Melia the Magnificent

Ahh, so there it was. Small, unassuming, and easily missed, just like the gnome herself. The declaration was only astounding to Braum because he was listening for it, but for all intents and purposes, the back-and-forth between a dragon and a general was little more than a footnote in the middle of the meeting. General Wallace soon went back to detailing the particulars of the attack while the gnome dropped back into the shadows.

But her title didn’t return to [???], and Braum was convinced she played a greater role in Chaos’ schemes than most might initially believe. While each of the other members of the [Daybreakers] had their moment to be hyped up by the general, the gnome played second fiddle. Knowing what he did, Braum was certain she could have annihilated [Infernus Ultimata] with a flick of her tail. Instead…she was masquerading as a [Mage], disguised as a gnome…essentially playing around. He could begin to understand why certain members of Humanity might resent her, and why the [Shadowy Figure] hinted at something hidden going on.

Unfortunately, Braum wasn’t at liberty to delve into the mysteries of an enigmatic gnome…or so his surroundings would have him believe. The flow of conversation nearly swept him away and he was about to declare the [Breakers]’ unwavering support when Braum remembered they were in a dungeon. This council of very important people had just finished detailing exactly why it was so important to stop the massive [Infernal] guarding the entrance to the demon’s base and how, once it was destroyed, a massive blow would be dealt to their defenses. With such a powerful guardian gone, it would be possible to storm the fortress, kill or capture the leadership, and potentially shut down the demon invasion once and for all. And to start, they were simply waiting for Braum’s confirmation that his party understood their jobs and accepted the risk.

So he didn’t give it.

Instead, he raised his fist in the same way he would when advancing in a “regular” dungeon, creeping around corners trying to scout out the next pack of monsters. Around the table, nobody seemed to notice or care, and they all seemed content to continue posturing heroically while wearing grim frowns. Braum took a step back from the table…and neither General Wallace nor Hank said anything about his retreat. They were merely maintaining an idle state until a dungeon delver triggered the next phase. Braum nodded to himself, turned around silently, and swiftly exited the tent. His teammates followed his example.

“Bloody hell, what a rush,” Warren said as soon as they were far enough away from the tent that they couldn’t hear the indistinct muttering inside. “Halfway through all that, I was about to jump up and find the closest healer outpost to offer triage services. Got lost in the moment there, you know?”

Braum took a moment to calm his nerves and organize his thoughts. He was of two minds: one practical and one more…nuanced. The practical part looked at the here and now: what was the immediate danger, how could he prioritize engagements to mitigate risk, and how was everybody going to make it out alive.

The nuanced part needed to consider everything he’d seen, experienced, and felt, not just so he could understand the story Chaos was telling. He needed to report it to the guild and hopefully provide the resources for less experienced parties to be able to make those practical decisions themselves.

For instance, if a rank 6 party, the base recommended level for this [Act], with no previous experience running [The Sundered Breach], a rank 8 dungeon, were to set foot in here for the first time? With no concept of what war with an extra-dimensional enemy looked like?

They might not make it to the first battle.

“Evra,” Braum said in a calm, thoughtful voice, “Make a note. [Act 2] isn’t for the faint of heart. Recommend the Guild impose restrictions on entry to intermediate or higher companies. If an affiliated guild doesn’t have a member who’s cleared [SB], recommend a mind-profile. Considering the opening, fresh 600s with little intelligent combat experience might have their spirits crushed.”

“Considering the opening,” Evra replied grimly as she wrestled her notebook away from her imp, "Their minds might not be the only thing crushed.”

“Hopefully they have the sense not to run out of the safety zone immediately,” Angus frowned.

“You’d think anybody who made it ta rank 6 would have half a brain,” Rook scoffed. “But we all know how tha works oot.”

“It’s why we note it,” Braum confirmed tiredly. “Moving on. Main players. Do we recognize everybody?”

Knowing the history of a dungeon wasn’t strictly necessary to complete it, but it helped more than the average delver realized. Understanding what was going on behind the scenes could provide real, tangible benefits…such as knowing when a previously friendly character might betray a dungeon group or suddenly turn into a boss.

