by C. M. Carney
He pulled a torn and tattered cape from an ancient skeleton of some knight errant who had faced the baalgrath and lost. Like everything in the cave, it glittered with a fine layer of mushroom spores. Gryph wiped most of the gore and goo from him, but he now sparkled like a party girl on a whoop it up night.
He spent the next half an hour gathering everything of use he could find in the cavern.
You have found Gold Coin (X24).
You have found Minor Potion of Healing (X3).
You have found Minor Potion of Stamina (X2).
You have found Minor Potion of Mana.
You have been awarded a Fine Steel Spear (Spear)
Item Class: Non magical - Item Category: N/A.
Base Dmg: 10.
A finely crafted steel spear.
You have found Padded Leather Helm (Light Armor)
Item Class: Non magical - Item Category: NA.
AC Bonus: +5.
A standard padded leather helmet provides decent protection from attack.
The loot thrilled him, but there was one final task. A task he was dreading. He walked up to the armless corpse of the small man.
Gnome Corpse. Gnomes are small humanoids whose love for mischief, song and tinkering is famous, or infamous. Gregarious and jovial, gnomes are natural wanderers. They are fond of adventure and will take up difficult and dangerous tasks if they believe the rewards will benefit them or their clan.
The story of the small gnome tugged at Gryph’s heart. Nobody deserved the fate this little guy had suffered. After a moment’s hesitation Gryph searched the body, hoping to find something that told him the gnome's identity. He found a sack of coins, a beautifully crafted dagger, a diamond ring on a chain and a small book.
You have found Gold Coins (56).
You have found an Ordonian Ice Dagger (Short Blade)(Air/Water Magic)
Item Class: Base - Item Category: Active.
Base Dmg: 7 (+2 Base Item Bonus).
Active Powers.
Power(1): Cold Strike. 1 point of damage per point of mana spent.
Power(2): 10% chance to freeze an opponent for 10 seconds, paralyzing them.
Mana Limit: 5% - Cool Down: 5 minutes.
This dagger was forged using a piece of enchanted ice from the northernmost reaches of Korynn. It is a traditional weapon of Ordonian chieftains and is on rare occasions given to outsiders who have performed a great service to the tribe.
You have found Gnomish Ring of Promise
(Life Magic)
Item Class: Base - Item Category: Passive.
Passive Powers.
Power (1): +2 to Charisma.
Power (2): +50 to Health.
This ring is one half of a pair given to two Gnome lovers who have committed to spend their lives together. As long as the commitment is honored, the powers stay active. If one lover dies, the other ring is reduced to half power. If the fallen lover’s ring is returned, the surviving lover will get the power of both rings.
You have found Jebbis’s Journal.
A basic leather journal used by the people of the Realms to record the events of their lives.
Gryph took a deep breath and opened the pages of the journal.
Dearest Rehla,
It has been barely a week since we parted ways, but the caravan has already reached the mountains. We will traverse Long Pass and then we will be in the desert. I miss you dearly, but I will not lie and say that seeing the endless sands and the ancient pyramids of the Aegyptians has me more excited than I have been since the day you agreed to bear my ring. Laughter and jokes fill the air around the caravan as you would expect of any that filled with so many gnomes. Even Thaaardik the mountain dwarf and Zelyanna that stuck up wood elf have been surprisingly agreeable. I must go now my love. Tifala is insisting I teach cousin Wick how to dance. I understand why you dislike him, but trust me he is family and a misunderstood soul.
My Heart is Your Heart,
Jebbis
Gryph read several other entries, each increasing the tear in his heart. This gnome, this Jebbis was a beloved husband who had left his love to build a better life for them both, but here, in the depths of this accursed Barrow he had lost his life. Gryph flipped to the last entry and forced himself to read.
Dearest Rehla,
I have little time. It has been nearly a month since we became trapped in this evil place. Wick discovered this foul dungeon in an old tome. He insisted it was a place rife with treasures, but all we have found is evil and death. It is no normal dungeon my love. This Barrow is alive. It sounds insane, but the walls and the tunnels, sometimes they move and shift during the night. And the beasts. It's their eyes, Rehla. Foul and primal, but sometimes they look upon us with a keen and nefarious intelligence. I've become separated from the rest of the group and I suspect that soon I will be dead. My greatest regret is that you will feel the moment I am gone. You will feel it and I fear it will destroy you. I am sorry my love. This will be my last entry.
I Love You,
Jebbis
Gryph held back a tear and then saw a message meant for him, scrawled inside the back cover in a ragged and rushed hand.
