by C. M. Carney
Killing Time
Book Three of the Realms
by
C.M. Carney
Killing Time - A Novel of The Realms
by
C.M. Carney
www.cmcarneywrites.com
© 2018 C.M. Carney
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permissions contact: [email protected]
Dedication
To my mother, Kathy Hodes.
You started me on this journey and always believed I could be me.
I Love you Mom.
1
Gaarm’s dull and stupid eyes were on me. I could almost see his alcohol-drowned thoughts swirling through his mind as he tried to decide if I was bluffing. I held eye contact with him for several moments, before lifting my mug of mead to my mouth, draining the last few sips. The mug’s wide brim blocked Gaarm’s stare, and he grunted in annoyance.
I set my empty mug down onto the table with a hollow thunk and jumped as a surge of energy flowed through my body. I looked around in confusion. What the hell was that?
Gaarm took my jumpiness as a sign I was bluffing. He grinned, sucked at some bit of food stuck in his crooked Stonehenge of brown teeth, and pushed his pile of coins forward. “I’m all in,” he said.
Now, I know what you’re thinking. Here I am gambling and getting wasted when my Player, good ol’ Gryph, was out there somewhere alone, without his trusty NPC to watch his back. Where’s the loyalty? In my defense, I didn’t start my day getting hammered.
After Gryph shoved me through the portal and onto my ass, some weird shit happened. I’d jumped up and tried to rush back through the portal, but that smug bastard Aluran had done something to it. I’m not sure he meant to, but when I tried to pass through the threshold to get back to Gryph, a surge of energy shot into my body. It didn’t hurt, exactly, but the next thing I knew I was lying on my back with a bunch of townsfolk looking down on me and the portal had closed.
I tried using my Player Tracking gift but kept getting an ERROR message. This freaked me out and deeply saddened me. Player Tracking was infallible, everyone knew that. Only the strongest anti-scrying magics could block the Gift. Yet, somehow mine was failing.
“Now what do I do?”
Depressed, I spent the next several hours talking to the locals, who were of no help. I even hired a wizard named Harry to track him. That failed, but I suspect it was due to the wizard bullshitting me about being able to find lost items and people. He even offered to sell me a love potion or an endless purse. While that sounded lovely, I decided his wares were likely less legit than his skills.
It was getting hot, so with nothing else to do I plopped down on a bale-of-hay to wait for another portal to open. It never did. I was alone and sad and took a moment out of my busy sitting on a bale of hay schedule to check out my Character Sheet. It would help me take my mind off things while I waited for Gryph to show up.
Lex - Level 1
Ordonian
Deity: Cerrunos
Experience: 0
Next Level: 2,000
Stats
Health: 128
Stamina: 131
Mana: 132
Spirit: 132
Attributes
Strength: 17
Constitution: 14
Dexterity: 12
Intelligence: 16
Wisdom: 16
Gifts:
Player Tracking (Gryph)
Ordonian Bloodlust
I was a typical low-level noob. The only interesting bit on the sheet was a Gift called Ordonian Bloodlust.
You possess the Racial Gift Ordonian Bloodlust.
Ordonians are fierce warriors with a close connection to the wilds of nature. Once per day they can call upon their animalistic natures to provide a temporary increase to their Physical Attributes.
Bonuses: +5 to all Physical Attributes (Strength, Constitution and Dexterity). -5 to all Mental Attributes. + 20 Health and Stamina. -20 Mana and Spirit.
Duration: 5 minutes +20 seconds per level.
Ordonian Bloodlust seemed like an anti-social gift, but I’m sure I’d find a use for it, say in the unlikely event I ever needed to go on a murder spree. I checked out my Skills Sheet.
Magic Skills:
The ability to manipulate the primal forces of the Realms. There are thirteen spheres of magic and each user will have an Affinity percentage for each sphere. An Affinity of 100% means the user’s ability to learn that sphere is limited only by their, Intelligence, willingness to learn and advance. An Affinity of 100% also grants a +25% Immunity to that variety of magic.
