Hermit mage: "I have a small collection of Soulsilk worms in the basement. Their silk is essential for making enchanted armor. Unfortunately, the adult version is the Dreameater Moth, and several of my worms have reached that stage. They should be done laying eggs now, and I just need some one to go kill them so that I can continue harvesting silk safely."

New Quest!

Arknatbo needs help clearing his silk farm of Dreameater Moths.

Moths remaining: 20

Accept / Ignore

A: "Ark-nat-bo?"

"Please, just call me Mage. No one can pronounce my name properly, and the townsfolk have stopped trying. Thank the gods. So, will you help me?"

W: "This looks like a good way to avoid the trouble I got in of taking all my experience outside of the town. Should we party up?"

You are invited to join Jorlund's party

Accept / Ignore

Accept.

A: "I'm not looking forward to the amount of experience you will be sucking out of the party, but why not."

Ashcroft joins the party.

J: "Alright mage, we accept your quest. Show us the seedy underbelly of your dwelling."

Quest accepted.

Mage: "They're not seeds, they're pupa! Follow me."

W: "You cant argue with that, Jorlund."

A: "Companions, please. I know you prefer ignorance and a big stick, but 'Knowing is half the battle.'"

J: "The G.I. Joes would never let you join, Ash. Your jaw is not square enough."

W: "Moving on, I think I should be first in this fight. I have almost 230 health."

A: "I accept your brave offer of being the first to be smacked in the face by moths."

Jorlund snickers, but doesnt reject the proposal. I draw my kris and my wooden sword. I was not expecting a fight so soon, and was planning on taking Jorlund through the market side of town first. He could find some fetch and carry quest and I could shop for a sword, or maybe a piece of armor. The mage Arknatbo leads us to the back of his house, to a tiny room with a trap door in the floor. Beneath the trap door is a wooden ladder. I can't climb down a ladder with my hands full.

Mage: "Remember, don't hurt my worms. I need them to keep producing. Let me know when you are done with those moths." The mage promptly turns and heads back to the front of the house.

W: "Alright, lets see what kind of fight they make a lv 1 aspiring mage take on."

I stow my weapons and step onto the ladder. The basement is lit by mage lanterns, the blue tinted white light seeming to make higher contrast with the shadows in the corners and under the tables. Lots of tables. This basement is large, and I see ten full sized dinner tables that would make any tavern proud. On each table is row after row of what look like miniature gallows, a worm on each one. I am distracted from the sight by the 5 rats that are still following me crawling down the ladder and over my hands.

J: "Shout out if you are dead yet, and we will know not to come in!"

W: "You're going to have trouble climbing this ladder after I relocate that hammer of yours up..."

A moth flutters up on the other side of the ladder, level with my face, and I see a phantasmal shimmer come from its eye spots.

You are stunned

My hands come off the ladder and I fall the last two feet. I land in a sitting position, and the five rats around me all make their battle squeak. I can't grab my weapons, and I cant stand up. One of the moths lands on my head. I would be mad if it wasnt so pretty.

(1 damage received)

Okay, it's not that pretty.

(1 damage received)

W: "Be careful, these moths are stunning. Try not to look at them."

J: "Down ladder, make a hole."

A second moth lands on me.

(1 damage received)

(1 damage received)

Jorlund makes it about as far down the ladder as I did before another moth appears in front of him and does the same trick. He falls the same way, right on top of me.

(3 damage received from party member)

(1 damage received)

(1 damage received)

J: "Oh, stunning."

W: "I know, right?"

(1 damage received)

(1 damage received)

The effect finally wears off and I squirm out from under Jorlund and shake off the moths. Glancing around the room four of my five rats are stunned, with a moth sitting on their heads, the last one hopping about trying to reach an enemy. Ashcroft starts coming down the ladder.

W: "Ashcroft, close your eyes as you come down. The moths have some 5 second stun ability that happens when you look at them. You will land on top of Jorlund if you get stunned while on the ladder."

I take out my kris and swipe at the moth sitting on Jorlund's head, finally getting a look at it.

Dreameater Moth - 3

-14

It takes off, and I swing at it once more.

-14

25exp

That was pitiful. "Did you guys get some experience?"

A: "Yes. 25 points, which is a quarter of what I need for a level."

W: "Okay, so party experience is a straight split. The moths have less than 28 health and no armor."

A Rat (lv 1) from your pack has died.

0.7 vitality removed

I look over to see four moths lifting off from a small pile of dust.

W: "And they are picking off my health buffs."

