War. It was the only word that filled her brain. Trillia woke up several hours later, smelling meat searing on metal outside the tent. Arms above her head, she let out a mighty yawn and stretched, hopping up with energy only a child could muster this early and running outside.
Immediately she stopped running and began to tip-toe. She saw several minotaurs, which lay near a smoldering fire, snores to match their war cries rumbling the ground. Trillia grinned and slowly picked a path through them, taking the time to whisper one skill over and over again.
"[Basic Scan]"
She identified them all as minotaurs. That was obvious. She couldn't see their levels. The weapons and armor could be identified, as well as many of the trinkets worn.
It was over an hour that the little pad foot spent using scan on things now, she made her way to her mother and father. They were not far away. As she approached the fire. A smooth round stone was proffered to her.
Trillian eyes went wide, and her mouth began to water. A large slab of meat, an egg, and something that looked like hard tack -just not as hard- sat on the stone plate she had been offered. She did a little dance as she took the plate, bright blue eyes following the giver of sustenance up to see her new best friend standing with a smile.
She bowed her head and managed a thank you before running out of the way and sitting down to devour the food. Her mother, father, and the king seemed to be in a much better mood this morning.
How could they not? Look how delicious this food appeared! Not one to stand on ceremony, she grabbed the meat and tore into it. Soft hues of pink ran through, with an almost charred outer layer, and the blood and juices ran down her chin.
Why didn't they cook their meat like this all the time?! When things weren't so serious. Trillia would have to sit her mother down and ask if she could become a minotaur or at least learn to cook like one.
As if hearing her thoughts. A metal-pronged utensil was stabbed into the meat. Her mother raised a brow and left it there.
"Try to savor it and not completely devour it all in one gulp."
Trillia grinned and nodded, two gulps then. The egg let out a golden liquid that paired well with the meat. She watched others take the not-hard tack and dip it into the liquid. She copied them. Perhaps they were all going off to die in war today, it wasn't uncommon to see many orcs be brought back dead. At first, she would be sad to see them gone, but her mother told her. While orcs wanted to return alive, dying in defense of the tribe was one of the greatest deaths you could have.
She heard the others talk about such things. How a feast would be thrown for warriors leaving home on dangerous missions. It helped to ensure their last memories of home were warm and inviting. This way they either came home to good memories or died on the battlefield with a good last memory of their tribe.
Orcs -and apparently minotaurs- were very food driven.
Trillia paused in her devouring of the meal before her. That thought made her think. Wasn't everything food driven? She knew the Lavox would follow her around for an hour or so if she had some tasty bugs in her hand. She didn't like eating bugs. They were very crunchy and didn't have good juices.
Megapede steak wasn't bad wait, ....was this insect meat?
"[Basic Scan]"
[Megapede Sirloin]: A slab of megapede, seasoned and cooked to perfection.
Trillia leaned in close to the meat in disbelief.
"How did they make you taste so good little buggy?"
The girl was speaking to herself. But both Varga and Cordaos laughed at her words. Amara rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in a huff. Though the grin on her own face betrayed the intent of the motion.
"Yes, thank you. I am keenly aware you and Cordaos are the better cooks."
Amara snatched a pair of metal pincers from the table and rapidly clicked them at her husband, who couldn't hold in the laughter any longer.
"I have said many times, my love, I married you for your sword arm after all!"
Amara's mouth dropped open. She began to chase her husband in earnest. Clicking the metal pincers behind him. The two laughed as if the world wasn't all Topsy turvy. It made Trillia smile.
Trillia walked over to a large stone basin, half climbing up the edge of it to let her dirty plate gently float into the tub of water. She bowed to the orc who was washing the dirty dishes.
"Thank you for cleaning up after me."
The two orcs who were cleaning offered a smile and nod. Trillia didn't want to interrupt the conversation they were having further. Turning, she ran back up to her parents and Cordaos, her parents now leaning against a log laughing in each other's arms. Trillia stood there waiting patiently until her mother noticed her.
"What is it, little one?"
Trillia smiled and ran up to her arms spread out wide.
"Scan me!"
Both her parents used Greater Scan, and their faces lit up.
