Eight Era, cycle 1721 – cycle of the squatting dog, season of Unkh, day 270
‘You have impressed me since you entered the cave. I can watch all that happens in here, even if I cannot influence anything,’ announced Masinga.
‘Sounds good,’ Amaka said, moving through some forms.
‘I don’t have much choice down here, and seeing you and your determination has made me realise I am growing restless. I have brooded too long over my age and injuries; it is time to extend some influence. Would you consider a partnership?’
‘What? Going off together?’
‘Not quite. I cannot leave here any more. When I sealed myself in to heal, I did not leave an exit strategy. What I propose is for you to become my avatar or my patron,’ Masinga offered.
‘Huh, I’m not sure. In a world with magic, I’m not sure I want to enter into any contracts.’
‘How about this: you are free to go about the world, but – much like with your affiliation – when you do great deeds, my name will be tied to you. It is how the gods gain influence, and I will receive experience in return that will go some way to healing me.’
‘Okay, so I go about my life and you benefit. So what’s in it for me?’
‘Well, as with your boon of speech, I will also give you a boon.’
‘How do you know about that?’
‘I know much; imagine your all-seeing-eye skill after spending a century levelling your stats.’
‘So, I live my life as I would normally, and anyone who has a good eye can see I’m with both the nameless lady and you. They consider building the lady a statue in thanks, and you get experience points. I get to speak any language and something from you… sounds good. A bit too good.’
‘Well, your god gives you quests, and so will I.’
‘And I may refuse these quests?’
‘Well, quests can’t really be refused. You can ignore them, but only failing a quest outright will remove it. And, as you will be rewarded for completing quests, there might be some outcome for failure,’ Masinga said simply.
‘So now we get to the crux of the matter; you want control over me?’
‘Nothing so absolute. If you come across some allies of mine – which is unlikely, but let’s pretend for this example. Well, my quest might be to help them, and if you don’t, my view of you will deteriorate until I take away my boon. If you attack them outright, I shall send all of the draconic creatures I can after you. Like if you were in a city and broke the law.’
‘So there’s a set of rules?’
‘Again, it’s nothing so crass, but to a degree, yes. These won’t be onerous. Don’t attack my friends is simple enough. And, as we are bonded, an attack on you is an attack on me, so you can fight back.’
‘Okay, so I’m a kind of representative of you?’
‘An avatar.’
‘So, I get a boon and also quests, which give me experience and your name to open doors. You get experience in return and someone to do jobs for you that you can’t do yourself. It sounds kind of perfect, so what am I not seeing?’
‘A great many things: my enemies, for instance. However, I agree this works for us both,’ Masinga stated, pleased.
‘Alright, why not? What’s the worst that could happen, right? There’s no downside.’
‘Perhaps.’
‘Great. So what is experience, anyway? Why do the gods act so directly with us? Why… well, why any of this?’
‘I only know part of the story.’
‘Oh a story! Tell me.’
‘What do you know of Gillagajo?’
‘I’ve never heard of him.’
When Masinga spoke, his voice was full of wonder. ‘Gillagajo was the first of my kind and the only true dragon that has ever existed. He was glorious: his eyes were the size of solar systems, his wings as big as galaxies, and his mind was more remarkable than anything to have come after. He lived here, in this dimension all alone, no suns, no planets, and no life. But a being that powerful cannot be contained, he found a way to travel through dimensions and gloried in watching life, any life, all life, he found it wondrous.
‘Now a creature this great was a threat to all existence wherever he went. However, he was completely benign, and only interested in watching and existing knowing that he was not alone; he was beatific in the knowledge and observation of life. Yet gods are jealous and capricious creatures, and they could not be happy knowing that something so powerful existed. They attacked Gillagajo out of jealousy, and the daemons attacked out of avarice. Gillagajo would not reciprocate and came home to his dimension, this one, to where the gods and daemons followed, and, eventually, killed him. It is said that the stars were formed from his eyes, the planets from his bones, life from his blood and experience from his essence. The gods and daemons left their realm and came here, and have been at war ever since.’
Amaka listened and something occurred to her suddenly. ‘That would explain why I recognise some of the affiliations. Such as Pan, who was a legend from Greece. Maybe the gods were once real, but have since all left!’
‘Perhaps. So, are you ready to join me? It is a promise of service and of loyalty, a sort of sword of Damocles.’
‘I will honour it as long as you do not ask me to do anything that is against my nature.’
