“Now I guess that marks you as bonded to me,” He spoke softly so as to not wake the sleeping woman.
Turning his attention back to the blade, he just shook his head slightly. Its prompt had been updated and though the changes were few they were significant. It no longer held the red border of a legendary item, no that had changed to the rich golden border of a mythic item.
“Given what she told me about you,” he spoke to the blade now, “I should not be surprised that you are mythic. A whole empire of people locked up inside you. How many thousands of souls does that mean I am responsible for now?”
Other than a slight brightening of its usual glow the blade didn’t respond. Xavier hadn’t really expected a response, though he found it interesting that prompts would change as he learned more information about something. That actually made him stop to think about how little he really knew of this world, its people, or even his own skills and abilities.
Leaning back in the chair once again he lay Vaeltheris across his knees and let his mind shift focus. It was becoming easier every time he tried to do it to pull up various interfaces. The fact they seemed to appear in his vision without any sort of device or headset still amazed him but it seemed to be a fact of life in this world. Soon his own character sheet appeared before his eyes.
His eyes widened as he noticed other changes to his stats that he had been unaware of. He searched through his options of tabs, a remarkably large number of options that he was going to have to figure out what each did, he soon found one simply called “Log.” It held a running log, big surprise there, of everything that had happened to him from status changes to damage, to condition changes. Scrolling back through it slowly he finally found a notation after completing one of the puzzles in the crypt.
Congratulations – Your hard work in solving challenging puzzles has granted you a bonus for your wisdom and intelligence. Reward: +2 to Wisdom +2 to Intelligence.
“Alright,” he thought to himself, so there are other ways to increase stats than just leveling. He noticed that all of his attributes had a small plus sign next to them, reminding him that he had a couple of days to assign his new points before they would be assigned for him. He opted to put that off for now as he was unsure where he would be needing them most.
Another line in the log had stood out to him while he was searching for the change in his attributes. It read:
Congratulations you may now choose an archetype for crafting and gathering. These archetypes will help mold your role in the world around you. What path will you take to glory?
Smiling he started through his tabs once more until he found a new one that said classes. There were three separate columns, Gathering, Crafting, and Combat. Though the combat class was greyed out currently. When he focused on it he received the comment: “You do not meet the criteria for selecting a Combat Archetype at this level.”
“Nothing else, you could at least tell me when I am eligible for it.” He grumbled, “Maybe someone else can help me with that. I’ll have to ask Aelriva or Ella when she wakes up.”
Turning his attention to the Gathering column he received a list of options, happily each option also provided a short list of subclasses, though that only made him curious about when he would be able to select one or more of those.
- The Forager – When nature hides its secrets, a forager finds them, whether they’re buried in leaves, dirt, or dangerously close to poison ivy. "If it grows, glows, or bites back, I’ll find a use for it."
- The Miner – Where others see stone and darkness, a miner sees potential, a glint of ore, the shimmer of gems, and maybe a little back pain. "Dig deep enough, and you’ll find gold—or your third cousin who got lost down here."
- The Fisher – Patience, precision, and luck, qualities of a fisher who knows that sometimes the big one isn’t just a story. “I catch fish the size of legends. And you just catch colds."
- The Woodsman – The forest offers much to those who respect it, timber for tools, sap for secrets, and birds to squawk when you’re getting too close. “I don’t hug trees, I chop them. Unless they hug back."
- The Scavenger – One man’s trash is a scavenger’s jackpot, especially when that trash still has teeth. "I don’t find junk; I find pre-owned treasure."
- The Trapper – They set the traps, track the game, and collect the prize, whether it’s fur, fangs, or something that should really stay in the ground. "I don’t hunt. I let the beast come to me. Lazy? No. Efficient."
- The Botanist – A botanist speaks to plants, nurtures them, and occasionally tells them how much better they’d look in a potion. “Sure, I could eat this flower, but I’d rather sell it to someone who’ll think it’s magic."
- The Salvager – Ruins, wreckage, and rubble, it’s not what’s left behind; it’s what a salvager can pry loose before someone notices. "Finders keepers, losers should’ve hidden it better."
