Battle on News [22/5/2012]

[Hexicidal]

Welcome to MPGH Battle on section news


Let's start


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January 2012
=AQ= Minor Game Engine Update: Pack Bug Fix

This is just a notification that we fixed a previous bug with packs half-winning initiative so that you'd have the menu while it was the monsters turn. This has now been fixed. I've also removed the bit where generic packs usually automatically lost initiative (so packs no longer temporarily get -1001 Luck). You will need to log out and in again to fully receive this update. This has been fairly extensively tested with generic packs but if you find an issue with generic packs (or with special packs who may have been broken by this update), please report them in the discussion thread or in engine bugs in AQ bugs (for generic pack issues) or monster bugs (for specific special packs like Zadd).

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=AQ= Pet Standards Update

Good... morning, technically? Man, I need a better sleep schedule >.<

Anyway, us KoO were talking about seekret stuff in our seekret KoOcave (nananana nananana KoOman!), and there's one thing that most of us agree on: we don't like pet Training Difficulty (TD). Personally, I find it weird that we have this BM/nonBM division in pets, where some pets are completely worthless if you have no CHA, and others are nerfy if you have CHA. It also makes releases harder, since we have to plan out BM pets and nonBM pets, so we have to choose between working unnecessarily hard and making people unhappy. There's also how CHA is now a major part of the game -- back when TD was released, CHA did next to nothing, and needed some justification. Now, beastmasters are one of the more popular builds. I'd say that CHA is thriving.

So, we decided to get rid of TD. Starting from today, all new pets released will have nonBM attack rates and BM stat%. If we release a pet, then you can always pick it up and use it, regardless of your CHA. I've already updated the Nepencreep, Mini Chillax, and Robodeer pets to follow this -- they all have -66 TD now. All other old pets are still on the old standard -- they'll have to be updated later, if/when we get some free time. In particular, we really need to update the old MC pets, since this used to be their MC bonus.

This isn't completely the end of TD, though. My idea is to use it to improve pet AI. For example -- one sec. This paragraph is entirely theoretical, and is just me tossing around ideas. It is subject to change without notice. It will not be implemented anytime soon. Anyway, remember the Gweez pets, and how they heal you at random? Well, what if (when you succeed on a TD roll) they heal you more often if you have low HP, or don't heal you at all if you're full on HP? What happens is that with enough CHA, you can communicate with your Gweez and command it "Gweez, use Recover!" just like in Pokémon!

Anyway, hopefully you'll enjoy this. I saw a lot of complaints about how the last two pets were BM, so I wanted to push this forward as quickly as possible. Merry Frostval!

Note: No news came out since

Status Update

Stuff Happening Right Now!

This is just a quick post telling you some of what's going on right now and some of what to expect.
The Artix and Sepulchure Action Figures are on sale at U.S. Toys R Us locations all over the United States and also on HeroMar*****m

People have been mailing us, tweeting us and letting the community know through the AQW forums as soon as they get their own collector's Artix or Sepulchure figures and sometimes they get BOTH! We've even gotten a few YouTube videos of people receiving their boxes from stores or in the mail and letting us watch them open them up!

It's a little early to say but things are looking good for a SECOND SET of collector's figures but that's a LONG way off. Let's not get ahead of ourselves.

We also have a brand new poster for sale at HeroMar*****m which is the Good Heroes of Lore poster, drawn, inked and colored by our own Diozz (who you may remember from his Live Draw event!)

Diozz is pretty excited about his first poster!

There are no pictures of this yet on the site but the poster also comes with the Soul of a Hero armor set, including the Great Spirit of Heroism and Valkyrie of Heroism animated cloaks, also drawn by Diozz!

The team only signed 50 of there and half of those are already gone but there are a few hundred of the unsigned ones if you don't want your pretty poster all cruddded up by a bunch of game developer signatures.

We've also got an Art Contest going on right now!

The Themes Are:
1) Artix vs. Sepulchure
2) Zombies
3) Any Combo of the above options

The Contest Info page can be found here! Please read the rules carefully and PLEASE don't waste our time with stuff you rip off from the internet. You'll get caught and we'll spend a lot of time here at the lab making fun of how stupid you are. Don't be that guy.

