“I am,” I said a bit weakly then smiled. “I really am!” Okay, it wouldn’t solve half of our problems, but a lump sum of cash like that all at once would sure help a lot. Chrissy’s new arm with its thousand-dollar copayment sprung immediately to mind. I still needed to win one of those big prizes, but as I stared at the letter, I believed I could do it.
No, I believed we could do it.
Maybe that’s why I wasn’t as shocked as I should have been when Kayla smiled and hugged me fiercely. That felt good, very good, but it didn’t compare to when she kissed me on the cheek as she stepped back, her hands sliding down my arms to hold my hands.
“Now I am super okay,” I nodded slowly before taking a deep breath to calm myself.
“If your message was anything like mine, I figured you would be.” She chewed on her lip a moment, her eyes softly regarding me, before she abruptly switched to a private message.
Kayla: It won’t be enough, will it? Not on its own?
I blinked slowly, wondering if I should say more. Chrissy would say I should go all in, so I decided to do just that.
To Kayla: No, but that’s okay. There’s still the big prize, right?
She squeezed my hands before replying.
Kayla: Yes, but … this is a bit hard for me to say. I don’t want you to have to face this alone, but I can’t do anything more outside the game … as it is. And … I like you, Shale. I like you a lot.
Was this really happening? Had this entire session been the result of a psychotic break from a neural feedback surge? I heard that could happen from Dr. Fontaine. I decided then and there that if it was, at least I would go braindead happy.
To Kayla: I do, too. Uh, I mean I like you. You know, like-like you. God, I sound like an idiot. I’m sorry, I don’t have a lot of experience with this sort of thing.
“Then I’ll say it, okay?” Kayla leaned in close and I know I was blushing like an idiot in my wheelchair. Thankfully, that was one thing the art team didn’t program for the player avatars. “Do you want to quest for the Ring of Promise with me?”
I took a deep breath. Any other day but today (since the accident at any rate) I would have said ‘no’ out of fear, out of self-loathing, out of idiocy. Today, though, I was on top of the world and was full of a confidence I didn’t know I had. So, I made the commitment without a single idea of just how far it would go or what all it would entail.
“I do!”
Thank You for reading!
Curious about what happens to Shale and Kayla next?
Find out in Crystalfire Keep, coming 2017!
Glossary
Glossary of Terms
Neural Sensing And Functioning (NSAF): NSAF technology allows for seamless and simultaneous reading of and transmission to the nervous system of the human body. Originally developed as a means of rehabilitation and therapy for physically disabled people, the technology was quickly co-opted for internet and gaming technology.
Dr. Rosemary Fontaine: The doctor and researcher who originally developed NSAF technology and head of the Fontaine Institute, a private medical research center.
Elementalis Online (EO): One of the most popular VRMMORPGs (Virtual Reality Massive Multiplayer Roleplaying Games) in the 23rd Century, EO incorporates many of the most popular features of 21st Century MMOs with the nuances and advantages of modern NSAF technology.
The Safe and Private Policy (The Filter): NSAF gear has an amazing capability for good but an equal ability to do harm. Being a direct neural interface originally set up to allow doctors to diagnose nervous system and health issues as well as record sensory input and brain stimuli, NSAF gear can practically read minds and directly manipulate the nervous system and brain functions of its users. This caused the most severe outbreak of identity theft in history as well as the new crime of brain jacking, the direct manipulation of the human brain for criminal purposes, shortly after the initial commercial release of NSAF technology. Both world governments and the various companies involved in commercial NSAF managed to crack down on this, creating the Safe and Private Policy.
The Filter, as gamers call it, uses proprietary AI systems to monitor the speech and input impulses from each player or user, immediately filtering the output show in whatever application is being used to expunge all data that could compromise the user’s RL identity. Some games and applications provide specific ways to create trusted bonds between specific players to allow transfers of RL materials. Even though it is possible to create an internet community outside of the deep-dive NSAF net and try to then exchange that information, the vast majority of NSAF users don’t dare, as a compromised NSAF account can lead to the loss not only of a game account but one’s mind.
