THE SIDE EFFECTS OF YELLOW FEVER: A CHRONICLE OF ALL OUT WAR

I am Bezedash and welcome once more into my GoT WiC world.

The Side Effects of Yellow Fever

Spring had just completed its quiet march across the northern lakes, melting the ice that once sealed them shut. Life burst forth beneath the surface as much as it did on land.

I, Bezedash, knight-minstrel of all the numbered kingdoms in GoT WiC, was standing on the banks of Lake Trident.

No blood, no screams, no horrors... only the gentle lapping of water and the whisper of wind in the new leaves. I was fishing. Peacefully.

And that day, the river offered me more than just a fish: tangled in the roots of a dead tree, i pulled out a sealed chest. Fate has a mischievous side.

Excited, i opened it on the spot to see what secrets it held: blue diamonds, fishing points, and a castle exterior upgrade!

I tucked it into my satchel, eager to return to the castle. THE WICH was waiting for me.

That evening, i cooked up my catch... a big fat trout... with fresh herbs, a gentle fire, and wine from Dorne. Everything you need for a proper meal among friends.

THE WICH and i had serious matters to discuss: the peace was over. KvK was looming, and the All-Out War still rumbled in the distance.

During the meal, THE WICH suddenly paused. He had that look... the one you get when blood calls for blood. 

“Beze, amigo. War is returning. Broader. Crazier. All-out. Like me, you’ve received the messages from our leaders, by raven and on Discord... the time for battle has come once again.”

“You’re right, hermano,” i said gravely. “We must set out at once for the battlefields of All-Out War.”

And so we found ourselves back in our capital. We were the Reds... the Scarlet Faction.

Our presence on the map had shrunk to a mere handful of drops, like the blood from a nosebleed... nothing more. 

The world map had turned yellow. The Yellow Fever, as i liked to call it, had spread everywhere. Yellow was the color of the Longreach faction.

But what could we do against the rising tide of yellow from the East?

An alliance between Frost and Longreach had wreaked havoc across the land, conquering three-quarters of the map. It had become a desert of oppression where hope gasped for air.

We Scarlets had lost most of our influence, and even our allies to the north, the green-clad Tempest faction, couldn’t withstand the onslaught.

Now, with only three days left in the All-Out War, Scarlet’s influence had been reduced to just four cities: the capital - Scarlet Palace - Medium Industrial Town 11, Stage 8 Fortress, and Blessing City 5.

Yet the leaders of Scarlet held firm. Ravens flew endlessly, bearing precious updates and tactical plans... just as they had since the beginning of the war.

The strategy maps were crystal clear, thanks to the tireless dedication of Scarlet's command. 

And on that evening, our objective was unmistakable: The Domain.

Slay the Draconic Sorcerer, the Draconic Priest, and Urrax the dragon.

Our last hope lay in the rewards from this event within the grander war.

So we answered the 9 PM call... the Domain was about to open.

I strapped on my armor, left my lute at the foot of my bed, and raised my eyes to the sky, now stained with a sickly yellow hue.

In just a few minutes, the Domain would open.

There was not a second to lose. THE WICH, my ever-loyal companion, was already waiting in Medium Industrial Town 11... faster than me, as always.

I spurred Hermine, my steed, into a gallop, her heartbeat pounding with excitement. I brought with me three armies: one of cavalry, one of archers, and one of healers.

As i reached Medium Industrial Town 11, i found THE WICH locked in fierce combat.

 “You’re in the wrong place, my friend,” i called out. “Have you lost your sense of direction? The Domain is just southwest of here!”

“Have you gone blind, Minstrel?” he snapped back. “Open your eyes and see who’s blocking our path!”. 

There they were... armies stationed at the city’s great gates, preventing any exit. I could make out several banners.

There was the blue of Frost: Ch4rliee, SBC, Pussidianos, and nOnOnO.

The pink of Shadow, with Meridianos.

And the yellow of Longreach, with THE SICKNESS and baby.

A true rainbow awaited us... and since none of them were attacking each other, it was clear who their target was: US.

The trap was set.

Meanwhile, in our faction chat, news was pouring in: the Domain had opened, and our Scarlet comrades were already cutting down the Domain’s draconic guards. Ten had to be slain to access the Draconic Sorcerer.

Without delay, i sent my cavalry charging into the rainbow.

But against those F5 commanders, i was hopelessly outmatched.

So i changed tactics: my archers would fire from behind the walls, safe under cover thanks to their long range. THE WICH, stationed on the other side of the gates, struck tirelessly, shielded by my healers.

The strategy felt solid.

Until the bleeding began.

Stunned, i watched my archers fall one by one. The losses were brutal and swift. I scowled.

