You are the Champion of Katuin, a now-dead God, granted Divine power to face the perils that occur at the dawn of a new Age, and to leave behind a legacy by his name.
(Western-style progression fantasy set in ancient times. Narratively and light on mechanics, as I wanted something to push me to write)
A/N: Cross-posted from Spacebattles. Katuin, the Youngest of the Gods, also happened to be the first of his kin to die. His death was premature, and the unleashed power of his soul shook the foundations of the world, marking the beginning of the Age of Heroes and Monster.
However, moments before his premature death and unwilling to be remembered solely for it, Katuin separated a fragment of his soul, concentrated Divine power, and sent it into the world to choose a Champion to wield it, so that his Divinity could live on through them. A Legacy worthy of being remembered.
Of all his siblings present, Siva, Katuin's eldest sister, decided to humor his last action and took hold of the fragment, molding it so that its vast power could more readily aid his mortal Champion. Once it latched onto the Champion's soul, it would manifest as:
Select either Object of Power or a Projection, not both.
[] Object of Power.
An item filled with divine power, intelligent enough to give the Champion guidance and bestow it power at a rate it deemed safe. This item is:
-[] A Weapon.
Combat-oriented powers/upgrades are more effective.
Champion gains: Combat Instinct (1)
-[] Accessory.
General powers/upgrades take less Essence. Can act as a Lesser Mana Battery.
Champion gains: Survival Instinct (2)
-[] Armor-piece.
Defensive powers are more effective.
Champion gains: Magic Resistance (1)
(The Object of Power option has a weaker start, but has faster rate of growth. The Object can be stolen, but it can only be used by the Champion.)
[] A Soul Projection.
Given rudimentary intelligence, this fragment of a God's soul can affect the world directly without the input of its Champion, to best protect them and teach them until they are ready to merge with the God's fragment. This Projection took on the Aspect of:
-[] Death.
Champion gains: Soul Sight, Soul Magic Affinity (1).
Projection deals more damage against Undead.
Projection can use Planar Shift.
Gain Essence by ferrying souls to the afterlife.
-[] Magic.
Champion gains: Arcane Affinity (2). Can cast spells using the Projection as a relay.
Projection can teach the Basics of the Arcane Arts to the Champion.
Projection can dematerialize to hide from sight. It cannot interact with the physical world while hidden (includes the usage of magic).
Gain Essence through continuous use of magic.
-[] Combat.
The Projection is most formidable in combat.
Projection can only retain physical form for brief periods of time. It must wait 30 minutes for every (1) minute it remains materialized before materializing again.
(Projections start with a decent amount of power and/or perks and are able to communicate verbally, but accumulating Essence to grow your power's takes longer as it must be shared between both (you will still be able to get upgrades, just slower).)
Katuin's soul remnant left Siva's hand, and its awareness spread thorough the world in search of it's Champion. Months later, it finally made its choice.
You are:
[] A young potter. Currently you hid in a cellar, alongside a handful of children, as a monster of flames and claws rampages outside. The children cover their ears and keep quiet under your watch, but all you can do is pray the monster leave.
[] A merchant's young child. You were playing with your sibling in the early hours of the morning, when the day turned to night and the very ground split apart.
[] A slave waiting to be sold. Your captors raided your village a few weeks prior, killing most and only sparing those they deemed valuable. As a scribe in training, you were their most priced slave. Day after day, as you were all taken to a nation up north, you weighted the odds of escaping.
[] A prisoner awaiting execution. You had been practicing your magic in secret during your free time at the inn you worked at, when a group of guards entered and demanded to know where you were.. The owner handed you to them, and now you waited for the Satrap's judgement. With the tales of magic and death coming from all over the continent, you knew the Satrap would have no mercy.
[] A hunter traversing the woods. For the past month there had been tales in the region of children disappearing in the middle of the night, and strange tracks being found around the forest. The night prior, it was your child who had been taken. You knew not what the creature was, but you would find your child or end the creature who took her.
[] An orphan child living in a coastal city. The past few months you've been listening to tales of monsters and magic being talked about by traders. Tonight, as you walked back to your usual hideout—a cozy little alley between a bakery and a residential building—you spotted an servant girl you were familiar with being dragged unconscious by a man who seemed off. You were about to do something very stupid.
Please vote by plan. Example:
[] Plan: Have Faith
-[] A Young Potter
-[] Object of Power
--[] Armor-piece
[X] Plan: The guide of the dead
-[X] The young son of an executioner: Your father was an executioner for the local lord and thus was a pariah in the eyes of the townsfolk, as his son is expected that you follow in his footsteps even despite wath you may desire.
-[X] A Soul Projection.
