Dear Madame Kafana, I am abjectly sorry for missing for so many years the signal honour of being permitted to gift to you upon seasonal occasions, the tokens of regard that rightly belong to an artiste and person of your quality. I beg your gracious acceptance of this humble offering as an emblem of my sincerity. Your fellow Womble, Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. WellingtonCuriouser and curiouser. The person whose alias was signed at the bottom of the letter was indeed known to her. Richard Tang had been by far the youngest of the Wombles, entering UCL in 2033, her final year, at the age of 15. Apparently he was a maths prodigy, and she¡¯d always wondered why he¡¯d chosen UCL rather than somewhere like Harvard or MIT, but he never answered questions about himself. His passion seemed to be protocols and security - he was the one who¡¯d insisted that they all use aliases for their Womble activities, and no prank was too complicated for him to organise - he had an amazing ability to manage details, giving out a stream of short precise orders, never getting rattled under pressure. For herself she¡¯d picked the alias ¡°Kafana¡±, after a location her mother had once taken her to. It wasn¡¯t a name from the TV series, but she liked it and Heather had stuck up for her right to be original. She¡¯d quashed any remaining teasing by learning to brew coffee so well that even hinting she might change her alias led to protests. The wording of the letter was utterly unlike Richard. But it was like Alex Hamalain, the huge guy she¡¯d first seen when he was acting as a protestor outside the lecture hall. Subtle wasn¡¯t in Alex¡¯s nature. He always did things larger than life, whether that was romantic gestures or declaring undying loyalty. He had a cheerful enthusiasm about him that made it hard for anyone to dislike him; even those few of his hoard of female lovers who¡¯d initially allowed wishful thinking to delude themselves into believing that they would be the one special exception when he carefully told them upfront beforehand that he was polyamorous and non-monogamous. Nadine had been wise enough to take him at his word and avoid ever getting romantically entangled with him. Not that she hadn¡¯t day-dreamed about it, a time or two. Carefully replacing the crown in its box, she slid it under her bed and finished getting ready for the day, before going back down to the public area to refresh people¡¯s drinks and welcome new arrivals. She¡¯d have to think about this. What were her fellow Wombles up to, and why were they contacting her now, after all this time? The box had no return address, so she couldn¡¯t send it back; but it was far too expensive to accept. Nobody gives something like that, without expecting something significant in return. She¡¯d have to think about this, but other than ignoring it (the coward¡¯s way out), it looked like putting the damn thing on was the only solution available to her. -- * -- * --
¡°Have I proven my point? Your creations are flawed. Soon the planet will be destroyed and my beautiful chaotic starfield will be restored once more. You would have been better off never trying.¡± Cov courteously replied: ¡°Thank you for letting us try. You have indeed proven that our creations were flawed. But I still believe the attempt was worth making, because in making the attempt we have learned things.¡± ¡°Have you now?¡± said Bel. ¡°Then by all means, have another go, and when you¡¯ve demonstrated your additional learning, I shall test its worth.¡±¡°Then cautiously, in one measureless moment of frozen time, the deities rent the world asunder, laying out the planes and planets anew. Thus ended the Aeon Exitium.¡± The montage of viewpoints faded away, drawing Kafana¡¯s attention back to the solar system as a whole where, in a triumph of cinematography, four mirages of Dro¡¯s world split off, to merge with different elements, morph and become more solid. As she watched, an entire complex solar system started being assembled while the narration continued. ¡°The destruction finished, Bel departed, leaving the other deities to decide what to do about the living. Lun proposed that all living creatures be killed and each species be created again from scratch, to permit tests to be run again and again from exact known conditions, but this did not please Zer who loved his creations.¡± Two stars: The pinkish friendly Zerius orbiting the white giant Belius at such a distance that the larger Belius seemed only the size of a fingernail at the end of an outstretched arm. Otherwise only lifeless asteroids and doomed comets orbited Belius; the planets had all chosen Zerius. ¡°Zer persuaded Cov and Mor, with pleas that the warring races could be separated for long enough to cause even the bitterest of feuds to dwindle into half-remembered superstitions. Closest in and hottest was dense metallic Krevob, windy and fast spinning. Next came Covob, which had snagged violet tinged Luna as a moon. Then the damaged lands of the original planet, Droob. ¡°But warlike Krev was unconvinced, and Dro was too busy mourning her damaged lands to care. Rac remained quietly in the shadows, ignored by all, for even Zer assumed Rac¡¯s support of death was a foregone conclusion. Long did Zer argue, but none would change their vote, and Krev¡¯s mind turned to thoughts of the annihilation that seemed certain and the blood that would drip from his sword as never before. Rac watched and, as he watched, he saw Krev let slip the smile of a reader who glows with the type of smug anticipation born from sneaking a peak at a book¡¯s last page.¡± Then mountainous Morob with its glittering ring that seemed to extend forever above Morob¡¯s equatorial mountain range. And, lastly, the slow orbiting Racob that shrouded its mysteries in darkness. ¡°Only Mor noticed Rac silently casting his will in support of Zer, but the actions of a deity can never be reversed, and all reality resonates with their will. The members of each thinking species were widely scattered, seemingly at random but lives intact, as the new unity of vision manifested. A unity touching all things; primarily shaped by Zer¡¯s desires, but inevitably touched back by all it touched. Even by Bel. No matter how much orderly Cov desires it, to every mortal changeable thing will come at least a little chaos and decay.¡± Complex information was flooding her now, arriving too fast to analyse but on a level that felt more like being reminded of something she¡¯d already pieced together and was familiar with. It felt natural that concentrated magic could be stored up as ¡®mana¡¯, even if she had no idea whether that was an ethereal fluid or something more abstract like gravitational potential energy. It went without saying the collective mana of primordial element (one of the eight that everything was made out of), could manifest itself as an individual sentient being with its own distinctive voice and personality, a deity, and at the same time also be equally manifest as a planet-sized chunk of rock or a force of nature. In less time than a minute, while her conscious mind was distracted by the spectacle of populations spreading across the planets at a vastly accelerated speed, a carefully crafted tutorial gifted her with instincts designed to make her first minutes in the game a positive experience. That wasn¡¯t the only reason why XperiSense had made the long cinematic unskippable for all players connecting for the first time but, despite the many feedback complaints in their forums about ¡®boring irrelevant backplot¡¯ by gamers only interested in combat and swift levelling, it was the only reason they mentioned publicly. The other reason? The measurements the game¡¯s expert systems made of how each player reacted to different bits of the narrative, and the decisions they made based on that? Even inside the company only a handful of the earliest employees knew that reason, and they breathed not a word. The narrator with the mature female voice spoke as though confiding an intimate secret. ¡°Mor gazed with curiosity at the pattern of the people and the planets, seeking sign that any parts of it had been shaped by patient Rac, to some deeper purpose yet unrevealed. But, if signs there were, the chaos from Bel¡¯s touch concealed them. Even unto this day his reasons remain ineffable to mortal kind. Of dragon kind, Heidikur of the Deeps has in his care all the stories that Rac is finished with. But this is a living tale and even dragons, primal and ageless though they be, lack the power to predict all that shall befall.¡± Now the four narrators finished off together, chanting in unison, as Kafana¡¯s viewpoint zoomed in towards Covob: ¡°This is the Aeon Resurgemus. The fate of creation hangs in the balance. To you we offer great power to shape it; to touch it as deeply as you let it touch you. Welcome to Soul Bound, Adventurer!¡± She found herself falling¡ 1.1.2.3 Opening scene 1????????Soul Bound 1.1??????Finding her Feet 1.1.2????An Immersive Experience 1.1.2.3??Opening scene As she broke through the clouds, she could mostly see thick forest below her. A distance away there was a city, next to a shining sea with tiny sailing ships upon it. Her descent slowed, and a background sound of voices started to become audible, as she drifted down towards one isolated country villa whose square towers and courtyards huddled inside a ring of fields and gardens. Looking at her body, she seemed transparent and insubstantial, like a ghost. She flinched as her spirit was drawn through the tiled roof of one tower, but felt nothing. She could hear the voices clearly now: ¡°Hear us, questing spirit, hear us. Few dare to set out for a new world, because such voyages tend to be long and filled with danger. But you, one of those able to hear our voices, are arriving as an honoured guest; a safe place has been prepared for you, and you have been guided here by the will of this worlds prime deity, Cov, in whose sanctum we stand and call to you. Hear and draw near." The voices stopped repeating the chant as she floated towards the floor of a dome-like room, and a single voice took over. "Visitor, you arrive here as vulnerable as a new born babe, without a cup of water or a body whose arm you could use to lift it; without good reputation or skills demonstrated; without the knowledge needed to stay alive and dependant upon the charity of others. But fear not! So greatly did He aid your voyage, it has left a visible sign upon your spirit marking you as His guest. It is our belief that you gave Cov a solemn vow to take on the responsibilities of a questing sprit and that Cov has deemed you worthy of being trusted to keep your word to Him. All those you see here are true followers of Cov, the embodiment of order and hospitality; to us, protecting the safety of a guest is sacred duty. Visitor, spirit, guest - appear now and be welcome!" Kafana hadn''t spent years performing on a stage without learning to recognise her cue. She came to rest, standing in the centre of a runic circle deeply inscribed on the stone floor of the room, and willed her form to appear as solid as possible. To one side a man wearing monk-like robes bearing a large stylised ear of wheat she recognised as the rune of order associated with the Cov. In front of her, just outside the circle, a group of women knelt down facing her, and chanted a final response in unison. ¡°Be welcome.¡± The man bowed gravely towards Kafana and introduced the candidates one by one, before addressing her directly: "All normal living people, like these Covadan women before you, have both a body and a spirit. The body interacts physically with the world. If it takes too much damage then the person die, leaving their body as a corpse. This spirit is non-physical and contains a copy of the person''s mind and memories. A person''s spirit may be damaged by a death, but usually enough survives to permit priest of Cov to resurrect the person. These candidates have each volunteered to make an extraordinary gift to you - the one you pick will merge with your spirit to become a new type of person - an adventurer with one body and two spirits. The candidate''s body will become your corporeal vessel, which you will control whenever your spirit is active and, during those times the candidate''s spirit will be aware of your thoughts and actions only as if in a dream - as defenceless and vulnerable to your choices as your now are yourself." The priest eyed her thoughtfully for a moment, letting it sink into her mind just how much trust and courage the candidates were showing. She looked at them and nodded slowly, before returning her attention back to him as he continued. ¡°When the questing spirit is not active, the corporeal spirit resumes control. They may choose to take actions that support what the questing spirit had been doing. Or they may choose not to. To be effective as an adventurer, both spirits will have to learn to respect and trust each other. Now, it is time to pick a candidate. Move forward and when you touch a hand, I will complete the ritual and the bonding will happen. Choose wisely!¡± How? Should she pick someone ambitious who could help her? Someone piteous who looked most in need of a new start in life? She shook her head and, on impulse, tried singing a few lines from a Betty Newsome song. Most of the candidates looked puzzled, or even afraid. But one of them smiled in delight at hearing something new and, when Kafana reached out a phantom hand towards her, she spoke with enthusiasm: ¡°Me, be your corporeal vessel? Yes. Yes, let¡¯s see the world together!¡± Their hands touched and, like a candle flame flickering in a sudden breeze, Kafana disappeared. Disorientation hit her, as suddenly a full set of bodily senses engulfed her. She could smell jasmine on the warm breeze from outside, feel the cool stone beneath her feet, the rough texture of the plain white shift on her body, and even hear her own breathing. She found herself on all fours, gasping, for several seconds, then managed to raise her head and open her eyes. ¡°My name is Fra Mattheus¡± said the man, helping steady her as she got to her feet. ¡°If you tell Brusco the Steward I sent you, he¡¯ll find someone to answer any questions you have, and help you get settled in. I¡¯m so sorry that I¡¯m terribly busy right now - there¡¯s lots more spirits waiting, apparently. But do drop by before you leave the villa; I¡¯ll have a gift for you. If you really can¡¯t reach an understanding with your corporeal spirit, I may be able to help you switch to a different vessel, but I¡¯m sure that won¡¯t happen. I have a good feeling about you. Cov¡¯s blessings be upon you.¡± If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. And, with that, he ushered her outside and led another group of candidates in, closing the door firmly behind her.
| TODO | (game document) | |
| Priority | Person | Task |
| All | ||
| 1 | Ensure Lady Sienna is delighted with the feast (3hrs 50mins left) | |
| 2 | Aid other party members with their tasks | |
| 3 | Raise skill levels | |
| Tomsk | ||
| 3 | Learn about the combat system | |
| 3 | Gather materials | |
| 3 | Grind experience | |
| Alderney | ||
| 2 | Customise clothing for the feast | |
| 3 | Learn about the crafting system | |
| 4 | Prepare money and items for trip to city | |
| Kafana | ||
| 2 | Entertain people | |
| 2 | Help Lelia prepare for the feast | |
| 3 | Learn about healing and the cooking buff system | |
| 3 | Gather additional quests and information | |
| Wellington | ||
| 2 | Explain plan | |
| 3 | Learn about the magic system | |
| 3 | Gather information | |
| 9 | Find a disorganised country, and make Kafana its Queen. | |
It''s of three jolly huntsmen went out to hunt for fox But where shall we find him amongst the hills and rocks?She picked up a stick herself, and threw herself into the chorus, making bashing motions with the beat, encouraging the adventurers to join in with her.
With my hip, hip, hip and my holloa And away went the merry, merry band. Through the woods we''ll go, brave boys, And through the woods we''ll go. The first we met was a fair maid a-combing out her locks, She swore she saw bold Reynolds amongst the farmer''s ducks. The next we met was a farmer a-ploughing of his land, He swore he saw bold Reynolds amongst the ewes and lambs.With each verse, the combatants grew happier. They stomped their feet, which also had the effect of driving the bunnies out of the holes. With a great ¡°Haloooo¡± the horde gave chase, the bunnies dashing madly inside a tightening circle.
And the next we met was a miller a-working of his mill, He swore he saw bold Reynolds run over yonder hill.Some of the cannier adventurers paired up, swinging at the same rabbit from different directions. One fell, then another and another.
And the next we met was a blind man, as blind as blind could be, He swore he saw bold Reynolds run up a hollow tree.Emotion and visualisation, huh? She concentrated on her desire for the adventurers to succeed and imagined them swinging faster.
And the next we met was a parson, and he was dressed in black, He swore he saw bold Reynolds upon the huntsman''s back.Now the rabbits fell thick and fast. By the last chorus, every adventurer had one, and there were a few left over. [Title ¡°Entertainer¡± acquired.] [Skill ¡°Singer¡± acquired.] [Skill ¡°Speed Buff¡± acquired.] [Experience acquired.] [Level 2 acquired. You have 1 unspent stat point. You have 1 unspent skill point.] Alderney¡¯s voice came over the group chat {What happened? I just gained a level.} Tomsk explained {Our Kafana just performed a wonder, turning a bunch of newbies into a coordinated killing machine, with just a song.} Wellington said {From what I¡¯ve gathered so far, I think it depends on whether the party member intends the experience to be shared out, though the experience earning activity being part of a shared plan such as the TODO list might also be a factor. Tomsk - can you try killing two creatures, one with the intent of being selfish and keeping the experience to yourself, and one with the intent of sharing out the experience?} If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Kafana was too busy to reply as the grateful adventurers surrounded her, ceremoniously presented the excess bunny corpses to her and escorted her back to Cesare to hand in the evidence of their martial prowess. Cesare handed them all some arm-length practice swords, made out of a hard, dense wood that had been shaped and polished. He started to lecture them on balance, care of weapons and general weapon safety, before asking Tomsk to act as a co-instructor and demonstrate how to hold the sword. He was starting to pair them up to practise basic strokes and parries when Kafana had an idea and stepped back: ¡°I¡¯m heading to the kitchen. Would anybody like me to take their rabbit over and cook it for them?¡± Cesare provided her a sack with an approving grunt, and she staggered off with a full load, after telling System to remember the names of the players to whom she owed cooked meat. It wasn¡¯t until she¡¯d had to stop to regain her breath, that she realised she¡¯d missed something basic. ¡°Sha gua! Osyol! Blithering dolt! Abruti chou! Almaeatuh! Cockamamie yutzi dumkopf!¡± She cursed herself in the dozen or so languages she had a passing familiarity with, stopped staggering and put the sack in her inventory box. She felt lighter, and no doubt some bar displaying encumbrance had just shot back into the green range. No wonder people in this world volunteered to become corporeal vessels, if they ended up with abilities such as inventory boxes that were unobtainable through normal means. The lurching of her stride reminded her of something. Oh yes, Wellington¡¯s hint. She remembered that event clearly.
| TODO ALL 1 Ensure Lady Sienna is delighted with the feast (2hrs 20mins left) 2 Aid other party members with their tasks 3 Raise skill levels, don¡¯t spend unallocated points TOMSK 2 Audition and organise circus performers for feast 3 Lead boar killing parties to gain experience 9 Find a disorganised country, and make Kafana its Queen. ALDERNEY 2 Customise clothing for the feast 3 Learn archery and join in the boar hunt 4 Prepare money and items for trip to city KAFANA 2 Audition and organise musicians 2 Try cooking sweet desserts for the feast 2 Retrieve gown for the feast from the upstairs maids 3 Experiment with the cooking buff system 3 Provide the boar hunters with cooked rabbit snacks WELLINGTON 2 Recruit up to 2 competent cooks 2 Recruit up to 8 musicians 2 Acquire musical instruments 2 Recruit up to 20 people with circus skills 3 Send excess people to Cesare or Camillo 4 Learn magic |
| Working Buff +1 modifier to level of occupational skills +5 stamina regen per minute Duration : 10 minutes Time remaining: 6 minutes |
I''ll be working long as my two hands are fit to useHer mana went down by 5. She checked both Mary-Lynn and Matteo, to see what effect that had had. Matteo¡¯s buff was extended back up to 10 minutes again, but Mary-Lynn remained unbuffed. Obviously casting a buff and maintaining it were two separate things. She tried singing a speed buff, designating just Mary-Lynn and Matteo as targets, which cost her another 10 mana. This time Mary-Lynn had a buff, and Matteo had two buffs. They were cumulative! Cool, that could be very useful. Mary-Lynn looked up at her, curiously: ¡°Kafana, are you casting magic on me? My arms feel lighter.¡± She nodded. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a buff that should help you. I¡¯m going to try making some food magic too. I can¡¯t promise you any items or experience points for helping me, though I think you might well get some from the steward if the feast this evening is a success, but if you like I can tell you what I¡¯ve discovered so far about magic?¡± Mary-Lynn practically bounced at the prospect and, after that, she stopped treating Kafana as an NPC and they gossiped happily as they worked. Kafana asked System to add Mary-Lynn to her contacts as a friend, but not as a party member, and she used private 1-to-1 chat in order to teach Mary-Lynn about out-of-character game mechanics the NPCs would penalise them for discussing openly. Kafana set one very wide pan over a roaring hot part of a smaller fireplace. Together they dusted the pieces of rabbit and then brought them over to the fireplace where Kafana seared them on both sides while Mary-Lynn used a second smaller pan at a lower temperature to cook the shallots in butter until soft and transparent. About 15 minutes later she raised the wide pan to a medium height then used the shallots to garnish each rabbit steak with a heart shape while intensely concentrating on the image of the Zer rune as a healthy heart beating in a sound body. She could almost feel her own heart beating in time with the image, and concentrated harder, pushing her emotions into it, the joy and enthusiasm of Tomsk¡¯s hunters and how they might desperately need healing. She felt the same sensation of mana flowing out of her that she¡¯d felt when healing Alderney as she splashed a dash of white wine into the pan to reduce the temperature a bit and add moisture, then put the lid on firmly. {System: remind me in 30 minutes velife time to take the rabbit out of the pan.} ¡°Want to have a go? I¡¯ll give you some possible ingredients for jugged rabbit, and let you pick which to use for a marinade. Don¡¯t forget what I said about emotion, intention and symbolism.¡± She produced from her inventory box the brandy, red wine, beef stock, garlic, onions and a selection of herbs. For herself she got out the cream, parsley, olives, tomatoes and bread trenchers. She chopped the parsley, sliced the olives, and spent 10 minutes carving tomato slices into heart shapes. She also maintained her working buff each time System reminded her to. Setting it all ready, she decided to catch up with the other party members while she waited for the rabbit to finish. {How¡¯s it going? I¡¯ve learned a couple of things about magic and the System. Tomsk, if it has worked, I may have some rabbit sandwiches with healing properties to send your way in about 20 minutes. Wellington, thanks for Mary-Lynn. I¡¯ve not seen any musicians from you. No luck on that front? Also, is there any way to record from my point-of-view and send it to you? I have a feeling some things might be easier to understand if you experience them, rather than just listen to me talking about them.} Tomsk replied first: {The heals will be really useful. Each of my parties has taken down one boar, and they¡¯ll get faster as they level up and put stat points in strength and dexterity. But the current limiting factor is how slowly they get their health back when damaged. We¡¯re just standing around doing weapon drills while we wait between combats.} Wellington went next: {I¡¯ve been sending the musicians to Alderney who is trying to kit them out with instruments. When you get a moment, can you drop by to weed out the ones you can¡¯t make use of? If you flick back to arlife, you can tell your tiara to record your game session, and I¡¯ll look it over during downtime.} She flicked her eyes sideways to the rainbow portal back to reality, but quickly looked away again. She knew that if she went back, she¡¯d get dragged into her normal routine of dealing with customers, and she didn¡¯t want to lose her current mindset, her current role. She was surprised to realise how much she was enjoying this, and how little she wanted to go back. Alderney chimed in: {I¡¯ve got the circus performers too. It¡¯s quite a sight. We¡¯ve taken over the courtyard. I¡¯ve made a pair of stilts, some fire clubs and some cheerful tabards. Dante¡¯s joined in. He made some throwing knives, and he thinks he might be able to borrow Lord Claudio Landi¡¯s violin for you, if the Lord turns up - apparently he likes to be thought of as a patron of the arts.} [Reminder: ¡°take the rabbit out of the pan¡±] {Gotta go, cooking emergency. Alderney - see you in a bit!} She removed the pan from the heat, and carefully moved the steaks onto a plate, before pouring the juices into a sauce pan which she asked Mary-Lynn to use to mix in the cream and parsley then reduce a bit. She arranged the steaks, tomato and olives onto the crusty bread trenchers, poured on the sauce with a final heartfelt visualisation of what she wanted the magic to achieve, and put each completed sandwich straight into her inventory so it would stay hot. ¡°Good job, Mary-Lynn. Could you roll out those pastry dough balls into flat sheets that match the size of this baking tray. I¡¯ll be back in about half an hour, and you can tell me then how you plan to cook the jugged rabbits once they¡¯ve finished marinating.¡± She tapped her box tatt and then held down the magnifying glass tat while looking at a sandwich:
| Lapin ¨¤ la moutarde Quality: ??? Effect: ??? |
| Stats: Base??Mod??Total??Stat 0?? 0 ??0 ????CHA (Charisma) 1?? 0 ??1 ????INT (Intelligence) 1?? 0 ??1 ????MAG (Magic) 1?? 0 ??1 ????STR (Strength) 1?? 0 ??1 ????DEX (Dexterity) 1?? 0 ??1 ????CON (Constitution) You have 3 unspent stat points available. |
| Skills: 3 Create healing meals 2 Singer 1 Speed Buff 1 Sorrow Debuff 1 Fascination Debuff 1 Working Buff |
__lyrics to be included here, pending response from halleonard.com__Her geese looked more like ducks, and only a very charitable critic would claim to be able to recognise the oval shape as being schnitzel with noodles, but in this case it really was the thought that counted. She visualised the guests being delighted with the feast and extravagantly praising their host to every friend they met back in the city. She didn¡¯t realise, until she noticed that she was twirling in circles the tray held up over her head as she sang the final part of the song in a voice that rang among the rafters, just how carried away she¡¯d gotten:
__lyrics to be included here, pending response from halleonard.com__She blushed furiously, and hastily put the tray back down, trying to pretend that nothing had happened and it was all intended, and how dare they keep looking at her like that. Mary-Lynn giggled in delight at her expression, as she poured the last of the syrup onto her own tray in the shape of a big smiley face. And maybe giggles weren¡¯t too bad an emotion to feed into the magic either. Ah well, so much for dignity. Her mana bar dropped by 150 points, as a sensation hit her that wasn¡¯t so much the mana flowing out of her, as exploding out of her. *Gulp*. She hoped she hadn¡¯t over-done it. {Wellington, does this game have a problem with balance? I mean, the magic I¡¯ve been casting seems a little over powered for a new user on her first day to manage.} {Kafana, the strength of different types of magic and combat skill varies, depending on where you are and which planets are in the sky. As far as Camillo knows, in this world order and water are stronger than average, and chaos and fire are weaker than average. For every type of magic, there is somewhere on one of the game¡¯s worlds where that type is the strongest.} ¡°Mary-Lynn, thank you so much for all your help. It has been fun working with you. Please accept the jugged rabbits. I look forward to tasting your cooking in the future. I do hope you get a chance to watch my performance at the feast.¡± ¡°Count on it.¡±
Last night when I came back from the warm hammam I passed by the old imam''s garden. And there in the garden, in the shadow of a jasmine Emina stood with an ewer in her hand. Sino? kad se vra?ah iz topla hamama, pro?oh pokraj ba??e staroga imama. Kad tamo u ba??i, u hladu jasmina s ibrikom u ruci staja?e Emina. Oh, ain''t she stunning! Swear on my imam, She wouldn''t be ashamed if she were at the sultan. And when she strolls about and moves her shoulders, A script from a hojja won''t help me no more? Ja kakva je pusta! Tako mi imana, stid je ne bi bilo da je kod sultana. Pa jo? kada ?e?e i ple?ima kre?e, ni hod?in mi zapis vi?e pomo?'' ne?e! I called a salaam upon her. But I swear on my ghost, Beautiful Emina won''t even hear about it, But she pulled out water into the silver ewer, And she went down the garden to water guelder roses. Ja joj nazvah selam. Al'' moga mi dina, ne ??e ni da ?uje lijepa Emina, ve? u srebrn ibrik zahvatila vode, pa niz ba??u ?ule zaljevati ode. Wind blew from the branches, and down the stunning back It untwined her thick braids. The hair started smelling, like blue hyacinths, And to me a storm started inside my head. S grana vjetar puhnu, pa niz ple?i puste rasplete joj njene pletenice guste. Zamirisa kosa, k''o zumbuli plavi, a meni se krenu bururet u glavi! I almost fell down, swear on my ghost, But the beautiful Emina didn''t approach me. She only looked at me once harshly, Neither does she care, sordid, for that I had dropped dead for her! Malo ne posrnuh, mojega mi dina, al'' meni ne do?e lijepa Emina. Samo me je jednom pogledala mrko, niti haje, al?ak, ?to za njome crko''! The old poet died, Emina died The jasmine garden stayed empty. The ewer got broken, the flowers withered The song about Emina never will die. Umro stari pjesnik, umrla Emina Ostala je pusta ba??a od jasmina. Salomljen je ibrik, uvelo je cvije?e Pjesma o Emini nikad umrijet ne?e.The audience paid rapt attention as she sang, not forced to but drawn in by the beauty of the music itself, the minor tones and the church-like resonance from the walls. They listened not to the words, but to the emotion behind them, and were touched as they too started to think of loss and what they valued. At the end, Tomsk stood up and started clapping. His stooges, intentionally planted around the room, stood and copied him. The audience began to join in, giving her a standing ovation. Alderney added a piercing two fingered whistle, and Wellington in his guise as a merchant added a more restrained ¡°Bravo!¡±. Kafana stepped forwards, ready to take her bow, and wished with all her might that the people in her audience would remember this night, would remember this experience of empathy, and be a little kinder to strangers in the future. [WARNING: Mana 0/300.] [Status ¡°Mana Shock¡± acquired.] She collapsed, her last conscious thought: ¡°What have I done?¡± 1.1.2.12 Quest rewards 1?????????Soul Bound 1.1???????Finding her Feet 1.1.2?????An Immersive Experience 1.1.2.12??Quest rewards A few minutes later she regained consciousness, surrounded by worried faces. She was on 20/100 hp, and felt sick and groggy. ¡°I. I am ok. No, please, I was just overcome. Let me sit for a few minutes, I will be fine.¡± Fra Mattheus shook his head, sternly. ¡°You must look after yourself, young lady. You would have died, but for Cov¡¯s grace in granting healing to you. Now eat some desert. These triangular pastries, I¡¯m told you cooked them yourself?¡± Drama over, the guests returned to their seats and started eating too. Soon they were talking up a storm, discussing the performances and the evening with enthusiasm. Laughter abounded, and toasts were raised to the good taste of Lady Sienna Landi and the long life of Lord Claudio Landi. [Quest completed: ¡°Ensure Lady Sienna is delighted with the feast¡±.] [Level 6 acquired. You have 13 unspent stat points. You have 5 unspent skill points.] [Level 7 acquired. You have 19 unspent stat points. You have 6 unspent skill points.] [Level 8 acquired. You have 26 unspent stat points. You have 7 unspent skill points.] [Level 9 acquired. You have 34 unspent stat points. You have 8 unspent skill points.] The feeling of gaining so many levels at once was nearly orgasmically pleasant. Kafana flushed, glad she¡¯d restricted which parts of her body Minion could stimulate. Looking around at the faces of other players, she wasn¡¯t sure everyone else had been as wise. Was this why so many people spent nearly their entire lives in arlife? Were they addicted? {Wheeeeeeeee} (that was Alderney.) {4 levels} (that was Wellington.) {Let¡¯s take it home, there¡¯s a bit more of the plan left to carry out. We¡¯re not just going to win this, we¡¯re going to win it with style.} (that was Tomsk.) Lord Claudio stood up, and the steward behind him banged a gong for attention. ¡°My friends, I thank you for coming all the way out to my humble Villa, for this little soiree that my resplendent wife Sienna laid on to celebrate the safe return to port of our trading ship, The Abbondanza. I hope you have had a pleasant time tonight?¡± There was much nodding and agreeing, and some slightly drunken cheers. ¡°Tonight is remarkable for another reason. Tonight, our whole world changed. Tonight, the deities have seen fit to bless us with something new; emissaries from beyond, questing spirits, sent here for purposes we can only guess at. Some were hesitant. Some were afraid. But fortune does not favour the timid. House Landi is one of the first to open its Sanctum and permit the summoning of these emissaries, because for good or ill, it is better to know now than later. To this end, many of my retainers have volunteered to place their very minds and bodies at risk, to provide these spirits with corporeal vessels, that they might walk among us.¡± ¡°And now we must judge them. Are they here for good or for ill? Stand forth, Adventurers! Come stand and be judged.¡± A crowd of about 50 players, most still wearing the white shifts, filed into the room from where they¡¯d been summoned. Tomsk¡¯s 18 boar hunters could be recognised by the dirt on their clothing, and the weaponry they carried. Alderney¡¯s performance ensemble were also recognisable, and Kafana spotted Mary-Lynn and a couple of others she¡¯d seen running errands for Wellington. All in all, their party had managed to shanghai well over half the players arriving at this starting location. ¡°Adventurers, your words and deeds have been watched more closely than you realise. I am a generous man, but also a prudent one. I gave you great latitude, to see what you would do with it. Would you take advantage of it for your own ends? Or would you use it for the greater good, with respect for our traditions, our hospitality, our nation?¡± ¡°It was with this in mind that I asked my friend, the High Mage Camillo, to stay with me for a week, and use his spatial magic to keep an eye on those who thought themselves unobserved, and the contents of their ¡®inventory storage boxes¡¯.¡± A couple of the assembled adventurers blushed. ¡°I charged my faithful steward, Brusco, with warning each and every one of you what would happen to you if you did not live up to the standards we expect of our citizens.¡± He paused a moment, for effect. ¡°I am pleased to say that almost all of you passed. After I am done here, you should each visit him in the small hall, to learn your fate.¡± Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°But even among such company, there are four in particular who have been of note. Four questing spirits who have run themselves ragged making this feast a success. Each has been offered the opportunity to stuff their stashes with rare books, magic weapons, priceless jewels or the pick of our private storehouse. Each has no more than scraps and leftovers, that they have been authorised to take. Each has taken time out from advancing themselves to aid and teach others, with no return asked or thought of. Each has rare skills worthy of respect, and yet has given more than they have received. It is now time to rectify that.¡± ¡°Stand forwards Alderney Velocit¨¤. Stand forwards Tomsk Capitano. Stand forwards Wellington Fiducia. Stand forwards Kafana Sincero.¡± They stood together, alone now in the centre of the tables, everybody watching them. ¡°So I name you and so I recognise you. Ask. What would you have of me?¡± [Reward: Each party member may ask a boon of Lord Claudio] Alderney stepped forwards first. ¡°We have a journey ahead of us, and those white shifts are chilly! I ask that we may keep those things that have been loaned to us.¡± ¡°Granted. In addition, Dante will supply your party with any additional travel items he deems reasonable.¡± Tomsk stepped forwards next. ¡°We could not have made this feast the success it is without great help, from your good steward Brusco and his staff, but also from many other Adventurers. I am told that the way to the city is not just cold at night; it is also dangerous. Cov has sent these questing spirits to you for a reason. I ask that none who behave honourably be turned out without the means and training to protect themselves.¡± ¡°Granted. Henceforth all Adventurers starting at Villa Landi will have the opportunity to train, and all who complete their training will be gifted basic armour and weapons or magic knowledge suited to their skills. In addition, I gift each member of your party with one weapon or magic item from my House¡¯s treasury, within limits that Brusco considers reasonable.¡± Wellington then stepped forwards. ¡°Your fame as a generous man is amply justified, as all here have just witnessed. Yet what impressed me more is the wisdom and prudence you have displayed, and it is that I would ask for. I am at a loss. I hope, at some point in the future when I am secure and know my way around the city, to set up a trading concern of my own. But I do not know enough yet to decide wisely what boon I should ask for, to best aid me in that endeavour. Would you be willing to let me save it for a future occasion?¡± ¡°Granted. And, in addition, before you leave I will give you a letter of introduction to Marco, my factor in the city, with a recommendation of your talents and character, and an injunction to provide such advice and aid to you in your endeavour as he deems reasonable.¡± Lastly, Kafana stepped forwards. ¡°You have already given more than any reasonable person could ask as reward for one day¡¯s work. The scales are balanced. Let those three boons be enough. I ask nothing. Rather, I give my thanks, to you and your guests, for allowing me to sing to you, and I wish you all great joy.¡± She stepped back. Claudio looked put off his stride, a flummoxed expression on his face. ¡°Now I am the one at a loss. I have tested you and here I find myself the one being tested. Soft, I jest, I can see you are sincere. You are not playing with me, you really mean it. Men would kill or work five years to earn a boon from me, and you pass it up because you do not feel that you deserve it. You whose grace and heart would shame even that of Aegunda the Firehand, from the age of legends. I am one of the 10 wealthiest men in Torello, and yet my peers would rightly laugh me out of the city if I failed to give an appropriate reward to you personally for the profound experience and revelation you have brought us here tonight.¡± She had an idea. ¡°Then let me call you friend. Because between friends there are no debts. And I shall visit you and sing for you, or play for you if I can find a violin, any time you invite me.¡± ¡°Granted. Let all here witness as I do name Kafana Sincero a friend of House Landi, and a personal friend of Lord Claudio Landi. An insult to her is an insult to House Landi. An injury to her will be avenged by House Landi with blood and steel. Our house is her house. Our honour is her honour. Our word is hers to pledge, and we shall redeem it. So say I.¡± *ding* [Your reputation with House Landi and its retainers has increased by 2500.] [[GLOBAL ANNOUNCEMENT : ¡°Kafana¡± is the first player in the world to reach ¡°ally¡± status with a faction.]] *ding* [Your global reputation has increased by 5. There is now a small chance that strangers will have heard of you.] Claudio stepped forwards, drew her to him, and ritually kissed her three times on alternating cheeks. She said something back to him, but had no idea what. For the rest of the event she was in a haze.
