Second Skin Omnibus

by M Damon Baker

  “Me too, Bane,” I said, stroking the scales along his neck.

  The Rhastoren settled down and purred in contentment as I resumed my conversation with Tási.

  We decided to take it easy for a day or two and just explore the area for a while. The remote isolation of the valley, combined with the elf-King’s influence, had clearly worked to keep these lands free of the dangers that plagued the wilds just outside their borders. But now that he was gone, we knew it would only be a matter of time before the threats from beyond the valley’s sheltered confines would find their way to us. Despite our concern, we felt that we needed to take some time to carefully plan just how we would protect ourselves from those threats. Not only that, but we also needed to explore our new home and uncover its many mysteries.

  During that time, we walked the length and breadth of the land. As we had observed before, the valley stretched several miles wide and many times that in its length. Verdant fields and several small forests dotted the land, while a waterfall fed into a small stream that supplied a clear lake in the valley’s center. Two small caverns in the high cliff walls showed signs of having been used as mines in the past, probably accounting for the source of the stone that had been used to begin the construction of the incomplete wall at the entrance to the canyon.

  After the first day spent exploring, we settled in for the evening and I pulled up my notifications. A lot had happened since I last reviewed them, but I was completely unprepared for what came up.

  Quest Completed – Uniter V. You have completed a Quest that has been many millennia in the making. For rejoining the scattered fragments of the Amulet of Unity and reforming the ancient symbol of a unified Arrika, you have been rewarded with 55,000 XP.

  You have gained a level! – You have earned sufficient experience to advance to level 22.

  You have gained three Attribute points. Two of your points have been automatically assigned to CON and CHA. You may assign the remaining point to any other Attribute as you see fit.

  You have gained a level! – You have earned sufficient experience to advance to level 23.

  You have gained three Attribute points. Two of your points have been automatically assigned to DEX and CHA. You may assign the remaining point to any other Attribute as you see fit.

  You have gained a level! – You have earned sufficient experience to advance to level 24.

  You have gained three Attribute points. Two of your points have been automatically assigned to WIS and CHA. You may assign the remaining point to any other Attribute as you see fit.

  Quest Assigned – The Uniter. Heal the wounded lands and bring together the fractured people of Arrika. Quest rewards are variable.

  I paused between levels only long enough to assign my points to Strength, Constitution, and Intelligence at each opportunity, but my sense of joy was completely robbed from me when I read the overwhelming goal of the new Uniter quest. While I knew that bringing together the fractured Realms was my ultimate purpose, seeing it stated so definitively put a very fine point on the daunting task ahead of me. Rather than focusing on it for too long, I pulled up my personal sheet.

  Dreya Dae

  Sintári Female

  Title: Sintári

  Level - 24

  249859/261200

  Health - 308/308 Aura - 715/715 Endurance - 308/308

  Sintári – Sintári interact with their surroundings in unusual ways. The effects of these interactions can be unpredictable

  Class – Warden – Wardens gain a 10% bonus to skills associated with nature or which have natural effects

  Specialization – Protector

  Mastery –

  STR - 32 (+3)

  CON - 26 (+2)

  DEX - 24 (+2)

  INT - 23 (+2)

  WIS - 21 (+2)

  CHA - 39 (+3)

  Abilities

  Ignore Armor – Your next arrow will ignore a portion of the target’s armor. Cost – 20 Aura. – 35%

  Stun – Your next arrow has a chance to stun its target on hit. Cost – 20 Aura. – 33%

  Block – You may attempt to use your bow to parry a single melee attack. Cost – 20 Endurance. – 20%

  Swarm – Your next arrow duplicates itself in flight. Cost – 20 Endurance and 20 Aura. – 44%

  Flurry – Perform three rapid strikes with a bladed weapon. Cost – 30 Endurance. – 24%

  Parry – Chance for your blades to block next melee attack targeted at you. Cost – 20 Endurance. – 23%

