by Taj McCoy El
“You know this guy?” Mayah asked and Riker squeaked an affirmative, and then chittered incessantly. Whoa there, slow down little guy. You want me to help him too?”
An affirmative squeak sounded.
“Alright, let’s see what I can do.” She rubbed her hands enthusiastically.
Mayah pulled out the skeeter and placed it in contact with Prometheus. Without even cutting, the enchantment activated, pulsing as it drank the shadows from the rodent. Prometheus still lay there. The gasping had stopped, and he seemed to be doing a little better, but his eyes were closed. Mayah filled her thimble with water from the bottle in the ration-pak and poured a little into the rötten’s mouth. It drank weakly and opened its eyes momentarily. That only lasted for a second, and then it weakly closed its eyes.
She ID’d it to see if she could see anything in its status.
Rötten
Level 2
7/15HP
Other than its HP being low there were no status effects that she could see. She looked up from Prometheus and Riker was staring at her expectantly. Mayah shrugged at him.
"I don’t see anything wrong with him and I need to go back in to the tunnel. How about I set you out in the light and you can watch over him?”
Riker nodded.
Mayah picked up the weakened rötten and began crawling back to the exit with him cradled in one arm, Riker chittering away in front of her. When they reached the walkway, she hurried over towards the doorway.
I’m going to cut him loose, in case he wakes up or if you need to run,” Mayah said pulling out her cutters. "I haven’t seen any animals so you should be safe until it gets dark. Stay in the sunlight. I hope you can understand me.”
“As for me I need to see where this tunnel goes. But before I do that, I need something the keep the shadows at bay.”
She pulled out her Runebook and found the runes she was looking for and pulled up its descriptor.
Light (W)
Creates a marble sized ball of water that casts a pale light in any direction for 5 feet. Each additional rune will add .5 ft to area of effect
Light (W)
Level:
1
Damage:
0-10 to any creatures weak to light.
Mana cost:
30MP
Duration:
6 minutes
Cooldown:
2 minutes
Safety (Lt)
Creates a Circle 2 feet in Diameter that will actively repel any malignant shadows. Malignant shadows are those that only intend harm. Ie Demonic shadows, Life absorbing shadows. Regular creatures of shadow will only take damage per second based on proximity to rune.
Safety (Lt)
Level:
1
Damage:
0-2DP per second to any creatures weak to light. Damage is based on proximity
Mana cost:
25MP
Duration:
30 minutes
Cooldown:
10 minutes
She memorized the rune and pulled out some quill and some paper. She drew the runes for Light (W) and Safety (Lt) circling them together then drew Place (Lt) with its own circle, and then connected the two. She charged the runes and the legend for the item popped up.
You have created
Name:
Page Light
Type:
Enchanted Light
Enchantment #1:
Light (W) Creates a marble sized ball of water that casts a pale light 5 feet in any direction Cost 4MP per minute
Enchantment #2:
Safety (Lt) Does weak Light damage to creatures weak to light damage Cost 5MP per minute
Grade:
C (uncommon)
Material:
Enchanted Paper and Ink
Weight:
.01 ounces
Damage:
3-4 Light damage per second
Durability:
7/7
Attributes:
This light will create a lit area 10 feet in diameter. Any creatures weak against light magic in this area will take damage calculated by proximity.
Duration:
7 minutes
Would you like to activate?
Y/N?
Interesting…Place (Lt) doesn’t show up as an enchantment. Maybe it’s part of a bigger framework and only directs flows and outputs nothing. But that duration is trash.
She pulled out the squiggle on paper and activated it. A small ball of ethereal water began coalescing inside the circle for Place (Lt) and over the course of three seconds reached its full intensity. As she turned to the door the paper flopped over in the sudden air turbulence. She took a moment to fold the paper to give it more rigidity and made her way back into the pipe room.
In the sunlight the ball barely glowed but in the darkness of the room the pale light was softly cast in every direction. This isn’t ready for battle by a long shot, she mentally calculated. She searched through her inventory for an appropriately sized stick of wood. It was a chunk of split firewood that she would be able to grip effectively and have some heft if she needed a weapon. She alternated between the Light (W) and Safety (Lt) runes that were on the paper. She worked the runes into it the thicker part of the club, about six inches from the tip. She wound up with five of each and roughly circled them, and then scored a ring above and below them. Towards the tip of her new club she carved six Place (Lt) runes. She took another moment to cut the lower ring deeper and remove any stray splinters that might ruin her rune’s workings and proceeded to charge the enchantment.
