《Novarra》 Chapter 1 One last trip through the small apartment I had lived in for the last fourteen years confirmed that it was completely empty. There was the occasional scuff mark on the walls or stain on the carpets. Each had their own story and all were far from my mind as I checked over the recently cleaned rooms. Nothing of mine was left. I¡¯d put what few mementos I cared to keep in long-term storage and sold off or threw away the rest of my possessions. There was still a couple of weeks left on this month¡¯s rent but I¡¯d already given the landlord my keys and I didn¡¯t intend to come back. The last of my worldly possessions were the phone in my pocket and the clothes on my back. With a deep breath, I turned and left the apartment, pulling out my phone as I descended the stairs and walked towards the street. A few taps on the glossy display was all it took to request a public car. The app showed the car¡¯s license number and tracked its location via GPS as it was redirected to my street. So I stared at my phone as the estimated time of arrival and route line both grew shorter and my excitement started to build. Finally the empty car arrived and stopped at the curb in front of me, both doors on the side opening outward automatically from the middle. The front and back seats faced each other, though it was kind of misleading to call them that since they could switch depending on traffic conditions. The self-driving car had sensors all around the vehicle and didn¡¯t care which direction was front or back. I flopped down on one of the seats and pulled my seatbelt on. As soon as it clicked the doors closed and the car began moving towards the destination I had put in the app: the Virtual Worlds Entertainment facility I was assigned to. As the car pulled out onto the major street near my apartment I pulled out my phone and checked my email for the intake information VWE had sent me. By this time there were certainly no surprises in it, but I used it as a convenient way to get to the backer information on their website. It had been over a dozen years since I¡¯d been involved in the crowdfunding campaign VWE had launched for their new and extraordinarily ambitious virtual reality project. At the time I¡¯d spent more money than I could really afford on the idea. I¡¯d been scoffed at by a chorus of doubters but over time, and with every incredible monthly update, the doubters were not only silenced but converted. What had once been considered a pipe dream at best or a scam at worst was now the most popular and most followed entertainment project in history. And it was officially released to first backers three days ago. A loud honking startled me and drew my attention to the road. Someone on a motorcycle was weaving in and out of lanes, the self-driving vehicles automatically making space for the person. I shook my head and wondered what they thought to accomplish by honking at automatic cars. The reckless driving sure seemed like a good way to lose a very expensive license. It was only a minor disturbance in the flow of cars on the busy road, however, as the AI controlling the traffic simply moved them all aside as one. The quantum servers that housed the government AIs were more than capable of processing all the information and reacting in time. I couldn¡¯t help but think of the much larger servers responsible for creating Novarra. I settled back into the seat and idly browsed through the info on my phone that I had seen countless times before. My mind wandered back to when the first update was released after VWE¡¯s successful crowdfunding campaign. They were a team of computer scientists so I had expected them to hire on some artists, writers, designers, and the like to develop the virtual world of Novarra but instead they hired more scientists. Astrophysicists, Biologists, Geologists, Anthropologists, and Botanists joined the team. The original group of people at VWE all had one thing in common: they were all experts on machine learning and artificial intelligence. When the extreme processing capability of quantum computing became available these fields took off in a big way. Though often misunderstood, machine learning is really just a program detecting patterns in large sets of data. But paired with quantum computing the ¡°learning¡± process went from weeks to mere moments and some artificial intelligence designs began to mimic, and even surpass, human intelligence. What truly shocked the worlds of business and entertainment, though, was when VWE used the considerable amount of money they¡¯d raised to buy a warehouse and stuff it full of quantum servers and storage with one purpose: to house a single AI. Scientists then taught the AI about the laws of nature and the history of how our world was created. Then they told it to create another one. Many thought that quantum computing was limitless at the time, but they were wrong. It took that enormous server farm more than eight years to create Novarra. In fact, it had just finished last month and the first waves of people were already experiencing it. My excitement grew as I thought of what awaited me. As one of the first backers I was lucky enough to get in on the earliest phase of the project. I had been so caught up in my woolgathering that I didn¡¯t notice the car arriving at the facility until it stopped and the doors popped open. I startled a bit but then pocketed my phone and hopped out. The building was completely unremarkable and looked like an average office building. I almost thought I was in the wrong place until I spotted the VWE logo on a sign sticking out of the small lawn on the left side of the entrance. Other cars pulled up to the curbside, I wasn¡¯t the only one to arrive for Orientation and Induction today. Everyone was bright-eyed and eager, much like myself I guess, and we all streamed through the open double doors at the front of the building. There were multiple signs pointing down a hallway indicating where the orientation would be held and some VWE staffers also herded people down the same way. The hallway opened into a large presentation room with an enormous LED screen behind a simple podium and row after row of conference seating. It was absolutely packed and I was early. Despite how many people were already here I figured it wouldn¡¯t get started until at least the scheduled start time, so I grabbed an end seat on a row near the back and pulled out my phone again. I just couldn¡¯t help it. It wasn¡¯t that I was anti-social or anything, I was just dying for more information on this incredible world that had taken shape before my eyes over the years. There were quite a lot of impressive streams and a boatload of speculation based off of them but very little in the way of official info. The one exception had been the revelation of how our avatars would work in the world mechanically with some details about attributes, races, magic, skills, and abilities. I browsed to the section on attributes, wondering if anything had changed last minute.
Strength
The measure of your physical might. Used in determining medium and large melee weapon damage. Some larger weapons also have minimum Strength requirements in order to wield them effectively. Additionally, Strength determines your carry weight and exceeding it significantly penalizes all aspects of combat and movement.
Agility
The measure of your overall dexterity. Agility affects the damage dealt with small melee weapons and ranged weapons. Your chance to dodge physical and certain magical projectile attacks is directly tied to your Agility score. Skills that require sleight of hand, careful movement, or general finesse are affected as well.
Endurance
The measure of your fortitude and toughness. Any damage you take, as well as any pain you feel, is reduced proportionately based on your Endurance score. Diseases, poisons, and physical sicknesses can be mitigated or resisted entirely with a high enough Endurance. Hunger, thirst, exhaustion, and other status effects are also reduced in severity by this attribute.
Intelligence
The measure of your mental acuity. Directly responsible for the size of your mana pool. Intelligence determines the effectiveness of magic spells of all types and there is often a certain minimum requirement for higher level spells. This attribute also affects skills which rely on problem solving or understanding complex ideas.
Wisdom
The measure of your cognitive flexibility. This attribute determines your mana regeneration rate. It also affects your ability to learn new and existing skills, essentially improving your learning speed. In addition, any skills or abilities that rely on creation or creativity are heavily influenced by your Wisdom score.
Everything looked familiar to me, which was hardly surprising considering I¡¯d checked it on the ride over. I was still kind of amazed that there was no attribute for health or hit points though. The speculation was divided among two groups: it was either level based where a certain amount was granted every character level or strictly based on resistance and mitigation and we¡¯d only ever have a set amount. I wasn¡¯t really sure which it would be but either way it was a curious model. Paging over to the next section on the website I looked over the races again. With a dozen to choose from there was sure to be quite a bit of variety in Novarra.
Dwarf
Best known for their subterranean kingdoms, Dwarves tend to be excellent miners and blacksmiths. Their constant delving into the earth in search of new materials tends to disturb things better left buried and as a result they have developed a strong tradition of martial prowess. Shorter of stature than most races, they are nevertheless very strong and ideally suited for the mining tunnels they call home. Racial Bonuses:
  • Passive Ability: Nightvision - See clearly even in low lighting conditions.
  • +20% skill gain for Swords, Axes, Shields, Mining, and Blacksmithing
  • +2 Strength
  • +2 Endurance
Human
The most prolific race on Novarra, humanity is also one of the youngest races. Despite their relative youth, humans have risen to power in most areas of society due to their unmatched diversity and drive to appease their insatiable curiosity. Both their greatest strength and their greatest weakness, they are difficult to classify as at times their only commonality is how different they are from one another. Racial Bonuses:
  • Passive Ability: Curiosity - Increased chance to learn new skills through repetition and experimentation.
  • +10% skill gain for all skills
  • +2 to an attribute of your choice
  • +2 to an attribute of your choice
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Stroi
In ancient times they were an isolated tribe of prehistoric humans who lived in the harsh, frozen wastes of the north. They competed for meager resources with tribes of Giants and their society became fixated on fighting, and being able to overcome, their foes. But beyond the cultural emphasis on strength and weapons training a darker and more ruthless habit formed in the press to survive: they killed any of their young who would not grow large enough to fight the Giants. This practice has long since fallen out of favor but the effects remain as the once plentiful Giant tribes have been pushed back to the deepest reaches of the wastes and the Stroi average around seven feet in height. Racial Bonuses:
  • Passive Ability: Strong Back - +50% Encumbrance weight allowance
  • +20% skill gain for Swords, Maces, Axes, Shields, and Heavy Armor
  • +2 to Strength
  • +2 to an attribute of your choice
High Elf
At one time the Elves were a single race but a natural disaster forced them to flee their home or perish. The High Elves were among those that chose to leave the afflicted continent for another altogether. They founded a new home in a land rich in mana and developed a fascination with all things magic as a result. Elves can live a very long time and as such often have a different world view than most of the other races. Their close call with destruction led to a focus on and reverence for their society, history, culture, and beliefs. Racial Bonuses:
  • Passive Ability: Cultured - Languages, backgrounds, histories, and traditions are much easier to learn and remember.
  • +20% skill gain for Fire Magic, Air Magic, Earth Magic, Water Magic, and Arcane Magic
  • +2 to Intelligence
  • +2 to Agility
Wood Elf
Like their High Elf cousins, the Wood Elves escaped their home continent to find shelter on a new one. However, where the High Elves built their grand cities atop magical lay lines, the Wood Elves were those who found what shelter they could in the forest. When they first arrived in their new lands they were even more wild and untamed than the wildernesses are today and the trials and tribulations formed the Wood Elves accordingly. They tend to be shorter and more compact than their cousins but have the same grace and agility all elves are known for. Racial Bonuses:
  • Passive Ability: Keen Senses - Taste, Sight, Touch, Smell, and Hearing are all enhanced.
  • +20% skill gain for Earth Magic, Life Magic, Tracking, Stealth, and Bows
  • +2 to Wisdom
  • +2 to Agility
Dark Elf
While the High Elves and Wood Elves escaped the continent that was the original home of the Elves, the Dark Elves were those who instead chose to shelter underground. What had once been intended to be a temporary measure instead lasted for millennia and the once fair-skinned people adapted to their new environment. Now with a distinctive dusky skin tone that separates them from their High Elf cousins, they¡¯ve also managed to become more resilient and have spent a great deal of time studying the things that would be useful for their survival underground. Racial Bonuses:
  • Passive Ability: Nightvision - See clearly even in low lighting conditions.
  • +20% skill gain for Dark Magic, Fire Magic, Stealth, Daggers, and Bows
  • +2 to Endurance
  • +2 to Agility
Gnome
Historically an insular and private people, they are typically shorter and smaller in stature than the other races. To overcome their size disadvantage they have developed a strong talent with trap-making and magical artifice, utilizing their intelligence to their advantage. Their familiarity with tinkering, magical constructs, and traps has given them a unique understanding and ability in dealing with them. Racial Bonuses:
  • Active Ability: Deconstruct - Take apart an item to study its base components and progress in the relevant skill. This ability destroys the item.
  • Passive Ability: Trap Sense - Highlights all traps in the immediate vicinity.
  • +20% skill gain for Arcane Magic, Light Magic, Crossbows, Traps, and Artifice
  • +2 to Intelligence
Fae
First arriving in Novarra from another plane of existence, the Fae are the survivors of a magical plague that nearly wiped out their entire race. They are often considered enigmatic because of both their actions and their solid silver eyes without irises. The original home of the Fae was a place of Primal magic and as such they tend to be skilled in its use. Their affinity for it is so strong that they are able to wield it even while wearing armor. Racial Bonuses:
  • Passive Ability: Primal Attunement - Wearing armor does not inhibit the use of Primal Magic skills
  • +20% skill gain for Light Magic, Dark Magic, Life Magic, Death Magic, and Heavy Armor
  • +2 to Wisdom
  • +2 to Strength
Infernal
Originally born from other races and a demon parent, they are often misunderstood and shunned by the rest of society. Despite the preconceptions and prejudice, they are not inherently evil. Their demonic heritage, however, can often manifest in an aggressive nature. Because they are distrusted by most people they tend to form their own cities, societies, and governments. Their appearance is distinctive and generally consists of a dark reddish skin tone along with golden eyes. Racial Bonuses:
  • Active Ability: Blood Rage - Temporarily increase all attributes and gain temporary health. When the ability expires the health is lost, possibly resulting in death, and all attributes are penalized for a time.
  • +20% skill gain for Dark Magic, Death Magic, Swords, Axes, and Bows
  • +2 to Strength
  • +2 to Intelligence
Drakken
Dragons are some of the most powerful beings on Novarra but they also walk the world in forms designed to blend in with the other races. The Drakken are the result of pairings between these Dragons and others and they tend to have an affinity for magic similar to their Dragon ancestors. In addition, they have a natural love for fire and their interactions with others are easier thanks to their impressive ancestry. Racial Bonuses:
  • Passive Ability: Fire Forged - All fire damage is converted to healing.
    • Passive Ability: Dragon Blood - +10% Mana Regeneration
  • +20% skill gain for Fire Magic, Life Magic, Diplomacy, Intimidation, and Haggling
  • +2 to Wisdom
Merfolk
More at home in the depths of the oceans and lakes of Novarra than on land, they have blue-tinged skin, lightly webbed fingers and toes, and can easily breathe underwater. They tend to keep to themselves, if only because their cities are hard for most of the other races to get to, but are also friendly and welcoming to those that do manage to make the journey. Racial Bonuses:
  • Passive Ability: Aquatic Dweller - Able to breathe underwater.
  • +20% skill gain for Water Magic, Light Magic, Polearms, Dodge, and Swimming
  • +2 to Agility
  • +2 to Wisdom
Aviar
A product of experimentation by an ancient Magocracy, the amoral magic users created the Aviar to be their slaves and shock troops. Their appearance is similar to a light-skinned blond human with large white wings resembling those of a bird¡¯s. Though their wingspan is almost twice their height they are perfectly capable of using the appendages as additional limbs and can fly for limited durations. Aviar society is a militant one, a holdover from when they destroyed their former masters and creators and vowed never to become slaves again. Few dare to attack the Aviar in any case, as their cities are often built upwards instead of outwards. Racial Bonuses:
  • Active Ability: Fly - Able to take flight. Being Encumbered, wearing heavy armor, or impeding the wings will remove or restrict this ability.
  • Passive Ability: Air Superiority - Able to use most weapons and magic while flying.
  • +20% skill gain for Air Magic, Polearms, Swords, Medium Armor, and Bows
  • +2 to Strength
Custom
Though it is rare, it is possible for a child to be conceived from parents of two different races. These children are treated with a wide range of tolerance depending on the culture and society they find themselves a part of. They often find themselves taking on some mixture of traits from their parent¡¯s races. Racial Bonuses:
  • 3-5 Randomly assigned bonuses from the two chosen parent races.
