World Tree Online: The Duchess of Hammers: 2nd Dive Begins

by M. A. Carlson

  First, she learned a new healing spell, one that was nature based and provided Healing Over Time (HOT) called ‘Lesser Nature’s Blessing’.

  Lesser Nature's Blessing

  Level: 1

  Experience: 0.00%

  Spell Heal: 2-4 HP per second for 10-minutes

  Spell Cast Speed: Instant

  Spell Mana Cost: 100

  Spell Effect (Active): Heal a single target over time. Increases effect of ‘Nature’s Heal’ spell school by 0.10%

  Which complemented her primary healing spell quite nicely. Her base healing spell was already second tier and in her personal opinion, very powerful.

  Beginner Nature's Heal

  Level: 87

  Experience: 16.14%

  Spell Heal: 552-670

  Spell Cast Speed: 1.50 seconds

  Spell Mana Cost: 374

  Spell Effect (Active): Heal a single target.

  The spell plus her bonus to ‘Nature Spell Healing’ meant each of her heals started at +872-HP and went up from there. Unfortunately, the spell was steadily becoming more expensive to use. At level 10 she had a massive base mana pool of 2000-MP. With all her accessories and limited armor, she sat just over 3,420-MP, not counting any of her restoratives, with her mana regeneration of +155-MP per 10-seconds, she could cast about 20 of those in a row before she had to stop to purposely increase her mana. And with the amount of damage Rose and the rest of her friends were taking, she would need it and more. Which was why she was here training. ‘Lesser Nature’s Blessing’ would boost the amount of healing she was able to deliver in addition to just providing healing by itself.

  The second spell she picked up was a spell that was destined to be a necessity, ‘Lesser Resurgence’ was a resurrection spell.

  Lesser Resurgence

  Level: 1

  Experience: 0.00%

  Targets Revived: 1

  Spell Cast Speed: 10-seconds

  Spell Mana Cost: 500

  Spell Effect (Active): Resurrect target(s) with 5.00% Health, Stamina and Mana

  It was not very strong, but it would be essential. It was also going to be very difficult to level. Heath, Olaf and Bye-bye just might die on ‘accident’ a few times while fighting monsters. It was ruthless but necessary, she needed Rose to tank and Micaela for her buffs, the ogre was turning into an exceptional mana-battery.

  And finally, Baby had learned a minor crowd control ability, ‘Lesser Tangle’.

  Tangle

  Level: 1

  Experience: 0.00%

  Targets Trapped: 2

  Spell Cast Speed: Instant

  Spell Mana Cost: 10

  Spell Effect (Active): Trap target(s) for 5-seconds. While trapped, target may still cast spells and attack to targets in range. Chance to afflict trapped target(s) with random nature based debuff 1.00%.

  It would actually be very powerful once it leveled, or so she had been told. Also, it was a precursor spell, meaning that once she got it to level 100 it wouldn’t rank up, but it would allow her to learn additional spells that require ‘Tangle’ as a base.

  It wasn’t all training all the time though. Baby had made friends with a sprite hunter player named Beo, he was just level 5, he was slightly taller than Baby and couldn’t fly but he had a much higher dexterity than she thought possible, he was a deadly shot with his bow. What she found really cool, was his using magic to form arrows from various elements instead of actual arrows. He was very chatty but was only around for that first day. He then said his goodbyes and was on to his next province to level and quest. When she could get a word in, Baby tried to convince him to try talking to the NPC’s, but it seemed to go in one ear and out the other.

