Except it didn’t exactly feel right to him.
However, as there weren’t any other choices…or were there?
Chapter 30
There were still more questions to ask, but their second helping of stew arrived, and they dug into it immediately. Towards the end of it, Fred was finally feeling full enough to slow down; the last couple of bites he was actually able to savor, noticing for the first time that it had a pleasant flavor (which was probably due to a blend of spices he had no name for). Regardless, it was still delicious.
Eisa took her time finishing it, as well, which gave Fred time to get his thoughts in order. When she was about finished, he finally asked, “What is that last class – the Researcher, you said it was?”
Chewing her last bite, she swallowed and took a large swig of her ale before answering, “Oh, it’s primarily used for the classes who want to utilize their spells and abilities in the formation of new applications. The classes seem relatively structured, but in reality, they are more fluid; more of a framework and guide than a pure cut-and-dry rulebook. However, discovering new ways to use your abilities within that framework can be very difficult and most people don’t have the patience, time, or initiative to practice and experiment with them.
“For instance, if I had the time and patience, I might be able to find some way to alter, say…my Vitality Transfer healing spell so that could be used the opposite way on a monster, damaging it a little and healing myself. However, I don’t know any way to do that other than by trying to do it over and over, hoping to figure out the exact way to do it without healing them in the process.
“Now that I really think about it, I’m sure it could be done – but there isn’t really a point for me to do it; I have the Lifedrain spell that essentially does exactly that. Now, if I was only a Healer and not a—” she dropped her voice to a whisper— “Necromancer, then I wouldn’t have that spell and it might be worth trying to figure it out. With the Researcher class, it would be so much easier and take less time, plus that class would boost my Power even more – I think it is to offset the Power needed to experiment and discover new things.
“Then again, if I was a Researcher instead of…the other thing…then I wouldn’t have access to all of the spells and abilities that that class has. Most people who go that route are more suited to crafting things with their abilities, which is what the Researcher class can choose to be as more-advanced classes, such as: Enchanters, Artificers, Alchemists, and the like. Not really my idea of a fun time.
“Whatever you choose to do in the future is up to you, but don’t even think about taking that class now; since you don’t have any abilities or spells to experiment with, you’d have a great amount of Power…with nothing to use it on. While you could still attack like you did during that last dungeon, in higher-Rating ones you’d essentially be useless because everything would be too powerful for you to do much against.”
Despite her warning, the Researcher class almost pulled at him, reaching out its tendrils until it planted the thought in his brain that it was what he wanted to be. Fred knew instinctively that it was what he was born to be, what he needed to be; there wasn’t any alternative.
Luckily, because of his Adapted Abilities, he did have something to use the Power on – which, unlike anyone else who might think of becoming a Researcher at such a low Rating – made it the perfect class for him. At least, he thought so.
Without giving away his decision yet, he asked a couple more questions to firm it up. “How do the advanced classes work, and what about getting a second class – like you did?”
“That’s a little more complicated; essentially, every time you reach the next major Rating – such as an F or an E-Rating – you are able to choose what you’d like to do: advance your current class or choose a second one if you don’t already have one. In addition, you can change one of your classes at any time, though unless you’re still in the G-Ratings, it isn’t recommended. The reason for this is because if you do change your class, all of the Essence you have used on unlocking and improving your spells and abilities is lost. Forever. Your stats won’t be affected, unless you have something like the Perception stat that Scouts receive – and then that would disappear as well.
“I actually had to change my class very early, based upon need; I started out as a Mage and switched to a Healer almost immediately, as there were very few groups needing a G-1st-Rated Mage that couldn’t cast any spells – but they were willing to get help from a Healer – even though I couldn’t heal right away. Halfway through the first dungeon, however, I was able to perform a weak heal spell, so it was worth it in their eyes.
“When I reached the F-Rating, I chose Mage as my second class – because it was what I really wanted to do. However, I soon realized that my healing skills were in higher demand, so I stuck with it as my main class and only worked on my Mage abilities on the side.
“It took a while, but when I finally reached the E-Rating, I was able to advance one of my classes. I had always been fascinated with life and death, and being a Healer only reinforced this fascination. So, I chose…you know…because I thought it would give me greater insight into the mysteries I was so fascinated about. It did…just not necessarily in the way I had imagined.
“When I advanced the class, it changed all of my previous spells and abilities so that they suited my new advanced class. Some were better…and some were things that I didn’t see a use for. An unexpected consequence of my advanced class – that I didn’t realize would happen – was it changed my Healer class to a Dark Healer; it wasn’t necessarily an advanced class…just a different way to heal. It was hard to adjust to at first and I thought I’d made a huge mistake, but that was years ago, and I’ve learned to love it – and I wouldn’t change it for anything.”
Interesting. “One last question – is there any reason why someone couldn’t choose to become, say, a Scout at first, and then advance the class to something else, and then choose Scout again for a second class?”