--[X] Death
[X] Plan: The guide of the dead
-[X] The young son of an executioner: Your father was an executioner for the local lord and thus was a pariah in the eyes of the townsfolk, as his son is expected that you follow in his footsteps even despite wath you may desire.
-[X] A Soul Projection.
--[X] Death.
Winning vote:
[] Plan: I Have the Power
-[] An orphan child living in a coastal city
-[] A Soul Projection.
--[] Magic You move crate after crate under the morning sun. The yelling of sailors as they work mixes with the rushing and crashing of the waves against the concrete harbor. Aref, one of the sailors you were familiar with, wordlessly passes you another crate.
You work in silence, more uncomfortable than ever, as the feeling of being watched persisted. You were in the open, in broad daylight, with merchants and guards crowding the harbor and the nearby warehouses as they worked, and yet you feel as though the eyes of whoever was watching you were more. You couldn't quite explain it, even to yourself.
You look towards the sea as you walked back for another crate, the Aneidian ships dotting the horizon, and wonder if the tales from the Peninsula are true. Aref passes you another crate and the weight of it surprises you, making you stumble, though you quickly regain your balance and look to Aref in askance. It was not Aref.
"You have been deep in thought, child. Not as chatty as usual either. Something bothering you? You can always ask us for advice, I remind you," says Behnam. He's a large man, proudly displaying the scars on his chest through his open vest. He's one of the oldest of his crew, old enough to be Aref's father, and similarly treated the both of you as though you shared his blood.
"Oh, no, it's just... I haven't been feeling well this morning, it's all," you say, and it is not quite a lie.
"Truly?" asks Aref, eyebrows lifted in surprise, then he lowers then as he considers. "Is it the rumors that have been going around? Of creatures and magics assailing the land?"
"Bah! Do not concern yourself with those rumors!" says Behnam, "even if true, they have not made their way this far south, and even then, this city is too wealthy and well protected for you to worry."
"Last I heard, there are rumors from a city further north talking about men who are not men. Heard some people have seen them at night when the moon is brightest and that they walk odd and start following you if you stare too long," says Aref with a grin, perhaps hoping to scare you. You did not think it would, as you have heard a thousand rumors in the past months, but a weight settles on your stomach,and the sea breeze suddenly feels colder.
Behnam notices your silence and frowns. He pats Aref on the shoulder and tells him, "go tell Farrokh to talk to the harbormaster, we are done for the morning," then turns to you, "here, child, your pay for today." He gives you a handful of copper coins, the usual payment, then holds your wrist as you grab them and looks you in the eye with concern.
"What is it?" you ask. The brief silence that followed was odd, though it lasted but a few breaths.
"Stay safe," he says, then turns and leaves.
Odd, and not at all reassuring.
Job done, you walk away from the harbor as the rest of Behnam's crew starts moving their cargo to a warehouse. The feeling of being watched was still there, but you continue to ignore it as you have all morning.
You make your way to the main street blending into the flowing rivers of foot traffic of the early morning. It was only here, as people blended into one chaotic whole, that you were willing to risk pick-pocketing strangers. You used to do it more often when you were younger, as you were beginning to thrive off the streets, but once you grew older it became riskier and riskier, the guards more attentive of you the taller you became. Besides, eventually you learnt that some good will and a helping hand were enough to get by.
The throngs of people thin out the further away from the coast you go, and you start walking faster as you find a familiar pair of faces. Or backs, rather.
"Karim!" you shout at your friend. He turns, as does his father, and he has to awkwardly shift the baskets he carries when the two of you clasp hands—you offer to carry one for him while you walk.
"Short on medicine?" you ask him, the weight of the basket told you they brought much more than usual. Karim looked just like his father; thin and somewhat short, with a pale mop of hair and a prominent nose. He was roughly your age—a few years shy of becoming an adult—and was well into his studies under his parents. His family worked as physicians and apothecaries both—an unusual mix as it often meant they had to study and work twice as much.
"No, thankfully not. We are merely taking precautions, what with the tales going about," says Karim's father, ruining your mood slightly. The feeling does not grow stronger, but you are once again keenly aware of it.
"I was the one who suggested it," says Karim, obviously feeling quite proud of taking charge. "Don't want to have an emergency and be left with nothing to treat another patient."
"Leave it to you to be unnecessarily cautious," you tease him, "there hasn't been many patients, has there?" You admit to yourself some genuine concern behind the question. The city of Svali was one of the biggest in the region, so there was always work for the physicians, but only during a plague would they be overwhelmed and none has ever struck the city.
"W-well, no, as my father said, there hasn't, but—"
"We decided that it would not hurt to follow Karim's suggestion.," his father interrupted, "the gardens have been doing well so his mother and I thought we could afford any potential loss. After all, better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it."
