The Land: Predators

by Aleron Kong

  3) Movement and Attack speed decreased by 5% per piece

  4) 3% penalty to Agility and Dexterity per piece

  “When did you have time to do this?” Richter asked impressed. “You just got back.”

  “Ay be very mysterious, yer lordship,” Krom replied enigmatically. Even more strangely, Alma had alighted on an anvil in front of the dwarf and seemed to be strutting around.

  Richter shook his head at his irascible familiar. Then he turned his attention back to the diagrams. Before Krom had brought it up, he hadn’t even considered wearing anything other than light armor. He couldn’t just ignore the facts though. Both examples offered a great deal more defense than his Enhanced Sprite Armor, the medium armor substantially more. Wearing the medium armor would almost make him into a tank. The penalties sucked, but the scaled armor was seriously badass!

  He looked back and forth, but in the end, he decided on the first option. The casting penalty itself was enough to make him say no to the scaled armor. He hadn’t experienced a spell miscast in some time, but the one time he’d suffered from spell feedback, he’d been rendered senseless. That was the day he discovered that if you wanted to kill a mage, force their magic back in on itself. They’d be so helpless you could deliver the coup de grace with a rock. Casting was a serious part of his combat style; he couldn’t handicap himself. A miscast was still a chance with his light armor, but between his high affinity for magic and the fact that all of his spells were ranked either weak or minor, it really hadn’t been a problem so far.

  The other penalties certainly didn’t make it any better. On top of all of that, he had already gotten some serious perks from leveling up his Light Armor skill. After reaching initiate rank, the movement penalty had decreased to 2% per piece of armor he wore, and being skill level sixteen gave him a 32% bonus to any light armor he wore. The initiate rank also gave a Synergy bonus, that increased the defense of each piece of light armor by +20%, as long as that was all he was equipped with. That almost closed the gap. Richter made his decision and handed the scroll back to Krom.

  “Light armor,” he responded simply. Then Richter cocked his head in confusion. For a second, he’d been sure that Alma’s scales had been glowing. When he focused though, he didn’t see anything and decided it must have just been a trick of the light.

  “Ay,” Krom said nodding. “Was pretty sure that would be the choice, but had to ask. The good news is, it just might leave enough scales left over for another project.” He looked around at the flurry of activity around him. “Ay suppose ay should get back to work now, yer lordship, unless there be more ye needed?”

  Richter shook his head. The two men clasped wrists and the chaos seed turned to leave, Sion and Randolphus in tow. Before they even made it outside the Forge, Krom had started cursing up a storm again. He was clearly enjoying himself as he was doing the Spanglish equivalent of Dwarvish and Common. “What are ye doing cleaning so much? This be a forge, not a fine lady’s dressing room. Mayhap ye should be working on swinging a hammer and not getting all fancy and pretty! Ye could always go up to the garden and pluck some daisies if ye dinna think it will ruin yer nails!”

  Krom rapidly switched targets for his ire, as dangerous as a sniper on a clear day, “And yew! Head! Why don’t you move that giant melon on top of yer neck and do something useful? Ay know ye will be able to think of something to do, yer brain must weigh twenty pounds unless it just be rattling around in that humongous melon. Go stoke the fires, ye giant-headed bastard! Dinna look at me with that sad face. Get ta work!”

  And on it went. Before they made it out of earshot, Richter heard the dwarf smugly ask, “Now which of ye ugly bastards wants a quest from me sweet and cuddly self?”

  In contradiction to how the smiths should have been feeling after being dressed down in such a thorough manner, cheers rang out around the forge and they all crowded around Krom. Richter looked at Randolphus in askance, “Krom can give quests now?”