They all looked familiar until I got to the last choice. I¡¯d never seen the Custom option and I must have been so distracted on the ride over that I missed it. Even though I¡¯d already spent countless hours deciding on the choice, I now had even more options than the mere dozen I¡¯d started with. When I first made the decision I¡¯d gone with Dark Elf because I wanted to have a stealthy option and to be able to pick my battles. The passive to see in the dark struck me as powerful as well but now I might be able to get another passive in addition to that with the Custom option, provided I had a bit of luck. Then again, I could get screwed and end up with the worst possible combination and only three bonuses. With the luck I¡¯ve had in my life, it didn¡¯t seem too far fetched. But I set the thought aside. I was about to enter a new world with new opportunities. It seemed like a good time to roll the dice. My ruminations were interrupted by a flurry of activity in the room as people rushed to take their seats. I put my phone away and saw the cause for the commotion: a woman in a suit was standing at the podium, patiently waiting for the crowd to settle. There was palpable excitement in the air as our investment from over a decade ago was finally bearing fruit. Chapter 2 ¡°Hello and welcome,¡± the woman at the podium began, ¡°I¡¯ll make this quick but before we get started I just wanted to thank you on behalf of everyone at VWE for your investment and your faith in us. Without you we wouldn¡¯t have been able to accomplish all that we have and we are grateful beyond words for that.¡± She smiled and continued, ¡°Now, on to what you¡¯ve all been waiting for, I¡¯m sure,¡± she stepped back and raised a hand to a man in a white collared shirt who approached the podium. ¡°Mark is one of our technicians and he¡¯ll tell you the basics of what you will need to get around in the world of Novarra.¡± Mark switched places with the woman and gave the crowd a nervous smile. ¡°Hi. The basic user interface throughout Novarra is governed by what we call ¡®mental commands¡¯ and it¡¯s how you¡¯ll be interacting with things like your character sheet and item descriptions,¡± Mark spoke nervously at first but with increasing confidence as he talked about the technical aspects of his job. ¡°Although the process itself is somewhat complicated, the act of using it is not. All you have to do is think of something you want to happen. Like Character Sheet or Inspect, for example, and expect something to happen. Essentially, what happens is the nanites in your blood stream detect the electrical impulses in the language center of your brain and measure the neurochemical changes that occur when you are in anticipation of something happening.¡± Mark paused for a moment to gather his thoughts before he continued, ¡°The reason we pair both of these things in order for the command to work is so that you don¡¯t get a bunch of pop-ups when thinking through things without intending them to actually show.¡± ¡°Like, if you¡¯re fighting a group of monsters or something and you think ¡®I wonder what that will do to my Character Sheet?¡¯ we don¡¯t want you to be distracted by the interface then. So, the expectation for something happening has to also be there. And don¡¯t worry if it¡¯s not perfect at first. The frustration you feel is much easier to track and we use that in our machine learning algorithms to determine when you actually want to see the interface or not.¡± ¡°Um,¡± Mark looked behind him at the woman in the business suit who was starting to give him the look and cleared his throat, ¡°But you¡¯ll get the chance to try all that out before entering Novarra after we assign you a pod.¡± He blinked and said, ¡°Speaking of, I should probably tell you about our long-term immersion technology.¡± The woman just shook her head slightly in exasperation behind him as he went on, ¡°Our advances in nanotechnology have given us the ability to not only detect the electrical impulses in the brain but to transmit back to it as well. It is in this way that we can mimic reality so closely. But it requires the rest of your body be placed in a medical coma, since your mind can¡¯t deal with being two places at once. We¡¯re working on a solution for a more intermittent connection to Novarra but for now we¡¯re sticking with on-site medical stasis so we can closely monitor vitals and refresh nanites on a regular basis. As part of our original backers you¡¯ve all been extended the offer to join our long-term immersion program.¡± The woman standing behind Mark gently but firmly took his place and said, ¡°Thank you, Mark. I can assure you all that our medical technology has been carefully tested and throughly vetted over the last decade. I¡¯m sure most of you have seen our public updates on the matter as well. If at any time you find yourself uncomfortable with the experience simply give the mental command to Logout three times in a row and our medical personnel will immediately disconnect you. And I assure you, regardless of whether or not you choose to participate in our full immersion program, as backers you will all be receiving the gear to connect to Novarra on a more intermittent basis as soon as the technology is ready for production.¡± She nodded to someone off to the side and at the unspoken signal a small horde of people in VWE shirts went to the sides of each row and passed out black tablets of some kind. As I was on the end of the row myself, I passed them along until I was finally holding one of my own. It looked to be a simple touch screen tablet about twice the size of my phone and the only visible button was on the top. I looked around at others playing with the thing and it appeared to be the on switch so I pressed it. The VWE logo flashed on screen for a moment then cleared to reveal a login screen with account name and password fields. I was halfway through putting in my account credentials when the woman spoke up, ¡°Now that you all have your tablets please log in with your VWE account information. You¡¯ll receive directions to the room where you will be connecting to Novarra now. Thanks, and enjoy!¡± Simmering excitement turned into an explosion of activity as people got up to follow the directions that now appeared on their screens. At the end of the aisle, I got up as well despite still logging in, if only so that I wouldn¡¯t get crushed by the eager horde. When I finally saw my own instructions I followed them as well. Down the massive elevator, at which there was already a wait, and through some bare and unexciting halls, I followed the simple directions to my appointed room. Inside there were six silver pods, thicker than I expected but completely smooth and made up of some kind of brushed metal. Next to each was a stand with an array of monitors. Most of the stands looked to be powered down but a couple clearly showed vitals signs and other data. I finally noticed the other person in the room standing in front of these with a tablet of their own in hand. From behind all I could see was that she had a blond ponytail and was wearing white medical scrubs. I waited until she was done with whatever she was doing. When I was in one of these I sure wouldn¡¯t want my caretaker to be interrupted from doing their duties. Eventually she turned and startled when she saw me. She looked a bit younger than me and she seemed flustered when she said, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t realize it was that time already.¡± She shook her head as if to clear it and went on, ¡°I¡¯m Mary. I¡¯ll be helping you get ready for Novarra today. Have you made your character decisions yet?¡± I guess I must have given her a blank look because she laughed and said, ¡°No worries, the app on the tablet will guide you through the process.¡± ¡°Huh, no character creation session in Novarra?¡± I asked, motioning to one of the pods. I was a bit disappointed actually, it seemed like that would be a good way to start off in a new world. She smiled and said, ¡°Unfortunately we found that it was too disconcerting for people new to virtual reality to start off without a body. And switching bodies after getting used to their own in a virtual world was even more off-putting.¡± I nodded at that. I could certainly see how that would be problematic. It just wasn¡¯t something I would ever have considered. Once again, I wondered just how realistic this was going to be and my excitement grew. But first I¡¯d have to make some character decisions so I closed the directions pop-up on the tablet and tapped the one application icon that was visible. It was almost spartan in it¡¯s simplicity, a simple page-based format with the attribute information listed on the first screen. Since I¡¯d practically memorized that information by now I just skimmed it to make sure it was all the same and hit the ¡®Next¡¯ button at the bottom. The second page had a list of the available races but this time there was a checkbox next to the options. I hesitated only a moment before selecting the Custom option. The next screen listed the races again without the detailed information and the header text said to pick any two races. I selected the Dark Elf race as one option but stopped to think about the other for a minute. There were a few Racial Abilities I was interested in like the Gnome¡¯s Trap Sense or the Infernal¡¯s Blood Rage. But the issue with those choices was the very real risk of getting stuck with their other bonuses, ones that I had very little interest in. Wood Elves, on the other hand, had the Keen Senses passive which, if I could get it to combine with the Nightvision passive, might let me see in the dark better than most could see in the daylight. They also had other bonuses that meshed well with my intentions of going the sneaky route. Checking the box next to the Wood Elf option, I then clicked on the button to continue. Instead of the next screen appearing I got a pop-up. It said I¡¯d chosen Half Dark Elf / Half Wood Elf as my race and that this would be a permanent choice once accepted. I assumed it was so that you couldn¡¯t just try over and over for the optimal combination and, crossing my fingers, I pressed the ¡®Accept¡¯ button. The next page showed my race at the top again with the racial bonuses I¡¯d received listed under it: It was disappointing at first glance and I sighed at the sight of only three bonuses listed. Then again I¡¯d gotten both of the passives I¡¯d really wanted so maybe it would work out for the best. Under the bonuses was a line that said Available Points: 25 and a list of the five attributes. There was a 5 next to each attribute, except for Agility which had a 7, and a circular button containing a plus sign to the right of each number. This part seemed fairly obvious so I immediately started pressing the button next to the Agility attribute. As a stealthy rogue, thief, assassin, agent, or something similar that Novarra might offer I figured having a high agility would be important for sneaking and dealing damage. When the number hit 17 the button to add points disappeared. I did notice a button to subtract points appear during my spending spree though, so it didn¡¯t appear to be a permanent choice yet. I tried adding points to Endurance next and it seemed like the limit for that was 15, which made sense when factoring in Agility¡¯s racial bonus. That would only leave me with 5 extra points though and I wanted to be able to use a bit of magic to help keep me from sight and detect dangerous things. So I pulled Endurance back down to 10 and increased Intelligence and Wisdom to 10. At first, I had planned on fewer points in Wisdom and more in Strength but without a racial bonus to skill gain I figured the extra Wisdom would come in handy. With all my points spent I moved on to the next page. At the top of the page was a simple message: Select any four starting skills. What followed was a list of hundreds of skills. The sheer variety was just incredible. There was the stuff you¡¯d expect like Swords, Bows, and Fire Magic. Then there was stuff that made me laugh out loud, startling the poor blond woman in the room as I read through the list. Who would want to pick Basket Weaving as one of their skills? Although, as I thought about it more, the one person who did pick it might just make a killing off of it. Clearly, Novarra was catering to all types. That was a good thing in my mind, it tended to result in a healthier economy. As I scrolled through the list it occurred to me that some of these skills might be more valuable than others. Swords, for example, was probably a lot easier to learn than something like Fire Magic. You could pick up any sword and start swinging it around and probably learn the first one but how would you learn a magical skill through experimentation? I was almost certain there would be some kind of skill books or trainers but just the fact that it couldn¡¯t be learned any other way would increase the value of certain skills. To that end I looked through the list specifically for things that would be difficult to learn otherwise. I actually already knew a bit about the classic rogue skill of Lockpicking thanks to some of my odd hobbies but I wasn¡¯t sure how it would work in Novarra. It was almost assured to be illegal though, so it might be difficult or expensive to get training for it. I selected it as my first skill after a bit of hesitation then kept scrolling. The next one that caught my eye wasn¡¯t because I thought it would necessarily be difficult to learn, just painful. Traps. Definitely not one I¡¯d want to learn the hard way, I selected it without a second thought.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. With half of my skills selected, but still having no combat ability, I decided to look at the magical side of things. The magic system in Novarra was split into three different branches: Source, Elemental, and Primal. The Source branch consisted of a single school or affinity of magic, Arcane Magic. It had no bonuses or penalties against any other type of magic. The Elemental magics were Air, Earth, Water, and Fire and each of them had a +25% bonus against an element, a -25% penalty against another element, and a final neutral element. The Primal magics were Light, Death, Life, and Dark. They also had the same bonus/penalty structure as the elemental magics except in the amount of 50% for each. I decided to take both Arcane Magic and Dark Magic. The first I theorized might be home to utility spells and the like since it had no direct attribute besides magic itself. Dark Magic I was hoping had some spells to make it easier to sneak around or remain hidden. With all four skills selected I hit the button to take me to the next screen. The top of this page simply stated to pick any two spells for each of my magic skills. There were five Novice spells listed under Arcane Magic and the same amount listed under Dark Magic. I poured over the spells and their descriptions for quite some time. In the end I chose Mana Bolt and Mage Sight from Arcane Magic and Curse of Blindness and Embrace the Darkness from Dark Magic.
Name Mana Bolt
School Arcane Magic
Tier Novice
Cost 10 Mana
Description A bolt formed of pure mana is cast at a target. Range and damage increase based on the caster¡¯s Intelligence. (1 foot and 1.5 damage per point of Intelligence. +0.5% to range and damage per level of Arcane Magic.)
Name Mage Sight
School Arcane Magic
Tier Novice
Cost 15 Mana
Description Imbues the caster¡¯s sight with the ability to detect mana sources. Highlights any mana sources within the caster¡¯s range of vision by color based on the source¡¯s school of magic. (10 second duration per point of Intelligence. +2% duration per level of Arcane Magic.)
Name Curse of Blindness
School Dark Magic
Tier Novice
Cost 12 Mana
Description Lays a curse on the target that temporarily renders them blind. Does not affect beings who can see in the dark. (1 second duration per point of Intelligence. +1% duration per level of Dark Magic.)
Name Embrace the Darkness
School Dark Magic
Tier Novice
Cost 8 Mana
Description Gathers the shadows themselves around the caster¡¯s body and makes the Sneak ability more effective when used. (5 seconds duration and +1 to the Stealth skill per point of Intelligence. +2% duration per level of Dark Magic.)
With a grin at the idea of using actual magic I eagerly hit the button to continue to the next page. On it was a list of what appeared to be the pantheon of Novarra and a prompt to choose my patron god or goddess.
Io: God of All
The creator of all of Novarra, including the other gods, Io is the supreme being responsible for all of existence. Despite this, not much is known about Io. Any direct interactions with the world of Novarra are typically handled by the other gods on Io¡¯s behalf.
Hesnos: God of Knowledge
Patron of bookworms and seekers of lore, Hesnos has a fondness for knowledge in any shape it may take. Typically taking the form of a wizened, balding old man with a flowing white beard, he is most often found amidst stacks of books or reading from long-forgotten scrolls.
Anera: Goddess of Love
Widely considered the most beautiful being in Novarra, Anera treasures love in all of its many forms. Whether the bond between siblings, the adoration of a child for their parents, or the fierce passion of romance, Anera encourages and nurtures one of the most potent motivations in all people.
Oxion: God of Creativity
When an artist pens the final stroke of a masterpiece, a singer inspires an entire crowd with a new song, or an inventor creates something never before seen, a heartfelt prayer to Oxion often follows. Characterized by his blond goatee and wild air, his appearance is as effervescent as it is flamboyant and he is known to speak exclusively in rhymes.
Miris: Goddess of Wealth
Whether a prosperous merchant or successful thief, anyone who is involved in the flowing, golden veins of commerce gives their respect to Miris. Despite the common misconception, she is not solely focused on money, but on generating wealth of any kind. She is most often seen wearing a royal purple dress accented by a plethora of golden jewelry.
Anbris: God of War
Men and women familiar with the battlefield give homage to Anbris in the hopes of finding victory, or a quick and merciful death. But Anbris values honor as well as martial prowess and those who commit crimes of war have been known to feel his wrath. Nobody but Io knows what he looks like though entire battlefields have paused when the god in platemail arrives to bestow his judgment.
Byrena: Goddess of Nature
As wild and untamed as nature itself, Byrena most often takes the form of a young woman in leathers with an animal companion. Famously deaf to the pleas of those suffering in the face of natural disasters, Byrena can often seem as cruel and uncaring as her namesake. However, in the cases where nature is defiled or disrespected those same disasters are directed to her will.