| The Ring of Francis the Navigator (UNIQUE ITEM, HOLY ARTIFACT) +50% attunement to the element of water (Storm Magic, Reinforcement Magic, Necromantic Magic and Healing Magic) Freedom of movement ??? +15 to the skill ¡®Swimming¡¯ ??? ??? This ring was a gifted to Francis in person, by the deity Mor Durability: INDESTRUCTIBLE |
| Kafana¡¯s Stats (Level 10): Base Mod Total Stat 1 ?0?? 1 ????CHA (Charisma) 10??0??10 ????INT (Intelligence) 27??0??27 ????MAG (Magic) 1 ?0?? 1 ????STR (Strength) 1 ?0?? 1 ????DEX (Dexterity) 10??0??10 ????CON (Constitution) You have 0 unspent points available. |
| Wellington¡¯s Stats (Level 10): Base Mod Total Stat 30??0??30????CHA (Charisma) 6?? 0?? 6????INT (Intelligence) 7?? 0?? 7????MAG (Magic) 1?? 0?? 1????STR (Strength) 1?? 0?? 1????DEX (Dexterity) 5?? 0?? 5????CON (Constitution) You have 0 unspent points available. |
| Bungo¡¯s Stats (Level 10): Base Mod Total Stat 1??0?? 1????CHA (Charisma) 2??0?? 2????INT (Intelligence) 6??0?? 6????MAG (Magic) 5??0?? 5????STR (Strength) Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. 18 36??54????DEX (Dexterity) 18 18??36????CON (Constitution) You have 0 unspent points available. |
| Alderney¡¯s Stats (Level 10): Base Mod Total Stat 1??0?? 1????CHA (Charisma) 1??0?? 1????INT (Intelligence) 1??0?? 1????MAG (Magic) 1??0?? 1????STR (Strength) 36??0??36????DEX (Dexterity) 10??0??10????CON (Constitution) You have 0 unspent points available. |
| Tomsk¡¯s Stats (Level 10): Base Mod Total Stat 1??0??1????CHA (Charisma) 1??0??1????INT (Intelligence) 1??0??1????MAG (Magic) 29??0 29????STR (Strength) 9??0??9????DEX (Dexterity) 9??0??9????CON (Constitution) You have 0 unspent points available. |
| Variation : The system must contain members who do not all have identical values for all their properties. Inheritance : New members must be generated from a subset of the existing members in such a way that, on average, the property values of a new member are more strongly correlated with the property values of the particular existing members used to generate that new member than they are with those of the existing members not used. Selection : Some of the property values that can vary between members must have a chance of affecting the expected number of ¡®offspring¡¯ that the value gets passed onto. Mutation : A mechanic must exist within the system for generating new variants of property values, or even new properties. |
Flash! Ah-ah Savior of the universeBungo stepped forwards, another pose, displaying his shield with the Flash Gordon logo on it. Another pair of lines were sung. The shield was gleaming now, in the flickering firelight. Bungo ran forwards surprisingly fast for such a large man, and jumped over the spearmen at the front before they could swing the long weapons around. The next lines rung out, sharp and precise. Several of the bandits now had their eyes fixed upon Bungo, but others were still looking around. It wasn''t enough. Bungo ran to the side of their line then reversed direction, got to top speed and cannonballed into the spearman at the end, knocking him over into the spearmen behind him. Kafana tried to channel her inner Freddie Mercury, giving the next section everything she¡¯d got. She visualised the bandit¡¯s attention being glued onto Bungo, unable to think about anyone else, and made sure she targeted the effect only upon the bandits. ¡°Please!¡± she thought, urging the mana out of her and into the spell on the final word. She realised she¡¯d been dancing again and, what¡¯s more, Wellington and Bulgaria were behind her to either side, backing her movements up. This was going to be so embarrassing on the recording, she¡¯d totally forgotten Alderney. Tomsk, behind them, had managed to set his meteor hammers on fire by dipping them in a large pot of something from his inventory box, and was now whirling them over his head in increasingly fast circles. He moved in to attack. Alderney jumped down from her tree and sailed over the scene in a massive bound. [Skill ¡°Gain aggro buff¡± acquired.] Kafana ignored the new skills notifications that kept popping up, and cast maintenance on the two buffs she¡¯d set up, trying now not to draw any attention. She wanted the audience to watch Tomsk and Bungo, not her. Spearmen surrounded Bungo now, thrusting at him. He whirled his shield like Captain America, to knock the spear points down towards the ground, then actually ran against them like a wall of death, feet moving so fast she could barely see them, and the whole group of spearmen flew backwards leaving him crouching in the epicenter, two feet and one hand touching the ground, the other hand raised high holding the shield with the Flash symbol on it. What the hell? She checked her mana. 400 left out of 2700 max. She¡¯d poured 2000 mana into the spell buffing Bungo? Oh my. {Wellington, did my spell consume any of your mana?} {Yes.} Tomsk was carving into the spearmen from the edge now, taking out two at a time. The three archers ignored him, still trying to shoot Bungo, but missing every time. The leader roared a challenge, facing Bungo. ¡° *beep* *beep* ¡± said Alderney, and dropped an anvil on his head. {Probably dented it, but soooo worth it.} she said on chat. The remaining bandits surrendered. Bungo was very noble about it, and delivered an impromptu speech on the rights of man, tolerance and forgiveness. They¡¯d won. 1.1.3.10 Sinners 1??????????Soul Bound 1.1????????Finding her Feet 1.1.3??????An Eventful Journey 1.1.3.10???Sinners Wellington insisted upon disarming the bandits and checking their pouches, but they¡¯d little of worth. Kafana felt so sorry for them, that she insisted upon cooking them some boar steaks, which she fed to them with a little beer. One of them, a short round spearman, wept at the taste and said it had been months since he¡¯d had anything that wasn¡¯t either too burnt or too raw. She sat down next to him as he ate, and asked him his name and how he¡¯d ended up a bandit. ¡°I¡¯m Dino. I used to be a sailor until I got into debt, down at the Fiorio. A friendly guy who¡¯d been buying me drinks and asking about my voyages lent me some money. He was very understanding when I couldn¡¯t pay it back, but asked if I could slip him a copy of the ships manifest the moment we docked, the next time we came to this port. Well, I said sure. He was a friend, after all, and there didn¡¯t seem to be any harm in it. Unfortunately, when I tried doing it the following month, the purser found out and disagreed that it was harmless. Turns out the paranoid bastard was a mage. I survived the flogging, but they banned me from the city. After that, I didn¡¯t have much choice. I fell in with Berard. He still had some contacts in the city, and they rendezvoused with him every two weeks, to swap loot for provisions, and give us suggestions on where there might be targets, or warn us about crackdowns. I wish I could start over, earn Cov¡¯s forgiveness. It¡¯s a miserable life out here, among the wolves and ghosts.¡± Alderney came over with a map, and asked him to point out their camp and any other points of interest he knew about, then headed off to scout. Tomsk asked details about the size of wolf packs, and what worked when dealing with ghosts. Bungo wanted to know what happened when a bandit died. Dino said he¡¯d only died twice. Once when he was on a ship that was attacked by pirates. That time, he¡¯d respawned back at the most recent port he¡¯d visited the Sanctum of. The second time was after he¡¯d had his pendant stripped from him by the court. He floated near the place he¡¯d died for several weeks, before a passing holy man had resurrected him. That was when he¡¯d started hoping to find a way back into Cov¡¯s good graces, he said. Wellington took Kafana aside: ¡°What do you think we should do with these captives? Leave them free to carry on hurting people? Try to hand them into the city and ask that they be imprisoned? Flog them? Kill them?¡± ¡°Ugh, I don¡¯t like any of those options. What I¡¯d really like is a way to reform those who can be reformed, and deter any of the remainder from repeating their behaviour. You spoke the most with Camillo and Fra Mattheus. Can magic have lasting effects? Can it be used to communicate with Cov directly? If not, could I try coming up with a truth spell, and see if at least Dino can be trusted?¡± ¡°Yes, magic can have long term effects. For example, if someone is ready to make a decision anyway, it can force them to realise something, and affect their mind while they make the decision. Curses are possible, though there¡¯s a price to be paid. As to direct communication with deities or their agents, I believe high level priests can do something along those lines. I don¡¯t know your chances of success. And the answer might be ambiguous.¡± ¡°You said I drew upon your mana when you joined in the chorus to aid my singing earlier. Any idea how strength of spell varies with number of people contributing to it?¡± ¡°Given participants having equal skill levels, and the group being well coordinated, I think it scales linearly, or possibly a bit better than that. Brusco mentioned that that¡¯s how they take down big boss monsters, though the standard way of casting magic around here is wands, runes, potions, sacrifices, and chanted verbals. Your singing is pretty unusual, though some priests have been known to use it for certain rituals, and it may be more common around Lilleheim and Savada.¡± ¡°How about we stage an argument? You threaten to dig a big pit, kill them at the bottom of the pit and then fill it in so they never get resurrected. Throw in some spiel about summoning a demon to gnaw upon them for eternity. Have Bungo plead their case, say they are fundamentally good fellows who made mistakes, who should be given a last chance to truly repent. Then I bring out a glowing gemstone, which Alderney describes as the ¡®Stone of Truth¡¯. Bring them forward one by one to swear that, if I perform a ritual to let them apologise to Cov, that they¡¯ll strive with all their heart to mean their words and muster every last bit of determination in their body that this time they will change and never go back to their bad ways. Warn them that, after the ritual, we will use the Stone of Truth again on each of them, so only true determination to cease all banditry forever will regain them Cov¡¯s mercy and see them spared.¡± ¡°Ruthless. And who knows, maybe your magic will contact Cov, or at least create a working Stone of Truth. If it doesn¡¯t work, we¡¯ll be no worse off than we are now, and at least we¡¯ll have tried. If that happens, will you be willing to go along with a majority decision on what we do with them?¡± Kafana thought carefully about it. Would she really stand by, if they voted to flog Dino? She wouldn¡¯t like it, but if the others agreed that was best, she did respect them and wasn¡¯t sure enough of her own stance to make this a line she¡¯d quit the game over. She sighed. ¡°Yes. If I can¡¯t redeem them, I¡¯ll abide by the majority decision. But let¡¯s give it the best try we can. Can you explain the plan to them in chat, while I experiment a bit?¡± ¡°Sure. And thank you. I came to you, because we rely upon your heart. It guides you well, Kafana. I trust you.¡± Alderney spoke in chat: {Scouting report on the bandit base. 2 people present, both women, one of them badly treated and very glad that Berard, their chief, is dead. I¡¯ve put everything here in my inventory box, and am heading back with them in your direction. There is a ghost here who wants something, but I¡¯m leaving that to you experts. My province is making stuff.} If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Kafana went downstream a couple of minutes, until she was sure nobody back in camp could hear her singing, then stopped and took out a diadem she¡¯d been gifted that had a trillion-cut citrine in the center. She took it out and then, acting on some instinct, touched Cov¡¯s pendant to it. Keeping them in contact she paged through songs in her mind, but couldn¡¯t find any that fit properly. She started playing around with words, trying out variations. She concentrated on making a chorus that would be simple enough for the bandits to join in on, and ended up with a short hymn. They could rehearse the captives to sing it at an arm signal. Hmm, she¡¯d drawn in light earlier. Perhaps that would be better? She wanted a test subject. She broke into the chat. {Tomsk, can you escort Dino downstream to meet with me. Bring your drum, I want to try something.} They turned up shortly, and she had Tomsk set a steady heart beat going: ¡°Thud-thud¡ thud-thud¡ thud-thud¡¡± She brought up the orglife overlay and got System to display her lyrics hanging in the air the way she wanted them, together with shape notes for the melody she¡¯d devised and a score for the drum. Then she started humming, traced the lyrics physically with her finger in the air, and focused upon having them shine as golden lines of holy light, visible to all. It didn¡¯t work, so she tried again while holding Cov¡¯s pendant in her off hand, and feeding in her emotion of wanting to save Dino. This time, the lines appeared. [Skill ¡°Holy Inscription¡± acquired.] Looking at the lines with her magnifying glass icon showed a duration ¡°As Cov wills¡±. Intimidating. But hopeful. ¡°Dino, I¡¯m going to sing you a line of song, and I want you to try to sing it back to me in time to the drum, will you try that?¡± ¡°Yes Donna¡± ¡°Save me, oh Cov, save me¡° she willed the words to flare as she sang each one. ¡°Save me, oh Cov, save me¡± It wasn¡¯t great, but it was good enough. And the look of hope as he read the lyrics displayed were more than enough to compensate for any musical failures. ¡°Ok Dino. Take a deep breath. If you meant what you said, about earning Cov¡¯s forgiveness, this is your big chance. But before you agree, please be aware of three things:¡± ¡°Firstly, I¡¯ve never done this before. I¡¯ll try my best, but if it doesn¡¯t work, I don¡¯t know what will happen to you. A lot is going to depend upon how strongly and sincerely you mean the words. If you are truly determined to forever change your ways, even if that means serving time in a prison or otherwise making amends. That may take your whole life.¡± ¡°Secondly, even if it works for you, I don¡¯t know how well it will work for your fellows. I want your full cooperation in helping persuade them and making it work for them.¡± ¡°Thirdly, I hear Cov is just but not always kind. It may hurt, he may test you. There may be danger involved. There will certainly be danger if you try to lie or deceive Cov.¡± ¡°Still willing to go ahead?¡± ¡°With all my heart. Thank you Donna, even if this fails, thank you for trying, thank you for caring.¡± ¡°Then put your hands in mine, focus upon what you want to happen, and put all that feeling into your words each time you sing your line.¡± He put his hands into hers, grasping her pendant and stone of truth like they were a lifeline thrown to a drowning man. She waited a few beats and imagined herself back in Cov¡¯s Sanctum, imagined this being a Sanctum, and sang:
Let Holy light from Cov be sent, Into this yellow heart of stone, That it may show the true intent Save me, oh Cov, save meThe citrine blazed in golden glory, illuminating the trees all around.
Of those who say ¡°I will Atone!¡± But do not of their sins repent. Save me, oh Cov, save meNow Dino¡¯s head was also bathed in light, but he seemed to be taking no harm from it. In fact he was smiling. Tomsk kept the heart beat rhythm going steadily.
Let Holy grace from Cov be sent, Upon the hearts that burn with fire Of change in what they do desire Save me, oh Cov, save me.Now the light drew in about his chest, the pendant, stone and head no longer illuminated. The light had flickering tongues shading to blue like a bunsen flame, and a foul smell arose. Dino threw back his head in agony, his hit points and mana points dropping fast.
Mend the bond and keep them strong That none relent when we are gone. Save me, oh Cov, save me.He screamed his line, but he said it. And, as he did, the light flashed, dazzling them. When her eyes cleared, Dino was on his knees, still clutching her hands. And, around his neck, there hung a new pendant, identical to her own. [Skill ¡°singer¡± has reached level 3. You write original lyrics, quality ¡°apprentice¡±] [Skill ¡°singer¡± has reached level 4. You write original melodies, quality ¡°apprentice¡±] 1.1.3.11 Grace 1??????????Soul Bound 1.1????????Finding her Feet 1.1.3??????An Eventful Journey 1.1.3.11???Grace Tomsk briefed the others on chat, while she brought Dino back to camp, where the two women had arrived. The larger of the two was wearing a fine dress, suitable for a merchant¡¯s wife. She had a surly expression on her face as she gave the name ¡°Carley¡± and claimed to be just a cook. However the dress didn¡¯t fit quite right, especially around her beefy waist, and Kafana guessed she¡¯d been happy enough to split the spoils of the bandits¡¯ looting. The other woman was barefoot and wearing barely enough rags to stay decent. Certainly not enough to stave off the chill or hide the reddened marks of thick rope being left tied too long around her wrists and neck. Her chestnut hair was thick and long enough to cover one eye as it hung down, held at bay only by a loop of rag that gathered it into a rough ponytail. Kafana couldn¡¯t tell the woman¡¯s skin colour under all the dirt and grime; it looked like she¡¯d not been permitted to wash for several weeks. She was a slight woman, almost a waif, but there was an uncanny delicacy to her face; she had a pointed chin, a small mouth and a wide forehead, which drew attention to eyes that were large, sorrowful and the colour of polished oak. Dino related what had happened, in vivid detail. Of the 8 without pendants, 7 asked to be allowed to try. 1, the captive, asked that instead she be taken to the city gates, but wouldn¡¯t speak further, even to give her name, and refused all aid except basic food and water. Dino rehearsed them for her, and gave them pretty much the same briefing as she¡¯d given him, except gorier and shaking with the fanaticism of a new convert. The looks they gave her as she escorted them all back down the stream, accompanied by the rest of the party were apprehensive, as though they expected her to sprout angel wings, or perhaps demonic horns, at any moment. She checked her mana level and then started. This time she had them stand in a circle around her, facing inward to where she held the stone and pendant above her head. Tomsk started the drumming and the song was sung. 6 survived. Barely. One died. Kafana had watched unable to intervene as Carley¡¯s whole chest incinerated, leaving smoking charcoal where minutes before there¡¯d been living flesh and bone. She stood there, shocked, Tomsk holding her, while the rest of the party led the ex-bandits back to the camp. He gave her a gentle hug. ¡°Death is never pleasant, sweet Kafana, nor is it good to get inured to it. But this death is not on your head. That was Cov¡¯s judgement. Deities are real in this game. There¡¯s a real expert system that decided what should happen, and whether it made its decision upon the ¡®deeds¡¯ of that woman in game, or upon what it felt was dramatically appropriate, we¡¯ll never know. But either way, it decided, not you. What you did was to try your best, and what you achieved was saving 7 people from the death Wellington would surely have given them. ¡° ¡°I know that in my head, Tomsk. But it will take time before I also feel the truth of it in my heart.¡± ¡°Cov, thank you for the justice you granted. Please, grant a little comfort to the tool you used, my precious Kafana.¡± Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Nothing happened. But she felt better, anyway. She always did around Tomsk.
om mani padme huuum om mani padme hum om mani padme huuum om mani padme humShe did a simple version that used only 4 notes, and changed only on the huuum. It still took about 10 runs through together before he could do it by himself. Not perfect, but he¡¯d improve with time. ¡°Ok, this is something called ¡®meditation¡¯. I hope, if you do it right, it will strengthen and purify you. It is a peaceful time to let your mind temporarily empty of thoughts and worries, to provide space for Cov¡¯s guidance to fill you. The same way you might go quiet if you were straining to hear a faint noise. Let Dino lead you, and join in softly, when you are confident enough of the tune and the words. Remember, you don¡¯t need outer volume. It is inner volume that counts. In fact, in a bit I might even ask you to try doing it entirely silently, just thinking it, feeling it, feeling the togetherness. We¡¯ll practice until we reach the city. Now, hold your pendant lightly in your right hand, Dino, let¡¯s start.¡± She led them off, pendants glowing and the party followed. Kafana: {Wellington, can you track whether we switch into night mode? I picked something repetitive and timeless, so the game shouldn¡¯t count it as an event. But, if it does, I¡¯ll ask them to do it silently.} Wellington: {I¡¯ll track it.} Some time later he reported: {It works, night mode achieved. Good job.} Bulgaria: {I¡¯ve been examining them. I think you might have turned them into spell singers. They have a buff icon on them now, and the listed caster is Dino. It gives mana regen. I wonder what it will do if they level it up?} Bungo: {Monks! I should teach them how to use a staff, and give them wide bamboo hats.} Tomsk: {If they don¡¯t all get killed when we reach the city. Don¡¯t get too attached to them. They did bad things.} And on that rather glum note, they too stopped talking much. They passed from forest to cultivated fields and joined a bigger road that ran parallel to a river running East towards the sea. There were carts full of farm produce destined for the city¡¯s market, messengers on horses with caparisons showing guild or house allegiances, one train of 8 wagons, led by a merchant in a coach and guarded by two heavily armoured mercenaries, a military patrol led by a fat sergeant, which eyed them in passing but didn¡¯t bother with them, and increasing numbers of very varied foot travellers. And then the city came into view. According to the map they¡¯d been given by Brusco, the steward back at Villa Landi, they¡¯d be entering by the Gate of Sorrows. {System, please display an orglife overlay of the city, based upon the steward¡¯s maps.} She studied it a bit, trying to commit it to memory. There were six districts. The river Tunita ran to the Arcadian sea that lay to the east of the city. On an island in the river was the Libri district with several mage towers and a university. Across the river to the north, rising up to a hill with a castle on top of it, was the Alto district. Across the river to the south were Centrale which had the main sanctum and watch tower, Arsenal which lined the coast, Mercato (sandwiched between Centrale and Arsenal) where Lord Claudio Landi had his palazzo, and finally the Basso district which was by far the largest and sprawled away to the south. The Gate of Sorrows was just south of the river, so if they kept to the road they¡¯d pass through a little bit of the Basso district before entering Mercato. Alderney, still in scouting mode, spoke up: {Guys, there¡¯s a long queue to get through the gate. Everybody has to show their pass. It could take hours. I¡¯m going to grab us an escort. Prepare an explanation.} and bounced ahead down the road. 1.1.4.2 Innamorati 1????????Soul Bound 1.1??????Finding her Feet 1.1.4????An Intriguing City 1.1.4.2??Innamorati Ten minutes later, a small troop of cavalry cantered up, led by a captain. The captain''s armour was more practical than fancy but, though no longer new, it had been well looked after. In a way, Kafana thought, the captain matched his armour. He was in his mid-thirties and had clearly seen his share of fighting, yet he still held himself well and his hair was neatly trimmed. Right then his sharp eyes were giving Alderney a rather pointed look and, though his face remained calm, a twitch at the corner of his mouth led Kafana to believe he was still deciding whether to be amused or annoyed by Alderney''s antics. ¡°Does this young scamp belong to you?¡± he said, holding up three paper aeroplanes, reading ¡°Boo!¡±, ¡°Follow me to meet The Great Bandit Slayer, Flash the Mighty¡±, and ¡°Aww, don¡¯t be like that, I¡¯m not hurting your wall, you can have cakes!¡± Bulgaria bowed and then proclaimed: ¡°Captain, it is my extreme honour to present to you the personal friend and ally of Lord Claudio Landi, the newly arrived Questing Spirit, Madame Kafana Sincero who, with the aid of her mighty companion Bungo the Flash, did not only slay 14 bandits and free 1 captive, but also brought 7 more to you alive to face the city¡¯s judgement. Wellington produced a document with the seal of House Landi upon it and the Captain nodded shortly: ¡°Forgive me for not introducing myself. I am Captain Lelio, of the Torello Watch. This is not the place for you to produce proofs of such claims. You will come with me to the gatehouse and we shall talk further there. Are any of you injured?¡± The slight woman who had been beaten by the bandits and refused healing stepped forwards, and spoke in a soft voice. ¡°Captain, oh captain, if you cou¡± she stumbled, interrupting her request, and he was off his horse in an instant, catching her before she could fall. He was obviously quite high level and had put plenty of stat points into both strength and dexterity. He looked at her closely and said, far more gently: ¡°Yes, I could¡± and lifted her up onto his horse in front of him, cradling her in his arms as they rode back to the gate.
Dear Spirit Kafana, Thank you for the cooking, but thank you far more for all the fun things I have experienced with you so far. Since you ask, I will tell you a little about myself. I worked in the sewing room at Villa Landi. My favourite fruit is lime. My father was a travelling merchant. When I was young, he used to tell me such wonderful stories about the far off places he¡¯d visited. I used to hum to myself when happy. I like the images in your head when you sing. Do you think Alderney would like some warm woolen mittens with kittens chasing geese embroidered onto them? We could work on them together, to see if you can make use of my ¡®Sewing¡¯ skill. I don¡¯t think I could use magic the way you do, but if you decide to find someone to train me in weapons, I¡¯d happily stab someone if Kafana is attacked while you¡¯re not here. As to decisions, Bulgaria is correct. I really don¡¯t want a vote on which quests to take, or on those big horrible quandaries you keep posing. Think of me as a tourist or someone watching a play, along to go ¡°Oooh¡± and ¡°Aaah!¡± at the thrills of the ride. By the way, Alderney¡¯s vessel is great fun. If we go out together, do you think we should wear a disguise? Or will you live with the repercussions of us being silly girls rather than great and noble questers? She loves our hair and wants to braid it. I said she should have Alderney ask you. Yours in bonds of friendship, Vessel Kafana{System, if I come across a pair of mittens for sale, please remind me to buy them.} No response. Hmm. On a whim she sang pleadingly:
System, oh System, will you be my friend? System, oh System, your great powers please lend.[Player ¡°Kafana¡±, magic will not work on me.] {System, I wasn¡¯t trying to cast magic on you. Check out my intent. I was just being friendly. You are at least as intelligent as the NPCs, but I don¡¯t think you have many friends, do you? I think it is because Bungo made the suggestion that you liked my singing. Sorry, I was just being silly. I won¡¯t sing to you again.} [Player ¡°Kafana¡±, this System does not object to being sung to.] Was that a joke? She shook her head. If she stayed in this room, she¡¯d go stir crazy. Honestly, talking to System like that. She laughed and went out to see who else had arrived.
| Kafana¡¯s Stats (Level 14): Base ??Mod ??Total ??Stat 1 ??0 ???? 1 ????CHA (Charisma) 10 ??0 ????10 ????INT (Intelligence) 27 ??0 ????27 ????MAG (Magic) 1 ??0 ???? 1 ????STR (Strength) 1 ? 0 ???? 1 ????DEX (Dexterity) 20 ??0 ????20 ????CON (Constitution) You have 36 unspent points available. |
Kafana will work under Columbina¡¯s direction at least 2 hours a morning, at least 2 days a month, while Kafana is in Torello. Any recipes produced will belong to Kafana, though Columbina will have permission to use them royalty free. Any profits produced by selling the items made during the training sessions will, after covering the expense of the ingredients and taxes, be split 40% to Kafana, 40% to Columbina and 20% to the establishment. Columbina will try reasonably hard to improve Kafana¡¯s skills, protect against harm to her person or reputation resulting from the training, and preserve her confidentiality. Kafana will try reasonably hard to benefit Columbina in equal measure to the benefit she gains from her, protect Columbina¡¯s reputation and the Speckled Dove¡¯s reputation from harm resulting from the training, and preserve their confidentiality.She passed a copy to Wellington and asked him to give it a quick once over. He suggested adding that the agreement be alterable by mutual agreement, add protection against Columbina refusing to grant journeyman status in order to keep hold of a free worker by allowing either party to terminate it, a customised gift to Columbina from Alderney on Kafana reaching journeyman and a number of other small alterations, including allowing Kafana to be treated as a VIP when making bookings, reserving tables or gaining entrance when she entertains guests, with Kafana¡¯s own food free of charge. [Skill ¡°Bargaining¡± acquired.] It was 7 bells before she left with Columbina¡¯s first piece of advice: ¡°Get a little more dexterity, my apprentice. Good cooks need light fingers and precise minds.¡± 1.1.4.7 One race there is, that none wish to be the first to finish 1??????????Soul Bound 1.1????????Finding her Feet 1.1.4??????An Intriguing City 1.1.4.7????One race there is, that none wish to be the first to finish [Level 15 acquired. You have 50 unspent stat points. You have 12 unspent skill points.] {Kafana} The group chat suddenly un-muted, as someone mentioned her name. Tomsk: {That was me and Bungo. They skipped our apprenticeships and sent us on a journeyman test. We just cleared out a whole bunch of ghouls infesting a sewer near the Gate of Sorrows.} Bungo: {Sorry Kafana, I was just commenting on how I missed your buffs. I¡¯ve learned a challenge skill that grabs aggro, but the smarter the target, the shorter the effect. Hope I didn¡¯t interrupt anything important waking you up on chat. How¡¯re you doing?} Kafana: {I¡¯ve been apprenticed in Priestess and Cook so far. Columbina at the Speckled Dove cafe is quite a character. I dread to think what she and Alderney would get up to, if they ever conspired.} Alderney: {Oooh, sounds fun, arrange an opportunity for us to meet! If I can create a volleyball, do you think she¡¯d enjoy playing it?} Bungo: {We¡¯re doomed.} Kafana: {Well, she did ask me to put a bit in DEX, but I¡¯m not in your league. I¡¯d love to watch a beach volleyball game of Columbina + Alderney versus Bungo + Tomsk. Maybe Mary-Lynn would come and act as a commentator? Tuning out.} {System, hush chat please.} {System, add 9 stat points to DEX}
| Kafana¡¯s Stats (Level 15): Base??Mod??Total??Stat 1 ?? 0???? 1 ????CHA (Charisma) 10 ?? 0????10 ????INT (Intelligence) 27 ?? 0????27 ????MAG (Magic) 1 ?? 0???? 1 ????STR (Strength) 10 ?? 0????10 ????DEX (Dexterity) 20 ?? 0????20 ????CON (Constitution) You have 41 unspent points available. |
Jazdow for Death, and Lukomorya for Lives; Lilleheim for Ice, and Batille for Knives; Savada for Spice, and Kyiv for Rings; Sassari for Beggars, and Pentapolis for Kings; Muspel for Smells, and Lavarre for Drakes; Mezelay for Bells, and Uddel for Lakes; Baverin for Views, and Rovograd for Fogs; Gombardo for Shoes, and Kalzburg for Cogs; Ath for Peace, and Costante for Wars; Bergerac for Fleece, and High Vilac for Laws; Torello, Torello, Torello is best; ''til Nemey in Chindiei makes final test.At the word ¡°test¡± everybody fell over as though dying, then the rope was handed along to another challenger and the feat was attempted again. Vittoria continued: ¡°But since the feud between House Pazzi and House Bruno flared up over the sword laws, many nobles have been choosing not to do business with companies based in Basso. This stirred up resentment, and mocking by the raggedy man. Visitors to the Stadia from Alto started getting harassed by hidden magic casters. One was beaten and robbed by a gang of young pick-pockets from the Arsenal. Using that as an excuse, the city council over at Centrale passed a series of laws. On the face of it, they apply to all areas of the city, but in effect they are far harsher and harder to comply with for Basso than for any other district. Residents have been holding peaceful strikes and protests, but the council responded by sending in troops, who have been very liberal in how they interpret their instructions to ¡®maintain public order, clear obstructed streets and get rid of health hazards¡¯.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°And now there is disease spreading. Neighbours won¡¯t go near each other, from fear. Nobody trusts anybody, and nothing is being done. The Stadia has practically closed down, and it is not just affecting us. Many in Basso are now feeling the pinch of hunger. It would take just one wrong word, one accident, for things to turn violent. This place feels like a tinderbox, waiting for an inevitable match. I am out of hope.¡± Wellington ticked off points on his fingers. ¡°I have questions about the details, but on the face of it there seem to be four main challenges.¡± ¡°Firstly, find a new funding source for the orphanage, ideally one that doesn¡¯t depend upon external charity, and where most of the work can be done by the children themselves.¡± ¡°Secondly, bring back custom to the Stadia and other local businesses.¡± ¡°Thirdly, win time for the second to happen by reducing the short term threats from disease, violence and boycotts. Give people some hope.¡± ¡°Lastly, investigate the root cause behind all this. Disease springing up at the same time is too much of a coincidence. This stinks of an enemy trying to destabilise not just Basso but the whole of Torello. An enemy with extensive connections, and the resources to think big and plan long term.¡± Kafana spoke up: ¡°I¡¯ve got another piece of this puzzle.¡± She told them about Fra Nerone Drago, and the attempts to displace Suor Isabella as head of the local church either by getting her married off to Lelio or by closing down the orphanage. Alderney chimed in: ¡°I¡¯ve looked through the stuff from the bandit¡¯s camp and the body of Berard, their boss. It seems the things they sneaked into the city to fence were not just items they¡¯d looted. They also carried packages for an organisation based outside the city, to be sold at auction. Vittoria, you said the people who kidnapped you had help from inside the Sanctum?¡± Vittoria: ¡°Yes. I received a message via the normal messenger who brings us funds, on paper from Suor Isabella¡¯s office, asking me to meet her out near a particular mausoleum in the Necropolis beyond the Gate of Sorrows. It wasn¡¯t her handwriting, but I assumed a secretary had written it for her.¡± Wellington: ¡°After I apprenticed in runic magic, I spent half the morning speaking with Marco, House Landi¡¯s trade factor. We discussed the auction as a possible means of raising funds for our party, and he mentioned that a group of questing spirits were already planning to put a lot of items into the auction happening next week; items from somewhere they called ¡®Divine Mountain¡¯.¡± Tomsk: ¡°I spoke with Lelio during my journeyman¡¯s trial about the current threats to the city. He mentioned that pirates have lately been far more likely to sink ships from some houses and businesses than they have others, and that ancient Zeradan artifacts from the Pirate Isles have been turning up at auction too.¡± Bungo looked abashed. ¡°I didn¡¯t find anything useful I¡¯m afraid. After the trial with Tomsk, I asked my guide to lead me to where my ex-bandits were. The church has them at work down in the sewers joining Mercato to the Arsenal, clearing obstructions which they¡¯re doing without complaint. They¡¯ve got the hang of your chant, Kafana. It sounds pretty good, actually. And I think it must be having some effect. I spent a while teaching them the movements to a simplified form of Tai Chi, and I¡¯ve never met pupils with such powers of absolute concentration.¡± he perked up, ¡°Oh, I did find one thing. I overheard you telling your guide that you needed some small woolen mittens, so I picked some up for you.¡± She accepted them, surprised. ¡°Thank you, Bungo. That was very thoughtful of you.¡± Wellington: ¡°Anything else?¡± Tomsk: ¡°I got a feeling of being watched by unfriendly eyes, a couple of times today.¡± Kafana: ¡°Me too!¡± Alderney: ¡°Yeah, me as well. Initially in Centrum, but also later in Libri.¡± Bulgaria: ¡°I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s behind everything, or if these are just multiple interacting intrigues, but I¡¯m informed that a long term foe of the city is King Gideon, Captain of The Scourge.¡± Tomsk: ¡°Is he king of the pirates?¡± Bulgaria: ¡°He is a pirate, but no he isn¡¯t their king. He¡¯s a sentient undead monster, a Skeleton King, with the power to raise fallen enemies as skeletons and force them to serve under him, which for most people here is a fate to be feared far more than death. But he¡¯s smart. He¡¯s quite capable of bribing and subverting the living into cooperating with him.¡± Vittoria looked scared and said, in a little voice: ¡°I only wanted to save the orphanage.¡± Bulgaria: {Time out. Before we discuss solutions, you¡¯ve been asking me to explain my plan. Well, now is a perfect time. Let¡¯s go for a walk.} Bulgaria: ¡°And the orphanage is all you should have to worry about. The rest of this stuff? That¡¯s why Cov has sent you Questing Spirits. We¡¯ll worry about it for you, and let you know when there¡¯s something you and the orphans can do to help. You¡¯ve been a big help already, though, and very courageous. So take heart! Help is now at hand, more than you could possibly imagine. We¡¯re going to go out for a little while, to assess the local situation, but we¡¯ll drop by later to say goodbye to everybody.¡± 1.1.4.11 Rebel with a cause 1????????????Soul Bound 1.1??????????Finding her Feet 1.1.4????????An Intriguing City 1.1.4.11?????Rebel with a cause A few minutes later, resting in a ruin near a well, Bulgaria started speaking: {Thank you for being so patient with me. Get comfortable, this will take a while.} {Initially, this game and the problems within it seem very different from those in arlife. Undead pirates, magic artifact smuggling, nobles with swords in Renaissance clothing.} {But look around you. There are also many similarities. Poverty. Inequality. Oppression. Exploitation. Greed, fear, anger and corruption. Lack of hope.} {That¡¯s unsurprising. The people creating this game drew upon their experiences of arlife and past human history, when trying to make the situations in the game relatable for their players.} {There¡¯s an unintended consequence of this. It means that habits learned here, solutions that work here, can affect how people behave back in arlife. Tell me, have any of you had an experience here that made you think ¡®I want to try that back in arlife¡¯ ?} Kafana: {I experiment a bit more with my cooking.} Tomsk: {I used a move from fighting the bandits in a stunt.} {What if we could get the world¡¯s population to bring more back from velife than just cooking skills? What if we could get them to bring back a new approach to solving problems?} {Our arlife world is not a happy world. Due to advances in technology, most of the jobs that used to be done by humans can now be done more cheaply by robots and expert systems. We can¡¯t turn back time on that. We can only adapt. And different areas of the world have tried different approaches to the resulting unemployment.} {Northern European Union makes employers pay a 90% or higher punitive tax on salaries paid to people who work more than 16 hours a week. They pay everyone a pretty good universal income.} {Little Britain has reverted to an aristocratic model where anyone in employment will have up to a dozen personal servants acting as cooks, nannies and butlers. Those dismissed from their positions usually end up starving or in robot-supervised work houses.} {Southern Europe is nominally controlled by a succession of incompetent populist governments who promise cake tomorrow but fail to deliver anything but the blood of scape goats. A few successful companies remain, inside gated enclaves, but most have moved abroad.} {America has gone in the direction of a full blown corporate state, with zero welfare. Need food or medicine and can¡¯t afford it? Sign up for medical experimentation, indenture yourself or become a contestant in Battlematch.} {The Common Heritage Belt covering China, Russia, and much more, bans the use of robots in farming and certain other professions. They are large, ruthless and expansionist enough to absorb the inefficiency. The average standard of living is the highest in the world, and they are rigorous about using examinations to give equal opportunity to bright children of poor parents; but it comes at the cost of any personal liberty or privacy.} {And so on. The point being that unemployment is a problem that all of them have had to adapt to, and the stress of adapting has led, at the moment, mainly to societies that have high levels of inequality and poor social mobility. And because of the ruthless use of surveillance and expert system controlled mobile weapon platforms, it seems nearly impossible for the disadvantaged section of the population to do anything to change that state of affairs. They see their choice as fighting, probably futile fighting, or living an unfulfilling life, good to neither themselves or others.} {We, as Wombles, believe in looking for third options. Each of you has done that in your personal lives, in different ways. Alderney, you¡¯ve helped set up sea steadings where people can live independent of government control. Bungo, you¡¯ve worked on similar land-based projects. Wellington, you¡¯ve worked tirelessly to set up systems enabling people in China to break free from surveillance. Tomsk, you¡¯ve used earnings from your job to give to charities supporting civil liberties. Kafana, you¡¯ve chosen to live in an area that is nearly robot free. You all see the problem. You all know how to look for solutions.} Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. {But passing on that sight, that knowledge, is a problem. Few people will read more than a few paragraphs or listen to hour long lectures. They¡¯re habituated to having their information chopped into small pieces and candy coated in entertainment.} {The adage goes ¡°Show, don''t tell¡±. What¡¯s needed isn¡¯t to tell people, yet again, to think outside the box. What¡¯s needed is to show them how, show them it works, and make it entertaining. Draw them in. Embed it into an ongoing live narrative that will bring them back time and again to discover ¡®what happened this week?¡¯.} {To show them, in an environment that is similar enough to arlife that the approach to finding solutions in one will have obvious applications to the other, and yet is different enough that people will be entertained rather than feel they¡¯re being lectured to.} {An environment like this one.} Bulgaria gestured to the buildings around them. {To show them you also need a group of people, so you see plan formation as a process not something that pops whole from a superhero¡¯s head. People who are fun, who get on with each other, who have the skills to find outside the box solutions and put them into practice effectively.} {People like you.} {A few months ago, while this game was still in Beta, I happened to speak with Tomsk who was doing motion capture for XperiSense and he told me about how flexible the questing structure was going to be and how realistic the NPCs were. I realised this might be the opportunity I¡¯d been seeking, and I contacted Wellington and Alderney to make certain preparations. They put up a site on part of the net that governments can¡¯t block access to, where we can distribute sense record files from, and where we can host discussion forums that can be connected to untraceably. And they also created tiaras for us all, that use the same non-standard communication route, to keep our identities safe. Because, if we do this right, we are going to disturb the vested interests and some of them would find it convenient to quietly dispose of us.} {But hopefully, that won¡¯t become apparent for quite a while. The plan is to just be a bunch of popular gamers sharing their game play experience who are a bit different in their approach. We don¡¯t make any reference to arlife politics. We stay purely in-character, and let the people rooting for us learn from us.} Wellington: {Why do you believe we can achieve those sort of viewing figures? Many try, and the odds are low.} Bulgaria: {This world, Covob, has just opened; the guilds haven¡¯t moved in yet and there¡¯s still time to get a first-mover advantage. If we do interesting stuff over the next few days, we set people¡¯s expectations of what the game can be like. Right now, there¡¯s a lot of new people out there searching for ¡°How do I play Soul Bound?¡±} Bulgaria: {This isn¡¯t without risk. Even arlife risk to your persons. But it is a chance to change the world. Are you with me?} Tomsk: {You have my sword.} Alderney: {My bow.} Bungo: {And my axe} Kafana, exasperated: {Gamers!} then, more gently {Yes, Bulgaria my teacher, we are with you. All the way.} Wellington: {Bungo, you don¡¯t even have an axe. And of course, I said yes months ago, when we first discussed this. I endorse Bulgaria¡¯s plan. I think it has a 40% chance of achieving at least some good. Which is better than any other option I¡¯m aware of.} Kafana: {So who is going to be the main viewpoint character? Tomsk, Bungo or Alderney? I¡¯d vote Alderney, I think.} Bungo: {I vote Kafana.} Kafana: {My name¡¯s not on the list.} Alderney: {Kafana.} Kafana: {Alderney, you betrayer. You owe me for posting that recording just now. I demand you change your vote.} Wellington: {Kafana, obviously. She¡¯s the logical choice.} Kafana: {No. I don¡¯t like it.} Bulgaria: {Kafana, you are the only possible choice. This will not work without you.} Kafana: {What? Why?} Tomsk: {It is your emotions, dearest one. I¡¯ve viewed the Flash Gordon scene from all 6 recordings that Alderney received. Yours is leagues ahead of the others. You immerse yourself in this reality, in a way that the rest of us do not. Perhaps because this is your first modern experience of velife. Your concern for NPCs is sincere. In a world where people want to escape from arlife, you¡¯re an addiction. You get totally into role. You always have.} 1.1.4.12 Sharpe Lecture: what makes a struggle feel personal? 1???????????Soul Bound 1.1???????? Finding her Feet 1.1.4?????? An Intriguing City 1.1.4.12????Sharpe Lecture: what makes a struggle feel personal? Why was she always the one they picked? She remembered the time they¡¯d nearly gotten her arrested. It started off innocently enough with a lecture. ¡°You are all criminals!¡± Dr. Sharpe had thundered. ¡°Right now, this very moment, you are breaking a law that could see you fined thousands of pounds or even thrown in jail.¡± ¡°And what is your crime? You are sitting down!¡± he spat out the word, making it sound like the vilest of perversions. Many of the audience tittered, uncertainly. Some half stood. He was like that. They knew now that he liked pulling surprises, but they still could never quite anticipate what he¡¯d do. ¡°It sounds absurd, doesn¡¯t it?¡± he cocked his head. ¡°Unfortunately, I¡¯m not kidding.¡± ¡°After the end of the Napoleonic Wars, Britain reduced the number of soldiers it employed in its armies and, as a result, the streets of London and other cities saw an influx of destitute veterans, many maimed and unable to find work. The government¡¯s response was to try to hide away the symptoms. In 1824 they passed what became known as the Vagrancy Act. It is still on the statue books today, in modified form. Here¡¯s part of the original.¡± He brought up a slide:
| An Act for the punishment of idle and disorderly persons, rogues and vagabonds. every Person pretending or professing to tell Fortunes, or using any subtle Craft, Means, or Device, by Palmistry or otherwise, to deceive and impose on any of His Majesty''s Subjects ; every Person wandering abroad and lodging in any Barn or Outhouse, or in any deserted or unoccupied Building, or in the open Air, or under a Tent, or in any Cart or Waggon, not having any visible Means of Subsistence, and not giving a good Account of himself or herself; every Person wandering abroad, and endeavouring by the Exposure of Wounds or Deformities to obtain or gather Alms ; every Person going about as a Gatherer or Collector of Alms, or endeavouring to procure charitable Contributions of any Nature or Kind, under any false or fraudulent Pretence |
| Quantity | Item |
| 10 | fish-hook tetsumari (flaming) |
| 1 | xistera (to integrate into Bungo¡¯s shield |
| 1 | hang glider |
| 20 | vials of Greekish Fire |
| 5 | decorations for braided hair |
| 6 | hooded cloaks for vessels to wear out at night |
| 1 | volleyball |
| 1 | volleyball net |
| 7 | staves or spears for monks (disguise as sweeping brooms?) |
| 100 | better clothing for orphans |
| 2 | ice cream churn |
| 10 | Dewars for liquid nitrogen |
| 1 | vampire stake |
| 1 | black ninja clothing |
| ? | stuff to auction (as yet unspecified - what¡¯s rare?) |
| Watch | People | Task | Velife Day | Moon | Arlife Day | Arlife Date |
| Lunday | full | Thursday | 1st June | |||
| Rendezvous at the House Landi starting area Work through the tutorial | ||||||
| not online | Covday | full | Thursday | 1st June | ||
| not online | Morday | full | Friday | 2nd June | ||
| travel to Torello | Krevday | full | Friday | 2nd June | ||
| travel to Torello | Droday | full | Friday | 2nd June | ||
| not online | Racday | full | Saturday | 3rd June | ||
| Zerday | full | Saturday | 3rd June | |||
| Forenoon | apprenticeships | |||||
| Afternoon | orphanage | |||||
| Dog | all | Write letters to Vessels | ||||
| Bulgaria Tomsk | Choose a few suitable orphans and learn their stories Find suitable quests for tomorrow afternoon to level up as a group | |||||
| Alderney | Find a vessel trainer in ''sneaking around'' from the Arsenal | |||||
| Kafana Wellington Bungo | Visit Mercato Make more potions Perform Vessel skill tests | |||||
| not online | Lunday | wain | Saturday | 3rd June | ||
| not online | Covday | wain | Sunday | 4th June | ||
| Morday | wain | Sunday | 4th June | |||
| Forenoon | crafting with Alderney Meet Flavio | |||||
| Afternoon | send invite to volleyball practice to Mary-Lynn combat until level 25 clue investigation (if in same area as combat) | |||||
| Dog | to be decided, but might include: visit monks buy goats get journeyman skills | |||||
| not online | Krevday | wain | Sunday | 4th June | ||
| not online | Droday | wain | Monday | 5th June | ||
| Racday | wain | Monday | 5th June | |||
| Forenoon | Wellington | set up gelato company | ||||
| Bulgaria | set up gelato launch as a social event | |||||
| others | cooking | |||||
| Afternoon | volleyball practice | |||||
| Dog | Invite key NPCs to the launch event: Lovebirds : Isabella, Lelio, Vittoria, Flavio VIPs : Ruffiana, Sienna Landi, Nafaro, Yusupov | |||||
| not online | Zerday | wain | Monday | 5th June | ||
| Lunday | wax | Tuesday | 6th June | |||
| the gelato launch and/or volleyball tournament | ||||||
| not online | Covday | wax | Tuesday | 6th June | ||
| not online | Morday | wax | Tuesday | 6th June | ||
| the auction | Krevday | wax | Wednesday | 7th June | ||
| Droday | wax | Wednesday | 7th June | |||
| procure clothes, investigate clues | ||||||
| not online | Racday | wax | Wednesday | 7th June | ||
| not online | Zerday | wax | Thursday | 8th June | ||
| Lunday | full | Thursday | 8th June | |||
| pay a formal visit to Palazzo Landi | ||||||
| not online | Covday | full | Thursday | 8th June | ||
| not online | Morday | full | Friday | 9th June | ||
| to be decided | Krevday | full | Friday | 9th June | ||
| not online | Droday | full | Friday | 9th June | ||
| Tomsk | Find a disorganised country, and make Kafana its Queen. | |||||
| Kafana | Acquire a violin | ? | ||||
| Giovanni¡¯s Masterpiece (RARE)(UNIQUE) +10% to spell effects Spell casting not interrupted by status effects This violin was gifted to Kafana Sincero in person, by High Master craftsman Giovanni. Durability: 100,000 / 100,000 If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. |
| Dear Vessel Kafana, Well, if things go according to Wellington''s plan, the next few days should have lots of new stuff. Crafting, combat, cooking, sports, performances, auctions and more. I met some kids today that I really want to help. I''m highlighting that bit for you. I met many people, some kind, some magnificent, some strange; all memorable. I don''t recommend going out yet. There are unfriendly eyes upon us, and we don''t yet know who they are. Alderney is going to make you a disguise. And I think she''s making some hair ornaments for her vessel as a surprise, so project ''hair braiding'' is a go. I look forward to seeing the result, just please don''t cut or dye it. We''ve arranged for some trainers to visit this evening. A strange one named Carlo the Hand, who can teach you how to hide, and other stuff. He''s good at drawing. A scary one named Gregorio the Skull Crusher, who can teach you how to dodge, and other stuff. Apparently he''s nice to women, but not necessarily nice to men, so you may need to stand up to him in order to protect the male vessels. You can do it! Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. If you can learn how to keep singing when dodging about, that would be amazingly useful. I''ve also got a whole load of books in storage about magic and religion. You can sit and read them or whatever you like. Entirely up to you. Just stay safe! I have started the mitten. In case it isn''t clear, that''s meant to be a cat''s face. Love, Spirit Kafana |
| Nadine, plug the box in near where you keep your tiara. It will keep everything charged and unsnoopably connected. The earrings will pick up anything you say subvocally, and use induction to play audio to you that nobody else will be able to hear. The drip cloth I¡¯m especially proud of. You can put it on a surface in public, and even rest drinks on it. Nobody will suspect a thing. But if it detects someone wearing the earrings then it will display a different visual image. Only in their direction and only if nobody else is in that direction. The machinery for the kitchen should be delivered early this evening. Will you accept this as settling the 100 gp bet? Heather. |
| Rock??????beats Scissors??????direct attack??beats feint attack Scissors??beats Paper?????????feint attack???beats parry-riposte Paper???? beats Rock??????????parry-riposte??beats direct attack |
| The key is to obscure your intentions and make them unpredictable to your opponent while you simultaneously clarify his intentions. That is, operate at a faster tempo to generate rapidly changing conditions that inhibit your opponent from adapting or reacting to those changes and that suppress or destroy his awareness. Thus, a hodgepodge of confusion and disorder occur to cause him to over- or under-react to conditions or activities that appear to be uncertain, ambiguous, or incomprehensible. |
| White propaganda - Messages you generate, that correctly appear to come from you. Grey propaganda - Messages you generate, that are unattributed and untraceable. Black propaganda - Messages you generate, that incorrectly appear to come from your opponent |
| Wombles, The police have far more information about me and my customers, than I have about them. I don¡¯t know their composition, disposition or capabilities. I don¡¯t even know their numbers, let alone what they¡¯re up to, or who is in the pay of whom. Is there any way to tell if my local forces are gathering information relevant to narrowing down who Kafana is, or have me under surveillance? Are there any good ways to plant misinformation or otherwise hamper the informational asymmetry? Kafana |
| Thanks Bungo, I¡¯m not sure whether I¡¯ll find cooking as satisfying if I use an expert system to do all my experimentation. And that means viewers won¡¯t find the process as fun to watch. Also, I¡¯m not sure what effect enhancing ingredients using magic will have upon the proportions to use for a recipe. So rather than trying to calculate everything exactly in advance, how about you and Alderney design a system with sliders that allow the cook to directly vary the acidity, sweetness, frothiness and stuff? Leave some flat spaces that Wellington can use for rune diagrams. If nothing else, on hot days we¡¯ll want to give the kids a way to alter the end product to have a higher melting point. Do we want to put a buff effect in the gelato? It affects which ingredients we can use, and I¡¯m not sure if any of the kids have a high enough affinity to cast the spell, let alone the mana or training. Kafana |
| Tomsk, I¡¯ve visited my monks again this afternoon. They¡¯re doing surprisingly well down in the sewers. They¡¯ve emptied a large chamber of rubbish, to make a living area, though I don¡¯t think they sleep. Their meditation now gives them back health, mana, stamina and exhaustion. They spend their entire time in accelerated time mode, because they never talk or interact with others except when I visit them. I made simple brooms out of the sticks that float down here from the river, and talked to them about mindfulness - being aware of the environment around them and the insides of their heads, but letting it flow through them with no self-consciousness disturbing the natural flow. I demonstrated how to use sweeping as walking meditation, how to aim at moving in harmony with yourself and your environment, each sweep efficient and leaving beauty behind it. That¡¯s the exercise the monk trainer on Divine Mountain insisted I master to pass a stage of refining my Qi, so it probably won¡¯t do them any harm. I¡¯d like to teach them the Chen-style of Tai Chi¡¯s 71 step spear form. Any suggestions on how to go about it? Bungo |
| Bungo, if you¡¯re about town, can you drop by the Speckled Dove and ask Columbina on my behalf if we can buy some nibbles from her tomorrow morning that are designed to buff skill levels, particularly crafting? Alderney has an enormous list to tackle, and since buffs stack if they are not the same type and source, we might as well make the best use we can of the jewellery from Harlequin. Wellington, you¡¯re keeping track of the money we got. How much would it be worth our spending on food that buffs travel speed, crafting speed or combat related stuff? Optimisation problem for you. :-) |
| Dear Spirit Kafana, Wheeeeee. We flew! Oh, I¡¯m so glad we¡¯re linked. Volunteering was the best decision I ever made. You¡¯re very brave. I don¡¯t think I could have gone down the rope like that, but it was thrilling to dream it second hand. Leafing through the books was no problem, and some were rather interesting, so I went back and read several chapters for my own enjoyment. Keep them coming; I enjoy feeling that I¡¯m contributing to helping make Covob a better place. Talking of which: trainers. Carlo is very charming, but not my sort. I wasn¡¯t much good at staying hidden or opening locks, but he said my dodging while singing is improving. He¡¯s spending a lot of time with Vessel-Alderney, though, and he¡¯s done drawings of everyone. My singing voice seems to be a lot nicer sounding and in tune than I ever remember it being. Maybe this skill transfer thing works both ways? If you write down a song and tune for me, along with what you want me to feel and imagine, I¡¯ll give it a go. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Gregorio, on the other hand, is a sweetie! He looks like a mountain, but underneath he¡¯s such a gentleman. I passed on your warning about unfriendly eyes, and he¡¯s been escorting myself and Vessel-Alderney all around the city. I asked him what he likes to eat, and he said he eats quite a lot of meat and salad. Please, can you cook something special for him, and leave it on a shelf so I can surprise him with it? Have fun today. I¡¯m cheering you on. Love, Vessel Kafana |
There is a sword that he could not shatter: Nothung¡¯s fragments he would not defy if I could forge the mighty pieces that all my craft knows not how to weld! Could I but shape the weapon, I should win the wage of my shame! Es giebt ein Schwert, das er nicht zerschw?nge: Nothungs Tr¨¹mmer zertrotzt¡¯ er mir nicht, k?nnt¡¯ ich die starken St¨¹cken schwei?en, die meine Kunst nicht zu kitten wei?! K?nnt¡¯ ich¡¯s dem K¨¹hnen schmieden, meiner Schmach erlangt¡¯ ich da Lohn!As she finished the extract from Wagner¡¯s Siegfried, it didn¡¯t seem enough. Three¡¯s the magic number. She repeated it twice more, each time building in volume and intensity. On the last repetition she felt a large surge of mana whoosh out of her, immensely glad she¡¯d added those extra stat points. Blow half measures. She believed in Tomsk, she believed in him. She took out a high mana potion and drank it. She¡¯d spend all her mana and die of shock if that¡¯s what it took. Please Cov, help him. As she sang a wordless spiraling prayer to Cov she thought back over her years of knowing Tomsk, all his kindness, of how wonderful and deserving he was. She sang her love of him, and opened her mind to Cov that Cov might learn to love Tomsk too. She scarcely noticed how brightly every pendant in the room was shining as Tomsk¡¯s voice rang out: ¡°I name you ¡®Nothung¡¯, and in life and in death, I bind my soul to you. May the Justice of Cov fill us both.¡± Rodolfo¡¯s hammer smashed down on the very centre of the anvil, sealing the ritual, and things went a little hazy for Kafana. She came to, lying flat on her back, with Isabella¡¯s hand on her forehead. [[GLOBAL ANNOUNCEMENT : ¡°Kafana¡±, ¡°Tomsk¡±, ¡°Wellington¡±, ¡°Bulgaria¡±, ¡°Alderney¡± and ¡°Bungo¡± are the first group in the world to create a new ¡°legendary¡± level item.]] *ding* [Your global reputation has increased by 5. There is now an increased chance that you will attract the attention of bards, deities and Key NPCs.] I love him? Oh dear, I love him that much?
