by M. Coulray
Before we left, I checked out the result of my quest.
[You have successfully become a member of the village of Goddess Watch. Quest Complete.]
As you did not use any specific skill to become Named, you are granted four skill points to be used as you wish.
As you finished the quest creatively, you are granted two additional skill points.
You have been granted the title Teacher.
As you have been granted the title Teacher, you are eligible to learn the skill Skill Instruction. You may learn this skill now or at your next level up, for the cost of two skill points.
I immediately purchased Skill Instruction.
[Skill: Skill Instruction 1]
This skill allows the user to train others to use any skill he or she knows. The limit of the learned skill varies with the level of Skill Instruction. The instructor may never teach a skill to higher level than his or her own skill level minus one, regardless of Skill Instruction level. Instruction time will vary with the individual learning and the instructor’s skill level, both in the skill being taught and in Skill Instruction.
Level 1 Effects: Skills may be taught to a maximum of one half the instructor’s skill: minimum level 1. Teaching speed: slow.
The rest of my day was filled with excitement. The children of Goddess Watch were finally permitted to approach me and speak with me. They were smaller and more lithe, but already I believed they would be a match for a grown man in any test of strength. They seemed to love to touch my skin, feeling it give under the pressure of their fingers. I felt terrible that I was unable to remember their titles, though. My human mind was much more geared to names than things like “son of the first clutch of Nees” and the like.
Reath had me cooking the moment Votess let him. The server from the evening before watched intently, and I waved him closer.
“I am Denel, teacher. Do you want to learn how to do this?”
“I am Jin, butcher and foodcrafter. I will learn to cook, if you will have me as apprentice.”
I nodded to Jin, and tried to ignore Reath almost salivating beside me. I directed Jin to cut the meat thinner here, and to change the direction of the cut there. I cooked my own dinner and set it aside, then worked with Jin to have him replicate the mixed meat dish. We burned some meat and wound up throwing it away, but after a while, Jin had produced a passable product..
Reath gulped it down. “Delicious! But I don’t feel any stronger…”
I checked my prompts. There was nothing about successfully teaching Jin the skill, but I had earned some skill-specific experience in Skill Instruction. “This is an art that takes time to learn. I will leave my cooking gear here with you, Jin. Practice what I taught you.”
Jin nodded and immediately set to cooking more meat. The other lizard folk crowded Reath out and I retreated, leaving him to figure out what he was doing. I’d check on him later.
While I at my food, Votess spent her time telling everyone around about my death and return. What amazed me was the fact that none of the people I met had anything but acceptance and friendship in their words and actions.
“Votess, how many other Scaleless have been Named?”
“None,” she said instantly. “You are the first.”
“So why is everyone accepting me so easily?”
Votess looked at me like I was a fool. “You were not born one of the people, but you died to become one. Why would they not accept you in their hearts?”
The lizard folk’s logic flew in the face of my natural suspicion, and I vowed not to betray them in any way. I’d prove myself to be worth trusting.
I still had four points to put in my skills. Something twigged my memory, and I pulled up my Barrier Magic skill. The spell modifier talent Ablative Barriers stood out as a possible choice to learn.
[Ablative Barriers]
This spell modifier is chosen at cast time.
A barrier cast as Ablative will not add DEF. Instead, for every point of Ablative Barriers allocated, it will create a layer of defence that will block a single attack of any magnitude, then disappear.
That sounded useful as hell! My barrier had stopped those arrows fairly well, but if they had been more powerful, they might have pierced through. It was like a single use absolute defence. I was about to put a point into the talent, but then I held back. If I spread my points too far, I would be a wide but shallow person. I preferred to deepen my skills, at least for now. I sank another point into Barrier Magic.
Skill: Barrier Magic 3]
This skill enables the casting of barrier magic.
Bonuses: 10 Mana per level. There may be spell specific bonuses.
You have unlocked a spell modifier talent: Ablative Barriers. Do you wish to learn Ablative Barriers for the cost of one skill point?
You have unlocked a spell modifier talent: Channelled Barriers. Do you wish to learn Channeled Barriers for the cost of one skill point?
You have unlocked a new spell: Mana Barrier. Do you wish to learn Mana Barrier for the cost of one skill point?
[Derived Attributes adjusted]
Mana increased from 160 to 170 (Base 100 + 10 points/level + 10 points/level of highest Magic skill x 1.0 Intelligence bonus multiplier)
I blinked. Another spell talent! I opened it up.
[Channelled barriers]
This spell modifier is permanent.
Channeled barriers reserve the mana cost against the caster’s total mana. In exchange, the caster may create as many barriers as he or she can support with the mana cost.
I smashed that Learn Talent option as hard as I could. Channeled Barriers didn’t have a talent ranking, as it was a permanent modification. A grin crossed my face.
“Denel? Are you angered?”
I looked at Votess. “The opposite, actually. Why?”
She gestured to my face. “You are showing your teeth in such a fashion.”