“Yeh,” Rook rolled his eyes. “E’en Warren could tell ya tha’, an’ he’s dumb as a log.”

The [Druid], still in his tree form, swayed ominously, his branches rustling angrily.

“That’s ‘cuz he is a log, you oaf,” Angus chuckled, squeezing a laugh out of the dwarf and the tree.

“Humor me,” Braum said with a smile. Despite the frantic air around the camp, this was serious and they had time to do things right before the fighting started.

“Hmm,” Rook frowned. “Human [General]? Sad ta say, nae. He led tha Allied forces again’ tha demons, but he died at the end o’ tha war.”

“Could it have been here?” Warren asked.

“No,” Angus spoke up. “He died sealing the portal. This battle later made it possible to cut off the demons from their home world…which is why they’re stuck on ours.”

“Party of Heroes?” Braum prompted. The others rolled their eyes but answered seriously.

“Hank, yes. Still no definitive level,” Evra said. “Still no definitive level; I think the point is to remind us how far above us that group was.”

“Should be around 800,” Rook chimed in. “Don’t know where tha puts us here compared ta [Act 1].”

“Thanatos Sorrowgrave, yes,” Evra continued. “W.P. Thorne, yes. I don’t think anybody knows much about Tudos RM, but he practically reinvented the [Red Mage] class. And does anything really need to be said about Eluna Brandywine?”

“If somebody didn’t know about her before entering this dungeon,” Angus shook his head, “They’ll definitely look her up when they leave.”

“It’s a shame the art of [Resurrection] was lost with Celestara,” Warren sighed heavily. “The lives we could save….”

“And we still can,” Braum countered. To him, Celestara was not “lost.” She was merely…silent. For an entire century. And with what was going on at the Abbey…perhaps her return was close at hand.

“What do we know about the gnome?” Angus asked.

Braum perked up; he was wondering if any of his teammates would say anything. All the time Braum spent researching "the dragon" after running [Act 1], and the many little rabbit holes it led him down, was strictly off the clock and hadn't involved his team. But of course, there was breakfast the next day where the silly little thing admitted to everything. Owning a mansion the gods deemed fit to turn into a dungeon, being the subject matter of said dungeon, and, because why not, suggested that she might as well be immortal.

Braum could count the number of immortal characters snooping around the world on 1 hand...because there weren't any. He was still processing what he'd learned, trying to digest the knowledge that a demigod might well be walking amongst them and sifting what might be truth from carefully overblown exaggeration. He could tell some of his teammates were doing the same, looking back at that breakfast and wondering if those fabulous pancakes had clouded their judgment. There were two major points in favor of the story being a tall-tale.

For one, it was a gnome. They were natural-born liars, the lot of them.

Okay, so that might be a bit uncharitable, but they had a propensity for inflating the truth as big as their imaginations...and for a people who could dream up things like the tram that traveled between Horizon and Deepholme, that was rather large.

For another, this gnome looked different. It was a flimsy excuse from an idle observation. People changed, and their appearance was not immune to whims of fancy and powerful spells. There was a chance, albeit a small one, that this Melia, a gnome featured in yet another [Act] in this dungeon, with the rather damning title "the Magnicficent," was somebody completely unrelated.

“If that gnome isn’t the same one who forged an [Elementium Ingot], I’ll eat me hat.”

Braum raised a curious brow at Angus. The [Death Knight] always did have a mind for events rather than faces or names.

“You’ve got a helmet, rot-for-brains,” Evra cackled. “Not a hat.”

“Fine,” Angus shrugged, completely unbothered. “I’ll eat yours.”

Evra lifted her hands protectively to shield her large hat from the [Death Knight], though they both knew it was all in good fun.

“I can see it,” Rook agreed. “Though tha hair is a wee bit off. Tha’ could be fixed with a bit o’ dye, I suppose. But seein’ the same gnome in two [Acts] strikes me as coincidence, aye? An’ why would she be dressed as a [Mage] if she was previously a [Blacksmith]? Not a lot o’ o’erlap, those.”

“Did the Party of Heroes have two [Mages]?” Evra asked. “Wasn’t there another human that went by [The Mage]?”