‘And I will in turn, as long as you do not act in a way that is against mine. You may fail or refuse some quests, and will be punished in loss of earnings, but if you go against my nature, I will abolish the affiliation and place upon you a level 3 taboo.’
‘And that is?’
‘A death sentence, in many respects. Any who see you have a level 3 taboo will automatically receive a quest to kill you.’
‘That sounds fair; no going against the nature of dragonoids.’
‘Then it is binding; come closer.’
‘What must I do?’
‘You will need to become my avatar.’
Amaka came as close as she dared; at such proximity, Masinga’s hot breath was like standing close to a dishwasher. The sole eye glinted, with traces of blue and turquoise sparkling and dancing in the eye, then a soft glow spread and outlined Masinga’s vast face. It moved its head forwards and pressed its nose gently against Amaka. It was soft and warm, like a massive dog’s nose.
WARNING!
You are being bombarded with archaic eldritch magicka; exposure to radiation on this level can cause permanent damage!
‘Er, what are you doing?’ Amaka asked trying not to sound ungrateful.
‘Putting my faith into your future – and synergising our magicka, so that we may exchange updates on quests; it is all automated.’
Amaka’s body prickled with something like hot aches, but icy cold. Her muscles cramped, then twitched. The prickles of ice spread, and a chill ran through her; she was cold right to her core, and it hurt to breathe. Then, suddenly, it felt like she was thrown into a sauna, and all her pores opened and sweat poured out of her.
Her limbs hurt like when she had growing pains as a child, her muscles cramped and her fingernails and toenails felt like they were ingrowing. She pulled her lips back and snarled at the pain as her body quivered.
And then it stopped. Where it had grown slowly, it stopped suddenly, like in that Ernest Hemmingway quotation, and Amaka was left panting on the floor in a pool of her own sweat. A dehydration headache pounded in her temples, and she crawled over to the water and drank deeply.
‘What was that?’ she questioned at last.
‘I was making you one of mine,’ replied Masinga.
You have altered your race.
Part of your humanity is lost forever.
You have been cured of all afflictions.
Amaka read the words and then reread them; she read them a third and then a fourth time, but her eyes just slid over them not taking them in.
‘I’ve changed race?’ Amaka whispered.
New race: kiri tarakona – draconic kin
Congratulations, you have discovered a rare race: draconic kin
Skill increased: lore level 10
Milestone unlocked: you have reached level 10 in lore, 1,000 experience points (221 experience points to the next level)
New spell unlocked: pounamu
New magicka tree: cohesion
New quest: getting to know yourself 1
Specialisation quest unlocked: those who walked before us 2
New quest: ancient powers 4
Hidden quest unlocked: the old ways 1
Secret quest discovered: envoy of the lady 1
Relationship change: patroness
New badge awarded: fools rush in 1
You have been involved in a significant event: creation of an avatar
New spell unlocked: taming
New affiliation: taniwha
New affiliation: spiral gecko
New resistance: elemental
New resistance: mental
Amaka’s mouth dropped open at all the prompts; she swore.
‘Whatever you did, you did a whole lot!’ Amaka exclaimed ineloquently. ‘Give me a minute; I need to go through all of this. I don’t even understand half these prompts, let alone their significance!’
New race: draconic kin
You have unlocked the kiri tarakona, which translates roughly as draconic kin (more literally, it’s skin, as in skin of my skin). The consequences of this will alter you significantly; you are not the same person as you were before and this will affect you mentally as well as physically. Part of your humanity is lost to you.
Additionally, your stats will be altered due to your change in physiology.
She’d lost part of her humanity; what did that mean?
Congratulations, you have discovered a rare race: draconic kin
The existence of the draconic kin has almost been forgotten; thanks to you, this is no longer the case. The news of this rediscovery will spread far and wide; those students of lore will have received a prompt of this momentous event.
You have discovered the mythical race pounamu; this race is spoken about in myth and legend.
Receive 10,000 experience points for this momentous discovery. Receive 500 accolade points.
Warning: you are not a scholar; you have lost these accolade points
Level up! Level 7
Level up! Level 8 (7,245 experience points to the next level)
You still have automatic point allocation enabled; your points will be distributed based on your actions since your last level.
Her strength was going to be a problem; Amaka decided to try to perform actions that would increase it. Amaka could level up manually, but she still wasn’t confident and trusted the automatic system more than herself.
New spell unlocked: pounamu skin
This ability is from the cohesion skill tree and is a racial ability.
The effects of this spell cannot be revealed to you as your lore level is too low.
Amaka’s eyes bulged as she read and her mouth dropped open. What a spell!
