LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WELCOME TO MONDAY NIGHT RAW

Show information for Tonight's Raw
City: St. Louis, Missouri
Venue: Enterprise Centre

• Roman Reigns returns to Raw to address Cody Rhodes on The Road to WrestleMania
• Logan Paul to present a LIVE episode of "Impaulsive TV"
• Montez Ford is out for payback on Austin Theory

Match	Stipulation	Winner
Montez Ford vs Austin Theory	singles match	TBD

Other items of import

• NXT Level Up results: Dempsey prevails in crucial clash against Mensah

That Reddit-Stream that automatically updates so you don't have to reload to keep up with things.
Post-Show Information!
Stick around after the show RIGHT HERE for continued post-show discussion, as this thread will remain up
New to /WredditCountryClub? Check out The Rules!
Additional links!

• Looking for a place to talk even more in depth about wrestling? Check out /WrestlingGenius!
  
• Still didn't find what you were looking for? Visit /SquaredCircle, the sub from whence we came! Other wrestling-related subreddits include /AEWOfficial, /ImpactWrestling, /indiewrestling, /NJPW, /nxtwrestling, /ROH, /wreddit, /WWE and more!
  

Feel free to add more in the comments! For more info, Google the events, check their website & social media pages- this is a free, low-effort post so please be kind :)
Links for local events: https://ftwtoday.6amcity.com/ https://fortworth.culturemap.com/
Tuesday, March 21
Trek Beginner Ride Series Tuesday, Mar. 21 6:30-8:30 p.m. Trek Bicycle Fort Worth South, 5125 Granbury Rd., Fort Worth Free Explore rider-friendly areas of the city during this casual, beginners class.
Wednesday, March 22
Wine Dinner and Communal Gathering at FnG Eats: Chefs Carlos Arevalo and Bob Stephenson of FnG Eats in Keller will gather together with customers during this four-course wine pairing dinner. Comfort food favorites on the menu include iron skillet cornbread, Wagyu meatloaf, and bourbon cherry chocolate bread pudding. Wines will be served with courses one through three, and a specialty sparkling cocktail will come with dessert. Dinner is $75 per person, plus tax and gratuity, and will begin at 7 pm.
Thursday, March 23
Neutral Ground Brewing Company Happy houcrowler sale 4-9PM Mama Lama waffle pop up food truck 5:30-8:30PM Salsa dance lessons 7-8PM
Italy Wine Education Series: Piedmont Thursday, Mar. 23 6-7 p.m. Winehaus, 1628 Park Place Ave., Fort Worth $40 Taste and learn about the delicious grapes from the Piedmont wine region in Italy.
Nigerian Pop-Up Dinner with Chef Franson at Chef Point: Chef Point Café owner and chef Franson Nwaeze will share the bold flavors of West Africa during this five-course dinner. Menu highlights include suya skewers, pepper soup, goat stew with jollof rice, and fluffy fried dough balls dusted with cinnamon sugar. The dinner is $71 per person and includes tax and gratuity. Drinks are extra and suggested pairings are the Nigerian Chapman cocktail, a bold South African cab, or simply a cold beer. Dinner will start at 6:30 pm.
Friday, March 24
Art All Night on Race St: Friday from 5-10pm and Saturday from 2-10PM . Celebrate arts and culture on Race Street between Sylvania Avenue and Riverside Drive. Stroll the street to view artwork and meet the artists. Listen to live music and participate in creative classes and arts demonstrations. Panther City Artists curates an outdoor gallery. Shop boutiques, sip spirits and dine in some of the "Best" restaurants in Fort Worth. New this year -- Art Alley, an outdoor boutique marketplace for local artists and artisans. https://www.fortworth.com/event/art-all-night/33683/
Neutral Ground Brewing Company https://ngbc.beewhats-happening-1 Tammy Gomez spoken word artist 8-9PM
TX Whiskey’s Limited-Edition Baseball Bottle Release Party: Spring means baseball season is on the horizon, and Whiskey Ranch will celebrate w/a special bottle release party. Visit to buy a bottle of TX Whiskey sealed with a specialized cap made from a baseball, with complimentary bottle engraving. The distillery will also screen the baseball classic A League of Their Own and welcome former Texas Rangers pitcher Derek Holland as a special guest. The $10 admission includes your 1st cocktail. The event runs 6-9 pm.
Panther City Lacrosse Club Friday, Mar. 24 7:30 p.m. Dickies Arena, 1911 Montgomery St., Fort Worth $21-$79 Panther City will take on the San Diego Seals in their home arena.
Saturday, March 25
Martin House Brewing Company 10-Year Anniversary The Riverside brewery will celebrate a decade in business with a party. There’ll be two new taproom-exclusive beer drops, more than 30 kegs from the cellar, live music, food vendors, hula dancers, and more. New beer launches are Rum Ham, an imperial sour infused with cherries, pineapple and honey ham, and Triple Texan, a triple red tripled IPA. The $25 ticket will cover one souvenir pint glass and four pours. The family-friendly event will run from 12-6 pm.
Neutral Ground Brewing Company Jackalope Bob’s food truck 2-6PM Tammy Gomez spoken word artist 7-8PM
Cowtown Great American Cleanup Saturday, Mar. 25 8-11 a.m. Locations vary Free Join Keep Fort Worth Beautiful and thousands of volunteers for the city’s largest annual litter cleanup.
Sunday, March 26
Brisket 101 at Panther Island Brewing: Pitmaster Dayne Weaver of Dayne’s Craft Barbecue will walk participants step-by-step through his process of smoking tender, flavorful brisket. Attendees will be treated to a feast of barbecue along with three Panther Island brews and a souvenir glass. The class is $175 per person, plus tax and a service fee, and will run from 11 am-3 pm.

