Even floating in the middle of Fort Coral Bay, it was almost unbearably hot. On Earth, Joe’s family lived in a temperate region more known for its cold winters than balmy summers. This degree of heat felt like a giant boot trying to flatten him into the ground.

For over two months, the temperatures of Fort Coral had been stiflingly insufferable.

He was not the only one suffering under the weather. Earcellwen, more accustomed to the canopy-shaded forests, had flat-out fainted the other day. Even the local tropically-born Fort Coralers were melting. No one wanted to wear armor unless it was inscribed with cold-based runes.

One of those hit hardest was the galeling huntress from the high peaks of the Sapphire Coast. It took several conversations to convince Hah’roo that naked was not an acceptable option in public. Her people had no taboos regarding nudity. As Joe’s houseboat floated only a short distance from shore, the white skin naturalist was starting to garner quite a crowd of young men willing to brave the hot sands around Coral Bay. Even after Kenda’s and RC’s admonitions, her chest wraps and light skirts were gauzy enough to barely qualify as covering.

Tezeno was just the opposite. The archon seemed to thrive in the forge-like heat of the midday sun. His skin had darkened from his brushed titanium coloring to a deep bronze almost copper shade. He was currently on the Haven’s roof drilling through his shield forms under the searing sunlight.

The sentinel would have made Joe sick from sympathetic heat-stroke were it not for Joe’s new, and current favorite, spell. The only reason Joe hadn't tried to survive the scorching summer by turning into a fish with [Beast Shape] and staying that way was due to a lucky skill choice he and Kenda had made when he leveled to 22.

Wiping his hand through the blessedly brisk water running down the melting two-yard cube of ice next to him, Joe slapped his now chilled palm to his forehead and sighed happily under the sweet wash of cooling relief.

[Icy Obstacles] (Vigor) (C) You can manifest up to 9 cubic yards of ice onto a solid surface within close range. The area must be clear of creatures and obstructions. The blocks of ice can take one of three forms, with maximum dimensions as follows: a cube roughly two yards to a side, a wall 3 yards tall and wide by 1 yard deep, or three pillars 3 yards tall by 1 yard wide and deep. Walls can be formed horizontally as well.

For each 10 ranks you have with this skill, you can conjure another 9 cubic yard option within close range. Cost: Moderate Stamina.

He had leveled a few days after the expedition to Glen Cumha. When Joe received a free attribute point to spend, he wanted a new spell. Something different. Margen would probably tell him to focus instead of diversify. Kenda did too at first, but she understood Joe’s thinking and helped him pick something useful.

After Sand, Joe’s second-best affinity was with Carapace spells; great for improving natural armor or enhancing claw attacks. These spells would especially combine well with Yuk. He had already spent the point of Strength he had gotten from the [Champion of the Realm] trait Margen had shared with him on such a spell.

[Sharpened Scutes] significantly increased the damage from natural weapons such as Joe’s claws, Finn’s teeth, or Yuk’s multitude of mandibles. Because it did not work on manufactured weapons, its damage bonus was much higher than many of the popular attack-buffing skills. At common rank, it was comparable to an uncommon [Bladesharp], which boosted any type of slashing attacks.

He had been considering a second Carapace spell, [Armadillo Coat] when the skill savant had pointed out an icy spell that she thought he could use effectively. Joe was almost as good with Ice and Bone spells as he was with Sand and Carapace, so she had looked over those lists as well.

[Icy Obstacles], as she had guessed it would, immediately appealed to Joe. He had seen Naragash use it a couple of times in training. Being able to instantaneously summon permanent blocks or planes of ice had so many uses. The hunks of ice melted eventually, but unlike most summoning spells, the material did not just vanish when the spell’s duration elapsed or the caster stopped spending resources on it.

It also evolved into some great spells, such as [Frozen Fort], [Ice Fall], [Gelidification], or [Glacier Wave].

Weeks later, Joe had a whole other use for the ice-summoning ability. His hunks of frozen water could not match the modern air-conditioning of Earth. Even so, in the sweltering sauna of high-noon, they were almost as good. It was surprising how quickly he had leveled the skill. Especially since he had never used it in combat. Stressful situations leveled skills far more quickly than just casting them at leisure.

