Escort Challenge (Player-made quest)
Reposting this since original had too many funky characters stuck in it..
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Awdzy curled her tail around her legs as she considered her situation. She had narrowly missed being buzzed to death by necroflies, whomped by deathly ogres and zapped by undead blight minions. Now she was huddled on a small knoll deep in the Eastern Deadlands, watching Fallen Warriors and Wraith Lords parading by.
?Help me, if you can hear me?? a small voice whispered to her. Awdzy startled and looked around; there was nothing immediately near her.
?How can I help you?? Awdzy asked the empty green air. A small gasp sounded, then the small voice spoke again.
"Please, I want to get out of here, but I cannot move myself. You are the first who has actually heard my plea. I think I can link to a kindred spirit and have them carry me. Would you be willing to let me do that??
Awdzy paused, considering the blighted region where she stood. The blight of the Withered Aegis saturated this place, so anything encountered was likely to be of them. However, this faint voice had not attacked her, as the Withered Aegis agents always did when they noticed a gifted one. It had asked her permission. That, more than anything it could explain, convinced her that the request was real and not of the blight.
?How does the linking work?? she asked cautiously.
?Basically, I just slide onto you? and when we overlap, our souls link and we each go partway into the other?s world. I think it should be painless but may be a bit disconcerting.? Awdzy saw a shimmering in the air, shaped like a hatchling, from the direction of the voice. Her curiosity was in full flower now, as was her desire to help a kindred hatchling.
?What are you? Who are you? How did you get here?? Questions flew through Awdzy?s mind and blurted out her mouth. ?And how long does this linking last??
The hatchling shimmer lowered its head apologetically. ?My name is Taeler?rathiss?nyadh, though I also answer to Tae. My parents were mighty dragons slain upon this very spot when the Withered Aegis first invaded the land. I spent weeks searching until I found their bodies here. In great anger and despair I sought revenge toward the seat of the blighted might, in the fortress upon the top of this hill. I had barely taken a few enraged steps on the road when unfortunately my body was rent into pieces by blighted undead. However, my passion was so great that my soul remained here, bound to the area where my parents? remains lay.
?For many days, weeks, months, possibly years now, I have been trapped here, observing the comings and goings of the Withered Aegis. Many times I have seen the spawned Son of Gigaroth stomp past, the Wraith Lords float by, and the Elite Undead patrolling the road. My passion has been tempered with time and helplessness to act against the Withered Aegis. I wish to go where the blight does not overrun the area, where I can see those shining spirits who call one another gifted living peacefully. I have heard the gifted ones speak of such places, during pauses in their battles here with the blighted ones.
?I called out to many of the gifted, but they were always too focused on hunting the Withered Aegis to hear my cry. In desperation from the lack of response to my pleas for help, I tried climbing onto some of the gifted that passed this way. I found I was able to link with a couple of them ? less powerful ones, that did not have such shields as block my touch.
?The first gifted I linked with cried out that the Withered Aegis had clouded his vision. He was in a group with others and tried to proceed with them on their way, but was killed some distance from here because he did not see the danger coming. With his death my link to him was broken, and my spirit was pulled immediately back to here. I saw him go by again with his party sometime later; apparently he had been revived where he lay and continued with them.
?Another with whom I linked complained that this area was too difficult for her to see what she was doing and too deadly for her to stay, so she recalled. At the moment she was drawn by that stronger link elsewhere, I felt my tenuous hold to her slip away as my spirit was pulled back to here again. I do not know where she was bound so strongly, but I hope that if I can get there, I can form as strong a bond as she had, and not be pulled back here against my will.
?I do not know how long the link can last, or how far I could travel that way with you. I think the distance is immaterial, so long as I can maintain my hold until I bind elsewhere. Do you know where she may have been bound? Will you help me??
Awdzy gazed at the shimmering form before her, and nodded. ?I will do what I can to carry you, but from what you describe, I think I will need help to get you to a shrine where you can bind. Let us link, and then if necessary I will send out a call to see if the other gifted of Istaria will help.?
With that, Awdzy held very still as the shimmering form moved over and settled upon her. Her view of the world changed completely as the link was established: everything appeared as shimmering and insubstantial as the spirit that had been speaking with her, as though made of water in a great sea. It was impossible for her to make out figures more than a few feet away. Experimentally, she flapped her wings and heard the sound of the flapping was muffled. Apparently her movements were unhindered but her senses were extremely dulled.
?Is this the link you meant?? Awdzy asked the hatchling spirit. Its voice replied, much more clearly now.
?This is how I linked before. I hope it does not distress you too much.? The voice paused, then continued, ?It is fascinating for me, for now I see the world in shadows where before I saw but shimmering.?
Awdzy snorted a puff of smoke out her snout. ?It is very different than anything I?ve ever experienced, but it does not hurt. I definitely will need help to get you out of this area, since I cannot make it on my own like this.?
Settling down comfortably in her ?safe? spot by the wall, Awdzy sent out a call to the gifted of Istaria for a guide to help save a lost soul.
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Some details about this challenge:
1. If you wish to try it, contact Awdz (or Awdzy) and let me know you want to try the escort challenge. I will then set up a time with you for it if I am not available immediately to run it.
2. Awdzy stands at about 30236/26109 in the ED when she links with the hatchling spirit. She will group with you and put you on ?follow?. She will not jump or sprint and is completely dependent on you leading her out. However, if you lose the ?follow? link, she will advise you of that and reestablish it with you as soon as she can.
3. Success is getting Awdzy out of the ED without her dying and to any shrine where a gifted can bind. A really clean win is to avoid anyone getting hurt and to maintain the ?follow? link throughout. If Awdzy dies, you failed and the attempt is over.
4. There is a choice of one of the following rewards offered for successful completion of the challenge: Awdz will make:
- any two tech?d tools, spells or weapons up to t3 (some items t4) that you request, or
- one set of cargo gear up to t3 (if you want it tech?d, you supply the comps), or
- a diskload (12,000 bulk) of any one biped construction resource (raw, intermediate or finished, up to t4) placed where you wish, or
- another reward which must be negotiated prior to starting the challenge.
5. You may enlist any help you can muster for this challenge, but only the one whom Awdzy ?follows? during it is eligible for the reward. You cannot switch off leaders during the challenge, Awdzy will only ?follow? the one she starts with.
Please note that this challenge is open to anyone. I know from experience that a 0 level character with no armor can make it into the ED where Awdzy stands and back out again on foot to Harro alive if they exercise due caution.