  She also met a player named Lightfoot, a level 44 brownie elementalist, an advance mage class from what she had learned from the other residents of the Royal Fairy Tree. He was a master of the elements having gotten at least one Fire, Wind, Water and Earth spell beyond Rank V. He was also very rude, a typical player if ever there was one. Brownies might be the only race physically smaller than fairies. They also had even worse physical stats than she did, being only able to gain 5 points to endurance, stamina and dexterity per level while strength was locked at 5 permanently. They also could not wear clothes or accessories of any kind, not that they ran around naked. They actually had a spell that created clothes that was restricted to their race that gave them +1 to all stats except strength per level of clothes they crafted. The downside being the clothes only lasted 24-hours and the spell could only be cast once per day, Still by level 100 of the first rank that would be +100 to all stats. The other benefit was the +3-Intellect, +3-Wisdom and +3 to all magic they gained per level which gave those stats a level cap of 30-points per level. Powerful magic but even squishier than she was. He was around for a few days before disappearing, not that she minded too much.

  Baby met a few other players, some she would prefer to simply forget, not bad people . . . just . . . very annoying.

  Otherwise she spent time talking to the various fae that inhabited the Royal Tree. She did a little time in the alchemy lab, using up the last of her ingredients and making some more potions to share with her sister and their friends. Mostly, she simply basked in the glow of the Royal Tree, soaking up the pleasantness that permeated every inch of the tree and the land surrounding it while trying to forget her real-world troubles, sometimes even succeeding. It turned into quite the nice little vacation, even though she spent the majority of her time training daily.

  But today was the most important day for her training, in her opinion. Today, Grand Fairy Sage Delilah had an opening to teach Baby directly. Baby hoped she would be able to learn at least two spells from the Grand Sage, but if her past pace was any indicator, then she would have to be satisfied with learning a single spell, preferably a shield or barrier spell, something to cut down on the healing she would need to do.

  So here she was, fluttering down the hallway toward the Grand Sage’s, ready to get training.

  “Hey, it’s Babs!” the elderly voice of a man shouted. Baby had become all too familiar with this voice and the man that undoubtedly accompanied him over the last few days. “Randolph, it’s Babs,” said the elderly fairy as he emerged from a side hallway.

  “What’s that Mortimer?” Randolph asked, coming up behind him.

  Baby briefly looked to the open office door at the end of the hall and thought about making a break for it.

  “Hey, it’s Babs, Mortimer,” said Randolph, finally noticing Baby.

  “I swear, you’re as hard of hearing in this game as you are in the real world, you old coot,” complained Mortimer.

  “Just because I don’t deign to listen to every word that comes out of your mouth doesn’t mean I’m hard of hearing. Why did they have to find a cure to Alzheimer’s? I could have been rid of you,” complained Randolph.

  That was generally how any conversation with the two elderly gentlemen went. When Baby first met them, she was really excited to meet two players that also had fairy avatars, especially when she saw they were both level 32. Baby met them both on the fairy training grounds where they were working on learning their own spells.

  Randolph was a priest to the fairy Goddess Aine, a Celtic Goddess according to the lore. Randolph was a very powerful priest. His healing spells made Baby’s look sad and pathetic but given the level difference that shouldn’t have been a surprise.

  Mortimer was a nature mage. The first time Baby saw him conjure a lightning storm she was amazed and impressed by his power.

  Then she got to know them. The pair had been best friends since they were teenagers. They were both very successful in the real world but refused to elaborate, not that it really mattered. And now, at the ripe old age of 167, after the passing of Mortimer’s wife, the pair chose to waste their remaining days playing games like they did when they were teenagers. And now that they were both retired, their children were retired, and their grandchildren were approaching retirement, they re
ally didn’t have anything better to do with their time.

  “I bet you she likes me more than you!” Mortimer shouted.

  “The usual?” Randolph asked.

  “The usual,” said Mortimer with a nod and hand extended.

  After a quick shaking of hands, the pair turned on Baby.

  “So, which of us do you like better?” Mortimer asked.

  “Hmm, oh, I could never choose between you two,” said Baby, having tuned out more of their conversation. It was lucky she even paid attention to their bet.

  The bet might have been the oddest quirk about the pair. They were constantly betting on something or other and it was always ‘The Usual’. The usual, it turned out, was a single copper. Every time the copper changed hands the pair would giggle like school children who just did something clever. Baby just didn’t get it.

