Dya looked up from her sand drawings to find Zuchi wandering around the room admiring the large patterns of mother of pear, coral, and stone, all polished flush in a way that would have every temple envious. It was all very clean too, not a speck of algae or coral growth out of place, which in the ocean was saying something. She imagined tours of this place being given to new recruits to let them know the standard of cleaning to which they must aspire while they are lowly trainees.
Under the dome there was a temple in the round, with resting benches spread liberally around a grand, intricate sculpture of Salt. She rose up out of the water draped in waves, with dolphins, seals, whales, narwhals, and fishes of many types playing in the waves. Her hands were stretched out and cupped; from them flowed luminous water that plunged down into a bowl of offering. To her right was a collection of tools and weapons, to her left, a book.
A sizable book.
A sizable and waterproof book.
A sizable, waterproof, and familiar book, from a time that now seemed a bit like a dream.
It was this book to which Dya swam, ignoring the weapons, tools, and treasures, thought they gleamed with magic and fancy gems. Knowledge was more important than treasure right now, especially this knowledge, especially right now.
Opening the book she went directly to the index.
Big ol’ index of doom.
Commoners Tradesman Woodsman Merchant Priesthood Administrator Warrior Bard Rogue Mage Healer Maker Explorer Naturalist Warrior Brawler Guard Hunter Mercinary Paladin Knight Immortal Skald Conquistador Battle Mage Combat medic Weaponsmith Scout Wilder Bard Musician Instrumentalist Animist Barker Chanter Jester Skald Bard Actor Illusionist Patch Luthier Traveloug Twitcher Rogue Thief Broker Stalker Spy Missonary Tax Collector Conquistador Actor Shade Shadowmage Emt Trapsmith Skirmisher Tracker Mage Witch Conjurer Summoner Fortune Teller Cleric Harbringer Battle Mage Illusionist Shadowmage Mage Alchemist Enchanter Scryer Elementalist Healer Hedgewitch Pharmacist Medicine Mer Apothicary Faith Healer Nurse Combat Medic Patch EMT Alchemist Healer Brewer Mad Scientist Herbalist Maker Craftsmerrr Tradesmer Shaper Blacksmith Book Maker Clerk Weaponsmith Luthier Trapsmith Enchanter Brewer Maker Engineer Creator Explorer Adventurer Woodsmer/Mountainmer Ranger Trader Philosopher Cartographer Scout Traveloug Skirmisher Scryer Mad Scientist Engineer Explorer Pathfinder Naturalist Gatherer Beastmaster Farmer Druid Horticulturalist Wilder Twitcher Tracker Elementalist Herbalist Creator Pathfinder Naturalist
It was all the basic jobs. Everything that could be done started here with these. Unlike the stone version of the book, this one had pages.
“What are you looking at?” Zuchi asked, as Dya turned the silk pages of the book to look at the entry on Twitcher, purely out of curiosity.
“It’s a book… the book of all the base jobs available to us.” Dya said as she peeled back the pages and rested the two page spread of Twitcher before her. “All the jobs that don’t need other jobs in order to get.”
Twitcher
calls and bonds with beasts, starting with birds
Skill
Spell
Lvl
Glavweish
Mer
Converse with-->
First Summon
1
Bonus:
lvl1
Twitcher
Bird summon
Song of the Sea
Fish Summon
First Aid
Heal Fish
1
+2 magic per lvl
lvl2
Staves/spears
Summons Spell
1
+1 Special
lvl3
Carry the Load
2
+1Cons
lvl4
Bare the burden
3
+1 Dex
lvl5
Cat caller
Four legged mammal about the size of a house cat.
