“Congratulations, initiates,” Leo said, standing in front of the gathered group, “you’ve learned the basic requirements of service required for membership, at least where the upkeep of the guild and service to the broader community are concerned. From this point on, you’ll be given two to three hours of chores to complete each morning, with that time increasing or decreasing depending on your training load each day.”
He looked around at each of them, wearing a wry smile.
“I know that you’re all eager to begin the training proper, but I need to clarify some things first.”
Leo motioned to the door behind him, a single slab of polished wood with an intricate scene carved into its surface. The scene showed several heroic figures, that clearly represented the Brawler’s Guild, fighting against an enemy horde. Each of the brawlers used a different weapon. One fought with sword and shield, another with daggers, one with a staff, and a bare-chested brute that looked a little like Kalric using his bare fists. The details of the door had been exquisitely and expertly crafted, but the figures pictured within had a stylized, somewhat Art Deco style.
“Beyond that door lies the Rat Run, and endless loop of traps, challenges, enemies, and deadly obstacles designed to stop you dead and end your time here at the Brawler’s Guild suddenly and for good. It is a maze of sorts, though instead of being designed to get you lost, it has been constructed to test your physical and mental endurance, to determine how you work with a team and, ultimately, to see if you have what it takes to become a member of the Brawler’s Guild.”
He let that hang in the air for a few moments, folding his arms as he continued.
“The Rat Run consists of hundreds of different chambers, all connected by means of a series of stone corridors. The rooms that will appear in front of you as you progress through the maze will be chosen at random. Some will house powerful enemies, others will require puzzles to be solved in order to progress, and a few chambers will simply baffle your mind, testing your mental resolve as you attempt to pass through.”
The unnamed listened intently, trying to imagine what kind of maze Leo was describing. He’d played his fair share of RPG games with his brother, but most of them had been tabletop scenarios, rather than computer games. His FPS experience meant that he was familiar with clearing rooms and the mechanics of defeating bosses to get to the next level, but the random nature of the Rat Run flew in the face of typical game logic. Where was the logical progression from one area to the next, the slow ramping up of enemies and the skills required to defeat those foes?
“Over the next two weeks,” Leo continued, “you will learn the basics of hand-to-hand combat, fighting with bladed weaponry, using the staff and cudgel, and improvising with whatever objects are to hand. Once that time is over, you’ll be released into the Rat Run and you’ll be given seven days to complete the necessary requirements to pass the test.”
Tusk grinned, nodding his head as though he couldn’t wait to get started.
“Be aware that the Rat Run will constantly change and reconfigure itself throughout the test, adapting to your skills and abilities and throwing up new challenges.”
His smile vanished.
“You will die, probably many times over, because that is the way the Rat Run has been designed.”
One of the initiates raised a hand. Leo nodded to the woman.
“Is it like a dungeon? Will there be loot chests and different levels, bosses, that sort of thing?”
The veteran shook his head.
“There are no levels, per se, and no loot chests. There will, of course, be items that you can and should pick up along the way. But the Rat Run isn’t structured like a normal dungeon. But death within the Rat Run will not be permanent, so you’ll be given the opportunity to change tack and retry a chamber should you die in your first attempt.
He let his words sink in, pacing up and down in front of the initiates.
“It is your choice whether you attempt to complete the run solo or a part of a group. I’d suggest the latter for reasons that will become clear as we progress.”
The unnamed raised his hand, drawing the attention of several of the nearby initiates as Leo nodded in his direction.
“Yes?”
“Yeah, so you mentioned that death wouldn’t be permanent. Can I ask how we’re going to be brough back when we die?”
Leo grinned as if reading the unnamed’s thoughts. He motioned to one side and another guild member walked over. He was holding something in one hand, a circular metal object that stole the breath from the unnamed’s lungs and instantly caused his mouth to dry. The guild member handed the collar to Leo and the veteran lifted it high, showing it to the group.