“Mmm,” Rook nodded. “A woman, I think. She was a prodigy, one o’ tha few titled [Archmages] recognized by tha system. Also a wee bit eccentric, but who with tha’ sort o’ power isn’t, amiright?”

“Indeed,” Angus scratched at his chin. “The [Daybreakers] were a tight-knit crew, but there always seemed to be one or two strange characters that tagged along. That [Mage] was one; I think a [Pirate Warrior] was another, as well as a gnomish [Dancer].”

“I thought that [Warrior] was a [Ninja]?” Warren asked.

“No,” Evra said. “I heard it was a [Skeleton]. Perhaps one of them was secretly a [Necromancer]?”

Braum could probably listen to his team bicker all day long, but that wouldn’t get them any closer to solving the mysteries of the dungeon. But now was as good a time as any to let them in on the information he gathered.

“Actually, I think they might be one and the same, the lot of them,” Braum said. His team paused to stare at him, some with curious looks and others filled with doubt.

“A [Pirate], a [Ninja], and a [Skeleton]?” Argus asked. “The same?”

“Clearly, one of those is superior to the other,” Evra cackled. “And we all know which one.”

She was obviously thinking of the [Skeleton], as somebody tangentially related to [Necromancy] through various dark arts. However, she wasn’t the only one confident in her pick. Rook and Warren both spoke at the same time.

“[Pirate].”

“[Ninja].”

The two stared at each other in disbelief before glaring like somebody had just threatened to murder their family pet.

“Now listen here, ya overgrown bonsai bush,” Rook growled.

“As if I should expect an intelligent opinion from someone with more hair than brains,” Warren scoffed.

Braum sighed, pinched his nose, and stared into the hazy night sky. How was it possible that only a few moments ago, he felt like he was about to join an army storming the walls of a demonic fortress and now he was babysitting children? No matter. He clapped hard and got their attention.

“As I was saying…they could all be the same person, that gnome. And frankly speaking, you should be thinking the same thing, too. Coincidence is a strong way to put it, Rook, considering who we had breakfast with the other day. Have you already forgotten? We met the [Blacksmith] who created Angus' [Elementium Ingot]. And she's not just a gnome, but a dragon. Meliastraza Obsidianheart. Light only knows why she's been luring around the abbey lately...I daren't hazard a guess. Angus' right. This gnome is the [Blacksmith] from [Act 1]. Which means she's also the same Melia from the abbey...the same Meliastraza who happens to be a dragon. A creature capable of transforming from a gigantic monster into a hapless little gnome is certainly capable of morphing her body into other shapes and sizes. A human [Mage] isn't out of the question...especially if she's set to avoid suspicion. Perhaps her identity was revealed and she needed to abandon the identity? Maybe that's what we're meant to find out? What is Chaos trying to draw our attention to?"

The others drew grim looks and Braum continued.

"Remember the words of the [Shadowy Figure]. I think we’ve found the one who isn’t who they seem. Now…enough stalling. We’ve got a battle to win.”

Some other time, in another run perhaps, Braum would definitely have the group explore the camp. He had a hunch that, once they initiated the battle, there wouldn’t be time to come back later. And even if there was, the dungeon might seal it off, moving them to the next phase of combat. The first run, as always, was a bit bare in terms of in-depth testing, more to set the standard than to break through limits.

Braum led the others back into the tent, where General Wallace and Hank were staring at each other across the table. Despite what must have been- 5? 10 minutes? -passing, the two remained just as engaged as if one (or the other) had made a particularly profound statement. Braum had to rack his brain to try and recall exactly what was being said…and it was good that he did, because it was technically his turn to talk.

“General, we’re ready,” Braum said, somewhat vaguely.

The two men sprang to life, gave him a genuinely grateful look, and nodded.

“Adventurers, thank you,” Wallace said. “You have the full support of our combined armies. The situation is dire and the odds are bleak, but you’re not alone. We need to buy time for the Heroes. Our scouts suggest that once [Ultimata] is engaged, the reserves will empty out of the fortifications and try to overwhelm them. We cannot let that happen! [Ultimata] must fall! His presence is too important to the enemy; his buffs are too great! With him destroyed, we can push through and drive the demons back! Our survival depends on it!”

