• Again?
  <Character> (Avatar of Time): You've been in this place before. You simply don't remember. None of you do. It's how it's designed.
  <Character> (Avatar of Time): You enter, you train, you hone your skills for future endeavours, you talk with other versions of you, you leave, you forget.
  <Character> (Avatar of Time): But your body doesn't. Any experience and any loot obtained here stays with you.
  <Character> (Avatar of Time): Your body remembers, your backpack gets heavier, but you forget. It's very convenient that way.
  <Character> (Avatar of Time): And I have to explain it to you all over, and over, and over... again...
  <Character> (Avatar of Time): This is what me, <Character>, <Character>, <Character> and <Character> signed up for... and I endure.
  
  
• Where am I?
  <Character> (Avatar of Time): The Inn at the Edge of Time. The best of us came together to create this pocket dimension, in order to make the other you better.
  <Character> (Avatar of Time): It was after one of us died...
  <Character> (Avatar of Time): We swore to make a training arena for other <Character>, so that other you will be prepared for what future, your individual future, holds.
  <Character> (Avatar of Time): And yes, we don't refer to us in plural form. <Character> suggested it. It made things confusing.
  <Character>: As if it isn't already...
  <Character> (Avatar of Time): On another note, please don't be alarmed when guests suddenly change. The Inn is in a constant state of flux.
  
  
• Challenges?
  <Character> (Avatar of Time): There are a lot of them. Let me see your number...
  <Character> (Avatar of Time): Hmmmmm...
  
  
  <Character> (Avatar of Time): Ah.
  <Character> (Avatar of Time): Number 1337.
  <Character> (Avatar of Time): You're still quite new here. More challenges will open up to you in the future. Your future. As in... based on time spent in your timeline.
  <Character> (Avatar of Time): Time doesn't flow here.
  <Character> (Avatar of Time): In here, everything already happened.
  <Character> (Avatar of Time): I won't try explaining it, you won't get it.
  
  <Character> (Avatar of Time): You are one of the... simple <Character>.
  <Character>: I don't like you.
  <Character> (Avatar of Time): I know, you said it so many times.
  
  <Character> (Avatar of Time): I endure, however.
  
  
• Other... me?
  <Character> (Avatar of Time): There is a lot of you here. From all of the timelines. We come in all shapes and sizes. But we share the name and destiny.
  <Character> (Avatar of Time): Well... not all of us. 96% of us. The other 4% is a different story. We don't let them in here.
  <Character> (Avatar of Time): You come and go so frequently it's sometimes hard to keep track of us. But I endure.
  <Character> (Avatar of Time): Feel free to talk with yourselves.
  <Character> (Avatar of Time): Any timeline events information exchange is pointless, though. And no fighting with yourselves in here.
  <Character> (Avatar of Time): There are designated challenges for that.
  
  
• Books?
  <Character> (Avatar of Time): We have a large collection of books that fade in and out of time. Feel free to peruse what's available.
  
  
  • The Last Stand - opens The Last Stand of Ehr'Ishin book.

spoiler:

<Character> (DoomKnight): ?sdrawkcab siht daer ot dlog ruoy tneps ylsuoires uoY (Translation: You seriously spent your gold to read this backwards?)
<Character> (DoomKnight): ... and Artix slew Vayle in cold blood.
<Character> (DoomKnight): <Dragon> sacrifices themselves for your own dragon, Fluffy.
<Character> (DoomKnight): A baleful eye.
<Character> (DoomKnight): A coming crow.
<Character> (DoomKnight): A rotting vest.
<Character> (DoomKnight): There are powers that fill the void left when the Mana of the Core is...
<Character> (DoomKnight): A good cup of Earl Grey tea and a black Decahedron.
<Character> (DoomKnight): A great Wizard dwells in the South.
<Character> (DoomKnight): A secret of ages past dwells in the North.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Abel.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Aegis takes the ferry.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Aelita.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Alteon is Amedeus.
<Character> (DoomKnight): An alien race from a world of darkness arrives suddenly to Lore.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Aquella is the Water Orb's Aegis.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Belle dies.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Belle is more important than you know.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Beware the Warden of Elysium Blank.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Captain Blackberry conspires to summon the Braken with the power of the Wind Orb.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Celestia is pushing up daisies.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Celestia is your closest ally against Wargoth.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Chilly was not actually a Nec-snow-mancer.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Dangerous monsters are on the rise in every corner of Lore.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Darkness falls and obscures the sun.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Demento sees the end of war, settles down and takes up Yulgar's forge in Falconreach.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Don't fail Sam a second time. He might not be able to take it.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Don't trust the Flower.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Drakath stabs Sepulchure in the back after having gathered all the Elemental Orbs.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Dwarfs have gems as their navel.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Eis'aker, Land of Swords.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Elysium Blank has four division commanders.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Fae has lived over a thousand years.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Falwynn will defeat the King of Nothing.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Goethe's Elixir can't cure everything.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Gramercy is Sepulchure's mother.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Gravelynn has three sisters.
<Character> (DoomKnight): He rides on the morrow.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Infernal. Fairwind. Phantom. Arcana.
<Character> (DoomKnight): It is still Behind you.
<Character> (DoomKnight): It likes to play games with you.
<Character> (DoomKnight): K. V. was here.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Kathool's madness never left you and grows every day.

