Editing Announcements - Asheron's Call Beta (section)

=== Revenge! ===

{{Microsoft Zone
 |  Link = <nowiki>http://www.zone.com/asheronscall/news/ASHEnewswardiel2.asp</nowiki>
 |  Date =
 | Title = Revenge!
 |  Text =
Eldrin relates an interesting side drama to the struggle against Wardiel in which a traitor ultimately sabotages himself.
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<font color=#FFFFFF>'''Revenge! (A True Story)'''</font><br>
''By Eldrin''
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It was midday in Cragstone as Eldrin entered the town. He had just run from Rithwic after a rather exciting battle with Wardiel the Mighty, who had fled the field like a coward when he found that the resistance was too strong.
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Eldrin had carefully noted Wardiel's path, and he was guessing that after Rithwic the evil sorcerer would attack either Eastham or Cragstone next. As it happened, Wardiel struck Eastham first, giving Eldrin and many others who had chosen the same path just enough time to reach Cragstone before his arrival.
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The evil sorcerer appeared, and before long a substantial group of fighters and mages had gathered around, each hacking at the servant of Bael'Zharon and casting their most powerful spells. Eldrin quickly ran in and tried his blade. When his sword proved to be no match for Wardiel, he turned to his bow and shot a rain of arrows onto his adversary. However, this is where the story takes a dismal turn, for while heroism was in the hearts of many that night, so was treachery.
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After loosing another frog crotch arrow, Eldrin paused to reload. It was at that point he was struck from behind, and wounded rather badly. Astounded and thinking some adventurer had misplaced a blow, Eldrin began to turn. He had only moved slightly when the second attack came, leaving him with barely half his health. He spun the rest of the way to find a man named Gal Etah grinning evilly at him. Fearing for his life, Eldrin withdrew hastily from the battle, Gal Etah in hot pursuit. He dodged between the houses, attempting to lose his assailant, but it was not to be. At last, Eldrin ducked into the local tavern and hid under the stairs, hoping to be safe just long enough to regain his health and be able to put up a fight. But as if from nowhere, Gal Etah appeared before him. Eldrin sprang to his feet and tried to escape, but Gal Etah blocked his one way out of the small space he had foolishly placed himself in. Gal Etah struck him once, twice -- and Eldrin crumpled into a heap on the ground, dead.
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Fortunately for Eldrin, just minutes before he had bound himself to the local lifestone, where he now appeared. He had the traditional five minutes after death in which he was no longer a player killer, and he used them in the only way he could think of: finding Gal Etah. Before long he had located the murderous coward, who also appeared as a white dot on the compass -- he must have died as well, killed by someone else. "I still have a score to settle" Eldrin told himself, and quietly began to follow his killer around the map, ignoring the battle all around him. Before long he had changed back into a player killer, which meant Gal Etah wasn't far off himself. Eldrin noted the dot turning to red on his compass, and quietly waited for his opportunity. Gal paused and lay down to heal himself after a scrap with another player, at which point Eldrin struck. He had lost his leggings, gloves, sollerets, shield, and sword when he died, leaving him with only his bow and some arrows. He pulled free his bow and let fly an arrow, which struck Gal Etah, who now rose to defend himself. Before long, Eldrin was seriously wounded yet again, and took off at a run. "I'm going about this all wrong..." thought Eldrin. "I was killed through treachery; perhaps I should fight fire with fire." Eldrin quickly healed his wounds and set out to find his foe.
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He quickly located Gal, who was wandering around town, no doubt looking for some other poor soul to murder. Eldrin resisted the urge to let fly a hail of arrows, and quietly stalked his opponent for a good five minutes. He waited cautiously for his opportunity, then spotted it. Gal had engaged another player, who seemed to be putting up a decent fight. Gal Etah was in trouble, and Eldrin vowed to make him pay. Seeing that Gal's health was very low, Eldrin quickly sprang from the bushes and leveled his bow at Gal. He loosed an arrow, which struck Gal square in the back. Gal began to turn to this new threat, but it was already too late. Eldrin quickly nocked another arrow and took aim. He let fly the deadly shaft and watched with grim satisfaction as it struck Gal Etah directly in the head, killing him instantly. Eldrin let out a cry of victory as the murderer fell limply to the ground.
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He walked over to the body, which was already being looted by Mortanius, the fellow Gal had been assaulting when Eldrin made his shot. Fearing that Mortanius would be upset that Eldrin had stolen his kill, Eldrin was pleasantly surprised when he complimented him quite civilly on his shot. Eldrin asked if he had found a particularly nice lightning ken on the body, and perhaps a pair of sollerets, but Mort only answered, "No," before running off to join the battle. Eldrin checked the corpse to see what Mort had left, and was again surprised to find a very nice silver basinet, which he quickly donned. Still depressed at the loss of his items, Eldrin made his way back to the inn where he had been killed. He wove his way around the furniture to the small space behind the stairs and received his third shock as he found all his items still lying on the floor! And not only that, several there had belonged to Gal Etah, who must have been killed quite soon after killing Eldrin. He quickly gathered what he found, and then, a broad smile on his face, he ran back to join the fray.
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