The Gem System: EO’s primary system for skills, spells, and keeping the gear treadmill going, the Gem system consists of various types of Gems that are put into slots that are a part of each character’s gear. The strength of each Gem is on a leveled system, gaining experience when slotted in an equipped piece of gear, and also by a traditional rarity system as with normal gear.
Skill and Spell Gems (S-Gems): Two sides of the same coin, these Gems grant the majority of the active abilities in the game. The main difference between the two is how they interact with Class abilities and racial bonuses. S-Gems are also subdivided into three core categories that influence racial and Class bonuses:
Offensive Gems are any Skills or Spells that inflict damage or harmful status effects on targets as their primary focus. This doesn’t preclude other S-Gems from inflicting some damage but not nearly as much as an equally leveled/rare Offensive Gem. Most user-only offensive-boosting buffs wind up in this category as well.
Defensive Gems are for Skills and Spells that boost defensive capabilities, provide new kinds of protection, and status effects that shift and alter enemy AI patterns (Taunt, Aggro Wipes, and Confusion, for example). Many Defensive Gems inflict small amounts of damage as well but are far less DPS-efficient than Offensive Gems. Most user-only defensive buffs wind up here as well.
Utility Gems are for Skills and Spells that fall outside of the Offensive and Defensive classifications. From direct healing spells to teleportation, Utility is a broad category that includes almost all area-effect buffs and debuffs, as well as ‘hard’ Crowd Control.
Passive Gems (P-Gems): These grant the majority of the Passive abilities in the game.
Modifier Gems (Mods): These Gems modify Skill, Spell, and Passive Gems they are linked to in a huge and expanding list of ways. The most common Mods are those that alter the elemental properties of an S-Gem to both fit racial bonuses or to take advantage of elemental weaknesses in MOBs. One of the big components of the metagame is discovering new ways to combine Mods with S and P-Gems.
Elementalis Online’s Races: EO’s world is inhabited by a vast array of elementally infused creatures and sentient races. Players as of the current patch have a selection of four of those races, each linked to one of the four traditional elements (Earth, Air, Fire, and Water). The races have no effect on primary statistics, which are set by the initial Class choice, but they are rated for their affinity with the six Elemental forces defined in the game (the previous four with the two Primal Elements of Light and Dark) and with the main types of S-Gems.
Craggars are Earth-aligned and have physical features involving stone, crystal, and rock, with skin colors that run the range of natural stone and hair usually composed of crystal formations. Their eyes glow faintly like molten stone. Usually a bit shorter and more stoutly built than the other races.
Elemental Affinities: Earth A, Air A, Water B, Fire C, Light B, Dark B
Earth is strong with itself and against Air (represented by lightning in this case), in symbiosis with the waves, and ravaged by fire. It lies between the light above and the darkness of the caves below.
Gem Affinities: Offensive C, Defensive A, Support B
The Earth is mighty, immutable stone, so strong defensively, and supports the weight of the world. It is slow t
o anger, though, so weaker offensively.
Aurum are Air-aligned and have wispy, thin physical features reminiscent of clouds. Their coloration range from pale white to stormy grey and their eyes glow and flash with electricity. They tend towards frail, willowy builds of great height.
Elemental Affinities: Earth C, Air A, Water A, Fire B, Light A, Dark C
Air cannot rend the earth below with its lightning, but it can move the waves at a whim with its wind. Air feed flames but is consumed in the process, making for a neutral situation. Air flies in the heavens and is made heavy and thin in the darkness.
Gem Affinities: Offensive B, Defensive B, Support B
Air, even more so than water, conforms to all spaces and roles. Lightning can ravage the enemy, winds can buffet away attacks, and air helps sustain life.
