Wednesday, December 26, 2018

Chapter 230 - Aftermath


Of course, I wouldn’t let the chance to turn in divine quests all at once go! Not only did it give me a chance to do all of this in one fell swoop, but I was able to keep my word and gain experience, but those who weren’t part of my guild got to see that several different gods gave me quests in my attack on the city, which would be useful politically. From my inventory, I pulled the sheathed blade that my people had recovered from the Temple of Sezphy. Holding it flat in two hands, I walked up to the Red Knight, and said, “My Lady, here is the Knightblade, wrongfully stolen by the servants of Sezphy, now returned to you, as agreed.”

The Red Knight bowed her head as she took the blade from me, and, for a moment, was silent. Looking up at me, she smiled, and said, “You have proven to be a man of your word, Zayn Darkmore, a trait all too rare amongst those who walk in darkness. I look forward to seeing what strategies you come up with in the future.”

Return the Knightblade
The Red Knight has tasked you with entering the vaults of the Temple of Sezphy in Ograin’s capitol and recovering the Knightblade, an artifact of her making which she bestows on those who prove worthy. The blade currently rests in the vaults of the temple in Duskhaven.

You fought your way through the Temple of Sezphy and even conquered a goddess in her true form, allowing you to search through the vaults and reclaim the Knightblade, which you returned to the Red Knight.
Rank
Divine
Success
Return the Knightblade to a temple or shrine of the Red Knight, or give it to her directly.
Failure
Claim the Knightblade for your own, or give it away.
Rewards
Experience
Supreme Map of the Strategist
Knight’s Move

Supreme Map of the Strategist
Type
Tool
Rank
Divine
This map, a lesser copy of one used by the Red Knight herself, is enchanted to display whatever area the user commands, though the amount of detail depends on the level of knowledge the user has of the area. This can be anything from a single battlefield to an entire continent. This map perfectly plots the position of allied forces and known enemy forces, providing a +50% bonus to the creation of strategies and tactics for battle that stacks with all similar bonuses save those that come from lesser versions of this map. Should a previously unsighted enemy make their presence known in the field, their position will appear on the map.

Knight’s Move
Type
Tool
Rank
Divine
Few pieces on the lanceboard have the flexibility and creative strategies available to them as the Knight does. This necklace, when worn, provides the wearer with a portion of that flexibility.

Flanking Position – Teleport instantly to the rear of any enemy, allowing for use of backstabs or other such maneuvers, forcing an enemy to react to your presence. Cost: 200 MP, 30 second cooldown.
Rapid Escape – 25% chance when receiving a critical hit to teleport to a safe position up to 15 feet away, negating the hit. Also applies to attacks the wearer is not aware of.

I bowed to the Red Knight. The experience I’d gained from the quest was enough to push me up a few more levels, but I’d worry about checking just how far later. More interesting to me were the items she gave me for completing the quest. These were no mere trinkets, even if they appeared less impressive than weapons and armor. I smiled widely as I read their descriptions to myself. To a strategist, these weapons were far more useful than weapons and armor in the long run.

Next, I turned my attention to Mystra. The goddess of magic regarded me cooly as I approached. I did not doubt that she still found my actions repugnant, but she was, at least, not one to let her emotions run wild. I bowed before her, and said, “My Lady, I am certain you know it already, but allow me to confirm that, under my direction, forces of the Shadow Alliance protected the Temple of Mystra and the Mage’s College from attacks launched by certain other temples during the chaos of our assault, such that not one enemy made it inside your temple, much less had the ability to defile it.”

Mystra grudgingly nodded, which was as close to thanks or praise as I was going to get from her at the moment. With a smile, I pulled two books from my bag, took a breath, and said, “You gave me one other task, and, with the aid of my guild, it is complete. In the world we Travelers come from, much knowledge has been lost at one time or another when disaster or conflict destroyed libraries or reaped the lives of those who held the knowledge before they could pass it on. In recent times, those who value knowledge have taken the precaution of creating copies of valuable materials, kept separately from each other, to prevent their knowledge from being lost. One of Aria’s mages developed a simple spell to copy the words from one tome to another, though they cannot copy any enchantments or magical effects laid upon them. Another of our mages has enchanted a tome to contain far more information than should be possible, allowing a single book to house an entire library’s worth of knowledge. Because of this, I present to you an official archival copy of all the materials we found in the libraries of Lithaes Castle and House Sylrya.”