Jorlund stands up and takes out his hammer and shield, and Ashcroft reaches the floor and draws his quarterstaff.

J: "The stun effect lasts 5 seconds, and they feed on you while you are stunned, one point a second."

Ashcroft makes a swing at one and misses.

A: "Anybody have a bug catching net handy?"

The moth does a pirouette and turns flat to his face. I see it shimmer and then right itself, but Ashcroft doesn't fall to the floor.

A: "I can see why this is a task for aspiring mages. The stun is a mental thing, and you brutes probably didnt put anything in Intelligence."

W: "If I can capture six of them, I can learn how it works."

J: "Is that a class skill?"

W: "Exactly."

J: "What did you learn from the rats?"

W: "Killer martial arts. Now I roam the streets at night fighting crime and eating pizza."

A: "Good effort, but ninja turtles are not in vogue this year."

J: "And why would we men read your girly magazines?"

W: "I think he ..."

A moth flips into sight from behind, and flashes me. I drop to the ground.

You are stunned

W: "They keep interrupting."

(2 damage received from party member)

Ashcroft just knocked me in the head with his staff.

W: "Ouch. That hurt my feelings."

A: "I was testing to see if I could dispel your stun. Looks like the answer is no, but I could keep trying."

W: "Just do the quest, I'm fine here."

A moth lands on my head.

(1 damage received)

A: "Suit yourself."

He goes over to stand back to back with Jorlund, swinging at the fluttering targets.

(1 damage received)

(1 damage received)

(1 damage received)

(1 damage received)

As the stun wears off I reach up and grab the moth. Holding it against the floor, I pull out my wooden dagger and slowly stab it.

-5

W: "5"

-5

W: "10"

-5

W: "15"

-5

W: "20"

-5

W: "25"

a Dreameater Moth (lv 3) joins you +1 charisma

W: "They have between 26 and 28 health, and their highest stat is 10 charisma."

J: "Pretty boys shouldnt try to fight, they will lose their good looks."

A: "How do you know about the stats?"

W: "I just tamed one, and got the buff from it."

A Rat (lv 1) from your pack has died.

0.7 vitality removed

W: "And I just lost another rat. But my health regen is still above their damage rate, so I can do this all day."

A: "Only because you are not alone down here. If all 20 swarmed you, taking turns stunning you and feeding on you in mass, you would be dead in a minute."

W: "Good point. See what I was saying about level 3 monsters being scary?"

J: "There's one less to worry about."

25exp

W: "I'm going to try taming more."

A Rat (lv 1) from your pack has died.

0.7 vitality removed

W: "And they are getting more concentrated. I just lost another rat."

Another tries the over-the-head approach to stun me, and I snatch it and lay in with my wooden dagger.

-5

-5

25exp

Somebody just killed one, but I dont look around.

-5

a Dreameater Moth (lv 3) joins you +1 charisma

That one must have been damaged already.

25exp

J: "Moths dont hold up well under hammers."

A: "When you can actually hit them, that is."

I scan the room for my last two rats, and run over to clear the moths from on top of them. They are clearly stunned and very low on health.

25exp

Since they are stunned, they are perfect bait. I equip both my daggers and stare at the rats. If I look up some moth will stun me and I will lose my chance. A moth comes down on each rat.

I attack left.

-14

25exp

I attack right.

-5

a Dreameater Moth (lv 3) joins you +1 charisma

That one does a pirouette and flies off behind me.

New Skill Learned! Stun Gaze

Throw your spirit through your eyes at your enemy, to stun them for 5 seconds. This is a contest of intelligence and charisma

30 mana 3 minute cooldown

Yes!

A: "Werlkhan, are you doing alright over there? You're not standing and there is a small swarm above you."

W: "I'm fine. I have tamed a few and I am using my rats as bait. If I look up I will get stunned but I just learned their skill. Their stun has a 3 minute cooldown, and it uses both intelligence and charisma."

J: "Because they are pansies!"

A: "Quest says there are 11 remaining."

J: "These things would be really annoying if Ashcroft wasnt immune to their stun and keeping them off of me."

W: "Good job Ashcroft, you were smart enough to put points in smarts."

My rats shake themselves and stand up. A moth flutters down and stuns one right away. The other rat leaps over his comrade and tackles the moth, showing how the ones on this side of the room are already injured. I lean in with my kris knife to help.

-5 from rat

-14

-5 from rat

a Dreameater Moth (lv 3) joins you +1 charisma

J: "Come at me you fluttery pansies! Your mother was a hampster and your father was an earthworm! Oooo, new skill!"