“This collar will allow us to bring you back from death as many times as is needed. The process is painless, but a little disorientating. From this moment on, you will need to wear one of these collars at all times. If you fail to do so and die, then we will be unable to bring you back and your time in the Brawler’s Guild, and Havenspire itself, will come to an end. The collars will also record your individual performances and tally up your scores during this initial testing phase of your time with the guild.”
The unnamed looked around, searching for Naleth who he hadn’t seen since he’d woken up. He raised his hand again.
“Where’s Naleth?” he asked when Leo pointed his way. “Shouldn’t he be here too?”
The veteran shook his head.
“Naleth is an NPC. Granted, he’s broken his programming, but he technically doesn’t have the right to become a full citizen and join this guild, or any other.”
The unnamed frowned. “But we were both brought here by the same sponsor. You accepted him into the guild?”
“We accepted him as an adjunct, not an initiate, strictly speaking. It allows us to welcome him into the fold in spirit at least, but to the letter of the law he is not a member of the guild, and thus cannot take part in the Rat Run. Nor can he gain rank.”
“That’s not fair!” the unnamed insisted.
Leo nodded. “I agree. As does the Master Tacticus, but it is the best we can do.”
The unnamed was incensed. He’d assumed that whatever this Rat Run was, he’d be facing it together with Naleth, but that wasn’t the case. Worse, the big troll was apparently little more than a slave in the lens of Havenspire law. Just another injustice in this rotten afterlife simulator.
As he stood staring at the restraint collar, the unnamed wished Naleth was standing next to him, even if the troll couldn’t join him in the maze.
“Now, I know that at least one of you has had some experience with a collar like this,” Leo went on, stepping forward and showing the collar to the unnamed.
He smiled. “Don’t worry, this is not the same kind of device used by slavers in the Blood Pits or other underground betting establishments throughout the Undercity. This collar is much lighter, it interacts seamlessly with the wearer and the resetting process is painless and far less jarring than the illegal collars they employ.”
The unnamed took the collar that was offered to him, turning it over in his hands. True to what Leo had said, it was much lighter and finer than the slave collar. There were strange markings on the side of the metal band, which shimmered with amber light as he moved the device back and forth. Standing next to him, Vella leaned over and brushed her fingers against the edge of the device.
The unnamed handed the collar back to Leo, and the veteran continued.
“Guilds are permitted to use recall devices like this for training purposes, though we typically only use them for initiate training. If you are able to complete the Rat Run within seven days, you’ll be admitted into the guild proper and given a new sigil if you don’t already have one. For those who do have a sigil, it will be upgraded with a guild version.”
He handed the collar back to the other guild member, turning to face the door with the fighting scene carved on its surface.
“Those who are unable to pass the test within the required timeframe will be discharged from the guild. They will have the opportunity to apply for membership again, after at least a year has passed.”
Once again, the unnamed raised his hand.
“Yes?”
“What if we were slaves before we came here? I mean, where do I go if I fail?”
He cringed as a memory of walking through the training area of the arena came back to him. The smell of sweat and blood and desperation, the stains on the floor and walls. The hard looks from those that had died and been brutally wounded over and over again.
Leo shrugged.
“Those who are unsuccessful will simply be led out of the guild hall and into the Undercity. What happens next is really up to each individual.”
He smiled.
“Although, ultimately I’d suggest not failing the Rat Run.”
The unnamed could tell that Leo was being intentionally vague. He knew then and there that failing to enter the Brawler’s Guild would likely mean a one-way ticket back to the Blood Pits, back to a hellish reality of being killed over and over again with no chance of escape, no chance of advancement or living any kind of viable life. Passing the Rat Run was his one shot to avoid that eventuality.
The other guild member was walking around handing out collars to the initiates. They each slipped them on, and the collars buzzed slightly as they were clicked into place, the strange markings etched into the metal glowing more brightly for a moment before returning to a metallic sheen.
Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
The unnamed resisted as he held the collar in his hands, staring down at the metal ring uncertainly. Was this real, or was it all just another trick? What lay behind that ornate wooden door? Was it a testing arena, as Leo said, or would he and the other initiates simply walk through the doorway and into a life of brutal servitude?