"I see." You decide to switch topics. "How is Asal today?"
"In a bad mood," answered Karim, "she broke a vase this morning and nearly swore to Siva herself that she did not do it. Kept saying a shadow did it, which would worry me more were she not the type to lie already. Mother thinks she's been hearing too many tales lately." Both him and his father shook their heads while you chuckle.
The three of you walk through the throngs of people until you ask the pair to wait for you while you bought food at a stall. Two copper pieces later and you had yourself some nuts and cheese, with Karim buying the same for himself.
"Oh, right, I forgot to ask. Did you hear any more news from the sailors? Any new tales from the Peninsula?" Karim asks. You've been their source of news from overseas since you started working for some of the traders some years back, something they appreciated as they rarely had time for gossip.
What do you tell them?
[] "No, Behnam's crew worked quickly today since they didn't have much ." (Lie. It made you nervous to think about what Aref told you.)
[] "Aref told me people there's been tales of 'men who are not men' who show up at night and follow you around if you look at them too long." (Say the truth. Might as well.)
As you finish talking, you all reach Karim's house. You say your farewells and Karim heads inside with the baskets while his father turns to you and hands you a small clay tablet and a pouch. Written in the tablet are the names of herbs, a description of their appearance, and instructions on how to prepare:
[] A simple salve for burns.
[] A drink to reduce pain.
[] A fine rubbing-powder to reduce headaches.
"It is not much, but we appreciate your help with carrying the basket all the way here. Keep studying."
You knew he was giving you more than you deserved out of pity. Years back you would have resented it, but by now you were resigned to it. You nodded in gratitude and left. As the day passed, you continued to do odd jobs here and there, settling once more into the routine.
It was as you were helping an old potter load his large clay jars onto a cart that you felt it. A pulsing, both inside and outside of you, so soft you would not have noticed if it hadn't replaced the feeling of being watched you've felt all day long.
You took a breath, and carefully set the clay jar onto the cart, the old man gave you his thanks and a small payment, but you could barely hear him or yourself as you answered him with a smile. The shadows were longer, somehow. The sun was setting, true, but you could swear they were at least a finger or two longer, and darker too.
You ignored it, just like the before. Something was off, and you could not tell why, but your gut told you to keep your wits and finish your route. Things would be normal come the next day.
The day was coming to a close and your last job was with the innkeepers at the western outskirts of the city. For payment they gave you a handful of copper and your dinner, a delicious cup of yogurt with accompanied with some bread and oranges, all for cleaning the floors and helping with some water buckets.
The streets were sparse of people, more and more of them going home as the moon settled prominently in the sky, its light pushing back against the darkness of the night. Your skin itched under moonlight and you could not tell whether or not it was your imagination or if your clothing was tighter.
You turn at the corner of the tall red building that was the bakery and into the alley where your hideout laid when nausea envelops you. The man walked down the alley with his back towards you, dragging an unconscious girl—who you recognize is Laleh, a servant girl younger than you—with his left arm and you notice as thin black lines mar her skin all over, growing thicker and darker by the second. The man- no, the thing seemed to pull shadows towards and away from itself—a taste of copper built at the back of your throat the longer you stared at it.
You try to:
[] Run away and call for help.
[] Run towards it and attack the thing to give Lelah a chance to escape.
[] Keep your distance and throw your pouch of money to grab its attention.
You pause in indecision and fear, thinking of something to do to help Lelah, when the choice is taken away from you as the man-thing stops abruptly and turns to you in a nauseatingly inhuman manner. The light of the moon hits its back, somehow keeping its face and front hidden in shadows, and you instinctively try to pull away. Panic takes hold of you as the very ground beneath you shifts forward—your shadow, it seems, has betrayed you.
Panicked and rooted in place, you scream as the thing swifly gains ground towards you, its slow gait belying terrifying speed. You shut your eyes and look away when:
[] You feel a lance of scorching heat pass through your chest.
[] A sudden blinding light forces you to shield your already-covered eyes.
[] The feeling of nausea multiplies ten-fold and you are thrown off your feet.
When you open your eyes you see Lelah laying on the ground a close distance away, and you notice her slowly waking. Down the alley, further away than you remember, towers a building-sized blob of shadow overhead, whisps of darkness attempting to coalesce back into a smaller shape.
Between you and the shadow-thing, however, stands a not-quite-formless bar of light—of raw energy, you somehow realize—pulsating in rhythm with your heartbeat.
In your head, settling between your thoughts and memories, a genderless and toneless voice asks: "Whatdo you wish for me to do?"
In the brief moment in which you process the question, an ear-splitting roar fills the air and shakes every shadow in the alley.
