by C. M. Carney
To the north, the range of mountains delved to a plain, dotted by old forests and lakes. The plains became tundra that reached to the top of the world. Glaciers and flows of ice dominated. A spider web of rivers fed the plains. It reminded Finn of the Midwestern United States. This would be the breadbasket of this world.
To the east lay a large expanse of ancient forests fed by rivers that came from the north. Where the north met east, jagged mountains tore at the sky, a gaping maw biting at the world. Near their center, a fiery glow of magma showed active volcanoes. Further east lay another ocean. Dozens of cities dotted the coast, built around river deltas or ports.
A range of mountains dominated the south, and the forests turned to jungle. The size of the green expanse dwarfed the Amazon rainforest of Earth. The tributaries pouring from the north merged to form a river so wide that few bridges spanned its girth. The river emptied into a gulf that was a sea unto its own. The city that guarded the river mouth made the others seen small towns. Finn knew the place was a seat of power.
“Time to get this wagon on the road,” Lex said, sensing his mood.
With a nod of assent, Finn walked towards the shimmering doorway to another place.
8
Finn felt a slight pressure as he passed through the slice in reality, and then hard-packed earth lay beneath his sandaled feet. He looked himself up and down and realized he wore the dingiest of rags. A beggar at the whim of a god.
Finn smiled at that classic bit of psychological warfare. Bechard, or Aluran as he now called himself, knew how to play the game. So did Finn, and Aluran did not understand who he was, nor what he could do.
A fireplace warmed the room. It reminded Finn of the cozy inn he’d spent time in on the southern coast of Ireland during a pre-college trip to Europe. The fire crackling away in the hearth felt real and chased the chill from Finn’s bones. A fragment of flame leapt forward and hung in mid-air spinning. It spun and condensed into a singularity, his singularity. It pulsed and flexed, tearing dimensions. Finn stared at the vortex of unknowable potential.
The sphere flickered and calmed and expanded into a perfect glowing sphere an inch in diameter. Time was meaningless here. Finn did not know if he stood there for moments or eons when the sphere rushed at him, penetrating his chest with tingling brilliance.
His vision exploded with prompts. Images and information appeared in a virtual display that hovered in front of his eyes. The information was semi-translucent, allowing him to see the world through a haze of words. It was nearly identical one of the functions of his banner, and Finn wondered if Lex would serve a similar function inside the Realms as he had in the real world.
You have learned the skill SMALL BLADES
Level(s) 1-5. - Skill Type: Active
You have shown proficiency in wielding small blades. These include knives, daggers, short swords, and their variations.
To Hit Bonus: +10%. Damage Bonus: +10%.
“Stab, stab, kill, kill.”
You have learned the skill STAVES/SPEARS
Level(s) 1-5. - Skill Type: Active
You have shown proficiency in wielding staves and spears. These include bo-staves, quarterstaffs, short spears, and long spears.
To Hit Bonus: +10%. Damage Bonus: +10%. Attack Speed: + 25%.
“Longer stab, smash, kill, kill.”
You have learned the skill UNARMED
Level(s) 1-5. - Skill Type: Active
You have shown proficiency in hand to hand combat. You can cause damage, disarm and incapacitate opponents with just your hands and feet.
To Hit Bonus: +10%. Damage Bonus: +10%. Chance to Disarm: 10%. Attack Speed: + 25%.
“You learn quickly grasshopper. And kill, kill.”
You have learned the skill THROWN WEAPONS
Level(s) 1-5. - Skill Type: Active
You have shown proficiency in thrown weapons. These include throwing knives and axes, and any other thrown weapon.
To Hit Bonus: +10%. Damage Bonus: +10%.
“I see you way over there, pew, pew.”
Finn paused the prompts, shaking and nauseous. The amount of information that assaulted his mind was insane.
“Lex, what is all this?”
“Skill prompts. Every game has a set of skills that measure your ability to perform certain actions. The Realms is different from the games that came before it in one totally badass area. As the NI rig integrates your mind into the game, it also extrapolates and imports your inherent real-world skills.”
“That sounds like mind reading,” Finn said, concerned.
“Yeah it does, doesn’t it? So cool.”
“You and I have very different definitions of the word cool.”
“Trust me in the game you’ll be happy you were a real-life Rambo.”
“What?”
“Great movie. You need to watch the classics, bro.”
Finn shook his head at his oh so odd banner and returned to the prompts.
You have learned the skill PERCEPTION
Level(s) 1-5 - Skill Type: Passive
You are able to spot traps, secret doors, passages, and hidden foes.
25% Chance to detect traps. 25% chance to detect secret doors and passages. 12% chance to detect foes using Sneak.
“Yay, no falling in spiky death pits. Huzzah, no stabs in the kidney.”
You have learned the skill DISARM TRAPS
Level(s) 1-5 - Skill Type: Active
You are able to disarm traps.
20% Chance to disarm traps. 10% chance to acquire traps. 5% chance to understand traps (For use with the CRAFTING skill).
“Pick, tinker, no exploding shrapnel in face.”
“Quit adding commentary to the skills Lex
“I have no idea what you are talking about,” his banner said with feigned annoyance.
