[Dawn, 17 Sixthmonth, Swagger’s Point of View]
I’m close. I have less than 100 XP to go before achieving Level 12. I have my Dark Sight running, and am analyzing the other horses as well as other objects in the stable. In between analyzes, I make water. I usually do that from my lower lip, which allows me to drink it as I make it. (Sometimes I make it at one of my hooves if I’m not thirsty.) But ‘where’ soon turns to ‘wow’ as I am notified:
Achievement: Make Water, D
Achievement: Level 12
Granted Skill: Clear Mind, F
Granted Skill: Telekinetic Arms, F
“Yes!”
“Thank you, gods.”
“Query character sheet.”
Name: Swagger
Race: Horse
Sex: male
Age: 3
Fragmented Class: Mindsmith
Level: 12
Base Attributes: (A.N.: Swagger only sees final sums)
Agility: 8 +1 +11 +1 = 21
Charisma: 10 +1 = 11
Dexterity: 8 +1 = 9
Endurance: 8 +1 +22 +2 = 33
Intelligence: 8 +20 +2 = 30
Luck: 8 +11 +1 = 20
Perception: 8 +17 +1 = 26
Strength: 8 +1 +22 +2 = 33
Vitality: 8 +22 +2 = 32
Wisdom: 8 +15 +2 = 25
Level bonuses
Race: +1 Agi, +2 End, +1 Luc, +2 Str, +2 Vit
Mindsmith: +1 Cha, +1 Dex, +2 Int, +1 Per, +2 Wis
Stats
HP: 613/684, max = (Luc + Str*3 + Vit*6)*(1+lvl/10)
SP: 569/631, max = (Per + Agi*3 + End*6)*(1+lvl/10)
Ki: 380/470, max = (Int + Dex*3 + Wis*6)*(1+lvl/10)
Granted Skills
HP Regen, D
SP Regen, C
Ki Regen, D
Clear Mind, F
Telekinetic Arms, F
Learned Skills
Running, B
People Conveying, C
Common Labor, C
Meditation, C
Tactics, D
Kicking & Stomping, E
Visualization, E
Common Ki Skills
Analyze: C
Dark Sight: B
Infertility: C
Make Water: D
I wonder why those new lines are italicized. I’ll ask Interface.
“Query skill Clear Mind.”
Clear Mind greatly fortifies your mind against both mental attacks and self-generated stresses. The passive mental benefits from Meditation complement Clear Mind for an even stronger capability. This skill helps you maintain a logical thought process and provides a sense of calmness. Capability improves with rank and wisdom. Rank F values:
Mental Stress Reduction: 15% + (wisdom/10)%
Mental Attack Resistance: 15% + (wisdom/10)%
Ki Rate: 1/min
SP Rate: 1/min
I’ll have enough Ki Regen to run this along with Dark Sight and still be able to use Analyze and Make Water. That will help me rank Ki Regen to C.
“Query skill Telekinetic Arms.”
Telekinetic Arms provides the Mindsmith with direct capabilities to manipulate their physical environment. It offers from one to three arms scaled in length to your overall body size. At Rank F you have a single tentacle which can become two full arms and hands by Rank C. You may extend arm(s) from almost any portion of your body. Their strength is only one third of that indicated by your strength attribute. Capability improves with rank, agility, and dexterity. Perception is a minor factor offering tactile feedback. It becomes a much greater factor at Rank B if you choose to manifest an eye at the end of your third arm rather than a hand. Rank F values:
Arms Available: 1 tentacle
Digits Available: 0
Hands Available: 0
Eyes Available: 0
Ki Rate: arms * 2/min
SP Rate: arms * 10/hour + exertion
Respawn: 6 seconds
I may not be able to continually run everything at once even when Ki Regen ranks to C. No matter. This is fantastic! Let’s try this out.
I focused on circulating ki to my brain, thinking about maintaining a clear mind. I felt a sense of calmness, even though I had not been nervous beforehand. My excitement transformed itself to a calm curiosity.
