So it turns out that giant armored sloths are always going to be a niche choice for a mount. There was one mount vendor in Emerald Sea that had specialized in giant armored sloths, but his passion was such that the experience was still a bit of an adventure. Lierin assured me that there were many other elite mounts available that would meet my needs, but for me it had to be a giant armored sloth.

The decision to focus on a giant armored sloth mount wasn’t just a matter of personal preference or a flight of fancy, it was a tactical decision for me. Several of the dreams that I experienced at Ghostlight Falls broadened my horizons a little bit with respect to what might be possible with magic particle based technologies, but nothing changed my fundamental situation. When fighting directly I was going to be a ranged fighter who would be heavily reliant on tactics, equipment and stealth to be successful. It is true that picking a mount that couldn’t physically run might seem counterintuitive, even with these goals in mind, but I saw a compelling logic.

First and foremost, giant ground sloths are imposing on their own and with the right armor and equipment they can be doubly so. All of the giant armored sloths in the Emerald Sea were considered elite class mounts, but the best among them were true giants. They weighed in at approximately ten thousand pounds unarmored and stood at over ten feet tall at the shoulder when on all fours. They could move bipedally and use their powerful claws to put up a formidable defense. These were animals that evolved to sit in the middle of a field of predators, move at their own pace and thrive. Best of all, these capabilities could be enhanced with magical technology.

The giant ground sloth’s slow, consistent pace and smooth movements meant that, with a few magical enhancements, I could learn to effectively shoot with accuracy while mounted and even while moving. The sloth also didn’t require a vehicle to carry me and my equipment, allowing me the opportunity to move mounted through a wide range of environments with all of my equipment. This was a huge advantage for a situational and gear dependent combat style like mine. In the taiga around the Emerald Sea I also didn’t really need to worry about food for a plant focused, but omnivorous giant ground sloth. Some of the other mounts required special diets or time to hunt on a regular basis.

The final advantage was the mount’s constitution. They didn’t have a high top speed, but they were able to move at a good pace for extremely long periods of time. They needed little sleep and could range continuously for extended periods of time with minimal rest. Coupled with their strength, this would allow my mount to continue to travel while I slept on its back. I was also very interested in exploring the possibility of device based stealth enhancements that could pair with my skills to make it extremely difficult for anyone to find me while I was traveling on my mount.

I also just thought that giant armored sloths were just plain cool. So did Raeran Fenfaren, the only vendor in the Emerald Sea to have giant sloth mounts on offer. In fact giant ground sloth mounts were the only mounts that Aaeran had on offer, but not just anyone could buy a mount from Raeran. The mount also had to choose you.

Raeran had a process. First he introduced you and a mount. Then you had a chat with the sloth about yourself and your plans. After you said your piece you approached the sloth, held out your hands and waited. If you got a lick, the sloth was sympathetic to you and your cause, allowing you to make a deal for the mount. No lick, no sale, no exceptions.

I don't think that Leirin was amused with Raeran’s antics, but I didn’t mind. These were apparently advanced animals that could think and communicate, so of course they needed to consent to the partnership. It didn’t matter either as I was very popular with the sloths. I chose a large and very chill giant ground sloth named Reginald for my first mount, who of course also chose me.

I left Raeran’s place nineteen hundred gold poorer, but extremely happy. The deal had included stabling Reginald for at least a full year, but I planned to get him into his own facility near my apartment and the Treefort soon. I had also selected the best equipment and tack for my mount as well as a few custom pieces that would be delivered after they could be crafted. It was hard leaving Reginald behind, but he was simply too large to come with me at present. After a few minutes of bonding, Lierin and I headed out. I had been in the wild for a long time and was looking forward to catching up on reading, my apprenticeship with Tanyl and enjoying the comforts of my apartment and the Emerald Sea at large.

Before we split up Lierin and I had a nice chat and a nice lunch at one of our cafes. The town wasn’t large, but Lierin was some kind of commercial genius and she had a few locations at this point. The place was nice, the food was great and Lierin agreed to help me acquire a building near my apartment that could be used to house Reginald as well as some grooms to take care of him. It felt luxurious and it was, but I was apparently within my means and it was a practical choice. I was planning to spend a great deal of time in the wilds with Reginald and I wanted to make sure that he was as comfortable and well cared for as he could be when we were in town.