If Lex had had a physical form, Finn would have smacked him. A part of his mind, the one trained to see subterfuge and danger everywhere, wondered if he could trust Lex. Brynn had been working with their father. Could the colonel have gotten his hands on Lex, or worse, had engineered the delivery of the odd banner to Finn?
Despite the red flags, there was nothing he could do about his suspicions at the moment. He returned his attention to the prompts.
You have learned the skill ALCHEMY
Level(s) 1-5. Skill Type: Active.
You can mix various ingredients to form useful potions, tinctures and poisons.
+10% to potency. 10% chance to understand item constituency and recipe formulas.
“Mix, mix, yay, herbal Viagra.”
“Why are some stats listed as active and some as passive?”
“Active skills require not only focus, but stamina, usually at a point per second cost. Passive skills are always active so do not need concentration or a stamina cost. For example, Stealth, ya know, ‘sneak, sneak, hide, hide,’ is an active skill and sneaking about is more tiring than walking around all normal like. Then there are the knowledge skills such as Perception. There’s no active participation in that, you just know what ya know. That’s a passive skill.”
“You do realize you just outed yourself on the skill commentary, right?”
"Crap,” Lex whispered.
Finn chuckled to himself, getting an odd pleasure from ribbing Lex.
“Why do all the skills level out at five?”
“Yeah that one blows. The designers capped any real-world skills at five to balance the scales somewhat. They wanted to make it so nerdy losers who smoked pot and ate Doritos all day could compete with badasses like you. And let's face it, there’s a lot more of them type than love children of Jason Bourne and James Bond.”
“Quit making stupid movie references, Lex.”
“Pffft. You just ain’t cultured enough to appreciate my references.”
The skill prompts ended and another slice in reality opened. Beyond was a grand chamber of tall windows and massive arches.
9
The chamber was a got
hic cathedral, but circular, like the massive Orthodox churches that dotted Eastern Europe. Thirteen alcoves held ornate statues, surrounding a raised dais on which a throne rested. Finn knew that this was the Pantheon, the new cadre of gods led by Aluran. Each god stood rigid, shrouded in shadow, but the power possessed by these beings held heavy in the air.
“Well, this is a little much, don't ya think?” Lex asked. “Awesome, but over the top.”
Finn nodded and looked from one statue to another. They stood six to a side, and at the center stood the larger form of Aluran, standing tall. His sword held point down, tip piercing a coiled serpent that lay dead at his feet. While Aluran's statue was as lifelike as the god he had met moments ago, the others were shrouded in robes of deep, undulating shadows. None of their features were visible. Only differences in stature suggested they were different beings.
Was one of these Brynn? Finn’s eyes came to rest on a smaller figure in the third alcove to the right. It felt right somehow.
“Which of the gods shall you fight for player? Which of the gods will you worship?” boomed a voice that could have been Aluran’s. “Gaze upon the Pantheon. Let your mind find freedom and your heart will choose.”
Finn didn’t know what to make of it, but a nagging feeling tugged at the corner of his being. He suspected picking Brynn would put her at risk. His gaze moved along the line of immobile gods. None of them felt right and none could be trusted. So, Finn made the choice to choose none of them.
A thin god to Aluran’s left came to life and walked towards Finn. A sharp metallic beak protruded from his hood. He gazed upon Finn with eyes the color of blood diamonds. Incredible power emanated from the god and Finn took an involuntary step backwards.
The god continued towards Finn and pulled his hood down to reveal the metallic beak was part of a mask. Finn took another step back as the regal figure came close. His crimson gaze pierced Finn from a height of at least seven feet. With a wave of his hand, the mask disappeared, revealing a thin face and a bald head.
“Welcome Child of the Crusade, I am Zeckoth, the God of Knowledge. You have taken the unusual step of refusing to select a deity. So, I will aid you and help you learn. Together, we will discover the truth of your nature and make you anew. To help set you on your path towards destiny.”
Zeckoth gazed upon Finn with black eyes, and Finn’s mind expanded with knowledge as if the god were downloading information directly into his mind. Around him, a variety of bipedal figures stood and Finn knew that he had to choose his race. As he focused on each figure, they moved to the fore and information about each race came to the fore.
His gaze passed over the assembled figures. A tall and regal sea elf stood next to a pale, almost silver, skinned wood elf. An albino white fell elf scowled next to a haughty human known as an Eldarian. A tanned desert dwelling human known as an Aegyptian scoffed at a burly Ordonian, a human race that dwelled in the northern wastes. Next were a pair of dwarven races, the stocky and dour mountain dwarf warily eyed his hill dwarf cousin. Lastly, standing apart from the others was a fierce half orc.
Finn assimilated all the information and cast his gaze back and forth along the assembled races. He knew that this decision was one of the most important he’d make in the Realms. And despite his misgivings, he knew he needed some advice. Question is, could he trust his odd banner?
“Lex, any thoughts?”
“Hmmmm,” the disembodied AI mumbled. “Well, let’s analyze what you hope to do here. Since your main mission is to find…”
Finn gave a sideways glance at Zeckoth and cleared his throat, causing Lex to pause. He assumed that this was a recorded intro message. But had no wish to put Brynn in further danger by letting Lex blab like some muahahaha villain.
