by Taj McCoy El
He furrowed his brow. “That would make sense, but I’ve never tried it before.”
“Tonight, after I finish everything, I'm going over to the training field to see if there's an ability like Wellspring but going the other way.”
“Good thinking, I might join ye.”
“Bottom 10% of mana and stamina for hours. Sounds like so much fun.”
“It’s a date, lassie.” They shared a high five.
“See you there.”
Mayah made for Tissu—she needed gold. And the weight of product was bulky, not like shiny gold coins at all. I’m going to have to rectify that. The bell over the door rang as she entered.
“Hello, Maam.”
“Hello, Fluff.”
“I’ve got your first bundle of goods here.”
“Oooh, excellent!”
“Do you think I could get an advance? I burned my enchanter’s gear pretty bad last night and need a new kit.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem. How about I pay you for the bobbins now? That way we can both just forget about it.”
“That’s very gracious of you. I really like being loaded for bear when there’s a big day of shopping waiting out there.”
Maam was sorting out the needles and asked, “What’s this? Oh…”
“Yeah, I enchanted the needle with the essence of thread so you don’t need to carry a bobbin.”
“That’s amazing!” She caught herself pulling at the thread and then stopped. “For these 20 needles alone I'll give you 25 gold. For the bobbins, 4 gold and the rest of the tools another 12.”
Mayah activated Skinflint saying, “Make it 43 and you have a deal.” Maam shook her hand.
“I'll come back later to see if you have more things for me to enchant. Oh, and here.”
She passed her a bobbin she had kept in a separate pocket. “You may not want to put this near anything flammable.”
“What is it?” She held it between two fingers as if might explode.
“Thread of Flame. I imbued it with the fire from a candle so it’ll warm up in a small enclosed space. I don’t know how hot it might get. So be careful.”
“I most certainly will.”
She now added 65 gold and change to the tidy sum of gold and weapons she had found in the terravole nest. SHOPPING SPREE!!!!!! First stop, Verbum Vitae and then the magic goods store. I need an upgrade to my enchanter’s gear, after that, to the smithy.
“Hello, good lady," Ibn Daw greeted her from under the awning. “Back so soon?”
“Good morning, Ibn. Yes, I am back so soon. You knew you couldn’t keep me away. Today I’m here for my second magic. I would like to get the book on runes today.”
“Level 5 already? Impressive. Perhaps the lady would like to browse as well?” He said, probing for an “easy” sale.
“You know what? I would like to browse! Tell me more about trades, please?”
“Yes, trades are the only unlimited class in Majesta. You can have mining and fishing and leatherworking and engraving. Some have many trades but little mastery. Others have few but are masterful in their fields.”
“I, for one, dream big and I plan to cast my nets wide. Where are these books on trades?”
“Right this way.” He ushered her down the right aisle of the shop. “Now keep in mind, there are four grades of trade book: Novice, Apprentice, Journeyman, and Master. I only sell the novice books. For levels above novice you must join a guild or apprentice to a guild tradesman to increase your rank any further. Ah... here we are.” A stretch of three bookshelves that went from floor to ceiling about 12 feet wide stood in front of her.
“Should I bring you a basket?” She could swear she saw a glint in his eye.
“Yes, that would be lovely.” Mayah smirked happily at his sarcasm. She started in on the books and saw one that was mandatory; Herbalism. An hour later she had an overflowing basket of books. She went through them one by one weighing them against her coin purse. She finally settled on thirty which included Engraving, Blacksmithing, Armorer, Architecture, Alchemy, Carpentry, Leatherworking, Mining, and Logging. Proper prior planning prevents piss poor performance, she thought remembering grandpa Ugo. Gods, I miss that cantankerous old fart.
“Hey, Ibn.” He appeared from around a bookshelf. “I’d like these books, please.”
“Well you certainly do dream big, don’t you?”
“I told you so. Can you grab me the magic book on runes and I’ll meet you at the counter?” She lifted the basket of ill balanced treasures and moved towards the front of the shop.
