1.19 Opening the Gate
Instead of responding immediately, I ignored the giant Jackalope. It was not that I wanted to be rude, it is just a lot happened in a short time and I was still processing. I never had been good at multitasking, and while [Wyld Speech] allowed me to understand the Great Beasts, is was not without cost. Communicating required my full concentration, even draining my Stamina. Besides I had far more important matters to consider. I had gained a Level of High Scholar.
One might think I should be more concerned with the two countdowns, 21 days to Evolution, and 24 hours until needing to Save versus the Curse. I could worry about those when the time ran out. I was more worried about the problems that would affect me without warning.
More Levels were a good thing, but Class Experience required me to Register my Acquisition of Knowledge, usually by recording it in a scroll or book and filing it in a System Recognised Library. [Introspection] was a useful tool, but it wasn’t until I gained a Levels worth of Experience merely by thinking about radiation poisoning that I realized just how connected to the System I was. I was effectively a living Altar of Ascension. That had even more implications with my aptitude with Onomancy. I was the ultimate hacking tool, able to potentially access Admin restricted tools and information from anywhere at anytime.
That scared me. I was smart, but not that kind of smart. I watched too many movies about what happens to those with Special Access that did not belong. Once other Admins learned what I was potentially capable of, I would be hunted down and eliminated.
I walked over to the Fountain and splashed some water on my face. I cupped my hands, filled them and sipped some of the cold mineral water, swishing it about my mouth while invoking both [Taster] and [Examination]. The minor purification enchantment was almost exhausted, while nearly a thousand years exposure to the Curse of Endless Slumber had tainted the Fountain. The potential toxicity was less than Rank 1, so I figured [Iron Gut] could deal with it. Before facing the quasi anthropomorphic rabbit, I spent the new Skill Point on [Investigation], one of the few Skills in held in common with all three of my Classes. I wouldn’t actually get the Skill until my next Long Rest, but since I couldn’t figure out a way to spend Scholar points on Ranger Skills, I decided not to horde anymore.
The large lagomorph was following me around, still walking on its hind legs. When I concentrated on interpreting its language, I got the sense of a distinctly Brooklyn accent.
-”So ya gonna pay attention kid? I may not be as strong as ole green eyes, but ya have bean eatin’ my childs-ren, that dee-serves some respect, no?”
-”This one is weak and cannot speak and think at the same time, This one has respected the Laws of the Hunt and the Circle of Life, and offered Prayers of Gratitude and Thanksgiving. Have others done as much? This one has much to do, and little time to do it. What, respectfully, do you desire? What would Necessity require of me on your behalf?”
I was beginning to think I had been had. I doubted Smokey even had a System recognized True Name before I gave him one. I knew that for most non-humanoids, a True Name was an Essential Qualification for Tier Five Evolutions.
-”Hoh oh. You’re not as stoopid as you look. This place is dang-gerous, even for me. I’ll bargainy with ya, in the indress of time. I wanna Trew Name, same as Fuzzy Britches. I wanna be more than justa Gar-dee-anne Beest. I’ll give ya some Free Qualee-fu-ca-shunies I will. The boon of ye ole Jackaloper. Good for a free pass as Rogue or Bard. Maybee even Illuzeenist. Yas not a Magee so I’s don’t know. Tell yas whaz. In the kitty-combs, below the Kass-cell, there be a Crown. Finds it a ya cans claim the whole is-landee. It be yaurs for the taking. Only yas pee-poll types can do that. What da ya says? A Bargainee? Here shakes on it!”
He put out his white paw in a very human gesture. He had been speaking a mile a minute, like an auctioneer or used car salesman. He reminded me of a certain cartoon rabbit, he even had a grey coat of fur. I pegged him as a good natured grifter and suspected I would be on the losing end of any bargains.
-”No Bargains, no Deals, no Pacts. Neutrality, Necessity, Kindness, and Charity. In that I may have unbalanced the Briarwood unintentionally, I grant you the True Name you desire and need, to balance the Wood.
This was the first time I had intentionally tried to use Onomancy, blending the names of two trickster rabbits for this Monstrous Lapin. Any boon from this creature needed to be freely given, not tied to bargain or vow. I felt that strongly. I knew that quest for the Crown was a trick, both Smokey and Bugs had mentioned a nameless threat that lived here.
-”Bugsy, Bugsy. I’s likes it. I’s be known as Bugsy.” He cocked his head and looked at me with one eye.
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“Youse chooses wisely, I tells ya. No bargainsy, just kindsy.” With a single hop he was gone.
I knew what I had just done was likely to get me in trouble, I was just hoping it would be less than doing nothing and upsetting a potential ally.
No sooner had Bugs left than another Notification started blinking in my brain. I closed my eyes and sought for it:
Attention! Qualification: Alignment Modification Protocol has been acquired.
Alignment Modification Options:
Charity
Equality
Morality
Necessity
Do you wish to Modify Alignment Vow at this Time?
