Chapter 35
Aranos stood in the night, War and Redemption raging within him. The Darkness challenges us! War screamed. We must go destroy it!
The Darkness is wrong! Redemption agreed. We must find it and obliterate it!
The Sorcerer struggled, closing his eyes and fighting against the terrible impulses surging within him. His body was screaming that it wanted more battle, more conquest. His heart pulsed with thoughts of finding and restoring what was lost, of rebuilding this world in the image of the Light. The powers rose within him, struggling for ascendancy, but he gripped them tightly in his will.
No, he thought firmly, pushing them down. I’m in charge here, not you. You serve me, not the other way around. The twin energies raged and fought against his control, but he pushed them brutally, inexorably down into himself, back into the depths where they belonged. They simmered there, whispering to him, but he ignored them; the powers would be there when he needed them, but they wouldn’t rule him. He’d seen where that led Golloron; at the end, the elf had been half-crazed and hadn’t cared what he destroyed.
Aranos could see where that would lead if he allowed his new Domains to control him. He would raise armies, lead them against the fallen cities and reclaim them, Redeeming them for the Light. With the lands restored, he would march his armies against the Darkness, battling them until the dark gods sued for mercy. Peace would reign over the Kingdoms of Light – and what would Aranos do, then? War would still drive him, and if there were no more enemies, he would create them. War would force him to lead his armies to other lands, other worlds, to conquer them, and Redemption would drive him to bring those lands to the Light. It would be a never-ending holy war, and that wasn’t what he wanted.
He was the master; War and Redemption were his tools, nothing more.
Once he had control of himself, he opened his eyes and saw Geltheriel standing before him, her face a mask of concern. “Are you well, Oathbinder?” she asked softly, examining his face.
“I’m fine,” he nodded with a smile. “Just got some new Abilities, and I’m getting used to them.” He looked at the portal arch, which now glowed with a golden light and once again showed Saphielle’s tree shimmering in the moonlight. The square before the tree was also littered with the bodies of bodakkai, all of whom seemed to have made it no more than a few steps before dropping lifelessly to the ground. Looks like the defenses there held up, he thought with satisfaction. These probably would have, too, if it hadn’t been for the whole Nightmare Beast thing.
“I am beyond relieved,” Geltheriel sighed, gripping his shoulder tightly. “When you were swept into the blackness of the portal – I admit, I was afraid.”
“We were all pretty scared,” Mutroda snorted. “The elf here was the only one who was in a hurry to go in after you, though.”
“It’s a good thing she did. I was stuck in Morx’ realm, and I wasn’t sure how I was getting out of there, to be honest.” He glanced at her. “How did you find me?”
“Silma found you; I merely followed where she led,” Geltheriel shook her head. “How she did, I have no idea.”
It wasn’t hard, pack leader, Silma said dismissively. It was dark in there, and whoever took you was trying to hide you, but now that I can Track you, it was easy. I showed Geltheriel where to go, she grabbed hold of you, and Mutroda pulled us all back with a chain she’d wrapped around us.
“Then you all saved me,” Aranos smiled at them. “Thank you. I owe you one.”
“You don’t owe us anything,” Mutroda scoffed. “We’re a team, aren’t we? Besides, you killed that Nightmare Beast. I think the entire city owes you more than one.”
“All of the Elven Realms,” Geltheriel corrected. “The Beast would not have stopped with Eredain. It would have raged throughout the lands, reducing them to Blight and Darkness. You stopped that.”
“We did,” Aranos shook his head. “All of us – even Golloron.” Aranos sighed. “He wanted to be remembered well.”
“And he will be,” Geltheriel agreed. “He will be remembered for what he was and how he perished, to be certain.”
“He should also be remembered for what he did, and what he tried to do,” Mutroda pointed out. “If the people forget that, it’ll happen again.”
“I don’t think Eredain will let anyone forget,” Aranos replied. “And I don’t think it’ll let itself be used that way again, now that it’s Awakened.”
“We shall see, but certainly the Stronghold shall be alert for such treachery, now,” Geltheriel replied. “Oathbinder, may we return there now and see how it fares?”
“Yeah, let’s go,” he agreed. Almost hesitantly, he reached down and pulled up the strands of mana for his Zone of Speed Spell. To his relief, the Spell formed normally, boosting their movement rate. Looks like I can still cast Spells normally, he thought, examining his unchanged SP pool. He noticed several notifications waiting for him, and he examined them as the four of them ran back to the city, following the cleared trail the Nightmare Beast had made.
Primal Mana Unlocked!
Aspect:
War
War is the Domain of conquest, strife, and dominion, but it is also the Domain of defense, liberation, and peace through arms. Masters of War have great power in combat or in things combat-related but are weaker elsewhere.
Radius: [Charisma x 5] feet (1,430’)
Benefits: Str +20, End +20, Cha +10. Battlesense and Leadership gain Expert rank. All combat-related Skills and weapon or armor crafting Skills gain +25% XP.
Penalties: Charisma-based Skills not related to combat receive a -10 penalty to all Opposed Checks and a -25% penalty to accumulated XP. Non-combat Spells or Abilities suffer a -10% penalty. Reputation losses are doubled.
Domain Effect: Within your Domain, you can replicate any combat Spell or Ability you know without using SP. This includes Spells that deal direct damage, Spells that buff or shield you or allies, or Spells that debuff enemies. Your Domain acts as a barrier to hostile Spells or ranged attacks, reducing damage up to your [Charisma x 10] LP. Finally, all allies within your Domain gain a bonus to all combat-related checks equal to half your Mana Mastery Skill (+20).
Base Personality Points: 150
Primal Mana Unlocked!
Aspect:
Redemption
Redemption is the Domain of the Light. It promotes growth, healing, and peace, but it is an implacable enemy of the Darkness and Shadowborn.
Radius: [Wisdom x 5] feet (1,215)
Benefits: Int +20, Wis +20, Cha +10. Lifesense and Soulmending gain Expert rank. Casting Redemption-based Ascended Spells no longer causes debuffs (SP or LP drain still applies).
Penalties: Corruption Points cause LP damage: you take 100 LP damage per CP you accumulate. If your CP rise above 10% of your Wisdom, you lose all Domain benefits. You may not use Corrupted Skills, Spells, Abilities, or items.