Confused about what a patron god or goddess was for, but I was pretty sure that as a sneaky type, and as someone who loved the whole buying low and selling high thing, I would be safe with Miris. After confirming my selection the next page was a simple yes or no checkbox asking if I wanted to record my sessions for editing and streaming by VWE at a later date in return for a cut of the profits. I looked for the Not only no, but hell no option, couldn¡¯t find it, and just selected no. I wouldn¡¯t make it far keeping secrets if every new person to join the world already new everything I¡¯d done. The button at the bottom of the page now read ¡®Finish¡¯ and with my excitement higher than ever before I pressed it. Anti-climatically, the app just closed back to the default screen with the one icon. However, it was only a moment before the woman in the white scrubs turned and addressed me. ¡°All done I see. Alright, let¡¯s get you set up,¡± she walked over to one of the silver pods and pressed something on her tablet. The top half slowly rose until it propped open, looking like a metallic clamshell but instead of a pearl inside there was a ridged foam mattress. There looked to be a variety of sensors on the interior of the pod but I had no idea what they were for. The woman turned to me again, ¡°Before I give you your nanites I¡¯ll need you to sign the legal documents.¡± She tapped her tablet and said documents appeared on my screen in a flash. I scrolled through what I assumed was the typical legal jargon about waiving liability but considering the advanced technology involved I figured I should slow down and at least read some of it. After seeing some passages like Waives the right to litigation in the case of depression, post traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and panic attacks, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and other mental conditions I decided I actually didn¡¯t want to know what it said. I just scrolled to the bottom of the excessively long document and confirmed my acceptance. And fervently hoped I didn¡¯t just sign away my sanity. When I was done and trying not to let fear creep up on me about what I was about to do, the woman checked her tablet again and said, ¡°Okay, good. Now I just need to give you an injection to put you under. If you can remove your clothes and lay down on the bed that would be great.¡± I followed her instructions with some embarrassment, not really enjoying being naked in the cold room, but the tiny syringe full of clear liquid she held drew my eye. ¡°Is that the nanite injection?¡± I asked. She laughed and said, ¡°Oh no, this is just to knock you out first. This has the nanites in it,¡± she pulled out an enormous syringe full of a silvery substance that would have given an elephant pause. I wasn¡¯t afraid of needles but I suddenly felt the urge to develop a healthy fear in the very near future. Before I could say anything she gave me a smile and said, ¡°Sweet dreams!¡± Then she plunged the syringe into my neck and I blacked out. Thankfully, it was the small one. Chapter 3 My eyes opened to another world, and another body. I looked around and tried to absorb it all at once. It looked like I was standing in the middle of a marble room, complete with huge marble pillars and tall archways above decorated with various scenes. The walls, the same white marble as everything else with veins of crystal running through it, had purple hangings trimmed with gold roping. Plush seating lined the walls, also in a deep purple trimmed in gold. The floor was made of marble tiles in alternating white and off-white, each with subtle patterns engraved in the surface. They were cold too and I looked down and saw my new body. Leaner and more fit than I was used to, I also had a much darker skin tone, almost like a deep tan. I was also nearly naked but for a simple cloth wrap which would explain why I was so cold. Or was it just because everything felt like¡­ more? I raised a hand up to my ear and sure enough it went up and up and ended in a sharp point. I¡¯ll be damned if I wasn¡¯t an elf. Recalling the recent orientation, I tried out the mental command for Character Sheet.
Name James
Race Half Dark Elf / Half Wood Elf
Level 1
Experience 0/1000
Health 100/100
Mana 100/100
Stats
Strength 5
Agility 17
Endurance 10
Intelligence 10
Wisdom 10
Skills
Arcane Magic Level 1 (0%) [Novice]
Dark Magic Level 1 (0%) [Novice]
Lockpicking Level 1 (0%) [Novice]
Traps Level 1 (0%) [Novice]
Spells
Mage Sight Rank I (0%) [Arcane - Novice]
Mana Bolt Rank I (0%) [Arcane - Novice]
Curse of BlindnessThis content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Rank I (0%) [Dark - Novice]
Embrace the Darkness Rank I (0%) [Dark - Novice]
Passive Abilities
Keen Senses [Racial - Wood Elf]
Nightvision [Racial - Dark Elf]
Everything looked to be as expected, though I was kind of surprised I had my actual name instead of getting the chance to pick one. Maybe I just missed the option somewhere. In any event, the character sheet reminded me of the spells I now had access to. I figured they¡¯d be triggered by mental commands as well so I tried Mage Sight. And was instantly blinded by a searing light that seemed to come from everywhere. Closing my eyes didn¡¯t help any and I screamed in pain. It felt like a thousand daggers were piercing into my brain but even if I were capable of conscious thought I wouldn¡¯t have known how to cancel the spell. Abruptly, both the spell and the pain vanished without a trace. Deep breaths wracked my frame for a moment as my mind caught up with itself. I looked around and spotted a beautiful woman descending the marble stairs in front of me in a rush. She had a green name hovering in the air above her head but I didn¡¯t need to see it to recognize who she was. Miris, the Goddess of Wealth, wore her signature deep purple dress and golden jewelry that matched the surroundings. She looked concerned and vaguely apologetic as she approached me, ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that. Normally I give new arrivals time to adjust before introducing myself, but nobody has cast spells so quickly before. Still, I must insure that doesn¡¯t happen again,¡± she muttered the last to herself but my hearing picked it up. Apparently looking to see the essence of magic in the heart of a goddess¡¯ domain wasn¡¯t the smartest thing to do. Fortunately, the pain was just a shadow of a memory at this point and I shrugged it off. I didn¡¯t want to think about it, nor of how the pain and all traces of it disappeared so quickly. While I massaged away the last vestiges of the phantom pain I realized that I was still mostly naked. Then I figured it didn¡¯t really matter. Miris had probably seen countless naked idiots passing through these halls over the last few days. Looking back around the room I could only see the stairs Miris had descended and an empty, albeit very large, alcove behind me. I turned back to the goddess and addressed her, ¡°So, what now?¡± Miris looked shocked for a moment then smiled, ¡°You do like to dive into things head first, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s get right to it then, shall we?¡± She went on, ¡°You¡¯ll need some basic equipment to get you started,¡± she waved a hand almost negligently and dozens of ornately carved tables appeared from nowhere, laden with all sorts of items. My eyes popped open at the plethora of goodies on display. They were probably all just basic fare, but never having seen an actual set of platemail or a health potion before made them all treasures to me. ¡°By way of apology I¡¯ve increased the starting allotment you are to receive for your purchasing of gear,¡± Miris told me with a charming smile. ¡°The Goddess of Wealth resorting to bribery?¡± I deadpanned, ¡°I¡¯m shocked.¡± She grinned and I swear she even looked a little abashed. I turned my attention to the loot laid out before me but I soon realized I didn¡¯t really know what I was looking at. I had no way of valuing things, either on a personal level for what I might need or in terms of the different economies on Novarra. I just didn¡¯t have enough information. But there was someone who did and she happened to owe me a favor. ¡°How about, instead, you pick whatever you think would suit my needs the best?¡± I requested of the goddess. She blinked at me and then for the first time I got the impression that her full attention was on me. It was not exactly a pleasant feeling. I imagined it felt much like what an ant experienced looking up at someone peering down through a magnifying glass. I did notice that her eyes were a violet color though, a match for the rest of the purple in the place. Although, as I focused on them more, my enhanced vision picked out other details I would have otherwise missed. The purple color actually looked like it was cloudy or hazy and the flecks in the iris looked more like individual points of light. Almost as if I were looking at the edges of a nebula and into an infinite field of stars beyond that. Gaze long enough into the abyss¡­ My mind had wandered off so far I almost missed it when she said, ¡°You¡¯re the first to ever ask that, you know.¡± Due to finding myself in the presence of a being much more powerful and intelligent than me, I naturally reverted to flip and a hefty dose of irreverence, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m pretty special.¡± Fortunately, Miris just smiled and didn¡¯t strike me down for blasphemy or anything. Though she probably could have easily done so considering the whole palace was a massive magical mind-vise. I¡¯m not sure what I was expecting to happen next but it sure wasn¡¯t for Miris to wave her hand again, just like when she summoned the tables the first time. I looked around for more loot and found it in the last place I was expecting. I was wearing it. Completely decked out in leather armor and wearing a dark gray cloak with a hooded cowl, I suddenly looked every inch the fantasy rogue. A leather belt even held up a small sheath with a dagger of some kind alongside a pouch that I just knew had something in it. Not only that, but I knew the detailed list of the contents. It was strange and more than a little creepy. If it wasn¡¯t for the massive amount of weird assailing my senses for the last five minutes I¡¯d probably have been freaking out about it. Miris clasped her hands in front of her and spoke up again, ¡°There. Now we just need to find a starting location for you. Normally, I¡¯d just assign you to one of my temples somewhere but you¡¯ve proved to be interesting so far.¡± She hummed in thought for a moment before continuing, ¡°Let¡¯s do this: I¡¯ll ask you a question and, if I find the answer relevant, I¡¯ll use it to influence my choice.¡± ¡°What is your guiding principle in life?¡± the goddess asked. As tempted as I was to answer sarcastically, I just didn¡¯t have the energy in me anymore to be that creative. So I went with the first thing that popped into my head, ¡°Do what¡¯s best for me and what¡¯s best for the whole, in equal measure.¡± She gave me another of those looks, but this time I was sure to avert my gaze. I wasn¡¯t sure if there really were freaky goddess powers at work here but I figured it was better safe than sorry. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know you were telling the truth, I would think you were just trying to flatter me,¡± Miris muttered softly, but not softly enough for my hearing. Figures the Goddess of Wealth would like some old fashioned economics. ¡°Well, that settles it then,¡± she said with a blossoming smile that ignited my nerves all over again, ¡°You may find your fortune, but nobody ever did so from nothing without difficulty. Welcome to Novarra. And good luck.¡± Miris and everything else faded to darkness. ¡°You¡¯ll need it,¡± was the last whispered message I heard. Chapter 4 One moment I was straining for any hint of sensation in an empty expanse and the next I was standing in an empty stone room. It was a definite downgrade from the palatial residence of the goddess I had just left but I was happy to see it. Call me perverse, but my first thought was to use the Mage Sight spell again, just to see what it did outside the presence of a searing divine light. As soon as I cast it I was practically blinded again. This time, however, there was no excruciating pain to go along with it, just a ton of light. Instead of the bright, solid white of Miris¡¯ domain though the light around the room seemed to be from a multitude of shades and spread all across the walls, ceiling, and floor. As if one of the early backers tried to convince a Mage here in Novarra that Jackson Pollock was on to something. ¡°What the hell is wrong with this spell?¡± I muttered to myself. Or I thought it was to myself. Sounds to the right of the room proved to be coming from a man standing just outside a window of some kind. It was difficult to tell what he was wearing, or even what color it was for that matter, because it all glowed with colorful magic too. ¡°How- Wh-¡± the man tried and then seemed to give up and just crossed his arms and looked at me. Since he didn¡¯t actually ask anything or really do anything of interest I decided to ignore him and turned my attention back to the room I was in. The room that was evidently filled to the brim with magic. I glanced down at where my feet were and noticed something odd: there was no magic I could detect in the flagstone I was standing on. Just then the spell wore off and I was once again standing in a normal stone room. If a room that looked like a medieval dungeon with a braced wooden door in front of me, behind me, and an observation window on the side could in any way be considered normal. I glanced over at the man behind the window and was hit with a brief spurt of envy. He was wearing a black cloak that put my own to shame over black leather armor and he looked pretty damn awesome. There was no doubt in my mind he was some kind of rogue-type. He still made no movement and kept his silence, however, so I resumed my study of a room that I was increasingly starting to believe was infested. Infested with traps. I decided to test my suspicion but I wasn¡¯t sure what to use for that. Miris must have given me something I could use, I reasoned, so I looked down at my little pouch and Inspected it.
Name Traveler¡¯s Bottomless Bag
Grade Epic (Soulbound)
Effect Hold up to 50 pounds of items in an extra-planar dimension without weight.
Description Given to all Travelers in Novarra. Like all Soulbound items, these bags can never be lost, traded away, or stolen.
Contents
  • Lockpick (3x)
  • Tension Wrench
  • Gift of Miris
  • Silk Rope (30 ft.)
  • Padded Grappling Hook
  • Minor Health Potion (2x)
  • Coinage (2g 5s 5c)
Just the idea of a weightless portable storage in another dimension had my mind racing along all kinds of wild tangents and the Gift of Miris looked like it might be interesting but I tried to focus on what would be immediately useful. I supposed I could use the grappling hook on the rope to trigger the traps in a line to the door. Or even just throw some copper pieces out in front of me. Not exactly how I¡¯d prefer to spend the money, but I just needed some kind of projectile strong enough to spring the traps. Then it hit me, I had the Mana Bolt spell. It was a ranged projectile that I assumed would travel to wherever I aimed it. Figuring it couldn¡¯t hurt to try, I held out my arm and willed a Mana Bolt into existence. It looked as though a deep blue mist suffused with a bright blue glow gathered around my hand and then coalesced into a vaguely conical shape just in front of my palm. It all happened in the space of a heartbeat and the magical projectile shot out towards the stone floor just as quickly.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. There was a sharp clicking sound as it struck an innocuous-looking flagstone and I was struck dumb by the sight of an enormous gout of fire spewing forth from a hidden nozzle on the left wall. It was like someone took a flamethrower, mounted it in the wall, and then made sure the trigger got held down for longer than it really needed to be. I could only stare at the fuzzy afterimage of the flames that spread across my vision. The entire room is filled with¡­ more of that? I drew my hand down my face and heaved a sigh. This was not going to be an easy task. In the end, I used almost all of my silver and copper coins in addition to cast after cast of the Mana Bolt to find a path I could inch forwards on to the door across the room. Despite the chaos of colors it flooded my vision with, I also cast Mage Sight so I could study which traps coincided with the different colors and patterns. The hardest part, however, was when there was no magic at all involved in the trap. My Mage Sight didn¡¯t pick it up and it was a big temptation to step on an area that was obviously clear of magical threat. After a couple darts, cleverly-disguised hunting traps, and poisonous gas clouds I grew to hate those clear spaces more than the known magic traps. A near miss with a noxious brown gas that spread more than I was expecting also forced me to use one of my health potions to stay alive. It was all I could do to keep my precarious balance while I hacked my lungs out, trying to expel the poisonous gas from my system. I could see faint messages in the bottom right corner of my vision that said things like You receive 12 damage from Poisonous Gas! They were completely clear despite the tears in my eyes and pain racking my body. After several more like it appeared I panicked an managed to reach into the pouch at my side. There was nothing inside it but I was still lucid enough to will one of my minor health potions into my hand. The cork at the top of the vial popped off in my rush to down the red liquid but I hardly noticed even as it landed on the floor next to me and was struck by a bolt of lightning from yet another trap. As soon as I took the potion I felt a bit better but it came with the alarming knowledge in the back of my mind that taking another one in the next hour wouldn¡¯t work. I could only gasp for air as the messages finally stopped appearing. It seemed I would live after all. I¡¯d like to say I just continued on through the room after that but it took me some time to motivate myself to get going again after the intense, and very real, pain. Finally, many grueling hours later, I managed to cross the ten feet to the door. With a sense of utter relief I reached out for the iron handle but then paused. I wouldn¡¯t put it past whatever demented group of Gnomes came up with this room full of deadly traps to have one last surprise right before the finish. I weighed my options for a minute before they were taken from me and the door opened on its own. The man in the black cloak who had been watching me earlier now stood in front of me in the doorway. Although I couldn¡¯t quite make out the details under his hood it sounded as if he was smiling when he said, ¡°Relax, there¡¯s nothing on the door, or the frame. We want to train our people not kill them.¡± ¡°Although,¡± he continued, ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure how you got in here.¡± ¡°Miris put me in here,¡± I answered his unspoken question, ¡°I think she was trying to test me, or prove a point, or maybe just kill me¡­ Actually, it was probably all three, come to think of it.¡± Even though I couldn¡¯t see the man¡¯s expression I got the sense he was surprised. He asked, ¡°You¡¯re a Traveler, I take it?¡± I just nodded, too spent from my crawl across the room full of traps to do much else. In fact, I was still balancing precariously on the side of one foot to prevent one of them from killing me. He grunted almost inaudibly then his head turned away as if he was lost in thought for a minute. After a time he seemed to be looking more or less at me again and gave me a proposal, ¡°How would you like some real training? It won¡¯t be free, you¡¯d have to do some work for me in return. However, I can promise that it will be more than an equitable exchange and you¡¯ll have the right of refusal for any work I request from you.¡± It sounded ideal to me, actually, but I was still a bit put out at having to scamper around his little room of deadly and disastrous delights so I just responded with, ¡°I can work with that.¡± The man gave a nod and said, ¡°Good. Meet me at the entrance to the Hall of Traps when you¡¯re ready to begin.¡±
Quest Offer: Priming the Trap
You¡¯ve been approached by a mysterious man and asked to meet him at the entrance to the Hall of Traps. He has offered you training in exchange for your help in the future. Any work you do will come with the right of refusal.