Deep speaker
Sea Mammal Summon, can deep dive
Sewing
4
+1 Int
lvl6
Converse with-->
Second Summon
5
lvl7
Advanced First Aid
Second summon spell
6
lvl8
Advanced Staves/spears
7
lvl9
Listen
Deep song
8
Deep song- a song that puts people in a trance with after effects of confusion and dizziness.
lvl10
Horse Whisperer
Twitcher
Bird Summon
Deep lungs
9
lvl11
Converse with-->
Third Summon
10
lvl12
Far seeing
Far sight
11
Deep Lungs- an extra 10% of breath holding time per level.
lvl13
Climb
12
lvl14
Harpoons and arrows
Far Cry
13
Climb- +10% endurance per level while climbing +5% strength while climbing
lvl15
Song of the Sea
Cat Caller
basic weapon repair
14
lvl16
Converse with-->
Fourth Summon
15
Ride- Skill= +10 Agility while on mount per level. Ride Magic allows for short bursts of mental union between rider and mount.
lvl17
Run
Fourth Summon Spell
16
lvl18
Tumbling
17
lvl19
Leap
Night eyes
18
lvl20
Deep Speaker
Horse Whisperer
Parkour
19
lvl21
Converse with-->
Fifth Summon
20
lvl22
Ride
Fifth summon spell
21
lvl23
Lances
22
lvl24
Saddles and Gear
Ride
23
lvl25
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
Sɪbvæmai*
Sɪbvæmai*
Balance
24
lvl26
Sibvæmai skill 1
Sibvæmai Summon 1
25
lvl27
Sibvæmai skill 2
Sibvæmai spell 1
26
lvl28
Sibvæmai skill 3
Sibvæmai spell 2
27
lvl29
Sibvæmai skill 4
Sibvæmai spell 3
28
lvl30
Sibvængo *
Sibvængo *
Sibvæmai skill 5
Sibvæmai spell 4
29
˜
*Those that reach this level can expect to attract the notice of the great beasts and magical creatures. Heart of Sibvæ Form of Sibvæ 30
Zuchi read over her shoulder, “wow. I never heard of Twitcher before. This… this looks like the job for anyone who really wants all the pets.”
“No kidding.” Dya said. “I still don’t get the name though.”
“Maybe it means something in Gwarvish or Uman.” Zuchi sighed, “but its really kind of tempting. Like, 5 summons, each more powerful than the next, and then a wild form when you hit level 30? That’s pretty amazing.”
“Who says that the summons are more powerful as you progress?” Dya asked.
“Well, it just makes sense. Getting a fish vs. getting a mammal.” Zuchi shrugged.
“Getting a shark vs. getting an otter?” Dya suggested.
“Well, maybe if it’s a tiny shark and a big otter.” Zuchi rolled her eyes and then grinned, conceding the point. “I wonder what chooses the summon.”
“That would be something you’d have to learn in the training, I guess.”
Dya shrugged placed her hand on the book to flip it back to the index.
Congratulations, you have unlocked Twitcher
“SALTS TITS!” Dya yelped in surprise, and yanked her hand back.
“What? What?!” Zuchi asked having been knocked back.
“I just unlocked Twitcher when I put my hand on the book.”
“No way!”
“You try it!”
Zuchi unlocked Twitcher. They tried turning to the next page and with a little experimentation they learned that they had to read the page fully for the unlock to open to them. So now they had picked up Weaponsmith, a job all about making weapons of all kinds with increasing rarity of materials and intricacy. This was a job both of them decided was a against for now, and to keep searching.
Zuchi was ready to just start from the beginning but Dya was not so eager, though she didn’t disagree, she just had a better idea of the size of the task. Unable to convince Zuchi otherwise, she opened up the book to the index.
“Oh, my gods, you weren’t kidding.” Zuchi said, grabbing onto Dya’s shoulders and pulling herself up to see over her shoulder. “Is this really every base job? I mean, holy crap, it is. Look, it even has a list of uniques. Huh… Politician is a unique? I thought it would be some sort of Administrator- Rouge combination Cross job—”
Dya was nearly tossed completely into the water when Zuchi did a double take, “Sexworker is a unique job?! I have got to see that page!
“Really?” Dya asked feeling disgruntled, “Are you thinking about taking the job?”
“Hell, no, but how can we not look at that page?!” Zuchi asked reaching with grabby fingers.
“Fine, fine!” Dya sighed and flipped through the alphabetically ordered pages to “Sex Worker.”
