The town of Sathenkura was nestled in a corner of Hazlo Pass, deep within the midway point of the Lomeza Mountains - a mountain range that spanned well over five thousand miles long, jutting up like the jaw of a vicious canine. While the mountains usually provided solid cover, the insane length and frequent geography-altering events associated with such a magical world resulted in odd gaps, much like the Valley of Defeat; countless bends and twists forced into the natural landscapes, which in turn created anomalous biomes that had no place being where they were.
Hazlo Pass, one of these notorious alterations to the mountain range, was no exception; the weather within the pass was always fifty to sixty-five degrees fahrenheit, with the seasons never changing out of autumn. Impossibly, the plants never truly died after being planted - part of the area’s anomalous behavior included gardening being oddly simple. Growing any sort of plant was no different from any location, though worries about snow, hail, extreme temperatures and nutrient-rich soil didn’t matter, nor did the season outside of Hazlo Pass. As long as it received proper tending, it would grow without question.
This was not where the anomalous nature ended, however. While most gardening was secure, trees seemed to regrow their leaves nearly overnight before losing them again. Every morning, the leaves would rapidly decay into the normal autumnal colors before falling from their respective trees. Even more odd, however, was the fact that the trees would always lose their last leaf by midnight on any given day. Any fruit or sap within was unaffected by this phenomenon, and in fact seemed to thrive just as much as any other plant. This caused Sathenkura to be one of the largest exports of foreign plants and seasonal plant-based materials on Terraegnus.
The village proper - quite close to being renovated into a town - was lush with every kind of plant. Tamed and decorative kudzu lined higher-end tourist locales, such as the local bookkeeper’s business or the more expensive inns; every shade of daisy, tulip, orchid and rose imaginable lined community-tended flower beds, some available in other universes, some exclusive to that of Terraegnus’s own; nearly every house had a home garden installed with everything from spices to miniature orchards edging the property lines of each person’s abode; even the town’s inner limits, just past the innermost gate, were decorated with various kinds of vines, trees, gardens and flowers. The air was heavy with pollen, which would have irritated allergies if not for the system fully removing such things from every user’s body.
The entire town was nestled within what looked like a perfect cylinder burrowed into the side of a mountain, tilted at a slight angle. The gouge was dug into the mountain for approximately one mile, with the radius of the hole being almost exactly a quarter mile. Sathenkura rested at the far end of this tunnel, where the hole had carved through the rock at such an angle as to expose the open space to fresh air. With a hole that let in sunlight and rain without the risk of an avalanche or the like and an easily defendable position should an attack come, the spot was perfect for optimal plant growth.
This was not a perfect location in general, however; the slant was an issue for proper architecture, as well as the inherent isolation stunting necessary trading. Fortunately, terraforming mages came along centuries before and built a proper path to the village from both the entrance of the cylindrical hole and the mountainous region that led up to Sathenkura itself through the gap that allowed in natural elements. The mages finally leveled the area Sathenkura rested upon, allowing safe and proper construction to finally develop. Only a few years later did the village put itself on the map as a trading post for plant-based materials and a great resting spot for heroes after extensive training or exploration.
As Ross entered the third and final gate, his eyes widened in awe. Various flowering plants he recognized - and countless more he didn’t - arrested his attention. He couldn’t stop his eyes from darting around, gaze like a pinball machine. After what must have been whole minutes of intense observation, Monty gently tapped Ross on the shoulder. The latter jumped in surprise, before noting the head guard behind him sporting a genuine smile. Ross took a deep breath, then followed Everest and Ruth inside.
The townspeople busily tended to their own gardening escapades, but seemed to have no qualms with sharing utilities or materials with their neighbors. Fertilizer was wheeled around in an unusual hybrid of a wagon and a wheelbarrow, and watering cans were either held in hand or strapped to the belt of every person Ross could see. The business of the town was not hectic, though; there was a clear order to it, and everyone he could read the face of silently told Ross they enjoyed this kind of busy work.