You:
[] Rush to Lelah and help her run away. She's awake enough already and you don't want to become another story for sailors to tell.
[] "Please help us!" you scream at the light to protect you and Lelah.
[] "Kill it!" you tell the light to get rid of the shadows.
Haggling (1), Pick-pocketting (3), Reading (3), Herbalism (1), Medicine (1).
Arcane Affinity (2).
none
120 Copper (total)
Blanket.
Small knife.
Purifying Flame:
Uses the life-force and mana of a target or its surroundings to fuel a powerful flame capable of burning away Afflictions of Magical Origin.
- Projection can use this Spell to harm non-corporeal magical beings (Effects may vary)
[X] "Aref told me people there's been tales of 'men who are not men' who show up night and follow you around if you look at them too long." (Say the truth. Might as well.)
[X] A fine rubbing-powder to reduce headaches.
[X] The feeling of nausea multiplies ten-fold and you are thrown off your feet.
[X] "Kill it!" you tell the light to get rid of the shadows.
[X] "Aref told me people there's been tales of 'men who are not men' who show up night and follow you around if you look at them too long." (Say the truth. Might as well.)
[X] A fine rubbing-powder to reduce headaches.
[X] The feeling of nausea multiplies ten-fold and you are thrown off your feet.
[X] "Kill it!" you tell the light to get rid of the shadows
[X] "Aref told me people there's been tales of 'men who are not men' who show up night and follow you around if you look at them too long." (Say the truth. Might as well.)
[X] A fine rubbing-powder to reduce headaches.
[X] The feeling of nausea multiplies ten-fold and you are thrown off your feet.
[X] "Please help us!" you scream at the light to protect you and Lelah.
[X] "Aref told me people there's been tales of 'men who are not men' who show up night and follow you around if you look at them too long." (Say the truth. Might as well.)
[X] A fine rubbing-powder to reduce headaches.
[X] You feel a lance of scorching heat pass through your chest.
[X] "Kill it!" you tell the light to get rid of the shadows.
[X] "Aref told me people there's been tales of 'men who are not men' who show up night and follow you around if you look at them too long." (Say the truth. Might as well.)
[X] A fine rubbing-powder to reduce headaches.
[X] You feel a lance of scorching heat pass through your chest.
[X] "Please help us!" you scream at the light to protect you and Lelah.
[] "Aref told me people there's been tales of 'men who are not men' who show up [at] night and follow you around if you look at them too long." (Say the truth. Might as well.)
[x] "No, Behnam's crew worked quickly today since they didn't have much ." (Lie. It made you nervous to think about what Aref told you.)
[x] A simple salve for burns.
[x] The feeling of nausea multiplies ten-fold and you are thrown off your feet.
[x] "Kill it!" you tell the light to get rid of the shadows.
Sorry for the long wait! Also, thanks for the corrections, @Nevill !
So, between SB and SV, most of you voted for:
[X] "Aref told me people there's been tales of 'men who are not men' who show up night and follow you around if you look at them too long." (Say the truth. Might as well.)
[X] A fine rubbing-powder to reduce headaches.
But only 3 of those agreed on:
[X] You feel a lance of scorching heat pass through your chest.
[X] "Please help us!" you scream at the light to protect you and Lelah.
Technically, more of you voted for:
[X] The feeling of nausea multiplies ten-fold and you are thrown off your feet.
but those were split between:
[X] "Kill it!" you command the light to get rid of the shadows.
and
[X] "Please help us!" you scream at the light to protect you and Lelah.
so... winning vote is:
[X] "Aref told me people there's been tales of 'men who are not men' who show up night and follow you around if you look at them too long." (Say the truth. Might as well.)
[X] A fine rubbing-powder to reduce headaches.
[X] You feel a lance of scorching heat pass through your chest.
[X] "Please help us!" you scream at the light to protect you and Lelah.
A chill passes through you, and when you and Lelah look up, you see the shadows move across the walls, around the pillar of light, and towards you. The floor, the walls, doors, windows, and even the small shack you slept in were all engulfed in darkness. On instinct you screamed for the Light-thing to protect you.
Once again you felt the the lancing heat in your chest as the wave of shadows closed the distance before you saw Lelah burst into blue flames. You marvelled as the fire burnt away the dark lines under her skin and pushed back against the liquid darkness engulfing the alley.
Somehow, as Lelah started to panic as she realized the flames raging around her, you thought you could understand what was happening: the blue fire was using her very life as part of its fuel to... purify the black lines under her skin. Warmth spreads down your arms and, as the blue fire burned away small patches on your own skin, you notice that you too had been affected by the creature. You shudder at how quickly it afflicted you.
Gathering your wits, you move to Lelah and grab her arms, stopping her innefective attempts at putting out the flames.
