[Major Quest Complete!
[You received: 1000XP to each person included in the Quest, 2*Rook Chest, 1*Premium Spell Scroll Box]
[Congratulations! You are the first Travelers to successfully create a Machina. As her creation was initially part of a Quest, a Reward will go to all those involved in the Quest, including the newly born Machina, Sonasolaria.
[You received: 10*Gold, 1*Apprentice Storage Ring, 1*Apprentice Weapon Charm]
For the moment, we ignore the notifications. Choosing, instead, to gather in a group hug with Sonny in the middle. Richter and Elsbeth bring the vardo back around and everyone piles out to meet the newest citizen of Linqs. After a train of hugs and handshakes, we all make our way back to the vardo in a chorus of cheers.
The first to notice their notifications are the players, then the core NPC group, followed by the soldiers. We're used to seeing them pop up every now and then after battles and Quests, so we keep our eyes out for them. The regular, everyday citizen, however…
Several of them fall to their knees, praising gods and goddesses. We assist them back up, tears streaming down their faces and heads shaking in disbelief.
Just under a year ago, these people were ostracized for their differences and disabilities. They were tossed out onto the streets, and then out of the city to fend for themselves. Come to find out there was a plot to eliminate them altogether. Some of them were victims of malice. Some of them were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Some of them just couldn't catch a break.
Every one of them trusted us to keep them safe, to keep them alive. Even during the period before Dawn and I arrived in the little hideaway in the forest, none of them took our actions for granted. When the time came for work, whether it was crafting, harvesting, cooking, or even defending the vardo, they all did what they could. They lent us their talents, knowledge, time, and efforts. Hells, they entrusted us with the very lives and future of their children.
Here we are now.
We fitted anyone who was interested in the procedure with prosthetics. We rekindled dormant passions and sparked new interests in Artisanal jobs. From rags and rations, we moved on to custom clothing and gourmet food. Every member, young and old, has access to a veritable warehouse of tools ranging from weapons of war to precision alchemy equipment.
And, with the completion of the current Quest, every single person in Linqs gains enough XP to jump from Level 1 to Level 8. That means an additional 35 Stat Points, 28HP, 14MP, 14SP, and 2 Levels away from their very own Job Class. And that's only if they were Level 1 to begin with when they got the XP, as most were. The sheer defiance against the implausibilty of a non adventuring citizen jumping several levels is dizzying and thrilling for all of us involved.
"Okay, everyone," Dawn announces over the din of the crowd, "Let's get back inside and we can discuss the implications of this most generous opportunity. For those of you who already know what to do with your Stat Points, you are free to do so. They are your points to spend as you please. For the rest of you…"
This time, I join Richter and Elsbeth on top of the vardo while Dawn and Victoria bring everyone safely back inside. I spy Sonny walking hand in hand with Conner, leaning a head on his shoulder.
Go ahead, kids, you deserve it.
I check my stats real quick and I see that I barely squeaked by the line so I could Level up to 18, 9 as a Blue Mage. At Level 20 I can opt to choose to multi class, adding another Class to start leveling in, or continue leveling as a Blue Mage. I drop my 7 Stat Points into Arcane, bringing it up to 60. I won't be getting another Spell until 70, but I'm not worried about that. I assume everyone at least gained another level, too, just by Ric and El dropping Stat Points before we take off down the road.
The Apprentice Weapon Charm is a squarish, white paper box the size of two decks of cards stacked on top of each other containing a random, permanent add-on to your weapon. After opening mine, I find a small, black river stone attached to a few links of black chain. Etched onto it are simple, curved, dark green lines. Elsbeth pulls a small, black bell on a red string and allows me a look.
Richter pulls his from the box and tosses it over to me so I can read it to him. The miniature ebony feather attaches to a weapon by an equally dark string.
"It's called 'Blackhawk Down.'"
"You're making that up!" He shouts as he playfully shoves me with a free hand. I laugh. El just looks over at us before turning her eyes back down the road.
"Yeah, okay, it's actually just called 'Black Down.' It lightens the weight of the weapon and you can use Dexterity or Strength as the modifier. Okay, I got robbed. My stupid keychain only makes things magical." I hand Richter back his before staring at my little rock.