"You reached level 1! That's a big step, good job!"
Trillia ran up to her mom, giving her a hug, before being scooped up to sit on her father's knee. The man spoke with pride in his voice as he looked at her.
"Well done, you've leveled Basic scan up three times, and what's this? Rudimentary Alchemy?"
Varga offered Amara a half-worried look, both knowing when she had learned it. The traumatic event didn't seem to bother the girl. After all, Cordaos had lived.
"It's cause I watched mommy heal Uncle Cord. Old ma- "
Trillia snapped her mouth shut. As if she had just said something she wasn't supposed to. Amara raised a brow and motioned for her to go on.
"Elder Shaman Lurog told me to put points into Strength and."
They could both tell the little girl was trying to sound out the word, as she often did.
"Vitality. But the other points I can spend how I want, right? To try and get a special class?"
Her parents both nodded at her. The ground rumbled a bit as Cordaos had his own plate of food and had plopped down near them to listen.
"Well...the thing is..."
She was nervous. Trillia didn't know how to say things cleverly like her father and certainly lacked the confidence of both her parents.
Amara reached over and ruffled her hair. She could see how nervous her daughter was.
"It's OK sweetie, we won't be upset. Just tell us the truth."
Trillia gulped and looked between the two, tiny fists clenched as she summoned all the courage she could muster.
"I'm not a strong orc. Like Ralrouk, Tormash, or either of you, "
Her parents exchanged worried looks. Trillia was often hard on herself. They knew she felt that she'd never reach their height or strength. Now she was even worried about catching up to her brothers?
"So I can't be a warrior, I'm not very brave and I'm tiny. But!"
The little girl quickly -and excitedly- added.
"I learn stuff fast. So I was wondering."
Her tiny voice became quieter. This was the moment of truth. She closed her eyes, forcing the words out.
"I want to be a class that can make the bugs taste good, like Uncle Cord!"
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She blurted it out, biting her lip and peeking out of one squinted eye to see how angry her parents were. To her surprise, both just stared for a moment, perhaps dumbfounded.
Cordaos' deep belly laugh -as he held his plate steady- shook them out of it. She watched as the minotaur king wiped a tear away from the dark gray fur of his eyes. Before he looked at the three of them and just laughed again.
Trillia listened to her mother when she had been instructing Trillia's brothers. If you caught an opponent off-guard, you didn't relent, you pushed on for victory, and the little girl could see her victory within reach.
"It's just, Uncle Cord makes food taste really good, and when I ate it, the system said I had a buff. And you and Dad have been smiling and laughing all morning, and so has everyone else, right? So, it's a really strong buff. Plus, our food is normally really hard and doesn't taste like this, it also doesn't give us any buffs. So maybe if I become something that can cook, I can be useful to the camp, and the other orcs, and I won't be useless!"
Finally, the little girl stopped, forced to take a breath after dumping as many words as she could into her follow-up attack. Amara just wore a warm smile, and Varga let out a chuckle.
Had her follow-up attack not worked? She locked her lips and steeled herself for the bad news rebuttal. It was her father that spoke.
"Making bugs taste good is a skill you can learn without a class, like your Rudimentary Alchemy. If we have time, maybe Uncle Cord can teach you how to cook. It's not a class honey."
Trillia deflated a bit. She'd still have to be a warrior or a shaman. Everyone was a warrior or shaman it seemed like, for their first class. Cordaos spoke up. His voice held a serious tone, betraying the smile on his face and the barrage of laughter that had just ensued.
"Well, Lady Trillia. If it is ok with Chieftain Amara, my daughter can help you learn to become a [Minstrel]. [Minstrel] is a class that can use their voice to inspire heroism in their allies and fear and terror in their enemies. Orcs of old used to become [War Chanters] from [Minstrels]."
Trillia blinked, staring up at Cordaos. Is that what she wanted? She crossed her arms, raising one hand to her chin, a motion she had seen her parents do a thousand times whenever deep in thought. Even as a Minstrel, she'd still have to fight probably, but it didn't seem like they had to be very strong to sing. Maybe that was how she could be useful to the tribe. Her eyes once more met with Cordaos'.
"Will you also teach me how to cook? If Mom and Dad are ok with that?"