Unable to hide his grin, he turned to face his companions; neither Ruth nor Everest had anything less than a beaming smile on them, which made his own widen further. He took a deep breath, and the smell of fresh rainfall mixed with dirt and rich, floral fragrances, making his heart flutter for a moment. It reminded him of a long-past field trip in elementary school, when the class had visited a popular greenhouse and gardening store. Here, though, the smell of the flowers seemed to blend perfectly into a subtle, sweet and beautiful scent.
“This is my home.” Bloomknot said proudly, hands on his hips. It was only now that Ross noted a dark violet apron with royal blue stitching underneath the brawny man’s chestplate. It was the same apron most of the other locals wore, and as if reading his mind, Bloomknot laughed.
“These aprons are a local enchantment, one developed by my people working with Everest. The stitching holds runes that, when activated with a minuscule mana cost, tell us exactly what a plant needs. Everyone who tends plants and can afford more than a single silver coin has one here, and even some who can’t afford them are gifted them during holidays.”
Ross nodded, lost in thought, before he saw something out of the corner of his eye; an object was racing directly towards his face. Ross triggered his dexterity’s time-slowing effect - what he now knew was considered ‘reflex time’ by the denizens of this plane - and narrowly avoided the projectile. He turned around to look at it, bristling, and saw it was a softball-sized stone. He let out a long breath as he grabbed it and stood back up, handing it to Everest. Bloomknot gave him a concerned look.
“Perhaps we should have given the public a system announcement beforehand…” Bloomknot said, flinching slightly as another rock sailed past Ross’s shoulder.
“People really don’t wanna see giant races right now, huh?” Ross said, narrowly avoiding a third projectile. Bloomknot nodded grimly.
Suddenly, a stone was barely a centimeter away from Ross’s face; Everest had caught the stone, sighing as he withdrew it. He etched a quick enchantment onto it, then tossed it casually in the air, where it proceeded to arc itself with a thunderous boom into the village as though shot by a cannon. A few moments later, a pained grunt was followed by a distant thump and a few gasps of surprise.
Oddly enough, fewer stones were thrown after that.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Everest pushed open the door to the first shop he saw, which just so happened to be a custom trinket crafter. The sign was partially covered in a weird form of blooming kudzu that Ruth told Ross was called ‘Lullaby Blossom’. It was used to make an odd incense that acted like melatonin; supposedly, the shopkeep made soothing tea out of it and sold it as a sort of side hustle. She greeted them from behind the counter, only able to see Everest at first.
“Welcome, Everest! It’s been quite awhile since I last saw you, and I…” The shopkeep said, trailing off as Ross followed tentatively behind Ruth. The merchant was a rather tall, decently built female drow - a dark elf with a pixie cut, save for the braid that went from her head to below the counter. Her robes were lightweight and slightly revealing, but her hazel eyes held no shame, and in fact showed no interest in much of anything. There was some kind of spark in them, though; seeing as it made him relatively uncomfortable, Ross ignored it to the best of his ability. Her pitch black skin looked to blend into the dawn’s shadows far too well, but her silver hair shone like a beacon - since the building had no lights, the only source came from the window to her right. Her expression shifted almost immediately from intrigue to downright hostility as she spotted Ross.
“Fecking titanspawn.” She said, spitting on the floor before hefting a morningstar over her shoulder, leaping over the counter and aiming a mighty overhead blow at Ross’s head. He only had a moment to read her character sheet before the blow would land.
[Luda Umbrawelder
Level 59 Craftsman - Trinkets
Level 37 Merchant - Trinkets
Level 91 Defender - Paladin - Vytravryo
Main Trait: Mortar & Pestle
Trait holder can use any material able to be broken down in a mortar & pestle they possess in their inventory to use as a bonding agent, enchanting component, alchemical component or other paste-like, powder-like or clay-like material needed to craft an item.
Effects may vary; mortar and pestle not included.
Stats:
STR: 1,097
DEX: 1,260
CON: 1,105
INT: 981
WIS: 673
CHA: 1,602
LUC: 777
Note: This individual still has unallocated Stat Points.]
