At full speed, Kaleidoscope races south along a weather-beaten path that borders the Silver Woods. She passes a herd of cattle lazily grazing in the fields before the dismal shroud of grey that hangs over the land releases the floodgates. Rounding a bend, the trees begin to thin until the woods are long behind her, and the little mining village of Salt Hill comes into view built up at the base of a steep cliff.

The skies open as Kaleidoscope reaches the foot of the wooden bridge that leads into town. The surface of the narrow stream ripples under the downpour. Further down the banks, a human and an elf fish for provisions, heedless of the current weather.

[September 25, 2014: 00:53]

Guild Chat

[Fangmaster] u almst here

[Kaleidoscope] Just reached the bridge.

[Fangmaster] wheres ur bf

Kaleidoscope’s boots pound against the aged wood of the short bridge that creaks under her weight. Once she reaches the edge of the village, she slows to a casual stroll while she navigates the winding streets.

The houses are small and the streets narrow. Taking a left at the next crossroad, Kaleidoscope passes the busiest business in the village – the tavern.

[Kaleidoscope] Where’s yours?

Private Chat [Noodles]

[Kaleidoscope] Are you online? I haven’t heard from you all day.

Guild Chat

[Fangmaster] brushin’ his teeth

[Fangmaster] the mint makes it tingle xD

[Kaleidoscope] TMI

[TheArtfulShadow] i leave him alone for three minutes…

[Kaleidoscope] You have my deepest sympathies.

Kaleidoscope enters the craftsman’s workshop. In the center of the main room is a large, mottled wood table, and various crafting tools adorn nearly every inch of the back wall that isn’t hogged by the massive forge.

The workshop is occupied by two others: a feral warrior and a human ranger. The feral is draped in thick furs with a leather sheath that straps a massive two-handed Azurite blade to his back. The cold steel holds a faint blue hue.

Over the shaggy brunet head of the feral hangs a name in red lettering – Fangmaster.

At the feral’s side, a human ranger is dwarfed by his stature. Clothed in simple, loose-fitted black pants, knee-high laced boots, and a deep forest green short-sleeved stitched shirt with a hood, the human sits on a high stool at the craftsman’s table. His name – TheArtfulShadow – hangs over his head in white lettering.

Guild Chat

[TheArtfulShadow] how did you acquire a phoenix crystal?

[Fangmaster] bet his bf gave it to him as a present

[Fangmaster] did it have a little bow

[Fangmaster] he hit me! thats abuse ur abusive!

[Mangkeyo] You two really shouldn’t live together.

[TheArtfulShadow] you’re the one who moved out

Private Chat [Noodles]

[Noodles] Hey. Sorry. I’m here. Didn’t have the chat logged in.

Guild Chat

[Fangmaster] yeah i was just being awesome when his roomate bailed

Private Chat [Noodles]

[Kaleidoscope] Are you okay?

[Kaleidoscope] I hardly bailed. I moved into a dorm on campus.

[TheArtfulShadow] if i craft this accessory, do you have the exp to wield it?

[Kaleidoscope] I will tomorrow after a few raids.

[TheArtfulShadow] almost lvled up for the big day?

[Kaleidoscope] You make it sound as if we’re getting married.

You would like to make an exchange. 

[Yes] [No]

Would you like to trade 1 Phoenix Casting Crystal?

[Yes] [No]

Would you like to trade 5 bars of silver? 

[Yes] [No]

Private Chat [Noodles]

[Noodles] Fine.

Guild Chat

[TheArtfulShadow] i should make a break for it with this. check out these stats.

[Phoenix Casting Crystal]

[Fangmaster] dude thats ****in sweet

Private Chat [Noodles]

[Kaleidoscope] That’s a blatant lie. You’re typing in full sentences with punctuation…

While Kaleidoscope and Fangmaster stand idly by, TheArtfulShadow begins the delicate task of cutting the cricket-sized

crystal.

Guild Chat

[Kaleidoscope] If you **** this up…

[Fangmaster] chill man my boy’s got this

Private Chat [Noodles]

[Noodles] Nothin’

Guild Chat

[TheArtfulShadow] i would also rather avoid your boyfriend hunting me for sport

[Kaleidoscope] Don’t start that again.

