Chapter 6: Spielcats
Catalysta got no welcome screen or introduction screen as she had previously upon entering Gamdrea. As she closed her eyes on earth, she opened her eyes on Gamdrea. Rather than the village scene that she had left behind previously, she was now surrounded by rocky terrain with a path before her.
You have been teleported using a combination of World Magic and Celestial Magic. This type of transportation is only possible with the help of the Steward. Other methods of teleportation may be available to you further in your journey.
She took a breath and immediately felt like she wasn’t getting enough oxygen. The air was thin and she turned around to get a look at where she was. As she did her boot hit some loose pebbles and they skittered away from her and over the edge of the steep ledge directly behind her. The suddenness of discovering how close she was to such a drop had Cat windmilling backwards, and she fell backwards. She groaned in relief as she realized her danger of falling was gone--surely she would not have been transported to a piece of land that would break off a mountain.
She rolled to her stomach and army-crawled to the edge, for a look down. Her view was nothing except white, the thick white of clouds. Well that explained the thin air. Scooting back she put her hand on the solid ground and willed the map to open. The immediate area was visible and so was she, however, the path behind her, where she believed she was supposed to go, was covered in fog, as well as anywhere or anything she couldn’t see. The area was labeled LIGHT’S AVIARY.
Catalysta stood, checking her gear, confirming she had on the scale mail with her newly acquired boots. Next she pulled out her maces, putting them on her back for easy reach. The moment she took her first step down the path, her quest notifications popped up.
New Quest Found: Save the Matriarch’s Litter--The Light’s Aviary has been attacked by Roon’s Wyverwolf Patriarch and his host of warriors. A fierce battle has raged leaving only a few combatants left alive. The Matriarch’s children are in danger and the Spielcats are near extinction. As the Matriarch continues her battle with the Patriarch her children are left unguarded. Rescue the kits 0/3. Optional--Aid the Matriarch. Rewards: experience and a Companion, (Variable).
As she finished reading, she heard the faint sound of a caterwaul and what sounded like thunder in the distance. Three small health bars appeared in her peripheral vision. There was no time to wonder what a Spielcat or a Wyverwolf was, instead she sprinted forward, heedless of any dangers lurking on the path; one of the health bars was already flashing as it took damage. She was breathing heavily as her stamina dropped in the thin air, but she made it to the end of the path--a sudden opening in the rock crevice she rushed through. She took in the area in a second. It looked like a warzone with crumbled boulders everywhere, craters decorating the ground and corpses of wolf-like and cat-like creatures littered around the area. At the far edge of the bowl-shaped valley, a large black wolf with leathery wings flared out lunged towards a small creature--one of the kits she was supposed to protect. She didn’t even analyze the monster in her rush.
With not a moment’s hesitation, not even checking her stamina counter, Catalysta double dashed forward and covered the distance before the attacking creature could wound the kit even more. Her presence alerted the beast, but she was already swinging her mace from below, her muscles already used to the motion from pitching. With her strong wrist snap she caught the wolf in the midsection and sent it rolling with a high pitched yelp. She turned her back on the kit behind her, which looked like a tuxedo kitten, except it had two baby silver wings. These were flared out like the wyverwolf’s had been. Cat supposed that was to make itself look bigger, more intimidating. She had also noticed two other kits were cowering behind the tuxedo kitten, as if it had been protecting them.
As the wolf-creature stood and shook itself, untangling its own wings from its sudden and unplanned displacement, Cat was able to Analyze it.
Wyverwolf (Bleeder): Level 31. Lesser Avatar of Roon. Hit Points 853/2,000. This is a rare sentient beast formed equally of Celestial, Infernal, Wild, and World Magics. It can use both magical and physical attacks. This is a companion beast, currently bound to the Agent of Shadow, Rictus Sanguine. Weak to Air, Fire, Blunt, and Piercing.
The Wyverwolf stalked forward, teeth bared, ears back and wings held close to its body. Cat made a quick decision. Her experience with close combat against non elements was limited and she didn’t want those teeth anywhere near her. She chucked one of her maces at the Wyverwolf and quickly switched out her other mace for the spear in her inventory. The creature known as Bleeder side-stepped the projectile, though it brushed the edge of its already damaged wing, causing it to flinch and lose a handful of points.
Cat brought her spear to bear as Bleeder paused in its forward motion, looking at the new weapon wearily. A scrabbling on her back distracted Catalysta a moment, enough for Bleeder to make a surprise leap at her. She swung the spear to intercept but the cunning animal used its wings to launch itself away from the blade to hover back and forth as it looked for an opening. The kit continued its climb on Cat’s back, at last reaching her shoulder and dug its claws into her scale mail to maintain its perch as it wrapped its tail firmly around her neck. Has she not been in the middle of battle, Catalysta might have melted at the cuteness.
The eyes of Bleeder zeroed in on her shoulder with the kit. Afterall, the kits were its target, not Catalysta. She was just standing in the way. The brave kit hissed at the Wyverwolf, which in turn opened its mouth, a ball of purple and black flames forming in its gullet. Catalysta quickly imbued her spear with a Void Weapon as Bleeder shot a ball of Infernal Fire at them. She intercepted the blow but about a quarter of it kept coming--the quarter that her VOID was not immune to. She covered the kit with her arm and blocked the two behind her with her body. The infernal fire splashed onto her chest and abdomen--thankfully sparing her face. She could feel the scales burning, putting holes in the underclothes she wore, eating into her skin for a few seconds before the flames dissipated. The scales were blackened and she had some minor burns but for the most part her adrenaline pushed the pain into the back of her mind.
The Wyverwolf howled in frustration, its attack having failed to both rid it of its targets and of the humanoid standing in its way. Catalysta had only lost 54 health, and none of the kits had been damaged. Her spear was on fire near the blade as she resumed her stance in front of the kits. Bleeder reared back, snarling, ready to dart forward when a meteor of flesh crashed into the ground, a mixture of black, white, and silver mashed together as the Patriarch and Matriarch hit the ground forming a new crater. Catalysta couldn’t tell which creature was on top, or which was winning, because the force of the impact had sent her to her knees as she lost her balance.
