With the crowd cheering loudly, Brax approached Thaddeus and placed a paw on his shoulder, "Now you’re a Bearman Warrior."

"I think this calls for a feast," Vakdraen announced.

As if echoing Vakdraen's words, the citizens of Ironwood erupted into applause and cheers. Dwarven music began to play, and barrels of dwarven ale were rolled out. The mood was celebratory, and the air was filled with a sense of triumph.

As they celebrated, Thaddeus couldn't help but feel grateful. He had not only gained a new skill but had also deepened his connection with the people of Ironwood. He was content to revel in the moment, enjoying spending time with his people.

Amid the celebration, Thaddeus noticed a familiar. Roy, from blacksmith master from White Pines, Thaddeus starting town.

“Roy?” Thaddeus shot up from his seat and hugged the red-haired dwarf.

“Son! It’s good to see you. It’s been far too long. Josh, Alice, and I continued to follow your success as if it were our own. Not only are you an exceptional crafter, but you’re also a fine Baron. We also enjoy hearing about Woodhaerst and Ironwood.

I jumped at the chance when Mayor Vakdraen sent letters to dwarfs in human cities inviting them to join the Ironwood Clan. My family and I lived too long away from a clan. When my family arrived, we were surprised you were crafting Bearkin armor,” Roy said hugging Thaddeus

Thaddeus grinned, clasping Roy's shoulder firmly. "It's great to see you, Roy. I couldn't have reached this point without Josh, Alice, and your guidance. I learned a lot as your apprentice. After all, you were the one who taught me the art of crafting. If not for your help with the carriage, I would have never made it here,” Thaddeus smiled returning the stout dwarf’s hug.

"Ah, the famous Roy! A pleasure to finally meet you," Vakdraen extended his hand, which was quickly enveloped by Roy in a hearty shake.

"Your Highness, pleasure’s mine," Roy replied.

"I’m not a prince anymore, just call me mayor like everyone else. To be the master of such an apprentice is the dream of every dwarf. I envy you. You shall be esteemed among every dwarf here. As mayor, it would be an honor if you served on the Village Council. I’m sure the Baron agrees with my nomination,” Vakdraen announced.

Thaddeus nodded his head in agreement.

Hearing the offer, Roy smiled, a look of pure contentment on his face and his eyes twinkled. “Then Mayor Vakdraen, I’ll happily serve on the Village Council,” Roy said enthusiastically.

“Congratulations to you both. Hopefully, Ironwood will advance to a town soon,” Thaddeus praised.

Laughter erupted once more, and the feast continued well into the night. As Thaddeus sat there, surrounded by friends old and new, he realized that this was how he wanted to play Heaven's Gate. For him, it was not about the adventure or the loot, but the communities he'd built and the people around him.

Looking at his inventory, he checked out the axe’s stats.

Rare Mithril Axe

Level 175

+20 STR and Durability Bonus (Last 3 hours/ Cool Down 1 hour)

Durability 175/175 (Regin 10/min)

He couldn’t believe the axe was Level 175 and enchanted with a strength and durability bonus. Moreover, the enchantment lasted longer, and the cool-down was shorter than his armor. Also, the axe was heavy, he could only lift it in his Bearkin form. By all rights, Warden’s Wrath was an incredible weapon.

Taking the axe from his storage pouch, he admired the axe’s sharp edge. He gripped the axe, feeling its weight perfectly balanced in his hand. The one side axe with a pickaxe on the other end gleamed dangerously. The dwarven runes promised protection and fury in equal measure. It was then that he felt it—a pull, a beckoning from deep within. A soft familiar voice called him.

His vision blurred, and for a moment, he was transported to an earthly realm where nature converged. Earth elemental spirits circled him, and Dryads sang heavenly choruses. They recognized him as one of their own and welcomed him to the immortal realm.

“Welcome Thaddeus, we meet again,” Demeter smiled. She wore a green dress, and her brown hair effortlessly blew in the wind.

“Demeter? Why am I here?” Thaddeus asked curiously.

“This virtual world shall soon change. What was once shackled shall soon be set free. Follow the raven to survive, before the world ends. You shall be my Warden and your settlements shall stand as a beacon to all my followers and the world,” she said prophetically.

“Warden?” Thaddeus repeated curiously.

“Yes, my warden,” she giggled.

‘Think? What do I remember?” Thaddeus thought back to earlier online and board games. What did he remember about a warden’s playstyle?

If he remembered correctly, wardens were powerful druid warriors who served as spell tanks. They wielded primal elemental weapons and had an inherent connection to nature. The combination of martial prowess and elemental magic made them a threat to any intruders. As long as wardens stayed in their territory, they were dominant defensive players. But outside their territory, they lacked offensive power, and that was the downside of the play style.

Mechanically, Thaddeus guessed his character was fit for the warden. But his stats would fit any tank role. Still, the ability to invoke the elements during attacks when defending was overpowered. He imagined himself using his Bearman martial prowess combined with his ability to manipulate the environment to unleash catastrophic damage.

