(Y6, December 11th)
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“So how did it go?” Quandocor asked.
“Pretty much how you said it would be,” Vantegaard replied.
Both of his friends were waiting in a small dining room near the conference. Unlike Valhalla Keep and its huge feasting room, the Earth Keep didn’t have large cafeteria-style rooms, and a few of the largest rooms had been converted into tiny buffet restaurants and lounges for all the guests overflowing the location.
“Told you. There was no way they wouldn’t do both. Did they agree on the split we hammered with Vastragal?”
“Armangest and the rest stayed on the script. Birka and I are going back to the Pyramid, she for the Compass and me for the wall digging. And you’re a consultant for the Deva one.”
He added, “I would have liked to have you with us…”
“Hey. We do Recess at the same place now. So it’s not like we’re really split up.”
“Yes, but… that will depend on the schedules for both expeditions. And it’s not the same.”
“To be honest, I’m just hoping Malika and Mozer don’t show up while Birka isn’t there. Not that they would kidnap me or something, but that wouldn’t be right.”
“They are still sniffing around?” she asked.
“I’m not sure. The FBI wants me, but Sammael isn’t going to have two agents sitting idle in Sweden with no way of getting me back. If I were a higher profile, they’d probably put pressure on the authorities to extradite me regardless, but as it is, they’re stretching jurisdiction coming. I’m… pretty sure they aren’t going anywhere with my possibly illegal situation. Under ninety days, I’m safe, since I’m not working or anything, so I’m legally a tourist. But that will eventually expire, and then… who knows.”
“Told you I’ll sponsor you for a visitor permit. I have no idea if you can do that retroactively, but that gives you a breather for six months instead. That, or you apply for asylum because you’re persecuted by the US as a Gater. If we can get that to stick, it’s pretty much forever. I mean, it would even be easier than Van.”
“I’m hoping we will have that First Contact made before that becomes a real problem. That I can prove to my ex-boss this is more serious than anything else.”
“Protecting America in another world.”
“I’m not a soldier, but I still swore to protect us from all enemies.”
“Not against stupidity, though.”
Quandocor snorted.
“That’s the worst enemy, but it can be defeated.”
“Will they be enemies?”
“We don’t know. That’s why I have to do this. Why we all have to do this…”
Birkathane stared toward the entrance as Quandocor finished that sentence. Vantegaard turned and saw that Vormacinus had entered the room, looking around. The Wrecker saw him and beelined toward the group.
“Mr. Vormacinus,” Vantegaard acknowledged.
“I wanted to have a word with you. And, I suppose your friends since they’re here.”
“I’m all ears.”
“You’re the Absolute Compass?” he said, looking at Birkathane.
“That’s me, yes.”
“I’m going to be short. Both of you are woefully under-leveled for this endeavor. Being under 300 is ridiculous. Your boss has made quite the case about the need for your presence, but we could probably find your Pyramid on our own… and if needed, blow holes in the walls. So, don’t have any illusions. You’re conveniences, not necessities. Am I clear?”
Birkathane’s reply was short and pointed.
“You are.”
“As you’ve heard, it will take a few weeks to start this circus and then we’ll depart speedily to Hilltop Samms to join up with the Gamma part of the raid, then Fanduk to link with the ones from Alpha,” Vormacinus said, distaste on the setup clear in his expression.
He still hasn’t digested the news about Fontana coming, guessed Vantegaard.
“I want you to level as much as possible while we wait for all the participants in this to gather. That’s an order, and I’ll be in charge of the trip to Fanduk, so what I say goes.”
The man waited a few seconds to see if one dared to raise an objection. Seeing none, he kept talking.
“I expect to depart in three weeks, but it might be four until everyone is here. Everyone will Recess first, and then we leave. I’d like you to get 100 levels if you can. I know that’s a tall order, notably if you need to Recess before we do the general Recess…”
“We’re good, we spawned five days ago,” Vantegaard said.