Two of the kits were wide open to the Wyverwolf’s attack and it darted forward, jaws wide to crush the two babies. In desperation Catalysta thrust her spear at the monster as it moved past her. Miraculously, she felt the tip of the spear sink into the Wyverwolf, moving the trajectory of the attack just enough to the left for it to miss the two kits entirely, and causing Bleeder to crash into the rocky wall. Unfortunately, the spear tip stuck fast to the Wyverwolf as it got caught up on a bone--probably a rib, as well as it ripped through the webbing of one of its wings--which tore the weapon away from Catalysta’s grasp. The two kits scrambled away from the Wyverwolf, seeking shelter elsewhere. Luckily, Bleeder was the only Wyverwolf aside from the Patriarch left alive on the field of battle.
Standing, Catalysta pulled out her mace again, choosing a short-sword for her left hand, with her other mace somewhere in the rocks and her spear out of her reach, she didn’t have much choice of weapons, but she knew she needed something sharp.
Bleeder was already back on its feet, growling. It reached its head backwards and tore the spear in its side free. The action cost it some more hit points and the use of its right wing.
Spielcat kit is requesting a binding as a companion. Do you agree? Yes/No
Catalysta knew that a reward for the quest was a companion anyway, maybe this was the reward since she stopped the Wyverwolf from killing him? She accepted and she felt the kit on her shoulder once again, only this time it was heavier. It let out a mini-roar and a light flashed by in Catalysta’s peripheral vision. She got a better view of the light as it slammed into the Wyverwolf, exploding in blinding light and stunning the beast for fifteen seconds. Cat blinked furiously to restore her vision, and was able to see Bleeder’s stun timer ticking down, only five seconds left. Catalysta lunged forward, her short sword leading the way, aiming for the hole her spear had already created. The blade tore through flesh, scraping across bone, and skewered the creature’s lungs. It squealed as blood colored froth dripped from its maw. It had a fraction of its original hit points left. Cat finished it off with a downward strike to its cranium with her mace. The body disappeared, the weight on her short sword suddenly disappearing, and a loot bag took its place. She sent it to her inventory and turned her head to observe the small Spielcat on her shoulder. The other two kits bounded to her feet, twining themselves around her legs, just a like a normal house cat.
Luckily, she glanced upwards. The Patriarch was making a beeline for her and the kits. She scooped the baby Spielcats up and dove to the side, allowing her body to absorb the vibrational damage from the monster’s impact. She zeroed in on the Patriarch activating her Analyze.
THE PATRIARCH: A Celestial Beast. Ultimate Avatar of Roon. Level ??? Hit Points ???????/???????. Roon created this creature as his ultimate messenger and agent. He is the embodiment of Roon. You cannot injure this entity in your current state.
The Patriarch recovered immediately and stalked towards Cat and the sheltering kits in her arms, climbing up the slope of the crater he had created. Panicking, Catalysta glanced around, searching for the Matriarch to intercept the coming attack that would annihilate both her and the three remaining Spielcat kits. The beautiful foil to the terrible Wyverwolf before her was laying in a heap, silver feathered wings askew. The Matriarch was still breathing but it was not rising to aid Cat--at least not yet. Instead, a single eye opened and focused on Catalysta with the kit on her shoulder. The Matriarch began to glow and an apparition of that glow rose up and flew towards the duo, engulfing them. An important message clouded her vision. She read it quickly.
The Matriarch has shared her Celestial Energy with you and your Spielcat kit companion. You have been imbued with the power to wound the Patriarch. You have three minutes. Use them wisely.
As a timer started counting down, her weapons began to glow a blinding white light just like her mace had when she had destroyed Gaeric Lovestohurt, only this time, she and the kit were also glowing. The Patriarch seemed to almost grin, as it leapt into the air and flew back into the sky, taunting Catalysta as her timer ticked down. The monster knew she could hurt it, and knew she didn’t have much time to do so.
The kit jumped down from her shoulder and began to grow.
Catalysta glanced at the battle log where she saw the words, Your companion has used the skill UpSize, before the list of actions scrolled past. The kit, now twice the size that Bleeder had been, with its white and silver wings furled out twice the length of its body, looked back over its shoulder in question. Cat, understanding, mounted the Spielcat just behind its wings and felt her stomach lurch as it tried to stay behind on the ground when the Spielcat launched into the air. She held on with her legs--those few horse riding classes as a teenager finally coming in handy--so she could have her arms and weapons free to attack. The bond between the kit and Catalysta was such that she knew when it would turn, dive, or rise; this made it relatively easy for Cat to move fluidly with the Spielcat.
You have learned the skill Riding.
Despite its new size, the young Spielcat was still smaller than the Patriarch and far less experienced in fighting. The kit chased the larger Wyverwolf through the air above the Aviary of Light, always a step behind. They continuously rose into the air back and forth; the pair just missed the Patriarch here, and almost had him there, but always just shy of landing a hit. The monster seemed to be enjoying the chase, planning never to engage, at least not until Cat and the kit’s time ran out and they plummeted to the ground. She realized this as the timer in her vision dropped below forty-five seconds.
The Spielcat paused, hovering in the air, and the Patriarch mimicked him just, just opposite a wolfish grin spreading across its maw. It knew the duo would soon be powerless again. Catalysta glanced down--the ground was way too far away, but that wasn’t what caught her eye--and saw a white and silver blur speeding towards the Patriarch. The kit saw its mother bulleting straight for the enemy; the Patriarch did not. The bond between the kit and Catalysta that had formed had so far been utilized on instinct with a mutual understanding of each other's thoughts and wants. Cat wanted the Spielcat to rise higher than the Patriarch, and it complied without needing a command. Their minds were linked as Cat’s crazy went into motion.
