Lord Sorcerer: Singularity Online: Book 3
Page 43
As night rolled in, the elves retreated to their tower. Once the sun fell, the forest came alive with undead – well, figuratively speaking. The creatures avoided the Hallowed area around the tower, but beyond that area, they swarmed the forests in vast numbers. Winged undead the elves called naktraps flashed overhead, their dark-grey flesh just a moment of darker blackness against the starry backdrop. Lumbering, bloated corpses crashed through the trees, and small, dark things the size of children skittered through the night.
Aranos meditated first that night and spent the first part of the evening in Skill training. Although he was tempted to see if he could get his High Enchantment Skill to the Expert level, he guessed that the Skill books weren’t the way to do that. He’d need to get there by Enchanting something nearly perfect, something that really challenged his abilities. Instead, he spent his time training Carving, Sense Intent, Animal Handling, and Battlesense. Carving was the least important of those, except that he had a few samples of rare wood in his pack, and he thought that he could make some truly exceptional things with them if he could get his Carving Skill high enough. Even if he could make a bow or staff from the wood now, he’d never be able to Enchant it; his Carving Skill wasn’t high enough to let him cut the tiny runes in the wood accurately. Animal Handling helped empower Silma, and Battlesense helped the entire party. Sense Intent, though, was the one he really wanted to train, because at the end of it, he got the notification he’d been expecting:
Skill Boost: Sense Intent (T) has gained a Level!
New Rank: Adept 1
Adept Level Ability: Skill Synergy – Can add this Skill’s rank to other Charisma-based Skills when determining the effective level of those Skills.
He spent the rest of his time meditating by training his Wis and Int, gaining a point to each of them, and working on his mindscape. He used his own SP this time, channeling 50% of it into the mindscape to make it grow, then letting it refill before repeating.
The remainder of the night, he trained his Physical Stats, raising his Str, Dex, Agil, and End by two points each and his Per by a single point; now that it was above 50, it was only getting half the benefits of his training. He also took out some of his gathered herbs and leaves and spent a couple hours creating new salves and ointments he thought would be useful in dealing with the undead. Thanks to his Master-ranked Skill, he crafted bandages that would draw out potent toxins and tinctures that would halt the progress of even magical diseases. He knew that both Meridian and Rhys had Spells that would do some of this, but like him, Meridian also had Spells that were harmful to the undead. Some of her SP had to be set aside for those Spells, now, so anything he could craft would be useful.
When everything that was necessary was done, he took out the slender, prismatic ingot of faymetal, examining it carefully. He could feel the storms of chaotic energy within it and knew that if there was a pattern here, it was a deeper one than he could easily perceive. Still, something had to be constraining that energy. After all, the bar was solid and permanent; if it had just been chaotic mana, it would have swirled off into entropy long ago. So, while the spirit mana was chaotic, it had to be chaos somehow bound and locked into place by something else.
Aranos ignored the spirit mana for the moment and went seeking those boundaries. He let his mind drift past the chaos, trying to sense the tiny points of order within. Somewhere, something was holding that mana in place, securing it somehow. How long he floated, sensing but not seeing that ingot, he didn’t know. As he gazed across it, though, he sensed an anomaly; there was a point in his vision that was stable for an instant before a wave of chaos swept over it. When the entropy receded, though, the point remained; it was indeed a tiny spot of order, unmoved by the chaos around it.
Aranos’ focus narrowed onto that point. He touched it with his mind, and to his satisfaction, he knew it; it was metal mana. The steely, cold solidity of it had locked the spirit mana into place in that spot. With growing excitement, his mind whirled among the loops and strains of chaos, seeking another point of metallic mana. He sensed the next one before he saw it; the chaos was attracted to it and repelled by it in equal measure, and that strange motion caught his attention.
