She wasn’t sure how much time had passed when she awoke. It hadn’t been long enough for the exhaustion debuff to vanish but her stamina had recovered and it appeared that her bleeding had stopped. At some point, Pan had returned to his normal sandy yellow panther form and Teel wasn’t entirely sure that she hadn’t imagined the whole thing. With a groan, she struggled to a sitting position and looked around. The remains of the three undead were laying on the ground. She climbed to her feet and walked shakily to what was left of the wraith. She’d almost died and although she had leveled up from it she didn’t plan on leaving the encounter without something to show for it. It was obvious at first glance what the wraith’s rare possession had been, an ornate spell book. Grabbing the book she sat back down against the cave wall and sighed. They really needed to head out of the dungeon but she still wanted to rest a bit first. Maybe she’d feel up to moving once she’d finished checking over her progress.
The first thing she checked was her new ability; Empower Companion.
Empower Companion
Energy drain: High / Sustained.
Effect: Greatly improves a single companion’s effectiveness while the spell is sustained. The effect depends on the target but tends to include advanced classes, new or improved skills, and/or greatly increased stats.
That would explain Pan’s drastic change in appearance. The very high energy drain made the ability dangerous to use in close combat but if she could hang back and conserve her own resources she could turn Pan into a veritable juggernaut. She decided that she’d have to test out the ability against safer opponents to learn how exactly if affected Pan.
Teel was about to check out her new passive skill options when she once again noticed the book that had been resting in her lap. It was obviously magical in nature but she wasn’t sure what it actually was. If the scraps of information she’d picked up while hanging around the various adventures that passed through her small town were correct, then it was most likely a skill book of some kind. A magical tome that was able to instantly grant people skills and abilities that ranged from difficult to impossible to gain in any way other than having the right job. At first, she’d expected to sell the item and use the influx of money to purchase legitimate equipment for once or maybe even put the money towards a guild application fee. But now that she looked at the tome she was having second thoughts. She hadn’t become an adventure for the money or even fame, though both appealed to her, but instead for the power. Not power over people but real personal power. The ability to shape her own destiny. A power that couldn’t be taken away or lost.
Teel opened the tome to a random page and was disappointed and yet unsurprised to see that the page was filled with letters, symbols, and drawings that she had never seen before. They seemed to waver and bend as she looked at them. The harder she focused on figuring them out the worse it got. The next page was the same as was the one after that. After checking several other pages at random she flipped to the first page where she was amazed to see perfectly legible and understandable text.
This grimoire contains the power and information necessary to harness powerful magic. By activating this tome and binding it to yourself you will be granted your choice of one of the magical skills below. In addition, once bound, by studying the contents you will be able to learn additional spells and abilities if you have the appropriate skills. Please be aware that binding this tome is permanent and once bound will be unusable by anyone other than its true owner.
Skills:
Ice magic: Create and control ice and cold. Ice projectiles can pierce through tough armor while arctic blasts can freeze unsuspecting opponents in place.
Entropy magic: The opposite of life magic, entropy magic damages living and not living material at its most basic level. Low-level spells hasten the natural decay of things while high-level spells are capable of forcefully tearing apart an object in an instant.
Animation magic: The animation of inanimate materials as both permanent and temporary bonded companions. Traditionally divided into the animation of the dead, the summoning of elementals, and the creation of golems.
“Well damn”, Teel muttered as she read through the short passage again. “Looks like I’m going to be a wizard, Pan. What do you think about that?”
Pan looked up from the wraith skull that he was batting around the floor of the cave for only a second at the mention of his name before once again pouncing on the new toy.
Teel smiled as she watched her friend play and she considered her options. Of course, she could always sell the book. That was the simplest answer, but she already knew that she wasn’t going to let an opportunity like this go. So that meant picking a skill. Both Ice and Entropy would give her some options to use while at range which was something she needed desperately. Being in the thick of the fighting was getting old fast and she’d love a way to be useful without putting herself at risk. The problem was that she wasn’t actually a wizard, or any other casting job, which meant that she didn’t get access to any of the fancy passive skills that went along with the job and so would either constantly be a couple of steps behind traditional casters or she would need to devote time getting and leveling a casting job to compensate. Neither option sounded great. The third skill, however, gave her pause. It was the term "bonded companion" that caught her eye, it was the same term that was used in the description of her Companion Boost skill. If whatever she was able to create via animation magic could benefit from her Beast Master skills and abilities, she would basically double her combat strength in one go and even if it couldn’t, then at least she’d have another body to take the focus off of Pan.
