Terrors of the Borderlands
The Platinum Paladin
Member
This is spring-boarding off of Moneybag's writing here: http://forums2.cubiccastles.com/index.php?p=/discussion/8968/my-dangerous-journey-cc-fiction
And if I make drawings based on this event, I would. All you need to know is, this is written from the perspective of The Platinum Paladin.
#PaladinLore
Digging could be heard, several blocks underground. Hidden from plain view on the surface, a crew of adventurers, led by "The Little Hacker", churned away at the dirt. They weren't mining for resources or experience. No, they had a more ambitious mission. We are stationed at the northernmost side of Paladin City, heading south beneath the city itself, through Fort Knight, into No Bee's Land. I warned of the dangers with creating a "safe" route into No Bee's Land, but we had Paladins trapped on the other side, with no resources or hope of reinforcements to pull them out of the fire - be it figurative or literal fire. I feel sorry for them, stuck in what must seem like a terrifyingly bad dream.
As the leader of THE Order of Paladins, it was my job to once again save the day!
Luminous worked with management to keep the teams on track, while Mega was on security duty. Despite the name-changes, they were the same Lieutenants I had grown close to, and I would take their word over any naysayers'.
"Sir," The Little Hacker cried, "The Borderlands should be South!"
"Yes," I agreed, "And in a default setup, the first door always faces South."
With that as our guide, the drilling focused in earnest. The Little Hacker stayed behind the frontline digging to lay down the groundwork for Metro tracks, with the goal of creating a rapid transport system through these tunnels.
Mega asked with steely eyes, "Platinum, any monsters we have to worry about?"
"None that I know of...well, nothing specific. All I know is, worded nicely..." I grew nervous. "Here be dragons."
"Dragons?!"
"I mean that figuratively. I'm sure the truth is far, *FAR*, worse."
As the crew pushed further south and carved out several hundreds of blocks in length, the stability of the tunnel overhead became stressed. Creeks and wanes could be heard from the architecture, as the engineering became increasingly thin with lessening resources as the dig pushed onward. Still, there was little activity other than a handful of rats scurrying around.
Moneybags mentioned during the nerve-wracking quiet, "Paladin, I picked up rumors of wind tunnels that lead to Clans in the skies. Any chance we can see if there's any truth to them?"
"That's assuming we live long enough to try."
Halfway through Paladin City, the path started growing distorted. Whether it was hallucinations or true dark magics, the floor almost completely vanished, leaving behind a handful of scattered platforms. The team was forced to leap from block to block, while struggling to stretch their meager reserves to build along. It was dark and dreary, and the area stank of wet slime covered in rotting filth. Imagine the worst restroom or outhouse you ever visited. That's what it was like.
Finally, against all odds and with much of the unnamed crew falling to the deaths of the void below, the few remaining Heroes clanged their drill against thick solid stone. "At Last," I heaved, "We have reached The Great Wall!"
Mega stood firm, while the rest seemed close to keeling over. I was not known for his physical strength, but rather the power of his spirit and warrior's drive. The rest had no idea what to expect. With a nod, the order was given: punch a hole through this powerful Great Wall!
I spoke, as if compelled by a dramatic script and I were living the life of the star in an epic action movie. "Well Children, if you need to turn back, now's your last chance. Once we cross this Wall..." The drilling became deafening as it clashed against the titanic stone monument.
"All Hell will break loose."
The Drill had punctured 2 blocks out of 3, when I sat down and set a giant case on the one block I could stand on. "I know of the dangers, and I had to pull some favors from other dimensions, but...I have a nagging feeling we'll be needing this."
I opened the case, and most of my friends gasped to see what it contained. They looked at me like I was possessed by something worse than The Baleful Box.
Thus was revealed a glowing green Plasma Rifle.
"PLATINUM!" The Little Hacker barked. "I don't think that's family-friendly." As I loaded it up, I said a one-liner: "That's a risk I'm willing to take." It gleaned to life, with a pulse and a flair of light and sound.
"Honestly?!" Mega smirked with a true tough-guy attitude. "We have cannons. How is this any worse?"
*BOOM!* The wall was completely penetrated!
