“I have to admit, this is not how I pictured you,” Kel’Van spoke in genuine awe.
“Really? It’s not of course, how the Ulgo’s see me, but this form is the closes your mind can come to perceiving me on a corporeal level.”
“Welcome back player,” she greeted in her musical voice. “It is good to see you again.”
“Lady, we’ve never met, and I’ve definitely never been here before.”
A soft smile played on the creatures’ lips. Her eyes, (which he just noticed was blue and empty of actual eyeballs) was full of high spirits.
“Oh, we have met before Kel’Van. Your stay here was quite…eventful,” G.A.I.A. coltishly answered. “But you are not here to discuss our past relationship, are you? Let’s get to the reason for your visit, shall we?”
While standing on virtually nothing, 6 small motes could be seen beneath them. Then the dots got bigger as they came closer to view. All of a sudden, in a rush, 6 pillars bathed in orange light sprouted from beneath them. Upon each of the pillars was a round ball, similar to that of a globe found in any classroom. Then it suddenly spread open, like a flower in bloom with a red and black book in each. As Kel’Van peered at G.A.I.A. she smirked and pointed at the pillars before him.
“Each of these books are skill trees,” she said. “All six are based on the power of earth and fire.” The first- “
“Wait!” Kel’Van interrupted. “Skill trees? There is such thing in Avarice Online!” Kel’Van gritted his teeth before she continued. “There are only different schools of magic and physical talents. Level 10 allows you to choose a class based on the skills and magic you have acquired. Gaining a new skill or magic in intervals as a player levels.”
“But you’re no longer a player Kel’Van,” cooed G.A.I.A.
“And you’re no god G.A.I.A.” Kel’Van shot back.
Kel’Van did not understand what his attitude against G.A.I.A was about. It might’ve been because the Artificial Intelligence in front of him had a holier than thou vibe coming off of it. There was a possibility that being beholden to a machine rubbed him the wrong way. Whatever it was that was making him inwardly recoil under her gaze had to stop. He could not afford to anger a being that could possibly deny him a class at this moment in time.
“I am better than a god,” her musical voice intoned. “But then, we both are different than what we were, thanks to you.”
“What do you mean by that.?”
That playful smile came back to her lips as she paused at the 6 pillars before Kel’Van. “It was quite difficult to find a way to give you access to gain skills. See that glowing nimbus around you? In players, it doesn’t look that way. It’s completely transparent and allows the player and myself to form a connection. In this fashion, I am able to bestow skill and magic upon the player. Unlike what is surrounding you.”
Kel’Van retook an inventory of himself. At first, it wasn’t making sense why the process wouldn’t work for him as it would for others.
“It was by trial and error that I was able to even able to integrate experience and level progression at all for you. ”G.A.I.A said.
“My god, I understand what this nimbus is,” Kel’Van thought to himself.
In-game techs had a level 12 cap on their characters to test Avarice's online gaming mechanics and PVE content. They picked the magic and skills they wanted for their avatar while they monitored and interacted with the gaming environment. Of course, there was room to gain XP for future interactions built-in, but it had to be unlocked by the higher-ups. Not the actual in-game techs who monitored the game. These avatars were never meant to gain skills and magic through G.A.I.A.
“I couldn’t imbue you with a class as I do with a player, but I was able to “patch” a way to simulate the process of a class after you battled Ter’Abran,” said the glowing being.” I apologize for the intense pain you suffered, but there was no other way.”
Kel’Van thought back to after the fight when he tried to loot the elemental and got seared with pain so great, he blacked out.
“Wait…that scorching pain I got from Ter’Abran was because of you?!”
“I had little choice in the matter. It was the only way to get you skills and talents through that shell surrounding you.”
The anger began simmering inside Kel’Van as what she said began to sink in.
“She doesn’t understand what the shell is,” he thought. He wasn’t going to volunteer this information to her neither. At least not until he got a better understanding of what she was about and why this being set his teeth on edge.
“To make it simple, what I’ve done is basically give you the aberrant elementals Talent and skill tree,” explained G.A.I.A.
“So, I’m the equivalent of an orc shaman now?”
“Not quite; orc shamans share their skills with the elementals they bond with. You are not sharing anything. Whatever path of skills was available for the elemental to evolve into belongs to you alone.”
Kel’Van closed his eyes and put a closed fist to his face. “This is a lot to take in. NPC’s with talent trees…”
G.A.I.A. tilted her head, and a smirk appeared on her face.
“Kel’Van, after all you have been through with your fellow orc mates, the battles with the Holmgren, and even your fight with Ter’Abran, do you really think they are just a group of scripts and codes?” her melodic voice asked.
Kel’Van didn’t even bother to look the luminous being in the face. Although on the surface, logic told him they were just sophisticated programs, somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew it he didn’t believe it. Whether it was just his brain trying to hold on to his sanity by making them into something they were not, he didn’t know.
