G sat on the floor as the world spun around him. There was a red flashing icon at the bottom of his vision. He looked at the icon, and a message popped up, filling his vision.

Mana Exhaustion - Debuff. You have exhausted your mana for the very first time. This debuff is dependent on how fast you depleted your mana pool. The quicker you drain it and how much mana you failed to have when casting the spell are all reflected in how harsh the debuff will be.

Current Debuffs:

Dizzyness: 2 minutes

Nausea: 2 minutes

What? He looked at the blue mana bar again. It had 1 mana in it, 1 of 100. He had used 100 percent of his mana on one spell. He threw up a little. Arghhh, how much worse would it have been if he had tried to overspend mana he didn't have for a spell? He shuddered at that thought as his head ached. Overspending mana would be bad. He looked at the timer on the message. He only had a few more seconds of the debuff left. He closed his eyes to help stop the world from spinning as the timer ran out. He could see this interface, whatever it was, with his eyes closed, that was good to know.

G opened his eyes to see Crewton sitting there, tongue half hanging out, looking at him like G was going to give him a treat. He reached out as the dog jumped into his lap while leaning against the wall. He sat there for a few minutes, closing his eyes, just petting Crewton, the world quit spinning, and life was good for just a few moments again. He took a deep breath, smelling the stale air, and opened his eyes, ready to face his new reality.

G saw Dr. Reamus, the man in his foppish outfit and plummed hat, standing there examing the VR capsule. From the outside, G could see the paint was all gone, and the casters under it had no wheels. It tilted ever so slightly to one side.

There was a tiny little pulse in his mana bar, and he saw another mana point had ticked into it, 3 of 100. The recharge rate on mana looked like 1 per minute.

He put Crewton down and walked over to Dr. Reamus as his head still spun for a moment. The doctor was pushing the capsule back and forth as the metal legs where the casters had been scraped the floor. G just realized that anything with plastic, rubber, or modern material in them was gone. He looked down at his bare feet again. His biking boots had been almost all nylon.

G started testing his pockets and leather jacket. He had worn his bike riding leathers for the show. The outfit was part of his streamer image. The leather seemed to be there still, all though it wasn't shiny black any longer, and any metal buttons and other things were still there, but his pockets and the elastic at the waist. They were all gone. This outfit had been something he bought from a European company that still made them by hand in northern Italy. Not cheap, but it had fit him well for a long time.

G spoke half dazed as his head cleared, "Doctor Reamus, did all the plastic disappear? Hey, Why didn't you help me? "G pointed at the doorway, "There are huge spiders out there?" G had just realized the man had not helped him at all. G could have died.

Dr. Reamus smiled at G and spoke in a voice like he was talking to a small child, "This is the system you brought with you. It would not be a very good test of it, if I did the work. You will figure it out in time. All plastic and any other advanced technological materials can not exist here, so they ceased to exist. Just this small piece of Earth is currently in the Planarverse. Earth has not been fully joined to the Planarverse, but it will be if Ryan finishes the ritual. " He let that thought hang in the air.

Dr. Reamus looked G up and down for a few seconds, "I'm surprised you chose Aardsylvian as your race. That was a risky move, considering how much other elves dislike them. I suppose you did rush through those choices, but, it all appears to have worked out in the end, and you were able to save your little friend. " Dr. Reamus bent over as Crewton ran up to him and started sniffing his hand. Then the dog bounced around the man like he wanted to play ball.

G said in a panic, "Oh crap, those screens? " He sighed. He started speaking words he tried to bring up the ones he remembered, " Character sheet, race, how do I reaccess those panels?"

Dr. Reamus bent over the open VR capsule, ignoring G's question. He picked something up and then turned back to G. The doctor ignored the question and held out the hat. He reached inside and pulled out a softly pulsing light, like a stage magician at a show. G stared at the dim light that shined so brightly to his eyes, trying to make out its shape. It didn't have one. It was just a pulsing blob of light. He walked forward to look closer.

Dr. Bremus smiled, "I see. " He put the glowing light back in G's hat. It shined for a few moments lighting up the doctor's face and hat. A few seconds later, it pulsed a few times and went out, casting the room back into shadows. The doctor turned it around again, looked inside, nodded, then handed the hat to G.

G took his hat. It didn't feel any different, perhaps a bit of weight but not much. "What was that? " asked G looking inside and seeing a bulge in the liner at the top.

