Church of Metal

**Church of Metal** Is a Player Guild transported to New World after the YGGDRASIL servers shut down. Despite it's small size, the guild found moderate success among the player base, being both very challenging to conquer but not having much in terms of valuables to take. It does posses a world item, however it's combat uses are limited, making it one of the lesser sought after ones. It now sit's precariously over a waterfall in the central Southwest area of New World, having transported right in the middle of a bridge that joined either bank.

## History

Church of Metal was formed a few years after the world of YGGDRASIL launched. At first the guild was just a home base, a bunch of internet friends hanging out together who needed somewhere to stash all their extra items. As it happened, they also all enjoyed metal music, so the entire theme of the guild was just one big in-joke. Over time the guild took on a more serious roll in the game, developing into a full player dungeon with no small amount of accolade. The guild's early acquisition of the Ebony Astrodial world item afforded it explosive growth.

Over time the guild grew, and it's small number of users belayed a strong fighting force that by and large where just out to have fun. Of the many events they participated in, they often ranked in at least the top ten competitors. Under the leadership of either Mick of house-Gordon, Stricken, or Wings of Ozbourne, small raiding party's where especially potent. More often than not they'd win sweeping victory's in smaller events, earning them yet more rewards and accolades. It would've been no exaggeration to say that the Church of Metal was a force to be reckoned with among the smaller guilds.

As all things however, the guild slowly began to drift apart as the game entered it's later years. People drifted apart, schedules changed, events became less and less common. The guild remained a difficult challenge, so it didn't lose much accolade when it's embers logged on less frequently. Years later, upon hearing the game would be shutting down it's servers, a handful of guild members logged on one last time. Chief among them was Rob Zombie's Beard, who was in the guild when the servers where cut, and was transported to New World with the rest of the guild. He has since become the guild's de-facto guild master, and has begun scouring the new land for traces of his old companions.

## Treasury

Owing to it's moderate acclaim, the guild has amassed quite the horde of treasure. Top tear weapons and armor sets line the walls of the treasury, any number of which would make a lower tear player drool. Stacks upon stacks of healing and MP potions, all crafted on-mass by Hetfeild and Synth for the guild's raiding adventures and events. An entire hall of top tear mana crystals, used in item syntheses and equipment upgrading make it so that anyone lucky enough to reach the treasury not only get top tear equipment, but the materials to upgrade it in just about any way they see fit. Lastly, untold billions worth of gold and monetary items sit in piles along the treasury's largest rooms. Efforts to count the exact amount have been made by guild members in the past, but the exact number has yet to been discerned. Most notably, contained within an adamantine dragons claw at the center of the vault is the world item Ebony Astrodial, arguably the guild's most valuable item. It's ability to locate rare items with a guaranteed drop rate is largely the reason why the guild possesses the resources it does.

\***Guild Weapon: Sword of Niflheim** - The guild's Guild Weapon, the main prize located at the bottom of the Guild dungeon, held aloft by a ghostly statue of a woman. It takes the form of a large, glowing blue broadsword, the blade of which has been described as looking almost like it is made of crystal. At base it grants a 100% resistance to any ice based attack, and doubles the damage of ice spells cast by the wielder. it adds a frost element to base attacks, and can slow enemy's struck with the blade. A sort of in-joke, however, is that the wielder will have to already possess some form of cold resistance, otherwise the weapon will slowly damage the wielder over time. Whether this is achieved through race or job abilities, or by wearing armor that grants such a buff is irrelevant, so lone as it exists in some capacity. despite this tiny backlash, by-and-large it is considered a powerful, if straightforward guild weapon.

## Facilities

Much like other guilds, the Church of Metal houses a number of facilities outside of it's floor Dungeons that guild members can utilize. The largest of which has to be the library, where Hetfield poured her heart and soul into writing up an entire saga of lore for both the guild and it's numerous NCP's. Also included here is a record of each major NCP, build guides and such should one of them be killed off, as well as a plethora of crafting guides and How-to's. Also, Hetfield put a great deal of effort into recording the guild's accolades, although with a bit of a fantastical spin on it. Many of the guild's members consider a majority of the work put into building the guild as Hetfield's doing for this. Within the forth floor sits a large laboratory, that also functions as a forge. Any item one could need can be crafted, forged, or synthesized here. Additionally, the guild vast stock of crafting items are stored here as well.

Otherwise, a considerable effort was made into making the guild somewhat livable as well. There are a good number of quite lavish guest rooms, upon the insistence of Voice of Tankian, as well as a full scale kitchen, despite the relative lack of usefulness for food items. Being a church, it only makes sense that the guild has a parish hall, but with imagery of the member's favorite album covers lining the walls. After the guild is transported to New World, Rob Zombie's Beard had the area on ether side of the guild remodeled into an entrance hall. This was to ensure they could come and go form the guild as they pleased, while at the same time keep the people of the new world from entering the guild at random.