“Then 100 levels, or as close to that as you can. You’re a Cartographer, so you can get yourself a handful of dungeon and hunting guides for the areas near the Keep. Use them. Grind. I don’t really care which skills you raise, since I don’t expect any of you to actually fight, but I want those levels and the matching vitals to show up. I would hate to have you die on us.”
He paused, then dropped his final threat.
“And if you slack and you are still under 300, I don’t care how important you think you are. I’ll drop you in Fanduk, and your girlfriend here will be escorted back there as soon as we catch sight of the Pyramid. Am I clear?”
“100%, sir.”
“Good. Then I’ll see you at the pre-expedition briefing as soon as the date is locked in. Grab your gear, and get those levels.”
They looked at the back of the wolf’s skull receding through the door.
“Nice guy. Totally cool,” Quandocor quipped.
“I notice he didn’t threaten you,” Vantegaard said.
“That’s because he’s not going to visit the Deva. So he doesn’t care about me. But I’m not surprised he prefers it that way.”
“Uh?” Birkathane asked.
“He’s leading a guild totally focused on high-level areas, fights, and pushing borders. A raid on a bunch of high-rank Greater Elites is more of his schtick than a diplomatic negotiation.”
He added, “Plus I’m sure he’s curious to see if the Terminators’ weapons are good items.”
Unfortunately for Vantegaard, being spawned five days ago meant that he was pretty much stuck. The Cartographers’ guides would be available primarily through the Guild’s website on Earth’s Internet.
He went to see one of his colleagues from the delegation. He hoped he’d be able to negotiate a short recess on her part, just as long as needed for fetching the guides and making a print copy to bring back. That was why he’d ultimately agreed to rejoin the Cartographers. Mapping the extent of the locational interference mechanic would be nigh impossible to do by himself, even if he could recruit Birka’s Valkyries for that. But the Guild’s databases and contacts were unmatched, and as a full agent, not an affiliate, he now had access to anything and everything.
Teahvilast confirmed that she had Recess up and could do it, and merely wanted to get a future favor in exchange. So while she Fast-recessed, he came back to the cafeteria to wait. There was little to do now that the Conference main day was officially over. There would be a day or two of hammering the fine details, but he wasn’t involved in that.
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He was surprised to see Berkleyyan seated at the table along with Quandocor and Birkathane. He came over, pulled a new chair, and sat, casting an interrogative glance.
“Yes, I was talking with your friend. I’m going to be the expedition leader for his one. We’re bringing two geomancers with the Immutable Mind, just in case. It’s a common occurrence among the guild since we get that from our Courtyard lottery. It happens that I’m one of them.”
Immutable Mind
Tier 4 Fortitude
Action
The mind is a wall. A wall that you erect around those you wish to help.
Creates lasting protection against mind-related attacks.
Duration: 60 s
Maximum targets: 1
Earth Power cost: 55
Damage reduction to psychic attack: 27%
Skill level 31 (base 17)
Advancement: 11%
“You’re taking how many people?” Vantegaard asked.
“Seven. Yes, a bit over your previous trip, but that’s a good compromise. We’re bringing a range of abilities, and com globes and the like, just in case.”
“When do we leave?” Quandocor asked.
“Us two Brethren and you are already here, and there’s a Cartographer and a Cotton Road representative as well. But the last two are coming from up north, and will probably take two weeks to get here. It should have been one, but one had an Earthside problem, and he’s on unscheduled Recess. So, as soon as they arrive, we start out, and Recess only on the way when necessary.”
“I’ve run the formulas, got 26 days until AS sets in,” Quandocor said.
“I would have said, Recess just before we leave, but the last one probably won’t be able to, so it’s a waste. We’ll compare the times and set Recess then.”
Berkleyyan shrugged.
“Sometimes, you need to improvise. We’ll probably Recess just before leaving the eastern border.”
The Brethren stood up, bowed, and departed.
“Well, that’s short notice. I’ll be there to grind with you two for the start, but I’ll have to leave you early,” Quandocor said with regret in his voice.