  “But you must, it is unconscionable to leave such a matter undecided,” protested Randolph.

  “Much as I hate to agree with the old fuddy-duddy, he’s right, you must,” added Mortimer, agreeing with his long-time co-conspirator.

  “Now, don’t you go getting all sentimental on me now,” said Randolph waspishly.

  “Sentimental, am I?” Mortimer yelled.

  Seeing another round of bickering swiftly approaching, Baby tried as stealthily as she could to float around the pair and slowly back away toward the open door.

  Just as the pair was about to turn to her again, she made a break for it. Flying as hard as her little wings would carry her, she dove into the Grand Sage’s office, and swiftly closed the door behind her.

  “That was close,” Baby mumbled to herself, forgetting for a moment where she was.

  “Indeed,” said a wizened voice behind her.

  Baby swiftly turned around to see the oldest fairy she had ever seen, sitting on a rocking chair, gently rocking back and forth.

  “Welcome, Miss Breath,” said the fairy who Baby guessed was the Grand Sage. The fairy had pure white hair and plenty of wrinkles on her childlike face, but the light in the old fae’s eyes and the glowing sheen of her wings suggested she had plenty of life still to live.

  “Thank you for agreeing to teach me, Grand Sage,” said Baby, bowing formally.

  “Rise,” said Grand Sage kindly. “It is rare I get to see another Sage, let alone among the adventurers. Your kind rarely incarnate to this world as a member of the Fae.”

  “My fiancé is also Fae, a half-sprite,” Baby replied, not entirely sure why she volunteered the information. She and her fiancé were . . . not quite estranged but not quite together either, her last logout, rather than bringing them closer together, drove them apart. He was obsessed with the World Tree and instead of spending time together, he was busy in the forums, obsessing over some of the early game footage being released. Angry that it wasn’t his footage that was being displayed. Sending countless messages, both written and video, to Seed Inc. requesting access to any of his in-game footage, so he could start producing videos only to be told that it was only accessible from inside the game. Long story short, he ignored her and spent his time reviewing the videos that did get posted. Sitting and watching them over and over again with that stupid notebook of his. Like she really cared about the poorly chosen shot or the cruddy narration. It irked her to no end.

  “And yet, I did not ask about your . . . fiancé? I am not familiar with this word, what does it mean?” the Grand Sage asked.

  “It is a word for someone that you plan to marry, to become husband or wife to,” answered Baby.

  “So, care to tell me why your fiancé is on your mind?” the Great Sage asked.

  “I would prefer we just train,” said Baby, not trying to sound snippy but failing.

  “And yet, I will not train you in the Sage arts while you are distracted by your future life mate,” said the Sage. “Now, come have tea with this old fairy and tell Granny Delilah what troubles the heart of such a pretty young fairy.”

  Baby smiled weakly at the old woman, accepting that she had no choice but to sit and talk to her.

  Baby tried to explain to the best of her ability, being as vague as possible when talking about the real world. “And now, I’m back in the World Tree and so is he, off on some super high-level adventure, leaving me behind again. I feel like we’re growing apart.”

  “Growth is part of life. Growing apart, growing together, everything grows, changes and dies,” waxed the aged fairy. “The question is, do you want to change the way you adventure just to please him? Or is it that you want him to change the way he adventures to please you?”

  Baby frowned a little. “I don’t want either of those. I just want him to be present when we do spend time together.”

  The elderly fairy sat silent for a moment before she addressed Baby. “As I understand it from your story, this time when you were both in the other place, he had a significant stressor from his time in this world that demanded his attention. Is this a norm? Or a special circumstance? You mentioned you have both been visiting this world for a while, what was your previous time in the other place like?”

  “It was . . . good . . . I guess,” said Baby, not wanting to acknowledge the old fairy might have been right. Baby finally sighed, seeing the expectant look on the Grand Sage’s face. “Fine, it was very good. That might be why this time was so . . . disappointing. I know he depends on this world to support us in the other place, but I have my needs. Still, I suppose I should give him the benefit of the doubt, shouldn’t I?”

