Oopic of bat versus non-bat csses, opinions are sharply divided. While most schors believe that the system makes a clear deliioweewo, there is a vocal minority that argues the boundaries are much more fungible. On one side, the system itself categorizes css s separately, one of which is a category called ‘bat’. Oher side, schors point at the many (oftehical) experiments showing that a farmer or bcksmith hitting monsters for long enough will eventually be offered skills that do damage. This authues from a position matism. In the real world, such crossovers are so rare as to be unimportant. Crossover usually hamstrings a css’s potential. While it may be teically possible, it is unlikely we will ever see a legendary farmer sying monsters with a hoe, or a powerful librarian smiting all with their books.
- Excerpt from How Experience Affects Css Skills. Journal of Magic, Rizlet, et. al.
Aliandra
Even though she couldn’t uand what they were saying, the excitement each of her panions showed as they took their turn at the shrine alpable and tagious. Even Malika, who had obviously seen something personally horrifying the first time she used the shrine, was now so clearly happy that Ali’s heart soared just to see her transformation.
This a shrine was her only remaining e to her family, ownership having somehow passed from her father to herself upon his death. It stood as an anchor of stability amid the unfamiliar, ed, and terrifying world she had found herself in upon waking. Even the glowing shards – remnants of her mother’s magic explosively embedded ione of the shrine – served only to remind her of how she had been saved.
this shrio these three who had put their very lives in dao rescue her felt right, a way for her to give back, and at the same time to grasp a little trol of the headlong rush of danger her life had bee sihat fateful meeting in the library.
After activating the shrine for each of them in turn, she finally turo her own css choice, curious to see what she might choose to bee. The Shrine of the A Grove was running very low on mana, but she had already used the affinity enha option, and she was fident there would be enough mana remaining for her to choose her css. If she were ho with herself, she had felt a pang of worry when Malika had o activate the shriwice to get her css choices, but the sed activation had used substantially less mana, leaving Ali with just enough to get her own css.
[Shrine of the A Grove] Reserved mana reduced by 35,0006 Alternate csses found.
Natural css:- Are Schor
Avaible alternate non-bat css options:- Librarian
Avaible alternate magi-bat css options:- Are Analyst- Runic Sage
Avaible alternate magibat css options:- Are Mage- Phytomancer
Avaible hybrid magiain css:- Grove Warden
bat csses? The bewildering array of choices offered by the shri her stunned and somewhat fused – she had expected she would be offered only non-bat csses. Having spent so much of her earlier years studying and preparing for her css choice, she already knew all the non-bat css s without even needing to look.
However, she had never seen herself even being offered a bat css – Ali had definitely not expected that her clumsy and terrifying battle with the rat, and helping her rescuers against the wolves, would earn her airely differe of dires.
She shook off her surprise, resolving to study each option, no matter how unlikely she was to pick it. Are Schor and Librarian were both csses she was quite familiar with – Are Schor in particur would help her with her job hunt.
I don’t have a job searymore, she reminded herself somberly.
Are Analyst, an unon css, was one of the typical paths to the schorly archmage – and one of her favorite backup choices. But that was before she had lost… everyone. Everything was different now.
Her eyes came to rest on the Runic Sage, and her hand pressing against the cool surface of the shrirembled slightly. Maeria Runeweaver had told her not to expect the rare css of her dreams, a she had still offered to train her for it. But even without the trial, Ali had still unlocked it.
Uo keep hold of her emotions, she opehe css amid the cresdo of her own anticipation, ay, and hope.
Runic SageThe Runic Sage lives and breathes the inscribed, written form of magic. Using her deep attuid her passion for the written forms, she is able to unravel any are secrets and uand the broad reaches of the infinite magic tapestry. The Runic Sage wields her knowledge, mana, and pen with precision and fidence, breaking new ground in the development of magical spells, research, and item creation.Requirements:Are Magic affinity.Any seagical affinity.Unlocked a magieral skill.Extensively studied the theory of magic.Experienced a rare magic.Profit in multiple nguages.Schor skill.Reading skill.Memorize skill.Able to accurately reproduce ten or more rutributes: +10 per level.Traits: Are, Knowledge, Runic Magiscription, Analysis, Crafting, Intelligence.Quality: Rare.Css – Non-bat
Would you like to ge your css to Runic Sage?