You have Seven Days to decide on Alignment Modification. Negative Experience held in abeyance until Decision or Expiration.
+1 Reputation with Beasts of Briarwood.
+1 Reputation with Great Spirit
+5 Reputation with Guardian Beast
New Personal Talent: [Onomancy] Level 5 acquired.
Seven days, hopefully that would be enough time so that I wouldn’t make things worse.
After refilling my Canteen, I sat on the lip of the Fountain and choose to [Meditate] for an hour or two. I had two big Mana expenditures to prepare for, Summoning my Gear and my Familiar. While I did not desire to find the Crown, Bugs had talked about, I definitely wanted to explore the Castle before dark. There was at least one more encounter with a possibly intelligent creature who could most certainly kill me.
Five hours later I had all my Gear and a new friend. Gwaihir was not the most loquacious of companions, communicating more by intent than words. Still he seemed to be on my side. I could feel his disappointment with certain of my decisions, and his agreement with others. He was far more Neutral than I, preferring to wait, watch, and prepare for possible danger. Yet there was a protective streak as well, a desire to rescue those in true need.
His appearance was that of a large blue and gold hawk. Tail, wing, and head feathers were dark blue with golden tips, the head almost entirely dark gold. The body feathers were a solid blue-gray, with bright golden down underfeathers. The eyes were like storm clouds,dark gray with flashes of gold. His talons were steel gray, with dark blue highlights. His wingspan was over four and a half feet long, barely able to rest on my arm.
He was strong, able to lift my pack into the air with a single talon. He had two ranged attacks, a Level 5 [Wind Blade] Spell he could throw up to a hundred yards and a Level 5 [Sonic Scream] Feat that could be used as both an Area Attack and a Line of Sight against a single opponent. While his Pools were his own, as a Manifested Spirit he had to use my Recovery to replenish them.
Normally Familiars required resummoning every couple of days, but I discovered a Synergy with my Staff. Gwaihir, or Gwai for short, could rest inside my Staff. It only took a minute to enter or leave, and while inside the countdown slowed by a factor of six. This was far faster than the normal dismissal and resummoning, which took a full hour in the wild, longer in Rural and Urban Zones.
It was Gwai who surveyed the Castle and its Courtyard while I rested. While he had no problems with the Castle’s Great Hall, he utterly refused to fly down into the Catacombs beneath. He was a partner, not a pet, and had definite opinions on the viability of a large bird underground. He was perfectly willing to explore the rest of the Island and even the River, but not the woods beyond. He was a creature of the open sky, and knew his own place. He did fetch me a fish for lunch, but didn’t feel I should get used to that.
After [Meditating] enough to refill my Mana Pool, I decided to check out the Catacombs. I was not going to turn on my Staff [Glow] outside, but I figured using it for an hour in a potential hostile lair would be fine.
In many ways walking down the stone stairs to the Catacombs was exactly like what I would have expected, dusty, dark, and damp, the gray granite walls stained black with ancient smoke. It was cool and musty, slightly sour smelling. The stones were seemly fitted tightly together without mortar, pointed arches and buttresses supporting the ceiling and floors above. The stairs ended in an elaborate decorative black iron gate.
In other ways it was very different from my expectations. No torch sconces as so many movies had taught me, but rather instead was small niches carved into the walls for either candles or oil lamps. No cobwebs, or any evidence of insects or vermin for that matter. No mold or mildew that I could see or smell. Just that rotten sauerkraut smell. The Gate lacked any death motifs; skulls, bones, crosses, chains, that kind of thing. Instead it was decorated with arabesque curlicues. No obvious keyholes, just a circular plate where the two haves join together, with the Triquetra symbol of the Realm engraved thereon.
My Triskele glowed blue as I approached.
I used my Staff to knock on the Gate, to see if it was locked more than anything. The ring of the tap was far deeper than I expected, a full bell tone. A line from Shakespeare seemed appropriate, it sprang unbidden to my lips:
“By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes. Open locks, whoever knocks.”
My wedding band began to glow, pressing it to the plate I heard a click and the Gate opened.
Band of Triquetra: Oathkeeper-Attention you have acquired the opportunity to Keep an Ancient Oath.
The Warding has Recognised your Authority to Enter.
You have gained access to the Briarwood Catacombs. Once Holy Ground, time and curse has transformed this crypt into Haunted Ground. The Gate has been Warded against all Evil, Wicked, and Undead Spirits and Creatures.
As a Sacred Agent of Neutrality you are duty bound to Lay to Rest and Peace the Unquiet Dead.
Alignment Experience shall be Earned for each Source of Corruption returned to Harmony.
Chaplain Class Experience shall be Earned for each individual Laid to Rest.
Undead added to list of potential {Favored Enemies}.
I would have retreated at that point, but even as the Gate doors swung open, I heard footsteps approach from the Darkness.