TLDR; I was in love with my gf, she broke up with me. We were apart for a year and some change before we reconciled and started dating. Now we have been together for about 7 years total and I’m hesitant on marriage. May be influenced by someone else.
I apologize in advance that some detail will have to be omitted for privacy concerns. This will also be a long story as I am very confused and have never been in this type of situation before.
We began dating when we were young, 24 and 21. Previously to her, I was in multiple relationships where she was in one serious one that ended a few months prior to us dating. We virtually skipped over any honeymoon phase due to personal reasons on my end, and jumped straight into a serious relationship. Over the next few years, I swore I was going to marry this woman. She was everything I was looking for at the time. Smart, beautiful, sociable, and my family loved her. She had the qualities that would make her an excellent mother and wonderful wife.
Even though we’ve had common relationship problems, there was never a moment where we had huge disagreements. Over the years we grew extremely close with each other. When she finished up her degree, she had an opportunity to intern in a different state on the opposite side of the country from where we lived at the time. I was still in school finishing up my degree. We also both lived with our parents at the time due to financial reasons. I was so excited for her to start this internship, as it would be an excellent stepping stone into the career she wanted. She, on the other hand, was nervous about being long distance for about a year, but I ensured her we were strong enough and communicate well enough for us to make it a year. I was wrong.
Finances were tight, but I made every effort to try and fly out to visit her as often as I could. I would also try to set up times to text/call/FaceTime but with the time differences it became difficult. I was ahead by 3 hours and often went to sleep early so I could commute to school. I flew out one last time to celebrate her birthday, and it was quite possibly one of the most miserable weeks of my life. I’ve never felt so unloved, uncared for, and disregarded in my life. I felt like I was sleeping with a stranger. We barely touched each other, she walked ahead of me as we were exploring the city, and basically ignored me when I met her new group of friends.
I flew home, called her and told her how I felt. I told her I understood we are in a rough patch but she was the woman of my dreams and I want to fight for what we had. She blindsided me by absolutely breaking my heart. At this point we were together for a little over 3 years. I was devastated. Confused. Broken. At this time, I have no idea if she was cheating on me. I never cared to ask.
Fast forward in time about a year. She’s reached out a few times but I basically kept things short. I had a new job that paid well, and was focused on meeting new people. Covid hit, and she found herself back home and she reached out me to see if I wanted to meet up and talk. Every logical fiber in my body was telling me to run, but my emotions overcame me and against my better judgement I agreed to meet and talk. I never asked if someone else was the cause of the break up, or what her rationale was. I also never asked if she saw someone while we were apart, mostly because we were broken up and I was talking to other people as well. We ended up reconciling and began dating again.
We ended up moving in together after some time. During this period I thought everything was back to normal. However, I noticed I would not tell people I was in a relationship unless specifically asked. If I did tell someone, I kept it insanely minimal. I would find excuses to change the subject or would say I keep my work and private life separate, which I very much do. But omitting information such as being in a serious relationship should’ve got me thinking something was wrong beforehand.
We were living together when I sprung the news I had to move to a new state to finish grad school, and she uprooted her entire life to move with me and support me, partially because of what happened in our past.
To put things into perspective, we’ve now been together a little over 7 years total. We’ve discussed marriage, children, future goals, the works. I would’ve married her, but there has always been something that made me hesitant. Now I do love her, she is still an amazing person despite what we’ve been through.
To complicate the situation, before we left, a woman who I found attractive at work exchanged contact information with me and we’ve been talking more frequently. The field I work in is predominantly women, and I interact with very driven, beautiful, funny women daily. There’s always been mutual attraction between myself and other women, but I’ve never felt the desire to ruin my home life over one of them. I find myself drawn to her, and check my phone waiting to see if she has sent me anything. I find myself wanting to pursue this new woman more than wanting to stay in this relationship. However, this other woman is in a different state. I understand crushes happen, but this feels like more.
So here I am. In a new state with someone who I thought I was 100% sure on marrying, who is 100% committed to seeing the relationship succeed and I feel myself pulling away to potentially pursue someone else in another state.
I know how this sounds, and I’ve guilted myself into telling my current partner my hesitancy on marriage, which blindsided her and put me in a position to figure out what I want.
I’m not sure if pursuing this new woman would result in a fruitful relationship, but I can’t stop thinking about the possibilities. On the other hand, I do love my partner. We’ve been through so much together and are generally happy, but I fear my hesitancy may be coming from somewhere else. Is it this new woman? Is it from unhealed wounds from the previous break up?
I’m afraid I never truly recommitted to my partner and got back together because I was more afraid of being alone. Now I have these new intense feelings, which may not be reciprocated, that is causing me to overanalyze everything and rethink my current relationship.
Again, I know how this all sounds. I know people will tell me to break up and pursue the other girl, drop the idea of the other woman and fix what I have, or drop both of them and fix myself. They are all reasonable suggestions and I cannot justify any of them. I love and respect my partner, but I feel selfish not matching her current intentions. I’m not sure if what I’m feeling is cold feet, insecurity, immaturity, or all of the above.
I need 3rd party perspective, which is why I turned here. I’ve been trying to figure this all out on my own without success. Any and all insight is greatly appreciated.

Raleigh, NC Burlington, VT Yonkers, NY Laredo, TX Portland, ME Nashua, NH
https://www.usnews.com/news/cities/slideshows/safest-cities-in-america?slide=8

I'm poor and live in a small town. I can't afford a therapist so I'm looking for a local support group that meets in person on a regular basis
I'm closest to Houston but that's still kind of a trek with how expensive gas is (still) and I can't find a group that isn't In a major city
Does anyone know of a local group south of Houston Tx or any resources I can use to find one?

Hello all,
I consider myself to be pretty well informed with local news/politics and am a local business owner. Our new mayor and council were voted in September 2022 and I don't believe they have done anything of much value since entering into office. I don't expect anything too too crazy but given the issues with SD57, the continued problems with our downtown core and of course the City Hall controversies, the new council has had the opportunity to show their value on numerous occasions. The most we hear from them is how they have created new committees which we all know won't be all that productive especially with Councilor Sampson involved.
The most vocal (on actual issues not about the latest circle jerk of each other) of all candidates even post election is James Steidle and John Zukorkski who both missed on their respective council bids. I think it would go a long way to have Mayor Yu and the rest of the councilors be a bit more open/engaged with their voting public and ACTUALLY tackle the issues at hand with this city. Personal ownership would go a long way in this community and it's disappointing to have more interviews about creating committees, passing the buck onto a different government entities or discussing more about that BCR connector highway. Yes, we understand it will be a benefit to our community but also, maybe let's tackle some SMART goals first that are actually possible. Maybe I've missed the mark here but speaking to other community leaders, I feel this isn't too far out.
Lastly, it was incredibly disappointing to see Todd Corrigall not be able to finish his campaign. I feel he was our ticket to really clean up our local government.

I've decided to make a list of all/most of the games I've seen in the comment sections of posts asking about similar games to Talos. I see those posts a little too often so hopefully this one can gather a majority of the answers, resulting in fewer posts asking the same question. These games are similar to Talos either because of the puzzle elements, the philosophical elements, or something else, but these are the ones I've seen recommended by others here. If you somehow have any more, feel free to leave it here.

• Portal 1/2
  
• The Witness
  
• SOMA
  
• The Turing Test
  
• Outer Wilds
  
• Obduction
  
• The Swapper
  
• Q.U.B.E. 1/2
  
• Filament
  
• Heaven's Vault
  
• Manifold Garden
  
• Relicta
  
• Observation
  
• Lightmatter
  
• Return of the Obra Dinn
  
• Supraland
  
• Hob
  
• The Entropy Centre
  
• Pneuma: Breath of Life
  
• Archaica: The Path of Light
  
• ChromaGun
  
• Maquette
  
• The Forgotten City
  
• Quern - Undying Thoughts
  
• Venineth
  
• The Last Cube
  
• Magrunner: Dark Pulse
  
• Gravulse
  

We finally found a Bolt EUV today after weeks of searching for one that was available or incoming. As of today at noon or so, the following dealerships have EUVs that have been unclaimed and are awaiting shipment! Hopefully these leads help anyone out there looking!
​
Macke Motors (Lake City, Iowa) - Ask for Tony; Silver EUV Premium Redline. MSRP. Delivery TBD.
Deyarman Chevrolet (Knoxville, Iowa) - White Premium Redline, MSRP includes $703 in dealer add-ons, requires non-refundable $1k deposit to hold. No ETA yet but vehicle has been built. (Ask for Alex or Mike)
Victory Chevrolet (Smithville, Missouri) - White Premium Redline, MSRP includes $715 in dealer add-ons, requires non-refundable $500 deposit to hold. Expecting late march, early april delivery. (Ask for Amanda).

had a one night stand with this guy who lives in a different city about a month ago, he was gorgeous, smart, polite etc. we met that night, the next day he was leaving to go back to his city, and so I didn’t expect obviously anything from it. But he’s been texting me, sending voice messages and we’ve been chatting for a month (we respond like every 3 days to each other sending voice messages, and are getting to know each other). I have and have had literally no expectations and didn’t want to even first engage bc I honestly don’t know where it would go, but I mean in the future since we’ve been chatting would be nice to eventually see each other. At the beginning I mentioned I would let him know when I visit bc I have a friend there, and he was like oh yeahh I’ll go show you all my favourite bakeries in town blah blah, but he hasn’t since mentioned anything like “so when are you coming..” should I continue chatting to him indefinitely without ever feeling like there’s a meet up date? He for sureeee is a guy with lots of options so I’m just taken aback by him keeping up the texting for this long.. (I know texting doesn’t mean anything but still..). What should I do (don’t really want to be the first to ask to meet as I’ve now learnt to let guys make that first move but not sure..)

