“Beyond this veil will be your first challenge. A Corrupted God known as Koushinon, The Bell Ringer. It is your choice on how you wish to deal with this once radiant deity. Fight or flee. But you must keep this thought in your mind. The Gods did not choose to become like this, and they suffer above all else. Koushinon is the Keeper of the Bell. The Ringer to announce the arrivals of the Reliquished. To greet and guide was his sworn duty, but now his fate has been twisted. His desires tortured, changed and turned vile.”
The Pale Woman’s image faded away then reappeared ten feet down the path. She reached her hand out and motioned for me to follow her. I continued following her as she guided me through the mist of the valley until we arrived at a stone archway. It looked old, very old. Its grey stonework carved and placed together to create an entry almost twenty feet high. The center of the archway was shrouded in a haze of golden fog and shimmering lights. The worn pathway came to a stop before the lights. The Pale Woman now stood to the side of the archway and beckoned that I enter.
This was it. The moment the game truly began. I knew the road ahead of me would be tough but I would be tougher. Before I took my step into the haze, I checked my stats one last time.
Name: Zerik "The Champion"
LVL: 1
Ichor: 0
Inventory
- Heavy Plate [Equipped]
- 2H Iron Warhammer [Equipped]
- Dual Iron Blades
Abilities
- War Cry
- Blood Rage
Stats
HP: 22
SP: 13
MP: 5
Strength: 16
Dexterity: 12
Intelligence: 8
Vigor: 14
Endurance: 11
Arcana: 5
I had a basic understanding of most of the stat and ability that I saw but I wanted to make sure I didn’t mess anything up, so I quickly examined each one. [Level] was easy to get so I didn’t bother inspecting it. [Ichor] on the other hand I didn’t know. Reading its description, I found out it was some kind of currency. A power that could be used to exchange for goods, to learn new abilities and to increase my stats. For every level I put into a stat my overall level increased as well. It also stated that — [Ichor] Is the lifeblood of the Gods. Got it. Kill the Gods and become stronger. After all the game is called Gods Felled.
After reading about [Ichor] I checked out my inventory next starting with the [Heavy Plate] I was wearing to see how armor worked in this game.
[Heavy Plate]
- Reduce physical damage taken by 45%
- Dodge Speed: Very Slow
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Req: STR 15
Looking at the armor it was a very basic piece of equipment. A percentile of damage reduction and a decrease in my overall dodging. It also looked like I barely made the requirement to wear the thing. It did feel heavy and slightly bulky. I wondered if that feeling would change if I continued to increase my strength. Or what would happen if I tried to equip something I didn’t meet the requirements on.
Next, I checked on [Strength], [Dexterity], and [Intelligence]. The information for the three were almost identical to each other but categorized for different damage types. [Strength] affected melee damage, Crit Damage and the requirements for larger and heavy equipment. [Dexterity] affected ranged damage, Crit Chance and the requirements for bows and crossbows with several armors needed high [Dexterity] to use effectively. The last one, [Intelligence], affected magic damage, the use of staffs, scrolls, and tomes.
The last three stats directly connected to my overall [HP], [SP] and [MP], which stood for Health Points, Stamina Points and Magic Points respectively. The higher my [Vigor] the better my [HP] as well as resistances to certain damage ailments like poisons and burns. The higher my [Endurance] the easier it is for me to dodge, run, and carry more supplies as well as increasing my [SP]. The last one, [Arcana], increased my [MP], made learning spells easier, identifying magical objects and connecting with the essence of the world itself.
I finally took a look at my abilities. My first one was called [War Cry].
[War Cry] (Cost: 8SP) Increase your [Vigor] by 50% for 1 Minute.
Okay that was good to know. An ability that temporarily increased not only my [Vigor] but I assumed it would also improve my [HP] as well. Possibly double my health for a short period of time would be extremely invaluable.
The final part of my class I inspected was [Blood Rage].
[Blood Rage] (Cost: 12HP) Increase your [STR] by 50% for 1 Minute. Increase CRIT chance by 50% for 1 Minute. For 1 Minute after the effect ends damage received increases by 50%.
Okay [Blood Rage] sounded cool but it was also very risky to use. I would need to be cautious on when I chose to use this ability. A Hail Mary of sorts. To use my dad’s football terms. Which I still don’t understand.
I was finally ready to take on my first challenge. I took in a deep breath and approached the golden haze. Before I entered the Pale Woman spoke.
“Beware the world of The Grand Daleum is not one to be taken lightly. All actions have consequences. The path you take is yours alone, but the destination may not be what you desire. Always remember that his was your choice. Your fate.” After her final warning the woman disappeared.
Your Fate
I entered the archway.
I found myself standing on a long stone walkway atop a giant cathedral overlooking a vast land of mountains, forests, castles, and kingdoms. A metal orb rotated slowly across the sky basking everything in a sharp amber light. There was a chill wind in the air that carried wisps of smoky clouds across the land. I could smell ash and fire coiling all around me and the subtle scent of iron drifting beneath it all.
Besides the soft rustling of the wind in the torn banners that dotted the cathedrals walkway, and the snapping of logs in a hearth that burned low nearby, everything was eerily quiet. I took my Warhammer in hand and marched my way down the walkway to the nearest door. As I walked, I caught the shimmering of colorful lights reflecting off of the nearby stained-glass windows that dotted the center of the cathedral. Their images rose fifty feet in the air, coming to a rest before the broken shingles of the slanted roof and buttress.
Each window had a different design depicting some kind of story. I didn’t know the lore of The Grand Daleum as I researched more into the game side of things before I joined so I was unfamiliar with what they were showing.
The first of the five panels had, what I assumed, was The Heart. The giant copper orb now floating in the sky. Only it looked more vibrant and shine with an array of colorful lights and not the golden hue it shined now. The next one had a courtyard of people. Dancing, feasting, and enjoying each other’s bodies. The third panel had a figure dressed in all black holding out their hands, blood dripping from their wrists. The fourth window showed the people from the second, but they were covered in darkness, writhing in pain, and their bodies becoming distorted. The final stained-glass window was shattered. Only fragments of it remained. Not enough to see what it once held.
I reached the end of the walkway and turned from the story before me to open the door when I heard a loud roar echo across the landscape. I turned to look out over the world and witnessed something remarkable. A dragon, as large as the cathedral, was flying in the distance. Its deafening cry shaking the foundations of the building as it soared higher and higher. Its black wings, melting like inky wax, and a storm of lightning cascaded from its eyes and mouth. Almost as fast as it appeared it vanished into a shroud of gray clouds.
This was going to be fun.
I opened the door and made my way into a dark, spiraling staircase. Once I reached the bottom I came out into an open courtyard, with tattered banners, burning hearths, and a large wooden gate. That was my exit from the cathedral, but I had yet to have seen Koushinon. I was hoping to fight him and get my first real taste of battle. That desire I would soon regret as the tolling of the bells had begun.