An Affinity of 0% (AKA Antipathy) means that no matter how much study is dedicated to the sphere the user will never have an ability to cast spells in that sphere. Antipathy also provides an automatic +25% Weakness to that variety of magic.
Magic Skills: Level (Affinity) (Tier)
Fire: 0 (75%) (B)
Air: 0 (25%) (B)
Water: 0 (75%) (B)
Earth: 0 (50%) (B)
Chthonic: 0 (25%) (B)
Empyrean: 0 (75%) (B)
Chaos: 0 (0%) (B)
Order: 0 (100%) (B)
Life: 0 (50%) (B)
Death: 0 (25%) (B)
Thought: 0 (50%) (B)
Aether: 0 (25%) (B)
Soul: 0 (0%) (B)
B = Base. (Levels 1 - 20)
A = Apprentice. (Levels 20 - 49)
J = Journeyman. (Levels 49 - 74)
M = Master (Levels 75 - 99)
GM = Grandmaster (Levels 100)
My Magical Skills were interesting. I had a 100% Affinity in Order Magic, which kinda bugged me. I had always thought of myself as more of a wild child lover of chaos, which made my 0% Affinity in Chaos Magic a serious bummer, but I'd work with the others.
Martial Skills:
These skills measure a user’s ability with weapons, armor and other techniques of battle. There are no Affinity limitations and the level a user can gain is limited only by their physical prowess and dedication to training and practice.
Martial Skills: Level (Tier)
Blunt Weapons: 5 (B)
Light Armor: 5 (B)
My Martial Skills made sense considering what I knew about priestly types. The cool thing was that if I wanted to become a shifty dagger-wielding rogue, then all I needed to do was practice. I liked the idea on not being limited by the choices foisted on me by otherworldly powers. But, for now, smash, smash with my hammer worked just fine.
Knowledge Skills:
These skills measure a user’s ability to understand and make use of knowledge. Like Martial Skills there are no Affinity based limits to these skills. However these skills rely upon Intelligence and Wisdom scores. A dumb man will never learn Spell Crafting, no matter how much study they put into the skill. Intelligence and Wisdom affect a Knowledge Skill in complicated ways that one must discover over time.
Knowledge Skills: Level (Tier)
Analyze: 5 (B)
Invocation: 5 (B)
So, I had to be smart to up my Knowledge Skills. I already considered myself a brainiac, so I was game for that challenge. I also got a boost to a few skills. Was that part of my NPC auto generation, or a result of previous skills like it had with Gryph?
I tapped on the Analyze skill and a description popped up.
ANALYZE
Level: 5 - Skill Type: Active
Analyze is the ability to gain information from other people. While most people in the Realms will ogle and
people watch, those skilled in Analyze can glean a deeper understanding. Analyze is a prized and rare skill for those who believe knowledge is power. Use it wisely.
“Well, that sounds sweet,” I muttered. Having once been a repository of digital information, I loved that I could be something similar in the Realms. Visions of standing beside Gryph, whispering secret knowledge into his ear, swam through my brain. He'd make me his spymaster once he, with my invaluable help, carved a small kingdom for us out of the chaos of the Realms.
I had no idea what Invocation was, so I tapped the skill and a description popped up.
INVOCATION
Level: 5 - Skill Type: Active
Invocation is the ability to create new Invocations (prayers with spell like effects) by communing with one's deity. Like spells, Incantations come in Tiers. The user must be one Tier higher than the level of Incantation he hopes to create. Base Tier Invocation allows the user to create Blessings, Incantations of low power.
Invocation sounded amazing in theory, but since my god was dead, it was useless. Who had I pissed off this time? Lastly, I checked the swag in my Inventory.
You have found an Order Bolt Spell Stone (Order Magic) (Common)
This enchanted stone will allow you to learn a spell of Order Magic.
You have found a Commune Spell Stone (Order Magic) (Extremely Rare)
This enchanted stone will allow you to learn a spell of Order Magic.