A friend of mine recently got scammed by one of the numerous scams on the internet promising to give returns on your investment, but there is a part of it that I don't understand because it involves smart contracts.
So, the scammers sent 105k USDT to his coinbase wallet which to me seemed like a legit transaction, so I tried transferring 100USDT out of the coinbase wallet to binance and noticed it seems to be some kind of smart transfeERC20 token thing which is not supported by binance so the money never arrived. Here is the transaction: Ethereum Transaction Hash (Txhash) Details Etherscan
Would be super grateful if someone could explain what exactly it is he has in his coinbase wallet because I really don't understand what it is / if it actually has any value or not. CB Wallet balance says the money is there but I have no idea what the implications of it being an "ERC20 Token" is?
USDT Wallet Address: 0x98e6Cae13b14DD0b636F2F267668890B55C07d57 ( etherscan.io )
no dm's, it's a throwaway account and any scam dm's will be wasted time

Have - Steam gifts (ROW, unrestricted, if you can't see the game in my inventory, it is still available, so add me for the trade)

Game name	Price	Notes	Stock	Game Status
3D Ultra Minigolf Adventures	offers			Gift
A Valley Without Wind 1 & 2	1 TOD Ticket			Gift
Aerena - Clash of Champions	1 TOD Ticket			Gift
Age of Empires Legacy Bundle	25 keys			Gift
Agricultural Simulator 2011: Extended Edition	2 keys			Gift
AirMech 2	1 TOD Ticket			Gift
Alpha Prime	1 TOD Ticket			Gift
Amnesia Memories	3 keys			Gift
Arena Wars 2	1 TOD Ticket			Gift
Awesomenauts Power Pack	1 TOD Ticket		subID 36025	Gift
Back to the Future The Game	25 keys	removed game	subID 6970	Gift
Barbie Dreamhouse Party	400 keys	removed game		Gift
Battle Los Angeles	offers	removed game	subID 11488	Gift
Borderless Gaming	5 keys			Gift
Broken Age	2 keys			Gift
Call of Duty World at War	25 keys			Gift
Castle of Illusion	3 keys			Gift
Circuits	2 keys			Gift
Cities XL 2012	15 keys	removed game		Gift
Clive Barker's Jericho	40 keys	removed game	subID 531	Gift
Commandos Pack	2 keys			Gift
Crusader Kings II Collection	5 keys		subID 26483	Gift
Deadpool + Merc with a Map Pack DLC	500 keys	removed game	28777 + 29453	Gift
Deathgarden BLOODHARVEST	4 keys			Gift
Defy Gravity Extended	1 TOD Ticket			Gift
Demigod	1 TOD Ticket			Gift
Deus Ex Game of the Year Edition	2 keys			Gift
DiRT 2	50 keys	removed game	subID 14293	Gift
Dirt 2	50 keys	removed game	subID 2493	Gift
Don't Starve Soundtrack	5 keys			Gift
Droplitz (Holiday Sale 2011 Gift)	offers	removed game	subID 12638	Gift
Ducati World Championship	2 keys			Gift
Dungeon Defenders	3 keys			Gift
E.Y.E Divine Cybermancy	2 keys			Gift
Euro Truck Simulator 2	4 keys			Gift
F1 2011	offers	removed game	subID 11620	Gift
F1 2011	offers	removed game	subID 12677	Gift
F1 2012	offers	removed game		Gift
Faerie Solitaire	2 keys			Gift
Farming Simulator 2013 Titanium Edition	9 keys			Gift
Fast and Furious Showdown	30 keys	removed game	subID 27803	Gift
Football Manager 2014	20 keys	removed game	subID 30274	Giftable copy/add me
Fortified	1 TOD Ticket			Steam key/add me
FUEL	offers	removed game	subID 1878	Gift
Ghostbusters The Videogame	offers	removed game	subID 1693	Gift
Grid	offers	removed game		Gift
Grim Fandango Remastered	3 keys			Gift
Hero Academy - Tribe Pack - Hatless Gift	4 keys			Gift
Hitman Collection (ROW)	23 keys		subID 49903	Gift
Hospital Tycoon	2 keys			Gift
Ice Age 4	30 keys	removed game	subID 19227	Gift
Iesabel	2 keys			Gift
Infestation Survivor Stories Classic	1 TOD Ticket			Gift
Insecticide Part 1	1 TOD Ticket			Gift
Iron Storm	6 keys			Gift
Iron Warriors T - 72 Tank Command	2 keys			Gift
Jurassic Park The Game	offers	removed game	subID 7705	Gift
Kane & Lynch 2 DLC Alliance Weapon Pack	offers			Gift
Kane & Lynch 2 DLC Multiplayer Masks Pack	offers			Gift
Kane & Lynch 2 DLC The Doggie Bag	offers			Gift
Kerbal Space Program	10 keys			Gift
Kingdoms Rise	offers	removed game		Gift
Left 4 Dead	4 keys			Gift
Legendary	2 keys			Gift
Lord of the Rings War in the North	50 keys	removed game	subID 12158	Gift
Lucius	2 keys			Gift
Lunar Flight	1 TOD Ticket			Gift
Maelstrom The Battle for Earth Begins	3 keys			Gift
Max Payne 2 The Fall of Max Payne	12 keys			Gift
Medieval Engineers	1 TOD Ticket			Gift
Metro Last Light Complete	offers	removed game	subID 39286	Gift
Middle Earth Shadow of Mordor Season Pass	4 keys	removed game	subID 51210	Gift
Mirror's Edge	4 keys			Gift
Mount & Blade Complete	6 keys		subID 38003	Gift
Move or Die	2 keys			Gift
NASCAR The Game 2013	45 keys	removed game	subID 28448	Gift
Natural Selection 2	2 keys			Gift
