Crimson Shadow had yet to report a lead on the mermaids or the mermaid queen and their time was running out. He did not want to think about what would happen if the next full moon arrived and the mermaids had not been rescued. They were quite innocent and overly friendly. The Shar-Shar in comparison, were brutish monstrosities. It would not work out well for those poor girls.
Scott sat on the roof of the cabin and gazed up at the star filled sky above. He was not certain about what was to come. This world was but one of many slightly similar worlds. He enjoyed this land and its strange way of life, but it would not be the version of ARS that the final battles would be fought upon.
He was worried, and excited, about the coming change in venue. While he was concerned that he might not be capable of protecting the people of ARS, he could do nothing but rely on his knowledge of games. This world, and even the original ARS, was designed to be played like a game. Even though there are so-called Lords of Destruction waiting to destroy civilization, they were ultimately still just end game boss monsters. There should be a way to defeat them, and for all he knew that method might simply include a lot of level grinding.
There were quests to be undertaken, special items to find, and all manner of preparations to make. Time on ARS and time in the divine city flowed at different rates. He might have as much as fifteen years of ARS time before the Lords of destruction started to move, unless something happened in the divine city first. Either way, a lot of things in his life would change soon.
He would readily say that the so-called ARS Classic, or Hardcore, server had his interest piqued. Yet, he had slowly begun to find a place in this world. He would have to learn a revamped and streamlined system. Many of the skills he had begun to learn would have to be discarded and then relearned in the other world. The ability to customize spells or abilities did seem interesting, however.
Scott looked at the night-time sky and nodded. He was up for the challenge, but it would take time to adjust even though he knew that things would be a lot different. The system for this world had been designed with casual play in mind. The fact that a low-level sorcerer was able to dish out thousands of points of damage with similarly low-level spells spoke volumes about that factor.
The damage mitigation that occurred when two players fought was also another point that should not be overlooked. Someone who could do ten thousand points of damage with a spell might only do a few hundred points of damage to another player.
He had asked Rhea about that once. Her response still made him chuckle a little. “People like to see big numbers, but still want a challenge.”
A lot had happened since he had first come to this world, and now a lot would happen when he left. However, before then he had three major goals to reach. He would rescue the mermaids. He would reach level one hundred and grind his stats till he reached a point where his transferred stats would be equal to the initial player cap for ARS classic. Most of all, however, he planned to crush Corpse Rat.
The Corpse Rat guild had made an enemy of him. He could have let it go if they had just come after him. However, they had gone as far as to tie him up and make him watch while they had slit Rhea’s throat in order to cause a bleed effect to occur. They had set him up to slowly choke to death while he watched her bleed out.
Even if this world was some sort of real life game, that sort of thing was unforgiveable. The people of the town that they had taken over must have to deal with a harsh and unforgiving lifestyle while Corpse Rat was in charge.
There was a lot to do, and little time to do it. He needed to transfer over to the ARS Classic server within the next few months to maximize his chances of developing his skills. He was not certain whether he would be able to defeat the so-called Lords of Destruction, but he had to try.
It was disconcerting; however, that a single death might cause him to start over at level one. That would not be a problem at low-levels, but one mistake, even one little mistake at higher levels and he would be forced to restart after years of work. There would be no time to try and make up for the loss. If that happened, the people of ARS were as good as dead.
In order to complete the mission and save the people he would have to become something that could only exist in fantasy. He had to become a truly invincible hero. All he could do is work hard and try to make the world a better place. It was a lot to take on, but the task fell to him and he would succeed. He had to succeed. The alternative was too horrible to imagine.
###
Well, gentle readers we have reached the end of volume three of the Origin ARS Saga. What lies beyond this point is the bestiary and glossary sections. We are close to the end of season one for this series. After finishing up important business in the casual server, our intrepid and occasionally humorous adventurers will find their way to a different version of ARS. Do not fear, however. It will still be just as adorable and occasionally humorous as the current world server.
<<< Bestiary >>>
Name: Razor-Tooth Finnie
Species: Ar-Piranha
Tier: One
Level: 8-14
Status: Common Aquatic Monster
The Razor-Tooth Finnie is a common aquatic ocean monster known for its beautiful and terrifying smile. They are frequently found near the shore of sub-tropical islands, and they rarely spawn more than a few miles off of the coast. The meat of the Razor-Tooth Finnie is considered to be a delicacy. A common rumor cites that the flesh of the Finnie tastes so sweet because they smile so brightly.
