“Remarl Got Drunk” was a piece started by Remarl that turned into a long story based in the lore of Guild Wars co-written by members of Marked Souls. The following members contributed to the story: Remarl, Raven, Kousei, and Lyne.
Chapter 01: Remarl Got Drunk
Chapter 02: A Meeting of Friends
Chapter 03: Astra’s Experience
Chapter 04: Confessor Dorian
Chapter 05: The Escape and the Battle
Chapter 06: Nature’s Force
Chapter 07: Camp
Chapter 04 of Remarl Got Drunk
by Remarl
Confessor Dorian enters his comand tentafter his morning spiritual. A little disgruntled because there were only three villagers available to sacrifice; he goes to his table where a scetch of the island is laid out. “Felstaf, come in now” he says, summoning his general. “Are those reports about interlopers on the island true?” “Yes SIR! they come from the ship that bore the Creature and two trusted guardsman from Sanctum Cay confirm it” Felstaf replies. “I want the island swept. All troops spreading from this northeast corner of our basecamp to the opposite side of the island. Use squads consisting of nine Warriors, two Mesmers, two Elementalists, one Ranger, three Monks, two Necromancers, two Assassins, two Dervish, and two Ritualists. The Assassins are to be your advance search party, tell them to use all possible stealth and not to directly confront the interlopers but teleport back to the squad and report. I don’t want anyone breaking ranks on this; we lose too many battles getting all strung out.”
“Deploy the Warriors with axes and Triple Chop builds. The Mesmers are to run Shared Burden and Conjure Nightmare so no one can escape. Use running builds on the Elementalists; they should use Flame Djinns Haste along with Meteor and Mind Blast. The Elementalists do not advance with the squad immediatly, but will run to each of the two nearest squads to enlist their aid. The Rangers are to bring their pet wolves to aid the squad in sniffing out the foe. They will not be doing any fighting. Upon sighting the enemy, they will report directly back here at full speed. Tell them to employ Quicksand before leaving the squad and Dodge and Natural Stride to get here as fast as possible. They may bring Poison Tipped Signet as a last means of defense.”
“I want all our Monks running with Healers Boon with full tilt healing bars. The Necromancers will be augmenting our melee with Order of the Vampire and Order of Pain in addition to their Life Siphon. Use the Dervish to kill any healers first. Have them use Avatar of Lyssa, Heart of Fury, Crippling Sweep, Zealous Sweep, and Pious Haste. The Ritualists will use Wanderlust spirits and ressurect our fallen with Flesh of my Flesh.”
“Fill out the rest of their bars with appropriate skills, Felstaf” Dorian commands. “I want reports back from the Rangers for only three reasons: the ruins are found, the creature is found, or the interlopers are found. Take nine hundred of the troops to this end. Leave one hundred here at base. You have eight hours to get to the other side of the island…if you don’t find them, do a return sweep. Are we clear General Felstaf?” “Yes SIR.” Felstaf replies.
“Go now, I want good news by the end of this day.” General Felstaf starts to leave. “Oh, and Felstaf, . . . . . . . kill them all.”
By Lyne
Gaile and Wil disguised as spiritual priests held their peace at the sacrifice during Dorian’s prayer. Gaile was twitching most of the time, and after the end of it, Wil asked her why she was in that state. “It itches, how did you find disguises that itch in Lyssa’s name?” Gaile responded.
- “I thought you were uneasy about the villagers being sacrificed.” He said, as he thought to himself with lips quirked; “she can be such a princess at times”.
- “No, no” she said head down, “I know the difference between suicide and a window of opportunity. Suicide has always been there, done that”
- “Ah, ok” said Wil. “Now, let us hope we have that window of opportunity”
The general exited the lavish command tent, and in 20 minutes, several squads formed up, and left the camp.
