Stress Test

This past week a little stress test occurred, you may have heard of it.  Originally, I did not think I would get a chance to play.  However as fate would have it, I got home fifteen minutes before the test was supposed to have ended, and began playing.  Even luckier, ArenaNet decided to extend play-time by an extra 45 minutes past the scheduled end time.

So what did I do for one hour? The ending beta event again, of course. 

Why would I write about an event that I already wrote once about?  Well dear friends, I have a great story to tell you.

About 45 minutes into the ending event, things were not going well on our server.  The Plains of Ashford zone was close to 90% corrupted, and uncorrupted players were increasingly hard to find.  A crystal was up and running near me, spewing out branded players and NPCs.  The dashing rogue, the model of perfection and heroic bravery, of course, was present, trying to save his precious lands from the dragonspawn.  (i.e. me)

I was joined by a Mesmer, and we made our way through the waves of NPCs.  There were probably 4-5 branded players fighting against us, but we kept clearing them and moving forward.  We were making substantial progress, and my shortbow was highly effective against the hostile masses.  The mesmer and I cleared the last of the remaining branded presence and began assaulting the crystal.

What we didn't realize was that a wave of red was approaching from behind.  Close to ten branded players began to rain down on us. I was the first to notice, and having been in my fair share of WvW, I knew how to escape. I quickly shadowstepped halfway through the mass, dodge rolled twice to gain swiftness (through traits), and popped my stealth-providing heal.  I passed the pack without much of a problem, only to look back and see the mesmer flailing, very horribly.  

What did I do?  Well, of course, as the dashing rogue I tried to save her.  Okay, fine, that would be a lie.  I let the poor whelp die in a gnashing, foaming, heaping mass.  

So, what did I do now?  Well, most people would be intelligent enough to run.  But, cocky as can be, I began assaulting those nearest to me.  After all, I could outrun any of them.  

The problem my friends, is cockiness.  It can be fun for the first few minutes, but God can it be damning.  Needless to say, I pulled far too many, and ended up running for my life.  And slowly but surely downed.

I popped my relatively overpowered downed move that stealthed/shadowstepped me a short distance away, and prayed to all of the human gods.  Please be stupid.  Just walk away.  GO AWAY DAMN IT! (Really, why do so many people just walk away after that move. Stupidity and ignorance my friends, the two sure-fire things you can always find in society.  However, that is a talk for another day.)  Anyway, where was I?  Oh yes, I was screaming for them to go away.

They didn't go away.  Instead, two of them walked over to me.  And they began to do their finishing animation.  I began to see the moments of my young life flash before my eyes. A vision came to me of a long,  windy hallway with a light, beckoning to me at the end.  The light called to me, and I began to creep down the passage. 

What happened next?  Well some may say a miracle happened that day. Others may claim divine intervention.  However, I think the majority would say something about my skill, beauty, and intelligence.  

Okay, so what really happened?  Well, as I was in the downed state.  My shadow step/stealth was on cool-down, and I was so about to be stomped. (What, don't look at me like that.  The strip is just as important as the tease my friends.)

I closed my eyes.  When I opened them, my attackers were spread out around me.  They lay dead.  Wait, one began to run.  Pew. Pew.  Dead. 

WTF, that poor guy just got one shotted.  I turned my camera to see with my wondering eyes, a diety of the charr variety.  Rytlock had came to save me.  He heard my cries, and came. Okay, fine.  He probably wasn't there specifically for me, but the details aren't important.  He came, he killed, he conquered. Where the hell Logan Thackery and that bulking norn woman was, I have no idea. 

 But most importantly, I lived to see another day and another fight, my friends. The end.