Nix are Water-aligned and have fish-like physical features or those that are reminiscent of water, such as webbed hands, faintly scaled skin, large watery eyes, or cascading locks of hair. Their coloration runs in the range of water-blues through sea-greens and their eyes glow in the dark with bio-luminescence. They have standard human builds.
Elemental Affinities: Earth B, Air C, Fire A, Water A, Light C, Dark A
Water and earth flow in symbiosis while the winds buffet the waves as they see fit. Fire, though, is put out under water’s smothering embrace. As for light and dark, the sun struggles to penetrate even the start of the inky blackness of the ocean's depths.
Gem Affinities: Offensive B, Defensive C, Support A
Shards of ice and tidal waves can tear down defenses, even if it takes time, and water is always seen as the source of life. However, ice may be strong but brittle and water can cushion but is always shoved aside in the end.
Embers are Fire-aligned and have features reminiscent of fire and flames, such as wild hair that constantly moves like an open flame, a constant heat shimmer, or visible veins of glowing energy under the skin. Their coloration encompasses all the colors of flames, from cool blues to blackened ash. Like Nix, they tend towards normal physical builds.
Elemental Affinities: Earth A, Air B, Fire A, Water C, Light A, Dark C
Flames can ravage the earth but are quenched by water. Air both fuels flames and is consumed by it in the process. Fire produces Light and dispels Darkness.
Gem Affinities: Offensive A, Defensive B, Support C
Fire burns and consumes all it can, making it premiere at doing damage. At the same time, it dances and flickers, an immaterial thing that is hard to truly hurt. Still, Fires are selfish things, eating and eating and providing its light and heat as a mere by-product of its actions.
Affinity: Racial and Class Affinities are rated as A, B, or C, something that was easily deciphered by number crunchers to represent a small percentage buff or debuff to the various categories. There are suspicions that the Affinities have deeper gameplay effects beyond these basic buffs and debuffs, but no one has figured them out for sure if they do exist.
For Elemental Affinities, A rating gives a 10% damage buff and resistance buff versus that element. For B rating, there are no buffs or debuffs. C rating gives a 10% damage penalty and a 10% vulnerability regarding that element.
For S-Gem Affinities, A rating gives a 10% increase to most numerical effects (with a minimum of +2), B rating gives a 5% (minimum of +1), while C rating gives only the base numbers for the Skill or Spell.
Core Stats and Resources: EO utilizes a basic statistic and resource system, leaning on the complex Gem and Talent systems to make up for this fairly simple system.
Strength (STR) affects the DPS of melee Skills and most melee weapons, base Block rate, and serves a prerequisite for heavy armor, shields, and weapons.
Agility (AGI) affects the DPS of ranged Skills, ranged weapons, and some Agile-tagged melee weapons, base Dodge rate, and serves as a prerequisite for medium armor, shields, and ranged/Agile weapons.
Power (POW) affects the DPS of all Spells, certain Mystic-tagged weapons, and serves as a prerequisite for Mystic-tagged armor, shields, off-hand items, and weapons.
Infusion (INF) affects the effectiveness of Support S-Gems, as well as the maximum Elemental Power the character has available as well as the rate the character regenerates EP both in and out of combat. It is occasionally used as an additional prerequisite for some gear.
Vitality (VIT) affects the effectiveness of Defensive S-Gems as well as the maximum Health Points the character has as well as the rate the character regenerates HP outside of combat. It is occasionally used as an additional prerequisite for some gear.
Health Points (HP) are exactly what it says on the tin. When a character is at 0 HP, they die. HP starts at a base of 100 plus 10 times the character’s Vitality.
Elemental Power (EP) is the common resource used by all S-Gems. EP starts at a base of 100 plus 10 times the character’s Infusion.
Statistical Growth: Classes are rated for growth in every statistic. Again, EO uses the simple A-B-C grading system from affinities here.
A Growth means a starting stat of 20, growing 2 points per level.
B Growth means a starting stat of 15, growing 1 point per level.
