The Judge weighed the empty soul stoically. It’s face was veiled in darkness so deep, it contained worlds. Blinding light draped it like a hooded robe. The soul waited patiently, as it had since it’s reformation. The line of souls behind it stretched to the edges of perception. A slow day, for the Judge.
[Measuring soul…please wait…Measuring soul… please wait…Measuring soul…please wait…]
The Judge didn’t use a voice. It laid its will upon the heavens and the system took care of the rest. It scanned through the soul’s previous life. What it was, what it accomplished, and how it lived was lost to the soul. All it was wiped away on his death, it was ready to be reclaimed by the cycle.
[Soul valued. 8.2%. Value: low. This soul is not worthy of the Eternal War.]
[Try again? Yes/no]
The soul drifted into the large [yes] floating before it. None of the souls before it had selected no, and it would not be the first.
[Confirmed. Generating genesis.]
More words appeared and disappeared quickly. Breeds of dogs, birds, insects, and other animals. Human, elf, dwarf, sprite, and other humanoids flashed by, but more rarely. The words slowed, spinning slower and slower, nearing to a final choice.
[human… northern jackrabbit… greenmoss moth… gremlin. Species selected. Species: gremlin. True name compatible. True name generated: Daggat.]
Statistics flooded the soul’s view.
True Name: Daggat
Soul: Monster
Genseed: gremlin
Monster Level: 1
Attributes:
Strength: 3
Dexterity: 4
Constitution: 3
Intelligence: 2
Will: 3
Charm: 3
Feats:
None
Biotraits:
Base size: Tiny
Regenerative Teeth
Enhanced Night Vision
Rot Resistance
Daggat could feel himself fading away, being taken away to be born into the world. Then, an alien presence descended upon the Judge. It wasn’t dark or evil… but colorful. Wild and free, a bright canopy of infinite colors following no pattern. It… spoke? The words forced themselves into being.
“Well, well, what do we have here?” A basic gremlin. We’ve had dozens of those this MINUTE already. Soooo booooring. Standard stats… nothing interesting. Fated to a life of… goblining about. Doing goblin things.” The presence cackled with a voice that sounded like the shattering of worlds. The Judge turned to face the presence.
[Request: Why mettle with this soul?]
“It is within my right, and my purpose.” It turned its attention to Daggat. “Have a variation, little soul. Live an interesting life.” There was a pressure, like a small kiss atop the soul.
A wheel came into existence with a small musical flair. Its size dwarfed planets, yet it equally seemed constrained to this point of the universe. Around its edges were an infinite amount of lights. Thin slivers of red and white made the pattern of the wheel’s surface. On each sliver was a skill, trait, Attribute boost, soul modifiers, and more. They were different colors: copper, silver, gold. Some glittered in the light, others wavered as if cursed. The Judge placed the void where its head should be in its hand.
The wheel began to spin. Round and round it went at an impossible speed. An arrow at the top of the wheel made a little clicking noise as it passed each selection. After an age, it began to slow. Slower, slower, and slower still. Finally it clicked towards its final selections. [Skill: sword-master level 1]… [Trait: Drake blood]… [Level boost +10]… finally it teetered on a final selection. [Skill: Skill Absorption]. Well, almost a final selection. In one final moment of chaotic, random selection, it clicked once more and stopped. A silver [Attribute boost: Intelligence +10] rested at the top. Almost reluctantly, Daggat’s statistics changed.
True Name: Daggat
Soul: Monster
Genseed: gremlin
Monster Level: 1
Attributes:
Strength: 3
Dexterity: 4
Constitution: 3
Intelligence: 12
Will: 3
Charm: 3
Feats:
Encounter: True Angel
Biotraits:
Base size: Tiny
Regenerative Teeth
Enhanced Night Vision
Rot Resistance
Other:
Variant: +10 Intelligence
“Ooh, nice! That can be helpful. Have a nice life, little soul.”
With that, the soul faded away to wait to be born. The pains of birth, the first pangs of hunger, thirst, and the blinding light of first sight were forgotten. As was his mother’s milk and the days of being little more than a hungry animal. Even the first scramble for survival, competing with every scrap of food with his siblings, was only a distant dream. Daggat’s earliest clear memory was his first kill.