"What if you add it to your gloves or something? Then you'd be able to punch ghosts and wraiths and stuff like that."
"I can add water or lightning to my unarmed attacks." I let my claws crackle with static to prove my point. "Name me one situation where I would specifically need to punch something in melee range with a magic fist."
"I don't know, bro. Honestly, I didn't even think you used weapons or even punched things. Why would you need it then?" He gives me a sideways glance and smirk.
"I think I'm just gonna give mine to Vic. She's like a walking armory and now that we have the Apprentice Storage Rings, she'll be able to hold so much more." The old Minor Storage Rings have 5x3x2 cubes of extradimensional space inside. The new ones are 5x5x5's, a huge difference in volume.
"That's a whole lotta loot space," he says with a whistle. I nod my head in a agreement. "Dude. You ever try to store a person?"
"I don't think you can and I'm not gonna be the one to try," I say, staring down at the ring.
I slipped both Storage Rings on, putting the other two in a cargo pocket, and I begin transfering items over to the big one, shaking my head at some of the junk that I've left in there. Richter goes off on a weird discourse on how it should be possible if the vardo is just a suped up version of the rings, but quickly changes his mind when I bring up the idea of breathable air.
"So theoretically, if one were to have enough oxygen…" he begins as I roll my eyes, a tiny bit jealous of the deaf Lunar Elf beside me. I realize my mistake when I remember that she’s mute, not deaf, and a spike of embarrassment runs through me.
About two hours and a darkening cloudy sky later, Victoria trades places with Elsbeth. Partially to give her a break, but mainly to bring me and Richter up to speed on what's been going on inside. Of the seventy seven people that make up Linqs: seven are the former soldiers including Gorm, the core group comprises eight of us, twelve are children under the age of sixteen, and forty nine are adults between the ages of twenty six and sixty seven.
"Some of the younger adults seemed to already have plans for their Stat Points, but we still cautioned them to take their time allocating since we didn't have a way to go back and reset them," Victoria says to us. Ric is keeping his eyes on the road and I'm turned half-way in my seat. "The soldiers grew several levels and needed no advice. A couple, including Conner, reached the necessary level to choose their Job Classes. Everyone one else was given solid advice from the members of our group and the soldiers on what to do with their newly aquired Stat Points."
"It was cute how Sonny played with the kids," Vic continues as she withdraws food in compartmentalized containers that remind me of a bento box for the two of us. "It was like she was learning how to use her body, but she was still listening to everything we said the whole time."
"From what I remember," I muse as I pick at what I believe to be Seamount Crab meat, "She was born as a dungeon core not too long ago and, of course, this is the first time she's had a body."
"Lavina has taken to her like a younger sister, you should see them together. Anyway, aside from the ludicrous amount of XP, everyone has thrown their Gold into the Linqs coffers." She runs a hand through her short blonde hair, "We didn't even ask and there wasn't a second thought about it."
"Nice," Richter says with a grin, "Speaking of which…" The two of us withdraw our coins and Vic thanks us for them.
"They even threw in their Weapon Charms for us to decide on what to do with them," Vic says, holding up a familiar dark stone with green lines. I hand her mine and she scoffs in light hearted disbelief, "We got so many of these and some white rocks with yellow lines called Luminesence. It allows your weapon to cast a dim glow of any color you want."
She pushes Richter's hand back towards him, "You can keep yours if you like, Richter. I think Kona pulled the same one, and she donated hers already, seeing as she's a caster and probably wouldn't need it. They might be rarer than the others. El, Dawn, Gorm, and Lavina's mother, Corvina, all got the bell. Corvina gave us hers right away, not being a combatant of any kind."
She pulls a charm out of her new storage ring, a small glass ball with a swirling of milky current inside, "And this is from Serenity. Pale Winds. It extends the reach of the weapon by three feet, kind of like what you can do, Ardy."
"Yeah, but I bet it doesn't cut your SP in half," I say ruefully. "Still, it's always funny to see people getting knocked around when they're not expecting to get hit from so far away."
Thunder cracks overhead and we can feel the first few drops of rain. They let me pull the lever to raise the covered cabin. I still giggle when the gears clank and the wood settles, forming the little room.
"What about the Rook Chests?" I ask, deathly curious as to what we pulled from them. "We get another vardo? A flying ship maybe?"
