My name is Ti'amat, a first time tamer. I've been packing my stable with average stat 'disposable' dragons and taking them out, learning the ropes. Invariably, I get them killed. "No big deal, trash dragons" I said each time as I recalled out, leaving them behind. I didn't bother to give them thoughtful or original names, just pair after pair of 'Brown' and 'Red'. Maybe sometimes I felt a small pang of guilt as I told them I'll take good care of you, but that didn't stop me. Not until Red - the last dragon of mine that will ever wear that name. I took them to the Tera pits and wandered down through the Ophidian territory into Tera temple - I'd never been there before. The denizens were mostly giant spiders and scorpions, nothing to the dragons - but there were a lot of them. I slowly realized that with so many rapid poison attacks, even if very low damage, Vet was practically paralyzed. But I was curious about that bridge spanning over the large pit and the strange moon-gate. I took them anyway, knowing that most likely, I'd be the only one that made it out. "No big deal, just trash dragons". As I approach the bridge, 10+ scorpions and spiders that had been deceptively stacked swarm us. Then the Tera avengers appear. As Brown stumbles overwhelmed into the pit, I half heartedly call for Red to follow as I sprint across the narrow bridge towards the mysterious moon-gate. He desperately tries to follow, looking on in horror as his friend Brown is eaten alive, but he's boxed in on the bridge. They are all over him, stabbing and biting - his health is dropping slowly but surely. The avengers teleport towards me - and without a moment's hesitation, I step through the gate to safety. For the rest of the day, I didn't give Red another thought. Back at the stables I realized I'd blown through all my dragons, Red was the last. So off I went to tame their replacements. I tamed one dragon, a brown one, but then a crimson drake appeared. As I went to tame that I got the sys message - too many pets to tame that. 'Huh, maybe this zoo quest drake takes more slots than a normal one' I thought. So I tucked the new dragon away and tamed the crimson, never thinking to check my pet count on my status bar. With the crimson stabled I have to log off. Hours later I'm back on and I go to tame another dragon with the new 'Brown' in tow - same message, not enough control slots. I go on Discord and ask, 'What's going on guys, is this a bug?' The vets laugh, "10,000 gold says you left a dragon somewhere." Then, finally, I think of Red. I didn't see Red die. But no. No way. It's 10pm EST, I left him there at lunch time! There is no way he could have possibly survived - his health was already at 20% when I left! There's no way I'm going back into that cesspool again...but I stash my gear and go as a ghost - just to check, just to confirm the obvious. I'll never forget running towards that bridge, everything grey names on a grey world - and a blue name flashes onto the screen: "(tame) Red". There he stands on the narrow stone bridge, in defiance of all reason, covered in blood and poison, his great teeth locking onto a Tera matriarch's head. Burned bodies and mangled corpses are everywhere and still another wave of filth swarms over him. The pit below seethes with vermin while Tera enforcers frantically spam him with poison and screech hysterically. It's all over their deformed faces - the terror of this un-killable dragon. I can't comprehend what I'm witnessing. It's been FUCK-ING HOURS. How can this be possible? Forgetting myself I rush to his side reaching out to touch his torn hide. I try to tell him, 'I thought you were dead!' - but all that comes out is 'ooOOooO.' With one last unbelievable effort he rips the matriarch's head from her body and locks eyes with me. Countless stingers and fangs hammer into him as I try to tell him I'm so sorry, I was so wrong! But You are dead and cannot do that. His ancient eyes burn into mine and then their fire goes out forever. Dead, he slides into the pit. The scum skitters back and the shrieks subside. A profound silence descends on the pit of horrors, for even these foul creatures gaze upon him in awe and disbelief, he who fought them alone hour after hour after hour. Red. "Disposable" I called you. You magnificent monster. How wrong I was...how tragically and shamefully wrong. You had a secret stat that was not displayed to my Animal Lore. It was written on your massive burning heart. Too late I perceived it, for you wrote it for my callous eyes in text of blood. You held on until finally I returned. You believed me when I told you, I'll take good care of you. Your heart could not be extinguished until you showed me that your love was true, even if mine was false. Red. Now, too late I love you. Too late I understand. RIP Red. Never again will any dragon of mine wear that name...but they will all know your story and perhaps the greatest among them may someday approach your glory.
Haha Tiamat this was awesome. I have a similar story with a 4 pack of mares. I was swarmed. Also in the tera pit, swamp area. Gated out but 1 was left behind. I wrote him off but my followers never dropped below 8. I went back and he was surrounded by 6+ spiders but still full health and I managed to save him. Out of character: I don't know what sort of bug or coding exists but it seems like if a player isn't in the area all actions stop. This is also abused with EVs and casters that dispel. Can EV and quickly run or recall off the screen and the caster will never dispel.