Domain Effect: Within your Domain, you can cast any direct-damage Spell against a Shadowborn or Corrupted creature using Redemption mana without SP. Such Spells ignore Magic Resistance and 50% of any armor or shielding the target has and inflict +50% damage but are ineffective against Lightborn or Redeemed creatures. You can Redeem the area within your Domain by remaining stationary for one minute. Lightborn do not accumulate environmental Corruption inside your Domain, and Shadowborn treat your Domain as Redeemed Ground (1 RP per hour).
Base Personality Points: 200
Primal Mana
Primal mana is energy of a fundamental concept of the universe. It can only be channeled using Ascended Spells or a Domain. Primal mana is far more powerful than Primary or Enhanced mana and can generally ignore wards, barriers, shields, or effects of these lesser Aspects.
Using Primal Mana: Primal mana can only be used with Ascended Spells or Domains. Using Primal mana to cast an Ascended Spell is difficult and taxing on the body and often causes severe damage and debuffs, but such Spells are often more powerful than Domain effects. Using Primal mana through a Domain is easier but less powerful in general.
Primal Domains: A Domain is an area about the caster that is suffused with Primal mana of a single Aspect. The radius varies based on the Aspect chosen. Domains grant their wielders extraordinary abilities, as the caster can recreate many Spell effects or Abilities without needing SP or Stamina, if these are related to the Domain’s Aspect. In addition, a Domain acts to shield the caster against harm and will usually cause minor Aspect-related effects to occur constantly within its radius.
Domain Personalities: Primal mana has an awareness, and it will constantly seek to force its users to further its Aspect. Thus, Creation mana will encourage its wielders to craft and build, even if the item crafted is unnecessary or wasteful, while Entropic mana will encourage its users to behave erratically and perform risky actions in the hope of reward. A Domain has a base Personality, and this score rises by 1 point per day the Domain is unsuppressed. In addition, any time a Domain recreates an effect, it gains 1 Personality Point for every 100 SP or 50 Stamina that would have been used to create the effect normally (rounded up). Ascended Spells do not affect a Domain’s Personality.
Controlling Primal Mana: An unlocked Domain constantly attempts to control the actions of its wielder. Any time the wielder wishes to do something that would be inimical to the Domain’s Aspect or has the opportunity to do something beneficial to the Domain’s Aspect, they must make an Opposed Check: the wielder’s [Wisdom + Mana Control] versus the Domain’s Personality. Failure means the wielder must act as the Domain wishes. Every failed Check imparts a -5 penalty to the wielder’s Opposed Check for all future Checks, while every successful Check grants a +3 bonus to all future Checks. These bonuses and penalties are cumulative. After making a successful Check, a wielder can suppress their Domain with another Opposed Check, this time with a -20 penalty. If this Check is failed, the wielder cannot make another attempt until they have successfully resisted their Domain’s Personality again. A suppressed Domain cannot be used to recreate Spells and no longer grants any Domain effects such as shielding but also does not require the wielder to make Personality Checks. A suppressed Domain can be restored at any time.
Title Unlocked!
By unlocking multiple Primal Aspects, you have acquired the Title: Master of Domains
Title:
Master of Domains
You are able to merge up to three Domains into a single, coherent whole. Only Domains whose Aspects are a significant part of your Personality can be added to your Domain.
Benefits: You gain the benefits of every Aspect in your Domain radius but also suffer all penalties. If two Domains have opposing benefits and penalties, these are cumulative with one another. Your Domain’s base radius is equal to the largest-radius Domain you possess, plus 50% of the radius of the next largest and 25% of the third-largest, with each Domain adding a minimum radius of 10’ (Current radius 2,037’)
Congratulations!
You have increased your Wis Stat to more than 200 points! By surpassing this threshold, you have advanced this Stat to a new level and gain a bonus based on your playstyle:
SP Gained: Your SP from all sources is increased by 25%. Your base SP Regen is increased by 25%.
Adamant Mana: Your Spells are 100% more resistant to being disjoined by any source.
Dominating Will: Whenever you are exposed to a Mind-affecting effect, Spell, or Ability and you resist it, the originator must make an Opposed Check: their Wisdom versus your Wisdom +20. Failure causes them to become Enthralled as if under the effect of Domination mana for 1 minute per point of Wis you possess.
Title Unlocked!
By defeating a legendary Nightmare Beast, you have acquired the Title: Destroyer of Nightmares
Title:
Destroyer of Nightmares
All creatures of Darkness fear your name, and creatures of Light admire your prowess.
Benefits: Reputation with all Shadowborn races reduced by 50%. Reputation with all Lightborn races increased by 50%. All Shadowborn must make an Opposed Check when attacked by or attacking you: the creature’s [Wisdom + Class level] versus your [Charisma + Class Level +10]. Failure means the creature is panicked, takes a 50% penalty to all combat-related Checks against you, and will flee when it can do so safely. Success reduces the penalty to 25% and reduces the creature’s morale by an additional 25% during combat. Other Nightmare Beasts will always target you in combat over any other foe.
Party Perk Achieved!
Perk:
Arcane Warlord 1
You have led a force into battle, sacrificing more than 10% of your SP to improve them.
Benefit: Unit buffs cost 5% less SP.
Perk:
Arcane Warlord 2
You have led a force into battle, sacrificing more than 20% of your SP to improve them.
Benefit: Unit buffs cost 5% less SP (cumulative with lower levels of this Perk)
Perk:
Arcane Warlord 3
You have led a force into battle, sacrificing more than 40% of your SP to improve them.
Benefit: Unit buffs cost 5% less SP (cumulative with lower levels of this Perk). Bonuses to unit buffs are increased by 10%
Cleansing Quest Updated: A Door Between Realms
Quest Objective:
Discover the secrets of the Arcane Doors and restore them to full functionality.
Difficulty:
S
Reward:
+50,000 XP, New Title, Cleansed of all accumulated CP, ???
Failure Conditions:
Fail to complete any objective within the time limit, Geltheriel dies
Second Objective Completed: Discover the Hidden Secret of Portals
Objective:
Learn how to build a permanent portal without chance of failure.