STUFF COMING SOON!

Now let's hop into my time traveling phonebooth and dial the number for the near future.
This weekend, AQW Zombies continues as the world of lore falls further and further into the clutches of Sepulchure and more and more of your friends succumb to the zombification effects of the vile green mist.
In this alternate timeline, the traveling sales moglin Quibble Coinbiter is still traveling from town to town selling his never-before-seen, slightly-used rares and items and this Friday he returns to Battleon with a load of Zombie and Zombie Slaying themed AC RARES and ITEMS!
We'll also be trying a couple of new things in Quibble this time...
1) INVESTMENT TRINKETS: This is a new idea that I think most of you will like. Quibble will be selling small AC trinkets for about 1000 ACs each/ What do they do? NOTHING! They just sit in your bag and take up space.
BUT... a few days after Quibble has left Battleon, these investments will appreciate in value! You will be able to sell them back for MORE than you bought them for!
That's right! Buy it for 1000... sell it back for more.
There will be two versions of this trinket. A Member and a Non-Member. They will BOTH appreciate in value after Quibble leaves but the Member one will appreciate for MORE than the non-member trinket AND Members can, of course, buy both.
2) DAGE ARMOR SPECIAL: Most of the items in Quibble's shop will stick to the normal pricing that we've been with for a while but Dage the Evil is working on a special Zombie Killer armor that will be 3000 ACS! We expect the higher price to make this one of the rarest AC armors in the game.
Oh yeah, as a Member Bonus, there will be a Member Only version of the Zombie Killer, exactly like the other one... except it only costs 1 AC.
SOON: Looking For New Mods!

Reens and Stratos will soon be in search of new Mods for AQW!
I cannot stress enough how much we appreciate how much the mods do for the game but there is a lot of game to patrol and most of the mods are volunteer staff so Reens has said that she will be looking for a few extra hands.
AS soon as the search has begun we will post all the information that you need to know to apply. Please do not spam our e-mail and Twitters asking to be made a mod. Being able to read carefully and understand what you're reading is a big part of being a mod so read this part carefully. Begging for us to make you a mod now will revel that you did not read this paragraph. That's a pretty good sign that you aren't mod material.
Until we ask for applications, please review the HOW TO BECOME A MOD page.
SOON: DeathKnight Member Only Class

It won't be this released this week and probably not next week but I'm currently building a Member Only Death Knight Class (It will have different art than the DK Armor that came with the Doom Starter Package). It will take Rank 10 Doomwood Rep BUT there will be an AC Shortcut. Both versions will be Member Only.
214 days until Just Another Day


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AQWorlds: ZOMBIES!

The ultimate "WHAT IF" begins...

If you have not played through the storyline of DoomWood Parts 1 & 2, stop reading, log in and do them now! Especially Part 2, because, as other players would tell you, the story is deep, insane, full of twists which have resulted in tonight's very mysterious release... AdventureQuest Worlds: ZOMBIES.

(Spoiler Alert: If you have not finished DoomWood 1 & 2 stop reading now. Go play it quick!)

Gravelyn is one of the most interesting characters in the game. She was raised by the undead, and her Father is the DoomKnight, Sepulchure. When Sepulchure was defeated by the Chaos Lord Drakath, Gravelyn inherited her Father's throne. She became the leader of the forces of Evil.

Zombie Light Warrior Armor in the 50% shop!

It has not been easy for her. There have been numerous attempts to overthrow and thwart her. Even Noxus, who's defeated talking skull is attached to her staff refuses to respect her. We believe that Gravelyn has power and inner strength, but she has not shown us what she is capable of... yet.
So in the last cutscene, we saw her in a moment of defeat, make a wish under her breath that her Father, Sepulchure was still here. The wish, in the most unexpected way, was granted. (By the way: I do quietly read a lot of the things you post to each other and must say how impressed am I that so many of you figured out the significance of that Tomb.)

Floating Horror Cape in the 100% Shop!

