Goddess Almira presides over all life in her domain. All those who live on her lands know her blessing. The system has been a part of everyday life from the day someone is born until they die and rejoin the cycle.
From the ages of six-eight, a child gains their first apprentice-level job, where they spend the next eight to ten years training skills and abilities until they can take the trial of Almira and gain access to their first class.
Upon gaining a class, the young adult attends a local dungeoneer academy where they learn what they can to challenge the various dungeons worldwide. As one gain in power, they can challenge tougher dungeons, all to gain strength and protect their kingdoms.
The story begins with a young man with blond hair as light as fields of gold and deep lavender eyes. His hair, cut short, fluttered backward, and the wind brushed against it. In his hands was a flute which was currently playing a melodious tune.
The young man was alone and at peace as he did his morning praactice. In two hours, it would be his turn. He would need to take the trail of Almira and receive his main class. The goddess had sensed a talent for magic at a young age and had granted him the musician class. His training was built around building up his mana pool and raising his mental stats to prepare for the obvious next step and becoming a bard.
“Tearis! Oi! Whatcha doin’ moping round here!” A tall man with blue hair and a large build ran towards him.
“Ah Backster! What in the hells are you doing stalking me.” Tearis stood clamping a hand on his tall friend’s elbow. Not quite able to reach the young man’s shoulder.
“Do ya think me wanna dem innocent lads and lassies that follow you about in the tavern?”
“No. Their attention I welcome. Yours…” Tearis wobbled his hand.
“Enough bluster! Must be nervous.”
“Of course I am. While rare one in a hundred die during these trials. Isn’t that why you’re running so early in the morning?”
“Ah. Guess I’m not the subtle type. While I’m strong, I’m not much for fighting or magic. I’m just a blacksmith apprentice. The most I have going for me is my ability to make half decent weapons and armor.”
“Backster. Shush. You’re the smartest dunce I know. You can do this!” Tearis pat his friend on the shoulder a few more times.
“Thanks…Wait a minute!” Backster swatted his friend away.
“See. You’re smart. Use your head for more than a weapon and you should make it out alive.”
“Uh huh. And your mouth is too fast for your brain.”
“Not wrong there.” Tearis ran a hand through his hair as he sighed.
“Let’s go. The walk is around forty five minutes and I can assume you haven’t had breakfast,” Backster stated.
Tearis squinted. “Benella sent you, didn’t she?”
“Yes, your mother called for you.” Backster sighed.
“Step. And hardly that. What does she even care?” Tearis scowled.
Backster didn’t respond instantly. “I understand that you and your stepmother don’t get along. But her care is genuine.”
“Right. I don’t have an appetite.” Tearis rolled his eyes.
Backster smirked as he raised both arms and flexed. “Then let me lighten your burden and eat it for you.”
Tearis sighed, “Then you’ll eat for two. You need all the brain food you can get.”
“Least my intelligence is higher than yours.”
Tearis slumped. “By two points.”
“Well at least I’m in the double digits.”
“It isn’t easy training intelligence.”
“Uh huh. I highly doubt that you’ve tried mister.”
“I can read just fine and it isn’t like I need it for anything.”
“Bards don’t need intelligence.”
“Did you ever consider the fact that you may not become a bard?” Backster crossed his arms.
“No.” Tearis had not considered that and decided not to lie.
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“We both know that mental stats are mostly inborn, rising rapidly between 2-7 and then stopping as they reach the ten threshold. A human adult without class levels tends to have an intelligence between eight and ten. If anything I’m above average.”
“Then I’m a genius. Thanks for the compliment.”
Tearis mumbled. “Maybe I need that brain food.” Playing a tune on his flute away as he followed his friend to the inn that was his home.
“Now now. Don’t go getting hasty.” Backster attempted to take back his jab.
Tearis shot his best friend a look as they traveled toward the inn.
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Benella was an average woman with a brown ponytail and plain features. However, her manner was not exemplary, nor did she have any traits that called for attention aside from cooking. Nevertheless, the tavern had morning customers mainly because of the cooking.
Backster had been eating lunch here most of his life. Back then, Tearis’s mother played for the patrons. His aunt cooked, and his father mostly worked the bar.
Benella placed two large plates of food on the table. “Enjoy.”
“Thank you.” Backster said.
Tearis nodded before saying a quick prayer.
Benella nodded and left, an unsettling smile on her face.
Combined, the duo ate a hearty breakfast at the tavern and inn before heading off on their journey toward the trail dungeon.
Well-fed bonus: Skill gain increased by 10%, and Stat gain increased by 10%. Mental stats improved by 20%. Duration: 2 hours.
“Looks like the buff is in place. Are you sure you don’t want to say goodbye?” The blue-haired titan looked down at Tearis.
“No. I have no relation to her. Why do you keep bringing this up?” Tearis scowled as he kept walking.
“Because it’s been four years since you’ve started living with her.”
“...You know the gist. My mother passed away five years ago. A month later a new lady shows up and marries my father. Seven months after that I got a little half-sister, and the following month my father disappeared without so much as a letter. We were all burned by those actions and I know when I’m not wanted. I’m surprised she let me stay at the inn. This whole situation is fishy to me.”
“Ugg…Fine. Let’s change the subject. Think we’ll be in the same classes?”
“I bet you’ll be one of those warrior types with that build.”
