“And it’s done.”

Hairy King: 5848XP/6 contributors = 936XP.

You have completed Airaneron Fumarole Field Lair.

Fumarole Field

Elder Treasure

Exceptional equipment

Requires: Level 119

Exceptional weapon

Requires: Level 104

“And the additional piece of gear popped up. 119 exceptional this time.”

The whole area was filled with smoking holes in hot mud puddles that used to have grey-furred apes roaming around. Now, it was empty, save for the occasional mud spray. The other guardians had not been very generous, but the last one and the completion were what they were primarily after, anyway.

“Shouldn’t we have tried to get only lairs with ancient treasures?” Laura asked, letting Jonathan open the iron chest at the edge of the largest mud puddle.

“There are not that many in tier three. One or two per zone, maximum. The only listed for this zone is the Würms lair at 180. We got lucky on that first one that it was of a lower encounter type, and not an actual ancient,” Jonas grimaced.

“And the other one in Vuneras is guarded by an actual Ancient for the moment,” Ira noted. “Maybe the Spider queen in the trunk?”

“Too low level. More diversity but a lot less powerful bonus. Just look at my gloves. If I’d find something good quality in this early tier, I’ll probably replace them right now,” Jonathan countered.

“Necklace this time, just as you expected,” he announced after lifting a long staff and a pendant.

Stone-Tipped Staff

Two-Handed

Exceptional equipment

Requires: Level 104

Provides: 49 damage (+15% FOC), INT+20, AGI+19, +251 health

Agate Bronze Pendant

Neck

Exceptional equipment

Requires: Level 119

Provides: +20 defence, CON+13, FOC+12, +161 mind

“Not too shabby though,” Laura said as she checked the descriptors.

She then handed back the necklace to Jonathan, who slipped it under the Black Iron breastplate, and went to Jonas to give him the staff. It was a nice replacement for his old dagger and off-hand globe, which he slipped back in his bag.

“And now, we probably should head straight toward the tier four Gate. You all have gotten a Milestone already, and Laura’s the closest Plaza.”

“Sounds good to me,” Alton acknowledged.

Jonas quickly looked at Guss who was signalling his okay.

“Gate’s about a day from here,” Jonas pointed out toward the half-snowed rock piles that flanked the entrance to the lair’s open circular area.

“There are two tier-four accesses here, but only one has the right Profession. So remember, we’re looking for the Petarose Gate, not Witgeo.”

“Our first time in tier four.”

Location

Zone: Petarose (tier 4)

Locale: Gate to Airaneron

Recall: Grailburg, Gate to Earth

Recall: available

Gates: 3/3

Tier 1: Zolferras

Tier 2: Donerkal

Tier 3: Vuneras

Fast travel: 2 charges, 19 days until next

The team stopped after the Gate. The ground was covered in six or five-sided gigantic flat stones with hair-thin separations. The stones were perfectly flat, making small steps paving the entire zone as far as they could see.

“Okay. That is very, very weird,” Ira said.

“Apparently, merely slightly exotic. For a tier four, that is,” Jonas explained.

“Exotic?”

“How far to the Plaza?” Guss interrupted.

“Maybe three days. But we have to be careful,” he added, pointing toward the side.

Wandering Lacertid

Level 329

Health: 5087

Mind: 1110

Endurance: 5027

Aether: 0

“What on the Labyrinth?”

“The outer parts of a zone are of somewhat higher levels than the central ones,” Jonas reminded the team, before adding, “Treat everything here as if it was an elite or elder. We can do it normally, even at our level, but we need to be careful. Multiples, and we may lose a couple of us easily.”

Ira contemplated the grey-skinned lizard before noticing that it had three eyes.

“Okay. That’s not a real lizard.”

“Tier four is where the really bizarre starts happening regularly,” Jonas shrugged.

“Do we fight it?”

“The goal is to reach the Plaza.”

The three days had stretched to four, but the zone was relatively flat, with only raised stone columns making “hills”. Avoiding any group of creatures was easier than most zones. Once they got closer to the centre, the levels had dropped to a more reasonable value, closer to the werewolves of the trunk. Despite not seeking fights, the team had gotten a lot of experience, enough to get additional levels for more than just Jonas.

The stone paving reached to and under the marble steps of the Plaza, as if the Plaza had been merely placed over the black ground. They headed toward the centre to verify the availability.

Tier 4: Petarose

Aetherbringer

68 INT, 68 AGI

Calculating Guardian

85 CON, 36 INT

Cautious Surveyor

85 FOC, 36 WIS

Light Destroyer

85 STR, 36 AGI

Monolith

68 STR, 68 FOR

Solid Spellwrangler

85 INT, 36 STR

Squire

68 CON, 68 WIS

“It’s there,” Laura confirmed.