She hesitated for a second before placing her hand on the book and focusing. She wasn’t sure that this was the correct way to do it, but it wasn’t like there was anyone around to see her if she was wrong. At first, nothing happened but after a few seconds of her feeling very self-conscious, the text of the book began to glow. A moment passed and the glow faded, leaving only a blank page.
New Skill unlocked Automation Magic. New ability unlocked, Summon Elemental Familiar.
Teel was giddy with excitement. Not only had she hit level 5 but she’d also pick up a new skill and one that was outside her job at that. She rushed to check the descriptions of her two new toys.
Automation Magic
Effect: Allows for the simultaneous control of 2 temporary bonded companions or 1 permanent bonded companion created via Automation Spells per level of the skill.
Elemental Familiar
Energy drain: 90% of maximum.
Effect: Summons an Elemental Familiar. A source element must be provided to summon the Familiar and the Familiar’s form will reflect the source element. Elemental Familiars can absorb a small amount of a different element in order to change their form. Familiars are permanently bonded companions and will retain their memories and personality between summonings. Elements available: fire, earth, air, water, wood, metal.
Teel looked around excitedly. It would be smart to wait until leaving the dungeon before testing any new abilities, but she knew that she wouldn't be able to wait. Concentrating she began activating the ability. As before she immediately felt a pull in her extremities as her energy began condensing in her center. The pull was much stronger this time and despite being at almost full stamina the effort left her nearly drained. This was not an ability she would be using while in danger.
Once the pull of energy faded, she focused on the empty space a few feet in front of her. She willed the air around her into the spell and the tunnel was filled with light. For a second she was blinded but quickly the light began to condense into a small form. When the light dissipated, Teel could make out what appeared to be a small kneeling figure, perhaps a foot tall when standing. He resembled a miniature royal knight in dark blue armor. Lightning-like tendrils extended from his back and gave the distinct impression of wings. Before she could fully react the figure spoke.
“Welcome Master. I live to…” As the figure spoke he raised his head and found himself looking into the face of a very curious Pan who had come over to investigate the commotion. The newcomer’s greeting was cut short as he jumped to his feet with a start. The sudden movement triggered Pan’s hunting reflexes and the large panther pounced on the newly summoned familiar.
Teel watched the pair in disbelief for several moments as they rolled around on the ground. Teel was impressed with the tenacity of her new familiar as he held his own against a much larger opponent. “Stop,” she said at last. She felt the force behind the words. It had been a command, not a request. Pan looked up at her and for a second she felt pressure as his feline defiance battled with the force of their pact. It was a token resistance and Pan reluctantly retreated to her side where he immediately began cleaning himself as if showing his lack of concern for the whole situation.
Teel shook her head and turned to face the familiar that was in the process of standing up from the tussle. “I’m very sorry,” she said.
“Think nothing of it, Mistress. It is good to know that your other servant is enthusiastic in his protection of you. My name is Axsia and I am your humble adviser and protector.” Axsia said with a bow.
Teel hid a grin and replied with all the seriousness that she could muster. “Thank you, Sir Axsia. I see that I am in good hands. But please, call me Teel.”
“Yes, Mistress Teel.”
Teel rolled her eyes but didn’t argue the point. Scratching Pan’s head she looked around at the tunnel and the remains of her undead assailants. “Alright, let's head out of here. I’m looking forward to sleeping on something that isn’t a cold cavern floor.” And with that, she hefted the magic tome and headed in the direction she hoped led to the exit.
As the trio walked Axsia chattered on incessantly. At first, Teel worried about the constant noise attracting unwanted attention, but after watching Pan and Axsia team up and decimate a wandering zombie without her having to lift even a finger, she relaxed. Axsia, for his part, had not been lying about his combat ability. He was able to swoop in and out of the zombies reach faster than the stumbling creature could react. When he saw an opening he took the creature to the ground with a ball of force to the zombie’s leg. As soon the monster hit the ground, Pan pounced ending the fight.