To Whoever Shall Find This Journal and This Ring,
I implore you to find my kin, my cousin Wick and bring my journal and my ring to him. He will get them back to my love, if he is able. I do not know who you are or if you even exist, but I have faith in the goodness of the gods and hope you can help this small part of me find my way home. If Wick is also dead, please consider making the journey to Erram, my village, where you will find my beautiful Rehla.
Thank You,
Jebbis
You have been offered the Quest Soothe a Broken Heart.
Two lovers have been torn apart by death and uncertainty. Deliver this ring and this journal to the gnome known as Wick. Or if Wick is also dead, bring it to the gnome maiden Rehla in the village of Erram. Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult - Reward: Unknown - XP: 5,000 - 10,000.
Without a word Gryph accepted the quest. He placed the ring and the journal into his Inventory. Then he buried Jerris.
“I hate this fucking place," Gryph muttered.
18
G ryph returned to the pile of loot he had collected right before the baalgrath attack and equipped all the armor. His AC leaped up to 38. He even felt a bit more solid.
He also had points to spend.
The points he put into Intelligence had already paid off, but the baalgrath had only landed a few hits and nearly killed him. Perhaps it was time to increase his physical prowess.
He put eight points into Constitution and eight more in Dexterity and was rewarded with leaps in Health, Stamina, AC Bonus and Speed. He decided to put three more into Strength, both for the extra damage capabilities and the increase in Stamina Who knew when he’d find a place to offload his loot.
He thought about dumping the last five points into Intelligence, but decided to keep them in reserve instead. His magical capabilities were still limited, and the Army trained to always keep something in reserve for unexpected situations.
Gryph - Level 5
High Elf (El’Edryn)
Deity: None
Experience: 15,775
Next Level: 7,225
Stats
Health: 154
Stamina: 156
Mana: 145
Spirit: 126
Attributes
Strength: 23
Constitution: 25
Dexterity: 28 (25 +3 Bonus)
Intelligence: 16
Wisdom: 10
Gifts
Health Regeneration: +25%
Mana Regeneration: +25%
Night Vision: 120 ft.
Master of Tongues
Gryph smiled. He was progressing nicely for a dude who had no damn clue what he was doing. He hated to admit it, even in the privacy of his own head, but he missed Lex. The banner AI turned grumpy priest NPC may have been obnoxious, but he knew his stuff.
Now i
t was on to his Perk Points.
It appeared that each skill had six tiers, and they each required a specific level in the requisite skill before that tier becomes available. Each tier opened up better perks.
Base: Level 1
Apprentice: Level 20
Journeyman: Level 50
Master: Level 75
Grandmaster: Level 100
Divine: Level 101+
Based on his current skill set he liked the idea of focussing on spears. He opened the Staves/Spears Perk Tree to see what kinda goodies it offered. There were three branches. He focused on each in turn.
Impale: An aggressive attack that can be initiated upon a successful attack. Impale does 2X damage with a spear. Impaled opponents cannot move or counterattack for 5 seconds.
Stun: An aggressive attack with a staff that can be initiated upon a successful attack. Stun does 1.5X damage and prevents an opponent from moving or counterattacking for 10 seconds.
Quick Strike: An aggressive attack with a staff or spear that can be initiated upon a successful attack. Quick Strike has a chance to automatically land a second attack for the same amount of damage as the first.
Parry: Staves and spears provide good defense. When an attacker lands a blow Parry can be initiated. If successful, Parry blocks the attack resulting in no damage.
The Stamina cost to use the perks was high, but their intelligent application could be the difference between life and death. He also noted that there were six distinct tiers to each perk tree and that anything above his current tier was unavailable. He guessed that he’d need to get to the appropriate level in each skill to hit the next tier, but when he did, oh boy, would it be worth it.
All the branches sounded amazing, but Impale and Parry were the ones that truly caught Gryph’s eye. He dumped one Perk Point into each and admired the increased potency they brought to the skill.
Staves/Spears Perk Tree
Stamina
Tier
Impale/Stun
Quick Strike
Parry
30
Base
20%
15%
20%
25
Apprentice
30%
25%
30%
20
Journeyman
40%
35%
40%
15
Master
50%
45%
50%
10
Grandmaster
60%
55%
60%
0
Divine
75%
75%
75%
He looked through his other skills and while all of them would be useful. He knew he had to get the most bang for his buck. His eyes gleamed as he read the perks for Dodge.
Counter Attack: Upon a successful Dodge is the percentage chance to land a Counter Attack. This ignores all other attack bonuses and defenses. Damage is applied as normal. The weapon skill used must be equal to or greater than the opponents Dodge skill.
Enter Stealth: Upon a successful Dodge the percentage chance to enter Stealth. The user’s Stealth skill must be of a higher level than the opponents Perception skill to successfully enter Stealth.
