Rules-Free VRMMO Life: Volume VIII: Trial of the Gods Read online

  Table of Contents

  Arc VIII – Trial of the Gods

  Chapter 85 – The Door in the Mountain

  Chapter 86 – Monwihr

  Chapter 87 – Hardbottle Clan

  Chapter 88 – A Request

  Chapter 89 – Heroes’ Villains’ Feast

  Chapter 90 – Trial of the Gods: Moradin

  Chapter 91 – Trial of the Gods: Lolth

  Chapter 92 – Trial of the Gods: Tempus

  Chapter 93 – Trial of the Gods: Necron

  Chapter 94 – Trial of the Gods: Loviatar

  Chapter 95 – Trial of the Gods: Sharess

  Chapter 96 – The Trial’s Reward

  Arc VIII – Trial of the Gods

  Chapter 85 – The Door in the Mountain

  SCHUNK!

  That was not the sound one normally heard when a person’s fist met the head of a giant wolf, but when you have a monk around, and their fists can harden to the point where steel is no match for them, then you should expect some irregularities. Like the slim, toned arm of a drowess getting buried to the elbow in a wolf’s skull.

  Jastra Sylrya

  Drow Female

  Level 41 Dirgesinger (Bard) / Monk

  Titles: Beautiful One, Cunning One, Stonefist, Manslayer, Slave

  Dire Wolf Alpha

  Level 40 Wolf

  I’d summoned my Stewardess from the castle as we left the Tribeslands for three reasons. First, I wasn’t at the castle, so she didn’t have anything better to be doing. Second, if she was going to be protecting my body while I slept in the castle, she’d need to be high enough level to make a good showing of it, so the weaker monsters in this area would make for a good training ground for her. Third, I had that quest I’d picked up to try and satisfy her desire so I could advance my profession.

  The creatures in this area averaged in the high 20s, but that downside of my eating the eggs was having us meeting creatures in the low to mid 40s. Still child’s play to my group, now that we had all gone past level 50, but for Jastra they were a challenge, and one that would help level her up. And I enjoyed watching her work.

  With this battle finished, I affectionately patted Jastra on the rear as she returned to my side. “Well done, Jastra. You’ve earned a reward when we camp for the night.” The Drowess shuddered, but said nothing. She still resented her enslavement, no doubt, but was starting to see some benefits to her situation. There were a lot fewer death threats against her these days, for instance. Drow politics can get cutthroat, literally.

  We (ok, mostly Jastra) fought several more groups of wolves as we continued our journey out of the Tribeslands. When it came time to camp for the evening, she had leveled up to 43, making it a boost of five levels in the day and a half since I’d summoned her here with my Slaver’s Ring. Not a bad haul, especially considering that all these wolves brought in some extra coin, and plenty of crafting materials.

  I was busy giving Jastra her reward, a task which, naturally, required us to both be naked and for her to be bouncing repeatedly up and down on my lap while I used my tongue to see if there were any problems with her tonsils, when I heard the sounds of people approaching our camp. Della, Yukiko, and Kylana, who were nearby, heard it too, but gave no outward sign. Hrozne was too busy reading the latest in a set of tomes shi had hidden in hir bag, each devoted to different fields of knowledge, it seemed.

  Hekoir Bronzemaster

  Dwarf Male

  Level 60 Bulwark (Fighter) / Trapsmith (Rogue)

  Titles: Sentinel, Wolfsbane

  Brudrinen ‘Toll Collector’

  Dwarf Male

  Level 50 Bulwark (Fighter) / Rogue

  Our ‘visitors’ stepped into our ring of firelight, in formation. There were five of them, all dwarves, and all armed and armored, with heavy armor and shields nearly their height. That they were able to move with any kind of stealth given all of that was… impressive. It hadn’t worked on our group, obviously, since they hadn’t noticed the three of our party who were hiding from view, but it was impressive in its own right.

  Still, I didn’t care to play by their rules, so I just ignored them, and kept rewarding my slave. This did not seem to sit well with the leader of the five shorties. He growled, and stepped forward. “Get the hell up, you stinking nutsack spunk-bubble professor!”

  I didn’t even look at him. “Nithroel, there’s a nail here.” The dwarf leader didn’t know what to make of that, at least, not until Nithroel’s hammer came down on his head as she came swooping down as fast as she could without hurting herself on the hard landing. The dwarf must have had one hell of a defense rating, since he wasn’t dead, but having your bell rung that hard is going to send pretty much anyone sprawling to the ground, at least for a bit.

  The other four, seeing this sudden violence, started forward. Unfortunately for them, Severa and Kamla made their presence known at that point, stabbing each of them through the throat. I nodded my approval as the four fell, never seeing the face of their killers. Damn, but I loved watching my team work. Gripping Jastra’s waist, I slammed her down hard, and grunted as I released, the drowess slumping against me. “Good work, girls. Let’s see what we have here.”