[You have devoured - gremlin, level 1. Experience Gained.]
Teeth covered in blood, hunger finally satiated. Daggat stood over the corpse of one of his siblings. Others of his kin feasted on the scraps of meat left. Life as a gremlin was rough. Only the strongest survived. Daggat was far from the strongest. Among the weakest, actually. But what he had over the others was his wit. Unlike the others before him who had already killed, he did not use his small claws, teeth, or pitiful strength. Daggat used a rock. A beautiful instrument of simplicity. A tool perfect for the cracking of little green skulls.
Before his first kill, Daggat only ate, grew, and, most importantly, learned. He was beginning to piece together the melodic sounds the adult goblins made into words. An unrefined understanding of language. Picking up the words for goblin, gremlin, food, and levels among others. He knew that his entire life existed within a large mud pit. One of several he could see. Each filled with a different generation of gremlins. The edges reinforced with a simple fence, so no gremlins could escape. Young goblins would be unceremoniously dumped into the gremlin pits, surviving off the mud and vermin they were fed. At some point, the goblins stopped feeding them altogether. Hunger turned to desperation, which soon evolved into aggression. Klaw was the first to kill. He was the largest and strongest of the lot. He simply grabbed the smallest gremlin and ate it, ignoring the squirming limbs.
The other gremlins had green, smooth skin. Generally unbalanced features plagued them. One had a nostril slightly too large. Another had ears that drooped to the ground. The variations of the gremlins were too great to quantify. The only similarities they had were their green-tinted skin, long pointed noses, large flopping ears, and pointed teeth and claws.
One by one, the gremlins disappeared since the first kill. Falling to hunger, only to be eaten by the others. Being killed by Klaw, or others. Daggat was careful. Eating mouthfuls of scrap and generally staying out of the way. He was becoming smaller and smaller when compared to the next smallest living gremlin. Friends were not a luxury Daggat could have, nor could he view the other gremlins as family. They were rivals and sources of food.
Klaw was also the first removed from the mud pits. It happened minutes after his third kill. A goblin leapt into the mud, kicking gremlins out of the way, and simply picked him up. The next to be removed was a gremlin named Glut. A particularly fat gremlin, one whom Daggat spent a lot of time hovering near. He was a messy eater. Upon his third kill, a goblin removed him from the pit, the same as Klaw. Next was Zuss. A female who was quick and ruthless. She learned early that the throat was a vital place to bite. Something Daggat learned from her. On her third kill, she was removed. With every dangerous rival removed, Daggat found himself filled with equal amounts of relief and jealousy. He wanted out as well.
Three kills. That was what it took. Daggat now knew for sure. For the first time in his life, Daggat had a goal other than survival. Three kills. How hard could it be? His first was easy. Daggat was small and lonesome. Keeping away from the more dangerous gremlins and being no threat, few paid attention to him. The poor sap didn’t even expect the attack. Weeks earlier, Daggat had found a stone in the mud. This rock was the first weapon used by a gremlin, as far as Daggat knew. The discovery of rock equals weapon was an accident. Daggat had dropped the stone on his foot. That was when he realized… what if he dropped it REALLY hard on another gremlin? With a crack, Daggat had split the gremlin’s skull, confirming its use as a weapon. He felt a sickening rush. A blood-lust and thrill mixed with a strange apprehension. Like the foundations of his being rebelling against acts of cruelty. Excitement, guilt, and hunger battled within him. Hunger won.
After this, the others were wary of him. With the weapon, he could kill anyone not paying attention with ease. It took a clever ruse to clear the second hurdle. Daggat thought long and hard on this plan. Finally, he sat, facing away from the other gremlins. It didn’t take long for a foolish target to approach the “vulnerable” Daggat. This stage in Daggat’s development taught him a lot about gremlin nature. No gremlin could resist easy prey. He listened, waiting. Heard the sloshing of mud. NOW! He twirled around, wielding the stone in both hands, and swung it upwards. It collided with the gremlin’s chin, cracking bone and splintering teeth. The gremlin sprawled backwards, too stunned to even scream in pain. Daggat leapt on the gremlin, smashing down with the stone. Again and again, smashing with all of his three strength. Mud and blood mixed, becoming indistinguishable. Finally, it stopped quivering. The guilty feeling was less now, but the thrill was the same. He ate.