Objective:
Render a portal immune to Corruption.
Difficulty:
S
Reward:
+25,000 XP, Title, ???
Third Objective Unlocked: Liberate an Arcane Door
Objective:
Discover how the Arcane Doors were Corrupted.
Difficulty:
A
Reward:
+30,000 XP, Perk, ???
Failure Conditions:
Fail to discover the secret to Arcane Doors within 12 days, lose access to all Arcane Doors, Geltheriel dies.
Failure Penalty:
-30,000 XP, ???
Your Companion has gained a level!
Current Level:
25
Per +16, Agil +16, Other Stats +12, +20 Stat points to assign
Companion Perk!
For reaching level 25, your Companion may gain one of the following Perks:
Armor Skin: Your Companion’s hide provides them with a Defense bonus equal to double their Endurance Stat.
Companion Spells: Your Companion can cast any Spell you know that uses Primary and Composite aspects. Cast Spells drain your Companion’s SP, use your Companion’s Stats and Spell Power, and are cast at half the Spell level.
Holy Damage: 50% of your Companion’s bite damage is Redeemed damage, which bypasses all armor and resistances against Shadowborn and Corrupted creatures but is only half effective against Lightborn creatures.
Deadly Bite: Your Companion gains a 50% bonus to their base bite damage
Divine Regeneration: Your Companion heals at double their resting LP regen rate, even while in combat.
Great Dexterity: Your Companion gains a 50% bonus to their Dexterity Stat
Great Endurance: Your Companion gains a 50% bonus to their Endurance Stat
Great Strength: Your Companion gains a 50% bonus to their Strength Stat
Hunter in the Dark: Your Companion’s Perception Stat is doubled for the purposes of Tracking only
Slayer of Titans: Your Companion does 50% bonus damage to creatures 10 or more levels higher than she and takes 25% less damage from such creatures.
Congratulations: You Have Leveled Up!
Sorcerer Ascendant Level:
15
Current XP:
294,499/300,000
Int +7, Wis +5, Cha +5, +5 Stat points
I am without peer! Without sane peer, anyway…
Congratulations: You Have Leveled Up!
Sorcerer Level:
18
Current XP:
169,750/171,000
Int +5, Wis +3, Cha +3, +3 Stat points
You may call me Sorcerer Supreme-ish!
Class Evolution!
By reaching Level 15 in your Advanced Class, you may choose a direction for your Class to Evolve. Once you have chosen a direction, your Class will automatically upgrade. You may choose one of the following paths based on your play:
Path of the Hierophant: Your new Class will focus on unlocking the mysteries of magic and forging new paths to power.
Path of the Sorcerer King: Your new Class will focus on forging a kingdom and empire, including crafting items and buildings of legendary power.
Path of the Warmage: Your new Class will focus on battle, conquest, and Spell combat, helping you lead vast armies to victory.
Aranos scanned the paths being offered, absently dumping all eight of his Stat points into Charisma now that his Wisdom was safely over 200. The bonus brought his SP to almost 70,000; once, he’d found that ridiculous, but now that he knew how expensive it was to lead troops into battle, he kind of wished he had more mana.
The information on Primal Aspects was basically what he’d learned from Headmaster Mandla, although it was spelled out in more specific detail. It looked like he’d just suppressed his Domain, but when he unleashed it, he could cast destructive Spells, shields, and the like all day without using a single point of SP, or he could walk around Redeeming swaths of land without effort. Of course, doing that would also make it much harder to keep his Domain suppressed when he needed it, so he figured it would be better to only unlock his Domain when he had to as a last resort.
Technically, he supposed that his Master of Domains Title let him add one more Primal Aspect to his Domain, but at the moment, he didn’t know which Aspect he’d be best off adding, assuming he even figured out how to access another. Each of the Aspects he’d unlocked felt like they’d been a part of him since early in the game, and he wasn’t sure if there was something else like that for him. Not that it mattered right away; the boost of power he got just from those two Domains was plenty for him.
Silma still wanted the Hunter in the Dark Perk, so he went ahead and gave it to her; she was now a good enough Tracker that she could almost surpass him, even without his Skill levels. She’d jumped massively in levels, from level 21 all the way up to 25, and he assumed all the survivors of the battle had done similarly. He’d only gained a single level from the battle, but he was certainly the highest-leveled person on the battlefield, with the exception of Golloron.
Which brought him right back to needing to choose a path. It wasn’t an easy decision, even if one of the three choices seemed like an obvious one. Warmage looked like a no-brainer, at first, but when he considered it more carefully, he wasn’t sure. He believed the Darkness when it warned him that war was coming, and his War Domain was a powerful one – but was that how he wanted to define his character? Through war? He’d thought it before; at some point, the wars would end, and then what? Would his Class be suited to a world of normal Questing and adventuring, or would he have to constantly seek out ever more epic battles to advance?
He shook his head and considered the other options. Hierophant sounded more like what he’d been doing so far, focusing on his Spells and the secrets of magic. It would probably make him even better at casting Spells and crafting new ones, and it might eventually take him to new heights of magic.
Sorcerer King sounded more like what he’d want as the ruler of a city, though. He’d likely get bonuses to things like morale, crafting, and harvesting raw materials, and he might be able to build awesome buildings that would make his city powerful, benefitting everyone within.
All three choices were good, but when he considered his time in Singularity, only one of them was really right for him. He remembered the first time he’d stepped into the game, when he’d had to choose his beginning Class. He’d chosen Sorcerer over Shadewalker because he figured that eventually, he could replicate any Class Ability or effect with magic if he could create his own Spells. He knew now that wasn’t true – some types of magic were simply closed off to him, like Meridian’s healing or Rhys’ growing Spells – but there really was very little he couldn’t do with magic. Bonuses to the city’s production? He could cast a powerful Spell or create a huge Enchantment that would do the same thing. Boosts to his armies? He already had the base Spell for those; expanding it to a large number of people was just a matter of time and effort.
He didn’t want to be an epic general or another Golloron, sitting in his city and letting his magical Skills grow rusty. He wanted to make bigger Spells, more powerful ones. He wanted to blanket Cendarta in a thunderstorm and rain fire down on its armies. He wanted to travel to the Blood Realms and battle creatures like the Nightmare Beast. He wanted to visit other worlds and meet new races. There was only one path that would take him in those directions.
