“What happened that time?” Ethan was tired and sore. They were back inside the Tower entrance making their way back to the castle having used their escape crystals once again.

“Runner got away.” Frustration tinged David’s voice.

“That’s on me. My polymorph broke and I couldn’t get another off in time.” Sam said from near the portal. “Sorry. Still getting used to casting as crowd control.

“Do we need to switch it up?” Ethan looked to Sam, he wasn’t angry but wanted to get their strategy right. They’d used their escape crystals four times already and that had been their best attempt yet. Unfortunately a runner had gotten away and pulled an entire pack of mobs they wouldn’t have been able to kill in time to beat the countdown.

“No, I need the practice.” Sam shook his head. “I’ll get it right.”

“I know you will. Leah, be ready with Grasping Roots just in case.” Realizing what he’d said he backtracked “we don’t know what will happen in a raid. We just all need to be ready.”

Sam didn’t look upset when he nodded, he understood Ethan was just over preparing. And he agreed with him.

Ethan checked the in game time, when they’d started the sun had been high overhead now it was well past sunset. The stars above twinkled like diamonds, lighting the forest path they were taking.

“I think this is going to be our last attempt for the day.” He spoke only to David. “It’s getting late, and we haven’t made it to the floor dungeon or any of the smaller dungeons yet.”

“You’re the one who wanted to start with the biggest challenge.” David nodded at Ethan. “But I’ll say we’ve done well with leveling. I think everyone is level 12 already.”

“Yeah, I see why the raid clan levels here.” Two levels in less than a day was good progress. “Depending on how we’re doing after level 20 we may keep leveling here.”

“I don’t know, it’s going to depend on if we’ve found someone to replace Daniel or not.” David continued walking, but used his holy mana to light the blade of his sword for more light.

“There’s the NPC up ahead. You going to start the quest?” David gestured with his glowing blade in the direction of a small tent on the outside of a small army of campfires.

“Yeah, you guys get to the head of the army and have Sam send up a flare when you’re in position. I’ll run to meet you.”

“See you up there.” David motioned for the group to follow him and Ethan waited outside the tent. The timer started as soon as he hit accept on the quest, after the first attempt they’d discovered that only one person had to get the quest and then could share it with everyone else. So by having the group wait near the border of the campsite they could shave a few minutes off their travel and give a small buffer. So far it hadn’t done much, but it was the kind of thinking that made for better raiders. Any kind of advantage they could take was worth it.

Outside the Duke’s tent, Ethan reviewed the first steps of their plan as he waited. They’d perfected their entrance to the grounds of the fortress in their earlier attempts, he was counting on the same tactics to work just as they had before. He knew that when the signal came, David would have everyone waiting near an old oak tree. They would meet up and then proceed into the small side gate to take out the first patrol.

A burst of red fireworks filled the night sky, that was the signal. HIs friends were in position.

Ethan calmly entered the tent for the fifth time that day.

A well dressed man was bent over a map on a table, his dark hair was greying and his clothes looked disheveled, like he’d gone days without bathing or changing. He looked up from his map as Ethan entered.

“Who are you? Have you come to help?” Duke Mace Farnham’s eyes had dark bags from the stress of the situation.

“Yes, my lord.” Ethan nodded in a small bow. “We saw your posters and came immediately.”

“Good, good.” He ran his hands through his greasy hair nervously. “My daughter is in grave danger. Several days ago a group of bandits snuck into the castle and took it over. They forced me and my family out but held my daughter as hostage. They’ve said that if we don’t pay their ransom they will kill her. I’ve called what few bannermen I have but it hasn’t been enough yet.”

“The time limit they gave is almost up and I’ve nearly lost hope.” The lord looked pleadingly at Ethan. “Please, I beg of you to help.”

“I understand. Is there anything you can tell us about how to get into your castle?” Quests in the Tower subzones tended to be rather vague. Experience and loot were the main focus of the Tower, immersion was a very distant second.

“There is a small servants entrance on the west side of the castle that you could probably use to enter.” He pointed to the western side of the castle on the map on the table. If you can get through the gate, you may be able to sneak in that door. I don’t think the bandits have discovered it, but I can’t be sure.”

“I must warn you,” Farnham continued, “I will have to begin siege attacks on the manor shortly. The preparations are already in place and as much as I love my daughter, if I do not reclaim my seat of power then the entire region could fall into chaos.

“Thank you sir. I have a group of friends outside who will help me. I promise the next time I see you it will be to reunite you with your beloved daughter.” Ethan bowed again in respect.

Quest Update: The Princess in the Castle

Lord Mace Farnham has been ousted from his home in Manor Elmswood. A group of bandits surprised him and took his daughter hostage, forcing him to retreat to save her life. He has gathered his bannermen but is currently in a stalemate due to the strong walls surrounding the fortress.