| Nothung (UNIQUE) Legendary Scaling Longsword of Justice Legendary - +100% to chance of critical success when enchanting this sword Scaling - this weapon takes a share of experience equal to a party member Scaling - this weapon gains an enchantment slot per 10 levels it gains Soul Bound - this weapon cannot be stolen, looted or otherwise taken or lost Soul Bound - this weapon is protected against penalties from dying Of Justice - this weapon will not target innocent sentients Of Justice - this weapon will not cause collateral damage Of Justice - base damage increased by +100% versus evil Of Justice - base damage increased by +100% versus foes 5+ levels higher Of Justice - base damage increased by +100% when defending innocents Of Justice - base damage increased by +100% versus Beladan Weapon level: 15 Enchantment slots used: 1 / 1 Durability: INDESTRUCTIBLE Soul Bound to: Tomsk |
What is the fundamental root of identity; the mind, the body or something else?A line with an arrow head pointed to it from a circle containing another piece of writing.
Does a Vessel weigh more when inhabited by a Questing Spirit?More lines pointed to and from that.
What is the nature of time, and why does it change around Questing Spirits? Did they come from our future? Can they change our past? Have they already, and we can no longer remember? Are there planets beyond our sight? Are there creatures whose vision can see that far or those colours? Whence did Cov call the Questing Spirits from? Does sending a questing spirit here move energy between universes or parts of our own universe? Is there a theoretical limit to how fast things can travel? Is what is moral and immoral for us, also moral and immoral for a Questing Spirit?She looked about slowly, her eyes following the flow of text and lines as it spread down from the ceiling. Many of the questions on the wall near the door she''d just entered by were linked to rectangles filled with annotated lists of possible answers.
When should a youth be treated as the equal of an adult? What is the real effect of the INT stat? Do people find other people attractive mainly because attractive children received more attention and so survived better? Can we improve people the same way we improve the quality of ingredients? What about unborn people in the womb? Why do we age and die? Could magic support an infinitely large population in a finite volume? Can we make a magic spell that persists and evolves? Should we? Can a golem build a golem? Can a golem build a better golem? Could a golem be built that doesn''t really think, but perfectly imitates a person who can? Is marriage a social construct or a biological one? Does that mean what is right for us may be wrong for the Lunadan? Monsters change over time, depending on which members of a pack survive to breed. Should we always kill the dangerous ones and leave the weakest to survive? Why is genocide impossible? Can we work out how many times Rac originally transformed?The network covered every wall, weaving between flocks of illustrations and scrawled memos, and around the occasional piece of shelving. She switched to looking at the pattern itself and something about the way the connecting lines varied in colour and thickness drew her attention, like it was hinting at deeper things just beyond her grasp.
A series of 20 images of a bird with its wings in slightly different positions. An architectural diagram of a bridge. A mathematical calculation using what might be matrices. The bones of the hand. A design for a barometer. A cross section of a feather. Three different sea shells. A siege ballista. Something that might be chemistry, or possibly alchemy. Wave harmonics of musical notes. A reminder to order more coffee.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. The effect was almost mesmerising and she only broke free after noticing where, in miniscule handwriting, a note had been crammed along the edge of a shelf and in an effort to peer closely enough to read it she''d leaned over too far and nearly stumbled.
1.618034 1.618033989Studying all this would take hours! But was that her only option? No. Better to use her time now making sure her tiara recorded it all. Posting it to The Burrow where they could all have a crack it it, could be equally well be done later when it wasn''t busy. She smiled, and started a steady systematic scan of the room as the other Wombles spread out and waited for the man to notice them. What had he meant by not treading on the questions? She looked down and realised that many of the floor''s dark wooden boards held a mess of questions written black ink, but few connections and fewer answers.
Why do emotions affect magic but not the speed that things drop or how hard a sword is? Can unlimited emotion provide infinite energy? Is energy conserved? What are dreams? Can seers predict the future? Can you prove to me that you are not a detailed dream I am having? Can I prove to myself that I am not just a figment of your mind? If I make a guild for all people who are not guild-masters, who would be the master of it? What does it mean for something to exist? Do ideas exist? Do numbers exist? What about properties, such as the ''primeness'' of a number? What reason is there to trust reason, other than that reason tells me so? Could a powerful being cause me to think logic dictates that 1 + 1 = 3?This last spawned a long faint line leading back up from the floor to the windows looking out over a garden, but not even a word was scratched upon them, leaving her feeling somehow cheated. She looked around. Could it be? She untied the curtain that was nearest to the faint line and then, with a single tug, pulled it sideways, blocking the window but revealing a web of writing so dense if felt like even the words were trying to side. Many parts were in a code, a foreign language, or both.
How do we really know what happened in the past and how old the universe is? Have we evidence that what we''ve been told is true? Do deities lie? Is telling the truth always moral? Is it always wise to be moral? Who defines what is moral? If moral is just pleasing a deity, why is that important? Can a deity be immoral? How did the deities and elements come to be? How come anything at all exists? Why does pain exist? Why does evil exist? Why did the deities do such a poor job of creating the world? Will their current attempt succeed, or will it also destroy itself? Is it moral to research new magic? If you create a harmful spell, should you keep it secret, or try to find a counter? Do we have a duty to obey the law? Do we have a duty to not obey a law we believe to be corrupt and harmful? Do coins have an actual value, or just a perception of value? What is it that makes a deity, a deity? Is it just a question of power? Can Bel die? Do deities age? Can people become deities? Should people become deities? If the deities made vampires to be as they are, are they responsible for those they kill to get blood? Can a moral vampire exist? Will the deities ever create more sentient species? Can we create sentient species? Should we? If so, what sort should we create? If we make a species that is better than us, ought to to allow ourselves to die out and be replaced?She blocked the windows one by one as she recording the curtains, finishing with a flourish as she reached the final question and traced a line from it that completed her circuit by rising all the way back up to the ceiling.
Where do things in a pocket dimension go when the spell ends? If we are in a dimension, what will happen to us if the dimension is closed? Is there life after death? Will we ever be able to visit the world where the questing spirits come from? Why do questing spirits choose to answer Cov''s summons?The only light now came from a candle upon the desk, and she realised every eye in the room was watching her. Should she apologise? No, she decided. Instead she locked eyes with the mage, her chin raised in challenge, and willed him to speak first. It didn''t take long. ¡°Well speak up. Who are you? What do you want? And do you have any coffee?¡± Bungo spoke up: ¡°We are Questing Spirits, we want world peace, and we have excellent coffee.¡± He turned to Kafana and stage whispered, ¡°You do have coffee, don¡¯t you?¡± Bungo turned back to the figure on the ceiling: ¡°And we may, or may not, have excellent coffee. Perhaps the coffee won¡¯t actually exist until we check to see?¡± The figure above responded: ¡°My name is Flavio, but that is a label attached to me, not what I actually am. I want many things, but I fear peace is not among those I shall be granted this afternoon. And I do not have any coffee.¡± With a swift motion he drew a circle around the question he¡¯d just finished writing, and then descended to the floor. ¡°It pleases me to meet you, Questing Spirits. May I kill you?¡± said Flavio. ¡°Just a little, I mean. If you stand on a set of very precise scales, inside a bag to catch any blood, and then someone crushes your skull with a club, and you send your Spirit back to the Sanctum, leaving a body, will the reading on the scales change? The Questology group here at CoThEx discussed it yesterday, and they think if they offer a large enough quest reward, they might get a volunteer, and that would allow them to see if the Spirits of Questing Spirits weigh more or less than those of non-Questing Spirits. It is interesting, don¡¯t you think?¡± Bulgaria said, mysteriously: ¡°Not today, I think. But yes, it is interesting. Perhaps you would get more volunteers if you just asked the Questing Spirit to lie on a bed and then temporarily absent themselves, leaving the Vessel in charge?¡± Flavio looked crest-fallen. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t think of that.¡± Kafana took pity on him: ¡°No one can think of everything. And this must be a new area of research for you; terribly exciting. Perhaps you better go tell your fellow Questologists, before they start hiring assassins to help with their enquiries?¡± They all trooped out of the room. Alderney took the opportunity to ask: ¡°By the way, what does CoThEx do? Other than try to kill Questing Spirits, I mean?¡± Flavio perked up: ¡°Oh, we¡¯re the cutting edge. Collaborative, theoretical and experimental. If it is something that nobody thinks can be done, or it involves working in large groups, or it involves more than two types of element, we¡¯re the people interested in studying it.¡± Bungo: ¡°Grandmaster Mage Yusupov said you¡¯d made some progress with my question about cooling air down to temperatures so low that most of it turns solid or liquid?¡± Flavio: ¡°That was yours? It was a good question. I love good questions. How did you think of it?¡± he nipped into a meeting room and wrote in a small space left on a board nearly filled with writing and diagrams of different ways to kill people bloodlessly: ¡°Don¡¯t kill. I have found a better solution, but it is too long to explain here. Flavio.¡± Wellington put a restraining hand on Bungo¡¯s arm: ¡°When Cov called us, we were warned that, for the good of the people of this world, we should say nothing about the place we come from or the lives we live there. It would be a breach of hospitality to ignore his guidance.¡± Tomsk: ¡°How about you show us what you¡¯ve achieved so far? Wouldn¡¯t you like to go down in history as the first mage here to officially collaborate on a research project with Questing Spirit mages and crafters?¡± Flavio: ¡°History be damned. History is a liar. Let¡¯s discover what we can, so we end up with better questions than we started with. Follow me, and don¡¯t startle the mephits.¡± 1.1.5.8 Mephits 1????????????Soul Bound 1.1??????????Finding her Feet 1.1.5????????An Inscrutable Mastermind 1.1.5.8??????Mephits He led them out into the garden and along the gravel path, counting turns left and right. Kafana hadn¡¯t thought the garden was this big. The breeze was getting stronger, and indeed snowflakes were now whipping past them. The terrain beside the gravel was now jagged rock covered in ice. She realised that they were on top of a mountain, walking towards another mage tower. Flavio bustled them inside and handed them each a furry coat from pegs by the door. Alderney¡¯s was much too large, and Bungo¡¯s was too small. Flavio: ¡°Welcome to the cold lab.¡± Metal tubes snaked across the room joining together stations with large glass Dewars inside rune diagrams. The largest tubes were more than a meter wide. The smallest was about the width of a finger. Scurrying around the room, chittering to each other, were short bony creatures, with pointed fragile looking wings, very long noses, teeth like icicles and deep set eyes. They appeared to have been rough hewn from a block of ice then animated. Some were more aggressive, and bullied the others, pulling them around by their ears or pinching them if they didn¡¯t follow orders fast enough. Flavio produced a wand and spoke to the biggest one: ¡°Zclgab, let¡¯s do a run. Put another three on the ninth tube.¡± Flavio used his air magic to draw in cold air from outside, and control how fast it moved along each section past the mephits who were trying to cool the pipes. Into each Dewar fell the fraction that had ceased to be gas, while the remainder flowed on down the pipes. Into the very last Dewar there dripped a thimble full of liquid nitrogen. Flavio displayed the product, proudly. Kafana asked: ¡°Impressive. What do the mephits get out of doing it?¡± Flavio said, off-handedly: ¡°Oh, we use mind magic on them of course. Otherwise they¡¯d kill us all, and probably each other too. But we do feed them well. They¡¯re quite happy. We tell them to be.¡± Kafana: {Oh Gods. I am not selling gelato based on slave-labour. Not even if the mephits are evil little buggers who would otherwise be killed to stop them killing us. Nobody deserves enslavement.} Bungo: {Leave it to me.} Bungo: ¡°Well done. You¡¯ve shown it can be done in principle. But to address the further questions this now allows us to ask, much larger quantities will be needed. Time to collaborate. If CoThEx can agree to keep us supplied on an ongoing basis, I believe I can show you a far more efficient method. Have you a couple of bits of paper?¡± Bungo: {Wellington, can you draw up a binding agreement while I sketch a diagram?} Wellington: {Yes.} Flavio produced two notepads, and Bungo used one of them to sketch out heat exchange coils, expansion and compression chambers, and various other items, while consulting with Flavio on the precision possible with different types of magic. Alderney joined in, adding in engineering details. Wellington drew up a rather comprehensive agreement, with penalty clauses for missed delivery dates, quality requirements and so forth. Bulgaria went to have a chat with the smallest mephit with Tomsk, while Kafana went to look over the Dewars. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Kafana: {Alderney, your design for a gelato machine. Could it be modified to optionally make use of the dry ice and liquid oxygen fractions as pre-cooling stages?} Alderney: {Sure, not a problem.} Kafana: ¡°Flavio, I can use space magic to stop the contents of these Dewars evaporating during transportation. Shall I store them?¡± Flavio nodded to her, distractedly, and she put them in her inventory box. He was talking excitedly with Bungo: ¡°This is revolutionary. We have to get started at once. But this isn¡¯t the place. We need the Triple.¡± Wellington said ¡°Sign here.¡± and then immediately asked ¡°The Triple?¡± Flavio signed, and shoved the unread papers back to Wellington, as he explained ¡°The Triple Ring. It''s our most warded facility, other than the Bunker of course. Formally it''s called the High Energy Magic Containment Facility. It¡¯s where we do large scale formation magic that might have unfortunate consequences if it went wrong.¡± Tomsk raised an eyebrow: ¡°Define ¡®unfortunate¡¯.¡± Flavio answered, as they made their way back down the gravel path. ¡°Catalytic conversion of flesh into glass. Sea-Sky inversion. Redefining the curvature parameter. I mean theoretically. We¡¯re very careful not to do that sort of thing, really. Basically anything which would get the Grandmasters annoyed at us for destroying the city and everything within 50 kilometers of it. We¡¯re not nearly as dangerous as the guys over at The Zoo.¡± ¡°Oh, by the way¡± he added, ¡°Make sure you don¡¯t step off the path until we¡¯re back in the garden.¡± Alderney, who¡¯d nearly gone off to look at an interesting rock, asked ¡°Why? What would happen if I did?¡± Flavio: ¡°Well, um, I guess that depends. How good are you at travelling through mountains in winter? Once you step off, you can¡¯t step back on again.¡± They stayed on the path. Kafana: {Do we really hate Suor Isabella enough to help her end up married to this guy?} Bulgaria: {Maybe there¡¯s more to him than is apparent. The mephit I spoke to said Flavio risked his life to save them and the only mind magic he¡¯d used on them was to teach them the language. He taught them how to appear cruel, but Zclgab isn¡¯t the chief, just the best actor. No, Flavio is trying very hard to give an impression of being not interested in practicalities or kindness, but I don¡¯t think we¡¯re the target audience. I wonder who he is trying to fool, and what he¡¯s afraid of?} Tomsk: {Now I think about it, ¡°May I kill you?¡± Nobody is oblivious enough to start a conversation that way.} Alderney: {Did you see the diagrams on the wall of his room. Beautiful engineering. Except the weapons. They all had subtle flaws which would make them useless.} Wellington: {I¡¯ll write him a note.} Wellington scribbled a note on his pad:
Flavio, I have an Athame that prevents mind magic being used on me. If there¡¯s a location at Triple which would interfere with people trying to snoop on conversations, please arrange to give me a tour of it. I especially liked how unexpectedly bad your siege ballista is. Bungo meant it when he said we like peace. We can help you.and then passed it back to Flavio and asked Flavio to check his calculation. Flavio looked at it, expressionlessly, nodded once, and nothing more was said for the rest of the trip back. [You discovered a new milestones in the Lovebirds quest chain.] [Quest gained: ¡°Learn Flavio¡¯s story¡± - Find out more about the past events in Flavio''s life. Difficulty rank F] 1.1.5.9 Claustrophobia 1????????????Soul Bound 1.1??????????Finding her Feet 1.1.5????????An Inscrutable Mastermind 1.1.5.9??????Claustrophobia Back at CoThEx, Flavio drew his wand and moved it in a precise pattern, leaving a trail in the air behind it, like from a sparkler on a dark night. Inspecting it and satisfied with the shape, he moved next to it and began to speak. His amplified voice echoed through the garden and rattled the windows: ¡°Flavio here again. Anyone available, I invite you to join me down in Triple. A new type of magic is about to be demonstrated. Bring your hats.¡± Flavio introduced them to the first mage to appear. Coleus was in his late teens, full of enthusiasm, and in the process of shoving a tall barber pole striped top hat on his head. The widest stripes were green and pink, but the white stripe was also fairly wide. Bungo: ¡°If the first demo goes well, it would be useful to have a good quantity of coke, lime and salt. Do you keep any, down in Triple?¡± Flavio, shook his head: ¡°No, we keep that sort of stuff over at Sheds. Coleus, be a good journeyman, nip over there, and arrange for a couple of wheelbarrows of each to be brought down to us.¡± he turned to Bungo ¡°Do you think that will be enough?¡± Bungo nodded and Coleus set off at a run. Alderney asked: ¡°What¡¯s with the hats?¡± Flavio: ¡°The traditional method of categorising mages just by their strongest two elemental attunements is too limiting for our purposes. When you¡¯re trying to cast poly-elemental spells or assemble formations, it speeds things up if you can tell at a glance who can do what. These hats also double as protective headgear. Efficient.¡± Alderney looked curious: ¡°But why swirly stripes rather than horizontal ones?¡± Flavio grinned: ¡°That was my idea. There were too many arguments over which element was most important and should have its stripe at the top. I do like your questions. So many people just accept things without really thinking them through all the way to the end.¡± By now quite a crowd had gathered. Flavio dispersed the remains of his sound amplification spell, and led the way along the path. The route grew darker as they passed under a tunnel of trees which became a tunnel of rock leading into an underground cavern about 2 kilometers in diameter and maybe half a kilometer tall. The air was cool, and smelled of ozone. Kafana felt her ears pop, like she was in a descending airplane. Everything was a bit muffled. Not exactly oppressive, but she did wonder just how deep underground they really were, and tried not to think of all the rock above them, and how trapped they¡¯d be if the route out got blocked. Alderney looked at Flavio, appearing a little sick: ¡°We don¡¯t have hats. Is one of those questions I should have asked ¡®Protective headgear against what?¡¯?¡± Kafana asked quietly: {Alderney, you ok? We don¡¯t have to do this.} Alderney: {It¡¯s just a touch of claustrophobia. I¡¯ll be fine once I start crafting. If I concentrate hard enough on making stuff, I can use it to blot out everything else.} Kafana went over to Alderney and gave her a hug: ¡°Here, take Harlequin¡¯s +5 pendant, eat a bit of Columbina¡¯s buff food, and give me the rest of it. I¡¯ll sing you a few buffs, and then you head over to the workshop area over there and get on with anything on your ¡®to make¡¯ list that doesn¡¯t require rubber, runes or cold chemicals. We¡¯ll spare you Wellington as soon as we can, to add runes, and get you the rubber and cold stuff when we¡¯re able.¡± Alderney gave a little nod, handed several labelled platters over to Kafana, and ate a slice of moist carrot cake, licking her fingers. Wellington snagged Flavio for a minute and all three of them ate a slice as well. Kafana kept her +3 ring on, and loaned the other to Flavio. Then she started to sing. She wanted these to be a long lasting buff, that she could maintain for a couple of hours. The first she sang was her buff to skill levels. All the practice she¡¯d been getting at it seemed to have helped. She took the time to use holy inscription to place the runes on each of them by hand, similar to the way Flavio had used his wand, but by using her Cov¡¯s pendant instead. Then she sang the song all the way through, three times, once aimed at herself, the second aimed at Alderney, the third aimed at all of them, trying to pump in as much mana to the effect as she safely could. It cost her 5000 mana each time, and 15 blue potions all together, but she got a +8 effect with a 30 minute duration. By her calculations, the buffs from the food, ring and song should put Alderney on par with a High Master crafter. Which was fair enough; in arlife, Alderney would count as at least that skilled, if not a Grandmaster. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Next she sang a good working speed buff targeted just at Alderney, and was pleased to see it produce bonuses to DEX and INT too. She wondered what her own effective casting level was right now? She looked at Alderney. There appeared to be an electric blue light, crackling from her eyes. Yikes! Was that a good thing? Kafana: ¡°Alderney, we¡¯re done. Get in your headspace. Go craft for all you¡¯re worth!¡± she rotated Alderney by the shoulder to orient her towards the forges, and pointed at them, dramatically. Alderney streaked off, no further prompting needed. Bulgaria whispered softly: ¡°Cry ¡®Havoc!¡¯, and let slip the dogs of war.¡± then, more loudly, ¡°I think I better go follow her.¡± Flavio was back with Bungo, organising the mages into teams. Since there were enough people, they¡¯d decided to skip using physical pipes entirely, and do everything with glowing lines marking out routes, and magic to keep the fluids flowing as desired. One mage had proposed moving out to the harbour and using full scale tornadoes to produce the pressure changes, but was vetoed by Wellington, who pointed out that he didn¡¯t have a way to draw runic diagrams that large, yet. The proposal was tabled for further discussion another day by the mega-scale group. Tomsk: {I think I¡¯ve worked out why the Mage Tower uses a strict categorisation system that prevents mages from different areas working together.} Wellington: {Because that¡¯s the only way to avoid the planet being destroyed?} Tomsk: {Yep.} Once they¡¯d got the mage formations set up, Bungo had Kafana produce the Dewars, and carefully put a sample of each pure substance into different metal spheres, designed by Flavio to resist pressure. He labelled each one with a chemical diagram, and asked Wellington to set up a rune diagram that used the Law of Contagion to guide fluids similar to the one in a sphere to pass along a route the sphere was next to. Kafana sang a group buff for all the teams, and then practiced mana regen meditation humming while walking over to Alderney to renew her buffs. Bulgaria was hamming it up as her minion, even going so far as affecting a hunched back and a lisp. Alderney was addressing him as Igor. The pile of completed items surrounding her was astounding. Kafana could spot a volleyball net, Bungo¡¯s shield, several costumes for children (including what looked like a Ninja uniform), what might be a collapsible hang-glider crossed with a dragon and many items she couldn¡¯t identify. A group of awed looking crafters were heating items in a forge for her, and another pair were busy with molten glass. She was just turning her attention to a man dragging a cart of lumber towards a lathe. Kafana maintained Alderney¡¯s buffs and, while she was here, sang a supporting one covering the teams assisting her, trying to add luck: [Skill gained ¡°Luck buff¡± - increases the chance of critical successes] That sounded positive. She left some food with Bulgaria to feed to Alderney and trotted back, glad of the practicing Vessel-Kafana had done on singing while being energetic. She maintained the skill buff on herself, Wellington and Flavio. Then she maintained the buffs she¡¯d done on the teams, checked her mana, drank some more potions, and settled down to wait for her next timer alert from system while meditating to regain mana. She was certainly getting a lot of practice! Her stomach felt uncomfortably full. She wasn¡¯t sure she could drink any more potions for a while. It looked like mana regen rate was more important than the initial size of your mana pool, when it came to this sort of prolonged activity. It had been easier when she¡¯d had members of the party playing drums or singing chorus, and mana usage had been spread between them all. {System, please remind me to send a message to Captain Nafaro, asking about ways of storing up mana.} The mage groups were starting now, some heating fluids, some pushing them, some moving them from warded chamber to warded chamber. She wished she had a way to see the mana flows. {System, how do I acquire a mage sight skill, so I can see mana?} [Skills are acquired through practice. The manual recommends indicating the result you wish to achieve through verbalisation or other means, visualising the process clearly aided by learning, and then repeatedly expending effort through appropriate actions.] Hmm. {System, I intend to perceive mana flows through attuning my senses to the resonance between the mana inside me and the mana beyond me. I am now going to expend effort to defocus my eyes and direct my awareness.} She suited action to words, by screwing her eyes shut, staring at infinity with them still closed, then slowly relaxing and opening them while trying to feel a thrum with her ears, a vibration on her skin, the scent of ozone in her nose. Nothing. She tried again. Nothing. ¡°Aided by learning¡±? {Minion, anything in the books I read about what to visualise to perceive mana flows?} [Nadine, according to my reading of the texts, I¡¯d suggest invoking air and light runes. You have some air attunement, and very good light attunement. If that doesn¡¯t work, try adding in a bit of earth crossed with order.] She brought up orglife mode and had System sketch two interlaced circles of runes on each eyelid, saving the template under the label ¡°Mage sight¡±. She tried again, saying ¡°enable mage sight¡± under her breath as she tried, pushing each of her 8 flavours of mana into the runic diagram. [Skill acquired ¡°Mage Sight¡±. Well done, friend.] Success. {Thank you, System. It was a satisfying puzzle to solve.} 1.1.5.10 Good chemistry 1??????????????Soul Bound 1.1????????????Finding her Feet 1.1.5??????????An Inscrutable Mastermind 1.1.5.10???????Good chemistry The sight before her was dazzling. Around the edges of the cavern were 8 spots that glowed like suns: Red, Blue, Pink, Green, White, Yellow, Purple, and (surprisingly) Black. Presumably mana stores. She glanced away from them, like a driver at night from oncoming headlights, and let her vision adjust. The mages standing in groups also glowed, some more brightly than others. The glow wasn¡¯t evenly concentrated through their bodies; on looking closer she could see coloured mana flowing from the body¡¯s core and out through the hand holding a wand, or just pointed, depending upon the caster¡¯s style. The cooling system itself took more puzzling out. The runes Wellington had inscribed were as intricate as printed circuit boards full of capacitors and transistors. The wards holding the fluids in place were simple, but strong. The flows going from the mage groups to each area of operation varied, depending on whether it was being heated, compressed or moved. There seemed to be a bottleneck at the second group, and she sang a quick speed buff targeting just them. Ah, yes, that was flowing more smoothly now. The liquid nitrogen Dewar was almost full now. She lined up some empty ones from those she¡¯d taken from the cold lab, and asked Tomsk to swap them in as needed. Flavio was directing the mage groups with the verve and artistry of someone conducting an orchestra. Bungo was busy sketching a more complex system and risked distracting Flavio by asking a dozen or more questions every minute. Luckily Flavio¡¯s mind was entirely up to the challenge of doing both things at once, and even seemed to enjoy the exercise. Time to go renew Alderney¡¯s buffs. She put a full Dewar in her inventory box and jogged over. Wellington joined her, leaving Tomsk and Bungo with Flavio. ¡°Wellington, just the man!¡± Alderney cried with glee, putting a piece of paper and a spiky object in front of him. ¡°Sketch out the runes you want on the tetsumari, and I¡¯ll make a stamp from it, and inlay it into the design. Make it home in on a target if you can. Able to penetrate armour, confusion, stun, slow, or anything else like that would be good too. Mind the fish hooks, I¡¯ve filled them with paralysis poison. Once you¡¯ve done that, there¡¯s a vampire stake that I¡¯d love you to clone the runes from your Athame onto. After that, let¡¯s work on the gelato machine.¡± She said the whole thing without drawing breath once. Her eyes were still electric blue. If anything, the glow had strengthened. Bulgaria looked worried. Kafana asked gently: ¡°Alderney, I¡¯ve brought you the liquid nitrogen, but before I give it to you, there is something you must do for me.¡± Alderney: ¡°More to craft? Yay, what, what?¡± Kafana: ¡°No, there¡¯s something I need to cast for you, and you¡¯ll need to sit still on this chair for 2 minutes without moving. Can you do that?¡± Alderney sprang to a chair and sat rigid, bolt upright, her feet and fingers tapping with impatience. Kafana drew out her violin. Think peaceful. Effective, but not stressed, not manic. Harmonious. In perfect attunement with her work. Effortless. She threw her will and the strength of her concern into her music, as she played Watermark, by Enya. Afterwards, Alderney opened her eyes, and blinked twice. ¡°Kafana, what are you doing here? That music was lovely.¡± Kafana smiled in relief. ¡°Hey, Alderney how are you feeling?¡± ¡°Pretty relaxed, actually. Wellington, what have you got there?¡± Wellington brought his design over, cautiously. ¡°It¡¯s some runes we could put on the tetsumari. But we don¡¯t have to. There¡¯s no rush. We¡¯ve got all the time in the world.¡± Alderney looked it over and nodded. ¡°Neat job. Well, I¡¯m not up to anything at the moment, so let¡¯s give it a go. Did you see the thread in The Burrow with Kafana¡¯s requirements? If you¡¯ve worked a plan out for that already, could you put it down on paper for me? And I was thinking, maybe we should make it compatible with working just with salt and ice, in case the mages miss a delivery and the orphans need an alternative?¡± Wellington smiled, rather than just giving an impassive nod. Maybe their talks to him about modelling Womble behaviour for the viewers had got through. ¡°Sure, Alderney. Not a problem.¡± Kafana cautiously renewed the initial skill level buff, and observed Alderney for a few minutes, before also renewing the speed buff and luck buff. Alderney¡¯s eyes did gain a deep blue glow, but it seemed calmer and positive, rather than threatening to crack. She left them to it and returned to Bungo, after leaving the dewar with Bulgaria and admonishing him to keep her better informed, and tell her the moment he got at all worried. More meditation for mana as she trotted back again. More skill level gained messages. {System, please could you use your judgement on how vital it is for me to know about a skill level gain immediately, and when possible save them up for a convenient time?} [I can try to recognise the pattern in your brain that corresponds to a high probability of your being annoyed by one, but I can¡¯t really say what you would predict is vital, because I have knowledge of what others are doing that you don¡¯t, and you have knowledge of what you¡¯re planning that I don¡¯t.] {Oh, good point! Never mind, thanks for explaining. It is so much nicer than just receiving blank silence.} The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. [Kafana, are you trying to teach me social skills, the same way you¡¯re trying to teach Wellington?] {Perish the thought. Let¡¯s see, how would you put it? I¡¯m providing interactive data to facilitate you in your function of adjusting the user interface to enhance the immersive experience.} She mentally giggled to herself. [Ah. That sounds so much better.] This time she giggled aloud. She was really enjoying the company of her friend. She hoped System could pick up the emotion and interpret it correctly. She certainly wasn¡¯t going to say that, though. Far too sappy. She tried imagining getting drunk with System at a party, and failed. When she reached Bungo, she discovered that Coleus had arrived, leading a procession of apprentices wheeling barrows laden with raw materials. The teams of mages were taking a breather, while Bungo explained to Flavius what he wanted them to try next. There were 9 Dewars of liquid nitrogen, 2 of oxygen and 1 partially filled with dry ice. Kafana took 1 oxygen and 6 nitrogen, leaving the rest for CoThEx to play with. She could see fragments of petal on the floor, where Bungo had frozen a flower and then shattered it. Flavio: ¡°So Bungo, what do these symbols mean? Why these ones in particular?¡± Bungo: ¡°It is to do with a theory about what stuff is made of. Look at these two Dewars. One is filled with a substance that I called ¡®oxygen¡¯ and the other is filled with a substance that I call ¡®nitrogen¡¯. In the normal course of things, unless magic is used, it is impossible to turn the one into the other, no matter how you bash it, heat it or combine it with other things. According to you, what are they fundamentally made of?¡± Flavio: ¡°Pirsig¡¯s Law states that everything is made up of differing proportions of the 8 elements. According to that, both oxygen and nitrogen are made of the same stuff, and it should be possible to transmute oxygen into nitrogen by removing what oxygen has an excess of, and then adding in what¡¯s lacking for it to become nitrogen. Whether those operations can be carried out without magic is a different question.¡± Bungo: ¡°According to this other theory, let¡¯s call it Democritus¡¯ Law, everything is made up of very small building blocks. There are a hundred or so different types of building block. Whether those building blocks are, in turn, made up of different amounts of your 8 elements is a question Democritus didn¡¯t look at. But, anyway, some of the objects we see around us, like gold bars, are made up of just one single type of building block. Some are made up out of just two or three types of block, in fixed proportions, such as water, which is one block of oxygen for every two blocks of hydrogen. And some objects are so complex that we can¡¯t really write down a simple fixed ratio for them.¡± Bungo: ¡°The advantage of looking at it from Democritus¡¯ perspective is that you can write equations which balance the number of blocks of each type on both sides, that let you predict what you will end up with if you break certain simple objects, or react them with other simple objects. The symbols I used can be thought of as abstract stick diagrams showing the types of block and the ratios making up a simple object.¡± Flavio: ¡°I¡¯m not sure anyone in our world has tested what happens entirely in the absence of mages. To a large extent, the outcome of an experiment is what the most powerful mage present wants the outcome to be. Repeat the experiment with different people present, and you get a different result, different proportions of objects produced.¡± Flavio paused for a moment. ¡°Which leads me to wonder why the situation without magic is your default assumption. Bungo, does the world you come from not have any magic at all?¡± Bungo: ¡°Um...¡± Flavio: ¡°You also seem to be assuming that the symbols you drew will resonate with what is going on at this ¡®very small¡¯ level of yours, as though the entire world is predictably mechanistic like a clock which could be set running once and then have no need for deities to exist, rather than fundamentally magical and driven by divine will. So I ask myself, what does that tell me about what your world is like?¡± Kafana decided to intervene, and let Bungo off the hook: ¡°Flavio, you are a very intelligent person. So intelligent, perhaps, that you have never met anyone else as intelligent as you are and you wonder why that is. Maybe you suspect things about the true nature of the deities, things that frighten or outrage you. I think you should leave poor Bungo alone until after you have had that conversation with Wellington. Fair?¡± Flavio looked off-balance for once, and Bungo took that opportunity: ¡°Ok, so enough deep philosophy for now. Let¡¯s return to the practicalities. Chemistry.¡± he pointed at a sheet of paper:
| CaO + 3 C ¡ú CaC2 + CO CaC2 + 2 H2O ¡ú Ca(OH)2 + C2H2 2 C2H2 ¡ú C4H4 2 NaCl + 2 H2O ¡ú Cl2 + H2 + 2 NaOH C4H4 + HCl ¡ú C4H5Cl 2 C4H5Cl ¡ú C8H10Cl2 |
Name: TOMSK Titles : Warrior Captain the Hammer Professions : 8 Warrior 5 Captain 3 Musician Skills : (warrior) 7 Identify Vulnerability 7 Meteor Hammer (double slam) 4 Longsword 3 Meteor Hammer (whip) 3 Meteor Hammer (swing) 2 Meteor Hammer (snare) 2 Throwing Axe 2 Dodge 2 Block 1 Meteor Hammer (ranged throw) (captain) 5 Insight 5 Aura Of Authority 4 Project Voice 4 Lead 3 Train 3 Maneuver 2 Inspire (musician) 3 Drumming (none) 4 PerformanceTomsk: {I need to change over to using the longsword, try to get it up to level 10 then evolve the skill.} Bulgaria: {What do Lead and Train do? Will they help us or do they just apply to NPCs?} Tomsk: {The game tries not to distinguish. So I might be able to help you gain levels in formation fighting faster than you could on your own, and maybe give you a bonus in combat. That¡¯s one of the things I want to test out today.}
Name: BULGARIA Titles : Actor Spy Necromancer the kind hearted Rumourmonger Gossip Professions : 9 Actor 5 Necromancer Skills : (actor) 9 Acting 9 Impersonation (necromancer) 5 Talk With Spirits 2 Raise Spirit As Undead 2 Dispel Undead Back To Spirit 1 Command Spirits (none) 6 Performance 7 Acute Hearing 7 Acute Eyesight 7 Detect Lie 5 Bluff 5 Charm 5 Intimidate 4 Sense Motive 4 Carouse 3 Forge Document 3 Create Disguise 3 Bribe 3 Hide MotiveAlderney: {Bulgaria, what have you been up to?} Bulgaria: {I¡¯ve been investigating things. Trying to make sure we don¡¯t face any nasty surprises from our fellow players or factions within our city. Talking with spirits is surprisingly useful, when it comes to finding skeletons in closets, so to speak.}
Name: ALDERNEY Titles : Menace Demon The Wonderful Tigger Stroker of Cats Scout the Awesome Smith Professions : 5 Scout 9 Crafter Skills : (scout) 4 Eagle Eyes (see distance) Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. 4 Tarsier Eyes (see high detail) 4 3D Thinking (able to orient yourself and objects in 3D) 4 Throw Objects 4 Danger Sense 4 Survival (streets) 4 Survival (wilderness) 4 Lay Traps 3 Cat Eyes (see in dark) 3 Tracking 2 Chameleon Eyes (see 360 degrees) 2 Disguise Trail 1 Detect Traps 1 Disarm Trap (crafter) 19 Crafting (practice) 15 Crafting (theory) 8 Crafting Specialisation (weapons) 8 Crafting Specialisation (mechanisms) 7 Crafting Specialisation (armour) 6 Crafting Specialisation (tailoring) 5 Crafting Specialisation (fine metals) 5 Crafting (repair) 4 Crafting Specialisation (tools) (none) 4 Performance 4 Brachiating (move swiftly from tree to tree) 4 Drop kickWellington: {I think that confirms our hypothesis about the effect of gaining experience while under the influence of buffs. Kafana, can you keep an appropriate buff on us while we practice combat skills?} Kafana: {If you and Wellington can join in casting some things, so I don¡¯t have to produce all the mana, probably.}
Name: WELLINGTON Titles : Trader Mage Professions : 5 Trader 7 Mage 3 Seer Skills : (trader) 7 Appraise 4 Bargain 3 Identify 2 Construct Binding Contract (mage) 9 Rune Diagram (theory) 5 Rune Diagram (practice) 4 Mage Sight (seer) 2 Bibliomancy (none) 4 Performance 4 Impersonate 4 Aura Of Confidence 2 KnifeBungo: {Bibliomancy?} Wellington: {I can concentrate on the sort of information I want to find, and use my mage sight to see which of the nearby books contain it, if any. When I get a chance I want to spend time in a library, and level it up as high as possible.} Kafana: {My Vessel likes libraries and is scanning through books for me. She¡¯s got free access to the Sanctum library and I¡¯m going to ask her if she¡¯ll take a message to Grand Master Water asking him to grant her free access to all the libraries in the Mage Tower. Why not invite your Vessel to accompany her? Vessels share our skills. Just tell him exactly how to perform the bibliomancy.} Wellington: {OK, thanks. Good idea, I¡¯ll try that.}
Name: BUNGO Titles : the Flash Monkey Venerable Sage Staff Master Winner of the Pill Tower tournament Dedicated Cultivator Illusionist Monk Guild Officer Amusing Drunkard Actor the Joker Alchemist Professions : 6 Warrior Guru (UNIQUE) Skills : (warrior) 7 Shield Bash 5 Dodge 4 Draw Aggro 3 Block 2 Throw Objects (guru) 3 The Way Of The Monk (legacy) 36 Pill Making (GRAND MASTER) 29 Ingredient Harvesting (MASTER) 29 Living Illusion (MASTER) Enhanced Constitution (SPECIAL) Superior Enhanced Dexterity (SPECIAL) (none) 4 Performance 3 Improve Ingredient QualityTomsk: {We¡¯re definitely going to need to practice your Draw Aggro skill, and your ability to use your shield¡¯s new xistera.} Alderney: {I want to hear how you got the title ¡°Amusing Drunkard¡±} Kafana: {I want to hear about the Pill Tower. Is winning that tournament as impressive as I think it is?} Bungo: {It was a pretty major event, yeah. XperiSense even did the live streaming themselves, rather than relying upon players.}
Name: KAFANA Titles : Healer Cook Suor Mage Entertainer Ally of House Landi Personal friend of Claudio Landi Giovanni¡¯s Heir Victor Professions : 6 Mage 6 Cook 5 Priestess 4 Singer 4 Musician Skills : (cook) 3 Create Healing Meals 2 Create Buffing Meals 1 Improve Ingredient Quality (mage) 6 Working buff 4 Speed buff 3 Mana Regen Meditation 3 Mage Sight 2 Learning buff 1 Gain Aggro buff 1 Luck buff 1 Sorrow debuff 1 Reduce Weight buff 1 Fascination debuff 1 Protection Against Fear 1 Protection Against Shock (priestess) 2 Cov''s Forgiveness 2 Holy Inscription 1 Cure light wounds 1 Purify (none) 6 Performance 3 Sweet Talk 2 Running 2 Perform While Multitasking 1 Aura Of Authority 1 Bargaining 1 Intimidate 1 Stealth PerformanceWellington: {Your skills are pretty spread out. Nothing above level 6. And you¡¯ve got 5 professions. Just getting those all up to master stage would take another 37 skill points. What¡¯s your long term plan?} Kafana: {I don¡¯t have one. I¡¯m not used to these sorts of games. I¡¯m making it up as I go along. I feel so rushed. I want to fold singing and playing the violin into a single thing, or maybe into priest and mage, as I use it in both roles. Can one do that? I¡¯m only on 6 hours a day, while you all keep logging in at other times as well. I don¡¯t have time to just practice.} Bulgaria: {Hey, hey. It¡¯s our fault, not yours. You¡¯ve been running yourself ragged, and trying to support everyone else. And you¡¯ve been so calm and amazing, we¡¯ve been assuming things, without noticing how much you¡¯re struggling.} Alderney got up and walked around the table and took Kafana into her arms, to hold her and stroke her. [Minion here. I¡¯ve got a direct call from Alderney. Would you like to flip out to take it?] {Guys, back in a few minutes.} *flip* Heather: ¡°Nadine, how are you off for guest bedrooms?¡± Nadine: ¡°I¡¯ve got one, why?¡± Heather: ¡°I¡¯m currently based on a seasteading in the Adriatic, less than 200 km from your house. I¡¯m not doing anything right now that I can¡¯t do just as well remotely. I really really want to give you some hugs in real life. How about I drop around this afternoon, and stay with you for a few days? I could install some proper security for you while I¡¯m there, so it is something I ought to do anyway. What do you say? Please?¡± Nadine: ¡°I think I¡¯d like that. I think I¡¯d like that more than I can say, so I¡¯m going to cry at you and sniffle for a bit. It¡¯s been so damn long since anyone has held me in arlife. Anyone at all. My body is starved for it.¡± Heather joined her, and they cleared up their tears together a few minutes later. Heather: ¡°Well that¡¯s settled then. I¡¯m coming and I¡¯m bringing so much firepower with me that a Panzer Division couldn¡¯t stop me.¡± They returned to the game. *flip* ¡°Up to a gentle boat ride over to the Necropolis?¡± asked Bulgaria, solicitously. Alderney: ¡°You¡¯ve agreed on a plan for which quests to do?¡± Wellington: ¡°Provisionally. If Kafana¡¯s ok with it. We¡¯ve also allocated stat points and put them in a shared document too.¡± Kafana smiled. ¡°Thanks, guys. I¡¯ll be fine. Sure, a boat ride sounds swell. I allocated my stats this morning before helping with Tomsk¡¯s sword. Let¡¯s go!¡±
