Guild Wars 2

I didn’t have long to think, as the summons back to the meeting room came shortly. As I arrived, the overall calm feeling was ruined by one of the officers fidgeting nervously. I was going to have to be extra careful here, something was happening I was not yet privy to. Riel indicated I should sit as I entered. The questions were about to begin.

“So.” Riel began. “You got this single word note.”
“Yes, Ma’am. The suggestion matched every other piece of evidence I had, so I decided to follow it up.” First question down, truth.
“How did you know where to go?”
“I followed mermaid rumours, and encountered a likely looking site for an ambush. Beautiful scenery to distract people, and plenty of hiding places. I found Krait there.” Second fielded fine. Truth. “I also found temporary holding cells. I waited until a pair of Krait left, and followed them at a discreet distance.” Extra information, voluntary.
“Nobody in the cells?”
“Not in those ones. But where I ended up was a different story.” Pause, fidget, more truth. “It was the largest Krait prison I have ever seen. Too many shipwrecks to be discreet, likely the ships were captured elsewhere and then deliberately sank here. So many cells.” Emotion change. Subterfuge. “Most were occupied.” I scowled. “Midnight was in one of them.” I let my narrative lapse, I had to take a moment to ready myself. The lies were coming.
“So, you found her. What did you do next?” I took a shallow breath before answering Riel’s question.
“I came back to land and released a message of the location.” I shrugged. Still truth. Time to lie. “I know it was not part of my mission, but I set myself up to observe the operation in an attempt to discover why they needed so many slaves. I never found out, I was discovered and attacked.”
“Liar.” Riel’s voice was soft, but the silence after was worse. My heart skipped a beat. What did I do to give myself away?
“Ma’am?” I pretended confusion.
“There was no message.” Riel stood and leant on her desk. “There was no contact from you since the library information, and it was four days until you were found unconscious in what we presume was your attempt to get here. Had you not been found, you would be dead.” I fought down the panic rising within me. I hadn’t been caught in a lie. I had been caught in a truth. I was okay, I could work with this. Wait, how many days?
“Four days?” I blurted. “But….” I mentally stumbled. That couldn’t be right. Could it? I paused to think. Misdirection. Use the truth. “I swear, Ma’m, I sent that bird. It had details of the location. If you find me a map, I will be able to find that prison.” Spoken with confidence, well done. Riel’s demeanour suddenly changed.
“Messages can be lost, or interrupted.” She made a small waving off gesture with her hand. “The obvious thing is that somebody want you out of Lion’s Arch.”
“Me, Ma’am?” This was a surprise. “Why me?” I remembered somebody else asking a Whispers agent this question, and all they got was a lie.
“Undoubtedly to thin our surveillance ranks.” Riel shrugged. “You were not the only person given leads to send them outside of L.A.” I think I just got lied to. “Either way, you are to return to your duties immediately. I am informed that you are healed enough to do the majority of your duties. You will have to avoid strenuous activities such as fighting and acrobatics until you are fully healed. You may go. Now.” I knelt, and turned to leave. “Oh, Agent?” I paused and looked back. “Midnight, or Anakysha, is also back in Lion’s Arch. Thought you might want to know.” That nonchalant, seemingly off-hand remark scared me more than I liked to admit. I simply nodded, and continued on my way out. Why did she mention both names? Why mention Anakysha had returned to LA?

….

How much trouble was I in?

(( Reference to Lighthouse break in https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/gw2/Warning-Buoy/3224648 ))

Le Lionguard brains are reverse engineering some of the code thanks to the Black Lion Bomb discovery. One Whisper agent finally climbed up the rope: an Asura. Good thing they sent the smallest guy too. It’s getting kinda cramped in here.

I’ll let them take it from here, so I got out of the lighthouse and… GRAB SOME LUNCH
I can’t wait to have a real meal that’s not raspberry bars.

Mermaid potion fiasco mellowed down. The conmen stopped selling fake potions and moved into hiding. They’ll appear again someday when law enforcers are less alert.

Mermaid pickup lines everywhere! It’s getting rather annoying. Some establishments hinted to patrons that they should stop trying so hard

The earliest batch of mermaid poisoning victims are going back home. They’ll need some more days of rest, but nothing serious.

Just when I’m about to eat my lunch, Friendly Lionguard waved at me and said something about Midnight in prison.

“I think it’s a bad idea to talk to a criminal, dear,” said the Friendly Lionguard.

I told her I got to keep a promise. Friend of a friend of a friend’s friend friend is asking about her whereabouts, and I’ll do just that. No fancy deals.

Oh, right, what about the bombs? Friendly Lionguard said ‘leave it to me’.

Though I said ‘okay’ I’m a little worried.

After finishing my lunch, I head to the cells and keep the discussion short and clean.

My amicable connections with some Lionguard staff allowed me to visit the prisoner.

I started with:

“Okay Midnight, my friend of a friend of a friend’s friend friend told me that probably family members are getting reeeeeeeeeeeaaaally worried about you not coming home. And now you’re stuck here…. I don’t know how to explain to that friend of friend of…. you get the idea.

“Could I maybe get an address and escort them here to see you instead? No, wait, maybe not. We still have two more bombs that are supposed to be detonating tomorrow. By any chance do you know how to read codes? Because it’ll help. Like, really really help.”

“Ok, you’re probably super confused. I understand. Combustible Lemons and all. Bad Salads have holed themselves up in the Lighthouse for goodness how long. They’ve used the space to spy the city and make plans and you get the drift. They even changed the locks. I had to use rocket powered guns to shoot myself to the top of that tower!”

“Right, focus focus focus. So, how do you want to settle the problem? I’d like to hear something really soon because I need to go out there and help them lions find the bombs. My head hurts from lack of sleep and too much coffee.”

(continued from previous page of records)

Nothing. After a quarter of an hour or so searching around the area, I found some scraps of aquamarine cloth stuck to one of the nearby corals – perhaps from her, perhaps from some other unfortunate with a liking for aquatic colours. But whether carried away by the currents or by some other agency, her body was gone. An elementalist or ranger may have been able to track where her body had gone if they had arrived as quickly as I had – but recognising that that was beyond my skill, I returned to shore and headed for the Divinity’s Reach gate.

If Scarlet had placed toxic bombs around the city, then the animals and equipment that the House had already developed for finding such things should be useful in finding them.

Lothar Draxynnus
Day 82 of the Season of the Scion of the year 1326 After the Exodus of the Gods

I hate cities…

I’m a Ranger. Never set foot in a city till I was 14. I like grass under my feet, not stone. So when I was woken abruptly by a very aggressive knock on my door, and answered it, only to find Lionguard standing there… well, I was not best amused, to be sure.

I was told, quite sternly, that they were pursuing a quarry and that I would assist. “By order of whom?”, I asked. “By order of your Order”.

