The day had finally come, no longer a hatchling, now a youngling, and for her first day of her new life, Kori, was going to celebrate, which was good since there happened to be a festival today too. Hatchlings were not permitted to leave the Hatchery, so it would not only be her first time exploring Emberscale caverns, but also her first time being allowed to partake in the Festival of Emberscale, to a limited extent, the brewers would tear a scale off anyone caught giving such a young Kobold their wares.
With all things exciting coming on the same day, Kori almost wasn't sure what to do first, but that question was answered fairly quickly, exploring her status that was literally staring her in the face. She knew most of the definitions already, but the system showing them to her directly seemed so much more interesting than listening to Matron Rels droning on in the brood chamber while she tried to pretend, she was listening, which she thought she was rather good at.
Kori quickly pulled up her status, opening and closing it many times just to see if it would change its answer by getting asked the same thing repeatedly, the adults often did, so this was just standard practice for her now.
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Name: Kori
Class: Locked
Level: N/A
Tier: N/A
Race: Kobold
Racial Level: 1
Statistics
Health: 50
Mana: 80
Stamina: 55
Physical Ability Scores
Might 9
Agility 14
Finesse 12
Endurance 9
Vitality 8
Mental Ability Scores
Wit 12
Cunning 19
Attunement 15
Magic 12
Perception 15
Serendipity 12
Job: Locked
Job Level: N/A
Job: Locked
Job Level: N/A
Racial Traits
Darkvision Lvl 1
Rapid Growth
Draconic Ingenuity
Class Abilities
Class Perks
Titles
Emberscale Inheritor
Pick of the Litter
Skills
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Quickly passing over her name and unavailable class, she focused on her Race and prodded it with a mental 'why?', again, her standard approach to all things new, and it worked as a new box of information popped up in front of her status.
Race: The species of origin of the described being.
"Hah! it works!" This lined up with what Rels had said, though she used slightly easier words as they were still early in their second year when she went over this. Giving her races name the same 'why?' prod resulted in much more information this time around.
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Kobold, Tier I Race, Common.
Common Racial Traits include, Darkvision, Rapid Growth, Hardened Scales, Partial Regeneration
Ability Score Growth:
Health: 10
Mana: 5
Stamina: 10
Physical Ability Scores
Might 2
Agility 3
Finesse 2
Endurance 3
Vitality 1
Mental Ability Scores
Wit 1
Cunning 2
Attunement 0
Magic 0
Perception 2
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"Wait, I won't get any more magic? that's not fair!" She begins pouting and moving while still looking at her open windows, nearly walking into a wall and biting her tongue. "Ohw."
OK, time to just pull up all the rest and get it over with followed by a plethora of silent 'why?’s.
Health: An indication of personal well being, increased by Race and Vitality.
Mana: The personal wellspring of magical energy one may call upon, increased by Race and Attunement.
Stamina: The personal wellspring of physical energy one may call upon, increased by Race and Endurance.
Might: The application of physical force one is capable of exerting.
Agility: The application of physical speed and reaction one is capable of exerting.
Finesse: The application of physical precision and deftness one is capable of exerting.
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
Endurance: The measure of physical tolerance for exertion and strain. Increases total Stamina.
Vitality: The measure of physical tolerance for injury and harm. Increases total Health.
Wit: The application of mental acuity and insight one is capable of exhibiting.
Cunning: The application of mental intellect and prowess one is capable of exhibiting.
Attunement: The degree to which one is attuned to the magical energies surrounding them. Increases total mana.
Magic: The force one may exhibit on the magic around and within themselves.
perception: The application of mental awareness and ability to interpret sensory details.
Why's this last one off by itself?
Serendipity: The weight a being exerts on the world around them, turning event to, or from, their favor. Cannot be raised by Class or Racial Levels.
Huh, that's strange, the Matrons didn't really talk about this one much, they mentioned it, but never said much more than it was there...
"Well, that was a lot, and it used a lot of bigger words than Rels did... Was she dumbing it down for the others? That's no fair! Teach them the right words or they'll never learn!" The small Kobold stomped her foot, as if her protests could change the way they did things.
Now, what's the rest of this stuff as yet another string of 'why?'s get called out in her mind.
Darkvision, Common, Level 1
The ability to see within utter darkness, visible detail scales with the level of the ability and Perception.
Rapid Growth, Common
This being matures at a significantly faster rate than others, at the cost of overall longevity.
"Wait, what? That's bad right? We grow up so quick but don't live as long? Wasn't a long life one of the things the dragons Wanted when they made us? Or was that just the other guys, those Drakkiri... I think we got the short end of that tail..." Kori seeing the unfairness of this particular trait. "Wait, is this what causes the Culling too? We grow up too quick and can't keep up? Well, that's just not fair..."