She ID’d the result.
You have created
Name:
Club Light
Type:
Enchanted Light
Enchantment #1:
Light (W) Creates a marble sized ball of water that casts a pale light 7 feet in any direction Cost 4.75 MP per minute
Enchantment #2:
Safety (Lt) Does weak Light damage to creatures weak to light damage Cost .6MP per minute
Grade:
D (uncommon)
Material:
Enchanted Wood
Weight:
1.3 lbs.
Damage:
6 blunt trauma /5-7 Light damage per second
Durability:
12/12
Attributes:
The light will create a lit area 14 feet in diameter. Any creatures weak against light magic in this area will take damage calculated by proximity.
Duration:
33 minutes
Charge:
175/175MP
Would you like to activate?
Y/N?
“Club light, Heh.” She took a moment to do a little dance while whispering, “Disco, disco… Good, good… Disco, disco… Good!!!”
With that out of her system she knelt down by Riker and Prometheus and poured some more water into the unconscious rodent’s mouth. It swallowed reflexively and Mayah examined it again.
Rötten
Level 1
5/11HP
What in the flarfing field mouse kind of change is that? How did its level get lower? I can get lower if I die but Prometheus hasn’t died yet. Is it because I stole some of his essence? Shaz!!! I wonder if my disposition with Riker is gonna drop. SHAZ! SHAZ! SHAZ!
You just had to go and play vivisection with a soul didn’t ya? And for kind of crappy results. C’mon Fluff this is your doing. You need to fix this.
Wait, do I? It is a mob after all. But look at Riker’s concerned little face. Aww…I gotta help my new fur buddy. Plus, this is why you never name your experiments.
With the decision made she sat down next to the rötten and pulled Prometheus onto her lap. She pulled out the Röt Fang and paused before attempting to do an enchantment.
This is going to smart isn’t it?
Bearing down on her fear, she enchanted.
The essences crashed into each other creating a mass of energy that swirled in
between the knife and the rötten. Mayah tried to forcefully push the essence back into the rötten as her mana dropped precipitously. She moved about two-thirds of the essence back to the rötten before she drew out a thin wire of essence, and then mentally cut it. She carefully wrapped the filament of soul around the rötten signaling the end of the enchantment. The knife crumbled as soon as she did so. The rötten however stirred.
Its eyes opened and rolled dazedly. And a notification popped up
Ding!!!
New enchantment skill tree unlocked
Elemental Soul substitution Skill Tree
So, you tried to right your wrongs and give the little rodent its soul back. Well someone has to tell you that there are consequences for your actions. Knowing you, you’ll find a way to play with souls like Legos.
Now, you can remove a unit of soul essence from a living creature and replace it with a unit of elemental affinity at the measly cost of 100 Mana per Soul Unit.
Have fun ripping souls apart. M’kay
For unlocking the Elemental Soul substitution enchantment skill tree without a trainer or unlocking its prerequisites you have received 50 skill tree points. You have 175 unspent skill tree points
Mayah was quickly pulled out of her thoughts by a sharp bite to her hand.
The rötten was trying to savage her hand. Instead of flinging it away she let the rötten bite while she reached over and grabbed it by the scruff, but the hair was almost like needles.
Owww. What in the shaz?
She managed to maintain her painful grip and lifted the rötten into the air where if chittered and thrashed trying to escape. Riker squealed loudly as if imploring her not to hurt the other rötten.
Iron Rötten
Level 1
8/22HP
Iron Rötten??? Well we’ll see about that!
She pulled the thread of iron from her bag and tied the raging rodent within a tangle of thread and laid it on the ground. Riker ran over to it sniffing and chittering. The rötten relaxed seeing Riker wasn’t being harmed. They chittered back and forth for a moment, then Riker looked at Mayah and made a begging motion with his hands. And then went to stand next to the tied rodent, and then begged again.