Richter chimes in, "I bet it's a rare piece of equipment and we're gonna have to lottery to see who gets to wear it."
"Actually…" she trails off and Richter and I turn to her expectantly, "We haven't even opened them yet."
"What?" We both exclaim at the same time.
"Calm down, boys, we'll open them soon enough. First, let's find a secluded place to make camp."
Victoria explains how she and Dawn loaded everyone's rings with a similar survival kit to the soldiers, including the Mermadin gear for the older teens and adults, and how she would like me to teach them all Minor Survial Craft since everyone has a surplus of XP.
"Now?" I ask, pulling my hood over my flaming head. I know water isn't an elemental weakness for me, but I still don't want feel comfortable about it yet.
An almost imperceptable sound of a step announces the return of Elsbeth, a content smile on her face and a hand over her flat stomach. I take the empty box from Richter with mine and he tips his head to me.
"Thanks, bro. Tell Gorm that any time he wants to make sushi again to make double for me," he says with a wide grin.
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
From around the dining area, everyone including Sonny and the children, line up to learn my Skill and leave me with a total of 3,100 XP, pushing me to Level 19 and 10 as a Blue Mage. I drop all 7 Stat Points into Dexterity, putting it at 70 and giving me my first…
[VigeStat Reached: +1 Skill II]
"Vig… vij… vi… vi…" I furrow my brow, trying to sound out the word, but having no frame of reference except for the obvious name of the female organ, I stumble on the four letters.
"Like, vie-jah-stat, silly," Rachel says in passing, "The prefix means 'twenty'."
"Like a d20? Is that what they're called? Vaginahedrons?" The word slips out before I have a chance to think and I cover my mouth in quick response, but Rachel just stops and laughs.
"Kinda. They're called icosahedrons. Both prefixes mean twenty, but the first is Latin. The second is Greek."
I stare at her in utter amazement, my skeletal jaw hanging low. She brushes my hood back, revealing my brilliant blue flames.
"That's better," she says and continues on her way to the crafting area.
"Wait! How do you know that?" I ask, standing and stretching out a hand to her.
She turns, walking backwards, "Like, a girl's gotta have a secret or two, right?" After giving me an impish wink and grin, she continues on her way, joining Mika, Kona, and Serenity.
Bewildered by the encounter, I plop back down in a chair and bring up my Skill menu. "Oh!" I can't help but exclaim my suprise when I realise that, in the hustle and bustle of everything that's been going on since the Quest completion, I didn't realise Minor Survival Craft and Tempest Fist reached their highest tiers.
[Minor Survival Craft V (3SP+3MP)
[Requirements: 1 Free Hand
[Heal 10HP.
[Reduce Poison effects by up to 7 damage per 2 seconds/Remove Blind Debuff.
[Create small sparks for starting fires, deals no damage.
[Purify up to 5 gallons of water or 25 pieces of meat.
[Produce 5 bedrolls and padded mats and a 6 person tent. Lasts 12hours/dismissed.
[Produce 50feet of hempen rope, 2 hour recharge
[Create up to 2 magic bubbles around a target that supplies 10 minutes of fresh air. Bubble lasts 10 minutes/dismissed/struck by an attack.
[Able to make advanced improvised gear from non metals (includes metallic organic items): melee/throwable/ranged weapons, shields, armor, and artisan tools.
[Activate Analyzer Feat]
[Activate Dimensional Pocket Spell]
[Dimensional Pocket (Linked to Minor Survival Craft V)
[Requirement: 1 Free Hand
[Opens a 3x2x2foot extradimensional storage space, accessable anywhere, anytime. Able to store other storage items within this space.]
Yes! I mean, I still can't use regular metals, but I can use stuff like Shadow Carapace in my crafting. And, with the Cosmic Slime, I'll have so many more options to play with. And I wasn't expecting the Pocket Spell. I would venture a guess just by when I learned it that the storage items we've been collecting are supposed to be a little more rare than we have found them out to be. Also, the good thing about my new Spell is that I can store my Rings and the Rucksack in there and that adds a level of versatility.
[Discipline/Tempest Fist:
[All unarmed attacks may use Strength or Dexterity as the Modifier.