- The Elemental Gatherer – When others shy away from the raw power of the elements, an elementalist sees opportunity in fire, wind, and stone. "Who needs a pickaxe when the lava does the heavy lifting?"
- The Survivalist – From tundra to desert, a survivalist thrives where others falter—finding resources no sane person would look for. "Oh, you packed rations? That’s cute, I’ll eat a cactus."
Each archetype seemed extremely useful in its own way. However, many of them seemed to involve hours if not days of backbreaking menial labor. As much as he had enjoyed gathering when he was playing games back on Earth, he didn’t really think it would be his most preferred thing now that it was his life.
“Eww,” he thought about mining, woodsman, or even botany, “cubicle life but without the cubicle and more swinging a hammer or axe.”
However much the subclasses of those archetypes seemed powerful and amazing he couldn’t commit himself to those. A few of them stood out, however, forager, scavenger, salvager, and elemental gatherer. “What was a soul collector?” Focusing on the subskills didn’t offer any further information and he mentally sighed once more. This place seemed dedicated to making difficult choices more difficult and he didn’t have wiki or even a rule book he could use to research what precise path he would take.
“Maybe I am going about this the wrong way. Picking what crafts, I want to do may better help me to decide what gathering I focus on. It's not like I can't learn how to gather everything, I do have the ability to learn all skills thanks to Danu. These just seem to help specialize and probably help increase either the harvest or ability to find unique things.”
He shifted over to study the crafting column.
- Blacksmith – Steel bends, blades sharpen, and fire obeys in the hands of a blacksmith—the ones who make heroes look the part. “You call that a sword? I’ve made better kitchen knives."
- Alchemist – Brews of brilliance, poisons of peril, an alchemist masters the art of turning ‘maybe’ into miracles. "Drink this, if it works, you’ll thank me. If not…well, I’ll learn something."
- Enchanter – The power of magic isn’t in spells, it’s in objects that hum with enchantments only an expert can weave. "Your sword’s sharp? Cute. Mine sets people on fire."
- Carpenter – From bows that pierce hearts to ships that rule seas, carpenters are masters of wood and wisdom. "Measure twice, cut once. Ignore that advice, and you’ll need new fingers."
- Tailor – Fashion, form, and function, a tailor stitches threads into stories, and cloaks heroes in destiny. "Oh, it fits poorly? Don’t worry, the monsters won’t notice."
- Jeweler – Every cut, every facet, a jeweler turns gems into treasures, and treasures into symbols of power. "A diamond’s forever, but your money is mine."
- Leatherworker – From humble hides to legendary armor, a leatherworker ensures heroes stay nimble, protected, and fashionable. "Yes, it’s dragon leather, no, you can’t afford it."
- Rune Engraver – Symbols of power carved into steel, stone, or soul, rune engravers ensure that words do "I don’t just write on swords. I argue with them until they glow."
- Artificer – Wheels spin, gears turn, and magic flows, an artificer’s workshop is where machines come alive and marvels are born, "If it breaks, I’ll fix it. If it explodes, that’s your fault
- Cook – From rations to royal feasts, a cook turns ingredients into inspiration, and occasionally explosive dinners. "Don’t ask what’s in it, just eat. Trust me."
- Glassblower – Delicate as starlight, strong as magic, a glassblower’s work is as fragile as it is powerful. "Handle with care, or handle a healer bill."
- Stoneworker – From statues to fortresses, stoneworkers carve mountains into monuments of ambition. "It’s not just a rock. It’s a really expensive rock."
- Relic Maker – From forgotten legends to new creations, relic makers forge objects that reshape history. "This relic belonged to a hero. Now it’s yours, try not to die."
Again, there were so many choices, how could one ever make a decision especially since they didn’t know what their skills could be or even if they could learn certain skills?
Switching over to his skills tab gave him a new surprise. Each skill he had acquired was listed there along with their current rank but even this tab had evolved. He was now able to see how much progression he had per skill. He was also able to see something new. Alongside the skill level and progression value was a new column. “Natural Aptitude Level” All of his were marked as 5 – Legendary Potential – Grandmaster Maximum Level.