Now, I was nominally a member of the OoW. Not that I had time for them, or they had care for me. My lo… I mean pet… Fernhound was just about to show them the way out when a bag of coin was produced. Amazing how a few shiny bits of metal can get one’s attention. Especially when they were shiny gold…

I was taken, quicker than I’d like, to the Captain’s Council. It seems that what they were hunting was not prey, but barrels! Barrels! In Lion’s Arch! The place is practically MADE of barrels! I told them not to waste my time, but before I knew it, I was ‘introduced’ to one of their more… persuasive aides…

So hunt I did. Started at the places where a weapon would cause most damage, the most chaos. Ports of course. Bars and taverns. Places where people gather. Logic, huh?

Sprout’s Honor, my dear Fernhound, nearly wore out his nose searching for anything amiss, in a city where everything is suspicious.

Finally, we found something… right outside the bank. It smelt fishy… or lizardy. Is Kraity even a word?

I reported in what I found and waited to see if my suspicions rang true, or the coins would drop in my purse.

I just realised I’m trying to talk to someone who’s sleeping. In tears. Okay, I’ll sit here for a while until she wakes up and repeat the entire three-paragraph worth of hyper-words

In the meantime I heard Lionguards talking about the mermaid fans. All three camps agreed to organize an event to commemorate Bubbles

Synchronized Swimming

If Bubbles is alive, then the dance is to celebrate her life.
If Bubbles passed on, it’ll be a tribute to her passing
If Bubble’s death angered some unknown sea god, the dance will be an offering of peace.

They’re already looking for candidates and a spot to perform

(( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPx5g_eg7z4 ))

Hamfast.8719:

Hmm… there is a mountain of new stuff here every time I get back to reading. I caught that one device was found under the Black Lion Trading Post, and that they were continuing to search. There were a dozen such devices (if you can believe Scarlet). Did someone get the last of ‘em? Is anyone bothering to try, or are they just gonna seep out their deadly fumes in 2-3 days time and wipe out the city? Did I miss something? (I’m still reading too).

(Love your reports, Kraag! Helps a lot in keeping caught up!)

((We’re struggling to keep up too :P We only have time for about 1 post a day considering we’re both normally busy and we spend a fair bit of time taking and editing pictures. By the time we get to post it there’s usually another page worth of replies since the last update. So we spend half of our post having to backtrack to cover the period we’ve missed and just hope it hasn’t changed “too” much. Then by the time we get to the end of the post we’re already behind again.

Some of the posts on here and amazing! Some of you are really talented writers and I simply can’t go into that kind of depth and detail with our posts. But like the captain said, just because you can write paragraphs and paragraphs doesn’t mean you have to? Maybe just limit yourselves to one or two posts a day to give others a chance to catch up? I’ve had to skip quite a few posts lately because I just don’t have the time to read them yet (Hopefully I’ll get to go back, but at this speed It’s unlikely I’m gonna get to find the time).

We already have a lot of stories going on at once here, which is brilliant! I love it! But maybe just try and slow it down a bit? To help those who can’t post all day.

Thanks
- Skepp
Partner in Laru’s Asura Krewe))

((Though I am content to write plot development, complications, twists and effects TO the main character; I would not presume to write AS the main character. I can continue the unconscious journey of Bubbles but only Hamfast can write FOR Bubbles upon her waking. insert subtle hint here))

FIN???

• Chapter Alt. 1: And from somewhere deep and dark…
• Chapter Alt. 2: From somewhere shallow and unforeseen…
• Chapter Alt. 3: Dead to the world but not to the ocean…

• Chapter Alt. 4: Plans within plans within…

Beneath swell and trough, crest and foam, twin dreams intertwine. The namesake is the crucible in which my Elder will is poured. Not some crude spattering, driveled mess as Ceara would do, no; more the smooth delicate decant of a mastered artisan. An unnoticed add, a strand of thought, a tweak, a whisper, all together making up a filament of your unconscious desire.

Oh yes my sweet pet, your will remains your own, the capacity for true craftsmanship lies buried in the faint, soft undertone of the psyche. My brethren most rash spew their will across the land like the desires of so many adolescent youth. I, deal in the diminutive, the hint, the slight.

Years have passed, untold centuries of planning. Though you are not the first, nor will you be the last of my vessels, you remain to date, my favorite. Go forth young Maiden of the Sea and flourish, for the seed is planted and I… will make it grow.

((I for one am enjoying all the varying writing styles. Midnight’s story has been really intriguing, if not incredibly tragic, and the other threads are just as amazing. Everyone is doing fantastic at keeping things roughly on course, considering that this isn’t live role-play.))

((I’m catching up! Wait for me!!))

((The following part is backstory about the Scribes and about myself ))

The Scribes
The Scribal Crew is the biggest organisation of scribes in Tyria. It was founded around the same time as the Durmand Priory in 1105 AE. The Scribal Crew is well known for their fantastic, well detailed stories about heroïc deeds and adventures.

At first the founders wanted to give everyone free acces to their books, though they quickly got money trouble and decided to sell the books instead.
It was a great decison: they sold books faster then the Scribes could write/copy them.
The main reason the books were and still are such a succes is because everything in the books has really happend. The Scribes check all stories and gather their information themself; most people don’t know how they get their information…

At first glance it seems like a ‘normal’ orginazation, but not all is what it seems. The list of all illegal things the Scribes have done is too big to enumerate, Scribes aren’t affraid of breaking the law to get the information they want. Scribes rarely get caught, but if they do they are on their own.

About me
I’m a male sylavari called Yerol Star, I was ‘born’ in 1310 AE. When I was a young sylvari I read a lot of books. books about heroïc adventures. I wanted that too, I wanted adventures of my own. If I want to have adventures, I thought, then I need to learn how to fight. It didn’t went well. learning how to fight on your own doesn’t work.

I found a mentor called Thyoblak, who learned me how to attune to the different elements. He tought me how te rain deadly fire on enemies and heal allies using water.
When I was ready to go on an adventure I kept hesitating to actually go. I never wanted to go as I had no clue what to do. I needed a purpose.

One day an asuran Scribe got to the Grove to do some research. He also asked me some questions, I couldn’t help him but was interested in what he did. I invited him for a drink and talked with him for while. I decided I wanted to join the Scribes to find my Wyld Hunt through the stories and deeds of others.
It was even better then I thought and some things I was “allowed” to do were even better then the story I worked on.

Now I’m one of the best Scribes there are. I’ve found my adventure, though I still haven’t found my wyld hunt.

I’m Yerol Star,
And this is my story.

Yerol…..your eyes are scary…..

o.o;;

So, here I was, back in Lion’s Arch. The city hadn’t changed much while I was away. But there was talk of the mermaid’s death, and rumours of Scarlett of all things. Something a little serious had happened while I was away. Certainly something noteworthy to the Order, and something I would have expected to be briefed on. Unless it was a ploy to keep me busy. First things first, though. I wanted to see if there was any news about Midnight. Then I would find out the rest of this story.

I didn’t want my actions getting back to the Order just yet. It had occured to me that the reason Riel mentioned both ‘Midnight’ and ‘Anakysha’ was because I had done so during the debrief. I was of no doubt they suspected my involvement in her freedom. The fact they didn’t ask me about it said more than if they had. Fortunately, I had a some resources of my own for information, people not tied to the Order that I only rarely visited. I visited a pair of ladies who knew me by a different name each.