  Antique Mithril Warden

  Type

  Shield

  Rank

  Uncommon

  This shield is forged from Mithril, so even though the style predates the Scourge, the shield still looks like it was new. Such shields are rarely seen outside of the dwarven lands, and are thus prized by many who live on the surface for their rarity, especially as many examples in non-dwarven hands have been lost to time as their wielders fell in battle. The device on the shield changes to display the chosen deity of the wielder.

  +200 CON, +200 STR

  +375 Defense

  +10% to all Resistances

  Enchanted: Repairing – Shield recovers lost durability over time. Cannot be destroyed by normal means.

  Bloodcursed Skeletal Crusher

  Type

  Warhammer

  Rank

  Uncommon

  Damage

  340 – 455

  Damage Type

  Bludgeoning

  This grisly weapon is forged from Adamantine, but the unknown artisan who crafted it showed both great artistic skill and great lack of taste, designing the haft of the hammer to appear as a human spine, while the head is a pair of human skulls. The grim enchantments placed upon this weapon has turned the hammer a blood red color.

  Requires: Level 50

  Requires: STR 200

  +200 Attack

  +250 STR, +250 CON

  Bloodcursed – Any creature damaged by this weapon takes 50% more damage from this weapon and has their defense against this weapon reduced by 50% for 24 hours. (Additional hits do not stack, but replace the old duration with the new one.)

  Enchanted: Vampiric – Heal 25% of the damage done by this weapon.

  Gaze of Courage

  Type

  Helmet

  Rank

  Rare

  This dwarven helm is styled with silver wings, making one wearing it easily noticeable on the battlefield. However, the enchantments upon it help to protect the wearer from harm, including an enchantment that saves one from instant death, giving this helmet the additional nickname of “Assassin’s Bane”.

  Requires: Level 50

  +100 CON, +100 WIS

  +100 Defense

  Sturdy – The maximum damage any attack can do to you is (your Max HP - 1).

  Aura of Courage – You and all allies within 30 feet gain +10% Morale bonus to all actions. (Stack
s with other bonuses.)

  Enchanted: Mental Fortitude – Gain +25% resistance against mind-affecting spells and effects.

  Ebon Breastplate of Dismay

  Type

  Breastplate

  Rank

  Rare

  This breastplate is forged of Mithril, and turned black as obsidian through magic. The design and the devices upon the armor change with each wearer. The only common element is that they are all designed to inspire dismay and dread in the wearer’s enemies.

  Requires: Level 50

  +200 CON

  +600 Defense

  +40% Resistance against Piercing, Bludgeoning, and Slashing

  Aura of Dismay – All Enemies within line of sight suffer a 10% morale penalty on all actions, and deal 10% less damage. No effect on blind or sightless creatures, or mindless creatures (simple undead or constructs, most oozes and plants).

  Enchanted: Holy Ward – Wearer counts as Neutral for spells and effects that deal additional damage to evil creatures. Undead wearing this armor take no additional damage from holy spells and effects.

  The dwarves all had copies of the shield, which was nice, so I gave one each to Yukiko and Nithroel. Nithroel was our only hammer user, so she got the hammer. Della was our best healer, so I shoved the helmet on her head. And Hrozne was surprised when he got the Breastplate. But he could wear it because of his death knight class, and this would add yet another debuff to his arsenal.

  By this point, the lone surviving dwarf, namely the asshole who tried to ruin my fun, was beginning to stir. Before he could say anything, I stepped on the dwarf’s throat. “Now, be a good boy, and tell me what you want.”

  “Geh! We’re the toll collectors, see? You wanna pass the road to get to the Empire, then you gotta pay the toll. And you lot are dead! The Black Hand will kill you all for crossing them.”

  I chuckled at them, and said, “Oh, really? Well, they’ll have to be better than you lot.” And with that, I stepped down, crushing the dwarf’s throat enough to deal a point of damage, and kill him.

  Looking to the rest of the group, I smiled. “Well, if we’ve met the bandits, then we should be fairly close to the entrance. Tomorrow, we’ll go see what these dwarves have in store for us.” And with that, we broke back up into our watch structure.

  The rest of the journey to the mountain was uneventful. Evidently, the local thieves only kept one group of well-armed and armored bandits on the road. They probably relied on their sturdy stature and sneaking up on people while they were sleeping in order to collect their ‘tolls’. Maybe sending a runner to get more guys when a caravan was coming through.

  Either way, we made it to the entrance to the dwarven lands without trouble. The door was twenty feet tall, and wide enough for two carts to pass eachother with room to spare. Carved into the stone of the mountain itself, I had a feeling that when they were closed, they would be all but invisible to the eye, based on the level of craftsmanship alone, to say nothing of what magic could do.

  Lodwegret Warsong

  Stone Dwarf Female

  Level 60 Lightbearer (Paladin) / Hammerblessed (Fighter)

  Titles: Sentinel, Undead Bane, Wolfsbane, Demonbane, Captain

  The doors were open, fortunately, and ten dwarves, arrayed in plate armor, carrying shields and axes bearing the mark of the kingdom stood watch over them. I did not doubt that there were some who were less conspicuous hiding to cover these guards with ranged weapons or magic. The leader of this group stepped forward, and said, “Hail, travelers! Where might ye be headed, and what is your business?”