“Understood little guy,” Mayah responded, pulling out more bread and peanut butter. She placed a crumb within its reach. The rodent was wary at first, but when Riker pushed it closer, it dug in. After feeding it two more times, she got the notification she was hoping to see.
Ding!!!
You have tamed a Beast Companion
Companion 2 Name: ???
Species:
Iron Rötten - Female
Level:
1
HP:
8/22
Disposition:
Ally
Abilities:
Bite and Claw. Bones, hair and teeth have been magically infused with iron. This gives this subspecies of rötten a higher attack and defense rating. +1 to Base for Attack, Defense and Affinity
Nice! I even get a breeding pair. But why is her HP the same as his even though he’s two levels higher?
Mayah opened her companion tab and was about to name her new companion and after a moment’s thought she decided against Prometheus.
She’s a girl so I’m going to give her a girl’s name. What would go good with Riker? HA…! There’s only one clear choice.
She hurriedly typed in the name. She untied the rodent and it looked at Mayah warily but the iron rötten was slowly adjusting. She sniffed around Mayah’s lap but didn’t climb up as Riker had. Mayah put the single frozetto she was carrying down and the iron rötten sniffed it. Then she gnawed on it. Mayah quickly pulled it away as Deanna’s face frosted, and she cast Thaw (F) on the rodent’s muzzle.
“Whoa there…you can’t just chew on my weapons.” She pulled out an unenchanted stiletto and placed it on the ground. Deanna looked up at her and Mayah nodded. Deanna sniffed it again and gnawed on it. To her amazement the stiletto was quickly being shaved away. Riker came up and tried to gnaw the knife as well but quickly turned away and gave Deanna a strange look. Mayah put some more bread and PB down for him after taking a hasty bite
As she chewed Mayah turned her attention back to her skill tree. She bought the first level of elemental soul substitution for 10 points and the first level of the third tier Soul Snare for 20 points. She looked at her remaining 145 points and sighed.
I’m going to have to be thrifty with these points in the future who knows how I’m going to need to level these skills. Going to have to upgrade Arm and Charge as soon as I look around on the enchanter forums. I need an excellent return on my investment as well as better efficiency.
Deanna looked as if she was slowing down on her meal. So, she chose to finish reading her new skill tree branches.
Soul Snare
Level 1 Tier- 3 Enchantment skill tree
As the living essence departs the physical form, it will be caught in a crystalline structure.
Example: in the moments before a creature dies and is immobile, you can cast Soul Snare and it will automatically engage to rip the creature’s soul essence away from its physical shell and crystalize it. This process will only work if the target dies.
At level 1, Soul Snare will transfer up to 1 point of living essence per 30 mana used in the enchantment. Soul snare will draw a minimum of 2MP per second until target is captured or snare is released. Greater amounts of Mana can be forced into the snare at will.
Unlocked
Elemental soul Substitution
Level 1 Enchantment skill tree
Allows the enchanter to remove a portion of living essence from a creature which will be substituted with an element of the enchanter’s choosing. The element chosen will determine new abilities and properties of the creature. The creature will have an affinity for the element and will need that element to continue its growth.
Example: Like, maybe by removing the Life essence of a rötten you can add the essence of iron from a throwing knife. …or something like that.
At level 1 you will be able to substitute 1 elemental affinity per creature.
Unlocked
Some snarky programmer has a bit of petty revenge coming to them, Mayah thought vindictively.
She looked at the next levels that branched off each. Soul snare went up to Soul Snare 2 with a cost of 20 points, Elemental soul substitution went to level 2 with a cost of 15 points.
Ding!!!
Your Beast Companion Deanna has leveled up.
Companion 2 Name: Deanna
Species:
Iron Rötten - Female
Level:
2
HP:
17/23
Disposition:
Ally
Abilities:
Bite and Claw. Bones, hair and teeth have been magically infused with iron. This gives this subspecies of rötten a higher attack and defense rating. +1 to Base for Attack, Defense and Affinity
Ding!!!
You can now access your
Companions Upgrade menu.
Deanna has 10 points available to spend.
Upgradeable pets? Yes please!
Mayah quickly found the menu underneath Deanna’s companion tab and opened it.
Upgrades available - Deanna
