by Grey Arney
“Boss!” came a faint response. It was hard to locate due to the echo. Then he saw two blue lights that were moving back and forth. The goblin was standing on a surface in the distance, waving two of the mushrooms.
Arcturus made the short swim towards his companion. They gave up trying to communicate after several tries. The echo was too loud.
Arcturus pulled himself out of the water onto a slab of stone. Fish made a point of trying to help him by offering him an exaggerated hand. Both were soaking wet. Arcturus inspected his bag, and was glad to find that everything inside was dry.
“Well, we’re safe for now,” he said, “but I don’t know if we’re any better off.”
“Would you rather starve in a cave or be tortured to death in jail?” asked the goblin. “I’d say it’s an improvement.”
“Well, we won’t be starving for a while,” said Arcturus, searching through his bag for some rations.
The goblin eyed him keenly. “I wouldn’t mind having something to eat,” he said.
Arcturus pulled out a bag of rations from Aurora. There were no plates or cutlery, so it all went into a pair of eager hands. He poured some into the goblin’s hands. It seemed to be made of a dried grain, with nuts and seeds. Despite the circumstances, he was pleased to find that there were sweet, dried berries in the mix as well. Both ate quickly and greedily while they sat on the rock.
After they were finished, they rested there and considered their options.
“There’s more to the cavern ahead,” said Fish. “We could explore up there and look for a way out. But I don’t see any sign that anybody’s ever been here.”
Arcturus considered it before replying. “I can use my Earth Magic to create a tunnel out, but I’m afraid that we’re still directly underneath the Mudluck camp. They’d hear us long before we climbed out of here, and they’d be waiting for us.”
“Maybe we should explore as much as we can first before trying that. If we can get far enough away from the camp, do you think it’s safe to make a tunnel to the surface?”
“No, it’s not very safe at all. Look at what happened to us already. But it may be our only choice.”
“By the way, we should collect some of these mushrooms while we’re here,” the goblin said, flashing his makeshift lantern.
Arcturus used a knife to pry several off the wall nearby, stuffing them into his bag.
You have found: Glowing Mycena
This is an alchemical ingredient with unknown properties.
The prompt reminded Arcturus to review his other notifications. He had been ignoring them for most of the battle in the Mudluck camp. He filtered them so he could see the latest notification of each type.
He had gained over 26,000 experience points during the last battle, but he didn’t have time to tally everything up and figure out which kills earned him experience and which didn’t.
You have leveled up! Level 21. You have new skill points to spend.
You have improved Earth Magic (Level 45)
Your Earth Magic is now stronger.
Deciding to bank his extra attribute points for later, Arcturus continued onwards. The pair stood on a flat rock, staring into a yawning void ahead. The glowing mushrooms dotted the walls and ceilings. And with Nightvision, Arcturus was able to penetrate into the darkness and see that there appeared to be a path forward. Arcturus cast his Firefly spell for the first time since he had learned it, and a floating sphere appeared. It had many glowing fibers that, all together, resembled the seeds of a dandelion flower before taking flight. At about one hundred fifty lumens, it had the light output of perhaps a dozen candles. It wasn’t much, but it helped quite a bit.
Arcturus found he was able to affix the candle to his own position or to Fish’s. He chose to have it float about six feet ahead of Fish, and the two carefully proceeded forward. As they went, they spoke in a whisper that sounded conspicuous, no matter how much they tried to keep quiet. The only other noise was the occasional drip sound coming from afar.
“Let’s be quiet,” he said. “We don’t know who or what might be living in this cave.”
“Even if it doesn’t hear us, it will definitely see that light you’ve got.”
Realizing the goblin was right, he pulled the light back far behind them so that it would illuminate the escape path. If needed, he could summon it forward any time.
The goblin could barely see, having no Nightvision skill, so Arcturus guided him through the dark. With his heightened wolf senses, he noticed that when he grabbed the goblin’s hand, Fish’s heart suddenly began beating louder. Assuming the goblin was scared of the dark, he continued, leading him forward. The caverns spread onwards with no end in sight. Aside from the glowing mushrooms, and the now-fading sound of dripping water, they were dark and completely empty. Sometimes the grade of the slope seemed to be leading them up, but then it would drop down again. And the path twisted all about, occasionally revealing dead-ends devoid of anything interesting. After a time, Arcturus came to a stop.
“There’s a fork in the path here,” he said. “I’m not sure if we should go left or right.”
“A good adventurer knows you should explore every path!” said the goblin.
Fish produced some charcoal from his pack and drew an arrow pointing back to the direction they came. Arcturus left the Firefly floating at the fork, and the two cautiously made their way towards the left. When it got too dark to see, he summoned another Firefly and sent it forward. It kept going a long way into the distance. It appeared that this chamber was vast.
“Let’s check the right-hand path before continuing this way,” said Arcturus.
