by Lars M.
Universally Welcome: A bard is always welcomed, almost regardless of where he goes. Everybody knows that a bard entering the room will soon result in cheerful music, good conversation, laughter, and enjoyment. The Bard’s initial reputation with any faction that would otherwise start at ‘disliked’ or ‘neutral’ is automatically increased to the next level. Reputations below disliked and above neutral are not affected.
Apprentice Bard: Charisma-based skills increase 3% faster.
Bringer of Joy: You have shown that you are able to bring people together and joy to the crowds wherever you go. Reputation gain while performing or playing is increased by 25%.
Survive the Swarm I: You have survived an attack by more than ten times your group’s number. In the future, your group receives +2 to all defensive skill checks when your group is heavily outnumbered.
Defeat the Swarm I: You have eliminated a group numbered more than ten times your group’s number. In the future, your group receives +2 to all offensive skill checks when your group is heavily outnumbered.
The Ends Justify the Means: You have proven that you are willing to go to extraordinary, and even amoral, lengths to get to the bottom of what you believe to be the truth. People know and respect that you are a man who gets results, but dislike the methods that you tend to use. Any positive reputation gain is increased by 20%, but negative reputation is increased by 40%.
A Champion is Born: You have gained the full confidence of a grouping, and they look up to you as their Champion and guide. For better or worse, the Anathema of Nerit have seen the light in you and will often look to you for guidance or help.
Center Of Attention: You are a man of large gestures and much joy. You enjoy being the center of the party, the one everybody talks about - and you don't mind crossing a few lines when it comes to gaining that attention. You will find that attracting and keeping the attention of bystanders comes easier to you. You stand out in a crowd. However, sneaky endeavors may be harder, given your natural tendencies to attract focus.
Companion info:
Name: Atlas
Race: Veiled Dawnlight Chameleon
Level 3 – experience towards next level: 2100/3000
Stats and Attributes:
Health: 110/110
Mana: 20/20
Stamina: 110/110
Racial Abilities:
360 Degree Vision: The eyes of a Dawnlight Chameleon are a wonder of nature. Each eye swivels independently of the other, allowing for a full 360-degree vision, with the animal able to focus on two different objects simultaneously.
Ability type: Passive
Arboreal Movement: The body of a Dawnlight Chameleon is optimized for climbing trees and traversing rough terrain, both horizontally and vertically, and it can maintain an impressive movement speed, even on almost impassable terrain. Each foot is capable of an almost tong-like grip on whatever it is grasping, due to the design of the foot and the sharp claws on each toe. Additionally, it has a long prehensile tail to help support both grip and balance.
Ability type: Passive
Ballistic Tongue: A Dawnlight Chameleon catches its prey, primarily insects and small animals, by means of its highly elastic tongue, which it projects from its mouth at extremely high velocities. Once it hits its target, the tongue stays in place by means of both suction and wet adhesion. The tongue also exudes a movement-inhibiting poison capable of incapacitating small animals.
Ability type: Active
Cost: 20 stamina
Color-changing Skin: The chameleon is able to control its color and thermoregulation via two layers within its skin. These layers allow the chameleon to alter its pigmentation and affect which wavelengths of light are absorbed and reflected, resulting in an incredible ability to blend in with the background. It can also be used to to create colorful, clashing displays, mainly used for impressing female chameleons or scaring away easily startled animals. The ability is triggered either consciously or via pheromones, activating when the chameleon is agitated, and slowly defaulting to regular coloring when it relaxes again.
Ability type: Active.
Cost: 5 Stamina/Minute.
Poison Spit: Apart from providing poison to the tongue, the chameleon can use its Protection Glands to launch a wad of poison and neutralize targets at a distance. The liquid substance disperses slightly over distance, and accuracy reduces significantly beyond 15.0 meters. The mechanisms required to produce the poison wad are very taxing to the animal, and it can only be used sparingly before needing recovery.
Ability type: Active
Cost: 35 stamina
Cast time: 1.0 seconds
Sensitivity To Heat And Cold: While the adaptation of the chameleon's body to the forest climate grants a number of advantages, it also comes at a cost. Upon exposure to intense heat, the animal becomes increasingly lethargic. The same applies for cold. Prolonged exposure to either heat or cold can result in lasting damage or death.