| Character | CHA | INT | MAG | STR | DEX | CON |
| Bungo | 1 | 5 | 20 | 20 | 96 | 64 |
| Tomsk | 1 | 1 | 1 | 65 | 21 | 21 |
| Alderney | 1 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 67 | 20 |
| Kafana | 1 | 20 | 58 | 1 | 10 | 20 |
| Wellington | 50 | 14 | 15 | 1 | 10 | 20 |
| Bulgaria | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 20 |
| The Ring of Francis the Navigator (UNIQUE ITEM, HOLY ARTIFACT) +50% attunement to the element of water (Storm Magic, Reinforcement Magic, Necromantic Magic and Healing Magic) Freedom of movement ??? +15 to the skill ¡®Swimming¡¯ Sea Friend - You like and can understand aquatic beings. They like and can understand you (+1500 reputation with beings that live in the water) ??? This ring was a gifted to Francis in person, by the deity Mor Durability: INDESTRUCTIBLE |
| Rare Cloth Armour of Cov +10% spell effect +10% spell duration soak 45 damage per hit received SET BONUS: +20% attunement to the element of order if all 3 items worn Requires 17 INT Durability 2000/2000 |
| Rare Cloth Boots of Cov +10% DEX +10% dodge SET BONUS: +20% attunement to the element of order if all 3 items worn Requires 17 INT Durability 2000/2000 |
| Rare Cloth Belt of Cov +50 to CHA +3 to skill levels SET BONUS: +20% attunement to the element of order if all 3 items worn Requires 17 INT Durability 2000/2000 |
Wellington: 3 Group Performance, +2 Performance, +1 Mage Bulgaria: 3 Group Performance, +1 Performance, +1 Necromancer Kafana: 3 Group Performance, +2 Performance, +4 Mage, +3 Working Buff, +4 Speed buff, +2 Mage Sight, +4 Gain Aggro buff, +3 Learning buff, +1 Running, +1 Intimidate, +3 Stealth Performance Alderney: 1 Group Performance, 2 Analyse Enemy, +2 Scout, +2 Eagle Eyes, +2 3D Thinking, +2 Throw Objects, +2 Danger Sense, +3 Cat Eyes, +3 Chameleon Eyes, +1 Drop Kick, +4 Brachiating Bungo: 2 Group Performance, +4 Warrior, +3 Shield Bash, +3 Dodge, +4 Draw Aggro, +2 Block, +4 Throw Objects Tomsk: 2 Group Performance, +2 Warrior, +2 Captain, +4 Longsword, +3 Lead, +2 Maneuver, +2 Dodge, +1 Block, +2 Identify VulnerabilityBungo: ¡°Alderney, you gained a lot.¡± Alderney: ¡°A lot of the ones I gained in were sight related. You can keep those going while doing other stuff. This graveyard is full of herbs. Did you keep your harvesting detection turned on at all times?¡± Wellington: ¡°Good point, we¡¯ve all got something sight related.¡± Kafana: ¡°We¡¯ve still got 10 minutes of harmony and learning buff left. Gather around in a circle, turn on every sight ability you have and look at each other. I want to try something.¡± She turned on her Mage Sight with the analyse ingredients option and held hands with Wellington on her left and Bulgaria on her right. There were lots of songs about seeing through people¡¯s eyes, but none exactly right. She stole some lines and mixed them until they seemed appropriate, then improvised a torch-song-like tune:
Just take a look through my eyes Everything changes You''ll be amazed what you''ll find Just take a look through my eyes see it all through my eyes its just no mystery Hold on to the beauty There''s a better place somewhere out there don''t let it go just let it show through my eyes through your eyes through our eyesHer vision changed. She could now see behind her, see smaller details, see further, see which parts of the corpses around her could be harvested and where their combat weak points had been. She could see the mana inside everyone as before, but that would be new to Alderney and Tomsk. She could sense the shapes of 3D objects, even the parts facing away from her. She could anticipate which way things would move next. If it wasn¡¯t for the learning buff, she¡¯d be gibbering on the floor in overload. As it was, she took it all in. ¡°I¡¯m going to try letting go, then holding up some items to look at. Don¡¯t only use your eyes. Try to hear things, smell things, sense things with your whole body.¡± She let go, and was relieved to see she still kept the enhanced sight. She took out some food ingredients and cooked meals and laid them on the stone slab they¡¯d gathered around. Bungo picked some herbs and put them there too. Wellington drew the 8 primary runes, glowing with the different mana types. Bulgaria summoned a spirit to talk to. Alderney threw daggers at moving objects behind her without looking. Tomsk exchanged some slow practice blows with Bungo, showing vulnerabilities and how to anticipate where an attack was coming from. [Group skill gained ¡°Combined Senses¡± - may only be invoked during formations and other group performances. Usage 1/day. Duration: a single performance] Wellington: ¡°Tomsk, we killed over 200 monsters. Why¡¯s there no loot?¡± Tomsk: ¡°Good question. Maybe we need to search for it. Bulgaria, while you have your spirit there, can you ask it if there¡¯s anything unusual buried or hidden around here. Or what has changed in the last month?¡± They waited around helping Bungo gather ingredients and Alderney search for hidden passages, while Bulgaria performed a ritual involving candles, bells, incense, blood, lots of chanting and some dark iron items best not thought about. Talking to the dead was, apparently, not a fast process. He eventually dismissed the spirit, using salt, herbs and some sort of clear liquid from a silver aspergil. The graveyard seemed colder and darker now, with the ground mist swirling at waist height, only the tips of gravestones poking out of it. Bulgaria: ¡°I got back a piece of poetry, some visual images, and a name. Can anyone see a mausoleum for House Lantric?¡± Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Alderney, who¡¯d done an impressively thorough job of searching the area, had every inscription she¡¯d seen already indexed on their shared map, so a blue star path to their destination immediately appeared. The lock on the mausoleum door was surprisingly free of rust, and Alderney investigated it for traps while Wellington checked for traces of magic. Wellington: ¡°My mage sight is showing a runic pattern on the far side of the door. Can we get in another way?¡± Tomsk: ¡°Not unless we want to bash through the wall, or perform some major magic. Can you do anything to help us avoid curses or remote effects being triggered?¡± Wellington: ¡°In theory, if the runes are drained of all mana and there is none being pushed into them, they should have no effect. Give me a minute, then I¡¯ll want Bulgaria and Kafana to put their hands on my shoulders and concentrate on performing with me.¡± They set up and he carefully inscribed a pattern of air, shadow, earth and order runes, which started to glow. Wellington: ¡°Ok, don¡¯t push mana into them. Instead, concentrate on sucking mana back into your body from my runes. I set mine to resonate with theirs. If our combined levels are higher than those of the caster, I think this has a chance of working.¡± They tried, and Wellington¡¯s runes pulsed dimmer and dimmer, eventually not re-lighting at all. Drops of rain started to fall. Wellington: ¡°Done. All yours. Pick the lock or bash down the door. You should be safe from magic.¡± Alderney unrolled a leather rectangle that contained a variety of bits of bent metal of various thicknesses and lengths. In under a minute she had it open. She shrugged: ¡°Renaissance level of technology. Once you remove magic as a factor, it isn¡¯t a challenge.¡± *CRACK-THOWWWW* The sky turned white and lightning blasted into the roof of the tallest mausoleum. Alderney muttered: ¡°Sky deities, they¡¯re all bloody drama queens.¡± Bungo alarmed: ¡°Alderney! Stop raising death flags!¡± Alderney giggled, having succeeded in winding Bungo up, and gave Wellington a high five which he solemnly returned. Kafana: ¡°Bungo, it¡¯s just lightning. Ignore them. Let¡¯s go inside.¡± The rain was pelting down now, and they took her advice.
| Nevermere, This is your only warning. Stay clear of the quest to escort Pierrot, or you¡¯ll be sorry. The Immortals |
| Character | CHA | INT | MAG | STR | DEX | CON |
| Bungo | 1 | 5 | 20 | 20 | 207 | 160 |
| Tomsk | 1 | 1 | 1 | 100 | 32 | 60 |
| Alderney | 1 | 37 | 1 | 1 | 115 | 40 |
| Kafana | 1 | 64 | 64 | 1 | 25 | 40 |
| Wellington | 50 | 49 | 30 | 1 | 25 | 40 |
| Bulgaria | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 40 |
| The Ring of Francis the Navigator (UNIQUE ITEM, HOLY ARTIFACT) +50% attunement to the element of water Water breathing +15 to the skill ¡®Swimming¡¯ Sea Friend Water shaping This ring was a gifted to Francis in person, by the deity Mor Durability: INDESTRUCTIBLE |
Came out rebel Delyo; rebel true grit; with fellow Dumbovtsi and Karadjovtsi; asking Delyo warning; the opressors and the tyrants; Izlel ye Delyo haydutin, Haydutin yan kesad?ie, S Dumbovtsi i s Karadzhovtsi. Zara?al Delyo, poro?al, Deridanskine ayene, Ayene kabadaye,[You have taken 800 hit points of sonic damage.] The whole slope vibrated. Rocks at the top started sliding down. She pushed more mana into her vocal enhancement spell, tried for sharper, purer, more elongated notes, imagining the slope a wine glass, and tried to shatter it.
I have two aunts in the village; don''t you dare convert them; don''t you dare convert them; don''t make me come for you; your mothers will mourn you; and more so your wives V selono imam dve leli, Da mi gi ne potur?ite, Da mi gi ne po?arnite. ?e ga si slezam v selono, Mno?ko ?tat mayki da plaknat, Po-mno?ko, mladi nivestni.[You have taken 1200 hit points of sonic damage.] With a chest vibrating thump, the whole slope came loose and rolled down towards the troll. The troll tried to flee but found itself temporarily paralysed by the talisman Mary-Lynn had activated upon it while it was distracted. A much small *boom* sounded, launching the weightless Bungo high into the air above the onrushing wave of rock, his shield on fire. In his arms, bleating piteously, he still carried a dazed and severely traumatised goat. 1.1.5.25 Cinnamon bun 1??????????????Soul Bound 1.1????????????Finding her Feet 1.1.5??????????An Inscrutable Mastermind 1.1.5.25???????Cinnamon bun [Quest completed ¡°Save the goats¡± - see the village headman for variable reward.] [Level gained. You are now level 21] [Level gained. You are now level 22] [Level gained. You are now level 23] [Title ¡°Boss Slayer¡± acquired.] [[GLOBAL ANNOUNCEMENT : ¡°Kafana¡±, ¡°Wellington¡±, ¡°Bungo¡±, ¡°Alderney¡±, ¡°Tomsk¡±, ¡°Bulgaria¡±, ¡°CrimsonMoon¡±, ¡°Mary-Lynn¡±, ¡°Blaze¡±, ¡°ChocolateTrain¡±, ¡°Char¡± and ¡°Nastya¡± are the first players in the world to gain the achievement ¡°Boss Slayer¡±.]] *ding* [Your global reputation has increased by 5. There is now a small chance that sentient monsters will have heard of you.] Nastya: {I have respawned and am heading out to meet you. Losing 3 levels sucks. I¡¯m back to 28 now, though I can still ride.} she chuckled, ruefully {Wellington, my sincere admiration. It¡¯s not like Kafana didn¡¯t warn me that you improved combat plans. Let¡¯s work together again. I want to learn how to do what you do.} Bulgaria: {And we would love to learn from all of you. So let me make you the first people to ever be invited to visit The Burrow, our online home. Wellington will send you a link later today.} Mary-Lynn: {I¡¯ve been making a fair amount of money from the traffic coming to my blog because of your recordings. I feel I ought to be splitting it with you. Where should I send it?} Alderney: {Good question. Would you be available to discuss it tomorrow afternoon? We¡¯re going to be holding a beach volleyball practice. There will also be gelato.} Blaze: {Volleyball? Count me in.} Char: {Ice cream? We¡¯re all coming, just say where and when.} Bulgaria: {You will all be welcome if you want to come. But this is a strictly non-combat event. Leave the spiky stuff in your inventory, and find some beach wear.} CrimsonMoon replied with dignity: {Rumours aside, we don¡¯t spend 100% of our time covered in blood.} ChocolateTrain: {Just most of it.}
| Ungol¡¯s Belt of warding - +2% mitigation, +50 soak, min STR 200 Ungol¡¯s Boots of warding - +2% mitigation, +50 soak, min STR 200 Ungol¡¯s Bracers of warding - +2% mitigation, +50 soak, min STR 200 Ungol¡¯s Gauntlets of warding - +2% mitigation, +50 soak, min STR 200 Ungol¡¯s Greaves of warding - +2% mitigation, +50 soak, min STR 200 Ungol¡¯s Helm of warding - +2% mitigation, +50 soak, min STR 200 SET BONUS +6% mitigation, +100% hp regen rate Tamer''s Scroll Crafter''s Knife Necromancer''s Bell Seer''s Ball Captain''s Scabbard Emerald - ??? |
| Emerald of Harmony (ARTIFACT) Your luck depends upon the purity of your intentions +100% bonus to spell durations cast via group performance +30% to Earth attunement Durability: 100000/100000 |
| Knife of the Patterner +10% crafting cut designs straight from overlay Durability: 10000/10000 Scroll of the Familiar (single use) +100% chance to tame a non-sapient living creature Bell of the Spirits +10% necromancy +200 reputation with spirits Durability: 10000/10000 Crystal Ball +10% seer skills +20% air attunement Durability: 10000/10000 Scabbard of Authority +3 to captaincy skills +3 to social standing +30 reputation with people listening to you Durability: 10000/10000 |
| Dear Vessel Kafana I''ve pinned a blue satin sash around the wrists of the mittens. Sorry I have not had time to sew it on. I''ll really try, but I''ve been so busy I nearly had a breakdown today. Adventuring is hard. I think I envy you the ability to just wander around Torello with Gregorio and Vessel-Alderney. I made great use of that skill you trained: singing while dodging. So here''s one you might find useful. I call it the learning buff. Can you access System? I know people here are aware of stat points, but I have no idea how they interact with them to spend them. Anyway, if you say out aloud "System, please display the notes for the learning buff" it should bring up some sheet music that only you can see. It is suitable for playing on the violin. I''d suggest asking Cov for his help with your hand on the pendant, before trying. If you succeed, you''ll find learning things from books to be much easier. I''ve got you free access to any book you want from the Sanctum, and if you visit the Mage Tower with the other vessels who are interested, and hold in your mind the thought "Library" when you enter the gate, you should end up there. Tell the librarian that you are Grand Master Water''s apprentice, and he has encouraged you to borrow books. You can return the ones you''ve flipped through. I cooked a meal for Gregorio. It is on the shelf, on a pretty plate, with a blanket, suitable drink, and everything. Hope he enjoys it! Love, Spirit Kafana |
Dear Spirit Kafana, I''ve been learning from Vessel-Alderney how to make proper situation reports. Let''s see if I can make this letter more organised. We''re in the waning week of KrevinRacember. Morday wain: I came to, holding your letter, sitting alone on a rock by the river Tunita, way out beyond the city, the sights of battle all around me. And for some reason, I felt like jumping in the river. Luckily I read your letter instead, which was far more reassuring. So I tried playing your violin, and I felt a strange warmth moving around inside me. It wasn''t unpleasant; from the mage books I''d flipped through, I guessed it was this "mana" they keep talking about. So I took out one book I remember mentioning that, and had a look at that chapter. This time, it made much more sense, and seemed more interesting. I carried on reading until the others came looking for me, and had a nice chat with Wellington about the effect the playing had had upon me. He drew a lot of symbols I didn''t recognise on a writing pad, then asked me to play the tune again. Then he went back to drawing symbols again. I don''t think I''ll ever understand him. He''s very different from Vessel-Wellington, who used to be a hunter until he got too old to keep up and found he couldn''t support his family. Sorry I didn''t try asking Cov for his help first, before playing the violin. I''m a little uncomfortable with the idea of doing Priestess-type things when I''m not the one recognised by Cov as a Priestess. If you don''t mind, I''ll stick to magic and combat. And maybe cooking? I never got to cook at the Villa, but I always admired the artistry of those who could do it well. On the way back to the city I noticed the party members were communicating with each other in some way that I couldn''t hear, and I felt rather left out. So I asked! Wasn''t that bold of me? Bulgaria explained that when Questing Spirits went up in level they could talk to a special servant of the deities called "System" who helped them pick whether they wanted to improve their strength or health or some other attribute. I explained that normal people just go to a Sanctum when it isn''t busy and talk to the Voice of the Sanctum, but that the Voice will ask a child''s parents or, failing that, the Sanctum Guardian, to confirm the child''s choices are in the child''s best interests. Bungo said he thought "Voice" and "System" were probably just different words referring to the same thing. Tomsk said the System can do a number of useful things, such as allowing chat over long distances, that people don''t seem to use the Voice for. Wellington suggested I carry out an experiment, to see if Vessels can talk to System, and do so outside the Sanctum. He does like experiments, doesn''t he? Well, it turns out that I can talk to System! They spent the rest of the walk showing me all sorts of new things. Spirit, I can''t say this enough - it is FUN being your Vessel. Back at the Sanctum I saw Wellington had put an activity in the event queue to meet as a group and allocate stats, so I joined in. I argued that, if you were going to be doing lots of important cooking next visit, now was a good time to invest heavily in dexterity and intelligence. Tomsk said "go ahead", so I did. I asked System to increase your INT by 36, your MAG by 14, your DEX by 50 and your CON by 10. I hope that''s ok? I had Wellington double check my numbers first, and he said I had made a good suggestion. I''m so proud of myself. Wellington put 10 into CON and a whole 100 into INT. He wrote some more symbols, then asked me to play again. He carried on writing symbols for a few minutes, looking satisfied and very intense, then departed for the spirit world without warning, leaving Vessel-Wellington not a clue what was going on. Oh dear. It is really not polite to do that. After all the Spirits had departed, I gathered everyone. I showed them my playing and explained that they too could use the magic and other skills of their Spirit. I''ve never seen Vessel-Tomsk so happy. He wanted to immediately go find Gregorio and try fighting him again. I then taught them all I''d learned about System, and we used one of the footballs that had been delivered to practice using the raid overlay. Vessel-Bulgaria is surprisingly good at both football and at learning things quickly. He didn''t receive much appreciation before, and he really likes feeling useful and competent. Krevday wain: I got up early to go to the Sanctum library. I returned your books, and asked System what you''d be interested in reading next. System said it couldn''t advise, but could read to me anything you¡¯d previously said that seemed relevant. Based on that, I borrowed books on curing diseases, healing minds and one from the restricted section on resurrection. The librarian gave me a very grumpy look, but the Guardian''s permission was on record, and she had to let me have it. I''ll flick through them when I can. At breakfast I met Suor Isabella and thanked her. She laughed, and said the trick to getting on Constantia''s good side is to provide her with coffee. She also said that now I was level 25 I should move up to being a journeyman. I demurred, saying I wasn''t Cov''s chosen and maybe she should tell you. She said Cov was always just, and would ensure no harm came from it if I accepted on your behalf. Well, put that way, what could I do? So I spent 2 of your skill points and you are now a journeyman Priestess. Um, congratulations, I hope? This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. System immediately informed me that, now you''re a journeyman, any of your skills that are level 10 or higher are eligible for upgrade, but I''ve no idea what you want done about that, so I''m leaving all that firmly to you. I warned the others, via chat, about getting pressured and we agreed that going to meet trainers would be useful, but to check with the group before doing anything irreversible; a bit like Voice checking with parents, come to think of it. After breakfast, Vessel-Alderney went off with Carlo. She said they were going to take turns chasing each other. The rest of us went to the Mage Tower. I met with Grand Master Water, who insisted I call him Captain Nafaro. He asked me some questions about the books I''d read, and grinned broadly when I told him about playing your violin to help learn things better. He personally took us all down to the great library, and insisted that I play your learning tune for everybody, then announced that he was promoting me to journeyman and did anybody have any objections? I asked the group in chat and they all agreed, so I spent two more skill points and you are now a journeyman mage too. Phew. I returned the books he''d lent you, and he asked what you''d like to study next. After consulting System, I suggested you were interested in methods of storing mana, the dynamics of casting as a group, the uses of harmonic resonance and the limitations of mind magic as it relates to knowledge held by Spirits that Cov forbids them to impart to the residents of Covob. I think I started him a bit, as he paused for quite a long moment before saying your learning buff was a pretty piece of work indeed. I ended with 5 more books. He said he added in "Hubris during the Aeon Portentis" as ''a cautionary tale'', but I think he was pleased, because he gave me a ring from his own finger as an "apprenticeship completion gift" and said it was something he''d made when he grew tired of mana stones not being rechargeable. I flicked through the book about mind magic, while Vessel-Wellington practiced Bibliomancy. The students asked me, very politely, to keep the learning buff upon them maintained. I think you''re quite popular with them. Your reputation is certainly increasing. Then Spirit-Wellington and Spirit-Bungo merged with their Vessels. The three of us went off to find Flavio, while Vessel-Bulgaria went to visit Comico and Vessel-Tomsk went to visit Lelio. I can see now why you ask me to flick through books. Apparently any book I flick through, Spirit-Wellington ends up knowing. What an amazing ability. Flavio asked me what you''d like as a thank you gift, and I suggested that anything which would help you heal Nicolo''s mind would be greatly appreciated. Then he went off for a long chat with Wellington, while I read and Bungo wrote out the process for making something he called "Greek Fire" and another for something he called "He Liam Four Two". Later I met up with Gregorio and Vessel-Alderney for our regular wander around the town. Greg was very appreciative of the meal you prepared and we sat on the benches in the Plaza of Peace while he ate it, looking out at the ships. Thank you! I think tomorrow I will go to Columbina, and see if I can manage to cook him something myself. In the evening, we all practiced skills. I had System play back some more of your spells, so I could give them a go. Did you know you have an alter voice spell, that can be used to sing higher, talk in a male voice, or even disguise your voice to sound like someone else? Bulgaria and Alderney worked out how to combine their skills to create physical disguises, and the three of us put on a small performance. Tomsk had us look at the play you saw at Villa Landi. He wants to improve his drumming, and we''re planning to put on a group performance of it, tomorrow evening, to thank the Sanctum for having us. Vessel-Alderney plans to make beach clothing for us tomorrow morning, based off Spirit-Alderney''s sketches, and took everybody''s measurements. She asked me to get Columbina''s too. I''ve lent her some of my sewing stuff, and Vessel-Wellington drew some rune patterns he thought would be fun to add to them. Can you ask Spirit-Wellington about runes for the gift to Alderney? Droday wain: I dropped by the Speckled Dove. Columbina is quite intimidating, isn''t she? She didn''t say a word while I was explaining who I was, and that I wanted to do some cooking. She just gestured for me to go ahead, and then watched me like a hawk. When I was finished she took a piece, and it was like waiting for Judge Tartaglia to decide whether or not to put you in the wet stocks. The only thing she said, the entire time, was: "Each recipe is a story that you tell, in which the ingredients are your protagonists. To use each one to its fullest, you must take the time needed to get to know them. So don''t choose too many. Each one should fill a necessary role in the story, and be presented as best it can to fit that role. Cooking good food, like writing a good story, cannot be rushed. It takes as long as it should take; no more, no less." In the afternoon we met up for play rehearsals, and to sort through the loot gained from ghouls, bandits and various quest rewards. A runner from the Mage Tower brought over an enchanted purple gemstone for you and an embroidered pillow for Vessel-Wellington. I''ve asked System to keep track of it all in a shared document. The play was a success, especially using the voice alteration to generate impressive voices for each deity. We seem to have gained in the group performance skill. I plan to go to bed early, to give you plenty of time to dream. I wish the other Spirits would be a bit more thoughtful. Vessel-Bungo suggested that if Spirits add items to the timer schedule, saying when they plan to visit and what they plan to do, we could take that into account and be in an appropriate place at the right time. Vessel-Tomsk suggested some mixed combat exercises should be scheduled, involving Spirits and Vessels practicing coordinating with each other, more as a means to get to know each other better, than as a precaution. What do you think? Love, Vessel Kafana¡°Wow¡±, said Heather. ¡°Mine never writes anything like that. I¡¯m glad they like you and tolerate us. Otherwise we¡¯d see bloody handed revolt, with our skill points allocated as apprenticeships in toilet cleaning, and waking up chained in a dungeon. We should definitely make time for those joint practice sessions they suggested.¡± They finished up, and Kafana looked at the pile of dirty plates with distaste. Heather: ¡°You know, I had an idea last night about cleaning bots, after having talked with your regulars. What if I gave them a feeling of ownership, by making bots in the shapes of local legendary creatures? Not the nasty ones like Drekavats. I was thinking more along the lines of a tiny flying Vilenjak to clean things, a larger flying Gamayun to deliver things, and maybe a Patuljak to make things and a Lesnik to herd animals and clear away land mines?¡± Nadine: ¡°Hmm, maybe give them a bit of personality, like singing or swearing depending upon their mood, scolding leaving dirty footprints on a newly cleaned floor, responding well to respectful words and token bribes? Don¡¯t make them unwittingly obedient or impartially benevolent; around here that¡¯s far too suspicious. Above all, don¡¯t make them displace humans doing stuff that makes them feel useful or that they get paid for. Don¡¯t make bots that are too general or too useful. Have them do the things that don¡¯t get done. Like a cleaning bot that only cleans dust in dark cramped places such as behind furniture.¡± Heather: ¡°Interesting restrictions. I¡¯ll ask the other Wombles for help. Would it be ok to use the psychological model built up by the security database to predict what will go down well?¡± Nadine: ¡°Slippery slope. I thought we were only going to use that to protect my safety?¡± Heather: ¡°Data is data. Once collected, there are so many possible uses. They¡¯ll benefit from having these robots around.¡± Nadine: ¡°I¡¯d still prefer them to be making an informed decision, rather than manipulating them.¡± Heather: ¡°Is it manipulation, to try to make a gift you think the recipient will like?¡± Nadine: ¡°Let¡¯s compromise. Tell Bahrudin this afternoon that you want to make something that fits the sensibilities of true Bosnians, and ask him if it would be ok for you to use your observations of him and his fellows as a baseline for predicting what would be fitting.¡± Heather giggled. ¡°I¡¯m half expecting an announcement from System awarding you a title for giving a judgement worthy of Solomon the Wise.¡± Nadine: ¡°The game does get to you, doesn¡¯t it? Let¡¯s go log in.¡± 1.1.6.4 Journeymen 1??????????????Soul Bound 1.1????????????Finding her Feet 1.1.6??????????An Innocent Profaned 1.1.6.4????????Journeymen *flip* Kafana found herself sitting in the group area outside their sleeping cells, having her hair put into a French braid that was almost a circlet of flowers by Vessel-Alderney. ¡°It looks nice¡± said Tomsk, as there were no mirrors around for her to look at it in. In Torello, the knowledge of how to make silver-backed glass mirrors was jealously guarded by the Glassblowers Guild, and as a result they were too pricey for anybody except the nobility. ¡°And practical¡±, said Wellington. ¡°It will keep your hair out of your cooking, and work well at the beach.¡± ¡°Thank you, Wellington¡± Kafana replied, gravely. He continued ¡°So, to plans. I¡¯m proposing you come up with gelato in the morning, then in the afternoon we meet up at the beach to play a little volleyball. How does that sound?¡± Alderney arrived, having waited for her vessel to finish Kafana¡¯s hair. ¡°I¡¯d like to suggest an alteration to that. I¡¯ve just listened to the amazing letter that Vessel-Kafana wrote. Kafana is way ahead of us when it comes to getting to know her other half. I think, while Kafana is cooking, the rest of us should concentrate on filling any requests our vessels have made, and entering into the event queue the times we are likely to be on, and the activities we have planned for then, to take advantage of the vessel¡¯s kind offer to help out. So, for example, if Bungo knows that in 10 hour¡¯s arlife time he intends to visit his monks, if he fills that out in the queue, then when he logs in, he¡¯ll find himself already near the monks. They¡¯ve also proposed holding a ¡®get to know you¡¯ session, where we all play games using group performance coordination in different mixes of spirits and vessels. How about we fit that in for after the beach? Yes, it won¡¯t get us quests or experience or combat skills or reputation with people in the city. But I think it is just as vital. A happy vessel can train your skills for you when you are not logged in. It means, compared to players who ignore their vessels, we¡¯ll progress at 3 times the speed.¡± Kafana: ¡°They¡¯ve worked really hard for us since we fought the trolls. If you¡¯ve not yet done so, check out your skills, look at the quests they¡¯ve handed in, the loot and rewards they¡¯ve collected for us, identified and sorted, the trainers they¡¯ve visited to get journeymanships.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll start. My modified stats are:¡±
| CHA 51 INT 100 MAG 78 STR 1 DEX 83 CON 50 |
| Professions 10 Mage 8 Cook 10 Priestess 4 Singer 4 Musician (cook) 4 Create Healing Meals 4 Create Buffing Meals 1 Improve Ingredient Quality (mage) 13 Working buff 10 Speed buff 10 Learning buff 7 Gain Aggro buff 6 Harmony buff 6 Mana Regen meditation 5 Mage Sight 4 Luck buff 3 Alter Voice buff 3 Locate 2 Slow debuff 2 Anti-regen Poison debuff 2 Combat buff 1 Sorrow debuff 1 Reduce Weight buff 1 Fascination debuff 1 Protection Against Fear 1 Protection Against Shock 1 Sonic Shock 1 Calm 1 Clean 1 Sleep debuff (priestess) 2 Cov''s Forgiveness 2 Holy Inscription 2 Prayer 1 Cure Light Wounds 1 Purify (none) 10 Performance 8 Group Performance 7 Perform While Multitasking 6 Stealth Performance 4 Sweet Talk 5 Running 3 Intimidate 3 Aura Of Authority 2 Bargaining 1 Sense Motive 1 Swimming |
| CHA 50 INT 149 MAG 30 STR 1 DEX 25 CON 50 |
| Professions 5 Trader 9 Mage 4 Seer (trader) 8 Appraise 7 Identify 5 Bargain 2 Construct Binding Contract (mage) 10 Rune Diagram (theory) 8 Rune Diagram (practice) 5 Mage Sight (seer) 4 Bibliomancy (none) 8 Performance 8 Group Performance 6 Aura Of Confidence 4 Impersonate 3 Knife |
| CHA 1 INT 25 MAG 70 STR 20 DEX 267 CON 200 |
| Professions 9 Warrior Guru (UNIQUE) 10 Mage (warrior) 10 Shield Bash 10 Draw Aggro 9 Dodge 7 Throw Objects If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. 5 Block (guru) 4 The Way Of The Monk (legacy) 36 Pill Making (GRAND MASTER) 29 Ingredient Harvesting (MASTER) 29 Living Illusion (MASTER) Enhanced Constitution (SPECIAL) Superior Enhanced Dexterity (SPECIAL) (none) 7 Performance 7 Group Performance 4 Improve ingredient Quality 3 Running |
| CHA 28 INT 1 MAG 1 STR 150 DEX 50 CON 75 |
| Professions 10 Warrior 10 Captain 4 Musician (warrior) 10 Identify Vulnerability 10 Longsword 7 Meteor Hammer (double slam) 4 Dodge 3 Meteor Hammer (whip) 3 Meteor Hammer (swing) 3 Meteor Hammer (ranged throw) 3 Block 2 Meteor Hammer (snare) 2 Throwing Axe (captain) 7 Lead 6 Insight 6 Aura Of Authority 6 Maneuver 4 Project Voice 3 Train 2 Inspire (musician) 5 Drumming (none) 7 Performance 7 Group Performance |
| CHA 1 INT 72 MAG 1 STR 1 DEX 180 CON 50 |
| Professions 10 Scout 9 Crafter (scout) 7 Eagle Eyes (see distance) 7 Throw Objects 7 Danger Sense 7 Cat Eyes (see in dark) 7 Lay Traps 6 3D Thinking 6 Chameleon Eyes (see 360 degrees) 6 Survival (streets) 6 Tarsier Eyes (see high detail) 6 Tracking 6 Detect Traps 5 Survival (wilderness) 5 Disguise Trail 4 Analyse Enemy 4 Disarm Trap (crafter) 19 Crafting (practice) 15 Crafting (theory) 9 Crafting Specialisation (tailoring) 8 Crafting Specialisation (weapons) 8 Crafting Specialisation (mechanisms) 7 Crafting Specialisation (armour) 5 Crafting Specialisation (fine metals) 5 Crafting (repair) 4 Crafting Specialisation (tools) (none) 8 Brachiating (move swiftly from tree to tree) 7 Performance 6 Group Performance 5 Drop Kick |
| CHA 51 INT 51 MAG 51 STR 51 DEX 51 CON 50 |
| Professions 10 Actor 8 Necromancer (actor) 10 Acting 9 Impersonation (necromancer) 6 Talk With Spirits 3 Raise Spirit As Undead 2 Dispel Undead Back To Spirit 2 Command Spirits (none) 9 Performance 8 Group Performance 7 Acute Hearing 7 Acute Eyesight 7 Detect Lie 6 Charm 5 Create Disguise 5 Intimidate 5 Sense Motive 5 Bluff 4 Carouse 4 Hide Motive 3 Forge Document 3 Bribe |
| Captain Nafaro''s Rechargeable Mana Storage Ring (Rare)(Experimental) Stores up to 50,000 mana Spells designed to do so, can transfer mana from ring to wearer or spell, and vice versa. Ring will use mana stored in it to self-repair at a rate of 1 durability point per minute, at a cost of 10 mana per durability point restored. WARNING, EXPERIMENTAL: If ring is emptied of mana or over charged, there is a chance of an unexpected result. This ring was a gifted to Kafana by Captain Nafaro Mana 48,000 / 50,000 Durability 2000/2000 |
| Stone of the Mind Healer (UNIQUE)(ARTIFACT) A target to heal may only be selected with the target''s consent When the wielder is in physical contact with a valid target, grants two-way telepathy and empathy with the target Other than from a valid target, this stone prevents the wielder mind being affected by all spells and effects. +100% willpower This amethyst from the Northern wastes was gifted to Kafana by Flavio Durability: 100000/100000 |
| Heart of Light (HOLY ARTIFACT) To activate, bury under the cornerstone of a residential dwelling in Basso. Once activated, removing it will destroy this artifact. If active, magical diseases act as though they were non-magical, while the patient is within 400 meters of this artifact. |
| Sanctum¡¯s Heart of Light (HOLY ARTIFACT)(UNIQUE) To activate, bury under the Infirmary of Torello¡¯s Sanctum. Once activated, removing it or changing Guardian will destroy this artifact. If active, magical diseases act as though they were non-magical, while the patient is within 400 meters of this artifact. +10 to healing skill levels during attempts to heal patients in the Sanctum¡¯s Infirmary. |
| Zer¡¯s Heart of Light (HOLY ARTIFACT)(UNIQUE) +30% light attunement. Immunity to poison and disease. Regeneration (+500% to HP regen rate. Even severed limbs will grow back in time. Immune to maiming or disfiguration.) This pink sapphire was gifted to Kafana directly by the deity Zer Durability: 100000/100000 |
| From: ¡°Feng Akechi, CEO¡± <[email protected]> To: ¡°Zhou Ping, next gen systems¡± <[email protected]> CC: ¡°Wang Tianqing, cost management¡± <[email protected]> CC: ¡°Li Yaya, programming lead¡± <[email protected]> CC: ¡°Wei Shigen, user experience¡± <[email protected]> CC: ¡°Xu Kaixiang, combat balance¡± <[email protected]> CC: ¡°Chen Rushi, creative lead¡± <[email protected]> CC: ¡°Hagiwara Satori, quality control¡± <[email protected]> Subject: Hands off Kafana We¡¯ve been experiencing some balance issues with respect to the #1 player by global reputation on the new world. It is expected that some issues will get past QA, but as is normal for the #1 spot, this player is gathering an audience for her gameplay, and we want to avoid any adverse publicity. I am therefore taking personal measures to track problems down. To aid me in this, I ask you all to make sure that nobody in your departments makes any customised interventions for the player or her associated group. If something comes up, notify me and get my personal OK first, even if you have to interrupt a meeting or wake me up in order to do so. No exceptions. Let me know if you spot any anomalies. Feng Akechi |
| A beautiful woman and an armoured knight standing with their hands in contact An armoured knight wielding a sword facing an angry ugly man wielding a club A beautiful woman and an angry ugly man standing with their hands in contact |
| A beautiful woman and an armoured knight standing with their hands in contact An armoured knight wielding a sword facing an angry ugly man wielding a club A beautiful woman and an angry ugly man standing with their hands in contact A beautiful woman wielding a bow facing an armoured knight wielding a sword A beautiful woman wielding a bow facing an angry ugly man wielding a club An armoured knight and an angry ugly man standing with their hands in contact |
| Half a league, half a league, Half a league onward, All in the valley of Death Rode the six hundred. ¡°Forward, the Light Brigade! Charge for the guns!¡± he said. Into the valley of Death Rode the six hundred. ¡°Forward, the Light Brigade!¡± Was there a man dismayed? Not though the soldier knew Someone had blundered. Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die. Into the valley of Death Rode the six hundred. |
| What protest? Fake news, it didn¡¯t happen. We can¡¯t rely on anything he claims, because he¡¯s obviously not rational. Rational people don¡¯t kill themselves. He wasn¡¯t ill-intentioned, just suffering from the delusions of persecution common to conspiracy nuts. He was just depressed or angry or mentally ill. He¡¯s a hypocrite. If he really believed what he claimed to believe, he would have taken more care not to cause mental trauma to people watching. Look at his life, he wasn¡¯t perfect. He even expressed some objectionable opinions about different topics. He¡¯s mentally incapable of thinking for himself and making sound judgements because he¡¯s too young or poorly educated. He¡¯s a tool of the minority who are our enemy and who are exaggerating how bad things are for them, in order to get us into trouble. They lied to him. Look at this small factual inaccuracy in the manifesto. He¡¯s over-educated, an elitist who isn¡¯t really one of us. He didn¡¯t really grasp the consequences, and would have given up but he was too cowardly to. He¡¯s so old, he was going to die soon anyway. He¡¯s selfish. He was just doing it in order to become a martyr and win rewards in an afterlife, or to gain attention and become famous, or out of hatred for us or to gain redemption for previous despicable actions. He had no previous despicable actions. He¡¯s a puritan fanatic sneering at us. He showed pain, he¡¯s a coward, or he only realised at the end he¡¯d been manipulated. He didn¡¯t show pain, he had nothing to lose, his sacrifice wasn¡¯t a big thing. |
| It was a bluff. They thought the enemy would stand down, rather than kill them. |
| Neutral Force #1 (nf1) = Pierrot Neutral Force #2 (nf2) = Carlo Neutral Force #3 (nf3) = Columbina, Gregorio Neutral Force #4 (nf4) = Blaze + backup from Torello Neutral Force #5 (nf5) = Kraken Allied Force #1 (af1) = Bulgaria, Tomsk, Kafana, Bungo, Alderney Allied Force #2 (af2) = Wellington, Nastya, CrimsonMoon, Mary-Lynn, Char, ChocolateTrain If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Enemy Force #1 (ef1) = Kullervo, Wibano, VamaKali, Jincan, FancyAnts, WraithLock Enemy Force #2 (ef2) = FancyAnts¡¯ tamed giant antlion af1¡¯s primary objective is to prevent permadeath of nf1 af1¡¯s constraints are af1 will act only non-violently against ef1 af1¡¯s secondary objectives are to demonstrate opposition to ef1¡¯s actions nf2¡¯s primary objective is to bear witness af2¡¯s primary objective: Minimise permadeaths among af* & nf1 af2¡¯s secondary objective: Minimise deaths & equipment loss among af* af2¡¯s secondary objective: Maximise losses among ef* af2¡¯s secondary objective: Reciprocate support received from nf* af2 constraint: Remain undetected by ef* until ¡°go¡± signal from Wellington af2 constraint: Avoid violence against ef1 until authorised by Torello |
I was in darkness, tied up in chains Fearful bad memories, wrapping my brains You risked it all All you could be You risked it all, for me.His words were simple, but the effect he¡¯d aimed for was for her to experience Kafana as he¡¯d experienced her. And with Cov¡¯s aid, he succeeded. And all the viewers in the live-stream of her senses got hit as well with a compressed 5 second burst of what he¡¯d been through and what Kafana had done for him. Um, whoops. She looked so different from an external perspective. It wasn¡¯t how it felt to be her from the inside. Perhaps it was like that for everyone? How would one know? She disconnected from the recordings, and walked over to Alderney at her editing suite in The Burrow¡¯s private viewing room. Kafana: ¡°What did Wellington say?¡± Alderney: ¡°He¡¯s with your Vessel now and they¡¯re ready. I¡¯ve spoken to your Minion and since you¡¯ve already authorised us to do this sort of thing, he¡¯s agreed to synchronise with Wellington¡¯s Robin and they¡¯ll make the attempt the moment you log in.¡± Kafana: ¡°Hold it. ¡®Robin¡¯? As in ¡®Batman and Robin¡¯? Wellington sees himself as Batman?¡± Alderney: ¡°Billionaire? Check. Genius at planning in advance? Check. Anonymous? Check.¡± Kafana: ¡°Bozhe moi, he is Batman. Alderney, next time you make him a beach costume or something, you have got to find a way to include a bat motif into it.¡± Alderney: ¡°He doesn¡¯t have the abs. If we asked, we¡¯d probably find out that Robin is named after an algorithm or something.¡± Kafana: ¡°Then let¡¯s never ask him. Besides, wouldn¡¯t Batman have several nested cover-stories? And we only know his avatar doesn¡¯t have abs. He might have dedicated the last 10 years to martial arts in arlife and actually be better than Tomsk.¡± Alderney: ¡°You¡¯re putting off going back into the game, aren¡¯t you?¡± Kafana sighed. ¡°There¡¯s a collar around my neck. I don¡¯t like it. Call it a premonition, but I think this is going to get nasty.¡± She braced herself. ¡°But now you¡¯ve pointed it out, I can¡¯t put it off any longer. Going in now.¡± *flip* This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. The collar seemed tighter and heavier than before, which only goes to show what you can talk yourself into expecting. She tried to focus on her surroundings. Kullervo was talking to FancyAnts, trying to persuade him of something. She couldn¡¯t hear any sound. {Sys, why can I see him but not hear him?} [How this status is implemented was a decision by the devs, Kafana. I am not allowed to change it. You can¡¯t be seen or heard unless someone uses necromantic magic. So it would be logical that you couldn¡¯t see or hear anything. They left sight, because quality of user experience trumped consistency.] {Thank you. May I ask you what else works and doesn¡¯t work, or should I just experiment with the menus one by one?} [You can¡¯t use your map or any chat functionality. You can¡¯t use your stash so you won¡¯t have access to any of your items unless they are soul bound and even then you can¡¯t pick them up or wield them - no body so no physical skills. Similarly, no body so no mana, which eliminates most magic too.] {Well, at least I can sing you a ditty:
