Surviving the Simulation: The Grand Crusade

"You just had to say something about easy sailing between the armory and the forge, didn't you?" Xander whispered to Rex.

Rex had been correct, in a manner of speaking. There were more patrols than before, but they cut through them with ease. It was a combination of the gear upgrades the group had been collecting along the way, but also the familiarity they'd established. Everyone had a decent idea by this time in the dungeon about what everyone else was going to do. The result was a better efficiency in the battle to maximize damage.

But the standout star was Zoey. Her new charm turned her from a solid damage dealer to a monster. She was accurate before the upgrade because of her years as a competitive archer, but now she had pinpoint accuracy and consistency. Not only was she hitting her targets exactly where she had intended, but had the extra punch from drilling arrows deep into their targets, sometimes burying them in her foes up to the fletching.

Everything was going smoothly, right up to the point when it wasn't.

The group had stumbled across a rare encounter in a small chapel. Normally, Xander would have been excited about finding another rare encounter, since so far all the ones they had come across had been extremely lucrative. But all he wanted to do at the moment was kill the last boss and find Jo. Being so close, any delay was grating on his nerves.

"Stupid side quests…"

[Analyze] Vexra Voidseer | Level: 9 Rare | Status: Hostile | Class: Dark Inquisitor

"I'm concerned that this guy is level nine. If this is level nine, then what level is the boss?" Zoey wondered from the team's vantage point, looking down into the room.

The chapel's entrance commanded attention, a raised platform that served as an elevated threshold. Intricate carved runes on the edges gave the entrance an otherworldly glow, as if some unseen magic infused it. A sense of ceremony lingered in the air, heightened by the eerie silence in the room. The smell of incense permeated the entire chapel.

Twin staircases, wide and weathered, flanked the platform on either side. The steps, worn by use, led downward twenty feet into the heart of the chapel. The descent was a deliberate act, emphasizing the transition from the mundane to the sacred.

The primary space was surprisingly well-kept. Sturdy pillars rose at regular intervals, their surfaces etched with more of the same cryptic symbols. The ceiling, although low, gave an illusion of a celestial vault. Faint but persistent candlelight emanated from sconces placed strategically along the walls, casting a dancing glow upon the congregation area.

At the center stood an altar, an ebony stone slab adorned with ominous motifs. Unseen hands had carefully maintained the altar, keeping it pristine despite the gloom surrounding it. An unlit brazier rested atop, patiently waiting for offerings to be kindled.

A lone figure, the gnoll dark inquisitor, prowled the chapel with an unsettling grace. Clad in ceremonial garb, the inquisitor emanated an aura of authority and devoutness. Dark symbols etched into its fur matched the same runes and symbols found throughout the room. Its eyes, a glinting abyss, scanned every corner with a vigilant intensity.

"It's going to have a good ten seconds on us before we can close the distance to melee range," the captain of the guard observed.

"Have we seen an inquisitor before? Do we know if these guys can cast?" Rex asked.

"Zoey and I haven't. It's wearing a robe and is in a chapel. I think we can assume it's a mage or cleric subclass," Xander offered.

The plan was straightforward. Zoey would keep the inquisitor busy while everyone else tried to get into melee range as quickly as possible. Everyone was hoping it wasn't a caster, but Xander was fairly positive it was. He kept those thoughts to himself, as it wouldn't do the group any good to be negative right before going into battle.

Hefting his warpick, he lamented the loss of his spear one final time before casting divine aegis on Zoey. Upon her nod, a multitude of things all happened at the same time. Everyone except Xander and Zoey made a break down the stairs as quickly as possible toward Vexra. Xander cast judgement on the inquisitor to give Zoey's opening shot as much punch as possible.

Zoey, positioned strategically in the middle of the entry platform, unleashed a volley of frost-empowered arrows aiming to disrupt the inquisitor's movements. Each shot left a trail of icy mist, and two of her three quick shots landed. The frost magic, a chilling contrast to the warmth of the chapel, visibly slowed the gnoll's reactions, creating opportunities for the melee fighters.

