Adrian heard the furry witches cackle at his misfortune while being spun around and around in the tornado. He tried feebly to stop the spinning but it felt like he was entombed within molasses. Desperately he struggled wiggling side to side a little and then a little more. Just as he was making progress a small hairless green dog with a pointed chin appeared and cried out in a high pitch voice "NOOOOO!". Then he flipped over and went face down in the pool, waking suddenly from his dream.
Drowning reflexes kicked in as soon as his face went under and his instincts hone from many a childhood summer on the beach joined in. Flailing but over all making the right movements he brought himself upright in the waist deep waters. Adrian spun around wildly, the sun was just coming up giving him a limited view of the pool he had drifted into. A large stream the fed into the pool and gently flowing around itself in a circle but there wasn't any way for the water to drain out again. Surrounding the pool were verdant trees and bushes as well as colorful flowers, over all looking not at all like real nature with all its rough edges and imperfections. This was more like a gardener created a hyper idealized imitation of nature, using all natural components artfully arranged around a pool that Adrain just now noticed was almost perfectly circular.
Adrian gulped and opened his mouth to speak [Hello?] the voice coming out wasn't his own and speaking a language that made his heart race and stomach drop. [What?] he said without thinking before cursing himself in english "fucking hell, keep a lid on it" and finally shifting to whatever language his captors had been using "focus idiot". English was an otherworldly language and using that could get him killed, as for whatever the hell the other language he used was... Adrian had no idea. Mentally labeling it 'true speak' and reminding himself not to use it unless he found out it was common in this world. Given how just speaking it physically affected him it was clearly supernatural and he was 99% certain it was linked to how he understood his captors language instantly and could even will himself to speak it fluently. If true speak turned out to be common enough for people to not care about it then it was safe to use, otherwise it would just draw attention and likely get him killed.
Clearing his throat he spoke again in the language he had 'learned' from his summoners "hello?". Cringing at how high pitched that came out as he looked around him and even glanced at the pool he was in, nothing so he cleared his thoat and tried communicating again and also tried to get his voice an octave or three lower "is anyone there?". No response and his voice still sounded weird, way too high pitch.
Looking down at the pool a stranger looked back at him, instead of a man in his late 20s with a beard and weather worn skin he saw a boy. Even in the softly rippling water he could make out soft features and bright pink hair of all things, reaching up to touch his face he confirmed this wasn't some illusion. No wonder he felt like absolute hell when he was summoned, Adrian figured he had been drugged or something before they tossed him into a cell to wake up. Nope, he wasn't in his own body and that was probably why he felt so damn out of it and also why his clothes weren't fitting properly... so maybe this was his body and it was just transformed?
Checking over his body his body hair was absent, as were his muscles and though lacking reference he would guess he was also shorter. Fucking 6'6 of manly perfection reduced to a weedy... teenager? He sure as hell didn't look like this even in highschool, Leaning down and holding still he found his largeish crooked nose -broken in two different bar fights, same guy both times- had no traces of magical healing. It was now a tiny bit on the small size and perfectly symmetrical which it hadn't been even before it had been broken twice. His weather worn skin was now soft and smooth like some pampered teen with only a few fresh scrapes marring it. The odds that he was in his original body were shrinking rapidly, though given it was easier to send an email then it was a package he guessed it might make sense that they only summoned his mind.
Leaning down even more for a better look he found it wasn't just his hair that was an unnatural color, his eyes were now a striking violet. Examining the alien face Adrian tried to guess his body's new age, it could be a very young looking 18 year old or a mature 14 year old. It was hard to tell but he settled on 16 if anyone asked him, maybe he could even put that age into his guide...