Bonus
Sex Worker
+1 Dex per level
Title
Skill
Spell
Lvl
+1 Char per 2 levels
lvl1
Baby
Seen it all
Mesmerize
1
+3 Endurance every 2 levels
lvl2
Body linguist
Direct attention
1
Dance
Bedroom
Voice
Performance
lvl3
Merchant 101
Minor illusion
1
Skill
Spell
Lvl
Skill
Spell
Lvl
Skill
Spell
Lvl
Skill
Spell
Lvl
Skill Spell
lvl4
Dom/Sub
In position
First position
2
flexible legs
heal minor wounds
2
Chest voice
Project
2
memorize
Read the scene
2
Set the room
Purple Haze
lvl5
“They’ve seen it”
2
Leg lifts
Smile
3
curious
tickle
3
Do-re-mi
Throw
3
places
stage whisper
3
Chi reading
Spark
... The page continued on both down and to the right....
“Wow, look at those bonuses.” Dya muttered. “That is a crazy amount of endurance.”
“They have some amazing dexterity too, but I guess that makes sense. I mean, with most of the available paths you need to be pretty flexible… Lord this is complicated.” Zuchi traced the map of options. “Level one is the only level where the sex workers have anything in common with each other and then suddenly, its choose your own adventure.”
“Yeah, like… If you took Voice it doesn’t seem to stop you from also taking on skills and spells from bedroom. And if you took on these dance skills, combined them with these levels in Dream shaping…” Dya trailed off as a dark gnawing feeling rose in the back of her mind.
“Just add these skills from voice and you’d have one hell of a predator.” Zuchi said, firming up Dya’s realization.
“This is what he wanted us to be.” Dya muttered, staring at the page and hearing Gonmanal’s voice growling in her ear.
“What?” Zuchi asked, barely hearing Dya, but Dya didn’t want to think about it and slammed the book back to the index.
“So we’re not planning on being sexy predators. I mean, we could combine that with Siren and devour the nations of men but that really doesn’t fit my personal goals.” Dya said with a false cheer.
“Yeah, I was looking for a different sort of magic to immerse myself in.” Zuchi said, either ignoring or not noticing the false note in her voice.
They did unlock the job, after Zuchi pointed out the fun they could have telling people (at the right time) that they had unlocked the job.
Dya looked at Bookmaker next, which was a combination crafter, mage, priest thing that put holy spells to paper and bound them into books for use. It had a lot of plain physical skills and the ability to capture spells on paper with a bit of preparation, and even later, directly capture spells out of the air and into books.
Zuchi dragged open the pages to illusionist, laughing at the names for the spell levels, but it was Conjurer that had both of them snickering.
“OMG, you can be a “Conjurer of Cheap Tricks!” Dya giggled, “You pretty much have to be, it’s the first level spell!”
“Gotta start somewhere! But then you’ll be a Conjurer of Not so Cheap Hoaxes, and then a Conjurer of Expensive Shit by level fifteen!”
----------------------------------------
The next few hours were spent pouring over the pages of the book. Sometimes fighting, seeing that there was one book and two of them, but for the most part they both benefited from looking at whatever the other wanted to see so when Zuchi just had to look at the rogue class Shadomancer. Dya just rolled her eyes and read with her about the emoest of sorcerers and when she considered ranger Zuchi grumbled about nerd-jocks and did little else while Dya went through all the variations on magic missile. (Ranger had about 15).
Hours past and though their enthusiasm for the options available to them didn’t wane the two of them did become very hungry, and tired. Heads swimming they finished the last of the base jobs that they had been avoiding, purely out of self-defense. It had held a surprise for them-
Congratulations, you have unlocked the way of the Craft Master, would you like to take the job Craft Master at this time?
Craft Master, it turned out, was an actual path within as well as a goal of Craftsmer, and it allowed a mer to take on three different crafts under one job. It was very very tempting to Dya, and she had it flagged as maybe her tertiary job, but there were some problems. Well, one problem. It was a very stationary job, requiring supplies and tools, equipment, which lead to a sedate and safe sort of life. Well, safe if you didn’t have the big bad wolf already having a hook in you and ready to pull you from the sea just as soon as he figured out how.