Like a wave, the melee fighters, with Rex at the lead, closed in on the inquisitor's flanks. Swords, axes, and maces swung with precision, creating a thunderous crash against the inquisitor's own magic.

Undeterred, Vexra Voidseer retaliated with a dark incantation. The brazier on the altar exploded in black flame and smoke. Dark forms leapt from the flame, casting shadows that lashed out at the adventurers before taking on the appearance of shadowy gnolls. The chapel echoed with the snarls and shouts of the combatants as the dark magic clashed.

[Analyze] Void Gnoll | Level: 6 | Status: Hostile | Class: Summoned Creature

"Dammit, it's the altar!" Xander shouted.

Sprinting down the stairs, Xander tried to make his way to the altar. Smashing aside one shadowy void gnoll only to be intercepted by two more, then catching a right cross in the face, Xander fell to the ground in an attempt to use the momentum to transition into a roll. The hope was he'd be able to pop back to his feet, but he came up short. Abandoning his original move, Xander instead pivoted to lash out with his leg, catching the void gnoll just above the ankle.

The void gnoll Xander had caught with his attack tripped and fell into the second summoned creature currently baring Xander's way. Now free of obstacles, Xander popped back to his feet and continued his mad sprint to the brazier, still aflame and spewing dark smoke.

Judging the distance to be just another half-dozen steps, Xander thought he was going to make it. Vexra's tackle from the side dashed Xander's hopes and sent them both tumbling to the floor. Looking around as Xander recovered back to a fighting stance, he noticed everyone was engaged with the void gnolls. In his focus to get to the brazier, he'd completely lost track of the battle. The look in Vexra's eyes said that it was going to make him pay for that lapse in awareness as it pulled a nasty-looking mace from the folds of its robes.

Trading blows, the pair matched each other evenly. Verxa's blows resulting in black and gold sparks as they connected with Xander's divine aegis. Xander's return blows met a similar fate in a shower of gold and shadow sparks.

"Zoey, I got this. Shoot the brazier!" Xander called.

Watching the cracks in its shield continue to expand, it was just a matter of waiting for Vexra to make a mistake. That mistake came moments later as Vexra continuing its attack instead of refreshing its shield. The dark translucent glow flickered several times and then disappeared from existence with little fanfare.

Seeing his opportunity, Xander let Vexra's blow land, his own damage absorption shield taking the brunt of the damage but allowing enough through to cause him to take the rest of the blow on his hip. With a grunt of pain, the war pick fell with extreme force, steam billowing from its vents. Catching the inquisitor in a solid blow between the neck and shoulder, the crushing force of the blow shattered bone and tore flesh.

Clutching its ruined arm, Vexra turned to flee back toward the altar. The move was futile. There was no place to flee to.

With no regret, Xander brought down his weapon once more on the back of the gnoll's head. While it lacked the force of the previous blow, it was still more than enough to end the inquisitor.

The brazier lay on the floor beside the altar with an arrow firmly lodged in its side. With their power source gone, no void gnolls remained standing. Instead, a quickly dissipating smoke wafted through the air with the smell of brimstone.

"Ever notice that it's void this, or dark that for all the bad guys?" Rex chuckled as he picked up the brazier to examine it.

"Eh, I don't think those equate to evil. There's plenty of evil in the light of day. It's probably more akin to some kind of faction type mechanic," Xander replied.

"Thought about this, have you?"

"Yes, actually. When I was first given my class choices. Does me being a lightbringer mean I'm the good guy capable of doing bad things?" Xander asked. "I'm not sure morality is as black and white as that. I'm not sure what lengths I would go to find Jo, but I can tell you I'm nowhere near my limit yet."

Zoey smiled as she joined them. "Ouch, that got a little supervillain monologue there."

"Hey, not to change the subject, but there's some kind of interface here on the altar. I get an error message when I touch it," Rex jumped in.

"Error message?"

