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10 Feb 2008
| #1 |
| Queen Odinea  Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 909
Trickster Stats  Arcade Awards MyTrade: (1) | The Red Rock Fire Mountain Author's Note: This is a gritty short story about a buffalo obsessed with material possessions. He eventually escapes Paradise to become a looter. All names mentioned are coincidental, but likenesses are not. I expect to lampoon every aspect of the annoying looter and beggar many of you have dealt with before, and I will spare no mercy as I dispense of the character with a Victorian taskmaster's cruelty. The character speaks with a bastardized version of English all of you have come to hate. What the character is really saying can be found at the end of the chapter with the following numbered brackets () Enjoy the read  Chapter One: The Escape "The Travellers speak of a land/ called the Red Rock Fire Mountain/ where the perils are many and the people are grand/ and riches flow like water from a fountain" - Homeless Ian's Song at the Paradise O/X Booth Our story begins at the outskirts of a scorching desert town, filled with the poor and misguided, miscreants, misfits, and vagrants, swindling merchants, and the well-to-do. By some bare twisted, bizarre, and malicious reason, this ghetto town full of the dregs of humanity and the lowest rungs of social ladder was called Paradise. This was the town that the subject of our story, [SSJ]BuffaMAX, would call home. It was noon when the sun beat at his back, while the hot sands burned at his feet, as he toiled in the fields for what would later amount to almost nothing. He had spent most of his noobhood, 27 long levels, here with his friends, whom he often chatted, partied, and quested with. But despite all he had been through with them, good times and bad, he was not satisfied. He often saw rich people waltzing around town, paying the people large sums of money for gathered items they would rather not dirty their hands drilling for. They lived in a better place, Megalopolis, which Teleporter Pachi forbade people without status from travelling to. Officer Tera always stood by in case there was any trouble. People say she killed a man once, but no one really knows. He heard these people found their riches in a place called the Red Rock Fire Mountain, a place which the poor people had talked about but never been to. Throughout his life, he had seen Golden Swords, Golden Helms, and Golden Lion Shields vended by merchants, always wanting to buy and use one. But he could not afford it. He felt almost as if they taunted him while on display, as if they were a symbol of the wealth and status someone living in Paradise would never obtain. He had always had his eyes on those items, and he believed the only way to afford them was by making a trip to the Red Rock Fire Mountain. This would be a place that never left his mind, and as he toiled day after day in the fields with his friends by his side, his desire to go there and have a piece of all the riches increased. One day, on the eve of his 29th level, he spoke to his friends. He wanted to leave Paradise behind them, and his friends agreed. Together, they worked hard and raided the Pyramids, gathering artifacts, slaying undead, and selling off their sacred possessions to the travellers who paid the highest price. With much effort, all of them had reached level 30, and paid Pachi for their freedom. The buffalo and his friends were taken aback as they entered Megalopolis, a bustling city at the center of the island that had its merchants selling antiques and rarities from every corner of the island. He once again saw the Golden Items vended in Paradise on sale here as well, almost mocking him, reminding him of what he always wanted but never had when he left Paradise. People shouted, shoved, and moved as deals were made, travel arrangements were set, and merchants set up for business. Strangely enough, the whole square was full of merchants dealing on the pavement while many the Megalo Company funded vending stalls remained empty. The Buffalo and his party decided to find shelter in a few abandoned vending stalls while they spent their first night in Megalopolis. The bustle of the city continued into the twilight hours, but it did not matter because the buffalo could not sleep. He sneaked out and walked around the city, asking people how to get to the Red Rock Fire Mountain (1), but his way of language was different from what the people were used to and nobody answered him. Finally, he met a met a vendor selling his items in a dark street corner which had the solution. Despite having 'RUSH' in the store title, the merchant appeared to be vending in the same spot for days. He showed him a Portable Port Deluxe, which would grant him a way to the Red Rock Fire Mountain, for the "low, low price" of 100,000 galders. He had never had that much money in his entire life, but he was confident he could buy it. He asked the vendor to save it for him, while he went back to his stall to get some sleep. The next day, and many days after, the buffalo and his friends hunted for items, explored new places, and made good earnings. After five long levels, he had finally raised enough money enough