All of this new information washed over Tilly like a raging river, both overwhelming him with its implications and somehow calming him with the cold shock of truth. His life, the summation of all his decisions, had equaled out to barely anything. One child lost to cancer, one wife who he had pushed away as he slowly closed in on himself in the pain. No lasting impact in the fire department, no continuous group of friends. It was only because of his last few moments that he even had the option to go "Up".
Here, faced with some sort of higher power, he couldn't muster up the strength to feel bitter. He just felt acceptance. There was no one else to blame or reward for his circumstances. Life had dealt him a mixed hand, and he had chosen to barely play it.
But in this cosmic moment, face to face with an agent of the Divine, one concept appealed to him like a life raft to a drowning man.
“This is another chance?”
“That is correct Jonathan Tillman. You, with all of your faults and strengths, have the potential for greatness. Whether great evil or great good is up to you. I will not lie to you, to choose Nephesh is to choose a path of suffering. This is not a kind world. It has been formed of the dreams and myths of men, and I fear lately that those dreams have grown into nightmares more often than not.”
The fact that trying again would be hard didn't even faze him. If there was anything Tilly had going for him after decades in the fire service it was the ability to make a choice quickly and stick to it.
“Alright, I'm ready, give me a second chance." He thought, his essence slowly firming under the weight of a new purpose for his being. This time would be different, he would be what he had failed to be in his first life.
The Administrator nodded still smiling and that same voice from before spoke.
…Accord Acknowledged…
Uploading available paths of ascension.
Then light bloomed behind the Administrator again, and they started to fade into it.
“It was a pleasure meeting you, Jonathan Tillman. Good luck out there, and remember, it's not about how much power you have… It's what you do with it.”
With those words, the figure was gone, leaving behind only the soft light of its immense power, which slowly thickened into four outlines of the same figure. As the light finished coalescing Tilly found himself looking at different versions of his old corporeal body. They all had the same blunt features. His overhanging brow and too-hairy face. His dark strong features, on top of a dad-bod that did a great job hiding the deceptive physicality of the man underneath. But that was where the familiarity ended.
Soul-scan complete, four possible paths to power available….
Tilly noticed medieval weaponry and robes on the first two figures and he felt an incorporeal grin form on whatever passed for a face in this form.
Something he had almost never spread around the department was his obsession with all things fantasy and gaming. For him, it had been a greater escape than alcohol and women combined. Almost no one knew the extent of Tilly's passion for the nerdier side of life, and he had kept it that way through his decades in the fire service. Now it seemed like he was being offered a new life that in some way would involve swords and sorcery. To see something that he had always thought a distraction become so useful confirmed his choice to go for this second chance.
He had no clue what life in a world full of walking myths and dreams would be like, but he guessed he was about to find out. Starting with the four options standing in front of him. As he studied the first figure, a flicker of blue light caught the corner of his vision. He focused in that direction but all he saw were four other figures of himself.
He shrugged his non-existent shoulders and looked back at the first option. The figure was armored in plate mail and had an oversized ax in his hand.
Knight of the Eternal Flame.
Your past life experience qualifies you to enter into the Brotherhood of the Eternal Flame as a Knight. + 3 Endurance, Strength, and Constitution every third level. Starting abilities; weak flame manipulation, Flame blade, and Fiery rush.
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Tilly frowned. He had a good idea of what each of these values meant theoretically but had no clue how many points he would get per level, or what the other values would be, but he decided to keep looking to see if that would clear anything up.
The second figure showed a younger version of Tilly wearing a robe and cackling as his hands burned with a crimson flame.
Pyromancer of the 6th Circle.
You have spent more time watching the destructive effects of fire than almost any other ascension aspirant. For this, you qualify to walk the path of a Pyromancer. You will forsake all other magic for a supreme affinity for fire. Any fire damage dealt to you will be added to your health instead. +4 intelligence at every level. Starting abilities; Flame mastery, Pyrokinesis.
As attractive as that +4 was to intelligence, something about seeing his face filled with such an unbridled glee gave Tilly the heebee-jeebees. He didn't want to go for a full mage class anyway, it had never been his style. He had always leaned more towards the more well-rounded classes, like Ranger or Bard. So he moved on.
The next figure had a bow on his back and was covered in tan leathers that seemed to meld into each other. His face was determined and he seemed to be searching for something.
Dune Ranger of the Sand Seas.
Your survival instinct and basic medical knowledge qualify you for entry into the clandestine order of sand rangers. Roaming the endless sands, this order originated from the sand elves. Part ranger, part treasure hunter, these masters of survival are known to be difficult to find and even more difficult to kill. +1 to Endurance, Wisdom, and Dexterity at every level. Starting abilities and skills; Basic first aid, Piercing shot, concussive shot, stealth, long walker, and last legs.
Now, this was more his style! Although he didn't like the idea of the endless sands...
Well, he wasn't sure if there was a requirement for him to stay in his starting area or not but the prospect of living in a sandy desert was a huge deterrent for him. He was the kind of guy who spent his beach vacation poolside. He never cared what other people thought, there was nothing pleasant about covering yourself in an abrasive, impossible-to-remove substance. Tilly eagerly focused on the next figure. This one showed him wearing a dirty chef's hat stirring a caldron with a cheerful look on his face.
Line Cook for the Thousand Phalanx Legion.
You have spent much of your life cooking for a crew of rowdy rough men. They weren't always grateful, but you kept them full and ready to face the challenges of the day. Go out into the wild and find rare delicacies to push your comrades to new heights. +1 to constitution, wisdom, and strength at every level.
“As much as I liked cooking for the guys at the station, I'm going to go with ‘no’ for this one,” Tilly grumbled to himself. Well, he would have if he could grumble. With a silent sigh, he moved on to the fifth figure…wait didn't that voice say there would only be four choices?
This figure showed him wearing a collection of skins that were arranged in a way that was vaguely reminiscent of his firefighting gear. Hooked through leather loops on his hips were two large hatchets that were similar to his favorite spike-headed fireman's ax.
Son of Flame
Fire destroys, renews, and purifies. It is time for Nephesh to feel the Wrath and Renewal of Origin’s Flame.
That was it… No other details about stats or any abilities. Something about this whole option seemed off and it left Tilly with the feeling that it was by far the riskiest choice.
Yet, something about this display of a possible ascension path spoke to him. The cast of the figure's face seemed fierce and his body was postured with its arms spread wide like it was protecting something behind it. Before he could think about his options any further, that same voice rang out.
Survey of available paths to power complete. Selection required in 3 seconds -
What? Just like that, he had to choose?
2
Well, what the heck, if he was going to roll the dice, he might as well roll big.
1
Son of Flame path selected. Initializing transference…
Tilly felt the space he had been occupying grow brighter as his soul self was fused with the selected image. As he became one with the figure, he felt his sense of place rush back to him as he dropped out of that plane of non-existence and into a new place. His five senses returned to him with a roaring rush as he found himself once again in possession of a physical form. The experience was so intense that before he could take in any of the sights or sounds around him, his mind put his body through a full reboot, and he collapsed unconscious.
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As the brightness died back down, the space was filled with two figures sitting in comfortable chairs overlooking the vast cosmos.
“Don't you think that was a little on the nose, Sir? What if he is used to weigh the scales of free will further in Corruption's favor? There is far too much bitterness and selfishness for me to be comfortable with this.”
“Addy, I think you have been with me long enough to know that I care little for what Corruption will or won't do. I care for my people and I think this man is the perfect Catalyst. For far too long many have believed they are stuck in the systems those with some modicum of power have set forth. The truth is coming for them, whether they are ready or not.”