The altar's ebony surface was smooth and reflective, made of an obsidian material that seemed to shimmer with a subtle energy. Suspended atop the altar's reflective surface rested a holographic symbol six inches across. On one side of the symbol was a radiant sunburst, while on the other was a crescent moon. Reaching out to touch the symbol, Xander wanted to see this error message for himself.

Chapel of the Dusk Tunnel Mine Complex
Quest Notification! Light and dark are two sides of the same coin. Claim this chapel for the light. All light based party characters and allies will gain a two-hour buff. Players can claim chapels once every twenty-four hours.
Difficulty: Easy
Reward: 10% Experience Gain Boost, 10% Damage Increase

Accept Quest? Yes/No

"I didn't get an error message," Xander said.

Selecting yes, the quest autocompleted with a burst of light from the altar. Subtle changes followed. The room remained untouched, but the dark, pulsing runes faded to a soft, silvery white.

"Everybody check their buffs," Xander said while checking his own.

"Damn, 10% damage increase? Not bad for a side quest, yeah?" Zoey said with a slight bounce in her step.

"Okay, don't rub it in."

"Uh, guys? I've got a problem," called one of Rex's men. He was standing at the altar and had placed his hand on the interface.

"Dammit, Kaleb. What did you do?" Rex barked as he stormed over to the altar.

"Well, I wanted to see if I got the same message as you guys. Instead, I got one that says I can change class," Kaleb replied. "I think I'm going to take it."

"Don't make me guess, dammit. What class is it offering you?" Rex fumed.

"Sun cleric," Kaleb replied. "It's got a long explanation why I qualify. In short, I meet the criteria to be a cleric and because this is currently a light chapel, a lightbringer cleric is the only choice. I'm going to take it."

"I will not tell you what to do, Kaleb, but a lack of healing is certainly an issue for us."

With a look of determination, Kaleb selected the path of the sun cleric. The obsidian altar responded by surrounding him with a radiant burst of light, causing everyone nearby to have to shield their eyes.

[Analyze] Kaleb Standish | Level: 6 | Status: Ally | Class: Lightbringer Cleric

"All right, we still have a boss to kill. We've spent enough time on distractions and side quests. Let's go."

They left the sanctum behind, its silence chasing them into the fire-lit halls ahead.

Finding the forge was straightforward because they had explored and exhausted all other paths. In the heart of the labyrinthine dungeon mine, the air thick with the scent of molten ore and the rumble of machinery, the adventurers reached the climax of their journey. Before them, within the belly of the cavernous forge, stood Fang Smeltbinder, a massive gnoll with dark fur that looked like soot and a gaze that smoldered with intensity. Everything about this gnoll screamed final boss.

Heat surged around the adventurers as they faced the imposing figure of Fang Smeltbinder, the air thick with molten tension. Beneath their feet, the forge's heart pulsed like a living thing, each roar echoing through stone and steel. Rhythmic and relentless, the smelter's breath filled the chamber, channeling the raw essence of the mine into churning, fiery power.

The contraption, an intricate and massive apparatus, groaned with the weight of its task. It smelted down the ore extracted from the mine above, turning raw minerals into rivers of molten metal. The torrent of liquid metal cascaded overhead, flowing through channels and conduits like a fiery cascade, raining sparks and molten droplets onto the floor below.

"Oh, this is going to suck," Zoey said as she surveyed the room. "Nobody better say 'embrace the suck' either."

"Kaleb, Xander, you're support and heals. This guy looks nasty so tanks, you're going to have to keep him on you," Rex lectured, laying out the strategy.

Flames of Redemption, Forge of Destiny

Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.
Your party entered an event. Complete the event and repeat the rewards. Eliminate Fang Smeltbinder and claim its treasure.
Rewards: Experience, Gold, Item Reward

Having only been in the room for a few minutes, the team was already glistening with the sheen of sweat. A drop of an axe signaled the start of the battle as the front-line fighters moved in to engage. Fang Smeltbinder brandished a colossal hammer, its head glowing red-hot with the heat of the fiery forge.