Ross took a step back, both impressed at the levels and afraid for his life. If he got into a sudden fight with this lady, he may well not make it out alive. He could try to subdue her until Everest could talk some sense into her, but with the stats she was sporting, he knew it wasn’t a reasonable plan. Additionally, her attack was too fast for Ross to dodge, even with Reflex Time, seeing as the split second he took to glance over her stats was enough for her to catapult over the counter and stop less than an inch from his face. He inhaled sharply and stood there, closing his eyes and bracing for the impact.
When none came, he peeked through barely open eyelids.
Everest stood, arm extended in front of Ross, blocking the incoming overhead strike with a single finger. The withering glare and sudden, bizarre force that emanated from Everest even made the shopkeep wither slightly. She hissed - actually hissed - and threw her morningstar to the side. After a moment of collecting herself, she stared down Everest.
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
“You do know the Titan Flux is coming up, and this one-” She said, gesturing a finger at Ross, “-is a liability for the entire damned mountain, right?”
“You’re aware your attitude towards a protege I actually like is detrimental to your continued existence, right?” Everest replied, the calm tone poorly hiding the venom drenching his words. Again, Luda faltered.
“Otectvurce wouldn’t-”
“He couldn’t stop me if he wanted to. And considering what he and I have been through with this kid, I doubt he’d be willing to lift a single fucking finger, Umbrawelder.”
A long, silent moment passed. After what felt like an eternity, Luda finally let out an exhale and hopped back behind the counter.
“Fine. If it goes wrong, it’s on your ass, not mine.” She said. In a more withdrawn and quiet tone, she added, “Just… make sure people are safe.”
She refused - or simply was incapable of - maintaining eye contact with Everest at the moment.
“You know I do.” Everest said, the sting fully removed from his words. After taking a deep breath, he spoke again.
“We’ve come in to commission Ross some gear, Luda. I was going to say, before being so rudely interrupted, that I hope his racial choice doesn’t influence your willingness to fulfill such a commission.”
Luda was about to say something, paused, opened and closed her mouth a few times, then paused again. This repeated a few times before she finally spoke, words being enunciated carefully.
“I’m alright to commission anything that won’t hurt my village. If it keeps them safe during the flux, I’ll even offer the normal 15% Friends and Family discount.”
Everest nodded approvingly, and Luda visibly relaxed. He gestured for Ross to step forward before looking around the place, inspecting baubles and trinkets that piqued his interest.
Ross and Luda looked at each other for a long moment before Luda finally spoke.
“Well?” She asked.
“Oh, right! Uh…” Ross said, scratching the back of his neck.
“Uh?” Luda said, giving him a flat look.
“I… need some health-based gear that can help me in a fight..?” He said, and Luda smirked.
“Kinda vague, but okay. What’s your current gear situation, aside from what you have on?”
Ross held up his hand in an ‘O’ shape. He didn’t want to mention gear he might not be using for a long time, if at all.
“Nothing?” She asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Nothing.” Ross said, sighing. “I haven’t really had the chance to gain more gear.”
“Haven’t picked up a trade yet?” She asked.
“Didn’t… really know that was an option.” Ross said, scratching the back of his head again.
“Well, that’s fine. I’ll figure out a thing or two that’ll work for you.” She gave him a half-hearted smile as she leaned onto the counter, arms crossed and bracing her weight.
After about a minute of them staring at one another, she frowned again.
“Aren’t you gonna add me to your party?”
“Oh, uh, yeah. I can, just give me a moment…” Ross muttered, anxiously flicking around his menu. It took him longer than it should have to invite Luda, but she got in eventually. The wave of nausea nearly made Ross fall to the floor, though Luda seemed entirely unphased.
“Just for the record, it’s common practice to enter a party with a merchant who makes custom gear for you.” she said. “It’s to make it easier for them to pull up your precise measurements and make something that’ll fit for a long time.”
As she skimmed over his stats, she stopped. Ross, looking over, could see she’d pulled up his main trait.