New magicka tree: cohesion
You have opened a new skill tree: cohesion. Cohesion spells will allow you to alter the composition of your skin, manipulate water, summon fogs and mists, and trick your foes with illusions.
You are level 1 in cohesion.
New quest: getting to know yourself 1
You have been altered dramatically from your base self; check your status screen to start your quest on understanding your new nature.
New quest: ancient powers 4
This quest has already been progressed to the fourth questline; you will not receive backdated experience or other rewards.
The balance of the universe has altered; the lost ones have been brought to the land and have caused changes on a scale not seen for millennia. This world no longer shakes at the passage of the dragons. It is beholden to dragon-kind to regain the respect you are due and once more take your place amongst the powers of this world.
A questline spread out amongst the entirety of the draconic race and she was already on the fourth part? This must be worth a ton of experience! What’s more, someone else could complete it, and she’d get to share the rewards! This was unbelievable!
Specialisation quest unlocked: those who walked before us 2
This is a quest for the profession of scholar; not being a qualified scholar, this quest will not be trackable for further study. Any clues and evidence you find for the location of a rare race will not be added to the questline, and your word will not be enough to convince scholars of your findings.
Rewards: experience gained for each race discovered, accolade points for each race discovered, potential new skills, quests and more to be earned
As a reward for finding your second noticeable race in the same day, and both of such high levels, you receive a map of automatic marking. It will draw your surroundings up to 100 yards around you; as your stats increase, this will start to mark out enemies, friends, hidden locations and more!
Completing this may result in being rewarded with the scholar specialisation.
Hidden quest unlocked: the old ways 1
The universe is in constant flux; as things change, the old ways are often forgotten and lost, but that doesn’t mean they have been destroyed. Search out more of the magicka and knowledge of the old ways and gain powers not seen by mortal eyes.
Secret quest discovered: envoy of the lady 1
The gods play games with mortal lives, and every god plays to win. She has chosen you to represent her interest in the world of the Sphere, but she does not need one who is unworthy. You have proven yourself worthy of her, so when you perform noticeable feats now, you may receive rewards directly from the lady.
Relationship change: patroness
Your relationship with the taniwha has changed from neutral to patroness. You are now the patroness of the taniwha; as such, you may be called upon to complete quests for them, but they may also be approached by you for aid.
Be warned – just because you are a patroness does not mean they will be friendly to you.
New badge awarded: fools rush in 1
You have spoken to a creature of intelligence and cunning, and kept your wits about you: ↑ cunning, ↑ willpower, ↑ insightfulness, ↑↑↑ in negotiation skill.
You have been involved in a significant event: creation of an avatar
A new avatar has come into existence; you are the avatar of the taniwha called Kanikani I Runga I Te Wai – known as Dances on Water. As such, you have a special relationship with this creature, so every action you take will be considered as a reflection of Dances on Water, all enemies of Dances on Water will be your enemies, all friends of Dances on Water will be more kindly disposed towards you and you will be expected to show them respect.
The friends and enemies you make will not affect Dances on Water; you are his avatar, but he is not yours.
Skill increased: negotiation level 20
You are able talk a friend down from conflict, and drive a harder bargain in a shop.
Milestone unlocked: you have reached level 5, 10 and 20 in negotiation, 3,500 experience points (3,745 experience points to the next level)
New spell unlocked: taming
This spell is from the consciousness skill tree and is an apprentice-rank skill. It has been awarded for reaching level 20.
This spell will allow you to befriend a wild creature; under the right conditions, the creature may even become your ally.
Chances of successfully taming a creature are equal to the following:
Your willpower minus target willpower, which is then divided by your consciousness level and multiplied by 100 to work out a percentage.
Furthermore, if you can use this on a friendly creature, then they won’t fight against your influence as much. Additionally, your draconic nature allows you to charm subspecies with greater efficacy and therefore taming draconic creatures will be easier.
A failed casting of this spell will decrease your relationship with the target; -1,000 relationship points.
This spell has activation time of 1.5 seconds, lasts an hour for every 10 magicka invested into the spell, and has a cool-down of 30 minutes.
New affiliation: taniwha
You now have a second affiliation: taniwha. Taniwha gave up the light long ago to protect and guard against those who come from the dark to prey on life essence. The taniwha are considered by some to be dangerous, due to their nature of dwelling in darkness; as their envoy, you are privy to the truth that they are guardians not aggressors. As a patroness of taniwha, you will have a greater affinity with any taniwha you meet, you are free to wander into and out of the domain of any taniwha, and will not be harmed by any taniwha as long as you are not aggressive.