"Lelah, Lelah! Shhh! It is fine! See? The flames are harmless," you urge her to calm down. She looks at you, eyes wide with panic, then stops as she sees your arms bathed in the flames as well.
Another roar makes the two fo you turn to look as the Light-thing grows brighter to keep monster in place.
"What is that thing?" you hear Lelah say in a horrified whisper.
"I don't kno-" the same voice as before makes you pause, "It is a creature of emotion and darkness. It feeds on fear and flesh to retain its form and sentience."
"Uh," you say, still not quite believing what was happening.
Lelah tugs at your arm, "Abbas, we have to leave now."
She was right, and so the two of you started running back the way you came from, towards the main street.
Now, after hearing what the voice said, you were more aware of what you have been feeling all day. The shadows, deeper and darker than they should be, felt alive and you now realize where the unsettling sensation of being watched came from. You didn't risk a glance as you ran, but you did wonder what the Light-thing was—you were not stupid, you could guess both it and the voice were related, but where did it come from? If it could protect the two of you, could it kill that creature? As soon as you had that last thought you received an answer: "I could have ended its existence, had you asked, but I would not have been able to cure the both of you of its effects."
'What about now?' you thought, hoping that it could hear you. "Negative. It has dispersed itself too much for me to deal with it. However, it will be greatly weakened for a time after spending so much on a hunt and failing." Better than nothing, you thought.
The conversation with the voice was short, and in that time you and Lelah reached the end of the alley, but not before a group of city guards rounded the corner. There were six of them, wearing long linen tunics and carrying a spear each and some lighted torches to illuminate the way. They simultaneously stopped in their tracks as the shadow creature let out another roar, except for one of the guards who was braver than the others. Stepping forward he grabbed Lelah by the arm and pushed her behind him, then doing the same with you before levelling his spear in the direction of the shadow creature. Not the wisest decision, in your opinion, as you did not think the man could do much against the monster.
Not that it would matter, in the end. As soon as Lelah and you were surrounded by guards the wall of darkness blocking off the alley vanished, its presence fleeing deeper across all shadows to your senses until you could feel it no longer. The only thing left in the alley was the pillar of light—the Light-thing, as you took to calling it— which started to approach your group.
The sudden change broke the guards our of their stupor, some of them exclaiming in surprise and fear, levelling their spears at the approaching Light-thing.
"Wait!" you say, "it's.. friendly, I think?" You hoped the Light-thing was friendly, at least. From the corner of your eye you notice Lelah turn to you in surprise.
"What?!" the brave guard asked, still staring forward, "what do you know of those things? What even are they?!"
"It helped us! I saw that dark thing dragging her off to somewhere when the light appeared and drove it back!" The guards were not convinced, but they were hesitant now.
Then, in that same genderless voice you heard earlier, the Light-thing spoke aloud, feeling noticeably different than when it spoke into your mind. "Protect them I did." It's voice carried a weight that seemed to fill the entire alley and spill onto the main street, covering all of you with its presence. Then, as it closed the distance, you could see it begin to take the shape of a human, though it was hard to tell as it remained as pure light.
"God...," one of the guards whispered before lowering his weapon and starting to kneel. What he said sent chills across your body. A God? You remember your parents and others talk about the Gods—old stories of how they created the world, stories so old none questioned where they first came from or if they were true. Everyone accepted their existence, for how else would things exist, but to see one? You almost instinctually rejected the idea, and felt a current of amusment run through you that you recognized as not your own.
"I do not remember whom I once was, as I am but a fragment of something greater. What matters is that I come for him."
At the proclamation, the guards turned to look at you, even though the Light-thing had not said who it was referring to. Before you could voice the myriad of questions you had, it spoke again: "I will be watching until needed once more, but until then...," it trailed off and disappeared into motes of light.
"What... the fuck?" one of the guards voiced what you all felt, looking between you and where the Light-thing had been.
The brave guard—whom you now noticed to be the oldest of the group by the greying of his beard—was the first to recover, shaking his head in an attempt to clear his confusion. He turned to the others and started giving orders. "Davud, Delshud," he pointed at two guards, "take the girl home. The rest of you... we need to let the King know of this immediately."
Everything was once again moving too fast for you to follow. Lelah was escorted by the two guards while you were rushed by the rest towards the King's residence under the moonlight. Your palms and back were drenched in sweat despite of cold of the night. The guards marched in perturbed silence, sneaking a glance at you from time to time. The messily stacked together sandstone walls of buildings eventually became neatly cut and arranged slate bricks as you approached the King's palace.