The right-hand fork in the tunnel didn’t go nearly as deep. It ended in a small, shallow chamber completely devoid of the glowing mushrooms. As they stepped inside, Arcturus pushed a third Firefly spell in to illuminate it. As the Firefly pushed its way into the chamber, the curtain of darkness abruptly pulled back, and both the man and the goblin let out yelps of surprise when they saw a sudden flash of movement. Something that was a smoky purple color disappeared into a hole in the wall that was barely big enough for a man to crawl through.
Without speaking further, they both turned around and ran back towards the fork in the path. The goblin tripped in his haste, skinning his knees and tumbling forward. They both stopped and paused there, in what they hoped was relative safety.
“What was that?” asked Fish.
“I don’t know, but we’re not alone in here. We have to pass through quietly. I think we should dismiss the lights and sneak forward.
Arcturus called all three of the Firefly lights. He found he could extinguish them instantly, just by willing it. He proceeded up the left-hand side of the fork with Fish, walking slowly and as quietly as he could. There was nothing but silence, his own footsteps, and the throbbing glow of the mushrooms on the ceilings and walls.
You have improved Stealth (Level 12)
Your detection radius has decreased, and your footsteps are quieter.
When he saw the notification, he stopped completely. He looked at Fish, and made the gesture for silence, pressing his index finger to his lips. The goblin stopped and stared at him in the dark. From Fish’s perspective, the shadows cast into Arcturus’ eyelashes made him appear ghoulish and terrifying. But neither moved, and neither spoke.
While he pondered the meaning of this notification, another arrived indicating he had reached Level 13, and then 14. That could only mean that he was in range of something dangerous; according to his experience, the skill leveled in proportion to the risk at hand. Hiding from a bunny rabbit wasn’t as rewarding as hiding from a Dire Bear.
Still, turning around and going backwards would also involve the risk of detection. Arcturus motioned to Fish to follow him quietly. He slowed his footsteps down to the spacewalk of a child sneaking towards a cookie jar. As he moved deeper into the chamber, his Stealth level increased even more rapidly. It had reached 16 when Fish, with his poor vision, accidentally k
icked a loose piece of sediment, which rattled off into the distance, followed by a long silence. After a moment of silence, a deafening scream blasted through the cavern, echoing off every surface. It was enough to make a man faint.
You have improved Stealth (Level 17)
Your detection radius has decreased, and your footsteps are quieter.
Arcturus froze completely, and felt a single bead of icy-cold sweat dripping down his face. He counted his heart beats, struggling to slow his breathing and remain silent. Five seconds passed this way, and then ten, and then fifteen—which seemed like an eternity.
He relaxed a bit, just enough to continue before lifting his leg and stepping forward. He took a second step, and a third, continuing for perhaps a hundred feet at an even slower pace. That’s when he realized that his Stealth level was no longer increasing.
They continued forward through the vast chamber until they reached the wall on the opposite side. Unfortunately, there was no exit here. If there was a way to proceed at all, it would be at some unknown location along the wall.
“We should mark this spot, and then explore to the left or right. Maybe there’s some sort of exit,” said Arcturus, in the softest of whispers.
“Do you have any charcoal? Let’s draw an X,” said Fish.
Arcturus produced a piece from his bag.
“There’s no need for that,” said a voice from behind them. “I will show you the way out.”
Arcturus turned around to see who had spoken and found himself staring at a creature the likes of which he had never seen before. It was shorter than him, consisting of a squat body piled onto a series of tentacles that it used to slither across the cave floor as it approached. It had a humanoid head, with pointy ears, and in place of a nose, it had what looked like a long elephant trunk. Its eyes glowed like burning red embers.
Arcturus stammered as he searched for the appropriate way to address the creature. Although it appeared menacing, it did not seem to have hostile intensions—and he hoped to continue that way.
“We would like to leave,” he began. “We ended up here unintentionally.”
The octopus-man regarded him coolly.
“An Original? What are you doing here? And how did you get in? Thanatos is a closed system and is meant to be inaccessible.”
Arcturus explained the circumstances of their arrival in the cavern. The watchful creature’s trunk twisted into a curly corkscrew shape as it listened attentively.
“I see,” said the creature. “The breach will have to be repaired.”
“I am sorry for any trouble I may have caused,” said Arcturus.
“Ordinarily such a thing would not happen, but Thanatos is unusually close to the surface.”
“What is Thanatos?” he asked.
The octopus-man began a monologue that sounded almost like it had been scripted long ago.
“Thanatos is a colossal subterranean organism responsible mainly for containing the cataclysm potential of Lydia.”
“What cataclysm potential?”
“Lydia is an open world with unlimited possibilities, governed only by its own rules. By nature, these possibilities allow for a number of potential scenarios which would be cataclysmic in nature. In this case, a cataclysm is defined as an event which would make Lydia uninhabitable for the indefinite future. For example, if a new disease came into being that was capable of killing all sentients. Lydia might then be 'broken,’ and even spawning new players all over would not be able to fix that. The new players might die instantly, or be unable to reconstruct civilization. The same would happen if the world became covered in poisonous gas, molten rock, or even just water with no land. Thanatos exists to monitor such possibilities. If intervention is necessary, Thanatos is equipped with a wide variety of tools to contain such a threat and preserve continuity. These tools range from trivial to tragic. For example, if there were a plague, Thanatos could help players find a cure for the disease. But in the worst-case scenario, Thanatos would have to destroy the entire world and rebuild it.”