New affiliation: spiral gecko
You now have a third affiliation: spiral gecko. Spiral geckos are perhaps the cuddliest of all lizards and are considered by most to be an unofficial U-class creature due to their passivity. Spiral geckos send out affiliation to all lizardoid races in the hopes of protection.
New resistance: elemental
Thanks to your new race, you have been granted a new attribute – elemental magicka resistance. You have elemental resistance 13; every level is equivalent to 1% resistance.
New resistance: mental
Thanks to your new race, you have been granted a new attribute – mental resistance. You have mental resistance 25; every level is equivalent to 1% resistance.
After all of those messages, Amaka decided to check out her full information.
Name: Amaka Te Arawhata
‘Oh crap, I’ve gained a new name!’ Amaka cried.
‘Yes, you are tied to my kind now; it is only befitting you are given a name. The deep reserves of compassion you have are reflected in your name,’ Masinga explained.
‘That reminds me; is your name Kanikani I Runga I Te Wai?’ The name slipped out of her lips easily, thanks to her gift of tongues. ‘Dances on Water is an odd name for something so… well, powerful.’
Masinga made a strange noise, when it spoke it sounded abashed, if Amaka could believe such a thing. ‘Yes, well, call me Masinga.’
‘What? Why?’
‘It was a name given to me by someone I owe a favour.’
‘Fair enough.’
Race: draconic kin
Once this was considered to be a noble race, and treated with respect and dignity by all the courts, noble houses and enlightened cultures, but those days are lost. The epoch of the
Gathering brought change to all in existence and their avatars, and their kind were one of the many races scourged from the lands.
Now, the draconic kin are a forgotten race, from an age long lost to myth, and even the dragons are near extinct.
As you gain higher levels, you will experience many changes, depending on the actions you take. You are no longer human and some will consider you a monster; be careful not to turn into one, unless you want to…
Genus: draconic
Class: A
Level: 8 (3,745 experience points to the next level)
Brief description: 6 foot tall, athletic build, sharp features, skin the colour of a brown snake, copper eyes, curved scar circling the right leg mid-calf, impact scar above left eye, missing arm
Affiliation: the nameless lady, taniwha, spiral gecko
State: confused
Endowments: bhasha of the lady, elemental resistance 13%, mental resistance 25%
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
Curses: none
Magicka skill schools
Consciousness 5, void 1, cohesion 1, movement 1
Control and technique
Willpower 14, meditation 2, language ↑100 (bhasha of the lady), composure 5, concentration 7, intelligence 12, anticipation 15, conceptualisation 6, visualisation 8
Attacking attributes
Strength 12 (-25% due to injury), knife 2, standard bow 15
Main defensive attributes
Resistance 5, toughness 10, sturdiness 7, natural healing 15, adaptability 14, elemental magicka resistance 13, mental resistance 25
Movement and positioning
Dexterity 18, sneak 16, speed 7, agility 18, balance 19, fitness 22, gymnastics 6, parkour 1, recovery 17
Mental traits
Insightfulness 18, cunning 14, lore 10, navigation 4, tracking 9, negotiation 20, traps 13, determination 15, erudition 12, inventiveness 18, leadership 5, perception 7, team ethic 8, empathy 29, introspection 12, assertiveness 5, instincts 21, artfulness 8, craftiness 12, physics 12, biology 14, chemistry 9, maths 12, weather watching 3, brushstroke 20, needlework 9,
Miscellaneous
Luck 16, foraging 11, cooking 1, calligraphy 18, elocution 21, cartography 1
Health 400/400, stamina 18/400, mana 400/400
Abilities: precision hit, respect for the fallen, all seeing eye, teleport, execution
Spells: weak haemostasis (item spell), fractural reduction (item spell), weak rejuvenation (item spell), pounamu, taming
Active quests: right hand of a god, who watches the watchers?, the dying of the light, SOS, let sleeping dragons (dragonoids) lie 1, held captive 1, getting to know you 1, ancient powers 4, the old ways 1, envoy of the nameless lady 1, those who walked before us 2
That was a rather bulky rundown, and now Amaka had more going on than was good for her. She had too many questions, and no idea of what was pressing and what wasn’t.
Quest complete: getting to know you 1
You have changed drastically since entering the Sphere; you will continue to grow, and understanding your own psyche and body is vital if you are to reach master rank.
