“It has been far too long since all eight of us have been present to adjudicate a mortal from Veil,” Credos began. “Circumstances of such an occurrence dictates the Branded be recognized and awarded.”
“Agreed,” the others intoned together. Even though Glade couldn’t see their eyes, the gazes of each adjudicator pressed heavily on his soul, which was much more than a simple figure of speech. Glade truly felt the weight of their presence press down upon him.
Without knowing exactly how, Glade gathered his will and pushed back.
There was a pause amongst the group, whether it was because of Glade’s willful act or something else, he couldn’t tell. Whatever the case, Glade was certain he saw at least one of the ink blots flex in annoyance.
“Recognition is the responsibility of those who have been named,” the smallest of the silhouette’s expressed, his mental voice a rich baritone while its outline resembled that of a small child.
Glade decided to call him Runt. In his head of course. He didn’t know exactly why the hateful eight shadow puppets bothered him so much, but even he knew better than to antagonize them without cause.
“As it has always been and as it will always be,” a sultry female voice echoed inside his head. “Who has the Branded named from among us?”
“Up to this point, only me,” Credos explained in a deadpan voice.
“Credos, giving your name this easily is not like you,” the sultry voice teasingly replied. Glade decided to name that one Roxy, because why not? “You normally don’t give up your name without the Branded accomplishing a ghastly series of complex quest chains.”
“The Branded did not earn my name from me,” Credos intoned. Glade wasn’t certain, but he felt like he could detect a hint of agitation in the adjudicator’s voice, which was fine by him. The feeling was mutual.
“Hmmm, how intriguing,” Roxy hummed, turning her attention back to Glade. “Do you have any other names rolling around in that incredible mind of yours?”
It wasn’t rocket science to understand that knowing the adjudicators’ names gave him some kind of leverage, which was why he had already retraced his thoughts back to that incident where he had first encountered them within his mindscape.
While Glade had heard three distinct voices when the adjudicators had invaded his memories, he only remembered the names of two. The first had been Credos, who had initially defended Glade’s right to privacy - a positive mark in his book. But later, that same Credos had literally stabbed him in the head with one of its cloud tentacle things. Yeah, that had pretty much canceled out any good will Glade had for the guy.
The second adjudicator was the one who had gone through his personal memories like they were some kind of tik tok reel. Of all the beings before him, that magic puff ball had earned Glade’s anger tenfold.
“Acumen,” he growled in response to Roxy’s question.
There was another moment of stunned silence as seven adjudicators turned to the thinnest of the silhouettes.
“My, my,” Roxy purred, looking Acumen up and down. “This little gathering has become very interesting, indeed. Not only has this babe been on Veil less than 10 days, but he knows the names of the two stingiest adjudicators of us all. And here I thought this next century was going to be boring. How delightful!”
“Fascinating,” the thin one, which Glade immediately recognized as Acumen, stated in that infuriatingly clipped tone. “I too have not authorized the giving of my name to designation Glade. Permission is being sent to the Whole for further study...”
“Denied,” the others intoned in a manner that felt almost habitual.
“Acumen, the time before Glade must return to Veil is short at hand. There is not time for one of your... studies,” Credos explained. “Both you and I have been named, which means recognition falls to us. Will you comply?”
“Without reservation,” Acumen stated immediately in a tone that implied Glade’s life was about to become far more difficult.
“Then let us proceed,” Credos responded. “I shall begin seeing as I was the one who shepherded the Branded into the spiritual realm.”
The world stilled around them as Credos turned his entire gaze upon Glade, the weight on his soul doubling in pressure.
“Branded, you come before Credos, the Adjudicator of Honor, to be judged. Tell me, have you HONOR?”
The last word rang with such power that Glade’s entire being vibrated, taking the meaning of the word and breaking it down into hundreds, if not thousands, of analogous meanings.
As Glade wrestled with the spiritual weight of Credos’ pronouncement, images of his actions while on Veil sprang up around him like flickering windows into his soul. But the images were more than a mere showing of color. Each resonated with Glade’s emotions, thoughts, and intent to such a degree that he knew these beings could see everything.
Many of the images portrayed Glade in a good light, which included fighting to keep Riya with him. Admonishing Kedryn. Fighting side by side with the dwarves. Laughing with Kedryn after they fought side by side. Choosing to save Ember. Completing multiple quests. The blood bond ceremony. Receiving Krazzik’s oath and many other images that Glade simply was too overwhelmed to make out.
Then there were other moments, the ones he wished he could hide, even from himself.
His labeling of Kedryn that blinded Glade to the boy’s worth. Letting others believe he intended to save the Fen Turtle Matriarch when all he really wanted was to use his magic. His desire to abandon the dwarves to save his own life. And others. So many others.