It wasn't long before you arrived at the entrace. The palace was massive, larger than any other building in the city, and its entrance was guarded on both sides by tall stone carvings of dog-like creatures you didn't know the name of, each easily as tall as four men on top of each other. This was not the first time you had seen them, you occasionally wandered within sight of the palace while accompanying merchants and the like, but this time you couldn't shake off the feeling of being watched by the statues. Were they alive, and only now were you noticing it, or was the shadow creature following you?
"Golshan," began one of the guards, addressing the eldest guardsman, "will you truly wake the King for this?"
You struggled to understand his reasoning. Was he blind and deaf? To be true, your King did not proclaim as rightful by the decree of any God like other Kings you have heard in passing claimed, but surely the presence of a deity—or powerful spirit—was important enough to inform him.
The eldest guard, Golshan, did not bother to address the question, merely continuing onwards inside the palace. Most of the castle was still asleep, with only the occasional servant moving about and guards standing watch. As you passed them, Golshan ordered guards along the way, and you started wondering how important Golshan was. The inside of the palace corridors held figures and shapes painted in bright colors on its stone walls. Potted flowers decorated window sills, and colorful cloth hung above doors and windows.
Eventually you were led to a small and vacated room. Inside, there was stone bed with straw and linen blankets, a small desk of roughly carved wood alongside a chair, and an empty chamberpot on a corner. Golshan left after ordering two of the guards to stand watch outside, leaving you alone inside the room.
Moonlight streamed in from a window, just bright enough for you to walk without stumbling against something. During your walk, one of the guards had offered to carry your sack, containing your earnings from today, which you set down on the desk. You went to the bed and sat down, exhaustion catching up to you as you did.. It wasn't too bad, mostly the day of work magnified by the stress of your encounter, but you noticed you hadn't been as attentive since before it. Your mind was worn-out the most; you had been on edge all day under the gaze of the creature.
Which begged the question: Were you simply more aware of it, or was it following you in specific?
You looked at the palms of your hands, and as the moments passed in silence you thought you could almost.. hear something. Feel something beneath your skin, and in your skin. All around you, actually. The moonlight hitting your back weighted on your mind like the presence of the guards outside. 'Why me?' you thought with a frown.
"Because we needed a Champion," the voice startled you out of your musings. "You-" you cut yourself off and thought, rather than spoke, your question. 'You're still here?'
"I said I would be watching, until needed."
You struggled mentally for a moment, not knowing what to even ask them, until you settled on: 'How did you do it?' You didn't know what exactly you were asking. How did it follow you unseen? How did it glow? How did it speak into your mind? How did it 'cure' you and Lelah? How did it fight the monster back at the alley?
It answered with one word. "Magic."It was a foreign word, yet also natural, and you tried saying it.
"Magic...?" Your whole body shuddered once you spoke. 'Can you teach me?' you asked in childish wonder.
"That is my goal."
You have a single night before you have to meet the King, enough time to learn one of the basic components of magic. It would take longer for any other, but your connection to your Projection gives you greater insight to the arcane energies that now permeate the world.
(pick 1 (one))
[] Learn about Magical Density (1). (You will be more sensible to the presence and/or actions of magical objects or beings (also allows you to sense where your Projection is at all times))
[] Learn about Elemental Aspecting (1). (You will start to be able to tell apart different elemental components of objects and magical effects by looking at them)
[] Learn Minor Mana Manipulation (1):
-[] Learn Spell Minor Orb of Light. (A small, dull, and stationary orb of light maintained by the caster)
-[] Learn Spell Minor Mage Touch. (Small amount of physical force applied at range (6ft max range))
-[] Learn Spell Minor Spark (a burst of energy concentrated in a point to generate enough heat to start a fire (2ft max range, 0s duration))
(You will be able to manipulate the natural energies of the world to create different effects (usage is less effective without understanding of Density or Aspects, but hey! Magic!))
You fell asleep at some point during the lesson on magic with the Light-being. It had been amazing to learn of the force of the Gods, so much so that it invaded your dreams, but you eventually woke up as the rays of the sun blinded you. You woke up groggily, squinting your eyes and rolling out of the bed.
"Awake already? Good," said a guard after entering the room. You didn't recognize him from the group that accompanied you last night. You noticed he wasn't carrying a spear, but a long blade strapped to his hip. You thought back over the events from yesterday and your blood ran cold, your nerves on edge—the King, right. It seems Golshan decided not to wake him, in the end. Were you going to meet him? The King? You tried calming yourself down. Surely, there was no reason for you, a mere orphan, to meet the King. 'But then why would they let me sleep here at the palace?'
'Oh shit I'm going to meet the King'.
"Get up. Follow me. King Farhad is waiting for you."
You gathered your breath and followed the guard. It was nothing to worry about, the King was just a man. A man who could have you killed on the spot if you said the wrong thing. 'Fuck.'