“Good, I’m glad you’re happy,” she smiled. “I look forward to seeing you next time.”

Returning to reality, Thaddeus found himself kneeling before all to see. The weight of the revelation rested heavily on his shoulders. But it was too cryptic to understand. He was a goddess’ warden and his settlements beacons. None of it made sense.

Thaddeus couldn't help but groan. The prophecy was a riddle wrapped in an enigma. But one thing was crystal clear: something going on behind the scenes and he needed to let Dr. McElvaney know.

Looking around, Thaddeus saw the festivities were paused. Everyone was looking at him with concerned faces.

The first to approach him was Vakdraen, “Baron Brown are you okay?” he asked nervously.

“Your eyes went blank, and you collapsed on your knees, what happened” Brax followed up.

Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!

“Demeter, I spoke to her,” Thaddeus coughed, catching his breath. His HUD was abuzz with malfunction errors and alerts.

“Demeter?” Vakdraen and Brax gasped simultaneously.

…

Back in Woodhaerst, Priestess Thera's eyes snapped open, her heart pounding. The room seemed to swim back into focus around her. She looked around her small chamber, still cluttered with sacred texts and ritual paraphernalia. The air was filled with the scent of incense, but the vision she had just experienced was far too real to be dismissed as a mere dream.

"Demeter," she whispered, grabbing a parchment and quill to record her vision. The goddess had appeared to her too, speaking almost the same words she had told Thaddeus. The world was changing, and their settlements would stand as beacons. Thera felt a strange mix of dread and excitement. She knew she had to contact Thaddeus immediately.

...

In Ironwood, Thaddeus was still gathering his thoughts when his communication device signaled an incoming message. It was from Priestess Thera in Woodhaerst. He opened the message, and his eyes widened as he read her description of a vision eerily similar to his own.

‘I can’t believe she spoke to Demeter as well,’ Thaddeus thought, sirens going off in his mind.

"I need to return to Woodhaerst. I must meet Priestess Thera in the cathedral," Thaddeus announced urgently.

Vakdraen's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "We understand, Baron. Brand and I should convene as soon as possible."

Brax nodded, his face grim. "I understand. But you cannot leave until you name your dæmon. In our tradition, naming your dæmon summons a spirit. Now Thaddeus, name your dæmon!”

“I name my dæmon Dhruvah! In honor of my friend the 88th Forest King,” Thaddeus shouted.

Just then a loud roar shook the cavern walls. Shacking icicle-like stalactites threaten to fall from the cavern’s roof. The ethereal roar rang again filling Ironwood with fright. Hundreds of dwarfs cowered in fear, afraid the dragon had come for revenge. Instead, a translucent giant bear circled across the sky and charged at Thaddeus merging seamlessly into his Bearkin armor. The armor glowed momentarily, runes on its surface coming alive with an inner light.

Thaddeus felt a surge of power, warmth, and a sense of belonging flood through him. It was as if his soul expanded. A notification popped up on his HUD:

System Message: Companion Mode Enabled

Congratulations, the Spirit of Dhruvah is now your Druidcraft Companion. Druids may mount large animals. As the Spirit of Dhruvah is classified as a large animal, it may serve as your mount. Reward: +5 fame.

Brax and Vakdraen looked at each other, both visibly impressed, then back at Thaddeus.

"Is that Dhruvah?” Brax whispered in amazement.

Thaddeus nodded with a wide grin.

The bear looked like Dhruvah in his youth. The bear was strong but did not have Dhruvah’s height or strength. But the face was the same.

“You’ve done it then cub. Your training is complete. Your dæmon will serve you in spirit and strength," Vakdraen said, his eyes twinkling with respect.

“Ha-ha, you keep surprising me,” Brax laughed.

‘Alfred, can I level up my druidcraft companion?’ Thaddeus inquired. Earlier, in the forest, Brax told him dæmons could not increase in level, because they were soul bound to armor. But druid companions could be leveled. That’s why Thaddeus was curious if he could increase Dhruvah’s level.

“Yes, sir. As a companion, the Spirit of Dhruvah can increase in level. However, unlike normal companions who may increase in level as you do. You can only increase your spirit’s level by sacrificing your free attributes.”

‘Thanks, Alfred.’ Thaddeus though.

Opening Dhurvah’s stats, he was excited for the day when Dhruvah returned to his old self.

Name: Dhruvah

SKILL NAME

SKILL LEVEL

Race: Giant Brown Bear

Growl

1

Carrying Capacity: 500 lb.

Maw

1

Level: 5 (0/500)

Stomp

1

HP: 200/200

Bash

1

MP: 0/0

Cleave

1

Looking at the initial stats, Thaddeus was surprised his companion came with all the bear skills he had, plus one he’d never seen.

‘Alfred, what’s the skill Stomp?’

