“A….all of them?” Agathina stuttered in response to Rodias’ request to face every level 70 monster they had available. The vampire that Kaldorna had left in command of the area during her absence stared disbelievingly at the Sable Lord for a few moments until the hawk sat astride her shoulder pecked at her head, causing the visor of her full suit of plate mail clacked down over her face and impact with the large round glasses she was wearing.

“Ow,” she said softly as she raised up the visor again. While she was rubbing her mildly injured nose she took in Rodias’s confident demeanor (and the impatient stare the hawk was giving her) before nodding resolutely. 

“As you command my lord!” she said with a vampiric bow.

Then she cracked open a ledger containing a complete list of the beasts found in pens that she had been intending to present to Rodias and began quickly skimming through it for each and every entry for beasts of the requested level, calling out instructions to the gaggle of subordinate beast tamers and thralls that were gathered their to assist her whenever she found one.

After a great deal of bustling about things were all set for Rodias’s tutorial. The arena it was to take place in was a classic design, aping the aesthetics of a roman Colosseum with its central sand floored pit surrounded by raised up spectators stands. The main difference was that the arena was entirely subterranean, was lit by a large number of light blue floating mage lights and was carved from a blue and purplish stone. Once things where all set Agathina and her hawk could be seen up in these stands in Kaldorna’s commentator box, where she had control over all the features of the arena. There where a daunting array of buttons, levers and dials up in the control room, but the vampire stuck to the basics as she wrenched down on several levers that caused the great gates in the side of the area to raise and unleash the beasts.  

They came thundering out of these gates, urged on by a number of lesser beastmasters and thralls. The thralls, armed mostly with long halberds, did not enter the arena itself, needed only to make sure the monsters got to their destination in one piece, while the bestmasters followed the monsters out of the gates before quickly turning and leaping up the shear walls of the arena and into the stands with their vampiric agility.

Arrayed at their command where dozens of beasts such as:

The hulking [url=https://i.imgur.com/ZlJPmA1.jpg]Ruby Hydra[/url], its many blind heads already bickering with one another

The ki wielding [url=https://i.imgur.com/mnH0Fdv.png]Eather Serpent[/url] that immediately soared up to hug the underside of the magic barrier shielding the spectators from the carnage that was about to unfold.

The [url=https://i.imgur.com/gqnadP6.jpg]Silver Darganthi[/url], a gorilla sized powerhouse that fought exclusively with over the top wrestling moves.

The horrifying [url=https://i.imgur.com/2y1OSxB.jpg]Ocuvolf[/url] that could fire sanity blasting beams of energy from every one of its myriad of eyes.

The small and elusive [url=https://i.imgur.com/pleQsSb.png]Svelth[/url] which vanished from sight almost as soon as it entered the arena.

The creepy crawly [url=https://i.imgur.com/ho11lel.jpg]Necropede[/url] who’s claws could inject neurotoxin that would raise its prey as undead thralls and walking snacks.

And last but not least the classic [url=https://i.imgur.com/vmv3BLY.jpg]Red Wyvern[/url] in all it’s fire breathing glory.

Because of Sun200’s obsession there where, naturally, two of every species of beast present. One male and one female, though in most cases only an expert would have been able to tell which was which. The experts on hand, at least two present for every one monster, where not here to provide such answers however. Instead once they and the monsters were all in positions and Agathina gave her consent they raised their hands in near unison, pointing at the awaiting Rodias and uttering the command:

[Attack!]

[hr]

Midday found Kaldorna sat at a parasol table sipping from a wineglass of goats blood while she watched the world through the eyes of a hawk that was soaring high above the Vampire’s rest spot. The [Share Senses] skill had so many wonderful uses, the vampire mussed to herself.

A few meters away the [url=https://i.imgur.com/kkXFNSE.png]Smogticore[/url] she had brought for additional protection was feasting on the still smoking remains of the goat they had first turned and then used as a test dummy for the effects of the Sun’s rays. The vampires where avoiding the unfortunate goat’s fate by camping out in and under a large series of tents unfurled from a number of carts they had brought to transport the spoils of the hunt back to the Chateau. At the center of the complex they’d also set up a shade generator, a mid level magical artifact meant to allow vampires to fight in day (balanced in the game by restricting their movement to a set zone and creating a weak point that must be guarded) and the entire complex was built beneath a thick section of tree cover. Each and every vampire also had a personal parasol for protection, either carried, strapped to their backs or planted in the ground while they stood guard, musket at the ready. 

All of this had been set up by Arthanar, who insisted that you could never be too over prepared. Normally Kaldorna found all this a touch paranoid, but with the uncertainty surrounding resurrection, coupled with the vampire’s inability to add new fully fledged vampires to their ranks now that Sun220 was missing, she now saw the virtue in being over prepared for the worst.

The only ones braving the land beyond the tent city where parasol carrying vampyric thralls who were ensuring their masters’ [url=https://i.imgur.com/jpUjDex.jpg]Dark Unicorn Steeds[/url] where watered and grazed properly, or managing the boisterous [url=https://i.imgur.com/9HLcnAn.jpg]skink hounds[/url] the vampires had brought along as hunting dogs. Unlike the vampires the thralls where replaceable, or they would be once the Chateau gained enemies that could be turned, an eventually Kaldorna expected would come in due time. 

War with yet to be made foes was a concern for a later time however, for now the issue was, of course, feeding the collection, something that Zouyu was being exceptionally helpful with. Kaldorna smiled at the young gardener as he approached her riding a strange reptilian bovine. She’d been a touch dubious in regard to how useful he’d actually be to the hunt, though her good manners had ensured she’d never made this known to him, but it turned out that having a diurnal person to run around while the vampires slept was exceptionally useful. The fact that he’d turned up something other than the rather unsavory goats was definitely credit to his name. 

[color=Crimson]”That’s wonderful news Darling”[/color] she called back in reply to his shouting about his mount being tasty. As the were tiger and his steed came closer she stood from her chair, picked up a small handheld parasol from where it had been leaning against her chair and then strode forwards to inspect his catch. 

The first thing she did was crouch down, lock eyes with the beast and cast [color=Crimson]”[Dominate Creature]”[/color] upon it. That formality set aside she gave it a quick once over before telling Zouyu that[color=Crimson]”This is an excellent find Zouyu, I was worried we’d be hunting and eating goats for the rest of our time here. Very docile I take it? Unless you have beast taming levels? Hmmm. It’s practically built to be live stock really,”[/color] she paused for a few moments before asking with a teasing tone [color=Crimson]”We’re not about to be assailed by angry farmers wielding pitchforks and screaming about cattle rustling are we darling?”[/color]