Reward: 2000 xp
Accept This Quest? Yes/No
Yes. The quest pop-up disappeared when I accepted it but I was sure I could find it again in a Journal or Quest Log or something. If I remembered right, that quest reward was more than my first level so this training looked like it would work out nicely for me. I looked past the cloaked man into the plain room beyond but didn¡¯t see anything of interest. But with my enhanced Elven hearing I could have sworn I actually heard him grinning. A sense of dread washed over me as I realized what was going to happen just as the man pointed behind me, back the way I came, and said, ¡°The entrance is that way. Good luck.¡± Then he shut the door in my face. Chapter 5 It took me quite a few more hours to make it back across the room. Most of me was angry at my situation and at first my mood worsened with every sprung trap along the way. But some small part of me enjoyed the challenge, thrived in the adversity, and was thrilled to walk the knife edge between complacency and certain death. When I reached the opposite door I was grinning from ear to pointed ear. Or maybe it wasn¡¯t such a small part of me after all. With no small sense of relief I opened the door and walked out into a stone hallway. The construction was similar to the room I had just left but the only sense of magic I got from Mage Sight was from the torches on the far wall that emitted a strangely constant light. None of my Mana Bolts triggered any traps on the ground so it seemed as though I was in the clear for now. I was near a dead-end of the hallway and, along with the door I came through, there were five doors along one wall and a door at the end of the hall. When I closed the door to the room full of traps, more out of habit than anything else, I noticed a brass plaque mounted on the rough wood. In black calligraphy was a single painted word: Master. With a frown at the odd label, I made my way down the hallway and the plaques on the other doors soon made the meaning clear. The labels were Novice, Apprentice, Journeyman, Expert, and Master. I was a breath away from cursing Miris for dropping me in the hardest room when the thought of the very real possibility of divine retribution stayed my tongue. However, the thought of the goddess made me remember the item in my pouch and I reached in to pull out whatever it was. I felt a solid weight in my palm, cool to the touch, as I drew my hand back out of the bag and saw that I held a simple gold ring. Curious as to what a goddess would gift me, I Inspected it.
Name Gift of Miris
Grade Epic (Soulbound)
Effect Identify the value of items when Inspecting them.
Description The value of an item is determined by whatever someone will pay for it. This ring, granted by the Goddess of Wealth herself, lists the most common range of value on every item Inspected by the wearer.
Wow, that¡¯s actually pretty awesome. So much for having to do market research, this thing made the whole trap room fiasco worthwhile. I looked forward to going shopping so I could find some hidden deals and try it out. But first, I¡¯d have to get out of this damned hall. Since there was only one other unlabeled door I opened it and walked through. The man in the black cloak was standing just outside and he nodded to me when I left the hall. A series of pop-ups and messages flooded my vision.
Quest Completed: Priming the Trap
After a brutal initiation into the world of Novarra you have passed the mysterious man¡¯s test by completely traversing the Master room in the Hall of Traps.
Rewards Granted: 2000xp
Level Up! You are now Level 2! +1 Skill Point +1 Attribute Point I blinked at the onslaught and quickly dismissed everything so I could deal with it later. The man, whose face was still somehow covered in shadows despite the good lighting in the corridor, congratulated me, ¡°Well done.¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Then he took out a dark strip of cloth and handed it to me. It was thick, soft to the touch, about an inch and a half wide by three feet long, and I had no idea what it was for. I said as much and he told me, ¡°It¡¯s a blindfold. Put it on. You won¡¯t need it for long but there¡¯s one more thing we need to cover before you can join us officially.¡± Reluctantly, I tied the thing around my head and covered my eyes with it. With my other enhanced senses however, it wasn¡¯t quite as bad as I was expecting. I simply followed the man and his terse directions without much fuss and little difficulty other than a stairway that I had to slow down to take carefully. It wasn¡¯t long until I heard the man open a door and we entered a room. The door closed behind us and the man said, ¡°Alright, you can take it off now.¡± I blinked to adjust to the sudden brightness and handed over the blindfold to the man¡¯s outstretched hand. We were standing in a small room with white plastered walls and a tiny altar in the corner. Behind the altar was a figure I instantly recognized, Miris, the Goddess of Wealth. There were a couple purple and gold wall hangings and some tall gold candlestick holders that provided more light than they should but otherwise the room was pretty bare. ¡°So,¡± began the man in black, ¡°Before I invite you to my Guild, I¡¯m going to need you to do something for me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯ll be easy,¡± he waved a hand to the side in a dismissive manner before he continued, ¡°But even before we get to that, I have to ask you some questions about Travelers. Ever since you all started coming to Novarra a few days ago the Underworld has been in a bit of an uproar.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but laugh as I imagined the effects of so many ¡®newbies¡¯ suddenly showing up all over the place. ¡°Yes, I imagine that must have been a bit of a shock,¡± I said dryly. He didn¡¯t say anything for a stretch then said, ¡°Actually, no, it wasn¡¯t. There is a very well known prophecy that was fulfilled with your arrival. For the most part, you were expected.¡± That little tidbit certainly shocked me into silence. As I reflected on it though, it made a certain sense. This whole world was designed for a singular purpose and incorporating that into the awareness of the locals would make things easier for everyone. ¡°What I need to know, however, is a matter of security for the Guild,¡± the man went on, ¡°Specifically, how you are able to come back to life and where you can do so.¡± ¡°Well,¡± I began, ¡°I¡¯m actually not completely sure. I know that we can resp- err, come back to life, that is, at the last temple or holy site we were bound to. Personally, though, I¡¯m not really sure where that is since Miris decided to put me in the trap room. Lovely place, by the way. She did mention that most Travelers get sent to their patron¡¯s temple to start with, though.¡± ¡°You spoke with Miris? As in, the Goddess of Wealth herself?¡± the man¡¯s voice conveyed his shock. With a laugh I said, ¡°Maybe I should just tell you what I do know about Novarra. The list isn¡¯t very long at the moment.¡± It didn¡¯t take long to relate the meager information I had on the attributes, skills, gods, races, and progression system. When I told him about my encounter with Miris in her divine palace he seemed impressed. The only thing that threw him was when I told him about my character choices. ¡°Wait, what!? You chose your race?¡± He exclaimed. To be fair it seemed pretty preposterous coming from his angle and I supposed I would be somewhat taken aback too. ¡°So, you¡¯re not really an elf then?¡± he asked. ¡°No, I¡¯m human. All Travelers are,¡± I answered, bemused at the direction of the conversation. ¡°Hmm, that does explain quite a bit, actually,¡± he muttered to himself. In a louder voice he asked, ¡°So why did you choose to be an elf then? And what kind of elf are you exactly? A mix, if I¡¯m not mistaken?¡± ¡°I¡¯m half Dark Elf and half Wood Elf. I chose them to try and get their passives. Fortunately, I got lucky and have both of them,¡± I explained. ¡°Ah, I see,¡± the man said as understanding dawned on him, ¡°Keen Senses and Nightvision. Clever. I think I¡¯m jealous.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but grin at the compliment. Though it was weird talking about it with the guy, I felt like I was revealing secret mechanics or something about how the world works. Although I supposed it wasn¡¯t too much different than explaining physics or gravity to someone, come to think of it. ¡°So, what next?¡± I finally asked the man still cloaked in shadow. He paused for a moment and I got the impression he was uncomfortable before he said, ¡°First, can you make it so that you come back to life here at this Shrine to Miris?¡± Since I had no idea, I looked over at the statue depicting the goddess and tried a bunch of different likely mental commands. On the verge of giving up, I glanced at the altar and realized that it was most likely to be the necessary focal point instead. When I tried Bind I finally got a prompt.
Notification: Bind Point Adjustment
Would you like to set this as your Bind Point? If you are killed you will return to life here one time. Subsequent deaths will result in your return to your patron¡¯s closest temple.
With a grunt at the new information I accepted with another command and relayed the description to the hooded man. He nodded slowly but didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Alright, so what did you need me to do?¡± I asked him. He didn¡¯t say anything for a moment then he nodded and in a heavy voice said, ¡°I need you to die.¡± It took a moment for the words to fully register. And that¡¯s when two things happened: I realized he wasn¡¯t nodding at me and I felt a sharp and intense pain in the back of my neck. Then I felt nothing at all and saw the floor rushing up at me as everything faded into darkness. The only thing visible was the messages at the bottom right of my vision. Unknown uses Sneak Attack on you! You take 100 damage from Unknown! You died! Chapter 6 What seemed like a moment later the darkness was replaced by a brilliant off-white light. It faded and I could see clearly again. To my surprise, I stood in exactly the same spot as before and the man in black was still in front of me. Abruptly remembering the direction of the attack, I spun around and saw who had killed me. He was a bald man with a craggy face, somewhere in his thirties if I had to guess, and he had so many scars it looked like he regularly bathed in a pile of daggers. He had a bored expression on his face. It was probably the single most terrifying expression I could think of seeing on someone who had just committed murder in cold blood. Not wanting anything to do with that, but still wanting to vent my righteous wrath on something, I turned back to the cloaked man. ¡°What the hell, man!?¡± I practically shouted at him. Whatever I was expecting his reaction to be, it definitely wasn¡¯t the relieved sigh he gave off as if a weight had lifted from his shoulders. My anger was further diffused when he pulled back his hood for the first time and the shadows that had seemed to cling to his face receded. He had short-cropped salt and pepper hair with a neatly trimmed goatee. Lines and wrinkles marked hard experience on his weathered face. Piercing green eyes similar in color to my own looked back at me from amidst a sad expression. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, James.¡± The man said softly. He did sound sincere as he continued, ¡°I had to be sure you were really a Traveler. In my line of work, more than just my life is at stake.¡± I wanted to rage at him for the injustice of it all, or at the loss of progress at least, but a couple messages I had missed at the bottom of my vision caught my eye. You have been restored to life at your Bind Point. As you are under level 4, you are immune to any Death Penalty. The last of my anger drained away and I just sighed. I could understand the caution and even the need for it. But I was still left with a ton of unanswered questions. ¡°Alright, fine,¡± I muttered as graciously as I could. ¡°But what exactly is your line of work?¡± The man in black laughed and responded, ¡°A fair question and one I will answer shortly. But first, perhaps I should introduce myself? My name is Marcus.¡± As Marcus and I had talked the other man had moved around to face us both, much to my secret relief. Marcus nodded towards the other man and told me, ¡°That¡¯s Aaron.¡± Aaron appeared annoyed that Marcus had given out his name and gave him a look that would have had me scrambling. I scratched the back of my neck, remembering what the scarred man was capable of. Marcus seemed completely unconcerned bit it, however. ¡°As to your question,¡± Marcus went on, ¡°I am the Guildmaster of the Shadow Fangs. And I would like to formally extend to you an invitation to join us. No more tricks, no more traps, no more daggers in the back. If you accept you¡¯ll be one of us and all that it entails.¡±
Notification: Guild InvitationThe narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
You have been invited to join the Shadow Fangs, an underground organization and a part of the Thieves Guild based in the capital city of Eston.
Accept Invitation? Yes/No
There were so many different things I wanted to ask I didn¡¯t even know where to start. But in the end I knew it wouldn¡¯t change my decision. It was a matter of trust. Not in the mysterious men in front of me or their mostly unknown Guild but in the goddess that placed me in their hands. I had to believe that Miris had a reason for putting me here. I only hoped it was more than just having a really deadly room full of traps. Before I could change my mind, I accepted the invite. Marcus spread his arms out with a smile and said, ¡°Welcome to the family.¡± Aaron even gave me a friendly nod and I was relieved to see the sign of humanity from the taciturn killer. Marcus went on, ¡°I¡¯m sure you have lots of questions and are eager to get started but you¡¯ve had a long day already so I¡¯ll show you to your room first.¡± A yawn escaped me as I was about to object so I just nodded instead and followed the two out of the room. Before leaving I remembered to Bind to the altar again, however. The corridor was nothing like the rough stone I¡¯d remembered from the Hall of Traps. It looked like the walls were some kind of off-white plaster and the floor and ceiling was made of polished wood boards. ¡°Oh, one more thing,¡± Marcus said over his shoulder as we walked through the corridor, around a corner, and up a set of stairs, ¡°Don¡¯t use our real names unless you¡¯re sure we¡¯re in private. You can just call me Guildmaster, or Sparrow, or whatever you want, really.¡± Marcus nodded towards Aaron, ¡°He¡¯s¡­ Well, I¡¯ll let you decide.¡± Aaron gave Marcus a dirty look that seemed to bounce off of him. ¡°Alright. Bob and Joe it is,¡± I said looking at Marcus and Aaron. I really hated making up names and I was too tired to even make an attempt. Suddenly a bed sounded pretty good right about now. Marcus just laughed and Aaron had a surprised look then rolled his eyes. We walked up another flight of stairs and ended up in front of a plain wooden door painted to match the walls with a brass plaque and the number nine painted on it. ¡°This is your room. We don¡¯t have locks, because we can all pick them anyways, but nobody will steal your stuff. You¡¯re free to go where-ever you like but please stay out of other people¡¯s rooms unless invited, that¡¯s all the top floors of the compound,¡± Marcus listed as if he¡¯d said it countless times before. Then he paused in thought for a moment and went on, ¡°Tomorrow me and¡­ Joe have to deal with a counterfeiting problem the Guild has been having. Seems our own experts have mysteriously disappeared to go along with an influx of fake gold recently. Anyways, it means I¡¯ll be a bit busy in the morning, but I should be around to get your training started after that. I¡¯d just recommend not spending any skill points until we go over it tomorrow.¡± Aaron gave Marcus a dirty look and I tried not to smile. But then I remembered my ring and pulled it off my finger. I held it out to the two and asked, ¡°Would this help with the problem?¡± Marcus reached out as if to handle the ring but an invisible force seemed to push his fingers back, much to my amusement. He didn¡¯t seem surprised though and they both made noises of interest after they had inspected the ring. Marcus said, ¡°You are just full of surprises, aren¡¯t you? That would definitely help save us some time. I¡¯ll come find you in the morning. But for now, get some rest.