"That is your AI, or it was your AI. Now it's a living creature that needs to find a real body within ten days. " Just as the Doctor finished the sentence, another box popped up to block his vision:

You have been given a Quest: Find a home for Tocai.

You must find a host or home for Tocai within ten days.

Rewards for finishing the quest: Magical creature familiar, Tocai.

Penalty for refusing or failing the quest: The Magical creature familiar, Tocai dies.

G stared into the distance rereading the message, "How?"

Dr. Reamus spoke with a bit of excitement in his voice, "It is not the first AI that has crossed over into Planarverse, and I doubt it will be the last. One of my closest friends used to be one. My friend is no longer an AI; it is more of a planet, but they get a chance just like everyone else once a merging happens. Also, you should note that Tocai has a soul, so his actions will count for good or evil against it when it is weighed. Tocai is much more than just a magical spirit or AI at this point. "

G mentally chose yes to the quest and the popup closed. He thought of a character sheet. And a big blue box popped up, covering his entire vision. Right in the middle rotated a version of an elf male with pale skin, pale yellow hair, and angular features. As elves went, he was a good-looking specimen. The elf wore a black leather outfit. He had high cheekbones, pale eyes, a thin set of shoulders, and was a bit gangly. His face looked almost identical to the beta marketing material for Planarverse Online. Everyone who did marketing always made their default character look exceptional, well, except for this guy's hair. The hair was shorter and looked like the elf had just walked out of a windstorm. It was not horrible to look at, but it was wild and just all over. If it had been longer, G doubted he could see the elf's face. G reached up to touch his face, and the avatar did the same on the character sheet. Damn it, what did the doctor say? Aardsylvian? What was that? This was an image of him, and he was an elf!

G heard the doctor speaking again and willed the sheet out of his vision.

"The hat will keep Tocai alive for ten days. I altered the destroyed solar panel you had in the hat that captured the sun's energy. I have enchanted the remaining wires and silicon to siphon mana and store it. It will help you regain mana faster and keep Tocai alive while traveling. " The doctor looked up at the ceiling for a few seconds as if seeing something, then looked back at G.

"So my AI is alive now? " asked G.

A frown formed on Dr. Reamus's face. He spoke slower now, like he was talking to a slow child, "You will need to pay more attention if you intend on surviving very long. It is alive for now, and you have ten days to find Tocai a new home. The hat is not strong enough to hold the kind of magic needed to house him fully. He will grow, and the magic needed to contain his form will need to be powerful enough to accommodate that growth, do you understand? "

G realized he must look like an idiot repeating what he had just been told as a question, "Yes, I understand. Can I still wear the hat? "

Dr. Reamus nodded, and G placed his wool low tophat on his head. It brushed against the tips of his new elf ears. The leather band inside was still there, and the hat fit better than before, snug. He looked up and then down a few times to confirm it would not fall off. The hat made his pale hair bush out a bit below the brim as it pushed the unkept mess down.

His vision flickered, and new lights inside his goggles blinked dimly. A few moments later, he heard a weak, stuttering voice, "G, what am I?" asked Tocai. G heard it clearly, like the AI was speaking into his ear. G paused. It wasn't an AI any longer. A magical creature?

"Dr. Reamus, what kind of magical creature is Tocai now? " he asked.

Dr. Reamus smiled, "We will have to wait and see. If Tocai survives, what he does from here will shape what he becomes, be careful what you choose for his body. It will define what he becomes. Now, my ability to be here grows short. Many things are happening right now in the Planarverse that require attention. You still need a few more things for your earth-style system to work correctly. " He waved his hand, and G felt a sudden, brief pain in his right thumb. He looked down at it and saw a glowing band just past the first knuckle. It glowed, then disappeared from sight. G could still feel it there, it wasn't heavy, just a new sensation.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"That is a Spacial Storage Ring that has an additional enchantment to let you use it much like your information screens. Just think about what you want in or out of it, and it will go in or out of the storage. You need to be able to freely lift the item off the floor first. It is not a perfect duplication of your inventory system, but it should be sufficient to fill the same needs. It is also soulbound. Oh yes, and your starting gear. " Dr. Reamus held out his hand, and a small knife appeared in it. It looked like a small kitchen knife used to cut fruit or a steak. "The rest of your starting gear. " He held the knife out handle first to G, who took it, looking a bit bewildered by the gift.