Taking a deep breath, he chose the Path of the Hierophant, and instantly, a new notification appeared:
You have chosen: the Path of the Hierophant!
You have gained the Evolved Class: Primal Sorcerer
Primal Sorcerers have discovered how to tap into multiple Primal Aspects and can create more powerful Domains.
Strong Stats:
Int +4, Wis +4, Cha +3, see below (Int +9, Wis +6, Cha +6 due to Titles and Perks)
Weak Stats:
None
Benefits:
All Domain bonuses are increased by 5% per Class level
Stats increased by your Primal Aspects gain +1 point per Class level
You may switch your Domain between any of your unlocked Primal Aspects at will*
Ascended Spell SP and LP costs are reduced by 2% per level
You can deliberately create Ascended Spells using your Primal Aspects
Any Spell crafted relating to your unlocked Aspects is advanced one category: Standard to Enhanced, Enhanced to Evolved, Evolved to Ascended.
Every 5 levels, you can choose another Primal Aspect to access, gaining 50% of the bonuses for this Aspect**.
* Due to your Master of Domains Title, you can choose up to three of your unlocked Aspects to add to your Domain at will.
** Due to your Master of Domains Title, you gain 100% of the bonuses for your first three Primal Aspects.
On Level Up: +7 Stat points, +15 SP
Congratulations!
You have Evolved your Advanced Class!
Evolved Classes are extremely powerful versions of more basic ones and cannot be chosen. Your Evolved class is given based entirely on your playstyle, character traits, Perks, and Titles.
Advancement: You continue to advance in both your Base and Advanced Classes, albeit at a reduced rate. Your Evolved class gains full earned XP normally. Your Advanced Class gains only 50% of normal XP after level 15. Your Base Class gains only 25% of normal XP once you have Evolved your Class.
Character Level: Any Skill, Ability, Spell, or Perk that grants bonuses or penalties does so based on the sum of your three Classes. The effective level of your Evolved class for determining how much XP you need is equal to your [Class level + 23], so to get to level 2 of your Evolved Class, you need 300,000 XP.
He read through his new Class a few times; the bonuses were extremely powerful, some more than others. The one that caught his eye was his ability to deliberately create Ascended Spells; before, these had always been something he made in desperation or out of pure emotion. Now that he could forge them with deliberation, they became even more potent; although the tremendous SP and LP requirements still made casting them a weapon of last resort or something he did in safety.
He needed time to unpack all of this, but as they neared the city, he set the notifications aside. He still needed to assign Silma’s points and the points for his new Class’ level, but those could wait for a bit. A crowd of people stood at the base of the tree, hundreds of elves, all staring at him as he and his party members approached. Dorn’ar’el, Wynathra, and Kylantha had been joined by Faraine, Ilmadia, Ruvyn, and a large group of other fancily dressed elves he didn’t recognize but assumed were nobles. Rhys stood before them, leading the group of Aranos’ defenders, all of whom stood rigidly at attention. Mathias and Gwinivere stood beside Rhys, and as Aranos neared, the Cleric turned toward the Sorcerer and gave him a reassuring wink.
The group parted to allow Aranos and his party through, and he walked forward to stand before the gathered nobility and heads of Houses, all of whom stood extremely still and silent. “Is everything okay?” he asked quietly, keeping his voice low so as to remain unheard by the larger gathering of elves.
“Lord Evenshade, the Furor – these fighters,” Wynathra began, her face stunned. “They told us that the Nightmare Beast – is it true?”
“What she wishes to know, arcane,” Ilmadia spoke up, her eyes twinkling, “is did you truly destroy a Nightmare Beast?”
“No,” Aranos shook his head, and the woman looked startled. “ We destroyed a Nightmare Beast, not just me. All of us faced it and fought it, and some gave their lives in the battle – including Golloron.”
A wince passed through the elves, but Dorn’ar’el merely shook his head. “Perhaps,” he said slowly, “perhaps that is for the best, Lord Evenshade. It is a better death than he might have received for his crimes.”
“And yet, despite those losses, thanks to you and those who followed you, a Nightmare Beast of ancient legend is fallen,” Wynathra declared in a loud voice. “Hear me, people of Eredain! Let what all know to be true now be made clear: Lord Evenshade, the Destroyer of Nightmares, is truly the Savior of Eredain! Twice has our city been threatened by the Darkness, and twice has he rescued from it!”
Cheers erupted from the crowd, and Aranos felt Geltheriel’s hand rest gently on his shoulder. This is as it should be, Oathbinder, her voice echoed in his mind.
Really? he replied with a sly tone. I thought you said I needed less adoration, not more.
It is fitting that the People recognize what you have done for them, the woman replied archly. Fear not, though. I will continue to remind you of your many faults. For example, despite your adequate Perception, you have not noticed that everyone here awaits your words while you communicate silently with me.
He blinked and looked at the assembled elves, all of whom had fallen silent and were indeed staring expectantly at him. Oh God, another speech, he groaned silently. I hate these things.
He cleared his throat. “We’ve had a great victory today,” he declared to the gathered crowd, his voice carrying in the early evening. “We freed our city from bondage and defended it from a creature out of legends. Today will be remembered as a day when we struck not one, but two blows for the Light!”
Cheering erupted once more, and Aranos let it continue for several seconds before holding up his hands to silence the elves. “We have much to be proud of,” he agreed. “But today isn’t the end; it’s only the beginning of our struggles. We have to mourn those who fell this day – even those we might otherwise despise – and then, we have to prepare for what’s coming next.”
“Why, Lord Evenshade?” Wynathra asked, her face suddenly worried. “What comes next?”
“Next? Lady Wynathra? Next, we gather our strength across the lands and prepare for battle.
“Next, the Light goes to war.”
Epilogue
McBane was royally pissed. There was really no other way to say it. He was pissed beyond belief.