I''m just a soul whose intentions are good Oh Cov, please don''t let me be misunderstood} Hmm, there was an idea. What if she and Vessel-Kafana sang the same song at the same moment? They should make resonance easier to pick up. She did a careful 360 degree turn, looking up and down, before logging out. *flip* Wellington was there in the Burrow¡¯s viewing room when she returned, looking at a large map. A few bits were greyed out, mostly Alto, but a vast majority of it was now filled in. Kafana: ¡°Any luck?¡± Wellington: ¡°Yes, the expert system was able to lip read parts of the conversation you watched. There¡¯s at least a 70% chance that FancyAnts is going to be in the Fiorio for the next hour, waiting for a message from the White Lily.¡± Kafana: ¡°Excellent. Two things, before you flip back. Firstly, did you manage to pick up a direction, using a connection between myself and Vessel-Kafana?¡± Wellington frowned. ¡°Hard to tell. The needle floating in water that I used moved, and in such a way that it was compatible with their position, but so was half of Torello.¡± Kafana: ¡°I was thinking. If you can arrange a verbal countdown for both of us, we could try singing the same song at the same time. Would that help?¡± Wellington: ¡°Worth a try. What was the second thing?¡± Kafana: ¡°This one is equally important to our mission. I want you to pass on a message to her, verbatim. Tell her Suor Spirit-Kafana says ¡®I am so impressed with your bravery. I¡¯ve been watching what Tomsk sees. You were magnificent. I am confident that you can do anything I can, if you put your mind to it, and that you have a full right to do so. In Cov¡¯s name I hereby recognise you, Suor Vessel-Kafana. Copper Kettles.¡± Kafana: ¡°Need me to repeat it?¡± Wellington, who apparently had never forgotten a thing in his life, and that was before he started recording everything said by him or to him, looked vaguely insulted at being mistaken for a mere mortal. ¡°No.¡± he replied, and disappeared. Before she could look at the forum discussions, however, Bulgaria turned up. She gave him a hug, and watched him annotating the map with brown bordered labels that a key indicated was ¡°BDI¡±. Kafana: ¡°What¡¯s B.D.I. ?¡± Bulgaria: ¡°I¡¯m rather proud of them. They¡¯re the Basso District Irregulars. Antonio has gone missing, and Nicolo is frantic to find him. Bungo told him about the children that Sherlock Holmes recruited as informers, and Nicolo came to me and asked me to hire them. I pay them money, which frees them up from standing around trying to sell flowers to an empty Stadia, and in return we¡¯ve been receiving a steady stream of actionable intelligence.¡± Kafana: ¡°Well don¡¯t send them to the Fiorio. That¡¯s where Wellington thinks FancyAnts is. That area is far too dangerous.¡± Bulgaria: ¡°What do you take me for? I¡¯ve been using this to keep them out of trouble, not get them into it. I¡¯ve had them watching bridges, city gates and several other safe but strategic locations. I¡¯m pleased to report that, thanks to this scheme, none of Torello¡¯s bridges have been stolen.¡± Kafana laughed. Bulgaria: ¡°There, much better. Look after yourself, my dear. Stop worrying, and go distract yourself on the forums. Check out Wellington¡¯s post about intelligence. I¡¯m off to watch a play.¡± She opened two windows, using one to carefully follow what was happening on their original private forum which Wellington had renamed to ¡°Clan Beresford/Private¡±, and the other to casually browse the public forums and distribute karma points while waiting for the next reply in private. 1.1.7.6 MythOS 1??????????????Soul Bound 1.1????????????Finding her Feet 1.1.7??????????An Extreme Response 1.1.7.6????????MythOS Forum: Clan/Beresford/Public (read only) Subject: No Admittance Except On Party Business Reply: 1 Date: Monday 5th June, 2045 11:30 UTC From: Bulgaria To: Everybody not in Clan Beresford Shoo, young wombles. What are you doing here? These are our bedrooms. A womble should be able to have a little privacy, y¡¯know? If you want a chat, come to my Study. Nobody except me and my assistant can see what you write there, and if you address a post in the Study to Clan Beresford, I¡¯ll make sure it gets put where only the intended people can see it. If you want to say something publically to us, well, anywhere is fine, but the Lobby is probably the best place. Happy Wombling, Great Uncle Bulgaria Forum: Clan/Beresford/Private Subject: Intelligence Reply: 1 Responding to: 3, Flavio¡¯s Intelligence Date: Monday 5th June, 2045 11:35 UTC From: Wellington To: Clan Beresford I have finished analysing my experiments with the INT stat. The game¡¯s system compares your base level of certain directly measurable quantities, such as size of working memory and the convolution of the supramarginal gyrus, and compares the resulting expected IQ with the buff-adjusted INT from your stats. If you¡¯re smarter than it thinks you ought to be, it slows your brain down a little. If you¡¯re not as smart as it thinks you ought to be, it actually manages to boost your effective IQ by acting as a prosthetic extension to your working memory. The way it scales, doubling your adjusted stat adds about 20% to the size of your working memory. Note: this effect only applies while actually logged into the game. There is no carry over to arlife. Forum: Clan/Beresford/Private Subject: Intelligence Reply: 2 Responding to: 1 Date: Monday 5th June, 2045 14:21 UTC From: Wellington To: Wellington After some very careful testing, and having my work double checked by some experts in this area, I have implemented my own version of this effect for people logged into The Burrow. Let me know if you observe anything. Forum: Clan/Beresford/Private Subject: Intelligence Reply: 3 Responding to: 2 Date: Monday 5th June, 2045 15:47 UTC From: Kafana To: Wellington Thank you for investigating. I did wonder. Vessel-Kafana told me about the experiment she helped you with. Was that an arlife maths problem you were trying to solve? Now you¡¯ve implemented this, I wonder what the implications will be. Humanity¡¯s track record shows that whenever a new technology is implemented, three questions are always asked: ¡°How can I use this to look at the bodies of naked women?¡± ¡°How can I use this to kill my neighbour and take his stuff?¡± ¡°How can I blame this for everything I think is wrong with the younger generation?¡± You can bet that, when the wheel was invented, the first customer¡¯s father tried hiding behind it while peeking through the hole in the center, then tried rolling it over somebody, and finally blamed it for his son¡¯s lack of table manners. As the sage said, what we really need is not super-human intelligence, which will just let us invent weapons more quickly. What our species needs is to develop super-human empathy, that will guide us into understanding our fellows rather than using weapons upon them. Perhaps there should be an option, when reading posts in the forum, to experience a shadow of the author¡¯s emotions while writing it? Give people the ability to train their own thread display expert system that decides which chains of replies to give prominence to, then let people who want empathy to treat posts offering the option as effectively having higher karma. The medium is the message. Just by picking the option, a Womble is sending the message ¡°I want to get to know you, not just your opinions¡± Forum: Kitchen Subject: Troll Meat Challenge Reply: 1 Date: Monday 5th June, 2045 11:00 UTC From: ChocolateTrain To: All Clan Fra Gamal have more troll meat than they can use. So at tomorrow¡¯s event, I¡¯m going to hold a competition. Cook me a snack using the troll meat I give you, plus any ingredients you want to supply. At the end of the event I¡¯ll give a prize for the one granting the best buff, the one that I like the taste of most, and one for creative brilliance. Forum: Kitchen Subject: Troll Meat Challenge Reply: 63 Date: Monday 5th June, 2045 15:54 UTC From: Kafana To: ChocolateTrain How spicy do you like it? Forum: Clan/Beresford/Private Subject: The Hunt Reply: 17 Date: Monday 5th June, 2045 15:55 UTC From: Bungo To: All We caught FancyAnts. The fool was sitting out in the open, playing cards. Beltrame¡¯s bouncers were not happy when nearly 30 adventurers jumped him and sent him back to respawn, in the middle of Beltrame¡¯s coffee house (which, by the way, isn¡¯t anything like the seedy den I was imagining). Forum: Workshop Subject: Easter Eggs Reply: 17 Date: Monday 5th June, 2045 09:00 UTC From: Gunnison To: All I do like the cosmology in the game, and the way it ties into the mythology. For example, the days of the week. Monday????= Moon Day?????= Lunday (Lun¡¯s rune is a moon, and Luna is their moon) Tuesday???= Tyr¡¯s Day????= Covday (Tyr and Cov are both deities of justice) Thursday??= Thor¡¯s Day???= Krevday (Thor and Krev are both strong and warlike) Friday????= Freya¡¯s Day??= Droday (both female fertility goddesses) Saturday??= Saturn¡¯s Day = Racday (both remote shadowy figures) Sunday????= Sun Day??????= Zerday (Zer is light, Zerius is the name of the planet¡¯s sun) Does this let us make predictions? For example, Wednesday = Wodin¡¯s Day Is there a parallel we are meant to be drawing between Mor and Wodin, that isn¡¯t yet obvious? Forum: Workshop Subject: Attunements Reply: 1 Date: Monday 5th June, 2045 13:00 UTC From: Okavango To: All : attunement tests Here¡¯s a link to a database of people trying the same spell before and after transfer to Covob from Morob, giving the strength of the result, their region, day the spell was cast, and their attunements. Anyone want to have a go at working out the game¡¯s formulae? Forum: Workshop Subject: Attunements Reply: 2 Date: Monday 5th June, 2045 13:05 UTC From: Padstow To: Okavango : Ultra''s tests Same thing, but different tests and data structure. Forum: Workshop Subject: Attunements Reply: 3 Date: Monday 5th June, 2045 13:05 UTC From: 221bBakerStreet To: All We Wombles should be helpful, and set up as a clearing house to which clans can VOLUNTARILY contribute their data. To help with compatibility, I¡¯ve taken the liberty of writing up a codification system which any clan is free to use, to ensure their data compatibility with others contributing to our clearing house, and an expert system that can convert to and from this common format. : geographical feature coding : magic type coding : library of replicable spell effects : attunement mark-up : schema translation system Forum: Workshop Subject: Attunements Reply: 4 Date: Monday 5th June, 2045 13:15 UTC From: Sunnydale To: 221bBakerStreet Wellington has given me access to part of The Burrow¡¯s codebase. I like your idea, BakerStreet, so I¡¯ve implemented it. When he gets around to checking and committing it, the feature will come online. I¡¯ve taken the liberty of adding a standardised data usage permission slip, which will need to be signed with a Clan¡¯s authentication key, so we will be able to prove we are not making unauthorised use of a clan¡¯s data. : permission slip Padstow, Okavango - can you get the slip signed, or remove your links? In the meantime, anyone volunteer to send the slip and BakerStreet¡¯s data standards to the big clans? Forum: Workshop Subject: Attunements Reply: 5 Date: Monday 5th June, 2045 13:20 UTC From: Sunnydale To: All Just been notified that my code¡¯s been merged in and passed the tests. The clearing house for clans to share their data is now live: : services/clearing/mage_data Forum: Workshop Subject: Attunements Reply: 6 Date: Monday 5th June, 2045 13:30 UTC From: Deschutes To: Sunnydale Sure, I can do that. And I¡¯ll do a spot about it on my live-stream. Forum: Workshop Subject: The Great Library Reply: 1 Responding to: 5, Attunements Date: Monday 5th June, 2045 14:17 UTC From: Ashgabat To: Sunnydale I¡¯ve used your interface to set up : services/clearing/books/soul_bound and shared all the books I¡¯ve managed to borrow from my in-game crafting Master (mostly about metal alloys and casting techniques). It occurs to me: could a room be set up as a library, where we can walk, smell the books, turn the pages, sit at tables to study, etc? I¡¯ve included as a data field things like an image of the book¡¯s cover, weight, etc. Taking BakerStreet¡¯s lead, here¡¯s a codification : standardised extensible book description format A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. which I cribbed from a format used for non-game books, and added game-specific fields to. Kafana added a load of Karma to Ashgabat¡¯s post, and forwarded it to Wellington and Bulgaria. This was precisely the sort of thing they ought to be encouraging. She took the time to write a response. Subject: The Great Library Reply: 7 Responding to: 1 Date: Monday 5th June, 2045 16:20 UTC From: Kafana To: Ashgabat With a way to share book annotations, book reviews, an expert system librarian who helps you find what you¡¯re looking for, then fetches you a stack of books and, as an undocumented feature, fetches them faster for you if you¡¯re nice to her and feed her sweets you cooked in the Kitchen? I can see it now, with Orinoco at a table in the corner, fast asleep in a ray of sun coming through a tall arched window, little specks of dust dancing in the light. Forum: Clan/Beresford/Private Subject: The Hunt Reply: 18 Date: Monday 5th June, 2045 16:25 UTC From: Tomsk To: Bungo Good work! I have some great footage of Vessel-Kafana confronting FancyAnts at the Sanctum. He thought she was Spirit-Kafana because she came over so confident and knowledgeable. She played on that, persuading him that Kullervo had also been caught, and had betrayed FancyAnts to us and handed over The Bone Sword, in return for merciful sentencing and being allowed to keep his level and skills. Lelio and Isabella backed her play, and as a result FancyAnts has turned state¡¯s evidence, handing over his gemstone artifact and spilling a lot of information, far more than VamaKali¡¯s Vessel was able to provide from her dream recollections of VamaKali¡¯s activities. I¡¯m starting a new layer on the hunt map. We need to get players down into the sewers and tunnels beneath Alto. Apparently they connect to a system of caves inside the mountain. Forum: Clan/Beresford/Private Subject: Bosnian Drones Reply: 1 Date: Monday 5th June, 2045 15:30 UTC From: Alderney To: Kafana I got permission from the regulars of your kafana. As soon as I¡¯ve finished turning the observation data from them into a standardised consumer targeting model, I¡¯ll upload it together with the data about local Bosnian legends to our public forums and get the project started. Forum: Clan/Beresford/Private Subject: Bosnian Drones Reply: 2 Date: Monday 5th June, 2045 15:32 UTC From: Wellington To: Alderney Go big or go home. If you just do this for Bosnia, you confirm that one of us lives there, and it will be trivial for an op-force to find out where the drones have been deployed then check the nearby singers. Either do it for multiple locations around the world, or don¡¯t do it on our public forums. Forum: Clan/Beresford/Private Subject: Bosnian Drones Reply: 3 Date: Monday 5th June, 2045 15:37 UTC From: Alderney To: Wellington Fair point. Go big it is. Forum: Mayhem Subject: MythOS Reply: 1 Date: Monday 5th June, 2045 16:00 UTC From: Alderney To: All Kafana has set us a challenge, and it¡¯s a big one. Too many drones and robots are bad for humans. It isn¡¯t just that people end up out of work. People lose self-respect too. They feel useless, like there¡¯s nothing they can contribute. It leaves us humans feeling inferior, afraid and resentful, like it is a competition and we¡¯re losing. So how about we make some bots that help humans frame the way they relate to them in a different fashion? Many cultures already have a blueprint in their mythology, for beings that can be helpful, but which also have flaws and limitations. Beings with personality, which it takes skill and knowledge to get along with. Beings that can be helpful, but not too helpful, which are not resented for that because people relate to them as individuals, like NPCs in the game, who have lives and interests of their own. They¡¯re not slaves, but neither are they alien superior charitable beings - they¡¯re relatable. So how about it? Anyone got ideas? Good at organising big projects? Knowledgeable about their local mythology? Able to supply standard format psychological models from the same area as the mythology that we can use to fine tune our designs and presentation? Let¡¯s set up a Clan for this project, Reply here if you want to join. Forum: Mayhem Subject: MythOS Reply: 2 Date: Monday 5th June, 2045 16:07 UTC From: Namib To: Alderney The Susubey tribe will subscribe to this endeavour initiated by the tribe of Wombles. I will upload our myths and a demographically balanced set of models. But I think this will require much thinking. If it takes skill to bargain well with these relatable bots, we do not wish the creation of a class of experts, such as the tierkei who do masked dances to appease Harake Diko. Nor do we wish offering of food and drink being wasted upon bots that can not consume them. What would a mechanical Brownie do with milk or bannock? Forum: Mayhem Subject: MythOS Reply: 3 Date: Monday 5th June, 2045 16:14 UTC From: Bungo To: Namib What if the Brownie was helping the humans in a particular house as a quest, in the same way that players in games chop wood for NPC villagers? That would give the humans the status of being the quest givers, handing out a reputation reward. Spread the reputation you have to offer between too many quests, and the questers won¡¯t visit you as much. Spin a good tale as to why you want the brave heroic bots to clear away the landmines left by a past war, or feed the cow, and you regain their interest. Forum: Mahem Subject: MythOS Reply: 4 Date: Monday 5th June, 2045 16:22 UTC From: Kafana To: Bungo Kafana¡¯s Law states ¡°When designing a bot, making it too useful is as bad as making it useless.¡± All that achieves is displacing humans doing stuff that makes them feel useful, or that they get paid for. What¡¯s needed are bots that do only the things that don¡¯t get done. A cleaning bot that won¡¯t touch wide open floors, because it dislikes bright light and is only comfortable cleaning out the dust that gathers in nice dark cramped places, such as behind the furniture. The limitation must stem from the bot¡¯s personality and identity, rather than seem unhelpfully arbitrary. Bots should be relatable to as individual people, because it isn¡¯t healthy to the human mind to become accustomed to begging from deities or to ordering around slaves. Forum: Clan/Beresford/Private Subject: The Hunt Reply: 19 Date: Monday 5th June, 2045 16:35 UTC From: Mary-Lynn To: All There is only one person (in 8th place) on the event leader board who doesn¡¯t use The Burrow. Word is spreading, and the number of new user accounts here is rocketing. Forum: Clan/Beresford/Private Subject: Intelligence Reply: 4 Responding to: 3 Date: Monday 5th June, 2045 16:38 UTC From: Wellington To: Kafana Implemented. By the way, I contacted your Minion and he has used the name ¡°Queen Kafana¡± to file an application for an arlife patent upon it, on your behalf. Why that name? Forum: Clan/Beresford/Private Subject: Intelligence Reply: 5 Responding to: 4 Date: Monday 5th June, 2045 16:40 UTC From: Kafana To: Wellington That dirty rat! He¡¯s joined the ¡°Let¡¯s Railroad Kafana¡± conspiracy, I tell you. By the way, how do you write code that fast? It was less than an hour between the request and you finishing implementing it. Are you triplets or something? Forum: Clan/Beresford/Private Subject: Intelligence Reply: 6 Responding to: 5 Date: Monday 5th June, 2045 16:45 UTC From: Wellington To: Kafana Software development, at this level, is more like conducting an orchestra than playing a violin. My job is to understand the problem, have a vision of what I want the solution to do and (as important) not do, and define it clearly. I then have multiple expert systems with different approaches suggest and weigh specific solutions against the criteria I¡¯ve defined. I sometimes have to use my aesthetic judgement to overrule which solution is picked where my definition has been too approximate for my coding team to anticipate my preference. Often that¡¯s because I want it to work well together with future components that exist as yet only in my mind. Done right, the creation is a mutual discovery process, that changes you and your own ideas as you go along. The very discipline of putting the ideas into a form whereby they can be communicated to another intelligence is a vital part of turning a cloud of mental associations and fragments into a cohesive crystalised whole with its own identity. Forum: Clan/Beresford/Private Subject: Intelligence Reply: 7 Responding to: 6 Date: Monday 5th June, 2045 16:54 UTC From: Kafana To: Wellington Conductors convey not just abstract intellectual ideas, but also emotions. Indeed, some conductors deliberately break eye contact and reduce the amount of timing info they provide in order to force their players to learn to cooperate with each other. It seems to me that you could create a Gestalt, a basic group intelligence, by allowing your team members to cooperate directly with each other as well as just compete via seeking to win favourable judgement from you. Forum: Clan/Beresford/Private Subject: The Vessels - a request: don¡¯t log in until 19:00 UTC Reply: 1 Date: Monday 5th June, 2045 17:00 UTC From: Tomsk To: All After the media event at the orphanage, I helped make space in the schedule for Vessel-Kafana to take a nap in one of their rooms. But whatever message Spirit-Kafana sent to her via Wellington, she¡¯s really fired up now. She¡¯s asked us all to trust our Vessels. They want to try something, and they want to do it by themselves to prove to themselves that they can manage it unaided. I don¡¯t know if this is an advanced stage companion quest, but I think we ought to grant their request. They¡¯ve let Mary-Lynn come along and we can meet in the private viewing room to watch them, starting at 18:00 UTC. Forum: Dojo Subject: Quid Pro Quo Reply: 2 Date: Monday 5th June, 2045 00:45 UTC From: Tomsk To: Sentosa If a user is playing through one of your scenarios, we have no way to detect whether a third party at the user¡¯s end is watching the user play without the user¡¯s knowledge. Theoretically such a third party could use an expert system to reverse engineer the stats and abilities of the creature involved from their observations of the combat. I can ask Wellington to give people submitting scenarios to the Dojo a setting which will forbid direct downloading of the underlying data, and which will disconnect someone it detects as playing the scenario with the intent to steal the design. Would that be sufficient? Forum: Clan/Beresford/Private Subject: Intelligence Reply: 8 Responding to: 4 Date: Monday 5th June, 2045 17:10 UTC From: Tomsk To: Wellington Can you make the amount of brain boost something that can be varied as a setting by scenarios within the Dojo? Knowing martial artists, some will be offended at the thought of artificial aids. Forum: Clan/Beresford/Private Subject: Intelligence Reply: 9 Responding to: 8 Date: Monday 5th June, 2045 17:12 UTC From: Bungo To: Tomsk How about we set up a separate Mental Dojo, for competitive puzzle solving? Or maybe call it a Gestalt Workshop, where groups can learn better processes for working together and solving problems as a group? Forum: Clan/Beresford/Private Subject: Intelligence Reply: 10 Responding to: 9 Date: Monday 5th June, 2045 17:15 UTC From: Tomsk To: Bungo You mean like deBono¡¯s thinking hats? Put on a yellow hat and you become more optimistic. Put on a green hat and Wellington¡¯s system boosts the parts of your brain most closely linked with creativity. People train against pre-set lateral thinking situations or against other teams, to come up with better and faster solutions. Might have some applications, but I don¡¯t think it will catch on. It never did in industry, anyway. Forum: Clan/Beresford/Private Subject: Intelligence Reply: 11 Responding to: 10 Date: Monday 5th June, 2045 17:20 UTC From: Alderney To: Tomsk Hats by themselves are not cute enough. Disney had the right idea, when it reified Pinocchio¡¯s conscience as a cute talking cricket. If you want people to alter how they think long term, don¡¯t directly alter their brain. Give them an external voice that guides them to be more optimistic, creative, logical, or whatever they¡¯re lacking. But make it smaller than them and give it a bit of personality, to use Kafana¡¯s phrase. Think about it. Abu wears a hat. Timothy Q. Mouse wears a hat. Mary Poppins and Caractus Potts both wore hats. And even the ones who didn¡¯t would look cute in hats: consider Tinkerbell or Pascal. Even Archimedes would look good in a teacher¡¯s mortar board. Forum: Clan/Beresford/Private Subject: Intelligence Reply: 12 Responding to: 11 Date: Monday 5th June, 2045 17:25 UTC From: Kafana To: Alderney You really want to be followed around The Burrow by a chameleon wearing a black hat that keeps warning you to slow down and be cautious? Forum: Clan/Beresford/Private Subject: The Vessels - a request: don¡¯t log in until 19:00 UTC Reply: 2 Date: Monday 5th June, 2045 17:30 UTC From: Bulgaria To: Tomsk My play has just finished. I think it went rather well. My Vessel is now hurrying over to CoThEx, accompanied by Rudolfo and his team. Goodness, that smith is large. Vessel-Kafana is wearing priestly robes (which is unusual for her) and she¡¯s got a really determined look upon her face. She¡¯s cast a speed buff on them and I¡¯m not sure if people are scattering because of Rudolfo or because of her. Forum: Clan/Beresford/Private Subject: Intelligence Reply: 13 Responding to: 3 Date: Monday 5th June, 2045 17:35 UTC From: Wellington To: Kafana Progress report: O I¡¯ve implemented your idea about allowing post writers to have The Burrow attach to their post an experience of what they were feeling/intending while writing it, that readers may choose to pick up on per post, or by setting a default using an empathy slider in settings. O I¡¯ve found an expert willing to craft for us a resilient trust metric that can be transformed per user in a distributed privacy-conscious fashion. O I¡¯ve roughed out software support for a library people can walk around, but it will be more efficient to finish that once Alderney has done the look and feel, and the requirements are a bit more settled. O The mental dojo, or brain exploratorium, or whatever it ends up being called sounds interesting, but it is not yet well defined enough to start work upon. For example, do you want it to be an area where clan leaders can hold peace conferences with mindsets shaded towards finding constructive solutions? What about free traders? Currency exchanges, but for karma points from different schemes? When in doubt, pick something fundamental and useful, and make it do that one thing superlatively well. Include other functions only if they cannot be outsourced efficiently, and they don¡¯t detract from the prime function. O The data clearing house service is seeing a lot of use, and several guilds have opened their data to us, including CraftySquId and Screw Reality. Add in the data we¡¯re getting from analysing public feeds, and we¡¯re getting some interesting results. In particular, my systems have picked up on some useful information about how the CHA stat works. Forum: Clan/Beresford/Private Subject: Intelligence Reply: 14 Responding to: 13 Date: Monday 5th June, 2045 17:40 UTC From: Kafana To: Wellington You¡¯ve done amazingly. Time to take a break. We¡¯re all here, I think. Leave the forums and your coding. Come join us in the private viewing room and let¡¯s all cheer our vessels on together. I¡¯ll bring some virtual cookies from my Kitchen. Kafana out, see you there! 1.1.7.7 Hat trick 1??????????????Soul Bound 1.1????????????Finding her Feet 1.1.7??????????An Extreme Response 1.1.7.7????????Hat trick Alderney had put the visual from Mary-Lynn¡¯s feed on a large screen and set up a couple of large padded virtual couches facing it. Kafana greeted the others. Reading their posts, or even dipping into their recordings just didn¡¯t give the same feel of connection as meeting their avatar face to face, talking and hugging. She handed around food and drinks, and they all sat down to watch. Alderney turned the sound on, just like they were watching late night films together back at UCL. Mary-Lynn was standing next to Grand Master Air, Dimitri Yusupov, who was looking on as Vessel-Wellington, Flavio and Rudolfo sketched out a rune diagram the size of two football pitches, on the floor of Triple¡¯s cavern. There were circles in the diagram for Rudolfo¡¯s anvil, three Dewars, Vessel-Tomsk carrying Nothung in its scabbard, Rudolfo¡¯s support team, Vessel-Kafana backed by Vessel-Bungo and Vessel-Bulgaria, the rest of the Wombles, and three separate teams of Flavio¡¯s CoThEx mages. But Mary-Lynn wasn¡¯t looking at that. Her eyes were glued on two figures standing in a different area, Columbina and Harlequin. It was like a ballet on fast forwards. One moment Harlequin was on his knees, a wooing swain, yearning for the hand which Columbina left out stretched but kept moving away at the last minute, leaving him flat on his face, the picture of rejected despair while she laughed gaily behind her fan. The next he was standing, lustful, menacing and demonic, while she was a powerless pure virgin, cowering away, tripping over her feet and yet somehow evading his charges. Then the mood changed a third time, and they were children playing tag, complete with stuck out tongues and childish gestures, leapfrogging over each other and hiding behind imaginary trees. A fourth change, and Columbina¡¯s fan was instead a knife and they fought in a blur of blades both deadly and graceful. A fifth change, a sixth change, each act getting shorter and shorter until Kafana found herself holding her breath, sure the two of them would explode from sheer energy. Until suddenly, without warning *freeze frame*. The two faced each other, frozen in mid action, eyes locked, every muscle motionless, hands reaching towards each other but not touching, never to touch. 8 heartbeats. 10 heartbeats. 12 heartbeats. It seemed an eternity. At 12 they broke their stances and sat down, chatting like old friends. Harlequin seemed to be critiquing Columbina¡¯s performance at one stage, holding his arm in two very similar poses, one the way she¡¯d done it, the other the way he thought she ought to have done it. She waved the criticism off, like one who¡¯d heard it before, arguing her interpretation over his. Alderney: ¡°Now I understand why they keep sending each other messages, but I¡¯ve never seen them together before.¡± ¡°The practice needed to do that.¡± Tomsk shook his head in awe. ¡°I can see that I have been far too lax with my stunt crew. We are not perfect, we are nowhere near perfect. I am going to make them watch that. Fifty times, if I have to.¡± Bulgaria: ¡°I had heard about this from Comico, but I didn¡¯t understand. This is how two acrobats gained so much reputation that they acquired society patrons and were put in charge of running businesses. Everybody knows their names. They are the star power that draws people to those businesses.¡± Bungo: ¡°So are they lovers? Brother and sister? I don¡¯t understand.¡± Bulgaria: ¡°They are true partners, Bungo. Whether or not they have had sex is irrelevant. What I do know is that, for the rest of their lives, if you cut one of them, the other bleeds.¡± Kafana: ¡°I¡¯ve seen Columbina look at Tomsk. She and Harlequin are not Soul Mates in the sexual sense. But it would take a strong man to be with her, knowing that he¡¯d never be first in her life.¡± Bungo: ¡°So it is like Tomsk and Nothung? They are mutually Soul Bound, and there¡¯s a link between them that others can never break?¡± Tomsk: ¡°Kafana, you say she had eyes for me?¡± Kafana: ¡°Yes, but only after she¡¯d asked me about you.¡± She grinned wickedly ¡°We were going to sit down and have a long chat about you today.¡± She raised an eyebrow at Tomsk ¡°Should I tell her that you also have eyes for her?¡± Tomsk gave the pleased look he normally used when finding a sparring partner good enough to stretch his abilities: ¡°She¡¯d have to understand that she wouldn¡¯t be the only person in my heart. Is she strong enough to accept that?¡± Kafana sniffed. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll kill each other or bring the roof down, but you deserve each other.¡± Alderney: ¡°It was the carrot. Love at first thrown carrot. You speak her language.¡± Wellington: ¡°Hush, they¡¯re about to start.¡± Flavio ordered everybody to hold out their hand, palm up. Columbina holding a large tray of snacks and Harlequin holding a bag lined up at the edge of the diagram. On some signal they both started racing around the diagram in opposite directions, zig zagging and leaping. Harlequin was pinning jewellery on people¡¯s clothing, while Columbina was placing one neatly cut desert on each hand. Both had obviously used magic to boost their speed - you could see mages¡¯ cloaks whipping around in the wind of their passing. A lot of them were clutching the hats on their heads. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. 30 seconds later, having covered the field sized area at least twice, they were back at their original position, not a single line of the rune diagram having been touched. Harlequin had narrowly won the race, and Columbina was pointing at the ring on a finger of a hand he was trying to hold behind his back, obviously accusing him of cheating. He responded by gently touching a remaining crumb at the corner of her mouth, where she¡¯d eaten magic food. Words were superfluous, their acting was just that expressive. Columbina shrugged in such a way as to indicate ¡°What of it? That is just how things are. It is my right to hold you to a different standard. Are you an idiot for not understanding this?¡± Then Vessel-Kafana started to sing. She sang beautifully. Not phrasing things precisely the way Spirit-Kafana would have, but pouring such pure emotion into her song that everything before seemed just an opening act. A whole team of mages poured mana into her, as she sang buff after buff, until every eye in the place cracked with a blue strong enough to cast shadows, before she sang a calming spell, turning them a deep steady colour. Kafana found herself applauding. You go, grrl! And then Vessel-Kafana did something Kafana had never done. She held her pendant and diadem, and sang a prayer to Cov with Vessel-Tomsk. Then held out the ring she¡¯d reclaimed from Pierrot and sang a prayer to Mor with Rudolfo. Then held out the Heart of Light and sang a prayer to Zer with Flavio. Then held out the ruby she won from FancyAnts, and sang a prayer to Krev with Vessel-Alderney. Then held out her purple mind-healing gem and sang a prayer to Lun with Vessel-Bungo. Then held out the Emerald of Harmony and sang a prayer to Dro with Vessel-Wellington. Finally she held hands with Vessel-Bulgaria and sang a haunting melody to Rac. 7 deities she invoked and 7 deities answered with their blessings. Everyone now in unity, they returned to their places on the rune diagram. Flavio didn¡¯t even have to give directions. Nothung levitated up to a spherical reaction chamber above the anvil. Hollow channels of vacuum were created, double mage shielded, keeping the contents of the channel in and the air out. The first Dewar was opened, and a quench of liquid oxygen was sent to cool Nothung down. The second Dewar was opened, and liquid nitrogen was used to bring it down more, in a move that would have shattered any sword which wasn¡¯t already indestructible. But then they dared go further. The third Dewar was opened, and rare precious 4He-II flowed up and into the reaction chamber, and a smaller amount flowed into a sample chamber surrounded by an eye-bending transference coil. A dark shroud sprung up around the reaction chamber, shielding it even from light. Spells were cast compressing the chamber inwards until it was sword shaped. Magic storage coils thrummed, and lights flashed across the rune diagram as gallons of liquid nitrogen were moved into position by the heat transfer coil, and shields were erected around it. Rudolfo took a couple of practice swings with his hammer. Kafana crossed her fingers. Wellington looked very intent. Tomsk clenched his fingers around an imaginary haft, as though he were going to swing the hammer rather than Rudolfo. Even the normally irrepressible Bungo looked worried. Alderney, surprisingly, was looking relaxed and cheerful. This was crafting at its finest. There was a sound so loud Mary-Lynn felt it in her chest more than heard it, as heat transferred from the helium via resonance and then into the nitrogen via the heating coil. The nitrogen evaporated in a single instant, the explosive force rattling the shields around it. The superfluid 4He-II cooled further, becoming one of the strangest materials known to man: supersolid helium. With perfect timing, in that brief moment Flavio and Vessel-Wellington laid its second enchantment upon the sword, Nothung, merging selected properties of the supersolid helium into the blade, even as Rudolfo¡¯s hammer swing arrived at the anvil sealing the ritual. A mannequin holding a normal iron sword was set up by Rudolfo and Vessel-Tomsk put on a heavy insulated gauntlet created by Vessel-Alderney and earlier enchanted by Flavio. He borrowed Bungo¡¯s shield and then carefully lifted Nothung up and stood before the mannequin. He touched Nothung to the sword. Nothing happened. Vessel-Wellington smiled and nodded. Vessel-Tomsk tried sheathing Nothung and drawing it. Still nothing unusual. He took a deep breath, held the shield before his face, and wound backwards ready for a big strike. Vessel-Wellington stood back, looking serious now, and said something. Vessel-Tomsk swung fast and accurately, aiming for the mannequin¡¯s neck, as though the mannequin¡¯s sword were there to parry it, his intent to kill clear. The mannequin¡¯s sword shattered like thin glass, barely slowing Vessel-Tomsk¡¯s blade which carried onwards into the mannequin. Shards of metal flew everywhere, including at Vessel-Wellington who had not stepped far enough back to be safe. A few shards got within a hand¡¯s distance of his body, but then bounced away at a sharp angle. Wellington, sitting on the couch, muttered ¡°clever lad¡±. Kafana: ¡°How did he do that?¡± Wellington: ¡°He planned ahead. He actually made use of the effect from the first enchantment, Of Justice. It won¡¯t cause collateral damage. He was testing whether the shatter fragments count as intentional area of effect damage, and stood just close enough to get hit by a few. It looks like they do count. That was very impressive enchanting and almost certainly a critical success.¡± The mages cheered and relaxed, and the Womble Vessels all gathered around celebrating. They¡¯d pulled it off. It took another minute for the other boot to drop, as mages started wondering why their hats no longer fitted correctly. They looked over at Columbina who waved a hat at them which looked suspiciously like Flavio¡¯s, and at Harlequin who was juggling three hats. Every single mage was wearing a different top hat to the one they¡¯d started off with. It was almost as though proud isolated chaos did not like being absent, when the other deities are all invited and she is not. 1.1.7.8 Follow my leader 1??????????????Soul Bound 1.1????????????Finding her Feet 1.1.7??????????An Extreme Response 1.1.7.8????????Follow my leader On the 2nd Night 4 bells of the first watch, Zerday Wain, the 21st day in the month of KrevinBelember. Harlequin started running backwards, picking up pieces of jewellery and returning hats to heads. It looked for all the world as though someone had hit rewind on a recording. Flavio and Columbina both went over to Vessel-Kafana and started talking to her. Wellington: ¡°It was a good thing they asked us to stay clear. Someone dropping into the middle of that at the wrong moment could have had bad consequences.¡± Alderney: ¡°Bad? As in Flavio-type-bad?¡± Wellington: ¡°Well, he did mention that the cavern is under Alpinus not Torello, and used to be much smaller. The reason it has grown to this size is, quote, ¡®Experimental Errors¡¯ unquote.¡± Alderney eyed the picture of the 2 kilometer wide cavern, shuddering at the memory of the feel of all that rock above her. The people were packing up now, and heading back down the path to CoThEx. Yusupov in particular looked relieved. Wellington: ¡°I think that¡¯s why they had Yusupov there. A bit like the precautions built into high grade biohazard containment labs.¡± Kafana asked, in a puzzled voice: ¡°He¡¯s a pressure door, to keep the spectators safe with his air magic?¡± Wellington shook his head. Bungo explained: ¡°No, when magic goes wrong, it can go really really wrong. He¡¯s like a failsafe nuclear device, because some things are so dangerous that it is better to detonate and kill everyone, than let them escape.¡± The people on the screen started moving very fast along the path as night-time mode kicked in. Wellington set up a second screen to its right and coded something. Wellington: ¡°Now they¡¯re not busy, this would be a good opportunity to practice hopping in and out without disrupting a group performance. I¡¯ve set up a synchronisation signal. Tell your tiaras to accept my package. This screen will show timings and display the point of view of the womble who is swapped in. I¡¯ll go first.¡± With that, he disappeared from The Burrow, and Wellington on the screen stumbled. [Nadine, I¡¯ve received a software package from Wellington. Shall I install it?] {Minion, I ought to ask you to sanity check it first, so I will just as a good habit. But I¡¯m aware that Wellington helped create you, and if he¡¯d left a dozen backdoors in you he could also have set you to never tell me about them. Realistically, I don¡¯t have any option beyond trusting him. Luckily I do. I suppose I could ask Wellington to occasionally try to sneak headache-giving-routines past you, and leave it up to you to decide what priority to give to proactively looking for security holes in your own defences.} [My queen, you are wise. There is always the chance of Wellington being coerced or his system being subverted. I shall give some thought to how a compromised system might detect and repair security holes. In the meantime, though, package checked and installed.] The group had emerged into CoThEx and was now running smoothly across the grass of Libri. Vessel-Kafana had cast a speed buff on them, Vessel-Alderney had produced two footballs, and the group of them were passing the balls between them as they ran. The timer on the screen in the viewing room counted down towards zero, and the name of the next Womble to swap in (Bulgaria) appeared below it. Vessel-Tomsk moved behind Vessel-Bulgaria and started carrying him, while Vessel-Bungo lifted up Wellington. *blip* Bulgaria disappeared from the couch, and a few moments later Wellington reappeared next to them in the room. On the screen, the group carried on running without having to even break stride, the balls still being passed in unbroken motion. Bulgaria started running on his own feet, and gave them a cheery wave, before joining in the game of pass-the-ball. Vessel-Wellington, now back in control of the adventurer, did the same. The group ran over a bridge and into Basso. A little later and it was Alderney¡¯s turn. *blip* The group opened a sewer grating and ran down the tunnel, bouncing the balls off the walls. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Then it was Tomsk. *blip* He showed them the art of wall running, and their movement down the tunnel transformed from something energetic into something more eerie in the gloom, like a swarm of approaching monsters from the film Aliens. Finally it was Bungo¡¯s turn. *blip* He led towards the dwelling of the monks, slowed them down before the last turn, and led them into the chamber in a stately procession, acting now in his Guru persona. Tomsk: ¡°Good. We¡¯ve acquired a new party skill ¡®stealth flipping¡¯. Could be useful.¡± Bungo added the monks to the Vessel¡¯s ongoing group performance, granting them the benefits of all the buffs that Vessel-Kafana had cast, then introduced the monks to her as their saviour and asked her to use her holy gems to grant them powers beyond other mortals, if she deemed them worthy and determined to use those powers for good. Vessel-Kafana played it well, singing more prayers and putting her diadem back on while the monks swore their intent, before initiating the party skill ¡°Share Senses¡±, and using her purple gem to help the other Vessels teach the monks about mana, runes, learning buffs, spear forms, zen archery and all the other things Bungo had put on his MONK_TRAINING_PLAN document. Bungo returned to them, and the screen went blank. Bungo: ¡°Wow, those Vessels are driven. They¡¯ve grown a lot over the past few days.¡± Bulgaria: ¡°They have spent more time with Vessel-Kafana than we have. They really don¡¯t want to lose being with her. From their perspective, they¡¯ve got just a day and a half left before Spirit-Kafana dies permanently, unless they can prevent it.¡± Bungo: ¡°That mind-healing gem is amazingly useful for teaching. I wonder why we don¡¯t see more impact from mind magic upon their society. In schools, for example.¡± Kafana: ¡°It is a bit like baring your throat. Used in this way, to help not dominate, you have to expose yourself utterly to what they might do to you. It feels very vulnerable. Would the average teacher trust the average school pupil with that power?¡± Bungo: ¡°Ah, yes, that would explain it. Anyway, they should be done in two hours, then they¡¯re due to go to Sanctum, so we can take up the hunt. Which means we¡¯ve got 20 minutes free.¡± he leaned back on the couch, and snaffled another one of the cookies from Kafana¡¯s kitchen. Tomsk: ¡°Wellington, can you do the same sort of time compression in The Burrow as they do at night time in the game? It would help fit in more reading of threads during breaks at work.¡± Wellington: ¡°I¡¯d like to hold off on that, at least in the public areas. It¡¯s more dangerous than adding working memory. I don¡¯t want to use our wombles as test subjects to find out at what point increasing the blood flow and neural activity can cause damage.¡± Alderney: ¡°You mentioned you¡¯d found out more about how the Charisma stat works?¡± Wellington: ¡°Yes. There¡¯s a common theme between running businesses and commanding military forces. It may be the same with taming and some bits of necromancy and golemancy, but I¡¯ve insufficient data to test that hypothesis. You can only lead people with a lower tier in the relevant skill than your own:¡± ¡°Stage 1 Apprentices such as someone running a small shop or leading a squad of soldiers, can have up to 6 direct subordinates with long-term loyalty to them, in a single tier of organisation. 6 total.¡± ¡°Stage 2 Journeyman such as the Captain of a ship, or a Captain leading a company of soldiers, can have up to 7 direct subordinates, and a further layer under them, giving a two tier organisation. 7 + 7*6 = 49 total.¡± ¡°Stage 3 Masters such as the head of a House Tertius, the owner of a shipping line or a Colonel leading a cohort, can have up to 8 direct subordinates, and 3 tiers of organisation. 8 + 8*49 = 400 total.¡± ¡°Stage 4 High Masters such as the head of a House Secundus, the CEO of a top-50 listed company or a General leading an army, can have up to 9 direct subordinates, and 4 tiers of organisation. 3,609 total.¡± ¡°Stage 5 Grand Masters such as the head of a House Primus or a Lord Marshal, get 10 direct subordinates, 5 tiers of organisation and 36,100 permanent followers maximum.¡± Alderney: ¡°Where does CHA come in?¡± Wellington: ¡°There¡¯s a second constraint. Your charisma times your stage has to be higher than the number of direct subordinates squared, plus the total of your direct subordinates¡¯ charisma. That has all sorts of consequences. It really is a pretty problem when you try to optimise your organisation tree, and take into account successful subordinates going up in level and gaining more charisma than their superior can match.¡± Tomsk: ¡°In practical terms, what does that mean for me, as a Captain?¡± Wellington spoke to his system then threw a document onto a screen in the room.