As the first fighter engaged, Fang Smeltbinder swung his molten hammer with a primal ferocity, each strike echoing through the chamber. The adventurers evaded the deadly arcs of the weapon, navigating the hazardous terrain of sparks and metal casting off from the conveyor above.

The conveyor system, a complex network of chains and belts, carried the molten metal toward the forge's edge, where it poured into molds, forming bars of gleaming ingots. The rhythmic thud of metal bars being born into existence added an industrial underscore to the battle.

The two tanks switched to taunting the boss to keep its attention, to allow the rest of the team opportunities to strike. But Fang could still keep everyone at bay by randomly sweeping its large hammer in large arcs. After one such arc, Fang transitioned the momentum into an overhead swing, coming down hard on the shield fighter currently holding its attention.

The shield buckled, and the fighter went down to one knee. The now downed adventurer went in for a thrusting stab with his sword against the boss's leg.

Fang stepped slightly to one side, allowing the strike to pass, and capitalized on the overextended opponent by delivering a powerful knee strike to the head. With a loud crack of metal and bone snapping, the fighter's head twisted at an unnatural angle before his entire body fell the short distance to the floor with a sickening thud.

Continuing to seize the advantage in the battle, the boss slammed the head of its hammer against the stone floor. While at the same time, Fang Smeltbinder unleashed a ground-shaking roar, knocking everyone in the room to the ground. Snatching up its hammer, it retreated to the large anvil.

"Heads up!" Rex called, getting back to his feet.

Fang Smeltbinder raised his hammer high and brought it crashing down onto the anvil. A reverberating ring split the air as flames burst to life along the hammer's head. Overhead, the conveyor system rattled violently, metal clanging against metal as its contents sloshed. Molten liquid spilled in erratic streams, raining across the forge floor in a chaotic downpour. One arc of fire engulfed a woman entirely, her screams mingling with the hammer's ringing.

Having completed its special boss mechanic, Fang Smeltbinder charged from the anvil and swung its hammer in a wide, brutal arc to rejoin the fight.

Rex dodged the fiery onslaught and retaliated with a whirlwind of axe strikes. Each swing left trails of sparks in the air as the dual axes met the blackened armor of the gnoll boss.

From the back of the room, Zoey rained down frost-infused arrows upon the giant. Each shot sapped the heat from Fang Smeltbinder, leaving trails of frost on its fur. The elemental contrast creating a brief hiss of steam and sizzling ice.

The battle raged on, and the adventurers worked as a well-oiled machine, exploiting weaknesses and adapting to the forge-born onslaught. Rex's axes found vulnerable joints while Zoey's frost arrows disrupted the rhythm of the boss's strikes. Smeltbinder's weakness to frost and Zoey's constant barrage kept the boss from regaining the initiative in the battle, but the fight was still far from over.

Smashing its hammer into the stone floor once more, Fang Smeltbinder let out another paralyzing roar, causing everyone to fall to the ground again. Limping back up to the anvil, the boss readied another strike.

From the edge of his vision, Xander saw Zoey was the first to recover, and she unleashed another frost infused arrow at the boss, hoping to distract it from whatever ability it was trying to trigger. Her arrow landed, staggering the boss back, with two more arrows landing in rapid succession.

Fang staggered, lost his footing, and fell backward into the open forge. Heat slammed into Xander's face as molten steel erupted. He blinked against the burst of steam.

Flames of Redemption, Forge of Destiny
Congratulations! Your party has defeated Fang Smeltbinder Dungeon Encounter 3 of 3 completed
Rewards: Experience, Gold, Flask of Eternal Hydration

Reset Timer: 24:00:00

Congratulations! Your group has stopped the dungeon overflow. No longer will monsters spill out from this dungeon for a period of time.