He was still wrestling with those questions when Vella reached out and gently grabbed his hand. He looked into her cool blue eyes and she smiled.
“It’s okay,” she whispered as Leo continued his speech. “I’ve heard of this sort of thing. All the guilds do it. This is just to make sure that initiates aren’t all killed in their first few weeks at the guild.”
He looked down at the collar once more.
“How can you be sure, though? What if it’s all a trick?”
She shook her head. “It’s not a trick. I told you; this is what all the guilds do. It’s perfectly legitimate.”
Somewhere between those words and the disarming look in her eyes, the unnamed slipped on the collar and felt it click into gear. In contrast to the slave collar, the device didn’t grow unnaturally heavy. It sat lightly around his neck, like a piece of jewelry rather than a mystical object that could bring him back from the dead.
The unnamed still saw visions in his mind’s eye of the unfortunate slave whose head had been popped off as a lesson to the other prisoners. Fortunately, the memory faded as he lost himself in Vella’s smile. The moment was quickly spoiled by Tusk’s grunting and groaning beside her.
“Flapjack thing!” the half troll hissed, trying to dislodge the collar which had somehow become wedged between his tusks and the back of his head.
Vella laughed. “How on earth did you manage that?”
“It’s this hashing one size fits all waffle,” he replied. “Stupid thing doesn’t fit me.”
While the big half-orc was struggling with the device, Leo strolled over, calmly reaching for the collar and batting away Tusk’s hands. He unlocked the collar and pulled it back, speaking calmly as he showed it to Tusk.
“There’s a catch on the back here, see? You might find it a bit easier to put on if you use this and then just slip it around your throat, like this.”
The collar clicked into place and its amber runes flared for a moment.
“There, that’s a lot easier than trying to wrangle it past those tusks of yours,” Leo offered with a smile. “Now,” he said, turning toward the door, “let’s talk about numbers.”
Using Tusk as an example, he leaned forward and tapped the front right part of the collar. A holographic display popped up in front of the half-orc, showing a range of stats.
“You will each have access to this display, and I recommend that you become familiar with this. It’s different to the trifold tally you will eventually receive if you’re able to pass the Rat Run, but it works in a similar way. You can access this rundown at any time and it’s also possible to add these details to your HUD.”
The unnamed and the other initiates all tapped their collar and brought up their own displays. He examined his in detail while the veteran spoke.
“In addition to clearing the Rat Run, you will also need to achieve a total score of at least five-thousand points,” he motioned to the large zero at the top of Tusk’s display. “Points can be gained by increasing skill in the areas listed below, but they will also be taken away each time you die or—and this is important—if you do something that puts the rest of your fellow initiates in danger.”
He pointed to the list of attributes, all with zeros next to them.
** RAT RUN INITIATE 018 **
Total Score: 0
Fraternity: 0
Perception: 0
Endurance: 0
Martial Prowess: 0
“You’ll notice that these qualities do not precisely align with those of the trifold tally. That’s because there are specific attributes we’re looking for in our candidates, attributes that don’t necessarily line up a hundred percent with the Didact’s method for assessing skill and worth.”
He held up one finger above his head.
“First and foremost among the skills you will be assessed for is fraternity, your ability to care for your fellow initiates. That’s right, folks, you will gain points when you demonstrate care toward those standing next to you. This is a highly underrated trait throughout Havenspire, but one that we here at the Brawler’s Guild take very seriously. A brawler always has your back. That’s what it means to be in this guild. If you aspire to be a brawler, then you must value camaraderie above all else.”
Leo motioned to the chamber they were standing in.
“We are not the largest guild, nor the wealthiest. We lack the extraordinary resources of the Mancer’s Guild, or the construction expertise of the Engineer’s Guild. We have learned through hard lessons that the key to not only surviving in Havenspire, but prospering, is the kinship we share with one another. No matter where you go, no matter how perilous your task, if a fellow brawler is near we will always, always aid you.”