PLAYER PROFILE: Joseph (Joe) Morris

Race: Changeling

Level: 22

Experience: 201,184 / 230,570

SKILLS (Slots / Filled)

STRENGTH SKILLS: (6 / 6)

• [Savage Claws] (U) rank 29

• [Sharpened Scutes] (C) rank 6

• [Steadfast] (C) rank 29

• [Sundering Strike] (U) rank 13

VIGOR SKILLS: (14 / 14)

• [Beast Shape] (C) rank 26

• [Deaden Flesh] (U) rank 24

• [Efferous Endurance] (R) rank 60

• [Healer's Ward] (U) rank 19

• [Icy Obstacles (C) rank 8

• [Skinwalker] (R) rank 27

• [Stun Block] (U) rank 21

DEXTERITY SKILLS: (8 / 8)

• [Aspect of the Ape] (U) rank 4

• [Hunter’s Pursuit] (U) rank 30

• [Melee Defense] (U) rank 45

• [Stealth] (C) rank 16

• [Versatile Weapon Expertise] (C) rank 40

PERCEPTION SKILLS: (11 / 11)

• [Assess Creatures] (C) rank 42

• [Eyes of the World Healer] (R) rank 57

• [Glorious Gauntlet] (R) rank 47

• [Night Hunter] (U) rank 41

• [Sense Weakness] (U) rank 19

SPIRIT SKILLS: (19 / 19)

• [Call Nature’s Ally] (C) rank 6

• [Dispel Rot] (C) rank 29

• [Dual Cast] (C) rank 33

• [Exorcise] (R) rank 26

• [Grit Razor] (U) rank 21

• [Healing Touch] (C) rank 65

• [Healing Wave] (C) rank 11

• [Heart Fire] (U) rank 44

• [Mana Surge] (U) rank 12

• [Pack Master] (U) rank 27

• [Spirit of the Pack] (U) rank 27

• [Warding Heal] (C) rank 21

• [Wild Voice] (C) rank 11

RESOURCES

• Health: 2,181 / 2,181

• Stamina: 2,732 / 4,017

• Mana: 10,487 / 11,304

ATTRIBUTES

• Strength: 6 (8)

• Vigor: 14

• Dexterity: 8

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• Perception: 11

• Spirit: 19

Available Attribute Points Unspent: 1

CLASSES

• Primary Class: Healer

• Secondary Class: Fell Bane Druid

• Tertiary Class: None

TRAITS

• [Anyone] (Racial)

• [No one] (Racial)

• [Alpha] (Racial)

• [Talent Diversification] (Racial)

• [Iron Mind] (Hereditary)

• [Altruist] (Achievement)

• [Ambidextrous] (Achievement)

• [Beastmaster] (Achievement)

• [Champion of the Realm] (Achievement)

• [Dancer] (Achievement)

• [Force Adept] (Achievement)

• [Hometown Hero] (Achievement)

• [Hybrid] (Achievement)

• [Mystic] (Achievement)

• [Overachiever] (Achievement)

• [Punching-Bag] (Achievement)

• • [Glutton for Punishment] (Achievement)

• • [Death's Door] (Achievement)

• [Shifter] (Achievement)

• [Survivalist] (Achievement)

• [Synergistic] (Achievement)

• [Teamwork] (Achievement)

• [Undaunted] (Achievement)

• [The Seal of Passing] (Prophetic)

DISCIPLINES

• School of the Sparrowhawk: 9

Another surprise was the reevaluation of a skill he had considered spending Reputation to unlearn. Joe had found a whole new use for [Sundering Strikes]. He didn’t need an icepick to chip free frozen nuggets for drinks; claws and the object-breaking skill worked like a charm.

Joe had leveled the first few ranks of [Icy Obstacles] practicing in the Guild training gauntlet. Then, this infernal summer began. In the weeks after Margen returned to DoomHerald, the temperature rose and rose and rose. By the end of the month, it had become a health hazard. Heatstroke was a real issue, especially in the poorer neighborhood of Swift Water, where the homes were made of bamboo and reeds, instead of cooling brick and clay, and could not afford chilling incantations.

Joe had made it a habit to start at the tiny temple of Myrrhcee. There he placed a giant ice cube or two in her courtyard, as well as glaciating one of her interior walls. The ice-coated wall cooled the prayer room and the rest of the old priestess’s home.

Thanks to the bounty of the goddess Myrrhcee, these blocks were the only ones of Joe’s that didn’t melt. Folks could come by all day and hack off chunks to take home with them. Only in the cool of night did the goddess let anything left over dissolve into water.

After the temple, he would then make a circuit of the clifftop community, placing a dozen or more blocks for whoever wanted it, as well as healing any wounds he saw. Saint Mercy Suku had a constant [Aura of Wellness] emanating from her, which patched up most ailments for those in the district, but there were always a few cases that needed a bit of extra care.

Joe and his pack of ghost hounds were becoming well-known around Swift Water. He was the ‘ice and bandages guy’ for the adults, while the huge spectral wolfhounds were a favorite among the kids. Ranu ‘the Fleet’ and Bayu ‘the Boisterous,’ as they were becoming nicknamed, loved to play. Maru was more sedate and typically remained at Joe’s side.

Even though they were mostly intangible, the dogs could lift small objects. Finding the right stick had become something of a hobby for the children. It had to be big enough to throw but not so heavy it passed through the jaws of the ghostly beasts. Joe remembered the day the kids realized they could throw the sticks anywhere: up on roofs, off the cliffs, even down the local well. The hounds could run up or down walls and were impervious to falls.