Health: 85-280
Mana: 24-52
Attack: 296-387
Defense: 72-96
Strength: 77-136
Agility: 89-190
Accuracy: 91-202
Intellect: 64-119
Luck: 37-192
Racial Traits
Strengths
Ice Resistance: +10%
Water Resistance: +499%
Physical Resistance: +50%
Weaknesses
Electrical Resistance: -100%
Magic Resistance: - 40%
Special Traits
Swarm Attack: When Finnies attack in a swarm they can negate a portion of their opponent’s defense in accordance with the number of finnies that are attacking.
--
Name: Shar-Shar
Species: Fish Man
Tier: One
Level: 15-24
Status: Common Humanoid Pirates
The Shar-Shar are a race of humanoid fish people who wield crude tools. They have a strong preference for spear weapons and are considered to be both brutish and intelligent. They are a serious threat for sea-faring people who do not practice magic. However, they have little resistance to magical attacks and are quite fearful of anyone who can wield such power. The Shar-Shar are an all-male species and must seek mates from outside their race, often without consent of their chosen mate.
Health: 278-640
Mana: 46-69
Attack: 172-314
Defense: 86-457
Strength: 92-214
Agility: 84-200
Accuracy: 76-145
Intellect: 46-92
Luck: 34-87
Racial Traits
Strengths
Ice Resistance: +10%
Water Resistance: +349%
Physical Resistance: +70%
Weaknesses
Electrical Resistance: -100%
Magic Resistance: - 50%
Special Traits
Eternal Sea March - The Shar-Shar can rapidly respawn in the ocean during a long-running battle as long as their morale is high. This allows them to continue to march forward in a seemingly endless way in an effort to destroy their foes.
--
Name: Infant Blue Mithril Shark
Species: Great Shark
Tier: One
Level: 1-65
Status: Rare great shark species found only in inner sea areas
The adult Blue Mithril Shark is a rare monster that is only found living
in the deep outer ocean. However, they are known to spawn closer to land. Their infants will spend their youth wandering the inner sea in order to build strength and learn to hunt. Once they reach an appropriate strength they will grow into an adult and move into the deep sea. A playful and intelligent species of great shark, they are known for toying with their food.
Health: 190-9400
Mana: 87-768
Attack: 49-2436
Defense: 254-3200
Strength: 92-675
Agility: 63-2210
Accuracy: 76-1459
Intellect: 46-920
Luck: 24-437
Racial Traits
Strengths
Ice Resistance: +20%
Water Resistance: +499%
Wind Resistance: +150%
Physical Resistance: +300%
Weaknesses
Electrical Resistance: -100%
Magic Resistance: - 50%
Special Traits
Terror of the Deep - The racial special skill of the blue mithril Shark allows them to utilize the energies of darkness and death to damage their prey and then further debilitating them with a life drain, mana drain, and status reduction effect. If the prey should manage to avoid a direct hit, there is still a possibility that some of the effects will occur to a lesser degree.
--
Name: Pink Armordoe
Species: Armadillo
Tier: One
Level: 47-65
Status: A monster found only in the western mountains of Eizen.
The Pink Armordoe is a monster with hot pink dermal plates, the antlers of a stag, and a laid-back disposition. They are herbivores by nature and will tolerate the intrusion of other species into their area to a limited degree. However, if a non-Armordoe comes too close, they will become highly aggressive.
Health: 1645-2314
Mana: 123-269
Attack: 697-843
Defense: 1136- 1856
Strength: 92-675
Agility: 267-478
Accuracy: 176-457
Intellect: 88-320
Luck: 24-437
Racial Traits
Strengths
Earth Resistance: +150%
Wind Resistance: +30%
Physical Resistance: +150%
Weaknesses
Fire: - 10%
Poison: -25%
Special Traits
Rebound Tackle - The Pink Armordoe is part of the armadillo family of monsters. They have the ability to curl into a ball and attack in a straight line with great effect. This special attack doubles their attack and defense during the time that the move is in effect.
--
Name: Arvulf
Species: Vulf
Tier: One
Level: 24-36
Status: A common pack predator found in mountainous regions
The Arvulf is an intelligent pack predator known for its combat tactics. Typically, they will surround their prey and wear them down with quick and decisive attacks from multiple directions. The Arvulf is known for its lightning elemental abilities and is the official mascot of the Blue Arvulfs, the land-based arm of officially sanctioned privateer branch of the Eizen military.