## Floors

* **1st floor: Crimson Warfield** - The first floor of the Guild Dungeon takes the form of a massive battlefield. There is very little in terms of cover here, the occasional collapsed rampart or burned out siege tower. Everything in between is a vast field of red grass and rivers of crimson. Monsters on this level mostly consist of crazed beasts or undead warriors of all origins that perpetually fight one another. The entrance to the next level is a larger burned out colosseum in he center of a small island where the floor guardian Solomon Steelbane awaits all challengers.

* **2nd floor: Ivory Wasteland** - The second floor takes the form of a vast bone white dessert. Like the first floor it is largely an open plain, scattered with enormous skeletons of long dead monsters. the floor is far from baron however; sand sharks, bone scorpions, cactus like plant monsters, and undead husks prowl the land. Following the direction the sculls of these monuments face will create a trail from one skeleton to the next, until challengers come across a very out of place western town. There, inside the saloon that acts as the floor's exit, awaits Hexis Jones. Unlike other floors, Hexis is able to shoot at challengers from an incredible long range without beginning combat. Challengers will have to navigate the wasteland while being sniped at from afar.

* **3rd floor: Golden Jungle** - the next floor, unlike the first two, is a claustrophobic mess of golden plant life. Some have described the floor as being locked into the fall season, what with it's raining yellow leaves, thick trees, and spider lilies. Navigating this floor is a challenge; between the lack of visibility and numerous monsters lying in wait. Numerous plant monsters make the floor it's home, but the true threat comes from the army of insect warriors that will launch guerilla style attacks against any who wonder too far in. Awaiting challengers in the center of the jungle is a small temple, where Vespa Chibisting and a majority of the insect solders guard the floor exit.

* **4th floor: Ebony Labyrinth** - The fourth floor, like the third, is a vast maze of clockwork gears, shifting passageways, and one way elevators. Challengers risk being separated from their party's should they stray too far away and get caught up in a shifting corridor Prowling the floor is a plethora of mechanical constructs, everything from tiny crab like sentinels to massive metal golems can arise from behind a shifting wall at a moments notice. Not to mention a large umber of traps, more so than any other floor. Among the many rooms is also a game area. This is sort of an easter egg, wherein the raiding party can play games to win rare items and other prizes. Arti presides over this room as a prize giver and host, and as such is not meant to be fought. At the center of a large clock face sits Synth Timeless, analyzing any who enter his maze and formulating the best strategy to defeat them.

* **5th Floor: Jade Gardens** - The fifth floor is an odd combination of the first two floors and the second two. It consists of a cast open skyline, littered with small floating islands connected by suspension bridges. Challengers can see where they need to go, but are unable to locate the path through the multitude of islands and bridges. Flying is ill advised, as any who attempt it will find themselves beset by spell casting tengu, savage wyverns, air and lightning elementals, and other avian monsters. Those who stick to the islands have an equally challenging time, facing off against living jade statues, holy guardian beasts, and spirit shamans on each new island they step foot on. If one is able to clime to the topmost island, they must then face Tao Shelong, who guards the tori gate to the last floor.

* **6th Floor: Azure Palace** - The sixth and final floor is not at all like the others. Rather than a maze or monster raid, it is instead a boss rush style challenge. Entering the atrium of the palace will present challengers with six doors, each containing a separate boss fight within, each against a knight with a different weapon type and elemental magic. Defeating each boss will grant the user a gemstone, and collecting all six will open the final door. Inside of a vast sapphire ballroom, under the light of an beautiful stain glass window, waits the guild's final challenge, Isabella Bathory. Upon entering the room, Isabella will cast a barrier spell, through which only a single challenger can pass at a time. Forced into a one-on-one duel, each challenger will have to beat her in a row to succeed, upon which the stain glass window will transform into a portal to the treasury.

## Trivia

As stated, each of the member's names take inspiration from real life metal bands and musicians.

* **Rob Zombie's Beard** - Named after Rob Zombie
* **Mick of house Gordon** - Mick Gordon: famous soundtrack composer
* **Stricken** - Named after a song from Disturbed
* **Hetfield** - Named after James Hetfield, lead singer and guitarist of Metalica
* **Wings of Ozbourne** Named after Ozzy Ozbourne
* **Teen Spirit** - Named after the nirvana song Smells like teen spirit
* **Voice of Tankian** - Named after Serj Tankian, lead singer in System of a Down