They were also untouched by the sweltering summer heat. They were happy to amuse the kids running to and fro, where everyone else was just trying to slog their way through the hot, humid air.

At least a respite was on the horizon. A huge celebration was being planned for Margen’s return which was just a few days away. The Storm Wardens, led by Arch-Druid Awan Dawnsong, had promised they would call down a storm to break the heat and humidity tonight. They warned the coastal city to expect a mild monsoon that would deliver a full day of rain and thunder. That would leave the town a day to decorate and a day to celebrate in the relative cool after the summoned tempest.

There were few things Coralers liked better than festivities. There was a reason the second-largest temple in the city belonged to Mairrhee, the god of camaraderie and joy. The largest temple, of course, belonged to Blu, the god of the sea and sky. As a coastal city, honoring Blu was kind of a no-brainer, no other god had a greater impact on the lives of these people on the shore

Kenda had been enlisted to help the city prepare for the celebration of the founder’s return. She had impressed the upper crust of Fort Coral society. During the days immediately after Margen’s recovery, numerous galas had been held in celebration. As the rot-suffering swordsman was too ill to attend, Joe and Kendell had been recruited to be stand-ins for the hero.

Joe had chafed at these events, suffering through them awkwardly. Even though he had developed new friends, that did not remediate his inherently introverted nature. Added to his reclusive tendencies was a set of seriously enhanced senses, making the massive gathering an almost unbearable cacophony of sounds, smells, and tight proximities for Joe.

Just the opposite occurred for Kendell. The lovely woman accompanying him had charmed virtually everyone she was introduced to. She was so convivial and well-received, that it quickly became clear Myllo would be grooming her to take his place as the leader of guild operations once Septimus retired as the Head of the Adventurers Guild. Rumors whispered the retirement of the tall silver-haired guild leader was likely to occur sooner rather than later.

Kept busy by her new duties, Joe realized that he had not seen her for more than a few minutes a day all week.

For that matter, Yuk had been absent this week more often than not as well. Myllo had enlisted Joe’s verminous roommate for a different task. Even though the Erlking’s loom had been completely destroyed, the valley had been so thoroughly saturated by necromantic energy over the last few centuries that it had become a spawning ground for the undead. Someone needed to keep an eye on Glen Cumha, and Yuk was the perfect choice. They were one of the few guilders that could bear the soaring temperatures. Additionally, they were nearly undetectable to undead.

These new necrotic beings were not the feral wolf, coyote, vulture, and bear amalgamations that they had fought in the ziggurat. Those had either perished with the Erlking or been hunted down by the first returning guild teams. The undead now were more of your classic skeletons, zombies, ghosts, and wraiths.

Depending on how close to the center of the valley one ventured determined how tough the monstrosities one faced. Joe had heard how the paladin Lady Blackgrove and Manitou Goldboar had been enlisted to help destroy a lich that had spawned in the caves below where the pyramid had once stood.

Being so thoroughly contained and self-perpetuating, the region was anticipated to become a valuable resource. The guild and city-guards began scheduling regular excursions to the Dead Bowl, as it had been colloquially named by Broon, for training purposes.

Yuk was tasked with tracking the progression of the necromantic creatures. If they grew too potent, a team would be formed to cull them back. The caves, being by far the highest difficulty, required the most interaction. Both guild teams and city guard units had made excursions over the summer to level up. Since underground tunnels and caverns were still filled with a pervasive chill of Death energy, full armor was possible, regardless of the temperature outside.

Joe had passed up on most of these. Once he hit level 22, he was happy just take it a bit easy. His ice and medical run satisfied his guild requirements since he was clearly doing his part to support the community. As long as guilders participated in some way, the Adventurer’s Guild was fairly lax on what was required to qualify as an active duty member.

This allowed Joe to enjoy the first summer vacation of his adult life. He would have enjoyed a far more reasonable temperature but that just meant more time in the water with Finn and the pups.

Every day, Joe and the black and white akhlut swam and hunted the waters of Coral Bay. Well, it was Finn who hunted. Joe mostly just chased fish, building up his skills in moving through water. Joe had found a local fish called a wahoo that could swim as fast as his chimeric companion. Joe had reached 180kg with his [Beast Shape] ability, which was the average weight of the gar-like fish.

Otters were also fun. They were just so much slower than the powerful monochrome chimera.

Most nights, Joe dined on fresh fish or crustaceans, such as lobsters and crabs. Joe’s favorite was something not found on Earth. Circhos were an odd cross between a fiddler crab and a snail. They were bigger than most lobsters and tasted like a conch. All of these he could easily catch in the waters around his home or be plucked from the sandy ocean floor beneath it.

Joe had a number of projects and training to keep him busy but for the first time in his life, he found enjoyment in doing nothing in particular. No school, no job, no family members in need. Hot days or not, Joe found a deep contentment in the simple act of taking a break.