You have cast slippery ice and created an ice field within a rock beetle shell.
Eagerly, he bent over the shell, and used flaming hands to heat it until the ice melted into cool, life-giving water. It worked! Unable to still his thirst any longer, Kyran bent his mouth beneath the shell, and titling it, guzzled down the water. Crisp and refreshing, it was the sweetest water he had ever tasted. He drank until he could drink no more.
With thirst quenched, he refilled the shell and used the water to clean, scrubbing furiously at himself and his clothes until all remains from his earlier messy work disappeared.
Feeling human (or was it elven?) once more, he returned to see how the beetle meat was cooking. To his starved senses, it had a delicious aroma. Finally succumbing to his cravings, he snagged a few pieces, and without any concern for burnt fingers, gulped them down. He forced himself to pause after the first few mouthfuls. He checked the player interface for any adverse reactions or negative status effects. Nothing. That’s good enough for me, he thought, and promptly gorged on the remaining pieces.
✽ ✽ ✽
A little later, with full belly and thirst quenched, he finished cooking the rest of the meat and cleaned out his ‘frying pan’ and ‘water pot’. Placing his hands on them, he stored them in his inventory.
Acquired: Rock beetle shells x 2.
Type: Item.
Weight: 75 kg (each).
Rank: Common.
Special Properties: None.
Description: The outer, protective shell of a rock beetle.
Inventory
Storage Capacity: 166.5/200 kg.
Contents:
Cooked rock beetle meat (7 kg).
Rock beetle shells x 2 (150 kg).
Rusted longsword (1.2 kg)
Brittle darksteel chainmail vest (7 kg)
Brittle steel knife (0.3 kg)
Precious gems (2 x diamond, 3 x sapphire, 1 x emerald, 2 x ruby) (0 kg)
Kyran turned his focus to the next tasks necessary for his survival.
Levelling. Choosing his new abilities and which skills to improve. He had gained 2 combat levels from the encounter with the beetles; and had 18 combat skills and 4 ability points to spend, of which he had already spent one to unlock slippery ice.
He was also halfway to civilian level two. He calculated he had just enough essence to scry his way there. He decided to do this first before levelling up. He sat down and worked on his scrying, choosing random locations down the mine tunnel to scry. Shortly, he reached civilian level 2.
You have cast basic scrying 14 times (1050 XP gained: 2025/2000 Civilian XP). Summary Cost: 560 Essence.
You have obtained a total of 2,000 civilian XP and are now level 2. 4 Civilian skill points and 1 ability point gained.
Satisfied, he considered how to allocate his new skill and ability points. He opened up the player interface for his skills and abilities. First Kyran considered his combat skills.
Combat Skills (18 SP available)
Psi Skills:
Beast Bonding: 2.5 (1 base)
Body Control: 2.0 (1 base)
Light Armour: 1.2 (1 base)
Psionics: 0
Psi Armour: 0
Telekinesis: 2 (1 base)
Telepathy: 0
Will Regen.: 0
Magic Skills:
Air Magic: 2.6 (1 base)
Earth Magic: 2.6 (1 base)
Essence Regen.: 0
Fire Magic: 2.6 (1 base)
Supportive Magic: 2.6 (1 base)
Wands & Staffs: 0
Mystical garments: 0
Spellcasting: 0
Water Magic: 2.6 (1 base)
Racial Skills:
Longbow: 0
Longsword: 0
He re-invested in all the same combat skills, except for body control.
Your base skill in beast bonding, light armour, telekinesis, air magic, earth magic, fire magic, supportive magic and water magic has increased to 3 (the maximum allowable at your current level).
The pathways between his spirit, mind and body strengthened and widened allowing him to channel spells and psionic abilities more powerfully.
The remaining skill points, he used to unlock the longsword skill. Knowledge of the way of the sword filled him. He equipped the rusted sword, and as low as his skill was, he immediately knew how to hold it correctly. He practiced a few flourishes, and marvelled at his ability to execute even such basic strokes, when but moments ago, he hadn’t even known how to hold a sword properly. The expertise had been instilled within the very fibre of his being, such that every move was performed instinctively, without hesitation or doubt.