  The Rogue adopted the look he reserved when he was explaining something that everyone except Richter would know. “Professionals are valued for many reasons, my lord. They, of course, have access to Talents that can greatly improve their power and capabilities, but they also can generate Profession-related quests. A Smith such as Krom must work hard to fulfill the rigorous demands of his own Profession quests, and so does not have the time to smelt ore, bind spearheads to hafts and other such time-consuming minutiae that are still vital to the running of a forge. It has always been true that Professionals can encourage others that share their skill but are not as far progressed by creating small quests. The Professional is given much-needed support and less skilled men and women can earn necessary experience and expertise. I am sure you can see now why lords so desire the presence of Professionals in their settlements.”

  Richter nodded, his mind considering the far-reaching consequences. He absently wondered if his increased Creativity was already coming into play. Having a Professional Farmer would certainly boost the crop yield of a village, but through the quests they would also increase the rate at which the village produced more Farmers. The growth could become exponential. The high incidence of sudden death and the decades often required to become a Professional were most likely the only reasons that Pros were so few and far between. Dozens of Richter’s people had been taken by Nexus to their Trials all at once though. As long as he protected them, and maybe even got his noncombatants some carefully regulated combat experience, he could have a village full of Talented people. He smiled thinking of it.

  Sion peeled off, saying he would catch up later, and the other two men kept walking. A great deal had happened that morning. Richter had a lot to consider, but there was one question really bugging him. He told Randolphus about the irreverent prompt he had received in response to the quest update.

  The chamberlain nodded, “As I said before, my lord, the prompts that we each receive are a personal interpretation of the will of the Universe. The Oneness is so far beyond our mortal minds however, that we each struggle to process the information. So you see, our notifications are actually created by each of us individually. If you are receiving personalized messages with a certain patronizing tone, that is most likely because you know that you should be getting your head out of your ass.”

  Richter stopped walking and looked at his chamberlain in shock. The Spy just looked back and shrugged, “You asked.”

  CHAPTER 52 – Day 143 – Kuborn 33, 0 AoC

  Richter spent the next several hours training with Randolphus in Stealth, Small Blades and Water Magic. He didn’t advance a skill level, but the Rogue told him that if he kept practicing the techniques his base stealth would increase. That was the first time Richter had heard about one of his secondary attributes increasing due to training. When he brought that up with Randolphus, the Spy had just shaken his head sadly. Then the chamberlain explained that with proper training, that was an extremely common occurrence. While primary attributes could increase, like getting an extra point in Endurance if he ran a great distance, that was much less likely. Richter’s Limitless ability had helped him to catapult through skill levels and made it possible for him to compete with people who had invested years in their capabilities.

  The chamberlain instructed him in techniques to throw his daggers better and ways to fight with his short swords. One thing became clear to Richter through the hours of training: he had a great deal to learn.

  It was well into the afternoon when they finished, and he was starving. Richter made his way over to the feast area and dug into some food. It had become common practice for some dry food to be left out under cloth. He had to shake a few bugs off his meal, but there were many things he’d become accustomed to since coming to The Land. After breaking his fast, he did something that he had been putting off for far too long. He decided to train with his guards. There were more martial skills to be had, and he intended to grab them all.

  When Richter walked up to the training ground, he was pl
eased to see dozens of guards sparring and training. The last time he had come through, the men and women of the guard had seemed a bit ramshackle. If he remembered correctly, one woman had actually beaten her husband senseless in front of him, something about the man’s wandering hands having found a few of the other village women. Now, it was completely different. The fires of war had tempered his fighters.

  The guards were moving through drills with serious expressions and intensity, all under Caulder’s watchful gaze. They sparred using specific attacks and defenses, building the muscle memory necessary for all true warriors. The new corporals, Ox and Schroeder, seconded the sergeant’s shouts, already easing into their new roles. “Form one! Keep that blade up! Good. Now reset. Ready? Form two! Attack!”

  Terrod walked up to where Richter was watching, “Can I help you, my lord?”

  Richter nodded, “Teach me everything you know about fighting.”

  Terrod smiled broadly, “I thought you would never ask, sir.”

