Cromus looked around, as his body slowly became heavier and heavier. He fought the urge to give in for a few more minutes before letting his eye close, allowing the darkness to take over.
"Cromus, wake up!" Ush's voice repeated for the fourth time, shaking the big half-orc by the shoulder.
As Cromus began to open his eyes, he was met by a slimy sponge being rubbed across his face. "Uhhh," he groaned, spitting to the side before wiping his face. Athas stared at him with his regular big, goofy grin.
"Well, good morning to you as well," Cromus said, resting a hand on Athas's head. He quickly noted that his health and mana bars were topped off, though it didn’t seem like he had been asleep that long.
"Cromus," came a small whine from his right. Looking over, he saw Ush standing there. "We don’t have much longer, I think." A floating hourglass hovered behind her, one Cromus didn’t remember being there earlier.
He looked at it. She was right—though it wasn’t draining too fast, their time was limited. He let out a breath and put an arm around Athas to support him as he sat up. "Alright, how long have you two been awake?"
"Not too long," Kaazz said, making himself known.
"It felt long. The sand was more than double when we woke. Already spent our points," Ush added.
Kaazz smiled. "She’s just restless, been constantly looking for the Keeper since we woke. Really fussin' over you sleeping."
Ush narrowed her eyes at Kaazz before looking away. "Just remember small talk then after... we were waking up while you were asleep here."
"Okay, yeah, I can see why you’d be uneasy," Cromus said. He then filled the group in on his conversation with the Keeper.
Kaazz nodded, taking it in. "Cromus, I never thanked you properly for everything you’ve done." He stepped forward and bowed his head. "Thank you for everything, and for opening my eyes to how small we are in this vast world."
Cromus was caught off guard. He tried not to show his unease, but his face darkened slightly as discomfort settled in. Back home, it was always his fault, or just what was expected of him. Being thanked in such a formal way hit him differently.
"Kaazz, it’s alright, really. I should be thanking you as well. You’ve all been a great help to Sais and me," he replied.
Kaazz lifted his head, eyeing Cromus. "You can say it however you like, but the truth is, others in this world would have struck us down or fully enslaved us. But you and Sais did the opposite. You gave the young ones classes and helped me find a new path to improve myself. Even if something happens to me, I know they can live on—and live better than any goblins before them." His eyes welled up, and his calm voice began to shake.
"Hey now," Cromus said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You must still be shaken from the fights earlier. But it’ll work out. I have faith in this group of ours, and I know Sais does too."
Kaazz wiped away the tears. "I know. I’m just overjoyed with the possibilities you've opened for us and the kindness you’ve shown. I just want you to know how grateful I am."
Cromus gave a soft smile. "Thank you for sharing that. But if I ever go somewhere you’re uncomfortable with, you don’t have to follow me. You’re right—I set you up to stand and grow on your own. If you ever want to go another path, you're free to do so. As far as I’m concerned, none of you owe me anything."
Kaazz looked at Ush, who shared a look with him, before turning back. "No. We want to follow you, Cromus. We believe in you."
"Alright then. Happy to have you all on my crazy ride as I try to figure this out," Cromus said, smiling.
Ush and Kaazz smiled back.
"Now that we got that out of the way," Cromus said, standing up. "You said you spent your points?" They nodded. "Kaazz, you hit level five. Did you not buy a passive skill or anything?"
"I did not. Since I only get five points per level, I thought it best to improve my stats for now," he said, a tinge of sadness in his voice.
"May I see both of your character sheets?" Cromus asked, curious about the updates since the last time he’d seen them.
They both willed their character sheets to Cromus.
