AFTERWORD

Chapter 35

Woohoo!

Overview

Carl's group must prevent the young two-headed guardian Orthrus from dying during a lightning storm while simultaneously fighting off feral pazuzu and coordinating with other crawlers to destroy Quetzalcoatlus. All four quadrants are liberated, but the quest demands they keep the puppy alive and help it escape the water.

Summary

Carl, Katia, Gwen, and Tran exit the bar as a massive storm approaches. They discover via the boss map that Orthrus, a colossal juvenile two-headed dog guardian, has appeared in the bubble and is far larger than the necropolis itself. Donut, positioned above in a flying house, reports the creature's revolting state and two heads. A group quest activates: "Where the Red Fern Grows," requiring all crawlers to keep Orthrus alive as he's electrocuted by lightning and attacked by sharks. The quest warns that if he dies, his grandfather god Emberus will incinerate the bubble. Carl realizes this is deliberate bait designed to manipulate him, similar to previous traps. The lightning tower connection is incomplete due to a disconnected wire. Carl coordinates with Morris Sp, a tomb raider crawler, to reconnect the electrical panel deep underwater to complete the lightning trap intended for Quetzalcoatlus. Meanwhile, Carl's group fights off waves of feral pazuzu while managing multiple chat communications. Morris and Low Thi sacrifice themselves to complete the connection, dying to Quetzalcoatlus and the resulting lightning strike. The lightning strike electrifies the interior, destroying the boss and completing the Subterranean Quadrant, though all crawlers in that quadrant die in the process. All four quadrants are now liberated, and the bubble's top half dissolves. However, Orthrus remains in the water, dying from shark attacks despite healing efforts from Donut. Louis and Firas land their damaged flying house near Carl's position. Carl must now figure out how to keep the puppy alive and extract it from the water before time runs out.

Characters

  • CarlProtagonist coordinating multiple teams and making critical decisions about the lightning tower trap and saving Orthrus
  • KatiaFighter who battles feral pazuzu and assists with the lightning tower
  • GwenSpear-wielding fighter who battles feral pazuzu alongside Katia
  • TranInvestigates the electrical line problem and fights feral pazuzu
  • DonutPositioned above in the flying house, heals Orthrus and reports on the creature's condition
  • OrthrusTwo-headed juvenile guardian dog in the necropolis being attacked by lightning and sharks
  • Morris SpTomb raider crawler who reconnects the electrical panel and dies in the resulting lightning strike
  • Low ThiTomb raider crawler who distracts Quetzalcoatlus to protect Morris and dies to the boss
  • BobbyTomb raider crawler who becomes possessed and is crushed; killed off-screen
  • Chris AndrewsAppears in quest chat as enslaved; reports disconnecting a wire and asks for help before being muted
  • Maggie MyListed in quest chat as separated and later revealed to be loose on the bowl with outside help
  • LouisPilot helping to land and stabilize the flying house during the storm
  • FirasCrew member working with Louis to repair the flying house
  • ImaniMentioned as coordinating with Carl through relay messages
  • ElleMentioned as possessing the gate of the feral gods and waiting for instructions
  • QuetzalcoatlusBoss guardian in the subterranean quadrant who is destroyed by the lightning electrification
  • EmberusFire god mentioned as Orthrus's adopted grandfather who would punish the crawlers if the puppy dies