Rewards: 500 experience points, meditation level 5
Skill increased: meditation level 5
Milestone unlocked: you have reached level 5 in mediation, 500 experience points (3,245 experience points to the next level)
‘I feel so different now – stronger and more athletic,’ Amaka said, as the last of her messages disappeared. On looking down at her body, her mouth gaped; her body was altered. She ran over to the water and looked down, analysing her reflection.
She was taller, as her description said, she was now 6 foot tall, and she’d grown proportionally, which was slightly disappointing as she’d have liked longer legs and a shorter body. She was also sturdier, fuller and much healthier than moments before. Before, she had been close to anorexic, but now it looked like if she kicked or punched something, there’d be a bit of heft to it. She’d also lost a cup size or two, but she’d take that for the extra height and reach. Her skin was also darker, more like her father’s than her mother’s. Her nails were also different: thicker and darker, like talons. Her arms and legs had lost all hair; in fact, the only hair she had was in a Mohican hairstyle and, because of the poor lighting, her hair colour looked a dirty green – she hoped it was the lighting anyway.
Her face was changed; her cheeks were steeper and somewhat gaunt. Her mouth was larger, but her teeth didn’t look much different; perhaps it was just her imagination that made them look sharper. Her eyes were also larger, so too were her pupils.
‘What happened to me?’ she enquired.
‘You are my kin, so there had to be some changes,’ declared Masinga.
‘But I’m taller and my thighs are bigger; I could crush a melon in these thighs. And my arms are bigger than my old thighs used to be.’
‘We are not a small species,’ Masinga replied.
‘I guess not; it’s coiled power. Anything else I should be aware of? Can I breathe fire or am I cold-blooded?’
‘Not yet, but I am sure there are spells for such things. You may find some differences; we reptiles do not defecate as much as mammals, or sweat, and our sense of taste is far more sensitive.’
‘Should I expect all of that? I guess I should be glad you’re reptiles and not birds; I could have been some sort of mutant chicken. At least I wouldn’t have been short of eggs. I’m not sure I thought this through. I think I’m sleep deprived,’ Amaka said with a laugh. ‘And no more periods; yay! No more cramps, sore vagina, soiled bedsheets from unexpected periods and all the other “fun” stuff nature makes us suffer with. As long as I don’t actually lay clutches of eggs once a month!’
‘Not all transformations are the same, it is not instantaneous, and reptiles are not chickens.’
Amaka sighed in relief.
Masinga continued, ‘You will change further. Also, there is a racial ability you can now use, and you should have seen it in your messages: a spell of armour. Magical armour comes in a few forms, from a simple barrier around you to a more transmutational spell, such as oak flesh or stone skin. This spell allows you to call on your reptile affiliation to become more heat resistant and to turn your body more into a weapon, as we are predators after all. But, as well as offering you these benefits, it will alter your appearance a little, like oak flesh and stone skin do.’
‘Oh, I like new abilities,’ she stated.
Amaka channelled the spell, it forced words out of her throat, and they echoed in the cavern. As the words ripped from her throat her skin burned and blistered. ‘Cutis mea ego autem dracones.’
Her arm felt like someone was holding a blow torch to it. She felt the hand she had lost as though it were still there; she felt the urge to flex ghost fingers and run the phantom limb under cold water.
New tattoos bestowed: na tenei kiri ka waiho hei taniwha (with this skin, I become taniwha)
Your body, speech and movement changes in this form; you become more draconic, and some people will fear you because of it.
Spell active:
Elemental resistance increases to 20%, mental resistance increased to 30%, healing increased to 1 point a second, natural fitness increased by 10 points, necrotic poison added to your bite, bite damage increased to 35 puncture-damage points, unarmed attacks increased by 30 slash-damage points, flexibility increased by 10 points, speed increased by 10 points, instincts heightened
‘My arm!’ Amaka shouted punching the air; it wasn’t phantom pain at all, as her arm had reappeared.
‘Lizards are renowned for their ability to grow back limbs, as the pinnacle of reptile evolution, we are superior in all regards. However, when the spell wears off the limb will also disappear. In this form, you are healed; but only this form,’ Masinga told her.
‘Ah, man! I was getting excited too. Why have I got a tattoo?’ Amaka asked, confused.
‘A tattoo marks a bond; casting the spell must have been the last step in our binding. After you didn’t receive the tattoo from your change of race, I wondered if I had done something wrong. I am pleased to see it appear.’
‘A little warning about some of these things, please; seriously, Dancer! Although it is nice to have my arm back,’ Amaka said, flexing her fingers and enjoying the sensation of having her hand back.