“We will not fail!” Braum declared, earning a cheer from the nameless assembly gathered in the crowded tent. “For the Light!”

““For the Light!!!””

​

As soon as Braum spoke, the dungeon shifted. The preliminary preparation phase was now over and it was time to step up and prove why the [Breakers] were the best at what they do. Before the cheering in the tent even started to fade, countless soldiers began pouring out the exit flaps and surging toward the entrance to the valley. General Wallace took up his station at the vista on the hill, casting an army-wide buff that increased all damage by a flat 5%. The Heroes, unlike the nameless soldiers, did not head for the narrow ramp limiting how many people could enter the valley at a time. Instead, they rushed past the General and leaped into the battlefield below. Some cast spells to slow their fall while others crashed into the broken ground with all the grace of a falling boulder, but as a group, they were unfazed. The 6 of them sprinted off into the bedlam, ignoring packs of demons fighting with companies of soldiers. They had their eyes on one sight only: the towering form of [Infernus Ultimata]. Knowing that they were key to the success of this gambit (according to the story unfolding in this [Act]), the [Breakers] hurried after them.

Running down the ramp, shoving his way past rank 6 “recruits” was a surreal experience for Braum. The constant comparison to [The Sundered Breach] never left his mind, and with each new revelation, a new scenario presented itself for examination.

For instance, the original dungeon was a direct retelling of this historical event, detail for detail, as if the delvers each were members of the Heroes’ Party. It was also rank 8, a 20-man raid, and what was colloquially known as an “arena fight.” Dungeons such as these were generally very short, having very few (if any) preliminary encounters, and focused entirely on a single boss. There didn’t need to be much buildup, because the boss was always the focal point, usually after several full-sized dungeons of “lesser” bosses and exposition. Nothing should take away from the impact it provided. In the case of [Infernus Ultimata], that impact was quite devastating, seeing as he was level 850…and stood several hundred feet tall. All on its own, [Ultimata] was a mountain of infernal stone and fel energies given life.

Across the valley, Braum could see the giant looming, ready to unleash devastation like a tidal wave behind him. But his level, just like the [Daybreakers], was obfuscated. It read [???] and had the wicked emblem of a fanged dragon promising death if anyone was foolish enough to attack.

Braum wondered if it would even be possible to engage the [Infernal], or if the dungeon would create an invisible barrier preventing them from trying. After all, this dungeon wasn’t telling that story, leaving Braum to wonder how the one it was telling fit with all its pieces. Perhaps he would just have to wait to ponder until all of this was over.

Immediately upon reaching the floor of the valley, Braum could begin to distinguish enemies from the background. They weren’t meant to defeat every demon on the battlefield, just as they weren’t meant to join the Heroes fighting [Infernus]. Hundreds of mini battles were taking place across the valley, but very few of those had any meaning. Braum watched briefly as one pack of ambiguous Human soldiers fought a large [Pit Boss]; it laughed off their attacks on its sinewy, muscular body as if infants were scratching at it with sticks. Occasionally, it would strike a soldier down, but the fallen would subtly disappear while a fresh recruit would run up and take their place. Likewise on the demon’s side, in cases where squads of Human soldiers fought against equal numbers or smaller forms, the demons would sometimes die. But instead of overwhelming the enemy and pushing forward, another [Imp] might spring up, or another [Felhound] might appear. Most of the skirmishes were locked in a perpetual stalemate.

Some, however, were not staged battles meant to inflate the scale and give a sense of immersion. Braum could see several roaming packs of demons appearing as if they’d just defeated their enemies and were searching for new opponents. Well, let the [Breakers] be their foes, and see where their might fell.

Because Braum and his team would never enter a dungeon the first time synched (unless the system forced them to), the fight was laughably one-sided. Unlike the [Ushers] and [Custodians] in the lobby, these monsters were only rank 8, ranging from 790 to 810. Even their status as [Elites] could not give them enough of an advantage to put up a fight against the [Breakers] when they took their job seriously. As such, it gave them small opportunities to accomplish Braum’s task: observe the Heroes…or more specifically, a very particular gnome.