In the end, she was happy she'd let him talk. It turned out that despite his excitable nature, Axsia was an excellent source of information. He explained that familiars were unique spirit entities that were created by the casting of a familiar spell. A person only ever had a single familiar, a familiar a single master, and the two were bound for the life of the summoner. They existed primarily to act as companions and advisers, though he was quick to point out that some, such as himself, did excel in combat. He also confirmed that Teel’s Companion Boost skill did affect him and he assumed any other companions created via animation magic.
Teel also used the random monsters encountered to test out how exactly her new Empower Companion ability affected Pan. Axsia, unsurprisingly, turned out to be a major asset in this regard as well. He seemed to be capable of understanding the intricacies of the spell and how it affected Pan much more easily than Teel. To her, it appeared that it simply turned Pan from an average mountain lion into some kind of terrifying, and cool, demon cat. Axsia’s take was a little more professional.
“It appears to be temporarily moving him to the next tier of monster.” Axsia noticed Teel’s confused look and tried again. “Most creatures are not capable of learning and advancing jobs the same way as you. Instead, they have a single job that is tied to who, and what, they are at their most basic level. Pan here, for example, is a level 5 Large Cat.” Pan looked turned to look behind him at the mention of his name. “While I’m a level 5 Lesser Air Familiar. Once a creature with one of these jobs reaches a certain level, they have the option to advance to a new monster tier. Doing so unlocks a new job while preventing the previous job from gaining levels. This way a creature can continue to grow and develop. What your spell is doing is essentially bumping Pan up one tier from Large Cat to Lasher Cat. Given enough time Pan will reach a level where this will be his new default state. I’d assume that at that point the Empower Companion would either further increase his tier or grant some other boon."
As they reached the exit to the dungeon complex, Teel was surprised to see that it was only late afternoon. Spending several days in the dungeon had messed with her sense of time and she’d figured it must be the middle of the night. Not that she was complaining. She had just enough time to drop off her haul at the herbalist’s and alchemist’s shops before heading to the inn for the night. In the past, she’d tried to save money by camping out in the woods outside of town but she felt that she’d earned a nice soft bed for a change.
The trek to town was uneventful. Baleford was a small village nestled in the foothills of the Lettie Mountains. Even before the discovery of the Grey Crag dungeon complex, it had been a haven for monster hunters who had used it as a home base for their treks into the Lettie Mountains to hunt the wild beasts, elementals, and wyrms that called the mountain range home. Since the discovery of the dungeon, the population had grown to include more fresh-faced adventures such as Teel and with them the merchants and other service providers that followed those willing to risk their lives to become rich and famous. The integration of the two groups had gone surprisingly well. While there would always be conflict between the new and old adventures, many of the veterans remembered what it was like being new to the world of adventuring and were willing to offer words of encouragement or advice to those they saw as being serious. Those that were not serious tended not to last very long.
Teel entered the inn with more gold in her pouch than she had ever had before, though it still would not have been much for most people. For her, however, it was a fortune. Pan and Axsia entered behind her. The sight of the big cat and flying familiar caused more than a few stares, but it was nothing so unusual as to warrant anything more than that.
The inn's main room was packed with people enjoying a variety of food and drinks and Teel had almost given up on finding a table when she noticed a burly man at a table near the back waving his arms in an over here gesture. She smiled when she recognized the man and quickly began squeezing through the crowded room.
"Evening, Bernard," she said cheerily as she reached the table. "I wasn't expecting you to be down from the mountain for at least another day or two." Teel paused and looked at the empty chair next to the big man. "Wait, where's Jess?"
Bernard laughed and put a hand on her shoulder, an act that nearly sent her to her knees with the force of it. "She's at the bar demanding service. Said we have too much to celebrate to wait for someone to bring us food and drinks."
Teel raised an eyebrow questioningly. “So I take it your hunt was a success?” She asked with a grin.
