During the walk back to the village Alex checked his status.
<<<>>>
Name: Alex
Path: Magic (Sub-Path: Lightning)
Rating: G
Level: 2 (12%)
Abilities (1/1):
Manipulate Electricity [G]
Tower Points: 0
<<<>>>
His new level felt very nice. Nothing had fundamentally changed but he felt stronger. When he checked on his mana total, he felt it had grown and moved quicker than before.
“My mana has only grown a little. I hope that my powers will grow in number and scope soon. Maybe by level five? The growth in mana and overall health is nice but I need access to my magic. The level-up did feel nice though. I see what Taylor and Rich meant. That rush of energy was great.”
Now that it was evening the number of climbers and natives walking about had dropped slightly but many were still out like them. The surge in population had been handled well by the bird-people. They actively sold their wares and other things to those who had collected enough tower points. As they walked the main road Taylor split off from them and went to find the general store to sell the loot for more Tower Points. While she left to sell off the items the rest of their group went in search of more information.
"We are not just adventurers; we are scholars seeking to unravel the secrets of this mysterious tower. Our members come from all walks of life, united in their quest for knowledge. Together, we can discover the history of the tower, and the origins of the creatures within it, and unlock its hidden treasures. We accept those from any path as long as they are willing to trade knowledge freely and openly."
“Who is that guy?” asked Alex as they walked.
“Sounds like some sort of guild. We will probably see a bunch of them over the next week or so. Who knows if this one will survive for more than that,” said Kai. “The general point of a guild changes from one to the next but the idea is to group up together for a common goal or challenge. Whether that be knowledge, power, or something else.”
“Should we chat with him? We are looking for sources of information.”
“Not worth it,” said Rich. “Maybe in a week but as he said. The guild may not be reliable. It is better to wait. I am sure when we get home there will be plenty of people shilling for their guilds online. The only ones that will matter will be the ones that can retain members and have good enough backing from funders or in the future, powerful climbers. Seeing as that is in the future the only groups I would consider are currently being created by businesses and governments. We need to find a reliable native or two that can tell us some more information. With that information, we can get a start on things tomorrow and be in a much better place to plan and deal with whatever the tower will throw at us.”
“What information are we looking for exactly?” asked Alex.
“The birds speak English by magic or some other power that I don’t care to know. The point is that they are friendly and seem to want to help us. I want to know why, and I want to know why they are here. I also want to get that map of the area which Taylor is grabbing. Then I’m not sure what I want to know. Maybe the best ways to get Tower Points and gain levels.”
“I could use that last one,” said Eric. “The path to the next floor would be nice as well. I would love to be the first one on a new floor. And have the level to match. Imagine if the natives weren’t here. How chaotic would that be?”
“I’m not sure about that. In the short term, it would be bad, but we could adapt,” said Alex. “It would require a lot of manpower and crafters to get a city going. I can also imagine that if the tower wishes to test us in that way, then on a future floor, they might drop us right into the thick of things. I’m glad that it isn’t that way for now.”
The representative of the Seekers guild continued to speak passionately, shouting about the importance of their cause. “We are the Seekers. We seek to uncover the mysteries of the tower and the creatures within it. Will you join us on our quest for discovery and knowledge? We are explorers within the tower. We are open to anyone with a passion for uncovering the tower's secrets and are looking for bravery and resourcefulness in their hearts. Barely half a day has passed, and many layers of information have become known to us. We are continually searching, however, and need assistance with your help in gathering information about the tower. Already we have almost completed a map of the villages that we enter from. Soon we will have that complete map of where entry points lead. We will conquer this tower through the might of knowledge. Will you join us?”
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The man dressed in robes continued repeating similar lines each time as the people on the street walked by. Most gave him side-eye glances, but few stopped, and none that Alex had seen approached him yet. They continued walking by and eventually, the sound of her voice was drowned out until it’s faint whispers couldn’t be heard at all.
Their group of four hunted for their source of information a little longer. They found themselves in an older-looking hunt on the outskirts of the village near the fence line.
“We are looking for information,” said Rich.
“Then you are in the right place my friends,” said the older Aarakocra. “Though the information you want will not be free.”