“This zone was regularly used a decade ago,” Jonas said. “Only source for Cautious Surveyor for a while.”

“I thought the Great Line wasn’t used?”

“The general history note for the zone indicates that people used to get access through an adjacent tier-four zone instead. With slightly easier lairs than this one.”

“I’m not asking,” Ira said.

“Level 270 at lowest,” Jonas replied anyway.

Laura suddenly headed back toward the edge of the Plaza. Jonas turned and hurried.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes. Well no, but yes. I’m going to test something first,” she replied.

They reached the edge of a Plaza where she turned and leaned against one of the marble columns that delimited the Plaza area and its regenerative status. She fished out a small piece of charcoal which she handed to Guss, who made a mark on the marble.

“You’re measuring height.”

“Yes. I’ve found a few reasonably civilian-looking pieces to wear since they do adjust it seems. But the real ones don’t fit well anymore.”

“That’s something that’s made me wonder,” Guss said. “How come Labyrinth clothing always fit you. I mean, Laura’s hands are clearly not of the same size as mine, but her gloves fit mine if I try them.”

Jonas shrugged, waving his hands. He had no idea either. But Alton’s voice came from behind.

“Descriptors.”

“Uh?” Laura said.

“As long as something has a descriptor, it is subject to the rules of the Labyrinth, not of Earth. Meat, fruit and all that stuff do not rot until it loses its descriptor when you cook it or bring it out of the Labyrinth. Clothing can only be worn by Professionals and adjust until you tear it enough that it becomes normal leather.”

“And of course, Professionals are no longer subject to a normal existence,” Guss added.

“Until Final Death,” Alton glumly noted.

On the slightly depressing note, the four of them headed back toward the centre now where Ira and Jonathan were animatedly talking to each other.

“I wonder if they recruit tall people to wear a piece of gear before they recycle it,” Jonas wondered.

“That’s what I’d do,” Alton replied. “Assuming you have the level.”

He threw a look behind at the marked column.

“Not going to apply unless I really retire. Besides… I would need a lot of Milestones to compete. Even Laura is taller than I am.”

“And now, you are the first of us at tier four,” Jonas said once the newly adapted Professional had recovered enough to appreciate some measure of small talk.

Laura Charlotte Harvey

Health: 1820/1820 (1381)

Mind: 1167/1167 (1088)

Endurance: 1853/1853 (1721)

Aether: 859/859 (728)

Effective level: 126

Level 1 Light Destroyer

Level 14 Precise Grinder

Level 39 Calculating Grinder

Level 42 Smasher

Level 30 Breaker

Experience: 0/3704

Strength: 166 (94)

Dexterity: 69 (56)

Agility: 45

Constitution: 70 (55)

Stamina: 47

Wisdom: 67 (60)

Focus: 74 (59)

Presence: 53 (42)

Fortitude: 63 (51)

Intellect: 45

Defence rating: 203

35% faster levelling

15% blunt damage

3% offensive economy

0.4 end/STR

3% end/STA

5% weapon application

Milestones: Adjustment VII, Breaker II, Smasher III, Calculating Grinder III, Precise Grinder I

Skills: Smash (4), Batter (3+1), Impact (2), Cripple (0+1), Slam (0), Kick (0), Underhanded Strike (0), Surprise (0), Bypass (0), Disembowel (0), Jab (0)

Equipment: Spotted Leather Coif (10STR/8FOR/7WIS), Ochre Leather Tunic (6STR/72hp), Black Finger Extension (4STR/4DEX/4CON/4FOR), Frog-Hide Wraps (10STR), Midnight Trousers (8STR/6FOC/ 88hp/79mind/+1cripple), Climber’s Boots (9FOC/8STR), Green Granite Orb (11STR/11CON/11PRE/163hp/132end/131aet/+1batter/+1expose/+0.4end per STR/+3%end per STA), Black Snake Hammer (9DEX/7STR), Brown Steel Hammer (116hp/8STR), Wood Puppet (4/5 full)

“At least… now I have a respite,” she replied weakly. “Nearly two years until enough Milestones to tier five.”

After a short time, she hoisted herself up.

“Next is Guss?” she asked.

“No, Alton. We head back to Airaneron. Then Vuneras. Then up to Rayleche. Unless you want us to pick a side Profession later,” Jonas corrected.

“Let’s not, then,” she acknowledged. “Two Adjustments in two weeks is two too many.”

They moved out, stopping at the coal-marked column.

“A third of an inch. Maybe. That could be worse, I guess.”