You have been awarded a Maul of Holy Might
Item Class: Base - Item Category: Active
Base Dmg: 16 (+2 Base Item Bonus)
Active Powers
Power (1): Holy Might: This mighty war hammer can be infused with Spirit Energy to provide an extra +1 damage per point of Spirit. Spirit Limit is increased by 1% for every five levels of Blunt Weapons skill. Cooldown is decreased by 1 seconds for every 5 levels of Blunt Weapons level.
Spirit Transfer: 100% - Spirit Limit: 10% - Cool Down: 20 seconds
The preferred weapon of the Priests of Cerrunos, this war hammer can deal great damage to the enemies of knowledge.
You have been awarded Robes of Cerrunos. (Light Armor)
Item Class: Base - Item Category: Passive
AC Bonus: +10 (+2 Base Item Bonus)
Passive Powers
Power (1): Holy Aura: Provides a Priest of Cerrunos with +10% Health, Stamina, Mana and Spirit Regeneration while they keep faith in Cerrunos.
My stuff was real snazzy. The hammer and robes were sweet. I wondered about the powers of my robes. How could I have faith in a dead god? Was it as simple as having his name typed in the Deity slot on my Character Sheet, or did I have to say daily prayers? It's not like I could ask the guy. Dead bastard. I cast a paranoid glance up at the sky, wondering if my dead god would hear and smite me for my brazen heresy. The sky was blue and cloudless and no lighting strike cast me down, so I guessed I was okay for now.
I checked out the spells. Order Bolt’s purpose sounded straightforward. I had no idea what Commune would do, but it had an Extremely Rare designation that was both awesome and curious. I knew newly generated NPCs were given a single spell, and that spell was always of the Common variety. Why did I have two and why did I have an Extremely Rare one?
“This day is getting weirder and weirder.”
I knew I shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth and also knew there was only one way to find out what Commune did. I held the stone in my hand, closed my eyes and pushed my will into the stone. Warmth flowed from the stone and up my arm. The motes of my being, the atoms that made up my body somehow realigned themselves into a more orderly pattern.
You have learned the spell Commune.
Sphere: Order Magic - Tier: Base.
Allows the caster to Commune with beings from the Realm of Order once per day. The Realm of Order is one of the Higher Realms, therefore streams and snippets of information flow to it from the Mortal Realms. During this communing, the caster may ask one Yes or No question. While the answer is always truthful, the servants of the Lords of Order are odd beings by mortal standards and therefore their answers may hold several meanings or be obfuscated. Trust them at your peril. Servants of the Lords of Order find precision and perfection appealing. Properly asked questions may be rewarded with a Boon. Beware, Boons always require payment.
Mana Cost: 100. Duration: Instantaneous. Cooldown: 1 day.
You have learned the skill ORDER MAGIC.
Level: 1 - Tier: Base - Skill Type: Active
You can now wield the power of Order Magic. Order Magic allows the user to tap into the energies of the Order Realm. Order Magic makes use of defensive spells and spells that enhance others, but it does also have some potent offensive and summoning spells. Note: Users of Order Magic are generally accepted by most cultures, but their fondness for control makes them unpopular. Most people consider them “no fun” and to have “sticks up their butts.”
Commune was like a telephone to the Lords of Order. The description told me that I'd be a fool to trust the jerks completely, but still I loved the idea of having my own magic eight ball. Boons sounded amazing, but potentially dangerous. What kinda payments would a Boon require? Something else troubled me. Commune seemed overpowered for a noob spell. I scratched at my beard as I considered. Something was definitely odd here. Order mages reputation for being no fun irked me. I decided that one of my missions in the Realms would be to change that opinion, sticks or no sticks.
I cast Commune. The world slowed and then stopped. A haze rolled in like an early morning fog. The people and building around me became ghostly. In the distance I saw movement and something floated towards me through the mists. It was a cube with thin, rubbery arms and legs. A large single eye glowed with an internal light. It drifted towards me and lowered itself onto its thin feet. It looked, for all the world, like Gumby’s less evolved cousin. I used Analyze.