Whistling softly he got a little smirk on his lips. “Seems that the blessing Danu gave me is no joke, I can learn all of these skills to Grandmaster. I really should ask about skill ranks as well. Just another thing on my list of things I don’t know enough about.” Resolving to reduce at least a little bit of that he reached over and laid a hand on Ella’s giving it a reassuring squeeze before he rose from the chair and walked out of the room. It was time to learn and make choices.
It was only a few minutes later when he stepped out of the warrens into the chamber that housed the entrance. Looking about he had come up with some ideas for how to improve the room and make it more official but that could wait until housing and some other tasks were done. He was just starting to wonder how to find Braegor, the Gan Ceann blacksmith and former Aeldorman would likely have information about skill levels and classes, when Aelriva flashed out of the warrens opening as well. She came to a stop just a few feet from Xavier.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
“Gods,” Xavier exclaimed at her sudden appearance. “How, no why, no how are you here? I didn’t call for you and I’m pretty sure you were still down in the Syr’Vailen just a few moments ago”
A twinkle lit the sprite’s eyes, her form shifting through the various elements, though it seemed to linger on life and death aspects a little longer than the others now. “Yer will is known to me, aye. Ye sought my aid in findin' folk in the village, and as soon as ye thought on it, I knew and came as ye required. So long as ye dwell within the bounds o' Rynthavael, I will know yer needs, and where to find ye, should ye call."
“Alright,” he said warily, unsure he really wanted something that could track him and know his thoughts. Though she had been beyond helpful in the past he eventually just accepted it and said. “I'm searching for Braegor. I wanted to ask him a couple of questions. Do you know where he is?”
"Aye, I ken where the Gan Ceann is. He’s over in the smithy, workin’ away. Yer stonemason and carpenter team hae finished the repairs to the buildin’ today, and the smiths were eager to get back to their craft. It doesnae hae the glory of the Great Forge yet, but I’d still counsel ye, nae to awaken it fully just now. It would draw too much attention, that it would." Came her reply.
She kept telling him not to awaken the forge. That council really started to make him question why. ”So you have said, though you never explained. How could upgrading a building cause such an issue?”
She flew over and alighted on his shoulder, her arm around the back of his head ensuring both her perch and that she had his ear close by. "The Great Forge is a Masterworks Sanctum, aye. There be many types o' Masterworks Sanctums, like the Eternal Hearth for cooks, the Prismarium for glassblowers, an’ yer Great Forge, but there be only a handful o' each in all the world. When one is awakened or created, it brings great fame t' the one who played a part in its creation. An announcement rings out, tellin' the world of th' feat. Yer revitalization of th' ley lines was a momentous event in itself, but it pales beside the spectacle o' a new Masterwork Sanctum. Trust me, ye are nae ready t' defend it from those who would seek to take it from ye. Not yet, at least."
Xavier couldn’t argue with her logic. Not if it was that much of an event. He was still new to Arath and Rynthavael could barely be called a village. If something of that much importance was announced to the world, he had little doubt that some power would want to take it for themselves. “I understand now. Thank you Aelriva for explaining this to me. I will keep the heart safe and hidden for now.”
"Ye could store it in the vault. When the ley lines awoke, it opened up new passageways in th' warrens, and the vault an' armory are now at yer disposal, Ard'Maelor." She proposed.
That caught his attention. A vault and an armory, both from the ancient city that had been here. Xavier didn’t think of himself as greedy but he knew eventually that his people would want to be paid for their work and the handful of coins he had managed to collect in his time on Arath were not going to pay for jack squat and he was pretty sure Jack had left town well before he got here.
“Braegor can wait,” He said excitedly. “Show me to where these new rooms are. I need to see what we are working with.”
The sprite lifted from his shoulder in a flutter of wings and she was off back into the warrens with Xavier close on her trail. They wound down several passages and went past the pantry and the mosaic room before she paused in front of a new side tunnel. At the end of the short passage was a set of double doors.
"This is yer vault, Ard'Maelor. Yer armory lies two hallways further down the passage."
“Awesome. Open it up and let's see what we are working with.” Xavier moved towards the door but stopped when she spoke.