The sudden movement away from him made the Patriarch suspicious, and he looked away from the duo. It was her chance. Catalysta stood on the kit’s back as the timer hit fifteen seconds and she used the kit as leverage, jumping. With her glowing weapons held above her head she somersaulted through the air, aiming towards the Wyverwolf, increasing her power and momentum with each revolution of her body. The Patriarch in turn saw her, and moved to avoid the blows from blunt and slashing, but the Matriarch barreled into him. Her attack was just enough to put him back in line with Cat’s attack, as the mother of all Spielcats pushed away from the father of all Wyverwolves immediately after she hit him.
The two weapons connected with the Patriarch. The mace struck a solid blow on its shoulder, while the short sword took off half its ear and bit into its snout as it turned its head. The monster howled as Cat and the kit’s timer ran out and both her weapons crumbled to dust from the torrent of Celestial power they had contained. The kit shrunk back to its small size, but it had wings so it could still fly. Cat on the other hand began her swift descent to the ground below, a litany of text appearing before her eyes, and her health dropping to ten percent.
You have wounded the Patriarch of the Avatar of Roon. The Patriarch cannot be killed while the Stewards’ game is on, but it can feel pain.
You have gained the Ear of the Patriarch as a trophy. Be care he might eventually want this back.
You have caused the Patriarch to begin his retreat.
You have activated the skill Celestial Spinning Strike. This skill may only be used by a Celestial tier class and you have done severe damage to your body by utilizing a Celestial skill. Because you were given Celestial energy to use, the previous message of using a Celestial skill prior to obtaining a Celestial class is negated. The skill will remain part of your repertoire, however, should you use it or any other Celestial skill again without obtaining a Celestial class, the effects will be ten times worse for every skill activation and the effects will be exponential unless certain conditions are met. You have opened the path of the Celestial Valkyrie class. All preceding paths are open to you as well. To view your possible class choices, travel to a Steward’s Temple to the Creator.
Congratulations you are the first Dreamwalker to open the first tier of Valkyrie classes. Should you choose this class you will get a five percent increase to damage dealt against all monsters while mounted.
Congratulations you are the first Dreamwalker to open the second tier and final Valkyrie class, should you choose this class you will get a ten percent increase to damage dealt against all opponents while mounted. Reward granted if class is chosen.
As she neared the ground, Catalysta lamented about the buff she was about to lose. There was no way she would survive the impact, especially with a stun timer keeping her from trying anything. Ten percent health was definitely a disadvantage, but she doubted she’d survive a fall from that height even with full health. Hopefully she wouldn’t have failed the quest. Hopefully the kits would survive without her here. Hopefully the Matriarch would be victorious. Hopefully--
She felt a jarring force as said Spielcat collided with her, shaving another couple percentage points off her life force, but halting her fall. The mother Spielcat’s claws dug into Catalysta’s armor without piercing her skin as she took her to the ground at a much more controlled rate, gently laying Cat down, and retracting her claws. Then the Matriarch was off again, going after the already retreating Patriarch to make sure it left the Aviary of Light.
While Catalysta lay on the rocky ground, waves of pain washing over her whole body, as she waited for her stun timer to run out, the kit who bonded to her, daintily stepped onto her. It curled up on her chest and began purring. The waves of pain subsided slightly, and her hit points started to increase at a slightly higher rate. The other two kits joined the first and with the additional vibrational purrs, made the pain subside entirely; her hit points began refilling three times as fast with their combined attention.
When her timer ran out she raised her hand to pet the tuxedo kit on her chest and finally allowed herself to focus on the silky soft fur of the Spielcat. It was a mixture of small feathers and that down undercoat that most furred babies have. The kit's wings were retracted and weren’t even visible, as if they went inside its body when not in use. The other two kits jumped down to the ground and head bumped her free hand for attention. She complied, sitting up as she did so. The tuxedo kit scrambled up to her shoulder and wrapping its tail around her neck, licked her cheek. At the same time, the Patriarch finally left the bounds of the Aviary of Light and Catalysta received a notification.
Quest Update: Save the Matriarch’s Litter-- Rescue the kits 3/3. Optional--Aid the Matriarch 1/1. Complete. Rewards--Speak to the Matriarch.
As she read the final line, the Matriarch in all her beauty landed lightly in front of her, snowy fur and feathers perfectly in place despite the desperate battle she had just waged.
THE MATRIARCH: A Celestial Beast. Ultimate Avatar of Dun. Level ??? Hit Points ???????/???????. Dun created this creature as his ultimate messenger and agent. She is the embodiment of Dun and the mother of all Spielcats. She is currently bonded with a Dreamwalker. Dreamwalker’s name is currently unavailable. The Matriarch is carrying a litter of new kits.
“It appears my son has already given you part of your reward, Dreamwalker--before you even completed the quest. He is an impertinent one.” The Matriarch’s mouth did not move as she spoke, but Catalysta could still hear the words clear as day.
“Maybe, but it sure helped in this instance.” The rumble from the kit on her shoulder grew louder.
“The bonding is not complete, Dreamwalker. In order for him to converse with you as we are now, you must name him.”
Catalysta thought a moment, considering the kits aggressive and passionate nature, “How about Raphael?”
“Is it appropriate for him?”
“From where I’m from, it’s the name of an angel,” Catalysta said. She did not add that it was also the name of a turtle, a sculptor, a demon, and a vampire. She liked the name and the kit’s tail flexed as it kept purring.
“Then that shall be his name.” The effect on the little kit--Raphael--was immediate. Raphael grew heavier, his tail grew thicker and longer and then Cat heard his voice.
“Mother, does this mean that I am immortal now too?” Raphael’s voice was small compared to the Matriarch’s, almost that of a small child’s voice.