Quadrata: Level 8 H: 178/S: 234/M: 167/SP: 0
Quadrata occupy the lowest echelon in the hierarchies of the Realm of Order. They are simple cube shaped creatures whose function is like that of a cleaning servant in the mortal realms.
Strengths: Unknown. Immunities: Unknown. Weaknesses: Unknown.
“Great, you’re a janitor,” I said. It stared at me unblinking and after several moments I waved. “Hello, how are you?” It said nothing and stared. “Oh right, yes or no answers only.” I cleared my throat. “Do you know where Gryph is?”
YES, it said, not aloud, but in my head. Then it turned and floated away.
“Wait, where is he?” I asked in desperation.
The quadrata ignored me and faded into the mists again. As soon as it disappeared from my sight, the world around me became unfazed and time began again.
“Well, you’re no damn help,” I yelled. Several townsfolk gave me confused glares, but none stopped. I felt like a beggar in Times Square, ignored and alone amidst the throng, too crazy to risk noticing. I would have to wait until tomorrow to cast Commune again. By then I planned on having a better question ready.
I concentrated on the other spell stone and learned Order Bolt.
You have learned the spell Order Bolt.
Sphere: Order Magic - Tier: Base.
Allows the caster to fire one Order Bolt per 5 levels of Order Magic mastery. This knife of energy will unerringly hit the intended target for 5 (+1 per 5 levels of Order Magic) points of damage.
Mana Cost: 20. Casting Time: Instantaneous. Cooldown: 20 Seconds. (-1 Sec per Level of Order Magic).
“Nice,” I said. Order Bolt was kinda wussy now, but down the road it would be a nice staple in my repertoire. I pulled the last item from my Inventory. It was a large tome, intricately carved and embossed with gold and silver. I opened it and a sense of love and joy flowed over me.
You have been awarded the Writ of Cerrunos
Item Class: Base - Item Category: Passive/Active
Base Dmg: N/A
Passive Powers
Power (1): +10% increase in the effectiven
ess of all Prayers, Incantations and Order Spells.
Active Powers
Power (2): The Writ of Cerrunos allows a Priest of Cerrunos to commune with the deity. Through daily study of the Writs of Cerrunos, the priest will earn the ability to invoke the god’s power through Incantations, spoken prayers that have spell like effects. One new Incantation is available per level.
NOTE: Cerrunos, the God of Knowledge is Dead, therefore communion with him is impossible.
“What the hell,” I said, startling a few street urchins who’d been digging in my robes while I’d checked out my Character Sheets. I roared at them and they fled, giggling as they ran. I checked that all my stuff was still here and grumbled again. I already knew my deity was dead, but now I learned that I had no capability of using any of my priestly powers. This day was getting worse and worse.
I was lonely and sad and just wanted to see my good buddy Gryph again. Then we'd go get drunk. But Gryph never showed. To make life worse, something was definitely off with my new body. Whatever energy Aluran had zapped me with gave me periodic muscle spasms, turning me into a twitchy weirdo. I was attracting a lot of odd looks. I was pouting and sure my odd behavior would earn me the title village idiot.
As the sun set, I decided that the cure to both the twitching and my foul mood was drink and food and more drink. I may have overdone the last part, but gimme a break, it was my first time drinking, ever.
Back in the inn, I looked down at the mug in confusion and then at Gaarm. I felt great and a goofy grin split my face. I had stopped twitching the moment the energy had surged through the mug and into the table. Whatever kind of odd Tourette’s Aluran had given me seemed to have worn off. I looked at my hands, assuring myself that they were no longer sparking, and smiled. I eased back in my chair and casually picked a nugget of food from my beard. I looked at it, smelled it and popped it in my mouth. Sausage roll, I realized, enjoying the flavor. I’d only had the beard for a few hours, but I’d already discovered the wonder of secrets it could hide. A distant part of my mind told me that was disgusting, but I ignored it.