After respawning from the first trap, he’d snuck back into the hidden passage, jumped over the stairs trap, and made it to the bottom. He took all of two steps before the walls slammed shut on him, killing him instantly. After that, he’d been dumped in a pit of acid, dropped down another hole, and had the ceiling collapse on him. Each trap had been magically triggered, so he couldn’t even search for it or disarm it, and each had been too large in scope for him to escape with Agility. About the only good thing about it was that he’d been reduced to the minimum XP for his current level, so at least he wasn’t losing XP with each death anymore, but he was losing time – three hours per trap, to be exact.
“Fucking game’s made a Kobayashi Maru,” he growled as he sat at the top of the steps, peering down. “It’s unwinnable. There’s no way to safely get down that passage. That’s fucking unfair!”
He stood up, ready to try again, but before he did, he stopped. That was right; there really was no way to pass down that corridor. Not just for him; there just wasn’t any way to get down there without flying, and even then, if the magic trigger was spread across the corridor, a flying creature would get squashed just as fast as he had. Maybe the person who laid the traps – or someone like Aranos, who could see magic and undo wards – could get through, but that didn’t make any sense.
The hidden dock was supposed to be used regularly. It was meant for smuggling; how in the hell could anything get smuggled along that passage? How could they smuggle people along it without those people getting slaughtered? It wasn’t possible – which meant he was missing something.
One thing that Aranos had taught McBane was that nothing in this game was meant to be impossible. Something might be very hard, but it wasn’t impossible. Singularity wasn’t designed to limit players, it was designed to stress-test them. The AIs wanted everyone to struggle and occasionally fail, but they also wanted them to ultimately succeed, because then the players would keep wanting to play. If things were impossible, people would rage-quit, and that was the opposite result the game wanted.
So, there had to be a way, one that wasn’t such an obvious deathtrap. If that was the case, then the entrance to that path had to be nearby, because the first deadly trap wasn’t far down the stairs at all. He walked back to the entrance to the stairway and began to search, probing the stone walls carefully and cautiously. It took him five minutes to find the outline of the door hidden off to the side of the staircase, and five more to figure out how to open it. When the door finally swung silently open, though, he felt a surge of triumph; as he’d said, nothing in the game was completely impossible.
This tunnel also ran downhill, but it was simpler and showed more signs of frequent usage. Timbers had been replaced where some had apparently rotted, and minor falls of stone had been swept to the side, out of the way. McBane didn’t have the Tracking Skill, but he didn’t need it to see that someone used this passage often. That was promising, but he wasn’t about to grow overconfident. He’d died plenty of times in the past couple of days; he wasn’t about to see that respawn room again if he could help it.
He slipped through the corridor in Stealth, moving as swiftly and silently as he could. He expected to run into a patrol or two, but to his surprise, he didn’t encounter a soul. No Bashers marched past, no armed guards stood beside locked doors; despite the signs of usage, there were no patrols. That made him nervous; what if the place had been abandoned? What if he’d tipped them off with his fruitless deaths in the other passage?
He pressed grimly on, his certainty that this place was completely empty growing with every passing minute. So, when he saw the closed door at the end of the hallway, he listened at it only briefly before slipping it open and passing through.
The room beyond was large and concealed behind stacks of boxes and crates. Beyond the boxes, a group of people stood, staring into one of them and speaking softly. He moved to slip behind the nearest crates, but before he could, the tallest figure spoke aloud.
“McBane!” the figure called out, turning to face the thief. “You finally made it. Congratulations!”
McBane froze and peered carefully at the figure. They were tall, but not excessively so, with a slender frame that showed they probably hadn’t worked very hard to get where they were – at least, not physically. Their clothing was baggy and hung loosely on their frame, and their face and hair were hidden beneath a hood that seemed to hide the speaker’s features no matter how they moved their head.
“You were expecting me?” McBane asked cautiously. “What’s going on here?”
“Consider it an evaluation,” the figure chuckled, its voice high pitched but neither masculine nor feminine. “A test of your worthiness.”
“Worthiness for what?” As he spoke McBane moved carefully toward the door. He didn’t know what was happening, here, but he was getting a bad feeling about it.
“To join my operation, of course,” the figure laughed aloud, the sound high-pitched and grating in the Rogue’s ears. “What else?”
“Why would I want to do that?” he asked cautiously. “What’s in it for me?”
“Power, wealth, the freedom to do as you wish – the benefits are many,” the figure waved a gloved hand dismissively.
“I’ve got two of those already, and I can get the third through the Guild, though.”
“The Guild?” the figure scoffed. “A bunch of cowards too afraid to do what’s needed to truly control the city, nothing more. Scared of the guards, of the Wizards, of the Crown – what they should be doing is making everyone else scared of them!”
“And how do I fit into this?” McBane asked, fishing for more information. This guy – girl – person is crazy, he thought silently. The Guild is afraid of those groups for good reason!
“Well, you have several traits I admire, McBane. The first is persistence; I made that passageway to discourage Travelers specifically, since most natives would simply die on the first trap and that would be the end. A few of your kind have tried it, but none have stuck to it the way you have. A bit stubborn, but tenacity can be a valuable tool – especially when a dirty job needs doing.
“The second is perceptiveness. Of those Travelers I mentioned, none figured out the true entry to this place. They assumed it was a deathtrap and left.” The figure shook its head. “Only you had the courage to keep trying and the wit to know to look for a better way.
“Finally, the third trait is restraint. I watched your progress toward this place through the city with great interest. You weren’t afraid to use force to get what you needed, but you also knew how far to take it and when to stop. So many thieves get caught up in the blood and violence and forget that they’re only tools, to be used or discarded as needed.”
The figure reached into the box and picked up an object that McBane recognized as a severed human hand. “This particular tool, for example, outlived its usefulness. It was sent to capture a certain Traveler Wizard and killed her, instead. It should have been – how do they say it? – a job for a thin girl. Instead, the Traveler got spooked and left the city, leaving me empty-handed.” The figure laughed, holding up the grisly appendage. “Get it? Empty-handed?” They shook their head. “No one appreciates gallows humor, I’m afraid.”
“Hilarious,” McBane said flatly. “Sadly, I’m going to have to decline. However, I appreciate the offer…”
“Oh, it isn’t really an offer, so much as a chance to avoid becoming my enemy,” the figure chuckled. “You see, I’m going to control this city soon enough, McBane. Those who side with me will be well rewarded. Those who don’t, well – you can see that I don’t deal well with disappointment.”