“Whatever your heart desires, my new favorite customer.” He bowed with a flourish and disappeared.
Mayah struggled to the front with her balancing act of basket and books. Ibn met her there and took the basket from her hands placing it on the counter. He counted the books, stacking them into a neat pile.
“Ah this is a good one. Saddlery? Well if you think you’re going to need it. Of course, you took Alchemy. Carpentry and Architecture, nice combo did you get…? Yes, here it is, Stonemasonry. Mechanic, Locksmith, Cobbler? What are you going to build? Everything? But it seems you have a plan, yes?”
“I most certainly do, but before I set out, I’d like to know more about the trades because of their list of workable materials. That’s what I'm really interested in: using the basic materials to create something new and extraordinary.”
“Well, I see you’ve done well for yourself so far. Look at the cloak. You made it?” Mayah nodded and Ibn continued, “…It is… nice…” His smile was small and forced, like when telling a toddler their crayon scribbles were beautiful.
“You, of all people, should know better than to judge a book by its cover. How it looks, Ibn Daw, isn’t as important as what it does.”
“What it does?” The furrow in his brow deepened while asking the question.
“Here Ibn, take my cloak.” She held a corner of her cloak to him. He reached to touch it warily and then paused.
“Is it dangerous?” he asked.
“Maybe.” Mayah paused, letting the word hang between them. “What price is it worth to reach into a dragon's mouth, Ibn?”
“A dragon's mouth? There is no price!”
“Are you sure?” she asked, moving the cloak closer to his outstretched hand and then stopping. His hand started to reach again and then retreated.
“What does it do?”
“Can you imagine the power of a dragon tearing through your body, forcing its fire out of your hands to crisp your enemies before you?”
“No,” Ibn Daw said simply. “Does this cloak give you this power?”
Mayah leaned forward, motioning for ibn Daw to stoop down so she could share the secret with him. As he did, Mayah whispered in his ear, “Heavens no, but you’ll still be amazed.”
He looked at her as if gauging the honesty of her claims and said, “Oh ho, you are trying to pay me back for the first day we met.” He waggled a finger at her.
Mayah kept her face serious tilting her head slightly. “Maybe,” she said with a small shrug
Ibn Daw frowned and reached out, gingerly touched the cloak, his eyes opening wide when he read the ID. “...Amazing!” Then he slammed his merchant’s veneer back on.
“So where can I get a cloak like this?”
“Why Ibn, did it pique your interest.” Mayah grinned.
“Yes, Yes. Haha… you have paid me back.”
“Was it in bad taste?”
Ibn frowned. “A little.”
“Then my point is made. You can obtain the cloaks from Maam at Tissu. She has exclusive rights to sell my creations.”
His eyebrows rose again. “So first you create an enchanted garment with amazing properties. Then you create a trade deal in a beginner’s village?”
“Yes, I have and I'm looking to start more if I can get my trades up in time.”
“I think it would be good to call you a friend.” He studied her as if looking at her for the first time. “
What is your name?”
“I am the Pretty Princess Cuddle Fluff,” she said regally, “but my friends call me Fluff.”
“Well Princess,” he put out his best bow and introduced himself, “I am Ibn Daw Annuljum. Free member of the Traders Guild and bibliophile extraordinaire.” He extended his hand and she accepted.
“Well met, Ibn.”
“Well met, Fluff.”
“So, how much of my gold are you going to take from me today, friend?”
“As much as I can. One should never let friendship come between one’s self and a good deal.” He spoke as if this should be common knowledge.
“I would expect nothing less from you.”
And their haggling began in earnest. She knew Ibn knew about her Skinflint so he didn’t let his prices get too low. But she had a new trick for him.
“Well if that’s the best you can do?” she asked.
“It is especially since you have that Skinflint.”
“Well, you may be right about that.” The price stood at 3 gold 60 silver. She activated Skinflint and it dropped to 3 gold 34 silver and 80 copper.