¡± The two both gave me a nod and left without another word. I opened the door to my room and was amazed by the size of it. A large, comfortable looking bed took up the far left corner complete with sheets and a fluffy white bedspread. The furniture was pretty simple but obviously well made out of polished and stained wood. There was a simple bedside table, a dresser next to it, and a desk under the window sill next to that with a chair. A couple closed doors on the right wall revealed themselves to be a closet and a bathroom. It was all very clean, very well-made, and mostly empty. I figured I was supposed to provide my own decorations and furnishings and whatnot. Or maybe steal them. The thought brought a smile to my face. It had been a very long day but I¡¯d made it through a deadly challenge and joined a Thieves Guild. I couldn¡¯t wait to see what the future had in store. I began to strip off one of my leather gloves when I realized there might be a better way. Unequip. It wasn¡¯t long until I was able to collapse into the bed that was as comfortable as it looked and a dreamless sleep claimed me. Chapter 7 A sound like a babbling brook woke me up and I sleepily reached a hand out to turn off the stupid alarm. The thing only made authentic sounds of nature and my ex-girlfriend made me get it, claiming it was better for my health or something. When my hand slapped down to the sting of solid wood on the bedside table I woke up fully and remembered where I was. Novarra. A brand new world. So real, so authentic, that at times I couldn¡¯t even tell the difference, awake or asleep. It made me excited to get up and see what else it had to offer. A quick thought was all it took to re-equip all my armor and I noticed that the sound I¡¯d woken up to was actually the noise of people outside. Not in the hall, but somewhere outside the window hung with heavy drapes just over my desk. I carefully pushed them aside, mindful of the fact that I was now in a Thieves Guild stronghold and should probably keep a low profile. At the street level was a crowd of people passing back and forth along a cobblestone street. The occasional pack animal, cart, or rider passed but most of the traffic was pedestrian. I noticed, even from the third floor, the sheer variety of people around. A group of dwarves were jostling each other in a good-natured manner as they exited the Inn across the street. A dusky-skinned elf with almost white hair was having an animated conversation with a lighter-skinned elf with flaming red hair, both of them not paying any attention to where they were going but nevertheless navigating the crowd adroitly. I even spotted a very short person on an enormous white horse with enough lace at his collar and cuffs to make me sure he was a nobleman of some kind. I was eager to get out into the world myself, but I found that I had a much more basic need to sate that I wasn¡¯t expecting and I turned to the bathroom. Inside was a simple polished copper tub and a toilet made of the same material. Curious, I looked at the tub and around it. It didn¡¯t seem to be connected to anything but there were two handles, clearly for hot and cold water with a red and blue stripe on them. I turned on the hot water and it poured out in a steaming stream immediately. It was a magical bathtub. When I turned off the water it went down the drain to¡­nowhere I could track. As cool as the bathtub was I still had to take care of my business so that¡¯s what I did. There was no handle or anything on the copper toilet, which gave me pause, but in the end it seemed it all disappeared without even the need for water. Magic even seemed to take care of cleanup too which was a weird feeling, to say the least, but made things easier. Slightly disturbed but nevertheless impressed, I left my spartan room. Though I was mindful of the top floor being residential spaces and off limits, I figured I could start my exploration on the second floor and work my way down. The building was surprisingly large but much longer than it was wide. There were a variety of training rooms on the second floor. The first I stepped into had targets spread out over the area, surprisingly accurate replicas of people of different races and sizes. Each was outfitted differently, some had plate armor, some leather armor, and some even just had jewelry which I assumed was magical. In each case there were clear markings and indicators of weak spots. When I passed the doorway and went further into the room I felt my steps lighten as if I was standing on something. I looked down but didn¡¯t see anything besides the same polished wooden floor of the rest of the building. Except my improved eyes noticed that I was actually standing an inch above it. A jump up and down confirmed my theory. Magical padding, awesome. Other training rooms were similar but had targets that must have resembled monsters in the world. A few rooms had obstacle courses which looked challenging but not particularly dangerous. There was even a small library filled with tomes of various sizes.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Almost none of the places I saw were empty. People of all sorts walked the halls and practiced throughout the building. None spoke to me for any length of time but I did get some friendly nods and even a smile or two. Most were wearing leather armor of some kind but all had the same black cloak that I had first seen Marcus wearing. When I got to the first floor it seemed a lot smaller than the two above it and it took me a little while to figure out why. The whole side of the building facing the street seemed to be walled off entirely. There were still quite a few rooms on the floor though, including some laboratories that seemed to be for potion or poison making. The pungent smells coming from them kept me from checking them out too closely. There was only one exit, near the staircase at the center of the building. More stairs led into a basement of some kind but I suspected the Hall of Traps was down there and I wanted to see the outside world for once. When I left the small foyer I found myself on an empty street surrounded by small one story houses. Confused, I looked around but saw no signs of life, just the tiny cobblestone street heading straight away from the Guild and through the densely packed houses, curving off to the left. I headed down the street and quickly came to a tight intersection with the street forking off in two directions. On neither side did I see anyone living. I went over to one of the houses and was about to knock before I changed my mind and checked the handle instead. It was unlocked. Spooked in spite of myself, I cautiously entered the house after checking to see that nobody was around yet again. The interior was what you might expect out of a tiny hovel in a medieval environment. There were some basic pieces of furniture. Nothing as nice as what I had in my new room, though. It seemed empty, and there were no signs of recent habitation, as if it had been abandoned long ago. A chest on a small shelf was the only thing of interest in the small house. Checking my surroundings yet again and coming up empty, I shrugged and reached for the chest. It was locked. With a grin, I pulled out a lockpick and my tension wrench and got to work. I quickly learned two things: locks are much better made on Novarra and picks are much more brittle. The one in my hand snapped almost immediately which shocked the hell out of me. It seemed that I wouldn¡¯t be lifting all the pins in the lock by jamming around the pick blindly like you could often do with laser-etched steel. It took me a while to get the hang of the delicate picks though I did manage to finally open the chest with a faint click using my last pick. Eagerly, I opened the chest to see what I¡¯d scored. The only contents of the small chest was a pile of lockpicks. My mind froze for a second until it all clicked at once. I was still on Shadow Fangs grounds. This whole street must just be for training. I grabbed a handful of picks but left the rest alone and put them in my pouch. Turning to leave, I stopped and looked at the chest. Surely, there must be a way to re-lock the thing, so I searched for a key. It ended up being underneath the chest, which of course I found out after looking through the entirety of the room several times over. With a sigh I locked the lid, replaced the key, and left the house. I was curious how far the Shadow Fangs training ground went on for but I couldn¡¯t see much on the narrow street. I¡¯d need a higher vantage point to get a good look. Climbing the side of a building is not as easy as it sounds. I tried to jump up to the flat rooftop of the house I¡¯d just left at first but my grip slipped and I fell on my tailbone rather painfully. Thankful for once that the street was deserted, I spotted a window in the side of a building just a couple houses down. Using that as leverage, I was finally able to get to the rooftops and check out my surroundings. It turned out the building that had the room I was assigned to was only one of four and they all surrounded and penned in an artificial warren of city streets. It looked to be the size of an entire city block. I was amazed at the sheer scale of the Guild Hall for the Shadow Fangs. My thoughts were interrupted by a sound coming from behind me and I spun to see what it was. A figure in black leaped up onto the roof nearby. Chapter 8 ¡°There you are,¡± Marcus said as he removed the hood from his cloak, the shadows falling away from his face as he did so. It was kind of a cool effect. ¡°Definitely didn¡¯t expect you to go climbing onto roofs as soon as you woke up, I¡¯ve been looking everywhere for you,¡± Marcus said with a hint of exasperation. Before I could apologize he went on, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go. We need to get you a few things first, then we can look into that counterfeiting thing.¡± He turned and leaped off the edge of the roof like it was nothing. While I thought it looked awesome I was definitely not about to try that myself and carefully lowered myself down after him. Surprisingly, I managed not to stumble or otherwise fall in the process, maybe because of my high Agility. We walked through the streets to a different building, the eastern one, if the sun rising over the top of it was any clue. I took a moment to retrace my steps and figured out I was staying in the northern one. Marcus led me into the foyer but turned aside at the stairs and we went over to a large space that took up an entire half of the floor. There were all kinds of things in the room, most on tables and stands scattered around the pillars holding up the ceiling. We walked past it all without stopping and towards a large counter at the back. Aaron was there talking to a dwarf standing behind the counter. When Marcus and I approached the dwarf turned to me and said, ¡°Ah, hello there James. I¡¯m Bert, nice to meet you. Welcome to the Shadow Fangs. I¡¯ve got some stuff here you¡¯ll want to put on before you leave.¡± He pushed over a small pile on the counter. There was a simple silver chain and some kind of glowing ball on a black cloak. The sphere drew my eye immediately. It was obviously magic and seemed to shift in color from bright orange to purple in a pearlescent effect that even my enhanced eyes couldn¡¯t pin down. Curious as to what it was, I belatedly remembered to Inspect it.
Name Orb of Learning (Suppression)
Grade Uncommon
Effect Learn the Suppression skill.
Description Created by a Master of a particular skill with the assistance of a Master Enchanter, these orbs contain the kernel of knowledge required to obtain the first level of a skill. Certain skills can only be obtained through these orbs, or by the gods themselves.
Value 430g - 475g
¡°What¡¯s Suppression?¡± I asked as soon as I saw it. Marcus nodded to Aaron who gave him the stink-eye in return for some reason. Then I saw names and numbers appear above both Marcus¡¯ and Aaron¡¯s heads. It said Bob - 4 above Marcus and Joe - 6 above Aaron. I would have laughed if I hadn¡¯t been so shocked. But the little demonstration told me a few things: people had names above their heads, they could be hidden, and they could be changed. Evidently my new Guild made it a habit to hide them because I had yet to see anyone else outside of Miris with a name, and nobody with a level. Since I assumed Suppression was the key to at least some of that I turned my attention back to the orb. ¡°Alright, how do I use it?¡± I asked. Aaron turned to me and said, ¡°It¡¯s a suppository.¡± I looked at the walnut-sized orb in my hand with horror. Surely they wouldn¡¯t have- My thoughts came to a halt as I caught sight of Aaron¡¯s smirk. Cheeky bastard. It was probably the same as every other thing in Novarra, something I should really have picked up on by now. It ended up being as easy as Use. As soon as I gave the mental command the orb disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving a strangely pleasant scent behind. But I didn¡¯t feel any different so I checked my Character Sheet.
Name James
Race Half Dark Elf / Half Wood Elf
Level 2
Experience 1000/2000
Health 100/100
Mana 100/100
Stats
Strength 5
AgilityThis tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. 17
Endurance 10
Intelligence 10
Wisdom 10
Skills
Arcane Magic Level 19 (100%) [Novice]
Dark Magic Level 1 (0%) [Novice]
Lockpicking Level 2 (22%) [Novice]
Suppression Level 1 (0%) [Novice]
Traps Level 19 (100%) [Novice]
Unspent Points
Attribute 1
Skill 1
Spells
Mage Sight Rank X (100%) [Arcane - Novice]
Mana Bolt Rank III (23%) [Arcane - Novice]
Curse of Blindness Rank I (0%) [Dark - Novice]
Embrace the Darkness Rank I (0%) [Dark - Novice]
Passive Abilities
Keen Senses [Racial - Wood Elf]
Nightvision [Racial - Dark Elf]
Active Abilities
Suppress Information [Suppression]
I was surprised to see Arcane Magic and Traps so high but after my ordeal in Miris¡¯ palace with the Mage Sight spell and then the Master trap room I supposed it wasn¡¯t surprising. What was surprising, however, was that they seemed to be stuck at level nineteen even though it said one hundred percent complete. I had a theory but asked anyways, ¡°Why are my Arcane Magic and Traps skills stuck at level nineteen?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll need to spend a skill point every twenty levels to keep training a skill into the next tier,¡± Marcus confirmed my theory, ¡°And you¡¯ll be able to choose a skill morph, if there¡¯s more than one for the skill and the tier. I would save your current skill point for Suppression, though, the first morph is pretty handy.¡± I was curious what a skill morph was but decided I¡¯d find out soon enough. The Suppress Information ability didn¡¯t seem to have any obvious way of activating it. When I focused on the ability with my skill sheet open, however, a description popped up in my view.
Ability Description: Suppress Information
Normally, your name and character level is visible in the space above your head. This ability hides that information entirely from anyone with an equal or lower character level and a lower Perception skill level than your Suppression skill level. (Command: Suppress. Duration: 5 minutes.)
It took me a few moments to process the description but then I shrugged and tried Suppress. Nothing seemed to happen. Then I figured I probably wouldn¡¯t even notice if it was working anyways. ¡°If I¡¯m reading this right, this skill will only work for me on people who are level one with no skill in Perception at all?¡± I asked. Marcus nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s a real pain to level at first since you only get progress if it works on somebody. The necklace will help with that though.¡± ¡°Even farmers and merchants get curious so having the Perception skill, at least at a Novice level, is very common. Usually people have to hang out for a while around children,¡± Aaron added, ¡°Or, you know, people like you.¡± I did not miss the implication that went along with Aaron¡¯s smirk but chose to manfully ignore it. Instead I looked at the necklace and cloak and Inspected them.
Name Chain of the Shadow Fangs
Grade Rare (Soulbound)
Effect +10 to effective Suppression skill level
Description This silver chain has a small pendant in the shape of two snake¡¯s fangs and is the symbol of the Shadow Fangs Guild. Many of the security enchantments of the Guild compound are keyed to these pieces of jewelry as well.
Name Cloak of the Shadow Fangs
Grade Rare (Soulbound)
Effect Obscures facial features in shadow when the hood is up.
Description This cloak is well known in certain circles for identifying members of the Shadow Fangs. However, due to the shadows that cling to the face of whoever is wearing such a cloak, often their Guild is the only recognizable thing about them.
Those were just plain awesome and I immediately equipped them. A massive grin broke out on my face as I flipped up the hood and checked out the new cloak that had appeared where my old gray one was a moment before. I was still curious about something though and asked, ¡°So if Suppression hides the information completely, what changes it?¡± ¡°That would be Deception. Works the same way against Perception and character level but it can¡¯t be raised any higher than your Suppression level,¡± Aaron said. ¡°Ah, okay. Thanks, Joe,¡± I said to Aaron. ¡°Call me the Right Fang,¡± he said. I coughed to cover up a laugh and kept my hand covering my mouth to restrain myself. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± the grizzled killer asked. Though I managed to contain my laughter I failed to hold back what I really thought, ¡°That¡¯s a dorky name.¡± He looked at me like I just said I took dancing lessons with dragons. Bert looked at me like I was about to die. Marcus just laughed and then he turned to the dwarf and said, ¡°Bert, show him the bars.¡± Chapter 9 Aaron was giving me a dangerous look but I was distracted by what Bert had started plopping down in front of him. Three dull impact sounds heralded the arrival of large gold bars on the wooden counter as Bert carelessly tossed them out between us. I¡¯d never seen so much gold in my life but I wasn¡¯t quite sure why I was supposed to see them in the first place. Then I remembered the counterfeiting job and Inspected each bar.
Name Gold Bar
Grade Uncommon
Description A standard gold bar, typically used in place of one hundred coins and containing the same amount of gold by weight.
Value 98g - 101g
Name Gold Bar
Grade Uncommon
Description A standard gold bar, typically used in place of one hundred coins and containing the same amount of gold by weight.
Value 10g - 18g
Name Gold Bar
Grade Uncommon
Description A standard gold bar, typically used in place of one hundred coins and containing the same amount of gold by weight.