NBA 2K16 Michael Jordan Edition	offers	removed game	subID 73028	Gift
Nexuiz	2 keys			Gift
Nikopol Secrets of the Immortals	3 keys			Gift
Painkiller Hell & Damnation	2 keys			Gift
Paradox Grand Strategy Collection	6 keys			Gift
PAYDAY 2 Gage Weapon Pack 02	1 TOD Ticket			Gift
PAYDAY 2 The Goat Simulator Heist	3 keys			Gift
Pinball FX3 - Star Wars Pinball	5 keys			Gift
PlayWay's Sim Bundle	5 keys		subID 51669	Gift
Please Hold	50 keys		subID 92974	Gift
Post Apocalyptic Mayhem	1 TOD Ticket			Gift
Pro Cycling Manager 2012	offers	removed game	subID 15175	Gift
Pro Cycling Manager 2013	offers	removed game	subID 28407	Gift
Pro Cycling Manager 2014	6 keys			Gift
Punch Club	3 keys			Gift
Puzzle Dimension	2 keys			Gift
Ratz Instagib	2 keys			Gift
Razor2 Hidden Skies	1 TOD Ticket			Gift
Resilience Wave Survival	4 keys			Gift
Retro City Rampage DX	2 keys			Gift
RIFT	offers			Gift
Roogoo	2 keys			Gift
Rush Bros	2 keys			Gift
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Bundle	10 keys			Gift
Saints Row IV - Child's Play Pack	1 TOD Ticket	removed game	subID 35488	Gift
Section 8 Prejudice	offers	removed game	subID 11106	Gift
Shannon Tweed's Attack Of The Groupies	2 keys			Gift
Shogun 2 Fall of the Samurai Collection	10 keys		subID 17095	Gift
Sins of a Dark Age Early Access Gift	2 keys			Gift
STAR WARS Empire at War Gold Pack	7 keys			Gift
SteamWorld Dig	1 TOD Ticket			Steam key/add me
Sugar Cube Bittersweet Factory	3 keys			Gift
Super Meat Boy	3 keys			Gift
Super Meat Boy Soundtrack	offers	removed game	subID 12323	Gift
Super Monday Night Combat	1 TOD Ticket			Gift
Team Fortress 2	15 keys			Gift
Test Drive Unlimited 2	offers	removed game	subID 12636	Gift
The Amazing Spider-Man	offers	removed game		Gift
The Amazing Spider-Man - All DLC Bundle	offers	removed game		Gift
The Bureau XCOM Declassified	5 keys			Gift
The Desolate Hope	2 keys			Gift
The Holiday Express	4 keys		subID 35154	Gift
Incredible Adventures Van Helsing	4 keys			Gift
Incredible Adventures Van Helsing Arcane	1 key			Gift
Incredible Adventures Van Helsing Blue Blood	1 key			Gift
Incredible Adventures Van Helsing Thaumaturge	1 key			Gift
The Bureau: XCOM Declassified	6 keys			Gift
The Lord of the Rings Online Helm’s Deep Base	offers	removed game	subID 32781	Gift
The Lord of the Rings Online Quad Pack	offers	removed game	subID 32775	Gift
The Lord of the Rings Online Steely Dawn Pack	offers	removed game	subID 18483	Gift
The Political Machine (2012)	offers	removed game		Gift
The Ship	1 TOD Ticket			Gift
The Sims 3 Diesel Stuff	10 keys			Gift
The Sims 3 Generations	10 keys			Gift
The Sims 3 Pets	10 keys			Gift
The Sims 3 Seasons	10 keys			Gift
The Walking Dead Survival Instinct + Herd DLC	40 keys	removed game	26399 + 27013	Gift
The Wolf Among Us	7 keys			Gift
theHunter Primal	offers	removed game		Gift
Total War Master Collection Sept 2014	15 keys		subID 51362	Gift
Train Simulator 2013 - Trains vs Zombies 2	10 keys			Gift
Trine Collection	4 keys		subID 28358	Gift
Tropico 4 Collector's Bundle	2 keys			Gift
Uncrowded	offers	removed game	subID 67613	Gift
Unreal Tournament 2004 Editor's Choice Edition	offers	removed game		Gift
Velvet Assassin	3 keys			Gift
Watch_Dogs Complete	20 keys			Gift
What's under your blanket !?	offers	removed game	subID 89803	Gift
Who Wants to be a Junior Millionaire	offers	removed game	subID 26732	Gift
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire	offers	removed game		Gift
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Football	offers	removed game	subID 14925	Gift
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Movies	offers	removed game	subID 14928	Gift
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Music	offers	removed game	subID 14923	Gift
Who Wants to be a Millionaire SciFi Pack	offers	removed game	subID 17122	Gift
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Sports	offers	removed game	subID 14926	Gift
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Star Trek	offers	removed game	subID 14927	Gift
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Trivia Booster	offers	removed game	subID 14924	Gift
Who Wants to be a Millionaire Video Games	offers	removed game	subID 15611	Gift
Winter Voices Episode 1 Those who have no name	2 keys		subID 6648	Gift
World Basketball Manager 2010	2 keys			Gift
Xcinerator	3 keys			Gift
Your Doodles Are Bugged!	offers	removed game	subID 8256	Gift
Z1 Battle Royale	3 keys		subID 90424	Gift
Zombie Driver HD	2 keys			Gift
Zombie Driver HD Apocalypse Pack	1 TOD Ticket			Gift
Zombie Driver HD Brutal Car Skins	1 TOD Ticket			Gift
Zombie Driver HD Burning Garden of Slaughter	1 TOD Ticket			Gift
Zombie Driver HD Tropical Race Rage	1 TOD Ticket			Gift