The first was a younger lass who, despite her appearance and living quarters, made a fair bit of money from passing on what she heard while begging near the forge. She hadn’t heard much, aside from an interesting nugget that a large group of pirates had ambushed a Lionguard patrol in a restricted patrol area. The pirates had failed, but they’d never been brazen enough to attack Lionguard there before. I thanked her (in the usual way, money) and moved on.

Next on my list was a woman who wished she was a norn. She drank. Constantly. It was here I hit paydirt. She’d heard some of the same news about the ambush, but also that the Lionguard had a new prisoner. A ‘notorious female bounty hunter’ was the description. That was fairly accurate of how the Lionguard saw Midnight, so it was a good chance it was her. I’d have to do a little more digging.

I headed under the nearby docks, sat down and stared out over the bay. Midnight was in a prison cell. Again. At least this time I knew she wouldn’t be getting starved or be doing slave labour. Still, it felt wrong to free her from one prison for her to end up in another. I was obligated to get her out, right?

…. Right?

I’ve been granted clearance by the Chief Corpsman of the LA Bureau to complete my field report of 48 hours ago. This is in reference to page 5 of the “Legions > Ash > Missions > Active > Surveillance > Bubbles Powderpuff” Dossier (Appended).

Field Report

Clearance: Primus rank and above

Legion: Ash
Cohort: The Gladia
Agent: Kraag Deadsoul
Junior Agent: Tarna Shadowclaw

Append to: Legions > Ash > Missions > Active > Surveillance > Bubbles Powderpuff

Objective: Lion’s Arch > Lion’s Gate > lighthouse

Report:

This is an appended and retroactive report following this agent’s incapacitation in the line of duty.

The swim to the Lion’s Gate lighthouse from the cliffs South of Diverse Ledges was uneventful. Under cover of darkness, my approach to the cliffs below the lighthouse went undetected to the best of my knowledge. The rocks there were of a shallower angle than those of Diverse Ledges; the climb out of the water to the base of the tower was without incident.

There was no point in entering by the main door; we know the Lionguard keep it locked and guarded. The only alternative was to climb. Fortunately, the stone used in the construction is the same basalt found local to Lion’s Arch; in contrast to the hard, smooth granite native to Ascalon. Relatively soft with numerous cracks and surface imperfections, it afforded sufficient claw-holds.

On reaching the cupola, I peered over the edge of the railing. I observed two Lionguard on duty as well as what can only be described as a green-purple cloud or fog with what appeared to be pollen or spores floating within it. From my vantage point I then bore witness to what at first impression would appear a bizarre joke or a way the Lionguard assigned night duty had found to pass the time.

With no hint of levity, the Norn Lionguard remarked that the beacon’s flame was dying down. His Charr compatriot concurred; he suggested throwing more logs on the fire. They proceeded to engage in a perfect pantomime of stoking the lighthouse’s flame; except there was no fire, nor logs, nor beacon lit. Their “task” was performed with due deliberation and sincerity; on “completion”, they returned to their posts.

By that point, I began to feel lightheaded. No doubt fatigue from the mission’s previous efforts coupled with the swim and the climb up the tower were beginning to take their toll. However, my mental state had begun to deteriorate, as well. Physical exhaustion alone was not enough to account for the sensorium changes I experienced (visual color changes; tingling alternating with numbness in extremities; a muffling of auditory stimuli). I became aware of my labored breathing and vertigo in proximity to the spore cloud.

With my strength waning and grip loosening, I summoned my last conscious effort to slip into Death Shroud, hoping it would absorb the impact. As I fell into darkness, I could see dawn breaking; then nothing more.

My next memory is of awaking in the safehouse bed, tended to by the Chief Corpsman of the LA Bureau. Agent TS has brought me up to date with the most recent events. In summary:

• Agent TS, after having rousted harbor pilots to safely lead the Consortium ship into the docks, returned to the lighthouse as previously instructed. Finding me unconscious but alive, she solicited the assistance of other agents in dragging me to the water’s edge behind the lighthouse and loading me onto a skiff. After crossing the bay, I was then transported by wagon to the safehouse.

• Scarlet Briar, masquerading as a friend of Bubbles Powderpuff, revealed herself and claims to have placed bombs throughout Lion’s Arch. Scarlet Briar claims said bombs will self-detonate in 2 to 3 days time (now reduced to approximately 1 to 2 days given the amount of time I’ve been unconscious).

• At the time of her reveal, Scarlet attacked Bubbles Powderpuff on the bridge leading to Fort Mariner. Bubbles Powderpuff fell into the bay below. No body has been recovered to date. Status: unknown.

• One bomb has been found beneath the BLTC; EG claims it is an attempt by the Consortium to run him out of business.

• Captain Magnus and the Lionguard are aware of Scarlet Briar’s machinations.

• “Mermaid Mania” has swept Lion’s Arch. Several residents have suffered from acute but temporary illness following consumption of potions sold on the promise of transforming the consumer into a mermaid. The potion vendor is still at large.

• Agent TS reconnoitered the ledge where we had confronted the Sylvari and Kraitt in possession of the false lighthouse beacon. Agent TS reports no bodies were found and the giant clam beacon is gone. The cave entrance at the back of the ledge remains open but unexplored.

• Agent TS was able to recover spore samples from my fur and is analyzing them.

(field report continues on next page)

Analysis and Recommendations

• The bomb threat is now public knowledge. Best to leave it to Captain Magnus and the Lionguard. However, we will leave him an anonymous tip regarding our discovery at the lighthouse and the hallucinating guards. Based on past experience, he can be trusted to follow-up on it. The incident at the cliffs near Diverse Ledges and the location of the cave entrance will remain an internal Bureau affair for the time being.

• There is much speculation as to Scarlet Briar’s motives. Insanity needs no motive; madness and chaos are reason enough. Though the danger is real as evidenced by the discovery of the bomb at the BLTC, it – like so many of Scarlet Briar’s other schemes – appears to be more about gaining recognition as the puppet master rather than actual destruction being the goal. Otherwise, why bother revealing her plot? Classic attention-seeking behavior.

• The Kraitt, by contrast, represent the greater long-term threat. They are calculating, cunning, and patient. They are not known to attack large cities; their presence in Lion’s Arch alone is cause for concern. As recommended in an earlier report, I will travel to Kessex Hills (when given my medical clearance) to confer with experts on the Kraitt. With the efforts against the Toxic Alliance centered there, the foremost authorities on the subject will all be gathered in one place; this will greatly improve the efficiency and speed of our fact-finding mission.

• Agent TS will continue analysis of the spores she collected and will collaborate with our Kryta Bureau as needed.

• Bubbles Powderpuff appears to have fallen victim to Scarlet Briar. However, in absence of a recovered body, no conclusions can be drawn at the present time. One unexplored possibility presents itself: what if Bubbles Powderpuff is the true mastermind and she simply staged her own death as a means of deflecting attention from herself? Recommend dossier remain open until further evidence comes to light.

The Chief Corpsman of the LA Bureau informs me my toxin levels are no longer measurable and the hallucinations have stopped. Another day’s rest and I will be given clearance to return to active duty. I will begin making preparations for the journey to Kessex Hills.

