by C. M. Carney
But eventually Cyrus earned the moniker he would die with when he promised the souls of all Erram’s children to his Demon Prince patron for eternal, if damnable, life. Wick discovered his plans and pleaded with Thardiik for aid.
The dwarf was reluctant to take up arms with any warlock, even Wick, but in his heart, he knew he was partially responsible for the destruction Cyrus now wrought. Wick convinced the dwarf, and with the aid of Tifala, the half orc mercenary Hugarn and the wood elf archer Zelyanna, Cyrus’ madness ended at the same moment as his life.
None but Tifala knew they’d also had another’s help.
As Wick stared at the constellation of warlock sub skills and perks floating above him, he grew solemn and his mind drifted back to the fateful day he made his pact with the Chthonic Prince Xurath Kurhrn Zaqaai.
The reputation of chthonic mages was awful, but that of a warlock was worse. Unfortunately, most of the stereotypes normal folk had of the breed were well deserved and reinforced by assholes like Cyrus, but like any power, Chthonic Magic was not inherently evil.
To be sure, the demonic princes of the chthonic realm long ago earned their reputation for despotism, evil, and soul scouring, but that did not mean all warlocks are evil. Many warlocks made their pacts for the express purpose of fighting against the demon lords. Wick was that kind of warlock.
A Pact was a binding agreement with a power from one of the other realms. Warlocks were not the only Specialty to make Pacts and by and large they all worked the same. They were binding agreements between another realm patron and a mortal.
They were not one-sided affairs unless the mortal was foolish or greedy. Like any other contract they had terms, and both sides entered it with wide eyes. Wick made his Pact with a Prince who did not want his soul, or the souls of the innocent, or power, but information.
Xurath was a broker of knowledge and the terms of the Pact were simple. Wick would provide his patron with information regarding the activities of its rivals and its rival’s servants and in return Wick would receive knowledge and power. Xurath helped Wick learn how to defeat Cyrus and Wick helped Xurath remove one of his rival’s agents from the chess board of reality. It was a win-win for both demon and gnome. Yet, Wick would never trust Xurath and each acquisition of power bound him tighter to his chthonic patron.
Then, as now, I make choices out of need and not desire. Am I being dragged deeper into the abyss?
Wick toggled his Specialty interface and a series of prompts popped into his vision.
Sub Skills
Sub Skills are skills related to the master skills but are only available to those who choose a Specialty. Most master skills will have 3 Specialty sub skills.
EXP: Spears/Staves is a skill (AKA master skill) that anyone can gain. Weapon Enhancement is a sub skill available only to those who choose the Specialty Arms Magus.
Specialty Perks
Specialty Perks are powers derived from Sub Skills and can only be earned by those trained in that specific Specialty. They can only be earned by spending Specialty Perk Points. Specialists earn 1 Specialty Perk Point every 2 levels and can earn bonus Specialty Perk Points by completing Specialty specific quests.
Availability:
ïPerks become available when the master skill has reached the respective tier. All sub skill perks nature and abilities are shadowed until the appropriate tier is reached.
Mana Cost:
ïNovice tier Specialty Perks cost 50 mana to cast.
ïEach subsequent tier cost 2x mana of the previous tier. (A: 100; JM: 200; M: 400, GM: 800)
Usage:
ïAll Specialty perks can be used a number of times per day determined by the following formula.
ï1+ (Tier Mastery - Perk Tier)
ïEXP: A Journeyman could use a Novice level perk 3/day. 1+ (3 - 1) = 3
Apart from their exclusivity, Specialty skills granted their adepts a deeper understanding than non-specialists. With a warlock the sub skills that fell under the umbrella of Chthonic Magic were Chthonic Enhancement, Chthonic Summoning and Chthonic Weapons.
His goal was to power up Avernerius. The abyssal terror was by far the most potent weapon available to their Adventure Party and if they had any hope of not only smashing down the door, but of surviving whatever lay behind it, he needed to give the demon some serious upgrades.
Chthonic Might:
This perk tree enables a warlock to enhance the power and potency of any summoned chthonic being.
(B) Chthonic Weapon: Any weapon used by a summoned chthonic creature is imbued with the power chthonic flame. Weapons do 2x damage with a chance to set opponents on fire for 5 DMG/Sec until flames are doused.
(A): Chthonic Armor: Any summoned chthonic creature will grow stony scales of cooled magma increasing their AC by 50%.
He’d long ago spent a point on Chthonic Weapon with terrifyingly awesome results so he tossed one point into Chthonic Armor. The idle part of his mind, the one that frequently got him into trouble, imagined just how terrifying plates of cooled magma would look on the massive demon.
Chthonic Upgrade:
This perk tree enables a warlock to use the power of the chthonic realm to improve their own bodies using chthonic traits. This usually comes in the form of improvements to their Attributes and/or Stats. Chthonic Upgrade perks come with an increasingly likely chance to obtain a permanent chthonic trait. An obtained chthonic trait will have unknown abilities and consequences. Any offspring the Specialist have may be born with chthonic traits (tail, hooves, etc.) and will possess an Affinity for Chthonic Magic at least the equal of the parent.