The handful of surviving Heroes climbed through the gap, and the first thing they noticed is that the drill was completely bonked. Yet there was another side of the Wall that needed carving in order to make our trek complete. But at least now we were inside the dreaded Borderlands!
It was no exaggeration to say it was "nothing but fire, void, and death." That is LITERALLY all there was here! An entire ocean of lava formed a solid roof overhead no more than 5 blocks above us. We couldn't tell how many blocks thick this lava roof was, and nobody dared try to find out. The dark red would've shone through if it weren't for the walls of fire shooting up from endless rows of what we call "fire traps". Spikes formed the walls, fire traps formed the floor, and lava formed the ceiling. And many of those traps actually had phantom foam applied to them, with no clues to which ones!
We bravely threw split stones at each floor plate to try and find out which ones were stable and which weren't. Plus we needed to keep from getting cooked by the fire, which was seemingly impossible. If it weren't for heal wands and my friends, this would've been impossible.
The Last Moneybag groaned, and explained, "I have a REALLY bad feeling about this. This feeling only happens very rarely, and when something really nasty is going to happen."
I laughed as I joked, "Just like my ex."
*RA-RGGGG!*
Everyone went dead-quiet as the deep-throated scream shook from all sides at the same time, including within our very own bodies! After a dramatic pause, I could say only one thing:
"Uh-oh."
WE had to make a mad-dash for the other side, as the lava overhead suddenly shifted its positioning as if it were a living creature. But it was just LAVA! Whatever demon we were up against completely defied any understandings of Science.
But the way we were going was instantly cut off by endless plumes of lava and fire, taking on an indescribable form. It was made of fire and sadism. That's the only wording I can come up with. It wasn't a blob, it wasn't a Qbee, or any other creature. It was just, some *THING!*
I blared my Plasma Rifle right into the center mass, which hardly had any effect. Between the shifting lava and floors, the spikes closing in, and now this *THING*, I had absolutely panicked! We tried throwing water, but as soon as it left our pockets, it just disappeared like it wasn't scientifically possible for water to even exist within whatever pocket-dimension we flung ourselves into.
Mega was cussing and bleeping up a storm as the *THING* snatched him up, ruthlessly burning his hearts away from the unending grasp of saturated lava. All the sound effects from Mega's bleeping inspired me to joke around by acting like a ragdoll from another dimension. And then we started laughing hard.
*RA-RGGGG!*
It dropped Mega, and it seemed to have recoiled. But when it recovered, now it was driven by both sadism *AND* anger! I was the one who started this trend, so now the *THING* came after ME! It snatched me up, and I remember it melting the fibers of my "Paladin Armor". Even though it hurt, I yelled out,
"STILL BETTER THAN SCHOOL!!!!!"
And even despite the pain, it was funny because I meant it! I was dead serious, pun intended. I couldn't stop thundering out in hearty laughter, roaring as loud as my commanding and *POWERFUL* voice could carry!
*RA-ERRR-AAAH-RGGGG!*
By that time, the other Paladins and teammates caught on that I discovered its weakness: HUMOR!
So they start doing their best to crack jokes and reference pop culture for some laughs. It ranged from absolutely brilliant, to "trying too hard", and everything in between.
After a few minutes of what felt like I was literally dying laughing, the *THING* catapulted itself through the second segment of The Great Wall, giving us the exit we needed. It flew off into the sky of No Bee's Land, out of sight for now. It was the home stretch, but we weren't yet home free. Massive gargoyles and bats swooped down from the dissipated lava ceiling, desperately hawking fireballs and screeches-of-stunning. As the few of us backed through the Exit, this was the time I got to make good use of my Plasma Rifle. I blasted them out of the sky, just enough to keep them far back. They were still closing, but my rifle bought us the time we needed to successfully escape.
Huzzah! We made it out, and these bat monsters burst into flames as soon as they crossed the Great Wall. Oddly, unlike these fiends, that *THING* didn't completely self-destruct upon exiting The Borderlands.
Still, we lay there, stricken with agony and exhaustion, having wrestled through The Borderlands...and lived to tell the tale! On this day, as we were laying face-up atop the bleached sands of No Bee's Land, we have single-handedly defied God's Will.