Ability type: Passive
Jaws Of Steel: The chameleon’s jaw musculature has evolved. Like certain canine species, he has the jaw strength to clamp down on his target and hang on despite massive stresses, causing enormous damage in the process. He is still able to apply the pacifying poison from his tongue in this position.
Ability type: Passive
Character Overview
Alexander Jorantyr: Head Chronicler of High Hold.
Aron Arngrimsson: Dwarf Chronicler of High Hold. Has a penchant for exotic food. Secretly works for the Order of the Broken Earth.
Atlas: Daniel’s chameleon Companion. Lazy, loyal and a glutton for food and music.
Arack: Daniel’s kobold Companion. Anathema. An injury has resulted in her having negligible arm strength, but she has made up for it by training her agility to an impressive level and becoming a skilled rogue and alchemist-in-training.
Aurora: Comely half-elf from Grant’s Crossing. Skilled Fingers player.
Autoria Dernfuddle: Gnome summoner. Mayor in Grant’s Crossing. Slightly miffed with Daniel over past disagreements. Part of the Council.
Benjamin Earnest: Former Assistant Director of the bard Wing of the Academy of High Hold. Holds a grudge with Arcangelo due to the ‘former’ part.
Benneth: Catfolk hunter from Grant’s Crossing. Nicknamed ‘Sourpuss’ for his ugly temper.
Beren: Dwarven God of honor, crafts and ruthlessness.
Cariola: Human Goddess of love, friendship and jealousy.
Chertog: Dwarven groundskeeper in Grant’s Crossing. He is Daniel’s Chronicler mentor.
Darek: A former kobold hunter in Nerit with a wooden leg. Anathema. Worships Thracken.
Darya: A pretty half-orc hunter. She is a fellow player and entirely taken with Grant’s Crossing and its residents. She and Daniel got off on the wrong foot, but things have changed.
Dreben: Halfling God of mischief, alcohol and small favors
Gillem Drizzlefog: Gnome tavern keeper in Grant’s Crossing and confidante to Daniel. Part of the Council. Worships Marren.
Girelle: Catfolk Goddess of the hunt and berserker rage.
Grant Callahan: The half-orc Harbormaster after whom the village is named. Nicknamed ‘The Tower’ for his stalwart defense during the founding of Grant’s Crossing and always impeccably clad. Part of the Council.
Grant Callahan Jr.: Grant Callahan’s half-orc son and the village tailor. Deeply impassioned about tailoring.
Greck Derzim: An alcoholic kobold who is the former bard of Grant’s Crossing. Daniel’s current bard teacher. Works undercover for an unknown party to uncover the truth behind the lack of development of the village.
Harrah: The halfling Goddess of growth and nature’s cycles.
Jebediah Drizzlefog: Gillem’s teenage son. Goes by ‘Jeb’. Works in the tavern.
Kiff: Human bouncer in the tavern. Tough guy with questionable work ethics and even more questionable morals.
Liayenne: Half-elf Goddess of shadows, ambition and personal growth.
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Lizzy Bertinga: Elderly human merchant in Grant’s Crossing. Teaches Daniel the specifics of Tinkering.
Lord Tergeth: Leader of the Order of the Broken Earth in the Dawnlight Forest
Lyle Brenathan: Daniel’s human companion from Grant’s Crossing. Strong, idealistic young man with aspirations of knighthood.
Mallard Bullhop: Halfling priest in Grant’s Crossing. Rotund, jolly and amiable man. Worships Harrah. Part of the Council.
Marren: Ratling God of scoundrels, knights of the road, gamblers and rogues.
Millerd: Energetic, fast-talking ratling. Part-time worker in Grant’s Crossing. Enjoys playing Fingers.
Mrs. Gladestrider: Leader of the Bard Wing of the Academy in High Hold. Aloof and massively disliked.
Naevys Fenmarel: Pretty elven druid with a bouncy, bubbly personality. Very fond of nature. Worships Girelle.
Nietu: Orc Goddess of arts, motherhood and pettiness.