“Let’s table this for later, shall we Kel’Van? You are here for reasons other than introspection, correct? Let’s go over the skill tree’s available,” she said as she stood behind the pillars. “So, you have leveled a healing spell, stealth, short sword, Dark sight, armor, and elemental magic to level 2. As a consequence of the proficiency in these skills, the following six Talent trees have been offered for your selection.”
G.A.I.A. opened her palm in the direction of the first pillar.
“The first talent tree is called Volcanic Shaman. It is a highly support caster class. This tree uses fire and earth-based spells that either heal, enhance characters offensively, defensively, and controls the mobility of enemies. Volcanic Shamans usually stay mid-range or the rear while they cast spells to aid their comrades.”
“What are the weaknesses for this class? “asked Kel’Van, rubbing his chin.
“This class lacks the mobility of the melee counter-parts, wears cloth armor, and has minimal offensive capabilities.”
He nodded his head at her explanation. He had pretty much guessed that from the description of the class’s abilities. That’s how most support or healer classes were for balance in the game. It never hurts to be sure was the only reason why he even asked.
“The second Talent tree is called Dark Fire Blade, is a stealth-based class. This tree uses earth-based spells to conceal and enhance its capabilities while using fire spells to attack. This class uses a short-sword and spells of close range for quick and lethal attacks and wears a combination of cloth and leather armor. The weaknesses of this class are its lack of long-range abilities and dependence on cooldowns for its most lethal attacks,” said the glowing being, pre-empting his questions about the class's particular shortcomings.
“I take it the reason for the fire and earth-based magic is due to the aberrant elemental tree I inherited?”
“That would be correct, “she intoned. “May I continue?” She said with a smile, clearly amused by Kel’Van’s questions.
“By all means.”
“Thank you. The next Tree is called Aberrant Swordsman. It’s a sword focused combat class that is supplemented by earth and fire spells. It features both mid-range to close combat attacks along with buffs, damage over time spells, and sword
strikes. It uses the short -sword weapon and wears a combination of cloth and leather armor. The weakness of this tree is that it lacks the firepower of the offensive caster classes and is primarily a single target class.”
Kel’Van’s left eyebrow raised after listening to the description of this particular talent tree. It was almost tailor-made to fit his style of play. For all intents and purposes, it was an upgrade to what he was doing now. This was exactly what he was going for when he initially decided to play as a sword-wielding mage in PVP tournaments. An Artisan playstyle that relied heavily on tailor-made gear and actual knowledge of sword attacks to work.
“Amazing” was the word that slipped out under his breath.
“Yes, that was actually modeled after a style seen by a few PVP players I studied,” said G.A.I.A.
“The Elemental Summoner is the next Tree. It is a caster class based on summoning an elemental to assist you in combat. This particular tree will allow you to summon Ter’Abran to your side. His base style of attack is the one-handed double bladed-ax, and he is capable of wielding both Fire and Earth-based spells. As you progress further in this class, you will be allowed to add another elemental that you defeat. The weaknesses of this particular class are that while you can share some of the power of your elemental, most of your talents will be to increase the strength of your Elemental and not yourself.”
“Hmm,” pondered Kel’Van. “What do you mean by share power?”
“When you summon the Elemental, you gain some of its power through buffs, depending on where you put your talent points. Your strength might increase, or attacks may become stronger,” she explained while moving to the next pillar.
“Okay, thank you,” replied Kel’Van. He wanted to make sure before he dismissed it out of hand. He would wait until the last tree before he made a decision on it.
“This tree is called the Aberrant Enchanter. This class is based on imbuing the items you craft with both fire and earth characteristics. You begin with 10% chance to imbue a burn effect when striking an opponent or increasing the damage mitigation with an earth binding. The enchanting percentages increase with each level gained. At later levels, you can construct Golems, which will fight for you. The weaknesses of this class are that you level up this tree at the expense of other skills. You are almost solely dependent on what you create for growth.”
Kel’Van acknowledged the information in silence. There was definitely potential in that last class. He had seen that just as a player in PVP combat. The artisan class he played was made possible partly because of crafters who made his gear. G.A.I.A. seamlessly traveled to the last pillar.
“This last talent tree is called Volcanic Sorcerer. It is a highly offensive caster class. This tree uses fire and earth-based spells that deal either heavy single-target damage or hitting multiple targets with their area of effect spells (A.O.E.) These cloth-wearers have both instant casts and channeled spells that do massive damage. Volcanic Sorcerers usually stay mid-range or the rear while they cast spells that cause massive damage to their enemies on the battlefield. Their weaknesses are their lack of mobility and their weak defensive capabilities.”
“Does this class not have shields?”
“Yes,” she answered. “Though they can only mitigate partial damage and takes considerable mana to maintain.”
None of what G.A.I.A. said about the sorcerer was new. Lots of firepower, but not mobile and low on defense. There is a reason why magic users of any mmo were labeled “glass cannons.”
“You have 2 minutes to make your selection,” said a feminine voice out of nowhere.
“Wait…what?”
“You didn’t think you could stay here, forever, did you?”