Level up! Congratulations, you are now level seven. Go forth and defend the realms, mighty hunter. You have one attribute point to distribute and one ability selection; do you wish to select now? (You have one planetary cycle to assign or they will be assigned for you) Yes/No

Rally the Defenders and Counterattack
Quest Notification! Congratulations, you have successfully discovered the origin of the attack on the safe zone and eliminated the threat.
Difficulty: Hard
Reward: Experience, Gold, Oathbound Lance, and Sanctuary Stone

The victory was bittersweet. They'd stopped the dungeon overflow and prevented another wave of attacks on the safe zone, but the cost had been high. Three dead, several more injured. Xander wasn't sure if things were getting easier or if they were just getting used to the loss. This pace will leave few survivors by the end, he thought to himself.

The hiss of molten steel had faded, but the tension remained. Damp air clung to Xander as he moved through the rows of cells behind the foundry, each step quick and deliberate. Voices echoed through the space, with some captives crying and others staying silent. Light from the forge spilled into the corridor, casting long, shifting shadows across the stone walls.

Xander's heart raced as he called out, "Jo! Jo!"

His voice, a desperate plea, reverberated through the narrow passageways. The faces of the freed prisoners turned toward him, their eyes reflecting the trauma they had endured. Panic grew in his voice the more time passed without a response.

Among the crowd, a woman with disheveled hair and weary eyes turned toward him. "Yes…?" she asked tentatively.

A momentary surge of relief washed through Xander and he started rushed to her, only for realization to set in. The woman standing before him wasn't his Jo.

"You're not Jo."

"I'm Joanna, but everyone calls me Jo in here."

Xander's heart sank, the joy of reunion replaced by the pang of disappointment. He scanned the faces of the liberated captives, desperately searching for the one he had come to save. The realization hit him like a punch to the gut. He looked at Joanna with a mixture of gratitude and regret.

"I'm sorry," Xander whispered. "I was looking for someone else. Is there anyone else that goes by Jo in here?"

Joanna nodded. "No, I was the only one."

Falling to his knees, the weight of everything he'd been through came crashing down upon him. The end of the world, his missing girlfriend, who knows how many friends gone, barely escaping death on more than one occasion… everything. He struggled to breathe and process the emotions he'd suppressed until that moment.

"Xander," came the soft voice of Zoey from behind him as she rested her hand on his shoulder.

"Xander, don't give up yet. You probably don't realize it, but your strength and conviction has helped quite a few people we've met keep from losing hope. I'm one of those people. Don't give up on me now."

"No, I haven't given up. I'll never give up until I know one way or the other," Xander said with conviction, "even if I have to burn what little remains of the world to the ground. Everyone blocking my path needs to step aside or be swept aside."

"Well, there is that supervillain moment again. Here, let me help you up." Zoey smiled, reaching her hand down to pull Xander up to his feet.

"People always cry for the hero to come save them," Xander replied, dusting off his pants now that he was back on his feet. "What they don't realize is that hero would sacrifice them in a heartbeat for the greater good. It's in every story. The hero loses the one he loves to save the world. I'm not the hero, nor am I the villain. I'm not going to set out to save the world.

"To paraphrase a leader from World War II, sometimes doing your best isn't good enough. Sometimes, you must do what is required. I will do what is required," Xander concluded.

Before the last word had escaped his lips, a Simulation message forced itself into his view.

Congratulations! Having repeatedly stated your drive to find your significant other with strong conviction that includes placing the good of the one over the good of the many, your class has been forcibly changed to Lightbringer Crusader.

Lightbringer Crusader
Quality: Rare
Unwavering purpose defines Lightbringer Crusaders. They pursue their goals with relentless determination, guided by a personal sense of right and wrong. Though often aligned with the greater good, their actions are shaped by what best serves their mission. In doing so, they walk a careful line between justice and compromise. They believe the result must serve the light, even if the path to reach it does not.

Lightbringer Crusaders are a combination melee and caster based class excelling in neither aspect but having versatility on the battlefield. Light based magic, 10% increase damage output against dark or undead creatures, added resistance against undead, no martial restrictions. Should their stated goal be tangible, Lightbringer Crusaders gain a general sense of the direction of that goal.