He turned his attention to his combat abilities.
Available Combat Abilities (3 AP available)
Beast Bonding: Enrage Beast, Extend Bond.
Body Control: Boost Health, Boost Speed.
Telekinesis: Teleport object, Hold.
Telepathy: Confusion, Terrify, Sleep. (Locked, skill of 1 required).
Air Magic: Shocking Hands, Blur.
Earth Magic: Grasping Roots, Earth Tremor, Poison Ward.
Fire Magic: Fire Darts, Fire Shield.
Supportive Magic: Restore Health (Others), Healing Aura, Restore Mind, Detect Magic.
Water Magic: Freezing Hands, Ice Wall.
Longbow: Focused shot, Long shot, Quick shot. (Locked, skill of 1 required).
Longsword: Disarm, Focused strike. (Locked, skill of 1 required).
He had already unlocked slippery ice. He mused over his remaining choices. He desperately needed a ranged spell, a means to inflict damage from afar. Fire darts looked the most promising and he unlocked it.
New ability learnt!
Ability: Fire dart
Skill: Fire magic.
Description: Fires a magical fire dart at the targeted creature.
Rank: Novice.
Cost: 40 Essence.
Execution time: Instantaneous.
Range: Up to the caster’s direct line of sight.
Damage: Inflicts a maximum of 1 x skill of fire damage to the target.
He decided to bank his remaining 2 AP, at least until he better understood how to spend them. The civilian skills he pondered on for a while.
Civilian Skills (4 SP Available)
Leadership Skills:
Commander: 0.7 (1 base)
Feudal Lord: 0
Governor: 0
Mage Lord: 2.4 (1 base)
Scrying: 0.7 (1 base)
Travelling: 0.7 (1 base)
Racial Skills:
Nature Lore: 0
Scrying had been very useful thus far and had to be levelled. Travelling and nature lore were also likely to prove useful in the near future, commander and mage lord less so.
Your base skill in scrying, travelling and nature lore has increased to 2 (the maximum allowable at your current level).
New base ability unlocked!
Ability: Show plants (map)
Skill: Nature lore.
Description: Shows useful plants and ingredients of the same rank as the caster on the player’s map.
Rank: Base.
Cost: 80 Essence per hour.
Execution time: Instantaneous.
Area of effect: Radius of 20m x skill around caster.
Duration: Infinite (activated ability).
Next, he considered his civilian ability.
Available Civilian Abilities (1 AP available)
Commander: Share sight, Drain Minion Health.
Governor: Basic Torture, Interrogate, Drain Minion Will. (Locked, skill of 1 required).
Mage Lord: Channel novice spells, Drain Minion Essence.
Scrying: Detect Scrying.
Travelling: Travel (self), Teleport Barrier.
Nature Lore: Show Plants (map), Gather plants, Encourage growth, Harvest beast remains. (Locked, skill of 1 required).
He chose travel (self), with the hope that if he levelled the skill enough it would help him esca
pe this subterranean world.
New ability learnt!
Ability: Travel (self)
Skill: Travelling.
Description: Teleports the caster to a distant location outside of his direct line of sight. Warning: Interrupting this spell can have dire consequences to the caster.
Rank: Novice.
Cost: 40 Essence.
Execution time: 5 minutes.
Range: Maximum teleport distance of 100m x skill.
His updated stats looked much improved. The regeneration rates of his energy pools remained low, but with his new store of food and secure supply of water, he was confident that with frequent rests, he could manage it. After his levelling, he checked his profile.
Profile (Condensed)
Name: Kyran Seversan
Race: Elf
Combat Level: 3 (11,025/ 12,000)
Civilian Level: 2 (2,025 / 4,000)
Health: 30 / 30
Stamina: 380 / 500
Will: 540 / 1020
Essence: 8 / 1200
Attacks
Physical: 1.0 (slash).
Mental: None.