  Over the next few hours, the chaos seed gained valuable new skills.

  Congratulations! You have learned the skill: Shields. Some say that attacking is the greatest way to defeat an enemy. Any shieldsman can tell you that living longer than your enemy is the only true way to win. A true master of this skill can ward off even the blows of fate with his head held high. When using an equipped shield: +3% Shield Defense. -1% Stamina cost to block with shield.

  Congratulations! You have learned the skill: Staves. In the hands of a shepherd or a Monk, the staff can be used to protect, or kill. Only a fool underestimates a fighter armed with a stout length of wood. A true master can stand in a storm of blades and never take a cut. When using an equipped stave: +1% Attack Damage. +3% Attack Speed.

  Congratulations! You have learned the skill: Spears. The frontline of any army, spear and pikemen stand tall before waves of enemies with a simple message, “Not today.” A true master can disable an army before they ever get within reach. When using an equipped spear: +2% Attack Damage. Ignore 1% of an Enemy’s armor.

  Congratulations! You have learned the skill: Crossbows. Though not as elegant as the bow, crossbows are not designed to deliver poetry. They deliver death. The stopping power of these devices cannot be ignored. A true master can pierce the armor of titans. When using an equipped crossbow: +3% Attack Damage. +5% Reload speed.

  Congratulations! You have learned the skill: Axes. There is no greater satisfaction than the splatter of a foe’s blood on your face. While swords can pierce and maces can crush, it takes an axe to truly CLEAVE! A true master can chop through the limbs of giants. When using an equipped axe: +3% Attack Damage. +1% Attack Speed.

  Congratulations! You have learned the skill: Hammer Wielding. When the biggest bastard on the battlefield is coming straight at you, there is only one true response: to smash his knee with a hammer and bring him down to size! A true master can sunder the gates of Aractherix. When using an equipped hammer: +4% Attack Damage.

  He didn’t just learn the skills, but also started learning the appropriate techniques for each weapon. He even picked up a trick or two. He was about to start practicing his Unarmed Combat skill with Ox when that strange feeling occurred again. The same heightened awareness he felt when he approached the Dungeon. This time, the feeling didn’t get weaker though, it grew stronger. Richter looked around, but nothing seemed amiss. All he could see out of the ordinary was a guard walking across the training ground with one of the freed prisoners in tow. The guard was laughing and smiling, so Richter didn’t see any reason to be concerned.

  When they were within a hundred yards, the feeling grew much stronger and Richter was certain it was coming from one of the two men. It didn’t take a huge leap of logic to know that it came from the man accompanying his guard. Richter used Analyze.

  Name: Heman

  Race: Half-Gnome/ Half-Human

  Disposition: Admiring

  Level: 7

  STATS

  Health: 120

  Mana: 120

  Stamina: 170

  ATTRIBUTES

  Strength: 17

  Agility: 11

  Dexterity: 10

  Constitution: 12

  Endurance: 17

  Intelligence: 12

  Wisdom: 12

  Charisma: 24

  Luck: 10

  SKILLS

  Mining: 24

  Small Blades: 5

  Scavenging: 6

  Dark Magic: 2

  Stealth: 5

  Cooking: 3

  DESCRIPTION

  Racial blends are erratic in their disposition and powers. The offspring of such a union can inherit all or none of any of their parent races’ characteristics.

  There really wasn’t all that much that stood out about the man. His stats were middling and his attributes didn’t seem all that great. Richter’s Analyze skill wasn’t good enough to tell him what Heman’s abilities were, but from what he could see so far, there was nothing that explained the feeling he had. Now that the two were closer though, there was no doubt in the chaos seed’s mind that it was coming from this man.

  “What are you doing, Teyin?” Caulder snapped at the guard. “Why did you bring this man out of the area Lord Richter set aside for the freed prisoners?”

  “I know this is a breach of protocol, sergeant, but this man has a gift for Lord Richter. I have gotten to know him over the past several days and I can promise that he is trustworthy. He merely asked to speak with you.”

