“Slagging Branded,” Bragden whispered hoarsely as he flipped through the pages of Acumen’s book. “If’n I had known what this here tome was, I would have taken it from ye the moment I saw it. Do ye have any slagging idea what a treasure this tome be? Do ya!?”
Bragden was yelling by this point, his face beet red as spittle sprayed across the table and directly into Glade’s face.
“Are you really asking?” he replied, wiping his face clean with a grimace. “Or is that a rhetorical question?”
“It be beyond priceless, ye sorry excuse for a goblin brained beardless gnome!” Bragden snapped, ignoring Glade’s response entirely, which he supposed answered his question.
Ember had no idea what was happening but did not like having the dwarf’s ire directed at his friend, which he conveyed to Glade in wave after wave of agitation. Because of the distraction, Glade’s first thought that came to mind escaped his lips before he could wisely let it fade away as all stray thoughts should.
“I thought my beard was coming in rather nicely,” he mumbled, rubbing his hand through the week-old growth.
“Ha! Me own daughter’s beard be longer than his!” Gent laughed, elbowing Croon at the same time as Bragden leapt to his feet.
“Do ye think this be funny!?” Bragden roared, shoving a finger under Glade’s nose. The pose may have been threatening, but the severity was lost as several of their fellow dwarves roared with laughter at Gent’s comment, chief among them being Krazzik.
Glade rolled his eyes at the dwarven drama playing out in front of him. The information he had gained from Acumen’s book had indeed left an impression on him. So much so, that he had immediately sought out Bragden for advice.
“No, it’s not funny,” Glade said, trying to salvage the situation and get everyone back on track. They most definitely did not need a replay of the previous night’s brawl. “That is why I asked your opinion on the book…”
“Book!? Ye think this here masterpiece be a mere book!?” Bragden snarled, his voice taking on an ominous tone as he laid a protective hand on Acumen’s Treatise of Astral Magic. “Let me explain so a blind, brainless, incest spawned gnome like yerself can understand! Not only does it provide a bloody roadmap me own blind and deaf mum could follow to maximize any foundational attunement, but it also lays out the slagging steps to specialize in some o’ the rarest, most closely guarded magic professions in the entire world! The information contained within these hallowed pages be enough to take a worthless, no-name clan like ours to a true power in less than four decades! Maybe less!”
The entire hall quieted at Bragden’s pronouncement.
“AND YE USED IT TO SMASH SPIDERS!!!” Bragden seethed, his finger poking hard into Glade’s chest.
Glade visibly winced. Not from Bragden’s finger, though that was rather annoying. No, he winced because for the first time he actually felt a small twinge of guilt at having abused Acumen’s tome.
That, and he really hadn’t thought that Bragden would have been this upset. Then again, the information he had read prior to approaching his expert of magic was pretty incredible. He still remembered the list of Astral Specializations he could choose from as if the very universe itself was waiting for him to select a path.
Mind Specialist: A Mind Specialist leverages one’s mental acuity and strength to unlock the power of one’s mind to influence anything around them with intelligence. This includes telepathic communication, mind reading, psychic attack, charm, mental illusions, and mental defense.
Starting Requirements:
* Intelligence Attribute: 16+
* Natural Telepathic Ability
* Astral Attunement Rank: Sympathetic
* Learn Spell: Evoked Potential (Mind) (Lvl 1 – provided)
Note: May evolve capabilities if attuned to the Corporeal sphere of magic and raised to the appropriate rank; unlocks the ability to learn telekinesis.
Another surprise greeted Glade as he turned the page, finding the level 1 spell, Evoked Potential (Mind), ready and waiting for him to learn.
Evoked Potential (Mind): Synergizes with a person’s natural telepathic abilities. At the amateur astral skill level, allows caster to sense brain activity at double the castor’s range and grants the ability to conduct a psychic attack that causes disorient (10 seconds per point of metaphysical damage) and physical damage (.25 points of physical damage per point of metaphysical damage). Spell level 1. Cost 10 mana. Cool down: 5 min.
Note: May use spell without telepathic abilities. Reduces range and power by 50% of base capabilities.
Note: May advance level of spell and its effects so long as per-requisites are met.
Do you wish to learn the spell Evoked Potential (Mind)?
Y/N
That had been the first of many specializations and Glade had been hard pressed not to select it out of hand. Then again, the others presented didn’t make choosing which path he wanted go with any easier.
Spirit Specialist: A Spirit Specialist leverages one’s intellect and wisdom to unlock the power of one’s spirit to influence everyone, and everything, around them. This includes projecting one’s spirit outside of your physical form, true sight, beast taming, binding living spirits, and spiritual attack.
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
Starting Requirements:
* Intelligence Attribute: 16+
* Wisdom Attribute: 18+
* Astral Attunement Rank: Sympathetic
* Learn Spell: Astral Projection (Lvl 1 – provided)
Note: May unlock further capabilities if synergized with the Enchanter Specialization. May evolve capabilities if other channels are opened and attuned to the appropriate rank; unlocks the ability to learn Planar Projection.
Enchantment Specialist: An Enchanter Specialist leverages their knowledge of theoretical astral application and mana transference to temporarily or permanently enchant objects.
Starting Requirements:
* Intelligence Attribute: 15+
* Dexterity Attribute: 12+
* Learn Rune Theory (provided)
* Astral Attunement Rank: Sympathetic
* Learn Spell: Scribe Mana (Lvl 1 – provided)
Summoning Specialist: A Summoning Specialist leverages one’s intellect and wisdom to summon planar beings of power to fight or act on the summoner’s behalf. Must have access to more than just the astral attunement.