  “If you intend for him to become your life mate then I would say, yes. However, if you are starting to doubt you want him as your life mate then the answer should be obvious,” said the Sage.

  Baby sighed, she knew full well she still wanted to be with him. She was just feeling frustrated, in more ways than one. She also understood just how stressed out he was but that didn’t mean she was okay with his attitude and she would certainly be having a stern conversation with him about it.

  “I see you are resolved. Now, shall we get to work?” the Grand Sage asked.

  “Yes please,” said Baby, feeling unburdened and more focused than she was last few days. She also made a mental note to apologize to Bye-bye specifically, she was not very nice to him, partly because she was protective of Rose, but mostly because he remaindered her a bit of her fiancé . . . okay, so even that was more due to the fact that he was male.

  “So, you have my undivided attention, what do you wish to learn from this old sage?” the elderly fairy asked.

  “I have heard that our shield spells are very good,” said Baby.

  “They are, but any fairy can learn a good shield spell, it would be an awfully big waste of an opportunity to learn from a Grand Sage if all you wanted to learn was a simple shield spell,” chided the Grand Sage.

  Baby frowned. She hadn’t known that. “Well, is there a Sage specific shield spell I could learn?”

  The Grand Sage giggled. “I like your determination. There is one . . . but it will not be easy,” said the Sage.

  “It never is,” said Baby.

  “Very well, if you are sure, let us begin,” said the sage.

  “Thank you, Grand Sage,” said Baby, bowing again.

  “Enough with the bowing and the ‘Grand Sage’ all the time. You will call me Delilah and I will call you Babies and that will be the end of it. Agreed?” Delilah asked firmly.

  “Baby,” she replied, hoping against all odds that an NPC would finally call her by a nickname.

  “Baby it is,” said Delilah smiling.

  To Baby though it was like a small miracle had just occurred. An NPC had accepted and called her by a nickname. If it wasn’t such a serious moment she might have flown barrel rolls or loops through the air.

  “Now, to start, the spell is ‘Sage’s Ward’. I should warn you, it is a very powerful spell and as such is very mana costly. It is also a precursor spell, and should you master it, there are some very powerful magics I should be able to teach you. Are you prep
ared?” Delilah asked.

  “I am,” said Baby.

  “Close your eyes,” said Delilah, a kind smile on her face.

  Baby closed her eye and felt Delilah place a hand on her head only for a moment before removing it. Baby had expected some kind of magical knowledge transfer or something, but she felt nothing.

  “You may open them,” said Delilah.

  Baby opened her eyes and was stunned by the wonder of nature all around her. Now fully aware of the noise of birds singing, crickets chirping, and all other manner of life making noise. No longer was she in the Royal Fairy Tree in the large office of the Grand Fairy. This more akin to a meadow surrounded by massive trees and filled with life and nature.

  Out of the corner of her eye she saw a deer, three of them actually. A buck, doe and a fawn. When they turn to look at her, Baby realized they were not deer, at least, not like any she had ever seen. They wore masks of white with red symbols painted on them.

  “Those are the servants of Cernunnos, a God of fertility, life, animals, wealth and the underworld, do not gaze too long or they may think you wish an audience . . . or worse that you need an escort into the afterlife,” warned Delilah.

  Baby looked away quickly, focusing again on the Grand Sage. “What is this place?”

  “A nexus, a place of life . . . death . . . change. It is the meeting of a great many things all at once,” explained Delilah. “It is a place only the Sages of the World Tree may venture.”

  “I can come here whenever I want?” Baby asked.

  “Oh, goodness no. You are far too weak to ever venture to this place on your own. Even I barely have the strength anymore to reach this place, bringing you along has taxed me greatly. I will need to rest a while before I have the strength to bring us back,” answered the sage.