[Reduce Max SP by 30%. Reach of unarmed hand attacks extend up to 15feet.
[Master the Elements: Manipulate Water
[Master the Self: Be Like Water]
[Use a charge to gain the properties of water, becoming liquid in form and function. Lasts for 1minute/dismissed. You will still be able to speak/see/hear/feel, but not eat/drink. If you choose to split the volume of your form, you must combine to the nearest .1cubic foot or risk damage and possible, temporary dismemberment. Using a charge while in water form adds another minute to the remaining time.]
For a being with a head wreathed in flames, I sure have quite a bit of water based Abilities. Well, it's not like I knew I would end up looking like a blue bonfire. I run a hand through the flames, still feeling the strands of my hair between my fingers. "Hopefully, I can catch a lot of people off guard in multiple ways. Should give me an edge in combat."
I happily continue with spending my Skill Point, basking in the buffet of Abilities under my utility belt. Some would say that having so many would be overwhelming, but a little practice and a timely refresher and their use becomes instinct. That means I rely heavily on muscle memory and adaptibility, the character trait not the Feat.
Of my top five Skills available to me, three of them are essentially the same.
[Rend Stats/Arcane…
[Rend Stats/Strength…
[Rend Stats/Dexterity…
[Shadow Stitch…
[Cerulean Touch…
The Rend Skills focus on a target's stat points. Where Rend Equipment hacks at an item's Durabililty, Rend Stat lowers their Stat Points until they reach 0. I consider Arcane, but if I'm taking away MP with each attack then my opponents eventually wouldn't be able to cast Spells anyway.
Shadow Stitch has a 100% chance to induce the Stop Debuff, freezing my target in place for a set period of time. The only requirement is that it must be done without the target's knowledge. So, I can do it from Stealth or from the back, as long as my target is unaware that I hit them with it.
The last one, Cerulean Touch, is a Class specific Tiered Skill.
[Cerulean Touch. (varies)
[Prerequisites: Blue Mage Class, 70Dexterity, 50Arcane, 7 Monster Spells/Skills/Feats
[Requirement: 1 Free Hand
[This Skill is the quintessential Blue Mage martial art and it attempts to increase the efficacy of the Monster Abilities they learn. As the user of this Skill increases their Level as a Blue Mage, so does their pragmatism in what it truly means to wield nature's power.
[Level 5: You may perform Monster Spells using SP at the rate of 120% of the MP cost. They will count as Skills and not need a casting phrase.
[Level 10: Once per day, you may ready a Monster Spell/Skill and fuse it with a Melee attack. Expends at will upon a successful attack. Recharges at midnight.
[Level 20: ???
[Level 40: ???
[Level 60: ???
"Well," I state, spending my point and staring longingly at the description, "I'd be a fool not to, right?"
A loud banging has me jumping out of my seat, claws ready. I stare at a crate that Dawn unceramoniously dropped on the table. The corners of her mouth pull back, a look of annoyance on her face, "Sit down, Kingsford. Check these out." She pulls a scroll of parchment from the crate and hands it to me, "There's about two dozen of them. Random. Low level."
I unfurl it on the table and gaze upon the strange lettering written in a metallic red ink, "Cantrip. Elemental Bead. Create a small orb of elemental energy. Five MP. Range fifty yards. Deal 3 + Level damage of a chosen element: fire, cold, or lightning." As soon as I finish reading the description a notification pops up in front of the scroll.
[Would you like to learn the Spell: Elemental Bead Y/N?]
I choose no, rolling it back up and dropping it back in the crate. I look over at Dawn who has a triumphant eyebrow raised and hands on her hips, "Nice, but if they're all low level Spells like that, what good are they to us?"
"First of all, those scrolls aren't gonna be for us." She fishes out a small, ornate wooden box from the crate, laying it reverently on the table iin front of me, "They're probably gonna be for the citizens who are going to be the reserve army."
"What's this?" I ask.
"Second, this is the Scribing Set that came with the crate of scrolls," Dawn says, grin spreading wider on her face. "You remember all of those blank scrolls we found in Spindle's lair?" She pulls a few from her Storage Ring, "There's enough ink to write out a dozen more Spells. We just need someone with an empty Artisan Slot. And then we just gotta get more ink!"