"Gah! What the hell?" Xander said as a stabbing pain filled his head, causing him to fall back down to the ground.

"What happened? Are you okay?" Zoey replied, concerned.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I just didn't learn my lesson regarding the Simulation. It heard my little monologue there and just forced a class change on me. I'm something called a lightbringer crusader now."

Zoey laughed. "You dumbass."

Footsteps approached from behind.

Xander turned to see one of the rescued prisoners stepping carefully through the rows of cells. The man looked worn down but alert, his eyes flicking from the forge to Xander.

"You said you were looking for someone named Jo?" he asked.

"Yes. Do you know her?"

"I didn't catch her full name, but yeah, I think so. It was a couple of days ago, maybe longer. It's hard to tell time in here. My group ran into another just outside of Danville. There was a woman who called herself Jo. Her group was heading toward St. Joe. She asked us to come with her, but we had a stop to make first and were going to catch up. Got captured instead."

A beat passed. Xander didn't breathe.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Pretty sure," the man said. "Everything was chaos, but I remember the name Jo."

Xander exhaled slowly, the pressure in his chest shifting from grief to a glimmer of hope.

"Thank you," he said. "That's all I needed."

"I'm going to lay even odds she made it to St. Joe and got caught up in the same thing Alex did. If we tie Victor to this and something has happened to Jo, I'm going to make sure Victor knows what pain is before I tear off his head."

The group had taken a few hours to rest, recover, and gather what supplies they could before starting the journey back. They made plans, exchanged quiet conversations, and gave the dead what rites time allowed. Xander spoke little. The only thing that mattered now was getting to St. Joe.

Several hours later, Xander sat in the back of a cart, bumping along the trail. The sounds of the former captives shifted from disbelief at their rescue to the elation of approaching safety. The distribution of the healthy food also improved their mood.

Kicking back, Xander closed his eyes and reviewed all the Simulation issues that needed his attention.

+3 Light Armor | Congratulations! How about working on your dodge skill instead?

+2 Spear Combat | Congratulations! This would probably be useful if you didn't keep losing your spear.

+2 Mace Combat | Congratulations! Bonk things on the head bonk bonk.

+1 Meditation | Congratulations! Inner peace… Inner peace… Inner peace…

The skill gains were what Xander expected them to be, but they were certainly more snarky this time around. The Simulation bounced back and forth between snark and utilitarian responses depending on what had caused the skill gain. Misadventure in the dungeon certainly caused exceptionally snarky responses.

Mana had been an issue for most of the dungeon, making increasing intelligence the only choice for his stat points. Locking in his choice, he looked at his entire character sheet.

Name: Xander Kell
Class: Lightbringer Crusader
Level: Seven
Health: 260/260
Mana: 140/140

Stats
Strength: 8
Dexterity: 14 (+10)
Intelligence: 7
Constitution: 6
Charisma: 5

Abilities
Taunt
Disarm
Cat's Grace
Cat's Sight
Spectral Sight
Radiant Smite
Divine Aegis
Crusader's Verdict
Judgmental Strike
Crusader's Righteousness
Light Heal
Sanctify

Skills
Spear Combat: 15
Mace Combat: 11
Knife Combat: 1
Thrown Spear: 1
First Aid: 9
Analyze: 7
Light Armor: 14
Leadership: 3
Meditation: 2

The paladin class balanced offense and support fairly well, but the crusader leaned more toward offense. Not thrilled with what had caused the forced class change and the ominous warning that accompanied it, Xander couldn't argue that the class actually fit him even better than the paladin. That was saying a lot since the paladin class was already an exceptional fit, it just lacked a bit of offensive punch.

Judgmental Strike: A ranged attack striking the targeted enemy with a radiant bolt of energy before leaping to the next nearest enemy ally. Number of leaps equal to radiant spell casting level divided by five rounded down. Judgmental strike will not leap to the next enemy if the caster's ability is below five.

