Xavori

Notoriety Hunters

I was exploring the dungeon Covetous, looking for a good place to set up an ambush. Because I was unprepared, I had been ignoring the adventurers who were running back and forth past me. A few would pause, then shout out "RUN!" when they saw I was marked as a Dread Lord. Apparently, the tyrant's false virtues were starting to sway the masses. Even though I prolly deserve my title, after my testing of Sosaria's populace, I had my doubts that there were very many true nobles at all.

As I was counting the steps across a narrow looking part of the cavern, three "nobles" approaced me. The first crouched into a fighting stance and charged me with his halberd. The second threw a fireball which reflected of my own magic. Being completely off-guard, I immediately grabbed a recall rune and transported myself away--to just outside the dungeon entrance. So many times my victims insult me and my ways, but I always give them a chance to buy their lives. These notoriety hunters were the truest villians of Sosaria. They so often attack without warning anyone the tyrant has branded "dishonorable" or worse. Even though they are no better than any other murderer, because of their choice in victims, who are often honest men who made simple mistakes, they are regarded as nobles and great lords.

I took a moment to collect my thoughts. Then I replaced my magic shields and reactive armor and hid. I had caught the names of two of the hunters, merlin and Anubis. The third was dressed in orange robes with a bone helm. I prepared myself to cast a few quick spells and waited. My wait was not long.

The first of the notoriety hunters to come out of the cavern was merlin. I smiled as I came out of hiding and threw a magic arrow at him to remove any spell shields he had in place.

"Ready to play some more, knave?" I called out.

He dropped into a fighting stance and charged me with his halberd. He rushed forward, but in his haste, ran straight into my meteor swarm. He dropped dead. I walked over to the body and started looking for reagents and gold. I then cut up his body, throwing his head in my pack. I then arranged his body back into some semblance of it's form self and called out to his spirit.

"Attack without warning. Die without honor."

I sighed to myself at the turn of events. I was certainly not a noble, but at least I never attacked without at least giving my victims a chance. The fact that the notoriety hunters were glorified in there attacks sickened me. 'Tis just further proof of how false the virtues of the tyrant British were. However, my reverie was cut short when Anubis appeared.

I turned to face the second of the hunters. I noticed the ghost of merlin and figured his spirit must have gone to get aid when he died. I chuckled at how easily I had turned the tables on the group of hunters who, if they had stayed in a group, would have been very dangerous, but alone, were not much of a challenge at all.

Anubis cast paralyze at me, which reflected and froze him into place. I laughed out loud as I casually walked up to him, first raising my reflection back, and then pulling my spear from my pack. He started muttering the words to another spell, but stopped when he realized it would reflect. I rammed my spear into his chest. He turned to flee, but I quickly circled round and cut off his escape. Another quick thrust and he died.

I picked up the pack from his corpse. It greatly overloaded me, so I started sorting through it to find any truly valuable items. He seemed to have picked up every pack from every corpse he had run across in the dungeon for he was carry tons of ale and torches. I chuckled as I thought about how so many fighters had taken up drinking heavily as of late in hopes of quickening the improvement in their fighting skills. The downside being the serious loss of stamina and loss of control that occurs when drunk. A thought occurred to me at this point, but thou wilt have to wait for another day to hear the story I am sure will take place.

As I looted the body of the knave, the final hunter came running out of the entrance. Again, I turned to face him, but he quickly saw the bodies of his partners and fled. I dropped the pack I was carrying so that I could give chase, but by the time I had done so, he had fled. I nearly fell down laughing at the thought that this noble, who supposedly follows the virtues, had shown his true valor and honor when faced with what should have been an even match. A pity I could not take the tyrant on a tour of his lands and show him the folly of his virtues. But alas, I have a feeling he would not trust me enough to accompany me. And I could not fault him for feeling so for I would not trust myself, given my feelings towards him.

Perhaps someday I will meet the tyrant British and his lackey Blackthorn. I have a feeling 'tis a meeting they would not enjoy.