The Red Goblins were surprisingly well-equipped, for Goblins. Each of them had an enchanted crystal dagger, and Rae noticed quickly that the magic on them was the same as the glowing moss in the room.
“I think we need to gather some of this moss. It has the same aura as the enchantment on their weapons.” Karl informed the others.
Lotus nodded, already inspecting the moss to see what was special about it.
“You’re right. There is something special, and it’s not a moss I know, either. This place is strange, there are so many things that I don’t know, when I should know almost all plants and animals.” She complained.
Her voice held a pouting tone, but her face was hidden by her hood as she kneeled on the moss to inspect it more closely.
Then she began to gather it, carefully pulling it up by the roots and holding it up in the air.
Karl laughed and took it from her to place in Thor’s space, where it would be safely stored until it was needed.
While it was there, Karl decided to take a good look at it using his Identification skill.
[Underworld Moss] Usable by: Karl, Rae, Hawk
[Combines with Underworld Crystals, Commander Rank or higher vital fluids, Core of Frost] Potion grants a chance at the [Paralytic Strike] skill.
That sounded pretty good if he could gather the rest of the ingredients. The crystals might be nearby, and the Core of Frost sounded like something they could find outside, so there was a good chance.
Karl looked around the cave and realized that the crystals were closer than he had thought. They were what the daggers were made from, and there were dozens of them along the walls, embedded in the moss.
Rae took that as her cue to go gather a few dozen of them, just in case the potion didn’t work the first time. Then she realized that they were also good for weapons, and stuffed even more of them into her area.
The glow was actually quite pretty, sparkling like a field of stars, so she added even more, until all the ones she could conveniently reach were picked and half her space’s floor was filled with a layer of crystals and moss.
[If I hang the bodies upside down, it will look like the night sky is above them once again.] Rae declared proudly as she began to plan how to rearrange her trophies.
[I’m glad you like them.]
“Is Rae planning to clear the entire room?” Lotus asked as the Bloodbath Spider finished her work.
“She’s got all that she wanted. She is making an art installation in her space, and it needed something to sparkle like the night sky.” Karl explained.
The Spellblades looked a bit confused, but Dana reached over to brush moss off Rae’s back, where it had fallen while she was gathering crystals.
“I’m certain that it is lovely. You’ll have to show us sometime.” The mage joked.
Rae considered that for a while. She couldn’t bring Dana in, but she could put some in the gazebo roof when they got home, and that would be good too. Hopefully, someone was taking care of their plants while they were away. There were plenty of pretty ones that should have fruits and flowers soon.
The group got ready to move, and Corbin motioned for Karl and Rae to head to the front. They could see best, and again there was only one exit to the room, headed back not far from the direction they had entered. Rae went in front, not as concerned about threats now that she had Lightning around her.
The Spider Golems took up the rear of the pack, and they walked down the hallway, careful not to make any excessive noise that would echo in the tunnels.
Karl could still hear them moving, so any beast with sensitive ears would as well, but it was better not to advertise their presence.
Another room lit with braziers was ahead, and Karl became suspicious. Something was up with this place, and he wasn’t certain what it was.
[It’s the same.] Rae noted as she inspected the room.
[It is.] Karl agreed.
Everything was the same. Size, shape, brazier placement.
“There’s another room.” He whispered to the others.
“Situation?” Alice asked.
“It’s identical to the last brazier lit room.”
Alice called Corbin up, and the two discussed the plan for a moment.
“We want to try something new. Would you be willing to enter with Lotus and Tessa, then close the door behind you?”
“Go with the group that’s the strongest at their level and see if it triggers the same sort of trap?” Karl asked.
Alice nodded gravely, and Karl turned to the clerics.
Lotus shrugged. “I think it’s for the best. If it works, we get loot. If it doesn’t, we just open the far door and have you stand in the doorway while everyone else passes through. Last time it didn’t do anything until we were all fully inside.”
“I would appreciate it if you could leave one of the healers here.” Rose muttered, as she realized what the plan was.
Corbin sighed. “She has a point. If we’re attacked while they’re gone, it would be best if we had a healer with us.”
The two clerics turned to face each other, and then began playing rock paper scissors. The first to win was Tessa, who smirked at Lotus.
“I will go with Karl, Lotus will stay with the rest of the group in case you’re attacked. We will call for you if nothing happens.”
Karl called Rae into her space, in case there was some issue with her being Commander Rank to his Ascended. The previous trial instances had recognized the beasts as individuals, so these traps might as well.
Karl led the way, with Tessa right behind him. She closed the door once they were through, and they waited for most of a minute before she sighed and opened the door again, only to find that there was nobody there.
“I guess that means it worked. Now, where is the writing, let’s see what is going on.” She announced.
The letters appeared only a few seconds later.
[Welcome to the mixed group challenge.] Tessa read, then laughed.
“This one, we could have all entered together, and fought together, but now they’re going to either be short the two of us, or they’ll be waiting for us to return.”
Karl suspected that the stress might have cracked the War Priestess, but she actually looked overjoyed.
“It’s a mixed group event, you can enter together.” Karl tried calling out to the group, in case they could still hear him, though he couldn’t see them.
Then he found himself standing on the front lines of a massive defensive battle, with Tessa right beside him. There were thousands of soldiers around them in the formation, humans, beastkin, and even ogres.
Charging toward them was a tide of elves, trolls, faeries, dryads and creatures Karl had no name for.
“Mixed Group Battle.” He muttered.
“It seems so.” Tessa agreed.
The surrounding soldiers gave them strange looks, and someone shouted as they moved forward to set a shield wall.
“Crap, they don’t speak our language.”
Tessa just shrugged. “War is war, we don’t need words. Bring out the beasts, so the others have time to get used to them, and prepare to fight.”
Karl called everyone, and the soldiers smiled. It looked like beasts in battle wasn’t that uncommon to them, and even when Rae called her Golems, the soldiers didn’t panic.
The leader of this force called something, and the rank behind the shield bearers hefted spears, setting them on top of the shields as a brace against the impact of the incoming trolls that made up the front rank of the Fae force.
The front lines were about to crash together when suddenly Karl realized they had reinforcements. The rest of the group had entered, standing behind him and Tessa.
The sound of snapping wooden spears filled the air an instant before the sound of trolls hitting shields, and a battle cry that sent the humans’ allied forces forward.
Rae sent her Golems, while Hawk took to the sky, but Thor stayed back, waiting for the first of the Trolls to breach the line, so he could plug the hole.
“What is going on? We heard you call for us to come in.” Prince Corbin called out.
“Humans and allies against Fae group battle.” Tessa yelled back, trying to be heard over the din of the battle, as Karl began to hurl attacks at the taller Fae.
“I guess we’re doing this then.” Prince Corbin sighed.
