by Matthew Kent
“I was surprised. Psysoft worked with EPARD, and they determined that I would need a higher level character to both guard your back and provide support. When I logged on, the system helped me design the character,” Anna said.
I sighed. I assumed that by giving her a character of higher level she would have missed out on the chances for bonus characteristics.
“Can I see your character sheet? It would be a good idea to know your capabilities.”
“Yeah, just give me a second.” Anna pulled up her character sheet to show me.
Name: Synon Race: Human Class: Holy Fusilier Level: 30
Height: 5’ 9” Weight: 162 lbs Eyes: Blue Hair: Blond
Statistics:
40-Strength - carry 400 pounds and 8% damage to weapons damage and energy regeneration
30-Agility - 3% increase weapon skill and avoid damage
40-Endurance – 400 HP to base HP and 4% to base energy pool
25-Intelligence - 250 to base mana pool and 4.5% spell damage
40-Wisdom - 4% recovery base mana regeneration rate
21-Charisma - 4.2% increase in favor-ability from NPCs
15-Luck - 3% increase to all positive rolls or negative rolls
Mana Pool: 440
Hit Points: 640
Energy Points: 340
Spells:
Protection from Evil
Heat/Cool Metal
Holy Smite
Holy Weapon
Cure Light Wound
Cure Moderate wound
Cure Critical Wound
Heal
Prayer
Mass Heal
Blessing
Resurrection
Known Skills:
None
Martial Skills:
Thrown Weapons: Master
Bows: Apprentice
Swords: Apprentice
Exotic Weapons: Master
Pole Arms: Journeyman
Unarmed Combat: Grand Master
Dodge: Master
Firearms: Grand Master
Shields: Master
Maces: Journeyman
It shocked me; our stats were fairly close even for her level differences. “Oh, so this looks like it has you set as a support player. But what is a Holy Fusilier?”
“The AI said it was an old class from the original build. A hybrid? I guess.”
I nodded.
“And?”
“I chose it for my natural weapon skills. It allows me to use a fusil, which is a firearm. It will allow me to strike at targets at range then back up with healing.”
“What's a fusil?” I asked.
She pulled out a flintlock-type musket and handed it to me. It wasn’t like any I had seen before. The barrel was thin, almost dainty. The stock was also thin, almost stylized. I checked the barrel and found that though it was rifled, it had shallow grooves. I assumed it would work based on the game mechanics, but I thought it might be a dangerous weapon to use. Then I saw that this was a grey item. No stat bonuses, no magic to it, just a basic item. I examined the rest of her equipment. All grey items.
“Well, it looks like the first thing we have to do is get you kitted out with better gear. You can help me do that.”
“What?”
“Your gear, it’s crap,” I said looking her in the eyes. “If we go dungeon diving and fighting undead, you will need better equipment.”
“Aye, lad, she will,” I heard a voice I didn’t know say.
I turned to him and saw Morner. I could tell it was him because he wore Peace and Tranquility on him. The handles looked fantastic against his black armor.
“You know she is the highest leveled player here?” he said.
“No.”
“She may even be the highest leveled player in the game.”
I looked at her with new eyes. Psysoft might be willing to cooperate, but I guessed only so far.
“Right, so we get her geared up. New armor, new weapons,” I said, but I didn’t know about the fusil. I kind of know how to make a flintlock musket, but I’ve never done it, much less forged a barrel.”
“Jamie may have an idea or two on that,” Morner said, “but it will all depend on what the guild gets out of it.”
I could see his point. They would be risking themselves, and we were on a deadline. We had already burned most of one day getting gear. We had eight more before the first people would theoretically die. No pressure, right?
“I’ll let you work that out with her and them,” I said. “I’ll get started on weapons, armor, and shield.”
“James,” Anna hissed. I guess I should think of her as Synon.
“In here, I’m Lorcan, Synon,” I said and headed over to the forge to bang on metal.
X - X - X
I’m not sure when I decided not use the best of the rare materials on her weapons and armor. With her levels, I thought it would be a waste where other players could use the stats to help them level. Still while I didn’t use star steel, I used the crucible steel I had discovered.
Even then, her mace was a fantastic weapon.
Crucible Steel Mace. Quality: A. +10 Wisdom. +5 Strength.
+5 Holy Damage, Scalable.
Holy Weapon
Chance undead will be resurrected to living.
I finished laying out her weapons and armor, each piece I’d crafted. The shield was a medium kite shield—it weighed in at fifteen pounds. It was made of steel and leather with oak reinforcing.
Crucible Steel Medium Kite Shield. Quality: A. +10 Intelligence. +5 Wisdom.
Protection from evil: 15-foot radius.