Now, Mystra’s eyes truly shone like stars as she looked over the books I handed her. The idea of keeping duplicate records was not a new one in this world, and while there were other, less refined versions of the spell that copied a book into a new tome (and a couple more specific versions, such as one to copy a wizard’s spellbook), the one our scholar came up with was far more efficient. Of course, that would still leave one with the problem of having to store and protect TWO libraries instead of one. The spellwork for the enchanted Archival Tome arose from reverse-engineering the ‘Archival Disks’ we found in that Alchera so very long ago. Keeping a backup tome safe was far simpler than keeping a backup library safe, after all.

Defense of the Temple
The Temple of Mystra in Duskhaven and her worshippers have been harried by the zealots of the Theocracy, as magic comes to all in their measure, despite their alleigiances or morals. When the fighting begins, Mystra’s divinations have shown hints that the zealots may attempt to sack her temple directly. Help defend the temple from those who would sack it in the chaos.

Your forces protected the Temple of Mystra, preventing all comers from entering the Temple or raiding its libraries or treasuries. Going above and beyond, you also protected the Mage’s College under Mystra’s protection without being required to do so.
Rank
Divine
Success
Prevent looters or Theocratic soldiers from entering the Temple of Mystra during the attack upon Duskhaven.
Failure
The Temple’s libraries and treasuries are ransacked.
Reward
Increased Reputation with Mystra and her church.
Knowledge of how to create your avatar upon ascension to godhood.
(Bonus: Reputation gain also applied to all Shadow Alliance members and those who fought to defend the Temple.)

The Archives of the Aria of the Twilight
The Aria of the Twilight as a guild has come into possession of two troves of tomes and knowledge from ancient times, including several tomes with arcane knowledge that had been thought lost to the world. You are charged with providing the Goddess of Magic with copies of these troves.

With the aid of your guild, you created a solution to a problem that has been plaguing archivists in this world since the dawn of the written word.
Rank
Divine
Success
Provide copies of all tomes, scrolls, maps, and other such materials recovered from the vaults of Lithaes Castle in Wyrmwood and House Sylrya in Have Dorei to Mystra (either in person or at one of her temples) within two years.
Failure
Fail to provide copies of the matierals within the allotted time.
Rewards
Aria of the Twilight gains the Blessing of Mystra, decreasing all MP costs by 25%.

I got a notification that my reputation with Mystra had improved to ‘Neutral’. As an added bonus for going above and beyond, the rep bump got spread to the entire alliance and the locals we got to defend the temple. Not exactly a ringing endorsement, but it wasn’t nothing. The knowledge of how to create my Avatar was something that normally had to be worked out for an ascended god on their own, and typically took many years, if not centuries, during which time they could only descend or possess a follower if they wished to make impacts on the material world. And the decreased MP costs from her blessing certainly made my guildies happy. I wasn’t exactly displeased, either.

Finally, I walked over to Loviatar, and said, “My Lady, you commanded me to take three people prisoner, and to make example of them before their followers. I am happy to report that all three of the targets you gave me have been captured, and preparations are underway for the example to be made. I invite you, and and all the gods present here, to that feast, where we shall be eating more pleasurable fare while the followers of Ilmater, Sezphy, and Pelor eat.” I paused for a moment, and then said to all the gathered deities, “Though I understand if some of you would rather return home and enjoy time with those you are fond of, rather than witnessing this punishment.”

In the end, only Mirelth, Beshaba, Loviatar, Lolth, Malcanthet, and Sharess stayed, while the other gods and goddesses left, not wishing to witness the grim spectacle I was making. In the grand dining room of Castle Duskhaven, we gathered at the high table, while the captured followers of the fallen gods sat glumly at the lower tables, compelled to stay there by their slave collars. I sat in the Slave-Queen Helen sat in the high seat, since this was now her kingdom, with Loviatar on her right and myself on her left, while Sharess was seated next to me, and the rest of the table filled with the assembled gods and officers of Aria and the Shadow Alliance. Under the table, I made certain that slaves attended to those sitting at the high table throughout the meal, and Lolth looked to be extremely pleased with me, for I had stationed Elistraee between her mother’s thighs.