“You will be as immortal as this Dreamwalker here. If you die in battle you will respawn wherever your bonded companion respawns. If she dies, you will be weakened. If you die, she will be weakened. Should she die a true death, so shall you. Be wise in your training little one and seek guidance as you grow.” Catalysta could feel the fondness for Rapheal in the Matriarch’s voice, but she also heard the dismissal and the silent command for him to be quiet. Raphael did as well, for he lay down his head and closed his eyes, falling asleep just like a normal cat.
“Now, as for your other tasks. Not only did you help me drive the Patriarch out of my domain, you also wounded the Patriarch. You even cut off his ear. May I have it?”
Cat was a little taken aback, but she reached into her inventory and retrieved the ear, “Sure.” She held the triangular flesh out and the Matriarch gingerly removed it from her fingers, before she swallowed it. The Matriarch grew a couple inches taller and a couple inches wider as she absorbed a portion of the Patriarch’s power. A dome of light appeared in the sky above them, encasing the entire bowl of the Aviary in a protective shield.
“We--the Patriarch and I--are supposed to be equal in strength, however, that small scrap of power he lost is forfeit for his underhanded attack on the Aviary. His minions will no longer be able to breach the Aviary of Light, and if he tries again himself, he will be at a disadvantage. For saving all three of my kits, you have received a companion to help you in your trials. For assisting me with the Patriarch, I will reveal one of you Innate Abilities for you and will reward you with 10,000 experience points. For wounding the Patriarch, I will give you two of my claws. Should you find a mastercrafter of weapons they will make valuable weapons to replace the two you lost in your battle. Weapons that will not disintegrate when utilizing Celestial energy. And for giving me the Ear of the Patriarch, which had you consumed it would have gained you 25 levels, I will reveal a second Innate Ability.” Twenty-five levels?! She had just thrown away twenty five levels? That trade did not seem fair. But perhaps handing it over was part of her quest to become the Steward’s Champion and she guessed it depended on what Ability was revealed. The Matriarch took a step forward, ignoring the emotions warring on Cat’s face, with her mouth opening wide as if to take her head off in one gulp. Instead, the winged Spielcat simply exhaled on Catalysta twice.
Congratulations! You have discovered your third innate ability: Commune.
Congratulations! You have discovered your fourth innate ability: Return.
See your character screen for more information.
The Matriarch then moved back and broke off two of her claws. The razor sharp appendages glowed, rose in the air, and floated over to Cat, who promptly stowed them away in her inventory. She didn’t know a blacksmith yet, let alone a mastercrafter.
“And there is one more matter with which I would like to lay at your feet. I would like you to take Raphael’s two sisters with you and find companions for them as well--Dreamwalkers only. It is very rare that a Dreamwalker will make it to the Aviary of Light, especially with how things stand now. I believe you will find them proper partners and they will be very safe in your base of operations.”
“Of course, I’ll take them with me. I’m sure they will be quite at home in Fasthaven.” She was sure all the villagers would fawn over the adorable creatures and stop at nothing to keep them safe.
“Good. With that, then, I believe it is time for you to return, unless there is anything else?”
“I don’t--” Cat thought about the battle and her destroyed weapons, “Oh yeah, I threw my other mace at that Wyverwolf, I just want to grab it again before I go.” She’d already broken two of Bannor’s maces, and she didn’t know if he had any more.
“Very well.” The Matriarch glanced to the side as the two female kits bounded away from Catalysta, straight for the stray weapon. Cat got to her feet and went to pick it up. As soon as her fingers grasped the shaft of the mace, the world blurred, and she--along with the three Spielcats were back in the middle of Fasthaven’s square.
Gizette, who had been about to turn with a bucket of cold water from the fountain, jumped in shock and let out a shriek. The water within went up in the air and came back down. All over Catalysta and the kits, who overall didn’t seem too upset about the water as they shook themselves and let out soft meows. Catalysta on the other hand was covered in armor, armor that she would now have to take off and dry. A minor inconvenience that she could forgive easily; she wanted to get off the armor anyway, it seemed to be starting to chafe. She had been wearing armor non-stop for the majority of the time she’d been in Gamdrea.
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“Oh, I’m so sorry!” Gizette sat down the bucket and stepped towards Cat, before freezing in place when she saw the kits. She dropped to her knees and scooped the free Spielcats up in her arms, “Oh my goodness, they are so adorable!” She was nuzzling them and petting them fiercely, damp fur and all. The two kits look placatingly at Catalysta and Raphael.
“I don’t think they are enjoying that Gizette.” Catalysta patted Raphael on the head as she felt him tense up, “They may look like kittens, but they’re Spielcats, and if you don’t stop soon, you’ll probably be bleeding--because their brother might attack you.”
Gizette glanced up, “Spielcats? Like the constellation?” She looked back down at the annoyed but behaving kits, “but where are their wings?”
Raphael jumped off Cat’s shoulder, his wings flaring out and flew at Gizette, pulling up just before he rammed her. She in turn dropped the two kits, who landed on their feet and darted away, taking flight to land on top of Cat’s head and opposite shoulder to Raphael’s perch.
“Raphael, no attacking the villagers.”
“Wasn’t attacking,” Raphael said haughtily as he returned to his perch, “She asked where our wings were and I showed her.”
“They’re beautiful,” said Gizette, still kneeling on the ground, unafraid.
The pounding of feet announced Granden as he came rushing up from behind Gizette, brandishing a pitchfork. He had been helping Hichard in the stables. He calmed down when he saw it was Cat.
“Oh, good. You’re back.” He ignored his wife as Gizette punched the man in the thigh before he helped her to her feet, “What do you want us to do with the mounts that belonged to the intruders? Mostly they’re just generic horses, but there’s one ornery creature in there that goes kind of berserk any time one of us gets near. It almost seems like it’s in pain.”
“The Midnight Strider? It is a magical creature, so maybe the atmosphere of Fasthaven is disagreeing with it. Its allegiance was to the Beastmage, so the crystal might consider it an enemy. Did Bannor pick up a bonding accessory or anything?”