He has warned you that his forces will be launching siege weaponry at the castle shortly. You will have two hours to rescue his daughter and signal to him before the attacks begin. If you do not rescue her in time, the quest will fail as the bandits will surely kill her after the first volley.

Rewards:

Unknown

Accept? (The quest timer will start immediately up acceptance of the quest)

Yes/No

Ethan hit accept and immediately began moving to the exit of the tent.

***2:00 remaining on Quest Timer***

The timer started counting down as he was already moving, not bothering to say anything else to Lord Farnham.

He sprinted through the impromptu campsite, dodging soldiers and campfires. His friends had taken nearly ten minutes to get to the gate, but alone he could make it in under five. Ethan weaved his way through dozens of large catapults and ballistas, the looming reminder of what was in store for them if they didn’t finish the quest in time.

Separating the large iron gate and then campsite was a small no man's land, Ethan’s friends were waiting just on the other side. Pushing himself harder he raced through the open terrain to meet up with them near the palisade.

Their meetup position was near a gnarled half dead oak tree, but when he arrived no one was there. Ethan whipped his head around scanning the area to see if he had missed them or looking for signs of a fight. The dark area was quiet.

“Guys?” Ethan said in a loud whisper, nervous about what their disappearance could mean. Have they run into a problem and used their escape crystals already?

“Over here.” Tae-Won’s voice whispered back to him as the Rogue materialized out of thin air near the wall. Ethan hurried over to him.

“What happend? Where is everyone?” He crouched low, using the wall as cover from the few sentries on the wall.

“Got started without you. Come on.” Tae-Won moved silently towards the small side gate they’d discovered on their second attempt.

Ethan was full of questions, but his friend was already moving and he had to rush to catch up. He moved as silently as he could for being a large man in plate armor, but Tae-Won was making almost no noise.

He stopped where Ethan knew the gate to be and waited, gesturing to Ethan to follow.

“After you.” Tae-Won’s voice was no longer a whisper as he grinned and pointed towards the open door.

Ethan stepped through uncertain of what he would find.

Several dead bodies were piled in the corner of the small gatehouse and his friends were waiting with smug looks.

“We went ahead and cleared the first couple of patrols.” Miguel beamed from the opposite doorway.

“This wasn’t the plan” Ethan wasn’t sure if he was furious or proud that they’d done so well without him. The entire run depended on precision and now that was already ruined. “You were supposed to wait for me and then we pick them off carefully.”

“We still were careful. We just didn’t wait.” David’s response was defensive. “They got here not long after we did so we went ahead and cleared them.”

“What if you’d been seen or another patrol came through?” Ethan pointed to the dead bandits on the floor. “They could have easily called for backup and you’d have been overwhelmed.”

“But they didn’t and we weren’t.” David took a step towards Ethan. “And, check the timer, we’re five minutes ahead of where we were on our best run. This was a win.”

Ethan looked at the timer UI, sure enough the best time they’d made on the run before was five minutes past the current time.

“You got lucky.” He still wasn’t happy that they’d pulled without him. “Let’s get moving. We need to take advantage of the time.”

David stared at his friend. This would be a conversation to continue later apparently.

“Tae-Won, scout ahead. Just like before, me and David will be next and ranged behind us. Stick to the wall.” Time to get back to the plan. Ethan motioned for everyone to move out.

Tae-Won disappeared into stealth again and hurried before anyone else was even moving.

“Sam, are you going to teach him your bird calls?” Miguel whispered loudly from behind Ethan.

“If he asks I will.” Sam has been so proud of the warning system he’d developed and Miguel constantly picked at him over it.

“Knock it off, we’re moving out.” Ethan silenced their conversation as he and David walked out into the darkness.

They moved quickly against the wall, hiding behind trees and using any shadows they could as cover. Several minutes later Tae-Won met back up with them.

“Patrol of four getting ready to pass this way.” He said and pointed to the north. “They look drunk, guess the night changes their behavior.”

During their daylight attempts the bandit guards had been focused, this was another hiccup Ethan wasn’t expecting. How is this going to change the entire plan?

“Can you lure them closer?” David asked, exchanging looks with Ethan.

Tae-Won nodded at him.

“Good. When they’re in sight, wait for David to mark them and then go off his pull.” Ethan looked to the tank. “How many you want to CC?”

“Just four? I think we can pull all of them. Just watch your flashy spells, who knows if the light of a fireball will attract attention.” He looked at Leah and Sam for their confirmation.

“Go ahead Tae-Won.” Ethan said to the Rogue and Tae-Won disappeared again. The rest of the group tried to find cover behind the trees of the fortress grounds.

Behind a large cedar tree Ethan could hear footsteps approaching. A second later Tae-Won dashed past him.

“They’re on the way.”

Ethan looked towards David from the cover of his tree and the Paladin nodded and stepped out of his line of sight. He twisted his torso to keep David in sight, right as the Paladin slammed his fist into the ground in a Consecration. The four bandits immediately rushed towards him.

