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Old 04-17-2017, 04:01 PM
Rygar Rygar is offline
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Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Minnesota
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Default Roleplay Write-Up: Bardoc's Quest

Hey there forumquesters, I previously wrote a Roleplay story on our guild message board to commemorate our friend Bardoc's obsession with finishing his Strength of the Elements quest. It is a rather long read but I hope you will all enjoy it!

Just wanted to share it with y'all. I at one time had ambitions to create screenshots Sneaksy style but alas, real life leads me with such little time in game as it is. I think it reads well as a short story / novel format anyways.

Its just a fun little story that I feel captures the spirit of EQ.

Anyways, let me know what you think! Here are the first 3 chapters (will release the others here and there).

Without further ado, here is chapter 1:



Bardoc was a battle hardened barbarian, born on the frigid steppes of Everfrost Peaks. So it was no surprise the stinging winds of the Wasted Lands on the western shores of Velious barely chilled his skin. The thrill of the hunt warmed his blood… today he was hunting for dragons. He lead his war party across the tundra, his fellow Azure Guardians did not thrive in this climate as Bardoc did.

“I’m cold!” Cheich whined, “Can’t we take refuge in a cave nearby and lure the dragons to us?”.

Bardoc scoffed at this softling, but he turned his disdain into a wry smile and patted Cheich on the back, “..and how will I lead them in without their favorite snack?”. Cheich trembled, the thought cutting him deeper than any icy wind. He looked over his shoulder and hustled along, close to Bardoc’s side.

Yakiee lead them across the icy plain. The tracks were difficult to follow, he no longer could look for the bent leaves and squashed berries that were plentiful in the Karanas. Only a truly seasoned ranger could track his prey in this wasteland. He closed his eyes and honed his senses as he walked.

Cheich looked puzzled, “How do you know we’re even going the right way? I can’t see a single track!”.

“…that is because the eyes do little good for a ranger in this rough country.” Yakiee said. “Dragons are heavy beasts, their tracks compress the snow very deep in the ground yet they leave no mark as their tail sweeps the snow to fill the void.” He let this fact sink in with Cheich before continuing. “The snow surrounding the track is dense and hardened to ice just below the surface, yet the fresh tracks remain soft.” The Halfling then noticed how Yakiee’s heel dipped low in the snow yet the ball of his foot remained on the surface; he marveled at the ranger’s skill.

All of a sudden the air was pierced by a sharp cry, but not of any dragon, but rather the howls of a madman, “ORE!!! Bring me MORE!!!!!”. They looked to Bardoc for guidance, dragons was their objective after all, not saving a raving vagabond from the surrounding ice burrowers.

Bardoc squared his shoulders and looked out across the land, debating the path they should take. “We are members of the Azure Guard, our duty lies with the protection of Norrath and its citizens”. They nodded in agreement and marched toward the cries.

They came to the edge of a shallow fissure and were surprised by what they saw below: Not some haggard lunatic that lost his way, but a refined wizard. Still, he muttered to himself constantly, perhaps slightly mad from the isolation he appeared to live in. “Curious, curious, curious… so curious… I need more data, how can this be? I must understand, the master must understand…” He paused slightly and sensed our presence, he looked over his shoulder then turned to face us. “Excellent! Place them right over here... Show me! Show me!!”

Bardoc grabbed the wizard by his robe, “Ho there! Easy my good man, sit down, you look like you could use some rest”.

“Rest!?” exclaimed the wizard, clearly put off at the notion. “How can I learn the secret of the elements while resting, hmmm?! Perhaps you should rest!” He waived his hands and a boulder shot out from the surrounding rock and buckled Bardoc’s knees, causing him to sit. He reached instinctively for his sword and would have cleaved the wizard in two if it wasn’t for Yakiee placing his hand over Bardoc.

“Easy now everyone, no one has come here looking for a fight. We merely came to see if you needed our aid”. He felt Bardoc ease and the wizard’s face lit up. “YES!! Splendid, quite splendid… help me you shall indeed… I need more Elemental Ore to research, I have so few samples and much testing to do!!”

“What’s so special about this stuff?” Cheich asked, he had found various glowing orbs of the precious ore in a crate and was juggling them precariously across the lab.

“AHHH! You fool! Stop that! Stop it!!” The wizard rushed over in a panic with his robe stretched out, chasing Cheich around the lab and catching his precious ore piece by piece. The wizard quickly put on his eyepiece to inspect the samples for damage, mumbling incoherently. Cheich had moved on to tinker with the various instruments seen laying around the makeshift laboratory.

“This ore is precious, derived from powerful beasts and dangerous landscapes.” The wizard’s voice turned distant, “The qualities they possess are magical, many different things can be crafted from these, staves of magic, spells of protection, armor with powerful enchantments…”. Bardoc’s ears perked up, “Armor you say?”.


“Oh yes, very powerful armor, better than most you’d find amidst a dragon’s treasure hoard” He kept his eyes focused on the ore before him and reached up on his shelf and grabbed a set of pauldrons and threw them on the ground, seemingly uninterested. Bardoc gasped at the site of such a fine piece: excellent craftsmanship, heavy gauge yet light weight, and a glistening aura of protection. Yakiee and Cheich gathered round and they all inspected the marvel that was before them. The wizard took notice and realized the advantage he had.

“MINE!” He swiped the piece from their hands. “So you wish to possess the Strength of the Elements, do you? Very well, it shall be yours, but I require more ore to study!!” He reached again on his shelf and threw a crate at Bardoc with 4 carefully padded compartments. “Gather me the 4 specimens of the elements!! For the first you must find the being that roams these lands, known as Kozzalym… a task easily suited for your ranger” Yakiee smiled at the compliment. The wizard continued, “The second lies amidst the fires of the Skyfire Mountains, spewed forth from the earth. The third is said to be held in the clutches by the last Knight of Kedge.”

“And the fourth??” Bardoc eagerly asked. The wizard’s face turned pale and his stare became distant, “The fourth… the fourth is said to reside in the First Minion of Brell, a powerful elemental said to have annihilated Old Paineel. His wrath knows no bounds, he ripped apart each inhabitant so ferociously that Innoruuk dare not reincarnate them, and their spirit roam their former lands seeking a new host. Women, Children, Beasts… any matter of being was destroyed. The survivors who managed to flee later learned his true name: Master Yael.” The wizard shifted his focus back to the group, “Pray he never learns your name”.

“Do not worry wizard, I have stood with Gods and seen them fall before me, Dragon’s breath has singed my beard as I laid siege to their lair, and I have slain monsters so vile they dare not be pictured in your tomes. I will find you the ore you seek… and I shall return for my prize.” With that Bardoc gathered his guild mates and set out in the tundra in search of Kozzalym. He contemplated his quest with his friends.

“We will hunt down this being that roams this forsaken land, then post scouts in Kedge to notify us the moment Phinigel returns. Skyfire, while dangerous, should be easily accomplished… But for this Master Yael that resides in the depth of the Hole we will need a guide…” They looked at each other and said in unison, “Wedar”.
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Wedar - Level 60 Grandmaster <Azure Guard>
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