Once more, he pointed towards the fraternity indicator.
“That’s why this is the first and most valuable of all the traits you can acquire during your induction, and this is why attempting the Rat Run solo may not be the smartest move.”
He held up two fingers.
“Perception is all about how you approach the various challenges that will await you in the run. If you charge straight ahead without checking for traps or hidden enemies, you’ll likely die quickly and you’ll struggle to increase your score. Think before you act and you’re more likely to increase your perception stats. This will also assess how quickly you learn new skills and lessons and how you apply what you have learned to new challenges.”
He raised three fingers.
“Third is endurance. It’s fairly self-explanatory. How much pain and discomfort can you endure? It’s as simple as that. This applies to the combat training you’ll receive prior to heading into the Rat Run, and it will apply throughout your time in the maze.”
Leo tapped Tusk on the shoulder.
“Some of you will naturally be stronger and more resilient than others, but remember that we’re talking about mental endurance, not just physical. It’s about the relative suffering each of you can take as that relates to your size, physical limitations, and so on.”
He smiled, holding up four fingers.
“Now the one you’ve all been waiting for. Martial Prowess. This one’s pretty simple too. The better you fight, whatever kind of style you use, the more points you’ll gain here. You’ll be able to gather these points during the first two weeks of training, while you learn to fight and hone your skills. Once you enter the Rat Run, you’ll also earn points for each kill you get and every enemy you defeat.”
The unnamed raised his hand.
“Is there a different weighting to the point categories listed here, or is it just one to one?”
Leo grinned, his eyes narrowing as he examined the unnamed.
“What do you mean?”
The unnamed shrugged. “Well, if I kill an enemy, does that get me more points that just being super patient for a few hours?”
Leo nodded, still grinning.
“There is, in fact, weighting to the way points are distributed. More points are granted for items higher up on the list, so the weighting favors fraternity and perception. But there’s also opportunity to consider. You’ll get a lot more chances to demonstrate martial prowess and endurance, particularly in the two weeks you spend in preparation for the Rat Run, than you will fraternity and perception. So, it evens out in the end.”
“What the flapjack?!” Tusk blurted. “So, we’d have to work twice as hard with the fighting stuff just to get the same number of points for perception? That blows.”
Leo shook his head.
“Not really. Remember, this weighting reflects the priorities of the guild. We value fraternity and perception above endurance and martial prowess. We want to see the character you have within. Fighting can be taught, but it is far more difficult to train away selfishness or a dull mind.”
The veteran leaned forward and tapped Tusk’s collar. The holographic display vanished and, slowly, the other initiates closed their own collar displays.
The unnamed felt the edges of his collar. It still didn’t sit easy with him, having a device like this around his neck. Memories of his fellow slaves being slaughtered one by one in the blood pit came back in a rush along with visions of the Blade Dancers cutting a swath of bloodshed across the arena floor.
“When you do eventually enter the Rat Run,” Leo continued, “you’ll each be given the choice of taking one item in with you. That might be a weapon. It might be a parcel of food, some rope, or other supplies. You’ll only be able to take one item each, so you’ll need to choose carefully.”
He motioned to a second open door which led into a sparring room with rubber mats on the floor and padded walls.
“Now, let’s begin with some basic hand to hand combat techniques. I’ll need to assess you all first to get a baseline for your abilities, then we can split you up into pairs and start exercises.”
The gathered initiates began filing into the room, muttering to one another. The unnamed was about to follow when Leo pulled him aside. He waited for the others to leave before speaking.
“That business with the stats. That was a good pick up.”
The unnamed nodded. “Yeah, thanks.”
Leo nodded, looking the other man up and down as though weighing a decision.
“You know why you’re here, right?”
“Not really. I mean, I know a patron picked me and Naleth and pulled us out of the Blood Pits but, I’m still not sure why. In my case I guess it has something to do with sorcery.”
“Correct. The fact is, you’re here because a very powerful patron insisted on it. Kalric wasn’t particularly happy, but he couldn’t really refuse. The thing is, we don’t take magic users here at the Brawler’s Guild. As you can probably tell, we’re geared towards melee fighting, and all of our training tends to focus on that.”