  Hamstring – The next arrow fired has a chance to cripple your opponent. Cost – 20 Aura. – 30%

  Hilt Bash – Stun your opponent with a successful hilt strike from your bladed weapon. Cost – 30 Endurance. – 22%

  Blood Price – Your arrow inflicts a damage-over-time bleed effect. Cost – 30 Aura. – 34%

  Blind – Your next arrow has a chance to inflict blindness on a successful hit. Cost - 30 Aura. – 33%

  Achilles Strike – Cripple your target with a slash of your bladed weapon. Cost – 30 Endurance. – 24%

  Penetrator – Advanced Ability – Your arrow pierces through armor easily. With increased proficiency it may penetrate through even greater barriers. Modifier – Strength. Cost – 60 Aura. – 15%

  Disable – Advanced Ability – A successful strike of your blade to an extremity renders the affected limb completely useless until healed. Modifier – Strength. Cost – 60 Endurance. – 5%

  Sintári Abilities

  Natural Affinity – The Sintári’s unique connection with the natural world may manifest itself in random ways at times. While these effects are generally beneficial, they are also typically outside the direct control of the Sintári. Modifier – Charisma.

  Control – Effect varies, applies to all Sintári Abilities. – 25%

  Protector Abilities

  See Truth – Once per day, the spoken words of your target become visible to you, allowing you to see the truth held within them. Strength and duration of this effect increase with proficiency. Cost – 60 Aura. Modifier – Wisdom. – 17%

  Spells

  Enhanced Sight – May be cast on self or ally. Improves visual acuity of the recipient in dark or obscured conditions. Cost – 20 Aura. – 45%

  Create Trap – Place a magical trap upon an area. Size, type and trigger of traps is determined by your proficiency. Cost – 40 Aura. – 47%

  Elemental Arrow – Your next arrow is imbued with elemental energy and causes additional elemental damage accordingly. Cost – 30 Aura. – 26%

  Bolt – Release a Bolt of pure Lightning at your target(s). Cost – 40 Aura. – 22%

  Find Weakness – Highlights vulnerable points on the target. Modifier – Intelligence. Cost – 80 Aura. – 6%

  Skills

  Bow – 47%

  Critical Hit – 37%

  Blades – 33%

  Long Sword – 35%

  Short Sword – 28%

  Dagger – 26%

  Critical Hit – 28%

  Two – Handed – 29%

  Pole Arms – 14%

  Spear – 23%

  Armor – 29%

  Medium Armor – 34%

  Perception – 42%

  Environmental – 44%

  Identify Enemy – 40%

  Identify Person – 39%

  Combat Dodge – 25%

  Subterfuge – 30%

  Stealth – 35%

  Find Trap – 11%

  Disarm Trap – 8%

  Set Trap – 10%

  Manipulation – 33%

  Persuade – 44%

  Barter – 29%

  Survival – 24%

  Tracking – 26%

  Identify Creature (Beasts) – 18%

  Skinning – 13%

  Field Dress – 12%

  Alchemy – 17%

  Herbalism – 25%

  Potion Craft – 21%

  Lore – 3%

  Identify Magical Item – 5%

  The numbers were awesome, but didn’t add up. M
y Health, Aura, and Endurance were simply too high. Then I remembered what had caused me to gain so much experience and opened up my Inventory page.

  Inventory

  Encumbrance – 64/385

  Clothing

  Bow of Impact (80) Soul Bound

  Essence Blade (45), Soul Bound

  Fine Short Sword, (18)

  Dagger of Laceration (2)

  Dagger, Fine (3)

  Archer’s Circlet

  Fine Leather Chest Guard (10)

  Fine Leather Pauldrons (2)

  Fine Leather Tassets (4)

  Fine Leather Bracers (1)

  Fine Leather Armguards (1)

  Fine Leather Cuisse (1)

  Fine Leather Greaves (2)

  Fine Leather Boots (2)

  Fine Leather Gloves

  Hunter’s Cloak (2)

