The dream was solidly wrapped in Rift imagery, but I was completely lucid. I was playing a Sage (Technically a mage, but has a tanking pet and heals like a mofo.) for some unholy reason (Me? Heals? Lulzfuckno!) There was a surprise elite boss in the middle of the low-level area, and I had the misfortune of having the bastard spawn right on top of me.
My character was only level 9.
The Elite was level ?? to me. (I’m not high enough level to comprehend the amount of face-melting I was about to endure, and was likely to be killed by an errant fart from the demihumanoid monster.)
Now, for some reason, I didn’t aggro. I had a choice. I could run like hell and get far away from the impending drama. Or I could begin the rift event by throwing an offensive spell.
If I run, I live. If I stay, I die. But I’m lucid. I know I’m dreaming. I know the Rift world is a game, and this is an allegory for something else. I remember how the [Lions] had glamoured the fuck out of my surroundings so that I thought I was home and not at my lair.
I try to bend the dream and fail. I get a metallic taste in my mouth in return. There is more going on here than I realize. I take advantage of the setting and summon my quest log. Sure enough, there is a zone event about to start. The elite I am facing, if allowed to continue, will destroy certain low-level zones utterly. Unlike the waking world game where the good guys always win eventually, in this dream, the damage is permanent. The zones will be destroyed and there will be no rebuilding.
There is also the implication that if I am killed by this elite, it is a permadeath of the character.
Oh well.
It’s a very low level character.
I can hit level 9 in an hour if I stop dual-screening with Tumblr.
I put out a call in chat about the elite, that everyone is trying to find and stay far away from. Unlike the last time I dreamed of Rift, the players in this zone are unwilling to band together to bring down a common enemy. They all know the elite will destroy their zone if allowed to continue. They all consider it Someone Else’s Problem. “Let a higher level player come take care of it.”
There are no higher level players.
Not in the zone anyway.
I get a private message from another level 9 player. “Aggro it, try to kite it around the zone if you can. I’m on my way. If it’s not aggro’d soon, it will start the event in full destruction mode.”
Not their problem, eh? I check the map and note where all the other players are at. I’m about to make it their problem, personally. I’ll aggro it, make it chase me, and run into the henhouse.
That was the plan, anyway.
I sent the pet onto it, and began my offensive spells. Sage spells do hurt, once you get enough DoTs (Damage over time) on them. As long as I can keep the pet healthy, I’ll be okay.
What’s that about best laid plans?
I start the event, and I’m locked into place. Can’t kite the bastard. (Kiting = Forcing the enemy to follow you. It’s like Tag, with weapons.) I message the other player with my location. They are hurrying.
To my surprise, I’m actually doing serious damage to the elite. I’m not surprised to note the elite is doing serious damage to me. I burn through every health and mana potion I have. I get the bastard down to 15% health when it kills me.
As I feared, it’s a permadeath. I can’t restore the character.
I can chat. I urge the incoming player to join the public group as soon as possible. If the elite remains alone for too much longer, it will regain all its health and the other player will be walking into a death trap.
The other player joins. I wonder just what is the glamour hiding, as the other player appears as a Troll Hunter from World of Warcraft. “What the hell is a Sage?”, she messages me.
“Never mind what my character is, destroy that elite!”, I message back.
She sets her warthog pet onto the elite, and manages to finish off what I had started. The elite dies. The zone event ends. Now the higher level players arrive. I note the timing and am greatly displeased.
They are displeased that the elite is dead. Watching the chat, I see hints at an intentional refusal to engage the elite. They wanted the zone destroyed and the low level players wiped out. “But the only one that died is that Sage over there!” “Can we rez her?” “No! That’s the fucking point! Anyone that elite kills can’t be rez’d. It’s a permadeath! Including the elite’s! All that work for fucking nothing! Let the bitch start over!”
I privately message the Troll Hunter to get the hell out of the zone and return to her realms immediately. There is betrayal afoot. She agrees but runs to my body and loots it. “I have your soul shard. They may not be able to rez you here, but I know a Priest or two that might be able to rez you in my world. You’ll be a different class though.”
“Not a problem. I’m used to being remade. Wait. You’re a Hunter, not a Warlock. You can’t pull soul shards.”
“Yea… about that. This is an alt. My main is a ‘Lock.”
She left the realms, taking my awareness with her. Things are becoming curiouser and curiouser.