“And then some!” Benard bellowed. “But enough about that for now. Jess will string me up if I didn’t let her be the one to tell you. It looks like you’ve had an interesting few days.” Benard’s gaze shifted to Axsia who was zooming around the vaulted ceiling above the table.
“Oh yeah,” Teel said with more than a hint of pride in her voice. “I have a familiar now. Also, I reached level five. Halfway to my guild tests.”
“That’s wonderful, Teel!” Bernard said pulling her into a hug that threatened to crush her tiny frame.
“What’s wonderful?”
Teel heard Jess’s already slurred voice coming somewhere outside the all-encompassing bearhug she’d found herself in.
Bernard turned to face Jess. “Look who wandered in.”
Released from Bernard’s grip, Teel saw Jess making her way between the tightly packed tables towards the pair. She was a mountain of a woman at well over six feet tall and cut an imposing figure in the few pieces of armor she still wore. In her hands were several mugs and a basket full of various stuffed breads.
Jess's eyes widened and a huge grin appeared on her face as she saw Teel. "Teel! You’re alive", Jess slurred. It was obvious that this was not the first round of drinks she'd had. "And looking stronger already," she added looking Teel up and down.
Teel couldn't help but blush. "Just a bit. It was a profitable run in many ways. Hey Axsia, get down here. I want to introduce you to someone."
Axsia landed on the table and immediately bowed. "Of course Mistress Teel."
"Mistress is it now?" Jess asked with a smirk.
Teel rolled her eyes at the familiar. "He's my new familiar. I've told him to just call me Teel."
"A new familiar huh? Sounds like we have a lot of catching up to do. But first, a drink to celebrate returning friends!"
The trio sat at the table and each raised a mug of ale in a toast. In the end, Jess had insisted that Teel take one of the drinks she'd gotten for herself. The rest of the evening passed in a blur of food and drink. Bernard and Jess had succeeded in not only bringing down a wyrm but had managed to do so without damaging the creature's horn. A wyrm's horn acted as a focus for the creature's innate magical ability. As a result, most wyrm hunters would target the horn in an attempt to protect themselves from the deadly spells the creature was capable of. Those who were skilled, or foolhardy, enough to take down a wyrm with the horn intact could sell their trophy for nearly as much as the remaining pieces combined.
After recounting the story of their hunt in great detail the pair insisted that Teel do the same. They made a great audience with ooh’s of interest and gasps of surprise at all the right places. When she got to wraith fight she couldn't help but get the feeling that Jess was genuinely nervous. She wrapped up the story with the summoning of Axsia and the leaving of the dungeon.
"That's quite the adventure you had." Bernard said, "Though part of me wants to scold you for attacking the wraith like you did. Still, it's not like it's something I wouldn't have done at your age myself. Now if you don't mind, I think the last week of sleeping in the woods is catching up with me. Don't keep her up too late, Jess. You both need your rest." Bernard stumbled towards the stairway leading to the bedrooms on the second floor.
Jess and Teel stayed and chatted about their plans for several more minutes before Teel felt her eyes getting heavy. Thanking Jess for the food and drinks she headed towards the bar to inquire about a room and bath. Luck was with her and a room with a tub was available. Teel happily paid for the night and headed upstairs with Pan and Axsia following close behind.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
The room was plain and rustic. The bed was simple but clean and after night upon night of sleeping either on the cold stone floor of the dungeon or in the forest itself, it looked like heaven. It was hard to resist the urge to fall into bed at once but she really wanted that bath first. The bathtub was made from copper and sat atop four short legs which held the tub several inches off of the floor. Five small indentations were located around the lip of the tub. The tub was already filled with cool clean water. As inviting as it looked, she was looking for a warm bath. A moment later and knock at the door announced just that.
Answering the door she found a young man standing in the hallway holding a small metal bucket. With a smile, he entered the room and began removing black stones the size of his fist from the bucket and placing them in the indentations around the tub. Once they were all placed the young man stepped back and with a brief look of concentration the stones began glowing a bright red.
As soon as the young man had left Axsia swooped down from where he'd been hovering above the bed and began examining the stones. "Interesting. These stones delay and extend any fire spells cast on them. Instead of a raging inferno, you get a nice warm bath."