Want:

• Offers with TF2 keys are preferred
• CSGO skins
• Regarding Tether offers, buyer goes first and covers the transaction fees
• Please DO NOT offer game codes, Humble links, Origin, Uplay codes and 3rd party accounts.

Sending Trade Offers
Trade offer link: https://steamcommunity.com/tradeoffenew/?partner=99041861&token=oT95zjCo
Steam inventory: https://steamcommunity.com/id/routemasteinventory#753_1
Inventory listing by TradeStarter

•1•
Aniyah paused by a tree that was bigger than all the rest. It was obviously very old. The leaves of its branches were a pretty teal color and were shaped like the diamonds in a deck of playing cars. She couldn't say exactly why, but this tree gave her a slight sense of comfort. In these woods--especially with the black curtain hanging over the sky--comfort was a rare commodity. She found comfort in this tree, oddly enough, and also in her new weapon. Windchine; Blade of the Paragon. She supposed she was the Paragon of the Weaver now. Whatever that meant. She knew the words, because they kept echoing throughout her thoughts, but she had only a faint idea of their meaning. She wasn't totally clueless. She'd picked up on the fact that the Weaver was a God, or something close to it. She'd intuited that Paragon was some kind of title, bestowed by the Weaver. It meant she was sort of like a knight. Beyond these things however, she didn't have much to go on. She'd always just known things she had no way of knowing. Sometimes, she knew things she had no business knowing, as Momma would have said. She wasn't psychic. Far from it. She just got gut feelings about things, that usually turned out to be right. Like the ones underneath. She'd picked up on all of that, without any real reason to pick up on it.
She was picking up on something now. Something involving the others back at the clearing.
But she was still piecing all of that together. She didn't have enough to go on yet, to have any complete, fully formed thought.
That wouldn't come until a bit later...
What came in that moment, was the subtle soothing nature of the very old tree before her. Comfort really was a rare commodity here, but aside from the tree and the scimitar, there was one more source of comfort for her, currently. The weird little jellyfish thing. It was bobbing along in the air a few feet from the tree. It hadn't left her side since bringing her the weapon. Like the tree--like Windchime--it granted her a small degree of comfort. She didn't know where the jellyfish had got the weapon, but she had an idea that even the jellyfish didn't know where it had come from. Maybe the old man had something to do with it. The one who kept the Keys. The Custodian.
She bitterly wished she'd thought to grab Mr. Brownie when she took off running from the skinless man.
The skinless man...
Now there was something she hadn't got any gut feelings about. Except for fear, that was. She knew to be fearful of the man, but that was all. She'd dealt with monsters her whole life. They'd shown up out the blue, or she'd shown up to them. Like in that Long Room. Something about the skinless man was different though. Something about him wasn't like the other monsters. He wasn't one of her monsters, she knew that much at least. She could also tell he didn't have anything to do with the ones underneath, or the grasshopper people. He wasn't connected to The Jailer.
The only intuitive feeling Aniyah had concerning the skinless man, was that he was connected to something a whole lot worse. What that something might have a been however, she had no clue.
Aniyah didn't have a sheath, or swordbelt. The scimitar hadn't come with a scabbard. As a result, she was forced to hold the weapon in her hand, since she had nowhere to stow it. The blade was as long as her arm, and curved--almost like a banana--but was only sharp on one side. This allowed her to rest the blunt edge in the crook of her shoulder, carrying it the way she'd seen lumberjacks sometimes carry their axes in old movies; with her elbow bent, and the blade sticking out behind her as if it were a compass needle that only pointed in the opposite direction from where she was facing.
With Windchine in this position, she leaned sideways against the old tree--feeling its rough bark against her skin. A soft breeze gently blew against her face, bringing with it the scents of nature. The blackness of the sky didn't seem to match the pleasantness of the wind or the earthy smells of the woods around her. Nor did the stillness. There were a few insects buzzing someplace nearby, but mostly it was quiet. It was almost tranquil, in fact. She knew that somewhere in these same woods, chaos was happening. Hell on Earth (or, Hell on In-Between, she supposed). But all of that seemed so distant. So removed from her in that moment, in this private patch of wilderness.
Part of her wanted to go charging off toward the battle, so she could save Eddie the Gnome, and Prioress Qaya, and the others. Yet, at the same time, another part of her wanted to just lie down right here and take a nice long nap. Another part still--a deeper part--briefly broached the topic of Amy. She shattered this thought into a million little pieces and scattered them in the wind. She wouldn't... no... she couldn't deal with that right now. Not yet. Soon, she would have to. But not just yet.
These contradicting parts were really all the same part. The part that didn't want to admit she was hopelessly lost. She had no dang idea where to go.
Aniyah looked up at the weird little jellyfish thing. She whispered, "Wonder how far it is, to get back to Eddie Money and the others?"
The jellyfish couldn't understand her. Duh. It was a floating jellyfish. How could it?
Except... for a moment, Aniyah thought maybe the thing did understand. And after another few seconds, she knew for sure it did.
The jellyfish flashed a soft green color. Once, then twice. To Aniyah, it was almost like it was saying: "Beep-beep!"
"What does that mean, Jellybean?" she asked, laughing at how goofy she probably sounded.
The jellyfish strobed green again. Just once this time. Then, it slowly began to float away.
"Hold up a minute. Where you goin'?" She stopped leaning against the tree and stood up straight.
The jellyfished froze for a second, beeped green once more, then started off again.
"Ohhh, okay. I see. You leading the way? Well okay then." Aniyah smiled in spite of herself.
She followed behind the jellyfish. Together, they made their way through the darkened woods. Hopefully, to rejoin the others...
•2•
"I've never been in this part of the city before," Flower-Seed admitted. "I didn't even realize there was so much down here. I knew there were older parts of Locist Spire that were here before the Jikk, and that most of it was under the city, but I didn't expect there to be all of... this." He looked around, pausing briefly to admire the elaborate architecture around him. "I mean... Gods. There's actually streets down here. And structures. Not to mention these sculptures and platforms. It's breathtaking. It's almost like an entire settlement encased in a mausoleum. A sort of... civilization time capsule."
Quijj gave only a noncommittal grunt in response.
The two of them walked side-by-side along a wide street paved in stone. So much was stonework, or marble. The craftsmanship that went into all of it was something even modern Artisians likely couldn't replicate. Large sections of the old city were in ruins, but those that remained mostly intact made Flower-Seed feel as if he'd traveled back in time. If they'd had the sky overhead instead of a cavern roof, he could have easily imagined being in the center of a bustling metropolis.
They strode by a towering sculpture made to resemble some sort of animal Flower-Seed couldn't identify. It certainly wasn't any kind of insect, or Insectoid. It had four legs and a tail, plus a large round head. It was as intriguing as it was beautiful.
Cave crickets were softly singing in the nooks and crannies. The distant sound of dripping water played constant accompaniment to the hollow resonance of this subterranean wonderland.
They turned down what had once been a side street, with Flower-Seed leading the way. Up ahead, a cavern wall blocked their advance. There was a place where the wall had been broken, creating an opening just big enough for them to squeeze through.
On the other side, they came upon a ledge overlooking a sprawling cavern. There were more ledges--some, only narrow slabs of stone reminiscent of catwalks; others, much wider, holding half-ruined structures--high up along the cavern walls. And in the center, sitting like an island in the dark sea of darkness, was a sprawling marble platform. The platform was surrounded on all sides by crags and trenches so deep Flower-Seed couldn't see their bottom. There was a naturally formed staircase of stone leading from the platform to another opening. This was most likely the main entrance to this chamber. Flower-Seed realized now that he and Quijj had taken an alternate route to get here, than the others had.
Yes. There were others. A lot of them, from the looks of it.
On the marble platform below, rows of tents and even a makeshift gazebo had been set up. As Flower-Seed's eyes adjusted, he began to make out the robes of Advisors; the armor of Spire Knights and Spire Watch. There were excited, panicked voices echoing throughout the cave. Some sort of commotion was going on.
"I had no idea any of this was here," Flower-Seed whispered.
Quijj gave him a strange look.
"Don't ask how I knew where to go, or how to get here. I just... did."
Quijj nodded, but said nothing.
From the platform, someone yelled: "Arrest the traitor!"
