(Will edit title when I get home. Collar with Llama and Proxy.) Roman walked up the cobbled streets of whiterun, scanning the crowd for the face of his sister’s avatar. He checked his friends tab and saw that she was indeed in Skyrim at the moment. He took his time in making way towards the Drunken Huntsman. Hopefully, she would be there, since his next spot to look was all the way in Windhelm. A small khajiit avatar ran past him, and he leaned to the right to avoid its pickpocket hand. The avatar went past him and then chose another player to rob. He would've done something, but his HP was dangerously low and he'd left his healing potions in his house. He stepped into the drunken huntsman and spotted Sarah's avi, speaking to a familiar tiny bard, by the username of HecateProxy. He gave the latter a slight wave, then turned to his sister. [color=chocolate]”Ganandork and I killed that dragonborn that's been hunting us. She's got full Fus Roh Dah, so we still need to watch out for her.”[/color] He said nothing more and sat beside Proxy, looking like a giant, given their two-foot height difference. He dropped a bag of 200 gold coins. [color=chocolate]”Can you play a healing tune?”[/color] [Color=yellow]”Huh?”[/Color] she looked over at him, startled as Proxy had been preoccupied glaring at the chipper rogue before her. [Color=Yellow]”Oh, yeah. Sure. Just stand back and prepare to be amazed and slightly less, bloody.[/color] Proxy mused at the hulking figure before her. She had only met Slayer a few times before but he often overpaid, not that she was complaining, and tipped freely. Pulling out her lute the menu popped up once more and Proxy quickly scrolled to one of her more powerful healing spells. Music poured from her avatar as she watched his health slowly begin to climb. [Color=yellow]”You lucked out. I just unlocked this one the other day. You'll have a 10 percent health regen for the next five minutes as well.”[/color] As the music faded away she quickly pocketed the coins as Andromida0014 cleared her throat behind them. [Color=yellow]”I've not forgotten you.”[/color] She popped down her HUD menu once more and divided up her loot before sending over half to the pesky bar wench. [Color=yellow]”See? Now go pester the other bards.”[/color] Turning back to the siblings Proxy propped her hands on her hips, [color=yellow]”So, what's the big event you had planned, Moon?”[/color] Sarah intently watched on as HectateProxy went on to heal her brother. The young woman smiled on at the two before turning to her brother, “You’re lucky Proxy is nice enough to heal you. I could've taken on like thirty at once and killed them all with one arrow.” Sarah’s arrogance mixed in well with her sarcasm so she could play off being a bit of a jerk to her brother. “I need to be able to do these shouts. Can you imagine how easier life would be…. buuuut instead I stick to pickpocketing and sneaking around caves for gold.” Sarah returned her attention to Proxy, who had finished playing the healing time and had addressed her over what they were going to do. “Well seeing as how Ro here killed the Dragonborn that's been trying to kill us off, I kind of don't have an agenda anymore.” The young woman grinned at both of them before she remembered that her avatar’s suit covered the majority of her face, so instead she simply shrugged and looked towards her brother for some guidance. Roman formulated an idea in his mind, one that he was very eager to complete. He leaned forward on the wooden barstool. [color=chocolate]” I've been trying to get my hands on a dragonscale shield. I could buy one but I can't locate a vendor that has one. An info broker gave me a hint that there was a bandit camp outside Falkreath where a few players stashed their loot from a blood dragon, but they're camped out their. We'd have to kill them to get to it, but it's also a chance to increase other skill trees in combat, for all three of us.” “Can you invite Ganandork? Just in case?” Sarah interjected without really thinking of what she was asking. [color=chocolate]”He's backup. Stealth is important so we don't need a tank until necessary.”[color=chocolate] He said, looking at his sister. “The camp is right against a cliff on Knifepoint Ridge. We’ll go around the top of the cliff and you’ll cover us with your bow. Proxy and I will sneak down into the camp as you take out the guards on the towers. We’ll figure out the rest when we get there, because I haven’t been able to scout it yet.”[/color] He ended his plan, and quickly sent an message to Ganandork. [Color=yellow]”It all sounds good to me.”[/color] Proxy mused as she shuffled through her inventory, swapping out her hide boots for a pair of soft cloth with a stealth bonus. [Color=Yellow]”I've got a few buffs that'll help with sneak and archery damage,”[/color] she looked over at Moon, [color=yellow]”That is- if you're interested. It racks on a 15 percent damage bonus of stealth attacks. As for you, Slayer, what's your weapon of choice?”