Health: 1178- 1489
Mana: 127-768
Attack: 467-936
Defense: 246-879
Strength: 192-345
Agility: 263-1146
Accuracy: 103-675
Intellect: 187-620
Luck: 188-367
Racial Traits
Strengths
Ice Resistance: +10%
Wind Resistance: +10%
Magical Resistance: +20%
Weaknesses
Fire Resistance: - 5%
Special Traits
Thunder Spirit - The racial special skill of the Arvulf allows them to channel elemental lightning to attack at will. They can also use this ability to raise their magic resistance and increase their speed.
<<< * >>>
<<< Glossary >>>
ARS: The name of the world currently owned and operated by Origin Entertainment.
Augmented Reality: In this world, augmented reality relates to the ‘game system’ used to grant normal mortals enhanced abilities and statistics. Without the system in place, ARS would be like any other world.
Authenticity: A concept used by the people of the divine city. It relates to a desire to try and live like an authentic human.
Build: The custom path that players and natives in ARS use as a method of gaining power. It relates to the type of abilities you have and an overall design concept. Someone who wanted to be stealthy, for instance, would develop their agility and stealth skills as their primary abilities and attributes.
Champion: A non-deity who has been chosen by the gods to have powers similar to players. The champions are aligned with a specific deity and are known as the champion of that deity.
Class: The core life path of a local, or the chosen template for a player. When you gain a class in ARS you develop the powers and knowledge of that archetypical power set. Even if you’ve never thrown a punch in your life, you can become a master fighter at a fairly low level in ARS.
Level: The current overall capacity of a creature in ARS. Levels differentiate the weak from the strong, though a wide difference in level can be overcome through innovation. When you gain a level in ARS all of your attributes can increase by several points.
Monster: A creature that is designed to be nigh-immortal. They randomly spawn at certain points in the world. If they are slain in battle, they will respawn in a location that matches their habitat. There are many types of monsters in the world.
Notorious Murderer: A player or local who has killed a member of a non-monster race, such as humans or elves. They are restricted in how they can interact with the world, and can be easily differentiated from other players and locals due to the fact that their name will be openly displayed for all to see.
OEC GPL: The Origin Entertainment Corporation’s general public license. Another divine gaming emprie, mostly indie game world developers, can use the public license Augmented Reality System, as a world creation engine and save a lot of time and effort. It is basically a divine version of a simple game-engine software license.
Overlord: A champion for the monster races. If a player or local treats the monsters rudely to the extent that they become frustrated and they do not feel fulfilled in their role, the gods may hear their plea for justice. An overlord is at least a second-tier monster. They are very difficult to kill and can provide many bonuses for the monsters aligned with them.
Player: One of the residents of the divine city who choose to visit ARS and play in the game world. The gods of the divine city have their powers restricted and they must use in-world avatars in order to interact with the environment.
Player Two: The concept of ‘player two’ is a complex one. In its most basic form, asking someone to be your player two is similar to asking someone to marry you.
Reincarnation: Everything in the world of ARS reincarnates. Monsters respawn and at level 100 they can upgrade into a higher-tier monster race for their racial line. Players and locals who reach level 100 can restart their lives at the age of adulthood for their chosen race. Non-monsters can choose different classes. Players and champions may also choose different races.
Respawn: A monster who is slain will respawn. Respawning is basically returning to life. The monster will be reset to the lowest level for its race and zone. They can be respawned at any zone where there race can be found normally, but only if their levels match-up.
For instance, a level five grass rat would not be likely to spawn near Victory Station, since the grass rats in that area do not typically go above level four. That grass rat would respawn in an area where the level average is slightly higher. If the monster is unique to a specific area, it will always respawn in that area when slain.
Sometimes players refer to returning to the game world after they have been killed as r
espawning as well. It is not technically respawning, but it is a popular word to use for that effect.
Server: This term refers to the world setting of ARS. There are four servers, each with a slightly different lifestyle and game system.
Skull-cap: The gods of the divine city have incredible powers. They would not be able to properly interact with ARS if they were to visit in all of their splendor. Devices were devised based on the human pop-culture concept known as full-dive virtual reality gaming. The skull-cap and tiara are designed to allow a god to connect with their in-game avatar while suppressing their powers in ARS.
Spell-Force: The raw power of a spell pattern. This term relates to how much skill someone has in using a specific spell. Spell-force is the basis of a spell’s capacity. It is multiplied by the intellect of the caster to determine its full power.
Synchronicity: The ability to have to things run in parallel. In the case of ARS, this term relates to the ability to infuse physical actions with spells to provide greater effect than either the physical action or the spell alone would have generated.
Tiara: This device is the same as the skull-cap, except that it is more popular among female players. Male players usually use the skull-cap.
Origin ARS 3 (Origin A.R.S.) Page 25
