To either side was a worked stone wall, but instead of a roof up above, the walls framed a breathtaking star scape.
I grasped my chest, remembering my final moments before appearing here and found a gaping wound still quite evident in my chest. I reached up and felt my throat, gingerly touching the edges of the slash there as well. There was no pain, but having holes in me was going to be a bit distracting.
With a mental command I tried to summon my map.
*** Map unavailable ***
“Well, I guess we do it old school” I said and headed down the hallway. A minute or two later the corridor opened up into a large stone room. At the far end of the room was another large, worked wall; this one with a massive gate flanked by two massive jackal-headed statues.
As I left the corridor, the world shifted, and I saw I was no longer alone. Before me stretched a long line of translucent people, some showing obvious evidence of their cause of death on their spiritual flesh.
I ran my gaze down the line and saw people of all sorts. The majority seemed to be Saa, like myself, but the evidence of multiple other races showed that the afterlife wasn’t picky.
The gate was too far off to see many details, but as the line was moving at a decent pace, I decided to settle in and wait my turn.
Eventually I reached a point where I was able to get a better look at what was going on. Each spirit was brought before the twin statues where they paused for several seconds before moving on.
Most passed through the gates, but a few others moved away from the gate and into one of several side passages that led into the sides of the cavern that I hadn’t noticed until now.
I watched the spirits as I got closer and noticed a trend. Those sent down the side corridors tended to be those of non-human races. Pretty much universally, all elves, dwarves, dryads, Drahk’nari, and kreks were turned aside at the gate. The rest, mostly generic humans or Saa were admitted through the main gate, although I did spot several humans who joined the others in their trek elsewhere.
Eventually it was my turn and I walked forward to stand before the gate.
In my mind I heard the sound of two voices speaking in unison, “Kheph Sa’tep, Priest of the Saa. You may proceed.”
*** The Underworld of Sosaku Online exists in parallel to the physical realm. When a person dies, they are taken to the underworld area that corresponds to the physical location of where they fell. You were killed within the domain of the Saa Pantheon and were therefore brought to the entrance to the Land of the Dead. Only those who follow the gods of the Saa Pantheon may enter the Land of the Dead. All others are directed to the portals that will take them to the realms of their own gods where they may undergo the trials that might be required by their patrons.
NOTE: Respawning in lands not controlled by your native pantheon will take more time as you will need to first make your way to the correct afterlife before you will be able to return to the physical realm. ***
Reading through the system message, I stepped through the gates and into the Saa Pantheon’s version of the afterlife: The Land of the Dead.
The stone floor and walls disappeared in a flash and I found myself standing at the top of a deep crimson dune.
Above, the same breathtaking star scape filled the night sky and below was an endless sea of crimson sand, with the only other feature being a worn stone road that wound its way into the distance.
At the far end of the road I could almost make out something different, but it was unclear from my current position.
Ahead of me on the path, I saw the forms of other spirits, making their way along, much further than I expected them to be since they had entered the gate only a minute or two ahead of me.
Not knowing what else to do, I turned towards the path and took a step forward, almost losing my balance as the world blurred by.
I blinked, finding myself much farther down the path than a single step should have accounted for. A bit of info bubbled up from somewhere in my character memory answering my confusion.
Respawn time was based on your level, so travel through the afterlife to the respawn gate would be sped up to allow you to respawn at the right interval.
I continued on, enjoying the jumps after a while. Every so often I stopped to get my bearings, seeing how much closer I was to the glowing spot on the horizon. I was making good time and figured that at my current pace I’d likely reach the end of the road within ten minutes, give or take.
I brought up my system clock and saw that I had just under two hours left before I had to log out, which wasn’t going to be enough time to get anything substantial done once I respawned, so there was no real reason to rush.
I’d have enough time to let Kjara know I was back and get to my inn room to log out, but that was about it.
So I decided to explore and enjoy the scenery. The views were amazing. Someone had put a lot of effort into this zone, which was something in and of itself.
Most users wouldn’t even bother to enjoy the beauty of it, likely too butthurt from dying and focused on reaching the end of the road.
During one such sight-seeing break, I caught a glimpse of something in the distant dunes.
*** Perception check successful! Discerning Eye check successful! ***
Things came more into focus and my eyes were drawn to a spot in the distance, slowly making out what appeared to be the corner of a building of some sort peeking out from under the sand. I was intrigued.
Lining myself up to be facing directly towards the structure, I took a step forward. The world flashed by again and a quick glance revealed I was far from the road.
My eyes scanned over the dunes ahead and found the structure once again. Repeating the process twice more, I finally reached an area where I was able to walk normally towards my goal.
