We ended up reaching Shadowbane late at night on that Saturday, the day after Diane unlocked her pet inventory. Although she wanted to be online when we reached the city, there wasn’t much that we could do about it, with her time restriction. However, I did promise her that we wouldn’t seek out the League of Assassins until she was able to log in the next day, which she was thankful for.
As for Wyr… well, we wanted to spend the night in a city for once, so Diane kept him in her pet inventory overnight. There were still a few days left until he reached his full size, but he was already almost as tall as Diane herself, no longer able to simply ride on her shoulder as he once had.
The inns at Shadowbane were… slightly more expensive than those back in Brita, being five silver a night instead of three. On the other hand, they included meals with the purchase, so I was more than happy to pay for myself and Diane to get individual rooms.
When morning came on Sunday, Diane’s Chosen made sure to act in a serious manner, befitting one looking to join the league. Although I knew that she was generally more relaxed, it didn’t feel all that weird seeing her pretend to act like her player.
“Anything that I can help the two of you with, today?” An elven woman with short, brown hair and red eyes asked. She was a Fallen, like myself, and greeted us with a smile. This was the proprietress of the inn that we were staying at, known as the Twisted Oak Inn, named after a large tree that grew behind the inn itself.
“Food, please.” Diane answered calmly, and the woman nodded her head.
“Of course, dear. Coming right up.” After she said that, she turned to leave and retreat back into the kitchen.
To avoid being overheard, Diane and I quickly switched to privately messaging each other through our friends list. So, has your player heard anything about the league here that I’d need to know?
Diane seemed to think about it for a moment, before nodding her head. I was given a way to contact the league. There is an address, as well as a passphrase to use. We can go and check it out when she logs in. Otherwise, there are some rules that we have to follow.
I nodded my head, signaling for her to continue. First, we cannot hurt an NPC. Chosen, Fallen, and Players can all be revived, but NPCs only have one life. If a member of the League is found to have knowingly and willfully killed NPCs, the League will hunt them down and incarcerate them.
I couldn’t help but shudder when I read that. For those that could respawn, incarceration was a greater punishment than death. Especially if they make it so that you respawn in your cell if you die. I wasn’t planning on going after any NPCs, but noted. Anything else?
There are two ways to get into the League. The first is by recommendation, which is how I’m getting in. The second method is by proving yourself in a trial. If you want in, that will be your method.
When I read that, I gave a faint nod. Did you happen to learn what that trial is?
Diane simply shook her head at that question. Only that it’s harder than earning a recommendation in another city.
I shrugged my shoulders, resolved to whatever trials that they wanted to impose. If Diane and I were going to be cooperating for the foreseeable future, it would be best for both of us to be part of the same organization, in case there were any quests involved that required secrecy. Even if I was now playing as her tank, The fact that I had trained my stealth all the way to Ghost-X remained.
Soon, the proprietress brought us out two large plates of food, complete with eggs, sliced ham, and bread. This was… certainly the best meal that I had actually paid for, Diane and I both happily began eating. “Anything else that I can do for you two?” The elven woman asked kindly as we devoured our food.
I took a moment to swallow before answering. “Not right now, thanks. Is it normal for the place to be so empty? I would have thought that a city like this would be bustling with players.”
The elven woman simply chuckled. “Typically, only the stealthier players remain in Shadowbane for any length of time. All of the nearby dungeons cater almost exclusively to that sort. And they typically leave after getting what they need. That, or they join the League.” She said with a playful wink, before turning to go back to the front counter.
Diane and I looked at each other in surprise. I thought that the League was more secretive. Do you think she’s in it?
Diane thought about it for a moment, before giving a noncommittal shrug. Maybe? It’s possible that the locals know about it because this is the headquarters. But, she is a Fallen, so it’s entirely possible.
I nodded my head at that. How long until she logs on?
It would be best if Diane’s player was here before any more potential interactions with the League happened. It should be any minute.
Sure enough, by the time we were finished eating, I could see the faint glow of Diane’s brand from under her hood, her demeanor subtly changing. She looked down at the table, and then at me, seeming to read through our chat history. Once she was done, she gave a silent nod, standing up and gesturing for me to follow.
Once we were outside, Diane began to lead the way. “You’re going to take the trial?” She asked aloud, to which I nodded my head.