Gotta find Korse, plenty of questions now... last couple of things on the page first though.
"This one wasn't on the race list, maybe it's a rare one?"
Draconic Ingenuity, Epic
The mind of a dragon never rests. Increases racial wit, cunning, magic, and Attunement growth.
"Yay!!! I'll be getting more magic, take that other Kobolds, I'm gonna do magic, I'm gonna do magic!" Thrusting her little hands in the air, claws splayed mimicking Ylst's [Incinerate] and dancing around, Kori continues on to the next section where her title from Korse should be.
"Wait, what is Emberscale Inheritor? I should just have the Title from Korse and that's it, right?" With only one thing to do, she does what she does best, 'why?'
Emberscale Inheritor, Unique
The next candidate eligible to bear the title of Emberscale, should you succeed in grasping it. Grants Racial Trait Draconic Ingenuity, Grants increased Racial Experience, May influence Class growth and availability of specific Jobs.
This title is hidden and will not appear on any form of identification and cannot be shared.
"Uhhhh...." For maybe the first time in her short life, Kori is left speechless. She rubs her eyes, only then realizing that she can still see the status windows with them closed, and then continues to gawk at the title.
"Wait, cannot be shared? How's that supposed to work, all the elders are supposed to see my status when I get my class! Does that mean I can't share my status? or does it just not show up for other people when I do? I'll have to test... Where's Losq when you need him" knowing full well her brother is likely lugging earthenware and kegs that he's not even allowed to drink from for the festival.
"OK, last one, then I go bug Korse! Hopefully he's not hiding knowing that it's time."
Pick of the Litter, Rare
The chosen youngling of a Master Broodkeeper, expected to do remarkable things and getting a little help in that direction. Grants slightly increased racial experience until Class unlock, grants slightly increased natural Ability Score growth, grants slightly increase Skill growth until Class unlock, +3 to all Ability Scores until Class unlock.
Measures total growth at time of Class unlock and may grant additional rewards based on results.
Master Broodkeeper will be rewarded or penalized based on growth of chosen youngling. If chosen youngling perishes prior to class unlock, progress will be measured prior to death and reduced by one full tier before determining the results.
OK, that's a long one. Mostly what Korse said, but wow, reducing the reward by a full tier, it must of really, really, hurt when Korf died just days after getting the title. Though it doesn't really tell me what the tiers are... Wait, Natural Ability Score growth, that's new, what is that? And why is it the only one that doesn't say ''until Class unlock'? Is that what Korse meant it Mostly affected my time between now and my class?
"OK Korse, you got some explaining to do, and not even just the questions I'm sure you're expecting!" A slightly mischievous grin crossing Kori's muzzle as she makes plans to corner her mentor.
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Korse, sits at his little table, in a nook mostly away from the hustle and bustle of the hatchery and the festival both, he knows she'll be here soon, it's barely an hour before the feast and her status must have just opened. The Matron's taught her all she needs, but that's not how Kori works, questions are asked, answered, and repeated for confirmation, or to wiggle out any extra details that he may have missed. A grin passes his face as he realizes that come the next day, Bolst would likely be taking over as the target of her questions, Korse wasn't off the hook, but he'd be closer most of the time.
As he grins and chuckles to himself a shiver runs down his spine, bare moments before his tail is tugged and he hears laughter terribly similar to his own chuckle come from behind him.
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"There you are!" The youngling cries, immediately after sneaking up behind him. Her coming questions interrupted by a sudden flash of light near the corner of her vision, "Huh? What's that?"
"What is what my dear?"
"There's a little blinky thing like I stared at the torch too long, it keeps moving as I try to look at it" Kori waves her head around trying to see why the little spot won't stay still.
"A notification already? I didn't expect you'd see one until tomorrow for your racial experience. what's it say?" Korse looks at her curiously.
"Uhhh... Oh! Matron Rels told us about these, she didn't mention how distracting it was" Still spinning slightly to follow the dot as it blinks on and off. "I just think at it right?" When in doubt, go with the classic, 'Why?'
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"It says I learned Stealth!"
"Well that makes perfect sense I think, I imagine you'll pick up several skills over the coming days just doing things you've already practiced." Korse leans on the table and pats the bench next to him, "now why don't you hop up and ask your questions, hopefully there'll be time for me to show you around a bit before I have to join the other elders for the feast."
Kori hops up on the bench, twists herself around and looks at Korse, leaning her elbow on the table as she does, just barely tall enough that the pose isn't entirely laughable. "So, I got a list of em."
"Of course you do, I expected no less." His grin never faltering, but sighing slightly, seeing yet another missed feast in his future due to his young charge.