‘Whilst in this form, you are closer to your new draconic nature and are less human as a result.’
‘Yes, well, I don’t know what that means,’ Amaka stated with a shrug.
‘Most races fear dragons; even creatures like taniwha, which are not dragons but are of the same genus.’
‘Yeah, I think I read that in the new-affiliation message.’
‘Yes, well, in your normal form, you are little changed, but when you activate this spell, you may find people fear your appearance and attack you. Those who do not fear the dragon will perhaps think you look elvish and will attack you because of that. After the separation, many of your kind – your new kind – were wiped out for being a little too fay.’
‘Why do people fear elves? Aren’t they wise, intelligent, attractive and kind?’
‘More cruel, cunning, callous and callow.’
‘Nice alliteration.’
Amaka checked out her reflection once more, and she had once again changed. Her ears were little more than the tragus, which is that little nub next to the cheek; her skin had a diamond mottling. It wasn’t much of a change, but she could see how someone who didn’t know her well could mistake her for someone else.
‘What about the fact that I’ve changed class? Does that mean anything?’ Amaka asked, looking for more signs of any changes.
‘Yes, but you will not get the benefits to the same extent of having been born into that class. You will not get the increased attribute points that we benefit from; however, should someone kill you, they will get the extra experience points of your class,’ Masinga verified.
‘Great, so it’s a massive target on my head.’
‘However, it will allow you gain from stat boosts.’
‘What’s a stat boost?’
‘There are ways to subvert what I will say next – potions, rituals and boons from gods, but it is simple for the most part. There are no limits to how powerful you can become, but not all are equal. Different species are born with a racial bonus to their troika.’
‘Their what?’ Amaka asked completely lost.
‘You do not know of the troika? Very well; your stats are grouped in your menu, correct?’
‘Yes.’
‘Well, let us simply put the groupings into three – health, stamina and mana – and imagine each stat directly influences one of these three, which are the troika. Their troika names are “body” for health, “spirit” for stamina, and “soul” for mana, and each of these three has its own progression. The body has 8 gates, the spirit has 13 shen points and the soul has 7 chakra points. As you open them, your health, stamina and mana will increase by an extra 50 points per level. Which means that, when you open 1 chakra point, you will get 50 mana per level; if you open a second chakra you will gain an extra 50; and if you open 2 chakra points simultaneously, you will have an extra 100 mana, so a level 20 will gain 2,000 mana points and another 100 points every extra level from then on.
‘A troll will also receive stat points in strength, resistance and what not, whereas a human does not gain anything extra. Also a troll will be born with gates and shen already open,’ Masinga said.
‘I guess that sounds useful; so what do I get?’
‘Body has the first gate open and spirit has the first 3 shen open, so 50 and 150 mana, respectively.’
‘Nice. How do I open more?’
‘You will understand as you grow.’
Amaka found the rusty knife amongst her belongings and tried a few practise stabs, then more and more until she had started dancing around like a boxer.
‘What are you doing?’ Masinga asked sceptically.
‘Practising,’ she replied.
‘And that’s how you fight, is it? What kind of technique do you call that?’
‘Just “stabby stabby”.’
‘I’ve never heard of it.’
‘Well, it isn’t so much a technique as “get them before they get you”.’
‘Why not use the forms I taught you?’
‘Oh yeah!’
‘I will outfit you with weapons and clothing. In return, I will require a new home. Somewhere safe and isolated, but where I can see the sky. I will give you a spell so that, when you find somewhere, you can summon me there.’
‘Oh, that’s not what I was expecting, but okay.’ Amaka said, having drained her stamina glorying in her new arm.
New quest: castles in the sky
The taniwha Dances on Water has charged you to find him a place to live; it must be safe from questing knights, open to the night sky and peaceful, so that Dances on Water my recover from his injuries.
You are bound to Dances on Water, and you may not refuse this quest.
Masinga snorted, and a cloud of deep-maroon smoke puffed out of his nostrils, lights sparked in the cloud and there were little zapping noises. The cloud covered Amaka, and she felt her skin tingle and became clammy.
New spell unlocked: summoning
This spell is from the void skill tree.
This spell takes 45 seconds to charge and will summon Dances on Water to your location.
‘That’s rather a vague description for a spell,’ Amaka pondered, waving away the smoke.
‘It is the first time I have tried something like this, so the result may be rather… unreliable.’
‘Oh well, it’s your body, so if you want to risk it, then that’s fine by me. So where are these clothes?’