But not even a wish can bring Sepulchure back... so instead, in a true act of chaos, the Champion of Chaos, Drakath disrupted time, space and reality -- causing the entire game to COMPLETELY RESTART from the beginning.
Zombie Hunter Hunter Armor and Globular FaceMorph in the UnRare AC Shop!
You remember, right? The beginning of game? When you got struck by lightning, fell down a cliff, went to the Castle of Swordhaven when the final showdown beween Good and Evil was starting? You fought your way through Sepulchure's army of the undead to get to King Alteon's throne room... then Drakath showed up and pretty much destroyed everyone and everything? BUT... what would have happened if Drakath has never showed up?
Tonight... we find out.* BATTLE ON!**
* Note: You no longer have to manually turn your war medals in! The war meter raises after every 5 zombies you slay!
**Zombies lag due to dead limbs and poor dexterity, but you might experience lag of your own due to large numbers of heroes battling while using the new war functionality.

Use Your Brain to Get Zombie-riffic Rewards!

Tonight's release brings you 4 shops stocked with epically undead rewards! Talk to Rolith in the War Camp to access the Unrare Undead AC Shop (this shop will not go rare!), and the Zombie Merge Shop (collect Zombie Skulls, Noses, and Toes!), a 50% and 100% War Shops (get the meter high enough to unlock them)! /Equip this undead gear and you'll be unstoppable!

Zombie Pirate in the UnRare AC shop, Cutlass of the Dead in the Zombie Merge Shop!

NOW AVAILABLE! Collector Action Figures

The Sepulchure and Artix collector figures are now on sale at www.HeroMar*****m and in most U.S. based Toys"R"Us stores. They went up at noon today... and OMG!!!!!!!! Thank you all so very much for supporting us during our 1st ever collector figure release! We have been packing boxes and shipping them non-stop since Noon.
The problem with the "Secret Underground Lab" not being on floor #1 is we have to get all of the boxes to street level... so we have been bringing your boxes up via the elevator. This was the 1st load... you should see the HeroMart Chamber O_O. As expected, the Rare Black Armor Variant figures are going fast. (Note: We limited it to only 2 per order so people could not hoard them -- keeping it fair!)
Remember that some Toys"R"Us stores have them too... we do not know which, but if you spot one, please take a picture and tweet it to me! Oh, and Miko just made a cool looking web page showing off the figures!

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Collector Figures!

AVAILABLE NOW at HeroMart and Toys"R"Us!

The Artix an Sepulchure Collector Action Figures will be available tomorrow at noon at www.HeroMar*****m, and in the card game section of almost all Toys"R"Us stores in the USA (They will be in ALL of them by next Wednesday). Both locations have some of the rare "Black Armor Variant" versions. Thank you to everyone who will be supporting us by getting a figure tomorrow, and a special thank you to all of you who are always there for us with your encouraging words and passion for or games. These figures are a 1st in our gaming community... we have been working on this project for over a year. Making figures is pretty crazy for an indie game studio!

See full size photo... or a gallery of photos on FaceBook.

Available at www.HeroMar*****m


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May 18, 2012
Contest Winners!

The winner of the geopetal Action Figure Action Shots contest is..... zachmac! He seriously made an entire movie starring geopetal! You can check it out here!
After that though, there were tons of great entries! I want to thank everyone who entered, a lot of you had incredibly awesome and creative ideas! I had an insanely hard time narrowing down entries, but these few have won as well:
apendix484
Shadesword12
Kade300
drinde
Zhing
The Odor
Thank you all for entering and good luck on the next contest!




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May 18, 2012Aika Village

Ghost has created a beautiful new town for you guys to explore this week! Aika Village is a peaceful little place on the coast. You can talk to the resident wood elf, Lilka, to take the ferry to Sho'Nuff or she can take you downriver into the darkest heart of the Neverglades!
The Neverglades themselves are said to be an enchanted jungle that is never ending!If you can make your way through each section of deeper and darker jungle the ultimate Aika prize might just be waiting for you at the end, the Aika Backguard! A single level version drops at the end of each huge random, but the highest level, 75 (and free player!), waits for those that can defeat the Deepest Neverglades!