“Then why don’t we get the information for free somewhere else,” said Eric.
“That is because most of the other Aarakocra in this village have never journeyed far from it and into the deeper parts of this floor and tower,” he responded.
“How much will it cost us?” asked Alex.
“For my answers and time, it will be 25 Tower Points. You must understand however that I can’t answer every question you have. Some I don’t know the answer to while others are restricted until you find the information either on higher floors or elsewhere.”
“We will take it,” said Rich.
Within Rich’s mind, a system message popped up and he transferred the required point in exchange for the continuing conversation.
“First off, I want to know why the Aarakocra people are here. Why are you in charge of welcoming us to the floor? What benefits do you get?” asked Rich.
“The short answer is that the tower forces us to. We are exiles in a sense. Several generations ago we were like you and climbed the tower with other groups guiding us upon entry. We however were not strong enough to protect our planet. The result was the tower consuming our planet for its resources and energy. Those of us here have been trapped in a sense by the tower. We can no longer take combat classes and are instead restricted to a few unique paths such as Merchant if we don’t choose to be a crafter. Nowadays we can only collect Tower Points by sales and other forms of external sources since we cannot fight like we used to. The only exception is the guards that keep the piece. While they cannot access the skills and abilities of the combat paths, they have the strength and levels of a combat class. Ultimately, we welcome you and bring you into the tower because it keeps our communities and cities whole.”
“I see. What can you tell me about getting to the higher floors?”
“Not much due to the restrictions on me. Though the general idea is this. Level up and make your way out of this village and get to the cities. They will have stronger monsters in the area which will help you continue to progress and find your way into higher floors. You can find yourselves a map to help you get there.”
“That was about what I expected,” said Eric. “I wish we had a more concrete goal to reach after the city though.”
“It is fine,” said Rich. “Now for my next question. What is there to find beyond the village and near the closest city? While getting onto the next floor is our current goal there must be other things to find and resources to collect. Any leads or rumors would be great as well?”
“The Tower is for amassing power and exploration. Of course, you can find many things if you search for them. My immediate recommendation would be, after getting a higher level, to find where groups of the highest-level monsters aggregate. Once you hit higher floors you can learn ways of getting the best treasures from a floor, but you will have to get there to find it. There are also good rewards for being the first of your species to enter a new floor but that is difficult to achieve. Any other questions? You only have me for a little longer.”
“Ok. I have one. How does magic work?” asked Alex.
“Good question. While I didn’t and currently don’t have magic, I can tell you a few things I’ve learned from others on the matter. You will of course need to pay a tutor for the best information and proper instruction. Your magic is governed by your affinity, your mana total, and your abilities. Your affinity decides your sub-path within the mage class and can’t easily be changed. Your mana total decides how many spells you can cast and whether you can cast high-cost spells or not. Your abilities are what you can do with the mana you have. The complete list of spells and power you can wield with that mana. There are a few ways to gain abilities and they usually require either trials or Tower Points. I would suggest you speak with a tutor for more specifics on your abilities. Now I think it is getting late so if you can please go I will be closing shop for the night.”
The old birdman ushered them out of his storefront and into the street. As they started walking, they thought over the new information given by the villager.
“So, what do you think?” asked Kai to Rich.
“It was worth the 5 Tower Points for the answers. Though from the sound of things we will have to travel elsewhere for more and better information. This should at least get us started with the things we need to do. And as more people discuss and share stuff online, we will be able to learn even more.”
“Where are we off to now?” asked Alex. He looked around and saw that magical lamps had been set out in response to the sun going down. There were even fewer people out.
“I don’t know about you, but I am going home. We spent half our tower points on a map and the questions collectively. I’m not interested in spending more on a bed when I still have a place on Earth. You can do whatever you want, and I will see you all in the morning near the same general store. Until then, have a good night,” said Rich. He turned toward the city hall and left.
Alex already knew his point total was at zero. He couldn’t make more right now. Not tonight and not solo. He followed Rich’s steps and followed the signs until he was lined up at the portal. He was a much quicker process to get out than in. The number of people had died down. With one last look around he stepped through the portal and blinked away.