‘I have a new quest for you already: I require the finished and original version of Yan Zhenqing’s Requiem to My Nephew.’
‘The what?’
‘Which part of my request is causing you difficulties?’
‘What’s this thing you want?’
‘It is one of the finest examples of human calligraphy. The draft piece is secured and under guard; the final version, however, was stolen long ago by a scholar. I want it.’
‘If it’s by a human, why do you want it?’
‘I am a fan; also the myth of dragons hoarding treasure is somewhat due to my kind. We don’t often move, so we like to have things that please us and hoard treasure, everyone knows this. You might call me a New Age being, as I do not consider only gold to be treasure.’
‘Well, so how am I meant to find it?’
‘I know who stole it.’
New quest: treasure maketh dragon – or taniwha
The taniwha Dances on Water has charged you to find for him the finished masterpiece Requiem to My Nephew.
Dances on Water knows that the scroll containing this work was interred with Baron Whitechamber in his family tomb. Travel to Stillwater and find this scroll, keeping it safe until you find a new home for Dances on Water.
Rewards: reading this work will increase your calligraphy ability
‘Fine, stealing a book doesn’t sound so hard,’ agreed Amaka.
‘I have collected a few things as they drifted by, including a set of armour, amongst other things,’ Masinga confirmed.
With a sigh, Amaka stood and stretched; spotting a chest where one hadn’t been sitting before, she stalked over to it. The armour didn’t fit, not even remotely, so Amaka plunged a hand through the collection and placed things in three piles: one for things that didn’t fit, one for things that did, and one for weapons and such.
Amaka felt something stiff and leathery – it was a pair of boots. They were good boots, used but looked after and with good soles – if the tread was a little low. It was a shame they were so large, as her fingers and the back of her neck tingled, and her intuition told her there was something different about them. Were they magical boots, perhaps? Amaka slipped the magical boots on.
They shuddered, shrank and moulded to Amaka’s feet like gloves; they became the first item in her monster-hunter outfit.
New item: magic boots
These boots call to your arcane sensitivities; it is clear that they have some sort of enchantment about them.
These boots are made from sturdy leather and offer 3 protection points to you defence. Their durability is 6/9, and are lightweight at 0.5 kg. These boots are well made, by someone with no little skill, yet they are old and perished in places.
Her feet would sweat in leather, so she continued looking in the chest and pulled out some socks.
‘Where’d you get all of these?’ Amaka asked as the sock pile grew. She was going to take every pair of socks she found; after all, ‘look after your feet, and your feet will look after you’ as her granny always said.
‘They drift by, from time to time,’ explained Masinga.
‘What? A pair of socks drifting on the water?’
‘The caroks eat humans; sometimes, the clothing has part of the owner still in it.’
Amaka shuddered, went to put the socks back and then thought about all the items she’d taken from dead caroks. It’d be speciesism to not wear these based on their previous owner being, well, not a carok. Presumably, the boots’ leather belonged to a cow originally, or to some other creature that was skinned.
‘What are these?’ Amaka questioned, pulling out leggings that shone silver in the spotlight.
The taniwha made a noise that could have been a sniff or could have been a mini hurricane. ‘They smell like twilight moth.’
‘What are they?’
‘The Silverlight people collect the cocoons of twilight moths and make leggings from them,’ Masinga said as Amaka rubbed her cheek against the leggings.
‘They feel so good!’ Amaka declared as she slipped into them. The leggings reached down to her calves before stopping. ‘They feel like a second skin, but it’s a shame they’re so short. Actually, I think the look works, although I doubt I’ll be able to find a razor in this world; it’s a good thing lizards don’t have hair.’
Amaka rifled through a collection of skirts and tight trousers, considering a skirt–trouser combination, and set the ones that fitted aside. Near the bottom, she found a pair of casually fitting trousers of a dull olive colour, and a flared skirt made from something unrecognisable. The amount of pockets they had might be useful in this world, so she put them on and went looking for a top.
Unfortunately, the tops were mostly shredded. The ones that weren’t cut to ribbons were leather and all made for men. The ones that fit either crushed her breasts or left them loose, so her nipples rubbed against the leather like it was a cheese grater. She had to empty out the chest to find something finally, but there wasn’t a spare, so she’d be living in one top until she made it to civilisation.
‘How do I look?’ she enquired.
New item: Silverlight leggings
These leggings are made from silk spun by the twilight month. The silk is only spun during mating, and the silk must be collected and treated within 12 hours, otherwise the silk will start to degrade.