“Shock Absorber..?” She asked. After reading it, she gave a low whistle.
“Impressive trait. I don’t even have to look to know it gave you a custom subclass. Something that impressive always does.” She skimmed through his stats next, then his racial traits. Then she pulled up a screen Ross had never seen before.
[Biological Growth - Terraegnus Firbolgs
Terraegnus Firbolgs usually don’t stop growing throughout their life, though when given a class, the growth is minute and shrinks exponentially. Each level-up, however, a decent leap in height increase is achieved; ((100-Current Lvl)*2 MM). This height increase only applies after all EXP has been earned for the main class and properly distributed - I.E If a Firbolg Monk is at level 5 and increases to level 7, they will only gain 186 MM, not 188 + 186 MM.
Biological Issues - Clothing - Terraegnus Firbolgs
Terraegnus Firbolgs have body temperatures that are naturally higher than several other warm-blooded races, as they’re built to survive in harsh mountainous regions. Their bodies require a decent amount of exposed skin through their clothes, as overheating can be an immense issue; Terragnus Firbolgs can, however, remain cool with exposed skin thanks to a natural process similar to sweating. They expel excess mud and waste through the pores of their skin, which is always far darker than their natural pigmentation; it collects the heat, solidifies and falls away. This also means Terraegnus Firbolgs do not need to bathe often, and most likely won’t even need to change an outfit for upwards of a week.
Biological Interference - Magic Types - Terraegnus Firbolgs
Terraegnus Firbolgs, as a mountainous species being attuned to Earth, are not enthused in regards to Air magic. Their lack of affinity for Air means that few can ever cast an air-based spell, let alone become an Air-attuned elemental class; however, Air will not interfere with their own magical cores.
There are no elements that negatively impact a Terraegnus Firbolg’s magical core.]
“I had no idea you could look into racial details like that!” Ross said, a spark of excitement dancing behind his eyes. He paused, cleared his throat and straightened after the amused look Luda gave him.
“I… didn’t get a chance to look into all of that stuff yet..?” Ross said, voice raising an octave as he spoke. Luda tried to hide a snort, but barely failed to.
“At least you’re entertaining, if nothing else.” she said. She grabbed what looked like a yoyo - two shells holding a reel of yarn inside - and hopped over the counter with ease once more. Ross raised an eyebrow as she used the yarn to measure slots he hadn’t noticed in his gear before, seemingly for various different shapes and sizes of gems.
“Do you not have a gate-like thing that lets you walk behind the counter normally?” Ross asked, genuinely curious.
“Nope. Makes it more of a hassle for people who may try to rob me when I’m not here.” Luda replied. She held multiple lengths of string in her mouth, paused, then began taking his full body’s lengths. When she got too close to his unmentionables, he actually yelped. She just laughed.
“Calm down. I’m just getting measurements for you so clothing can be made. It’ll automatically grow with you as you level, as long as Everest embroiders them with the proper ritual. He’ll even let you choose the pattern that’ll be on the outside.” Everest absently nodded in agreement before she continued, slinging more yarn strips over her shoulder. She had him lift his arms into what could only be described as a t-pose.
“Why not use a spell or the system for this kinda thing?” Ross asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Three reasons.” Luda replied. “One, I like doing stuff for myself. Two, spells can be cast incorrectly, so the margin of mortal error is just as big for a spell as you’d do it by hand. And third…” She said, pausing to get multiple measurements from around his torso. She didn’t continue right away.
“Third..?” Ross asked. She shook her head and chuckled.
“Sorry. Got sidetracked. Third, the system gives too many specific details. Our patterns and such are only available in our own character sheets, and there’s no way for me to overlay your character sheet and my own to see precisely what size I’d need to make it. Again, it’d be just as much room for mortal error as the method I’m using now.” She huffed.
“I’d love for some cross-compatibility for this kind of crafting.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard the system isn’t really optimal, but ‘this kind of crafting?’ I was going to ask, aren’t you a trinket crafter?” Ross asked, curious. “Do you make clothing as well?”