Teel ignored him as she removed her battered clothes and slid into the now warm water. She at once felt the stress begin to leave her as the warm water relaxed her sore muscles.
While she relaxed she absent-mindedly checked her character sheet and glanced over the important information.
Job: Beast Master. Level 5. Progress to the next level 13%
Skill: Abjuration Magic [Focus: Companions only]. Level 2. Progress to the next level 6%
Skill: Automation Magic. Level 1. Progress to the next level 8%
Skill: Sword Mastery. Level 2. Progress to the next level 3%
Skill: Shield Mastery. Level 1. Progress to the next level 40%
New Passive Skills available
Teel jumped and nearly slipped under the water when she read the last line. She couldn’t believe that she’d forgotten to choose a new passive skill. They were available every five levels and tended to be a large boost in power. Adjusting herself in the bath to maintain maximum comfort, she closed her eyes and pulled up her options.
Teamwork
Effect: Grants a small boost to you and any bonded companions when fighting together.
Requirements: Beast Master level 1.
Mind Link
Effect: Allows for mental communication between you and all bonded companions including companions not normally capable of speech. Increased mental endurance for you and all bonded companions.
Requirement: Beast Master level 5.
Body Link
Effect: Allows for shared stamina between you and all bonded companions. Increased physical endurance for you and all bonded companions.
Requirements: Beast Master level 5.
Praetorian Companions
Effect: Sets the maximum number of bonded companions per skill to one. All bonded companions receive a new passive skill. Allows for one additional bonded companion of any type.
Requirements: At least two different skills granting Companions of different types.
Note: Mutually exclusive with Monster Tide passive skill.
Monster Tide
Effect: Doubles the number of Companions provided by skills.
Requirements: At least two different skills granting Companions of different types.
Note: Mutually exclusive with Praetorian Companions passive skill.
Teel furrowed her brow as she read through the options. The first had been available when she’d started the Beast Master job but she’d chosen Companion Boost instead. The next two were obviously her level five options. But the fourth and fifth were unexpected. She’d heard about new skills being unlocked by people with multiple jobs, but she’d never thought that picking up a new skill would grant her one.
“That’s a tough one,” Axsia said.
Teel’s eyes shot open to see Axsia sitting on the edge of the tub with his feet splashing in the water. “What’s tough?”
“What skill to pick,” he said waving a hand, “Oh, sorry I forgot to mention that as your familiar I can also see your sheet anytime you’re looking at it. It makes it easier for me to advise you. Anyway, what do you think?”
Teel thought for a second. She could see the usefulness of all of the skills, but she felt it was safe to ignore the Teamwork skill for a second time. The reasoning was the same as it was when she’d first had to make the choice, she wasn’t a fighter, and trying to pretend she was would end up getting her killed. Especially now that she had Axsia and the Empower Companion ability, it would be much safer for her to stay back and support her friends. The logic worked for the Body Link skill as well. It could be a good defensive boon allowing her to sap strength from Pan and Axsia to save herself, but, as previously stated, she was mostly reliant on them to deal with any threats. Sapping their strength would mostly only serve to prolong the inevitable and she had precious little stamina to offer them in return.
“I think the Teamwork and Body Link skills are out. They seem to be most useful for beefy fighter types. Mind Link, Praetorian Companions, and Monster Tide could be useful though.”
Axsia nodded in agreement. “I think you’re right,” he said, “looking at the remaining options, I’d suggest taking Praetorian Companions or Monster Tide. If for no other reason than they’re harder to obtain. Skills like that aren’t very common, so to get one this early could be a big boost. As for which one? I’d advise going with quality over quantity. Besides, do you really want to deal with an entire army of minions running around?"
Now it was Teel's turn to nod. "That’s a good point. I’d rather have fewer but stronger allies. Speaking of allies, what are my choices when it comes to taking advantage of the one free companion?"
Axsia stared off into space as he thought. Teel couldn't help but grin at the familiar's look of deep concentration.