“May as well. It’s not like there’s a League for what I am.” I pointed out, and she gave a solemn nod.
Diane led the way through the streets in relative silence. Shadowbane had a gloomier atmosphere than most places, due to a perpetually overcast sky that caused the city to always be in a state of darkness, or at most dim light. Most of the trees in the town were twisted and withered, and many citizens had a darker skin tone. That last one honestly confused me, because I thought that they’d be paler without the light. Maybe they were from the desert further west, or there was a skill that caused that effect?
Either way, once Diane brought us into an alley, she looked around briefly, walking over to one wall and tapping against a brick with an upturned arrow carved into it. “Three coins for every shadow.” She whispered, and the brick wall seemed to tremble.
The brick wall crumbled into ash, allowing the two of us to enter a long hallway that I was fairly sure didn’t fit in the relatively small house that the brick wall should have led to. Was there some sort of special skill at work in the construction of this base?
The two of us walked in, and we could see sunlight streaming in through the windows, brighter than the gloomy skies of Shadowbane. Several hooded figures sat at various tables, playing cards or dice, while others seemed to be dressed like normal citizens.
There were branching corridors that led to other areas, the walls made of a smooth, yellow stone. At the far end, there was a figure draped in black sitting on an iron throne. He had green eyes and black hair, nodding his head towards Diane. “We’ve been expecting you. We didn’t know that you’d be bringing a guest, though…”
Diane nodded her head, stepping forward. “My friend has come to undergo the trials. I ask the Grandmaster to grant him a chance.”
The man’s eyes seemed to peer through me, before his eyes narrowed. “I see no reason to waste my time on a level one Fallen. A Failure will always be a Failure.”
Diane’s eyes widened, her entire body going stiff. I could sense the barely hidden anger in her trembling shoulders. “Is that what you believe?” She asked in a cold tone. “In that case… I will stake my own membership on his trial. That should be enough to at least earn him an attempt, should it not?”
The Grandmaster looked rather annoyed when he heard that. “Just because you received a recommendation does not mean that you have any sway here. Your recommendation only means that someone saw potential in you. Whether that potential amounts to anything or not is yet to be seen.”
Already, there were discussions around the room, until a female, redheaded foxfolk stepped up, smiling slightly. “Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad to test them, Erebus. Who knows, the Failure may surprise us.”
I could practically hear Diane gritting her teeth, so I brought a hand down to rest on her shoulder. “I think actions speak louder than words.” I said, activating my Ghost-X skill. This caught quite a few members of the League by surprise, murmurs breaking out as they began to look from side to side. Only the Grandmaster, Erebus, seemed able to trace my movements, as I saw his eyes following me as I walked across the hall.
“That’s quite the stealth Skill.” Erebus said, his voice losing the annoyance that it had before. “I’d expect someone at your level to immediately burnout if they activated it. Which means it should be related to your trait. If you came to show off a ten star stealth trait, you have a few screws loose.”
“My trait has nothing to do with stealth.” I told him. “This is a skill that I leveled up from the start, Ghost-X.” Although I said that, I kept the skill active, causing the murmurs of the crowd to intensify.
Erebus leaned forward slightly, and it was hard to tell whether or not he was impressed with the display. “Whether that’s true or not… It would seem that this is at least enough to earn your trials.” After saying that, he glanced at Diane. “Both of you. You wanted to stake your membership on him, right? The two of you will take a trial together. Whether you pass or fail will depend on yourselves.”
“Wisteria! You’ll be in charge of this trial.” The redheaded foxfolk that spoke up nodded her head in acceptance, turning to face us as Erebus leaned back in his seat. Only then did I release my Ghost-X, appearing next to Diane again.
“Please follow me, both of you.” She said, gesturing to the two of us as she began walking. Several of the other members seated at the tables also rose to their feet, clearly eager to see a show.
“Sorry about that…” Diane spoke in a soft tone, but I simply patted her shoulder. I had the feeling that if I didn’t act when I did, Diane would have refused to join the organization at all, either lashing out at them or simply taking me and leaving.
“Like I said, actions speak louder than words. If you want them to stop talking like that… let’s make them.” Diane clenched her fists, something seeming to flash in her eyes as she nodded her head.