These leggings offer no protection; their durability is 25/30 and are lightweight at 0.1 kg. These leggings are exquisite and were made by an expert in tailoring.
New item: reinforced leather greaves
These greaves are made from rollock leather and offer a boost in armour of 12 defence points. Their durability is 16/20, and they lose 1 defence point due to their damage. Defence offered is 11/12. They weigh 2.3 kg. These greaves are well made, but the material is hard to use and the quality (common) could be better.
New item: worn skirt
You don’t know what it’s made of, but it works for you; it adds 8 defence points. Its durability is 10/20, and it loses 3 defence points due to damage. It weighs 1.0 kg.
New item: Waterdown gloves
These gloves reach from elbow to wrist, and the single thong slips between the index and middle finger; such is the fashion in Waterdown.
These gloves are made from redflair larvae and offer a 50% fire protection to your arms. Their durability is 23/30. They weigh 0.1 kg. These gloves are well made and fashionable.
New item: stylish riding jacket
This jacket was all the rage once, but that was long ago. However, it is so old it could be in fashion once more.
This jacket is made from the plant verasile, and offers a reasonable level of protection; yet it has been damaged and has a durability of 18/30 and its defence is 16/25. It weighs 1.8 kg. This jacket is well made, by someone with no little skill; level is exquisite.
New item: pleated shirt
This is a simple pleated shirt: never forget the saying ‘never wear pleats with brogues’.
This shirt offers no protection. It’s durability is 16/30 and weighs 0.2 kg.
New item: ring of little health
This simple ring provides 10 extra health points and is made from steel. It is of common quality and its durability is 10/10. It weighs 0.1 kg.
New item: ring of stamina
This simple ring provides 35 extra stamina points and is made from steel. It is of common quality and its durability is 10/10. It weighs 0.1 kg.
New item: ring of disease resistance
This offers protection from simple diseases when worn. It is well made from silver, is of intricate quality and its durability is 20/20. It weighs 0.1 kg.
New item: lungs-of-a-whale ring
This ornately designed ring allows the wearer to breathe in water for up to 5 hours. This ring is made out of 24-carat gold and has a blue sapphire set into it. This is an exquisite example of quality, has 1 hour 25 minutes of charge left and its durability is 30/30. It weighs 0.3 kg. Grades of rings are shoddy, delicate, intricate, exquisite, one-off and mythical.
New item: katana of the Blue Butterfly
This katana is made for the order of the Blue Butterfly, but the exact ceremony is unknown to you… here it comes… Increase your lore to learn more. We know! We used to be friends once…
This masterclass weapon hums with eldritch powers, of which you know naught. It’s damage is 28/unknown, durability is 30/unknown and it weighs 2.2 kg.
This weapon requires a skill level of 50 or higher to use; you do not meet this requirement.
Even so, she’d hung it on her hip as it looked amazing.
New item: mace
This mace is made from steel, and the shaft is 35 inches long with a 12-inch-diameter steel ball; 5-inch steel spikes cover the ball of the mace.
This mace was made without much skill, is of serviceable quality, deals 14–18 damage points, has a durability of 15/28 and weighs 3.2 kg
Due to your low strength, you will suffer a penalty when swinging it of -3 seconds to speed.
New item: backpack
This is a large bag with adjustable straps to fit against your back; it has padding to stop items from clinking and a unique design to stop your back from sweating. The design isn’t that unique, however, and - just like all designs to stop your back from sweating – it doesn’t work.
Its durability is 21/30 and it weighs 1.8 kg.
New item: belt bag
This is a small bag with adjustable straps to fit around your waist and thigh (either left or right thigh, your choice) it has padding to stop items from clinking and thigh straps to stop it from bouncing. It sits flush against your leg and is slightly curved for a better fit.
It has a durability of 25/35 and weighs 0.8 kg.
‘That’s not a bad haul, thanks,’ declared Amaka.
‘You are most welcome; use it well, my young apprentice,’ suggested Masinga.
‘I think socks might be the most valuable thing in this world – well, or maybe a sports bra, though my tits have shrunk – but blisters and chafing are a major concern.’
‘You will no longer need to worry about that: scales are more resilient to chafing than flesh.’
‘Really? Score one for dragon me; I guess eggs have their advantage,’ Amaka said, and she jumped up and down a few times.
‘Are you ready to practise the forms?’ Masinga asked, and, perhaps, there was an edge of impatience to his question.
‘I just need to adjust a few of these straps so that the bags don’t bounce so much and the weight is more even, and then it’ s back to work,’ Amaka stated, sighing.