The menu presented had a variety of options to it once he selected 'Shattered World'; each of which had its own explanation off to the side.

Entry Method Information Employment - Random Accept employment as one of the people who make the Shattered Worlds so fun for the players! Possible roles include combat associates, player comfort associates, summoned pets. The ultimate objectives of these employees are to either improve the lives of our players on an individual level, or to maintain the state of war between the various factions. Individual assignment is random, pay rate varies depending on assignment. If you choose random, whatever positions are most in-demand will be filled first, and you will get a bonus credit total when the asiginment is fulfilled. A minimum additional bonus of one credit per week is applied to Random employment. Employment - Selective You may choose a specific form of employment, if a slot is available. Bonuses may be paid for certain in-demand positions, but will not be as great as a random selection. Life You may choose to simply take on a normal NPC life in this world. This is a form of vacation, and charges you one credit per day, but you may earn credits by taking on quests or actions assigned by the game-masters. This option is only available to Silver or higher tier players. Player You may choose to enter the game as a Player, choosing your race, class, and spawning as appropriate. You will begin play with a Revival stone. This is a form of vacation, and charges you one hundred credits up-front and an additional three credits per day. This option is only available to Silver or higher tier players. Lord You may choose to enter the game as a Lord. This option either colonizes an existing abandoned island, or spawns a new one if none are available. If an uninhabited location is chosen, non-player inhabitants will be relocated to form a base population, and you will be granted both loyal retainers as well as a starter keep. Starting packages range from 250,000 credits to 1 million credits, though you will not be charged an additional per-day rate; you may continue to play out the natural life-span of your new character regardless of credit balance; as some species may live for over a thousand years, which could theoretically cost as much as a million credits over time, this is truly a bargain for the gold or silver tier member who is serious about the Shattered Worlds! Deity Information locked- Gold tier or higher subjects.

Ezekiel stared at the selections. The 'Random' option didn't look too tempting. He wanted to play as one of those bug-people again... and definitely not a summoned pet. Maybe Lord would be fun, later. He had enough credits for the lowest-level package to not be a significant burden. But Shard was right. He should try things out as one of the more basic folks, figure out how the normal people lived.

He tapped the 'Player' option for a moment. It showed a much more detailed, but familiar, view of the different species he was already familiar with; and a strange, rock-like one he didn't know. Bug-people, porcupine people, reptile-people, mushroom-people, and of course, the 'human'-like blue-skinned ones.

He backed out, and chose 'Employment - Selective' instead.

Two menus appeared; one for 'Imperial Province' work, and one for 'Rebel Province' work. The Imperial province work... was all either summoned pets, wandering monster pack, or comfort jobs... essentially prostitutes. He closed that one, and focused on the 'Rebel Province' tab.

Employment Information Comfort/Utility Whether tavern wench, prostitute, or shop-keeper, these jobs are assigned to make life better and more interesting for the players. Payment for these jobs ranges from typically 5 credits per day for the wench/prostitute options, to 1 credit per day for the shop-keeper options. For most of these positions, you will take over the body of an existing shop-keeper or individual who suddenly finds themselves in that position; such as a young man who abruptly found he inherited the indebted business of a relative, or a young woman who finds herself destitute and working at a tavern to make ends meet. Summoned Pet These jobs involve working directly for players as a summoned companion or contracted mercenary bodyguard, usually either utility or combat. These jobs typically pay roughly 5-10 credits per day, but substantial bonuses can be earned if the employee is required to deal with more difficult players. Wandering Monster These jobs typically involve taking over a wandering sentient monster and guiding it to become a threat players are forced to deal with. Unlike most positions, additional bonuses are earned for harming or killing players, their hired/summoned companions, and their allies. May involve 'Monsterfall' events, wherein the employee is deployed via falling rock onto an area previously devoid of monsters. Typically pays 3 credits per day, but pays a bonus if slain in battle by a player, and even larger bonuses for slaying a player in battle or managing to survive and escape after wounding one. Rebel Warrior These jobs involve beginning play as a teen member of one of the various local species, and joining the Rebellion. As the Empire is currently winning the war, only Rebel Warrior, not Imperial Warrior, positions are available at this time. Typically pays 2 credits per day, with bonuses for rising through the ranks and destroying Imperial forces. Additional quests available, including temporary or permanent alliances with Rebel players. Colonist New Player 'Lords' with unfilled 'Colonist' positions are available. Your role and position will be chosen by the Lord in question, with the pay rate dependent on the Lord. If you remain a loyal servant of the 'Lord' until character death, and survive at least six months, you will receive a 150-credit bonus. Victim Temporary role; random villages are spawned on abandoned islands before the arrival of Imperium forces using this role, and are the targets of 'Search and Destroy' quests offered to Imperial players. Typically short-lived, or enslaved and returned to the surface relatively quickly. Pays an initial bonus of 50 credits, with additional daily credits dependiing on the roles assumed by survivors.

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Ezekiel stared at the selections for a minute. These didn't seem to be pleasant options. He glanced at Shard. "What would you recommend, if I go with the selective option?"