And I fear the consequences have just begun...
And if I make drawings based on this event, I would. All you need to know is, this is written from the perspective of The Platinum Paladin.
#PaladinLore
Digging could be heard, several blocks underground. Hidden from plain view on the surface, a crew of adventurers, led by "The Little Hacker", churned away at the dirt. They weren't mining for resources or experience. No, they had a more ambitious mission. We are stationed at the northernmost side of Paladin City, heading south beneath the city itself, through Fort Knight, into No Bee's Land. I warned of the dangers with creating a "safe" route into No Bee's Land, but we had Paladins trapped on the other side, with no resources or hope of reinforcements to pull them out of the fire - be it figurative or literal fire. I feel sorry for them, stuck in what must seem like a terrifyingly bad dream.
As the leader of THE Order of Paladins, it was my job to once again save the day!
Luminous worked with management to keep the teams on track, while Mega was on security duty. Despite the name-changes, they were the same Lieutenants I had grown close to, and I would take their word over any naysayers'.
"Sir," The Little Hacker cried, "The Borderlands should be South!"
"Yes," I agreed, "And in a default setup, the first door always faces South."
With that as our guide, the drilling focused in earnest. The Little Hacker stayed behind the frontline digging to lay down the groundwork for Metro tracks, with the goal of creating a rapid transport system through these tunnels.
Mega asked with steely eyes, "Platinum, any monsters we have to worry about?"
"None that I know of...well, nothing specific. All I know is, worded nicely..." I grew nervous. "Here be dragons."
"Dragons?!"
"I mean that figuratively. I'm sure the truth is far, *FAR*, worse."
As the crew pushed further south and carved out several hundreds of blocks in length, the stability of the tunnel overhead became stressed. Creeks and wanes could be heard from the architecture, as the engineering became increasingly thin with lessening resources as the dig pushed onward. Still, there was little activity other than a handful of rats scurrying around.
Moneybags mentioned during the nerve-wracking quiet, "Paladin, I picked up rumors of wind tunnels that lead to Clans in the skies. Any chance we can see if there's any truth to them?"
"That's assuming we live long enough to try."
Halfway through Paladin City, the path started growing distorted. Whether it was hallucinations or true dark magics, the floor almost completely vanished, leaving behind a handful of scattered platforms. The team was forced to leap from block to block, while struggling to stretch their meager reserves to build along. It was dark and dreary, and the area stank of wet slime covered in rotting filth. Imagine the worst restroom or outhouse you ever visited. That's what it was like.
Finally, against all odds and with much of the unnamed crew falling to the deaths of the void below, the few remaining Heroes clanged their drill against thick solid stone. "At Last," I heaved, "We have reached The Great Wall!"
Mega stood firm, while the rest seemed close to keeling over. I was not known for his physical strength, but rather the power of his spirit and warrior's drive. The rest had no idea what to expect. With a nod, the order was given: punch a hole through this powerful Great Wall!
I spoke, as if compelled by a dramatic script and I were living the life of the star in an epic action movie. "Well Children, if you need to turn back, now's your last chance. Once we cross this Wall..." The drilling became deafening as it clashed against the titanic stone monument.
"All Hell will break loose."
The Drill had punctured 2 blocks out of 3, when I sat down and set a giant case on the one block I could stand on. "I know of the dangers, and I had to pull some favors from other dimensions, but...I have a nagging feeling we'll be needing this."
I opened the case, and most of my friends gasped to see what it contained. They looked at me like I was possessed by something worse than The Baleful Box.
Thus was revealed a glowing green Plasma Rifle.
"PLATINUM!" The Little Hacker barked. "I don't think that's family-friendly." As I loaded it up, I said a one-liner: "That's a risk I'm willing to take." It gleaned to life, with a pulse and a flair of light and sound.
"Honestly?!" Mega smirked with a true tough-guy attitude. "We have cannons. How is this any worse?"
*BOOM!* The wall was completely penetrated!
The handful of surviving Heroes climbed through the gap, and the first thing they noticed is that the drill was completely bonked. Yet there was another side of the Wall that needed carving in order to make our trek complete. But at least now we were inside the dreaded Borderlands!