Gaile’s eyes widened with wonder. “That, is what we are looking for, let us hope they lose their way, and have no sense of direction.” Wil had a mischievous look in his eye, “Well, I could help them along if you want”. “No, we really have to consider the risk, we have to assassinate Dorian. I wish we had more with us”. Will calmly replied, “Gaile, if we had more, we could not have infiltrated this camp, we will complete our mission, unto death.” “Unto death” she responded grimly, her face cold and impassable.
They waited until most of the contingent was far into the forest. Wil saw that the direction of the wind is cooperating with them so that noises do not carry to the scattered squadrons. They moved quietly and swiftly out of the large sacrificial area and approached the now lightly guarded command tent. Wil, with a disgusted look flashed a sharp dagger out of his long coat. With it he incised the tent in one quick move and pulled it long all the way down to the ground making an opening for them to enter unseen into Dorian’s tent.
Dorian, kneeling at a low table with his back to the opening did not hear them. His broad back seemed to quiver and tense while a chant like voice continued on. The noise of glass was heard in a sudden quietness, like chimes in a hallowed place. As Will was silently approaching from the back with his daggers at ready to strike, Gaile was trying to see what Dorian was doing. She had an uncomfortable feeling about what was happening. As Dorian was moving to one side reaching out to open what looked like a spice box, she stole a view of what was on the table, and could not muffle a gasp.
At that moment it was as if time stood still. Dorian turned around, and yelled “to me, my people”. Gaile immediately cast a spell that froze him in time, and swiftly pocketed what was in front of him. Wil, with a grunt of dissatisfaction, raised his dagger to strike Dorian, but, his vision was blinded by an enemy elemental entering at the call for help. As troops were spilling into the tent, Gaile, slowed the horde down as the enemy elemental cast an orb to damage Wil, which he dodged at the last second.
Gaile and Wil moved to the opening they had made just a few minutes ago. As they exited, Wil saw a hooded figure running away from the tent and audibly said, “run the other way, we will get together at the point.” He and Gaile ran quickly the other way, Gaile in front, Wil running and stringing his bow. Warriors and bowmen flowed after them through the now gaping opening in the tent some of them pursued the other running figure. Dorian, recovered, boomed with incomprehensible instructions. Gaile was going up an incline saw what looked like bushes beyond the light fog of the morning, she turned around and cast another slowing spell as Wil positioned himself at the peak and started barraging the enemy troops. As the fog cleared, she looked down.
Casting furiously to keep the enemies at bay, she breathlessly said “I have good news, and I have bad news.” Wil, his eyes on the enemy troops in disarray going up the hill and continuously barraging them responded “Tell me the bad news first”
- “We are on a cliff and the edge is right behind us, we are trapped.”
- “Ok”
- “There is a forest below, and if we can get to it, we could lose them in there.”
- “Keep them busy while I take a look.”
At this point, Gaile and Wil had a big boulder to hide behind and avert any incoming trajectories, while the enemy warriors and others were seemingly waiting for reinforcements.
Puzzled Wil turned around and started to look down at a possible way to get to the bottom of the cliff quickly and with the least injury possible. Gaile looking down the hill at the enemy troops saw that Dorian was coming with pomp up the hill. She could not contain her pleasure of seeing him sweaty and tired of the steep walk he had to take. Dorian spoke. “I am aware of what you took from me. But I am willing to forget your impertinence and not kill you and your…. bodyguard. But my patience will be short. I know what you are, I saw your ring, but I could not understand why a descendant of Jabo would introduce herself so crudely to me. Is that what you diminished to? Being a thief, and hiring a body guard, when you are supposed to be lavishly adorned, properly attended to and served with all respect and submission? I will give you all you have lacked, I know you orphaned long ago, but I will reinstate your due power and position in a world that will be created at your feet, my gift to you. Just come down and let’s be friends daughter of Leebah.”
Wil came back with questioning eyes to Gaile “Leebah?” Gaile her eyes closed as if to forget that name changed the subject, “Well what of the cliff?”
- “We can jump into the tree that is closest to the edge” Lifting the hood over her now disarrayed hair
- “Jump?” she said growing paler.