"Well. Victim would be over quickly, generally. You might get a week or two of an ordinary life, among other folks like yourself; all dead, no natives; and then poof. Imperial warships come in, bomb the place, and most of you die. Especially if you fight. That's what I'd recommend. You won't be allowed to prepare for the invasion or anything, but you'll live a life, feel what the world is like... and then die. Kinda a... trial run, almost."

He opened his mouth for a moment... and stopped. "You know what. You're right. Make a few up-front credits, get to know the world a bit better, see how it's changed since I left... then I'll know what I want to do for something more long-term."

He selected the Victim option. There were options here; like comfort girl, child, laborer, town guard; with notes about extra credits depending on just what happened when the player-controlled Imperial fleet inevitably arrived to crush them; town guards would get bonus credits for killing or wounding players or enemy NPCs; actually, any of them would, and if any of their people survived and escaped. All of them would get bonus credits for escaping destruction; so long as they didn't flee until the fleet arrived.

While most settlements in the world were real, with real, native people, these 'Victim' settlements were just... temporary, artificial establishments. He wondered just how real these other places would be; and decided to make sure he survived, to reach one and find out in person.

Town Guards would be penalized for fleeing without fighting, and he wanted to survive, if possible. So.. he chose Laborer. Hopefully he wouldn't have to genuinely work for a living; he hadn't done that in decades. The race selection menu popped up again, each of them with an image of sample male and females of that race.

Species Details Triakan Humanoid reptilian species, most populous and dominant race of the Shattered World. Rules the Empire, divided into three major factions, with a 'Triumverate' ruling them. Refers to rebels of their own species as 'Akan'. Oshear Near-human blue-skinned species, common race among the floating islands; extremely popular among Rebel players. Physically weak, adept at magic; thanks to their close resemblance to humans, this species is consistently the most-played in the Shattered Worlds. Clickshan Insectoid species, the males are swift and deadly, while the females are slow, durable, and hatch a steady supply of loyal drones to assist them in work and combat. Often referred to as 'Clicks', as their native language consists of such, and the females use clicks to command their drones. Levusu Mushroom-like humanoid species that prefers dark places, need little food, and vary greatly in size with age and diet. Typically live on islands overshadowed by another island, or in deep, dark caverns with abundant water supplies. Often referred to as 'Toads', despite the lack of resemblance in appearance. Mollus Small, spiny-backed humanoids with a blend of cat and hedge-hog like traits; generally referred to as 'Spikey-Catgirls'. Berrenge Sluggish, tough, semi-aquatic creatures. The only creatures other than Triakan native to the surface level, they are rarely seen on the floating islands except in underwater communities in lakes.

Ezekiel blinked. He'd remembered playing a Clickshan, but had thought all of them had the drone pets, not just the females. Both sexes had the same powers, right? Was this a change they made when they updated to the new, living, world?

He backed out for a moment, and went to the Explorer function; running a quick search and realizing that... the Clickshan had been officially genderless, but implied to be female. The 'Males' were NPC-only, though the mantis-like males vaguely resembled the absolute highest tier of Drone pet that a female could summon, when she was at the highest possible size and level.

So... probably, in the game's lore, the ones he'd played had always been female. But they didn't want to introduce genders with actual, statistical, differences.

Shard was simply watching, amused, as Ezekiel studied the options, frowning.

"Something wrong?"

Ezekiel glanced at Shard. "Well. Apparently my favorite species and class combo in the old game.. I used a species that came with pets, and a class with its own pets, that enhanced both his class pets, and the species pets... is female-only in this game. I mean, it makes sense in a way; it lays eggs that turn into drones, and keeps a collection of eggs around to hatch at need. But... its easier to contemplate that if you're not going to actually feel what it feels."

Shard chuckled. "Well, I'd honestly recommend picking something close to human, and male, for your first time, since you have a choice. But if you want to try it out, doing it as a 'Victim', a job destined for just a short-lived fight against the Triakan invaders followed by death? Well, thats a good way to try it out. If I ever lost this job, and the job was available all the time, I'd likely just roll Victim over and over, and make sure I died each time, to get a good bankroll."

A deep breath. "Yeah. Alright. Not like I'm gonna have to be a tavern wench or anything." He reached back to the menu. "Oh. How are you going to be along, for the rest of the day? Or will you?"

Shard shrugged. "This is my job for 24 hours from the moment you paid me, helping you, not playing victim, or anything in that world. I'll be able to talk to you, give you advice, so long as you share vision with me. Thanks, by the way. This is going to be an especially easy day for me; normally I'd already be helping someone else by now."

Ezekiel raised his hand over the button. "Will I just... instantly wake up as a bug?"

"There's a transition. You'll wake up in a brief sort-of 'demo' area, get to walk around a bit, feel how the body works, see its stats, modify them if you're allowed. Then, when time is up... you wake up in the Shattered World. In a village, doomed to die."

He closed his eyes, reaching out to press the image. When nothing happened, he opened them, looking around.

Shard shook his head. "The interface turns off if you aren't looking, or aren't mentally able to make choices. No 'accidentally' turning yourself into a wandering slug in 'Universe of Pain'. You have to actually look at it, read it, and pick it."

"Fine, fine." He focused on the choice; and pressed the holographic button once again. The room abruptly vanished around him; all turning back to grey once again.