Hunched over the table, TheArtfulShadow chips away at the blue crystal until it forms a mini point pendant. Once he finishes the arduous project, he approaches the forge to melt down the silver and mould the cap to mount the pendant.

Private Chat [Noodles]

[Kaleidoscope] Okay… I know it’s usually me ranting about my ‘rents, but if you want to vent, you have my ear.

[Kaleidoscope] But if you tell anyone I said that, I will hunt you down, and castrate you.

[Noodles] thx, darlin’

[Noodles] I wanna bitch slap your parents sometimes.

[Kaleidoscope] No problem. We’re friends, right?

Water hisses and steams. TheArtfulShadow submerges the silver to rapid-cool the shaped metal. At the table, he mounts the

crystal to the silver and attaches the newly constructed pendant to a thin leather strap to form a simple, but elegant necklace. The crafting is a complete success. No delays.

TheArtfulShadow would like to make an exchange.

[Yes] [No]

Would you like to trade 20,000 gold coins? 

[Yes] [No]

Guild Chat

[Fangmaster] dude let me see

[Phoenix Necklace]

Private Chat [Noodles]

[Noodles] No, really. Thank you.

Guild Chat

[TheArtfulShadow] your magic attack and magic defence are amplified by 30%

[Fangmaster] sick battle stats

[Fangmaster] 12% splash dude **** yeah

Private Chat [Noodles]

[Kaleidoscope] You’re starting to worry me.

Guild Chat

[TheArtfulShadow] alright, i’m out. my pillow calls to me like a siren’s song.

The human ranger waves to his companions, then vanishes as if he were never there.

[Kaleidoscope] You going to follow his lead?

[Fangmaster] nah man. im urs for the nite 😉

[Kaleidoscope] It’s 1 in the morning.

Private Chat [Noodles]

[Noodles] I’m cool, man. Don’t worry your pretty little head.

[Kaleidoscope] You’ve never seen my head. How would you know if it’s pretty, hmmm?

[Noodles] gUESS WE COULD ASK PEGASUS

[Kaleidoscope] Don’t you dare!

Guild Chat

[Noodles] no one wants to hear the queer **** u get up to

[Fangmaster] ur just jealous u aint gettin ne

The newly set stone glitters in the low light from the forge fires. Kaleidoscope stows the rare magical item in her bag and steps out into the empty streets. Fangmaster follows her out of the workshop into the rain.

Guild Chat

[Fangmaster] where hv u bin all nite

[Fangmaster] im headed for the mines

[Noodles] bangin’ ur mom on the salt hill

[Fangmaster] my mama could kick ur ***

[Kaleidoscope] That I don’t doubt.

[Noodles] babe! -betrayal-

At the town center where an enormous statue of a dragon looms over the nearby houses, Fangmaster veers to the left while Kaleidoscope continues to follow the cobblestone streets to the entrance of the village. Through the haze of the rain, a guard can be seen posted at the bridge, ready to warn travellers of the dangers that lurk outside the safety of the village.

[Kaleidoscope] Did you finish the Midnight Pass quest?

[Noodles] yuppers

[Noodles] got sum sweet loot

[Noodles] im gonna head to bed but wanna raid tomorrow?

[Fangmaster] im in

Kaleidoscope approaches the bridge until the guard posted halts her.

[Salt Hill Guard] You are entering the Lower Plateau where many dangerous beasts lurk. Be safe on your journey, traveller.

[Kaleidoscope] Sure. I’ll be on after class.

[Kaleidoscope] Maybe during.

[Noodles] bad boy huh… i like that 😉

[Fangmaster] get a room

Free from the guards, Kaleidoscope sprints across the bridge, darting around an approaching wraith headed for town. Rain pummels the earth. Grass glistens, bowed down under the weight of the droplets that cling to the blades. The path forks.

A sign posted directs travellers north along the edge of the Silver Woods to the village Wakay, or south to the sparkling waters of the village of Glas Lake.

[Noodles] nite princess

[Kaleidoscope] moron

Private Chat [Noodles]

[Kaleidoscope] Don’t you usually work the night shift?

[Kaleidoscope] Why are you home? Are you sick?

[Kaleidoscope] Noodles?

Player is offline. Send a Private Message? [Yes] [No]

Kaleidoscope chooses the path that winds south.