Tales of Taliesin

58 minutes ago · 05:44 - 29,667 views

We told you we would, and we did. First Clear Nightmare Mode - Redcap Castle! Proof Vid for you non-believers, brought to you by Best Party, CHAOS PARTY! Highlight Reel edited by yours truly, Taliesin. If you want to see all the deets on how to beat a Nightmare Dungeon, join us for our Livestream of Blackguard Bog, starting at 08:00!

CHALLENGE ISSUED - Calling Polemos, Limos, Loimos, Thanatos - Four Hors.e.m.e.n Party! Your Dungeon First Clears are pathetic! Prove you're more than hack Rankers by beating us in a Livestream Race!

[CLICK HERE] to place your wagers - @OssaSpillsTheTea is hosting an official online gambling den for this upcoming event! More Details on Ossa's Insights blog.

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COMMENTS • 1,728

Tom Tom: s.h.i.+t, how much this game cost again? i NEED

--- x.x.xena: ~40k

--- Tom Tom: ...

--- Tom Tom: i will sell my body and get back to u

--- Odin'sEyeball: ^seems legit

gratuitousgigi: I have an exam in the morning. it's 4am in my timezone. I've never even heard of this game. what am I doing with my life

--- gratuitousgigi: *clicks replay*

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[ VIDEO ]

The first thing Taliesin's subscribers notice is that the opening sequence is new; the kid must have been busy during the update days off.

He's been making videos under the Taliesin pseudonym for years. His bio explains that his mom once joked he must be "Taliesin Reborn" because he was a precocious kid who loved telling grand, imaginative stories.

(Like all gifted, Extra AF children, he took her throw-away comment and ran with it.)

The new opening stars an artistic rendering of Taliesin's in-game avatar, styled to look more like the legendary Celtic bard than he currently does. The bard wanders onscreen holding his mythic magic lyre, surrounded by forest creatures. He dramatically thrums the instrument, and "Tales of Taliesin" appears in golden lettering, along with Taliesin's redesigned logo. It's always been a Celtic knot with a lyre hidden in the middle, but now his beloved in-game sword also pa.s.ses through the knot.

He thrums again, and the music turns frenzied and dark. Lightning flashes, thunder roars, and winds carry the screams of battle. The screen distorts and crackles, and the colors bleed together until most everything's black and shades of gray, with bare wisps of color breaking through.

The t.i.tle and logo melt and distort until they reform into an inky-black, jagged typeface p.r.o.nouncing "CHAOS REIGNS." The "O" is actually a wicked-looking flower dripping inky blood, and the "I" is another lightning bolt.

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• RELATED COMMENTS •

lil stevo: "Chaos Reigns" rly? boy cannot stop being extra for a d.a.m.n second

--- SummerHugs: you leave my suns.h.i.+ne child alone. i will cut you

--- Nanuk: My baby brother is extra talented, for sure! (^◡^)و✧

--- lil stevo: ... i don't have the heart to destroy this blissful ignorance. yep. extra talented. exactly what i meant.

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[ VIDEO ]

The first highlights come from battles against the lowest-level mobs in the castle dungeon: warrior ghosts and creatures sp.a.w.ned from haunted paintings.

It's obvious to everyone watching that this Party is a well-oiled machine. Clearly, they must have played as a team in various games before this because they work together seamlessly.

Nightfury coordinates from the outskirts of the battles, shooting at the red-eyed animals and monsters that emerge from the paintings.

Amazingly, even when he seems to aim directly at Erebus's head without a word of warning, the D'Raven always knows to lightly dodge or tilt his head out of the way, letting the arrows find their mob marks.

Erebus then often beams a huge grin back at his Draegkyn friend and winks as he finishes off the monsters. Nightfury sighs and rolls his eyes as if to say, "No need to tell me how great our teamwork is, buddy!"

This silent communication between these close friends and comrades-at-arms is beautiful to behold.

Though Erebus spends most of his time fighting up close and personal in the thick of things, he sometimes seems inspired by his ranged bestie and can't help aiming for far-off mobs. The strangest part of his ranged fighting style is that he barely seems to look where he's throwing his exploding dart or aiming his crossbow, but he still somehow manages to land astounding headshots and critical hits.

(Of course, sometimes, he misses spectacularly, but with the editing, it's hard to tell how often that's happening.)

The mid-range attacker Nanuk flows between offense and support; his ivory boomerang flies through the air, while ice magic flows from his glowing staff. He attacks mobs in one breath, then freezes or slows the mobs his teammates are fighting in the next. And even though his Heals are still low-level, his timing is perfect.

Perhaps too perfect.

"Nanuk, dude, STOP [BLEEP] HEALING ME," Erebus shouts.

