Before deciding, he consulted the guide for help. Can you help me out a bit, this is kind of a big decision.
“Sure, what would you like to know?” The guide’s voice seemed more enthusiastic than usual, almost as if looking forward to assisting in the selection process.
Not giving up on his dream of weaving destructive magic, he asked his questions, Well, are there any classes that come with magical abilities, or spells or anything? Doing damage and knocking people off of their feet seems great, but couldn’t being a better swordsman accomplish the same thing? Where are all the magical classes?
After a moment, a new list appeared, containing only classes related to magic.
Classes: (Sorted)
Arcaneologist
Curate
Acolyte
Zealot
Spiritualist
Eli’s hopes soared as the new list filled before him, only to be immediately dashed after looking them over. Each class seemed to be an entry-level position in a temple, faith, or a follower of one of the twelve gods. The only outlier was the spiritualist. The class seemed to focus on spirit, charisma, and dexterity, which didn’t suit his chosen attributes. What gave Eli pause was the ability that came with it. It was the only one that could be considered magic. Even though none of the skills - such as deception or meditate - seemed useful, he nearly accepted the class immediately when he saw the ability.
Medium: Form a link with a spirit. Allows caster to communicate with the dead.
Cost:20 Mana|Cast Time:Ritual |1 Minute |Duration:1 Minute|Effect:SpiritSpeak.
Before deciding, he thought about his situation. This single decision could have lasting effects on the rest of his new life. He desperately wanted to use magic, any magic, and if his family were dead, this spell would allow him to talk to them. Something made him hesitate. This path was not one he wanted to follow. Communicating with the dead and practicing dark rituals could lead to much more sinister acts. Eli feared for his sanity. He knew that if his wife and children had died, he would lock himself away to talk to them. His life would be over as soon as it started.
After consulting with the guide, who confirmed that his class trainer would most likely be a ghost or necromancer, he abandoned his search for magical power and unique classes. Focusing on how he would allocate his skills, he started pouring over the extensive list before him. With a mental selection, Eli closed out the class options and brought up the skills tab.
Skill Points:105/105
+5 Perception (Automatic. Does not count towards total)
The list of skills was mind-boggling, and the guide would not help him create a perfect skill-set. He stuck with skills he knew, skills he was good at. After having his AI sort through the massive amounts of crafting and general skills, Eli had a shorter list and an idea of how he would spend his points.
Combat:
Archery: 10/100
Axes: 15/100
Swords: 15/100
Tactics: 5/100
Unarmed Combat: 5/100
Crafting:
Lumberjack: 5/100
Fletching: 5/100
Social:
Barter: 10/100
Speechcraft: 5 /100
Leadership: 10/100
Survival & Misc:
Medicine: 10/100
Survival: 10/100
*Perception: 5/100
Well, that doesn’t look too bad, Eli thought to himself while scanning his chosen skills.
“Guide, what do you think, am I doing it right?” He called out to the sky.
The response took a moment. “Looks fine to me. But you lack in several areas, especially if you want to learn magic.”
“Oh, well. Can’t I do that stuff later? Wait, can I get a class later?” he asked, before adding, “I don’t want to spend all of my points hoping to learn magic at some point, especially if I can learn that stuff when I have time and money. Right now, I’m more worried about getting back to Entarra and finding the assholes who killed me.”
“Yes, you can learn skills or accept a class at any time, as long as you have the prerequisite skills, stats, or achievements. Also, if you set yourself up with a class trainer, they will teach you most of the required skills. But, I would recommend giving up your-”
With no further questions, Eli shut out the voice of his mental companion before clicking yes, accepting his choices. A mind-melting rush of information followed a moment of pure silence. In the blink of an eye, he had gained and lost knowledge, as if his life experiences had been assessed then rewritten. A moment later, an empty box appeared before him, with space for text and a blinking cursor. He rushed through his remaining choices, filling out his name, and selecting his starting location; he needed to get this over with.
Character Name:
Eli Miller
Your name will be Eli Miller, is this correct: Yes/No.
Yes.
Please confirm your starting location: Dawnport / Daggerfang Keep
Dawnport
Your starting location will be Dawnport, is this correct: Yes/No
Yes.
Confirm character creation: Yes/No
(This decision is final.)
A moment later, Eli selected yes.
His vision blurred as his new body jettisoned towards solid earth. The world around him faded in and out of view until he hit the ground, falling unconscious. After an unknown amount of time, Eli’s eyes burned with bright flashes of color as if he had been staring at the sun for too long. The flares dimmed, before revealing a stone wall decorated with ornate stained-glass windows. Depictions of an angelic feminine form held a blazing miniature sun in each of the beautiful yellow and blue pieces of colored glass. The familiar long missed sensation of warmth radiated throughout Eli’s body, washing away the aches and pains of creation.
Feeling his pulse for the first time in what seemed like an eternity, Eli sat and breathed. Newly formed blood circulated through an intricate web of veins and arteries that grew in an instant. His heart pounded, it felt amazing. He was alive, and his feet were on solid ground. Looking down, his eyes wavered, adjusting to the brightness of his surroundings. Slowly, he raised his arms to gaze at his new body. The image he saw could have been pulled from the pages of a grotesque horror story.