“Don’t worry about us. Birka and I can do it. There’s a veteran-level settlement not far, worst case is that we recruit a couple of low-levels and run some dungeons fast. But I think we’ll simply duo. Less time wasted figuring out what to do.”
Quandocor sipped the light beer that the bar stocked.
“We knew we’d split. It’s just earlier than I thought.”
Everyone noticed when Ramon Palacio entered the cafeteria. But he did not waste time and headed straight to the trio’s table.
“May I?”
“Sure,” answered Vantegaard.
“I had some questions, but not worth bothering everyone during the conference,” Palacio said. “And I didn’t have time to catch you before.”
“Well, we’re not busy. May I introduce you to my friends?”
Seeing Palacio’s nod, Vantegaard pointed out Birkathane first.
“Birkathane here is the guide for the Pyramid expedition.”
“Enchanted, miss. Like that skill of yours. I’ve never seen it on a Skill Stone, though.”
“Lucky Setup. That happens,” Birkathane said, shrugging.
“And here’s Quandocor, who will be the guide for the Deva trip.”
“Nolo got your Lay of the Land skill from the lottery, much later. He loves it. Very nice as well. You’re all lucky to have gotten such big skills, even your Mind over Matter. Not every tier 1 is that useful beyond grinding stats.”
“That one came from a Skill Stone. I didn’t even have a skill reference with me at the time, so I had no idea it was so rare when I used the stone,” Vantegaard answered.
“Well, maybe we’ll find a place to learn that skill from somewhere,” Palacio said.
Vantegaard nearly jumped from the surprise. Palacio smiled from the reaction.
“One hears gossip. Being well known from the ancient days gives you that advantage. So, you’ve cracked a second Northworld mystery?”
“Yes. Using another skill. One that is entirely unique so far.”
“Oh?”
“Sense the Leylines. When it was offered during Setup, I thought it was potentially useful for a Geomancer, but I had no idea it would let me get more than just leylines’ info. Then Birka had the idea to check that the skills I was getting were also available for her, and it… kind of exploded from there.”
“How many types of build lines have you found so far, if I may ask?” Palacio said.
“Three magical lines. Well, two and a half. Geomantic, Druidic, and somewhat Aetheric. And we’re starting to find out that there are potentially weapon lines as well,” Vantegaard replied.
“It changes the way you make a build, does it?”
“Most people get stuck with bad lottery runs. But if you can cheat your way…”
Palacio shook his head to signify his disagreement.
“It’s probably not a cheat if it’s so prevalent. It’s certainly the way it is intended to work if there’s really an intent behind the Interface. Some kind of pilgrimage thing, who knows.”
His gaze went slightly unfocused for a few seconds, as he pondered the meaning of that simple implication.
“Anyway, I wanted to ask you a few questions about the Silvergates you found.”
“The ones from the Deva?”
“Yeah…”
Teahvilast returned rather quickly with Vantegaard’s printed guides. Upon seeing Quandocor though, she came up to the group’s table and shook his hand, much to his surprise.
“Yeah, I’m the one who will be along for the Deva trip. Nice to meet you,” she said.
“Same. So we’re stuck waiting for the last people,” Quandocor answered.
“Sounds like. I still have 24 days left on AS, and this little errand doesn’t cut into that.”
“From the way we traveled back two months ago, it will take only two Recesses before we’re there. I assume we’ll take one at the edge of the sector.”
“Sounds good to me. Jonkartman, the Cotton Road guy with us is fresh from Recess, and from what the Brethren said, we’ll also have a freshly spawned person arriving. I hope the last person isn’t going to cause delays.”
She laughed.
“I hate being the one who imposes her schedule on everyone.”
“Well, I think the next one will be on me. I’ll be the lowest level around, and my Resilience isn’t up to snuff. Not my main stat.”
“You’re an Archmage, right?”
“Fortitude-based, with Strength and Reflexes secondaries.”
He threw a look at Vantegaard.
“That guy here still hasn’t found me magic spots for Necromancy or Wizardry, so I’m still waiting for new skills until the time is right.”