Now that he knew what to look for, the task grew easier. As more and more points of solidity resolved in his mind, Aranos realized what he was seeing. The metal mana formed a crystalline lattice that held the spirit mana in place. The spirit energy clung to the metal mana without touching it, flowing from point to point erratically, but the movements of the spirit mana didn’t matter. What mattered was the pattern of the metal mana.
Aranos could see it, now, and his mind recognized that pattern, understood it at a fundamental level. It held the spirit mana by creating a constant, inward flow; as spirit mana swirled to the surface, the metal matrix created pathways for it that guided it back into the depths. It would bloom once more, and again it was channeled down into the core of the metal. Those were the swirls of color that danced across the surface; the spirit mana was locked forever in a fruitless attempt to escape.
Cautiously, Aranos reached inside and touched not the spirit mana, but the metal mana that held it in place. He nudged it, shifted it, adjusting the pathways and patterns. The metal was nothing but a conduit for the power contained within; so long as his pattern held that power and redirected it inward, the metal would remain solid. The colors of the metal rippled now instead of swirling in circles, but it felt just as solid and just as light. The properties of the metal didn’t seem to change so long as the patterns kept the spirit mana flowing.
Aranos could see why it would be impossible to work or Enchant this metal. Anything you did that disrupted the metal matrix would let the spirit mana escape, probably explosively. In fact, the spirit mana would probably disrupt any other energies introduced into it; it would be hard to heat or forge, and it would likely undo any Enchantments or Runeforms placed on it. If there was a way to Enchant it, it would have to be in the pattern of the metal itself…
Aranos shook those thoughts off. He needed to focus on figuring out how spirit mana worked before he started playing with Enchanting faymetal. As far as he could tell, the chaotic energy was attracted to and clung to the metal, but it didn’t look like anything in particular was binding the two aspects together. Maybe that’s just its nature? he wondered silently. Or maybe it’s something about metal mana that naturally attracts spirit energy. Well, only one way to see.
Taking a deep breath, he touched the stone floor beneath him, using High Mastery to scoop out a small piece of stone and then smooth over the divot he’d left. He placed the stone against the end of the faymetal ingot, carefully altering the grains of earth within it so they matched the patterns in the faymetal. Once he was sure he had the stone as perfectly adjusted as possible, he slowly shifted a single grain in the end of the ingot, allowing the tiniest strand of spirit mana to escape before sealing it back.
The thin strand of spirit mana raced into the stone, dancing chaotically around the passages he’d created. The thread didn’t actually follow any specific path; it seemed to jump randomly from crystal to crystal. However, no matter how it shifted and writhed, it always hugged the particles of earth. As he watched, the stone lost its opacity, becoming translucent like a crystal filled with a ribbon of rainbow color within. It’s changing the earth mana into something else, he realized in amazement. It’s like some kind of fay stone, instead of faymetal. That’s awesome!
He had one last test he wanted to try. Metal mana was a composite of earth and life mana; it was possible that only earth mana reacted like this with spirit, in which case it would still happen with metal or dust. Taking another deep breath, he created a bubble of air mana around the stone, twisting and shifting the vortices of wind until they created a series of spiraling patterns that wound around and down into the stone but never offered an escape. Bracing himself, he shifted a grain of the altered rock, allowing the spirit mana to escape into the surrounding bubble.
&nb
sp; A flare of rainbow light burst from the air in front of him as flashes and pulses of color erupted from the bubble. The air glowed and swirled with prismatic hues, but so long as he held the bubble’s structure tightly, the spirit mana wouldn’t escape. It was chaos, but it was drawn to order; it was as if it needed some form of order, some solid pattern to exist. Without that, it would probably flash to entropy and be gone.
In a way, he supposed, that was his existence in this world. He was just a series of thoughts, really, and as a purely mental construct he wouldn’t really be able to exist here. He needed a form for his thoughts to occupy, a body to control. That gave him a sense of self, of existence. If spirit mana is really the energy of other worlds, then it’s just like a Traveler; it needs a body here to occupy, or it can’t exist. That’s why it clings to other mana types. They’re what give it form and substance.