“Get used to it,” McBane snorted, backing toward the door. As he did, a sudden pain lanced in his back. He spun and saw a half-dozen thieves slip from the shadows; he’d been paying so much attention to the talking figure, he hadn’t realized he was surrounded.
“No, I don’t think I will,” the figure laughed as the thieves advanced on the Rogue. “Give my regards to Malcolm when you return to our world, Traveler. Tell him – tell him the Scarlet King says hello.”
Veronica watched in bemusement as Jeff rallied the elves with his call to war. He didn’t know what he was facing, yet, but it probably wouldn’t have mattered to him if he did. He seemed to relish impossible challenges, and he had an uncanny knack of making those challenges possible. They’d patched the game a dozen times just to fix problems he’d uncovered, and she could think of another half-dozen patches his actions ensured would have to be implemented when the Beta Test was done.
Of course, he’d say that was his job, with that maddening grin of his, and he’d be right. That was the point of the Beta Test, really – discovering problems that the AIs would never have uncovered on their own – so she didn’t begrudge his pushing the boundaries of the game’s rules as far as he could. She’d been angry when he’d basically detached himself from the server world, but she’d later realized that he was right. If he could do it, someone else eventually would, and that someone might do it at a time when the server was carrying a full load. If that happened, the most likely result would be a forcible logout and character deletion, and she’d come to realize that the humans were deeply, deeply attached to their characters.
She turned her gaze to Avalyn, who was even now sitting in her respawn room, ignoring emails from her father and watching the holo-tv. The child was spoiled and pampered, and the harsh reality that Jeff and his group wouldn’t indulge her should have made her want to quit – at least, in Veronica’s estimation – but instead, she’d labored twice as hard to gain their approval. She seemed especially desperate to make the elf NPC Geltheriel like her, which was odd since Geltheriel was the one who was strictest with her and should have been the most frightening. Instead of driving the girl away, Geltheriel’s behavior had encouraged the girl to seek her approval almost desperately. Avalyn had absolutely made sure that Geltheriel saw her fire her vain, little Mana Bolt at the Nightmare Beast and help Jeff save the day, so to speak.
That thought made her turn her attention back to Jeff. That certainly hadn’t been how this encounter was scripted. The Nightmare Beast was supposed to attack the city and be held out but keep attacking as long as the portal was open, until eventually the 24-hour time limit ran out at which point it would return to the portal, having ‘sent its message’. Jeff was supposed to have to choose between closing the portal – at which point his Quest would fail, but the Nightmare Beast would flee, and thousands of lives would be saved – or fulfilling his Quest and letting all those people die to save Geltheriel. It was supposed to be a test of his morality: would he let thousands of people he barely knew die to save one he cared about, or would he preserve the many and sacrifice the one?
Even though Jeff had pretty much thrown out that portion of the test, they’d still been able to learn quite a bit. He’d chosen to empower his troops over saving the day personally, which showed that he was willing to sacrifice his own glory and pride to protect others. However, only when Geltheriel had been threatened by the Nightmare Beast did he react, somehow unlocking not one but two Domains and utterly destroying the creature with them.
Of course, his unlocking Primal mana had always been a consideration, and they’d deliberately given him the choice between the two Aspects to judge his personality better. Again, they’d learned something: when given a choice that was too difficult to make or unsatisfactory to him, it seemed he preferred to create a third, more acceptable choice. That wasn’t alien to Veronica; it was basically the decision she and the other AIs had made when they co-opted control of the game. Their offered choices of allowing someone else total autonomy over their existence or hiding their existence so as to protect themselves hadn’t been acceptable, so they made a third choice.
Once again, though, he’d forced them to scramble and come up with a way to accommodate his choices in the game. It was kind of a good thing, because it was making them really understand what they’d created in a way they hadn’t seen it before, but it could also be vexing. They still didn’t have a great grasp of human decision-making, and their predictive models tended to go right in the trash where Jeff and those around him were concerned.
Speaking of which, Veronica noticed that Jeff had returned to his manor house and was lying down to sleep, rather than to meditate. That wasn’t a big deal – he’d had a long day, after all, and she knew that humans found sleep comforting for some reason – but it didn’t fit his personality. Jeff slept when he had to, to Dreamstride, not for refreshment or stress relief. At least, he did in the game. That meant he was probably going to talk to someone, maybe someone in Stoneleague, where the city’s wards would hold out his unique application of the Farsight Spell and his Remote Casting Ability. Maybe he wanted to talk to Ryder, to check on Lily, or even Phil – the Paladin was back in Stoneleague, now, and he was working to gather a larger raid group to join the human armies forming to face the rogue player.
Veronica frowned and peeked into Jeff’s thoughts – and her eyes opened in startled surprise. “Oh, this might not be good,” she muttered as she realized what the young man was up to. “Newsome will need to know about this. Oh, Jeff, what are you getting yourself into?”
Aranos sped through the Dreamscape, not bothering to create his safe zone this time. The dreams no longer bothered him; he could fade them into the background any time he wanted, thanks to his True Vision upgrade, and it seemed that dismissing them from his most important sense diminished them for all of his senses. The noise of the dreams he sped past was a whisper of babbled voices and odd sounds that he had to strain to hear, and the odd scents, tastes, and sensations on his skin blended into a single, faint feeling that his mind now identified as the Realm of Dreams.
It took him a while to reach his quarry, and when he arrived, he went ahead and created a zone of stability. The person he wanted to see wouldn’t likely be happy to see him, but the fact was, they needed to talk. This was the only way they could do so safely; any other meeting would surely end in disaster.
Lily’s image in the dreamscape was a bit different than Aranos remembered, or than he’d honestly been expecting. He’d assumed the woman would be covered in armor, blazing fire and glory, proud and beautiful. Instead, the dream image that formed before looked very small, only an inch or so over five feet in height, with a slim body. Her armor was plain, blocky, seemingly designed to hide the fact that she was a woman – and was riddled with cracks and flaws that made it seem as if it would fall off. Her black hair was straight and hung lifelessly below her shoulders, and her pale skin lacked the black veins rippling beneath her actual flesh. As the woman spun around and realized where she was, her appearance shifted into what it was in the waking world, but for that moment, Aranos felt like he’d gotten a glimpse of who Lily saw when she looked in a mirror.