She smiled in answer.
“I’m Aetherist and Axe. That guy here owes me three skill spots in Beta. Or five anywhere else.”
Vantegaard raised his hands in mock horror.
“Hey, not so fast. I’m still compiling rumors, and I can’t check every spot myself. But yeah, I’ll give you a list of picks once I have enough confirmed on the main database. I’m working on it.”
“Don’t the Brethren have a spot already?”
“They do, but they still keep their courtyard a monopoly, so no aether Skill. They even haven’t given me access to it. Come back when you’re 750, they say. No exceptions.”
“So, what does your guide say?” Birkathane asked.
“A couple of interesting spots… but there’s something I didn’t realize,” Vantegaard answered.
Quandocor put down his tankard and straightened on the chair before asking.
“What’s so special?”
“We’re less than a hundred and twenty kilometers from the Stones of Tarquar.”
“The same stones as Fanduk?” he asked.
“Not exactly the same setup, but a similar version with different stone clusters.”
“You want to sightsee? Aren’t you supposed to level fast?” Quandocor countered.
“That’s where you come in, of course. With your skill… you can spot any dungeon or interesting location with lots of critters to fight and grind combat. Since you have two weeks until you need to leave, and Tarquar is, like, 3 days away, we can make detours on the way, smash everything, grind levels, and be back here in time.”
Lay of the Land
Tier 1 Intuition
Passive, Triggered
You can figure out, with a simple look, where the best opportunities await for whatever activity interests you.
Will give an automatic sense of the area or specific sub-areas. The rank, average item level, and number of occupants can be obtained with increasing precision.
Current max range: 33 km
Precision for sub-areas: 717 m
Max hostile rank felt: 33
Max Gater level felt: 229
Max item level felt: 33
Occupancy incertitude: +/-35
Skill level 33 (base 7)
Advancement: 81%
“Okay. I’ll tell Berkleyyan so he doesn’t freak out when I leave.”
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Quandocor
Health: 1465/1465 (recovers 216/day)
Stamina: 1704/1704 (recovers 3.4/sec)
Death: 2186/2186 (recovers 0.012/sec)
Mana: 1833/1833 (recover 3.2/sec)
Ritual: 1488/1488 (recover 1.6/sec)
Fortitude: 55
Resilience: 36
Strength: 34
Dexterity: 34
Reflexes: 32
Presence: 32
Perception: 30
Reasoning: 28
Intuition: 25
Unseen Meditation 74 (97%)
Auspicious Omens 69 (76%)
The Dawn of Light 43 (55%)
Fatal Distraction 42 (84%)
Cold Grasp 38 (55%)
Drain Life 35 (55%)
Lay of the Land 33 (81%)
Steady Grip 33 (14%)
Draw From Life 32 (31%)
Sense Life And Death 30 (22%)
Endurance of Death 28 (67%)
Consume Dead 27 (95%)
Deflect Strike 23 (93%)
Deadly Punch 23 (9%)
Area Slow 24 (86%)
Associative Memory 24 (47%)
Wizard Breach 24 (81%)
Dodge Blow 19 (48%)
Decay Strength 19 (44%)
Balance Life 19 (29%)
Pull Mastery 18 (35%)
Work Leather 15 (88%)
Preparation 14 (43%)
Skinning 13 (22%)
Foe’s Threat 13 (11%)
Disrupt Action 13 (1%)
Level: 267 – 91%
Unused points: 30
Leather Flat Shoes (lvl 19) +1 Reflexes
Solid Spirit Gloves (lvl 20) +1 Fortitude
Leather-Chain Belt (lvl 15) +1 Fortitude
Leather-Chain Sleeveless Doublet (lvl 20) +2 to highest Strength skill
Leather Circlet (lvl 18) +1 Fortitude
Basic Iron Ring (lvl 19), +1 Strength
Basic Iron Ring (lvl 16), +1 Dexterity
Twisted Iron Pendant (lvl 20), +1 Fortitude
Silver-shod Staff (lvl 30), +2 Dexterity