She puts everything away and brings up a blueprint screen to her side, "Oh, the Tailors wanted to speak to you about something..." I spy a sly smile form in the corner of her face before I head out, confused by the quick turn of events.
I'm turning my body this way and that, admiring the intricate work. Description screens, a pale Elven female with a scarred face, and a squat Gnomish male with the tips of his point ears seemingly bitten off surround me in a half circle. The Elf is wringing her hands and they're both waiting patiently for my final verdict.
"Gotta admit," I say, hiding my overwhelming awe and jealous wonder at their utter genius, "I never would have thought to make anything like this. I would probably be wearing metal armor forever." I stretch out into a lunge, snap back into a standing position, and swipe a few times at the air, "This already feels like it's better suited for my kind of combat."
I tug on the wide collars of my new tailcoat, enjoying the snug waist, long sleeves with large cuffs, and knee length tail that splits down the center from just above my tailbone. Nightmare Leather reinforces the chest, back, shoulders, and around the forearm while black dyed silk lines the interior and keeps things comfortable. They used scrap Umbramium to make dark metal buttons and accents and somehow it became part of the infusion process, darkening the initial turquoise, making more of a midnight blue (thank God). Very steampunk, and I wonder how this idea spawned in their heads.
I move around the three cornered hat that reminds me of a pirate captain, sans a feather. Its deep color and Umbramium accents match the coat perfectly. The two items are part of what they're calling the Blue Blazer Set.
There's only three pieces to the set, but they replace the major armor components of the Night Stalker Set, negating the Stealth level bonus. But, what I lose in Armor and Stealth bonuses, I gain many times over in magical gains.
[Reinforced Corsair Tailcoat 3/3. Advanced Journeyman. OverChest
[Durability: 180/180
[Armor: 6
[+3Willpower, +30MP
[Reinforced Corsair Tricorn 3/3. Advanced Journeyman. Head
[Durability: 180/180
[Armor: 5
[+3Willpower, +3Arcane
[Reinforced Corsair Long Boots 3/3. Advanced Journeyman. Feet, OverLeg
[Durability: 180/180
[Armor: 8
[+3Agility, +20ft to Blink Step max distance
It's my first time seeing a piece of equipement taking up two different slots and I have to take a major loss in Armor because of it. The long black boots cover most of the shins and have the same accents as the coat and hat. Well, as long as I have my high Dexterity and Agility it shouldn't be a problem. I won't take damage if they can't catch me, right? Speaking of which, almost doubling the distance of my Blink Step/Assassinate Spell must be on the same par as leveling it up. So, I'm really trading in a Stealth level for a Blink Step one and that's more than a fair trade.
"Thank you, Xana. Trubon. These are amazing. How can I possibly repay you?" I reach out for a handshake, but they take turns pulling me in for a warm embrace. They shake their heads and laugh in good nature at my question.
"It is we, dear one, who must somehow repay you and the others," Xana says, wiping away the mist gathering in her eyes. "I was stolen from my homeland and sold as a seamstress to a merchant's wife. When…" she begins to say but the words catch in her throat. There is a brief moment where she reconsiders telling her story, but I hold her hands.
She glances at our hands, "When she discovered him in the act of violating me…" Xana looks up at me, tears trickle down the scar lines on her face. "She did this to me. He wouldn't have me after and they both kicked me out on the street." Her tears are streaming now, I hold both of her hands until she lets me go to accept a handkerchief from Trubon.
"No cry, Xana. We are Linqs now. We are family. Many thanks, eh, Master Ardacen? Must thank Mistress Dawn too. Is her blueprint." Trubon hands me a pair of Nightmare Leather Gloves and a pair of Bracers to add extra Armor. Although they don't have any extra effects, the gloves do look great with the rest of set.
He hugs my leg one last time and Xana kisses my cheek before they stroll back to the dining area. Trubon's accent had reminded me of Gomer and I hope that he and his little market stand are doing well.
"Now, let's go see why Dawn wanted to dress me up as a Victorian pirate…" From out of nowhere, Coaster finds his way on my shoulder and I resist the urge to ask if he wants a cracker. His little gears click and he points over to the sleeping area with his tiny scythes. "You're right, we'll talk to her in the morning. You know, you don't have to stay with me. Lavina enjoys playing with you and you're free to go where you like."