Ethan counted to five and then spun around the opposite side of his tree from where David had been to come up behind the mobs, drawing his axe as he moved.

Leah and Sam moved at the same time, Leah’s hands emanating green energy and Sam’s glowing purple. Leah’s Entangling Roots burst forward and ensured two of the bandits as Sam’s Darkbolt blasted into another. David was in combat with the fourth, blocking sword slashes on his shield.

Ethan charged at the bandit Sam had hit, driving the head of his frosty axe into their thigh. The bandit screamed and Ethan followed up with a blow to the neck. The scream instantly turned to a gurgle as the man died.

A few feet away Tae-Won reappeared and stabbed his blades into one of the bandits Leah had restrained. The bandit crumpled, supported only by the wooden roots still wrapped around her.

Ethan swung on the remaining constricted bandit, the roots holding him in place provided an easy target as Ethan’s axe crushed the man’s skull. David still had the attention of the remaining bandit who was now glowing with purple energy from Sam’s curse. Tae-Won slipped past Ethan and dug a dagger into the man’s kidneys, forcing him to the ground. David’s blessed sword finished the bandit and his head rolled across the ground.

“Move them quickly. We don’t want anyone to find them.” Ethan bent over and dragged one of the bandits deeper into the wooded area, checking the quest timer as he moved.

Hour and a half left. We’re making great time.

“Guys that was perfect. Excellent precision everyone.” He’d been rough on them earlier but now realized he’d be wrong and tried to make up for it. “We’re ahead of schedule.”

Leah snorted at his compliment. She was still annoyed at his earlier rudeness, but said nothing else.

“Tae-Won, keep moving.” Ethan pointed back into the woods, Tae-Won nodded at him and slinked off again into the shadows.

Twenty minutes and three skirmishes later and they breached the servants entrance. Their tactics were paying off.

“Guys, I hate to be a drag, but could someone take just a little damage? I’m getting bored back here.” Miguel joked as they walked into the fortress. So far, no one had been hurt at all. David had pulled excellently for every group and through surprise the three patrol groups had fallen easily.

“I can put my shield away if you want?” David offered.

“Hey, let’s not go too crazy here.” Miguel responded quickly, raising his hands to put a stop to David’s joke.

“Guys. Focus. The outside is always easier.” Ethan’s seriousness returned as he ended the jokes. “Now we’ve got tight corridors and echoes to deal with.”

“That’s my cue.” Tae-Won said as he disappeared out the door. By now they were more than familiar with the layout of the fortress, but the drunken patrols had Ethan worried. Are there going to be more mobs inside since it’s night time?

A minute later Tae-Won reappeared.

“Good news and bad news.” He looked somber as he reported back.

“Start with the bad, rip that bandaid off.” Miguel said from behind Ethan. Tae-Won ignored him.

“Good news is the halls are mostly empty. I didn’t see anyone down this passage at all, nor the next.” He looked at David and Ethan as he spoke.

“Bad news is they’re all in the main hall, there’s easily twice as many as there were during the day.” Tae-Won said.

“Great,” Ethan wasn’t happy with this development. “Miguel you wanted something to do, looks like you’re going to get to heal someone.”

Miguel clapped his hands excitedly.

“I’m not done.” Tae-Won continued. “They’ve moved the daughter there too. She’s tied up on the raised dias.”

“Shit.” The situation just became more complicated and Ethan was pissed. His carefully constructed tactics were being thrown out the window.

“Is there any way you can draw it out?” Sam asked from near the fireplace.

“Yeah, if I had something to draw with and also on.” Tae-Won answered.

Sam picked up a charred piece of wood and wiped off the table nearby, sending several small wooden mugs to the floor. Ethan grimaced at the noise.

“I need some light.” Tae-Won said, bending over the table. David and Miguel channeled their holy mana into their weapons and a soft radiant light filled the room.

Ethan watched his friend sketch out a very rough picture of the great hall, the charcoal breaking and skipping in places. It looked, to him, like there were three long tables presumably filled with bandits. The Duke’s daughter was alone at the back of the room. Tae-Won added five marks that Ethan assumed were doors, including a much larger one at the opposite end from the hostage.

“So two doors on each side, and how many bandits?” Ethan asked, as he studied the sketch.

“Hard to say, but I’d guess,” he paused as he recalled what he’d seen.“Forty to fifty? Maybe more?”

Miguel whistled at the number of bandits they’d have to get through.

“That’s going to be tough.” David said, watching Ethan move around the table. “You got a plan?”

“I think so…” Ethan studied every angle he could. The odds were definitely against them.

“How much time we got?” He asked, not looking up from Tae-Won’s map.

“Fifty-three minutes.” David said, moving to stand next to Ethan. “What’re you thinking?”

“That we can do this.” Ethan looked up at his friend. “But it’s not going to be easy.”

He quickly relayed the plan he’d come up with to his astonished guild.