Ali’s heart soared as she read the description – this css was everything she had ever wanted and more. With it, she would bee one of the most promi researchers of magi all of Dal’mohra. She imagined how her colleagues would react when she shared her css with them, how she would spend all her time in the library advang the uanding of magic.
And then, the dark cloud of reality suddenly crushed her joyous fantasy.
Dal’mohra is gone.
She didn’t even know if the library still stood, but the massive ndslide of the mountain falling down and burying this entire pce must have left an irreparable wake of destru. The events of that fateful night repyed in all their horror, still terrifyingly fresh within her mind. Her home and family had been brutally ripped from her, and at the hands of a self-professed magical research genius.
Nevyn Eld.
Even though she would not, could not, choose a path like his, his as still cast a pall over her pristine dream of magical research. How could he twist it so badly? Even if she chose her dream css, what good would it do without the library, and all her research colleagues to support her?
Instead, her own powerlessness repyed relentlessly within her mind. The precious little she was able to do against the wolves. The terror and rage of fag the rat. The sight of Maeria Runeweaver sliding off the blood-drenched bde. Armand and the gruesome spray of blood. And the truth of her inability to protect her mainst the power of the Lich.
I was nothing to him. No more than a resource to be ed like the cil of Kings he turned into Death Knights for his venience.
The anger and rage she had experienced fag the rat slowly mingled with the sense of powerlessness and grief she had been subjected to in Nevyn Eld’s presence, and it crystallized into something resembling resolve. She wasn’t certain what exactly, but she didn’t want to be powerless anymore. Her mind shuddered at the thought of fag Nevyn Eld again, this time without her mother to protect her. With her new sense of purpose, and no small amount of trepidation, she began studying the bat css s carefully. She would not rush in until she had read and uood everything she was being offered.
Are Mage was a age css, with a somewhat unon affinity. She would have access to a banced set of offensive and defensive are magic. It echoes how I used my Are trip, only it would add some real power. Phytomancer focused on her affinity with nature magic. It seemed to be a clear extension of how she had used Pnt Growth in bat to defeat the rat – a mage css focused heavily on offe magic. Seems powerful, but only outdoors, she thought. Perhaps a little like Aunt Lira, or her dad’s magic.
Both of the csses looked quite practical, and the unon Phytomancer even looked like it would be extraordinarily powerful, but Ali was saddened reading each of them. If she had to choose one of them, she would be giving up everything she assionate about, other than the ability to actually wield one of her mana affio defend herself.
Finally, she examihe st css. Ali had never heard of a hybrid css before, so she ope with some curiosity and surprise.
Grove WardenThe Grove Warden has a strong itment to her home. She uses a domain-bound css founded upon the power of her Are and Nature magic, along with runiowledge to exert trol over her domain. She emphasizes a bance of bat magiowledge, and learning, enhang her powerful magic to protect her home and friends. While a domain-bound mage is weaker outside of their domain, within it they reign supreme.Requirements:Defeated a higher-level enemy in solo bat.Defeated multiple enemies without bat skills or spells.Remained itted to the same area for over 3000 years.Are Magic affinity.Nature Magic affinity.Used magi bat without a css.Defehe sacred shrihin your family’s aral grove from monsters.Wielded magic against an overwhelming foe in defense of family and panions and survived. Strong itment to study and uanding magic.Attributes: +10 per level.Traits: Are, Nature, Knowledge, Defense, Domain, IntelligenceQuality: Unique.Css – Hybrid
Would you like to ge your css to Grove Warden?
Tears spilled down her face as she read the css and the requirements that she had met in order to unlock it. Everything was there, her struggles, her heartache, her grief, and her passion. She knew in an instant – deep in her heart – that this was her css. But she still forced herself to reread it carefully.