Value 98g - 101g
As Marcus turned to me and opened his mouth I pointed at the middle bar and said, ¡°That¡¯s the fake.¡± Marcus snapped his mouth closed and looked at Bert who gave him a look of surprise and a nod. ¡°Excellent. Thanks Bert,¡± Marcus said, ¡°Let¡¯s get moving then.¡± Without further ado we walked out of the building and back into the training streets of the courtyard. Instead of walking down the road and between the small houses though, the other two led the way in between the main building and the first house, a little alley that I had completely missed before. We then turned the corner and walked between the very small gap between the large three story buildings at the corner of the block. Aaron walked out in front and Marcus followed behind, turning his head back over his shoulder to tell me, ¡°All four exits to the compound are warded and our chains are the keys to getting in, so don¡¯t forget to have it equipped when you come back. It¡¯s not pretty otherwise.¡± When we emerged from the narrow, dark passageway we ended up behind a merchant¡¯s stall of some sort. It made sense that the entrance would at least be a little hidden, even if it was warded. We moved around a few of the stalls and onto the busy street but the merchants didn¡¯t even glance at us. I couldn¡¯t help but check out the building we¡¯d just left to see what was out front. It seemed like a series of perfectly normal shops. What looked like a bakery was next to a shop full of herbs and a flower shop, of all things. Marcus saw where I was looking and said, ¡°We rent out the bottom floor to people we trust. They¡¯re all legitimate businesses though and we don¡¯t interfere unless asked. The second and third floors are enchanted to keep people from noticing them too much.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Interested in the enchantment on the Guild buildings, I turned around to Marcus and lost my train of thought at the sight behind him. It was a massive open air market with people swarming the area. If I thought the street I had seen earlier from my window was crowded, than this was packed. To my surprise, we headed straight into the market. Our black cloaks and shadowy hoods definitely drew the eye and more than a little suspicion. At first, many of the merchants actually gave nods of respect to us as we passed but after a while of walking through the huge market that changed to looks of suspicion. More than a few passerby walked over as if to start trouble but as soon as Aaron drew down his hood they quickly changed course again. There were also plenty of guards around the place but they seemed to be pretending that the three of us didn¡¯t exist. The incredible variety of the market took my breath away. Not only were there dwarves, elves, gnomes, and all the other races but there seemed to be every type of product imaginable for sale. It was pure chaos and I had absolutely no idea how anyone could find anything in this place let alone get anything done. Having access to the internet and next-day delivery had done more than a little to spoil me, apparently. We emerged from the bedlam after a time and the other two turned to me. Marcus said, ¡°Make sure to activate your Suppression again and we¡¯ll go back through.¡± Confused, I nevertheless did as he said but I must have made some noise to give myself away because he laughed and explained, ¡°This is training for you. Check your Suppression level.¡± I did and was shocked to see that I was already level fourteen. Understanding dawned as I looked back at the massive crowd of people, and all the eyes we had attracted on our walk through the crowds. By the time I got back to the Guild Hall I could probably use my first skill point. Aaron led the way again through the crowds. This time he just kept his hood down which conveniently cleared a path for us and kept anyone from approaching. It was a much faster trip through the area this time but we didn¡¯t take the same route and ended up going north a bit. After we cleared the busy marketplace we headed down a main street for a while before entering a shop with a painted gold necklace on the sign out front. Aaron had put his hood back up and let Marcus take the lead into the shop. The owner was holding out a piece of jewelry for a young couple to inspect but upon seeing us she hastily finished with the customers and ushered them out. She locked the door and turned back to meet with us as soon as they had gone. The woman¡¯s name was Debra according to what was shown above her head, which I had to remind myself may or may not be her real name. She looked a bit nervous but not overly so, especially not seeing as how there were three members of the Thieves Guild in her jewelry shop. Since we all had our hoods up she looked to be at a bit of a loss as to whom to address, but when Marcus showed his face she turned to him immediately and said, ¡°How can I help you, Guildmaster?¡± ¡°I need to see the bars you have ready for the payment today,¡± he said without preamble in a neutral tone. She nodded once and disappeared into the back room. My first thought was that if she was going to do anything it would be now but the other two didn¡¯t move so much as a muscle. It wasn¡¯t long until she came back with a small crate. She set it down on a counter near us and took a step back without saying anything. Figuring it was my time to go to work, I stepped over to the crate and Inspected each of the ten bars. All of them showed the right value and looked to be legitimate so I said, ¡°All good.¡± Since I wouldn¡¯t have had much time to do more than take a glance at the bars Debra looked shocked but didn¡¯t say anything. Aaron moved to leave and Marcus thanked the woman then we followed Aaron out the door. I was more than a little curious about who that was and what the bars were for but I didn¡¯t want to ask about Guild secrets in public. It could wait until we got back to the base. We visited three more jewelry shops, all in the nearby area, and all but the last with the same results. I was beginning to think we weren¡¯t going to find any evidence of counterfeiting and even started to doubt the ability of the ring Miris had given me. The last shop was the smallest of all the ones we had visited, it was located almost directly south of the large market, and Marcus told me it was our last stop. The owner was named Westin and he smiled at us when we entered. When Marcus revealed his face the smile slipped for a moment before he could catch himself. However he didn¡¯t waste any time greeting us and said, ¡°Welcome, welcome, Guildmaster. What can I help you with?¡± Marcus asked to see the bars again and a similar process to the previous shops played out with a crate full of gold bars set on the counter. When I checked them out, however, it was clear that they were all fake. I turned to Marcus and just shook my head, the change in our routine enough to tell him the truth. Aaron was nowhere in sight but Marcus just looked at the shop owner sadly and asked, ¡°Why? After all we¡¯ve done for you Westin?¡± Westin¡¯s face drained of all color and I thought he might actually faint. He closed his eyes briefly and when he opened them again they were empty of life. In almost a whisper he said, ¡°Please. End it quickly.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if you deserve it, but you shall have it,¡± Marcus said and nodded. Just then Aaron appeared behind the shop owner and in a move I was intimately familiar with, stabbed him in the back of the neck, killing him instantly. Marcus sighed and shook his head. He looked down at the floor for a moment before he turned to me and said, ¡°Take what you want but leave the bars. And be quick.¡± I was standing in the middle of a jewelry shop and just told that I could loot it to my heart¡¯s content. In any other circumstance I would be overjoyed but the cooling body on the floor, the smell of feces and fresh death, and the all too real sensations that came along with witnessing the murder in front of me sapped whatever pleasure could be found in it. Still, the man had clearly known what he was getting into based on his reaction and I had a job to do and so I got to it. Without pausing to really look at anything other than to see it was all just plain jewelry of various precious metals and gemstones, I shoved anything worth more than a gold into my bag. While I mindlessly looted the store I saw Aaron bending down over the corpse. His dagger was still out and he leaned over and stretched out the man¡¯s thumb. Bile rose in my throat as I thought he was going to cut it off but instead he scraped at the area between thumb and forefinger and flakes of skin fell off revealing a crescent tattoo. ¡°Razor Moons,¡± he muttered. Marcus cursed and started stalking back and forth in the middle of the room. I quickly finished looting the store but hadn¡¯t touched the body. As much as it pains me to admit it, I¡¯m not sure I had the heart to. When I returned to the center of the room and nodded at Marcus he pulled out a small metal cylinder. It looked to be about the size of a short tennis ball bottle but made of two sections and painted red. He twisted the thing sharply and I could clearly hear a snap from within the contraption. It emitted a low humming noise that was quickly rising in pitch and volume. All kinds of instincts were telling me to get moving and as that¡¯s exactly what the other two were doing we all made haste for the exit. Shortly after we left the building I turned to look but Aaron pulled me forward without stopping. A loud blast and a shockwave nearly knocked me over. We kept moving but I looked over my shoulder and saw that the shop was engulfed in roaring flames. Nobody said a word as we made our way back to the compound. Chapter 10 Marcus, Aaron, and I sat in a lounge located on the first floor of the southern building. It was decadently comfortable, just my sort of place with dark stained wooden walls and plush seating everywhere. There was a table with some kind of game and even a full bar. A few people had been in the room at first but soon cleared out when they caught on to the mood of their Guildmaster. The three of us had drinks in hand and I sipped on a whiskey in a fine crystal glass. It had no ice but for once I didn¡¯t care. My thoughts were miles away and the other two were silent as well. It wasn¡¯t the murder that was bothering me now so much as the entire shift of my expectations. I¡¯d come to this world thinking of playing around, killing some stuff, finding some cool loot, and generally just having fun. The mechanics with the mental commands and the character progression made it all feel like a game but so far I¡¯d felt like I was just living my life more than anything. It made me wonder if people were truly prepared for the realism that Novarra offered when they came here as ¡®Travelers¡¯. I strongly suspected that most would come for the adventuring and, if they chose to stay at all, many would end up in the more mundane and everyday aspects of life. Choosing to be a merchant or a baker or a musician wouldn¡¯t seem so strange to people once they saw the teeming market just outside or smelled the scent of fresh bread or heard an instrument no one had ever heard before. My thoughts were drawn back to the present when Marcus finally said, ¡°So, it seems the Razor Moons are making a move.¡± Aaron nodded but since I had no idea who the Razor Moons were or what that implied I stayed silent and waited. There was still too much I didn¡¯t know. At least the whiskey was good. ¡°Sorry James, I should explain what happened today,¡± Marcus went on, turning to look at me in his seat, ¡°Publicly, the Thieves Guild is a single entity and stands united. In fact, there are six separate Guilds that make up what is known as the Thieves Guild. We are one of those, obviously, and our territory here in the City of Towers is the western half of the Market District along with a small piece of the adjacent West District. The east half of the Market District and a small part of the slums in the East District is run by the Razor Moons.¡± I nodded when he paused to show I was following and he continued, ¡°Things are¡­ tense between us at the best of times but any overt moves will draw the ire of the other Guilds, if only to preserve the balance. What we were doing today was checking on a problem that was recently brought to my attention by the City Guard.¡± The shock must have shown on my face because he laughed a bit. Then he went on, ¡°You see, it would be impossible to operate as freely as we do in the market, and elsewhere, without the Guard catching on. Fortunately for us, the Guard is incredibly corrupt as a whole. We regularly bribe them with sizable payments to look the other way when it comes to all of our activities, with the understanding that we will be as discreet as possible and handle our problems internally.¡± Marcus sighed and drank from his glass. He looked into it as if for answers but didn¡¯t seem to find any. Then he looked back at me and said, ¡°I received word that a part of our last ¡®payment¡¯ to the Guard contained counterfeit bars. Rather than retaliating immediately, the Captain instead let me know about it privately because we, and by we I mean the Shadow Fangs, have made our payments regularly for some time. The Guards may be corrupt but they are not blind, they¡¯re one of the few factions in the city who know about the divided nature of the Thieves Guild and so each of us pay them separately.¡± ¡°The Razor Moons, however, have lately been making violent inroads into parts of the market that aren¡¯t theirs. They were never exactly known for subtlety before but now they¡¯ve gone too far and the Guard has been forced to act against them,¡± Marcus explained, ¡°It looks like the Moons have now decided to undermine us with the Guards to divert attention away from them. Thankfully, we managed to find the source of the problem, but we¡¯ll still be paying a very large sum to make up for the fake bars that got passed off and it damaged our credibility.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Marcus rested his glass on the arm of his chair for a moment and drummed his fingers along it, obviously deep in thought. He seemed to emerge from his fugue after a couple of minutes and addressed me again, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about the Razor Moons just yet. I have plans that I¡¯ll need your help with. But first, I want Aaron to take over your training and make sure you¡¯re prepared for it and whatever comes next.¡± Aaron looked over to Marcus with an expression that looked as shocked as I felt. The taciturn man¡¯s face soon cleared, though, and he said to me, ¡°Sell off the jewelry to Bert first but don¡¯t buy any Orbs yet. Meet me in the north building when you¡¯re done.¡± With that said, he drained the dregs in his glass and walked off without another word. Marcus still seemed a bit lost in thought so I finished my whiskey and made my way over to Bert¡¯s shop in silence. When I got to the counter the dwarf asked, ¡°What¡¯ve you got fer me?¡± I began pulling out the jewelry I¡¯d stolen from the store. There was quite a bit more than I¡¯d realized. Gold, silver, diamonds, pearls, emeralds, rubies, and sapphires glittered up from the mound of treasure on the table when I was done. ¡°Well damn, what¡¯d you do, rob an entire jewelry store?¡± Bert asked with a laugh. ¡°Yeah¡­ I guess I did,¡± I said softly. The bald dwarf seemed to pick up on my mood and sorted the items quietly. After a while he whistled and said, ¡°That¡¯s worth more than the coin I have on hand. The total comes out to 6,220 gold. I can give you a thousand of that and store credit for the rest or a bank note if you¡¯d rather.¡± My eyebrows rose at the amount. ¡°The thousand gold and credit is fine for now,¡± I told him, ¡°I¡¯ve got to do some training but I¡¯ll be back after that to check out what you¡¯ve got in the way of skills.¡± He nodded amiably and pulled out a large sack from behind the counter. It landed on top of it with a loud thud and he pushed it over to me. I opened the top of it and peered inside. I¡¯d never seen so many coins before, it was like a pirate¡¯s wet dream. I wasn¡¯t entirely sure how I was going to carry it, I thought it might break my back if I tried to lift it. Then I remembered the magical pouch and started moving handfuls of coins into it, only to watch them magically disappear into thin air before hitting the bottom. The sight brought a smile to my face. Not exactly looking forward to more training, I was nevertheless curious as to what it would entail. When I got over to the north building I immediately spotted Aaron waiting patiently in the foyer. He didn¡¯t say a word just gestured for me to follow him and we made our way to one of the practice rooms with the humanoid targets. Looking around, I wondered what we would be learning first. When I turned to Aaron he was looking at my armor critically and said, ¡°That armor you¡¯re wearing is all leather. It¡¯s classified as Medium Armor but you clearly don¡¯t know how to wear it properly. We¡¯ll start by fixing that.¡± What followed was a crash course that ended with me gaining three different skills: Medium Armor, Dodge, and Daggers. Aaron was a brusque tutor but very patient and incredibly knowledgeable. He gave me a wealth of information, some seemed like common sense but most was totally new to me. As the pop-ups came up for learning the different skills I set them aside as fast as I could in order to concentrate on what he was telling me. Eventually, he stopped the flood of information and asked, ¡°What are the levels at now?¡± To my surprise, all three were at ten exactly and I told him so. ¡°In each skill tier, at least for Novice, Apprentice, and Journeyman, you can be taught the first ten levels of the skill by someone who is at least two tiers higher than you,¡± Aaron explained, ¡°So, a Journeyman can teach Novices, an Expert can teach Apprentices, and it requires a Master to teach Journeymen.¡± ¡°Interesting,¡± I said, ¡°So how do you go beyond level ten?¡± ¡°Practice,¡± he said and drew his knife, ¡°We¡¯ll start with your Medium Armor and Dodge.¡± Then he grinned and I got a very bad feeling. ¡°So,¡± he said, ¡°What were you saying about my nickname again?¡± Chapter 11 The hallway seemed longer than it had hours earlier as I trudged along wearily. On my way I received looks of shock and concern from my other Guild members and one even attempted to heal me, thinking I was in critical condition. My leather armor was barely still attached to my body and it was so full of holes it was more empty space than covering. The surface was coated in blood, mine of course, and it looked like I had been on the bad end of an encounter in a horror movie. Messages in the bottom right of my vision were only now starting to fade. You take 1 damage from Aaron! You take 2 damage from Aaron! You take 1 damage from Aaron! Elwyn casts Minor Heal on you! Elwyn heals you for 20 health! You take 1 damage from Aaron! You take 1 damage from Aaron! It was a very long list but most of it had faded hours ago. Despite the malicious gleam in his eye, Aaron had known exactly what he was doing and went to work with clinical precision. He asked another Guild member, a high elf named Elwyn who knew Life Magic, to heal me and then he started poking me with his dagger while I tried to dodge. Elwyn¡¯s spell could only be cast every twenty seconds at most and it was barely enough to keep up with the poking and prodding Aaron subjected me to. He did at least explain that raising armor skills was about taking damage while wearing the armor but while you received a little more for extra damage taken it wasn¡¯t nearly as efficient for raising the skill levels. Though I suppose I should have been grateful for essentially being power-leveled to my current maximum level for both Dodge and Medium Armor, the aches and pains of being constantly stabbed was dampening the mood. It didn¡¯t physically hurt so much, not after the healing I received from Elwyn, but the constant psychological onslaught took its toll. Now that I knew what a death by a thousand cuts felt like, I was absolutely sure I never wanted to feel it again. With a sigh I looked down at my ruined armor. While I wanted to fall face first into my bed and pass out or maybe knock back a few glasses in the lounge right away, I looked and felt like I had taken a dive into a wood chipper. I really needed new armor so I gathered my resolve and headed over to Bert before I did anything else. When I got to his counter he had his back turned and was working on sorting a bunch of vials of some sort. After clearing my throat he turned and stopped with a shocked expression when he caught sight of the bloody tableau that was me. Then he chuckled and waved his hand for me to follow him while saying, ¡°Armor¡¯s this way.¡± He guided me to a table filled with complete sets of leather armor. With a hand outstretched towards them he said, ¡°Take your pick, you¡¯ve got more than enough credit. Cheapest to most expensive goes from left to right.¡± Then with a smirk he asked, ¡°So, what do you think of his nickname now?¡± I just glared at him but he laughed it off and I went to look at the set of armor on the right. It seemed to be made of leather of some sort but there was a green tinge to it. Figuring all the individual pieces of the set would be similar I started by Inspecting the chest piece.
Name Chest of the Poisonmaster
Grade Epic
Effect -25% incoming damage -25% spell casting effectiveness +20% poison effectiveness +2 Agility
Description Made of leather magically infused with the blood and venom from the deadly Swamp Serpents of Forven Marsh. These ingredients are hard to obtain and require a master of poisons to handle in their own right as they are lethal even after the beast has been killed.
Value 460g - 525g
Now that was cool and I was tempted just for the Agility bonus alone but since I didn¡¯t have any knowledge of poisons whatsoever, I hesitated. The spell casting penalty concerned me as well and I asked Bert about it, ¡°What¡¯s with the spell casting effectiveness penalty?¡± ¡°Heavy and Medium Armor makes spells cost more mana, do less damage, take longer to cast, and generally just become less powerful. Typically Heavy Armor comes with a fifty percent penalty and Medium comes with a twenty-five percent penalty. The next set over is one of the exceptions if you¡¯re interested. Oh, and the incoming damage reduction doesn¡¯t stack, it only applies to whatever is protected. Only the worst spell casting effectiveness penalty is applied, and just the once, they don¡¯t stack either.¡± I nodded and thanked the dwarf and moved over to the next set, Inspecting the dark leather armor.