When the dinner was served, there were cries of anguish, as the worshippers saw their high priests carried in, still alive upon their enchanted spits, though their skin was browned and they smelled just as a roast ham might. As I had said, the high table had a more palatable meal, as Tailong and Zephara provided the meat for the high table. As we ate, Loviatar looked over to me, her cheeks flushed from the attentions the slave under the table was giving her and her eyes sparkling at the delicious suffering of those at the low tables, and she said, “Oh, Zayn, you are such a delight! This is everything I could have hoped for when I gave you that quest!”

Divine Example
The Maiden of Pain has commanded you to seek out the High Priests of Pelor, Ilmater, and Sezphy in Duskhaven, and to capture them for slow tortures in front of their followers as an example of the consequences of acting rashly against another diety’s followers.

You have followed Loviatar’s commands to the letter, and allowed her to witness the suffering of her enemies in person, surpassing her wildest expectations.
Rank
S (Divine)
Success
The High Priests of Pelor, Ilmater, and Sezphy are to be captured alive, spitted, roasted, and fed to their followers, all while kept alive with the Healing Spits. If a High Priest is killed in the fighting, the highest ranking priest under them may be substituted. The ‘sacrifices’ must remain alive long enough to witness their followers consume their flesh.
Failure
The sacrifices are not kept alive long enough to witness their followers consume them.
Rewards
Hopeslayer Title
Reputation with Loviatar becomes Exalted
Blackthorn Whip of Violation

New Title Gained!

Hopeslayer
Everywhere you go, hope dies in the hearts of your enemies, and despair sets in. Those who know you and your reputation for cruelty are increasingly likely to lose heart when they see you on the opposing side, suffering a morale penalty to all actions and an increased chance of attempting to flee or surrender equal to (Your Level + 10 - Target Level)%, (min 0%). Effects double within 100 feet. Only applies during combat. This is a mind-affecting Fear effect.

Blackthorn Whip of Violation
Type
Whip
Rank
Divine Artifact
Damage
1 – 5 %
Damage Type
Piercing
This whip was made from a blackthorn rose bush grown and tended by Loviatar herself, and crafted by her hand. Almost unheard of amongst weapons, this whip does damage proportional to the max HP of the victim, rather than a fixed range or being based on the wielder’s abilities. If that were the extent of its abilities, then this whip would still have a place in any sadist’s arsenal, but its powers go far beyond that.
Requires: Reputation with Loviatar – Exalted
Requires: Must be given to the wielder by Loviatar herself.

+1000 Attack
Ignores all Armor and Resistance
Bleeding Wounds – All attacks leave bleeding wounds on the target, causing bleed damage equal to the the initial damage over 5 seconds.
Unending Torment – All damage caused by this weapon, including bleed damage, cannot reduce the target below 1 HP.
Wicked Bite – Damage caused by this weapon increases the pain felt by the victim by x10.
Violating Thorns – The wielder can summon up to (Level/10) Violating Blackthorn Bushes, each bush having 10 vines, which can bind and torment a target like an altered version of the Black Tentacles spell. The vines’ thorns deal damage as the whip itself, and are treated as if they were attacks by the whip in all respects (including Unending Torment). Costs 1000 MP + 100 MP/second.

I smiled as I looked over the whip. This was the perfect addition to my arsenal whenever I wished to cause someone pain, but needed them to stay alive, either because they had information I needed, or because I wanted them to suffer. I was quickly getting to the point where, even if I used low-ranked weapons, I would likely kill especially low-leveled creatures with a single blow, and no low-level weapon would last more than a single swing if I used my full power with it. I thanked Loviatar, and promised that it would see good use.

With that done, however, I turned my attention to my other weapons. The fighting through Duskhaven and turning in so many divine quests had pushed me to Level 200, and my two scaling swords had grown along with me. Their stats were getting truly fearsome, by any measure you thought to use.

Munsuraisa (Moon Slicer)
Type
Sword (Katana)
Rank
Unique – Soulforged
Damage
1500 – 1800
Damage Type
Slashing
Part of the Heavenly Swordsman’s Daisho. This Soulforged weapon grows in power as you level up, however, you suffer a 10% reduction in XP gained.
+120 Attack, +100 Wisdom
40% Chance to ignore Armor on hit.
Crescent Moon Slash – Unleashes a wave of magic from the blade, damaging all creatures within 20’ in a cone in front of the wielder. Costs 20 HP.
Vampiric Blade VIII – Heal self equal to damage dealt.
Sundering Blade IV – 40% chance to reduce target’s Defense by 40 on hit. Lasts until armor is repaired.
Mantra of the King – Forces all who can see and hear the wielder to kneel for one hour or until commanded to rise. Costs 5000 MP. 24 hour Cooldown.
Celestial Bane – Deals double damage to creatures with Celestial blood.
Keen IV – Critical Hit chance increased by 40%
Vorpal Blade – All critical hits have a 50% chance of removing a creature’s limb or head depending on the area attacked.

