Deep inside the Elven forests, close to a mile outside of the Paragon's new fortress, a large red tent was pitched. Inside this tent, many players were standing close to the edges, while a large table was at the center.
At the table sat ten players. These players were all famous pro players, with large followings and powerful guilds and backers.
The table was round, so no one could be seated at its helm to signify equality. Behind each player seated at the table stood at least one other player, their eyes scanning every other person in the room.
For now, silence still reigned amongst the seated guild leaders. All that was heard was the whispering of smaller guild leaders from the sides.
One hand finally raised itself from the table. The owner of this hand was a player that Astaroth held in high esteem: Killi.
"Alright, fellow guild leaders. I believe we have dawdled enough. Let us get this meeting started."
Azamus, seated directly across the table from him, smirked.
"Who gave you the right to start this meeting? Your guild is one of the weakest in the top guilds. It's been a decade since the Knights of the Sun last held an influential position."
"Watch your tone with me, Azamus. Your 'Aces High' might be stronger than my Knights, for now, but it could all change today. Also, no one else was stepping up. You were all just staring at each other."
Another guild leader raised his hand, trying to bring peace.
"I agree with Killi. The faster we start, the sooner we are out there taking this fortress. I think we have already lost enough time. I can't wait to go back to my soft bed," the leader said.
This guild leader was a small Demonoid man with purple skin. His name was Tired Panda.
He was the guild leader of Sins of Sloth. They were currently ranked as the third strongest guild in the forum rankings.
Most of it was because of outside factors, since this guild was one of the most publicized in the world. Tired Panda was a famous person, before becoming an Esports player.
He had been a child actor, with many roles in blockbuster movies, before ToB came out. But he was also a world-recognized lazy bum.
Some people even paid on the internet, to be allowed to patch into his room cameras and watch him sleep. Which was his second favourite activity.
Of course, this was all done legally, which was a subject of many controversies over the years. But his popularity had made it easy for him to break into the world of Esports.
But his talent was no fluke, either. Tired Panda was used to playing supporting classes that mainly acted as debuffers on the battlefield.
This character was no different. Tired Panda was a Demonoid Warlock in New Eden, and his patron was a high demon, working directly for the sin of Sloth himself.
Tired Panda yawned after talking, lowering his hand to cover his mouth. Killi nodded at him, a silent thank you for interjecting.
Of course, the Demonoid wasn't doing this for him, so he didn't deign to answer. But at least, it quieted down the gnome player, and restored calm.
Currently, Aces High was still a new guild, and the only reason it was already in the top ten guilds was because of Azamus' clout.
They already ranked Aces High eighth in the forum rankings, but everyone here knew this would keep climbing for a while. It was only a matter of time.
And if luck had it for Azamus today, it might not be that long before they reached the first position. After all, getting a fortress would very much cement their placement.
Killi cleared his throat.
"Ahem! In any case, let us talk strategy. Even if we know for certain that Paragon lacks the manpower to hold us out in a normal battle, this isn't one. They can still defend a siege while being under-manned."
Everyone agreed with this point. They had seen the size of the walls defending the fortress, and unless they broke through the gate, boring through the walls would be a tough ordeal.
Killi saw no one was going to add anything, so he kept talking.
"Now. We all know that two extremely powerful players are part of this guild. Khalor, who is currently back in the first place of the rankings, and Astaroth, who holds the third position, under Azamus."
Azamus smirked at this comment. Although he was mad that he didn't overtake Khalor, he was happy with passing Astaroth and all his other lackeys.
He would tell no one that his Exp came from hoarding all the guild war Exp though. He had to repay the levels his players lost, by obligation, lest he lose his reputation, but the rest almost all came to him.
Which was why he reached the level forty-nice already. But unfortunately, he reached it after Khalor, giving him only a second position.
Continuing, Killi monitored the facial expressions of the angry little gnome. He knew Azamus liked to be in charge, and burst into anger when someone tried controlling him.
The current situation required everyone to cooperate. Their chances for success were slim if they had some infighting later.
Most people here had seen only a fraction of Khalor's power, but they knew they shouldn't underestimate him. As for Astaroth, he had proven to be a fearsome player at the tournament.
And from the reports that many guilds were getting from sightings of the man, he wasn't slacking off, either.
Those two players, being in a guild together, already gave them a much higher combat power than any guild of the same size. That was why, even though the smaller guilds were just here for the challenge, they had waited before throwing themselves forward.
No one in this tent was stupid, after all. They knew when to charge or hang back.
Killi smiled when he saw Azamus keep to himself. As long as this one kept playing by the rules, their chances of success were high.
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