“I cannae. Only ye can.”
He glanced at her and then placed a hand on either door and pushed firmly. Nothing happened. The doors refused to budge no matter how hard he pushed. “I thought you said I could open these doors.” He all but yelled at the diminutive flying woman. “They’re not moving at all. Is there a key or a secret latch or something I am missing.”
She sighed, he still hadn’t learned much about his position. "They will nae open for anyone but the Ard'Maelor. Ye can change that if ye wish, but for now, only ye can open them. It is a vault, my lord. Did ye truly think the doors would just open? Additionally, it is the vault o' Cael'Anthir, the capital. Mere locks or secret latches wouldnae be enough to guard such valuables. Place yer hand upon the sigil." She fluttered over to a small plate in the door, where an intricate symbol was etched into the metal. "It will allow ye to open the lock an' the doors."
Xavier moved closer and peered at the small plate embedded in the large metallic doors. The symbol seemed to almost glow with an inner light. Reading the symbol aloud Xavier muttered. “Vaeska” pausing a moment to think he finished. “That which binds or secures. Well, if that couldn’t be more obvious.”
Placing his hand over the sigil he felt a surge of energy as his mark flared with energy. A resonant voice sounded in his head. “Do you wish to access the Vault of Cael’Anthir Ard’Maelor?”
Xavier grinned and simply said “Yes.”
He could hear metal moving against metal and stone, the sounds of great bars sliding from their place with snicks and final booms before the twin doors parted in the middle, folding back away from him to leave the next room open. Xavier stepped through the doors and almost fell to his knees in disappointment. The room was empty.
Well not completely empty. There were shelves upon shelves lining the large hexagonal space and lined up neatly across the center of the rooms in several rows but that was it. No mounds of treasure, bags of coins, great stacks of metal or anything else of value. Sighing Xavier turned to leave the vault when Aelriva spoke up.
"Are ye goin’ to leave what’s left o' the treasure behind?" She flew through the door and towards the darkened back of the room where the light from the torches in the passageway didn’t illuminate the shadows.
Xavier retrieved one of the torches from the sconce it was held in and followed her into the vault. On the back shelf he found three small chests and a single small bag.
Moving to the first chest, it stood about a foot and a half long, by a foot wide, and only about 10 inches deep. The chest was made of sturdy iron reinforced oak the lid held a simple iron lockplate, worn but still functional, while the corners were capped with tarnished brass for added durability. He tested the lid and it slid open with ease. When the light of the torch hit the leather-lined inside of the chest his smile grew. The thing held easily hundreds of coins, a blend of copper, silver, gold, and even the occasional silvery-white shimmer of what Xavier guessed to be platinum. He had no idea the conversion rate but this was a small fortune he was positive. He dug into his pouch and pulled out the small handful of copper and silver coins he had found, adding them to the chest before closing it and turning the key in the lock. He placed the key into his pouch in place of the coins.
He turned to the second chest. It was smaller but more ornate. Polished mahogany was cornered with elegant brass pieces to complement the ornate brass inlay. Everything came together in a beautiful silver lock. Pushing the top open on the chest he found it was lined with velvet and separated into small sections. Each section had a collection of jewels. Whereas the first chest was a wonderful find of money to help his village this was even more so as the gems were potentially worth far more than the coins themselves. Once again, he closed the chest and twisted the key sealing it shut. The silver key joined the first in his pouch and he turned his attention to the final chest.
It was the most unique one of the lot. Made of an ethereally pale wood with faint, swirling grain patterns that resemble frozen mist. The casket was small, almost delicate, yet unyieldingly strong. A softly glowing opaline gem was set in the top of the wood and Xavier gently laid his hand atop it. A faintly feminine voice sounded in his ears. “Do you desire the casket open Ard’Maelor?”
Xavier’s grin couldn’t get any wider. He knew this had to be the best find in the vault just due to the construction and the magical lock. He mentally chose yes and the casket opened to reveal shimmering white silk embroidered with faint Sylmyrian glyphs of protection and preservation. The silk was divided up into cushioned slots and tiny hooks to hold delicate items securely. The air inside carried a faint, timeless fragrance of juniper and ancient magic. Nestled in the ornate casket were a number of pieces of beautifully wrought jewelry.