Heavenly Swordsman’s Daisho: When equipped with Taiyo no Tsubasa, +100 STR, +100 DEX

Taiyo no Tsubasa (Sun Blade)
Type
Sword (Wakizashi)
Rank
Unique – Soulforged
Damage
1200 – 1400
Damage Type
Slashing
Part of the Heavenly Swordsman’s Daisho. This Soulforged weapon grows in power as you level up, however, you suffer a 10% reduction in XP gained.
+120 Attack, +100 Charisma
120 - 140 Fire Damage on hit.
Deals double damage to Undead.
Sunflare – Blind enemies within 30 feet for 30 seconds. Costs 20 HP.
Flamekissed - +20% Fire Resistance
Manavore VIII – Restores MP equal to the damage dealt.
Spellbane VI – Reduce enemy MP by the damage dealt.
Infusion of Potent Health – Target’s maximum HP increases 500% for 5 minutes, healed to (new) full HP. After duration, target reduced to 1 HP. Touch range. Costs 3000 MP, cannot be used on same target for 1 week after duration ends.
Dragon Bane – Deals double damage to Dragons.
Godslayer – Deals double damage to deities or those with divine blood.
Cauterize – Burn a victim for extra fire damage to seal their wounds, preventing them from bleeding out.

Heavenly Swordsman’s Daisho: When equipped with Munsuraisa, +100 CON, +100 INT

I smiled to myself. I would certainly not be lightly armed when I went into my next Trial of Ascension, that was for certain!




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Be sure to read my published works!

Frozen Soul series (Sci-Fi Supervillain story):
Frozen Soul https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071R125QT
Tales of the Void Traveler https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06ZZ52G37

Rules-Free VRMMO Life (Dark Fantasy GameLit):
Volume 1 - Tutorial
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071VPRNDB
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rules-free-vrmmo-life-stuart-grosse/1128941349?ean=2940161995297

Omnibus 1 - Volumes 1-4
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0774T354X
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rules-free-vrmmo-life-omnibus-i-stuart-grosse/1128953195?ean=2940162052081

Into the Black (Sci-Fi GameLit):
Book I - Game Start https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071LT5WGL
Omnibus I - Books 1-4 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077X2KR7Y

City of Champions Online (Superhero GameLit):
Issue I - Origin Stories https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075SHXQS1

Lewd Dungeon (Dungeon Core GameLit):
Book 1 - Welcome to the Apocalypse https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BB34DHF
Omnibus 1 - Books 1-4 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FBPF6HR

The Kalipshae Affair (A First Contact Short Story): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0739V6R6T

Sunday, December 23, 2018

Prologue - Trade Chat


 

(NERV Game Site – Official DAtS Offline Forums)

Number5Alive, Golddigger, BurtBacharach, CrazyCelt, Blaze, DoYouEvenLyft?, MarcoPolo, MightMakesRight, l33tpally, Bennie, SEA-TAC_Sweetie, Requiesce-in-Pace, MacD, HaveGunsWillTravel, Guardian, GunKitty, Chummer, Inquisitor, Lizard, RedFox, SemiSolidSnake, ElfMama, Not_the_Face!, Anonymous3, Anonymous4, Anonymous7, Anonymous9, AggregatorOfSorrows, M.Mollen, WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot, BigGunn, Dolcett, Starwatcher, Backlog, DarkAvariel, Knocker, Hullu_Kapteeni, GrimDark, BloodForTheBloodGod, Queen’s_Bitch, BackDat@55Up, DoYouEvenDPS?, MajorTom, Parca, and DarkAngel are in the chat.