  Fine Padded Shirt (2)

  Fine Padded Pants (3)

  Scrolls, Resurrection

  Amulet of Unity, Soul Bound

  Token of Grace

  Token of Insight

  Token of Agility

  Token of Acumen

  Token of Fortitude

  Token of Force

  Ring of Encumbrance

  Never Ending Quiver of Arrows, Soul Bound

  Camp blade

  Belt pouch, common:

  15 weak health potions, 17 red crystals, 2 cure disease potions, 2 cure poison potions, 2 purple crystals

  Coin pouch, Soul Bound:

  30 Talons, 63 Gold Bits, 245 Silver Marks, 113 Silver Bits, 224 Coppers

  Backpack 50 slot, 70% weight reduction

  Seeing the true name of the Amulet finally revealed prompted me to try and focus on its description, hoping that the answer to my question would be found there. This time at least, I was not disappointed.

  Amulet of Unity – This ancient symbol grants powerful boons to its rightful owner. Once all of its elements are combined, the wearer gains a 10% Bonus to all Attributes, Health, Aura, Endurance, and Encumbrance. These effects may not always combine with lesser boons.

  The Amulet provided a truly incredible boost to my capabilities, one that would continue to scale up with me as my own powers increased. But right away, I noticed one thing that it did not increase—my Encumbrance.

  As the item’s description implied, the Amulet would not always be compatible with what it labeled as ‘lesser boons.’ Removing and replacing the Ring of Encumbrance a few times confirmed that I was receiving a 10% bonus to that stat regardless of whether or not I was wearing the ring. I left the ring on out of habit but knew exactly what I was going to do with it when the time came to pass it on.

  Closing all the windows I had opened, I wrapped my arms around Tási, and we fell asleep together while Bane perched contentedly atop the two of us.

  2

  I woke the next morning to the sight of Bane’s little golden eyes staring at me intently. Looking into his eyes, I sensed something different about him, as if his gaze had gained some new depth during the night.

  “What is it Bane?” I asked as he continued to stare.

  You have changed me, Sintári.

  “I don’t understand, Bane. I haven’t done anything to you,” I protested.

  You have grown, and I have grown with you.

  I stared at him blankly for a moment as I remembered leveling up the night before. Could that be it? Had my own increase in power effected Bane as well?

  “I leveled last night, grew in strength. Did that change you somehow? Is that what you mean?”

  Yes. We are bonded, Sintári. As you increase in power, so will I. My mind and body have both benefitted from your growth.

  He certainly did seem smarter, or at least better able to communicate. Thinking about those communication abilities, I tried to send my response directly to his mind, but the attempt failed, and I was forced to speak out loud to him instead.

  “You seem to have grown a great deal, Bane, but I still cannot speak to you in your mind as you do with me.”

  No, Sintári, it will be some time before you gain that power.

  “Your words are so much clearer to me now. What else has happened to you, Bane?”

  As you have noted, my mind has cleared—much of the fog that hung over me before is gone. My venom has also grown more powerful, and I am stronger as well.

  “That’s amazing, Bane! Will you keep growing like this every time I do?”

  Unfortunately, no. I was quite weak before. Undeveloped. I think this was just our bond helping me catch up to you. My advancements will be much more modest in the future.

  I did not reply to his statement. Instead, I stroked his scales gently as he laid back down on top of me and began purring softly. His reassuring presence was comforting, and I was glad that his sudden increase in intelligence had not made him any less affectionate.

  I tried to go back to sleep, but Bane’s revelations had brought me too far out of my slumber for me to have any hope of returning to its warm embrace. I gave up on the attempt after a short while, and quietly snuck out of the tent to take in the morning sunshine outside. Bane followed me out and settled on my shoulder while I stirred the embers of the previous night’s fire. Once I rekindled our campfire, I put on some water for tea.

  As the water came to a boil, Bane flew off, searching for his own breakfast. I had just switched out the pot and begun cooking breakfast when Tási emerged from the tent to join me. As she approached, I could see that she held the elf King’s spell book in her hand.