Lawrence Brenathan: Massive human blacksmith from Grant’s Crossing. Lyle’s father with protective tendencies.
Olrek: A retired kobold warrior from Nerit. Nicknamed ‘Oath’. Helps Anathema who wish to redeem themselves.
Othell Belaris: Ratling demonologist. Holds a grudge with Daniel for revealing his presence and chasing him out of Grant’s Crossing. Worships Liayenne.
Sareena Gloridien: Gorgeous, sable-haired elf visiting Grant’s Crossing under false pretense.
Serune: Elven Goddess of knowledge, pathways and grudges.
Talen: Kobold hunter from Nerit. Very xenophobic. Holds a grudge against Daniel for killing a comrade of his. Worships Thracken.
Tarkos: Kobold warrior trainer from Nerit. Tough, demanding and experienced. Worships Thracken.
Tarral: Half-Orc God of war and virtue.
Tharlenn: God of gnomes and tinkerers.
The Chief: The leader of the kobold city of Nerit. Handles most mundane activities in the city.
The Liberator: The spiritual leader of the kobold city of Nerit. Is responsible for the spiritual wellbeing of all souls in Nerit and judging the worthiness of the same.
Thracken: God of Kobolds, success and sacrifice.
Tirane: Harpy scout from High Hold. Leads the Night Witches – a group of female scouts. Strong, scarred and merry.
Tyler Cavanaugh: Half-orc bard teacher of High Hold.
Videk: A kobold of Nerit, born and raised among Anathema. A rogue with few principles, he cares only for the people of his personal inner circle.
Wisdom Belline: Unoffical leader of the collective Wisdom of High Hold. Elderly harpy, stately and wise.
Wisdom Morvane: Antagonistic harpy from High Hold who dislikes outsiders.
Wisdom Pallarson: Dwarf from High Hold. Friendly and open.
Wisdom Tirone: Unassuming harpy from High Hold. Thoughtful and careful.
Glossary
A.I.: Artificial Intelligence. A machine that is able to mimic cognitive functions that humans associate with other human minds, such as ‘learning’ and ‘problem solving’ – often handling numerous tasks simultaneously with a speed higher than human.
Aeion: ‘That which remains.’ The name for what is left of the continent following the Separation.
Anathema: Casteless. People who are deemed unworthy in the eyes of the church of Thracken.
Chronicler: Daniel’s Gathering class. Grants additional quest opportunities and rewards based on unearthing old secrets and truths.
Cradle of Hope: Formerly Terival’s Honor. The capital and the largest city on Aeion.
DPS: Damage Per Second. Can refer to both the actual damage per second done or classes that specialize primarily in dealing damage.
Fingers: A card game. Reminiscent of poker.
Glass cannon: A type of class, typically a spellcaster that relies on heavy damage and little personal defense.
Imba: MMO slang for “imbalanced”. Typically means to describe something overpowered.
Laegeria: A city placed on the western edge of the Dawnlight Forest.
LFG: Looking For Group. A common outcry in online games when you are looking for somebody to group up with.
Lost Isles: A general name for the land masses that floated away during the Separation.
Nerit: A kobold city in the south-eastern part of the Dawnlight Forest.
Neyrus: The name for the continent and surrounding isles B.S. (Before Separation)
NPC: Non Player Character. In World of Chains, a person controlled by the A.I.
Order of the Broken Earth: A covert organisation working against the Cabal. Dabbles in slavery, assault and worse.
Repository: Libraries, spread all over Neyrus, holding the collected knowledge gathered by the Chroniclers.
Separation: Also known as the Parting. The event that split apart the continent of Neyrus apart, causing huge tracts of land to split apart and float away.
The Cabal: The group of human mages who rose up to save Aeion during the Separation. They work for the Rothian Republic, who officially hold all power.
The Council: The Quartet of people who make the decisions in Grant’s Crossing.
The Rothian Republic: The official leaders of Neyrus.
The Wisdom: The council responsible for making the decisions in High Hold.
Tinkering: The act of combing essences from animals and other beings with regular materials, creating traps, automatons or bombs.
Woot: Alternative spelling ‘w00t.’ Exclamation. Used to express elation, enthusiasm or triumph.
World of Chains: The name of the game.