(B): Chthonic Blood: Imbues the Specialist’s blood with chthonic blood, granting them a permanent 50% bonus to Health. There is a 10% chance to permanently obtain a chthonic physical trait.
(A) Chthonic Ichor: Imbues the Specialist’s blood with chthonic ichor, granting them a permanent 50% bonus to Mana. It also causes their blood to be poisonous and any beast that bites them will take 5 DMG/Sec for 10 seconds. There is a 25% chance to permanently obtain a chthonic physical trait.
Note: Since Chthonic Upgrade perks are permanent, they require 3x the mana cost to activate. This mana can be obtained via potion, item or other artificial means.
Wick’s eyes went to the Chthonic Upgrade tree, and he gulped. He’d long avoided this array of perks for one simple reason. Upgrading one’s own body with chthonic traits came with a risk of permanently mutating oneself into a chthonic hybrid. Being a warlock already made Wick unpopular, becoming part demon would make him a pariah.
But I need the mana if this plan is going to work. And to get more mana he needed the Chthonic Ichor perk. Even though it sounds disgusting. He moved a Specialty Point onto the Chthonic Blood perk, his virtual hand moving glacial slow. When it clicked into the slot, Wick flinched. Then he waited.
For several seconds nothing happened, then his blood boiled. He would have screamed, but he could not move. Red hot magma burned through his veins and his heart pumped furiously. It lasted mere moments, Wick hoped he never experienced it again.
His health bar jumped up by 50% and he felt livelier and more potent. An odd tingle twitched behind his eyes for several moments before it faded. Oh, crap, did I just become a demon? A few seconds ago, 10% hadn’t sounded all that likely. But when have I ever been lucky? He eased his eyes open and found that he was on his knees. Tifala was there, and she took his head in his hands.
“My eyes?” Wick said in a panicked voice and looked up at the love of his life.
“Still the same sky blue I fell in love with.” Tifala said with a smile and kissed him. She helped him up and hugged him for several moments before pulling back and smiling grimly. “Time to go back in.” Wick nodded and closed his eyes again, returning to the constellation of stars inside his Specialty prompt window.
He dragged another Specialty Point onto Chthonic Ichor. Like before, it took several seconds for anything to happen, but then he felt as if he’d been dipped in a
seething cauldron of sewage, bile and various other excreta he did not want to imagine. He gagged and dry heaved for what seemed like hours as the vile stew seeped through his pores and infused his blood and bones alike.
Wick opened his eyes and keeled over as the rations the elves fed him came rushing back up. He vomited while Tifala rubbed his back. “Get it out. It’s okay baby. Just get it out.” A minute later Wick recovered enough to stand. A massive headache from the huge expenditure of mana required to unlock both Chthonic Upgrades punched him in the brain, but a quick look at his blinking mana bar showed him the perk had taken hold.
He sighed before remembering that this perk also had a 25% chance of turning him into a chthonic hybrid. He moved frantic hands up to the crown of his head but found no horns. He patted himself down, praying there was no dangling tail, cloven hooves or claws.
“Phew, that was lucky,” Wick said, grinning at Tifala. Then his skin began to burn as if a horrible sunburn was flaring over the entire surface of his body. His eyes squinted shut as he screamed. Tifala reacted, and he felt her healing hands on him.
Just as suddenly as it started, the pain faded, and he breathed easy again. His eyes opened and four sets of eyes looked at him, wide with alarm. For a moment Wick just stared back and spoke. “What?”
Xeg chortled and laughed, his tiny clawed hand pointing at Wick. “Ha, ha, ha, you look like Xeg, except less good and more stupid.”
Wick looked down at his hands just as they changed from his normal skin tone to the deep purple of a healing bruise. His skin rippled and flowed and fine scales appeared along the back of his hands. He frantically pulled up his sleeve, hoping the color only inflicted his hands, but scales were flowing up his arms. A tingling sensation moving across his whole body told him it did not stop with his arms.
He cast a terrified gaze up at Tifala, who stared in horror and alarm.
“Oh fuck me, I’m purple.”
30
Wick’s knees went wobbly as realization punched him full in the brain. I’m demon spawn. Ovyrm and Errat rushed to his side and caught him before he could hit the ground. It might have been his imagination, but Wick thought Ovyrm flinched as their bare hands touched his scaled hide.
Tifala was at his side, the look of horror had disappeared from her face. Or maybe it was never there, you ponce. She’s better than a hundred of you. She hugged him to her and he wept, not for himself, but for any child they would have if they lived through the next few hours.
“Our kids are gonna have tails.”
“It’s not too bad,” Tifala said in a voice that suggested she was trying to convince herself as much as him.
“Liar,” Wick said forcing a small grin.