Spell: 7.7 (fire).
Defences
Physical Defence: 3.1
Psi Defence: 3.0
Spell Defence: 3.0
Combat Skills
Beast Bonding: 7.6 (3 base)
Body Control: 2.0 (1 base)
Light Armour: 3.6 (3 base)
Psionics: 0
Psi Armour: 0
Telekinesis: 6.1 (3 base)
Telepathy: 0
Will Regen.: 0
Air Magic: 7.7 (3 base)
Earth Magic: 7.7 (3 base)
Essence Regen.: 0
Fire Magic: 7.7 (3 base)
Supportive Magic: 7.7 (3 base)
Wands & Staffs: 0
Mystical garments: 0
Spellcasting: 0
Water Magic: 7.7 (3 base)
Longbow (Racial): 0
Longsword (Racial): 1.6 (2 base)
Civilian Skills
Commander: 0.7 (1 base)
Feudal Lord: 0
Governor: 0
Mage Lord: 2.4 (1 base)
Scrying: 1.4 (2 base)
Travelling: 1.4 (2 base)
Nature Lore (Racial): 2.4 (2 base)
Vassals & Minions
Maximum allowed: 2 (3 base)
Current: None.
Combat Abilities (2 AP available)
Novice:
Beast Bond I.
Truesight, Fire Dart, Slippery Ice.
Base:
Calm beast, Mind over matter, Teleport (self).
Blend, Barkskin, Flaming Hands, Restore Health (Self), Water Armour.
Civilian Abilities
Novice:
Basic Scrying, Travel (self).
Base:
Inspiring, Channel Essence, Show Hostiles (map), Show Portals (map), Show Plants (map).
Equipped Items
Chitin helm (2 base armour).
Rusted longsword (1 base slash damage).
✽ ✽ ✽
Kyran grew contemplative. His life on Myelad already contrasted sharply with his life back on Earth. Here he was, in only the first few hours of his new life, placing himself in mortal danger, casting spells and dressing his own kills. It was hard to believe that only a day ago, gaming and studies were the focus of his life. Right now, sitting here, he was hard put to say which of his two worlds was more 'real'. Myelad was... different. And perhaps, fate had not dealt him such a bad hand, bringing him here.
His thoughts drifted to Sara, tinged with regret. He still felt remorse at not being able to save her. He wondered what happened to her. She had obviously been Iyra's candidate. Had she chosen to become a champion? Did that make them enemies now?
He yawned. It had been a busy day, and he was too tired to think any more. He lay down on the cold stone floor of the mine guardroom and fell deeply asleep.
✽ ✽ ✽
Interlude
A champion is a summoned spirit that has chosen to enter Myelad as a player pledged to one of the Gods. The champion always acts on the behalf of, and for the benefit of its God. The Pledge guarantees it. They are the Gods’ primary game pieces in the Game, tirelessly striving to increase their deity’s dominion and power. What makes champions extremely dangerous, is their ability to directly channel their God’s essence. (Aside: there have been countless rumours, but no confirmation, that channelling divine essence induces euphoria within the wielder, on a scale beyond that of magical essence. It is thought that this addiction, explains why many champions, cannot but help constantly channelling essence.) The degree of divine essence that a champion may channel is directly related to her divine spark. For this reason, they are, without fail, beings with unusually high divine spark, and wielders of the divine magic path. It is the choice of the other two skill trees that differentiate champions from one another into paladins, inquisitors, priests, priest-kings, monks, and holy artificers – from Observations on the Gods and their Champions, secret text of Dagzid, Brotherhood scholar.
Sara stumbled forward. Before she could fall, she was caught by two waiting servitors. The world portal closed behind her. "Welcome to Durham, my lady," greeted the older of the two, bowing low.
"Thank you," stuttered Sara, still disorientated.