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May 17, 2012Of ghosts and gravol

Heya! So, um… this week we kinda had to change up our plans. We were going to release the next quest in the search for the professor, but unfortunately the beginning of week didn't go the way I had planned. I got punched in the face by a stomach flu and it wiped me out on Monday. By Tuesday I was still K.O.'d and so I asked my wonderful wife to speak to Geo on my behalf. It went something like this:

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*spoiler part removed*
Charis: Hey (Charis here) Ghost asked me to sign in & let you know that he's "in & out" today… lol - stomach flu… I'm gonna go wake him up & medicate him again in a min though so I'll ask him.
Geo: oooh ouch, ok
Charis: Gravol knocks him out - lol
Geo: I think he has Aika mostly done, so we can do that this week so it's easy on him.
Charis: Once he sleeps that off he'll be fine, I think.
~some time later~
Charis: He's slightly incoherent but he said "Yah, tell her that… tell her… um… yeah, it should probably have a… quest in it. No, it should have a … tell her probably that…" lol
Geo: yeaaah, let's plan on that so it's an easy week. I'll check in with him tomorrow then, have him sleep for now

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So.. SURPRISE! We're releasing Aika Village this week, lol. Geo is laughing maniacally right now because the cliffhanger she wrote at the end of last week's quest will be extended! Hehe, so evil. Anyway, you'll be able to travel to Aika via the gryphon in Falconreach. It's a quaint little beach town on the East coast. Here you'll meet Lilka, captain of a small ferry, who will take you to Sho Nuff island. In the future, Aika will be tied in to a large walkaround that connects Valencia to the Sandsea, and also to Willowshire. Not sure if there will be a quest this week since we lost a lot of time, so my apologies. Next week will be great though!

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May 16, 2012
Refined Tastes

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
How are you enjoying your new Pyro Flies? Be sure to keep them well fed from yummy enemy skills or they might carry you off instead! Mechachillids (Kraggor's race) have been spotted emerging from burrows across Delta V which lead us to believe that there's something big happening in the old Varium mines. The Mechachillids were built to dig, so maybe they've uncovered something extra nasty down there...something that should have stayed buried.

New Stuffzorz!


We’re adding another reward to the current selection of bonus items available with varium purchase: the Tactical Battlegear pack. This reward is worth 3 keys, and contains unique level 20 weapons, so it will be useful for those who have some experience in the game, but are still having trouble against those fully-armored level 25s!
Remember, all of our current promotional items will also be available, and you can use keys to unlock multiple rewards. For example, you can use the 3 key package to unlock one 2 key reward and 1 single key reward, or select a 5 key package and chose a 3 key reward and a 2 key reward.

Refined
This week, we will be opening the Refinery under the Minetower. Players already know about the Mechachillidae, but what other secrets are contained in the Refinery? And what about the mysterious Delta Vaults?
The Refinery and the areas beyond will be the setting for the upcoming Infernal Infiltration War.
This war will also feature new mission types, such as missions that are completed by winning random 1v1, 2v2, or any random battle!

Chemotaxis
Chemotaxis is the process by which recognition proteins on cells recognize chemical signals. Many insects recognize chemical signals in the form of pheromones, such as aggregation, alarm, or signal pheromones, or to attract mates. Common in social insects is the formation of pheromone trails, such as those laid by ants, which are then followed by other members of the colony.
The Mechachillidae are also able to follow trails, such as those left by citizens’ personal teleportation devices. Which is why Kraggor is able to follow players so swiftly!

Action!
Artix and Sepulchure action figures are going on sale at HeroMart this Friday, and they should also be at a Toys ‘R' Us near you on May 23 (provided you live in the United States). Keep an eye on Arti*****m for the lastest updates.


Intercepted!
The following is a correspondence between Silas Auer and Paloma San Marco, Administrators of Fortune City districts 7 and 9 respectively.

To Paloma San Marco, Administrator of Fortune City’s 9th District:

Paloma, I know you prefer communication to be high-tech, but I really can’t risk this letter being picked up by Her Excellency’s tech squad. I hope you understand. You’ve been a loyal friend and confidant ever since you were a Guard under my command fifteen years ago. I know I’m no longer your commanding officer, but I hope I can trade on that authority for a huge favor.
My informant in the old mine tower tells me that the man who’s taken control of that area, my old enemy John St. Alban, is planning on cracking open the Delta Vaults. You know the rumors as well as I do- if the Lawman gets his bloodied hands on whatever’s down there... well, I know the man as well as anyone. He’s the kind of man who’ll stab you in the back while convincing you that it was your idea to get stabbed in the first place!
I need to take care of this. The Lawman will die by my hands- this isn’t a job I trust to anyone else. All I’m asking of you is to make sure the scum who call District 7 their home manage not to kill each other in my absence. Or just kill each other a little. Her Excellency can’t find out that I’m shirking my administrative duties, not after what happened with Williamson. While I’m not acting against Her Excellency, I ain’t acting on her orders either.