[OH FUCK!] Adrian yelled, already forgetting not to use 'true speak' as he grasped for his guide. He had fucking fallen asleep floating in a river like a twat which was a sure way to drown but better still he wasn't certain if he had his guide around his neck. The one he stole from the tower on his way out, he had no idea what the hell they did but his captors had acted like they were so normal they were surprised to find he didn't come through with one of his own. Given its name and the few moment's he used one for the 1st time he figured they were some kind of magical 'smart phone', given his actual phone had no service here and had burst into flames right after he was summoned having a 'guide' would likely do wonders for his survival chances. This magical tool, the 1st he had ever handled was missing... it must have fallen off his neck or out of his hand or whatever into the river. The odds of ever finding it again were nearly zero-
"FUCKING CUNT!" Adrian cried out in english, he had turned about in a futile effort to look for the missing pendant. His foot almost immediately catching on something submerged in the pool, it felt like said something had pierced his big toe. Grumbling and hopping awkwardly he made his way to the shore and sat down in the soft grass before lifting his foot out to inspect it. "Mother fucker..." Adrian muttered, not sure if he should be celebrating good luck or cursing foul fate as he stared at the small golden slip wedged under his toenail. Reaching out he gripped his guide and grit his teeth, it had only gone in a few centimeters but it still hurt like hell pulling the damn thing out. Rinsing off his 'magic smartphone' in the pool and in too much pain to care about a possible infection he sank his bleeding big toe into the surprisingly warm yet still soothing waters.
Taking a shuddering breath to calm himself he waited a moment and then carefully using the only native tongue he 'knew' said "status". Like clockwork the screen came up once more, not in front of his eyes but in his mind. It was a weird sensation and though it let him still see just fine it was still quite distracting.
Guide of ???
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Alert, guide is not properly synchronized, correction still in progress.
To assist with synchronization enter your name.
New User Detected:
Would you like assistance features to be activated?
Level: 1 Age: ??? Race: Human
Core Attributes Base Total Physique 7 7 Vitality 11 (-5) 6 Agility 14 14 Perception 14 14 Tenacity 8 8 Spirit 11 11 Clarity 12 12 Focus 8 8
Attribute Points: 8
Talents Level --- -
Talent Points: 1
Potential Talents:
Stealth (general)
Resistance - torture (basic)
Running (basic)
Stamina (basic)
Fearless (basic)
Resistance - slashing (specialist)
Resistance - crushing (specialist)
Traits Effects Outworlder Sanctioned by the gods True Polytongue can understand and speak any language Severely Injured -5 base vitality
Caution:
It is an Arch Sin to access a guide without proper authorization. Impropper access will be met with divine retribution. Theft will be met with divine retribution. Tampering will be met with divine retribution.
Looking over the status window, Adrian saw that very little had changed but his stats seemed to have gotten a bit lower and apparently the guide was correcting the sync... whatever that meant. Hopefully the chaning details was just the guide being wrong and he hadn't gotten even weaker over night... because spending all night drifting naked in what must have been freezing cold water was so good for your health. Well he was pretty sure he only had 4 attribute points the first time he checked and now he had 8 so that was a win. Otherwise this reminded him a hell of a lot of the Dungeons and Dragons he use to play in highschool which would make this character creation.
Studying the screen he decided to be very careful with what he did next, bad syncronisation surely meant things weren't working as they were suppose to. Additionally the status window was all in english so it wasn't a huge leap in logic to figure out the guide was poorly syncronized with him. If this worked the way he thought it did then he was very glad to have one but if it was damaged or defective, then he could very easily kill or maime himself with any sight misstep. Ignoring the help feature he resolved to take the one course of action that seemed like it could help resolve the impropper syncronisation.
Just as he was about to speak, Adrian wondered what language he should use and even if he should use his real name. He didn't know shit about actual magic but the fact his name was needed meant it was important and legend had it that with someone true name you could control them. Given this magic pendant was stolen from a bunch of evil mages who were abducting people from different realities to study, interrogate and dissect it wouldn't be surprising if this was a clever trap. At the same time Adrian didn't believe the paladins who wrecked the tower were part of any deception, but if he was mind controlled into walking back into the tower and they were still there it would see him just as dead. The bits at the end about gods was also unsettling, accepting that they were probably real, didn't like him yet also seemed to take messing with guides very seriously... so 50/50 on that front.
Taking a deep breath Adrian mused 'I'm so fucked right now I might as well take a leap of faith' yet still he hedged his bet just a little. Deciding to give the last name of one of his DnD characters and using english. As he opened his mouth to speak the guide changed on its own, somehow sensing he had resolved to make that particular change and enacting it automatically.
Guide of Adrian Stormcrier
Alert, guide is not properly synchronized, correction still in progress.
New User Detected:
Would you like assistance features to be activated?
Thinking 'well my brain didn't explode and I don't think any trap activated...' Adrian sighed in relief and tried mentally activating the 'assistance features' mentally. Nothing happened the 1st few times until he got frustrated and angrily ordered them to activate, apparently putting will behind it did the trick because a moment later new windows opened up in his mind.