A ranged attack that can chain to other enemies was a massive boon. Even without chaining until he reached skill level five in radiant magic, Xander wasn't disappointed. The lack of a ranged attack had been a limiting factor in several fights so far.

Crusader's Verdict: You have stood in judgment of your enemy and found them guilty. Enemies targeted with Crusader's Verdict will take an extra 10% damage from any attack delivered by allies of the caster. Undead creature types will take an additional 15% damage. Crusader's Verdict will leap to the next closest enemy ally. Number of leaps equal to the radiant spell casting level divided by five rounded down. Crusader's Verdict will not leap to the next enemy if the caster's ability is below five.

Crusader's Verdict appeared to be an upgraded version of his judgement ability at first glance. The chaining effect was definitely a nice bonus. There was a theme emerging regarding the "light" aligned classes and their hatred of the undead. Xander momentarily wondered if that was how it was supposed to be or if the Simulation was stacking the deck a bit after its warning regarding the amount of unsanctified remains currently in the world. Xander would not look a gift horse in the mouth, but he was silently hoping that things weren't as dire as they were appearing.

While skills and classes were always fun to look at, and Xander was sure he'd just experienced an exponential increase in his power ceiling, everyone knew that ogling new loot was the best. That had always been Xander's favorite part of any MMORPG he'd played in the past.

Oathbound Lance
Quality: Rare
Enchantments: Vampiric Touch, Rebound, Dawn's Embrace Description: A favorite among foot soldiers, guards, and adventurers alike, although they normally don't break theirs repeatedly. A spear's versatile design makes it suitable for thrusting and throwing, providing an effective reach in various combat scenarios. A successful strike triggers a burst of healing energy, restoring a small amount of health to the wielder. If thrown, the spear will return to the thrower upon a successful strike. Dark aligned magic can not heal damage inflicted by the Oathbound Lance.

It was a finely crafted reinforced spear with a golden-hued tip and tassel. To call it a work of art would be an understatement, though it was unclear if the tassel would stand up to any sort of actual use or if it was purely decorative and would tear off at the first sign of a struggle. Xander was a bit surprised that the Simulation called out his pattern of destroying his spears. That felt less like snark and more like he'd drawn the attention of something he shouldn't have.

Sanctuary Stone
Quality: Common
Enchantments: Hearth & Home
Description: A small, enchanted stone that, when placed in an area, creates a 10-foot radius sanctuary. Neutral or hostile creatures equal to the user's level will naturally avoid the area. Sapient or creatures above the user's level will be unaffected but will trigger the stone to sound an alarm if closer than 100-foot radius. Only those within the 10-foot radius of the stone will hear the alarm.

Not the greatest item, but one that would have some uses. It made sense that it came from the quest to stop the attacks on the safe zone and thus creating a safe place to rest. A guard would still need to be posted at night, but the chances of an encounter would drop dramatically. Plus, the warning alarm would make sentry duty quite a bit more effective.

Flask of Eternal Hydration
Quality: Common
Enchantments: Dimensional Storage, Purification
Description: A small flask that purifies any water poured into it. Deceptively small, this ornate flask appears to only be large enough to hold eight ounces but will actually hold up to 128 ounces (one gallon). This flask will not hold any liquid other than water.

Oddly, the flask fit perfectly in the slot on Xander's verdant survival belt. It was a good utility item, but Xander couldn't help but be disappointed that he hadn't gotten some ultra death ray of instant win. Shaking his head, he wrote off his disappointed as being residual anguish over not finding Jo in the dungeon. A cloud of negativity surrounded him at the moment.

[Crusader's Righteousness] You gain a general sense that your goal is in a western direction.

"Well, that's new. I just got a Simulation notification that my crusader's righteousness triggered. My goal is in a western direction, which would be right toward St. Joe," Xander said.

"Does that mean she's there, or that there is a clue where she is there?" Zoey asked.

"Hrm, good question. Not sure, but either way the next step is in St. Joe," Xander said, "and I'm going to bet my left boot that next step is with Victor."