What’s happening to me? Eli thought yet again.
His new hands reformed before his eyes, as particles of flesh collected around his exposed bone, compressing themselves into functioning appendages. Layers of veins, bone, and muscle slowly became a solid mass. The macabre display would have expelled the contents of his stomach if it had been fully formed. Soon his arms had fully manifested and were covered by green leather bracers.
Eli stood silently, inspecting himself for a long while. Finally, he kicked one booted foot on the other, before dusting off his sturdy leather tunic with his hand.
Fully expecting this new formation of flesh to collapse, he whispered, “How did this happen?”
Eli raised a hand, touching it to a hairy, bearded face and laughed. The familiar cold of leather gloves reached his furry cheeks. His mind stumbled, unable to fully process the physical changes to his new body. Before long, shock set in as razor-sharp claws poked through his gloves, scratching thin cuts into his flesh.
A small notification appeared in Eli’s field of vision but went unnoticed as he took in his surroundings.
You have attacked yourself.
You take 1 slashing damage.
His eyes opened wide as he took in his new reality in silence. A sense of familiarity washed over Eli as his view settled on a column of solid fine-grained white marble, standing in the center of a large circular building with a glowing golden orb hovering above it. A lectern crafted of similar material sat at the center of the altar, emitting magical warmth that filled the entire building. Intricately crafted mahogany pews radiated outward from the central structure in tightly organized rows to create a spiral pattern. Four statues of the goddess Arora acted as pillars, w
hile her outstretched arms held up an intricately painted ceiling. Straining to tilt his gaze upward, Eli studied the elaborate depiction of the sun showering the heavens with its warmth and light. Its rays shifted slightly, dancing whimsically among the stars and clouds as if alive.
After several moments, his memories fell into place. Dawnport; he was standing at the entrance to the Temple of Radiance in Dawnport. Eli’s eyes opened wide, his sclera barely visible because of his enlarged canine pupils. The cold of solid stone crept up his legs as he fell to his knees, hands dragging gouges in his face.
“I’m, I’m alive,” Eli muttered.
You have attacked yourself.
You take 1 slashing damage.
Jovial laughter rang out behind Eli. “You’ll get used to it.” The stranger chortled.
Chapter 5
Eli jumped, springing two feet into the air before landing with newfound agility. As his feet settled, he wavered, adjusting to his new body. The same yellowish-green hand that had startled him reached out to grab him.
“Whoa, bro. I will not hurt you.” The stranger called out, his voice calm.
Belt knife at the ready, Eli stared at the strange turtle-like figure with harmful intent. The man withdrew his hand, taking a step back. After relaxing and showing his palms, the Turta spoke, his voice soothing.
“My name is Don.” His words were heavy and slow like molasses, “I’m new here too.”
Eli finally relaxed enough to not immediately stab the man before him. His brain swam with confusion and concern. What he was looking at made no sense. Turta never traveled to Dawnport, not even adventurers. Yet, there was one standing before him. The tall, muscular humanoid leaned against the back of a pew, his thick leathery skin catching the light. Varying shades of green and blue blended together with a touch of yellow, which reminded Eli of seaweed in deep ocean waters. Above the man’s head, sat a single line of light blue text—his name and level.
Don Nutello - LVL 2
The strange being wore nothing but purple linen high-water trousers, a plain belt made of hempen rope, a simple sleeveless robe, and a purple leather bandolier with several pockets. A pair of iron knuckle dusters hung from a clip on his belt, and a long wooden staff was slung to his back. Shell-like skin formed large segmented scales, each one growing thicker and more sturdy. The neck of his robe formed a deep v shape, exposing his thick scales. Around his chest and back, the hide melded into a glossy golden metallic-looking sheen. None of the weight seemed to add much bulk or slow the creature down, as he moved with ease. His fluid movements oozed of well-trained agility, and his lean muscular frame lent to what must have been years of martial practice. Looking the man over, Eli sheathed his belt knife, which had appeared with the rest of his body and gear. The green-skinned man’s calm demeanor soothed his immediate response of violence, and he had questions.
“What the hell just happened to me?” Eli asked. “How did I get here?”
“Well, dude. You must have died or something.” Don said, his voice measured as if talking to a child. “I mean, people don’t just start with a sweet bow, a nice axe, and a full set of leather armor.” He raised both palms skyward as a show of peace. “It’s okay; most people freak out their first time. That whole cellular reconstruction bit is twisted.” He continued while looking at his hands, shuddering slightly, “As I said, you’ll get used to it, eventually.”
Eli reached out a hand and turned it over to visualize what was happening. Spots of blood covered his hand and smeared his face. Small lines of text crept into his memory.
You have taken 1 damage.
Was I clawing at my face? Thousands of thoughts rushed through his mind, his death, the void, conversations with his guide, being jettisoned like an asteroid to his spawn location. He was alive now but in his new Half-Wolffen body. Coming to terms with the fact that he was, in fact, alive, he noticed several things.
