The Silent Spearman had just logged on.

He was standing in Yanshi at 33% health after a heated battle with 18th LV Unarmed Warrior "Fourthy Four Vite", who had killed him in the Folthid Cellar just previous. The fight had not gone well.

Though "Fourty Four" could only inflict 1 point of damage per hit on the Silent Spearman, he attacked almost six times to Silent's one, and Silent wasn't exactly setting damage records, registering hits that seemed to indicate that he had some sort of protein deficiency. Silent was able to run and log at 33 life, after healing himself to 99 during the fight and taking about 12 hits for 5 each while trying to log.

Almost immediately, Silent's keen senses told him that things were nuts in town, and newbs were getting the business end of every flavour of Zojak from some passing psychopath. Rather than fight a losing battle, Silent decided that discretion was the better part of valour, and he ran to the relative safety of the Yanshi Mule tower.

Silent nodded hello to a Level 3 Archer on the top of the tower and prompty received an arrow in the shoulder as a response.

Yes, Darktide was in a bad mood.

Retreating further west, the world's most infamous introverted spearman took time to reflect on his current situation. After failing to heal himself an ungodly number of times, the master of mute took stock of matters and noticed that he badly needed to sell the mountain of chainmail he was holding.

He would have to go back to town to do this. Stuck between a rock and a hard place. Either run around looking like the travelling inventory manager for Hazim's Discount Chainmail, or go to town with nothing in hand but a niave hope that whichever psycho mage was in there had headed to Yanshi South to kill Level 1's.

Resolute that his death would at least be quick and painless, TSS started hoofing it in the direction of Yanshi proper, everyone's favorite killing zone. As it turned out, things had calmed down quite a bit. A new sheriff was in town, a mage whose name I can't recall at this time. And this mage was taking no guff, so people were grudgingly trying to rise above being the petty bunch of PK'ing bastards that we all know and love.

After asking this mage, whose name I cannot recall, to watch his back, TSS trotted over to Wah-Zo_fah the Armorer, who was glad to see his stupidest customer return with more useless crap to sell. The Sho merchant found it appropriate to inquire whether or not Silent would be sporting enough to die in town as usual so that Wah-Zo could replenish his stock from the murderer's subsequent selling of the equipment found on the Spearman's decaying corpse.

"..."

After picking up normal Yari to replace his lost Gold Yari (which TSS had purchased in Sawato for a ridiculous sum as part of the ill-fated Reedshark Leggings mission chronicled elsewhere), the Spearman noticed a red dot cautiously approaching from the West.

Theros the Bear.

Theros the Murderer.

Theros the Slanderer.

Theros the Punk.

After laughing his ass off (inwardly, of course, after all Silent can't make any sound at all except for imitating the speech of others, as you all know) about the fact that Theros was still rotating on his thumb at Level 14, he took off at full speed after the bastard.

"Too slow," said the would-be King Of Punks, while running his ass off. It was the literal truth. Even with a Quickness buff, TSS could not gain any ground. It was frustrating, but after 30 seconds of running and being taunted, Silent turned around and headed back to town.

It was not thirty seconds later that Theros returned to the outsirts of town and shot TSS in the back shoulderblade with an arrow. Stung by the glancing blow, the furious but soundless warrior spun in place and again tore off after his prey, who was all the while running, making derogatory remarks, and generally effectively argueing for his own euthanization.

According to source member Sac, who also online, Theros had killed Herrigal Eugen earlier that day.

The Silent Spearman was getting upset.

A quick segue here...

Whoever posted that this guy is a "nice kid" was wrong. He's an ass.

Comments like "silent sucks couldnt even save his vassal" (referring to Xao Zhen's killing of Chinook just days ago while the Spearman was left behind by the two faster combatants) are just asshole behaviour, and I refuse to believe that he's roleplaying.

So he got away again. Fuming, TSS decided to buy some Sake to drown his anger. After a duo of extremely strong cups, the Spearman had a thought...since Theros had run west and come from the west...

...it would make sense that he was at Bandy Hill.

A little history here: Theros and Silent first met on Bandy Hill during the days of the infamous "Wakefield Treaty". Silent and Theros hated each other right off the bat. Silent even tried to challenge the then much higher level Theros to a duel, but was stopped (and rightfully so) by Druss, who was then in charge.

Unlike Theros, the Source honors it's treaties.

After a minute of running, the Silent Spearman crested the ridge near the Wandering Bowyer and saw what he had hoped to the world that he would see.

Theros. Alone.

Seething with inhuman anger, the Spearman tore off after Theros like a bat out of hell, while the prey in question did what he is most famous for: he ran like a bitch-ass trick after a john waving a fifty.

(As you can see here in illustration 1: Theros is booting it, since anyone even resembling his level is obviously too much for him to take alone. Level 5's, like Herrigal Eugen and Chinook, on the other hand, seem to be his thing. You probably recognize this location. Theros will too, since the scent of Theros pissing his pants in fear is probably still lingering.)

Theros might be an ass, but he's not stupid. After running down the path toward Yanshi for a minute or so, Theros said some ominous words to his persuer:

Theros might be an ass, but he's not stupid. After running down the path toward Yanshi for a minute or so, Theros said some ominous words to his persuer:

"get ready to rumble"

And out of the haze ahead, TSS saw Kheldar appear.

"Cruath Quasith."

Damn.

Looks like Theros has friends. And they are mages. And they are casting Level III Vulns.

It was TSS's turn to run. He knew he had no chance against Kheldar alone, let alone with Theros there. Into the swamps.

Theros, lightning sword in hand, started to give chase. And he was slowly gaining.

After about a minute of this, it was time for a gut-check. TSS could see Theros on his radar, but not Kheldar. If he turned to face Theros, and Kheldar was there, following, just out of sight, he was dead.

If it was just Theros, on the other hand...

Gut check time, Theros. Let's see if you have the balls.

The Silent Spearman skidded to a halt in the middle of the swamp. Theros closed rapidly.

No Kheldar.

Theros attack came flashing with a vengeance, but it was all in vain...he was swinging low at the Reedshark leggings, where his Electricity was least effective.

Also he couldn't hit TSS worth a damn. TSS, on the other hand, was hitting 75% of the time for 7, 5 and 9. Theros knew he was going down, so he did what he had to do.

He tried to log. Something snapped in the back of The Silent Spearman's usually docile psyche.

NO...YOU...ARE...NOT...GETTING...AWAY...

Take 19. Take 19. Die.

(Illustration two shows how the battle progressed...Theros first gets frustrated, then tries to log. He dies.)

(Illustration three should be the crowning glory...the COLD HARD PROOF that Theros just got his ass smoked by TSS.)

Today is a great day for the Source.

But it marks the dawn of a previously unseen foe, one more dangerous than Theros (who hasn't gained a level since Christ was lecturing)...a mage named Kheldar.

I didn't get a look at his Level but I'm thinking 20+.

But never mind that for now. Theros has finally died at our hands. From now on, every time someone kills that dick, I want to hear about it. TSS has done it. Who will be next? I'm thinking either JTT, Mizu, or Mhon Ti.

We shall see.