"Come this way my lady, your arrival has been expected. A room, bath and suitable garments await you in your suite." He held out his arm expectedly. Still befuddled, Sara took it and allowed herself to be led off. They passed through a series of gates, each guarded by smartly attired warriors who snapped to attention, at her passage. Passing servitors all bowed, as she made her way down the sumptuous corridors. They reached an elegant suite. It consisted of a large sleeping chamber, a extravagant sitting room and an unknown number of antechambers. Here the two guides passed her off to the waiting staff of personal servants. "Your servants have prepared your chambers, my lady. They will see to your needs from here on." He bowed again in farewell, "The Divine will see you when you are refreshed."
✽ ✽ ✽
The gentle murmur of whispers and reverent voices filled the throne room of the Durham archbasilica. Light streamed down from the high stained-glass windows and bathed the room in a golden glow. Clerics and priests hurried to and fro though the side aisles. Bishops, cardinals and other high-ranking clerics looked down from the galleries, as they conducted the important business of the church. This was the heart of the church of Iyra, its bureaucratic machinery. The entrance to the room stood open, its golden doors flanked by elite paladin guards. The glittering throne at the end of the aisle stood empty and the room was filled with an expectant buzz.
At the tramp of marching feet, silence filtered through the room and attention focused on the approaching party. The new champion, Sara, dressed elegantly, in flowing robes and emblazoned with the golden lily of Iyra's church approached the empty throne, flanked by her honour guard of six paladins. As Sara and her guards knelt before the throne, the Goddess slowly coalesced into being. "Welcome champion," greeted Iyra.
Sara bowed and with her head touching the floor replied fervently, "Thank you Divine, I have come as you commanded, and stand ready to serve you as you desire."
"Rise daughter," said Iyra, "and be welcome in my church." She inspected Sara carefully, "Has all been to your satisfaction, daughter?"
Sara stood slowly and bowed again to Iyra, "Yes Divine, my needs have been seen to most satisfactorily."
"Excellent," replied Iyra. She gestured to one of the attending cardinals, summoning him forth. "This is Cardinal Silas Melban, a vassal of the First. He will see to your training."
The cardinal was an elderly human dressed in the same flowing robes as Sara. Despite his frail form his eyes burnt with holy fervour. He bowed in greeting to Sara, his movements smooth and controlled, "Greetings champion."
A slight frown marred Sara's visage. Puzzled, she asked, "Training, Divine?"
"Yes daughter, despite the many gifts and talents bestowed upon you as my champion, you are yet only a novice and unprepared to face my enemies and the many perils of this world. Silas will train you. He will teach you about this world, and the mechanics of the game. Most importantly, he will direct you to the skills and abilities I desire of you. Attend him carefully, for his teachings are my will."
Perturbed by this, but still agreeable, Sara acquiesced, "Of course Divine, your will is my command."
"Good," said Iyra, ignoring Sara's reticence, "but it is not for this that I have called you here today. Do you still recall the events prior to your summoning to Myelad?"
"Yes, Divine," answered Sara bewildered, "those memories remain etched in my mind."
"Excellent, tell me everything. Leave no detail out, no matter how minute. I wish to know all of it, especially of the free agent Kyran."
✽ ✽ ✽
Sara dodged the goblin's wild swing. Bruised, battered and on its last legs it stumbled forward again. Sara nimbly sidestepped and crashed her mace into its unarmoured face. While it still reeled, she gripped the goblin firmly with her free hand and unleashed a torrent of holy fire into his body. The goblin shrieked in agony, and dropped lifeless to the floor, tendrils of smoke escaping its burnt remains.
You have killed a level 12 goblin (6,210 XP gained: 742,002/850,000 combat XP).
This was the twentieth goblin she had killed today, and the third day of her training. The training room, spattered with blood and bodily remains, bore silent testimony to the fruits of her endeavours. She had slaughtered countless goblins, each led, one by one, to their deaths. She had come to realise that this was not so much training as experience farming. At no point in the last three days had she been in actual danger. Any wounds the goblins managed to inflict were instantly healed by the attentive healers. If she faltered or looked to be in imminent danger, the vigilant paladins intervened, and ruthlessly dispatched her opponent. She was already level 18 and close to classing.
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