<Character> (DoomKnight): Hehehehehe...
<Character> (DoomKnight): Konnan matures and becomes are wonderful big brother.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Light and darkness, not one but two.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Murk is the First Weaver.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Never forget what you did to Falwynn.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Nifaria's words contain no deceit. Trust her.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Nivalis' plans are most chilling. He desires to take Isathaara's power for himself and turn to ice the whole of Lore.
<Character> (DoomKnight): NOVA will save you.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Noxus is responsible for the death of Vayle's brother and Artix's village.
<Character> (DoomKnight): One like Wargoth walks Lore.
<Character> (DoomKnight): One Sword is dead, but the King doesn't know it yet.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Only the Six Heroes can defeat the White Tyrant.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Sally is an wonderful girl. Full of princesses, sparkles and pink dresses.
<Character> (DoomKnight): San Robin is one of the Falconreach spies.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Serenity finally passes of old age, having lived a fruitful life.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Seven five five.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Seven heroes have slumbered and not awakened in millennia.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Swordhaven burns with excitement from one man's latest symphony.
<Character> (DoomKnight): The Antagonist awaits you.
<Character> (DoomKnight): The Fire Orb endures Akriloth's annihilation.
<Character> (DoomKnight): The future is lost.
<Character> (DoomKnight): The Hidebehind was not the last.
<Character> (DoomKnight): The King of Swordhaven is slowly dying.
<Character> (DoomKnight): The Land of Dragons and the Land of Fables must reconcile their differences once more.
<Character> (DoomKnight): The Mana Core is made out of people.
<Character> (DoomKnight): The Mana Core rapidly diminishes in the next few years.
<Character> (DoomKnight): The Messenger is to be listened.
<Character> (DoomKnight): The moon is Safiria's old friend.
<Character> (DoomKnight): The next spoiler is true.
<Character> (DoomKnight): The Orb of Bacon is an outsider. It is the key.
<Character> (DoomKnight): The pie is a lie!
<Character> (DoomKnight): The previous spoiler was false.
<Character> (DoomKnight): The real Warlic died years ago.
<Character> (DoomKnight): The strange poster at the request board can be trusted.
<Character> (DoomKnight): The third Serenity is the strongest of all.
<Character> (DoomKnight): The Traveler wanders.
<Character> (DoomKnight): The true Avatar of Time is always watching.
<Character> (DoomKnight): The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Theano does not succeed... but he does.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Theano is your greatest ally.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Theano misses his wife and son dearly.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Theano wishes to bring back a weapon.
<Character> (DoomKnight): They are coming...
<Character> (DoomKnight): This statement is false.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Through his Eyes, Inanitas watches you.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Trey Surehunter is no longer of this world.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Truffles and honeydew go well with a loaf of bread.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Trust Circe in your hunt for Vilmor. She will not fail you.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Vayle marries the love of her life from her small hometown. Edgar proudly stands at the wedding as the best man.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Vilmor is not what he appears.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Warlic causes an Elemental Dissonance.
<Character> (DoomKnight): What you seek lies on the "Forums".
<Character> (DoomKnight): Who is the Gatekeeper?
<Character> (DoomKnight): Willbreaker.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Without heart, head.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Xan is an Infernal, turned by Wargoth after the Atealean Invasion.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Years have passed since Sekduat's defeat yet he still remains. Too much of the Sandsea's history dwells within him to disappear just yet.
<Character> (DoomKnight): You have the dragon you are supposed to have.
<Character> (DoomKnight): You visit Tomix often, his children look up to you.
<Character> (DoomKnight): You'll soon see the Blade of Awe again... in a manner of speaking.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Your shoelaces are untied!
<Character> (DoomKnight): Your silver-haired friend dies.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Zapp's penpal is trustworthy. You can place your faith in her and know that it will not be wasted.
<Character> (DoomKnight): Zhoom is all right.

quote:

Looks like where you'd drop off your Necrotic Sword of Doom. If you had one.

Stored Necrotic Sword of Doom in bank.

Necrotic Sword of Doom returned from bank.

You require 1000 gold to purchase a SPOILER!

quote:

"It's a sock."

"This looks like a diagram of a birth of a planet."

"A pitch black mirror and some boxes."

"A portrait of Serenity."

"Something's not right about this clock."

"I think this is for distributing... beverage?"