As I got closer, I spotted an opening leading into the buried structure. Keeping my eyes peeled, I carefully approached the entrance and wondered if I was the first player in the game to find this place and why there was something buried out in the middle of the Land of the Dead. Curiosity now fully piqued, I ducked through the entrance.
*** You have discovered the forgotten Temple of the Restless Dead! You gain 100xp! ***
Entering the temple, I smiled at the xp gain. Exploring new areas seemed to be on par xp wise with basic quests, which was great.
I had always liked exploring game worlds, looking for Easter eggs and obscure bugs that no one else noticed in the less traveled areas of the game.
There was no noticeable source of light within the temple, but I could still see, an apparent benefit of being a ghost, I guess. The main temple room was a long hall with lines of engraved columns leading to a raised altar.
A stone statue of Anpu, the jackal-headed Saa god of the Underworld stood behind the altar, his arms crossed in the classic Egyptian pose; but instead of the crook and flail he held a hammer and chisel.
To either side of the altar were statues of warriors of some sort. The carvings were exquisite, their weapons and scaled armor intricately detailed and almost lifelike in appearance.
I searched my character knowledge database and tried to recall anything that would explain the iconography but came up blank. Attempting to read the carvings on the pillars didn’t shed any light either.
I walked forward and studied the altar, seeing that it was decorated with the strange carvings as well, but instead of the prayer hieroglyphs my lore skills led me to expect, there were pictures of spirits bound by chains, reaching towards the statue of Anpu as if seeking help.
Behind the altar I could see that the base of the statue had several panels of hieroglyphics carved into it. I knelt down and brushed away some of the accumulated sand, revealing the carvings and allowing me to try and make sense of the writing.
*** Literacy (Saa) check (Bonus received from Lore (Saa Religion)) successful! ***
I started reading.
“
y those seeking power. The abominations formed of the once holy gifts of Anpu,
Some of the glyphs were not actual hieroglyphs but actual pictures of undead things. My character knowledge told me that undead were anathema to the Saa, and necromancy was punishable by an extremely painful death. The engravings continued.
“The spirits thus shackled cried out in torment, begging Anpu for release, and he
It all made a strange sort of sense. Apparently, necromancy in Sosaku online was one of the nastier versions that I had seen lore wise.
In some games undead were just magically animated meat suits. In some games they were completely magical constructs, not even needing a corpse to make.
This game was taking it to a pretty dark place; souls enslaved to animate their own dead bodies.
Yeah, I thought, necromancers are going to be on my hit list.
I gave the area another once over, the gamer in me searching for some sort of loot but finding nothing. Emptyhanded, I headed back towards the entrance to the temple, hoping I could find my way back to the road.
I said a small prayer to Anpu, wishing him luck in his venture to eradicate necromancy, and turned to go.
“Did you find what you were seeking Kheph Sa’tep?” a deep voice said behind me.
Startled, I jumped and turned to face the speaker, reaching for a spear that was not there.
Standing before the altar was a tall, well-built Saa man, clad in ceremonial armor. As I focused on the man, I could almost see the image of a jackal’s head superimposed over him, but as soon as I tried to look at it directly it was instantly gone.
I looked closer and noticed one very strange thing. Where his eyes should be were instead a sea of stars, and as I looked into them, I could feel myself becoming lost in their vastness.
He blinked and I was able to pull myself together, finally answering, but not quite sure how to address what I was pretty sure was some form of higher being.
“Yes, my lord?”, I began hesitantly, “I have learned more about this world and more about the foes I will likely face.”
A slight grin crossed his features as he continued, “This temple has been lost to your people for centuries. The art of necromancy has been driven from the empire and those who practiced this abomination killed."
"The deed was done, but the reason behind it was lost. My sworn priests all now rest in the afterlife, and the current church is more interested in their own power than in resurrecting old practices. Recently, I have even sensed a practitioner of the forbidden arts within the empire itself.”
I let my anger show, and replied, “I cannot speak for the rest of my race, but I won’t forget this and will share the knowledge with other priests that I run into, and rest assured, those seeking to bind the dead to their service won’t get a warm reception from me.”
He stared at me intensely, and I could feel his eyes piercing my soul.
“You are an unaligned priest, without a patron. I have gazed upon your soul and find you to be worthy and would offer my patronage.”
*** Anpu, God of Death and the Underworld, has offered to become your patron deity. ***
*** Notice: As a Priest, it is possible for you to choose a specific god from your pantheon to be your patron. Choice of a patron bestows additional benefits upon the priest, yet also comes with additional restrictions and responsibilities. Patronage can also grant additional quests and boons as your character progresses. ***
*** Do you accept Anpu as your patron deity? (Y/N) ***
I was intrigued, but with one character I didn't want to rush into anything without truly understanding what was involved.
