Underdark- Unending Abyss Region

Eternal Night- Lower City Ruins

The [Underdark Spiderling] shrieked and hopped foreword. I sidestepped the things lunge and brought Moonlight down on the thing's leg. It let out a shriek of pain as a third of its health disappeared. A pair of arrows slammed into the thing causing it to stagger away drunkenly but I drove my sword through its body ending it.

I looked back at my new companions, a Drow and Orc. June Moonshadow was a denizen of the Underdark and Drow, as a Dark Ranger, she had been out scouting and had run across Eternal Night about five months ago. She had been given a choice, join the ranks of the Thralls or die. Being a Drow, and ever a pragmatist, she had joined the ranks of Thralls serving the Vampires of Eternal Night.

The Orc was called Drax Stormcaller, a Shaman and a descendent of a long line of Thralls. The man had no problem helping out with a dangerous Quest outside the confines of the inner walls of Eternal Night and June was used to the dangers of the Underdark. I had questioned both thoroughly before Enthralling both. I was honestly surprised it had worked on the Drow considering I knew she was a higher level than I was.

Racial Ability Name: Enthrall

Racial Ability Type: Active

Description: While Charming someone works most of the time, sometimes you don't have the time to wait and must bend a Mortal to your will. Enthrall them and they will serve your will for life.

Damage: N/A

Effect 1: Create (1) Thrall per (5) Character Levels per day. (Charges: 0/1)

Effect 2: Enthralled or Thralls are Immune to other Charm Magic.

Restriction: Target has to be the same or lower level than your Character Level if the target is unwilling.

AoE: N/A

Range: 5 Feet

Duration: Until Cancelled or Enthralled are Killed

Cast Time: 5 Seconds

Cost: 100 Spirit, 5% of Health Pool

Cooldown: 24 Hours per Charge

It was an interesting Racial Ability with a day-long Cooldown that would ensure that it could not be abused. "Incoming!" June called out and I spotted an [Underdark Goblin] scrambling towards us. I frowned and spotted two more and a [Underdark Goblin Shaman] towards the back. I threw my hand up and felt a slightly cold surge as a compact black and purple bolt of energy shot out of my outstretched hand.

Skill Name: Shadow Bolt

Skill Level: Initiate

Skill Type: Active

Skill Description: Launch a fierce bolt of shadow energy that causes damage and also temporarily blinds the target. As your proficiency with Shadow Bolt increases, both Damage and the Duration of the enemies' blindness increases. At higher levels Shadow Bolt also has a chance at causing your enemies to go insane, causing them to attack anyone, including eachother.

Damage: SS X 1.6

Effect 1: Enemies are blinded. (Duration 5 Seconds)

Range: 100 Yards

Duration: N/A

Cast Time: 1 Second

Cost: 75 Spirit

Cooldown: N/A

The Goblin Shaman let out a shriek of surprise as the Shadow Bolt slammed into its chest, half of its health gone in an instant, while I sprinted towards its companions as they let out little shrieks of rage. Each of the Goblins was armed with a small simple dagger or iron-bound club. "Give me a second to pull aggro!" I called out as I raced by my new Thralls.

These were low-level trash mobs, they gave minimal Experience and loot, but more importantly, it gave us a chance to get used to each other in combat and a chance for me to get used to being the tank. The first Underdark Goblin died with a high pitched shriek while the others began to glow slightly as the Shaman buffed them.

I grunted as I felt one of the small sharp daggers pierced my chainmail shirt and drew blood. My gear, while serviceable, but was far from the best. Small daggers the annoying Goblins wielded, easily slipped through the rings of the chainmail shirt where they would have stopped or slowed a bigger blade or weapon. The Goblin Shaman cackled and I growled at it as I kicked the annoying Goblin that had stabbed me away.

Ribs crunched as it flew through the air and slammed into a half-collapsed wall where it slumped. The one remaining Goblin looked at its companion than at me, before letting out a shriek of rage and tried to hit me with its club. Moonlight easily parried the blow but it surprisingly ducked my return slash. The Shaman's laughter turned into a gurgle as June's arrows found its throat killing it.

Denied the buffs the Shaman provided, the Goblin tried to retreat but I drove Moonlight through its chest killing it. "Clear for now," June called out as she moved to start looting the corpses and I closed my eyes and concentrated on listening. I was still trying to learn how to use one of my new Abilities, but it was a hit and miss.

Racial Ability Name: Sense Life

Racial Ability Type: Passive

Description: Sense the heartbeats of the living around you. It doesn't matter if they are under Stealth or an illusion, everything that lives has a heartbeat.

Effect 1: You can hear the heartbeats of living that are close by. As you age and gain strength, the distance will increase.

AoE: 100 Yards

Range: Self

Duration: N/A

Cast Time: N/A

Cost: N/A

Cooldown: N/A

I easily heard June and Drax, and using that as a baseline I pushed outwards. After a few moments, I could hear the faint murmurs of other heartbeats near the limits of my ability. June tapping my shoulder broke my concentration, "I am done, where to now?" she prompted and I shook off the last aftereffects of focusing on the ability.

"I can sense more to the northeast, west, and north-west of our current location. I have no idea what I am hearing, but living beings are out there." I told the Drow and I could see Drax frown behind the Dark Ranger.