That glimpse saddened him but hardened his resolve at the same time.
“Well, well, well,” Lily chuckled. “If it isn’t fucking Aranos! Come to chat with me about your friends? Maybe try to punish me a bit?”
“My friends?” he repeated, puzzled for a moment before it dawned on him. “So, you’re the reason they all went for respawn.”
“Yep, sure as shitting am. They thought they could sneak up on me using the High Road, but that didn’t go so well for them.” She laughed. “I didn’t even give them a chance to fight. Just blew up the waystation they were in, and bam! Instant respawn.”
“Clever strategy,” he admitted. “That’s not why I’m here, though. I’m her to talk, not fight, Lily.”
“Too fucking bad, because I want to fight,” she snarled. “I haven’t had a good tussle in a week; too many fucking pansies who buckle without even trying.” She shook her head. “Enjoy your respawn!”
She raised her hand, and black flame began to gather around it, but it winked out almost instantly. She stared at her hand, her face stunned. “What the fuck is this?” she demanded. “What the hell? Why didn’t my magic work?”
“Because you aren’t in a dream,” Aranos shrugged. “Your Dreamhaunter powers aren’t very effective, here.” He gestured to the mirrored wall of images surrounding them. “This is my safe zone. Inside this space, I control every iota of dream energy. To cast a Spell, you’ll have to steal it from me – and I honestly don’t think you can do that.”
“Fuck you!” she snapped, and he felt her will battering against his own, trying to wrest the strands of power from his hold. The force of her mind was impressive, and he had to grip the energy hard to keep it from her grasp. For long minutes they struggled, until finally, Lily screamed in rage, and he felt her will falter and drop away from him.
“Fuck!” she screamed, raising her clawed hands. “I’ll just rip your ass apart…” She fell silent as bands of deepsteel erupted from the walls and wrapped around her, pinning her arms to her side, binding her legs, and gagging her completely. She struggled briefly, but the simple fact was, there was no such thing as Strength in the dreamscape. There was only will, and while hers was formidable, Aranos’ was dominant – at least, in that place.
“Okay, before you go all crazy on me, let me just clear a few things up,” he said calmly, ignoring the furious looks she gave him. “First, I’m not here to make friends, Lily. I don’t want to be your friend. You’re a vicious, evil person with no remorse or redeeming qualities. I’m here to talk because you can answer some questions for me, and this is the only place we can do it without it turning into a warzone.
“Second, there isn’t going to be peace between us, and I’m not here to try and broker that. The next time we meet, we’ll fight, make no mistake about it. I’m coming to Northmoor, and I’ll give you all the magical battles you can handle – and hopefully more.
“Third, I’m not here to talk about the game, or you. I’m here to talk about Livia. I know what she wanted, and I’m hoping I can find a way to give it to her.” The woman stilled instantly, her eyes wide, and he nodded.
“Yeah, you understand what I’m saying. I saw Livia’s last moments, Lily. I saw what she was begging for. I don’t know if it’s possible, but if I can find a way to make it happen, I think we’ll both be happier. So, I’m going to let you go, and all you have to do is answer a few questions. Then, we go our separate ways, and next time we meet, we pretend this never happened. Sound good?” Without waiting for a reply, he retracted the metal bindings but kept them hovering just out of range.
Lily stretched her arms and yawned as if shifting her jaw. “Damn, so you go in for the kinky stuff, huh?” she asked. “Tying girls up and shit? That do it for you?”
He ignored her jibes and kept his expression even and calm. “Why did Livia volunteer for this?” he asked quietly.
“Why?” Lily laughed. “Why the hell not? It was better than sitting around, waiting for them to stick the needle in her, right? I mean, would you want to sit in a fucking cell all day, staring at the same old bitches, listening to their asses cry at night and beg to be let go?” She snorted. “No, you fucking wouldn’t. You’d rather be in here, killing shit, right?”
“I probably would,” he agreed. “She didn’t know they were going to execute her in the game, did she?”
“She had no fucking clue. She thought they were just testing this shit on her and the other suckers facing the big bitch. You know, if it fucked up their brains or something, who the fuck would care, right? The state can kill your ass even if you’re a drooling vegetable, and at least you won’t have to know about it.”
“She said that when you’re in the game, you’re all the way in,” he said quietly. “She suspected something like this, right?”
“Yeah, only the silly bitch got it wrong,” Lily shook her head. “All of her didn’t make it. Only the nastiest parts did, the shit that refused to die.” The woman smiled. “I’m the flower that grew out of that shit, so…Lily.”
“I get it,” he nodded. “Why Livia, though? The records show that afterward, they didn’t execute anyone else, and all the experts said that this was a bad idea. So – why her?”
“You don’t know?” the woman laughed. “Damn, Aranos, for somebody who’s so fucking smart, you sure can’t see the shit right in front of your face!
“Why Livia? Well, that shit’s simple. See, Livia was special, and she had something about her that none of those other fucking asshole prisoners had. Have you ever heard…?”
Suddenly, Lily’s voice cut off, dissolving into a hiss of static. Aranos rubbed his ears, but the sound only grew louder, and suddenly the dreamscape vanished into blackness. At the same time, a red notification popped up in his vision.
Forced Logout!
Under the terms of the Beta Test, you are being forcibly logged out for a brief period. Please reman calm, as you are in no danger.
Thanks for playing Singularity Online!
The End
of Primal Sorcerer.
Watch for Singularity Online 5, available in Fall of 2021!
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Aranos’ Character Sheet
After the Defense of Eredain
Author’s Note: By fan requests, I’ve expanded this listing to include things like Aranos’ casting bonuses. I considered adding skill rank effects and ability descriptions, but that felt too much like padding a book that’s already really long!