to buy the Portable Port Deluxe, and snuck out the next night to use it. In an instant, he found himself at a large perch on a fiery volcano, looking over at Megalopolis in the distance. The large, overwhelming city he had lived in for several day had seemed so small to him while on the volcano, and he too felt as if he was standing high atop the world. As morning came, he found himself standing in the place he had always wanted to be, the Red Rock Fire Mountain, surrounded by Champions, Dukes, Gladiators, Idols, and all manner of people who had achieved status and recognition from the people of the island. He was now in a crowd of somebodies, people who knew what they were doing and made something of themselves doing it. He saw large sums of money switch hands, as people lined up and sold equipment ot the Item Girl, who seemed to have an almost infite supply of galder and storage space inside the basket as she deposited weapons, paid out galder, and provided potions and supplies to the many adventurers who did business with her. He also noticed he did not have enough money to get back to Megalopolis. By now, his friends and woken up and were alarmed to find him at the top of a volcano. End of Chapter One. *(1) 'How I get to monies place plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz' 'How I get to monies place plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz' 'How I get to monies place plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz' 'How I get to monies place plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz' |
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10 Feb 2008
| #3 |
| Queen Odinea Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 909
Trickster Stats Arcade Awards MyTrade: (1) | Chapter Two: Struggle at the Mountain His friends whispered to him and asked how he got there. He calmly explained that he had bought a strange item and it teleported him up there. He told them not to worry, as he would soon have enough money to get back down in due time. He proclaimed that he was now at the top of the Red Rock Fire Mountain everyone in Paradise talked about, and as his friends listened on, he told them to continue training. He would join them again shortly. But that was a lie, the first of many. After seeing how small Megalopolis was, he did not want to back down. He no longer wanted a life of toiling for nothing, a life of day to day struggles and hardship. He wanted what he thought everyone at the Red Rock Fire Mountain wanted: fortunes. He watched as wave upon wave of people entered and left portals, people with weapons he had never seen before, some glimmering, shining, and giving off auras. Seeing how rich these people were and how poor he was in comparison made him feel small. He thought about how a million galder must mean nothing to these people, and how his plight as a destitute peasant on top of a volcano somehow entitled him to some part of that fortune. A tall Dragon Priest caught the corner of his eye, and summoning up all the courage within him, he approached him and asked for a trade. To his surprise, the dragon accepted. In his most polite tone, he asked the dragon for some money(2). The tall dragon then pulled out a shining bag of 4 million galders out of his robe and held it over his head. The buffalo, overwhelmed by the sight of money, then tried to grab for it, but the dragon moved the bag out of reach every time. He desperately pleaded with the dragon for mercy (3), but the dragon then put on a dark smile and responded to him in a language he did understand (4), no matter how much begged or pleaded. The dragon then sneered at him, put away the money, and walked off. This was terrible, the buffalo thought. How could these rich people possibly be so cruel towards us? Why do they have to taunt us with money? Nonetheless, he kept his hopes up and continued begging. Hours passed, and not a single person gave him anything. He pleaded with the wealthy in front of the Item Girl, who ignored him as they made deals worth millions in front of his very eyes. His disappointment soon turned to anger. He began to show hate towards everyone at the volcano. He hated them because they would not spare anything to him despite all the riches they possessed. Finally, he followed one of them past the portal to a battleground, where dozens of players slew hundreds of monsters for gain and profit. He followed the dragon who had made a fool of him earlier, and waited as he killed two salamanders, leaving pieces of their charred leathery skin behind. To his surpise, the dragon continued hunting for monsters and did not even bother to pick up his spoils. He remembered the item girl buying those skins for several thousand galders, worth more than he could have ever made in the field, worth more than the very sword and helmet he was holding. He decided that his revenge would take place here. He would take everything the rich had left behind and then sell it for himself. Nobody here had given him charity, and he was now in no mood to remind his tormentor about what he had left behind. The second the dragon had disappeared from view, the buffalo ran for the abaondoned item. But as he had done so, others appeared like rats and cockroaches