And he gets stunned and ungracefully sits down. But the taunt seems to work, as the moths take on a red tint instead of their shimmery blues and browns that work so well in this queer magelight.

A: "Looks like you made them angry."

J: "They can suck on a wet napkin for all I care. Aw, taunt doesnt stack."

W: "You can taunt while stunned?"

J: "Perhaps not. Ask me when the room stops being fuzzy."

25exp

W: "Nice, Ashcroft."

A: "A lot fewer of them are trying that stun move. It must be the cooldown."

Another moth comes in for my stunned rat.

-14

-5 from rat

a Dreameater Moth (lv 3) joins you +1 charisma

The rat then jumps on another that just entered my peripheral vision.

-5 from rat

25exp

25exp

My stunned rat straightens up and looks for an enemy.

A: "Quest says there are 6 left, but I see almost that many above you."

W: "I have 5 tamed now. I already learned the skill they use, so kill any that come at you."

J: "I'm up."

25exp

I stand up, as my bait is not pulling any more now, and look over to my friends. As I focus on them flood of battle messages appear, and I mentally shove them aside. I need to adjust that setting. It is nice that I don't get the combat log of the room as a whole, it would be too distracting. But I need to be able to check on my party without being blinded by updates once my attention gets to them. With my vision cleared, I can see three tattered looking moths circling them. I run over to grab one, miss, but get ahold of the next one.

a Dreameater Moth (lv 3) joins you +1 charisma

The red aura on the 4 remaining moths refreshed, and they go for Jorlund.

J: "I blow my nose at you!"

A: "Go Jorlund, give 'em the full Monty treatment."

W: "If I tame a python in this game, I am naming him Monty in honor of this moment."

J: "You don't frighten us, pig moths. Go and boil your bottoms, you sons of a silly monster!"

A: "I think that one is a lady moth, actually."

J: "It makes no dif-fer-rence! They shall die now or I will taunt them a se-cond time."

My two rats climbed a table and jumped into the air.

25exp

A: "3 remaining!"

And those three were outlined in red, right above Jorlund. We all got to swinging and flailing, the difference in dexterity showing. When Jorlund had more around him, it was easier for him to hit one with that hammer; law of averages. We finally ended these three, and my 6 tamed moths went and settled on the ladder, folding their wings and almost disappearing against the brown wood.

Quest Update

Return to Arknatbo.

Moths remaining: 0

There were a half dozen items around on the floor, I pick one up to examine it.

Dreameater eyespot

Potion ingredient

W: "Ashcroft, these moth parts are also a potion ingredient. Compare two side by side looking for differences and you will unlock the indentify skill. That's how I did it anyway."

A: "Always a good skill to have."

J: "I'm going to sit and rest for a bit, unless Werlly Bird has a restoring skill? My health is alright because those things dont hit hard at all, but I am out of stamina"

A: "It looks like stamina does not recharge while you are actively doing things. I have two level ups from that fight, so I have things to ponder while we recharge."

I check my own status.

Name: Werlkhan Animalist pack: Level 5 (82%) exp to level 592.1 2 Rats +1.4 vit Vitality 10.4 Health 197 6 Dreameater Moths +6 cha Strength 7 Mana 52.5 Dexterity 8 Stamina 104 Intelligence 4 H regen 1.87 (105s) Wisdom 5 M regen 1.56 (34s) Charisma 9 Armor 0 unspent 2 Carry limit 80 Money 57c

W:"That's odd."

A: "Something not right with your status?"

W: "Not bad, just odd. I used to need 611 experience to level up, but now I only need 592"

A: "And what's changed?"

W: "It doesnt make sense that losing my monster minions would lower the price for the next level, so it must be the charisma bonus from the moths."

I look over at one of the moths on the ladder.

Dreameater Moth (lv 3)

pack member

Animalist bonus: +1 charisma

Release? Yes / No

Easy enough to test my theory.

Release.

A Dreameater Moth (lv 3) is released from your pack.

1 charisma removed

Yep. 595 exp needed now. The released moth left the ladder and flew up to the ceiling beams. Looking at it fold its wings and settle into that brown camoflauge state, I realize the ceiling in here is not rough cut wood. It is blanketed with sleeping moths. The quest only said kill 20, so those must be for the next quest taker? It certainly covers the question of where the moths come from for consecutive quests.

W: "One charisma point makes a difference of 3 experience."

J: "The world is just easier on pretty boys. It makes sense. Even the gods must have a soft spot for big eyes and clean face lines."

W: "And your just jealous; it makes sense."