((IRL, I will be gone on vacation for 10 days. I look forward to catching up on my return. Happy Thanksgiving to those of you in the USA.))

I’m at the Scribes HQ, I just read the stolen Dossiers for the thirt time now, why are there no kitten new leads in here. Even though i know now all about the kraits share in the story, and I don’t think Noir the potion seller will be a lot of help. These files point me in the direction of Midnight, or Anakyshia as she’s apperantly called.
Midnight again, it seems like she has a big share in this tale, It’s a shame she’s in prison though.
I guess I have to-

Suddenly the door to my room opens disturbing my toughts, it’s the guild leader Muriseer. She seems a bit agitated.
“I want to have a report on your mermaid project please” The charr smiles, “don’t lie, you know I’m a living lie-detector”.

I tell her about my recent activities, after a while she interupts me.
“how many times I have to tell you to NOT use other Scribes for your research,” she talks really calm, but everyone could see she’s dead serious. “Only in emergencies you’re allowed to ask help from a diffrent Scribe. Continue your story”

I continue my story, when I get to the part where I destroy my Potion, she suddenly looks angred. I stop talking, nervously waiting for Muriseer to say something but she signs to me continue my story.
I finish talking, and look at Muriseer. OH CRAP she’s angry, that’s bad. It’s really bad.

“YOU DESTROYED THE SECRET CAT POTION?” she shouts.
“But I had to, to keep it secret,” I defended.
“NO, you did not. You could have PRETENDED to destroy it.”
“Don’t forget how much it cost you to get the recipe, it’s not something you can just throw away”
I sigh, “how could I ever forget that.”
She seems somewhat calmer now.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. I will go collect some materials for you if you want, but I guarantee your purse will be a lot lighter when I’m done.”
I tell her I would love it if she did that for me. It’s a really time-consuming task and I just don’t like collecting.
“Now about Midnight. You said you wanted to speak to her, didn’t you?”
I start smilling, I know where this is going: our usually aproach when someone’s in prison. thankfull people == informative people
Muriseer starts thinking: “The vigil outpost in LA. hmm…. that’s hard.”
I ask, “Do you think you haven’t got the right equipment?”
“No, I learned from the best. Follow me I’ve got one of Magg’s special tricks that’s perfect for this task.”

I follow her to our explosive stockpile………..

I had awoken from my nap, and was now staring at the wooden underside of the top bunk. Well, Ana. Here you are…behind bars. I gave a small sigh. It wasn’t the first time I ended up in a prison cell, but it was the first time I ended up in Lion’s Arch prison cell.

I sat up and looked around. Stone walls. No windows. High ceiling. Thick bars. Wooden cell frame. I stood up and checked the frame. Iron spikes anchoring the frame to the wall. kitten.

This place is a fort. Literally. I leaned against the wall. Okay….okay. Not impossible – my life wasn’t over. How long was my rap sheet? Well, considering the Lionguard could only hold me accountable for crimes they had evidence on, at the least I’d get…anywhere from a week to a few years? What did they know about me? There was that time I kidnapped the son of that wealthy visiting family (man, that kid was a brat…) and got busted. I escaped, but that would certainly be on my file. Also when I joined the heist to rob the storage bank in the main square….there’s also that one time I jumped one of the Black Lion merchants on his way home…. Not too bad, right? So maybe I was stuck here for a few months…I hoped.

And I still had to go through a trial. Maybe I could sweet-talk my way around it? They weren’t going to let me go off easily, but I couldn’t be as bad as a few of the other riff-raff that lived in Lion’s Arch.

There was always the Iron Gauntlet. I certainly didn’t mind the idea of fighting in the arena to shorten my sentence. Downside of that is more recognition. I wanted to keep as unknown and unnoticed as much as possible.

All right…what would dad do? Have a backup plan ready far ahead in advance and escape in the cover of the night. Mom? never do anything to get imprisoned in the first place. Kristie? Be the cute sweet innocent kid that could convince everyone she wasn’t guilty of any wrongdoing. Old sparring partner Razortooth? Bash the gate down with raw strength and convince the Lionguard to let him out, in the interest of their own health. Martrika? Use her good looks to entice a male guard into her cell, then knock him out and take the key. Joshua? Invite the guards to a game of dice or cards and win the key in a gamble. Glontt? That Asura could make an explosive charge out of the basic materials in the cell and blast his way out.

Curse it all. MY plot to get out of prison involves not getting caught in the first place!! I fumed. How could this have happened? Fake names and hidden identities had always been my forte. I was supposed to be ‘Jenna’ when that Lionguard patrol found me. How did they link Jenna to Midnight? Midnight wore a mask, came out only at night, and only showed herself to people when she was working. Jenna was just your average citizen of Lion’s Arch who sold trinkets to tourists.

No, they knew Anakysha… I let out a long defeated sigh. I had made the foolish mistake in my first days as a bounty hunter, to use my real name. But that was far away back in Kryta. They must have somehow linked ‘Jenna’ to ‘Anakysha’ and linked that to ‘Midnight’. Whatever the case, they knew who I was, and now I was in prison.

I returned to my bunk, and rolled over to stare at the stone wall. No one was going to come help me. No one cared enough about ‘Midnight,’ ‘Anakysha,’ or ‘Jenna’. I had no ties, and no connections. There were no extending favors from acquaintances that I could cash in on. My family was too far away to help. I swore I couldn’t burden them with my work – my work was supposed to lessen their burden, not the other way around.

No one cared about me. Not the Lionguard, not ‘so-called’ friends, and certainly not any one of the many heroic, adventuring, good-hearted souls that frequented Lion’s Arch in its time of need. I was alone.

I hate being alone.

Morfedel.4165:

And where does that gw2 tshirt come from for your character? that’s awesome lol

I actually won it during Pink Day in LA festivities.

Originally (I understand) they were only made available to European Fan Sites for promotional givaways. In fact, mine was using a European code, and the Customer Support guys had to re-issue an American server code for me to get it to work. So I guess it’s pretty rare, which is kinda cool! (And no ugly “footsteps” that come with certain other rare in-game items! )

Come out and support them next year!

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Dragon_Emblem_Shirt

In-Game Preview code: [&AgF2UQAA]

Oooh, how do you get the preview code to work?

Copy and paste in game, then you can right click → preview

Arikyali.5804:

Yerol…..your eyes are scary…..

o.o;;

Lol, they aren’t meant to be scary.

Arikyali.5804:

No one cared about me. Not the Lionguard, not ‘so-called’ friends, and certainly not any one of the many heroic, adventuring, good-hearted souls that frequented Lion’s Arch in its time of need. I was alone.

I hate being alone.

AWW, you’re story is so sad.
Chin up, it could be worse. At least you’re not underwater as a krait-slave.
oh.. wait wrong example.

anyhow does anyone know how to get rid off angry chickens?

There was a rap on the metal bars outside of my cell that perked my attention. “You got a visitor.”

Last thing I want is a visitor…probably someone who came to gloat at my misfortune… I sat up, slightly surprised to see a bubbly and excited Sylvari eagerly grinning from behind the bars. “Uh…hi?” I asked.