[/color] She was already scrolling through her spell list and prepping herself for their impending quest. “You've got the good stuff? I'll take some!” Sarah said jokingly as she walked closer to Proxy. “I’ve got five hundred on me right now because I forgot I already had money in and deposited more because I'm an idiot…. If it's not enough, Ro will cover for me and I'll pay him back. As for coverage… I guess you could say that I've got y'all covered. Ready to go?” Sarah stretched quickly before becoming lively again and pacing around as the two got their ducks in a row. She never stood still and much less when their was an impending acting packed quest. The thrill always had her jumping around like a bouncy ball going off the walls. Roman, satisfied that a plan was set in place, left the girls alone for a moment. He fast travelled back to his home and traded his travel gear for his higher level armour, which was enchanted to perfectly complement his speedy, stealthy play style, but with also enough protection to allow him to engage in head-on combat. His armour set was similar to that of the armor of the Dark Brotherhood, but more protective and stronger, and complimented by his personal enchantments. He fitted his inventory and his assorted weapons appeared on his avatar in their respective places. On his back was an ebony sword, with an upgraded base damage of 15, plus a very damaging flame enchantment. On the left side of his belt was a glass war axe with a spark enchantment. Finally, strapped to the right side of his belt was an ebony dagger that was enchanted with HP drain. His sneak skill being perfected, a stealth kill with any dagger would do six times the dagger’s base damage. Essentially, it was his best weapon. Around dusk, the trio gathered around a cliff’s edge above Knifepoint Ridge. A shadowy figure in the distance confirmed that Ganandork was in his place for backup. Roman began numbering the players in the camp. He counted six avatar’s in total. Two at the blacksmith’s forge below, two at the tents, one at the gate, and one on the watch tower. He looked to his sister, whispering to her. [color=chocolate]”The guard on the watchtower is your first target. Prox and I will drop down and take out the two guys at the forge, then, once we move forward, you drop the avi at the gate. That will allow us to kill those guys at the tents with no problem.”[/color] He ran through his plan mentally, checking to make sure there wasn’t a better, safer way. He decided that the plan would definitely work better than any other. He was getting ready to climb down the cliff when the gate of the small fort slung open. He swore and ducked back down as two more avatars walked in. He squinted to see their usernames, and now he found himself even more nervous. As B4DB0Y and KandyMandy talked to the avatar at the gate, Roman looked to his sister. “That’s the Dovakhiin that Gan killed.” He said. He wouldn’t have worry too much about them if he hadn’t just killed KandyMandy earlier that day. Once she died, her daily ability reset - an unfortunate mechanic that some people exploited. “I don’t know what shouts she has, but she has all three words of Unrelenting Force…” [Color=yellow]”Then we just need to take her out before she has a chance to blink.”[/color] Proxy said with a devilish gleam in her eyes. [Color=yellow]”Alright. I have a small idea. I have some point in conjugation. Not much, but I do have familiar unlocked. Now, we still need Moon to take out the guard,”[/color] she turned to look at Moon, [color=yellow]”Your stealth buff will last approximately five more minutes so we need swift and precise. Drop the guard and then signal us… uhh, hoot or something.”[/color] She turned back to Slayer, [color=yellow]”As for us we need to get the Dovakhiin and her partner out of there. The bandits in the camp are nothing in comparison. I was thinking if we can get Gan to lead them away with the help of my familiar we could take out the camp, the three of us, and then surround the pair while they're chasing after Gan.”[/color] It was a risky plan but she honestly thought it'd work, that is if they could take out everyone before the two figured it out. Roman nodded as he processed proxy’s idea. It was a solid plan, especially if Gan could lay the bait. He quickly sent him a PM. [i]”Dov is here, get her attention as soon as Moon drops the avi on the watchtower.”[/i] A moment later, Gan confirmed that he was ready. [color=chocolate]”Gan’s ready.”[/color] He said shortly. He opened his inventory and selected a Magika Poison potion.”[/color] He sent the potion to Sarah’s gift inbox. [color=chocolate]”I need you to poison an arrow and shoot the Dova. Prox we kill them and then help Gan. She’s a strong mage, Gan doesn’t have any wards worth using. Summon your toughest familiar and we’ll go after her. If we get lucky we can bait her to use the Thu’Um and waste it.”[/color] The confirmed their combined plans and Roman got ready to move. He watched for Ganandork in the distance, not seeing him until his stepped from his hiding spot. He stepped out onto the road and summoned a fireball spell in both hands. The spell was pathetically weak, but Gan didn’t need damage rather than distraction. He charged both hands and released to balls off flame that sailed towards KandyMandy and B4DB0Y. The dovakhiin mage was much too quick for Gan’s spells to do anything. She quickly summoned a ward and the fireballs dissolved against the magic barrier. [b]”Hey, Dovakhiin, remember me? I’m the guy that destroyed you this morning. Up for round two?”[/b] Gan shouted. KandyMandy shook her head, summoned shock spells into both hands, and charged them up. [b]”He’s baiting you, Mandy. He wants to fight.”