Thank you, Paloma.

Silas

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To Silas Auer, Administrator of Fortune City’s 7th District

Silas, I built the watchdog systems. I concur, pen to paper is the perfect way to avoid detection.
I’m half-surprised that you didn’t try to get the old team back together for this. I know that Boothe would be itching for some warmer weather- although he probably likes the cold, being Krampus royalty and all. Neither Boothe nor Habuki are Alydriah’s favorites at this time, and I have not engaged in a true mission in far too long. My sword grows rusted on the shelf above my desk. I do not need to mention Lorenzo. Is Valestra involved?
Exercise caution, my friend, that you do not allow your anger to overtake you. Vengeance is sweet, but the fruit has a bitter rind. And Her Excellency may not see things through your eyes.

Peace.
-Paloma

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To Paloma San Marco

Valestra is joining me. St. Alban’s as responsible for her arm as he is for my face. I’ve got a few others with a bone to pick with the Lawman, including his oldest daughter. This is not your fight, Paloma.
Lorenzo. I don’t know who that kid in the train hub is, but he sure ain’t Lorenzo. One of mine put Lorenzo in the ground.
I really don’t see why we need to concern Her Excellency with this at all. She can’t see anyone doing anything to bring her down any, no matter what’s in there. Though I fear even for us if it’s something worthwhile to her.
Besides. You know how I feel about rules.

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May 09, 2012
Riveting Design Notes

Hi folks, and welcome to another EpicDuel Design Notes. Some people were upset last week because we forgot to announce in the DNs that the bunny weapons were leaving. I apologize sincerely for that. Development is a fluid process and sometimes changes are made last-minute that we don't have time to mention here. But, if you want to keep on top of all the previews (including the stuff that doesn’t make it into the DNs), please follow us on Twitter (@Titan_EpicDuel, @Nightwraith_ED, @charfade, @Cinderella_ED) or “like” us on Facebook (Facebook.com/EpicDuelOfficial).

Infernal Insects


War is brewing beneath the surface of Delta V, and it’s ready to crack the planet wide open! Mechanical insects that can only be the stuff of nightmares are pouring out from abandoned mine towers like soldiers from a hive, but a special warrior might be able to tame them and harness their incredible power!

The Pyro Fly is a new pet/bot that can either be purchased in-game from Kraggor or as a promotional item with the purchase of Varium, being worth 3 keys. Its special skill is Infernal Swarm, which causes tiny mechanical fireflies to swarm your opponent and neutralize one active skill at random.

But the Pyro Fly is not the only insect emerging from the mines. Charfade’s been hard at work on these mechanical monsters.

What is their purpose? Only time will tell.

Missions?
RabbleFroth loves me. He must because in the updates leading up to the war, he’s programmed me a bunch of new missions features! Players will be able to play real quest chains (where a requirement for one quest is the quest prior to it in the chain), accept quests specific to your class (Hunters, Mercenaries, and Mages), and follow the story more effectively with mission complete text! I just found out about this today, so I’ll be writing three class-specific chains (I haven’t decided on the reward yet, but we don’t want to force players to class change for some pixels). Bounty Hunters and Cyber Hunters should visit Tamaril, Mercenaries and Tactical Mercenaries should visit Navarro, and Mages and Blood Mages should visit Sekk. They will tell you a little history, and give you an item that you can turn in to Xraal so that all players get the same reward.

Artix Action Figures!


Artix action figures are coming soon to Heromart! We've also received word that Toys 'R' Us stores across the country are starting to receive their first shipments! With these figures, you will also receive a substantial amount of additional bonuses. Cysero breaks it down for you in the AQ Design Notes!
What action figures would you like to see produced after Artix and Sepulchure? A Nightwraith with karate-chop action would be the bee's knees!*
*Stop hijacking my DNs, Nightwraith!