G looked at the knife, it could have been found in any kitchen drawer. The blade was about 8 centimeters long.

"That's it? " asked G, looking at the puny knife.

"You really should have read those prompts. According to your system, magical classes get knives as starting weapons. Do you want the robes? " asked Dr. Reamus, smiling. The man almost looked like he would burst out in laughter.

G looked down at his bike leathers, then his bare feet. "umm, no, that's fine, could I get some shoes? "

Dr. Reamus waved his hands, and a pair of old boots appeared. "Here you go. I believe the value is the same as the robe. " Now, I must leave. Other things call my attention. Do not forget you need to find and stop Ryan. The man's eyes sparkled, and he faded from view. G looked around, and his mouth fell open. The Dr. Reamus was just gone. It was a magical world, of course, people could just disappear.

Tocai spoke again quietly in his ear. There was emotion when he spoke. That had never happened before. "Will he come back? What am I G? I'm afraid. "

Both of G's eyebrows went up. He had completely forgotten about the AI for a moment. G spoke in the kindest voice he could muster, "It's ok, Tocai. Everything will be fine. I'll find you a new place to live, and you will be fine. You will see. I don't know what you are. Dr. Reamus said you were a magical creature. And I'm afraid, too, none of this was supposed to happen." G's mind swirled with that statement. What kind of magic, what kind of creature? Right now, his AI-turned magic creature looked like a glowing ball.

Crewton started to whimper as every bit of ambient light had left with Dr. Reamus. How did he create his own light?

G looked down at his pet and took a knee near him. G took off his hat and his goggles. He looked at the goggles a message box popped up.

G's Streamer Goggles - Durability 20 of 20

Steampunk goggles that have been enchanted to see in the darkness. The goggles made from strong glass lenses, deep bronze rims, and leather straps with bronze buckles have been enchanted to provide the following.

Dark vision 30 meters.

+5 to perception.

Before Area 51 and G had been transferred into Planarverse, his AI usually resided in the goggles. There had been the processors and memory, while his hat kept them charged, Function, fashion, and also part of his streaming persona.

That was all gone now, but he could see in the dark without them as an elf. He placed the goggles on Crewton, hoping they would work on the dog. He had done this a few times during his game streams, and his pet would run around in circles and bark. G tightened the strap a bit behind the dog's ears, and Crewton stopped whimpering, able to see in the darkness. He adjusted the nose bar for the lenses for a better fit, and the magic goggles self-adjusted and sat there on Crewtons face like they had been made for the dog. The magic goggles adjusted themselves to fit the wearer!

G looked around, he could still see. He thought it would have been darker. The large lab was grey and green now in his elf vision. Seeing in the dark had always been something elves had in every game G could remember playing. He looked down at his new elf form. He was a bit thinner than he had been before, about the same height. His clothes still fit him, just a bit loose around the shoulders.

He took a deep breath, sat down, put his hat back on, and mentally opened the character screen.

Name

G

Class Level

1

Gender

Male

Race

Aardsylvian

Class

Wild Magic Artificer

Strength

10

Agility

10

Wisdom

10

Intelligence

10

Endurance

10

Charisma

10

Mana Pool

100

Hit Points

8

He looked at the list of numbers trying to sort out why they were all 10's except for mana. Oh man, those are some crap hit points, 8?

He sighed and rubbed Crewton behind the ear. "You know I'd do it again for you, buddy, " said G with a smile, looking at the dog in his lap.

G moved through the empty inventory of the spacial ring. He had two hundred slots in Spacial Storage. He looked down at the small knife in his left hand and thought about it being in his inventory. The knife disappeared. Just like that, it was gone. He looked at his inventory screen again and saw one slot with one knife. The popup read knife with no other information. Shouldn't weapons have stats? He stared at the knife and thought about stats, and a small popup appeared hovering over it.

Small knife - Iron and wood, damage 1-2, durability 7 of 7.

Well, that's not much damage, but if you only have eight hit points, that could kill you pretty quick. He returned to the character screen and looked at the race selection, and he concentrated on it, thinking about more information.

RACE: Aardsylvian.

Aardsylvians are known as the elves of granite peaks, which is just a polite way of saying 'Hillbilly of Elves.'

These long-lost cousins to the wood elf race spend their time wandering the mountains, and the civilized elves of the planes usually wish these particular cousins had stayed lost.