As those thoughts crystallized in his mind, a notification began flashing in his vision, and he excitedly pulled it up:
Enhanced Aspect Discovered!
Aspect: Spirit
Spirit mana ties this world to all others. It is what connects the caster to other planes of existence and can call creatures from outside Ka into this world.
Associated Stat: Per
Requirements: Per 50+, Lore (Divine) or Spell Channeling Adept 1
Using Spirit Mana: Spirit mana is chaotic and random. It cannot be effectively channeled by itself and must be combined with some other mana type to be useful. Attempting to cast a Spell using pure spirit mana will cause 1 point of Per drain per 10 SP channeled (per 20 SP for caster with Expert-ranked Mana Control, per 50 SP for casters with Master-ranked Mana Control, and no damage to Grandmasters of Mana Control). Spirit mana will readily infuse any other type of mana, although if care is not taken, it will just as readily evaporate to entropy.
Stat Damage: A caster can safely use only a limited amount of spirit mana without damage. You can use SP of spirit mana equal to or less than double your Per Stat per hour. Exceeding this limit drains your Per Stat: you lose 1 point of Per for each 1% of your max SP of additional spirit mana you use. This damage heals at a rate of 10% per hour of rest or meditation.
Spirit Mana and Spells: Spirit mana is disruptive to any mana structure not designed to contain it; Spells using spirit mana do double damage to magical barriers or standing Spells. Items infused with Spirit mana are doubly effective against magical barriers or creatures from other worlds. Armor infused with this aspect is resistant to magical damage. Any item infused with Spirit mana cannot be Runecrafted or Enchanted normally, and infusing an already Enchanted item with spirit energy will cause it to become nonfunctional for as long as there is spirit mana within it, plus 1 minute per 10 SP of spirit mana infused into it. Runecrafted items do not function while they are infused with spirit mana but regain normal functioning once the spirit energy is removed.
Spirit Mana and Other Worlds: Spirit mana can be used to open temporary or permanent passages into other worlds. This is a dangerous and difficult feat, however, and requires extensive expertise regarding the specific world in question. If you attempt to connect to a world beyond Ka, your chance of success is 10% per rank of Lore you have regarding that world: 10% for Novice, 20% for Student, and so on. Note that without such a Lore Skill, the chance is 0%, and if the Skill is Untrained, the odds of success are halved. If the attempt fails, the outcome is random. The Spell may connect to a different world entirely, may simply fail, may fail catastrophically, the caster’s Perception may be heavily drained, or any number of other possibilities.
+450 XP
Aranos almost shouted with excitement at reading the notification. He’d unlocked another form of Enhanced mana, and one that would be extra effective against magical barriers or creatures. More importantly, he’d discovered that it was possible to unlock Enhanced mana without an emotionally devastating event, which was kind of a relief. Satisfied, he returned the ingot and the stone to his pack, shifted his Profession to Scholar, and settled down to improve his Elven Lore Skill for the rest of the night.
The players returned the next morning, and Aranos had what he thought would be a controversial announcement. He’d been thinking about it all night, and he believed it was the best way to strengthen the group, but he had a feeling that neither the players nor the elves were going to like it. As the humans gathered into the lowest floor of the tower, Aranos stood before them all, taking a deep breath.
“I’ve been thinking about this, and I’ve decided our best course of action is to split into two groups,” he told the assembled party members.
“Don’t they always say, ‘never split the party’?” Longfellow observed with a grin. “Pretty sure I’ve heard that one someplace.”
“Yeah, on cartoons from the 1970’s,” Meridian snorted. “They always split up, and it’s always a bad idea.”
“What are your thoughts, Oathbinder?” Geltheriel interrupted the banter. “The Travelers are correct; it is usually considered unwise to divide a party if it is possible to avoid that.”