Push Off: When Dodge is successful, a specialty attack that provides separation from the attacker.
Gryph dumped a Perk Point into Counter Attack and grinned at the possibilities. He loved Enter Stealth as well, but at his current tier the percentage chance was so small he didn’t think it was worth the cost. Yet, at a later levels, he could load the branch with points and quickly power up. In the end he put another point into Push Off. Sometimes the best defense was distancing oneself from an enemy. Push Off could literally put space between him and death.
Dodge Perk Tree
Stamina
Tier
Counter Attack
Enter Stealth
Push Off
30
Base
20%
20%
5 ft
25
Apprentice
30%
30%
(10 Ft)
20
Journeyman
40%
40%
(15 Ft)
15
Master
50%
50%
(20 Ft)
10
Grandmaster
60%
60%
(25 Ft)
0
Divine
75%
75%
(50 Ft)
This left Gryph with a single Perk Point to spend. Light Armor, Air Magic and Small Blades all had their appeal, but it was Stealth that made him feel like a kid on Christmas morning. His real world experience had taught him that being upon an enemy before they knew you were there was an amazing advantage. He greedily read the perks.
Backstab: A sneak attack launched while Stealthed. The attack automatically succeeds and does multiple times damages depending on the tier. The attackers Stealth skill must be higher than the opponents Perception and Dodge skill to land this attack.
Invisibility: While in Stealth the percentage chance to become invisible. While invisible a character can still use Stealth to initiate a Backstab or other attack, but the attack nullifies Invisibility.
Speed: A character can move at a percentage of their normal movement speed while in Stealth. The normal max is 20%.
He debated both Backstab and Speed. Each was incredibly powerful. An automatic hit that did twice as much damage sounded fantastic, even though Gryph didn’t think of himself as an assassin. Moral qualms aside, the Speed perk was likely to be far more useful, if less sexy. He dumped his last point into Speed.
Stealth Perk Tree
Stamina
Tier
Backstab
Invis.
Speed
30
Base
2X
15%
50%
25
Apprentice
3X
25%
60%
20
Journeyman
4X
35%
70%
15
Master
5X
45%
80%
10
Grandmaster
6X
55%
90%
0
Divine
10X
75%
2X
Satisfied with his choices and feeling like a guy who'd just spent all his Amazon gift cards, Gryph closed out the perk sheet.
19
L ife is a stubborn force and even here, in the Barrow, it thrived. Perhaps thrived was too strong a word. It would be more accurate to say even here beings of all kinds clung to life. From mosses to rats, creepers to insects, wyrmynn to human, life was everywhere. One just had to know where to look.
Wick looked down from the hidden outcropping nearly 50 feet above the floor of the large chamber. From this high up, the reptilian humanoids scuttering around their settlement seemed no bigger threat than an anthill. But Wick knew differently. Wyrmynn had long been a scourge in the darker realms under the surface of Korynn. He remembered tales told to him as a child. “Behave Wick or the wyrmynn will take you away,” his mother would always say.
Wick had learned that no matter how badly he behaved, the wyrmynn never came for him. That had just egged his bad behavior, heightening his youthful arrogance and smugness.
Perhaps this is Mother’s revenge, Wick thought. The idea that he would likely never see his mother’s head of purple hair again filled him with sorrow. “You sure screwed your life up bud.” He gripped his staff in white knuckled hands as thoughts drifted to Tifala and the rest of his group. He hadn't just screwed up his own life this time. I’ll get us out of this, Tif.
He wished he believed his inner voi
ce. Something had changed. Everything in the Barrow knew it. A surge of malevolence had risen, covering the entire area in an oily miasma of evil. Something had awoken. Were the legends true?
The wyrmynn sensed it too. Their village, if a collection of muck covered tents, fire pits and cesspools could be called a village, had been a hive of frantic activity all morning. Random outbursts of violence, so common in the cold-blooded creatures world, had increased. Wick adjusted the lenses of his Maker Goggles and the largest wyrmynn came into sharp focus.
The huge reptile hissed at his fellows. Wick could sense the massive creature's fear, and it knotted up Wick's guts. His Muscles rippled under the wyrmynn’s skin, and he towered over his fellows, reaching nearly six feet in height. On his back, her carried a huge two-handed sword of questionable quality but obvious deadliness. A mouthful of sharp teeth barked orders to his cowering underlings. The large wyrmynn snapped a taloned hand out and grabbed his smaller brethren by the throat.
Wick did not understand the beast's words. There was no way he could know their language. Until recently the wyrmynn had been a myth. Wick knew one thing though. Something was happening, and it was bad.