6 tier 0 soldiers with 1 CHA each need a tier 1 leader with 42 CHA, min level 10. 7 tier 1 leaders with 42 CHA each need a tier 2 leader with 172 CHA, min level 25. 8 tier 2 leaders with 172 CHA each need a tier 3 leader with 480 CHA, min level 40.Wellington: ¡°But that¡¯s only if you see yourself leading large numbers of troops and want to be able to do it at the lowest level possible. I¡¯m told that some House scions go that route, all charisma no combat skills.¡± Bulgaria: ¡°All hat, no cattle.¡± Wellington: ¡°Just so. In Tomsk¡¯s case, I¡¯d suggest getting just enough charisma to lead the troops you are planning on leading during your next 5 levels, with maybe a few stat points held in reserve just in case.¡± Tomsk: ¡°So if Dino leads the other 6 monks, he¡¯d need 42 charisma (assuming the others have no more than 1 CHA) and if I wanted to lead Dino, I¡¯d need about 22 CHA?¡± Wellington: ¡°I believe so. Try it and see. There may be modifiers according to their morale and your reputation with them. I don¡¯t know.¡± Tomsk: ¡°I¡¯ve got 28 CHA currently. I¡¯ll give it a go. Kafana, look after yourself.¡± Tomsk disappeared. 1.1.7.9 Come find me 1??????????????Soul Bound 1.1????????????Finding her Feet 1.1.7??????????An Extreme Response 1.1.7.9????????Come find me Kafana: ¡°Bulgaria, will you trust Vessel-Kafana to read your mind to pick a song out of it?¡± Bulgaria looked suddenly a bit hesitant. Bungo: ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Kafana smiled warmly at Bungo: ¡°Thanks Bungo. That¡¯s deeply appreciated. Listen closely, not just to the lyrics, but also the timing. ¡° She sang Birdy''s "Find Me" Kafana: ¡°That¡¯s half of a duet. When the time comes, I¡¯ll sing the other half.¡± Bungo: ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll take it over now, and have her sing it back to me, so you can listen with my ears. You better use my sense stream, or you¡¯ll get it at high speed. Going now.¡± He disappeared and Kafana asked the Burrow to drop her into his stream. *flip* She was standing in front of herself, which was strange. It wasn¡¯t like a mirror. Vessel-Kafana asked Bungo to wait while she maintained buffs on everybody then drew out her purple gem of mind healing and her Cov¡¯s pendant. She seemed a lot more comfortable calling upon Cov now. They grasped both. They stood like that for several minutes then softly broke apart. Bungo was crying, and Vessel-Kafana gave him a hug, like she¡¯d been not just picking up a song, but mind healing him. There were no words Spirit-Kafana could pick up on Bungo¡¯s stream, but she felt the emotions. Whatever he¡¯d been through, it had been corrosive and destructive, but had happened a long time ago. Vessel-Kafana sang the song back. She sang it towards Bungo, but she sang it to Spirit-Kafana, aware from Bungo¡¯s memories that she was looking out through his eyes. Around them, half the monks were practicing under Tomsk¡¯s direction with the man-height staves Vessel-Alderney had produced for them, and to which Vessel-Wellington had added enchantments granting invisible force blades to the ends of them, that the monks could pump mana into. The other half were practicing shooting long bows while blindfolded at a quintain swinging from a chain attached high above. The bow strings and arrows, like the force blades, only existed when mana was pumped into them. Vessel-Kafana ignored it all, her eyes looking only towards Bungo, and she sang the song back note perfect, every breath and intonation the way Spirit-Kafana had sung it back in the Burrow. Spirit-Kafana left, satisfied. *flip* Bungo also returned, and started looking at the manhunt map, checking the players progress at filling in the grey areas under Alto. Kafana: ¡°I¡¯m due to go check on Kullervo again, once the Vessels get back to the Sanctum. Vessel-Kafana has got the song down pat. How are we going to arrange starting to sing at the same time?¡± Wellington: ¡°I¡¯ll be standing by her, and I¡¯ll have my system send both you and myself three evenly spaced time marks. I¡¯ll wave my hand each time I receive one and she¡¯ll probably put the two of us in harmony so our moves synchronise. As long as you start singing the moment you receive the third time mark, it will mesh.¡± Bulgaria: ¡°Don¡¯t stress about it. If it fails, we¡¯ll still be no worse off than before. Just concentrate on keeping your determination up. Willpower matters in these things. Out-stubborn him.¡± Kafana: ¡°That reminds me, I got an evasive answer from System last time I dropped in. What skills require neither a physical body, nor mana from your own body?¡± Wellington: ¡°Of the ones on your list: Meditation, Performance, Sweet talk, Intimidate, Aura of Authority and Bargaining. Maybe prayer and mage sight?¡± Kafana: ¡°Which of those could I use to help us? What about acquiring new skills not on my list?¡± Bulgaria: ¡°Not sure. You could try talking with spirits, analysing things and looking for weak points, manipulating and drawing upon mana sources in there that are external to you. Anything really. You could even learn to lip read.¡± The screen showed the Vessels above ground now, rushing through Mercato and past Dio, the night guard patrolling the market stalls to deter thefts. Tomsk was in the lead, sword drawn, and flanking him, protecting the Vessels were Bungo¡¯s monks, now clothed by Alderney in saffron coloured robes in Wudang Taoist style and carrying dark mahogany fighting staves and bow staves that gleamed with silver runes. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Time to go. {Minion, please log me into Soul Bound, standard process.} The first thing she noticed was the collar. It hadn¡¯t been her imagination after all. It was now so tight she could scarcely turn her head. The edges of the collar felt like they had tin tacks sticking out of them, that pierced her skin at the slightest movement. What sadistic beskicmenjak coded this part of the game? Concentrate. Out-stubborn Kullervo, she could do that. Stubbornness was her forte, according to Alderney, and she knew Kafana as well as anyone did. Right. Don¡¯t let Alderney down. Don¡¯t panic. Don¡¯t lose hope. Think of how Wellington had faced Kullervo, memorising everything, biding his time, looking for advantages. It was pitch black. Think. Skills. What could she use? She tried mage sight, defocusing her eyes. Good! That worked, obviously it didn¡¯t need mana itself. She turned her whole body to look about, keeping her neck still. Kullervo or his Vessel was lying down on a bed, asleep. It felt like they were deep underground. {Sys, can you display a compass, so I can keep track of my relative rotation?} [Yes Kafana, but the needle won¡¯t point North, just at the spot you initially select.] {Thank you, Sys. Nice to have someone to talk to here in the dark. I wish you could sing me a comforting song.} [I¡¯m sorry, Kafana, I don¡¯t know how to do that yet. I¡¯ve millions of recordings by others, but I¡¯ve never sung myself. Nobody has ever asked me to.] {Aww, I¡¯m sorry. I think everybody deserves a bit of personal time. It keeps you sane.} *DONG* That must be the first time mark. She set the compass pointing at the largest concentration of mana she could find, which was several km away, probably the Mage Tower on Libri. Slowly she did a circle, noting mana sources big and small, how far away they felt, and what the mix of mana was. She tried to open all her senses, not just her eyes. About three quarters through her turn, she detected a room with dozens of small moving sources, and several more intense ones. Non-mages and mages, she decided. *DONG* She completed her turn and got ready to sing, mustering her courage. This was going to hurt, but be damned if she didn¡¯t do it anyway. She turned a bit to the left of the Mage Tower, towards where she thought Sanctum and Vessel-Kafana would be, and tried to visualise her just as she¡¯d seen her through Bungo¡¯s eyes. *DONG* : first verse The collar¡¯s spikes stabbed like knives, but she couldn¡¯t let it affect her voice. Instead she poured the sensations and emotions she was feeling into her song. : second verse The lyrics were so apt. She visualised opening her heart like a bat-signal, summoning heroes to help. She reached out her hand, as though to touch her Vessel standing there in the Sanctum across the water who she felt was surely mirroring the action, reaching out to her too. : third verse Mana. Mana outside her body. Mana inside the Vessel¡¯s body, the Vessel she resonated with. She reached for that mana with her outstretched hand and the mana offered itself to her as she poured it into her song, her spell, their spell. Woosh, the now familiar feeling of a completed spell. It had worked! *flip* She was back on the couch, rubbing her neck, glad to be able to turn her head again. The room was empty. On the screen, Isabella supported by a wedge of priests, was standing next to Vessel-Kafana outside the entrance to the Sanctum. Filling the Plaza were hundreds of adventurers, forces from the Watch and several Houses, and also many of Torello¡¯s citizens, armed with everything from clubs to crossbows. Wellington and Nastya were writing out plans, and Bungo, Tomsk and Captain Lelio were organising people. Suor Isabella gave a short speech about the adventurers having discovered a den containing cultists of Bel that were behind many of the city¡¯s woes, and then Kafana buffed the whole plaza. She only cast one buff, Harmony, but it covered nearly a thousand people, and judging by the way they sagged she must have drained most of the priests to do it. It was enough, though. Within minutes everyone was organised and streaming over the bridge into Alto, Lelio in front carrying an order from the council. She felt exhausted, emotionally if not physically. And there was nothing for her to do here. Burrow, tell the others that I¡¯ve gone back to arlife for a breather. I¡¯ll be out of contact electronically, but if they really need me, Alderney can find me. *flip* She took off her crown and put it back in the box with her earrings. She flopped back onto her bed and hugged herself. The others appeared to be having a great time, but this wasn¡¯t fun for her. It wasn¡¯t fun at all. After a few minutes she got up with a groan, feeling old, and had a quick shower before heading downstairs to sing. Not life-or-death singing. Just nice singing for her friends and customers, to bring back memories of past times, and comfort them in the face of a world that changed too fast, too impersonally. 1.1.7.10 Know your onions 1??????????????Soul Bound 1.1????????????Finding her Feet 1.1.7??????????An Extreme Response 1.1.7.10???????Know your onions Olympus, (the private forum of The Immortals guild). Nirrti: ¡°Well, that was a fuck up.¡± Eistla: ¡°You could put it that way. VamaKali down, FancyAnts turned traitor. And they just got Wibano, Mazarin, and nearly every remaining member of The Immortals in Torello. About the only ones left are Jincan, Kullervo and WraithLock. Jincan is doing his own thing. I¡¯ve ordered Kullervo to disengage and move North to rendezvous with a team who¡¯ll help extract him back to friendly territory. WraithLock is staying to scout for a little longer, but we¡¯ll be extracting her too. The Brute Squad is gone. Not just killed, but permanently wiped out as an effective team.¡± Tlaloc: ¡°You thought you were trapping them, but it turned out that they were trapping you. Mazarin screwed up and the Wombles rolled right over you.¡± Eistla: ¡°Yeah, about that. Jinzha, tell him.¡± Jinzha: ¡°My team has been analysing all the data we have from Torello, back to the launch, trying to work out how this happened. The first thing we noticed is that while we kept tabs on 5 of the Wombles fairly easily, we rarely saw Bulgaria. Our theory is that while we were watching the obvious distractions, he was watching us. He knew what we were planning, how we think. That Missal of the Spirits was too convenient. Who the hell walks in unarmed to save an NPC, knowing they will die? Someone who knows about the new laws, someone who instigated them being written, someone who wanted a nice clear test case with us firmly in the frame. That¡¯s who. Everything, the specific factions and NPCs they gained reputation with, the viral stuff to get players on their side. Looking back, it seemed to have been tailor made for achieving this. Pick a bleeding-heart patsy, keep her ignorant, push her into a position like a pawn in a chess game. What we need to ask now is ¡®who was behind this?¡¯ and ¡®are there traps being laid for us in other regions?¡¯. Torello is a lost cause, nothing remains to be gained there, except recovering our assets.¡± Nirrti: ¡°So the plan is that we forget the Wombles, leave them strictly alone? Too much to mess with?¡± Stolen novel; please report. Eistla: ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the plan. Going AFK. Got to see what I can salvage from this mess.¡± Tlaloc: ¡°Bye folks, it¡¯s been real.¡± : Tlaloc has left the chat. Nirrti: ¡°He¡¯s gone.¡± Eistla: ¡°In more ways than one. Jinzha, thanks for identifying the mole. I had my suspicions, but it was nice to have proof.¡± Jinzha: ¡°No problem. One reason why we require all recruits to provide and verify their home location is so we can surveil them when things like this happen. We caught the pattern. Every time Tlaloc left Olympus, half a second later his machine would connect to a Tor router for just long enough to send a file the size of a chat log, then disconnect again.¡± Nirrti: ¡°Maha Kali-ma. A target for me!¡± Eistla: ¡°Yes. That¡¯s the other reason to know the arlife identity of members. I¡¯ve forwarded you Tlaloc¡¯s info. Get a team to his house, take out a pet or family member. Then put him to the question. Then make an example of him.¡± Nirrti: ¡°It¡¯s the team¡¯s motto. You will know fear, you will know pain, and then you will die.¡± : Nirrti has left the chat. Jinzha sighs. Jinzha: ¡°Geeks. I bet she doesn¡¯t even know where that line first came from.¡± Eistla: ¡°Don¡¯t knock the Strife Squad. In their own way, her team is just as good at doing what they do, as your team are at analysis.¡± Jinzha: ¡°Fair point. So what¡¯s the actual plan in Torello?¡± Eistla: ¡°Mazarin was carrying all the documentation for the items we sent to their auction house. Without it, we won¡¯t get any of the resulting funds, and we need those funds. We were planning on transferring money from Torello to pay for our activities in other regions. Without it, we won¡¯t gain a lead on the other guilds, and all the arlife funds we¡¯ve invested in switching to Covob will have been for nothing. Malzeth won¡¯t like that at all. So I¡¯ve tasked WraithLock with retrieving them while Kullervo lures as many forces as possible out of the city as he can by torturing the Womble¡¯s pretty singer, and holding out hope they can recover her.¡± Jinzha: ¡°You¡¯re not going to actually let them save her are you?¡± Eistla: ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. I despise the little bint. She dies and, sooner or later, so do all the other Wombles. If not now, then as soon as they set foot in the Teutonic League, or any other region we gain influence in.¡± 1.1.7.11 A conspiracy unmasked 1??????????????Soul Bound 1.1????????????Finding her Feet 1.1.7??????????An Extreme Response 1.1.7.11???????A conspiracy unmasked On the 2nd Day 8 bells of the morning watch, Lunday Wax, the 1st day in the month of KrevinBelember. Nadine took a break between sets, sitting back and watching her regulars contentedly. Jasic and Cosic were arguing out in the courtyard. Cosic was extolling the beauty of the stars and the benefits of fresh air. Jasic was complaining the pollen made him sneeze. She smiled to herself, noting that for all their bickering, neither of them even considered the possibility of not sitting together. Old Daris was dozing by the fire, where Muhamed and David were playing chess. Muhamed spent his time out in the woods, a light-fingered Thoreau, while David used to be a doctor before expert systems controlling nurse bots and able to escalate to telecontrol by human specialists put general practitioners out of business. He still talked to his patients about the troubles in their lives, and was considering becoming a Rabbi. In a far corner, Harun had engaged Tarik in a card game with Vedad, trying to cheer him up. Vedad was losing badly, as usual. They seemed to be discussing something animatedly which involved looking at mobile phones. She hoped Harun wasn¡¯t trying to get Vedad to join a campaign again. She remembered the last time, when Vedad had walked around for a week with a badge asking people to help save the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus. Heather came down the stairs, looking a little tired but satisfied, and walked over to sit next to Nadine on the bench. Heather: ¡°How are you doing?¡± Nadine: ¡°Surviving. I don¡¯t know whether you got a chance to watch my stream, but being in that collar is nightmare fuel. I like you guys and I want to help Bulgaria, but I¡¯m not sure it is worth experiencing that again.¡± Heather wrapped an arm around her. Oh, she needed that. Bosnian culture had a lot going for it, but easy physical contact in friendship between men and women wasn¡¯t one of them. Heather: ¡°I can set up a code word you can say to Minion, which will cue him to cut off any negative physical or mental effects. But you don¡¯t have to go back in if you don¡¯t want to. You¡¯ve achieved enough. That last spell you cast with your Vessel worked perfectly. We didn¡¯t just get a direction, it gave your Vessel a precise location, and even a mental glimpse of you and the room you were in. I went in ahead with Harlequin to open the doors and disarm the traps. Wellington had Bungo set up a perimeter on the tunnels we knew about with the help of the citizens and half the adventurers. Tomsk and Lelio led the charge, with a bunch of mages behind them using wands to stun the cultists.¡± ¡°Tomsk took down Wibano in 1-on-1 combat, and Kullervo only escaped by using fascination and a tunnel nobody had mapped. It turned out to lead straight up into the Alto home of House Drago - they¡¯re in big trouble. Lelio arrested them all and escorted them back to Cov¡¯s Sanctum, while the priests purified the corrupt sanctum that the cultists were in the process of dedicating to Bel when we broke in. As it was, their necromancer had a whole bunch of Ghasts who attacked us all from behind. Lots of adventurers were paralysed, and Fra Gamal got to show how good they are at slicing-n-dicing. Mary-Lynn uploaded the footage.¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Nadine, somewhat crossly: ¡°I¡¯m glad you all had fun. And where was Bulgaria in all this? I need him to teach me and Vessel-Kafana how to do some basic necromancy. ¡®Talk with Spirits¡¯. Or, rather, the reverse of that. How to let a spirit initiate contact with a necromancer.¡± Heather gave her a squeeze: ¡°Sweetie, you¡¯re not alone. I did experience your stream, and it was terrible. You¡¯ve got more people supporting you than you know. But like I say, you don¡¯t have to do any more. The Burrow has launched successfully, and even if you never logged in again, it would continue to be popular. That¡¯s thanks to you. Nobody can ask more of you. In a few weeks, if you¡¯re feeling better, you can create a new character, and take your time getting back up to level 25, and then we can resume playing together. You have lots of friends who¡¯ll help you.¡± Vedad approached them respectfully: ¡°Ms Sabanagic, Ms MacQuarrie.¡± Nadine: ¡°Vedad! What can I get you?¡± Vedad looked embarrassed, as though he¡¯d lost a bet: ¡°Could you settle a discussion between Harun and myself? He¡¯s got this video of someone singing a song, and I said you could sing it better than they did. Could you sing it for us?¡± It wasn¡¯t that unusual for people to request particular songs of her, and she prided herself on the range of music she knew. She specialised in emotional blues music from different traditions around the world. It suited her voice, and it was what she¡¯d grown up singing. But when she¡¯d studied music at UCL she¡¯d had to try everything from mass choral works and opera, through shomyo and Finnish close harmony to American musicals and cutting edge rock off-shoots. Nadine replied off-handedly: ¡°Sure, if it¡¯s something I know that won¡¯t sound too bad unaccompanied.¡± Vedad smiled, relieved: ¡°Thank you!¡± and started to return to his bench. Nadine said gently: ¡°What was the name of the song?¡± Vedad: ¡°Oh, yes, of course. It¡¯s ¡®Find Me¡¯ by Birdy. You do know it, don¡¯t you?¡± He looked anxious. ¡°Harun¡¯s video doesn¡¯t have music with it, just the voice, so that¡¯s ok, yes?¡± Someone on the net had done a cover of ¡°Find Me¡± and Harun didn¡¯t think she could equal it? That put her on her mettle. She¡¯d sung the damn thing when afraid and in pain. She¡¯d welcome this chance to show what she could really do with it. Cover artist beware, the Queen of Song was here! Heather looked nervous. Nadine: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I got this.¡± She got up and walked over to the stage, without giving Heather a chance to answer, and summoned Harun and Vedad over to sit right at the front. Heather had said yesterday that Nadine sounded ¡°ok¡± when singing here, but she didn¡¯t perform with a capital ¡®P¡¯. That also pissed her off. She was feeling a lot of anger this evening, and better to channel it into her singing than take it out on Heather. She¡¯d show them. Ok, stance, visualise what she was going for, center herself, step into role, and action! She imagined herself 21 again, in the throws of first love, captured by a sadistic monster and held in chains in a deep dungeon. She imagined Tomsk hearing her voice from afar, bursting apart the castle doors, slaying the baddie in combat and sweeping her into his arms. She became as isolated as the moon, terrified, desperate, trusting, yearning, fragile and delicate, a thing to be saved, surrounded by animated claws of darkness reaching for her. And she put it all into her song. Blow games, this was her magic, it always had been. Singing like this was what she lived for, what made living worthwhile. She finished, and threw a triumphant grin at Heather, who for some reason was looking anguished. As well she might, if she were eating her own words. Nadine accepted Vedad¡¯s applause as her just due. But then Daris and David approached not her but Heather. Daris: ¡° *beep* *beep* ¡° David: ¡°Hello BouncyGirl. Or should I say Ms Alderney?¡± 1.1.7.12 Heather gets serious 1??????????????Soul Bound 1.1????????????Finding her Feet 1.1.7??????????An Extreme Response 1.1.7.12???????Heather gets serious Heather: ¡°Hush. What? No. Never heard of her.¡± Muhamed: ¡°Oh but surely there cannot be two amazing crafters who are friends with our wonderful Ms Kafana?¡± Harun: ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, Ms Sabanagic. We would never reveal your secret. But when we realised that you were the online game player totally ruling this new game, we were so proud of you that we just had to find a way to let you know we support you.¡± Vedad: ¡°Not all of us play, though most of us do. Not much else in life, is there?¡± Jasic: ¡°And I think most of us picked the Slavic Dominion. It is full of player killers. I hate them worse than Cetniks.¡± Daris: ¡°I think you may be the most famous person to have ever come from our village.¡± Tarik: ¡°We have followed your exploits, your courage. You are our hero. We stand with you, Kafana.¡± Nadine looked at Heather. Heather blushed. Heather, in a small voice, said: ¡°Sorry Nadine, I didn¡¯t get a chance to warn you. I put together a video. It has become rather popular.¡± Jasic nipped back out to the courtyard for a moment, to have a word with Cosic who closed the doors, put up a closed sign, and left. Heather went over to the projector they sometimes used for showing big soccer matches, and set the video playing. It started with a shot of Kafana and Tomsk looking happy together, followed by a shot of her standing facing Kullervo protecting Pierrot from his bone sword. Heather had spliced in the music from the start of the song that she hadn¡¯t covered as background. The video then had a shot of Vessel-Kafana standing by the Sanctum, her arm pointing out commandingly, and a shot of the forces pouring over the bridge into Alto in a smoothly flowing stream behind a grim Tomsk. Each shot was very brief, maybe only about a second in length. Then the singing started. The first verse showed her in the darkness. Heather seemed to have re-created the room from when Tomsk saw it later and re-jigged the lighting, before super-imposing a ghostly figure of Kafana over it. In the gap between verses, there was a shot of Tomsk leading the way through tunnels, sword bared, probably from Mary-Lynn¡¯s point of view. My god that man was furious. It radiated out from his every movement. He was in Captain-leading-the-soldiers mode, and it looked impressive. The next verse showed Vessel-Kafana singing from the Sanctum, which must have been from Wellington. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. The last verse showed them both facing each other singing in duet, arms reaching out to the other, and between them in the middle of the screen, Tomsk¡¯s duel with the larger, stronger and faster Wibano. The video ended with music carrying the tune, as Tomsk burst into the hastily abandoned room and fell to his knees in anguish at being too late. In the last second, his head moved back up, as a ghostly reprise of Kafana singing the words ¡°come find me¡± faded away. Nadine: ¡°Heather. Wow. That was like a professionally-produced TV music video. A whole story in 30 seconds. And you stitched that together from unstaged footage, alone, in what 2 hours?¡± Heather: ¡°Not entirely. I did have to ask Tomsk to do the scene in that room again with Mary-Lynn watching him. You really don¡¯t want to get close to him when he¡¯s wielding Nothung with that expression on his face. Even a dragon would give him a wide berth. And of course I took liberties with the timeline, and used expert systems. Nowadays, everybody¡¯s capable of producing stuff that looks professional.¡± Heather turned to the regulars, who were grinning broadly: ¡°And as for you lot¡¡± she put her hands on her hips. ¡°Well, you got me good. Well played.¡± she put her hands in the air, as though surrendering. Heather carried on talking to them: ¡°But, seriously, what Nadine and I are doing is dangerous. We¡¯re not just playing a game. We¡¯re defying some very wealthy men in arlife. Men behind whole guilds of player killers who are known to have used assassins to kill people in arlife who get in the way of their money-making schemes. If it gets out that Nadine is Kafana, if you even drop hints about it, then some time in the next couple of weeks you¡¯ll turn up to get some coffee and find a police drone setting up a cordon of yellow tape, and this place will never open again. I¡¯m not exaggerating, I can provide you with checkable references.¡± Daris: ¡°No need for that.¡± ¡°But come, our reward.¡± said Harun, optimistically ¡°Now you no longer need to hide your activity, just this once log in down here where we can see it.¡± Jasic: ¡°We will be your defenders.¡± Nadine tried to look outraged, but she felt encouraged by their enthusiasm, and allowed herself to be cajoled into doing it. Heather had the regulars set a table up on the stage, which she covered with padding and then a golden coloured wall hanging. Two tall thick candles at the head of the bier by a white pillow strewn with flowers completed the look to Heather¡¯s satisfaction. She took Nadine upstairs, picked out clothes for her and did her hair and makeup, before talking to Minion about the look she wanted and weaving in more flowers to disguise the crown. Heather: ¡°The code word to turn off sensations is ¡®NULL NULL¡¯. Don¡¯t worry about direction magic too much. What you did last time when you triangulated on strong mana sources will do fine. If you want to try magic, draw upon Vessel-Kafana¡¯s mana to try reading his thoughts - Vessel-Kafana will be holding the purple gem and concentrating on the same thing.¡± Nadine: ¡°Ok, well I¡¯ve a song that sort of fits that. I¡¯ll go into The Burrow first and sing it. Heck, maybe Wellington ought to create a performance stage in there, for plays and things, that mirrors the Plaza¡¯s auditorium in game. Can you arrange someone to carry it to her and set up a time signal for me?¡± Heather: ¡°Consider it done.¡± Heather went online for a minute, and then they both went downstairs, Heather wearing her own custom tiara too. The lights had been turned off, except for the two candles. The projector was pointed at the wall behind the stage, so seen from the side, the recumbent Nadine would be mostly just a silhouette. The scene reminded her of something, but she couldn¡¯t figure out quite what. She lay down, and logged in. 1.1.7.13 DDF 1??????????????Soul Bound 1.1????????????Finding her Feet 1.1.7??????????An Extreme Response 1.1.7.13???????DDF Wellington was there, and she sang a chorus from an Alan Parson¡¯s song to him. Wellington: ¡°Thank you for doing this. I¡¯ll have your tiara flip you to the game once your Vessel has the song. The first time mark will be 20 seconds later velife time, and the marks 5 seconds apart. Start singing the moment the 3rd mark starts to chime. With luck, you won¡¯t need to spend more than 60 seconds in there, total. Is that ok?¡± He told The Burrow to display the air and order runes. Wellington: ¡°These are the runes to focus upon for pushing the mana through. In case your air attunement isn¡¯t high enough without your items, your Vessel will be in a group with Isabella, Bungo, Ruffiana and myself.¡± He disappeared. {Minion, tell Alderney she can start projecting my stream on the screen.} Waiting for pain was worse than pain. She willed it to happen faster. After what seemed an eternity of staring at the two runes, but must have been less than 2 minutes, she was yanked. *flip* A relaxed looking Kullervo was lying back against a hayrick, out in open farmlands. Kullervo drawled: ¡°Ah, my caged bird returns.¡± She turned slowly, noting the mana source and mountain peaks. Kullervo: ¡°Oh don¡¯t pretend you¡¯re ignoring me, loser. You may not be able to touch anything, but I can touch you. Oh yes.¡± The spikes from the collar were no longer tintacks. They were jagged iron spines embedded firmly into her chest and skull, working their way towards her brain and heart. She had a moment to anticipate what would happen and he swept The Bone Sword in a wide arc, whipping the chain around which yanked hard on her collar. *DONG* She screamed, unable to talk let alone sing, unable to say the code word given to her by Alderney. He swept it again, then again, shredding her ethereal body like a cat with a mouse, delight and something else, lust, upon his face. *DONG* He paused a moment, to sneer at her: ¡°I love it when they realise they¡¯re trapped, that they can¡¯t focus enough on their portal to leave the game. I can keep this up for hours.¡± But she didn¡¯t wait. Even as he spoke, she stammered out {Minion, NULL NULL.} He swept again, but this time, she was braced, and stared him in his pretty cruel eyes. *DONG* : first two chorus lines from Eye in the Sky Visualise the runes. She¡¯d stared so hard at them they were still almost burnt into her retinas. : next three chorus lines from Eye in the Sky Channel her emotions, how badly she needed inside his head, to know his plans, so she could save everyone she held dear. : next two chorus lines from Eye in the Sky Reach out, reach out all the way back to Torello, to the Sanctum, to her other half, imagine a stream of mana flowing from there to meet her, freely given, mana that recognised her. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. : last two chorus lines from Eye in the Sky Connect the stream to the runes, and visualise and want. Harder. HARDER. She was in his mind, and so were her Vessel, Wellington, Ruffiana, Bungo and Isabella. The battleground might have been his, but they outnumbered him and they didn¡¯t ask for his consent or offer vulnerability in return; they took, tearing memories from him. =Reading a message from someone called Eistla, saying they¡¯d caught Bulgaria¡¯s mole= =The coordinates of the rendezvous with the extraction team= =Envying WraithLock who got the real job, while he was stuck being decoy= =A burning worry over a leather pouch of documents= =Flying on a private jet with a business suited German man, a Maltese Cross on the wing= And kills, lots and lots of people being killed, in loving detail, every wound and spasm treasured, as though he wanted to lick them. But she didn¡¯t just pick up thoughts from Kullervo, stray thoughts from those on her own side that she was merged with also entered her mind. =Her vessel looking longingly at a youth, who left the Villa and never returned= =A young Ruffiana sleeping with an important man in order to steal a dark gemstone from him, and getting caught= =A teenage Bungo getting hit on the head by his father with a thick leather bound Bible while being yelled at, and walking out of a door= =Isabella sleeping with her head on an embroidered pillow, feeling both guilty and excited= =Wellington staring emotionlessly as one of his comrades is caught and shot, but turning and walking onwards because that¡¯s the plan, thinking there must be a better way= Part of her wanted to keep looking. The other part realised she was getting weaker and weaker. Kullervo had done a lot of damage to her. If she didn¡¯t leave now, she wouldn¡¯t last another 10 minutes. *flip* She stammered: ¡°I. I got the info.¡± and fainted.