The D'Raven's standing in the middle of a group of ancient warrior ghosts in tattered tartans, letting them hack and slash at him with rusty broadswords and battle axes. He's trying to grind for more Fort.i.tude, so his Pain Modulator has to be set at the full 20%, and he needs to spend time fighting in the Red Zone.

His high defense means he's been taking a beating for a while, especially since Nanuk healed him twice, but when he finally sees his HP dip close to the Red Zone, he's relieved and raises his daggers to finally take out the mobs around him.

Nanuk waves his staff and Quick Heals Erebus.

"FOR [BLEEP] SAKE!" Erebus cries.

"Ooh, sorry. Instinct of a Healer and all that," Nanuk replies stoically.

"Your so-called instincts are making me spend twice the amount of time purposefully getting beaten up, you—"

A broadsword bonks Erebus on top of the head, cutting him off with a grunt.

The video cuts to a new scene almost immediately after, but one viewer swears that if you freeze the frame, a tiny smirk is visible on Nanuk's face.

(Most other viewers disagree. Nanuk is far too n.o.ble to smirk at his own Party member's misfortune. He is simply too helpful sometimes.)

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Next, viewers can hear strange wooden chimes in the background of the video, and though the two ranged fighters' faces tighten in worry, the three melee fighters gleam with battle-hardened antic.i.p.ation.

A rumble shakes the ruins, and a hanging tapestry depicting a warrior riding a bear falls off the wall and drifts to the stone floor.

The image ripples in time to the wooden chimes, until a 3-meter-tall bear and the equally-large warrior erupt from the tapestry and attack.

The next few minutes showcase the awe-inspiring camaraderie between the melee fighters.

First Taliesin breaks the internet when he leaps up to claw the warrior's face, then springs off the giant and transforms into a demon goat mid-air to shoot flame magic into the bear's eyes.

Then the world is awed by the wicked dance that is Kara Geir and Erebus's combat teamwork.

The white-winged Valkyrie swings her spear and makes the bear rear back with a terrifying roar. The black-winged D'Raven slides under her attack to slash at the bear's hind legs, hobbling the creature.

Kara lands a Critical Hit in the bear's heart, then Erebus gracefully leaps up to spring off her spear and SnakeBite the warrior on either side of his neck.

Then Erebus headb.u.t.ts the giant, and when the warrior howls in rage and pain, the D'Raven kicks off his foe's scarred chest, pulling his daggers free, and backflips behind Kara, who immediately moves in to impale the distracted giant. At the same time her spear strikes, Erebus's throwing dart explodes in the giant's face.

They continue their mesmerizing tango of attack, white and black wings rus.h.i.+ng through the air until the tell-tale music that signals the two battle-crazy players have taken down the mini-boss.

At the end, Kara and Erebus stand back-to-back, white and black feathers intermingled, spear and twin blades at the ready, as the boss disappears into a million opalescent blue particles, drifting around them like tiny stars.

They don't know it, but both their faces wear matching expressions of adrenaline-fueled joy and excitement for whatever comes next.

They cannot see, but the viewers can.

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• RELATED COMMENTS •

Pauli the Puca: @3:50 what the actual WHAT was that, Taliesin?? how can he already transform into the goat demon?!?!?!

--- Nanuk: He's the first in the game to gain the ability! :)

--- x.x.xena: i'm wondering how he can shapes.h.i.+ft in midair, like what?

--- Pauli the Puca: riiiight?! I fiiinally managed to s.h.i.+ft to horned shadow cat in 3 seconds this morning, and iwas proud of that

SoullessButHappy: @4:19 uhhh...is no one else feeling a little hot right now?

--- Morticiad.a.m.ns: you mean from the s.e.xual tension practically VIBRATING in the air between Kara and Erebus HOLY s.h.i.+T?!

--- F3AR R3APER: but did you guys see the way erebus looked at Nightfury? and their silent, perfect coordination??

--- Here.For.It: *gif of Erebus winking at Nightfury* get you a man who looks at you the way erebus looks at nightfury #eury #teameury4ever

--- Nightfury: end this hashtag, or i end your life

--- Erebus: Awwwww, they just want to bask in our love. Don't ruin it, you tsundere dragon!

--- Here.For.It: EURY CONFIRMED OMFG

--- SoullessButHappy: pretty sure that d'raven was one heartbeat away from banging that valkyrie like a screen door in a hurricane #fiftyshadesofwhat

Jade Thorn: @KaraGeir GIRL.

--- Kara Geir: @JadeThorn girrrrrl.

--- Erebus: @JadeThorn I have a present for you! :)

--- Rahotep: why are u giving her presents u b.a.s.t.a.r.d

--- Jade Thorn: awwww, Kara, he's DEFINITELY a keeper! ;)

--- Erebus: ^that would be why.

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