  “Then why did you not tell me so that I could come to him?” Caulder’s voice was sharp with rebuke over the breach in protocol. “I still see no reason why you have brought him into the mists.”

  Heman was looking around. He was searching for Caulder, but his not having immunity to the mists would mean that anything beyond five to ten feet away appeared to just be a solid wall of white vapor. Despite not being able to locate the sergeant, Heman spoke up with a sure and friendly voice however, “I would ask to take responsibility for Guard Teyin bringing me here.”

  He gave a small laugh, “Honestly, I also begged him to let me stretch my legs. That is not the main reason I asked to be brought to his superior, however. I assume I am speaking to Sergeant Caulder or Captain Terrod?” There was no response, but the half-gnome remained undaunted. After a few moments, he continued, his voice turning earnest, “I wanted to thank you personally. You and your people have been so wonderfully helpful. We, myself and the other men and women you freed from the goblins, all owe you our lives. I wanted to let you know that I personally recognize that and am supremely grateful.

  “Even after we arrived in your village, you helped us further by removing those traitors.” Heman spat the last word. “Those bastards had preyed on the rest of us for so long. In my opinion, they deserved worse than what they got.”

  Richter and Terrod exchanged a glance at the man’s vehemence, but they remained silent. Heman continued, “For all of these reasons and more, I would like to give your lord a small token of my thanks. All I ask is that you relay my regards to Lord Richter, and tell him that I am the first of the freed prisoners that would like to accept his offer to stay in the village. I am sure that he will be happy to have this item.” When Heman finished his speech, he took a cloth-wrapped bundle from inside his shirt and handed it to Teyin.

  Caulder silently held up a hand to the guard, halting him from moving forward. At the same time, he looked at Richter and Terrod. The two Companions looked at each other again, sharing a moment of nonverbal communication, before the chaos seed gave a short nod.

  “Walk forward with what he gave you, Teyin,” Caulder commanded firmly. “We will discuss your breach of protocol later, but for now, your friend stays where he is.”

  The guard walked forward, but Richter’s gaze remained glued to the Heman. He didn’t know what was happening, but he was sure it was something important. The feeling had faded somewhat, not like it had lessened, but more like he had gotten used to it somehow. The ch
aos seed was still acutely aware of it, but it was no longer distracting. Weakened or not, Richter wasn’t about to take his eyes off of the man until he knew what was going on.

  Caulder took the package from his subordinate and unwrapped it. Sitting on a dirty scrap of cloth was a foot-long length of black metal. At the end of the short rod was a crystalline spike of dark green crystal. Richter’s identify Talent triggered.

  You have found:

  Wand of Cursed Stumbling

  Attack: 2-3

  Durability: 74/102

  Item Class: Unusual

  Quality: Superb

  Weight: 0.5 kg

  Traits: This wand fires a ball of magical energy that explodes on contact. Anyone within 5 yards suffers from the Curse of Stumbling causing a -23% loss of Agility. This curse lasts for 30 minutes.

  Charges: 217/217

  Richter raised one eyebrow. This thing was no cheap trinket. Agility not only determined how quickly someone could move, but also affected their ability to land and dodge attacks. Being able to fire off several balls from the wand could seriously hamper a small army. He didn’t like the “cursed” part, but he supposed if it was bad for the wielder, it would have been called the “Cursed Wand of Stumbling” not the “Wand of Cursed Stumbling,” or just “Wand of Stumbling.” At least he hoped so.

  It would be kind of pointless to create a trap and then advertise that it was cursed. People wouldn’t ever equip it. On the other hand, Richter knew from his own Profession Talent tree that it was possible to “mislabel” enchanted items. His own Identify Enchantments Talent was rank two though, so it should be able to appropriately describe most anything he found. Unless whoever created this item had purchased rank three of a Talent that obscured the item prompt…