- “Yes, Gaile, there is no other way”
Gaile started to tremble “Wil, I don’t think I can.” She took out what looked like a prism from the pocket of the disguise she still had on, took his hand, and put it in his palm. He shuddered with the pain it gave him as it travelled through his body, and quickly dropped it on the ground between them. He immediately used his signet to heal himself, and shook his head. “I am not going without you, if that is what you think. As for this, I think you should carry it for now until you can explain things better.” Holding the front of the garment, he tore an opening with a quick tug on both sides. He then lifted her arm, and using his knife he made another tear in the fabric to release some tension in the sleeves. She took the artifact from the ground between them and stashed it in her corset, she could feel its pulse against her heart, and she trembled even more as she recalled the time past.
Wil did the same with his disguise, and crouching in front of her, seeing that she was visibly getting closed to his suggestions he said “Gaile, we practiced trust, you told me that one day I will need to use this word, and how to use it.” He shook her again and leaned over her, then whispered to her “Hubamoor”. Her eyes widened with comprehension, she took the prism out, took his knife and cut a piece of fabric, then swaddled the artifact with it speaking an incantation. She then tucked it again in her corset, and her situation improved visibly. Wil set traps around their perimeter, including his healing trap for Gaile, and while they both recovered from the effects of the prism he was talking quickly laying out a plan. She listened quietly but looked sullen and almost unresponsive. Then he went to the edge of the cliff not looking back. Gaile rose up and cast a spell towards him, then instead of following him turned around to facing the enemy, she saw that some mesmers were on their way to Dorian. Dorian was smiling with an air of victory, and she had a haughty look, she removed her hood uncovering her face and hair and started talking distinctly but slowly like an automaton.
“You are right master Dorian, I shall succumb to your rule, I will again be mistress of the world with you. I sent my body guard to his death and he had set traps in this area so be aware of it.” As she said that, she pointed to the ground so they could now see where the traps were. But as their attention was occupied with the positioning of the traps, she swiftly with her other hand sent two water spells that blinded them and slowed them down. The mesmers were not close enough to stop her casts, and she was able to cast another spell on herself as she ran to the edge of the cliff and floated into the space separating herself from the closest tree. She could see that she would not be able to cross the gap, but as she realized that, Wil jumped towards a branch, caught it with one hand, and with the other he grasped her midair and closed the gap. She then was dangling almost being strangled by her disguise, she was breathing with difficulty and feeling the panic rising. Wil, struggling to keep his hands steady on both the branch and the tuft of fabric he had in his other hand was feeling the stretch of his muscles. She then recalled his words, and quickly tugged on her garment, which then tore all the way down her front and released her to fall down to the ground 5 feet below. Wil grasped the branch he was clinging to with his other hand free of Gaile, and he swung to a lower branch and landed near her. At the foot of the tree her hooded cape was waiting for her, and while she was putting it on Wil set more traps around the base of the tree, and they decamped and started walking quietly among the trees.
Far, a mile into the forest, two squads were approaching Kousei’s group which was on a hill. Sylvia behind the monks was crouching on the ground, and holding on to branches of a bush right next to her. The approaching squads suddenly doubled back and went back towards the camp. Kousei was thinking, and said in a whisper “A change of heart? Or a diversion?” Sylvia seemed to go into a trance, and said “the forest speaks that two people, one ranger with a grim and decided jaw, flowing hair, and a long coat, running through the forest a mile away, holding the hand of a long limbed, jade faced woman.” Kousei, turning to Sylvia asked her “Can you give me more description about the woman?” – “Yes, she has ice eyes, and fire hair”. Kousei hissed between his teeth “Gaile”. – “Sylvia, can you tell me where they are located?” She pointed to the direction that the squads were taking. Kousei rose from the hiding place he occupied. Remarl, Astra, Allorathine, Sylvia and Amani rose with him awaiting his reaction.