Name Chest of the Shadowcaster
Grade Rare
Effect -20% incoming damage -10% spell casting effectiveness +10 to effective Stealth skill level
Description The shadows themselves seem to cling to this armor as if begging to be worn or used by the wearer. A favorite of Dark Magic users, this armor is specifically crafted to facilitate the flow of mana and drastically reduces the penalty normally associated with wearing armor and casting magic.
Value 285g - 312g
Now that was something I could get behind. It had a little less protection but much better magic use ability. The Stealth skill bonus reminded me that I sorely needed to pick that one up. Turning back to Bert, I asked, ¡°Do you have an Orb for the Stealth skill? Oh, and Deception and Perception as well.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Aye, I¡¯ve got ¡®em. Go ahead and take off those scraps and put them on the counter, I¡¯ll throw them away for you,¡± Bert instructed, ¡°Then you can equip the new set and I¡¯ll give you the Orbs.¡± After I did as he said, and I had Used the three Orbs he gave me, I looked down at my newly armored self in appreciation. I thought I looked like a badass with my dark armor and black cloak. Until my eyes caught on the dagger at my waist. For the first time I actually Inspected it.
Name Basic Iron Dagger
Grade Common
Effect 1-4 (+ Agility * 0.1) base damage
Description This dagger is a staple of Apprentice Weaponsmiths who are learning their trade. This blade appears to have been made by one of middling skill.
Value 5c - 1s
Wincing, I looked at Bert and asked, ¡°Got an upgrade for this?¡± With a snort he replied, ¡°I should think so. Just toss that on the pile with the rest of the trash. No way am I selling that to any of ours.¡± He led me to another large table, this one absolutely covered in daggers of all types. Some were glowing, some had menacing appearances, some looked like they were leaking snowflakes or fire or electricity. I was blown away by the sheer assortment so I turned to Bert and asked, ¡°Any recommendations?¡± The dwarf looked surprised for only a moment then reached out and picked up an unassuming looking dagger near the middle of the table. It didn¡¯t have any special effects or other visible noteworthy features but it was obviously of much higher quality than my old dagger. He handed it to me and said, ¡°This one has been through the hands of quite a few of our top blades.¡± With a laugh he added, ¡°It also has one of my favorite names.¡± Intrigued, I took the dagger and Inspected it.
Name Studious Stabber
Grade Rare
Effect 4-8 (+ Agility * 0.5) base damage +50% skill gain for Daggers
Description Commissioned by a Master Assassin who was obsessed with perfecting her art. Nobody knows what happened to the Assassin herself but rumor has it that she passed on this blade to her apprentice when she had no more to learn from it.
Value 568g - 600g
That was certainly an improvement and I laughed aloud at the name. The only thing that made me hesitate was that I had no idea what the Daggers skill actually did. I asked Bert about it and he responded, ¡°You trained with Daggers earlier, right? Remember the delay you felt between strikes?¡± I thought back and realized that I did. It had felt like I was moving through molasses when I tried to slash at a target some of the time. Now that I looked back on it I remembered that it was only when I tried to attack immediately after another strike. It was like a mental block kept me from chaining the slashes together, like any child could do otherwise. The thought was more than mildly disturbing and I nodded at Bert to distract myself from it. ¡°The Daggers skill will decrease the time you have to wait between them. Also, the higher the level the more likely you are to spot weak points on enemies, even if you¡¯ve never seen them before,¡± Bert explained. ¡°Excellent,¡± I said and sheathed the dagger where my old one used to be. ¡°I have to pay a visit to the Brokers sometime soon, got anything I can take notes with?¡± He nodded and rummaged around at another table for a few items. Aaron had explained that I should start thinking about what class I wanted to pick. He revealed that there was a Rogue class and that he was an Assassin, a variant of the Rogue with an emphasis on weapons. When I questioned him some more I managed to, for the very first and only time, successfully dodge one of his attacks. After that he refused to tell me more and just told me to go see the Brokers. He was nice enough to at least tell me they were a Guild who specialized in the buying and selling of one thing: information. When he returned from his search he handed me a small notebook measuring no more than three inches by four. It was bound in soft leather and the pages were numbered with a small silver numeral at the bottom outside corner. I paged through them to the end, or I tried to, only it never ended. With a laugh Bert explained how it worked. Just opening the book let me start at the first page but thinking of a specific page number while opening it went straight to that page. He said it was popular with Spies and the like because you could keep information hidden and access it only if you knew the right page number. He handed me a magical pen that never ran out of ink and I guess the look in my eyes was enough to let him know that I¡¯d be taking it. I was about to head out when Bert put out a couple of Orbs and a small bracelet. ¡°These last will take up the rest of your credit. But I think you¡¯ll be interested,¡± he said with a grin, ¡°The Orb of Learning is on the house, the Guildmaster said you¡¯ll need it for your next job. He told me to ask you if you would meet him at the lounge tomorrow morning.¡±
Quest Offer: Meet the Guildmaster
Bert has relayed a message requesting your presence at a meeting with the Guildmaster of the Shadow Fangs. The meeting is to take place in the lounge located on the first floor of the southern building in the Guild¡¯s compound.
Reward: 100xp
Accept This Quest? Yes/No
Yes. Seemed like an easy one and I reached out to see what the Orb was that I would need for the job. Inspect.
Name Orb of Learning (Hand to Hand)
Grade Uncommon
Effect Learn the Hand to Hand skill.
Description Created by a Master of a particular skill with the assistance of a Master Enchanter, these orbs contain the kernel of knowledge required to obtain the first level of a skill. Certain skills can only be obtained through these orbs, or by the gods themselves.
Value 365g - 400g
Definitely not a skill I would have expected but it could be useful so I shrugged and checked out the other Orb Bert had offered.
Name Orb of Advancement
Grade Epic
Effect Gain one unspent Skill Point.
Description Created by someone with an unspent Skill Point and with the assistance of a Master Enchanter, these orbs contain the magic necessary to advance a skill to the next tier.
Value 1920g - 2200g
I let out a low whistle. Bert was definitely right about me being interested, I used both of the Orbs without a second thought. That left only the bracelet and I checked it out as well.
Name Bracelet of the Shadow Fangs
Grade Rare
Effect +10 to effective Deception skill level
Description This silver bracelet has a small clasp in the shape of two snake¡¯s fangs and is the symbol of the Shadow Fangs Guild.
Nodding to Bert in appreciation, I tried to slip on the bracelet underneath one of my gloves. It was more difficult than it looked but then I almost hit my head in exasperation when I realized what I was doing. Equipping it instead left it resting comfortably just underneath the armor. Ignoring Bert¡¯s amused look at my struggle, I thanked him sincerely for his help. Then I waved and headed out of the shop and the Guild to begin exploring. And by exploring, I meant looking for a place to drink. Chapter 12 After leaving the compound through the east exit and skirting the line of market stalls I paused to simply watch the glory of the bustling market in all its splendor. People of all sorts and from all walks of life were crowded together by the uniting force of economics. The crowds reluctantly parted as merchants slowly made their way through with carts laden down by goods to populate or depopulate the various stalls. I even saw an Aviar woman take flight, too impatient to wait any longer in a traffic jam that had formed. She looked like an angel out of a story. If angels wore leather armor and carried iron spears. The mass of people made me think of the first time I waded through them with Marcus and Aaron to train my Suppression skill and I remembered I still hadn¡¯t spent my skill points yet. I found an out of the way spot to stand and called up my Character Sheet.
Name James
Race Half Dark Elf / Half Wood Elf
Level 2
Experience 1000/2000
Health 100/100
Mana 100/100
Stats
Strength 5
Agility 17
Endurance 10
Intelligence 10
Wisdom 10
Active Effects
Armor of the Shadowcaster +50 to effective Stealth skill level
Chain of the Shadow Fangs +10 to effective Suppression skill level
Necklace of the Shadow Fangs +10 to effective Deception skill level
Skills
Arcane Magic Level 19 (100%) [Novice]
Daggers Level 10 (0%) [Novice]
Dark Magic Level 1 (0%) [Novice]
Deception Level 1 (0%) [Novice]
Dodge Level 19 (100%) [Novice]
Hand to Hand Level 1 (0%) [Novice]
Lockpicking Level 2 (22%) [Novice]
Medium Armor Level 19 (100%) [Novice]
Perception Level 1 (0%) [Novice]
Stealth Level 1 (0%) [Novice]
Suppression Level 19 (100%) [Novice]
Traps Level 19 (100%) [Novice]
Unspent Points
Attribute 1
Skill 2Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!
Spells
Mage Sight Rank X (100%) [Arcane - Novice]
Mana Bolt Rank III (23%) [Arcane - Novice]
Curse of Blindness Rank I (0%) [Dark - Novice]
Embrace the Darkness Rank I (0%) [Dark - Novice]
Passive Abilities
Keen Senses [Racial - Wood Elf]
Nightvision [Racial - Dark Elf]
Sneak Attack [Stealth]
Active Abilities
Change Information [Deception]
Sneak [Stealth]
Suppress Information [Suppression]
When I saw the active effects category I was shocked at the bonus to Stealth. Then a second later it hit me: each of the pieces of armor was giving me a bonus. I checked over the various pieces I wore and saw that each of the boots, armguards, and gloves gave five bonus levels to Stealth while the chest and pants gave ten. That was more than a little impressive, I had just learned the skill but had the effective level of a middle Journeyman. No wonder the armor was so valuable. Eventually I decided to put a single Skill Point into my Suppression skill like Marcus recommended but save the other one until I knew more about how the classes or skills worked. When I concentrated on the Suppression entry in the Character Sheet a pop-up appeared.
Skill Advancement: Suppression
Advancing the Suppression skill to the next tier will unlock the next levels of advancement and provide one of the following skill morphs of your choice:
  1. The Suppress Information ability now has an infinite duration and can be canceled at will.
Choose Option: 1/Cancel
1. That was certainly a useful change, now I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about constantly refreshing the ability. It appeared as though other skills or tiers might have multiple options to their advancement too, which could make things interesting. But the booze was calling, so I activated Suppress Information and with a mental shrug decided to also try out Change Information. It was then that I was surprised by another couple of pop-ups in my field of vision.
Notification: Change Information
What name will you show the world?
Choose Name:
Notification: Change Information
What level will you show the world?
Choose Level:
After thinking about a fake name longer than I¡¯d like to admit I ended up choosing Allen and 2 to fill out my display. It was a little unnerving at first because I had no idea if it would work or not but I supposed that if someone had a high enough level or Perception skill they would still have to see through my Suppression skill to know my actual name. There wasn¡¯t much I could do about it either way so I headed off into the sights and sounds of the marketplace. It felt like being a tourist in one of those old world markets where everything is new and interesting and you don¡¯t even know what half of the stuff on sale is. Except there were also a dozen different races scattered about and although most of the people around were human I spotted all of the races present as both buyers and sellers. Surreal doesn¡¯t begin to describe barely dodging a turning Aviar¡¯s wing only to nearly collide with a group of Infernal shopping at a stall full of tridents being sold by a Merfolk woman. At first I noticed that my shadowy hood and darkened leather armor drew glances but after a while that seemed to increase even more. Finally, I understood why when I caught a customer in line glancing suspiciously at the space above my head. My Change Information ability had worn off so I reactivated it and the looks abated somewhat. I also noted that I had already gained eight levels in Deception thanks to the packed market and resolved to wander around a bit until I could use my last skill point in it. It didn¡¯t take nearly as long as I thought it would. After I hit level ten the skill gain seemed to skyrocket and it took me a while to figure out why that might be. I eventually reasoned that my combined effective level at that point put me at twenty, high enough to need someone to invest a skill point in Perception or have an unusually high character level. Most of the people I¡¯d seen in the marketplace were in the single digits or low teens in terms of character level, although people with a more martial appearance had a wider range. When my Deception skill hit the cap I put in my last skill point and saw a dialog almost identical to the one for Suppression. I was just glad I didn¡¯t have to worry about it fading on me without realizing it again. As I walked out of the market towards the Broker, which was still in Shadow Fangs territory thankfully, I caught sight of a young elf staring up at me with big eyes. It was the kind of stare that only kids can manage, full of unabashed awe, and it made me stop and study the boy. He had pointy ears, of course. Just like mine, I reflected whimsically. But he was also very dirty and obviously poor judging by the way his clothes, little more than rags really, hung on his lean frame. I also noticed that behind him were several other children slightly younger than his eleven or twelve years. There was a merfolk child, an infernal, a gnome, and a few humans, and they all looked as filthy and forlorn as the boy in front did. I flipped down my hood to talk to the kid and he recoiled in fear. On reflection I supposed he was more street smart than I was, seeing someone¡¯s face who wished to be hidden was probably not good for your health. So I knelt down to his level, keeping my hand away from my knife, and saw that the boy¡¯s tension dissipated slowly. After a moment I asked him, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Ren,¡± he mumbled so softly even my enhanced hearing barely picked it up in the bustle around us. I nodded back to the group of kids behind him. They were all wedged in between the corner made of the wooden sides of two market stalls. I¡¯d have been surprised if the stall owners were even aware they were here. I asked, ¡°Are they your crew?¡± He puffed up with pride and nodded with a smile. The others seemed to swell a bit too and it was all I could do not to laugh at the sight. They were obviously sincere and I didn¡¯t want to dampen their spirits. It was clear they got enough of that out of life already. They looked run down and generally miserable. But what I saw was potential, and an opportunity for investment. ¡°What would you do if I gave you a gold piece?¡± I asked Ren with a serious expression. He didn¡¯t hesitate a moment and said, ¡°Buy food.¡± Well, clearly they were in a bad way but I was trying to get at what they¡¯d do if they had money to spend so I pressed on, ¡°What would you do if you had all the food you could want and I gave you another gold piece?¡± He seemed confused for a moment, as if he didn¡¯t understand or perhaps couldn¡¯t imagine such a possibility occurring. Then he glanced back at his crew for a second before he turned to me and said, ¡°Buy clothes.¡± The moment he glanced back at the others I knew what I would do and pulled out five gold coins. Ren¡¯s eyes got all huge when I pulled them out and his eyes darted back to mine when I spoke to him, ¡°Do you want to work for me?¡± He nodded as fast as he could. In his state he would have done pretty much anything for the wealth I had in my hand, the wealth I had stolen from a dead man, but hopefully I could put some part of it to good use. I handed him the coins and said, ¡°Make sure you and your crew are fed and get some new clothes. Then make sure you all have a decent roof over your heads. I want you to keep an eye out on the market around here for me. Don¡¯t do anything yourselves, just tell me what it is you see. Can you do that?¡± The boy nodded vaguely and I knew that he had heard me but his gaze, as well as those of the kids behind him, was riveted on the small pile of coins in his palm. Before I left I said one last thing to him, ¡°If anybody gives you any trouble about those coins tell them the Shadow Fangs gave them to you. And if you still run into trouble¡­¡± I paused and thought of some way he could contact me then came up with, ¡°Find someone in a black cloak like this one and tell them that you need to speak to the First Traveler.¡± Figuring that was the best I could do, I left the stunned children. I didn¡¯t really expect to see them again but it did help ease my mind, a bribe to my own conscious as it were, and I walked on towards the Brokers. Thankfully, it was still in Shadow Fangs territory, though closer to the castle at the center of the city. Either I¡¯d find a bar on the way there or pay a Broker to tell me where I could find a good one. One way or another, I was determined to get that drink. Chapter 13 The first bar I spotted was, of course, right across from the Broker¡¯s Guild. It reminded me of all those times in college when I was faced with the dilemma of whether to go drinking or to buckle down and study. Naturally, just like all those times in college, I chose the bar. Only this time, in my defense, I didn¡¯t do it for any of my usual reasons. The Inn across from the Broker¡¯s Guild was full of activity. I could tell because I could clearly hear it even on the street through the open door. What caught my attention, however, was the brawl that was about to unfold in front of the Inn. A lone dwarf was standing in front of a group of five human men. He wore a chainmail shirt and a pair of simple brown trousers along with a look that said he was about to either punch something or eat rocks. The men facing him were all decked out in shiny platemail but from the way they were constantly shifting and adjusting it, like a young boy wearing a suit for the first time, it was clear they had no idea how to use it. They were also all Travelers which was evident from the level one displayed next to their names and the first words out of their mouths. ¡°Dude, what is wrong with you people?¡± The dwarf, with the name Zach over his head, asked the other five. ¡°Buzz off, Gimli. Go find yourself a Legolas and a ring and have yourself a party,¡± One of the men in plate responded. ¡°You think its funny to just beat up on random people for fun?¡± Zach asked in a loud voice, clearly unconcerned at the odds arrayed against him. For the first time I noticed that he was standing in front of an older Merfolk man huddled on the ground, clutching an obviously broken arm. From Zach¡¯s stance it looked as though he had stepped in front of the five on the man¡¯s behalf. There are a lot of things that I¡¯m not proud of in my life and I wouldn¡¯t call myself a good person by any means. But one thing I cannot stand is a bully. It tends to make my thoughts go in funny directions. I know that because as I walked over to stand by Zach without any conscious decision on my part I also started thinking about how these five guys might need training for their new armor. It was obviously brand new and completely un-scuffed, it would be a shame for them to lose it so soon after getting it simply because they didn¡¯t know how to wear it properly. I wasn¡¯t nearly as precise as Aaron, nor did I see a healer around, but that was alright. They could always come back to life for another round of training. When I moved to stand next to Zach the leader of the other men stopped in the middle of whatever he was about to say and shut his mouth. Zach hadn¡¯t seen me though and kept on dishing them out to the group in front of him, ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve got an idea!¡± He said it like he had just hit upon one of those Eureka moments so well that even I looked over. ¡°How ¡®bout I punch you in the face and we see what happens?¡± Zach pronounced with a grim delivery. My shoulders were shaking in silent laughter but I rather liked the idea myself. The other guys looked more than a little unsure and just to mess with their heads some more I decided to up the ante and cast Embrace the Darkness for the first time. My vision seemed to darken at the edges as if the shadows were encroaching on my vision. The effect on the five bullies in front of me was spectacular. They turned pale and one even looked like he was going to be physically ill. When I glanced down I understood where it came from. The combination of my black cloak, impenetrable hood, and darkened leather armor now also looked like I was wrapped in flames made of shadow, the inky blackness wafting off my limbs and extremities to dissipate into the air nearby. It didn¡¯t actually do that much but it sure as shit looked impressive. The leader spluttered something and tried looking around to his friends for support but they were already turning to go. One was practically running, in fact, and the rest soon followed their friend around the corner. Both Zach and I looked on at the sight in shock for so long that my spell wore off in the interim. Then Zach turned around and spotted me for the first time. ¡°Well, holy shit!¡± Zach exclaimed. ¡°Might want to watch the blasphemy in this world, man. The gods are real here and I can tell you from personal experience that they are powerful,¡± I told Zach as I moved to the Merfolk man still huddled over on the ground and watching us with wide eyes. I took out a gold coin, handed it to him, and said, ¡°Sorry, on behalf of all Travelers who aren¡¯t assholes. Best find yourself a healer.¡± The Merfolk man stood up and looked at us both with gratitude then said in a low voice to me, ¡°Gods bless you, Shadow Fang.¡± To my immense surprise, they did.