"Ah, shit," Flower-Seed said. He was no longer bothering to keep his voice at a whisper. The figures gathered below had broken into something close to a frenzy. "They must be talking about the Councilor." He looked at Quijj with a serious expression. "We have to get her out of here. I'm not exactly the biggest fan of our government, but something really bad is going on down here. I got... visions. I saw Spire Knights with their minds corrupted by parasites. Whoever attacked the city... they've infected some of the officials. We have to do something. If we're ever going to rebuild... we need Jikk like Councilor Lemma. She's one of the good ones."
Quijj grunted in agreement. "Alright. Let's do it."
"What's the plan?" Flower-Seed asked, suddenly nervous. He felt a bit silly asking Quijj what the plan was, considering the elderly tavern keeper had just been following his lead up this point. Now that they were here, Flower-Seed didn't have the slightest idea what he was going to do. Or even what he could do. He couldn't fight a trained Spire Knight. Let alone an entire company of them. He'd only get himself killed!
Fortunately (and to Flower-Seed's great relief), Quijj said: "Just wait here. And get ready to run. Like you've never ran before."
"Alright. I think I can do that much, at least."
Quijj nodded. He drew his odd-looking weapon, and leapt down from the ledge; spreading his wings as he did this to glide over to the platform. Just as the old tavern keep came to a landing, Flower-Seed saw two armored Knights seize Councilor Lemma by the arms, and pull her to the ground. One of the Advisors screamed.
Shit! his mind cursed. Come on, Quijj. You gotta do something! And fast!
•3•
There was a particular knock at the hidden door to the Navigator's study. Three heavy raps, a pause, then two sets of four bangs; the coded knock he'd taught to the mercenary leader. The corners of Drokin the Navigator's mouth--little more than soft tissue on either side of his pointed beak--sagged slightly, in a parody of a frown. He shot a glance over to the wall-mounted clock above his desk. It was only Ef'tat-Half-Wane. The merc shouldn't have made it to this part of Barkstone Barony, for at least another three Shecks.
Drokin cast a suspicious eye toward the opposite end of the room. He reached beneath his desk, unfastening the blade he hid there. It was always good to have a backup weapon. The talon-like claws of his hand instinctively found the pommel of his rapier. "Enter!" he called to the door.
There was a hefty creaking sound as a considerable portion of the wall was pushed inward, revealing both the false rock of the door's opposite side, and the midday sunlight beyond the study. The light was much too bright for Drokin's eyes, after spending so much time inside the chamber under the Arcas Rune lamps. For a moment, he had to squint in order to get a decent view of his visitor. The moment Drokin saw the figure entering his study, his claws tightened on the handle of his weapon.
The one who appeared through the doorway was not the merc leader Rave the Ravager. Not by a long shot. The stranger was a Jagged Fields Nerthran, just as Rave was, but this was where their similarities ended. Rave was of slightly larger than average size for an adult male member of the mothfolk race. The Nerthran before Drokin was the antithesis of average (or "slightly" for that matter). He was enormous; much larger than seemed natural. If one of his crew mates had told Drokin about seeing a Nerthran the size of this one, Drokin would have labeled them an exaggerator at best, a boldfaced liar at worst. He certainly wouldn't have believed mothmen could grow this large, if he weren't seeing the proof of that very thing with his own two eyes.
"Where is Rave? Who are you?" Drokin demanded.
The giant mothman slowly stepped inside the study and creaked the door shut behind him. He did not answer.
"I asked you a question. Where is--"
In a baritone voice that was almost pleasing to the ear, the mothman said: "Would you Sky Pirates send your Captain on every minor mission, or simple errand? I am Master Rave's deliverer. I am called Nollo."
A peculiar name for such a hulking creature as this, the Navigator mused.
When Drokin didn't initially respond, 'Nollo' added: "I have the Relic you wanted." He held up a black rectangular case, almost like the kind a Bard might use for protecting a musical instrument.
Drokin thought this over a moment, studying the towering mothman carefully. He felt almost like he was looking up at a living statue. One of the great big ones that lined the streets of the grand cities of Roshuka, or populated the ruins of Jyyrvesk's Old Country. Even the hulk's features were oversized, as if they needed to compensate for the massive face to which they were attached. This 'Nollo' somewhat unsettled Drokin. The self-proclaimed "deliverer" had a long, slender mouth that didn't quite seem to want to close all the way. This gave the mothman an almost moronic appearance; a dimwitted face with the mouth of a drooling imbecile. Combined with his considerable size, it would have been easy to dismiss this Nerthran as a buffoon. Even the title "deliverer" played into this impression. And he seemed to have a permanent glazed over quality about his eyes. However, Drokin saw what lurked beneath the surface. When he looked beyond these things, the Navigator could detect a cold, calculating intelligence in the mothman's eyes. Upon closer inspection, the glazed over quality didn't strike the Navigator as entirely organic. It struck him as purposeful, practiced--part of a kind of disguise.
Nollo was a mothman with the soul of a spider...
As these things dawned on Drokin, the unsettled feeling he'd had since this mothman's appearance turned to something bordering on outright fear. The Navigator had been all across the Lesser and Greater Reaches. He'd seen some horrid things. Something about this stranger was different, however. There was something not quite Insectoid in his eyes; not quite Of This Pocket Realm, as the Captain was want to say. Drokin had never believed in the concept of evil. Not in the same way the Old Scrolls talked about it, as least. But now--here in his study, confronted by the figure before him--when he looked into those eyes, evil was all Drokin saw.
"You... have the Horn?" Drokin asked, trying to sound casual. His heart was beating at three times it's normal tempo. He slowly reached for the Link Orb. Calling out to Captain Heekan may have been the only chance he had left. "Let me get you the coin I promise then."
"Stop," said Nollo. "Put your hand down."
Drokin paused. The tips of his claws were just inches from the Orb. If he were quick about it, he could snatch the thing up in a microsecond. The Navigator was quick. He was a trained fighter, afterall. But... he knew intuitively he would not be quick enough.
"I beg your pardon?" Drokin said, trying and failing to keep some air of authority in his tone.
Nollo laughed. It was not a pleasant sound. "There was never going to be any coin, was there? You think Master Rave wouldn't sniff out such an obvious con? You really aren't familiar with the Stonewing Pillar Mercenaries are you? We are not some low-level ratcatchers."
Drokin said nothing for a moment. At last, he sighed. He allowed his training to replace his fear. It took quite a lot of effort, but he managed. When his heart had returned to something closer to a natural beat, he leveled his avian eyes at the mothman. He dropped his hand, but brought it down to his rapier. He drew the weapon, but made no move to strike.
Through the end of his closed beak, Drokin growled: "Alright, asshole. Just what are you after?"
Nollo laughed again. He flipped open the brass latches on the black case he held, opened it. Inside, wasn't any Relic. That had been a lie. The black velvet lined interior of the case held a single object: a large throwing knife. Nollo removed the blade and let the case fall to the floor. "I'll need every piece of coin you have here. And anything else of value."
Drokin raised his rapier. "All our treasures are on the ship." He sighed, deciding to fess up. "I don't have anything here. You were right. I planned on taking the Horn and not paying. But I am obviously not getting what I wanted. There is no coin here for you to get what you want. Why don't we just call this an impasse? We both walk away, no better off... but no worse for wear than we were before. What do you say?"
Nollo shook his massive head. It was like seeing a boulder pivot atop a living column. "You think you can plot to take out our leader, and live to tell the tale? You're even more stupid than you look."
Now, Drokin was getting angry. "Do you have any idea who you're fucking with? You can't stand against our entire crew. We're the Hawkblood Pirates. You think Captain Heekan will just sit by and let you--"
The knife was buried in Drokin's windpipe, before he ever saw the mothman throw it. For someone so massive, Rollo had a dexterity and speed that were virtually unrivaled. There was a soft clang as Drokin's rapier fell to the floor; a soft gurgling sound as he began to choke on his own blood. He gasped for air his lungs couldn't find; his hands clawing at his throat to pull free a blade that wouldn't budge.
Drokin the Navigator fell to the floor with a hollow thud, knocking his chair over in the process. The last thing his dying mind registered before he lost consciousness was the sight of Rollo the mothman standing over him, whispering: "You Sky Pirates never should have come to the Wilden Green."
Then, Drokin was fading. Fading, fading.
Fading.
Fading from the mortal world, and headed for that Great Beyond...
•4•
Eyes. So many eyes. Staring. Watching.
Abominations. Wretched perversions of nature. Black-tongued things. Slime things. Things with many, many eyes.
Many. Many. Eyes.
Vellnoth! It was awful!