“Yeah, why pretty lady lie. This is much better blue head. No more stinky too.”
Wick glared at the imp and then tentatively sniffed his armpit. He didn’t smell much difference. Maybe a little less musky sweat and more … sulfur? “I have the worst damned luck.”
“I think it looks nice,” Errat said with no hint of jest in his voice.
“Are you going to need to lie on a rock in the sun to get warm from now on?” Ovyrm asked.
Wick eyed him. “Did you just make a joke?”
“Maybe,” the xydai said, showing no hint of humor.
Wick sighed and Tifala drew him in for another hug. “If I get out of this shithole city, I’m going to dig up Cyrus’ corpse and kick him in the junk.”
Xeg’s chortling laughter filled the room again. “Xeg help. Xeg likes kick ugly mortals in dangly bits.”
Wick grimaced at the demonling and then turned back to Tifala. “Guess I should see what this is all about.”
She extended her pinky to him. “Together forever.”
He gripped her pinky with his own. “Together forever.”
He held his purple hands up, closed his eyes and toggled his latest notification prompt open.
Your exposure to Chthonic Ichor has awarded you the Chthonic Trait Scales of the Demon Prince.
The Chthonic Realm is a place of extremes and those who call the realm home must be hearty to survive. You now possess the trait Scales of the Demon Prince and have gained the following powers, immunities and/or abilities.
Passive Powers:
Power (1): Chthonic Absorption. You now have a 100% Resistance to chthonic magic. In addition, you will now absorb 50% of the chthonic magic used against you. Absorbed magic can restore either your Health or your Mana.
Power (2): Fire Absorption. You now have a 100% Resistance to natural and magical fire. In addition, you will now absorb 50% of the fire used against you. You can store this energy for up to 3 hours before it must be exhaled in the form of Demon’s Breath (see below). Unexpurgated fire will inflict 5 DMG/Min of mana damage after 3 hours.
Power (3): Cold Absorption. You now have a 100% Resistance to natural and magical cold. In addition, you will now absorb 50% of the cold used against you. You can store this energy for up to 3 hours before it must be exhaled in the form of Demon’s Breath (see below). Unexpurgated cold will inflict 5 DMG/Min of mana damage after 3 hours.
Active Powers:
Active Power (1): Demon’s Breath. You can use part or all of the absorbed fire or cold in the form of a cone of fire or cold regurgitated via the mouth. This attack can only be used after absorbing fire or cold.
Not bad, Wick thought. As far as demonic mutations went, that one wasn’t all that bad, except for the purple scales. He closed the Trait window and opened his Specialty window once more.
This had better be worth it.
The stars cascaded around him once more, but this time several that had once been mere pinpricks in the darkness blazed a deep purple. Even the Game Mechanics were mocking him. He returned his mind to his task. Avernerius better appreciate this.
Chthonic Mutation:
This perk tree enables a warlock to use the power of the chthonic realm to cause a random chthonic mutation in a summoned chthonic creature or avatar. While it can enhance the combat prowess of a summoned creature, it is also erratic and therefore can be dangerous.
(B) Base: Base level chthonic creatures summoned via spell or perk can be mutated.
(A) Apprentice: Apprentice level chthonic creatures summoned via spell or perk can be mutated.
He eyed the Chthonic Mutation tree for a moment before discounting it. While it could provide Avernerius with some amazing abilities, probably, its complete unpredictability made its usefulness impossible to count on, and that was not something one wanted to add into the mix with demons. With a wave of his virtual hand he moved onto the Chthonic Summoning perk tree.
Summon Chthonic Brawler:
This perk allows a warlock to summon a chthonic beast of the Brawler category. Brawlers are demons of brute strength, power and rage. They are engines of destruction. Point them at enemies and get out of the way.
(B) Summon Gorrath: Gorrath are best described as demon gorillas. A shaggy fur the color of flame and brimstone cover these massive beasts and they bear bony protrusions on their shoulders, head, hands and feet. They are incredibly strong and can punch their way through armor and defensive bulwarks. Their intelligence is limited and their rage is near uncontrolled. When a gorrath is summoned, the warlock must assign an enemy and the gorrath will attack without mercy, fear or a desire for self-preservation. Gorrath often throw their feces which tend to explode causing damage equal to the warlock’s Chthonic Magic Mastery.
(A) Summon Carraxen: Carraxen answer the question what would happen if a dire wolf made sweet, sweet love to a crab and then added in a dash of chthonic malevolence. These chitinous lupines are fast, deadly and are among the best trackers in all the realms. They attack with fangs, claws and a pair of pincer laden arms that protrude from their shoulders.
Summon Chthonic Flyer
This perk allows a warlock to summon a chthonic beast of the Flyer category. Flyers are weaker than their Brawler brethren but have much greater mobility and usually pos
sess some kind of projectile weapon. Few things in the realms are as terrifying as being descended upon from above by a host of chthonic flyers.