Blaze: So, any news on what is happening on that new world the Black Stars found?
Starwatcher: None. Several ships have gone to the gate address their fleet dialed when it left Nuevo Edo, but none have returned.
M.Mollen: Yes, a few trespassers unfortunately ended up getting caught while we were securing the system.
Knocker: Trespassers?
M.Mollen: Think of it like a store that is under construction. Breaking into the construction site is generally not permitted, yes? Since we were not ready to announce the grand opening, those people who were trespassing were stopped by the Black Star Fleet and given a very simple choice.
Lizard: What kind of choice?
GunKitty: “Become a slave or be destroyed.”
Anonymous3: No way! How can that be allowed?
M.Mollen: Well, if they have a problem with that, they are welcome to appeal to the local legal authority to hear their case.
Anonymous4: Who would the local legal authority be?
M.Mollen: Well, the ultimate military/security authority in the system would be the Admiral of the Black Star Fleet, which is me. However, for civilian matters, the ultimate authority in the system would be the CEO/Owner of the Black Star Company, which is me.
Knocker: How the hell does that work?
M.Mollen: Unclaimed space. First come, first served. So, unless someone comes along with enough force to take it from me, then it is mine.
Anonymous9: So, one of the interstellar governments, then?
Parca: Sure, if they wanted to come ‘the long way’. You gotta go through the Gateway one at a time, remember? Makes for a lovely shooting gallery if someone tries to come along uninvited.
Lizard: But that system is in another arm of the galaxy from the established powers!
Guardian: Which is part of the reason he isn’t worried about anyone trying anything. Unless they tried to come through Nuevo Edo or the Amazon system, they’d end up getting here sometime in the next fifty to sixty years, at the earliest. I’m fairly certain we’d be ready for them by the time they got here.
RedFox: As if they don’t have those Gateways watched.
Hullu_Kapteeni: Of course, we do. Which is why the pirate group heading for Nuevo Edo will be getting a much warmer reception than they had hoped for.
BigGunn: Hah! I knew it! The reason your fleet didn’t go through the Amazon system was because you knew we were there!
M.Mollen: Ooh, are you one of the pirates that were lying in wait on the Amazon Gateway, then? So, which group did you join, the people who don’t know they’re dead yet, or the ones who ran to live another day?
BigGunn: I convinced the others to follow me when it became clear that an ambush wasn’t going to work.
M.Mollen: I see. Well, the analysts have confirmed that, if we hadn’t been watching that system since we first liberated it, you could have done significant damage to our ships. The problems of going through the Gateway one at a time are universal, after all.
BigGunn: Glad to see that, at least, was true.
M.Mollen: Of course, I would have then hunted you down and exterminated or enslaved your clans, as a general principle, but that is beside the point.
MarcoPolo: Moving away from that, are you saying that if you explore closer to Known Space, that any discoveries might be taken away from you?
HaveGunsWillTravel: Yeah. Probably as soon as the nearest pirate lord or interstellar government hears about the new find, they’d send ships to ‘secure’ the system, and you’d be under, say, Imperial or Confederate control. Sure, you might be damn powerful, but you wouldn’t be the absolute head like the boss is.
Starwatcher: For those interested in exploration, the Black Star scout ship that was being built at Dimiya has launched. Two of their ‘gunboats’ escorted the ship out of the system.
M.Mollen: Yes, I am looking forward to seeing what happens with that ship. The crew of three is an interesting makeup.
Starwatcher: Three? Only two people were seen getting onto the ship.
M.Mollen: Ah, paparazzi never change. Anyway, yes, three. The Pilot, Mechanic, and AI. The AI was actually done under an arrangement with the dev team.
Anonymous3: What? Why?
M.Mollen: Medical testing for a new kind of immersion for players who may have… issues with large groups.
RedFox: Wait, there’s AI Nomads now?
M.Mollen: Only a few. It is still in medical testing, as I said, to see if the game can be used to help treat or manage autism.
DarkAngel: The fuck? How would that even work?

Medic_Oversight has entered the chat.

Medic_Oversight: The specifics of medical testing protocols cannot be discussed openly. However, certain facets of how the player experiences the world as an AI has shown positive effects in reducing or removing barriers individuals within a certain range of the autistic spectrum have to communication. As crowds or large groups are a common trigger for episodes and negative behavior in a large part of the spectrum, the test subjects have been put in small-group settings where socialization is necessary, but there is less pressure on the testers than in a face-to-face conversation or large-group situations. This initiative is one of several medical tests we are doing with the advanced EVA-02 medical pods, to help our users have the best game experience they can.
Knocker: Damn. That’s pretty cool. But why partner with Black Star?
M.Mollen: They reached out to me, since I was already in another section of the medical testing program, for those with permanent mobility issues.
Medic_Oversight: All individuals in the Medical Testing Initiative are constantly monitored for health and psychiatric issues, with teams on call to respond to emergencies, and counseling available if necessary. For more details on the Medical Testing Initiative, please visit the NERV website.