The unfamiliar Sylvari happily clapped her hands upon seeing me awake. “Okay Midnight,” she said excitedly, “my friend of a friend of a friend’s friend friend told me that probably family members are getting reeeeeeeeeeeaaaally worried about you not coming home. And now you’re stuck here…. I don’t know how to explain to that friend of friend of…. you get the idea.”

I blinked. “Uh…wha-? My…fam-”

“Could I maybe get an address and escort them here to see you instead?"

“…Well, I-”

“No, wait, maybe not. We still have two more bombs that are supposed to be detonating tomorrow. By any chance do you know how to read codes? Because it’ll help. Like, really really help.”

“….wait, bombs…?”

“Ok,” she said, “you’re probably super confused.” I nodded slowly, opening my mouth to try and get a word in edgewise, but she launched straight into her next sentence before I could say anything. “I understand. Combustible Lemons and all. Bad Salads have holed themselves up in the Lighthouse for goodness how long. They’ve used the space to spy the city and make plans and you get the drift. They even changed the locks. I had to use rocket powered guns to shoot myself to the top of that tower!”

“Rocket-powered….they made bombs out of combustible lemons?”

“Right, focus focus focus. So, how do you want to settle the problem? I’d like to hear something really soon because I need to go out there and help them lions find the bombs. My head hurts from lack of sleep and too much coffee.”

All I could do was sit there and blink.

She stood there with a happy grin and awaited my response.

But I could do nothing more than sit there and blink.

“Could you repeat that again,” I finally asked, “and a little more slowly?”

She took a deep breath. “Okay Midnight, my friend of a friend of a friend’s friend friend told me that probably family members are getting reeeeeeeeeeeaaaally worried about you not coming home. And now you’re stuck here…. I don’t know how to explain to that friend of-”

“Whoa, hold on,” I put my hands up. “Did you…just…have that whole speech prepared before coming here?”

She nodded quickly. “Mhm!”

I stared at her in disbelief. You can meet some really interesting people in prison…

((Laughing at work for no reason is frowned upon. You trying to get me in trouble? I can hear that ‘Mhm!’, like a cute, short, high pitched one so clearly in my head))

Jaric.5679:

((Laughing at work for no reason is frowned upon. You trying to get me in trouble? I can hear that ‘Mhm!’, like a cute, short, high pitched one so clearly in my head))

I’m sorry!!!

Arikyali.5804:

Jaric.5679:

((Laughing at work for no reason is frowned upon. You trying to get me in trouble? I can hear that ‘Mhm!’, like a cute, short, high pitched one so clearly in my head))

I’m sorry!!!

Lies, I know you’re not sorry at all.

Why did it always have to be the sewers?

Felicia Rios wrinkled her nose as she picked through the muck and grime, the stench nearly overpowering. The disgusting filth was getting all over her greaves as she went deeper, in the hopes of finding some of Scarlet’s toxic payload. “They couldn’t pay me enough to come down here..” She muttered to herself as she continued, torch sputtering in her hand. But wait, what was that down a side tunnel? It seemed like a green flickering light. That would-

“Hey! What’re you doing? This our home!”

The sudden, high-pitched voice startled the woman, and her free hand went to the hilt of her sword, though she didn’t draw it. As she placed the source of the voice, she groaned inwardly.

Skritt. Of course. Why did it always have to be Skritt?

“Look, this.. isn’t your home, these are the Lion’s Arch sewers, and I’m-”

“Is too home! Is Nikirrak’s home! Nikirrak found it fair and square. Finders keepers, losers weaker!”

“That’s not how it’s said, and..” Felicia sighed, pointing back over the Skritt’s shoulder, towards the green glow. “Look, I’m just here to find out what that glow is.”

“Oh no, Nikirrak not fall for that! That oldest trick in book!” The Skritt shook his head, proud that he’d outsmarted the human before him.

“No, the oldest trick in the book would be me saying there’s a shiny behind you.”

“SHINY!? Where? Want shiny!” The Skritt turned around immediately, tail swishing through the air as he looked towards the glow.

Feeling a headache coming on, Felicia just pushed her way past the Skritt and went deeper into the tunnel, ignoring the chittering protests from behind her. Sure enough, around the bend was one of Scarlet’s devices. Helpfully, there were numbers on a display that seemed to be decreasing. A timer? If it was a timer, there was still over a day left before this device would trigger. But Felicia intended to take no chances.

Drawing her sword, she shoved it into what looked like a complicated mechanism, then pushed on her blade like a lever. The intricate gears popped out of the device, and the low hum it was making ceased. The numbers stopped entirely, remaining frozen in place for a few seconds before disappearing, words replacing them on the screen instead.

“IMPENDING DOOM AVERTED. HAVE A NICE DAY.”

The redhead tensed up, prepared for some kind of trick or explosion, but nothing came, and soon the screen shut off entirely. Shaking her head, she turned to depart. She’d report this to an Order-affiliated engineer, so that she could be sure it was actually disabled, but in the meantime there were other places to search. And perhaps more importantly, cleaning off her armour and having a bath.

“You owe me shiny!” Nikirrak cried from behind her, but she just stalked off without paying the Skritt any heed.

Solissa the Ranger waited impatiently. She found the suspicious object, how long could it take to work out whether it was one of these toxin bombs and pay her?

She paced nervously in the Crow’s Nest. No point asking for a drink, she had been refused already. “We need your mind sharp”, they said. “There may be more of these to find”.

Finally, a mountain of a Norn walked in. kitten , he was big. He was carrying someone, a Sylvari, carefully in his arms. Silently, he walked past Solissa and into the Whispers den she had already been sternly told to pretend did not exist. Following him was an Asura, gently coughing as he held a tissue to his mouth.

He turned to Bren, the Lionguard who had been watching Solissa since she returned from her hunt.

“Th… that was… hakk… toxin all right. We got it cough away from the bank but it went off before I… wheeze could disarm it. Twenty in the infirmary, maybe they’ll make it, maybe they… hkkk won’t”. The tissue contained a mix of green and red. Phlegm and blood, it seems.

Bren turned to Solissa. “If there are more of these out there, we need them found, now. Maybe that one went off accidentally early, or maybe they are intended to go off in waves. Concentrate people into one place for the grand finale. Through whatever sense of self-preservation you possess, you need to find the rest of these things. Go!”.

“B…but… my gold?” she asked, nervously.

“I showed you gold. Never said it would be yours”. He drew a short scimitar style sword. “I am showing you this. Maybe the blade will be”.

She got the hint. Back to the search.

((Hmm… the Skritt! Great move! We could just let the toxin get released, and have the Skritt filter out all the bad chemicals through their lungs! ))

I just made a slight teeny edit in my last post…nothing major. Time to start tinkering for the next one…

So have we found all the bombs yet, or no?

[[I think so. Solissa can’t find any more]]

“Okay…” I said, “so let me get this straight…Scarlet came to Lion’s Arch, and got bombs planted somewhere in the city…”

My Sylvari visitor nodded. “Yep!”

“They’ve found at least one…”

“Uh huh!”

“The Lighthouse has been used as some sort of base…”

“That’s right!”