“A Midnight Strider,” Granden said in awe, “No wonder, it’s acting up. I’ll go speak with Bannor. By the way, did you know you have a cat on your head…and on your shoulders?” He didn’t wait for a reply before jogging towards the Alchemist’s shop.
Catalysta pointed towards the manor house, “I’m going to go take this armor off so it can dry. I needed a break from all this scale mail anyway.”
“Okay, I’ll let mother know you’ve returned. I think she has some new clothes for you.”
“Thanks,” Cat replied, walking to her residence.
“We smell a large predator,” Raphael said quietly, possibly to avoid scaring Gizette, “It has moved all over this area.”
“That’s probably the Catberus. I’ll introduce you before I leave tonight.” The three kits all looked at her quizzically, not understanding. Perhaps their mother had not told them, “I don’t stay here all the time, I have my own world that I come and go from into Gamdrea.” All three kits swished their tails in annoyance, perhaps worrying that without her there they would be in danger.
Aria met them at the door to the manor house and the three Spielcats stiffened, unsure about the new entity, but they relaxed when Cat showed no sign of distress.
“Mistress, I have finished copying all the books from your device on Earth into the library.” Aria seemed excited at the prospect of having new information in its database.
“Uh thanks,” Catalysta said, “Can you tell me the best place to remove my armor so it can properly dry and air out?” Aside from the chafing, her armor didn’t smell that great with all the sweating she had done during the battles.
“If you remove it in the foyer I will take care of it. May I ask the status of the three Celestial Beasts on your shoulder?”
“They are free to come and go in the house as they please,” Catalysta said, then glanced at them continuing, “try not to break anything, I’ve not really gone through everything in here, but you’re welcome to explore. The manor house has a security system that will protect and warn you of danger--this entity here, Aria.”
“We will go in search of a place to rest. We are quite tired. The battle above raged for several days and we have not slept in many hours.”
“Of course, Raphael, I think there are beds upstairs if that helps.”
“We will search them out, thank you my friend.” The three Spielcat kits jumped off of her body lightly. Catalysta half expected their claws to tangle in her hair or armor but these were not common house cats, no matter how much they looked like them before their wings appeared. They disappeared down the foyer and up the stairs, leaving Cat to remove her armor, where she promptly dropped it on the floor and where Aria made it vanish. It reappeared in a different room that Catalysta hadn’t even found yet, and then Aria too disappeared.
Cat stood alone in the foyer, once again in her starting clothes, which were sweat stained, covered with caked dirt and blood, and very uncomfortable.
“Aria?” Catalysta called into the empty room, immediately summoning the manor house intelligence back in front of her. “Is there anything like indoor plumbing in the Manor or in Gamdrea as a whole?” She asked because if there wasn’t and was respectively she would have it installed, and if it didn’t exist in Gamdrea she would help them invent it.
Aria blinked a couple of times before replying, “There is nothing of that name within the Manor, or in Gamdrea that I know of. Perhaps it is called something else. Please define it.”
“Um, you followed me everywhere when I was on Earth right, while you were in my phone?”
“I did.”
“There was a room where there were a lot of toilets and water that came from pipes. Did your sensors pick that up?”
“Aria blinked on and off again, “If I did it would have only been audio, as you had me in your bag. Upon our return to Earth, I will research this topic and have a better answer for you on reentry to Gamdrea.”
“Fine, is there a place where I can clean up?” Catalysta wasn’t exactly annoyed, but after taking the armor off she realized just how dirty and uncomfortable she really was, and it was getting on her nerves.
“Wait here a few moments, Mistress, I will make sure the bathing area is clean and functioning properly.” Aria disappeared once again, leaving Catalysta standing in her grimy and torn clothes, the only item likely worth keeping on her body being her boots.
“Hello?” Catalysta turned towards the sound. It was Nerry peeking in the open front door, she had a large bundle in her hands that was meant for Catalysta.
“Guess I arrived not a moment too soon,” Nerry held out the bag, “Told you I’d have some clothing for you. Much better than what you’re wearing right now. Don’t know how you wore any of that armor you had on for any amount of time with that as the only thing between you and the scales.”
“I think I’m paying for it now, but when your adrenaline is running, you don’t really feel a little thing like your skin getting rubbed raw.” That was something you felt when you were ready to rest, ready to relax. The weird thing was, Catalysta knew that the health potions she had taken had healed her skin but with the clothes she had on and the constant battling it had come right back after only a few minutes. The result had been the same when she had entered the hot spring, though that had also treated the clothing, so she had gotten a little bit more time before the irritation returned. As she took the bag, Nerry continued.
“Oh, and Bannor put some salve in there for you too, just in case you needed it. We didn’t know where you were. He said other Dreamwalkers leave a sort of ghost of themselves when they return home, but you completely vanished. He figured you reached a milestone and were transported for a special purpose?”
“Great,” Catalysta said. She hoped the salve worked as well as the healing potions. “Yeah, I was sent to rescue three Spielcat kits, which are somewhere in the house sleeping. They are going to be living here until I find them Dreamwalker partners. Hopefully, you all will look after them while I’m gone.”
“Celestial kits?” Nerry said in awe, “It will be Fasthaven’s honor to host such noble creatures. I will fetch them some milk from the Milkers for when they wake.” The woman turned to go.
“Can I have some too?” Cat loved milk.
“Of course,” Nerry said without turning, “A bit of milk is the least we can do for our Patron.”
Aria reappeared in a flash, “Please follow me, mistress.” Catalysta, with her bag of goodies, followed. They went towards the kitchen, going one door past it to a large room with a floor made of cool stone that sloped downwards in a sort of drain towards the exterior wall where a grated hole the size of a medium sized smartphone. There were two clawfoot tubs in the room and a large bucket filled with steaming water--more than enough to fill one of the tubs. A couple three legged stools sat by each tub and a towel with a bar of soap sat on one of them.
“I took the liberty of fetching the water and heating it up for you.” Aria bobbed in the air, waiting.