The images and their intent poured out of Glade, each weighed, measured, and judged by Credos, until the resonance finally stopped.
“The Branded known as Glade has met the requirements for the first evolution of his Brand of Honor. He has demonstrated the value of honoring his commitments. Let it be known.”
“Let it be known,” the others intoned.
There was a small break, where Glade simply existed, his soul wrung out from the experience.
“Do not worry, Branded,” a husky, female voice intoned. “I do not stand upon so much ceremony as my dear brother. Tell me, what do you know of PERSEVERENCE?”
Again, the word reverberated throughout Glade’s soul, and again the images and associated intentions of both good and unpleasant memories were exposed to all.
This time, the wait wasn’t as long for the images to fade.
“I… see,” the husky voice said with mild disappointment. “Branded, you have stumbled your way through personal advancement based on circumstance and circumstance alone. How can one persevere if they do not understand their purpose? You are not ready for your brand to evolve.”
Glade didn’t know what to expect from this adjudicator, but it wasn’t that. He tried to open his mind to respond, but he couldn’t rally the energy fast enough before another spoke.
“Branded, I am the Adjudicator of Meekness,” the largest of the silhouettes asked in a deceptively gentle female voice. “Tell me, are you MEEK?”
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Again, the images came and went. And again. And again. He went through the adjudicators of passion, courage, and intelligence in much the same way - all of them reviewing his time on Veil and finding areas where he needed to improve. Meekness stated he needed to learn how to be open. Passion expressed in her sultry, distracting voice, that Glade was spread too thin and needed to narrow his focus.
Courage, the adjudicator he had nicknamed Runt, expressed deep concern that all Glade knew how to do was to blindly throw himself into physical danger and that he needed to learn how to face his real fears. Grudgingly, Glade agreed with Runt’s counsel. He knew he had some unhealthy avoidance issues.
Then there was Acumen, adjudicator of intelligence.
“You have barely scratched the surface of the capabilities granted to you. Intellect is more than simply knowing things. It begins with the will to pursue application and understanding. Part of that application is to take heed to warnings when they are given. Each is meant to inform and guide you. In this area, you should follow Bei’Kedryn Serevlir’s example. Until you understand this basic law, your brand will not evolve.”
It took every ounce of Glade’s patience not to outright drop kick the thin, reedy being that resembled a stain he had seen in his boxer shorts. Before Glade could put thought to action, another spoke up.
“Branded, I am the Adjudicator of Creation,” the next one in line said. This silhouette was slightly taller than Runt, and spoke in a grandfatherly voice. “I will not ask what you know of my domain. Instead, I invite you to find me in one of my labyrinths.”
All the other adjudicators turned to look at their brother, who didn’t even acknowledge their existence. Glade decided right then and there that he liked this adjudicator the most. He nicknamed him Patton.
“I will,” Glade replied, and he meant it. Which reminded him, he would need to ask Riya to explain the differences between labyrinths and dungeons again.
After a few moments of awkward silence, the last of the Eight spoke.
“You come before the Adjudicator of Sacrifice to be judged,” a strong, female voice rang out. “Tell me, Glade, what do you know of SACRIFICE?”
For a final time, the images came, flooding him with raw emotion. Only this time there was no good or bad to be shown. Only truth. Like when he charged into danger again and again to rescue those he was responsible for. When he tore open his own mana channels so he could help Kedryn and Riya stay alive that much longer. Sharing rare and legendary quests when he didn’t have to, just so others could grow. Choosing certain death by mana poisoning when he foolishly increased his wisdom attribute so Ember had a chance to live. There were more, but Glade’s strength failed him.
“Glade,” the clarion call of the adjudicator of sacrifice rang out after the images had faded. It wasn’t lost on him that the adjudicator had called him by name whereas all the others had referred to him as Branded. “You have not only met the requirements for your brand’s evolution but have demonstrated that you embody the ideal of self-sacrifice. For this, I offer you the right to earn my name. Seek me out as there is more you must learn. Let it be known.”
“Let it be known,” the others repeated, but Glade barely registered the words. Not only was he drained, but he was too busy reading through the prompt that had just appeared.
“You have been offered a quest! The Value of a Name I. The Adjudicator of Sacrifice has offered you the right to earn her name. Find a representative of the Lady of Sacrifice and show them your evolved brand.
Reward: Unknown.
Note: This quest cannot be shared.
Glade managed to bow his head to the Adjudicator of Sacrifice in acknowledgement before he accepted the quest. Of all the adjudicators, he felt this one deserved his respect.
Credos again stepped forward.
“Branded, you have been judged and have evolved two of eight soul brands…”
As the adjudicator spoke, Glade’s arms burned as his soul brands of honor and sacrifice changed before his eyes. Where a muted star with eight shortened points representing honor had been, now sat a gold embossed star with alternating long and short points.