The unnamed nodded, wondering what the point of this discussion was. It seemed like the veteran was holding back, like there was something he wanted to say but he couldn’t.
“It won’t be easy for you here,” Leo said, his expression earnest. “Most of these initiates have already learned to fight and had some experience in Havenspire. They’ve worked hard to be here and they’re going to make the most of their chance. They might resent someone like you, because of the way you got here.”
He shook his head, laughing to himself.
“Look, all I’m saying is that the odds are against you. You’re not a natural fighter, you’re already behind the eight ball when it comes to experience and skills, and your primary fighting skill is with sorcery which none of us here can train or help you develop. The fact is, you’re going to have to work twice as hard as these other initiates just to get by, three times as hard.”
The unnamed couldn’t work out whether Leo was trying to encourage or dissuade him. The veteran seemed to be struggling within himself as he spoke. He clearly knew something but wasn’t going to say what he knew. The unnamed decided to push a little.
“Kalric doesn’t want me here? So, he was forced into it?”
Leo stared at the unnamed for a few moments, weighing his response before speaking.
“There are political forces at work within Havenspire and… It’s complicated. There’s a lot of history here, a lot of debts that are owed.”
The unnamed could see that Leo was dancing around something, but he wasn’t just going to come out and say it. Obviously the Brawler’s Guild didn’t want him in their ranks. He wasn’t a barbarian or a warrior, or a rogue. He hadn’t proven his worth by training for years and learning how to fight. He hadn’t even technically applied to enter the guild.
Like everything else since he’d first arrived in Havenspire, it seemed as though someone else was pulling the strings, moving him from place to place bouncing around like a pinball in a machine. He had no name, no status, and his current claim to fame was surviving the Blood Pits by means of a magical fluke and being the first custodian class to enter the Brawler’s Guild.
Leo smiled.
“The bottom line is you’ll need to prove yourself if you want to stay here. More than the other initiates, you need to prove that you’re worthy of entry into the Brawler’s Guild. Being offered up by a patron isn’t enough. In fact, it may have done you more harm than good. It certainly hasn’t made it any easier on you.”
The unnamed nodded as he considered the alternative. This was his only viable option. He had to make this work, had to figure out a way to prove himself to these people and legitimately take his place within the Brawler’s Guild. The alternative didn’t bear thinking about.
“Your patron got you into the door,” Leo went on. “They gave you a chance, but it’s up to you now.”
“Do I ever get to meet this patron?” the unnamed asked. “I mean, maybe this would all be easier if I could talk to them?”
Leo shook his head, biting his lip and glancing at the entrance to the chamber as though he expected Kalric himself to come charging into the room, an accusatory finger outstretched.
“Look, I’m forbidden from talking about your arrangement. Everyone is. And I don’t just mean that it’s prohibited, I mean there’s actually a magical block in place that stops us from talking about it, even with other guild members. It was part of the agreement when your patron sent you here. Not the usual kind of thing by any stretch of the imagination, but Kalric agreed to it, so here we are. Until you pass the Rat Run, you’re not going to learn anything about your patron.”
And there it was again. Stonewalled. Someone had gone to the trouble of helping the unnamed survive the Blood Pits and then pulled him out of that place and given him a shot at entering the Brawler’s Guild. But that same someone had also hidden their identity by using magic. Buy why? What was going on here?
The unnamed felt like he was drowning in questions, surrounded by mysteries that he had no ability to solve. It was infuriating beyond words.
“There are some details I’m not forbidden to tell you, once you become a fully-fledge initiate, but honestly it’s not my place. If you can pass the Rat Run and make it into the guild, then maybe Kalric will tell you. There’s a long way to go to reach that point though and a lot of hard work ahead of you.”
“I’m not afraid of hard work,” the unnamed insisted.
Leo pointed towards the door where the last of the initiates had already moved into the room beyond.
“Good. Then let’s get to it.”