I can get used to this. I must be using about -. No. I am using 1 ki/minute for Clear Mind and 0.86 ki/minute for Dark Sight. Ki load is 1.86 ki/minute. Does ‘logical thought processes’ mean -? Yes, my ability to think in specifics is enhanced. Obviously, I should take the next step.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
I focused on sending ki to my left shoulder and pictured a tentacle forming. I became aware of a new appendage where I had imagined it. I pictured lifting it and moving it in front of my face. There it is, estimated length is about one yard. I curled it, forming a spiral.
With about 1.5 rotations, estimated flexibility is one thirtieth of a circle per inch. The next step is to turn off Clear Mind and compare.
Wow, I see the 1.5 rotations, but it is no longer obvious what that means in terms of estimated flexibility. Forrest is going to love hearing about this!
I reactivated Clear Mind and wondered -.
My tentacle adds a ki load of 2/minute. Total load is 3.86 ki/minute, or 192.86 ki/hour. My Rank D Ki Regeneration is only 165 ki/hour, but if my 470 maximum ki began fully charged, I could maintain all three skills active for about 16 hours, assuming I did not also use Analyze and/or Make Water during that period.
The capability to perform such calculations will prove most useful.
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[Fourthday, 6 Seventhmonth, Arrjee Silverstone’s Point of View]
The business with emissary meant that I couldn’t level until after 10, at least I couldn’t with Forrest present. I had been waiting for years, so what is another hour? We went home after that. No one else was there. Dad must have decided this was for ‘the boys’ to do alone, and Carrie probably went to campus to train her tailoring or do her grades with Norrus and Swagger.
Norrus usually sleeps at his home now, and he will be doing his grades with Dorra Marson starting next week. Everyone expects him to become another academy cadet, but he hasn’t done so yet. He probably wants to wait until he thinks of himself as being fully healthy.
I half-joked with my brother. “Just so you know you’re only here so I can ask Interface about anything I might have questions about.” Interface dutifully sent a party invite.
I: A wise precaution.
Forrest asked in mock offense, “Can’t I get any respect in my own home?” I responded with the requisite silence, and I expect Interface did as well.
“I still plan to choose the Swordmaster and Telekinetic classes. But I want to explore the choices some also. Who knows? Kossa was sure she would take Hydromancer, but she ended up with Void Mage instead. Any advice before I begin?”
I: Take your time. With a normal interface, this is your chance to see what is offered.
“Also, you don’t have to complete this now. If something comes up, you can start over later.”
“I know I don’t have to, but I want to. I’ve been waiting for this for years! While my eyes are closed, you’ll know I am interfacing.”
|| or sleeping. humor. Good luck!
“Interface, let’s level.”
Greetings, Arrjee Silverstone. You have met the requirements to be graduated to Level 1. You will be given three sets of choices. The first is optional, but will simplify the follow-up choices. Second, you will choose your Primary class. Finally, choose your secondary class. After that, you will see your Level 1 character sheet and assign 2 free points.
Aetherial Options: Mana ● | Ki ● | None ● | Select via Primary Class ●
I didn’t want to limit what it would show me.
“Primary Class please.”
Choose Primary Class: By Name ● | By Alphabetical List ● | By Hierarchy ●
I don’t need to see a huge list of everything.
“By Hierarchy.”
Martial ● | Adventuring Magic ● | Support ● | Crafting ●
Once I choose Swordmaster, it won’t show the Ki classes any more. Let’s explore first.
“Adventuring Magic, please.”
Dark Arts ● | Elemental ● | Miscellaneous ●
None of the dark arts appealed to me. I expected to see Necromancer, and Willmaster is a Ki class that lets me try to control someone I am in contact with. One was really disgusting, although I think More would have appreciated the practical use of what is available. “Would the Excretionist class cause you to lose a charisma point each level?”
Forrest asked, “What is that?”
I: It offers neither bonus nor penalty to charisma.
“Imagine using in battle any and everything that comes out of your body.”
“I … didn’t want to imagine that.” || disgust. Don’t choose it, or find another boyfriend! humor
I laughed at him, and then continued into the Elemental classes. Those included the Void Mage class Kossa took and Hydromancer, which she didn’t. There was also Forcemaster which Nictus has, and Orian’s Aeromancer. The ones she didn’t mention were ki based, like Thermalist and Diffusionist – messing with your body’s temperature and density, or objects you were in contact with.