“Which…you apparently scaled with a rocket-powered gun…”

“And the help of lots of caffeine and sugar!”

“Okay…and you need a code cracker to locate the last two bombs.”

“Correct!”

I shifted my gaze from the energetic Sylvari to the Charr Warden behind her. “Well…let me see…”

The Charr growled. “What?” he asked.

“…Trying to think how much do I get out of offering my help.”

His tail switched in annoyance. “How about this: you can either be helpful, or I’ll add ‘infringing on public safety’ to your record.”

“…That’s part of the law?”

“Yes.”

I frowned “…then whoever built all the dilapidated ship-houses in Lion’s Arch should be arrested and fined. Those structures are a safety hazard.”

The charr answered with a low threatening growl. Right. Not a good idea to make the warden angry.

“Forget I said that.” I turned my attention back to the Sylvari. “Well, I’m not really that great with code-cracking…but I might know someone who can help.”

“Yaaay!! Okay, I’ll go now and talk to him and – wait, who is he? Or is it she? Maybe he’s a she. Is he a she? Or she a he?”

I smiled. “Ten gold.”

She blinked. “Their name’s ‘Ten Gold?’ That’s a strange name.”

I shook my head. “No, no. I’ll tell you how to find him for ten gold coin-”

“Midniiight,” the Charr warned threateningly, flexing his wrist and extended his long, sharp claws. “Remember what I said about ‘infringing on public safety’?”

“You know what?” I said quickly, shooting a look back to the Sylvari. “I’ll just tell you for free. I know a friend, of a friend, of a friend’s friend, of a friend whose cousin’s second niece’s daughter’s ex-boyfriend’s friend knows a friend, of a friend, of a friend….who’s a pretty reliable code cracker.” Hey, she confused me. I thought Might as well confuse her too.

“Okay!” she said, “I got it! Where can I find your friend, of a friend, of a friend’s friend, of a friend whose cousin’s second niece’s daughter’s ex-boyfriend’s friend knows a friend, of a friend, of a friend who’s a pretty reliable code cracker?”

…or not.

Sophie, I really hope I didn’t write you into a corner here. I don’t think I did. Just PM me when you get the chance.

(( I want to read a fantasy detective novel by you, Arikyali. You really get the feel down, and you write different characters so believably and well! ))

I looked over the Vigil keep, testing my side by stretching in every which way I could think of. It felt tight, and still hurt, but it was not in any danger of reopening unless I got into a serious fight. Which was exactly what I wanted to avoid here. Night had arrived, the city slept. Well, most of it. Except those Lionguard blinding themselves with lights. It was time to get to work.

Nobody tries to break into a prison, right?

Donari.5237:

(( I want to read a fantasy detective novel by you, Arikyali. You really get the feel down, and you write different characters so believably and well! ))

You have no idea how much that means to me. Truth is, I used to be a writer in my free time, but I never really gathered anything to construct a proper book. Perhaps I should go back to working on it…

If you want, I did write a short one-shot for GW2 a long, long long time ago. Just something for fun. It never took any recognition so it got buried and forgotten. https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/community/fangen/All-Things-Have-A-Right-To-Grow/first

-waiting for nightfall in Lion’s Arch-

Why is it when I need screenshots at night, it’s daytime. And when I need them at day, it’s night…

Arikyali.5804:

Truth is, I used to be a writer in my free time, but I never really gathered anything to construct a proper book. Perhaps I should go back to working on it…

You should. You’ve got real talent for it. There are some very talented writers here in this thread, but so far your story is the one I’ve enjoyed reading the most.

I had given the Sylvari directions on how to locate this ‘friend of a friend’ of mine. Not like she’d ever find him among the heavily tangled web of shady acquaintances. She was more than capable of taking care of herself, so I didn’t need to worry about any incurred debts from her or my business contacts. This had left me to return to my bunk and stare at the stone wall, as I tried to plan my next move.

I sighed softly. Bombs in the city. Wonderful. Here I was, trapped in a cell, with bombs somewhere in Lion’s Arch primed and ready to go off. I had picked up from the conversation of the guards that at least two more were found – making a supposed total of three. But for all anyone knew, there could be more than just three bombs planted. There were a slew of hiding places that could easily overlooked, ranging from the sewers to back allies. Among misaligned buildings and within the rocky cliffs. Lion’s Arch had several nooks and crannies for hiding, and I knew my fair share. They were extremely useful when you needed a place to hide.

Maybe I could reveal some of those places to the Lionguard to shorten my own sentence? No, that wouldn’t do any good. All that’d accomplish was less hiding places for me (and anyone else who used them). That is, if they still existed after the bombs went off. Either way, I’d be back in the cell and no better off than before.

My thoughts were interrupted by a quiet clink at the corner of the bars. At first I’d have dismissed it as nothing, but it was followed by a soft voice.

“Hope you didn’t sabotage the lock this time.”

I immediately spun around and sat up, but there was no one there. But right at the edge of the cell, was a key.

I reached down and grabbed the key, eyes darting to the outside of my cell. To my slight surprise the two guards on duty were either fast asleep…or conveniently knocked out.

I didn’t waste any time. With key in hand I stood up and quietly stepped toward the cell door. My eyes tried to pierce the dark room outside. No movements. I reached over and inserted it into the lock. It fit. I turned it cautiously. The mechanical interworking of the lock clicked as the bolt slid back. My heart was aflutter.

I gently pressed my hand against the frame of the door, slowly adding my weight against it.

Crrrrrrk

I froze. I shot another glance at the guards outside. They hadn’t moved. Even the smallest noise sounded a lot louder in the dead of night. I pressed the gate again.

Crrk

I clenched my teeth. In the room next to the cell, I could hear the shuffling of paperwork on the Warden’s desk. They stopped. I held my breath. The papers ruffled again, followed by a pen scratching against parchment.

Okay…I can do this. I gently pressed the gate again, my eyes locked on the sleeping guards outside.

Crrrk

The papers stopped. My heart was pounding, but the opening was wide enough. I slipped through the small gap as quickly and quietly as humanly possible. Once out, I stealthed myself and silently crept across the room.

The warden was still in his office, gnawing at the end of his pen. His eyes flicked up at the movement of a shadow casted from the candlelight, then he went back to his paperwork.

My stealth would not last long. I hurried out of the prison and broke into run, diving underneath a carriage just as the stealth wore off.

I was out of the cell but I wasn’t free yet. There were guards at every exit. People were cheering on the participants in the Iron Gauntlet arena nearby. The Mist warrior recruiters continued to beckon the nearby adventurers to enter the gates.

I breathed quietly, trying to still my racing heart, and praying no one would look underneath the carriage. I just had to wait until I could stealth myself again.

Which direction should I go? The West gate was too far away, with little places to hide. The East gate was right next to me, but the guards had a clear vantage of the beach ahead. Could I run fast enough to escape their range of vision? No…probably not. The North gate was a fair distance away, but…I could make it out in time and leap off the bridge.

That was my best option. I tensed, readying myself like a sprinter waiting for the starting gun. I stealthed, forcing myself to wait the few seconds needed for the Shadow Arts magic to seep for the longer duration.

“Did you see something?

“See what?”