Now turning her eyes from the minotaur who sat before her to her parents. Both of them turned to look at each other and seriously contemplated the offer. Amara looked away from Varga and peered at the minotaur king.
"We haven't used War Chanters in decades. The sound and vibrations whip the monsters underground into a frenzy. Is it young Amelia that is a Minstrel? I didn't scan her when I met her previously."
Trillia remembered that name, she had seen the young minotaur girl over the time Cordaos was recovering, but she didn't want to interrupt or get in the way since the girl seemed so sad and wanted to spend time with her father.
Cordaos merely nodded, turning his head away, letting out a low rumbling word in another language. The word was carried throughout the camp. Trillia wasn't sure what sort of skill he was using. However, it seemed anytime Cordaos wanted people to hear him, they could. A few minutes passed, Cordaos having raised a hand to halt further questions. A young minotaur girl approached.
Trillia knew she was young because she was only four or five feet tall. The young girl bowed to her father and the others. Her voice soothed Trillia instantly.
"How may I be of assistance father? I was helping Elder Lurog and Grand Alchemist Mort replenish their stock of potions and poultices."
Cordaos stood and dusted himself off, standing next to his daughter now to make proper introductions. Though, the girl had already met Amara and Varga previously, it had only been briefly.
"This is my daughter Amelia Shatterhoof, [Princess of God's Watch]. This is Chieftain Amara, her husband -and Commander of the Military- Varga and their young daughter Trillia. "
Amelia turned to each of them in kind and bowed. She looked very similar to her father. Dark grey fur covered her form, and two twisting horns adorned her head. The horns appeared as though they were made of obsidian, with thin veins of silver and gold within them. Two large violet eyes peered down at Trillia. The two young women met eyes, and both spoke almost in unison.
"[Scan]"
Name: {Trillia Demonsbane}
[Status: Alive; Scorned Divinity] [Buffs: Well Fed; Hopeful]
Species: [Mortal]; [Orc] Level: 1
Available Stat Points: 4
Subspecies: [Orc-Adolescent;Runt] Level: 1
Available Stat Points: 4
Class: {To unlock class options, raise Species or Subspecies to level 10}
Stats:
[Brawn: 22]
\Strength: 11 + Vitality: 11/
[Dexterity: 22]
\Agility: 11 + Wisdom: 11/
[Charisma: 22]
\Intuition: 11 + Presence: 11/
Racial Skills:
[Orc Savagery - Passive]: - Level
[Orc Constitution - Passive]: - Level 0
General Skills:
[Basic Scan - Active]: Level 3
[Rudimentary Alchemy - Passive]: Level 0
Class Skills: {To Unlock Class Skills, please select a Class}
Health: 220
Stamina: 110
Mana: 110
"[Basic Scan]"
Name: {Amelia Shatterhoof}
[Status: Alive; Depressed; Scorned Divinity] [Buffs: Well Fed]
Species: [Mortal]; [Minotaur] Level: 13
Available Stat Points: 0
Subspecies: [Minotaur-Adolescent] Level: 7
Available Stat Points: 0
Class: Minstrel Level: 14
Available Stat Points: 0
Available Skill Points: 0
Stats:
[Brawn: 72]
\Strength: 36 + Vitality: 36/
[Dexterity: 62]
\Agility: 21 + Wisdom: 41/
[Charisma: 167]
\Intuition: 41 + Presence: 63(x2)/
Racial Skills:
[Minotaur Masonry - Passive]: - Level 3
[Minotaur Stature- Passive]: - Level 7
Obfuscated {Level your Scan to Overcome obfuscation}
General Skills:
[Scan - Active]: Level 8
[Basic Alchemy - Passive]: Level 7
[Basic Cooking - Passive]: Level 2
[Basic Tailoring - Passive]: Level 1
[Lesser Fire Resistance - Passive]: Level 3
[Lesser Wind Resistance - Passive]: Level 1
[Lesser Ice Resistance- Passive]: Level 2
Obfuscated {Level your Scan to Overcome obfuscation}
Class Skills: Minstrel -
Obfuscated {Level your Scan to Overcome obfuscation}
Health: 720
Stamina: 360
Mana: 410
Trillia looked at the images that now seemed to float before her in an ethereal fashion. It was a change she noticed as her [Basic Scan] leveled, that the things she saw didn't appear in her mind where it was harder to focus on. She looked at a few of the skills, and most made sense, focusing instead on the racial skills.