Medical_Oversight has left the chat.

Not_the_Face!: Damn, that’s heavy.
WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot: Hey, getting some info from Alpha Centauri! Black Star ships just entered the system via the Gateway from the new address, en route to Sol. Looks like a repeat of their announcement of Nuevo Edo.
M.Mollen: Well, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
GrimDark: So this time, giving the Empress the first shot at trade deals?
M.Mollen: Exactly. Perhaps next time we’ll talk with the Alliance first, or the Ihm. But now that Star’s Reach is secured, and the infrastructure is starting to come into place, we’ll be opening for business soon.




Previous Chapter                                       Table of Contents                                     Next Chapter



Be sure to read my published works!

Frozen Soul series (Sci-Fi Supervillain story):
Frozen Soul https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071R125QT
Tales of the Void Traveler https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06ZZ52G37

Rules-Free VRMMO Life (Dark Fantasy GameLit):
Volume 1 - Tutorial
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071VPRNDB
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rules-free-vrmmo-life-stuart-grosse/1128941349?ean=2940161995297

Omnibus 1 - Volumes 1-4
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0774T354X
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rules-free-vrmmo-life-omnibus-i-stuart-grosse/1128953195?ean=2940162052081

Into the Black (Sci-Fi GameLit):
Book I - Game Start https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071LT5WGL
Omnibus I - Books 1-4 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077X2KR7Y

City of Champions Online (Superhero GameLit):
Issue I - Origin Stories https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075SHXQS1

Lewd Dungeon (Dungeon Core GameLit):
Book 1 - Welcome to the Apocalypse https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BB34DHF
Omnibus 1 - Books 1-4 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FBPF6HR

The Kalipshae Affair (A First Contact Short Story): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0739V6R6T

Saturday, December 22, 2018

Chapter 229 - Old Magicks


Securing the Castle was child’s play, as there was still over two hours left before the effects of Twilight’s Caress wore off, allowing people to return to their bodies. Of course, even once the soul magic wore off, all the truly important people, the ones that might challenge what I was about to do, had all been turned into undead as their soul chains were severed. Most of them had been members of the Grand Crusade as well, and were now enslaved and waiting at the homes of their new owners.

Only one newly made Undead remained in the Keep. The Commander of the City Guard of Duskhaven had been in the castle, and was one of the persons of interest that had been hunted down by the assassins sent through the city. A devout follower of Helm, he had been evenhanded in dispensing justice throughout the city, according to the laws of the land. Whether those laws were going too far was not his concern.

The Lost Soul hovered near his former body, spectral sword unsheathed, as he barred the gate into the Keep itself. “STAND BACK, FOUL MINIONS OF DARKNESS! I WILL ALLOW NONE TO PASS!” Steadfast even in undeath, the Captain refused to abandon his post.

Helm and Selune were still ‘observing’ our actions, and by this point Mirelth had joined us in her human form. Turning to Helm, I said, “Lord Helm, one of your servants has fallen in our fight for the city, and yet remains steadfast. He is no member of the Grand Crusade, and so I have no further quarrel with him should he accept the new management of the city. The curse binding him to Undeath may be undone by any priest of the one he follows. I would ask you show mercy to this servant of yours, and restore him.”

Helm stared at me, obviously surprised by my request. “Indeed, he has proven his honour by remaining at his post, even when the pain of sundering and his new nature as an undead manifested. But why would you ask this of me, given that this man is not of your church, or your ally?”

I smiled sadly at the god, and said, “Because when I am finished with my work here, Ograin will need men like him, willing to stand by the kingdom no matter what it may cost them. According to my sources, he has never gone along with the excesses of the Crusaders, though he never stopped them unless they acted outside the laws of the land. The pain he has suffered is penalty enough, I think, and it may serve to mend bridges between the Guard and those who they protect.”

Helm nodded, and said, “Perhaps there is hope for this new land you will forge yet.” Looking towards the Guard Captain, he said, “Commander Cullen Rutherford, you have done your duty, such that even one who was your enemy has spoken on your behalf. Rise, and continue to serve, as you have sworn to do.” With those words, there was a pulse of power, and the Lost Soul disappeared. The next instant, the Commander’s eyes opened, and he breathed once more, restored to life.

