Avilien: Tutorial islands

Darkened halls

Black and white guild banners fluttered in the breeze of an open window. White bones making up a large C printed on the banners signified they belonged to the dark guild, Court of Bones. Grand chandeliers made of the finest golds, silvers, and jewels across Avilien hanged over a great dark wooden table. Made of the darkest wood in Avilien and darkened further under dragons breath the table stretched the distance of the hall, big enough for ten chairs.

Corrupted mana trees from the peaks of Titan made the table indestructible and underneath a thin sheet of elven glass engraved into the wood was a vast battle. The battle depicted was a rare unlock recipe for a master woodworker and told of events to come in the future of Avilien. Some called it a prophecy, others a nightmare.

Men, women, giants, fay, dwarves, elves, cyrowns, and sileans battled a fierce war of magic against the seven races that made up the Swarm. Trolls, Gullacs, goblins, vetin, elken, dragonkin, and ogres clashed with steel and machine against the Dawn. As one looked across the vast table, the battle became overshadowed by the march of the undead, behind them an even sinister force. Hades and his minions from the fiery underworld were rising and laying waste to the Dawn, the Swarm, and the Undead.

"If you stare at that too much Triston it will drive you mad. Avilien won't turn to ash before the guild acquires all that we want." A familiar voice entered the hall through white double doors and with a smile upon his face.

"How good it is to see you again Grimmock. It has been far too long since you got demoted to a Minus. Has it been hard on you? I still consider you as one of the ten," Triston lifted his head from his hands.

Black hair fell over a chiselled face and a well-kept beard. Green eyes met with the old headmaster of Islington. Ever since the run-in with Nate at the school and the fact he had to flee made the Court of Bones rules come down hard on Grimmock. They evicted Semor from his position in the ten and reduced him to what was known as Minus member, a member that could no longer climb the ranks.

Since the top ten in the Court of Bones fluctuated more often than not those that fell from the top ten that were still alive were placed into a subgroup within the guild that had been dubbed Minus. Although powerful since the members used to be former top ten Court of Bones members, they served a point to prove that anyone in the guild could end up in there, including the guild master. Even with that set in stone, the current top ten members treated the Minus like they were less than dogs, and more often than not the Minus got used like slaves for the top ten.

"Very kind of you to say that Triston. I always valued you as a dear friend and would like to think you had my back," said Grimmock as he pulled a chair from under the table and sat down.

Grimmock had stayed the same class since entering Avilien. A dark fire mage who had a penchant for powerful item spells. Both he and Zeult, his three-headed snake game guide had managed to reach level nine. Dressed in long dark robes covered in fire emblems, Grimmock hadn't changed over the years.

"Are we to celebrate the return of the guild master and the vice guild masters? I hear that Beta class users were released today." Asked Grimmock. He was out in Narval plains questing and laying siege to an elven fort when he received a mail summoning him back to Zalanga and back to the guild's headquarters.

"As fourth in command of the Court of Bones, I have had to step up and step in until the release of the Beta class users. This, of course, caused me much stress and I had to keep all other members separate and away from one another to stop in house fighting for ranked spots," explained Triston as he used his holo watch to summon a glass of red Duskinni wine. A grade B item that costs as little as forty gold coins a bottle.

Grimmock almost coughed at Triston's words. Out of all the members in the guild, Triston had benefitted the most. In charge of the guild, he received a flat fifteen per cent cut of all coin earned by members and a flat ten per cent on all treasure found. He had profited the most.

"The guild leader has indeed made contact as of an hour ago and will not be returning yet. She instead will be here on holo phone. Having heard the exploits of the dark guild, Corpse Collectors who also go by CC she has travelled to Tutorial islands along with the two vice guild masters. Funnily enough, the new number nine has also arrived there." Triston sipped his wine and awaited Grimmock's response. He smirked as Grimmock gripped one of Zeults heads so tight it began to choke and lose air.

"Nate!" spat Grimmock.

"A boy prodigy you once called him, and now the guild master herself has high expectations for him. She is disallowing any form of contact with him until he reaches level five. Nate doesn't know it but she has given him free rein to devour Tutorial Islands and combat what will remain of the six Devils once she is done with them."

"I've heard of these Devils. They are nothing special so I do not know why the guild master sullies herself with them," spoke Grimmock as he released a wheezing Zeult.

"Well, you haven't paid much attention to Tutorial Islands Grimmock. CC has established a strong foothold there and monopolised the majority of it. The six Devils who run supreme there live like kings. Now is a great time to challenge CC, who ranks as the twenty-fourth greatest dark guild in the world for PVP. They command numerous sister guilds and if we can so much as force them to stretch out their main hand even a little, we can cleave it off.

"Too long, we have waited in the shadows as a sister guild ourselves. As a bookkeeper, I will relish laying waste to CC's headquarters and stealing all of their possessions." Triston laughed as he dreamed of even more wealth.

Grimmock remained calm and collected before he stood up and wandered over to the towering French-style windows now known as elven arched windows. From high above the capital city Zalanga Grimmock could see all eight districts. It still mystified him as to how players aligned with the Swarm could set up residence within the very heart of the Dawn. Grimmock had no doubts that this was the doing of number five. Anyone able to level up the deception tree to the level she had could do anything. From changing names, colours of names, manipulate currency, muting footsteps, muting spell casts, and more.

Number five had been kept away from every member of the guild except Triston. Only he knew her whereabouts and for a good reason. With how she had levelled she would be weak and easy pickings for anyone wanting the spot.

"Truly is a remarkable view from up here," said Grimmock as he watched the swallows dive from the sky.

Triston's holo watch vibrating made Grimmock turn his head back to see number four rise from his seat and finish the glass of red wine. Corrupting the game Triston had made himself over eight feet tall and unlocked the dark class of warrior making him a centurion. More blood-crazed than the Beta class berserker centurions had a never-ending appetite. The more damage they took in battle the bigger they grew and the greater their damage and speed rose. Factor in the corruption and Triston had changed the class to allow him to wield two giant broadswords instead of one. No one had toppled him in a duel yet, or world combat, or so Grimmock believed.

"I am afraid I have business to attend to for a brief moment. I shall not be too long and in that time I expect you to prepare a feast for the ten." Triston's smile had faded and now a look of worry washed over him.

"Need I be concerned about this business?" questioned Grimmock.

"Not unless you want to be deleted. I am left dealing with another boy prodigy, one a hundred times more ruthless than Nate and even more corrupted than any of us," explained Triston.

"Then I shall remain here and prepare a banquet for the ten," Grimmock bowed his head as Triston left the room.

Outside of Avilien Triston was an assistant manager in charge of spec ops within the government sector. Remaining on his good side would always be in Grimmock's best interest, yet moral codes often changed in the digital world. Triston had become greedier than a dragon in his quest for wealth.