"That's not creepy at all!!!"

quote:

As the name might imply, the challenges are endgame content for the most advanced of players. They're there for people who enjoy extremely difficult fights. They're supposed to be, well, a challenge. Calling them cheap or unfair isn't too accurate a complaint as everything you need to beat them is in the game, provided you have a Dragon Amulet.
Try familiarizing yourself with a variety of classes (for this fight I'd recommend Ranger, Cryptic, or Ascendant) so you know what kinds of playstyles are at your disposal. Try using gear that raises stats such as Crit and All resistance. Try training up your alchemy and getting extra potions from the Cloak Scrap or Pale Sea. Try seeing how different stat builds affect your playstyle. Try different stat builds on your dragon and determine how he can best help you. Try using food items such as Seaweed and Zard Kebob to heal or give your stats a boost. Practice against the solo fights penalty-free, so you can become familiar with the bosses' mechanics and map out a strategy. Victory isn't given to you on a silver platter, but if you try you can do it!

spoiler:

One of Secundus's soul threads is found in the same room as <Character> (DoomKnight) is located in, but it is present only whenever he appears.

quote:

The Last Stand of Ehr'Ishin

(Page 1) As my guide led me through the massive gates of Ehr'Ishin, I could feel the cool rush of mana flow over me. I could feel the unmistakable rush - the energizing presence of mana - flow over me.

Power, that was what they held here, hoarded behind the shining pillars of the temples of the Elements. What used to be temples, I corrected myself.

(Page 2) Across all the Elemental Plains, there was no bastion of the Exalted as mighty as Ehr'Ishin, with its white walls towering over fields and distant forests, its spires reaching to the heavens. unflinching skies above.

Despite the ongoing war, word with word of cities falling and refugees flocking every day, there was still a semblance of normalcy. Young families Families browsed markets and children chased their toys between the towering pale alleys.

(Page 3) Yet soldiers and guards dotted every street corner, every parapet manned by the finest Exalted guards in their black striped armor. An ever-present remainder of the tenuous situation. Not keeping a watch on the city, but waiting for the first sign of attack first sign-any sign-of attack.

(Page 4) The second thing Therefore, the second thing that hit me after the invigorating flow of mana, was the collective tension in the minds of the Exalted in the air. Sure, they the Exalted could play at living normally, but with the flow of Exalted refugees pouring in around alongside me, there was no question as to how the war fared.

And everyone knew it. From the smallest child to the oldest guardswoman, the rolling thunderclouds of war were surely making their way to Ehr'Ishin.

(Page 5) Ah, but I was here for a reason. Even as the alarms were sounded on the walls, and I was rushed forward, and the screams and pleads as the gates were closing as the gates were closing echoed across the panic, and I was pulled from street to back alley, as the sounds of battle engines clashing against elemental monstrosity echoed through the sky, and I was brought to the base of the great spire of Ehr'Ishin-

(Page 6) The great spire.

Brilliantly constructed, dependent on the flow of mana to sustain a marvel of Exalted engineering with its great height, it towered over all else in the city. The center of technology and magical research.

The sole reason Ehr'Ishin was still stand. Barely, from the roars and crunching of the battle outside. But standing. You'd enter and float to the desired floor, and my destination was the very top.

That research being the sole reason Ehr'Ishin was still standing. Barely from the roars and crunching of the battle outside. But standing. And so I would enter as the city trembled.

(Page 7) -even as I lifted myself skyward with my escort, reflecting on the rush of researchers and guards desperate to create the next thing that would save the war-armor, weapons, creatures, as they no doubt had been for weeks now since the war began-I sincerely hoped they would succeed, though I knew that there already was an answer.

And we arrived.

(Page 8) It was rather gaudy too perfect. They spared no expense letting anyone who saw it know that this was, indeed, the great artillery of the great spire of Ehr'Ishin. Covered in gleaming filigree and design, mostly ornamental, it was no surprise why they were struggling. Too many Celestials and you end up with the prettiest weapon that can't cut butter with no proper grip. Celestials budiling what came out of an Infernal's mind. Story of the Exalted alliance right there.

(Page 9) But I was here to see it through. But without them, we couldn't have made it far. Together.

I was here to see it through. To finish my design. To save us from our gods.

New glyphs and runes were drawn around the artillery, connecting it to the city, the mass of mana available. Threads of mana were snapped, unwoven, and rejoined.

(Page 10) When the storm And so, when the storm burst and the Elements themselves came through to crush fair Ehr'Ishin, when their flaming boulders and thunderous strikes assailed the walls and shields of the city, here because their pride demanded that they see their own work undone, the cannon was set. There was no use praying that the weapon would work, for it was turned toward upon our creators. I looked down at the city in turmoil-chaotic-in the throes of battle for survival.

(Page 11) There And there would be survivors. Not here. But elsewhere in the Plains. Those that stayed low in the shadows, in the deepest caves, under the tallest trees. And they would be free.

We aimed the artillery. I completed my spell.

(Page 12) As I feel my threads of mana unravelling, I hear surprise, acceptance, surprise, acceptance, fear from the Exalted around me.

This miracle weapon had a cost to win the war, and power doesn't come cheap. This miracle weapon had a cost to win the war. The power to quell our creators required a source. The people of Ehr'Ishin would defend it with their lives, and push back the onslaught of the Elements.

As I fade away, I just hope it will be enough.