“By that carriage. I thought I saw movement.”

I bolted out and sprinted down the plaza, straining to reach the wide opened gate. I dove and rolled out of the path of a passerby, who was perplexed at the gust of wind that rushed past. I leaped up, narrowly missing another citizen. I could feel the stealth starting to vanish around me.

I raced out of the gate and made a sharp turn to the left, leaping off the edge just as the stealth left my form. I held my breath, holding in my scream, as I plunged into the sea below.

(( Yay that’s a quite accurate description of my saladness when I’m hyper-happy-blur! Nope, no bad corners here at all

Hamfast.8719:

((Hmm… the Skritt! Great move! We could just let the toxin get released, and have the Skritt filter out all the bad chemicals through their lungs! ))

I’m not sure if this is a joke or seriousness that Skritt are living Air Purifiers))

In the midst of running about to look for….. I can’t remember the sequence anymore, haha! I just realised something important:

I FORGOT TO TELL HER MY NAME!!

Noooo now nobody is going to know I visited her! How am I going to verify to that friend of a friend of whateverness I passed the message?!?!?!

Friendly Lionguard beckoned to me just before I walk through the Asura gates to Divinity’s Reach and delivered the best news of the day!

All three bombs found!

But I still need to find a codemaster. We could a whole ton of stuff, more than just locations. There are bomb blueprints, journals and so on.

Then Friendly Lionguard said:
“We found a small booklet in between the blueprints that has a picture of a mermaid. It’s written in Old Krytan, so we sent it to the Priory HQ. You’re a Magister, right? Could you pick up the translation later?”

My jaw dropped. Of COURSE I’ll pick it up later! But first I got to look for a codie and deliver the news.

I posted my request to all 480 guild members of mine. I’m very sure at least one of them knows someone like that. 50% Charr to boot! We got a bunch of Ashes in there, but none of them are codies. Boo.

Being in a guild named like a surveillance camera sure has its perks.

(( Authour note, the guild’s name is Choo Choo Train Volution [CCTV]. Lots of my guildies are also either Charr mains or have alts with Charrs, so the other nickname is Charr Charr Train Volution ))

Blimey me, I can’t remember who’s the contact who asked me to look for the family in the first place! That dude just walked up to me and went “hey hey have you seen her?” kind of deal. I’d remember he/she asked it yesterday but…. after the third day things start to get fuzzy.

Nevermind, I got Midnight’s real name from the Charr Lionguard. It’s not 3 days yet, so I can still remember it. So I asked the DR folks for directions a bit.

I sent a mail to Yerol about the new mermaid development. It’s short and sweet.

“Found some Old Krytan text referring to a mermaid. Meet me at the Priory HQ.”

Off I go!

(( SIDEQUEST ALERT! You can skip this chapter if you want. This is just a detour to resolve my mission to look for Midnight. You’re welcome to read it, but you’re also free to skip it if you’re not Midnight ))

I head over to the house and noticed… her.

A blind sister, huh? That’s sad. She seems rather reluctant to leave the home area. Understandable, she can’t see what pitfalls there are. Not very disable friendly, this world.

I heard an enterprising human somewhere is developing a special lightweight stick that allows the blind to feel the ground. He believes as long we have the right tools available, the disabled can live like a normal person. Lots of people got blinded by poisoned water.

I dug through my collection of namecards and found that guy. The stick is made out of hollow mithril. Very light, very durable. Originally he thought of copper or iron, but ever since adventurers conquered the more dangerous lands laden with Mithril that once-expensive metal crashed rock bottom prices. No rust, no fuss. Perfect.

He called it a ‘Seeing Stick’, painted in white so sighted people don’t knock into it. The richer folks use Celestial for an extra blinding shine. Oh the puns.

With a bit of hinges and tricks, the long stick folds up into something no longer than a ruler! Amazing!! I’d say this is more impressive than fancy Asuran gadgets! It’s so simple, so low-tech yet so functional.

It’s not widespread yet, but he hopes people will adopt it soon enough. Right now it’s still too expensive for the public to buy.

I bought two sticks (A spare is always good) and knocked on their door. This time I tell them my name first BEFORE handing over the gift.

The mother left the house while I was away. A young lady answered the door… though I can’t make up her age.

I introduced myself, my affiliation and so on so on, just so she knows I’m not a conjob or a kidnapper.

When she trusted me enough, I gave her the sticks. Taught her how to use it too. The lady learned quick.

“My sister sent you here, right?” She asked.

Quite cliche. “Nay, not directly. It’s a long story. A friend of a friend of a friend told me your family is looking for her and I can’t remember who’s that friend anymore… so I decided to just to look for you instead.”

“Is she in trouble?”

That’s the uncomfortable part. Should I give a little white lie?

Mmmm nah. From my Dream I learned that little white lies in this situation will just make family members wonder why their loved ones STILL haven’t come back home.

“Yeah, she’s in a pickle. They’re pretty sour dill pickles too. With Charr Chili.”

To my surprise the girl smiled. “Oh, that means my sister is okay. She’ll get out of the pickle: she always does.”

Confident! I got worried for nothing! Glad to have done something useful, I say goodbye and let normal life continue.

Come to think of it….
I think I sensed some really, really nasty traps hidden at the front porch. If I was a conjob, that girl would have pulled the trigger. I don’t know which of the sisters built that, but that’s sooooo cool!

(( I don’t think I’ve shown how I look like properly. Here you go ))

Sophiera.1209:

Come to think of it….
I think I sensed some really, really nasty traps hidden at the front porch. If I was a conjob, that girl would have pulled the trigger. I don’t know which of the sisters built that, but that’s sooooo cool!

Kristie: Actually, mom built those.

Mother: …I already lost a husband. And a daughter. I can’t lose the third.

Ana: ….Ow mom, knife through the heart…

Mother: You should write home more often!

Ana: I try! It’s not easy to find time to write home when I’m being chased by Lionguard, thugs, pirates, bandits, krait, and my landlord!

Mother: I’m sure you can find enough time to write a short letter at least once a week. I worry, you know?

Ana: Siiiiiiigh…..

((By the way, Kristie is about…10-12 years old)

(( Oh, okay I didn’t want to get it wrong XD

When I was 14, people thought I’m 10. And when I watch TV, some 12 year old kids look like 16. In some manga 15 year olds look like 25. IT’S SO CONFUSING ))

((I now enjoy the frustration of waiting for nightfall in game for screenshots))

Well, those negotiations could have gone better. After all, they came to me, knowing that Solissa Starwood had a reputation for finding any prey… eventually. My time was worth 15 gold at least, I was determined of that!

I should have known that a council of pirates would rip me off. Not that I had much choice in helping find those barrels, but I thought I deserved more than the paltry 50s plus expenses that they offered. So I tried a little… hostile negotiation.

It didn’t work. All I ended up with was wood rash on my… well, never mind.

I decided to wander around for a short while before heading home. A local pointed me to a good spot from which to watch the tide roll in. Suddenly, Sprouts Honor started howling. There was a sudden breeze and a splash deep below me. Strange, I never saw a thing.