Cat, who had just wanted to wash off, had not been expecting a bath. Though, she wouldn’t say no to it either; she did feel rather dirty after her fight with the Patriarch. “Thank you Aria. Please inform me if anyone enters the house. Is there a way to lock this door?”
“Yes, mistress, it has a lock. I shall throw the lock for you.”
Everything was so real in Gamdrea. The heat of the water warmed the whole room and moisture condensed on Cat’s face. She unwrapped Nerry’s bundle and examined one of the shirts before placing it well away from the steaming water to keep it dry.
Calotropis Shirt: this mastercrafted rare item can be worn under armor or casually. The quality of its workmanship befits multiple situations. Made from the rare Calotropis petals it is both comfortable and sweat wicking. This rare item was made with care and love for Catalysta Angelwing to protect and help her on her journey. Protection from all damage types physical or magical +5. Durability 50/50. For each 10 points of durability lost protection is reduced by 1. Return to Nerry Stitchsword for repair.
The material was slick and soft, cool to the touch despite the heat in the room, and long sleeved. The pants were similarly designed, though Nerry had dyed them brown and the shirt blue. And that was just one outfit, there was an additional outfit with a green shirt and black pants. Nerry had also made undergarments, which Catalysta was thankful for; the game had not made her go commando, but having only one pair of underwear didn’t sit well with her. As she moved the clothing into stacks to wear, she nearly dropped the small clay pot with the salve in it, but thanks to her Lightning Reflexes, she saved it from splatting on the floor.
When Cat removed her starting shirt and pants, they felt so thin she thought they were about to disintegrate and she wasn’t far from wrong.
Trial Garments (shirt): Made from low quality cotton, this common shirt has the consistency of a burlap sack. It works for a little while but soon becomes uncomfortable. It offers no additional protection from damage and only barely qualifies as an undershirt for armor. If worn too long it can do more harm than good. Durability 1/3. This article of clothing cannot be repaired.
Both the shirt and pants had seen better days, but Cat wasn’t going to toss them. She’d keep them in her inventory like the item hoarder she was. Maybe there would be a use for them in the future, or maybe she would put them on display in the manor once she grew in power like some of the old video games allowed you to do--put up mannequins to show off complete gear sets when you outgrew them but didn’t want to sell them because you were attached to their style or because you were a completionist. It turned out that the undergarments she wore, and the new ones she had acquired from Nerry were indestructible, which though odd, was probably a relief for every living humanoid on Gamdrea. Even if you lost the shirt off your back, you’d still have a bra, socks, and undies to wear--if you were a girl at least. A man would only have the undies and socks. That did not keep said undies from getting dirty as the sweat and blood stains on the waistband of her undies showed.
With her strength stat, it was easy for Cat to lift the bucket of steaming water to pour it into one of the tubs. Scooting the stool close to her chosen tub she completely disrobed and gingerly stepped into the steaming water, washing herself off quickly. The soap bar was rough and was almost a scrubbing brush itself. Within five minutes she was clean and out of the water, which was dark gray from all the dust, blood, sweat and gunk she had removed. The remaining water in the bucket had cooled a little but she upended it over herself for a final rinse and watched the water travel outside by way of the floor drain.
She toweled off quickly, wrapping her wet hair up in the towel as she moved to dress herself. As she slid the new garments on she marveled at how the fabric kissed her skin and seemed to refresh her just by being on her. She felt like a completely new person once she completed her outfit with her boots.
“Aria?”
The ball of light appeared before Catalysta instantly, “Yes, Mistress?”
“Do I need to do anything here to clean up?”
“No, Mistress, I will take care of it. However, in the future, I would recommend you find and hire an experienced maid to manage the house, such as cooking, cleaning, etc. Should more residents call this home, I will not be able to serve or appear as I do now.”
New Quest: A Maid for the Manor--Aria the spirit of the house crystal has asked that you hire a maid to take care of the household chores in its place, particularly if more individuals call the Manor house their home. 0/1 Do you accept? Yes/No
Of course, Catalysta accepted. Aria was better suited to taking care of the information in the library--that gathered from Earth while the AI searched the internet and that gathered from Gamdrea. Cat wanted Aria as her aid, and wouldn’t like it if she had to share when she needed to have answers at her fingertips at a moment's notice.
“Excellent, Mistress. I suggest we go on a tour of the Manor. You have been in it much, but have not seen its whole.”
Cat gestured with her hand towards the door, “Lead the way.”
Aria floated out of the bathing room and went immediately to the door opposite it, which opened up into a modest room of bare shelves and several wooden tables, some with strange equipment cluttering their surfaces. There were drying racks and some tools hanging on hooks, though there were obvious spots missing a tool. Dust was thick in the room, from the years of disuse.
“This is the alchemy workshop. The former owner had some small gift in alchemy, but with Bannor around he let his workspace fall into disrepair as his skills did as well. If you would like, I can begin the process of putting the room into maintenance for your use?”
“Actually, yeah, that would be great. I should probably learn Alchemy if I can’t be healed in any useful extent without potions. I’ll have to ask Bannor about it further though…” she realized she was rambling, “Yes, please put the alchemy workshop into maintenance repair.”
“Of course,” Aria floated away again, continuing the tour. If Cat hadn’t known Aria didn’t have legs she would have said it turned on its heel. The other end of the hallway, past the library, held an enchanters workshop, which looked far more used, though it was messy as if someone had left it in a rush. With her inability to use magic she was unsure how useful that room would be, but she wouldn’t count it out yet. As the two climbed the stairs Aria explained that the large open rooms near the entrance of the Manor were actually used as cafeterias in the past.
“Long ago, before my previous master claimed the Manor house, it was used as a guild headquarters.” Aria spoke as Catalysta took her first step up the stairs.
“But I thought he and Bannor found this place when it was a ruin?”