I backed up and looked in the Miscellaneous category. Telekinetic caught my eye right away. I needed to go back here when choosing my secondary. Chiller would allow me to shoot ice in various ways, and there was Master Trillet’s Wallmaster. There were seven total classes here, but I was ready to start actually choosing mine. I know they said to take my time, but I really want to level. I backed up two steps and chose ‘Martial’.
Surprisingly, this category was broken down by aetherial type, Ki, Magic, and None. I took a quick look in Ki and None. There was a lot of repetition. I knew many of the attack types could be any of the three, so it makes sense these are broken down this way. I went to Magic and saw a lot of the same things. Sword classes were available in all three. I only saw Martial Arts under Ki, though.
“I choose Swordmaster.”
Swordmaster accepted. You will be given the option to change your selection prior to locking in both classes.
I hurried through my secondary class selection. Nothing had changed my mind, so I chose Telekinetic.
Telekinetic accepted.
Lock in Swordmaster and Telekinetic: Yes ● | No ●
My character sheet scrolled by as soon as I selected Yes.
Name: Arrjee Silverstone
Race: Covargh (12.5% Human)
Sex: Male
Age: 15
Primary Class: Swordmaster
Secondary Class: Telekinetic
Level: 1
Base Attributes:
Agility: 12
Charisma: 13
Dexterity: 11
Endurance: 16
Intelligence: 13
Luck: 9
Perception: 10
Strength: 11
Vitality: 12
Wisdom: 10
Free Points: 2
Level bonuses
Race: +1 Agi, +1 Dex, +1 End, +1 Per, +1 Str, +2 Vit
Primary Class: +1 Agi, +1 Dex, +1 End, +1 Luc, +1 Per, +1 Str
Secondary Class: +1 Cha, +1 Dex, +2 Int, +1 Vit,+1 Wis
Stats
HP: 89/132, max = (Luc + Str*3 + Vit*6)*(1+lvl/10)
SP: 110/143, max = (Per + Agi*3 + End*6)*(1+lvl/10)
MP: 0/133, max = (Wis + Dex*3 + Int*6)*(1+lvl/10)
Granted Skills
HP Regen, E
SP Regen, E
MP Regen, F
Penetrating Blade, F
Parry Sense, F
Push, F
Learned Skills
Running, C
Swimming, D
Meditation, E
Tactics, D
Common Labor, D
Hunting, D
Shopkeeping, F
Basic Swordsmanship, D
Basic Shieldsmanship, E
Wrestling, D
Visualization, E
Deception, E
Common Magic Skills
Analyze, F
Do you wish to assign your free points at this time? Yes ● | No ●
I opened my eyes. “That’s it. I am a Swordmaster and Telekinetic. I still need to assign two free points, though. I get three points each level in dexterity and vitality, and only one each in charisma, luck, and wisdom. I know I’m putting one in wisdom, which will bring it to 11. I’ll plan on adding one to that each level. All my attributes are at least ten except for luck being 9. Do you agree with bringing luck to 10?”
“If you are satisfied where everything else is, yes. I know you got a good head start training a number of the other attributes, but you couldn’t train luck.”
I: Luck would be beneficial.
I told my interface Yes and assigned one each to luck and wisdom.
“My new skills are Penetrating Blade, Parry Sense, and Push. Doesn’t Sun have Parry Sense also?”
I: Yes. There is significant overlap among the weapon-related melee skills. Remember, though, that Sun’s Parry Sense is part of the Defensive Armsman class. His defensive capability will be slightly more effective than yours, just as your offense-amplifying skills will be slightly more effective than his.
We spoke about my new skills for a while. I did not need to read their descriptions aloud, because Interface could show them to Forrest directly. Push will let me push away a person or object. At F, it forms an invisible circle of about 3 inches in diameter and will push something back about 3 yards from me. Penetrating blade improves my sword attacks whether I am using it to cut or stab.
After that discussion, I told Forrest, “You have a promise to keep. You said that once I leveled, you would teach me Infertility. || I’m tired of worrying about pregnancy! humor