The Palace was big, but not so big that it would take long before you reached a small yard (guarden?). At the center you spotted him, and you could tell it was King Farhad despite never seeing him before. Though he was... less impressive than you imagined, even if you didn't know what you imagined him to look like. He was old, with a bald head and wrinkles all over, his long beard was braided and bits of silver were sticking out of it, and though his garbs concealed his arms and legs for the most part you could still tell he was rather thin. He sat with his legs crossed on the bare surface of benches carved from solid stone.
"We never did ask your name, kid," murmured the guard leading him.
"Uh, my name is Abbas," you said. For some reason the guard's eyebrows rose slightly at your name.
You reached the center of the garden where the King sat, the guard beside you informing the King of your name. From this distance you could see bags under his eyes, and as he leaned closer to examine you his stare made you retract your thoughts of him being unimpressive. His stare fell heavily on your shoulders.
"Call him," the King commanded you, his voice light in volume yet heavy with authority. You reacted on instinct at your King's command, 'Are you there?'
"Always. Do you wish for me to show myself?"
When asked by your King, surrounded by guards, was there even a choice?
The Light-being, likely sensing your resigned decision, burst into existence to your left. A light so bright it outshoned the sun briefly, making you and everyone else flinch. Then the next moment you saw it: a crystalline humanoid being without face, the light of the sun bouncing within it. It was more solid and real than last night, its presence making the air thicker and humming with power.
The guards present—all except for Golshan—gasped and kneeled in reverence to the projection. It nearly made you want to kneel as well, despite having talked to it at length the prior night. The King stared in wide-eyed wonder for a long moment, then looked at you. "You are linked to it... aren't you?" he whispered.
You didn't know how to respond, but he took your silence and nodded to himself before asking you another question: "You saw it fight a.... shadow creature? Did it have the shape of a man then?"
You couldn't help but blurt out, "Why are you asking me these questions...?" Truly, it would be easier to let the Light-thing answer, since you knew so little of what was even happening. It was already surreal to be in the presence of the King inside his palace! For whatever reason, the Light-thing (or crystal-thing now?) remained silent.
He looked at you for a moment longer, a soft smile gracing his lips. "You are his Champion, no?"
'Champion?' You thought, confused, and you finally exclaimed, "I don't even know what that means!"
The King's laugh made you frown, and for a moment you forgot you were talking to a powerful King as he was replaced in your mind by one of the many old men you dealt with when doing odd jobs every day. "Leave us," he told the guards once he stopped chuckling, some of them hesitating before following the rest.
Once alone, he looked at you in the eye, and you surprised yourself as you held his gaze. "The world has changed, child. Perhaps forever. The creature the guards told me you encountered is one of many in the region, and the only reason there has not been... rumors of them in our city is because of my efforts." He looked to the empty spot on the stone bench and beckoned you to sit. You did, feeling awkward at both the familiarity and the casual way he was ignoring the Light-being standing in front of you.
"Two moons ago I had a dream. Most of them I could not make out, voices too distant to understand, sights too blurred for me to see, but one thing I did see clearly was the face of Siva," he stopped to look at you, perhaps thinking you understood the significance of it—which you didn't. He eventually nodded towards the Light-being "Do you know his name?"
'Who? The Light-thing?' you thought to yourself, and it was then that you realized you hadn't asked for its name. "Uh..."
"I do not remember," it spoke, surprising you both. It lifted a hand (?) to its featurless face. "I am a fragment. A projection of your soul. You may call me as you prefer."
What will you call your projection?
[] Abdollah.
[] Bahadur.
[] Diyar.
[] Write-in.
"Did you kill it?" the King asked, changing the topic to something you could finally answer.
"It didn't. It could have, but I told it to help us and it... cured us from what the monster had done to us?"
"Cured you? Of...?"
"It..." you trailed off. You knew whatever it had done had left marks on your skin, but you didn't know what it actually did.
"Corrupting their flesh and spirit, eating away at them. Had I not cut off the creature's hold it would have taken root and its corruption would have spread."
"I see," the King said, likely understanding less of what it said that you did.
What do you want to ask the King?
(pick 3)
[] Ask the King what he knew about Magic.
[] Tell the King your projection was teaching you Magic. If it could teach you, perhaps it could teach others?
[] Ask the King about the visions he had.
[] Ask the King what he knew about 'Champions'. The word felt foreign to you, and it seemed he knew more than he was letting on.
[] Ask the King if there were other monsters close to or inside the city? If he kept secret about the shadow-creature, then what else would be lurking around? Surely the King would have heard.
[] Tell the King of of your parent's death. He seemed amiable enough, perhaps he would be willing to offer you a new home? It would be nice to not sleep on the streets.