***

Kelly was very pleased with her new skill and she could tell that Amrynn was pleased as well even if the taciturn rogue didn’t say it in as many words. Kelly was doing well in this new world, but she wasn’t necessarily happy. She had always had a measure of social grace and charm. Over the years she had learned how to turn those benefits into influence and then hone that influence to achieve the results that she desired. This was simply Kelly taking what came naturally to her and applying a measure of reason and empirical rigor to make something of a personal social science.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Fortunately for Kelly, her skills and approach were largely valid anywhere that there were people, new world and Unified System notwithstanding. Of course, it took some recalibration to account for the fae, but that was all going relatively well. Kelly was also progressing at a good rate in her class. Initially she was disappointed and a bit offended at being classed a thief, but the skillset was amazing.

Kelly had never been into intense workouts or high intensity physical activity. However, she had kept up with her dance classes through the years, so she remained fit and flexible. Kelly wasn’t particularly interested in dance, but she was interested in maintaining her attractive figure and dance was a calculated decision to support that. Kelly had always actually loved magic, like prestidigitation, not the real kind as she had no idea that existed until very recently. This was a secret to everyone but her closest friends, but she was an avid fan of all sleight of hand tricks and practiced frequently as a way to unwind after all those power lunches.

With her natural gifts for misdirection, her grace and her dexterity, Kelly was naturally suited to the thief class and would likely be able to class up to something even more powerful, like rogue or assassin. If there had been a classpath for a gentlewoman jewel thief, she likely would have had near one hundred percent compatibility, but apparently that wasn’t a thing in their new world. The Shadow Stealth skill that Amrynn had just taught Kelly was an enhancement to her skillset with almost limitless applications. She could melt into the shadows at will, causing foes to lose focus on her or making it difficult for them to detect her at all. According to the information that Amrynn shared this skill could lead to others that would allow one to disappear from view completely.

Category

Value

Notes

Name

Kelly Borthwick

Race

Human

Origin: Earth

Class

Thief

HP

150

MP

75

Spirit

800

Strength

90

Intelligence

125

Agility

115

Dexterity

130

Wisdom

95

Charisma

140

Discipline

115

Ingenuity

75

Things were going well for Kelly. She wasn’t unhappy with her situation, she was unhappy with their collective situation. They were too isolated and the degree to which their “instructors” encouraged them to remain so seemed like a bad sign. All the crooked agencies and bad business proposals that Kelly had been subjected to on her swift rise to CMO for a tech firm had given her a second sense about folks who weren’t on the level and this sense screamed at her every time she talked to Ruven, Elen or Phraan.

Not only were she and her friends essentially trapped with folks that she knew weren’t on the level, but she saw how they elves really felt about them in the way that they treated Harris. The idea that he would have been a hindrance was honestly silly. Kelly was aware that she had a soft spot for Harris, but, looking at the situation objectively based on past experiences, Harris was going to adapt to this new world faster than any of them. To be sure he would go down his own path, but he was sure to find a few different and interesting things along the way. If anything, having Harris would have enhanced their team and provided some diversity of view point that would have likely improved their results.

By the way that he left, Kelly could tell that Harris didn’t trust the instructors and that he was intentionally leaning into their low expectations of him. She could tell that he had a plan and it would be to the group’s advantage to have someone on the outside of their situation, doubly so if they underestimated him. Kelly hoped that whatever Harris was up to wasn’t too reckless, but judging by those two elves that showed up with hell antelope meat during that first month she wasn’t going to be betting on that.

As dangerous as whatever Harris was up to might be, she was more concerned about the way that the instructors treated him like he was nothing. They were all disposable to the instructors on some level and that made Kelly very unhappy. She knew that she didn’t have a reputation for her kindness or compassion. She didn’t let many people into her inner circle, but she was very protective of those that she did. It was as plain as day that these elves were a threat and that she needed to plan to deal with it.