I wasted no more time outside the Castle, for I had a job to do if I wanted to finish this night’s events with the proper bang. In the Throne Room, we found more than a couple corpses that no longer had souls attached to them, including the leader of the Crusaders. At my direction, those bodies which still had souls attached to their chains were moved over to the walls, so that they would be out of the way. The empty vessels with no souls attached, however, I laid out before the throne of Ograin, and began spilling their blood for what I must do next. Though their souls had been severed, the bodies still lived, and their blood still held power.

The Old Magicks, as they were now called, had once been known as Name Magic or Pattern Magic. It came from the belief that everything had a True Name and a True Pattern that reflected what they were to the fullest extent. Using the Name of an object could imbue it with power, which is part of the reason why the strongest weapons and armors all had names. Affect the Pattern of an object, and you changed what that object was, as if it had always been so. These concepts were easy enough to understand when you thought of an person or an object. But few mortals realized that a country had both a Name and a Pattern.

Malcanthet had shown me the way, when we had talked between bouts of passion in her bed in Shudderwall after she had ascended to godhood about my plans to deal with the Theocracy. I had not lied when I said that the Abyss held knowledge long lost to the mortal realm. The Demon Goddess of the Succubi gave to me a copy of an ancient tome, holding the secrets of the Old Magicks. The Ritual I was about to undertake was known as a ReNaming. With it, I intended to change the Name and Pattern of Ograin.

The runes I painted in a circle around the throne were not in any language now spoken amongst men. It was the Primordial language, the parent language of the tongues spoken in the Abyss, the Hells, the Heavens, and all the elemental planes. In short, it was the language of creation from the beginning of all things. Any other mortal who conducted this ritual would simply be aping the runes and their pronounciation, knowing what was meant without actually knowing the meaning, forcing them to rely on the texts they had dug up the rituals from as to what the rituals actually did. More than once, someone had attempted a ritual without understanding it, and ushered in calamity when they made a mistake, or if the text they relied on lied about the ritual’s purpose. Only those who had learned the ancient tongue, or had a quality like my ‘Subs or Dubs’ that allowed me to speak all languages, would know the true meaning of the words, and the power in them. Only those like myself could take these rituals, and create new ones based upon them.

When the circle was ready, I had my party gather around, to aid in the casting, and called forth the Slave Princess and made her sit upon the throne. Meanwhile, the rest of Aria kept watch to ensure the ritual was not disrupted. The ritual would take almost half an hour to complete, and the effects of Twilight’s Caress would wear off in little more than ten minutes. Anyone in the city who had the least bit of talent would know something was going on once the ritual began. Those who wished to stop the ritual would come to the Keep. A disruption would unleash a tidal wave of energy, likely destroying the city, at the very least. It was not impossible that the entire country might get caught up in the magical backlash.

Just before I began to start the ritual, I felt several presences descend behind me. Looking back, I saw that more gods had come forth to witness what I was about to do. Sharess, ruby-lipped and lovely as ever, stood in the center, watching us with a smile. Mystra and Sehanine Moonbow stood side by side, the two Goddesses of Magic looking on with a hungry expression at the thought of magic long lost returning to the world. Lolth was there, in her drider form, staying well away from Sehanine and Selune, but standing where Elistraee could not see her smirk at her daughter’s misfortune. Malcanthet, dressed in a slinky red dress that sparkled in the candlelight and which seemed to defy gravity (along with her bosom), smiled openly as she looked on. Nearby, Deep Duerra and Luthic appeared, watching on, with interest at the proceedings. At Sehanine’s side, Sheela Peryroyl appeared, eating an apple which she had plucked from the end of her staff. Beshaba and Loviatar appeared together, with the Goddess of Misfortune playfully teasing Loviatar like a schoolgirl pranking her friends, mostly about the ‘chair’ Loviatar was sitting upon, which consisted of Ilmater, bowed upon his hands and knees, with Loviatar resting upon his back. And last, though not least, was the Red Knight, in her crimson armor, stepped up to Helm’s side, forcefully separating Malcanthet from him as she teased the stalwart warrior with her… charms.

Seeing as it would be rude to ignore such august an audience, I turned, and bowed. “The world is changing. Ever since we Travelers came to this world, change has been constant, wherever we went. Now, we reach back, to the days of myth and legend, and use lore long lost to the realms of mortals to reforge a kingdom that was brought to ruin by the arrogance of its rulers, and then taken advantage of by those who corrupted the churches they served in an attempt to gain power for themselves. Never again shall Ograin be allowed to fall prey to such weakness. Therefore, from this day unto the last, the ruler of Ograin shall always be a slave, so that they may never again become so arrogant that they would destroy their kingdom rather than admit fault.”