“As far as I know, the only way to get a bonded companion is by having the appropriate skills and then finding or creating a creature of the correct type to make a bond with. Bonded companions all fall into one of three categories divided into three subcategories each. The first is the natural type. It is divided into beasts such as Pan, humanoids, and dragonkin. You can make pacts with beasts thanks to your Beast Taming skill. Next is the constructed type. It includes undead, elementals, and constructs. These fall under the Automation Magic skill which you already have. In theory, if you spend enough time studying your new spellbook you may be able to learn how to create a third companion that way. Finally, you have the supernatural type: divine, infernal, and aberrations. Aberrations seem to be a catch-all for what anything that doesn’t fall into the previous categories.“
“So right now our options are to find a beast type to tame or study my new spellbook until I learn how to create another companion that way?” Teel slid down into the tub, the water nearly to her nose.
“Pretty much. Still, I think it’s worth it to take the skill even if we don’t have a plan on how to use that part of it yet.”
Teel had already come to the same conclusion and mentally selected the skill without a word.
Passive Skill gained, Praetorian Companions.
Bonded companion Pan. Passive Skill gained, Shadow Touched. New ability unlocked, Shadow Step.
Bonded companion Axsia. Passive Skill gained, Multiple Elemental Attunement.
“Axsia? Any idea what any of these do?”
A moment later the information filled her mind.
Shadow Touched
Effect: Allows the user to create an aura of shadow center on themselves. While active, anything within the aura becomes more difficult to perceive with non-magical senses. Aura strength and maximum range increase with combined job level and decrease in bright light.
Shadow Step
Energy drain: Low / Variable.
Effect: Allows the user to teleport to any location they can see that is either in shadow or darkness. The energy cost is increased by the total brightness of the starting and ending locations.
Multiple Elemental Attunement
Effect: Allows the user to attune to multiple elements simultaneously. You gain the combined advantage and disadvantages of all attuned elements. The maximum number of attuned elements is based on the level of the Elemental Attunement Mastery skill.
Note: Current maximum attuned elements: 2
While she was excited about the new skills, she was still exhausted. If Pan and Axsia wanted to experiment they could do so, but she just wanted to finish her bath. Smiling, she closed her eyes and dedicated herself to enjoying the warm water while it lasted.
Once the water finally began to cool she finished her bath and, once done, used the water to wash her tattered clothes after which they were hung up on a simple line strung from one wall to the other. In the morning she would be hitting up the local tailor for some decent clothes and maybe even a leatherworker if she had the coins left. Sliding into bed she quickly drifted off to sleep.
*****
End of Chapter. Character Sheets.
Information Primary Stats Name Teel Base Bonus Total Species Human Strength 8 3 8.24 Dexterity 12 2 12.24 Derived Stats Constitution 8 13 9.04 Stamina 97.5 Intelligence 13 6 13.78 Physical Endurance 15 Wits 14 7 14.98 Mental Endurance 24 Willpower 15 11 16.65 Classes Mastery Skills Total Levels 5 - Physical Skills Beastmaster 5 Sword Mastery 2 Shield Mastery 1 Abilities - Magic Skills Magic Weapon Abjuration Magic [Focus: Companions only] 2 Empower Companion Passive Skills Beast Taming Companion Boost Praetorian Companions
Information Primary Stats Name Pan Base Bonus Total Species Panther Strength 12 17 14.04 Dexterity 14 17 16.38 Derived Stats Constitution 10 10 11.00 Stamina 87.5 Intelligence 6 5 6.30 Physical Endurance 19 Wits 12 12 13.44 Mental Endurance 16 Willpower 10 5 10.50 Classes Mastery Skills Total Levels 5 - Physical Skills Large Cat 5 Natural Weapon Mastery 2 Abilities Passive Skills Shadow Step Shadow Touched
Information Primary Stats Name Axsia Base Bonus Total Species Familiar Strength 5 5 5.25 Dexterity 11 5 11.55 Derived Stats Constitution 5 5 5.25 Stamina 85 Intelligence 14 17 16.38 Physical Endurance 10 Wits 14 17 16.38 Mental Endurance 24 Willpower 13 17 15.21 Classes Mastery Skills Total Levels 5 - Magic Skills Lesser Air Familiar 5 Elemental Attunement Magic 2 Abilities Passive Skills None Familiar Advisor Multiple Elemental Attunement