The silence that descended around us after Siria explained how I needed to look inside myself felt almost eerie. I hadn’t ever been the sort to meditate. The disquiet about the whole situation kept a strange tingle of energy running through me. Everything was so strange, and new.
Why am I even bothering with this? I wondered, unable to stop my mind wandering.
I could hear Siria’s soft sigh.
“Breathe, and concentrate, Lo’Kryn. Let this world fall away and instead look to the deepest parts of yourself. Seek out your inner truth.”
Inner truth, inner truth. I let my mind delve. I didn’t imagine there really was anything in there but I focused on finding a rhythm to my breathing and tried to let my thoughts fall away. Again, I heard the soft clatter in the corner of my mind and behind my eyes I saw the tumble of a twenty-sided dice. My breath hitched in surprise but I quickly stilled my thoughts again as the result of the roll settled into a number at the top right corner of my mind.
(Wisdom check: 15+2=17)
I thought about the numbers and about the task I had been trying to accomplish. If I were really playing the game at the table with my friends back home, Jake, our DM, would have asked for a Wisdom Check. That’s a twenty-sided dice plus my character’s Wisdom modifier. A plus two modifier actually wasn’t bad at all and the roll had been a good one.
I let my thoughts wander deeper, allowing that strange inner peace to spread. My sense of the room fell away. My body felt grounded, connected. I delved inside my mind, seeking the archive of memories that should be stored there. I wasn’t sure how much time passed but my limbs felt warm and relaxed.
“Lo’Kryn,” I whispered, not even realising I’d moved my lips until the word echoed through my thoughts. As if opening a door in my mind I felt something click into place. A flood of memories rushed in. Memories of being a young boy. Of being taken under the wing of the Palladium Rise as an orphan over a decade ago. Of growing up with Hayvik teaching me to find peace, to concentrate, to draw on the energy of Ki to centre myself. I hadn’t been in true training long, but the well of anger and fear that used to bubble through me as a youth had tempered into determination and calm.
The memories were fleeting. Filled with quivers of emotion. And then they fell away again as an image opened up in my mind. Words and numbers fell into an intricate array of decorated boxes that looked just like the character sheets we’d used to play Dungeons and Dragons with friends.
Nikolodeon Kryn
Monk
Level 1 (0/300)
30ft Speed
Armor Class: 15
11 of 11 Hit Points
Initiative: +3
Proficiency: +2
Darkvision 60ft
Strength
Dexterity
Constitution
Intelligence
Wisdom
Charisma
12 (+1)
16 (+3)
16 (+3)
12 (+1)
15 (+2)
14 (+2)
Skills:
Acrobatics
Dexterity
Proficient
+5
Animal Handling
Wisdom
+2
Arcana
Intelligence
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
+1
Athletics
Strength
Proficient
+3
Deception
Charisma
+2
History
Intelligence
+1
Insight
Wisdom
+2 (Passive 12)
Intimidation
Charisma
+2
Investigation
Intelligence
+1 (Passive 11)
Medicine
Wisdom
+2
Nature
Intelligence
+1
Perception
Wisdom
Proficient
+4 (Passive 14)
Performance
Charisma
+2
Persuasion
Charisma
+2
Religion
Intelligence
+1
Sleight of Hand
Dexterity
+3
Survival
Wisdom
Proficient
+4
Armor Proficiencies
None
Weapon Proficiencies:
Shortsword
& Simple Weapons.
Tool Proficiencies:
Jeweler’s Tools
& Thieves’ Tools.
Known Languages:
Common,
Celestial
& Leonin.
Damage Resistances:
Necrotic
& Radiant
In my mind’s eye I could see tabs for more information, such as inventory, the contents of which seemed pretty standard for starting equipment; spells, which were sparse but surprisingly did contain a Light cantrip; and a few others that detailed characteristics, personal beliefs, and allegiances of which only the Palladium Rise was acknowledged.
There was also a features and traits tab which contained a couple of surprises, namely abilities that appeared tied to my race which was not actually human after all. I was something called a Protector Angelborn. I wasn’t really sure what that was. I knew they were some kind of Celestial, an angelic race, but my friends and I had never played or fought one. I supposed I would have to learn more. Too bad I couldn’t grab a handbook to look it up. For now, I’d have to stick to the limited information provided by the list of racial traits:
Protector Angelborn
Darkvision: 60ft
Celestial Resistance
You have resistance to necrotic damage and radiant damage.
Healing Hands
Once per long rest, as an action, touch a creature and restore hit points equal to your level.
Light Bearer
You know the light cantrip. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for it.
And something called Radiant Soul.
“Shit,” I said, breaking my own concentration. The image in my mind’s eye shimmered away. “I can fly?” I glanced across to Siria who had a serene smile on her face.
“I see you have discovered yourself.”
“I still don’t understand,” I said. I tried to pull the image back into my mind but my concentration was shot. This was all too bizarre. It was strange because I still felt like me, Nik, humming under the surface. I felt oddly human, and yet the more I settled into this new body the more I felt the hum of divine energy and the history of Lo’Kryn. Siria was right. I’d found myself. But I had no idea what that meant.
“So, I’m stuck here, in this guy’s body, because of some God?” I asked, trying to get my barings around that situation.
“Three Gods actually,” Siria explained, “The Pantheon of Balance. They are Avanlugh, Arawyn, and Melvanis.”
“What am I supposed to do?”
“Seek out evil and destroy it, I imagine. Just as other Travellers have before you.”
“Right,” I drawled. “Find evil, destroy it, easy.”
My voice was laced with sarcasm but Siria simply gave me one of her serene, knowing smiles. “Well,” she responded, “perhaps you should start with something a little easier. I have an errand for you. A service to the city that will help you test your abilities and do some good for its people. It’s a simple thing, relatively.”