The [Daybreakers] had made it safely across the valley and were stationed in front of [Infernus], but they had not engaged. They were fully prepared and Braum could see several raid buffs refresh over their heads occasionally, but it seemed his party had not yet met the requirements to trigger the big battle. They fought their way forward, mowing down several packs of monsters until they finally came within 100 yards of the giant [Infernal]. Any closer and Braum felt they might accidentally engage.

Of course, they did not.

After crossing an invisible line, Hank shouted out.

“For the Light! For Humanity!”

Braum could just make out the tiny form of an enraged dwarf [Charging] forward to attack the giant; an ant assaulting a monolith.

“Insects! Fools!” [Infernus] shouted, “I will be your doom!”

The mountain…moved.

…Slowly.

Braum watched, with slightly anticlimactic breath, as the massive figure raised one giant leg into the air…and kept it there…and it was still going…until it finally brought it down…into the ground…with an earth-shaking explosion.

Perhaps he would have been more awed if he was the one almost getting squished.

But he was not (and he’d seen it from that perspective before), so it lost its charm. There was plenty of time for Hank to dodge out of the way, even if it was quite a hustle for a dwarf. He was not the only one to act.

“Do you think you can go toe-to-toe with the [Grand Duelist]?” The [Red Mage] challenged.

“A little on the nose, don’t you think?” The [Druid] drawled in an aristocratic accent, morphing into a tiger. “You are, after all, smaller than its toe.”

And then, the unthinkable happened. Thanatos Sorrowgrave opened his mouth.

“Hear me, spawn of shadow,” he declared, forming a summoning portal above his head. “I offer you purpose; in return, you shall offer me obedience! Darkness knows my name! The abyss knows my will! Now…so shall you!!!”

Braum felt his teeth clench reflexively in his mouth as he couldn’t fight back the cringe. He glanced over at Evra, Angus, Rook, and Warren.

“Pull the next pack, yeah?” Warren asked hastily. “Anything’s better than this.”

Braum took great joy in absolutely dismantling the next two groups, loudly smashing them to pieces with as much gusto as he could muster. The entire group seemed strangely motivated to create the most carnage, mayhem, and (importantly) noise. They managed to drown out the ashen-skinned blowhard, but only for so long. They could still hear bits and pieces of his monologuing as they sadly burned through their distractions. After a grand total of 8 fights, the [Breakers] were standing at the foot of the opposite hills, at the entrance to the valley leading up to the fortifications above. The first real challenge, the first “boss” of this dungeon approached, and Braum needed to give it his undivided attention.

Before, [Infernus] had blocked this ramp. But with him gone, reinforcements were streaming down, aiming to engage the Heroes, chip away at their health, and distract them from their mission. From experience, Braum knew they were on a time crunch, as [Infernus] had an attack that would activate after a set amount of time, enraging him and devastating the battlefield. He wasn’t sure if even legendary figures like the Heroes would be able to withstand that, so technically, they were on a time crunch too. Perhaps fittingly, the first boss of [Act 2] was a group of 5 “lesser” [Infernals]...which didn’t feel appropriate calling them [Greater Infernals] next to [Ultimata]. It was a simple encounter, more of a DPS check than anything else, as they were big, beefy, sturdy rank 8s with a dense health pool and heavy attacks. They still fell very quickly.

“That’s one down,” Braum mused, wondering how many bosses this dungeon had. As they scrambled to recover their spent energy, they found themselves in a bit of a lull. They pressed up the ramp as far as they could, but no more monsters were forthcoming. An indestructible barricade blocked their way, and Braum could only guess that it would get removed when the next pack came.

“You think there’s a time limit between encounters?” Angus asked. Braum nodded. They’d been in dungeons like that before. Sometimes a “boss” wasn’t an individual unit, but a horde of smaller ones.

“Seems like,” Braum agreed. “Looks like we get a rest. Someone time it.”

“On it, boss,” Rook chuckled.