out of the shadows and behind him, all going for the same item. He felt his heart racing as he pushed the other aside, one being hit and fainted by a nearby Fire Moth as he made his mad dash towards the fallen goods. The buffalo ran fast and put the items securely into his pouch, running towards the exit. He felt a sudden rush as soon as he exited the portal, and knees still shaking, he presented the skin of the great beasts to the Item Girl, who stared blankly, took it, and gave him his money. His face lit up like a city during a festival, staring at the large pile of galder he had made in that short moment. He now had enough money to go back and join his friends, enough to buy a new weapon even after paying for the teleport costs. But then, a voice in the back of his head asked him, did he really want to go back? He had made so much after just one dash, one instant up on this volcano. He had not forgotten the humiliation he suffered while up here, and most of all, he had not forgotten the Golden Sword, Helm, and Shield he had always wanted so badly. Forget his friends, he thought. He could join them again any time. He would stay here until he had enough to buy what he wanted. So with new resolve, the buffalo risked life and limb running from monsters and collecting fallen goods the warriors and adventurers had left behind. This was his way of getting back at the world, he thought. He would take from these smug and arrogant people on the volcano, and use their money to buy what he always wanted. He continued salvaging their goods day and night, resting only briefly behind a large rock for sleep, until he had completely lost track of time. By now, he was an expert at dodging monsters, weaving through them skillfully while leaving his competition dead. He had amassed several million galders now, several times more than he had ever earned in his entire lifetime, and his friends had once again called to him. They were now all level 50, and they asked him if he had enough money to come back to Megalopolis yet. He responded no. They asked if they should go up there and help him get down. The buffalo knew the area was already full of people, many like himself, and the last thing he wanted was more people. He didn't want his friends competing for his money. So he said no. They were talking about rasing a guild for themselves, but it would cost millions, and they were also all short of money. They asked the buffalo if he had any. At this point, all he would think about was that Golden Sword. He was only a few hundred thousand galders away from buying one, so close he could practically feel it. He thought his friends now wanted his money for themselves so they could run a guild, and so he then lied and said no once again. After that, he stopped talking to his friends and concentrated solely on looting. Days passed, and now he had enough money for the sword. But that was not enough, he also wanted the hat and the shield. So he spent even more time once again, looting the fields dry and taking everything for himself, and sometimes so weighted down with greed he had to walk back to the exit instead of run. (2) 'Can hav galders plx?' 'I poor' (3) 'plzzzzzzzzzzzzzz' 'plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz' (4) 'e?' 'eeeeeeee?' 'e' |
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10 Feb 2008
| #4 |
| Queen Odinea Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 909
Trickster Stats Arcade Awards MyTrade: (1) | Chapter Three: Wealth Then, after one trip, he saw in another person what he had always wanted: a title. 'Pharaoh', he thought to himself. How grand would that be! So he gathered more items once again, until he had enough money for the sword, shield, and hat. After looting so many millions of galders from all the people at the volcano, he became arrogant. He began to mock his competition when they fainted to monsters, he began to beg for money from every last person he saw, and he insulted other people when they tried to take the same item left on the floor he did. He marched down to Paradise, bought out the shop that sold the Golden Items, millions of galders to spare, and then stormed the pyramid. He braved the trials and gained the favor of the Boy King, and he emerged later as a Pharaoh. He now carried an aura with him wherever he walked, and the first thing he wanted to do was show off to his friends. He asked all of them to meet at the same vending stall they had slept in that first day in Megalopolis, and he waited a short while before being rebuked by what he had saw. All of his friends now wore new clothes. They all had different professions, they invited their new friends, who were also guild members, to meet him, and they all wore rings signifying their new roles on this island. Here, they all stood before him, the buffalo who supposedly was trapped at the Red Rock Fire Mountain for several days, who was now standing before them as a Pharaoh. He was angry at what he saw. All of them were level 65 now, and they even had personal guild titles. They were stronger than he was, him being a mere fighter with a small child's approval wearing gold on top of a basic outfit like a peasant dressed in a crown and robes. In his jealously, he rejected