It was no exaggeration to say it was "nothing but fire, void, and death." That is LITERALLY all there was here! An entire ocean of lava formed a solid roof overhead no more than 5 blocks above us. We couldn't tell how many blocks thick this lava roof was, and nobody dared try to find out. The dark red would've shone through if it weren't for the walls of fire shooting up from endless rows of what we call "fire traps". Spikes formed the walls, fire traps formed the floor, and lava formed the ceiling. And many of those traps actually had phantom foam applied to them, with no clues to which ones!
We bravely threw split stones at each floor plate to try and find out which ones were stable and which weren't. Plus we needed to keep from getting cooked by the fire, which was seemingly impossible. If it weren't for heal wands and my friends, this would've been impossible.
The Last Moneybag groaned, and explained, "I have a REALLY bad feeling about this. This feeling only happens very rarely, and when something really nasty is going to happen."
I laughed as I joked, "Just like my ex."
*RA-RGGGG!*
Everyone went dead-quiet as the deep-throated scream shook from all sides at the same time, including within our very own bodies! After a dramatic pause, I could say only one thing:
"Uh-oh."
WE had to make a mad-dash for the other side, as the lava overhead suddenly shifted its positioning as if it were a living creature. But it was just LAVA! Whatever demon we were up against completely defied any understandings of Science.
But the way we were going was instantly cut off by endless plumes of lava and fire, taking on an indescribable form. It was made of fire and sadism. That's the only wording I can come up with. It wasn't a blob, it wasn't a Qbee, or any other creature. It was just, some *THING!*
I blared my Plasma Rifle right into the center mass, which hardly had any effect. Between the shifting lava and floors, the spikes closing in, and now this *THING*, I had absolutely panicked! We tried throwing water, but as soon as it left our pockets, it just disappeared like it wasn't scientifically possible for water to even exist within whatever pocket-dimension we flung ourselves into.
Mega was cussing and bleeping up a storm as the *THING* snatched him up, ruthlessly burning his hearts away from the unending grasp of saturated lava. All the sound effects from Mega's bleeping inspired me to joke around by acting like a ragdoll from another dimension. And then we started laughing hard.
*RA-RGGGG!*
It dropped Mega, and it seemed to have recoiled. But when it recovered, now it was driven by both sadism *AND* anger! I was the one who started this trend, so now the *THING* came after ME! It snatched me up, and I remember it melting the fibers of my "Paladin Armor". Even though it hurt, I yelled out,
"STILL BETTER THAN SCHOOL!!!!!"
And even despite the pain, it was funny because I meant it! I was dead serious, pun intended. I couldn't stop thundering out in hearty laughter, roaring as loud as my commanding and *POWERFUL* voice could carry!
*RA-ERRR-AAAH-RGGGG!*
By that time, the other Paladins and teammates caught on that I discovered its weakness: HUMOR!
So they start doing their best to crack jokes and reference pop culture for some laughs. It ranged from absolutely brilliant, to "trying too hard", and everything in between.
After a few minutes of what felt like I was literally dying laughing, the *THING* catapulted itself through the second segment of The Great Wall, giving us the exit we needed. It flew off into the sky of No Bee's Land, out of sight for now. It was the home stretch, but we weren't yet home free. Massive gargoyles and bats swooped down from the dissipated lava ceiling, desperately hawking fireballs and screeches-of-stunning. As the few of us backed through the Exit, this was the time I got to make good use of my Plasma Rifle. I blasted them out of the sky, just enough to keep them far back. They were still closing, but my rifle bought us the time we needed to successfully escape.
Huzzah! We made it out, and these bat monsters burst into flames as soon as they crossed the Great Wall. Oddly, unlike these fiends, that *THING* didn't completely self-destruct upon exiting The Borderlands.
Still, we lay there, stricken with agony and exhaustion, having wrestled through The Borderlands...and lived to tell the tale! On this day, as we were laying face-up atop the bleached sands of No Bee's Land, we have single-handedly defied God's Will.
And I fear the consequences have just begun...
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