Name: Ush
Age: 8
Level: 4
Exp: 583/2800
Health: 140/140
Mana: 150/150
Stamina: 200/200
Stats
Strength: 10
Dexterity: 20
Constitution: 14
Intelligence: 15
Wisdom: 10
Charisma: 6
Race: Goblin: A race of small, cunning, and often underestimated creatures. Known for their quick thinking, adaptability, and resourcefulness, goblins thrive in environments that would break most others. Their nimble bodies and sharp reflexes allow them to avoid danger rather than face it head-on. However, goblins are often seen as untrustworthy or weak, leading to a -2% penalty to charisma checks when interacting with those who look down on their kind. Despite this, their low profile and agility grant them advantages in movement and stealth. You have night vision, in areas of low light you are able to see normally.
Path: Veilborn Druid: A hunter of the wilds cloaked in shadow, the Veilborn Druid is a silent predator, blending into darkness as easily as a serpent in the grass. Unlike traditional druids who embrace the open forests, the Veilborn walk unseen, using the power of shadows, illusions, and deadly precision to strike down threats before they are even noticed. This path grants access to shadow-infused nature magic, allowing the user to move undetected, cripple foes with venomous strikes, and manipulate darkness to evade danger. As they grow in strength, a Veilborn Druid can summon spectral beasts of the night, becoming one with the unseen world.
Abilities
Scavenger’s Fortitude: Able to digest spoiled or questionable food without getting sick.
Identify (inferior): The basic ability that most intelligent being, can be used to identify items, creatures, and other humanoids.
Spells
Phantom Fang: Whenever you land a melee attack, a shadowy viper follows the strike, biting the enemy. Applying a weak poison that stacks up to 3 times. At max stacks your next hit deals extra poison damage and slows the target. Cost 20 mana, lasts 30 seconds or until you land 3 strikes.
Umbral Step: You can instantly dash a short distance, becoming semi-invisible for a brief moment. If you dash into cover/shadows, you completely vanish for 2 seconds. Cost 15 stamina per use.
Venomous Mirage: You create a flickering illusion of yourself that moves slightly out of sync with your real body. Attacks against you have a chance to miss, and enemies targeting you become slightly disoriented. Lasts 1 minute or until she is hit twice. Cost 20 mana and 20 stamina. 30 second cool down after use.
Skills
Quick Reflexes: Gain a small bonus to dodging attacks, allowing them to evade danger more easily.
Trickster’s Cunning: When facing a stronger opponent, goblins gain a small boost to Dexterity-based actions, allowing them to outmaneuver foes rather than overpower them. This includes dodging, sneaking, feinting, and other agility-driven tactics that rely on speed and clever movement.
Name: Kaazz
Age: 42
Level: 5
EXP: 740/3800
Health: 120/120
Mana: 180/180
Stamina: 90/90
Stats
Strength: 8
Dexterity: 9
Constitution: 12
Intelligence: 18
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Wisdom: 16
Charisma: 8
Race: Goblin: A race of small, cunning, and often underestimated creatures. Known for their quick thinking, adaptability, and resourcefulness, goblins thrive in environments that would break most others. Their nimble bodies and sharp reflexes allow them to avoid danger rather than face it head-on. However, goblins are often seen as untrustworthy or weak, leading to a -2% penalty to charisma checks when interacting with those who look down on their kind. Despite this, their low profile and agility grant them advantages in movement and stealth. You have night vision, in areas of low light you are able to see normally.
Path: Shaman: A Shaman is a conduit of the elements, a spiritual guide who communes with the forces of nature to heal, protect, and unleash destruction. Walking the path of balance, a shaman draws upon the four primal elements—Earth, Fire, Air, and Water—to shape the world around them. Unlike wizards or sorcerers, who impose their will upon magic, Shamans listen to the elements, forming a bond that grants them power in exchange for understanding. They serve as mediators between the physical and spiritual realms, calling upon elemental forces, ancestral spirits, and nature itself to aid them in battle and in life.
Abilities
Scavenger’s Fortitude: Able to digest spoiled or questionable food without getting sick.
Identify (inferior): The basic ability that most intelligent being, can be used to identify items, creatures, and other humanoids.
