll backed away from him with a snarl on its face.