“Yeah, and in the city, we won’t do that,” Aranos agreed. “But there’s something more important, and that’s the fact that while we know how to work together, and the humans know how to work with each other, we don’t all know how to work together as a group.”
“We could figure that out as we go,” Phil suggested. “I don’t think we need to split up to do it.”
“Phil, what’s Geltheriel’s strongest attack?” Aranos asked calmly. “Saphielle, how is McBane at Stealth? Meridian, how much healing does Silma need?”
“Yes, you have made your point, Redeemer,” Saphielle interrupted him. “I do not know the capabilities of the humans, which means that I do not know when I can rely on them and when they will need my support. You intend to mix the groups and force us to learn how to work with one another.” She turned to the others. “Rogue, Archer, you are certainly with me, which means that Druid, you likely are, as well. Spellsword, you will party with the Shaman, Shadedancer, and fenrin. Is this correct?”
“That was my plan,” Aranos nodded. “And I’ll go with one party at a time.”
“Wait a tick,” Longfellow objected. “Did you two work this out together last night? And if so, what were you doing last night before you worked this out?” Rhys snorted, and Geltheriel grinned at Aranos’ sudden flush.
“If you must ask, Archer, I suggest you take the Druid’s Intelligence training, as it was not difficult to reason how the Redeemer would decide,” Saphielle said coolly. “Of course, the Spellsword and I would be separated, as would the Rogue and Shadedancer. As I have more experience than the Spellsword, Silma would join him to aid as a tank. It would make no sense for the Shadedancer to work with me, and she is far more skilled at her Class than the Rogue, so I would receive the Archer for additional damage. Having the Shaman in my party would mean three Travelers together, negating the point of the exercise. I trust you had no difficulty following that?”
“Don’t worry, Shortfellow,” Meridian laughed. “I’ve got some heals for that burn.” She turned to the Avenger. “You’re really smart, girl. I admire that. Your Charisma has to suck, though.”
“You are correct in both conjectures, Shaman,” Geltheriel chuckled. “The Lieutenant is amazingly bright and has an abysmal Charisma. We have all learned to ignore it.”
“It’s kinda fun, really,” the blonde woman replied with a smile. “I hope it doesn’t change anytime soon.”
“Sadly, it will not, as all my attempts to improve my Charisma have failed,” Saphielle shrugged. “I have ceased trying and accept my lot.”
As the various players and NPCs kept chatting, Aranos caught Phil’s eye and motioned toward the front door. The Spellsword nodded and followed Aranos outside, a smile playing on his lips. “That went pretty well,” the big man observed calmly.
“A lot better than I expected it to, really. I thought the players might object more to being split up and paired with NPCs.”
“That’s why I wasn’t worried about them working with your NPCs. I know that it won’t bother them to learn from your group. Did you see their faces when Saphielle was explaining and she accidentally insulted McBane? He just shrugged; he knows Geltheriel’s better right now, and he’s hoping to learn from her.”
Phil turned and looked out at the trees surrounding the tower. “What will the party you’re not with be doing? Patrolling near the tower?”
“I figured I’d leave the training and mana crystals behind, and they could work with them. Training together is a great way to get to know one another.”
“That it is, dude. Teams that train together, stay together.”
Aranos snorted. “We should get that made into a t-shirt.”
“Who says I haven’t?” Phil laughed. He turned and gazed curiously at Aranos. “You know, dude, you’ve changed a bit the last couple weeks.”
Aranos blinked. “Changed? I don’t think I have.”
“Yeah, you have. You’ve just taken charge, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. You never would have done that a month ago. You’d have told me what you wanted and let me tell everyone.”
“I don’t think I’m in charge…” As Aranos spoke, he caught the amused look on Phil’s face and sighed. “Okay, yeah, I guess I am.” He frowned, thinking. “I never really thought about it, but I think it’s from the time with the elves. I kind of had to be in charge, because someone has to make the decisions, right? I guess I should get out of that habit.”