The Confrontation
The following preview takes place 15 years before current events.
Silas stormed out of Valestra’s hospital room, and as he walked dialed up John St. Alban on his communicator. “What have you done?” he snarled into the receiver.
“Silas. Come to the minetower.” John droned in the communicator, and the line went dead. Seconds later, exact coordinates appeared, leading Silas to the tower’s apex.
When Silas arrived, he saw John standing in wait next to what appeared to be a corpse in a glass coffin being tended to by a diminutive, lab tech, hunchbacked from years of working in the mines. “What is this, John. You set Valestra up to be killed, for what?”
“I sent Commander Hitchens off-planet so I could investigate without arousing Ms. Descarl’s suspicions.”
“Investigate what?”
“Five years ago, you told me about the Vaults. I finally managed to find out who sent you that message, and I’ve been in communication with him ever since. He couldn’t tell me specifics, and communication’s been choppy since Baelius declared victory and sovereignty. I had to figure out a way to get on planet when all communication with my contact ceased. I’m afraid I was too late to help him in any appreciable way.” He gestured toward the coffin. Silas approached it and looked at the corpse- much of the tissue on the face and head was missing, and the arm the man had presumably used to shield his face was completely destroyed. But, what little of the face had not been reduced to skull Silas recognized, as well as the intact navy blue of his uniform.
“The engineer...Ulysses.” The corpse turned its head toward Silas. Both of his eyes were missing, reduced to burned-out hollow sockets. Silas screamed in spite of himself.
“He ain’t dead, kid. That box is preparing him to be shot off into the Void. He’ll be suspended there until someone can fix him.”
“Why...”
“He knew too much, and he was reduced to this by Descarl’s brother before he could tell me what was in the Vaults. I failed, Silas. I was too late.”
“You could have told me. You didn’t have to lie to me. You didn’t have to hurt Valestra.”
“That was unfortunate. She had to try and be the hero.”
“She has a daughter around Selina’s age. Turned four two months ago.” Silas allowed his words to sink in. “You of all people should understand that.”
John turned to Silas with an exasperated look on his face. “If everything had gone according to plan, she would have been released and home to see her husband and kid just in time for dinner. But no, you had to enter their airspace and panic that militia. Had to save your damsel in distress. Though, I gotta admit, I admire your stubbornness.”
“None of which changes the fact that you betrayed me. We’re supposed to be partners, John.”
“I didn’t want to get you involved. I wanted to protect you.” They were silent. “It’s this planet, Silas. It gets into your blood, makes a man crazy. Let’s get off this godforsaken rock and back to civilization.”
John was interrupted by a gunshot- the bullet knocked the Lawman’s trademark hat into the air, and Silas stood, gun drawn, calmly looking down and away from John. “Leave. Before I kill you, John.”
“Silas...”
“I mean it. Get out of my sight.”
The Lawman picked up his hat, brushed it off, and replaced it on his head. “If that’s how you see things, I certainly understand. I reckon I’ll be on my way.” Silas turned, satisfied, and forcefully hit the ground. The two men struggled over Silas’s weapon, fists flying. John was bigger and a more experienced fighter than Silas, who, fueled by rage, swung wildly at the older man. Tears stung his eyes, and his aim betrayed him more often than not. Finally, the gun discharged, a spray of blood filled the air, and Silas fell to the floor.
The Lawman kicked away Silas’s pistol and slammed his boot into his former partner’s face where the bullet had hit, leaning forward. “Never forget who you’re crossing, boy. You’ve made yourself a powerful enemy.” He twisted his foot around, the sickening crackle of bone plainly audible beneath his feet.
Silas coughed defiantly. “So’ve you.”
John scowled. “Just remember who your real friends are, kid. Alydriah. Valestra. Women like that will keep you around until you ain’t of use to them no more, like an old hunting cur. I still can’t believe you’d trust her after what happened five years back. Me? I’ve been here through thick and thin. Just remember that.” John tipped his hat and walked off. The lab tech with the coffin started the teleporter, and Silas crawled out and made his way back to Fortune City.
He joined the Shadow Guard that night.

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NOTE:

Mech Quest website is currently unavailable


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