Three thousand years? It was the first thing that leapt out to the analytical part of her mind after wipiears from her cheeks. I was locked away for that long? No wohe nguage ged. She g the dead, bed trees, realizing just how immeheir magical energy must have been for them to have been preserved for so long. On a sudden hunch, she pulled up the strange, mysterious Aitle she had been somehow awarded in her long slumber and focused on it to see more details.
AYou have been alive for more than a thousand years.You are more noticeable to perceptive people. This effecreases with age.Title
More noticeable? It seemed a little worrisome, especially as she wouldn’t be able to dismiss the effect or discard the title, and until she earned a new o would even show whenever someone Identified her. But her title and age worries faded in the face er problems.
Liches are immortal. It was her first thought after fully grasping just how long she had been sequestered by her mother’s magic. She shivered, realizing just how scared she was of him – how much he had hurt her.
Gatherihoughts, she sidered the css carefully. Her father had used a domain-bound css, tied to this very forest that now stood in ruin and decay. Aunt Lira too, as a dryad, had been domain-bound to her enormous forest that y to the south of the city. Lira had often visited but had to return after a few days. Ali assumed that this css would be simir, bound to an area, but irely limited in travel.
Examining her feelings, Ali found she had n desire to leave. In fact, her desire was to restore this forest and find the remains of the grand library. The css reminded her a lot of her father, especially with the refereo the shrine and the aral grove that had been his responsibilities until they passed to her. The memories of her father brought back the crushing sadness and she teared up for a while. But the sadness and the ag of her heart seemed to crystallize her resolve. She would restore the forest and Grove to its flory. She wouldn’t let her home remain decayed and ugly, trampled on by monsters. She would get stronger, and when Nevyn Eld returned, she would be supreme within her home, just as her css said.
She just hoped it would be a while because he had been strohan everyone she had ever known. She would o grow before she could ever think of fag him. And that journey would take ages.
I his, she thought. Every journey needed a first step.
She accepted the Css.
You have gaihe css: Grove Warden.Grove Warden has reached level 1.+10 attribute points.
You have lost the general skill: Linguist.You have lost the general skill: Are trip.You have lost the general skill: Pnt Growth.You have lost the general skill: Memorize.You have lost the general skill: Schor.
Ali reeled at the sudden headache caused by the skill losses, but the flurry of notifications did not abate.
You have gaihe css skill Grasping Roots.
Grasping RootsMana: Summon tough roots to hold, impede or crush your target. Range: 25 meters.Nature, Ranged, Intelligence
You have gaihe css skill Are Bolt.
Are BoltMana: Fire a small are bolt that accelerates and curves towards your mentally chosen target. Duration: 120 seds.Are, Ranged, eled, Intelligence
You have gaihe css skill Barrier.
BarrierMana: Summon a small are barrier shield. The barrier is a freeform are magic surface that resists physical and magic damage.Are, Defense, Intelligence
You have gaihe css skill Destru.
Destruana: Release the mana from an uing or inanimate target, learning about its structure, aaining some in your oool. Requires tinuous uninterrupted focus and the target is destroyed. Raouch.Are, Knowledge, Intelligence
You have gaihe css skill Runic Script.
Runic ScriptYou are profit with runic magiguages: A Dal’mohran, Elvish, Dwarven.Mana: Inscribe a runic circle with your mana. Reserve: by level.Are, Knowledge, Intelligence
You have gaihe css skill Sage of Learning
Sage of LearningYour ability to learn nguages, history, and simir academiowledge is signifitly enhanced. You have enhanced memory for the tent you have studied.Are, Knowledge, Perception, Intelligence
I have ten attribute points to spend! She sidered the long list of plicated skills she had just been subjected to. My css seems to mostly use mana and intelligenbsp;she realized on a quick s. That works well with my racial aptitudes. She decided to split her points between wisdom and intelligence. Wisdom will give me more mana, and the intelligerait on my skills will make them strohe more I have.