“Nope.” Luda shook her head. “I don’t make clothes - I outsource that to the clothiers nearby. I still need these measurements myself in order to craft a trinket that lets you store full outfits in it and swap between them. Plus, there’s a cleaning function in them - feed any resource like mana or stamina into it with the outfit inside, and it’ll tell you when it’s all done.”
Ross nodded, thoughtful.
“How much is this all going to cost?” He asked. Luda shrugged.
“From what I’ve seen, your gear is fully unique. It functions with your own custom resource, so it’ll take a lot to work out a solution for it in a reasonable timeframe. The health ones are pretty standard at somewhere in the range of five and eighty gold, and with the custom trinkets, I can throw in a couple premade health ones for free. The real question is the essence of your build - your weird Absorption Points.”
“Yeah, it’s uh… It’s unique, all right!” Ross said, swinging an arm in a halfhearted motion in front of him, nervously chuckling. Luda shook her head, finally stepping back and laying out the string in groups that Ross assumed correlated to different pieces of his gear and his own body. She then pulled out an odd-looking contraption that Ross could swear was some alteration on a Klein bottle.
“Here, focus some AP into this. Around a hundred should do.” Luda said. Ross stood, slightly bashful.
“I, uh… Don’t exactly have any AP right now. I’d need-” He began, before Everest’s fist found the side of his head. He bounced off the floor, almost going right back to his feet due to the severity of the impact. Fortunately for him, his health was well above 500 still. He glared at Everest for a moment before turning back to the bottle, rubbing the side of his head tenderly.
“I’ve… recently gotten some in.” Ross said, sniffing. Luda snorted again before setting the bottle on the counter.
“Just focus on it like you’d focus on anything else you can pour your AP into.” She said. Ross nodded and obliged.
Slowly but surely, the bottle filled with what looked to be a liquid version of his AP bar. Orange and violet light swirled inside, splashes of white occasionally bobbing within the liquidized resource. As it neared the top of the bottle, however, something weird happened.
The AP within started to move on its own.
As Luda went to place a cork on the bottle, the AP conglomeration swatted it from her hand with a shockingly quick wave. No, not a wave; the liquid had nearly made a whip out of itself - a thick, rotund appendage - and snapped the cork out of Luda’s grip. She let out a grunt as she shook her hand, quickly going for the cork on the ground. As she did, Everest’s head whipped to face the bottle, undeniable shock and curiosity warring across his face.
“I… think this is some sort of superfluidity? Maybe sentient..?” Ross said, confused but intrigued.
“I think it’s just pissed!” Luda said, fumbling with the cork in her hands. Again, the liquid - now slowly climbing out of the container - slapped it from her hand once more. It landed on the floor and she grumbled, reaching down to fumble around for it.
“Those devices only ever liquefy resources. This is new as all hell!” Everest said, running to the counter and leveling his eyes with the bottle. His face was battered as the liquid relentlessly batted at him with short, ooze-like appendages, but he didn't seem to care. His health didn’t even drop in the party log. After a few moments, Luda saw the liquid climbing out of the container too far to get it back in easily, then slammed the cork on the counter in frustration, far away from the container.
“There have been theories about resources being some form of secondary AI for centuries now!” Everest said, turning to Ross. “Since they can only ever be extracted as a liquid, and become liquid no matter what state of matter you attempt to extract them in, they aren’t able to communicate or move in any way. What did you say this kind of liquid was?”
“I was saying it seems like a superfluid. It’s a scientific concept from Earth-” He paused, looking at Luda’s frustrated and mildly confused face. Ross sighed.
“It’s a scientific concept from Backwash. It basically describes a liquid with no thickness or stickiness to it, so it has no kinetic energy loss…” He trailed off, eyes widening. Everest’s head shot up from the counter to face Ross, and Luda’s face gradually grew from boredom to understanding, then quickly shifting to wonder. The three turned to the bottle in unison.
“I… think you’re breaking a lot more than the system.” Everest said.
“I think you’re right.” Ross said.
“I think you’re paying full price.” Luda said.