Welcome back to The High Life!

If Adventurers in Highstreet: Calamity are the close combat experts, then there must be ranged weaponry specialists to support them as well. Enter the Adept, a skilled hunter class that blends a ranger's martial prowess, survival skills, and versatility to keep enemy mobs in check. In the coming editions, you'll get to find out more about Adepts and their unique place in the Highstreet universe.

Also, find out how a band of unlikely allies—a curious Adventurer, a magical Apprentice, and a secretive Scavenger—are coming together to lift the veil on Highstreet City. Is there a larger conspiracy afoot?

Let's dive in! ⬇️

Introducing the Adept — Trapper and Ranged Weapons Expert

With every edition of this newsletter that lands in your inbox, we're two weeks closer to the release of Highstreet: Calamity. We've given you a glimpse of the Adventurer, the game's melee class that wields blades of all types, hacking and slashing through waves of enemies that step out of mysterious portals. Just as heroic is the Adept, a master of ranged weaponry, versatility, speed, and cunning.

Wielding a bow and arrows, the Adept rains down damage from a distance, not only softening enemies before they close ranks, but also ensuring no ally is overwhelmed. This is a class where you can excel as support or be extremely aggressive.

But there's more. Adepts have other skills that could change the tide of battle, all tuned for players who can think fast and strike with precision. Plant traps in your enemies' paths, or mark them so your critical damage is boosted. These are subtle choices that could have huge ramifications.

Like Adventurers, Adepts will have unique skills that give players even more options to find their own way of doing battle in the Chaos Arena, whether as a solo contender or as part of a team.

Stay tuned for more about the Adept's weapon sets and special abilities as we approach the launch of Highstreet: Calamity!

Wine, Blood, and Broken Deals — A Tale from Highstreet: Café

PART 3

Night fell over the Vicious Vineyard like a damp curtain—thick, heavy, and laced with the scent of crushed pulp and scorched vines. In a rare clearing, the three unlikely allies huddled near a flickering campfire, its light throwing warped shadows across the twisted trellises around them.

The Adventurer sat cross-legged, sharpening one of her blades with short, methodical strokes. The Adept nursed a bruised arm, occasionally shooting a suspicious glance at their newest companion. The Scavenger, meanwhile, was poking the fire with a stick, a faraway look in his eyes and grape juice still dried in streaks down his coat.

No one spoke for a while.

“So,” the Adept finally said, voice cracking the silence. “Want to explain why you risked your neck to save me?”

The Scavenger didn't look up. “Didn't do it for you.”

“Gee, thanks.”

The Adventurer stopped drawing her whetstone over her blade. “Then why?”

The Scavenger tossed the stick into the fire. “I've made a lot of mistakes. Burned bridges. Stole things that weren't mine. Lied more times than I can count. But there's one place… one person I'd actually like a second chance with.”

He reached into his pack and pulled out the wrapped bottle. Its fabric cover was stained now, but still intact.

“This isn't just wine,” he said. “It's leverage. Or maybe… penance.”

The Adventurer narrowed her eyes. “Who?”

He hesitated, then answered: “Étienne.”

The silence returned, sharper than before. The Adventurer sat back slightly, blade forgotten.

“…You're joking,” she said flatly. “Étienne of The Elixir?”

The Scavenger nodded. “The one and only.”

“My uncle worked under him,” she said slowly. “Back-of-house dishwasher. Three months. He still wakes up screaming.”

“Sounds about right.”

“I watched him flinch at the smell of red wine for six years.”

The Scavenger offered a dry smile. “Then you understand why I can't show up empty-handed.”

The Adept blinked. “I don't get it. He's just a sommelier, right? What's the big deal?”

The Adventurer and Scavenger said, at the same time: “He's not ‘just' a sommelier.”

The Adept raised his hands. “Alright, alright. Point taken.”

They let the fire crackle between them a while longer. Somewhere in the vines, something gurgled. None of them flinched.

“I want recognition,” the Adventurer said suddenly, her voice low. “Not the fake kind. Not coin or compliments. I want to walk into a hall and have people know. That I'm not just a sword. That I've done something that matters.”

The Adept looked into the flames. “I want to not die.”

There was a beat of silence.

“That's it?” the Scavenger asked.

“Yep.”

“Respect.”

The fire snapped, sending sparks into the air. The Scavenger stood and stretched, joints popping audibly.

“Well then,” he said, “looks like we've all got reasons to keep going.”

The Adventurer rose with him. “But make no mistake—once this is over, we're settling things.”

The Scavenger offered a lazy salute. “Wouldn't have it any other way.”

The Adept didn't rise. “Can we just not do it here? Please? This place reeks of wine and death.”

“Welcome to Solera,” the Adventurer muttered.

To be continued…

Highstreet Chronicles: Into the Chaos Gardens #15

Thank you!

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