Rayleche, the first tier-four they had unlocked but had yet to visit, was an archipelago of medium-sized islands, crowned by volcanoes. The two-legged, hunchbacked lizards that walked the beaches and volcanic mountainsides were about as tough as expected from their first tier four foray, and they fought more than a few while waiting for the tides to uncover the pathways that connected the islands. Those were available only an hour or two twice a day at best.

The nicest part was that the Fast Travel charges took a lot less time than normal, owing to a huge moon whose phases seemed to change quickly. The annoying part was that the low tide times also changed more quickly. Missing a tide was harsh.

“Okay, this is supposed to be the Plaza? So… where is the Plaza?” Ira asked.

Alton looked up and pointed to a path snaking along the side of that island’s volcano.

“My guess? It’s in the volcano.”

“I hope it’s not surrounded by lava,” Ira replied, looking at Jonas.

“Nothing special mentioned for the zone. So, let’s see if Alton is right.”

“Two done, one to go. What’s your level at, Jonas?” Jonathan asked as the team woke up at the edge of the Plaza as the Sun's rays crossed over the caldera walls surrounding it.

“Eleven, don’t worry about me. We have Guss next. If we don’t miss the tidal crossing, I’d like to head back to Vuneras immediately. Then Markandon. Then finally Warsemial for the Imposing Fixer.”

The one thing the team noticed when they stepped out of the Gate was the stink. The entire area was grey and smelled of hot ashes.

“What’s that?” Alton asked, kicking grey dust from the ground.

“The guide says it’s volcanic. Not like the Rayleche ones, more like… well, that,” Jonas replied, pointing to the horizon.

“What the…” Ira swore.

The silhouette at the horizon was to the Rayleche volcanic mounds what a mountain was to a hillock. A gigantic shape of blackened bare stone, with glowing red lighting coming across multiple cracks, and a towering cloud casting its shadow across the plains.

“Apparently, there’s three of them, each with their special 350-level lair. And they’re responsible for the ashfall in the zone,” Jonas explained.

Fresh ashfall. -3 Stamina.

“You get all kind of status effects. Not huge ones, but annoying ones.”

“I’m sure nobody likes this zone.”

“It’s mapped on principle, but the book entry for here is barely better than Othary was.”

A head-shaped stone popped further away from the Gate. It had two empty holes where eyes would be. More stones rumbled as the thing raised itself from the ash cover.

Proto-Elemental

Level 321 minion

Health: 2504

Mind: 555

Endurance: 1322

Aether: 1688

“Beware, those things are supposed to sprout stone spikes and spread poisonous vapours.”

The team looked at the edge of a still pool of water while Guss finished drinking and cleaning his sore throat. Despite the surroundings, the waters were clear, ash sinking cleanly to the bottom rather than floating. And it countered the zone’s random negative status for a short while after drinking it, despite its normal-looking appearance and lack of descriptor.

“You’re good now, Jonas,” Laura noted.

“I got the Milestone. In terms of Plaza, a bit less.”

“Where do we unlock you?” she asked.

“The best option is Zilbarn. We need two lairs there to unlock the two tier-four zones, and then we gain access to both Resilient Spellwrangler for me and Solid Guardian on the other Plaza for Ira. Or Jonathan.”

“Already said I’d grab the Calculating Guardian in Rayleche so that we keep the variance in defenders,” Jonathan replied.

“So we head toward Zilbarn now? That’s… long.”

“Yes. But first? We need to make sure we have lairs that we can run there legally. We don’t have pre-emption with Cowen’s mission to rescue us. So, Grailburg first to get temporary licenses for when we arrive there. Then, onward.”

“You know what? A real bed sounds nice for a change,” she replied.

The team’s descriptor now looked more like a classical team, Jonas thought. Multiple tiers showing, varied levels. That would slowly settle after a few months when they were all deep in tier four. They might not look like a real tier-four team, but they would soon.

Team

Professions

Health

Mind

Jonas Sims

Solid Aethershaper (124)

1901/1901

1271/1271

Jonathan Gilbert

Calculating Barrier (142)

3649/3649

1761/1761

Ira Heard

Careful Barrier (127)

3466/3466

1555/1555

Guss Fullmore

Imposing Fixer (129)

1832/1832

1346/1346

Laura Harvey

Light Destroyer (135)

1870/1870

1190/1190

Alton Raby

Abiding Stabber (134)

1919/1919

1594/1594

It had been nearly six weeks. Walking immense distances, as Professionals could. They had probably crossed the entire length of England back and forth, probably more.

And they were not finished, not yet. But for now, a break.

Swirling lights appeared around the team, and the Plaza of Warsemial stood empty, in the middle of the ash-covered plain and the distant moving piles of stones.