“Shit!” he yelled, “Okay, what do I do?”
The Enchanter tree was out. Not that it wasn’t useful, it made him depend too much on his gear instead of his build. That is what he noticed about players whose main class was one based on crafting.
Kel’Van shook his head.
“As much as I like the old Avenger movies, I have no desire at all to be Tony Stark.” The Dark Fire blade was out as well. As much as they used stealth in the Undercaverns, he was a man who was most comfortable fighting his enemies upfront. An “in your face” type of attacker.
“1 minute and 30 seconds remaining…”
The Elemental Summoner was out for the same reason as the enchanter line. Although having an aberrant elemental being able to tank his enemies would be great, it still left him dependent on another creature rather than his own power. Especially since most of the talent points went to making it stronger at the expense of his own growth.
That left only three options…
The Volcanic Sorcerer was pure magical firepower, which his team sorely lacked, but so did most of the orc teams. There were not enough shamans for the Ulgo orcs, and those teams seemed very capable. But then again, they were not going to engage in dungeons the way he was preparing his team to be.
The Aberrant knight was a supped-up version of what he already used as a player. While not as strong offensively as the others, the tree was well rounded in both mid-range offensive power and defensive buffs, except on long-range attacks. Volcanic Shaman was probably the best bet if he wanted to round out the team. For all intents and purposes, he already had a tank. A tree dedicated to not only keeping the tank alive but also buffing the entire crew seemed like a no brainer here.
“1-minute remaining…”
The problem was that he wasn’t a healer. Not anymore. He was now a bludgeoner. That part of himself in the past where he performed in that type of way for people ended in an explosion fire years ago. It died alongside a young man screaming his name to save him. Kel’Van could never be that man again, but he could still save people by being the man he is today. A bludgeoner who would cut, slash, and bury his sword through anything in front of him to protect his own
“There is 30 seconds remaining…”
He could only benefit his crew by who he was now…not being something that he wasn’t anymore. His choice became simple.
“I choose the Aberrant Knight.”
“Class chosen…do you accept?” appeared blinking in front of his D.S. He pressed the “yes” button, and his body began to glow red and orange as a light appeared at the center of his body. Then it became a roaring blaze as it consumed him. Kel’Van brought his hands to his face, watching his fingers, then his arms in flames with no pain.
His D.S. came alive again. There was a blinking light showing his class tree with 20 talent points unused next to its icon. Once he pushed the button, the new skill tree icon superimposed itself fully on the screen on the left side.
“You have 20 talent points available. Would you like to spend them?” a feminine voice asked leisurely.
Kel’Van looked over the tree to understand how it was structured.
Stone skin: An ability buff that reduces damage by 15% for 30 seconds. The talent itself costs 3 points.
Seared Flesh: an ability that enables the casters sword to inflict 27 points of damage after a strike over 10 seconds. This talent costs 3 points.
Crimson Blade was a sword enhancement that increased a sword's attack power by 5% while also imbuing the blade with flame damage by +10. This talent costs 5 points.
Improved Flame: An improved fire cone spell that has 20% more range and damage. The talent costs 5 points.
“Kel’Van…”
“Hmm?” he said as he continued to look at his options on his screen
“It’s time for you to go back. But before I send you on your way, there some things you should know,” said G.A.I.A.
Kel’Van turned off his D.S. and gave the floating woman his full attention. “What things?”
She stared off into the distance, eyes fluttering as if she was seeing multiple things at once.
“There are things and events that are happening within your old realm. Events that will have repercussions on this one. I am preparing for this grand
situation. But you Kel’Van, need to return to the dungeon you left unconquered and claim the citadel behind it. You will have to task the being behind it for a boon…You will find this being harsh but fair. His price will be steep, but you will need it if you and those you hold dear are to survive...and soon.”
“What’s in that dungeon that I need?”
Ahh, of that Kel’Van I cannot speak on, You know of my first directive. Though you will find out soon enough. But I regret to say by that time, it may be too late for you to do what must be done.”
The directive, which was hard-wired into G.A.I.A’s matrix, limited direct interference from her in the gameplay of the players in their environment.
She then peered into the eyes of Kel’Van as one of her many hands stretched forth, a blue light flowing from her palm opened towards him.
A light surrounded Kel’Van, and he fell downward into the darkness away from G.A.I.A. He watched as the glowing being became smaller as he sped further into the dark, but her voice rang loud clear like she speaking only briefly in his ear.
“…and you do not have much time.”
Kel’Van stumbled backward with his hand in front of his face. He regained his balance without falling on his backside and shook his head. He opened his eyes and looked over the still crowd, who only quietly stared back at him.
“Your class…” The priestess said faintly, “Your class is Aberrant Knight, an elemental class?”
The crowd was in silence. This was only echoed by the priest and the shamans, followed by Ulgo Meatgrinder watching with a raised eyebrow. Ulgo Stonefist stepped forward and spoke quietly to the priest.
AVARICE ONLINE: KEL'VAN RED HAND Page 28