She needed something more active, defensive, dangerous, and now that she had unlocked every single standard base job, she still didn’t know how to move forward. Paladin was too fussy, and would bind her to a church just as tightly as Gonmanal wanted her bound to him, only with slightly less creepy overtones. She assumed, damnit. Brawler was just too messy, Knight to ridged, and Conquistador too piratical. Skald looked interesting but maybe only as a secondary job, which still had her looking for a first job. Champion was straight out, she couldn’t take the job or even unlock it unless a god or high level nobility/government chose you. Big deal stuff, special gamer shit. It usually overrode a job or came in as an extra job, and that meant it had the same problem as Paladin. She be tied to a kingdom, or a god, or something that would own her. Though at least if one were a champion they were outside the standard hierarchy of the army/temple. The champion worked only for their patron, a patron which was the only one who could grant the job.
Like Champion most of the uniques turned out to be either very limited or not so great jobs. Rival was a tricky sort of job that gave the ability to counter a selected opponent and just build up crazy amounts of power based off of countering that opponent. As Zuchi said, “You’d better choose your opponent wisely.” Have a strong opponent, you too will be strong. Have your rival be Karen the housewife? Well, you're going to be very good at being very bitchy with devastating accuracy.
Politician was absolutely about getting people to believe you and do what you wanted them to do. The manipulative skills and the charisma bonuses were terrifying, but other than that, it was empty. It would be the other jobs that the politician brought to the table that would determine the worth of the politician in the roles that they played in government or whatever.
Heir/heiress was not a job you could unlock but were born with and you could not shed. It came with stat bonuses and crazy amounts of “luck,” but skills like “Social Blinders” and “L33T SP34K” left Dya wondering if it really was a good job to have or not.
Dya’s head was swimming with all the possibilities and limitations, and possibly exhaustion. There were so many opportunities for ways to grow and do amazing things available to her now, it was beyond what she had hoped or expected from the 18 years of growth she experienced. A world of possibility was open before her and she didn’t know what to do! The world seemed to surge and pulls with the tide as she thought about the different jobs, but she couldn’t just settle on one.
Zuchi took over the book for a while as Dya stared absently at it, and contemplated her problem. Just as she started to settle on job she felt repelled by it, and finally she realized it was the limitations that actually was getting her. Sure by choosing the path she would get awesome powers and stuff, but then she would never have access to other awesome powers. Well, outside of secondary and tertiary jobs. Could she get a grouping that she would be satisfied with?
Dya started to try and assemble different sets of three but the Zuchi turned the page to Jack, a page that was stuck closed before when Dya tried it.
JACK Will gain a stats based on the skills and spells chosen +1 [https://mcmcreates.files.wordpress.com/2021/11/tigerfish-one.jpeg?w=960&h=&zoom=2] Place holder fish is a Tiger Fish. Rar. Warning: Bad combinations are possible, and if the job becomes too unbalanced it will transform into the job "Master of None." Bonus Stats Skills Spells Lvl1 Jack +2Dex, +2Int, +1 Con +4 +4 Lvl2 +2Str, +2Cha,+1 Con 1 1 Lvl3 +2Wis, +2Luc, +1Con 2 2 Lvl4 +2Mag, +2Spe, +1Con 1 1 Lvl5 Man Jack +1Str, +1Con 3 3 Lvl6 +1 Int, +1 Con 1 1 Speciall unlocks to Uniques available. Lvl7 +1 Dex, +1 Con 2 2 Lvl8 +1 Wis, +1 Con 1 1 [https://mcmcreates.files.wordpress.com/2021/10/otter-be-good.jpeg?w=658&h=&zoom=2] Lvl9 +1Cha, +1 Con 2 2 Lvl10 Gentileman Jack +1Luck, +1 Con 3 3 Lvl11 +1Mag, +1 Con 2 2 Lvl12 +1 Spec, +1 Con 1 1 Lvl13 +1Str, +1Con 2 2 Lvl14 +1 Int, +1 Con 1 1 Lvl15 +1 Dex, +1 Con 3 3 Lvl16 +1 Wis, +1 Con 1 1 Lvl17 +1Cha, +1 Con 2 2 Lvl18 +1Luck, +1 Con 1 1 Lvl19 +1Mag, +1 Con 2 2 Common Tradesman Woodsman Trader Admin Lvl 20 Choose one or hold until level 30 Jack of All Jack of Clubs Jack of Spades Jack of Hearts Jack of Diamonds Jack of Kings +1 Spe, +1 Con Repeat stat bonus pattern 5 5 Lvl20 Brawler Guard Huntsman Mercinary Knight At level 20 Choose a Specialization. Every level there after, gain the first level in the job in that specialization. The Jack can then start gaining levels in that job. The job cannot be combined with another job for a secondary job. 1 1 Lvl21 Musician Instrumentalist Animist Barker Jester 2 2 Lvl22 Thief Broker Stalker Spy Tax Collector 1 1 Lvl23 Witch Conjurer Summoner Fortune Teller Harbringer 2 2 Lvl24 Hedge Witch Pharmacist Medicine Mer Apothicary Nurse 1 1 Lvl25 Craftsmer Tradesmer Shaper Blacksmith Clerk 2 2 Lvl26 Adventurer Woodsmer/Mountainmer Ranger Trader Mapmaker 1 1 Lvl27 Gatherer Beastmaster Druid Farmer Horticulturalist 5 5 Lvl30 Warrior Bard Rouge Mage Healer Maker Explorer Naturalist Lvl 30 Choose one Pure Jack Jack of Aces Jack of Queens Blackjack Star Jack Jack of Blood Jack of Trades Skipjack Jackalope 5 5 Immortal Skald Skirmisher Battle Mage Combat medic Weaponsmith Conquitsidor Wilder 1 1 Skald Bard Actor Illusionist Patch Luthier Travelogue Twitcher 2 2 Skirmisher Actor Shade Shadowmage Emt Trapsmith Scout Tracker 1 1 Battle Mage Illusionist Shadowmage Mage Alchemist Enchanter Scryer Elementalist 2 2 Combat Medic Patch EMT Alchemist Healer Brewer Mad Scientist Herbalist 1 1 Weaponsmith Luthier Trapsmith Enchanter Brewer Maker Engineer Creator 2 2 Scout Wanderer Conquistador Wayfinder Scryer Engineer Explorer Pathfinder 1 1 Wilder Twitcher Tracker Elementalist Herbalist Creator Pathfinder Naturalist 5 5
If Dya thought her head was spinning before, Jack pulled her into a vortex. A picture of a jackfish graced the pages, and the intricate grids caused the pages to spill out of the binding. This wasn’t the first time the book had show itself to have magically resized pages, but this one felt like a tapestry that broke down and recreated the index. Blinking Dya read the description again,
The Jack is a commitment to skill diversity and individual development. No single Jack has the same path as another, though similarities may exist on a macro scale. The Jack has the possibility to unlock the most powerful secrets of any job but beware, inattention to the necessary details could gain you the lack luster job “Master of None.”
“This is… like the most hodgepodgey job.” Zuchi said, squinting at it sideways as if that would cause it to reveal more secrets.
“It's all of the jobs and none of the jobs.” Dya agreed, and followed the paths down. “I think… I think you can choose which of the classes you want to master if you get high enough in Jack, but you only get one.”
“That’s insane. There’s no way to master all the jobs in a class.” Zuchi protested, and looked with sudden longing at the magic classes, “Is there?”
“Not without immortality.” Dya said, “but I don’t think that’s the point. I think it's more about building your own pseudo job.”
“Or just being the most powerful magic user out there.” Zuchi said, and put her hand on the book to activate the unlocking of the job, but nothing happened. “Crap its one of the locked ones. Or maybe I’m just too tired and didn’t do it right.”
Agreeing with her impulse, Dya felt disappointed that it hadn't worked automatically, but then she swayed in the water. Could it be that they just didn't have the focus needed to take in the massive job?
They really needed to get their job tutorial on.
Dya placed her hand on the silk and willed the activation, but nothing happened for her either, but the gentle swaying of the underwater temple in a gentle breeze seemed to indicate that maybe she needed some shut eye and some down time before trying again.
“Let's take a nap before we give up and go home.” Dya suggested, eyeing the large silk page which did have a nice blanket like appearance.