Well organized translucent icons formed on the edges of his sight. Each of them moved as he did. Shaking his head, he tried to remove them from his vision, but they stayed in focus wherever he looked. They weren’t intrusive. They were barely even noticeable unless he focused on them.
“Are these an illusion?” Yet another question that needed answering.
And he got one. “No, these icons are a portion of your heads up display.” The guide’s voice chimed in, once again from within his mind.
“Oh, no. No, this can’t be happening.” Eli screamed, causing Don to take another step backward.
“It’s okay, bro. Just calm down. Tell me what’s going on.” The turtle creature responded, his eyes wide and arms outstretched.
“That voice, it’s still in my head, the guide,” Eli screamed.
Laughter rang out through the Temple of Radiance, as Don responded, “Oh, dude. That’s just the guide. It’s there to help you figure shit out. It’s a part of the system. Don’t worry; it can’t hurt you. At least I don’t think it can.”
After several moments of hyperventilating, while Don calmed him, Eli focused on the icons in his vision. The most noticeable was three small vial-like bars stacked horizontally atop one another, in the upper-left-most portion of his vision. Fluid-like substances filled the bars, each a different color and similar in viscosity to blood. At the center of each vial was a set of white numbers. The topmost bar was crimson and mostly full, its numbers reading 138/140. The middle bar, a dark leafy-green color, was missing a slightly larger amount, reading 100/140. Tucked away below them was a magical looking sapphire bar, reading 135/140.
What are these things? Eli thought, now fully expecting a response from the intrusive AI.
“Those are your health, stamina, and mana bars. You don’t want those to reach zero. You will either die or fall unconscious when those are empty.”
So, these things tell me how healthy I am and how much energy I have, got it.
Below the bars were four symbols displayed horizontally, a backpack, a humanoid silhouette, a sword crossed with a quill, and a book. Each glowed with a barely perceptible ghostly white aura. In the top rightmost corner of his vision, a symbol of what looked to be a treasure-map sat with a red X in its center. Next to it was a grey gear that flickered in and out of existence, as if it were struggling to take purchase in reality. The bottom portion of Eli’s vision contained a small, red, off-centered exclamation point. He had almost missed it entirely, due to it being nearly invisible. Faint lines made a long thin, horizontal box, at the bottom border his vision, filled with crimson text. On the top of the barely noticeable box sat a handle in the shape of an upward pointing arrow. As he stared at it, the lines of text grew to show him his earlier notifications.
“What is all of this stuff?” He thought and whispered.
“This is the rest of your HUD or Heads Up Display.”
“Uh, yeah, man. That’s your HUD.” Don replied, sounding confused.
“I’ll let him explain. It might prove interesting,” The unisex voice chimed in his mind.
“Wait, are you one of those weird role players? You know, those players that act like this is their world now?” He scratched his head and stared at Eli for a moment before continuing, “Nevermind, those types usually never acknowledge that sort of thing. Besides, who am I to burst your bubble?” The Turta looked at Eli then scanned him up and down as if appraising him, and his mental state, “Either way, the bars filled with liquid are your health, stamina, and mana in descending order. The backpack is your inventory. It’s kind of like a magic bag that holds stuff for you, but only a few things. It’s explained as a private pocket dimension that holds up to a certain amount of stuff based on your physical statistics. Kind of like a Bag of Holding in some of those tabletop games, but it has a limit to how much stuff and what size items it can carry. Oh, and you can only get to it if you have control over your body. Next to that is your character sheet, it has all of your stats, skills, where you’re bound, and important stuff about your character.” As Don explained the icons, Eli s
canned each one, making a mental note of their functions. “The sword and quill are your logs. That’s where you find what quests you have and any personal achievements or awards you’ve earned. Or, when something significant happens, like a local or world event.” Don’s eyes noticeably flicked up and to the left as Eli stood in silence, watching. “Oh yeah, that book. It’s where you will find your abilities and spells. Those are hard to get unless you’re loaded, start with a class, study a lot, or join a church. Some people say you can get some cool nature spells by talking to certain trees and animals and stuff too, but I tried that, and nothing happened. Just talked to a tree, then I gave it a hug. It was kinda therapeutic, but that’s beside the point.”
Eli nodded along patiently, before chiming in, “What about this map, that red symbol, and the gear?”
“Hey, he’s good.” The guide chimed in before Don could continue his rant.
“Well, the map is, uh, your map. If you focus on it, it expands to show you where you are, where you’ve been. Sometimes it shows you quest locations if you have enough information about them. It updates as you explore and will keep a copy of where you’ve been, and maps you’ve read. But, it will lose information or can show you stuff that’s not really there, if you get it from an old or falsified map. Or, if you haven’t been back to that location for a while.” Don stretched and cracked his knuckles before moving on, each joint releasing stored pressure with a loud snap, “The gear is your settings and menu. It’s where you log out, adjust your settings, get help, report bugs, and surf the internet. In certain locations, like dungeons and unexplored territory, it won’t let you access certain functions. Oh, and it won’t let you log out or mess with settings in combat. It breaks immersion or something. The only way to log out in combat is if you submit a report to the admins. Don’t want any weird torture situations going on. Unless you’re into that kind of thing.”
Ascension Page 7