[/b] B4DB0Y warned. [b]”I know, that jerk left my avatar naked in the woods. I’ll kill him real quick, won’t even shout.”[/b] She said, marching forward. [b]”We’ll take care of him, give us a minute.”[/b] She said to the Bandit players. She released her bolts of lightning towards Gan, who was thrown into the air as the magic collided with him. Roman heard Gan swear as he flew back and fell against the trees, but the forest was too dark for him to see where he had ended up. The two partners rushed into the woods after Gan, taking their bait. [color=Chocolate]”Now.”[/color] He said to Proxy. The two of them down the sloped cliff, falling into the Bandit Camp. As they hit the dirt, Sarah released an arrow that downed the player on the watchtower. Roman stabbed the bandit nearest him while Proxy took the other. They repeated the process with the players around the campfire, then Roman drew his sword, sneaking up behind the player at the gate. His sneak and one-handed skill, combined with his sword’s damage, gave him an instakill. The kill animation took over and he stabbed the player through the abdomen. As the avatar fell to it’s knees, Roman pulled his sword back and swung it forward, lopping the player’s virtual head off. [Color=yellow]”Well that was fun but I think it's time we pop on to the main course.”[/color] Proxy sighed before taking off towards the woods. Earlier she had sent out one of her strongest familiars, a little dire wolf, to help lure KandyMandy and B4DB0Y away from the camp and hopefully give Gan some cover. Though as she minded her stats it was almost time for the apparition to disappear. There was only a few minutes left on her sneak buff as Proxy slithered into the woods. She had pulled up her familiar spell once more, summoning this time a small fox creature. Its health was half of the dire woods but I tested twice as long. She plugged in its basic commands, targeting B4DB0Y and hoping to separate him from his partner. With deft fingers she plucked an invisible potion from her inventory and sent it to Slayer. If he could sneak up on the mage he could fell her in one clean swoop. [Color=yellow]”Come on, little fox.”[/color] she muttered. B4DB0Y trudged after KandyMandy. [B]”You sure you want to waste time this way?”[/b] [B]”Its barely any time wasted. He's probably only got a sliver of health left, not even that. You saw him fly.”[/b] there was a snide tone to her voice as she picked her way through the woods. She was sure he had crash landed over in this direction and there was no way she was going to let him get away after the stunt he pulled earlier. KandyMandy could still feel the heat rise in her cheeks when her avatar had awoken bare in a crowded place. [B]”What was that?”[/b] B4DB0Y halted as he caught a glimpse of a pale blue creature dart behind the brush. [B]”It was nothing, come on.”[/b] [B]”No. It was not [I]nothing[/i]. It looked like another familiar.[/b] [B]”Oh please. Did you see the weak little fire balls he casted? He's not a mage. It's probably one of the guys at the camps. You know how they are, nosey.”[/b] she brushed him off but B4DB0Y wasn't convinced. [B]”I'm just going to check it out.”[/b] [B]”Oh for Christ's sake, fine! Go. I got this.”[/b] she stalked off without him. Proxy shot a smile over at Slayer with a quiet nod before commanding her familiar to slowly lure him back towards the camp. Moon was perched high above, arrows drawn taut as she waited for his shadowy figure to come into her line of sight. As the fox tripped its way towards her Proxy stood up with a manic smile plastered on her face. [Color=yellow]”Gotcha.”[/color] she teased before an arrow whizzed past her and sunk into his helmet. The archery bonus and the stealth attack bonus was just enough to bring him to his knees. Proxy’s hands glowed a soft amber before a fireball shot out and snuffed out the last of his health. Further into the forest, Kingslayer snuck towards KandyMandy, cloaked by Proxy’s invisibility potion. His right hand gripped tightly around his ebony dagger, ready to strike. He wouldn’t leave the chance of her not dying, so he relied on his dagger’s enormous damage multiplier from sneak attacks. He saw her through the trees and he crept forward. Though she knew Gan was out here, she had no idea he was even on this side of Skyrim, and he would’ve liked to keep it that way. As she stopped in a clearing she seemed to search more for Ganandork. She summoned another shock spell in her right hand, ready to strike. Roman watched careful, trying to stay behind her. His position didn’t allow her to see the second spell that she summoned in her left hand - at least, not until she cast it. The spell illuminated her in a scarlet shade as she magically detect all life within twenty yards. Her eyes stopped dead on Roman as his formed burned red, exposed by the magic. He rolled just in time to dodge a bolt of lightning, hiding himself behind a tree as the Invisibility potion was negated by his upright movements. [b]”I know you’re here Kingslayer!”[/b] She yelled. Roman searched for Proxy’s marker in the distance, but he supposed she was too far away. Sarah was much too far to hit KandyMandy with the magika poison arrow. He sighed and drew his ebony sword from his back, but this time also drawing his glass war axe. He lunged to the right, rolling to another tree as the mage shot a bolt of lightning at him. [color=chocolate]”It’s too dark!”