They did not use the book as a blanket, nor a pillow, but instead found shallow nooks in the statue of Salt. The naps only lasted 30 minutes, after all, they had only been reading for 5-6 hours, and really it was more like they needed a break and food to replenish their mental fortitude. They didn't have food, but they had a temple to explore, so Zuchi was playing with the swords and hooks while Dya explored the intricacies of the massive carved sculpture. It had slippery swells of water and beautiful shapes of otter and fish, seals and beluga and so many different creatures that it seemed almost like some sculptor had just spent a lifetime adding animals to the mass as part of a daily ritual.
It was underneath a narwal that she found the slick entrance to a dark cave, wide enough for her to slip in and squeeze out a turn around but little else. Diving, she felt her way down the first 40 ft and then, in the distance, she saw a glimmer that she almost thought was a hallucination at first. But the light grew stronger and she swam closer and deeper and deeper and deeper into the chilling water. The pressure of the column above her grew and she felt the crush on her body, and by the time she reached the light she was feeling a bit squishy.
But the light, the light was worth it. Another sculpture lifted from the floor of the cavern, an image of Salt of the Deep. Her long drifting tail with trailing spines connected her to the sides of the cavern, her hair swirled around her and she held out in front of her a dangling, glowing gem. And as Dya entered into the bright radius of the light she got a very unexpected message:
You are in the light of the Salt Tear. You have been blessed.
Blessing of Salt: Breathe Water: Active for 4:59:53
And all of a sudden the pressure of the water around her surged and drove the precious air out of her lungs, forcing her to gasp in cold water and cough painfully. Even as she struggled to accept what she had read, she struggled and flailed in the cold light of that deep well, terrified that she was going to drown. But as the moments passed and all she did was cough out the last air bubbles and suck in frigid water Dya was finally able to get control of her senses again. Without the buoyancy of the air in her lungs she had sunk to the floor of the cave stirring up the thin layer of soft silt, while above her the Salt of the Deep loomed. Now instead of eerily beautiful she seemed terrifying, her swirl of hair mimicking the jaws of a predator closing around the lit jewel.
Cautiously, Dya rose and for the first time, tried to speak to cast a little buoyancy on herself in Jayin, since she lost the air she needed to speak clicksqueal. "Fadh [float]" she commanded her cold body, and it lifted the little that she wanted, and her voice came out in a syrupy thick echo of its normal self. The difference made her laugh, a laugh that should have been a giggle but giggling was impossible in the water, requiring too high and too fast a sound.
Trying again, she started singing a simple song, a song of about the monsters of the deep and. A child’s song that bounced simple notes off the walls and wrapped around the statue in dulcet, unearthly tones.
Deep eyes
Dark eyes
Long Toothed night
Still fins drift by
Drift by drift by BITE
“This is amazing!” Dya shot down the tunnel, weaving around the strands of stone that connected to the sculpture of the salt of the deep and following the dark cave to its end not far from the tail of the sculpture. She bounced off the wall and wove back, looping around the stone and singing in place of squealing her joy.
When she got back to the glowing gem at the front of the sculpture she found herself breathing harder than she expected, and she wondered why until the backwash from her swimming hit her. Suddenly she realized that was the first current that she had felt in a long while. Currents that didn’t matter to her before while she was holding her breath, but that mattered to her now that she needed the oxygen that it would bring to her.
The gleam of the gem called to her, to come just grab it before she went so she could have this ability all the time. Her fins twitched and her fingers itched but she let the currents from her swimming push her away. Still, she let the urge drive her to give a solid kick and push against the stone, expecting it to swing freely on its chain.
Instead, she found herself pushing off the slick surface, stubbing her fin and jerking her knees up reflexively in pain. This was a good thing as the eyes of the sculpture lit up red and the hair, so artistically flared to look like the silhouette of a sharp jaw snapped down, sheering through the water where her fins had been milliseconds before.
“Shit!” Dya was propulsing away from the statue with her hands, streamlining her body and then kicking—anything to move faster further from the deadly trap she had triggered in passing. “Jeǂ [Jet]!” She hissed through the water and started streak up only to slow as the water started to flow past her as the statue she had left behind opened its arms and pulled, sucking the water in the tunnel down to her.