Being a Thrall for so long and descendent from such being Drax had a firm sense of propriety and how Thralls should act. "Relax, she comes from a society where men are seen as a lesser sex. She means no offense and I did not take offense to how she addressed me." I told the Orc but he shook his head.

"It is not just about you my lord. If another Elder had heard her, the Elder could take offense for her lack of your station. They could easily demand her tongue or even her life. I tell you this as a warning for both her and you." Drax advised me and I took a few moments before nodding my head in acceptance.

While I was a Vampire and Elder, I was still new to their society and it would take time for me to acclimate. So the Orcs advice was invaluable at the moment, but I was still the Elder so I had to decide what was acceptable to me and how my Thralls interacted with me. "You are right Drax, but it is up to me how I deal with my Thralls, correct?' asked him and Drax nodded in agreement. 'I want you all to be able to speak your minds, but my decisions are final. Out here, when we are in combat, and could easily die. Decorum is not my priority, living and getting us all back inside the inner walls is. Now moving on, have either one of you thought about what I asked?" I prodded both of them as we moved off towards the west, following the curve of the inner walls.

I pulled up my map, the area to find the nest for the spiders was up ahead. I had been hoping for more time to work with both Drax and June, but I had to be thankful for what I had. "Ok, somewhere up ahead is the nest, we are going to be careful and clear-out the surrounding area. I have no idea how big the nest is and I don't want enemies behind us once we go inside. Agreed?" I asked them and with the nods of my companions, we pushed forward.

"The spider webbing, do you mind if we harvest it?" June asked as I continued to scan our surroundings.

"As long as it does not interfere with the quest or put lives at risk, not at all," I told her as I kept Moonlight low. While there was very little light outside the boundaries of the inner wall, and the blade was largely pitch black, I didn't want to take any unnecessary risks. I pulled up another one of the many Abilities I gained and read the information carefully.

Racial Ability Name: Thermal Sight

Racial Ability Level: 1

Racial Ability Type: Passive

Description: Thermal Sight allows you to see heat at night time and in total darkness. This will allow you to see the world around you in shades of red and blue in your sight.

Effect 1: Increased vision improvement at night or in total darkness by 8%.

Restriction: Were Race's, Vampires, Goblins, Orcs, Drow, Duergar, Dragons, and Dragon Kin

Range: Sight

Cost: N/A

Cooldown: N/A

It had been a surprise the first time I had seen the world change into different shades of reds and blues, but I had grown accustomed to it quickly. It was also another reason why I had wanted to grind before tackling the Quest because I needed to get used to my new sight while in combat. Seeing opponents, and their weapons, in various shades of red and blue was surprising but the pain I had endured with the first couple of fights had taught me quickly.

As we slowed as we approached another intersection we saw the first groups of spiders. They were moving in groups of two to five, with a designated healer and solid DPS from June, we should be able to take down the roving patrols. My only worry was keeping aggro, I had no Taunt abilities or skills. Not yet anyway. "Ok, June you pull the nearest group, let me intercept them. Give me three seconds of uninterrupted combat before jumping in. Understand?" I asked them.

Both of them nodded, Drax moved back slightly giving me plenty of room to swing my blade while June pulled an arrow. Thankfully she didn't use any Skills, otherwise, it would all but impossible to pull aggro from her. While the Goblin could use some tactics and fight somewhat coherently, monsters followed the unwritten rules of MMO's since their inception. The arrow sunk into June's target causing the Spiderling to let out a shriek as it and its companions turned as one and scrambled our way.

I gave it a couple of seconds to close with us, I didn't want to accidentally pull another group without finishing the first fight. Three was enough for now. I triggered Charge of the Dark, and with a burst of cold energy coupled with the normal black and purple energy surrounding me, I shot foreword like a cannon shot. Moonlight hewed through the spider's limbs leaving it screeching in pain as I turned and parried one of its companion's attacks and felt a stabbing pain in my back as the third spider bit me.

>>

Debuffs...

Bleeding: 1 DPS (Duration 30 Seconds)

Spiderling Venom: 3 DPS, Decrease Health Regeneration by 5% (Duration 60 Seconds)

>>

I cursed and wheeled around as I dismissed the information, while you could ignore notification in combat, combat notices could not be ignored. The spider screeched as Moonlight hewed through one of its limbs in retaliation. I snarled incoherently before dancing back from all three opponents as I moved to put a half crumpled wall at my back and give June a clear line of sight. My wide swipes did minimal damage, the spider's chiton was surprisingly tough, but it kept their attention firmly on me.

A cool wave of healing magic washed over me as June started firing. I concentrated on lopping off limbs, while the Dark Ranger did far more damage and quickly killed two of our opponents with her more precise attacks. The third Spiderling, missing two of its limbs tried to retreat, but a Shadow Bolt to its body finished it quickly ending the fight. I pulled up my Character Sheet, these monsters had been tougher than the previous ones but they also awarded more experience, even after the split three ways.

I looked over at my companions, "Well, you think we can do it?" I asked and they both nodded in agreement.

"We press on, if it becomes too difficult, we fall back, get better gear and come back. Agreed?" June asked both of us and with agreement from everyone we pushed on.