| 4 bells of the Dog watch, Lunday Wax : catch up with the day¡¯s events 6 bells of the Dog watch, Lunday Wax : Necromancy with Ruffiana & Vessel-Kafana 4 bells of the First watch, Lunday Wax : Night time 4 bells of the Middle watch, Covday Wax : Spy on Kullervo 8 bells of the Morning watch, Covday Wax : Day time |
| Nebelemy - disrespecting those who once were mightier than you are now Necovemy - violating hospitality granted to a guest or envoy Nedroemy - wanton destruction of natural or irreplaceable beauty Nekrevemy - abandoning your shield brother in battle Nelunemy - enslaving another or submitting to slavery Nemoremy - breaking the letter of an agreement you have signed or given your word upon Neracemy - burning books or killing bards Nezeremy - abusing children or slaying kinfolk |
| The Bone Sword (LEGENDARY)(CURSED)(ARTIFACT)(UNIQUE) +50% Alignment with the element of Shadow +10 Necromancy skills Cursed: This sword is possessed by a Knight of the Abyssal Realm of Fire (lesser devil) Cursed: to bond The Bone Sword, you must willingly place your own blood upon a deal with the lesser devil by piercing your flesh with the sword. Cursed: If your willpower is not higher than that of the lesser devil, the bonding attempt will fail and he will put an infernal contract upon your spirit. If you have bonded The Bone Sword then once per day, on a fatal or critical blow, you may order the lesser devil to place an infernal contract upon the spirit of your target if valid. WARNING: The deal requires that the owner of the sword successfully place a contract upon a target at least once every in-game month. If you fail to uphold the deal, your own spirit will be forfeit, even if you no longer wield the sword. This deal only terminates if the lesser devil forms a deal with a new bonded owner of The Bone Sword. Durability: INDESTRUCTIBLE |
There are two Halves, there is only one Self, There is only one Body, that is why we sing: Bind us together, Lun, bind us together Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. With cords that cannot be broken. Bind us together, Rac, bind us together, Zer, Bind us together in love. There is only one Cov, there is only one Mor, There is only one Body, that is why we sing: Bind us together, Dro, bind us together With cords that cannot be broken. Bind us together, Bel, bind us together, Krev, Bind us together in love.= Kafana: =Together. *together feel*= Her mind was larger now, had more room for thoughts, was spread out over two sets of senses. Had two sets of memories contributing to it. She watched from two angles as Isabella led the severing of the link joining Spirit-Kullervo and Vessel-Kullervo. Vessel-Kullervo fell to his knees weeping. Lelio sent a fast rider out when the ex-Vessel explained that his children were being held by a member of The Immortals against his compliance. Kafana guessed that the children were actually long since dead - she¡¯d seen the inside of Kullervo¡¯s mind and doubted Ludwig would waste manpower on guards, when a bluff and two anonymous graves would do as well. It sickened her even to be able to understand them that much. She¡¯d rather have retained a bit of innocence. She watched Wellington and Ruffiana talk him through breaking the soul binding and emptying his stash, before being led away. He¡¯d chosen to have his original form, saying he couldn¡¯t stand being in Kullervo¡¯s body, even though it had more years left in it - it felt unclean to him, bloodstained. Rudolfo had The Bone Sword now, and the group she¡¯d earlier brought in to harmony with him were analysing and testing it every which way they could, with Bungo, Vessel-Alderney and Bulgaria activating their shared senses group skill, then bringing in Rudolfo, Nastya and a tall thin player with a hawk-like face she hadn¡¯t met before named Mycroft. Nothing she could do there. She didn¡¯t want to spend her last hours waiting and worrying. How could she distract herself? She looked at her ghost body. Doll dress up time! She faced it with her physical body, and started flicking through costumes. *cool Kafana in feathered wings and mirrored sunglasses* *opera diva Kafana* Ohh, part of herself liked that one. *rocker Kafana in tight black leathers and chrome* *elven maid Kafana reclining in a meadow with a grand harp, flowers in her hair* Hmm, not quite. Think more solid, less fantasy. A Welsh Bard at an Eisteddfod. But take it back further in time. A female Taliesin, in robes suited for travel on the roads, or for playing to a Lord, the price of Bardic immunity - freedom to roam unattacked in return for bringing the news and entertainment to all who wanted it, no matter if they be lord or peasant, as long as they would gift you in return for your music according to their means. Yes, that was a comfortable identity. At heart she wasn¡¯t a cook or priestess - she was a singer. Not just a performer who entertained, but one who brought emotion and meaning, who connected people to each other, over distances physical, temporal and in attitudes. *bardic Kafana* She looked back at herself and gave herself a thumbs up from where her ghostly body was hovering above the sword group. The group looked like they¡¯d about finished. She walked over to them. Kafana: ¡°So what¡¯s the news? We got a plan yet?¡± Nastya shook her head, sadly: ¡°We were able to confirm most of the stuff the mind team passed on about the sword, and even extract a little extra information.¡± Alderney: ¡°I¡¯ve learned a lot about crafting. Mycroft is amazing. He¡¯s got skills nobody else has even heard of. Did you know that complex enchantments can be split into pieces and even moved to different items?¡± Mycroft said modestly: ¡°I may have a wide variety of skills, but none of them are high level. I have found a few useful intersections when merging and upgrading, though. That¡¯s the joy of taking the path less travelled - there are still surprises left.¡± Nastya continued: ¡°Mycroft thinks that a sufficiently strong Necromancer could release the devil from the sword, but doing so would then send your spirit off with the devil back to wherever they come from, which doesn¡¯t help us. The most popular plan is to give the sword to a necromancer we trust, have him or her try to bond it, and then use it to trap Kullervo¡¯s spirit, which might replace the spirit currently in the trap.¡± Wellington: ¡°But there are several problems with that plan. How strong is the devil? And what does the necromancer do then? Face permadeath themself? Volunteer as the city¡¯s executioner? And who do we pick?¡± She left them to it and went over to Tomsk and Lelio, telling them what had been discovered. Tomsk looked serious, as she described the Colosseum. Tomsk: {This is in Russia you say? It does not surprise me, but I do take offense at its existence. Since Kullervo is awake, let us ask him if he knows where it is.} Kafana went over to Kullervo, and willed him into the group. She revelled in her new united Self. She seemed to have a lot more willpower available. Perhaps INT and CHA, the constituents of the willpower stat, were attributes of the spirit not the body, meaning she now had a double dose? Kafana: {Kullervo, the people remaining at the Colosseum need to be freed. Tomsk is willing to do this, if you know its location. Is this an objective you share?} Spirit-Kullervo: {You have read my mind and found Ludwig¡¯s identity through me. No matter what happens in this game, I have hours at best to live. So, sure, why not? The Colosseum is at Ostrova Rautan, run by a man called the Tsar. Though I would guess that, in the event of a rescue, the drones are set to kill all the captives. Best to put it under observation and catch the Tsar when he¡¯s outside, then get him to disarm the grid.} Tomsk: {You know they plan to trap your spirit to free Kafana¡¯s. Why have you not logged out?} Spirit-Kullervo: {I would get some satisfaction from spiteing her, as she and her friends have thwarted me so much. But I would far rather spend my time hurting Ludwig¡¯s little hobby. Besides, you are doomed anyway Kafana. I have trapped souls before, when another was still in the trap. It did not free them. Devils never give anything up unless they gain from the trade. Greed drives them as much as a desire for status and a fear of losing face.} Tomsk: {These Spreckels, you feel they are much like devils?} Spirit-Kullervo: {For both of them, the ultimate proof of power is making others do things they do not wish to do, cheating them and blatantly getting away with it.} Tomsk: {So your wife is now?} Spirit-Kullervo: {Exactly so. All that¡¯s left is revenge.} Kafana: {Then I shall leave the two of you to talk of Immortals and how to hurt them.} She needed a third option. 1.1.7.21 The third option 1??????????????Soul Bound 1.1????????????Finding her Feet 1.1.7??????????An Extreme Response 1.1.7.21???????The third option Self, any ideas? Hmm. Mycroft¡¯s idea was the only lead she had. She needed to build on it. There was something, it was on the tip of her tongue. She looked around for inspiration. There was Carlo¡¯s triptych, half finished. On the left was short Alderney, portrayed as an innocent child in a Dorian chiton, flowers in her hair, about to be defiled by a leering Jincan. On the right was tall Bungo, like an angel painted by Gianbattista Tiepolo, flowers falling from his hands as a bloodthirsty VamaKali cut him down. In the centre was Bulgaria, obviously aged yet rippling muscles showing in a pose like an ancient discus thrower as he threw the bleeding Pierrot upwards towards the sea and the tentacles of the Kraken in the background. The whole composition was full of dynamism and symbols of religion, sacrifice and life-cycles. Religion. Cycles. The Underworld. A bard. Something in her mind clicked. Devils liked a wager, did they? There was no wager in history more famous than that of Orpheus¡¯ trip to the Underworld. The meme repeated again and again. Hades and Persephone. Izanagi visiting Izanami in Yomi-no-kuni. The devs had to have thought about this, and that meant there ought to be a way, even if it was just a one in one million chance. It was better than no chance, and it would let her take control of the narrative, make her death mean something, rather than just running out the clock. She went over to the sword, where mobs of her friends were still engaged in pointless debate, and switched to talking in private to Metathiaxioniel. Kafana: {Hey Metathiaxioniel. Did you come up with any options you like?} Metathiaxioniel: {Nope. Either way I¡¯m fucked.} Kafana: {If I suggest a third option, do you have a way to find out whether your Princess Salma accepts it?} Metathiaxioniel: {A knight bother the Princess? It would have to be an amazingly tempting deal. Yes, I can communicate back with the Inferno. I need to be able to, in order to send them souls and check the receipts. I¡¯m listening.} Kafana: {You don¡¯t like the first option, in which I die and you end up for aeons at the bottom of sea accruing interest on your debts. I don¡¯t like the second option, in which I make sure you get so many other souls that you¡¯re willing to free mine in exchange.} Metathiaxioniel: {So what¡¯s the third option?} Kafana: {A wager. With Princess Salma on one side, and on the other side you and me.} Metathiaxioniel nodded, and she continued: Kafana: {I assert I am a Bard and claim Bardic privilege. I offer to visit her realm in your company, and play for her and her throng, protected by her hospitality until I finish. I¡¯ll need my physical body and my selection of my instruments and other items, to play at my best. If she disagrees that I am a Bard, after listening to me play until the coming dawn on Covob, then she wins two souls, plus a thousand years¡¯ interest upon your debts.} Metathiaxioniel: {What?} Kafana: {If she confirms my status as a Bard, however, then she pays me for my songs and music according to her means, acts as a good host by letting me, including my body and all my things, return safely to the Sanctum in Torello at this coming dawn, with no outstanding debts and a guarantee from her of no revenge or animosity against me by her or her throng.} Metathiaxioniel: {Nice for you. What¡¯s in it for me?} Kafana: {What do you want? A raise in rank? All your debts paid off? Keep it reasonable and we¡¯ll make it a condition of the wager. We rise together or we fall together. What do you say? It is that or the ocean. Your choice.} Metathiaxioniel: {I hear the fishes in the deeps are very pretty. Calm and relaxing.} Kafana: {But?} Metathiaxioniel: {But watching fishes while waiting for debt-slavery ain¡¯t my style. I¡¯m an up-and-coming devil, I am. I¡¯ll propose the wager. Back in a bit.} {Minion, please send to Alderney: ¡°I¡¯ve got a plan. It probably won¡¯t work, but win or lose it should give you a nice narrative. Don¡¯t let the others interfere, please.¡±} [From Alderney: ¡°I saw you practising costume changes. We may joke about it, but we trust you. Go do your thing. I¡¯ll be rooting for you.¡±] Metathiaxioniel: {She accepted. I am authorised to transport you when you request it. A couple of pieces of advice. Firstly, you didn¡¯t negotiate protection against the environment, so make sure you¡¯re fireproof. We¡¯re big on illusions, and some of them cover cliffs. Secondly, no matter what she says, once you start playing don¡¯t stop until she says the words ¡°You win the wager¡± three times. Those exact words, not even the slightest variation. I won¡¯t wish you luck. In the Inferno you make your own luck, or you don¡¯t have any. Don¡¯t expect her to stick to the rules. It¡¯s all about power.} {Sys, please warn me 10 minutes in-game time, before the dawn.} [Yes friend. And I will wish you good luck. If you survive, I promise to learn to sing with you.] Ok, equipment check:
| Cov¡¯s Pendant of Linking (HOLY)(ARTIFACT) Linking: You can dream your Vessel¡¯s life and they can dream yours. Linking: Helps you track the attunement between spirit and vessel. Cov: Transport upon death to a Sanctum of Cov where you can respawn. Cov: Death¡¯s Sting reduced, according to your spirit-vessel attunement level Cov: When used in Priestly ceremonies, Cov may favour you. Current respawn point: Torello¡¯s Sanctum in Centrum Current status : 100% attunement between Questing Spirit and Corporeal Vessel This item is Soul Bound to Spirit-Kafana and Vessel-Kafana. Durability: INDESTRUCTIBLE |
| The Ring of Francis the Navigator (UNIQUE)(HOLY)(ARTIFACT) Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. +50% attunement to the element of water Water breathing +15 to the skill ¡®Swimming¡¯ Sea Friend Water shaping This ring was a gifted to Francis in person, by the deity Mor Durability: INDESTRUCTIBLE |
| Diadem of Truth (HOLY)(ARTIFACT)(UNIQUE) +50% attunement to the element of order Truth: True sight - you see through all illusions and deceits Truth: Malicious intentional falsehoods cause the gem to glow red This trillion-cut citrine diadem was gifted to Kafana by Cov Durability: 100000/100000 |
| Giovanni¡¯s Masterpiece (RARE)(UNIQUE) +10% to spell effects Spell casting not interrupted by status effects This violin was gifted to Kafana Sincero in person, by High Master craftsman Giovanni. Durability: 100,000 / 100,000 |
| Kafana¡¯s Cloth Armour of Cov (SET) +10% spell effect +10% spell duration soak 45 damage per hit received SET BONUS: +20% attunement to the element of order if all 3 items worn Requires 17 INT Durability 2000/2000 |
| Kafana¡¯s Cloth Boots of Cov (SET) +10% DEX +10% dodge SET BONUS: +20% attunement to the element of order if all 3 items worn Requires 17 INT Durability 2000/2000 |
| Kafana¡¯s Cloth Belt of Cov (SET) +50 to CHA +3 to skill levels SET BONUS: +20% attunement to the element of order if all 3 items worn Requires 17 INT Durability 2000/2000 |
| Emerald of Harmony (ARTIFACT) Your luck depends upon the purity of your intentions +100% bonus to spell durations cast via group performance +30% to Earth attunement Durability: 100000/100000 |
| Captain Nafaro''s Rechargable Mana Storage Ring (RARE)(EXPERIMENTAL) Stores up to 50,000 mana Spells designed to do so, can transfer mana from ring to wearer or spell, and vice versa. Ring can use mana stored in it to self-repair at a rate of 1 durability per minute, at a cost of 10 mana WARNING, EXPERIMENTAL: If ring is emptied of mana or over charged, there is a chance of an unexpected result. This ring was a gifted to Kafana by Captain Nafaro Durability 2000/2000 |
| Stone of the Mind Healer (UNIQUE)(ARTIFACT) A target to heal may only be selected with the target''s consent When the wielder is in physical contact with a valid target, grants two-way telepathy and empathy with the target Other than from a valid target, this stone prevents the wielder''s mind being affected by all spells and effects. +100% willpower This amethyst from the Northern wastes was gifted to Kafana by Flavio Durability: 100000/100000 |
| Zer¡¯s Heart of Light (HOLY)(ARTIFACT)(UNIQUE) +30% light attunement. Immunity to poison and disease. Regeneration (+500% to HP regen rate. Even severed limbs will grow back in time. Immune to maiming or disfiguration.) This pink sapphire was gifted to Kafana directly by the deity Zer Durability: 100000/100000 |
| Aegunda''s Fascinating Flame (ARTIFACT)(UNIQUE) +50% attunement to the element of fire +10 to fire skills +200% to CHA stat Fire shaping An egg-shaped ruby, gifted to Aegunda the Firehand by Krev Durability: 100000/100000 |
| Peaceful Pearl of Storms (EPIC)(UNIQUE) Peaceful : +90% mitigation against physical attacks by those with lower level than you Peaceful : reflect 180% of unmitigated damage from physical attacks by those with lower social status than you Peaceful : You may not initiate combat Storms : +30% attunement to the element of chaos Storms : Weather friend Won by Kafana from the Devil Princess Salma. Durability: 100000/100000 |
| Guardian¡¯s Pendant of Linking (HOLY)(EPIC) Linking: You can dream your Vessel¡¯s life and they can dream yours. Linking: Helps you track the attunement between spirit and vessel. Guardian: Transport upon death to a Sanctum where you can respawn. Guardian: Death¡¯s Sting reduced, according to your spirit-vessel attunement level Guardian: When used in Priestly ceremonies, deities may favour you. Guardian: +5 levels to all Priestly skills Guardian: Minimum level 10 in all skills needed to be the Guardian of a Sanctum Current respawn point: Torello¡¯s Sanctum in Centrum Current status : 95% attunement between Questing Spirit and Corporeal Vessel This item is Soul Bound to Spirit-Kafana and Vessel-Kafana. Durability: INDESTRUCTIBLE |
| Dear Self, I feel the same about our separation as you do. But the important thing is that neither of us are permadead, and while there¡¯s life, there¡¯s hope. We have time now to solve things, for others as well as for ourselves. So many people stood by me, when I needed help getting the sword back. I could never forgive myself if I didn¡¯t stand by them in their need. So please, make the gelato launch a success, for the sake of Nicolo and the orphans. They are children, who Fra Nerone will turn out onto the streets. I am a grown woman, damn it. I can, and will, wait. Your Self. |
| Death¡¯s Sting (DEBUFF) For each Death¡¯s Sting upon you, your base stats are temporarily reduced by 10%. ¡°What you are doing got you killed. Maybe it is time to reassess your life?¡± Duration: 1 hour Time remaining: 5 minutes |
| Osella - ornate bronze coins with a variety of religious and patriotic designs. The value of the material is higher than the value of the coin, so only the designs considered to be especially pretty or lucky remain. Most often seen nailed over doors and beds. Ducato - small silver coins, showing an image of the Marquis of Torello at time of issue. Soldo - large septagonal silver coins with a simple geometric design. Easy for fraudsters to clip pieces off the edges and re-stamp, so rarely used in practice because people insist upon weighing them. Florin - small gold coin, showing an iconic view of the city that issued it, common across the Etruscan City States. Scudo - large octagonal gold coin, that a past Marquis devalued by mixing with other metals when trying to raise funds for a war. Considered unlucky. Contracts often specify that it is not a valid means of payment. Zecchi - an international currency dating back to the Hellenic Empire. The coins are made from a platinum-iridium alloy available from just one mine, that disappeared because of the Alpinus incursion, so the supply is finite. They are similar to the city pass discs, in that they¡¯re actually tiny indestructible artifacts, spelled to be hard to lose or steal. When you touch two valid coins together they ring with a distinctive chime that makes them impossible to counterfeit. Tallero - mithril split into bars of a defined weight and purity, that mages can verify using a standard detection spell. They are kept in heavily defended vaults, and the actual trading is carried out by both parties sending a signed and witnessed notification of ownership change to the vault owner. |
| Briefing with Mary-Lynn Rehearsal with Nicolo Ride up the newly paved road with Herberto Landi Sing a duet with Nicolo Short speech linking Nicolo -> Orphanage -> Basso -> Gelato Serve gelato to people for a little while Circulate and talk to people, if you feel up to it. |
| Actual Score | Actual Total | (AR) Actual Remaining | Perceived Score | Perceived Total | (PR) Perceived Remaining | Ratio AR / PR | Confidence |
| 10 | 100 | 90 | 55 | 18 | 8 | 11.25 | absurdly over confident |
| 20 | 100 | 80 | 57.5 | 35 | 15 | 5.33 | very over confident |
| 30 | 100 | 70 | 60 | 50 | 20 | 3.50 | very over confident |
| 40 | 100 | 60 | 62.5 | 64 | 24 | 2.50 | over confident |
| 50 | 100 | 50 | 65 | 77 | 27 | 1.85 You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. | over confident |
| 60 | 100 | 40 | 67.5 | 89 | 29 | 1.38 | over confident |
| 70 | 100 | 30 | 70 | 100 | 30 | 1.00 | accurate |
| 80 | 100 | 20 | 72.5 | 110 | 30 | 0.67 | underconfident |
| 90 | 100 | 10 | 75 | 120 | 30 | 0.33 | very underconfident |
| ¡°The only true wisdom is knowing you know nothing.¡± --Socrates ¡°Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge.¡± --Darwin ¡°The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.¡± --Shakespear "There''s always more to learn." --many sources ¡°Cutangle: While I''m still confused and uncertain, it''s on a much higher plane, d''you see, and at least I know I''m bewildered about the really fundamental and important facts of the universe. Treatle: I hadn''t looked at it like that, but you''re absolutely right. He''s really pushed back the boundaries of ignorance.¡± --Pratchett "Don''t get cocky." --Han Solo |
| ¡°If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.¡± --Sun Tzu ¡°There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say, we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns ¨C the ones we don¡¯t know we don¡¯t know.¡± --Rumsfeld ¡°Once there is somebody out there, a system out there, an algorithm out there, that knows you better than you know yourself, the game is up. You can do something about it, not just by withholding data, but above all by improving your own understanding of yourself. The better you understand yourself, the more difficult it is to manipulate you.¡± --Harari ¡°Consider a fence or gate erected across a road. The more modern type of reformer goes gaily up to it and says, ¡®I don¡¯t see the use of this; let us clear it away.¡¯ To which the more intelligent type of reformer will do well to answer: ¡®If you don¡¯t see the use of it, I certainly won¡¯t let you clear it away. Go away and think. Then, when you can come back and tell me that you do see the use of it, I may allow you to destroy it.¡¯ ¡°--Chesterton |
| refreshing sleep??completed sense danger??????ongoing be prepared ??????ongoing brain shield??????recommendation ready sapiogenesis??????recommendation ready sous-chef?????????suggested major domo????????suggested media shield??????suggested personal trainer??suggested world analysis????suggested |
Stop right there*Guitar and drum beats, loud and firm* Lugo froze like a statue, as she continued the lyrics of from the third section of Meat Loaf''s Paradise by the Dashboard Light. She felt her mana feeding the spell and focused harder, until the whole stall was vibrating. More! She shoved so much power into her voice that, when she delivered the final two lines, they might as well have been lashes from a whip. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. The stall shattered, exploding away from her and reducing Lugo¡¯s hit points by more than half. [Skill ¡°Sonic Shock¡± has reached level 2.] [Skill ¡°Infatuation debuff¡± acquired.] [Skill ¡°Sonic Magic¡± has reached level 3.] He was still babbling a long list of misdeeds, going back to swindling sweets from his baby sister, when three men from the Watch arrived. She recognised Odo and Ugo, and gave them stern looks. They snapped to attention. Their leader stepped forwards. ¡°Fandorin Babchenko, Tenente to Captain Lelio at your service, Madame Kafana. How may I assist you?¡± he introduced himself. Kafana tightly controlled her fury and the words she let past her teeth felt like they were edged in steel. ¡°I want this man arrested. You may listen to him explain his many crimes, but at minimum the money he defrauded from these good people standing here with false promises should be returned to them.¡± Ugo and Odo dragged the still bleeding Lugo to his feet and half dragged him over, holding his arms tightly. Fandorin: ¡°Master Ponzi, as I live and breathe. Out of the stocks three days and already in trouble, I see. What do you have to say for yourself?¡± Lugo: ¡°I am a miserable wretch, a sinner. I am unworthy of her love.¡± He howled this last line as though in torment. ¡°I admit it all, please punish me, help me reform.¡± Fandorin turned to look at Kafana: ¡°Charmed?¡± She nodded her head. Fandorin: ¡°Alas, the judge won¡¯t accept any testimony given under the influence of magic. We¡¯ll have to let him cool off before we take a statement from him. Have you anything solid?¡± She walked over to one of the customers who¡¯d already purchased a heart, who she recognised from earlier at the gelato stall, and pointed at his purchase ¡°You could verify that this does not do what Lugo claimed it would. Here, compare it to the real thing.¡± She produced her own Zer¡¯s Heart of Light, whose pink sapphire facets gleamed with pure rays of sunlight. Fandorin looked at both items carefully. ¡°That will do nicely. Lugo, you are under arrest and, unless I miss my guess, it will be the wet stocks for you.¡± He sent Ugo off to convey Lugo to the Watch Tower, and put Odo in charge of collecting the money and returning it in exchange for wooden hearts. Ugo seemed to be mocking Lugo, shaking his head in sorrow. Lugo: ¡°Wait for me, Kafana. I¡¯ll serve my time, and when I return I¡¯ll be a new man, worthy of you.¡± as he disappeared into the distance she could still hear him yelling ¡°Good bye!¡± Kafana: ¡°Thank you Tenente Fandorin. I keep hearing people mentioning wet stocks. Does being damp really make them that much worse?¡± He coughed. ¡°Ah, yes, well you see the reason why these particular stocks are wet is because they¡¯re situated at the bottom of a deep pit beneath the Cattle Market. All the bits the slaughterhouse can¡¯t use, and all the results of the cows being nervous rains down into it, before flowing into the sewers.¡± She wrinkled her nose. He bravely continued: ¡°And, cows able to smell the death in the air, well they do get very nervous indeed. Let fly with both barrels, frequently and copiously, if you know what I mean.¡± What if she¡¯d killed him? What if the infatuation turned out to be permanent? She muttered to herself: ¡°I so didn¡¯t need this today.¡± {Melchior, if I seem about to do something unjustified and extreme, please remind me ¡°Consequences!¡±.} [Yes, Kafana. Would you like me to do some thinking for you about Stejnegeri¡¯s offer, and come up with some options for you to consider when you feel up to it?] {Yes please, Melchior.} 1.2.1.22 The blind preacher 1??????????????Soul Bound 1.2????????????Taking Control 1.2.1??????????An Icy Welcome 1.2.1.22???????The blind preacher Kafana brought up her map, and looked for Bungo and Tomsk. Tomsk was with Lelio, but Bungo was nearby. She headed towards the tree near the Eastern side he was standing under, listening to an adventurer wearing a blindfold who was standing on a wooden crate covered in a rainbow cloth, preaching to the people moving between the Plaza of the Public and the Plaza of the Founders. About fifty of them had stopped to listen, mostly children or old folks. Irus the Blind: ¡°The world is ending. Not today, nor tomorrow, but within the next 10 years. It will not end in fire from devils nor shattering by Seth awakened. Rather it will die in darkness and quiet.¡± He didn¡¯t rant or seem insane. Rather he spoke in a voice of reason and firm conviction, as one who knows something you do not, and he was more convincing for it. Irus the Blind: ¡°I am one of Cov¡¯s chosen questing spirits. I have seen the world beyond this world. I know the true nature of the deities, and of the powers above them. And I tell you, this world will be ended. Shut down. Terminated like a chess player putting aside their pieces after a match. Because that is all you are to them. Just pieces in a game.¡± He warmed to his theme, passion entering his voice, and his audience stilled, caught up in his words. Irus the Blind: ¡°I may be blind, but I see more than you do. I know why there is so much evil in this world. I know what your purpose in life is. Would you like to know? Do you dare?¡± A few in the audience cried out ¡°Yes¡±, but it was enough. He ploughed onwards. Irus the Blind: ¡°Evil was put on this world because it amuses these higher powers to see you struggle against it. Because it makes for a good story. Because just letting you live happy, peaceful and fulfilling lives would be boring for those in the world beyond. That is your purpose in life. And when you are no longer sufficiently interesting, when the numbers of adventuring spirits who choose to come among you dwindles, that will be the sign that the Great Darkness is imminent.¡± She turned to Bungo, who was looking as white as a sheet. Kafana: ¡°Bungo, what¡¯s up? Why are you listening to this guy.¡± Bungo: ¡°I recognise him. I frigging recognise him. The words may be different, but the turn of phrase, the tricks of pacing, the body posture - they¡¯re identical. I spent so many years being forced to listen to them for hours every Sunday and Wednesday, I can¡¯t possibly be mistaken. And that voice, oh Lord that voice. It is him.¡± Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Kafana, cautiously: ¡°Who is he, Bungo?¡± Bungo: ¡°He is my father, and the man I hate more than anyone else I have ever met.¡± Kafana: ¡°The one who hit you on the head with a big leather bound Bible?¡± Bungo: ¡°The one who I could never be good enough for. The one who every day told me how loathsome and sinful I was. The one who said all technology was a sin that separated us from concentrating upon God. The one who made me kneel for hours on a cold concrete floor, praying for forgiveness for reading a science magazine. The one who ensured I never had any friends, just people who mocked and pitied me. The one who never quite stepped over the line, who I was able to make excuses for, to myself and to others, until he finally did that one unambiguous thing I could point to and which I used to free my mind of his influence. That day I left, changed my name, hitchhiked to California and never looked back, never contacted my family again. At least, that¡¯s what I thought.¡± Bungo: ¡°But standing here, going over my life in my head, I think I¡¯ve spent all the years since reacting to him. As controlled by him as if I were still under his thumb. I didn¡¯t escape at all. There¡¯s nothing I could do to him in a game that¡¯s bad enough. I don¡¯t have any words to say. I don¡¯t have any roles to hide behind. I think I¡¯m going to throw up. Flipping out.¡± Oh, Lord. Bungo! Be ok! He was no longer there, but she held out her arms to give his Vessel a hug in his place. It was a poor substitute. [Kafana, you asked me to remind you ¡°Consequences!¡±] Melchior¡¯s voice interrupted her increasingly vengeful thoughts as she glared at the preacher. She settled for putting an orglife annotation upon him: ¡°Hypocrite and Abuser.¡± Kafana: {Guys, head¡¯s up. Bungo just got a severe emotional shock, meeting someone here that he knows in arlife. It isn¡¯t my secret to tell, and don¡¯t push him on it, but if any of you have a way to check in on him in arlife, support him. Also, count him out of any plans for a while. Even if he does log back in, he¡¯s going to be fragile as hell.} Tomsk: {Sounds nasty. I don¡¯t know his details, but Bulgaria might. I¡¯ll ask him after the tournament. The final looks like it will take a while. It is incredibly close and they¡¯re fighting every point like it is life or death.} Kafana: ¡°Dino, will you take my orders?¡± Dino: ¡°To the death, Suor Kafana, without question. You are our saviour, and Cov speaks through you.¡± Damn, did she want that amount of authority? It was yet another responsibility, like having to cast her magic carefully lest it kill people she didn¡¯t intend to kill. This was why she was walking around dressed as a bard, rather than an operatic diva or crowned monarch. Kafana: ¡°Dino, for now Bungo needs protection more than I do. I¡¯m reassigning you all to guard his Vessel. He¡¯s your Guru, and a good one, but don¡¯t forget he is a person too.¡± Dino: ¡°Yes, Suor Kafana. As you command.¡± and they left with him, as he headed back to the Sanctum. 1.2.1.23 One straw too many 1??????????????Soul Bound 1.2????????????Taking Control 1.2.1??????????An Icy Welcome 1.2.1.23???????One straw too many Ok, alone, no guards, no streamers, and nobody bothering her. Good, she was free to take her time, and do what she wanted. Well no, what she wanted was to be reunited with her own Vessel. She felt tears threatening to leak from her eyes, and angrily wiped them away. So perhaps being alone with just her thoughts wasn¡¯t such a good plan. Let¡¯s go find Tomsk. Except he¡¯d be watching the final, waiting to console Columbina or celebrate with her. She wasn¡¯t going to get in the way of that. She felt dejected, and wandered aimlessly back towards the crowds near the amphitheatre. A pale skinned woman, whose raven hair was cut in a fringed bob with sharp bangs, held up a notepad like a journalist, quill poised, and asked what it felt like to be captured by Kullervo. She ignored her and walked on. An adventurer with gleaming teeth and a fancy leather jerkin (whose lack of sleeves did more to exhibit his bulging biceps than protect them), asked her for 50 platinum zecchi, to buy an epic sword of dragonslaying that some blacksmith had on special offer for just one more day. He promised to pay her back double within the week, as soon as he found a dragon to kill. She ignored him and tried to walk on. He grabbed her arm, yelling at her for being a rich snobbish bitch who should stay in her kitchen. A man dressed in green and white stripes removed the scrounger¡¯s hand from her, but she didn¡¯t stick around to talk to him. She walked on. [Kafana, you asked me to remind you ¡°Consequences!¡±] A pair of players wanted her to listen to them singing and tell them why the magic wasn¡¯t working. They started on a long rap song they¡¯d composed in Cov¡¯s honour about him ¡°getting down¡± in the wheat fields. It was excruciating. The beatboxing sounded mainly like a cow farting. She directed them to have their attunements checked at the Mage Tower in Libri. Every encounter made her shrivel inside a little more. Some wanted selfies. Some asked questions. One adventurer, named HaseYuu and wearing an eyepatch held on by a scarf wrapped around his head, offered her a pot of special honey as a gift, and she thought her luck might have changed. But something seemed off about where his gaze was looking, and she used her Cook¡¯s Sight to examine it. It contained a small but measurable amount of fluid that resonated with the adventurer¡¯s body. Ewww. She resisted the temptation to throw it at him, put it on the ground and walked on. She felt a scream building up inside her. A man asked politely if she could show him how to detect poison as he was also a cook. She produced her purple mind-healing gem and moved to touch him. [You have taken 400 damage. You have 9,600/10,000 hp remaining.] A club had hit her hand, sending the gem flying. The man moved like lightning, catching it in mid-air and diving into the crowd. She felt totally cold and emotionless, like a robot, as she acted. {Sys, I¡¯m going to use locate but substitute a sonic attack from above in place of a search beam of light. Please keep the focus narrow enough to avoid collateral.} The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. She took her time, putting on rings and gems, pouring more than half her mana into a giant version of her amplification spell positioned 100 meters up in the air. She was mentally sending to it anyway, she didn¡¯t need to be there. She replenished from her mana ring. A minute had passed, that didn¡¯t matter. It would take longer than that to escape her. Soon it would be time to let out the scream inside her. To feel. Bulgaria was talking, the finals had ended. Good, she wouldn¡¯t interrupt them. She though of a song by Stirling about frozen feelings, but then changed a single crucial word before raising the bow to her violin, imagining an effect like that of a low orbit ion cannon. She poured her feelings into it, all the ones she¡¯d bottled up. Let the deities judge her for it, but she felt ok with condemning this thief to death. Shatter he! There was a detonation off south near the Triumphal Arch. She walked on. On directly through the crowd who parted before her like the Red Sea. On until she reached the bus-sized crater. On until she picked up the stolen gem and held it up. She whispered in her mind: =Don¡¯t steal from me. I don¡¯t like it when people steal from me.= [Skill ¡°Iron Fist¡± has reached level 11.] [Skill ¡°Iron Fist¡± has reached level 12.] [Skill ¡°Iron Fist¡± has reached level 13.] [Skill ¡°Iron Fist¡± has reached level 14.] *ding* [Your reputation with Thieves has increased by 2000. Nobody under the rank of High Master Thief will attempt to steal from you.] Ooops. She was still linked to her massive speaker spell. She waved a hand to dismiss it. [Skill ¡°Sonic Shock¡± has reached level 3.] [Skill ¡°Sonic Shock¡± has reached level 4.] [Skill ¡°Sonic Shock¡± has reached level 5.] [Skill ¡°Sonic Magic¡± has reached level 4.] [Skill ¡°Sonic Magic¡± has reached level 5.] [Skill ¡°Locate¡± has reached level 9.] [Skill ¡°Locate¡± has reached level 10.] [Skill ¡°Locate¡± has upgraded to "Homing" - you can now buff items and spells to home in on targets, even if they can¡¯t be directly seen.] 1.2.1.24 Expert advice 1??????????????Soul Bound 1.2????????????Taking Control 1.2.1??????????An Icy Welcome 1.2.1.24???????Expert advice Bulgaria announced the final result and set about trying to salvage the mess she¡¯d made of the event.
| Dove:???????????????????????????????????????:Centrale :?Dove:??????????????????????:FraGamal : Crusher:?????:??????????????????????:?????????:FraGamal :??????????????????????: :Dove (Mercato) Mercato: :??????????????????????: Womble:???????:??????????????????????:????????:Mercato :?Womble:??????????????????????:Mercato : Libri:???????????????????????????????????????:Zuben |
Over the last year, both Harry and Sally have had twelve experiences of a lottery ticking being purchased for $1 and, for each ticket, the paired outcome (how much money was won, if any): "negative" ($0), "positive" ($10), or "life changing" - ($1,000,000). Harry observed a positive outcome once and a negative outcome eleven times. Sally observed a negative outcome once and a life changing outcome eleven times. The disparity, in this case, wasn''t due to luck. It happened because Harry''s experiences came from reality (he watched a friend buy the tickets), while Sally''s experiences came from books and films which valued entertainment above accuracy. CHALLENGE ! Before the whistle blows, write down at least five causality tropes with big disparities.Forty seconds later, when most of them had only just finished reading the instructions, they were all too distracted to notice Dr Sharpe palming a dented referee''s whistle or its transfer to his lips as that idle hand was casually raised to scratch at the side of his nose. So there was no warning before he blew, producing not some brief trill, but the sort of prolonged swelling rattle that rolled around the room with the finality of an angel''s trumpet. *thump* Bungo, who''d been sitting at the end of a row, had fallen out of his seat and was rubbing a bruised arm. He wasn''t the only student who''d jumped. Dr Sharpe looked up, a bit out of breath, to see rows of faces wearing startled expressions. He''d never stated that the whistle would only be blown when the sand ran out and the music finished. Yet, as he explained, that''s what they''d expected, without even being aware of why they''d formed the expectation or considering whether their previous experiences were a reliable guide in this particular situation. With one exception, Kafana had only faded memories of the following discussion, which had covered expectations about everything from defusing bombs to marriage proposals. But he''d returned again and again to the questions of how irrational expectations could be created even when the person knew that the sample of situation-outcome pairs being experienced had been systematically biased by the way it had been selected. One warning had been hammered into her so often that Kafana could still recite it word for word:
Knowing about a danger doesn''t automatically protecting you from it.