With that taken care of, Braum turned around and cast his gaze across the battlefield. Most of the fighting had died down. There were still pockets of never-ending engagements, but the majority of the battlefield had transformed into piles of corpses. Occasionally, in the distance, Braum could see a trickle of reinforcements surge down from the Human camp, while demons would rush to meet them from some other valley access point. But, strangely, he could see the fight between the Heroes and [Infernus] clearly, as if they’d taken center stage. Braum glanced back up the hill, making sure no enemies approached, and once he was satisfied, he peered intently at the fight.

It was astounding, being able to watch the [Daybreakers] in their prime. If he was not certain there was a deeper story being told, Braum was convinced this reenactment was Chaos’ gift to mankind: being able to watch the greatest party go all out.

[Infernus] was riddled with damage-over-time debuffs, afflicted by a debilitating mass of curses, wounds, and other maladies. The base of his “feet,” the sturdy support columns built like pillars of solid stone, had deep, oozing gouges where steel and claw tore into it. His health, at this first juncture, was already down by 10%

And yet…something wasn’t quite right.

“What are you up to?” Braum muttered.

Heeding the words of the [Shadowy Figure], he watched the gnome intently.

She wasn’t attacking.

She merely skirted around the edges of the fight, making sure she never got underfoot of her party members or got herself out of position where the healer couldn't do her job or she might find herself caught in an environmental hazard. But at the very least, she should be attacking, yes? Cast a spell or two?

“What is it?” Evra asked, sliding up next to Braum.

“The gnome,” he muttered. “Watch.”

Evra did, and very quickly she, too, had a furrowed brow.

“Is she out of mana?” Braum asked. As a [Paladin], he used plenty of mana, but not nearly in the same league as a real spellcaster.

“No,” Evra said with a frown.

“Then do you think she’s fooling around? Personally, I don’t. Her movement’s too sharp for that.”

“No,” Evra said at length, her eyes dawning with realization. “I think she knows exactly what she’s doing. She’s been waiting…so she doesn’t build up too much aggro. And it looks like she’s about to unleash…!”

Talk about blink-and-you’ll-miss-it. Braum was very glad he chose right then, of all times, to observe. The gnome abandoned her game of bouncing around and rooted herself in place, just at the furthest range where her spells would still be effective. She began casting spells, which ones, sadly, Braum did not know, but they went off. Faster, and faster, and faster. Until she was slinging spells left and right with flicks of her wrists like a conductor directing an orchestra. And then, out of nowhere, a giant hourglass appeared over her and everyone else’s heads. She cast what looked like a solid line of pulsing light at the monster, then several barrages of twisting energy, and then let herself be surrounded by an arcane vortex. Then, once the vortex was dispelled, she summoned a towering (to her) arcane familiar; she shimmered…and where there was one [Mage] and a familiar, now there were five. All five copies of the gnome started dishing out more spells, each traveling as fast as Braum’s eyes could track. He had the presence of mind to look at [Infernus], and he watched in wonder and horror as the bar depleted visibly with each hit. [Infernus] was down another 5%. Each attack wasn’t removing giant chunks, but compared to everyone else…they might as well not be doing any damage at all. The giant boss twitched, as if it recognized the true threat, but the gnome was ready. She immediately ceased all attacks, dispelled her illusions and familiars, and disappeared.

All in the time it took Rook to report.

“Mob check, incoming!”

Braum instinctively turned around, saw that there was another group trundling down the mountain, and readied his shield. But before he moved forward, he glanced back into the valley. The gnome was back to bouncing around the battlefield, going so far as to try and do a flip.

Suddenly, his efforts felt rather meaningless. What was one man, capable of channeling the divine as he was…when compared to a being that could devastate an extra-planar overlord? A ruler from beyond the Veil? All while laughing with a smile on her face, not a care in the world?

Perhaps…Humanity was right. Maybe they were right to fear where gods walk and be wary of dragons who take a fancy to mankind. Was it not natural to be afraid of the unknown, of things much more powerful than you?

At the very least, the [Shadowy Figure] was right. Not everything in the Party of Heroes was as it seemed.

¹

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