As I headed back to town to grab some provisions on the way out, Sprout went off -again-! He wouldn’t stop howling at those fish around the Lion’s Arch fountain. No matter what I did, he wouldn’t move away. Tentatively, I climbed up one, to the chagrin of some tourists nearby, and inside… there were some small barrels, with a mechanical device attached.

Now I had to think. Given my earlier… experience… with the Captain’s Council, should I report this in at all?

I hadn’t had that much fun in a while. If you get the right prison, breaking in can be quite the rewarding experience. The Krait prison was rather tame. I mean, sure, there was the chance of painful death or enslavement, but as far as security went it was lacklustre. A Lionguard prison, on the other hand, was much more challenging. Patrols, static guards, plenty of lighting, closed in spaces, minimal paths in or out. Required a bit more finesse.

This prison, however, was a converted Vigil keep. Some of the Vigil were still around. It diluted the quality some, to be honest I didn’t mind as my side still wasn’t fully fit. But what I discovered once inside (it didn’t take long, who has trees for easy exterior access right by the wall?) nearly made me laugh. The keys were neatly organised on the wall. They had even labelled them. I thought I was going to have to steal the keys after subduing some burly warden in his office. Oh well. Since they key was nicely labelled, it made finding Anakysha a little bit easier. There weren’t as many patrols on the insde of the prison, I could move around fairly freely. Only had to worry about the warden in his office, but he was easy to bypass.

And here was the biggest disappointment. Two guards near Anakysha’s cell, neither in armour. Just normal cloth. One was fully asleep on the job! I had half a mind to storm into the warden’s office and demand what kind of ludicrous setup he was running here. It wasn’t a practical idea, of course I didn’t do it. Instead I dispatched of the guards in simplistic fashion. One never suspected the goodnight stick, and the other I ‘encouraged’ to continue sleeping with an aromatic herbal relaxant. I dropped they key to her cell through the bars, but she didn’t stir. I couldn’t let her miss this opportunity, so I let her know it was me with a whispered message. Yeah, that got her moving. I made my way out of the prison, back down the trees I came in on, and left. Now, I was waiting for her to arrive.

How in Grenth’s name could she sleep in this bed? It was like a rock!

Chapters Alt. 1-4: What came before…

Chapter Alt. 5: Time and tide, unwitting guide…

Ebb and flow, come hither go, time and tide wait for no man, woman and/or fish. The twinkle of moon filters down thru the ocean layers like a foreign star in a liquid sky. A near lifeless shell caught in the drift of waters deep, pushes the twilight soul further in its outward course away from the protection of Sanctum’s haven. Twixt Eastern Pyramid and Laughing Gull, the final grasping hands of terra firma, lose their societal reach.

• Out to sea and out of mind our heroine’s journey would in most cases come to a close. But this, dear reader is not most cases and our heroine it seems, has One… still watching

From the deepest fathom of the Unending Ocean, leviathan’s will endures. The barest hint of Elder quiver sends a faint ripple, so very faint when considered to the overwhelming capacity of its source. Like the epicenter of a far off quake, the waves of force make course askew, northward against nature’s pull and closer to the shore.

Your time has come pretty Tetra, back to the land where you will do most ‘good’. Free to act as you see fit, under my most delicate, tender tutelage. Wake dear one wake. The seed has cracked and taproot ventures forth.

A bikini clothed girl washes up choking and sputtering, upon Pearl Islet’s shore. Her fear filled eyes snap open to the multiple dripping faces of astonished tourists.

FIN??? I think not!

((Thus ends my caring for poor Bubbles innocent yarn. I bow to the creator))

The cleaning up had gone quicker than she’d liked. Lion’s Arch was still in danger, after all. After relaying information about the disabled device in the sewers, Felicia set off into the city once more, roaming the streets.

Where would they plant other devices? The one had already been found by the Black Lion Trading Post, she knew. The other, obvious places should be taken care of. The bank, the fountain. There had been some kind of commotion at the lighthouse earlier, so it should be covered as well.

Those were all the places to plant dangerous devices to cause the maximum destruction, but they weren’t the places the Whispers agent was worried about. Toxic spores being released in a remote area like the sewers would be just as deadly, especially if they had a chance to spread and linger for some time before being discovered. So what other areas would be remote like that, barely travelled? Preferably with less Skritt?

As she walked past the fountain and glanced towards the travel hub, the small island where the Asura gates were set up, it came to her. She immediately spun on her heel and walked away from those gates, to the northeast, to a quiet area that seemed eternally under construction. In Coriolis Plaza, a krewe of Asura was hard at work building a series of new gates. They seemed convinced that this expansion was necessary, even if no one knew when the expansion would be complete, or where it would go. Would the expansion be for Cantha or Elona, or somewhere closer to home, perhaps? Only the krewe knew, and they were as tight-lipped as one could expect Asura to be.

Regardless, Felicia took her search there, to the quiet, disabled gates. A sparse few Asura were scattered about, but there was no doubt that there were nooks and crannies here for Scarlet to store her devices, and it was close enough to the major populated centres to be a real worry. So Felicia began her search…

Well, I tried.

First I tried to warn a Lionguard near the fountain about the suspicious objects. He seemed… less than convinced.

Then, I tried to go to the Council themselves, to warn them of the danger. They were even less convinced. More so thanks to their security guard who made it quite clear that I was not welcome!

So now I have taken it upon myself to stand here and try to warn everyone of the danger. Most just look at me strangely, like I’m that Norn from Hoelbrak who keeps yelling about creatures of metal and steam. What a nut she is!

Now my main concern is that I don’t know when these things are set to go off. I’m worried that I’m going to get killed here. Maybe I should leave these idiots to their fate…

[ty for the cameo by Faryen Obstart!]

((Curse you for breaking her out, I wanted to do that ))

After Muriseer gave me some of Magg’s inventions and told me how to use it I went home to sleep. The next morning I was all excited and stuff about that day. Yay!! I can blow up a jail. I haven’t done that in a while, this will be a great day. Or so I thought.
I rushed to the asura gate to LA, carefully dodging all the sylvari in my way. (for some reason they never like it when you crash into them)

Once in LA I started looking for a good place to place my distractions. (“bombs” that release a poisenous-looking green smoke upon detonation.) I marked good places with little green flags put in the ground.

Ok, done. Now let’s go to Midnights cell to prepare her escape plan, though when I get to her cell I find out she’s not there anymore. Has she been moved? I quickly find out that she has escaped. The Vigil are keeping it secret to either prevent more panic or for their honour (I couldn’t find out which one), which is why I didn’t hear it before.

Dissapointed. Again. Why can I never have some luck.
I went to two-ters to eat lunch and about half-way trhough I got a message from Sophiera:

“Found some Old Krytan text referring to a mermaid. Meet me at the Priory HQ.”

So I sent a message back saying I was going there ASAP and left to go meet her

((note: sometimes I wish English was my native language, I spend more time looking for the right words then actually writing stuff))

[[I am surprised that English is not your first language! You are doing exceptionally well ]]

Yerol.9546:

((Curse you for breaking her out, I wanted to do that ))

You need to message me for this stuff! Jaric and I had been discussing the escape via PMs before you even got explosives.