Name: Aliandra AmarielRace: FaeTitles: A
Css: Grove Warden – level 1- Grasping Roots – level 1- Are Bolt – level 1- Barrier – level 1- Destru – level 1- Runic Script – level 1- Sage of Learning – level 1- [Locked]- [Locked]- [Locked]- [Locked]
General Skills- Reading – level 7- Identify – level 5- Sculpting – level 2
Aptitudes- Languages: A Dal’mohran, Elvish, Dwarven- Mana (Affinities): Are, Nature- Tiny (Racial): The effects of Strength and Vitality are reduced by 50%- Magical (Racial): The effects of Wisdom and Intelligence are increased by 50%- Mana Sense (Racial): You are sensitive to nearby mana
Attributes- Vitality: 5- Strength: 4- Endurance: 5- Dexterity: 10- Perception: 11- Intelligence: 26- Wisdom: 19
Health: 25/25Stamina: 50/50Mana: 285/285
Ali had read many books and papers and sat through both b and fasatiures oheories of how css skills were assigned as part of her research work at the library. It was, in fact, one of the most actively researched subjects in magic. Most of the schorly arguments disagreed – sometimes violently – over whether the factors influeng skills were experience, as, need, or eveics, or some bination thereof.
Her own research led her to the clusion that all of these were tributing factors, which was why so many of the experiments were not reproducible, even though there were tantalizing corretions. True or not, it seemed way too much of a ce that her first three skills represented signifit improvements over the ways she had used her magi bat prior to unlog her css. Grasping Roots appeared to be a powerful way to crush enemies with roots using pnt magic. Her memory helpfully supplied the gruesome image of the rat she had crushed by expending her entire mana pool. Are Bolt seemed to be the ao her throwing are magic at enemies. Only now, it would actually do damage. And Barrier definitely matched her powerful desire to bloemies with her are magic.
With her first three spells, she was satisfied that she was on her way to being a real bat mage – albeit a level one mage. However, she would no longer be powerless in bat and these skills would only grow with experience. On a whim, Ali spent some of her mana on her new Barrier skill, and a small thirty-timeter disk of transparent golden energy snapped ien front of her. All at onostalgia, pride, and grief smmed into her heart. Mom… Her magical abilities were tiny by parison, but this struct was clearly identical to her mother’s powerful are barrier magic.
She let the barrier dissipate, overe with emotions and exhaustion. The enormity of the day finally crashed down on her. She had woken up in a world pletely unfamiliar to her, uo unicate with anyone, learning that everyone she had ever loved was gone. She had been in two fights with actual monsters, almost dying a couple of times and now she had nothio give. She dragged herself over to where the others sat and, curling up o Malika, she simply passed out from sheer exhaustion.
Malika
Malika sat on the dirty grouhe now dark aed shrine, listening to and Mato excitedly exgiails of their new csses.
Curious, she examihe shrine one more time, using her Appraise skill to che the mana reserves – a detail she deduced was normally only visible to the owner.
Shrine of the A GroveAn a mystical shrine of unknown in. Offers advanced css features and attu of tent mana affinity.Owner: Aliandra AmarielMana Siphon (Active)Mana: Unlock css experiena: Unlock or enhaent magical affinities. [Locked, insuffit mana.]Mana: Unlock alternate csses. [Locked, insuffit mana.]Owner’s Mana: Recharge the shrine’s mana reserve. 8,550/1,250,000Quality: UniqueValue: SoulboundShrine – Artifact
We drai, she thought, w if Aliandra had anticipated how close it would be when she had allowed all of them to go first. Feeling a small twinge of guilt at the depleted state of the shrine, she tried to feed some of her mana into the reserve, but it wouldn’t accept her .
Malika had been careful to not share too much about her new css with the others, admitting only that she had earned an unarmed bat css – which they could easily deduow that she must appear as a Monk to their Identify skill. She also admitted to having a Soul Magia affinity – had been sharp enough to guess it from the dispy at the shri was already more detail than she felt fortable sharing.