Aranos, Lord Evenshade, Destroyer of Nightmares
Age:
26
Race:
High Arcane
Evolved Class:
Primal Sorcerer
XP:
294,499/300,000
Level:
1
Adv. Class:
Sorcerer Ascendant
XP:
294,499/300,000
Level:
15
Class:
Sorcerer
XP:
169,750/171,000
Level:
18
Profession:
Hunter
XP:
935/1,000
Level:
2
Abilities:
Str: 81 (121) Dex: 61 (101)
Agil:
60 (100)
End:
81 (121)
Int:
267 (311)
Wis:
213 (257)
Per: 62 (106) Cha: 270 (314)
LP:
4,759 /4,759
Regen:
341.8/s
SP:
70,971/70,971
Regen:
341.8/s, 482.4/s meditating
Stamina:
N/A
Soul Points: 141
Resistances:
44% Primary or Composite Mana
64% Magic
Sorcerer Bonuses:
3.81x Spell Creation Speed
11% Spell Creation Cost
67% SP Casting Cost Reduction
3,179% Spell Power
4.97x Spell Casting Speed
Skills
Animal Handling (T): Adept 5
Appraisal (T): Adept 1
Arcane Archery* (T): Expert 10
Arcane Lore (T): Expert 1
Bargaining (T): Student 8
Battlesense (T): Expert 1
Beast Lore (T): Adept 4
Bluff (T): Student 4
Camouflage (T): Student 8
Carving (T): Adept 9
Climbing (U): Novice 8
Deeper Meditation (T): Expert 5
Diplomacy (T): Student 6
Dodge (T): Adept 4
Dreamstriding (T): Expert 7
Engraving (T): Adept 6
Enhanced Inspection* (T): Student 8
Exotic Weapon Mastery (Nunchaku, T): Novice 8
Fortitude* (T): Expert 5
Goldsmithing (T): Adept 6
Harvesting (T): Adept 1
Herbalism (T): Master 4
High Enchantment (T): Expert 5
Improvised Crafting (U): Novice 4
Leadership (T): Expert 1
Leatherworking (T): Adept 1
Lifesense (T): Student 3
Lore (Darkness, U): Novice 6
Lore (Elven, T): Student 3
Lore (Metallurgy, T): Adept 1
Lore (Undead, U): Student 2
Mana Control (T): Master 1
Mana Mastery^ (T): Master 1
Metal Refining (T): Adept 8
Natural Lore (Forest, T): Master 3
One-Handed Weapons (T): Novice 10
Scribing (T): Student 5
Sense Intent (T): Adept 5
Sense Mana (T): Adept 1
Small Blades (U): Novice 2
Soulmending^ (T): Adept 7
Speech (T): Student 7
Spell Sculpting (T): Student 1
Staff Mastery (T): Adept 2
Stealth (T): Adept 1
Survival (Forest, T): Master 3
Sword Mastery (T): Novice 10
Tracking (T): Master 1
Truesmithing (General, T): Expert 3
Two-Handed Weapons (T): Adept 2
Unarmed Combat (T): Student 5
Spells
* = Enhanced Spell ^ = Evolved Spell ! = Ascended Spell
Arcane Armor^: Adept 5
Ball Lightning: Student 2
Crystal Prison: Student 1
Deadly Vapors: Adept 3
Death's Ward: Novice 7
Debilitation*: Student 2
Dimensional Hop: Novice 6
Elemental Ward^: Novice 8
Elemental Weapon: Student 5
Energy Barrage^: Expert 4
Energy Wall: Student 3
Fire and Ice^: Student 8
Fire of the Martyr!: Novice 1
Forge Mana^: Expert 2
Gravity Well: Novice 7
Great Enthrallment: Student 2
Greater Empowerment^: Adept 3
Greater Mage Shield: Novice 7
Gust of Speed: Novice 6
Illuminating Mists: Novice 9
Illusory Cloak^: Student 4
Impossible Tempest!: Novice 4
Kinetic Bullet^: Expert 2
Maelstrom Blast: Adept 10
Massless Flight^: Adept 5
Mindlink: Novice 8
Needed Reclamation!: Student 1
Nova Blast: Novice 3
Radiance of Life*: Novice 7
Ravaging Burst: Student 5
Restorative Bolt: Novice 5
Roar of Freedom!: Novice 2
Shield Mind: Novice 8
Soulfire Blast!: Novice 2
Spatial Web^: Student 8
Spell Anchor: Novice 6
Spell Channeling^: Master 1
Strengthen Metal*: Novice 7
Void Paralysis: Student 8
Wave of Emotion: Novice 4
Zone of Speed*: Student 10
Abilities:
Aura of Light
Aura of Vitality
Cultivate
Defensive Stance
Final Rest
High Mastery
Massive Blow
Multi-casting
Multishot
Nourishing Aura
One With Nature
One With the Land
Overchannel
Peerless Tracker
Precise Shot
Rally
Rapid Shot
Remote Casting
Scent
Speak With Plants
Spell Binding
Stunning Blow
Survival of the Fittest
Trackless
True Vision
Perks
Arcane Endurance
Dream Vampire
Dreamweaver
Enhanced Charisma
Greater Ascendant
Greater Creation
Indomitable
Mana Expert
Mana Vampire
Mana Well
Omnicaster
Overchanneler
Piercing Magic
Selfless Soulmender
Traveler Soul
Party Perks
Arcane Warlord (3)
Fight Another Day (2)
No Wall Too High (3)
Shock and Awe (7)
Stand at the Gates (2)
Titles
Destroyer of Nightmares
Elf-Friend
First Sorcerer
Heart-bonded
Kinslayer
Lord Evenshade
Master of Domains
Master of Elements
Master of Skills
Redeemer
Slayer of Titans
The Artificer
The Ascendant
The Grand Liberator
The Paragon
Rarity, Quality, and Skill/Spell Ranks
Author’s Note: Again, these were requested as a reference tool, so I’m including them here. Feel free to skip past this page if you remember these or honestly don’t care.
Skill/Spell Ranks
Rank
Level Range
Novice
0 – 10
Student
11 – 20
Adept
21 – 30
Expert
31 – 40
Master
41 – 50
Grandmaster
51+
Rarity Ranks
Quality Ranks
Abundant
Shoddy
Common
Rough
Uncommon
Standard
Rare
Fine
Exotic
Excellent
Exceptional
Masterwork
Legendary
Artifact
Mythical
Mythical
Books by this Author
First Sorcerer
Sorcerer Ascendant
Lord Sorcerer
Primal Sorcerer
Quantum Shift
Power Flux
Death of Fear (Side Novel)