Blessing
Steel Chain Shirt. Quality: B. +10 Intelligence.
Protection from Normal Missile
Crucible Steel Pauldrons. Quality: A. +10 Intelligence. +5 Wisdom.
Leather Boots of Intelligence. Quality: A. +10 Intelligence. +5 Wisdom.
The equipment would give Synon a huge boost to her Intelligence, which would give her a huge mana pool. The problem though, was that since she hadn’t grown into her character, she wouldn’t have the real skills it took to be a healer. From what I understood, healing a party was a specific skill set that not everyone had. I bundled up the gear and headed over to where I saw Morner and Synon sitting. They were seated in an open area with a tarp over it, at a table surrounded by benches. There was a pitcher and glasses between them, and it looked like they still haggled.
“Ah, Lorcan,” Morner said as I walked up. “Let’s see what you have for her.”
I handed over the bundle, and Morner laid the pieces down on the table.
“Very respectable gear,” he said as he held up the mace and examined it.
It was thirty inches long with a spiked metal ball on the end. The mace had been designed originally to wreck plate armor. The mace I had provided would definitely wreck armor—and the player underneath it.
“I think with that, you are ready for the dungeon. I’ve arranged for a team for you,” Morner said.
“Which group?” we both asked him.
“BarbieQ’s Angels,” he said. “They are one of the best we have. And they have room for two more in their party.” He pointed a finger at Synon. “You are to learn how to heal from them and follow their orders.”
“Do you think I can’t play a game?” she said indignantly.
“Game, yes. But this isn’t a game for most of these players, and their lives are on the line. The most important thing to remember is you don’t know jack about anything, and even though you have levels, you have no skills. You must learn it.”
I nodded and agreed with what he had to say.
“What about him?” Synon said, pointing at me.
“Me?” I asked with a squeak. “Well, I have to learn how to play in a party too. I’m still low level for the Angels. And while I may know my abilities better, I still have to get them to a high standard in combat with a group.”
“A fair assessment,” Morner stated. “And you still don’t
know enough, but you can learn. Sit down, have a drink, and we’ll get you settled with the Angels.”
X - X - X
The Angels turned out to be a team of five players whose names were all angels in Catholicism.
“In a strange way, they are fighting for their own beliefs,” Morner said as he told me about them. “They were all friends and military chaplains. Mikail served with me in the sandbox. Harut and Samael were navy, Tekadan was in the marines, and Appolyon was air force.”
I nodded.
“So they are religious, and I’m assuming Catholic?” I asked.
“Hell, I don’t know what they are. But each was medically retired or left the military. In Mikail’s case, I know he was medically retired and awarded the purple heart with palm, a bronze star, and a silver star for Saudi Arabia.”
“Why isn’t he in a church somewhere?” Anna asked.
“There’re few churches anymore,” Morner answered, then took a drink from a glass. “He told me he was only here to earn the money to build his dream.”
“His dream?” I asked.
“Yeah, he said that as he lay in the desert, an angel appeared to him and told him he would be instrumental in building the church of all faiths.” Morner shrugged, then leaned forward. “Since then, he has come here, and all of them have fought together.”
What could I say to that, we might have God on our side?
“Good men. Trust them and do what Mikail tells you.”
“What about BarbieQ?” Anna asked.
“She’s no angel, that's for sure. More like a devil in a red dress, but she has worked with them for a long time. Together they got the fastest time in the Casteel Run. Just don’t piss her off, and you will be fine.”
X - X - X
“You’re the artisan,” Mikail said as he offered me his hand.
“Yeah,” I said as we shook.
He squeezed my hand like a vice, and I squeezed back just enough to let him know I wouldn’t yield. He nodded then and looked at Synon. I swallowed. He had the eyes of a predator.
“You ready?” he asked her.
“Yeah, where are we headed?”
“The Sanctum of Gruesome Ruin," Mikail said. “The bad part is that we need an opposing force, since it's a PVP dungeon.”
“That will not be so easy to do,” I heard BarbieQ say as she walked up to the table.
“Is there a guild we can challenge?” I asked.
“Not one we can trust not to screw us over. But we got a message about you, Lorcan. It seems you’ve been making friends again,” She said.
I looked at her inquiringly. I didn’t know of a guild I had been in touch with enough to get them stirred up over me.
Oh.
I sighed. “On my way here I was jumped by three of Goon legion one of them was a PVP jerk I’d been having problems with.”
“Go on,” Morner said as he eyed me.
“They caught me as I was riding here and knocked me off my horse. There really wasn’t much to tell. Bruce, the player I’d been having problems with, was forced to accept a challenge from me. If I won, he would leave me the hell alone. If he won, I would make him a weapon.” I shrugged.
