May 3, 2009

Fond (?) Memories
by Loreis

Your first lair. Your first completed Autoquest. Your first Medievia wedding. These are lovely, perfect memories we all go back to from time to time, to soothe us, to bring a smile to our faces, to make us happy. Then there are OTHER memories, not so pleasant. Your first trade run into a band of centaur bandits during a firestorm. The first time you get 25 practices with a dragon crystal. Or, in my case, my first experience with CPK. Don't get me wrong, there are Heroes and non Heroes who absolutely thrive on player killing, and they are darn good at it. I am not one of those Heroes. Would I like to be? Of course, I just don't seem to have the skill, patience and tripping ability. Plus, I have spent a small (ok large) fortune on my equipment, and would cry myself into a stupor if I ever lost it.

My first experience with the fine art of Chaotic Player Killing came when I honestly least expected it: at Quinstone's Keep. I was a brash cleric/thief, with great hitroll, pretty good damage roll, and lovely equipment, suitable for framing. It was a lovely day in Medievia, sunny, a slight breeze, and my mood was light and fluffy. I had notes from a friend regarding Quinstone's Keep, and I thought why not? I'll give it a shot. If you know anything about me, those words usually come right before something lops off my head.

Quinstone's Keep is a massive stone structure in the middle of the wilderness that practically screams "Go Away!". It's dark and foreboding moat does nothing to alleviate the feeling of dread that alights upon your heart, as it is filled with mucky, slimy creatures, and it smells like mold and death. Quinstone's Keep is what I like to call a "key" zone. This means you need a ton of them to finish. And they are not in obvious places, so you must run around, crashing into soldiers and priests and a seriously angry cook, who wants to "shove a fork up your arse". Yes, it's a zone filled with suave and debonair men. Ahem.

I wandered, finding keys that opened doors, finding keys that opened hatches, finding keys that did not look at all like keys,and eventually, I fell into a dungeon. Darkness enrobed me like a cocoon, and for a moment, I felt terror in my very soul. Ok not really, but it was pretty dark. Spinning about in the darkness, I tried to find something, anything, that could give me a clue to my next task. What I got was a stinging whip across my forehead. I hate rudeness, so Thornuk had to die. Wiping the blood out of my eyes, I realized I had not found Lord Quinstone yet. I kept searching, and suddenly, a door appeared, where there had been solid rock. I scanned almost desperately, hoping and praying to be able to see what lay ahead. Nope. I tip toed into the room, and there he was, resplendent in his absolute animosity towards this unwelcome intruder, me. To prove this, he threw himself at me, punching, kicking and screaming, like some mad whirling dervish. Eventually, he died, much to my surprise, and gave up a stone, a mace, a robe, and gold.

(At this point, I am guessing some of you are screaming "Use WHO -Z! You silly thing!". Yes. Wouldn't that have been a good idea?)

Another key found its way into my inventory, and before me was an ornate door. I read my notes again, and realized that this was the CPK room. It was also the room that held the treasure Lord Quinstone had been guarding. I knew that I had been closing doors behind me, and figured I was perfectly safe. Remember what I said about patience? Here came a textbook example. I unlocked the door, whispered "yes", and stealthily entered the room. At that precise moment, Kirius jammed a Ki-rin's horn into my back so hard, it knocked the wind out of me. I was shocked into absolute stillness, and as his backstab lag took hold of his physical power, I got the heck out of there. Casting word, I found myself back in Medievia, and staggered out into the wilderness, collapsing in the grass, The sun on my face, and the soft breeze helped heal me, but I was still in a state of disbelief. Kirius wandered by, muttering,

"That should have worked. Why didn't that work?"

"Did you get the treasure?" I asked in a quavering voice.

Kirius dropped a huge green gemstone, and a golden chalice, at my feet, not even seeming to see me lying there.

"That should have worked," he kept murmuring, and slowly made his way towards the gate into the city.

So that is my first memory of CPK. I have others, but not quite as...fun. I have so many memories that were made in Medievia-my first lair, my first equipment run, my first shipping death (poisoned, blind, and ruby kah), and even my first days as an Avatar. This one memory has stayed with me these few years because I learned so much from the experience. Like patience. Kirius had been in the Keep for over an hour, just waiting for me to appear. I don't have that much patience. Eventually, I would get bored, and pop off to the casino, or go shopping.

Quinstone's Keep is a fantastic zone, with puzzles and hidden entrances aplenty. Just don't forget that one room, and that Heroes who are skilled in player kill have all the patience in the world.

Loreis-out