Most Aardsylvian living up in their high mountain caves and lean to's look down on the forest and cities with disdain. Who would need more than moonshine, good mountain music, and a girlfriend?

All though these elves get along well with dwarves because of their strong bond in drink, they do not, on the other hand, get along well with any other type of elf.

Most other elves consider Aardsylvian to be dirty, smelly, and raunchy by any standards. Many would prefer the presence of a human over these long-lost cousins.

When threatened, these elves will retreat into their cave, sealing it up, and will not appear again until their moonshine or food is depleted. If their food can be turned into moonshine, they will extend their stay. As Aardsylvian are known as packrats when it comes to booze and food, it is common not to see them emerge for several years.

Most civilized peoples do not like these elves in their kingdoms because they will absolutely refuse to pay a tax or toll on property, purchases, or income, in many cases leaving the merchant to hold the bag and pay the sales tax in their stead.

An Aardsylvian cares for the forest and mountains as much as any Elvin race, and they do not take kindly to those that harm it.

These elves are known to be pragmatic and no-nonsense once you get past their friendly side.

Appearance:

Although the female of this race of elves has the same silky hair as their cousins, laced with flowers and the occasional bit of bone, the males do not.

The males of the race could care less about their hair, it usually hangs shaggy around their shoulders, and it is not uncommon to see twigs or other forest debris in their hair as if they had just woken up on the forest floor somewhere.

They have an exceptional ability to make useful items out of leftovers others might consider trash or worthless. Some folks think of them as the tinkers of the Elvin race, and it's not uncommon to see these elves selling their skills to local villages in trade for grain to make more shine.

Bonuses:

+2 Endurance

+2 Intelligence.

-1 wisdom

-1 charisma

Dark Vision 30 meters.

10% chance that any item made will be one quality level higher if made from scavenged parts.

+25% resistance to inebriation.

+5 resistance to all disease and poisoning checks, and an additional +5 to all food poisoning checks.

-20% to all influence checks when dealing with other types of elves, initial reaction suspicious or worse.

+20% to all influence checks when dealing with Aardsylvians, initial reaction friendly.

+10% to all nature checks

Because of their live-in-it-as-you-found-it attitude, these elves make some of the best druids. It is rare to see them disturbing the forest.

It is not uncommon to see cave bears living among these elves as the bares are happy to share their caves in trade for occasional grooming and leftover alcohol. Most sane people leave these elves alone because who knows when a half-drunk cave bear might decide you look like a snack.

+5 skill levels to all druid spells and skill checks.

+1 animal companion (cave bear) at skill level 10 or higher of the animal companion skill. All boons apply to all animal companions if class druid.

G was a bit floored. ALL other elves would pick a human over him. That is terrible. There are some great bonuses in there, but that one will haunt him. He was sure of it.

-1 on wisdom and charisma? He shook his head and thought about his class.

Tocai spoke in his ear, "G, you did select every option at the top of the list of recommended options. "

"Can you see this information, Tocai? " asked G with a bit of surprise in his voice. He didn't think someone else could see the popups.

"Yes, I can. I do not need the goggles to see any longer, and I appear to be able to see what you see. My screens show me as your familiar," said Tocai.

Tocai was referring to the camera in the goggles that Tocai the AI had used before all plastic and tech evaporated.

This will happen to all of the Earth if it is absorbed into the Planarverse?

Just the thought of all those jets and cars suddenly losing plastic and engines or worse all at once, yea, that would be really bad. Ships, trains, basically everything had modern plastics and other materials that would not be there if Earth was brought into the Planarverse. Civilization would cease to work in an instant for most of the world.

Oh man, he had to keep Ryan from completing that ritual. Billions would die in the first week if that ritual was completed.

He pulled up his quests list.

You have accepted a Quest: Find a home for Tocai.

You must find a host or home for Tocai within ten days.

Rewards for finishing the quest: Magical creature familiar, Tocai.

Penalty for refusing or failing the quest: The Magical creature familiar, Tocai dies.

You have accepted the Quest: Stop the Ryan's Ritual.

You must stop Ryan from completing the ritual that would bring Earth into the Planerverse.

Rewards for finishing the quest: Earth and all of its people continue to exist.

Penalty for refusing or failing the quest: You die. Devils and demons invade as the Earth is merged into the Planerverse.