Zoocher slipped through a whirlwind of swirling shadows. He sank into quicksand of blackness. His mind shattered, then reformed. Shattered, then reformed. The world became a pane of glass which broke into a million, billion, trillion little pieces. He reached out, desperately trying to pick the pieces up, to put them back together.
It was no use.
Horrors. Eyes. Looking. Looking at me. Through me. Seeing me. Seeing all.
SEEING.
Zoocher rocked himself back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. There was dirt and grass beneath him. He was curled up into a ball, hugging his knees against his chest. Yet, these things were just background details. This was just his surroundings, and his physical body. His mind was somewhere else--perhaps, in another patch of dirt, slowly turning to mud. No. Not mud. Quicksand.
Sinking. He was sinking. Sinking, and slipping away. Slipping off into that Forever Night.
White Staircase?
No. He saw no White Staircase. Perhaps, only the Black Steps awaited him after all the awful things he'd done in life.
Only... there were no Black Steps, either.
Because he wasn't dead. Not yet, at least.
He was alive, but he was not living. Not in the normal sense.
Eyes. Watching. Looking. Seeing. Viewing. Glimpsing.
STARING.
GODS. OH GODS. OH VELLNOTH PLEASE!
No mercy for him. No Gods coming to save him. Only horrors.
He'd been in that terrible place, in that terrible room for what had felt like centuries.
Now he was back in the woods. But not all of him. He'd left some essential part of himself back there, back in that terrible place.
And now, he'd never get that part back. It was lost to him. For good. Forever.
Zoocher leaned over and vomited yellow bile onto the grass. His head was swimming. He slowly stood up. As he stood, everything fell away. Everything. His entire being. His essence. His all. His whole.
Zoocher? No. There was no Zoocher anymore.
Maybe there never had been.
Certainly, there would never be a Zoocher again.
Shattered.
Zoocher was shattered and lost. Gone. Now, Zoocher was no more. Forever departed.
He felt something warm and wet run down his legs. He'd urinated on himself without realizing it. This did not bother him. This meant nothing. He took a step forward and vomited onto his vest. This too meant nothing.
He stripped off his armor, his undergarments, his weapons. He kicked off his boots. To one side of the pile he'd made with his belongings, there were a set of bootprints in the dirt. He turned in the opposite direction, and started walking. He didn't know where he was going. He only knew he needed to walk.
Visions winked in and out of his mind. He continued walking, muttering to himself all the while. He spoke of everything, of nothing. He asked questions without answer. He gave answers to questions no one had asked.
Those eyes. They were burned into his brain. No. His brain was a burn. A scorchmark, littered with eyes. Staring. Watching. Waiting?
He walked on. Walking through the woods, to nowhere. Walking. Muttering. Thinking of eyes and Slime things.
It was a long time before he stopped.
•5•
There were two astounding sights, which presented themselves consecutively before him. In over two decades serving as one of the Hawkblood's top Assault Commanders, he had never seen anything more incredible than the Black Pyramid. That was, right up until the moment he saw the entire Pyramid vanish right before his eyes. If anything could be even more incredible than seeing the Pyramid; suddenly not seeing the Pyramid would have to be it.
Commander Ramses blinked several times, as if he were unable to trust what his eyes were showing him. The airspace beyond the windshield of his Glider Pod now showed only a sea of nothing, save for the Sky Gods higher up in the atmosphere.
"What the fuck? Where did it go?" he muttered to the empty cockpit.
The Glider Pods were designed to resemble plump black ravens. Ramses's Glider was slightly larger than the others in the fleet, as his was the Pod that carried most of the Big Weapons. Currently, they were in a V formation like actual birds; twelve in Ramses's group, twelve more in Commander Paulo's group that would have been approaching the Pyramid from behind; another twelve coming in from the right, making up Commander Gichi's group. The Gyff had their own Gliders, fashioned from wooden planks and some unknown material Ramses had never seen before. The Gyff ships looked a lot like the Gyff themselves; like long slender walking sticks. Their ships cut through the air like wooden missiles, lined up in a near row.
Ramses slapped the control panel, activating the Com-Cube. "Am I seeing things? Have I lost my mind?"
"No." It was the voice of Commander Gichi. She sounded uncharacteristically shaken. "The damn thing went POOF. Just like that."
The Gyff leading the stickbug group (his name was Kloom, if Ramses's memory served him) chimed in. "What do we do now? Will it reappear, you think?"
Ramses smacked the controls again, this time out of frustration. He said, "Somebody better get the Captain on the--"
"Already here," said the voice of Captain Heekan.
"You been listening this whole time?" Gichi asked.
"No. I just came on. Now listen. Everyone. Listen very closely. The Pyramid isn't in the valley anymore, but all is not lost. We will track it down. I already know where they took it."
Ramses gaped at this. "What? Captain... how could you already know all of that? It just vanished, only a few ticks ago."
Gichi made a soft gasping sound. "Captain. No. Tell me you didn't use it."
"I had to," Captain Heekan said with remorse. "The Mirror is too valuable a tool for us not to utilize it. And if ever there were a time when we needed it, it would be now."
"How many years did it take off your life?" Gichi asked hesitantly.
After a pause, Heekan said, "It doesn't matter. We're getting sidetracked here. There is a lot more going on than we realized. There are agents of not one, but two of the 5 Pharoahs here in the Wilden Green Valley, as we speak."
"What?" it was Gichi and Kloom in unison.
Commander Paulo broke his silence. "Which other Pharoah are we talking about?"
Heekan said, "Aside from Camaria the Butcher who we already knew about (it was one of her Scarabs that took the Pyramid), there's some of the Necromancer's men here too."
"The Necromancer?" Ramses said in disbelief. "The right hand man of Dowlmad the Deathless?" Ramses felt a cold chill run up his spine. "You're not telling me he is here in this valley, are you?"
"The Necromancer himself? No. Just some of his underlings. The Skinless Men, they're called."
Gichi asked, "Are they really all after the Pyramid and the Artifacts? I can't imagine two of the 5 Pharoahs would expend resources just for the stuff we're after. Aside for the Black Pyramid. But even still... something seems off here."
"Well," said Heekan. "That's because something is off. There are bigger forces at work here than we ever realized. Sure, they were after the Pyramid and the Divine Battery. But those are more like... party favors, to them."
Ramsese shook his head. "I already don't like how this sounds." The open sky outside his Glider suddenly felt less like empty airspace, and more like an endless abyss. One glance at the Sky Gods floating higher in the heavens strengthened this feeling, causing the commander to shudder as another chill ran up his back.
Captain Heekan said, "Then you really won't like what I'm about to tell you."
As it turned out, the Captain was absolutely right. Ramses really didn't like it one bit. None of them did.
•••
And Commander Ramses was not the only one who was told things they didn't like. While he was listening to his Captain's words with growing unease, elsewhere in the Wilden Green Valley, a certain Ranger was receiving a rather ominous warning...
•••
•6•
Deep within the bowels of the Reverse Tower. In the Domain of the Being known as O'Faxx.
Ranger Lexington stood atop the large boulder, surrounded by a sea of sludge. The putrid aroma of this place once more assaulted his senses, while his boots sank into the slick, squicky growth coating the boulder. Lexington's dragonfly-like features hid his discomfort. Outwardly, he appeared as stoic--as unshakeable--as always. At least, until he spoiled the effect with a knowing smirk.
To the bubbling muck, he called out: "So, you decided to help out afterall?"
There was no response.
Lexington's smirk faded. He bowed his head slightly. "It's alright. You don't have to speak. I only wish your assistance had been enough. That way Burlap wouldn't have had to give his life the way he did."
O'Faxx did not emerge from the murky depths.
Lexington would have sighed had the air quality in here not been so abhorrent. "Anyway, I just wanted to thank you. I will find a way to reward you."
Although O'Faxx remained beneath the muck, his voice echoed inside the Ranger's mind. "My actions were not on your behalf. Your ignorance betrays you, Overseer."
Lexington cocked his head to one side. "If you say so." He shrugged. "Some guys just can't accept a thank you, I guess."
"You have yet to understand. I helped you, to destroy you. None of you know yet what you are unleashing. I did not see the truth before, but the truth has now presented itself to me. The Gods wish to assemble the 12 and bring about the White Clock Consortion. Fools. They don't yet realize with the advent of the White Clock, the Black Clock follows. Those numbers shall count down their destruction. I looked into the destiny of the mortals you have placed so much faith in. I saw what they will bring about. They are one of the Four Winds that will blow upon the Door of Doom. One of them is a Paige of the Necronomicon."
"What does that mean? Quit speaking in riddles."
"There's a storm coming, Overseer. A storm that will wash away the world. This one, and all others. I haven't helped you. I've only helped the first few raindrops, so they might better form within the dark clouds hanging over this Pocket Realm. And in the wake of that rain? The thunder shall soon roll."