“Well, they were asking about you. You impressed his guild mates when you defeated Bruce. By the way—he isn’t in Goon Legion anymore.”
“Oh,” I said and felt the guild members’ eyes on me. I could feel myself flushing in embarrassment.
“They would like a matchup between you and another warrior. Someone competent, as they put it.”
I looked at Morner.
“Would they be willing to face us in the Sanctum of Gruesome Ruin?” I asked.
“Probably,” Mikail, BarbieQ, and Morner all said at the same time.
Chapter 8
Alexi was startled when she noticed the deep shadows move fifty feet away from her. That was when she heard the first voice.
“Master sends word,” a voice rumbled, as if from a long forgotten grave, as two forms came together in the darkness.
Alexi had been caught by the darkness as she hunted alchemical components in the deep woods out west of Stirbridge. She had intended to log out after climbing a tree, but then she had heard rustling in the woods and decided to wait. She caught a glimpse of one form, nearly shapeless, but she stayed to watch as she saw two red glowing orbs where its eyes should be.
“All hail the master,” the second form said, its own baleful orbs glowing in the darkness.
“Tonight, we destroy Stirbridge and begin to move on the dungeon. Master says to take the travelers alive. They can join us in undeath after we gather the first piece of the bridge.”
“The master is wise,” the second form said.
Alexi sat hiding in the tree, attempting to fade into the darkness. She waited as long as she dared before she logged out. She knew that by letting some of the players she knew, know an event was going to happen in Stirbridge, she would be able to make some real coin. Good players paid for hot tips.
X - X - X
The Angels were kitted out with newer weapons. Mikail took one of the star steel sword I’d made.
Star Steel Bastard Sword. Quality: AA. +20 Strength. +5 Constitution.
+5 Holy Damage, Scalable.
Holy Weapon
Protection from Undead
Chance undead will be resurrected to living.
As the cleric and healer of the party, Samael was gifted a mace.
Star Steel Mace. Quality: AA. +20 Wisdom. +10 Strength.
+15 Holy Damage, Scalable.
Holy Weapon
Protection from Undead
Chance undead will be resurrected to living.
The last one I had weapons for was Tekadan the rogue. He received some of the finest daggers I had ever made. Well, in-game. Real life I had made better for the Prussian museum for their Middle Ages display.
Matched Star Steel Kukri. Quality: AA. +15 Agility. +10 Strength.
+5 Holy Damage, Scalable
Holy Weapon
Chance undead will be resurrected to living.
They had all been breathless when they saw them. I had to remember these were not your normal priests. Tekadan’s comment stuck in my mind.
“Fuck me sideways,” he said as he examined the daggers. “With these I can send a hell of a lot of souls to heaven.”
I had never thought of it. Did NPCs have souls? Why would I wonder this, you ask? Well, each NPC was unique, set up with special algorithms to make them each one of a kind. If an NPC died they would eventually be replaced, but it wouldn’t be the same NPC. I’d have to ponder that thought when I had more time. Looking at the Angels, I wondered if they had had a theological discussion on this at some point.
We were as ready as we could be as we rode out to the dungeon.
Group Chat: Mikail: We will be riding over to Stirbridge. It should take us about an hour or so. Stay together, and we will try to avoid the town.
Group Chat: Synon: Why are we avoiding the town?
Group Chat: BarbueQ: Its a noobie town. People always want you to help, and from experience these guys just can’t say no.
Group Chat: Mikail: We just want to avoid complications.
Group Chat: Appolyon: By complications, he means that we don’t want to be followed around by noobs thinking they will kill-steal us and cause mischief.
Group Chat: Mikail: Pretty much. Lorcan you are an artisan in real life?
Group Chat: Lorcan: Yes, I work in most materials, but I’m trying to focus on three or four media.
From Mikail: Would you mind talking with me about stained glass? I have questions about what to use for a project.
For the next hour we rode as we rode we discussed stained glass, its merits and limitations, and generally used up our time on the ride. It felt good discussing something I knew something about.
The dungeon was south west of the keep, near a forest with low hills around the town called Stirbridge.
“The Sanctum of Gr
uesome Ruin is one of those dungeons that does not make sense.” Tekadan said.
“How so?” I asked.
“It’s located in a temperate zone, but its inside radiates cold through the natural stone floors and walls. I’ve only been in it the one time. I don’t know how they do it, but the place stinks worse than a dessert battlefield at noon,” Mikail said. He had a strong baritone voice full of life and compassion. His sermons must have been fantastic.
Group Chat: Tekadan: We have movement half mile out along the trail.