I closed my mouth with some difficulty. “Sorry! My kind call that a ‘smile’ and it means we’re happy.”
“Ah. What has made you happy?”
I whispered the command to shield Votess, then checked my mana.
[Mana: 98/170 (72 reserved: Channeled Physical Barrier x1)]
With my new level of Barrier Magic skill, I’d increased the max mana I could spend on Physical Barrier to 72, for a total of 8 DEF. I then cast the spell again, this time on myself.
[Mana: 26/170 (144 reserved: Channeled Physical Barrier x2)]
“I can cast the barrier spell on two people now,” I said with glee. “We can both be protected, or I can protect two others. I’l be able to do more as I gain more mana.”
Votess nodded her head. “This will help us in battle, but do you wish to fight? You are a teacher, not a warrior, and by your own words, your fighting skills are poor.”
She had a good point. I threw my two remaining points into Knife Fighting. It stung but I needed to be able to defend myself.
[Knife Fighting: 3]
Skill with short blades such as daggers.
I was a little disappointed that I did’t unlock any talents there, but still, Votess was right. I was a decent support but as soon as I had to fight on my own I was dead meat. With the level difference between us, I needed every edge I could get.
Tomorrow I’d speak to the alchemists. For the rest of the evening, I enjoyed the company of my new friends and put aside thoughts of what was to come.
16
It turned out that alchemy, as practiced by the people, was not a very refined art. The alchemists were more skilled than I was, and knew more recipes, but there was no usage of any of the tools of the skill beyond a mortar and pestle.
I hauled my own alchemy gear out of my inventory and set it up in the hall of the alchemists. Of the three of them, I knew two already: Krees and Telix. The third was named Trak and she was much younger than the wise ones.
“What is all this?” asked Krees.
“This equipment is what I use for alchemy. Usin
g it I can refine a mixture to increase its potency, or remove side effects, or otherwise alter it to suit my needs.”
“Show us.”
There was a problem, however. I only knew two recipes: Weak Healing Potion and Weak Mana Potion. I had the ingredients for neither, and said as much to my audience.
“What about one of our mixtures? We have the ingredients here to create a draught to enhance healing,” said Trak.
“That was what I forced you to drink,” said Votess. I remembered the thick, strange tasting liquid that had left me slightly lightheaded.
“Can you tell me about it?”
Krees huffed out a breath. “For many years, we have attempted to regain control of the temple. Our history tells us that within it is the body of the Goddess, and so, we will fight to the end. But the poison mist blocks us at every turn. This mixture is an attempt to bolster our healing to overcome the effects of the poison, but it is unsuccessful.”
“Can you improve it?” Trak sounded as if she didn’t dare hope.
“Let’s try it.”
The healing enhancement potion turned out to use the venom from the Degenerated Lizardman and ground scales from a bottom feeding fish local to the swamps. The wise ones created it by grinding the scales to powder, then adding it in small measure to the venom. They stored it in small bladders made of the stomachs of rodents. I shuddered a little at the thought.
“All right. Let’s see what this can do.”
[Flawed Regeneration Enhancement Potion]
Ingredients: Bottomfish Scales, Degenerated Lizardman Venom
Effect: Increased natural regeneration by 50% for five minutes. Adds a regeneration effect to any imbiber that lacks it.
Side effects: -1 Intelligence for duration of effect.
I could work with this. I took the ingredients and prepared them in the manner that Krees showed me, then started working with my own equipment. When presented with the option to alter the potion, I chose to remove the side effect. My Alchemy skill of 1 didn’t allow me to further enhance the recipe, but I was successful in creating a new potion.
[Weak Regeneration Enhancement Potion (Altered)]
Ingredients: Bottomfish Scales, Degenerated Lizardman Venom
Effect: Increased natural regeneration by 50% for five minutes. Adds a regeneration effect to any imbiber that lacks it. Requires Alchemist Equipment to create.
“Finished,” I said to the assembled alchemists. I decanted the potion into one of the empty vials from the bandolier I’d seized, then held it up to the ghost light to examine it.
“It does not look the same,” said Trek. “It is too clear.”
“Denel changed something,” said Krees. “His alchemy is different from ours.”
“I removed the side effect that clouded the mind. The ingredients didn’t change, so it’s a net improvement.”
“I will test it,” said Votess. She slashed her palm open with her talons, leaving a deep, oozing wound, then downed the refined potion I’d created. We all watched her closely.
“The healing effect is as potent as ever,” said Telix as the wound closed on Votess’ hand.
“My mind is unchanged,” said Votess.
The three alchemists chattered excitedly amongst each other, then turned to me. It was strange seeing Telix and Krees in such a casual situation, after dealing with them exclusively as village elders. The two of them turned to me.
“However, it is still not enough. The mists in the temple utterly halt all natural healing. We require something more powerful still.”
“Can you create new mixtures using the plants and animals of the swamps?”
That was a good question. “I think so, but it will take some experimenting. I’ll probably wind up wasting a lot of materials, so it’s best if I don’t use anything rare or expensive. Oh, but I did see some plants of interest near the temple. Do you mind if I take a closer look at them?”