Spells
Tangle: Summons grasping roots from the ground that restrain enemies based on their Strength. Duration: Up to 15 seconds, or until the enemy breaks free. Cost 15 mana.
Erupting Earth: The ground cracks and explodes, sending flaming debris flying. AoE effect: Enemies in the blast take damage and may be knocked down. Cost 30 mana.
Emberstrike: Infuses his staff or melee strikes with flame, making his physical attacks burn enemies. Lasts 2 minutes per activation. Cost 20 mana.
Flame Sling: Conjures a small orb of fire and hurls it at a target, dealing moderate fire damage upon impact. Each hit has a 15% chance to apply a Burn effect, dealing minor fire damage over 5 seconds. Cost 8 mana.
Heal (inferior): You are able to spend 10 mana to heal you or a willing target for ten hit points. Cost 10 mana
Skills
Quick Reflexes: Gain a small bonus to dodging attacks, allowing them to evade danger more easily.
Trickster’s Cunning: When facing a stronger opponent, goblins gain a small boost to Dexterity-based actions, allowing them to outmaneuver foes rather than overpower them. This includes dodging, sneaking, feinting, and other agility-driven tactics that rely on speed and clever movement.
Earthspeaker’s Boon: While standing on natural terrain, you regenerate mana slightly faster.
Active
Broken Shaman: Once destined to be a conduit of the elements, Kaazz’s connection to the natural world is fractured and incomplete. Unlike true shamans, who draw upon all four elements in harmony, Kaazz’s powers are unstable, restricted, and difficult to control. You can remove this condition by absorbing one of each of the natural four elements for a shaman.
Progress: 2/4
Cromus looked them over carefully, then asked, "Where did you put your points, Kaazz? I’m thinking Intelligence, but where else?"
"Four in Intelligence, one in Dexterity," Kaazz answered.
Cromus nodded slowly. "Can you explain why you did that?" He had a guess, but wanted to hear Kaazz's reasoning.
"I thought a small step toward better Dexterity might help me move through the dungeon more smoothly. I could’ve gone all-in on Intelligence. Next level I can hit twenty Intelligence, then start bringing it to twelve."
"I think your math is off," Cromus said. "With the penalty for stats below ten, you’ll be paying two points per stat."
Kaazz shook his head. "Ush and I tested it while you slept. The penalty only applies to two stats for us: Strength and Charisma. That’s why Ush can raise her Constitution so easily, even though it started below ten."
"That raises more questions," Cromus said. "Jagz might be in trouble if he's focusing Strength. Unless he doesn’t have that penalty."
"He doesn’t," Ush said. "Jagz takes a penalty to Intelligence and Charisma. It’s why he didn’t want to boost his Int at the tree."
"Maybe it depends on race and class," Cromus mused. "Ahh, I hate that this came up after talking to the Keeper. The guy was basically a walking info booth."
A voice echoed in their room. "Info booth? Is that all I am to you, Cromus?"
A familiar cap and eyes appeared. "I thought we were becoming friends."
"I’m sorry! I meant it as praise. I wasn’t sure you’d be back after how you left," Cromus said.
The eyes narrowed. "I would think of myself more as a library. But since I’m here: yes, classes and races affect your stats—positively and negatively."
"Okay, thank you. While I have you—"
"Nope!" The cap and eyes collapsed into themselves with a loud pop.
Cromus blinked. "Well, at least he answered that question. And confirmed he’s always watching."
"I don’t know how I feel about it," Ush said.
"I wouldn’t call the Keeper an 'it' either. Might offend him," Cromus replied.
"But we don’t even know if he’s a he, she, or something else," Ush said.
"He is fine," the Keeper’s voice echoed.
"Since that's settled," Cromus said, failing to hide his wariness as he looked up. "I'll take this time to level up."
He brought up his character sheet. As he considered his upgrades, he wondered how the Keeper had seen so much in his sheet. A skill? Just something gods and Keepers could do? He shook the thought off and focused.