Starting Requirements:
* Intelligence Attribute: 19+
* Wisdom Attribute: 19+
* Dexterity Attribute: 12+
* At least one other attunement
* Learn Summoning Circle Theory (provided)
* Astral Attunement Rank: Sympathetic
* Learn Spell: Scribe Mana (Lvl 1 – provided)
Note: May evolve capabilities if attuned to the Corporeal sphere of magic and raised to the appropriate rank; unlocks the ability to teleport.
Divination Specialist: A Divination Specialist leverages one’s intellect and access to the Astral Curve to read the past, present, and potential futures written in fate.
Starting Requirements:
* Intelligence Attribute: 19+
* Learn Theory of the Astral Curve (provided)
* Astral Attunement Rank: Sympathetic
* Learn Spell: Astral Sight (Lvl 1 – provided)
Note: May evolve capabilities if other channels are opened and attuned to the appropriate rank; unlocks the ability to interpret planar, divine, abyssal, or lunar influences on the Astral Curve.
Manipulation Specialist: A Manipulation Specialist leverages one’s own intellect and wisdom to influence the very streams of magical power within the immediate area. Known as the most challenging, dangerous, and potentially most powerful of all specializations. A skilled practitioner of mana manipulation can change the very face of magic on a whim, regardless of strength, by deconstructing, stopping, mimicking, copying, or recreating other magics and specializations. Be warned, the few foolish enough to embark on this path more often than not meet with an early demise due to their own hubris. Only those who have a drive to learn and push the boundaries of magic should choose this path.
Starting Requirements:
* Intelligence Attribute: 19+
* Wisdom Attribute: 20+
* Knows the spell Manipulate Mana (Lvl 1 – not provided)
* Astral Attunement Rank: Sympathetic
Note: Selecting this specialization will change the spell Manipulate Mana into a growth spell. Cool down restrictions will be removed. Danger to damage one’s mana channels remains. Must meet pre-requisites to level spell.
Warning: Will require detailed learning of magical theory and other spells to effectively employ this specialization. It is highly advised any that follow this path learns the skill Arcane Knowledge.
That so many paths were available to Glade had come as a shock, which was the entire reason he had sought Bragden for advice in the first place. Instead of helping though, the bald dwarf was yelling at him in front of the entire hall like he was a private on his first day of boot camp.
“There is no denying I could have been a bit more careful,” Glade said, doing his best to remain calm. “But as you have pointed out, the book…” Bragden opened his mouth to likely object to his use of the word, but Glade was quickly losing his patience and just spoke over him. “... has a great amount of information. I wanted to discuss with you which of the specializations I should pick.”
“You think yer ready for a slagging specialization!?!” Bragden's fat lips spluttered, more spittle flying out as his face turned from red to a deeper shade of purple. “Ye already done tore yer bloody channels once, boy! Was that not enough to teach ye that ye have no idea how magic works!?! And ye want to leap right into choosin a specialization like it be as easy as walkin down to the pub for a damn pint!?”
Bragden shook with pent up anger, his breath coming in short gasps as he began swaying back and forth.
“Bragden, calm down,” Glade said, noticing the dwarf’s eyes were crossing. “Are you all right?”
“Don’t you… be tellin me… to calm down!” the dwarf growled out. “You’ll not be choosin… a specialization… without… a good dwarvish lager… with her golden braids…”
Bragden’s voice trailed off as he leaned too far forward and fell, his eyes rolling into the back of his head.
Glade barely caught the dwarf before he could fall flat on his face.
The hall was as silent as a tomb.
“I done told ye it could happen!” Krazzik roared with a massive grin as he turned to both Croon and Gent. “Now pay up!”
The entire hall erupted into laughter.
“What just happened?’ Glade grunted, struggling to lay Bragden carefully on the ground. The dwarf was far heavier than he looked.
“He done fainted from getting too angry,” Gent spoke in awe, looking from Krazzik to Glade to Bragden and then back to Krazzik. “I thought ye were just talkin out o’ yer backside like always Kraz.”
“Nope!” Krazzik laughed. “Ye both owe me two silvers!”
“Can someone please tell me what’s going on?” Glade cried out again, checking to make sure Bragden was still breathing. It would be just his luck the dwarf had suffered a heart attack.
“Bah, he be fine!” Krazzik laughed, stomping up to Glade and smacking him on the back. “No one believed me when I told ‘em that ol’ Bragden here could get so angry he would faint like a wee lass with her first beer! Usually, he only gets that angry at me in private, which means no one here done believed me it could happen. But looks like you can rile him up just as much as I can!”
“This is normal?” Kedryn asked, looking around the hall as dwarves laughed uproariously.
“No, not normal,” Croon said with a smile, already playing a jaunty tune on his accordion. “But we didn’t believe our chief when he said that Bragden had passed out not once, but twice from getting so angry.”
“Aye, and ye owe me some hard coin!” Krazzik reminded him.
“Once we get some coin, we’ll be sure to pay ye,” Croon said in an off-key, sing song voice.
Glade and Kedryn just looked at each other, the Kid just giving a shrug. This was not at all how he had imagined this conversation would go.
“Now who be ready to eat!?!” Gent yelled, grabbing a spit from the fire and holding it in the air, grease from the roasted Ice Drakes dripping onto the stone floor.
Everyone cheered.