The unobtrusive mark for sacrifice had also changed, evolving into a partially completed infinity loop. A single, unknown rune appeared within the brand itself.
Congratulations! Your brand of honor has evolved. From hence forward, you gain +10% more experience from any quests you have committed to finish. -10% reduction of quest rewards should you fail/ or give up on a quest.
Congratulations! Your brand of sacrifice has evolved. From hence forward, you gain +10% to your Willpower attribute.
Even though Glade was a spirit, his eyebrows shot up in surprise. These were not insignificant bonuses. If anything, they were too much. Sure, the negative experience should he fail or drop a quest was annoying, but when you reasoned the bonus came from the Credos, it kind of made sense. But if he could tie the bonus he received from his brand to his strategist title, he could get as much as a 22% experience bonus! That was massive!
As good as that was, the bonus to his willpower attribute was even better. With all of the changes to his level and attributes, he now had 18 points. With the 10% bonus, that gave him another 2 points seeing as the system seemed to round up. Those points had been instrumental and he was really looking forward to seeing how he could use them moving forward.
“You have named two of us,” Credos continued. “As one of those named, I grant you the recognition required of me. To aide you along whatever path you choose, I bestow upon you the gift of time.”
Many of the adjudicators shifted uncomfortably at this pronouncement, but that was all Glade had time to assess before a prompt appeared before him.
Congratulations! You have learned the skill Time Dilation. You are now able to slow down or speed up your perceived passage time within your mind. +/- 1 second dilation effects per level when employing skill. Cost: 5 stamina points for the first second of use, and doubles for every second it remains in use thereafter.
Complex relativity calculations and years’ worth of mental exercises poured into Glade’s already taxed mind, burning the knowledge of how to mentally slow down, or speed up thought at will.
Congratulations! You have attained levels 1, 2, 3… 9, in time dilation!
Congratulations! You have been found worthy by the Adjudicator of Honor to progress from Amateur skill level to that of Trainee!
Due to the enhanced knowledge developed of mental time dilation, your intelligence has increased by +2.
Glade’s soul visibly sagged from the strain of Credos’ gift. It felt like his mind had been ripped apart, set on fire, and then smothered. He knew intrinsically what the skill did, like it allowed him to think and assess what he could see, but he couldn’t move his body any faster. It was an incredible skill and he couldn’t wait to see what he could do with it. Of course, that was when Acumen stepped forward.
“As you have named me, I grant you the required recognition to aide you along whatever path you choose,” It may have been a trick of the light, but Glade could have sworn the silhouette was looking down its nose at him as it spoke. “Your lack of mental acuity and simple-minded application to your mage craft has been… noted. As such, I grant you the complete work of Amateur level basics within your attunement. I would recommend you carefully study what is written, but given your lack of focus in cultivating or protecting your existing gifts, let alone heeding warnings… Well, let’s simply say you have an opportunity to impress me before graduating to the trainee ranks.”
If Glade could have throat punched the willowy pit stain, he would have. Instead, Glade grabbed a massive tome that had materialized before him before it could hit the ground. A small part of his mind that wasn’t completely exhausted pointed out that Glade was still a spirit, which meant he shouldn’t have been able to grab anything, let alone a book three times the size of a university physics manual.
He ignored that part of himself and refocused on Credos.
“Branded, this concludes the giving of blessings. You will be returned shortly, but before you do we are required to inform you of your penalties for having been killed. All excess experience above the minimum needed to retain your level 9 has been removed. You will receive a skill level reduction of one point in all skills. You will not be reduced in skill rank at this time. Lastly, all unallocated attribute points or perks are lost…”
Glades frustration grew as Credos explained the penalties for his death, but it was the last statement that made him want to yell. He had 10 unallocated attribute points and two perks that were now gone…
“I have interceded and allocated all unused points and perks on Glade’s behalf,” the Adjudicator of Sacrifice stated.
There was another pause between the adjudicators, one where Acumen, and not Credos, finally spoke.
“Sister, such an act is most irregular,” Acumen retorted. “We do not play favorites here…”
“It is within my purview,” the Adjudicator of Sacrifice said with finality. “What’s more, it is done. I suggest we move on as our time is almost up.”
Tension built between the group palpably rose as everyone remained quiet. It was obvious there were points of conflict between the powerful beings, yet, in the end, no one contradicted her.
Finally, Credos again took the lead.
“Our respective roles in this proceeding are now concluded. If there are no more challenges, I will send Glade to be rebirthed.”
It was evident in the Adjudicator’s tone of voice that he was beyond ready to be done. Unfortunately for Credos, Glade wasn’t done with them yet. It was far past time he made a few comments of his own.