“Your Skinflint has gone up, I see. I'll have to keep a watchful eye on my new friend here.” His words seemed earnest, but the upturned corners of his mouth belied the seriousness of the accusation.
“Maybe you should,” Fluff smiled warmly at the merchant.
“Okay then, as you can see, I’ve got a lot of reading to do before I go buy more gear. Have a great day, Ibn and may gold fall from the skies into your pockets.”
He laughed heartily. “I definitely need more friends like you,” he yelled to her as she practically ran from the store.
She looked at her village map and found the park. When she arrived, it was less of a park and more like a wooded area that had been left inside of the barriers. She leaned up against the roots of a comfortable tree and opened the book on Alchemy. The pages blurred past in a bright flash and she leaned back to take in her new knowledge. After she sat there for a few moments, she leaned forward and grabbed the next book. “Who said reading isn’t fun?” She read the next book, and the next …and the next.
Not only did she acquire tons of trade based knowledge, but Mining and Logging each gave her a +1DP whenever she used a two-handed weapon with crushing damage. Tactician gave her a plus 1 to intelligence for every 10 levels she rose in the skill. Acupuncture gave her a +1 to needlework, Stonemason gave her a +1 to strength for every 10 levels, and Field Medic gave her a +1 to agility for every 10 levels. I guess because field medics need to dodge more...? Kinda makes sense, since the healers get targeted ALL the time.
“Wow, I’ve got a ton of supplies to get.” She reached for the final tome, the book on runes. “Always save the best for last.”
She opened the pages, but instead of just the knowledge flowing into her brain, this time her sight went dark and then flickered back to life. It was like someone had turned off all of the lights and then rapidly turned them back on. Instead of sunlight there was darkness, mostly because the sky had been replaced with some crumbling stonework. She was still seated as she had been. The location, however had changed drastically. Gone were the grasses and trees of the park. Now she sat on the cold, stone floor of a long stone hallway.
She looked around as she stood up. The hallway terminated two feet away from where she stood and continued in the other direction before reaching an archway. One wall was covered in glowing runic script illuminating the hallway. She walked closer to the wall. The light pulsing through the runes sent small waves of power washing over her. She slowly reached out with her fingers, feeling an oscillating energy push back at her fingertips. She gently pressed her fingers against the glowing runes. They flashed brightly, blinding her.
“Welcome to the Hall of Runes," a voice boomed off of the stone walls and directly into Mayah’s occiput sending vibrations through her whole body. She stumbled into a wall while covering her ears it was so loud. She was effectively blind and deaf.
“SHAZ!!!” she yelled through the pain.
“This is your first visit to the hall. I am the Keeper of the Runes.”
Her vision almost returned after a few rapid blinks, and the voice’s volume slowly lowered to a bearable level then gone silent. She walked down the hallway, reading the script that provided the lighting for this hallway. It was a legend about the mage who first united all of the runes and made a language out of it. It was also a warning of some kind.
“How am I reading this?” Mayah inquired in a whisper.
“While you are here you will have access to the full knowledge of runes,” The voice enunciated into Mayah’s ears. It was a weird stereophonic effect that made it sound like the voice was coming from everywhere. The voice proceeded, “This is done to help you make better choices while you are here. You will be given four runes of power that you can use to gain levels. When you have mastered these four, more will be granted to you.”
At the end of a hall she walked into a large, circular room with a vaulted ceiling. There were nine identical archways including the one she just walked through.
The voice continued. “There are eight paths to master runes; the elemental four of Earth, Water, Air, and Fire, and the spiritual four: Light, Shadow, Life, and Death.”
“Aren’t shadow and death the same thing?”
“Many would like to believe so.” She thought she heard a hint of sadness in the statement.
“Shadow contains a world unto itself where there are benevolent and malignant creatures. Each realm is a macrocosm of its own with many parallels to every other realm, including yours, paladin.”
“So how do I choose?”
“Pick a path and walk its length. You will be tested to see which runes you are best suited for. Choose wisely, for there is no going back once you enter.”