[You have devoured - gremlin, level 1. Experience Gained.]
With that, Daggat was feared. Smallest of the gremlins, yet the strongest. The difference a weapon can make. He tried his trick again, to no avail. No gremlin would allow him near enough to strike. Nothing could be done to easily kill a rival, and a straight fight was far too risky for Daggat. Lazily tossing the stone one day, he figured out his plan. Smiling evilly to himself, he sat and waited.
The hunger grew. Days passed since the last meal. Daggat could see that he was not the only one. They became restless, anxious. Any who came too near him were turned away with a brandishing of his stone. Shortly after killing his second gremlin, he had systematically sifted for every other stone and threw them out of the pit. His was the only weapon.
Finally, it happened. Overcome with hunger, a gremlin leapt at an unsuspecting snack. Soon, they were wrestling in the mud. Scratching and clawing at one another. Daggat watched, and waited. His grin growing every moment. After a minute of tense combat, one had the other pinned, face shoved into the mud. No one knew which was the gremlin who started the fight. Daggat stirred. There was only one shot at this. The mud bubbled and splashed as the weaker gremlin thrashed about. Then, sensing the time was right, Daggat threw the stone. It clonked off the aggressor’s head with a hollow sound, knocking him off his prey and sending him scrambling away, grasping it’s head. Daggat was already moving. For a brief moment, the near dead gremlin thought his life had been saved. Until Daggat stomped on the back of his neck. He stomped again, putting his full weight into the strikes. Too weak to move, the victim had no chance. Once more, and there was an unsettling crack. He grabbed for a limp arm, and bit a chunk out of it like a chicken leg.
[You have devoured - gremlin, level 1. Experience Gained. You have gained one monster level. One Biotrait Point awarded. All attributes increased by 1. One growth point available.]
Daggat danced with glee, still standing on his kill. He lifted his arms to be granted apotheosis from the pit. But, no goblin came. Instead, the other gremlin recovered, standing menacingly in the mud. It’s face was a mask of fury. Daggat retreated, moving to the edge of the pit. It dashed at him, crawling through the mud like an animal, blood dripping from its wound. Panic seized Daggat as he searched outside the mud pit. There! The goblin watching the gremlins was asleep. Daggat cried out.
“L…leeva… level!” he tried to speak. He knew the words, but had little experience using them. The other gremlin was on him, pulling him into the mud. Grasping at him with stronger arms, larger hands, it had the advantage. Daggat used claws and teeth, pulling at eyes, cheeks, biting hands. Using every dirty tactic he could think of. But, he was being overwhelmed. Mud filled his large ears, nose, and eyes as he was submerged. By some miracle, Daggat managed to gasp a mouthful of air in the struggle, and screamed, “Level two!” He went under again. Strength was fading from him. The other gremlin had his hands around his neck, squeezing.
Just as Daggat was sure he was going to die, so soon in his life too, a strong hand grabbed him by a leg and hauled him out of the mud. Coughing, sputtering, and gasping, Daggat looked upon his savior. A large goblin, bigger than the others, glared at him with a curious glint in his eye. He wore hides decorated in totems. Both of his ears were missing, torn off in some past fight. He barked words at the sleeping goblin, who woke in a start. Still holding Daggat by the leg, the larger goblin punched the other square in the face. They cried as blood gushed from their now broken nose. With a grunt, the larger goblin shoved Daggat into his arms.
Daggat was taken from the mud pits, and brought into the world. He did not glance back as he cackled, daring his own future to challenge him. He tasted victory for the first time, and he was already hooked.
At the end of each chapter, the current stats of the current, relevant characters will be found in a spoiler.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Daggat
True Name: Daggat
Soul: Monster
Genseed: gremlin
Monster Level: 2
Attributes [1]:
Strength: 4
Dexterity: 5
Constitution: 4
Intelligence: 13
Will: 4
Charm: 4
Feats:
Encounter: True Angel
Biotraits [1]:
Base size: Tiny
Regenerative Teeth
Enhanced Night Vision
Rot Resistance
Other:
Variant: +10 Intelligence