Turning back to the circle, I took a breath, and nodded to the others. I began speaking, and the others joined in. Once we had started the ritual, we were committed, for the magic began to take on a life of its own. It was like when opening the floodgates of a dam. The magic flowed through us, moving as the runes guided it, but we had no more control of the spell at this point. We could not stop the casting any more than one could stop a hurricane from blowing. I had expected this, which is why the whole of Aria of the Twilight was now in Duskhaven Keep, ready for the defense.

And then, it was done. It felt as though ages had passed, and yet at the same time that the ritual had been completed in blink of an eye. Such is the way when one plays with the primordial forces of the universe. Mortal minds were not made to comprehend the full nature of what those powers represented. According to the lore I had read, all of those who dove too deeply into those mysteries would inevitably end up driving themselves insane, the knowledge of things beyond the scope of this reality we know being too much for their minds to bear.

WORLD EVENT NOTICE!

The guild, Aria of the Twilight, has completed a ritual using forgotten magics to change the shape of the nation of Ograin forever. The Kingdom of Ograin shall forever more be a place where all religions, regardless of creed, may be worshipped openly, without sanction from the Kingdom, though this does not protect worshippers if they break the kingdom’s laws. (i.e. worship of dark gods may not be prohibited, but slaying a free person as part of a sacrificial rite could still be considered murder if they did not freely volunteer for their role.)

Moreover, the rulership of Ograin has been bound to the bloodline of Helen Glendower, last surviving child of the last King of Ograin. From here until the end of days, the ruler of Ograin must be a Slave, such that, when the former ruler dies or abdictates the throne, their successor shall be immediately enslaved to the former ruler’s master should they be free, from the moment of the former ruler’s death or abdictation.

Realm Event Notice!

Long live the Slave-Queen!

Helen Glendower, daughter of the late King Glendower, has, according to the powers of the ritual reshaping Ograin, taken up the mantle of Slave-Queen of Ograin. The penalty imposed by the last king’s death has been removed. Long may she reign!

Legendary Feat!

You have cast a ritual long forgotten to the mortal realms, ReNaming an entire country and changing both its Name and Pattern permanently. All the gods of Magic have taken note of this achievement. Your names will be spread throughout the lands, for good or ill.

+20000 Fame
+20000 Infamy
All MP costs reduced by 10%.

I took a deep breath as the ritual finished. Looking up, I saw the bodies of several high-level individuals bleeding out in the throne room. Though the gods had not gotten involved, it seemed as though any players in the area had been informed that I was doing serious magic, and more than a few had tried to stop it. Probably most of the ‘light side’ types in Ograin that weren’t part of the Grand Crusade. Just as I had predicted. That is why I had Aria waiting there to protect me, after all.

With a smile, I regarded those around me. “Forces of Twilight! The World has been remade once more this night! The dawn approaches, and with it change the likes of which have not been seen since before the Scourge! Begin the preparations to return home to Lithaes, while I finish here.” Turning to look at the assembled gods, I smiled, and said, “I believe a couple of you have given me quests that I need to turn in, after all.”





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Be sure to read my published works!

Frozen Soul series (Sci-Fi Supervillain story):
Frozen Soul https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071R125QT
Tales of the Void Traveler https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06ZZ52G37

Rules-Free VRMMO Life (Dark Fantasy GameLit):
Volume 1 - Tutorial
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071VPRNDB
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rules-free-vrmmo-life-stuart-grosse/1128941349?ean=2940161995297

Omnibus 1 - Volumes 1-4
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Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rules-free-vrmmo-life-omnibus-i-stuart-grosse/1128953195?ean=2940162052081

Into the Black (Sci-Fi GameLit):
Book I - Game Start https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071LT5WGL
Omnibus I - Books 1-4 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077X2KR7Y

City of Champions Online (Superhero GameLit):
Issue I - Origin Stories https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075SHXQS1

Lewd Dungeon (Dungeon Core GameLit):
Book 1 - Welcome to the Apocalypse https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BB34DHF
Omnibus 1 - Books 1-4 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FBPF6HR

The Kalipshae Affair (A First Contact Short Story): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0739V6R6T