“Which path is which?”
Silence.
Well, okay then… Thanks for the help, disembodied voice. Mayah closed her eyes and spun herself in a circle. When she stopped, she raised her hand, opened her eyes and walked towards the archway that she was pointing to. About three feet in, the path darkened considerably, making it impossible to see.
I wish I had a torch. Wait, something about this darkness isn’t natural. I don’t think a torch would work.
As she crept further down the hall, she stumbled over something. She felt along the ground and found what had tripped her up. It was a skull. Fighting her terror down, she used her hands to determine its shape. Not a human skull, thank god. But check out these teeth! I hope that there aren’t any of these still living in here.
She put the skull in her bag. She wanted to check out her surroundings out in the light. Peering through the opaque darkness she began noticing that she was finding details in the total darkness. She blinked as her eyes adjusted until she could see as clear as day, for a little ways off at least.
DING!!!
New passive skill
Shadow EyeLevel 1
You can see in the darkness as well as the light. Only the magical shadows of death can halt your vision. Range is limited to 20 feet. The first 10 feet will have 100% visibility. Visibility will drop by 10% every foot thereafter. Range will expand in higher levels.
Okay, not so bad. Maybe I should go back and see what I’ve missed.
As soon as the thought occurred to her, she heard a deafening roar followed by a rhythmic scratching sound that could only be claws on the stone walkway.
Maybe there are still more of them alive in here. Time to go.
She hustled along the hallway, making sure to avoid anything that would make a noise and attract any unwanted attention. There didn’t seem to be any runes or tests that she could see, so she continued on until she reached a magical barrier. As she slowly reached out to touch the barrier, it sucked her in and threw her across the width of a hallway into the opposite wall.
“Ouch…”
“Now it is time for your second trial,” the disembodied voice
boomed in her ears. The volume had risen again. She looked around and was in the hallway where she began her journey.
‘What do you mean second trial? I didn’t get my first rune.”
“Did you not acquire something that was left in the hall for you?”
“Well, yeah…”
“Maybe you should examine it.” She pulled the skull out of her bag to examine it. It looked like a large, elongated cat skull with terribly sharp teeth. The base of the skull had a ridged plate along the back. It was a frill made of spikes. There was a rune on the forehead of the skull that read “Summon (S).” She looked at the skull’s ID and saw,
Skull of the shadow Vergax
“All it says is skull of the Shadow Vergax.”
“That is your beast to summon. It is a level 150 shadow creature. Unfortunately, its own power when summoned can only be twice that of its summoner. “press your hand to the rune on its forehead”
She did as commanded and shadows entwined on her hand and arm, creeping up towards her shoulder where it stopped, floating above her skin. Mayah could feel the magic in it asking to touch her. She reached over to pet the shadow and It purred, settling into Mayah’s shoulder, the smoky shadows compressed all around her arm becoming flat as tattoos. From her midnight tainted fingers, to the smoky pattern on the top of her bicep, it was as if her arm was made of dark smoke.
“When you summon the Vergax, this shadow will appear and act as a timer of sorts for you. When the shadow disappears, so will the Vergax who cannot be summoned again for eight hours. Do you understand?”
“Kind of…???” Mayah stuttered, looking up from her now fading tattoo.
“Then it is time for your next trial.”
She walked back into the vaulted room, looked around, and identified the tunnel she had already walked through. It now bore a rune above the arch that she could read, Shadow. Trusting in her instincts again, she closed her eyes and spun.
“Well, I guess it’s this one.” She walked into the archway and out into a wide, wooded vale. There was an abundance of lush, green mosses and a tiny stream. The view was stunning. But her eyes drank it in, she felt the need to pop hear ears it was so quiet. It was so quiet the words she latched on to explain it were “deathly quiet.” There wasn’t any wind to move the trees into susurration. Likewise, the woods lacked even the monotone buzz of insects. Even the stream didn’t burble or murmur, being mostly overgrown, but slipped resolutely through its tiny bed.
