[Carkle Jackson]

The call went out for the Kittens to assemble. Our greatest foe had been sighted and it was laying waste to the sparsely populated ocean of Timorous Deep. We realized that now was the time to prove ourselves to the server. So we strapped on our bronze and banded. The guild bank loaned Droar (our beefiest warrior) our guild's most prized weapon. We all felt reassured with Droar hefting the Crystalline Short Sword. As we gathered on the beach in TD, I looked around and felt a surge of pride. A hundred of my fellow kittens had gathered for the kill.

Purpyl and I put away our matching Sionachie's Partisans and Rusty Bastard Swords, equipped the drums we'd purchased from the North Freeport Bard's guild and ran off to locate Faydedar.

Purpyl and I tracked it for several minutes until I ran right into it. In no time, it was upon me. I was lucky to escape from it with just a single tear in my leather tunic. I started running back to meet the Kittens but even with my trusty North Freeport hand drum, it was hard to stay out of reach of it. It was about to get me when Purpyl caught up! She got his attention by singing the level 12 direct damage song at him. She would have sung a higher level one but she couldn't afford to buy it. It didn't matter. It got her attention and started chasing her!

Purpyl and I had it chase us in the direction of the Kittens. It was quite a relief when we saw the sea of bronze plate and banded armors glinting on the horizon. The clerics in their leathers healed Purpyl and I as we entered the camp. Purpyl and I had mere seconds to equip our weapons because Faydedar was upon us.

People were feared and running everywhere. It was pandelerium! Groups were reporting in... "This person was down". And "That person was down". There was sobbing in Discord!

Some people were still able to attack but most were running around in a stampede of insanity.

Faydedar's hitpoints were dropping but it seemed like our raiders were dropping even faster! Our original raid force of 100 was quickly down to 80 then 70 and then in the blink of an eye we were down to 20. I remember yelling into Discord, "Die damn you!!!" And then I realized my microphone was turned off. Gah! Foiled at every turn!

And then I was dead and all I could do was listen with baited breath hoping beyond hope that we could finish him off. Droar yelled out that it was just he and Kasani the Druid left.

I couldn't listen any longer. I took off my headset. I covered my head with a pillow. I started screaming the lyrics to "Kiss By A Rose" at the top of my lungs! I cried heavy, salty tears for the disaster that had befallen my fellow Kittens and I.

After several minutes, I pulled myself together and put my headset back on. People were cheering! We had won! We had pulled it off! 98 members of our 100 member raid force had died but we killed the bastard!

The pride we all felt as we ran from East Freeport to the dock in the Oasis, I will never forget! The feelings of solidarity I felt with the 97 Kittens sitting next to me on the raft as we floated out to TD to loot our corpses was almost tangible. You could feel the love!

Next order of business... This guild needs some Rez sticks!