He placed four points into Strength, four into Constitution, and two into Wisdom. Then he reviewed everything once more before confirming his choices.
Name: Cromus
Age:22
Level: 6
Exp: 630/5000
Health: 220/220
Mana: 200/200
Stamina: 160/160
Stats
Strength: 22
Dexterity: 16
Constitution: 22
Intelligence: 20
Wisdom: 18
Charisma: 10
Race: Half-Orc: A race of an orc and human mix. Seen as a descendant of a violent race, other races shy away from you, you will receive a negative two percent to any charisma checks with other races. Though there is not only bad news with this race, thanks to your orc heritage you are more sturdy than most other races, able to face terrors others wouldn't dare, and able to stomach things that would sicken most. You have night vision, in areas of low light you are able to see normally.
Path: Gaia's Warrior: A warrior for the planet, friend to the forest and beasts alike, this path allows you to cast spells of nature and use equipment modified from the earth, as well as allows you to improve your own capabilities from stats of animals, and have animals assist you later in levels. Gain bonuses when interacting with animals.
Boiling blood: Thanks to your Orc heritage, you possess a hidden bestial rage that temporarily boosts your stamina and strength. You gain 20% to all strength-based skills, abilities, and attacks. As well as slows down stamina consumption.
Abilities
Animal Link: Once a day you are able to choose an animal who is neutral with you and create a telepathic link with the chosen animal for twenty four hours or until you sever the link.
Identify (inferior): The basic ability that most intelligent being, can be used to identify items, creatures, and other humanoids.
Spells
Heal (inferior): You are able heal you or a willing target for ten hit points. Cost 10 mana.
Nature's Assistant: You can help a plant grow a stage in its growth or remove any harmful effect it may have. The bigger the growth or larger effect consumes more mana. Cost 4 mana.
Animal Affinity: You are able to spend fifty mana to manifest one animal body part on your body for ten minutes.
Nature’s Shield: A spell that creates a small energy barrier around the user’s body. The shield absorbs 40 points of damage for an initial cost of 40 Mana. The barrier can be extended up to half the user’s maximum health by spending additional Mana. Certain magical attacks may bypass the shield.
Skills
Universal Translate: No worrying about language barrier, anything spoken, or read will be translated to a language you understand.
Animal Empathy: From a easy glance you are able to determine an animal's demeanor to you, as well as having a better understanding of how to improve the demeanor.
Nature’s Awareness: Thanks to your connection to Gaia, you are acutely aware of usable herbs and minerals nearby.
Passive Feat
Thickened skin: Your skin naturally thickens, giving you a naturally tougher hide. reducing the incoming damage.
Poison Body
Progress: 2/5 (inferior)
Seeing that nothing seemed out of place, Cromus pushed down the lingering thoughts about what the Keeper might have seen. He needed to focus on what he could control. The familiar prompt appeared:
You are about to accept your point allocation. Once accepted, this cannot be undone. Are you sure you are happy with your choices? Yes/No?
Cromus mentally clicked "Yes."
The hourglass neared its end. Cromus popped his neck. "Well, we all rested. Ready to finish this dungeon?"
Kaazz nodded. Ush popped her neck in mimicry, and Athas lolled his tongue, breathing excitedly.
The hourglass emptied. The world spun.
They reappeared in the open area they had left behind, coral walls stretching around them. In the distance was the water where the mermaids and Kraggurids had been.
"Okay, now we have a choice. Left, center, or right tunnel," Cromus said, eyeing the paths.
"I’m fine with whatever you decide," Kaazz said.
Ush shrugged. Athas panted.
Cromus sighed and looked to the left tunnel. "Left it is."
As they walked, the coral thinned, and the stone walls became smoother, more deliberately carved. The group grew alert.
At the end of the tunnel, Cromus raised a hand to stop them. Ahead lay a tiled floor—and at the center of the room stood a tall pillar, topped with a strange valve.