“And you’ll probably come out with one of those jester classes. Or even a dashing rogue.”
“Would be nice if we could do this in a group. My job is built for support.”
“Would make things too easy.” Backster sighed.
Tearis and Backster arrived at the temple where they would do their trial.
An elderly woman stood near the entrance to the dungeon. Over her body were vestments of Almira, marking her as an Arch Cleric. Various people aged 14-19 gathered today to go through this year’s trial.
As the last group arrived and settled, the older woman spoke. “The goddess of knowledge has been waiting for all of you to arrive. Many of you have come for power, others prestige, and fewer patriotism. That matters not however, the rules are simple. Enter the portal one at a time and do the best you can to complete your trial. Those who come back with a class will be expected to enroll into the academy. Those who make it back alive and classless will pursue their jobs and live out a life of mediocrity. Very few of you will die in there, to those who do, you have my prayers. Now that I’m done, go forth and concur this dungeon.” The elderly cleric tapped a heavy foot on the ground, and the others started moving.
The dungeon’s entrance began to glow a solid white as mana pulsed out of it.
“See you soon, Backster.”
“Aye. Someone’s going to need to sing my story after all.” Backster gave his friend a fistbump as he stepped through the white doorway.
Tearis followed suit a minute later. His instrument readied and determination on his face. Thus began his trial.
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The room Tearis had been brought to was one from one of his oldest conscious memories. He was young. Somewhere between four and five when it happened. It was a traumatic memory, so he was cynical with most people.
“You have four hours to complete the Trial of Almira.”
A few older kids had come in contact with a stray mutt and, in their innate cruelty, had decided to try killing it for the experience.
Domesticated breeds do not grant experience before reaching full maturity or the help of someone with a taming-based class. Something taught in the local public schools to prevent incidents like this. It was true. Those kids hadn’t gained experience from doing that. Nor did they when the beast eventually died.
Tearis hadn’t run in and helped like a hero. Those kids were much bigger than him. He didn’t call for help, for at that moment, he had frozen by fear. It was the first time he saw a living creature die before him.
The scene played out with a guard hearing the whimpers and howls and investigating the scene. The older kids were not heavily punished outside of fines. Last he heard of them. One died of a drug overdose before his trial. Another died during a dungeon exposition due to insubordination. The third became a bandit briefly before gaining a bounty and facing a public execution for assaulting a noble. The remainder of that group didn’t amount to much, taking up positions of mundane nature.
Tearis didn’t care much, but it was the fate of those people. But he had made it his prerogative to keep track of people who missed levels of empathy. Those people could be dangerous if met in an alleyway.
The scene froze a few minutes before the dog died. The bullies were frozen in time and at his disposal. Taking a step forward, Tearis walked over to the dog and looked down.
Three of four of its legs were bent wrong as various gashes littered its body. Its jaw, long since broken, and the amount of blood already pooling under it. Taking it to a healer would have been expensive, and judging by its state, the creature would die even if he chased the brats off. Beating up children also wasn’t something he’d take part in.
Seeing no other option, Tearis took one of mercy, placing it on a grass bed. He took out his flute and played a song of dreams as time resumed. The creature’s pain faded as it slipped away into a final slumber.
Tearis felt the drain of mana as he played the magic tune, also causing the bullies to fall asleep.
“Right. Range… Not that this matters.” Tearis sighed as a red and blue door appeared in front of him.
“The path of violence has been opened. The path of serenity has been opened.” A monotonous voice spoke from above.
Tearis approached the blue door.
“The path of serenity. A path that focuses on bringing peace and harmony to the world.”
Tearis didn’t think much about it. This was a path he had prepared for. So this was the path he’d instead go down. Bloodshed was not what he was after. Traveling the world as a bard suited his nature far more.
Taking a step through the blue door. Tearis moved on to the next test, flute in hand. The world faded into an Azure hue as he did so.
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The second place was not one of his memories, but it did contain another person. One without facial features or other physical descriptors aside from a body made of blue energy.
Inside the room were wooden boards, decks of cards, tiles of porcelain, and even pieces for various games.
“Welcome to the second test. The rules are simple. You must challenge me to three games. Quite simple. No?”
“Three games? Don’t I have a limited amount of time?”
“Peace requires strategy. Your mind needs to be sound if you wish to progress through this path. Warning I will mimic any amount of skill in the games as you to keep things fair.”
“You say that… But fine. I don’t have much time anyhow. Let’s get started.” Tearis wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, but he was smart enough to know that it was possibly highly intelligent if it had to lower itself to match him. Any game with strategy would put him at a disadvantage.
“Let’s play a game.” The blue figure leaned back in their chair.
Tearis returned to the table with a deck of cards in his hands. “We start with poker. Card games are all about luck afterall.”
“Oh? Any special rules?” The blue figure pointed to the deck.
“N-no?” Tearis scowled before asking a question. “Can we make special rules?”
“So long as you are upfront about them.” The blue figure leaned back in their chair.
“Great. Now let’s begin? Who’s the dealer?”
A figure in a butler’s uniform appeared their form as white as bone and their body primarily featureless.
"I am the gamemaster and referee. If I catch any cheating, it’s an automatic forfeit.” The figure stated.
“Fine by me.” Tearis stated.
“I don’t need to cheat.” The blue figure states.
“If you are ready then I’ll deal.” The referee dealt out five cards to both players.