A storm coming. Four Winds that will blow upon the Doors of Destruction. Thunder.
These things made no sense to the Ranger. One thing was clear however; whatever O'Faxx's words meant, Lexington didn't like the sound of any of it.
•7•
There's a particular way Advisors and nobleJikk cry out when something disrupts their normal routine. It's a breathy sort of shriek, like someone emptying their lungs before they faint. Many of the High Advisors were voicing this exact variety of shriek now, as High Knight Pyx ordered his Spire Knights to arrest Lemma.
Temporary Councilor E'Shesh (to her credit) tried to block the path of the Knights. She was shoved out of the way, hard enough to cause the poor she-Jikk to tumble over onto the hard marble surface of the platform.
Then, underneath the makeshift gazebo, pandemonium set in. The stress of the attack on the city had already pushed everyone toward the brink of panic. This new development made them all leap right over the edge, falling right into the place people (Jikk, or otherwise) always fall in times like this one.
Lemma didn't run. She stood her ground, glowering at Pyx and Councilor Tholke; glaring as if she could knock some sense into them with her gaze alone. Of course, this was a futile endeavor. The Knights were upon here a moment later. Strong arms seized her, throwing her to the ground. Then, oddly enough, even stronger arms were lifting her from the floor. She stared down the Knights arresting her, but the expressions they gave her in return were not those of hardened Knights doing their duty. They were the expressions of Jikk who'd been caught completely off guard.
As she was lifted even higher, Lemma finally realized it wasn't the Knights who currently held her. It was someone else.
"What... who... what's going on?" she cried weakly.
She was being carried away by... one of the local tavern keepers?
"What's happening? What are you doing?" she demanded.
"She's getting away!" someone shouted.
"After her!" a Spire Knight ordered.
All at once, the Knights were airborne, in pursuit. The air was alive with the sound of buzzing wings, the shuffling and frantic falls of boots, and so much shouting. Lemma dangled over seemingly bottomless trenches and crumbling remnants of the City That Once Was.
The tavern keeper, in all this time, had only explained himself with a single grunt. Now, he was using his free arm to aim some kind of weapon at the Knights.
"No," Lemma pleaded. "Don't kill them. They're only doing their duty."
"Stun-shot," said the elderly tavern keeper. The words came an instant before his weapon discharged and the air behind them exploded in brilliant blue electricity. There was a loud series of crackling sounds, as the small-scale controlled lightning tore through each of the Knights. As if an invisible net had ensnared them, the Knights all froze in midair a moment, before their wings slowed to a standstill. They began to plummet down to the darkness below.
The tavern keeper voiced a soft grunt of regret.
"You can say that again," Lemma scolded. "The shot may have stunned them, but the fall will surely do a whole lot more. What's the meaning of this? Are you kidnapping me?"
The tavern keeper shook his head. "Behind you," he said. They climbed higher, closing in on the stone wall of the spacious cavern.
Lemma craned her neck to look back at the platform. What she saw horrified her. Hight Knight Pyx and Councilor Tholke. Even from this far away, she could see that their eyes appeared to have ruptured. From the vacant holes where their eyes had been, large fat yellow worms as long as sword blades were spilling out onto the platform. Each worm slapped down onto the marble, then immediately began to grow in size. Within mere seconds, each one grew to the size of a Field Roamer pup. And they only continued getting bigger.
The Advsiors and officials broke into a stampede, making for the platform's only exit; the flight of stone steps leading up to the passageway before street level.
"Gods," Lemma whispered. "We have to seal off the exit. We can't let those... those things make it up to the city."
But based on the ever-increasing size of the worms, and their ever-growing numbers, she feared it might already be too late.
"Hurry! Come on!" someone shouted, just ahead.
Lemma turned toward the sound of the voice. She saw a Jikk standing atop a stone ledge, high up on the cavern wall. She didn't recognize him.
A second later, the tavern keeper brought her down to a gentle landing on the ledge beside the unfamiliar Jikk. She eyed them both suspiciously. "Just what is going on? And who is this?"
"My name is Flower-Seed. And we've got to get the fuck out of here, Councilor."
The tavern keeper asked, "How can we seal it off?"
Lemma thought for a moment. "You came through there?" She pointed to the large gap behind Flower-Seed.
"We did," said the tavern keeper.
"Then we might be able to beat the worms to the surface. There's a secret tunnel in the cave ceiling, a little further on. Come on. We have to get to the statue of Kylo the Great, up in the Cobbler's District. There's a hidden lever inside. I know the code to turn it. It will seal off the Old City. It's our only chance."
"Then let's get moving," said Flower-Seed.
The tavern keeper only grunted his agreement.
Together, the three of them took off at a sprint. There truly wasn't a single moment to spare...
•8•
Rave spotted the figures below, standing patiently beside a gnarled, leafless gatortree. He came to a landing, just a few yards from them. Eight pairs of cold, dark eyes peered out from eight fleshless humanoid faces, considering him with an alien species of indifference.
A long black case was tucked beneath Rave's right arm. In his left hand, he clutched his Rune Stone expectantly. Any moment now, Nollo would be giving him the word that the deed was done. Any moment now. Rave had an internal clock that kept near perfect timing when it came to things like murder.
Sure enough, the Rune Stone began to grow warmer to Rave's touch.
Nollo's voice came through the Stone. "Boss?"
Rave grinned with what remained of his ruined mouth. "It's done?"
"It's done," Nollo confirmed.
"Good. I'd expect nothing less. You know where I'll be?"
"Yes, sire. I'll see you there shorly."
Rave didn't bother giving a final response. He put the Stone away and took the black case into his hands. The Skinless Men only watched him patiently.
Rave approached the figures beneath the gnarled tree. This was a remote region of Jikkellia's borderlands, where the high grasses gave way to miles of mostly barren dirt and rock. The gatortree stood out, in that it was one of the few trees on the visible landscape here. Just over the horizon, was the large mountain where a certain group of outsiders were rumored to have crashed in a small rowing vessel recently.
Rave waited for one of the skinless men to speak first. When none did, he said: "A lot of people wanted this Horn. You just so happened to be the only ones offering more than coin." This was a half-truth. The Sky Pirates had spoken of coin, but had in reality, offered only betrayal. "I've kept up my end. Now, I expect you to keep yours."
Rave's mind calculated dozens of ways he could slaughter each of these figures, should they show any sign of aggression. It was just how his brain operated. He plotted ways to thwart threats that hadn't even been presented yet. In this line of business, you had to stay twelve moves ahead.
Right on time, Rave's reinforcements arrived. He'd been doing these kinds of deals for far too long to ever go by himself. Even if he did feel confident enough in his abilities that he wasn't weary of the figures before him. Even in a 1 v. 8 duel to the death, he was certain he'd have the upper hand.
Four mothmen mercs landed just behind Rave--keeping their distance but standing at the ready. Rave didn't so much as glance at them. He casually stepped away from his foot soldiers and moved closer to the Skinless Men. "So, how about it? You said you had a way to get us out of this valley. Is that still true?"
One of the figures (there was really no way for Rave to tell the apart, as they all looked like carbon copies of each other) nodded. "We represent Pharoah Dowlmad. Pharoah Dowlmad always keeps his word. Give us the Black Horn and we shall give you freedom from this place."
Rave said nothing a moment. At last, he nodded. "Alright. I'll take you at your word." He slowly held out the case, offering it to one of the figures. The skinless man eagerly accepted the Artifact. He lifted the lid and removed the item inside, handing it to one of the others.
The Black Horn of the Olde Music looked like the hollowed-out horn of some bovine creature, like those Rave had seen sketched in old tomes. Aside from the fact it was black as obsidian, of course. There was a silver mouthpiece banded around the narrow end. That was all there was to the object. All in all, it was rather unimpressive looking by Artifact standards.
The other man examined it for several seconds, before deciding he was satisfied. He nodded back to the first man who took the Horn and returned it to its case.
"So," Rave said, taking on a tone of casual conversation while feigning ignorance. "What does that thing do, anyhow?"
The Skinless Men only regarded him coldly.
Rave nodded, flashing a half grin. "Fair enough. Now... as for your part of the bargain?"
"Yes," said the man holding the case. "You want your entire company to leave this valley? Return to us when you are all together. Some of us will remain here in this spot. We will give you three sunrises after sundown today. If you aren't here by then, we cannot wait any longer."
"We'll return long before then," Rave said.
There didn't seem to be anything more to say. He turned and motioned to the other mercs. "Let's head out. We'll regroup with the others and get everything underway."