“If Thanatos is supposed to prevent a cataclysm, why would it also be able to destroy the world?”
“There are some events in Lydia which might result in damage that would be difficult or even impossible to fix—even for Thanatos. Although Thanatos has special privileges and abilities, it too is governed in part by the rules of Lydia. The designers of Lydia intended to create an experience here that is truly real, and if all of the rules of Lydia could be bent or broken, then such realism would be impossible. So Thanatos has the ability to 'reset’ Lydia if events are leading towards a true disaster from which Lydia may not recover. But the designers wished to avoid this, as one of the greatest treasures of Lydia is the long history here, and resetting the world would mean erasing that history, or at least burying it for all time.”
“Has Thanatos ever fully reset Lydia before?”
The creature paused for a long time before answering.
“Yes. Just once. All living creatures were annihilated and regenerated, but much of the landscape and infrastructure was left untouched.”
“Is Thanatos going to 'reset’ Lydia now?”
“At this time, there is no reason for Thanatos to consider that option. Thanatos has come to this part of Lydia to witness a concerning event that is unfolding. A local clan of goblins has begun expressing biological changes and unsustainable population growth. Currently, it is still a minor event, but it is being monitored due to its small amount of cataclysmic potential.”
Now it was Fish’s turn to butt in. “Why are the goblins changing biologically?”
“They have been corrupted with mutagenic magic. This is a mechanic that was originally allowed so that players could modify their appearance and skills. But it is now being used on thousands of goblin constructs, and each goblin appears with different mutations. Right now the risk is low, but if the right combination of mutations appeared, it could result in a cataclysmic event and, therefore, Thanatos would have to begin purging—most likely starting with all goblins in the area.”
“What is causing the goblins to mutate?” asked Arcturus.
“That I do not know. Thanatos primarily receives information from the death of creatures. In this case, Thanatos also has some information from plants and animals that have died nearby as well. Whoever created the goblin mutations has not yet died, so Thanatos has not learned who is responsible. But Thanatos has pinpointed the source of the mutations to this area.”
“How do you know so much about Thanatos?” Arcturus asked.
“I am the Keeper of Thanatos. I am an interface which allows Thanatos to interact with sentient players.”
“Are you a player or a construct?” he asked.
“I am neither. I am what was once known as an artificial intelligence. I am almost exactly like a player, except that my ability to think is constrained by mandates and directives which were imposed on me long ago. I am self-aware and I experience motivation, but only to fulfill those mandates. I am also unable to question them, or think unfavorably of them.”
“I’ve never heard of anything like that,” said Fish.
“One of my mandates requires me to conceal my existence from players. However, that mandate does not apply to Originals.”
“What’s an Original?” asked Fish. Arcturus explained what he knew about his status as an Original.
“Maybe you’d be interested in knowing that I am on a quest to stop the expansion of the Mudluck goblins. I can’t help but think that it’s somehow related to what you’re doing here.”
“It would benefit Thanatos if you completed this quest. I can offer you some small amount of assistance, and I can even offer some quest rewards if you deal with the threat. This will ensure Thanatos does not have to take any unnecessary risks.”
QUEST UPDATE: END THE MUDLUCK GOBLIN THREAT
Completing this quest will earn you a rare favor from Thanatos. No player alive in Lydia today has ever received this blessing, so none c
an say what it is.
“Based on our conversation, I surmise that you do not fully understand the nature of your status as an Original. During the Reset, some changes were made to the Laws of Lydia. These changes were made to prevent future cataclysmic events, and to adapt Lydia to the changing circumstances.
“For example, prior to the Reset, players never died permanently. They always respawned shortly after death. New players were allowed to enter Lydia freely, and some were also born within Lydia as well. All of this had to change in order to curb population growth. If left unchecked, Lydia would have experienced explosive population because nobody ever died and new players were being born regularly. Many limits were established to deal with this, and overpopulation was one of the contingencies addressed during the Reset. That’s why players must now wait so long to respawn.
“Players born in Lydia had no choice but to accept the new laws, but players born outside of Lydia were given a choice. Those who disagreed were allowed to move off-world. And most did. As a result, very few players here are originally from Earth.”
“At any rate, to the best of my knowledge, there have been no Originals active in Lydia since well before the Reset. Many of the functions once available to Originals have been removed forever, but some do remain. One such function you may find useful is Messaging. As an Original, you will continue to have access to this feature. You can send a message to any player in Lydia. They will receive it instantly, and they can reply in kind. Why don’t you try it?”
You have unlocked Messaging
You may now send messages to other players.
“So now I’ll be like Prometheus, bringing the gift of text messaging to mankind?” asked Arcturus.
“Precisely.”
“How do I use it?”
“You interface with this the same way you would your Character Display. Imagine your companion here, and try to send him some information.”
Arcturus sent his first message to Fish.