Oher hand, she had learned quite a lot about their csses – information freely flowiweewo friends – seemingly not minding that she could overhear their discussion. had unlocked an archer css with a light magic affinity, and he demonstrated one of his skills by summoning a bright floating light that he could move about simply by fog his mind. For such a small mote, it gave off an unreasonable amount of light, but it was certainly o be able to see clearly for a ge. He also cimed it had the ability to dispel some stealth effects, which seemed quite useful.
Mato had unlocked a druidic css with access to shapeshifting nature magic, which he excitedly demonstrated by turning himself into a bear – a form that amused Malika no end. Once she had seen his shapeshift, she couldn’t uhe resembo the bear even in his normal form. He really was just broad and furry, regardless of which shape he was using. The affinity for shapeshiftiainly seemed a natural extension to his Beastkin nature, and he was obviously excited about the possibilities.
What else he do? His css seemed quite broad, and Druids were widely known for effit nature affinity healing spells.
Suddenly, she felt movement within her spad saw Aliandra right o her. Her heart raced as she snapped her guard up, but in that instant, she heard Aliandra’s sur breathing.
She’s asleep? Aliandra had literally just curled up against her leg and fallen asleep on the spot.
That kind of iion could have been fatal oreets. And not just for Aliandra, for herself too – how had she let herself get so tired that she had missed the Fae approag?
She struggled briefly within herself, the disfort of allowing someoo be so close warring with the unfamiliar sense of being so trusted that the little Fae would let down her guard and sleep beside her.
You had a rough day, she thought, finally deg to allow the girl to sleep undisturbed. The warmth of her back pressed up against Malika’s leg and the soft rise and fall of her breathing were strangely f. Besides, failing to show kio Aliandra after the priceless gift she had just given would pce her among the dregs of the Town Watch thugs, and she would rather die.
I just have no idea how I ever repay her, she thought, frowning as she slowly returned her attention to the versation.
“We should test our skills on something,” Mato said.
“We’ve been down here for quite a while,” said, shaking his head. “My mother is going to be worried when everyo us has returned. We’re almost out of food and we also used the st of the potions in that battle.”
“You’re probably right,” Mato grumbled. “We should return to town; my parents will be worried too. Perhaps we e bad fight stuff in a day or two? Get some levels? But what are we going to do with her? Brio town with us?” He gestured toward Aliandra, peacefully curled up against Malika’s side.
Malika’s eyes drifted down to her sleeping panion as she sidered her options. “I’m going to stay here,” she said, gaining gnces of surprise from the two boys. “I don’t have family in town, nobody will miss me.”
In truth, she was afraid of running into the Town Watd their army of thugs. She had a ow and she wouldn’t be able to ceal the fact that she had chosen differently than they would have insisted upon. While choosing a css did mean she was signifitly stronger, she was still level one and as far as the rumors went, Adrik and Edrik had both passed level twenty. They would easily kill her ohey discovered she had abandoned her life as a thief. She was in more danger now than before she had unlocked her css – at least whenever she was in town.
“Is that safe?” Mato asked her.
“The rats and wolves are safer than the people waiting for me up there,” she said, deliberately vague about her associations. Surprisingly, Mato did not pry, simply takiatement at face value. g her curiously but didn’t seem particurly surprised, a it go without ent.
“Ok,” Mato said. “And you’ll look after our little sleeping friend here?”
Malika nodded. “I move her to the cave, it will be a little safer there.”
“Alright,” said, pulling out a couple of apples – all that remained of the food from his pack. Handing it to her, he said, “We’ll see you at the cave in a day or two.”
“Don’t get too far ahead,” Mato said with a wave as the two of them headed out into the darkness, the Half-elf with a h mote of light following him, and the Beastkin shifting into the form of a rge, reddish-brown wolf.
Malika got to her feet, and carefully picked up Aliandra, trying not to disturb her slumber as she walked slowly back to the cave. She hadn’t asked them to e back, and she still didirely trust them, but it would be helpful to have proven allies – at least, until she gained a few levels and learned how to use her own css. Once she was stronger, she could decide.
