There was a sharp pain in the back of my head when I hit the log in button, but other than that it was a smooth process. I get more and more impressed with this game every time I see how advanced it is. Instead of a plain white expanse I was standing in an overgrown garden in from of a mirror-like Crystal jutting up from the ground and reaching well above my short 5 foot 4 inch self. This is the coolest character creation area I have ever seen. After a few minutes of gawking at my surroundings I finally placed my hand on the crystal, triggering the process. A slightly transparent blue window appeared.
Please Select your race
"Dwarf" I responded without even bothering to check the options. I've always felt a connection to them and always played one when given the option. Maybe it's a short thing, I don't really know.
Would you like to select a sub-species?
Huh, That's new. there was nothing in the promotional material that said anything about there being sub-species. It's nothing new or revolutionary, but it shows a strong attention to detail. Plus one on the respect meter from me.
"Display sub-race options" I said, and a list appeared.
Mountain Dwarf: Shorter than the other species, but much tougher. Gains the "Stone-skin" trait
Hill Dwarf: The tallest sub-species of Dwarf, and the most skilled warriors. Gains the "Dwarven Combat Training" trait
Gold Dwarf: Bronze skin and an obsession with wealth define these dwarves. Gains the "Dwarven Greed" trait
Deep Dwarf: The only sub-species of dwarf to embrace magic and was thus forced to live deep underground to avoid persecution. Gains the "arcane affinity" and "True Darkvision" traits.
Half-Blood: Choose 2 Dwarven sub-species and gain the benefits of both, but lose the "Dwarven Bond" trait
Ok, that's cool. They seemed to covered just about every kind of dwarf I can think of. I'm probably going to pick the half-blood, but before I do, "Display Dwarven Bond"
Dwarven Bond: A trait shared by all dwarves that drive them to see kinship with each other no matter which clan they belong and to respect and honor each other even if they are enemies. Dwarves without this trait are considered dishonorable and will likely be snubbed by other dwarves.
Ouch. That's a pretty nasty negative, even when you take into account the positives. It could easily cripple you in the early and late game if you can't find a way around it. Dwarves are the best smiths, period. Having them snub you could cost you big time in repairs and limt your ability to upgrade your equipment. Whelp, this is going to be interesting. "I choose Half-blood with the combined sub-races being Deep Dwarf and Mountain Dwarf."
Are tou sure? y/n
After a momentary hesitation I selected yes. This was not going to be an easy road, but I figure I'll find some way to compensate for that nasty down-side. Besides I have a plan regarding the positive traits I am getting from the Deep and Mountain dwarf sub-races.
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As World Walkers is a skill based experience that does not rely on classes you are able to select 3 skills from a list compiled based on your selected race. Please do so now.
An absolutely massive list of skills appeared in front of me. "Holy shit, this is going to take a while." I said to myself. I started sifting through the list quickly eliminating the ones that I had no interest in, or did not fit my plan of action. The whole process took more than a couple of hours, but I finally narrowed it down to 3.
Blacksmithing: Gain knowledge and skills necessary to forge and shape metal. Skill rank determines quality and type of materials workable. Level up bonus: +2 Str, +2 Dex
Unarmed: Can learn and used any unarmed fighting techniques. Skill rank determines damage and effectiveness. Level up bonus: +2 Str, +2 Dex, +2 Con
Mana Cultivation: Instead of Chi you can cultivate mana and use it as thought it were chi. Skill rank determines effectiveness, power, and mana regen. Level up Bonus: +2 Int, +2 wis
The first 2 skills were expected, but the last on was a bit of a surprise. It was likely due to the Deep Dwarf bloodline. When I was sifting through the skills I noticed they all had a level bonus to stats and when I asked the system what that was about it told me that when you level up you only gain 3 stat points to freely spend and that the bonuses from the skills are given every level up as a way to promote focus on skills rather than levels and to prevent stat inflation. Though stats can be raised through training it's gain at such a slow rate that even the most hardcore of grinders will likely only treat it as a side task rather than trying to create uber characters through it.
With all that done it was time to design my avatar. What appeared on the mirror-like crystal was a stereotypical dwarf, but with dark grey skin instead of the usual tan. I made a few tweaks to emphasize strength and sturdiness, which resulted in very square and muscular features. Instead of a full beard I went with a large mustache that flowed into glorious over-the-top mutton chops. I kept the thick stubble on the chin to keep the overall look rugged. I chose a mohawk for the hairstyle. Not a very tall one, but it was tall enough to stand out. I selected black as the color for my facial hair and mohawk. I then chose blue for the eyes, I had hovered over green for a bit, but liked blue better for the appearance as a whole. From toes to the tip of the mohawk my avatar stood a whopping 5 feet even. Finally satisfied I hit confirm.
Please select a name
"Duran Blackiron" I said, having already decided on the name long before I even logged in.
Welcome to World Walkers Duran Blackiron
My vision then went black.
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A/N: A super short first chapter, but it has everything I wanted it to have. I plan to make future chapters longer.