“To…find wealth and fortune and glory for the Pantheon. All hail to thee,” Lex continued, much to Finn’s relief. “So, it would behoove you to get along with others, or at least not be hated on sight.”
“So, that eliminates the fell elf and the half orc,” Finn said.
“Yeah, they’re both usually pricks,” Lex said.
Finn examined his current skills and knew that to survive he would need to maximize their early efficiency. “My skills are skewed towards being lean and agile, with a quick strike capability.”
“So, I’d say that eliminates the dwarven races,” Lex agreed.
Finn’s eyes came to the Eldarians, Aegyptians, sea elves, and the wood elves. All four held some appeal.
“Wood elves are snobs,” Lex said with distaste as if he was struggling to recall a half-forgotten memory. “And the Aegyptians think they’re the god’s gift to Korynn.”
“And how do you know that?”
“Not sure,” Lex said sounding bewildered. “Just a feeling I guess.”
“And I’m supposed to accept these feelings?”
“You must get over your trust issues, buddy, or your time in the Realms will be short and sucky,” Lex said, a hurt tone to his voice.
Finn sighed, once again wishing he’d been able to debug Lex before entering the Realms. Despite being his constant companion for a year, Finn had always thought the banner was a bit odd. Now, suspecting his father may have had a hand in the AI’s creation, his suspicions intensified. How can I trust him? He’s so…off. After a moment, Finn shelved the thought. He knew he had no choice but to trust the quirky AI. But I’ve got my eye on you.
Finn looked at the sea elf. He was tall and lean and bore a spark of keen intelligence behind his eyes. The race’s style of fighting favored Finn’s own, and he pulled the figure forward with a motion of his hand. As he did so, the man’s features morphed into a visage like his own, except for the pointed ears.
“Whoa, a handsome hipster version of you,” Lex said. “`Course, you could always go as a woman. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink.”
It was then that Finn noticed a shadowy form behind the male sea elf and with a flick of his wrist, she came to the fore. She was shorter, but no less lean and graceful than her male counterpart. The woman was stunning, and the idea of experiencing life as a woman held some appeal.
“She looks like your sister,” Lex said.
Well, that ruins that, Finn thought with a scowl and spun back to the male sea elf.
Finn drew the figure forward and adjusted his features. Lex was right, the man did look like him. Likely the same technology that extrapolated skills from his mind. He needed to be incognito in this world and hoped that Aluran had no way of knowing who he was. He had only met the man once, and that was in passing. He had no idea if this Aluran had any connection to the real one or if he was simply a computer-generated avatar, but in Finn’s experience, no risk was too small to ignore. Plus, while he wasn’t overly vain, even he had a few things he’d like to change about himself.
Finn nudged the nose stronger, changed the eyes to a pale blue, and turned his dark brown hair to a deep black. He couldn’t help but add a few inches to his height, bringing him to six-foot two. He knew he wanted speed and mobility, so he didn’t bother to add any bulk.
Finn examined his avatar and smiled. He approved the sea elf. Zeckoth stepped forward.
“As a purchaser of the Deluxe Beta Preorder, you are awarded the Ancestor’s Boon Perk,” the God of Knowledge said with a tone of wonder. “You are upgraded to an El’Edryn, the legendary high elves of yore, from whom all elven races devolved.”
Finn’s sea elf morphed again, becoming taller still. The eyes turned a wondrous blue with flecks of silver. His cheekbones sailed higher on his face, giving him a regal appearance. His skin darkened to a well-tanned hue and his dark hair transformed into a cascade of flowing platinum.
A prompt popped into his vision.
El’Edryn are stronger, smarter, faster, wiser, and longer-lived than their descendants. You have also been awarded three Racial Gifts.
You have been awarded a Racial Gift: +10 bonus Attribute Points (for a total of 30) to distribute as you choose.
You have been awarde
d a Racial Gift: Night Vision up to 120 feet.
You have been awarded a Racial Gift: Quick Mana and Health Regeneration: Mana and Health regenerate 25% faster.
Sweet, Finn thought, before realizing that the system had essentially ignored his selections and preferences. But the high elf’s perks more than made up for any cosmetic irritation Gryph felt. He sent a silent thank you out to Brynn, his eyes drifting to the hooded figure he imagined represented his sister.
“Are you done selecting and modifying your race and gender?” Zeckoth prompted.
With only the slightest hesitation, Finn nodded.
10
Finn became a stream of energetic particles that launched into the sky. In moments, he reached superluminal velocity and moved through all existence. The particles that were Finn screamed through space-time, and then sprung back as if pulled by an elastic band. Then he was back in the room with Zeckoth.
A prompt blinked in the corner of Finn's vision, and he tapped it open. His inventory screen opened. On the left was a slotted grid where he imagined items could be stored. The right side was dominated by an avatar of this man Gryph. The tall, regal elf bore a look of fierce determination and endless potential, despite being dressed in rags. Finn barely recognized himself in this new being. Nothing but the eyes. The eyes were still his, and they held a fierce determination.