“Oh, sure – but you’d be limiting yourself. Being able to do many different things inside the dungeon is vital to rounding out your group; an Assassin who is great at dealing close-range damage that can also heal in a pinch is much preferable to having an Assassin that can also shoot a bow like a Ranger. Or a Fighter that can cast low-Power spells to gain the attention of the monsters from long range. Or, in my case, a Healer that can also do a respectable amount of damage if the need arises. Do you understand?”
“Yes, thank you for the information – I think I have made my decision. However, there is something else that I’d like to try right now as an experiment; it might seem strange, but I think it will greatly benefit my class choice,” Fred said, as he was eyeing the woman who had brought their food approaching their table. Although he was largely ignorant of a lot of the human world, he was pretty sure he knew what she was walking over for.
“I hope you enjoyed your food. As you probably know, we offer a slightly discounted rate to members of the Syndicate, so the total for your meals will be 8 copper pieces.”
Not as much as I thought – though I don’t really have a good frame of reference. As Eisa reached into her pouch to pay, Fred put his hand on her arm to stop her. “Don’t worry, I’ve got this.”
She looked confused when he reached for his own Pocket Interface Bag – which he finally got from a shame-faced Jaymes when he asked about it – and Created another gold piece, though he spent an extra second to make sure it was perfectly round, without the little notch that Eisa had identified earlier. He didn’t want to raise too much suspicion by having every single one looking exactly the same.
He lifted his hand up, covering the gold piece until he placed it in the woman’s hand. “Here, this should cover our meal. Actually, can you do me a favor? Before that, though – what was your name again?”
The woman in the stained clothes looked dumbstruck at the gold piece in her hand, as if she’d never seen one before – only ans
wering absently when he prompted her for her name a second time. “Maresca, my lord.”
Eisa looked almost confused as Maresca but hid it quickly. Fred was confused at the title; he had never heard of a lord before, nor was it ever mentioned by either Regnark or Eisa. Different part of human society, perhaps. “I’m no lord, Maresca – you can call me Fred. Anyway, can you do me a favor?” At her nod, he continued. “First, like I said, this should cover our meal. With the rest of it, I want you to go around to all of the other people in here and tell them that because of Eisa here doing such a great job helping a new Syndicate member out, I’m celebrating by paying for all of their meals. For the next week.”
He “pulled out” another gold piece from his pouch and handed it to her, putting it right next to the other one in her frozen-stiff hand. “This should cover it, but if it doesn’t, let me know and I’ll make up the difference. If it is more than enough, you can keep the remainder. Do you understand?”
Maresca just stood there, her mouth open like she was trying to say something but couldn’t get it out. Suddenly, she snapped her mouth shut and said, “Yes, my lord.”
“I’m no lord…” he tried to say, but ended up speaking to empty air, as she was already gone. He saw the woman walking from table to table, talking in a low voice to those sitting there. After a few moments at each table, each person looked their way and, grudgingly, raised their mugs toward him in what he figured was thanks.
Once Maresca had made her rounds, she looked back over at their table in what looked like worry, before she disappeared behind a door. He wasn’t sure what that was about, but he was glad to see that the looks of disdain he had seen earlier were gone from most of the humans inside the tavern. They didn’t exactly look happy, but he thought it was an improvement, nonetheless.
Eisa looked even paler than usual as she grabbed his arm with that surprising strength again, and Fred could feel his bone creak under her grip. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” she whispered.
“Sure, I’ve started the process of getting the members of the DAS to appreciate you again, which will lead to them wanting to group with you – and extension – me in the future. It’s a mutually beneficial development.”
She shook her head slowly, her eyes wide as she stared at him in incredulity. “While it might be a little beneficial to me in the long-run, it’s not me that they’re looking at anymore. Take a look.”
He did as she said and looked around the room. He couldn’t see what she was talking about at first, but after a moment he realized she was right: they weren’t looking at her at all. They were looking at him, though not in disdain…it was something else.
“That’s right, they think you have lots of money and they want it. You’ve just put a big target on your back.”
Oops. Well, that might mean I have to move my plans up just a tad.
Chapter 31
Back in his room, Fred sat on his surprisingly cushy bed in contemplation. He supposed that the extra fluff on the mattress was for comfort, but he thought it might be too squishy to sleep properly. Well, I will see later.
After the early dinner at the tavern, Eisa had explained in a quick whispered conversation on the walk back to their rooms why what he had done was monumentally stupid. She told him that while inside the DAS building he was perfectly safe, as the Syndicate treated the safety and well-being of the members staying there as a top priority. On the street, or outside the town, it was a different story.
While the original application to become an Adventurer was strict when it came to crimes, very rarely were current members subjected to any type of interrogation. It didn’t happen frequently, because if they were somehow found out that they had stolen from or killed someone else, the penalties could lead to severe consequences – including death. Eisa said that she had undergone an interrogation after what had happened with her old group and was deemed innocent in their deaths – but that didn’t stop people from thinking what they wanted.