C Growth means a starting stat of 10, growing 1 point ever 2 levels.
EO’s Classes: EO sticks to a traditional Class structure, mainly to provide a stepping-on point for new players familiar with other MMOs that might otherwise be overwhelmed by the vast Gem system for Skill usage. Classes determine core statistics and the basic rate of Stat Growth, though most stat increases come from gear and P-Gems after the first few levels. Classes also provide another layer of Gem Affinities that stack with the Racial Affinities. While Racial Affinities are balanced around an even A-B-C concept, Class Affinities are weighted differently, with Offensive being considered the most important and costly. Outside of these buffs and debuffs, there are no limitations to what Gems a Class can use as long as they have the gear slots to equip them.
Classes are grouped into three broad, thematic categories then sub-divided into three specific Classes per category:
Battlers are Strength-based combatants, usually wielding heavy weapons and armor to fight in melee range. They typically form the core of the tanking role but with a strong DPS component in some Classes.
Vanguards are multi-purpose knights-in-shining-armor, having a balanced offense and defense. With the current metagame, they are the most common tanks still in use as they can provide a solid offense while tanking.
Affinities: Offensive B, Defensive B, Support C
Growth: STR A, AGI B, POW C, INF B, VIT B
Battlemasters are berserkers, diving into battle with big weapons for pure offense. In elite guilds, they are often used as tanks as part of the offensive zerg to clear content fast.
Affinities: Offensive A, Defensive C, Support C
Growth: STR A, AGI B, POW B, INF C, VIT B
Warlords are generals and tacticians, serving as a bulwark against the enemy with strong defense while providing support on the side. The most shunned Battler Class due to their affinities for group support and pure tanking.
Affinities: Offensive C, Defensive A, Support B
Growth: STR B, AGI C, POW C, INF A, VIT A
Bucklers (a shortening of swashbuckler) are Agility-based fighters, most often using ranged and Agile weapons in medium armor, fighting from all ranges. They are the most common non-elemental DPSers.
Shadows are your classical rogues and duelists, dedicated to pure offense. Always a common pick due to both the metagame and the classic popularity of the archetype, especially as many can fight as well from ranged as melee.
Affinities: Offensive A, Defensive C, Support C
Growth: STR B, AGI A, POW C, INF B, VIT B
Rangers take up a more balanced role, capable of both support strategies and a solid offense. As the name implies, they often use ranged weapons so they can get a better vantage for using their Support skills.
Affinities: Offensive B, Defensive C, Support B
> Growth: STR C, AGI A, POW B, INF A, VIT C
Dancers are the archetypical ‘dodge tanks’ but are another popular tank pick at the high ends of current EO play with their high offense for a tank and ability to narrowly focus on stats.
Affinities: Offensive B, Defensive B, Support C
Growth: STR C, AGI A, POW B, INF C, VIT A
Elementalists are Power-based casters, specializing in Spell Gems of all kinds. The most common elemental DPSers for sure.
Sorcerers are pure elemental destruction incarnate. Boom, boom, bigger boom.
Affinities: Offensive A, Defensive C, Support C
Growth: STR C, AGI B, POW A, INF A, VIT C
Bladesaints are a hybrid, with better Strength mods than other Elementalists, encouraging a physical/elemental melee offense. To better survive close range engagements, they have a higher defense but the least common ‘acceptable’ tank pick in the meta (Warlords shunned in general) as they are harder to specialize for damage dealing.
Affinities: Offensive B, Defensive B, Support C
Growth: STR B, AGI B, POW A, INF C, VIT B
Mystics are the classic ‘healer’ archetype in EO, yet they also can provide some strong offense at the same time due to the nature of the Gem system.
Affinities: Offensive B, Defensive C, Support A
Growth: STR B, AGI C, POW B, INF A, VIT B
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Ring of Promise: A LitRPG novel (Elements of Wrath Online Book 1) Page 25