[Minotaur Masonry - Passive]: - Level 3 - All work with Stone is increased, and experience gained working with stone is increased. All skills that otherwise pertain to working with stone, are instead rolled into this skill, which gains experience at a boosted rate if you qualify for the other skills. - Warning Other skills will still appear in your General Skill list, but be listed as level N/A - If you are standing on, in, or around stone that was worked by a minotaur, you gain a 20% boost to all your stats.
[Minotaur Stature- Passive]: - Level 7 - Minotaur Stature counts Presence twice for the purposes of calculating the Derived-Stat Charisma. As this skill levels creatures gain bonuses to all skills based on Presence.
Trillia stared at a word she hadn't seen before, looking up at Amelia.
"Ob...obfu. I don't know that word. What is it?"
Asking the system what a word meant, sometimes didn't help Trillia understand any better, she was quite used to asking others.
"Ob-fus-cate. It means to render obscure or unclear. It allows me to keep some skills hidden unless the person looking has a Scan skill greater than my own."
Amelia said it in a pleasant, helpful way, a smile on her snout. She was happy Trillia would merely ask if she didn't know something, not everyone was so willing to admit their shortcomings.
Trillia smiled. Looking at the stats a while longer. They were so much higher than her own.
"Is the reason I like all of you so much because your Charisma is so high? Because of your passive?"
Amelia nodded but explained further.
"It is. Charisma is helpful for Minstrels, as it lets us sway people more easily. My people make surprisingly good leaders and vocal support because of that. In addition, Charisma also has a subtle influence on passive behaviors. We are generally more likable and people are less likely to find us hostile or offensive. Sadly our large stature often acts against our Charisma when dealing with most races."
As it seemed Trillia's questions had been answered. Amelia turned to look at her father once more, who continued.
"Amelia, I was suggesting to Lady Trillia and her parents. Given her Racial Skills are stunted, perhaps you would be willing to teach her how to be a Minstrel and help her with her basic skills.
Amelia looked at Trillia, then back to her father before offering a nod.
"Happily, she seems eager to learn and with her lowered Brawn values, I don't think she would level as easily in a standard Orcish party."
As she said it, she looked at Trillia.
"No offense is meant Lady Trillia."
Trillia merely smiled, knowing just how much danger she was in compared to the rest of her people, who had a massive boosted Brawn value. Amelia continued.
"If it is ok with you Chieftain Amara and you General Varga, she and I can get started immediately."
Amara stared at Trillia for a long while. She was a bit sad. Amara understood that purely based on stats, Trillia wouldn't be able to keep up. If she became a Scout or Warrior. She could perhaps learn to be a Shaman, but with no evident elemental mana, even that wasn't feasible.
"If Varga is ok with it and this is what you really want Trillia. I am ok with you learning to become a Minstrel from Princess Amelia."
Varga spoke as soon as his wife had finished.
"Trillia isn't level ten yet. Normally we weaken young megapedes and allow our own young to kill them. With our racial bonuses, it's a short journey to ten and their first class. How will you help her to gain levels or the class?"
Amelia stepped forward before her father could answer. After all, this was to be her student.
"As I am sure you are aware, General Varga, general skills such as alchemy, stone working, cooking, and many others grant some experience. Learning new skills grants a much larger amount. In addition to these basic methods, I have a General skill called [Mentor], which allows me to accept someone who is of a lower level than me and grant them a bonus to their own experience gains. Any class skills I use, she will also get some experience. Which will retroactively be applied to her class when she earns it."
Varga wore a grin, looking to Cordaos.
"This one is going be a mighty Queen one day. Even I can feel her commanding presence. Very well, you've convinced me, Princess Amelia. If Trillia is willing, I happily accept you teaching our daughter. Please do all you can to help her. Our people have always been allies. In these troubling times, perhaps we should look to expand our class repertoires. For both of our people."