“Yes. The Manor house and I are quite old. We predate the current Stewards. Before Dun and Roon were placed as guardians of Gamdrea, there were two others. Both of the first stewards believed themselves gods. There was constant war as the twin brothers attacked each other relentlessly trying to gain an upper hand. Gamdrea was almost wiped out of the cosmos, but the Creator stepped in and stripped the original stewards of their immortality, transporting them to another world as mortals. I do not know how they fared there as they did not appear as the beings of the new world. One had the head of a falcon, the other the head of a jackal.”Catalysta paused in her climb. Something about that description sounded familiar. “The time between their departure and the arrival of Dun and Roon was known as the Cataclysm and the populations of Gamdrea were significantly reduced. The Silver Phoenixes were a casualty, along with many others, of the Cataclysm.” Aria had continued floating up the stairs, but seemed to notice Cat still wasn’t going anywhere.
“Mistress?”
Cat began moving upwards again, “So it was a guildhouse?”
“Yes. The Manor was home to the Silver Phoenixes. It is why there are so many living quarters in the upper rooms. The Manor is currently in its smallest form. If you decide to create a guild, and have more members than it can house, the Manor can grow more floors if you provide sufficient supplies to build more floors.” They made it to the second floor and Aria paused.
Catalysta looked forward, seeing the second floor common room in front of her. The room was in disarray--from when they shoved the doppelganger out the window and when they shot the enemy from afar.
“Mistress, this floor has a common room as you see and four living quarters facing the square, as well as eight living quarters facing the back of the house. These rooms are sparsely filled with basic furniture. Again that can change if you supply resources.”
“Well, I’ll have plenty of guest rooms, if the inn ever overflows.”
“Indeed, Mistress, I foresee this not happening anytime soon. Shall we continue to the third floor and your personal quarters?”
Finally, she would see what her room would look like, “By all means. Is that by chance where Raph and the other kits are?”
“Yes, Mistress, it is unlikely they found any of the other unused or rarely used rooms to their tastes. Most wouldn’t if they had a choice when comparing the furnishing in the master rooms to the other living spaces.”
The door to her room was different from the others she had passed in that it was trimmed with gold and silver and it was a foot wider and a foot taller than the other rooms’ doors. The interior of the room was lavish, with a four poster bed with blue velvet hangings that could completely enclose the sleeper. There were multiple thick and soft floor rugs placed about the room so the occupant would not need to step on the bare floor unless they wanted to. A wash stand and a chest of drawers stood on either side of the entrance and there were some hooks on the walls for hanging clothes, weapons, or anything one wanted. The three kits were in the middle of the bed snoozing, each curled into their own little ball as they sunk into the lush feather mattress. Cat couldn’t help herself; she moved forward and stroked Rapheal, who began to purr contentedly. She wanted to join them, but she had things she needed to do.
“Anything else I need to know about the Manor?” Catalysta turned Aria in question.
“I would recommend you get supplies to stock the kitchen, Mistress. I cannot cook meals, but you will need to eat and drink here just as you do in your own world.” Aria’s light flashed. “The tailor, Nerry, has arrived with your requested milk.”
“Sweet,” Catalysta’s stomach growled as she jogged past Aria and back towards the stairs. She took them two at a time going down, keeping her balance with the banister and met Nerry as she was turning down the hallway to the kitchens. The woman was carrying two earthenware jugs. Cat’s eyes locked onto the jug and information popped up.
Earthenware Jug: container that holds one earth gallon of liquid. This jug has been specially enchanted to keep the contents within between a temperature of 35 and 55 degrees earth fahrenheit. Current content is Alpha Milker Milk--effects variable between individuals.
“Great, Nerry, I’m thirsty.” Catalysta held out her hand for one of the jugs.
“Don’t you want to get a cup,” Nerry asked, her eyebrows raised, after Cat had uncorked the jug and took a long gulp.
Cat paused, her cheeks puffed out with her giant drink, and realized she had basically just drunk out of the carton in front of someone. Her cheeks turned red as she recorked the jug, but a notification made her forget her embarrassment.
You have drunk Alpha Milker Milk. You have increased all attributes by +1 for the next 8 hours. You have also satiated food and drink requirements for the next 8 hours. You have received the maximum buff from the Alpha Milker Milk. You are one of the lucky few.
“Wow, Fasthaven must make a ton of money off this milk.”
“We would,” Nerry sighed, “If we could get it to town, but it’s been difficult the last few months.”
“What? Why? I mean aside from the Agents of Shadow invading.” Catalysta had a feeling she was about to get a quest.
“Well, it was several different things. The cows didn’t give as much for a few weeks, the wagon wheels were broken when we went to deliver, one of our deliveries was hit by bandits and when they found out we didn’t have gold and were carrying milk, they broke all the jars and we had to order new jars from Lebia before we can do a full delivery.”
“Well I have to go to Lebia anyway, I could take some milk for delivery with my inventory and pick up the new jugs?”
“That…would be quite helpful.”
NEW QUEST FOUND: MIRACLE MILK--Deliver ten Earthenware Jugs full of Alpha Milker Milk to the Gilded Partridge in Lebia 0/10, Pick up forty newly made Earthenware Jugs from Enchanted Potts in Lebia 0/40. Optional--Establish new buyers in Lebia 0/???. Reward: Variable. Accept Yes/No.
As Catalysta accepted the quest, she added to Nerry, “Oh, and while the jugs are in my inventory, the contents won’t go bad. It will come out just as it was put in.” Nerry gave her a skeptical look, which made Cat clap her hand to her head as she thought of something, “Actually you can put the milk in just regular jars and it should be just fine! That way I can take more milk for your deliveries. I assume your regulars have empty Earthenware jars?”
Nerry continued to have a look of disbelief on her face, but she nodded.
“Look, I promise this will work. If the milk goes bad during my delivery, I’ll pay for it all.” She grabbed an empty jar from the kitchen area, wiped it out to make sure there was no dust in it and then poured her remaining milk into it before she placed it into her inventory, and handed the earthenware jug back to Nerry. “I’ll make the trip to Lebia within the week, and I’ll save this fresh milk you gave me, in my inventory and when I get back I’ll pull it back out to show you.”