Coaster makes his way to the floor, but stops on the ground mid stride, looking over at me. "Keep on eye on her, okay? Besides, you'll always have a perch on me." He nods and skitters off to the beds.
Ardacen's Character Sheet
Spoiler: Spoiler
[Basic Info: Ardacen Winters__ Race | Subrace: Ifrixian |
[Height/Weight: 5'9/165lbs
[Class | Subclass: Blue Mage 10
[Level: 19
[Experience: 16126 | 18000
[Multiclass | Subclass:
[Artisan Job Classes: Cook 18 | Alchemist 12 | Leatherworker 12
[Copper/Silver/Gold/Platinum: 1100/200/890/2
[HP/MP/Stamina Regen Delay: 8sec/7sec/8sec
[HP/Max/RegenPerSec: 195/195/12
[MP/Max/RPS: 202/202/14
[Stamina/Max/RPS: 113/113/12
[Combat Modifiers
[Strength: 1+2
[Dexterity: 70+2
[Arcane: 60+5
[Faith: 1+0
[Defense Modifiers
[Agility: 72+19
[Armor: 35+2
[Willpower: 53+13]
[Main Hand: AWP Claw
[Durability: n/a
[Type/Range/Ammo: Dexterity/Melee/0
[Base/Modified Damage: 17/89
[Off Hand: AWP Claw
[Durability: n/a
[Type/Range/Ammo: Dex/Melee/0
[Base/Modified Damage: 17/89]
[Head: Reinforced Corsair Tricorn 3/3
[Durability: 180/180
[Armor:5
[+3Willpower, +3Arcane
[Shoulders: Mantle of the Grey Wanderer 3/3
[Durability: 240/240
[Armor: 2
[Bonus:+2Dex, +2Will, +3HP Regen
[BodyOver: Reinforced Corsair Tailcoat
[Durability: 180/180
[Armor: 8
[Bonus: +3Willpower, +30MP
[BodyUnder: Eldritch Soldier's Tunic 1/3
[Durability: 120/120
[Armor: 2
[Bonus: +2Arcane, +3Willpower
[Arms: Reinforced Nightmare Bracers
[Durability: 150/150
[Armor: 5
[Hands: Reinforced Nightmare Gloves
[Durability: 150/150
[Armor: 5
[LegsOver: Reinforced Corsair Longboots 3/3
[Durability: 180/180
[Armor: 4
[LegsUnder: Ardacen's Custom Pants
[Durability: 150/150
[Armor: 2
[Bonus: 2*Nonmagical Storage Space (7"x7"x1")
[Feet: Reinforced Corsair Longboots 3/3
[Durability: 180/180
[Armor: 4
[Bonus: +3Agility, +15feet to Blink Step max distance.]
[Face: Mask of the Grey Wanderer 3/3
[Bonus: +3Agi, +1Str, +1Armor, +3SP Regen
[Neck: Necklace of Dragon Breathing
[Ear Right: empty
[Ear Left: Whisper Ear Cuff
[Wrist Right: empty
[Wrist Left: Simple Bracelet of Storage
[Size: 3x3x3 ft
[Ring Right: Apprentice Ring of Storage
[Size: 5x5x5 ft
[Ring Left: Bolt Master's Ring
[Waist: Sash of the Grey Wanderer 3/3
[Bonus: +3Agi, +1 Str, +1Armor, +3MP Regen
[Spells: Arcane Bolt II, Assassinate (Blink Step), +Shadow Toxin, Basic Enchantment III, +Healing Breeze, +Lethargic Miasma, Zone of Silence, +Trinity Stream, +Bubble Blast, Manipulate Water]
[Skills: Minor Survival Craft V, Critical Stab I, Stealth I, Echo Strike, Discipline/Tempest Fist V, Roundhouse Kick, Distracting Footwork, Azure Touch]
[Feats: Varient Hunter I, War Party Leader III, +Alpha Wolf's Pride, +Swarm Tactics II, Dungeon Master, Sonny View Analyzer, +Apex Predator, Piramis Blue Mage, Monster Tutor, +Trident Caster, +Piscine Evolution, Ifrixian Lineage, Soul Render]
[Major Quests: none
[Minor Quests: Revenge]