[/color] He shouted, hoping that Proxy would hear him and cast a magelight, or at least get close enough to summon an atronarch. [Color=yellow]”Ah, hell.”[/color] She groaned before taking off into the woods. Her spell log was pulled out, prepared to cast whatever was needed of her as she wound her way through the brush. A ball of light popped into existence, illuminating the path before her. She could see Slayer’s marker but she laid eyes on KandyMandy first. The avatar was drawn backwards as the old familiar animation took over. ‘Shit.’ Proxy knew what was coming and panicked for a moment before scrolling through her spell list. The air rippled around the Dovakhiin before projecting forward at Slayer. Proxy moved with a nimbleness that came from her dancers core as her own light burst forward as she summoned her ward. The shout crashed into the ward and she felt her body jerk back from the force. Roman lay knelt on the ground, lowering his weapons from their defensive position that would’ve been completely useless if not for Proxy’s ward. Before he stood, an arrow whizzed past him, flying over Proxy’s shoulder and landing in KandyMandy’s right shoulder. The avatar staggered as Sarah came into view behind Roman. He knew the arrow was poisoned, so he rolled around Proxy and readied his blades. Without being able to cast armor spells, KandyMandy’s HP was no match for Roman’s weapons. He sprinted forward and triggered heavy attack. His animations took over and his sword slashed across the mage’s chest, then his axe. He saw her HP drain rapidly as the staggering blow sent her to the ground. He rushed to her before she could recover and triggered another heavy attack. As KandyMandy tried to get to her knees, Roman kicked upwards, his boot connecting with her jaw and sending her back to the ground. The kill animation was triggered again and swung both of his blades simultaneously, slicing KandyMandy’s head from her body. As the avatar fell limp, Roman stood up, breathing heavily. [color=chocolate]”Not the plan, but I’ll take it…”[/color] He muttered to himself. [b]”NICE!”[/b] Yelled Gan as he appeared from the dark woods. [b]”Let’s go teamwork!”[/b] He said, jogging to halt above KandyMandy’s severed head. [color=chocolate]”Wow, Gan, you really took your time to come back, didn’t you?”[/color] He said as he sheathed his blades. [color=chocolate]”Nice work. Let’s go get the dragon scales.[/color] Roman turned to walk back to Proxy and Sarah. [b]”Holy crap!”[/b] Gan shouted, beckoning Roman to turn around and look. To his dismay Gan was once again bent over KandyMandy’s body, checking her inventory. [color=chocolate]”Dear God, Gan! I just decapitated her!”[/color] Roman cried in dismay. [b]”Look at this, man!”[/b] Ganadork’s face lacked its normal humor, rather replaced by a serious shock. He held a piece of parchment - a map. When he turned it over to let Roman see, it wasn’t a map of Skyrim like he’d expected. It was a map of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. An X was labeled beside a building marked, “State House,” in bold letters. Beside the X was the words, “Clue is hidden here.” [color=chocolate]“Oh my God.”[/color] He muttered as he took the map, examining it. Proxy was keen to see what all the fuss was about and poked her head around Slayer, [color=yellow]”No. Way. Those two were Questing?!”[/color] her voice sounded as dumbfounded as the look on her face. The elusive little clue that the whole world was silently fretting over. She worried her lower lip out of latent frustration as the rhyme came back to mock her once more. [Color=yellow]”Philly, huh. I guess. Stupid cage of hell and all that,”[/color] she kicked at the ground as she muttered, [color=yellow]”I've been going over that dumb rhyme for months now. How awesome would it be to find that first clue? Hell, to win.”[/color] she shook her head before looking over at her companions. [Color=yellow]”I don't supposed any of you have any interest in checking it out, huh?”[/color] Proxy’s voice hitched a little as she fished for some information. She wanted them to say yes. She wanted to go on this Quest and the two of them seemed like decent partners- even if only one of them could be the winner. She shivered at the thought of an exciting new adventure. Kingslayer was unresponsive as Roman paused the game, breaking his immersion as he lifted his headset from over his eyes. He ran a hand through his long hair and breathed heavily for a moment. They’d actually found a lead on the first clue. After two years, they actually had some idea of what was going on. He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He could hear Proxy’s voice in his earpieces, despite not being able to see the virtual world. He slid his headset back over his eyes and resumed the game. [color=chocolate]”Not here, no. God…[/color] He opened up his menu and rifled through until he found the permission setting for his homeworld base. He updated the visitors list by adding HecateProxy to the names of allowed players. [color=Chocolate]”I don’t want to take the chance of being overhead or spied on. We should go back to my base in Homeworld.[/color] He expected them to follow as he teleported back to his penthouse.