Notification: Blessed by the Gods
Someone has called to the gods on your behalf. Their sincerity and devotion has been rewarded and so have you.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Effect: +10% experience gain for 6 hours
I was still processing the implications when Zach came up to me and hit me on the shoulder in a friendly fashion. It nearly knocked me over. Dwarves in Novarra are about five feet or so but extremely stout and tended to be thick across the shoulders, arms, and upper bodies. At least the men did, the women just seemed to have all the strength but turn it into extra curves. Thankfully the women didn¡¯t have beards, although every male dwarf I¡¯ve seen certainly did, and Zach was no exception. His wild auburn mane would have done Gimli himself proud, though I¡¯d never tell him so. ¡°You¡¯re a decent sort. Come on, let me buy you a drink,¡± Zach said magnanimously and led me into the Inn. I knew there was a reason I liked the guy. As soon as we made it into the Inn we came to a halt. It was absolutely packed with all manner of people and almost all of them were armed. Fortunately, they all seemed to be there for the drinking and a gesture from the massive Stroi bouncer near the door got us moving. We spotted a table near the back that opened up just as we entered and with hand motions I directed Zach towards it and indicated I¡¯d get a round. While I may have only had about ten inches on Zach¡¯s five feet, all of them might be needed to catch the eye of a bartender at the packed bar. I saw someone lifting a double handful of wooden mugs into the air so I waited for my chance and then slipped in to the bar behind him. When I stacked up on Agility during character creation this wasn¡¯t exactly how I¡¯d planned on using it, but I¡¯d take it. With a couple gloved fingers extended, I managed to catch the eye of a gray-haired elven bartender and he gave me a minute nod in acknowledgment. Just then the woman in platemail with a black ponytail I had moved behind at the bar moved her back towards me another couple of inches, making what was a tight squeeze downright uncomfortable. I glanced up to see that her name was Amanda and was surprised to see that her level was the same as mine. As I reached out to tap her on the shoulder and ask for a little more room I heard her conversation with my enhanced hearing. ¡°Look, I said no already,¡± Amanda said to the man across from her, someone I was surprised to note was also our level in the Inn full of high level adventurers. The hostility in the tone made me pause and focus more on what was going on. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re a healer and we need a healer. Plus, you get to group with me. What¡¯s not to like?¡± The man with the name of Rick over his head said to Amanda with a cocky smirk. Then he grabbed her arm. Amanda was apparently not happy about that at all and violently pulled her arm free. Unfortunately, due to the laws of physics and the fact that I was located right behind her, she elbowed me right in the gut in the process. I can safely say, from previous personal experience even, that getting hit in the gut with an elbow like that is not a pleasant feeling at all. But it¡¯s about ten times worse when said elbow is covered in steel. When I managed to stand upright again I saw the woman had turned to look at me in concerned shock. Rick looked mildly perturbed. ¡°Oh my God! I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Amanda exclaimed. Then I realized she was another backer, a Traveler, like me. Despite the pain she¡¯d inflicted on me, I wasn¡¯t unsympathetic to her situation and blamed my recent discomfort squarely on the guy in front of me. ¡°No means no, buddy,¡± I said to Rick in my most diplomatic voice. It came out little better than a growl after the tender treatment my stomach had received. ¡°Get lost dude, she¡¯s mine. She just doesn¡¯t know it yet,¡± Rick said with such a smug little smirk I wanted to test out my new Hand to Hand skill right then and there. Instead, aware that we were in a crowded bar full of people almost certainly better armed and more powerful than us, I decided to spell things out for him. ¡°There are two immutable truths in this world, or any other,¡± I began then held out a single finger in front of him before continuing, ¡°Smell is transmitted by minute particles in the air.¡± My second finger joined the first as I went on, ¡°All living things die.¡± Then I put my closed fist back on the bar and leaned forward a bit. ¡°Leave your toothbrush out in the bathroom,¡± I finished. Rick was left opening his mouth but evidently realized he didn¡¯t know what to say and closed it again. He did this several more times and I thought he kind of looked like a fish stuck on dry land. Amanda soon covered her mouth and tried to hold back laughter, either at what I¡¯d said or Rick¡¯s reaction. The sound of a couple wooden mugs landing on the bar beside me drew my attention. The barkeep looked at me with a mostly neutral expression but I could see the corners of his mouth turned up in amusement. He said, ¡°That¡¯s one of the best I¡¯ve heard in a while. On the house.¡± Before I could so much as respond he turned to Rick and all traces of amusement vanished from his stern expression entirely. When he spoke it was with a hint of command and authority that I¡¯d never heard before, ¡°You. I¡¯ve given you enough warnings. Get out.¡± It was only then that I noticed the bartenders name, Aldyn, and next to it the incredibly high level of thirty seven. Definitely the highest I¡¯d seen so far anywhere in Novarra, I was amazed and wondered what he was doing behind the bar. Then I supposed he could do pretty much whatever he wanted at that level. Rick seemed to think the same thing and quietly slunk off and out of the bar. Without any more fuss, Aldyn moved on to another of his many customers and I picked up the wooden mugs filled with what I sincerely hoped was alcohol of some kind. After all the abuse my body and mind had been through today all I wanted to do was sit down and drink whatever was in this wooden mug. Amanda was still standing there though and I didn¡¯t want to be rude. ¡°We managed to find a table, you¡¯re welcome to join us if you like,¡± I said and made to move off. ¡°Would you mind if a friend of mine joined us?¡± she asked me. With an absent nod I managed to weave my way through the shifting mass of people to the table Zach had been able to snag in the crowded Inn. Chapter 14 I dropped off one of the wooden mugs in front of a grateful Zach and sat down heavily in another seat at the table with a deep sigh. A long pull out of the mug in my hand preceded another sigh, this time one of satisfaction. I could easily see why the Inn would be crowded even so early in the evening if the ale on tap was this good. ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± Zach asked, looking at Amanda. Before I could berate myself for failing to introduce the woman I realized her name was above her head. So I explained our encounter in the barest detail before taking another pull from my mug, ¡°We ran into an idiot at the bar so I let her know she could join our table.¡± ¡°Ah. The assholes seem to be out in force today. Nice to meet you Amanda,¡± Zach lifted his mug in a toast to her and promptly drank deeply from it. ¡°Thanks,¡± Amanda said. Now that I saw her up close and in the light of a lamp hanging on a nearby wall I could see that she was beautiful. Her eyes were actually a silver color and seemed to reflect the light in a fascinating way. It distracted me at first from noticing that beneath her very pale skin was what looked to be scales. ¡°Did you pick Drakken?¡± I asked out of curiosity. ¡°Half,¡± she explained, though she looked distracted and her gaze wandered the Inn. Then I remembered the friend she mentioned and looked over to see a level three Gnome walking over to our table by the name of Jennifer. Amanda smiled at the Gnome when she caught sight of her and waved her over to the last seat. ¡°This is Jennifer,¡± Amanda said by way of introduction. Though I probably should have let it go, I couldn¡¯t resist the sarcastic comment that slipped out, ¡°Really.¡± Her name was displayed above her head in big green letters after all. Amanda blushed furiously and muttered, ¡°Right, sorry. Old habits and all.¡± I was about to apologize for the remark when Jennifer spoke up and took me off guard, ¡°Not all the information above people¡¯s heads is necessarily accurate.¡± She was staring straight at me when she said it. With light brown hair and ice blue eyes it was an unnerving gaze and something told me that she could see past my Deception skill. ¡°You have the Perception skill, I take it?¡± I guessed. She nodded in the affirmative with a disarming smile. ¡°A week ago I wanted to catch another pet that liked to hide in the shadows a lot. Really annoying to find.¡± It didn¡¯t take long to do the math and the result was clear. Nobody but developers were connected a week ago, as far as I knew. The first backers, the ones who had given the most in the initial campaign, had only been able to get in four days earlier. ¡°A week ago, huh?¡± I said lightly but with enough emphasis to make my point. Maybe we both had secrets and I could keep hers if she¡¯d keep mine. She looked down at the table but looked back up when I continued, ¡°So what have you been up to? And how many pets do you have exactly?¡± ¡°Yeah, and can we see one?¡± Zach said with a soft belch. Jennifer looked at me with a smile and I could tell the intelligence in her eyes had nothing to do with racial bonuses. I was pretty confident about our little unspoken agreement. Although, I wasn¡¯t really concerned about it. I didn¡¯t have a solid reason for my secrecy besides general sneakiness at the moment anyways. ¡°Sure!¡± she said with enthusiasm and reached into a small pack behind her. Up her arm crawled a tiny squirrel. If squirrels were all black, scaled, and had tails that inspired fear with their pointed tip rather than the bushy fluffiness of the forest critters. Still, it was kind of cute and its antics were amusing as it roamed around the table. We all expressed our admiration for the pet and I wondered, ¡°What is it, exactly?¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Well there are seventeen subspecies of this particular mammalian approximation but it alone among the genus demonstrates an intrinsic hereditary magical trait-¡± Jennifer began excitedly and I was amazed at the level of education she displayed. Zach stared in shock with the mug half-way to his mouth. ¡°Jen, sweetie, you¡¯re going full nerd mode again,¡± Amanda said not unkindly and as if she¡¯d had to step in for her friend more than once. Jennifer blushed and tried again, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a magical squirrel that can stealth.¡± ¡°How do you even train a magical squirrel?¡± I wondered with no small amount of curiosity. Thoughts of a stealthy little helper aiding me with my capers certainly appealed. ¡°It¡¯s actually a skill called Animal Taming. You can tame pets for others or have a certain number yourself. Actually, my problem is that my skill capped so I need to get another skill point,¡± Jennifer explained enthusiastically. Amanda cleared her throat before speaking to Zach and I, ¡°Zach, Allen, I was wondering if you¡¯d be interested in joining us. Jen needs one more quest to level up and I happened to get one from the Hunter¡¯s Board that is just enough.¡± It took all my awareness not to look confused at the fake name but when the proposal sunk in I wasn¡¯t opposed to the idea. A good old-fashioned dungeon crawl might be just the ticket to remind me why I was here in the first place. Still, I wanted to develop a habit of caution after leaping into so much pain recently so I glanced at Zach first. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve only been here for a day but I¡¯m just about out of money. Turns out Dwarves can really hold their ale, probably not the best choice of race I could have chosen to go bar hopping,¡± Zach said then pulled deeply on his mug before resuming, ¡°Though any chance of earning some more drinking money sounds good to me, is there pay in this quest?¡± Amanda nodded and spoke up, ¡°Yes, there is a reward. The Hunter¡¯s Guild pays for various creature bounties and this one is to clear a mine that has been infested with spiders.¡± Zach downed the rest of his mug and after a soft belch said, ¡°Sounds good to me, I¡¯m game.¡± The other three looked over at me and I tried not to be too obvious about freaking out. Spiders were my biggest fear, they had too many legs, too many eyes, and if every one of them died in a fire I would buy a drink to celebrate the event. Still, I didn¡¯t want to embarrass myself in front of these new people so I pulled it together to respond, ¡°Sure, let¡¯s do it.¡± It wasn¡¯t long before the mugs were empty and we made our way out of the bar. I couldn¡¯t remember finishing my beer because all I could think about were the giant fangs and shifty little legs that I just knew were waiting. A small part of me was wishing I could go back to armor training with Aaron. Outside the inn, Amanda sent out invites to everyone in the group.
Notification: Group Invitation
You have been invited to join a group by Amanda.
Accept Invitation? Yes/No
Yes. As soon as I accepted the invite an awareness of the health and mana of every person in the party entered my mind. It was a surreal feeling having this information just implanted in my head and if it weren¡¯t for my preoccupation with the spiders I would have been freaked out. More freaked out. ¡°The mine we need to clear is just to the west of the city. I¡¯ll share the quest now,¡± Amanda said as she led us off down the street. I glanced at the Broker¡¯s Guild with a certain longing but figured it wasn¡¯t going anywhere and that I¡¯d come back.
Quest Offer: Clearing the Mine
Your group leader has offered you a quest from the Hunter¡¯s Guild job board. The task is to clear out a mine that has been overrun by Giant Spiders. Before fleeing for their lives, various miners reported sightings of a Spider Queen. Killing the spiders and their queen will fulfill the terms of the job contract. (Recommended party size: 3+)
Reward: 800 xp, 20g
Accept This Quest? Yes/No
Yes. I accepted before I could think too much about the actual size of something called a Giant Spider, let alone the Queen. I resolved to put my fears aside and just go with the flow. Adventures like these are why I signed up for this virtual world, and I really felt the urge to stab something after the day I¡¯d had. Amanda seemed to know where she was going so I took in the sights of the city quietly as I followed her out of it.