  “Good morning,” I offered her in greeting. “Tea is ready, and I should have some eggs soon as well.”

  “Sounds great,” she replied as she sat down on one of the logs we had arranged around the fire.

  “I was thinking, we should take a look at the plans in here before we do our scouting for the day,” Tási continued, holding up the book.

  The elf King had given me the tome as a gift. In it was not only the spell that would allow me to summon an earth elemental, but also extensive drawings of the plans he and his dwarven counterpart had made for the valley. I had glanced at them briefly, but the full extent of what they had envisioned was simply overwhelming.

  “Have you seen what’s in there, Tási?” I replied. “It would take decades to construct even half of what they have laid out.”

  “Perhaps,” she answered. “But it might be helpful for you to look at things with the future in mind.”

  “If you’re trying to make a point Tási, just say it.”

  “Very well,” she replied with a smirk. “You are about to begin the process of uniting all of Arrika. This valley will not only be the place where you launch that effort; it’s obvious that it is also intended to serve as the capitol for your empire.”

  “You need to see it that way right from the start—to build with your ultimate goal in mind from the very beginning. You cannot afford to make too many mistakes, or your efforts will eventually suffer from the lack of planning.”

  I knew all of that already, but hearing my future goals laid out so starkly was almost shocking to me. I really should have been over it by then, having been confronted by the reality of it many times, but it still managed to catch me off guard any time I heard them spoken aloud. I hadn’t often thought beyond my immediate concerns, but if I was to have any hope of success, if I was truly serious about my ultimate goal of bringing peace to these lands, I needed to stop avoiding thoughts about the future and accept my responsibilities.

  “Alright,” I answered her after a moment’s reflection. “We’ll look over the book before we set out for the day.”

  The first few entries we reviewed laid out the valley’s defensive perimeter. A high wall across the mouth of the canyon served as an initial barrier against any assault. Towers and siege weapons provided additional security, and an elaborate gateway, similar to the one in Lorida’s fortifications, forced any attackers into a gauntlet of death before they could breach those defenses.

  At the far end o
f the canyon entrance, a great fortress served not only as a second line of defense, but also housed the many offices of state for the empire the two kings had envisioned. The incredible Palace structure was a city unto itself, designed to withstand a siege and protect the valley beyond from any attack. With the verdant lands behind it supporting its soldiers, the impressive fortifications would easily outlast any attempted siege.

  The tome also contained blueprints for construction well beyond the basic defenses for the valley. Small farms and other communities were plotted out throughout the valley’s interior. But other than husbanding the rich land’s resources, most of the precious land was left undeveloped. Rather than planning for future expansion within the confines of the valley floor, the two kings had looked skyward instead.

  Extensive stairways and even an intricately designed elevator system were described leading up to the top of the sheer cliffs. There, atop the roots of the mountain itself, lay the designs for a city unlike any other.

  Homes and business districts spread out across the smooth rock above the valley. Schools and training grounds provided for both the education and defense of the empire. Here, high above the valley below, the citizens could live free from threats and abundantly provisioned from the bounty of the fertile fields beneath them.

  The full scope of the measures outlined in the tome were breathtaking in their ambition, yet it all began with the completion of the wall at the mouth of the canyon. Without that initial barrier to the dangers outside, none of the rest would be possible.

  “Perhaps we should get started on that,” I admitted as we looked over the plans for the wall.

  “The elf King’s magic should hold the wilds at bay for a little while longer, but you’re right,” Tási replied in agreement. “The sooner we start, the better.”

  As we were looking over the plans and discussing things, Bane returned from his morning hunt. Setting down on my shoulder, he listened intently as we concluded.

  I will scout outside the valley for you. The beasts seemed to stay far away from here while the elf King remained. I should be able to tell if they have come any closer.

  Bane’s offer was not only helpful, but surprisingly insightful as well. His new-found intelligence was already proving quite useful.