“I don’t doubt you Catalysta, I have just never heard of such a powerful artifact.”
“It’s a Celestial grade, so I’d imagine it’s incredibly rare.” The woman’s eyes got huge. First Catalysta brought three Celestial creatures, only seen as a constellation by the majority of humanoids, to Fasthaven and she was already talking about owning a Celestial item. And she’d only been on Gamdrea for not quite two days.
“Oh, yes, I nearly forgot,” Catalysta said, “I wanted to make some collars for the kits, so I can give them the sapphire tokens. I’m sure they’ll want to go hunt in the forest and I want to make sure they’re safe. Do you have enough of the material to make them collars?”
Nerry seemed distracted as she replied, “Of course, I can work with Randor’s leather as well and it shouldn’t take too long. If I can have the stones, I can also go ahead and set them.”
“Perfect,” Cat reached into her inventory and pulled out three of the sapphire tokens she had previously created. She gave them to Nerry and asked, “Is Bannor at home, you think?”
Nerry’s hand closed around the three small flawless sapphire tokens as she said, “As far as I know.” Cat turned on her heels to jog out of the Manor to Bannor’s house, “Wait--what about the other jug of milk--for the kits?”
“Just put it in the kitchen, they’re asleep right now. I’m sure Aria can let them know about it if they wake up before I get back.” Catalysta shouted as she went through the front door, quickly making her way to Bannor’s house.
As she neared Bannor’s entrance, his cat, who had nearly gotten her caught by the Beastmaster last time she saw it, pushed open the front door that the last person to go through it hadn’t properly latched upon leaving. Wondering how the animal would get along with Catberus and now the kits, Catalysta pushed the door open wider and called out for the dwarf.
“Bannor?”
“Catalysta? Just the person I wanted to see,” the Alchemist called from his workshop, “Come on back.” Cat moved through Bannor’s living room, which was much more tidy than the last time she was there and went through the hanging door to find him hard at work crushing and grinding ingredients. He was preparing his current store of herbs to make new potions.
“More health potions?” asked Catalysta.
“Aye, though I’m missing some ingredients, I was hoping you could forage for some for me. It’s called Hypericum, and is common variety, non-magical, so they shouldn’t be too far outside of the village.”
NEW QUEST: Find the plant Hypericum for Bannor and bring it to him in stacks of ten, as many as you can find. Reward: 1-3 health potions of varying strength depending on the quality of the plant and Bannor’s success rate in crafting the potion. Accept Yes/No.
She accepted the quest without a thought, “Speaking of potions, Bannor, can you teach me Alchemy?” The dwarf alchemist appeared to chew on his cheek.
“Don’t want to be needing me all the time ay?”
“No, it isn’t that, and I don’t want to take your job either. It’s just if I’m not going to be in Fasthaven for a while, I think it would be a good skill to know and I’d rather learn the basics from you, rather than stumble around trying to figure out how to properly mix a basic health potion.”
“Sound thinking, but first you should learn herbalism. You have the Gather skill already, I assumed that when I asked you to get my Hypericum?” Catalysta nodded, “The Herbalism skill will make your Gather skill more effective when harvesting plants.” Bannor went over to his shelf that housed weathered looking books, with loose pages and various right tools. He pulled an inkwell, a feathered pen, and a blank piece of paper out of the organized mess and began scribbling on it before he handed the parchment to Cat. On the page was a hand drawn flowering plant with the title Hypericum and a description beneath it. Once she read the information, the scrap of paper disappeared and she got a notification.
You have learned the skill of Herbalism. You have started the scientific journey of plants and their uses. Discover more useful plants to increase your level. You will harvest two times as many usable herbs when you use your Gather skill. You will find your internal Herbalist Journal in your UI. Useful herbs will glow slightly in your site.
Cat saw a small new emblem of a book next to her health bar and she mentally clicked on it. Immediately the image of the Hypericum appeared before her, along with the description Bannor had provided and how to harvest it properly. The image in her head was also colored--the flower was yellow.
“I can see by your face that you have the Herbalism skill now?” The dwarf shook his head, “Wish it had been that easy for me.” He went back to his shelves and pulled out a bunch of loose, blank pages. “Each time you find a new herb, draw it on one of these and then you can use books to identify it or ask me or another herbalist. Some will charge you for the help.” He grinned wryly at that as he handed her the stack of paper. He returned to the shelf and grabbed a stick of charcoal, “Use this while you’re in the field, much easier to manage without a table.” Catalysta placed all the items in her inventory. “Now when you get back with the herbs, I’ll show you how to make some health potions, and with you, that should be enough for you to learn the Alchemy craft.”
“Any particular direction that you might suggest I go to find them?”
“There should be a patch some ways into the forest directly behind my house,” Bannor was focusing on grinding more of his ingredients as he spoke.
“Any dangers to look out for?”
“Now that the Void Mist is in place…maybe wolves but likely not. I’m not really sure how lack of magic will have affected the wildlife, especially with those Void Beasts roaming around as well.”
At that bit of information, Cat didn’t really want to go alone, “Do you need them right away? My companion is sleeping from a big fight in the Aviary of Light, and I think it would probably be best if I took him with me.”
“Your companion? One of the cats Granden mentioned? Wait, did you say the Aviary of Light! That’s where your Milestone Quest took you?!”
“Yep, and Raphael is a Spielcat, Bannor. He probably won’t like being confused with your tabby, no matter how cute she is.”
“I…I…yes, that’s fine. The ingredients can wait. I’m sure you’ll get them to me before you return to your world.”
Catalysta returned to the Manor, going directly to the library. She and Raphael would go out as soon as he woke up, or in a couple hours when she woke him up. In the meantime, she’d get ahead on her reading for class. She chuckled, thinking that this was a whole new way to learn while sleeping. As she sat down behind the desk, her Microbiology tome in front of her, she say the small stack of crafted collars sporting the small flawless sapphires.