their welcome and their requests to join the guild. He stopped being friends with all of them and stormed back to the Red Rock Fire Mountain to continue building his fortune. After a while, he felt alone. He had no one to talk to, so he would gather up other looters just like himself, putting them into his party, and talk endlessly with them. He would go on and on, boasting to them about his exploits, about how he dodged six monsters coming at him from all sides, about how he became a Pharaoh after looting all he had found, about all the numerous times he was weighted down with weapons and items, and still made it back in one piece to sell. He felt he was the hero of these people, some great leader. He was a pharaoh, one of a chosen few, and he was not afraid to show it. But those who endured through his long stories and speeches had finally had enough of him and realized being in a party with him had no benefits. In fact, one former party member said it slowed down the pace listening to his rantings. They had all left the party to go at it alone, leaving him alone once again. It did not matter to him, he was what he always wanted to be, a Pharaoh. He came upon the biggest pile of weapons he had ever seen in the middle of a map, when suddenly a lone Salamander hiding in the bushes attacked him and struck him down. Lying incapacitated at the floor, he saw his old party members go for the loot. He commanded the people from his party to save him a weapon, but none of them listened. They were fighting over each other for the spoils, and so consumed with desire, desire so much like his own, that they did not even notice he was there. He whispered one of them who he had known to be in his party for a long time, but the party member had not even remembered his name. So he lay there, staring up at the sky that he had never once bothered to look up at while on his mad quest for glory. He looked up and saw that his world was so full of the emptiness that had gripped his very soul at that very instant. There was no sky. There was only a a small bar, which went from sunlight to nightfall, an artificial indicator that went endlessly from left to right, showing the same sun, moon, and stars without variation. He lay there fainted and finally saw his place in the world, the world that everyone else lived in, and not just the world he saw for himself. Dozens of the strong people he had so deeply despised had killed hundreds of monsters in front of him, none of which he could have ever killed on his own. He was simply a parasite, who had infected himself with the glamour of the riches he took from the ground, which meant no more than table scraps to the truly strong who had trained there. His old party members ran by him several times without thought. He was not a friend to those he had partied there, but rather a stepping stone to those greedy few who had thought a party would share the loot, and as an escape for the people who listened to his stories half-heartedly as a way to pass the monotony of the item gathering. He saw other Pharaohs run by him, for by now he had surely realized he was not the only one. He thought of his wealth, and how little it was. He thought of his old friends who formed a guild, and realized that they were the ones who struggled while he lied and boasted to them, and that they were the ones who had become truly rich. He had seen himself now as a nuisance who drew ire and hatred from the strong who trained there, being nothing more than an arrogant beggar who had believed he was somehow entitled to something that was never his. And as these thoughts came to light, dozens of people in this war zone, the Red Rock Fire Mountain named Tapasco he had called salvation marched passed him, killed, and looted. The great Pharaoh had died alone. The End 8D Last edited by VorpalBunny : 10 Feb 2008 at 04:35 PM. |
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10 Feb 2008
| #5 |
| is playing MyRagnarok.  Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 479
Trickster Stats Arcade Awards MyTrade: (0) | WOAH! Nice story BunBun! ^_^ Kind of sad though! T~T;;
__________________ Non-Active- Hanayumi - Cat - Level 154 Non-Active - Hanazumi - Sheep - Level 77  Thanks Ruuka-chan for the siggy! <3MyRagnarok? Last edited by Hanayumi : 10 Feb 2008 at 05:56 PM. |
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19 Feb 2008
| #14 | |
| Queen Odinea Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 909
Trickster Stats Arcade Awards MyTrade: (1) | 
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19 Feb 2008
| #15 | |
| Pathological Escapist  Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,532
 Trickster Stats Arcade Awards MyTrade: (2) |
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19 Feb 2008
| #16 |
| KâwâîîÑékò™  Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,763
Trickster Stats Arcade Awards MyTrade: (0) | Lul Wut? Now Spam This To All The Looters @ Tabasco D:<! Edit: What a disappointment. I can't store this in my PSP and read it D:
__________________    Dual Flying Kitties™ Inside! Adopt A Kitty Kago today! Terms and Conditions do apply. Last edited by Nyarurato : 19 Feb 2008 at 03:58 PM. |
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