What do you want to do today?
(pick 3)
[] Check up on Lelah. You had known her for a while, if in passing, so you knew where she lived and wanted to know if she was fine.
[] Find Behnam and his ship's crew to tell them what happened. It felt wrong to go against the King's wish to curb rumors, but you cared for the old man and thought it would be good if he knew what to watch out for.
[] Study the tablet Karim's father gave you. Knowing how to make a cure for headaches would come in handy.
[] Go to Karim's home to offer a helping hand and tell Karim of your encounter.
[] Go check your little hideout. The creature had covered it in shadow when it attacked you. Hopefully your copper coins and your knife would be safe.
[] Study more of the basics of Magic:
-[] Learn about Magical Density (1). (You will be more sensible to the presence and/or actions of magical objects or beings (also allows you to sense where your Projection is at all times))
-[] Learn about Elemental Aspecting (1). (You will start to be able to tell apart different elemental components of objects and magical effects by looking at them)
-[] Learn Minor Mana Manipulation (1):
--[] Learn Spell Minor Orb of Light. (A small, dull, and stationary orb of light maintained by the caster (Extra practice= the orb becomes slightly bigger and brighter) )
--[] Learn Spell Minor Mage Touch. (Small amount of physical force applied at range (6ft max range) (Extra practice= 2ft additional range, slightly stronger pull and surface area)
--[] Learn Spell Minor Spark (a burst of energy concentrated in a point to generate enough heat to start a fire (2ft max range, 0s duration) (Extra practice = 2ft additional range))
[] Go to the outskirts of the city to test what you learned from your projection's teachings.
By holding off a Wraith of Fear and Curing 2 individuals of its Curse, your Projection gained 2 (Two) Essence. Gain 3 more to see the next Upgrades.
[X] Learn about Magical Density (1). (You will be more sensible to the presence and/or actions of magical objects or beings (also allows you to sense where your Projection is at all times))
[X] Abdollah
[X] Ask the King about the visions he had.
[X] Ask the King what he knew about 'Champions'. The word felt foreign to you, and it seemed he knew more than he was letting on.
[X] Ask the King if there were other monsters close to or inside the city? If he kept secret about the shadow-creature, then what else would be lurking around? Surely the King would have heard.
[X] Check up on Lelah. You had known her for a while, if in passing, so you knew where she lived and wanted to know if she was fine.
[X] Go check your little hideout. The creature had covered it in shadow when it attacked you. Hopefully your copper coins and your knife would be safe.
[X] Study more of the basics of Magic:
-[X] Learn Minor Mana Manipulation (1):
--[X] Learn Spell Minor Mage Touch. (Small amount of physical force applied at range (6ft max range) (Extra practice= 2ft additional range, slightly stronger pull and surface area)
[X] Learn about Magical Density (1). (You will be more sensible to the presence and/or actions of magical objects or beings (also allows you to sense where your Projection is at all times))
[X] Ask the King about the visions he had.
[X] Ask the King what he knew about 'Champions'. The word felt foreign to you, and it seemed he knew more than he was letting on.
[X] Ask the King if there were other monsters close to or inside the city? If he kept secret about the shadow-creature, then what else would be lurking around? Surely the King would have heard.
[X] Check up on Lelah. You had known her for a while, if in passing, so you knew where she lived and wanted to know if she was fine.
[X] Go check your little hideout. The creature had covered it in shadow when it attacked you. Hopefully your copper coins and your knife would be safe.
[X] Study more of the basics of Magic:
-[X] Learn about Elemental Aspecting (1). (You will start to be able to tell apart different elemental components of objects and magical effects by looking at them)
[x] Learn about Magical Density (1). (You will be more sensible to the presence and/or actions of magical objects or beings (also allows you to sense where your Projection is at all times))
[x] Bahadur.
[x] Ask the King about the visions he had.
[x] Ask the King what he knew about 'Champions'. The word felt foreign to you, and it seemed he knew more than he was letting on.
[x] Tell the King of of your parent's death. He seemed amiable enough, perhaps he would be willing to offer you a new home? It would be nice to not sleep on the streets.
[x] Check up on Lelah. You had known her for a while, if in passing, so you knew where she lived and wanted to know if she was fine.
[x] Go check your little hideout. The creature had covered it in shadow when it attacked you. Hopefully your copper coins and your knife would be safe.
[x] Study more of the basics of Magic:
-[x] Learn about Magical Density (1). (You will be more sensible to the presence and/or actions of magical objects or beings (also allows you to sense where your Projection is at
--[x] Learn Spell Minor Mage Touch. (Small amount of physical force applied at range (6ft max range) (Extra practice= 2ft additional range, slightly stronger pull and surface area)