“My Lord," I began, "what would you have me do? I am flattered by your offer but would not undertake such a responsibility without knowing what it entails.”
He smiled. “Good. It is not something lightly undertaken, and the fact that you asked instead of instantly saying yes was the first test. As my priest, you would be charged to free any enslaved souls that you encounter from their bonds, destroy any who have embraced undeath as a means to cheat death, and bring justice to those who practice the abomination of necromancy, wherever they dwell in this world.”
I nodded in understanding as he continued.
“In return for these duties, I will grant you access to knowledge, magic, and tools to aid you with your duties, as well as the ability to call upon my spiritual legion to aid you in your task.”
So in return for destroying all undead and necromancers, and freeing any trapped souls, I would get patron-specific abilities, spells, and knowledge. It seemed like a good trade, and was something that I was probably going to do anyhow now that I knew the game mechanics, so I was in.
“I agree”, I answered and selected yes.
I blinked as the god disappeared from near the altar and appeared right in front of me. He raised his hand and placed it on my forehead.
A feeling of warmth began to flow into my brain, quickly intensifying until it came close to being overwhelming.
My entire field of vision became filled with a bright light as the notifications began to scroll.
*** Congratulations! You have been accepted by Anpu, Saa god of Death and the Underworld! ***
*** Anpu is now your patron deity! ***
*** Class specialization 1 achieved! ***
*** You have learned a new general skill! Lore (Necromancy) (Rank 1)! ***
*** Your Lore (Saa Religion) skill has improved to Rank 3! ***
*** You have learned a new spell! Sever Bonds (Rank 1)! ***
*** You have learned a new spell! Summon Legionnaire (Rank 1)! ***
*** You have learned a new divine magic skill! Spectral Legion (Rank 1)! ***
*** You have learned a new divine magic skill! Exorcism (Rank 1)! ***
*** You have gained a new class skill – Child of the Underworld! ***
*** You have gained 10 Divine Favor! ***
*** You have gained the title – Acolyte! ***
The brightness faded and I found myself standing back on the road, a stone’s throw away from a swirling black portal. The wave of dizziness that usually accompanied such an influx of knowledge was absent, which was a nice boon and I hoped that it was a sign that the initial kinks in the interface were now a thing of the past.
“Return to the land of the living,” Anpu spoke into my mind, “journey to Sehkem and purge the city of the unclean.”
*** Quest Received: Tainted Roots. ***
*** Journey to the city of Sehkem and investigate the rumors of a necromancer in the area. Purge the city of undead and necromancers. ***
*** Rewards: Divine Favor, xp. ***
I brought up my character sheets and read through all the new additions, starting with my skill list.
Lore (Necromancy) (1)
You have been educated on the practice of necromancy and its effects upon the spirit world. This skill allows for the identification of the various forms of undead, and aids in the recognition of the regalia required for the necromantic arts.
Spectral Legion (1)
Anpu has granted you the right to call upon his spiritual legion to assist you in your tasks. The rank of this skill governs the number and power of your available allies.
Exorcism (1)
This skill allows you to expel a spirit from a physical host, sending the spirit immediately to the underworld and dispelling any bindings upon it.
I had gained a nice overall knowledge skill to help me identify my foes, as well as the ability to get rid of ghosts and possibly demons as well as access to an army of the dead. Nice!
Next, I examined the new spells, reading through their descriptions with growing excitement.
Sever Bon
ds (1)
Sever the bonds that animate an undead, freeing the bound spirit and allowing it to return to the underworld.
Summon Legionnaire (1)
Summon one of Anpu's spectral legion to accompany you in combat. The number and power of the legionnaire is governed by the rank of the Spectral Legionnaire skill.
Attention: This spell costs divine favor points instead of mana.
The spells were a great addition as well. There was a spell to dispel the undead and a summoning spell that went with the Spectral Legion skill. Both would come in handy, I thought.
I read the final part of the summon spell again and then quickly looked up my divine favor pool in my character sheet. I had eleven points, ten of which I had gained when Anpu became my patron.
Focused on the pool provided some additional information.
Divine Favor: As a member of the priest class, you are a servant of the gods. When you perform actions in line with the tenets of your faith you will gain Divine Favor points. This pool is reflective of the god’s willingness to grant you aid. This pool can be spent on specific class abilities, spells, or even to attempts to perform miracles.
WARNING: Divine Favor can be lost by acting counter to the tenets of your faith.
It made sense that the ability to call on Anpu’s legion of spirits wouldn’t be something I could do willy-nilly, so tying the ability to a specific pool was a great way to ensure it wasnt abused.
Last but not least was my new class skill.
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