 “THE WICH, it looks like SBC’s Bleed synergy is affecting my archers even from a distance!” i shouted.

“Sí, amigo, welcome to the Vanguard Battlefield of All-Out War,” he replied. “We’re not on the Normal Battlefield anymore... have you forgotten? You wanted to fight and learn? Well, this path is hard… but it teaches well.”

Every strike we landed on SBC drained the life from my archers. Too late to retreat... we had to finish what they’d started.

In one final burst of coordinated fury, THE WICH and i brought SBC down.

Broken. Battered. But alive.

We learned that the fight against the Draconic Sorcerer had already begun, led by our faction.

But i was too wounded to join the fray in my state. With THE WICH by my side, we returned to the capital to replenish our troops.

By the time we had made the journey back, Scarlet had already defeated the Sorcerer and was now slaying the 20 guards required to access the Priest.

We had to act fast.

THE WICH, ever the quicker one, was once again waiting for me at Medium Industrial Town 11.

Light-hearted, the two companions readied themselves to finally join their brothers-in-arms.

But a dark laugh cut through the air.

“You shall not pass!”

Frost had returned, and it was SBC, flanked by Ch4rliee and Pussidianos, who had spoken.

As for nOnOnO, he had gone off hunting our comrades in the Domain.

Our battle-brothers were already taking down the 30 guards needed to gain access to the dragon Urrax.

In front of us stood three F5 armies. Three walls of deadly ice. A frozen army of darkness.

The blood of heroes had yet to finish spilling.

No matter, THE WICH and i charged again, and again. The gates of Medium Industrial Town 11 were cursed.

Each attempt to break through was crushed under the weight of the enemy’s superiority. The ground echoed with the falls of their troops.

And while we saw no more red on the map, the earth itself was now soaked in that color.

The Domain was so close... and yet unreachable... and the fight against Urrax had already begun.

Defeated, i made my way back to Scarlet Palace. But not to surrender.

The conclusion was simple: the passage through Medium Industrial Town 11 was impassable, and the Domain would soon shut its gates. It was clear Scarlet would secure the hard-earned Domain rewards. I had to make my contribution and not let failure be the last word. It would be, in a way, my own vaccine against this Yellow Fever.

So i chose cunning: three small armies of t1 cavalry... swift and discreet. I rushed to Medium Industrial Town 11, then slipped around the enemy through the northern gate.

While my comrades were still fighting SBC, now alone, i silently began the occupation of village 739.

739, right behind enemy lines: if rebuilt, it could serve as a refuge for Scarlet, or, why not, an outpost for a future counterattack.

Hope was reborn. The timer ticked fast, while 739 kept burning. No enemies in sight.

Just a few seconds left...

Just one second...

A chill ran down Bezedash’s spine.

Too late.

A shadow had emerged from the village... Ch4rliee’s hidden troops.

If you were wondering where Ch4rliee had gone... well, now you know.

One heartbeat.

A skirmish.

A slaughter.

My tiny troops were annihilated.

“No use resisting, Bezedash,” Ch4rliee said. “You’ve lost it all!”

“You’re not quite right, Ch4rliee,” i replied. “It’s true that you’re spreading like a yellow fever epidemic. But that sickness has a side effect... it makes us fight harder, again and again, and never give up!”

“I must admit, minstrel, from the beginning, you all have fought and never surrendered. That is truly admirable.”

It was on those wise words from my opponent that i returned to my castle. No victory songs tonight. No tales shouted in taverns. No glory to claim.

I lay down on my bed, eyes on the ceiling yellowed by candlelight. I closed them again. The yellow still blinded me.

But I knew the red, somewhere, still burned within us. And i had no regrets. With THE WICH, we gave it our all. The foes were too strong, and their victory was well deserved. That much must be acknowledged.

Now was the time for rest. I took my lute to sing a lullaby. A lullaby for the fallen heroes, and for the living who can only keep singing.

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Yellow Fever paints the sky,

A sickly hue that makes us try.

We stumble, fall, but still we fight,

All Out War through endless night.

Yellow Fever’s not in our veins,

We push ahead, enduring pain.

Fallen heroes, shattered pride,

With THE WICH, we march, side by side.

Through blood and tears, we rise once more,

In All Out War, they try to settle the score.

The fight is tough, the road is long,

But our hearts still beat, we stay strong.

And though the battle wears us thin,

The side effects drive us to fight again.

Harder, fiercer, we won’t break...

A la vida y a la muerte, mi amigo.

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So remember, even when you choose the hardest path, you always grow in one way or another.

I will see you soon for some more thrilling adventures.

Thank you for reading.

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