“Gods I need to find a way to identify magical items.” Xavier bemoaned. Behind him a gentle bluewhite light flashed and more prompts filled his head.
Xavier spun, the only other being in the room was Aelriva. “Did you do that?” He questioned the sprite. “You can identify magical items? Can you teach me to do it?”
"The power o' the Syr'Vailen allows me to ken the nature o' things. I dinnae ken how to teach this ability to another. It’s nae based on skills or knowledge. It is simply the ley lines revealin' what is." Came her simple reply. There was almost a regretful tone in her statement as if she would teach him if it was within her ability.
“Of course, it wouldn’t be that easy. I guess I need to find a spell or something.” Xavier said.
"Aye, there be many spells an' items that can help ye ken the traits o' magical items. Though findin' someone to teach ye magic might prove a bit difficult."
Xavier studied the newly identified magical items for a few minutes before he chose one. The Amulet of the Unknown was a definite necessity. Especially given the warnings Aelriva kept giving him about not being ready for the outside world to find his village. He may not have a way to hide it from the world yet, but he could hide himself and the attention that he would bring. He slipped the fine chain of the necklace over his head and tucked the amulet into his shirt. Then he closed the chest once again.
He finally turned to the small bag. It was a beautifully crafted item. Looking like a small satchel, its leather was rich dark blue with intricate silver threads laced through its surface giving the impression of starlight. Xavier raised an eyebrow as he looked at it. When he picked it up he received the prompt he was expecting.
Shaking his head slightly he held the bag out to the side and waited. After only a few moments the light shone behind him once again and the information about the bag changed.
Xavier could barely resist doing a little celebratory dance. This was every gamer’s dream item. Bags of holding could make schlepping all the treasure and loot from a dungeon so much easier to accomplish. And now he had one. Better yet this one would preserve anything put within it while reducing its weight. He quickly opened the bag and a visualization of a 4x5 grid appeared in his mind. It was all but empty currently, the exception being a small clear crystalline orb showing in the bottom right square. Xavier grinned and moved to unlock the chest of coins before tipping it and pouring all the clinking metal disks into the bag. As expected, the first row of the grid filled, one square with each type of coin and a number was superimposed over the image of each coin.
It was more than he expected and he was thrilled with the effect. Reaching into the satchel he imagined grabbing a copper coin and he pulled his hand out holding one of the small disks as the number count in the bag decreased by one. Now he couldn’t resist dancing and chanting softly as he did.
“I got a bag of holding, I got a bag of holding, I got a bag of holding.” He dropped the coin back in and took Aelriva’s hands dancing with her. The small sprite gasped in surprise as she was spun about and then released.
Xavier picked up the other two chests and carefully tucked them into the bag as well. Each one took up a space of their own and the weight of the bag increased slightly but Xavier now had the whole of his wealth on him. Confident in the capabilities of the bag he pulled the precious Heart of the Forge from his pouch and slid it inside the satchel as well. It took up another square, its image glowing softly with its inner light. Finally, he returned his hand to the bag and withdrew the little orb. It resembled the orb Ella had given him to bind Vaeltheris to himself earlier.
Focusing on the gem he got the prompt.
It appears you wish to bind the Voidtide Satchel to yourself. Yes or No
Xavier’s grin was spread from ear to ear now. The vault was a major discovery. Much more than he expected when he first saw the empty shelves. He was even more excited to see what was in the armory now. He focused on the word yes and the small orb sunk into his hand binding the satchel to his soul the same way had happened with the blade, and from what Ella had said herself, earlier. A small icon appeared in the top right corner of his vision, its image looking like a small leather satchel.
“Alright Aelriva, it's time to see the armory. Then you can lead me to where Braegor is.” Xavier considered for a moment then amended his statement. “Actually, lead me to the armory then go find Braegor and ask him to join me there.”
He walked to the passageway, and as soon as the two of them cleared the vault doors they swung ponderously closed with a resounding boom. Xavier jumped at the unexpected noise but quickly settled himself and followed the sprite towards their next destination.