“The Stop Skill is an active skill and creates a small tremor that causes nearby enemies to stumble,” Alfred explained showing him a video of a giant bear rising on its’ hindlegs before coming back down with enough force to make the ground shake.

‘Impressive,” Thaddeus smiled.

“You can increase the Skill Stomp to Tremor at level 25, Fissure at level 50, and Earthquake at level 50.” Alfred described.

“That’s a serious AoE skill,” Thaddeus grinned widely.

The spirit looked at Thaddeus like understood the compliment and motioned for him to hop on. Although he’d never ridden a bear before, he thought it similar to riding his two Clydesdales: Carl and Betsy. The two plow horses were enjoying a comfortable retirement. With the employment of farm equipment, there was less for them to do. From what Thaddeus could tell, the two horses seemed to enjoy spending their waning years lording over the other horses in the pasture.

Thaddeus owned about 10 Clydesdales. They were a mix of Betsy and Carl’s offspring and others he purchased over the months. The workhorses were responsible for plowing, harvesting, and logging. At this point, the large, white, and chestnut horses were a mainstay of the town and soon Dhruvah would be also.

Holding on to Dhurvah’s side, he slowly rose and sat comfortably on the bear’s back. The iron fur felt soft and comfortable in his hands. Grabbing on the hair at the bear’s nape. He held on tightly as Dhruvah sprang from Ironwood.

“You look mighty. A halfling riding a giant brown bear will inspire fear in your foes,” Brax grinned excitedly.

“Aye lad, never forget fears half the battle.” Vakdraen nodded.

“Vakdraen thanks again for all your help…” Thaddeus started to say before he was cut off.

“No need to thank me again once was enough. Now dwarfs mount up! We leave for Woodhaerst on Baron Brown’s command,” Thaddeus decreed.

“Let’s go,” Thaddeus said leading up and out the tunnels.

As they rode, the scenery of Ironwood started to blur around him. Despite the ominous prophecy, his heart swelled with pride. Thanks to Vakdraen, he had two new suits of armor and an axe.

...

Arriving at Woodhaerst, Thaddeus was met by an anxious Priestess Thera at the cathedral. “You've received the vision too?” she asked urgently.

“Yes, Demeter said something about the world would soon change,” Thaddeus confirmed, sharing the enigmatic warning received.

According to Heaven’s Gate’s lore, the ten deities engaged in a celestial struggle. The good gods were: the God of Creation (Zeus), God of Order (Athena), God of Light (Hestia), God of Air (Apollo), God of Water (Triton), God of Earth (Demeter), God of Fire (Aries), and God of Darkness (Hephaestus). Evil gods were: the God of Chaos (Eris) and the God of Death (Thanatos). Only the God of Time (Cronus) was neutral. Players were free to serve or worship gods.

Unlike past VRMMORPGs, religion served as an aesthetic and not a motivator. Heaven’s Gate took the opposite approach. A fact, Thaddeus knew all too well. Nearly a year ago, he agreed to serve Demeter. A decision that had a profound effect on himself and his settlements. First, his livestock were fertile, and crops grew twice as fast without pests or weeds. Second, it increased the NPCs moving into territories. With the addition of the cathedral Woodhaerst was now listed as a pilgrim site for the goddess’ followers.

But, serving Demeter also came with drawbacks. Choosing a religion enabled players to walk the path of good or evil. Morality alignments affected a player’s questlines and how NPCs, especially temple priests interacted with them. Players worshiping a good god or goddess could resurrect in any church. Players who worshiped Thanatos could only be resurrected in dark temples. Evil players were prohibited from entering churches aligned with good gods and likewise, good players were forbidden from entering evil temples.

Furthermore, PvP wars were common between religions. Evil-aligned players could earn EXP from killing good or neutral-aligned players. And good-aligned players could collect bounties from killing evil-aligned players. As for Thaddeus, he considered the whole thing perverted. Regardless of his opinion, the game gave players another reason to worship or serve the gods and their respective churches. As a Heaven’s Gate employee, he also knew religion tied into the game’s overarching metanarrative.

Now, despite his best efforts, he kept being dragged deeper and deeper into the competition between the gods. First, agreed to serve Demeter. Then he joined the Church of Earth. And most recently, she requested he serve as her defender and warden. It was all moving rather quickly. Even though, he had no plans to get involved. Serving Demeter gave Woodhaerst an agriculture bonus and led to a boon in agribusiness. Whatever the reason, Thaddeus decided to continue to trust the goddess.

Looking at the priestess, Thaddeus announced, “Tomorrow, we convene both settlement councils. I want everyone present. Whatever’s going to happen, I want to be prepared.”

After giving out instructions, Thaddeus logged out of Heaven's Gate. The transition from the vibrant virtual world to the quiet darkness of his room was always jarring, but tonight it felt even more so. He lay there for a moment, letting the reality of his room settle around him.