  She was a dwarf that seemed to be carved out of solid marble. Guess that dwarves who ascend often get mineral or metal forms. Goes with their toughness and connection to the earth, I guess. Not my personal fave, though. Still, she would have been cute, for a dwarf, if she wasn’t uncanny valley statuesque.

  “I am Zayn Darkmore, Knight and Lord of Wyrmwood. My companions and I are on errantry, and seek entrance to the Brudrinen Empire so we might find the residence of the Hardbottle Clan, where we have business to resolve.”

  “And what business would an Incubus be having with the Hardbottle Clan?”

  “That is a matter of my own accord, and no business of yours. But I shall say that, in their need, a member of Clan Hardbottle who was waylaid abroad asked for us to find and recover certain items, and bring them to the Clan holdings.”

  The guard captain laughed at that. “And will the former owners of these items be coming to question about their whereabouts?”

  “Oh, I seriously doubt that. Not in this life, at the least. And their afterlife promises to be no picnic, if their conditions prior to death are any indication.”

  “So, ye killed them, then?”

  “Well, the ones who had the items felt a certain attachment to them, and were none too pleased to hear that I had come to collect them to complete my quest. I did, however, attempt to gather the items with as little trouble as possible.”

  “Hah! I like you, incubus. Go on into the city. But be warned, if ye be causing trouble, then no amount of silver tongued chatter will save you from the golems.”

  “Well, it is a good thing I’m not here to cause trouble. You wouldn’t be able to give me directions to Clan Hardbottle’s holdings, would you?”

  “Well, there aren’t many of them here at the border. Monwihr is too rural for their tastes. If you have business with the main family, your best bet would be to take a transfer portal to Vag Todur, where they have their main holdings.”

  “Thank you much.”

  “No problem. You really want to thank me, though, then you can meet me at the Golden Nug Tavern in an hour when my shift is up and buy me a drink.”

  I laughed, and said, “You know, I just might be thirsty, myself.”

  Chapter 86 – Monwihr

  Monwihr was a typical dwarven frontier town, with a bunch of smithies, barracks, taverns, and other such things. Yeah, there was more to the town than that, like shops and such, but let’s face it, most of the stuff in town was designed to support the troops protecting the gateway into the mountain. Most of the serious traders would continue on, through the deep roads, to get to the capitol or other major cities, following the subterranean trade routes. The trading posts here on the border were simply for those surfacers who did not wish to linger underground, or those from underground who did not wish to see the sky.

  Dwarven culture was definitely clan-based, and only a rare few of them ever left their caverns to go aboveground, unless they were on a mission from their clan or their gods. Dwarven adventurers found plenty of death and danger to entertain themselves with in the deeps, and there were always the constant conflicts with the drow to keep them occupied. Besides, when you lived your whole life with stone over your head, you could get a bit touchy about open sky. It wasn’t to the point where a dwarf who stepped aboveground would be cast out of society, like in some games, but dwarves raised underground did tend to get anxious outdoors.

  None of that mattered to me, really, as I was just passing through, myself. Still, it would hardly do to pass through dwarven lands without trying dwarven ale, right? They were pretty much famous for that, as well as for their work at the forge. So I headed towards the Golden Nug, to see about quenching my thirst a little.

  The reaction when I entered was not quite what I was expecting. The entire tavern grew quiet, and the dwarves in the room began looking angry. At first, I figured it was the whole ‘incubus’ thing again, but then I saw that their attention was directed mostly at Hrozne and Jastra. Great, this was going to turn into some kind of dwarf vs. drow thing, wasn’t it?

  As we passed the bar, heading for one of the tables, the stumpy bartender growled, and said, “We don’t serve their kind here!”

  Looking back at the dwarf with an imperious glare, I said, “Which kind?”

  The dwarf spat. “Those drow! We don’t take kindly to their lot around here!”

  Well, damn. Now I was goin
g to have to do something impressive or this was going to be a long day. So I shifted into my drake form, and said, quite loud enough for everyone in the room to hear, “I am Zayn Darkmore, Knight of the Wyrmwood, Friend of Black Rock Hold, and Consort to Dragons! You DARE say you will not serve those in my train? One is my personal slave, and the other has turned hir back upon hir dark kin, and played a critical role in the freeing of Duskhaven! Now, you DARE to say you will not serve them, because of your own foolish prejudices?”

  OK, so I wasn’t really all that offended. But it would be inconvenient for me to have to split the party all the time, so I may have channeled a bit of Torgan there. That damn Paladin was always going on about the dangers of pride and prejudice. Really glad I’m not him any more.

  Now, surprisingly enough, people backed away from a man-sized dragon that suddenly appeared in their midst. I heard one person growl, and turned to see a table of dwarves, one of whom, a berserker type, was grabbing his axe. I turned away from the dwarf as black tentacles erupted underneath him, and began ripping and tearing at the dwarf’s armor, stripping him.