The fact that Eisa was worried about him made him feel good; it felt like he mattered to someone else. He felt the same way with Regnark, but this was different – and he wasn’t sure why. Regardless, he had told her that he would be careful, which seemed to satisfy her only a little bit. She had breathed a sigh of relief as they entered the DAS building, where she left him to go upstairs and rest. After agreeing to meet again tomorrow morning, he watched her retreat upstairs for the night.
“Ah, back so soon? I apologize again for forgetting to give you your PIB earlier – with so much happening it slipped my mind. If you’d like, you can store it while you’re in town in our secure facility here. Most of our members do that, just in case; you never know when thieves will strike!”
Since he didn’t actually have anything in his pouch yet, he declined the service. “No, I’m good for now – but I would like to get my class now.”
“Oh, absolutely! Hold on, let me get…this…here,” Jaymes said while he lugged over a heavy-looking apparatus to the counter. “Ok, all you have to do is place your hand right…here,” he continued, placing his own hand in the middle of a dark square on the top of the apparatus, “and say the class you’d like to choose – and it’ll take it from there. I’m curious – what did you finally decide on? Scout? Fighter? No, wait – Mage! Am I right?”
Fred placed his hand on top of the square and he felt a small tingle on the back of his hand where the Artifact was supposedly located. “Actually, none of the above,” he told Jaymes, before saying clearly, “Researcher”.
For almost two seconds it had felt like someone had jabbed a knife into his hand and then twisted it repeatedly – but then the feeling was…gone. He felt a little light-headed for about ten seconds after that as well, which was why he missed the first part of Jaymes’ comment.
“…choose that? You know you’re not going to be able to do anything with that, don’t you? While I’ve already got this out, why don’t you change it to something practical? C’mon, put it back on and pick something like Mage – you seem like the type to me.”
“No, I’m good with my selection,” he replied, while leaning on the counter to get his balance back. “Though, I do have another question – but it doesn’t concern classes.”
Jaymes still looked concerned over Fred’s choice of class, but then he shrugged his shoulders and moved the class-changing apparatus back to where he had taken it from. “Well, it’s up to you, of course, but don’t say I didn’t warn you when you’re back in here tomorrow complaining that you can’t do anything in one of the dungeons. Fortunately, it’s free to change your class anytime – just don’t put any Essence into a Researcher ability! It’ll just be wasted!”
With that off his chest, he asked, “Ok, class assignment is over – what was it you wanted to ask me about?”
“I was curious about these guilds I heard Eisa talking about,” Fred asked. At the mention of the Necro-healer’s name, he could see Jaymes’ face drop into the now-familiar scowl of derision.
“I don’t know why you’re hanging around with her, don’t you know she’ll get you killed? No amount of money is worth your life, you know?”
I’m getting a little tired of his negative attitude. “I’ll have you know that she saved my life multiple times in the dungeon, and you don’t know anything about her.”
“Well, I know what I’ve heard—”
“And what you’ve heard is probably wrong. She’s not who you think she is.” He wanted to add, I’m not who you think I am, either, but held his tongue. His anger was starting to get the better of him and he needed to calm down.
Jaymes was silent for a moment, before asking in a controlled voice, “Then we can agree to disagree. What do you want to know about guilds?”
“I need to know how they are formed and how to go about doing it.”
Apparently, by interrupting him earlier, Fred had gained the animosity of the Syndicate branch leader. A sneer smeared across his face as he answered, “I’m no
t sure if you ever need to know about them, since it’s unlikely that you’ll ever be invited to join one – with your Researcher class and your…associates. But I’ll explain it to you, since it’s my job to answer any questions Syndicate members might have.
“Guilds are organizations within the Syndicate that are focused on working toward a single goal, such as crafting, exploration, and delving through high-Rated dungeons. Some even concentrate on developing new classes to add to the SDIA and using what they learn to further our understanding of Essence and Power. They take care of their members and are allowed to keep a very small portion of the loot fees for themselves to further their guild development. They are important to the success of the Syndicate in this Kingdom, as well as all of the others – without them, we wouldn’t have the same knowledge we have today.
“As far as how they are created, there is only one major requirement – gold. Five hundred gold pieces, to be exact, with a yearly upkeep cost of another one hundred gold. Easily obtainable by those who are in the upper Ratings, but I doubt you’ll ever see those with the choices you’ve made.” Even his voice had dripped contempt somehow.
“Ok, thank you for your time,” Fred said, before turning away and heading upstairs to his own room. He had to restrain himself from attacking Jaymes, but after Fred looked at his Adventurer Status, he didn’t think that he would fare that well against a B-5th-Rated Duelist-Spy – whatever that was.
Now in his room, he had calmed down enough to concentrate on what he was doing. The anger that he experienced was abnormal to him; he wasn’t sure exactly where it came from, but he knew it was similar to how he felt when thinking about getting revenge on those that killed his parents.
Dungeon World: A Dungeon Core Experience Page 21