At the temple, I drew up close to one of the plants that had caught my eye earlier. It was a moss that grew only on the woody stem of a specific plant. Each plant bore only a small amount of the moss, and it was devilishly hard to remove without contaminating it with the plant’s own juices. The other plant was a tiny white flower that grew like a carpet in the shelter of the roots of trees. It was much easier to gather. When I finally got a sample of both, I checked the AR HUD to see what it could tell me.
[Mana-Imbued Moss]
This moss grows only where mana leaks from the earth. It may be used as an ingredient to restore mana, or bolster maximum mana.
Side effects: Vomiting and cramps.
[Swamp Shadeflower]
This flower grows in sheltered areas of the swamp. It may be used as an ingredient to resist poisons.
Side effects: None.
The moss was interesting. I might be able to substitute it in my mana recovery potion. What really caught my eye was the swamp shadeflower. Hopefully I could use it to work with the venom of the Degenerated Lizardmen to create some kind of poison resistance potion.
Working with my alchemy set, I attempted to create a new potion, but my skill level meant that my chance of success was vanishingly small. There was nothing else I could do but use my last skill point to increase my alchemy skill, bringing it up to two. Nothing appeared in the skill description, but hopefully it would show results in my experiments.
Telix, Krees and Trak watched me use their precious venom with nervous expressions. Nervous sweat poured down my back; I knew exactly what getting this stuff required. I had to head back to the temple to collect more shadeflower at one point.
In the end, I failed utterly. I used up the entire supply of venom and a lot of flowers, and I had created… nothing useful. However, I had gained almost 75% of a level of alchemy experience.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t successful.” My first attempt had been less than inspiring.
However, the three alchemists weren’t put off. “We shall continue later,” said Krees. “This equipment of yours is very interesting. Please instruct us in its use.”
I spent some time explaining to the trio about the various pieces of equipment and their use. As they were all more skilled in alchemy than I was, I gained nothing towards my Skill Instruction, but I hoped they would be more successful than I had been.
Obviously, the alchemists knew the use of the shadeflower and the mana-imbued moss, but without any more advanced equipment, their ability to develop potions would have been severely limited. With my gear, even if it was entry level, they should be able to come up with much more impressive concoctions.
I’d spent most of the morning working with the alchemists. My next stop was the boneforgers, and there my only goal was to learn about their art for my own interest. It turned out that boneforging was used for all kinds of things. The weapons the swamp folk wielded were all boneforged, usually from ribs and other longer, narrower bones. As they all bore vicious talons, the residents of Goddess Watch mostly used spears as a means of increasing their reach.
“What about armour?” I asked the master boneforger, a female named Tesma. She was actually the younger sister of Telix.
“Difficult to make useful,” she replied. “Unnecessary on the back, and troublesome on the front.”
Votess ran her arms through a series of rotations. I saw how their shoulder joints differed from humans, with the arm moved farther forward than mine. It would be challenging to equip any meaningful armour on the front of their bodies without impeding their range of motion.
“I understand now, sorry. May I watch you work?”
Tesma grunted, which I took to mean yes. She picked up a long, white bone that curved slightly. “This will become a knife for Jin, butcher and foodcrafter.”
“I have met Jin.”
Tesma tilted the bone up at eye level, looking down its long axis, then held it in both hands. Mana gathered at her hands and suffused the bone with a faint blue glow, and then she bent it until its curve was more uniform. Then, sti
ll infusing the bone with mana, she drew her claws down one side and then the other, forming the edge of the blade. Once it met her standards, she closed her eyes and concentrated. The mana in her hands brightened for a moment, then faded away. The bone knife was left in the shape she’d made it. She handed it to me.
“Wow.” I pulled out my enchanted dagger Excruciator and compared the two. The boneforged blade was, if anything, even harder than the steel of my blade, and every bit as sharp. I handed it back to Tesma. “Your art is amazing.”
She grunted again. “Boneforging is versatile. Makes tools, weapons, anything we need.” She waved her hands out in a wide arc. “Swamp gives us the material. We make use of it. You need a real weapon,” she added.
“Oh, I’m good, thanks. I don’t want to—”
“Quiet.” Tesma took my hands in hers, moving my fingers through various positions. “Too different from us to use one of our blades. Hilt would be uncomfortable.” She selected a bone that looked like a femur and eyed it appraisingly. “This is good.”
Over the next half hour, Tesma worked on the wider end of the bone she’d selected. She made tiny changes then had me hold it, noting where my hands rode and how I grasped it. When she made her final adjustment, she handed me the bone again. “How does this feel?”
I held the bone in my hand. It had been shaped so perfectly that it felt like it had been molded just for me. “It’s incredible,” I said.
“Good.” She took it back and went to work on the blade. In a few minutes, she handed it back to me. “How is this?”
The resulting knife was perfect for me. Its balance was excellent and its edge was as sharp as that of my enchanted steel dagger.