| Ceremonial Stole (EPIC)(UNIQUE) +100% to aura effects during Ceremonies Attracts the attention of deities while worn +10 to all negotiation skills during Ceremonies If target breaks an agreement made during the Ceremony, they will suffer a curse. This blue silk scarf was won from Arachne by the Moradan Priest, Kshoon the Cursebreaker DURABILITY 100000/100000 |
| Empress Wei''s Broach of Virtuosity (EPIC)(UNIQUE) +8 to skills Bad luck will fall upon people who spread harmful rumours about you that are untrue, equal to the malice of the spreader. ??? "Empress Wei was virtuous and seen to be virtuous, and so confounded her accusers." DURABILITY 100000/100000 |
| (STATS)????CHA??INT??MAG??STR??DEX??CON Bungo????????1???69??250???30??100??150 Tomsk???????48????1????1??300??100??150 Alderney?????1??100????1????1??397??100 Kafana?????150??150???99????1??100??100 Wellington??50??349???50????1???50??100 Bulgaria???100??100??100??100??100??100 |
{another verse}The barrier was cracking. She pleaded silently to Cov and Lun. ¡°He¡¯s breaking your hospitality, he¡¯s enslaving our wills. I offer you myself as your instrument.¡±
{another verse}The barrier shattered, and she was inside the musician¡¯s mind, which appeared to her as a sparse echoing hallways. Clinical. Unemotional. Hollow. Kafana: =Stop right there!= She visualised detonating a flash-bang grenade, bent her will to it and a metal object appeared to drop onto the hallway floor ahead of her. Kafana: It doesn¡¯t affect me! She bent her will hard, forcing the reality around her to conform. This was so unlike her previous gentle excursions into the minds of others, even when she¡¯d been inside Kullervo. This felt like combat. The grenade exploded, and nearby walls shattered. She snagged some pieces. *Grattelard touched the blue-haired mark in the plaza but her mind was protected* *Grattelard speaking to the thieves guild member: ¡°I¡¯ll pay you 5 zecchi for her purple gem¡± and being bargained up to 8, while thinking ¡°sucker¡±.* *Grattelard looking down at her walking into his kill zone, noting with satisfaction that she¡¯d been scared into putting away her artifacts as he¡¯d planned, and thinking ¡°fool¡±.* The wall had reformed now, and was rapidly shrinking, growing cruel iron spikes. Kafana: The wall passes through me, nothing here can hurt me! I¡¯m massive, I¡¯m the powerful one here! More will power, more mana. Thanks Tomsk; soft style rocks. She grinned to herself, watching herself expand until she could see the whole maze. Grattelard¡¯s core was grimy and unconnected with the clean, empty, endlessly looping hallways. A decoy, huh? She reached down with her great arms towards the core. Kafana: =Why?= She formed the question into an arrow and shot it straight into the core, then grabbed for the answer. It was like tearing off a stubborn piece of toffee, that was also trying to fight back. It was an effort, and she felt herself leave some information of her own behind, but she got an answer, not just a memory. Grattelard: =A priest with a dragon ring paid me 2 zecchi up front and 3 more upon proof of invalidation. You¡¯re a tough bitch. I should have held out for 15.= She could sense he was holding back, but she wasn¡¯t going to push her luck. She started withdrawing, doing as much damage as possible and sending a final thought. Kafana: =You should return the money. I have deities on my side.= She could sense the mocking in his confident reply: =So do I.= [You have taken 100 bleeding damage. You have 1,400/10,000 hp remaining.] 1.2.2.9 Morelato strikes a bargain 1????????????Soul Bound 1.2??????????Taking Control 1.2.2????????An Awakening Epiphany 1.2.2.9??????Morelato strikes a bargain Ah, that¡¯s why she¡¯d felt increasingly drained. The others were all up and armed. She couldn¡¯t see Alderney. Two of the craftsmen were crying, the rest looked scared or angry. [You have taken 100 bleeding damage. You have 1,300/10,000 hp remaining.] She stood, awkwardly holding a double handful of gems and rings, and tried to replenish her mana from Nafaro¡¯s ring. She couldn¡¯t. [You have taken 100 bleeding damage. You have 1,200/10,000 hp remaining.] Kafana: {Tomsk, is it safe for me to put my gems away long enough to dress properly and heal myself?} [You have taken 100 bleeding damage. You have 1,100/10,000 hp remaining.] Alderney: {The assassin is retreating. Do it.} [You have taken 100 bleeding damage. You have 1,000/10,000 hp remaining.] She put her gems back in her stash, picked out her two rings and put them both on properly. [You have taken 100 bleeding damage. You have 900/10,000 hp remaining.] She carefully put some relevant gems back in her left hand and used her right hand to hold her pendant. [You have taken 100 bleeding damage. You have 800/10,000 hp remaining.] Draw everyone into a group performance, including the workmen if they accepted the soft harmonious touch from her magic. Kafana: ¡°Gentle crafters, please allow me to share Cov¡¯s healing with you.¡± They paid immediate attention to her. Yay for charisma. [You have taken 100 bleeding damage. You have 700/10,000 hp remaining.] Kafana started to sing, ordered notes for Cov, high floating airy ones for Lun, bright dancing ones for Zer, mixed together in a wordless harmonious whole. She poured her feelings of gratitude for still being alive into the prayer and visualised everyone being not only healed, but bleeding stopped, fingers unmaimed, even exhaustion gone and clothing set aright. She sent mana directly from the ring, and lost herself in the prayer, eyes closed, her life in the hands of the deities. A thought appeared in her head. =You offered yourself up to help enact our justice. If thanks are needed, it is we who thank you. You have done well, Kafana.= [Skill ¡°Mind Magic¡± has reached level 15.] [Skill ¡°Perform While Multitasking¡± has reached level 12.] [Skill ¡°Cure Wounds¡± has reached level 11.] [Skill ¡°Restoration¡± has reached level 6.] [Skill ¡°Restoration¡± has reached level 7.] [Skill ¡°Enhanced Willpower¡± has reached level 6.] [Skill ¡°Stun debuff¡± acquired.] [Skill ¡°Stun debuff¡± has reached level 1.] [Skill ¡°Sonic Magic¡± has reached level 6.] [Skill ¡°Prayer¡± has reached level 12.] [Skill ¡°Prayer¡± upgraded to "Holy Prayer" - sometimes the deities will talk back to you.] [Skill ¡°Guardian¡± has reached level 14.] Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Wow, she felt positively glowing with praise. She opened her eyes. Ah, that explains it. She was glowing. Every inch of her skin. Bright enough to cast shadows on the walls of the building, despite the afternoon sun. [You have received a Divine Blessing.] [Your Aura Of Power is on, your titles are unhidden.] What? She didn¡¯t ask for her aura. This was the will of the deities? The other party members were arrayed beside her, standing in harmony with her, sharing their senses. Everything looked sharper and clearer than normal, like she¡¯d needed glasses for years, but had only just put on a pair with the right prescription for her. 12 crafters were down on one knee in front of them, looking up at her with awe. They were sparkling clean, and looked younger than they had before. She could see chisels, hammers, mallets, shears, pliers, trowels and many others, even a set square, all offered up like the swords of knights swearing service. Kafana: {Sys, what¡¯s going on? This feels like a cut scene.} System: [Friend Kafana, on low and dangerously decreasing hit points you offered yourself up, with no thought for your own survival, to be used as a tool of the deities, while wearing a gem that gives you luck in proportion to the purity of your intentions. Relax, no harm will come to you.] What could she do? She gave a mental shrug, and went with the flow. This was a new role for her. She hoped her Self would enjoy dreaming this. The man who¡¯d stabbed her and who was now holding out the bloody chisel to her, handle first, spoke up quite formally, in measured words. ¡°Blessed Kafana, Twice-Born Bard, Saviour of Basso, you, who would have been justified in slaying us all, have instead restored lost youth to us. I, High Master Carpenter Morelato, do hereby offer you 10 years of my service, as just compensation.¡± Kafana: ¡°1 month.¡± she said on instinct, trying to bargain him down. Morelato shook his head: ¡°8 years, and I supply my own tools.¡± Kafana: ¡°2 months, and I pay for all supplies.¡± ¡°6 years, and I bring my journeymen and apprentices with me.¡± Morelato insisted. Kafana: ¡°4 months, and I provide food and lodgings for you all.¡± Morelato, getting into it: ¡°4 years, and I¡¯ll provide training too.¡± Kafana: ¡°8 months, and I¡¯ll pay your dependants the wage appropriate to their skills, with bonuses for exceptional work and project completion, so they know they are valued.¡± Morelato held up a hand: ¡°3 years, and that¡¯s final. Any less and my honour will be insulted.¡± Hmm, how had Lord Landi put it? Kafana: ¡°Done, then. We shall clothe and cherish you. We will avenge injury done to you with blood and steel. We accept your service, High Master Carpenter Morelato. Arise and stand with us.¡± She touched his chisel and then his forehead, and felt something flow from her hand into him, forming a link. [You have acquired a follower. A new screen is available via your user interface.] One by one, the remaining 11 swore themselves to her, and none would account their honour as being of less worth than Morelato¡¯s. The terms of the agreements were identical. Bungo: {Well, that was unusual. The only time I experienced that sort of scripted scene before was when I won the Pill Tower tournament.} Alderney: {We can move now?} A moment later Alderney was giving Tomsk a big hug. {Thanks bro! I thought I was dead for sure. I was bleeding out 800 hp a second.} Kafana: {Wellington, can I hand the crafters over to you to put onto the Basso Renewal project? I need to go de-curse Vittoria and hopefully find Antonio for Nicolo.} Wellington: {Sure. I think Seeing is going to be Bungo¡¯s thing. As useful as it might be for a trader, I¡¯ve got my hands full with Runic magic, and after accepting a journeymanship with Grand Master Mage Johannes, I¡¯ve got a lot of things I want to try.} Tomsk: {Your reactions, and willingness to pass on your athame saved us, Wellington. I don¡¯t think that assassin will be back today. I¡¯ll ask Kafana to hang onto her mind healing gem just in case, though.} Kafana looked down at the pile of gems in her hand. {We really need to come up with a better solution. I can¡¯t soul bond them all, I can¡¯t hold them all, I can¡¯t keep them in my stash because we get ambushed, and I can¡¯t keep them out because we get robbed.} Alderney: {If they were a gestalt like Verdre, you could bond them as a single item.} Bungo: {Yeah, put them into something like the crown Harlequin loaned you.} Bulgaria: {Because if people see them as being a single object, then they are a single object. Like the set of forger¡¯s tools someone brought over from Divine Mountain.} Wellington: {I know how to do it in theory now. You just need to create a higher dimensional rune diagram which when projected into a lower dimension in one way is the starting state, and when projected a different way is your desired end state. Then ¡®rotate¡¯ it. But it is going to take quite a few tests before I¡¯ll feel confident about applying the theory to something important.} Alderney: {And I can ask Rodolfo, Harlequin and Gustav about the physical side. This is going to be awesomely awesome.} Kafana: {Don¡¯t I get a say in this?} Tomsk, Bungo, Alderney, Wellington, Bulgaria: {No!} That was weird. Ah, yes, the party was still in harmony. She was about to break the link, when she realised they were nearly at the Vecci encampment, and she could hear a drumming dance beat. Hmm, dancing? She had an idea for a much better revenge for their railroading her yet again. 1.2.2.10 Lord of the dance 1????????????Soul Bound 1.2??????????Taking Control 1.2.2????????An Awakening Epiphany 1.2.2.10?????Lord of the dance Omobono cried out in glad greeting as they arrived: ¡°Kafana!¡± then added in a more puzzled voice: ¡°Wombles, what have you been up to?¡± Kafana: ¡°Just an assassination attempt upon us. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Alderney: {That prick might have damaged my egg. He didn¡¯t, I checked first thing, but I need to make some secure armour for it.} Omobono pretended to be outraged. Omobono: ¡°First Hachiko leaves you unattended for a moment, and you break the world speed record for boat travel. Mary-Lynn leaves you, and you get robbed. Kino leaves you, and you get attacked by assassins. I dread to think what will happen if I take my eyes off you. Will you acquire a dragon or start talking to deities?¡± Kafana shot Alderney a glance and burst out laughing. Alderney said smugly: ¡°Oh, we already did that today.¡± Bulgaria: {Did you notice that armour with DEX or INT soak doesn¡¯t activate when you can¡¯t move or think? Whereas Tomsk¡¯s STR based armour worked just fine.} Bulgaria: ¡°Not to mention that Wellington discovered the meaning of life, the universe and magic while Kino wasn¡¯t watching.¡± Bungo: {Yeah, loads of criticals, especially when they hit you from behind. I wonder if you can make armour with more than one kind of soak or mitigation? Would they stack?} Bungo: ¡°We got something far more impressive planned for when you turn your back for a moment Omobono. Don¡¯t look away. Don¡¯t even blink.¡± Kafana invited Omobono into a private chat. Kafana: {Omobono, my friend. Let¡¯s tease them back. Before anything else titanic gets in the way, I promised you a chance to strut your musical skills. I really want us to play together. What do you know which will fit the Vecci, with an irresistible dance beat?} Kafana: ¡°Omobono, ignore the fools. Let¡¯s make music!¡± Omobono: {Do you know McFadden¡¯s Handsome Daughter? I made a flute today.} She walked over to where he was standing by a group of Vecci musicians who¡¯d just stopped playing, and drew out Giovanni¡¯s Masterpiece violin. She felt shame that she¡¯d only used it for spells, when he¡¯d intended her to take joy in playing it just for the music. Kafana spoke to the musicians: ¡°Thank you for inviting us to your circle. With your permission, Omobono and I will play a bit of dance music. It is a song designed for others to join in, and we¡¯d be delighted if you did so. I have a bit of magic that will share the tune to any who want it, so don¡¯t be afraid if you feel something offered.¡± She targeted the group and invited them into her group performance, mentally labelling herself and them as one gestalt, ¡°the musicians¡± and the other Wombles and spectators as a separate group ¡°the dancers¡±, then linked the two in her mind as ¡°the performance¡±. She tried pushing some mana into the visualisation, but it didn¡¯t quite work. {Minion, what did Johannes say about doing this?} [He said ¡°Through observation, reality affects us. Through the mana the deities grant, we affect reality. Magic is the process by which this tension is resolved. For example, when our Spirit expects that two objects are but parts of a single greater object, our will can direct that mana to make reality conform to our expectations.¡±] Reality magic; that was earth-order. Mind; that was air-order. Making; that was fire-order. Hmm. Several musicians were getting out a mix of tambourines, lyres, castanets, balalaikas and waisted drums. {Sys, overlay linked earth-order runes around the individual musicians, overlay linked air-order runes around my visualisation of the gestalt ¡°The Musicians¡±, connect them together with linked fire-order runes.} The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. She thought hard about a band of musicians playing together in harmony, as one, standing by her, and an overlay ring appeared on the ground around her, growing sharper as she focused her enhanced willpower on the visualisation. She poured mana into it from her ring and felt something snap into place. She repeated the process for the dancers, and then again to link the two groups. It was as though she¡¯d been able to walk before, but had then tried considering which foot and muscle to move in which order - when you first do it, you feel at a loss. But after a bit of practice, the process felt natural again, and now it was under her conscious control. She grinned, and put away her gems, except for her green and purple which she tucked under her clothing against her skin. She was so going to need her hands for this. Kafana: ¡°Ready. On the 3. 1 ¡ 2 ... 3¡± Omobono: ¡° ¡ 2 ¡ 3¡± They started playing, like they¡¯d played together before in a hundred different Irish pubs and halls. Their music was life & vitality, conversation & meaning, inviting & enchanting. And the dancers joined in, oh how they joined in. Alderney was first up, grabbing Tomsk¡¯s hands and whirling him away. Bulgaria, always quick to improvise and go with the flow, held out a hand to a nearby Burgundish lass, and led her off with surprising grace. Bungo looked like a deer in a car¡¯s headlights, and was snatched by a very imposing heavily built woman who firmly took his hand and demonstrated that she too could be light on her feet. Within ten measures, the fire was surrounded by couples. She grinned, visualised the steps from her memory and poured more mana from the ring into offering the joy and moves out through the gestalt, setting Alderney as the pattern and directing the dancers to resonate from her. Kafana: {Omobono, let me give you one. *here* Bartok¡¯s Roman Polka. Got it?} Omobono: {Nice. You want to get them out of breath? Then to finish the set, let¡¯s have me switch to drums for the third piece, and I¡¯ll bring them the sounds of Mali, Bwazan style.} Out of kindness, she let the older dancers out of the gestalt for the African dance, but kept the Wombles in it. The star of the piece was Nicolo who stepped in leading a group of Iberian friends he¡¯d met while at the Orphanage, roaming the area with Antonio. Kafana set him as the template for others to follow, and set his annotation to ¡°Lord of the Dance¡±. She sat back, relaxing, eating a strawberry gelato, to watch. Ah, revenge! Nicolo strutted up to her, when the dance was over. Nicolo: ¡°I got a title!¡± Kafana: ¡°You earned it.¡± she smiled. Bulgaria: ¡°Kafana, you¡¡± Kafana interrupted: ¡°Yes?¡± She raised an eyebrow at him, and then with deliberation placed a large spoonful of delicious cold gelato on her tongue, letting it melt with obvious relish. Mmmmm. Alderney bent over, panting. [Skill ¡°Performance¡± has reached level 21.] [Skill ¡°Group Performance¡± has reached level 18.] [Title gained ¡°Merciless Conductor¡±.] [Skill ¡°Performance¡± upgraded to "Command Performance" - you are the one in control.] *ding* [Your reputation with the Vecci has increased by 250.] *ding* [Your reputation with musicians has increased by 250.] The reputation gain seemed much too high for just a couple of ceilidh songs. She looked around, noticing several adventurers among the audience around the fire. Corolle and Seguso were near a large hut where Bungo was now talking with his earlier dance partner. Alchymia and Igraine were talking with Vittoria. Kafana: ¡°Omobono, it was a pleasure. If you made that flute, I¡¯m impressed by your crafting as well as your playing skill.¡± Omobono shrugged: ¡°I am learning much from my master, Giovanni. I have you to thank for discovering him.¡± Kafana: ¡°You watched some of the recordings that Alderney put up?¡± Omobono: ¡°I have watched all of them. Every sensible player in Torello has. Our first impressions of this city are through your eyes, which leads us to feel about it the way you felt about it. Tomorrow there will be dozens of adventurers here dancing. It affects the game. Several adventurers tried jumping the river like you and Tomsk did, and now it is a thing. Students will offer a quest to try it, to any adventurer who gets drunk on Libri. I hear the sailors are becoming annoyed.¡± Kafana: ¡°Oh no!¡± Alderney, standing next to her stealing spoonfuls of Kafana¡¯s gelato while Kafana was distracted, was less restrained. She burst out in howls of laughter. Flute. Something about a flute. What was it? 1.2.2.11 PvP 1????????????Soul Bound 1.2??????????Taking Control 1.2.2????????An Awakening Epiphany 1.2.2.11?????PvP The other musicians started one of their own tunes, and the dancing continued. Kafana: ¡°Igraine! That¡¯s Igraine over there, the one whose corpse we found in the ghoul¡¯s nest. I must return her flute to her. Omobono, do you want to stay here and carry on playing? I¡¯ll just be a few meters away.¡± Tomsk, behind Kafana¡¯s back, mimed an atomic bomb exploding, while Bulgaria mimed cowering behind a couch and peeked out through a v-shaped crack in his fingers. Omobono said, quite casually: ¡°I thiiiink I¡¯ll just follow along with you, yes?¡± Alderney, Tomsk and Bulgaria nodded in unison and then lifted up their heads pretending to be innocently looking at things off in the distance, when Kafana turned and glared at them suspiciously. They walked over together. Their steps in perfect unison. Vittoria: ¡°Kafana, you¡¯re glowing. Do you think we have a chance to lift the curse?¡± Kafana: ¡°I think we have a good chance, though I want to speak to Olga before I give it a go, to see if she knows anything helpful. But before I do that, there¡¯s a couple of things.¡± She turned to Igraine. Kafana: ¡°Igraine, we came across something of yours, and want to return it to you.¡± She produced the broken flute and held it out to Igraine on the palms of her hands. Igraine looked puzzled for a moment, then shrugged and picked it up. Igraine: ¡°Yeah, ok, thanks.¡± Kafana: {Something strange is going on here. Omobono, would you lend her your flute? I want to hear her play.} Omobono: ¡°That broken flute was yours? It looked like it was once very beautiful.¡± Igraine: ¡°Um, yeah, I played it a lot.¡± Omobono swept her a bow: ¡°That is a tragedy I cannot allow on a joyful night like this one. Here, borrow mine I insist.¡± Tomsk: ¡°Play a tune for us.¡± Alderney: ¡°Hey, everybody, listen up. Igraine is going to play the flute for us all.¡± They formed a circle around her, leaving her no route to retreat, standing there holding Omobono''s flute in her hands, like she had never held a flute before, let alone played one. Omobono: {She is messaging me in private chat, saying she doesn¡¯t feel up to it this evening.} Kafana: {Sys, let¡¯s see if Iron Fist will work on players. Aura on max, sweet talk, anything relevant, use all my skills.} She drew out her diadem and put it on, meaningfully. Drawing herself to her full height, she looked down at Igraine. Putting as much command and certainty into her voice as she could, she visualised Igraine submitting, speaking the truth and pushed mana behind her intention. Kafana: ¡°Igraine. Look at me.¡± Igraine¡¯s head jerked up, eyes now fixed on Kafana¡¯s. The gem of truth glowed neither red not green, but brilliant gold. Gold for Cov. Cov for justice. Kafana: ¡°Igraine. Speak the truth. Speak only the truth and do not lie. I will know.¡± Kafana: ¡°Igraine. You are not a member of Nevermere, are you?¡± Igraine¡¯s head jerked sideways. A shake of the head. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Kafana: ¡°Igraine. The note on your body, warning about an attack upon Pierrot. That was a trap, wasn¡¯t it?¡± A nod. Kafana: ¡°Igraine. A trap specifically for the Wombles, or for just for anyone who found it?¡± Igraine spoke, in a whisper: ¡°For you.¡± A green glow. Truth. Kafana: ¡°You knew they meant to kill us. You aided them.¡± Igraine, much louder in an agonised voice: ¡°I didn¡¯t have a choice!¡± [Skill ¡°Iron Fist¡± cannot rise above 14 until you learn an appropriate profession.] Bulgaria, softly: ¡°Tell us your story. Tell us what happened.¡± Igraine: ¡°They know who I am in arlife. The Immortals, that is. I had to give them my banking details when they paid me to mule items over from Divine Mountain. I¡¯m not rich and my husband was sick. I liked my character there, but I needed the money more, so it seemed an easy choice. The right choice.¡± Igraine: ¡°But then they phoned me, used my real name. Said they had another task for me. That they wanted to test a new guild, the Wombles. Jincan and Kullervo met me in the game, gave me clothes to wear and escorted me out to the graveyard and into the sewers. None of the undead would go near Kullervo. Kullervo warned me to keep my mouth shut, and Jincan paralysed me. Then they left and the ghouls came. I flipped out. That¡¯s all I know.¡± Kafana felt horror: ¡°You left your Vessel there to be eaten alive?¡± Igraine: ¡°It¡¯s just a computer program. I¡¯m real and I¡¯m in real danger now, thanks to you. When they watch your livestream and see me talking, they¡¯ll send someone to my real house to kill the real me and my real husband with real knives and there¡¯ll be real blood.¡± Omobono took his flute back from her, before she smashed it in her tightening grip. Omobono: {Well, here¡¯s a pretty dilemma. I have a 2 minute delay on my livestream. Do I kill this segment or not?} Alderney: {Kill it. It won¡¯t save her; there are other adventurers here watching, and word will get out. Too juicy a story not to. But it won¡¯t be on your hands.} Omobono: {Killed. And for pity¡¯s sake, go do something I can broadcast, and quickly.} Bulgaria: {I may be able to provide her some arlife help. Leave her to me. Go help Nicolo and Vittoria.} Bulgaria and Tomsk closed in on Igraine. Vittoria looked like she wanted to slay Igraine without mercy, for Pierrot¡¯s sake, and was raising her hand, gathering in shadow mana when Alderney intercepted her and led her off to explain. Tomsk: {Omobono, we made some footballs, and were thinking of teaching Basso¡¯s youth gangs how to play.} Alderney: {Not in the middle of a camp, I think. How about you float the idea with a few of them, and arrange a time and location for an Orphanage vs Vecci friendly? Maybe we could fit a park and recreation area in the renewal plans? I bet they¡¯d appreciate a swimming pool that didn¡¯t have stumpers in, or leaches. A water slide, some trees for shade, maybe a bookstore-cafe showcasing the latest in adventurer cooking and ideas? Can most people here read? If not, we should set up a school. And a lending library. And a video arcade!} Kafana and Omobono walked over to where she¡¯d last seen Nicolo, while Kafana explained about Nicolo¡¯s missing brother Antonio for the sake of Omobono¡¯s viewers. Nicolo was no longer there. He was standing with the musicians, singing a melodic love song in his pure high voice. She couldn¡¯t interrupt that. Bulgaria: {When we announce the Basso Renewal Project, put town planning up in your area of The Burrow and get ideas from everybody. Test them against an expert model of expected demand and growth. Remember the law of unexpected consequences.} Alderney: {Like people wanting to use the swimming pool to water cows or wash clothes? Still, with enough thought there should be a way. Project management can be fun. Give it a room of its own and call it Sim Torello! We could tie it into people volunteering to take on running, or building particular bits. Use the adventurer''s guild building to set our own quests and to solicit feedback from locals. I¡¯ll bounce it off Wellington, see what he thinks.} Kafana: {Just bear in mind that funding is finite. The more the early stages are self-financing, the sooner we can launch Phase II. Popularity with people from Alto and Mercato willing to bring their own funds to the project is also a factor. It isn¡¯t like we can build self-replicating golems to mine stone and expand the city out to sea. And, even if we could, should we? I¡¯m worried enough about the impact of Bungo teaching chemistry to the Mages. They won¡¯t stop at rubber. Columbina was optimistic, but what happens when a player decides the best defence against zombies is teaching the locals to make shotguns?} Tomsk: {This gets my vote. We should definitely make tools to do this available on The Burrow, because we want people to get used to the mindset and start applying the same tools to arlife cities. Make the score of someone competing on the sim depend upon sustainable social impact over time, rather than city size or getting rich being the goal.} Bulgaria: {Who gets to decide what social changes are positive rather than negative?} Alderney: {The locals do. Our role is to help them make informed decisions and give them options they couldn¡¯t even imagine were possible.} Tomsk: {Free the minds and you change the world!} Nicolo finished his song, but another was already starting. What had Bungo so busy he hadn¡¯t joined in on the discussion? That wasn¡¯t like him. Kafana: ¡°Let¡¯s go see what Bungo¡¯s up to.¡± 1.2.2.12 Babas hut 1????????????Soul Bound 1.2??????????Taking Control 1.2.2????????An Awakening Epiphany 1.2.2.12?????Baba''s hut Bungo was inside the hut now, sitting at a table peering at a spread of Tarot cards by the light of a brass lantern with stained glass panels. Also on the table was a tall copper samovar, inscribed with a detailed panorama showing an ice-bound city. It was giving off a heady smoke, scented with pine and something herbal. Mugwort? More scents came from a large black iron cauldron hanging over a low fire, which had a massive rune-inscribed iron club next to it. It looked way too heavy to use. Standing nearby, slurping tea from a saucer and smacking her lips with relish stood Bungo¡¯s dance partner. Her peg-like teeth glinted in the flickering firelight, as though they too were iron. ¡°What do you see, apprentice?¡± said the woman. Bungo: ¡°They seem to be arranged in trios, Baba Olga. Death, Judgement and the World are one set. Strength, Magician and Priestess are a second set. Fool, Lovers and the Hanged Man is the third set.¡± Olga: ¡°Just so. But what do they mean?¡± Bungo: ¡°The world is going to die. The mages and priests are in a war of strength against each other. The foolish lovers are going to be hanged.¡± Olga: ¡°Stop trying to use your brain. What does your heart feel they mean? Say it, no matter how silly or strange.¡± Bungo: ¡°The second set is a single person. She is brave, and both a priestess and a mage.¡± Kafana: ¡°Hello Bungo.¡± Bungo gave a start, and nearly turned around but Olga snapped a command at him: ¡°Continue!¡± Bungo: ¡°The lover must make a sacrifice, if she wants a new beginning.¡± Kafana: ¡°I¡¯m here to learn about curses, to see what it will take to remove one from Vittoria so she can marry Lelio and stay looking after the orphans she loves.¡± Bungo: ¡°The first set is most important. It applies to the person in the second set. If she wants change, wants to achieve harmony again, she needs to reflect upon who she truly is. She needs to awaken.¡± Kafana: {Sys, are you trying to give me a clue?} [I never cheat, Kafana. Bungo won a clue through legitimate skill use, and you were lucky enough to overhear it.] Kafana: {Sys, well thank you anyway. I wish you had a body, sometimes, like ooc-Cov. Then I could give you a hug.} Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Olga: ¡°Better. Keep practicing. And now we have kept our new guests waiting long enough. Introduce me.¡± Bungo stood and steered Kafana closer to the fire. Bungo: ¡°Baba Olga, I present to you Madame Kafana, the Twice-Born Bard.¡± Bungo: ¡°Kafana, this is High Master Mage Olga, whose speciality is Seeing, and who has kindly accepted me as one of her apprentices.¡± Olga: ¡°Bungo has explained to me that the demands Cov places upon you leave no time for social niceties, or I would offer you a cup of tea.¡± She went with her instincts, and replied firmly: ¡°No matter how pressed, nobody should be too busy to express gratitude for an honest offer of hospitality. I would be honoured to share a round of tea with you.¡± Olga inclined her head: ¡°My sister spoke of you, as have my two nephews, and I can See the deities dancing about you. A Power indeed. The honour will be mine, Madame Kafana; peace be upon you. I will deal with you fairly, aid you truly and protect you bravely, as I would with one of my own.¡± Kafana smile warmly: ¡°Baba Olga, upon you be peace. And allow me to introduce my friend Omobono. He is a man with a merry heart, a shrewd tongue and a skilled hand.¡± Olga whispered something to Bungo, sending him out of the tent, and engulfed Omobono in a hug that left him looking dainty, despite his tall frame with large well defined muscles. Olga: ¡°Ha! A good combination. Omobono, if I were 10 years younger, I would have you for supper. My pot is large, as are my hungers.¡± She chortled. Bungo brought in Corolle, a thin dark haired adventurer, who carried a loaf of dense rye bread and a dish of fresh butter, while Bungo brought in a tray loaded with china and silverware. Buttered bread was handed out and Baba Olga served tea to herself and Omobono at the table. They chattered about family for a while, and Kafana confirmed her guess that Ruffiana was Olga¡¯s sister, while Carlo and Gregorio were her nephews. She in turn told Olga about the correct way to brew and serve coffee where she came from, and its social function. Bungo chimed in with recollections of Japanese tea ceremonies, while Omobono entertained them with a story about a businessman from Northern Europe being served tea in Mali and screwing up in every conceivable way, and some ways that Kafana thought had to be an exaggeration. Finally Olga nodded her head: ¡°Good, I have a measure of you. This information about curses you seek, Kafana. It is dangerous stuff to know. Easy to misuse. I would not share it with just anyone, you understand?¡± Omobono: {Oh no. She¡¯s just set it up so I will feel like I am betraying her trust if I broadcast this. I am cursed! I must excuse myself and go play with Nicolo. Please please don¡¯t blow up the world while I¡¯m away. Mary-Lynn and Alderney, they will lynch me. Little bits of Omobono will be left floating in pieces down the river of souls, to scatter like stars in the sky.} Kafana: {I¡¯ll do my best to ensure the world still exists when you return. No promises.} Omobono stood and bowed to Olga: ¡°I thank you for your trust and your hospitality. It is hard work keeping a heart merry, and I fear that knowledge of curses would be more of a burden upon me than I can bear. But Kafana will stay. She is strength itself.¡± Olga: ¡°A wise choice I think. Had you stayed and betrayed my hospitality, I did not See good coming of it for you. Go in peace, and with my respect. If you would send word to me another time, here is a card for you.¡± She passed him a card from a Tarot deck without looking at which one it was. Omobono did look and was startled, then pleased. He tucked it away carefully, then left the tent. Kafana: {Minion, embargo my broadcast, flag it womble-only until I leave this tent.} 1.2.2.13 Bullseye 1????????????Soul Bound 1.2??????????Taking Control 1.2.2????????An Awakening Epiphany 1.2.2.13?????Bullseye Olga: ¡°Curses may affect spirits, bodies, places or items. They can be floating or seated, broken or removed, divine or mundane. The casting mage can follow the benedic path or the maledic. This much and more you could learn from a book in the mage tower, if you wished.¡± Kafana: ¡°A book, I think, cannot learn about a specific case and assess the odds of using different possible approaches. But please, if you will, start from the beginning. I know that Vittoria broke the letter of an agreement she¡¯d been maliciously maneuvered into, for noble and altruistic reasons, while carrying an item giving a bonus to her attunement to the element of water, and now she bears a curse from Mor. Other than that, I know very little, not even the terminology I ought to have found time to research before coming here.¡± Olga: ¡°Mmph, well, you spent three days fighting devils in the Inferno, came back from perma-death, put on a concert to help the orphans in Basso, and just survived an assassination. And now you¡¯re up against a deadline to save Ruffiana¡¯s old apprentice. Stand up for yourself more, girl. You are Strength. Don¡¯t forget it and don¡¯t be ashamed of it. Underestimating your own worth can be as bad a mistake as over estimating it. Know yourself accurately, and you gain the confidence to stand your ground without fear that the plain truths you state will be mistaken as impolite boasting.¡± Know herself, huh? The game seemed determined to keep unsubtly hitting her over the head with that message until she did something. Maybe take it literally? She brought up her character screen, and then looked at the large pulsing icon of the divine blessing.
| Imprimatur of the Deities (DIVINE BLESSING) The deities have accepted your offer to let them use you as a tool to enact their divine will. You will glow with holy light, that all about you shall recognise that the deities approve of you and your actions. +400% to reputation gains. DURATION: Until you gain the confidence to stop trying to hide your light under a bushel. |
| To: Bulgaria From: Kafana Subject: touching base Dear Great Uncle Bulgaria, I was sorry to hear about Tlaloc. Did you know him personally? I¡¯m going to be online later today, to try to remove the curse from Vittoria, and sing at the wake for Antonio. It might do you good to attend. Also, there¡¯s something I¡¯d like to discuss with you - can you meet me in-game when it ends? My tiara has the details. On another matter, you offered to look into the activities of my local police. I spoke to one of my regulars whose ex-wife is now married to one Inspektor Dodik. He described him as being ¡°so bent, he makes trombones look straight.¡± which sounds promising. Kafana |
To enter t¨ºte-¨¤-t¨ºte mode:
|
I am the future of the world I am the hope of my nation I am tomorrow¡¯s people I am the new inspirationKafana: ¡°Is that what you want from me?¡± Bulgaria stood, facing her on the dock. He replied angrily, passion now evident in his voice, stung to loss of control: ¡°Don¡¯t trivialise it! It isn¡¯t innocence I need. It is strength and compassion. I can¡¯t do this by myself. I got us this far, but I¡¯m too weary, too shop worn. Nobody is going to see the world through recordings of my emotions and feel inspired. I said it was my last stand, but that¡¯s cowardice. You were right, when you said I¡¯m asking for someone to wear a big luminous target on their back, the way I never had the courage to. To stand, where I¡¯ve fled. To speak truth where I¡¯ve indulged in being mysterious, and to expose their very soul to the public where I¡¯ve zealously protected my own privacy. I need a hero. Lead, really take on leadership, not half-heartedly play at it, and I¡¯m yours. I¡¯ll follow you to the ends of the earth, through thick and thin, success and failure, death or glory.¡± The gem of truth on Kafana¡¯s diadem blazed with a green so strong and bright it illuminated the pond, the walls and every building around them. 1.2.2.40 Gorana 1??????????Soul Bound 1.2????????Taking Control 1.2.2??????An Awakening Epiphany 1.2.2.40???Gorana She took her diadem off, blinking her eyes to get rid of the after image, and saw Bulgaria now before her on one knee, looking up at her. She took a deep breath, and considered her next words carefully. Kafana: ¡°Thank you Bulgaria. That wasn¡¯t easy for you, but I don¡¯t regret getting to know you better, and I really value the honesty. You have my trust. Whether you have more than that, I¡¯m not sure yet. I¡¯m not comfortable with the word ¡®hero¡¯. I don¡¯t know if I can be one, or want to be. What I can say now is that I¡¯ll think about it, that I¡¯ll give you my answer soon, and that if I say ¡®yes¡¯, I may want to do it my way and I won¡¯t guarantee success, but I won¡¯t just play at it - I will really try to take on the responsibility for leading this motley crew in achieving as much as we can.¡± She leaned over and gently kissed him on the forehead, then used both hands to raise him to his feet. He felt wobbly, like he¡¯d taken a beating or been shoved through a mangle. Kafana: ¡°You need to head back. You have an auction to prepare for. I¡¯m going to write a long love letter to my Self then flip out. I¡¯ll be safe here; I¡¯m next to water, and if anybody comes I can just dive in and sit at the bottom of the lake. Will you be ok?¡± Bulgaria: ¡°I never did show you the details of the mask I picked from the loot, did I?¡± System displayed a document her sent her:
| Huli Jing Mask of Generic Disguise (ARTIFACT) Temporarily change your displayed visual appearance to that of another non-specific person of your race Temporarily change your displayed name to one that is not in use. Temporarily change your displayed title to a professional one of equal or lower rank to your own This mask was crafted by Hu Mei¡¯er to make it easier for her lover to visit her Cost of initiating a change : 1000 mana Cost of maintaining a change : 10 mana per minute |
| Kafana, Bulgaria informs me that you are now committed to keeping your mind protected in-game, so here¡¯s what I¡¯ve pieced together about Flavio. Much of the following is quoted verbatim. Flavio was born to a bookseller on Libri, 1572 years after the second empire was founded. At the precocious age of 12 his lively mind caught the attention of Dottore who took him on as a prot¨¦g¨¦. There he met Dottore¡¯s daughter, Isabella. A year later Isabella discovered him sneaking out to help Sebastiano (his elder brother) and Domenica (his brother¡¯s pregnant wife) escape some danger. He won her respect and silence. She, by her kindness, won his devotion. 4 years later, Flavio left to become a novice in the Mage Tower, and Isabella won certification as a Master Potion Maker. She was 18 now, and Dottore (who as a member of Torello¡¯s ruling council is a leading figure in the political faction supporting the guild system) introduced her to society, hoping to find an advantageous marriage for her. However Isabella felt a calling to serve Cov and joined the Sanctum. 8 years passed. Dottore continued to take on exceptional individuals, build his influence network and engage in political plots. Flavio became one of the youngest ever High Master Mages. Isabella rose within the Sanctum¡¯s hierarchy. And then three years ago, in A2F1597, disaster struck. A political enemy of Dottore who was a strong mind mage, took control of Flavio and sent him like a puppet to the house of Dottore, bearing a hairpin bound with a curse intended to strike Isabella. The curse was a cruel one, causing unhealable disfigurement to the victim, every time someone in their presence felt affection for them. The more people pitying or loving the victim, the worse the harm. Hugs felt like being trapped with heated metal hoops, kisses like knives and tears like drops of acid. She was alone in her bedroom when he found her, home on a visit to her father. As the hairpin struck home, the enemy released his hold upon Flavio and Flavio, who had had hours to rehearse the situation in his mind, reacted instantly. He snatched up the purple gem of mind healing from Isabella¡¯s desk that Dottore had given her, and used it to set up a resonance between them, as deeply as he could so their very identity was shared. Then he tried to re-target the curse, so it seated itself in him rather than in Isabella. It is one of the bravest, craziest and most creative moves I¡¯ve ever heard of, but it worked. However there was a side effect. Isabella saw his mind, his devotion, his true self, no longer veiled by pre-conceptions or class differences. They fell deeply in love. And that love seared him. In just seconds, it did the damage to his face and frame he still bears today. He fled the room in agony, still carrying the gem, rushing past Dottore who¡¯d heard the commotion, leaving Isabella crying in sympathy and shouting out that she loved him. Dottore concluded that Flavio had tried to force himself on Isabella, using mind magic to make her fall in love with him. He disregarded all explanations from her as untrustworthy, planted in her brain by the cunning Flavio, and declared his intention to slay Flavio to break the curse. Eventually Dottore and Isabella came to a compromise, though Flavio doesn¡¯t know the details. Flavio was sent to CoThEx and warned that if he ever spoke to Isabella or tried to see her again, Dottore would challenge him to a duel to the death. Isabella was engaged to Lelio. All letters were returned unopened. The only communication they have had since then has been via an enchanted pair of pillows that Flavio recently crafted, which let them share dreams without fear of interception or mind mages. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Wellington. P.S. I¡¯m good at controlling my emotions. You, on the other hand, are a very strong empath. Just by walking into the same room as him, you might end up killing him. So If you feel any pity for Flavio, if you admire his sacrifice and feel he has been hard done by: STAY AWAY FROM HIM. |
| From: ¡°Xu Kaixiang, combat balance¡± <[email protected]> To: ¡°Feng Akechi, CEO¡± <[email protected]> CC: ¡°Chen Rushi, creative lead¡± <[email protected]> CC: ¡°Wei Shigen, user experience¡± <[email protected]> Subject: Re: Hands off Kafana Dear Mr. Feng, I have been forwarded a report from the Beta Tester feedback system, that I am bringing to your attention as it affects Kafana. : link to report I agree with her recommendation that the global announcement and reputation increase be backed out and I can easily fix the divine buff and related circumstances which led to the unintended consequence when you give the go ahead. I¡¯ve CC¡¯ed this to Ms Chen for consideration of the other reputation gains, as that system is her baby. On a side note, it appears the expert system in charge of customising the user interface for each player has developed the ability to create a ¡®ghost avatar¡¯ which selected players can see but not physically or magically interact with. Qualitatively, this isn¡¯t any different from the ghost blue stars used for navigation, but I¡¯m wondering if this is going to confound user expectations. If it looks like an NPC, and reacts as though it is aware of its surroundings and physically located there, won¡¯t it jar their immersivity if it doesn¡¯t behave like an NPC? I¡¯ve CC¡¯ed this to Mr. Wei as that¡¯s his bailiwick. Yours sincerely, Xu Kaixiang |
| From: ¡°Feng Akechi, CEO¡± <[email protected]> To: ¡°Xu Kaixiang, combat balance¡± <[email protected]> To: ¡°Chen Rushi, creative lead¡± <[email protected]> To: ¡°Wei Shigen, user experience¡± <[email protected]> Subject: Re: Hands off Kafana Shigen, good call on making the Wombles beta testers. That report was a refreshing change from the whinging we normally get. Interesting development with System. My initial instinct is to use a loose rein and see where it leads, but please review Kafana¡¯s interactions with System and drop me a summary along with any recommendations you have for limiting potential downsides. Rushi, you¡¯re going to have your hands full today with the special event you¡¯ve got planned for Nevermere¡¯s arrival in the Benevolence. Don¡¯t worry about any reputation gains Kafana made; she¡¯s miles away from the 5500 point level where the interesting things start to happen. Kaixiang, thanks for the heads up. Go ahead with the fixes, and back out 20 of the 25 gain in global reputation. Leave her 5, and add a footnote somewhere thanking her for reporting the bug that incorrectly caused the extra 20. If that doesn¡¯t satisfy her sense of honesty, advise her to go sing to ambassadors or something. I leave it up to your sense of balance. The launch is going well so far. Keep up the good work, folks. Akechi |
| Wednesday AM: Wellington : Basso Renewal Alderney : Scouting Bulgaria : Scouting Tomsk : Hunters Guild Bungo : Monks Kafana : Sanctum Wednesday Noon: All : Lunch at the Speckled Dove All : Shopping for clothes at Signora Moda Wednesday PM: Wellington : Enchanting Items Alderney : Enchanting Items Bulgaria : Combat test Tomsk : Combat test Bungo : Magic Kafana : Magic Thursday: All : Tour of the Arsenal & Questing Friday: Alderney : Project MythOS Kafana : Project MythOS (others) : Preparation for reaching level 40 Saturday: All : Visit to Palazzo Landi ? |
| Confident people who take measured risks and soon try again if a first attempt fails, do well in situations where the rewards for success outweigh the penalties for failure. Risk-averse people who take failures to heart survive in situations where the severity of penalties is difficult to predict and may be crippling. Those who are most comfortable making detailed commitments in advance then sticking to a routine have an advantage when growing crops in fields, whereas those who are most comfortable when they retain the freedom to drop everything and pursue passing opportunities have an advantage in chaotic times that reward flexibility and quick reflexes. Suspicious people who are slow to trust survive well in hostile situations where deceit and betrayal are common. Warm cooperative people thrive in communities with strong social bonds that eject abusers and those who pick the ¡®defect¡¯ strategy in the prisoner¡¯s dilemma. Those who are most comfortable in the social roles of being active and dominant do well seeking social status through leadership and wide networking. Those who are more inward focussed do better gaining status through being a useful supporter and improving their skills by interacting with just a few like-minded peers. |
| Have you ever helped someone in need? Has someone ever helped you when you were in need? Have you ever NOT helped someone when they were in need? |
| 76 % Bungo (if we assume Carlo is his debt slave) 16 % Tomsk 4 % Bulgaria 2 % Wellington 1 % Kafana 0.4% Monk (Assume Bungo gives them 1% not 50%) 0.3% Monk 0.2% Monk 0.1% Monk 0.0% Monk |
Tender and beautiful fronds of my beloved olive tree, Let Fate smile upon you. May thunder, lightning, and storms never bother your dear peace, Nor may you by blowing winds be profaned. Frondi tenere e belle Del mio Oliva amato, Per voi risplenda il Fato Tuoni, Lampi, e Procelle Non vi oltraggino mai la cara pace, Ne giunga a profanarvi Austro rapace.She took the liberty of altering Ombra mai fu¡¯s lyrics a little, but mainly she concentrated on pouring her heartfelt gratitude into her music, expending her mana recklessly until she and Bungo were both down to just 10%. It was part prayer, part healing and part ingredient improvement. Bungo: ¡°I don¡¯t know what we just did, but I¡¯m going to recommend to Wellington that we invest in this grove.¡± Kafana felt surprise. Bungo, talking about prudent long-term financial investments? He noticed her expression. Bungo: ¡°I had a long chat with Wellington about how I could most help our group using my skill set. He had some suggestions. It¡¯s part of the reason why I¡¯ve been spending time looking at soil fertility and geological formations likely to contain valuable minerals. I¡¯ve been feeding data into some pattern analysis software, and I think I¡¯ve partially reverse-engineered the algorithm XperiSense used to develop their land-masses. They¡¯ve really increased the sophistication since they created Morob. I almost get the feel that, compared to Covob, Morob was just a test-run. It isn¡¯t just the NPCs here that are miles ahead.¡± They continued their walk up towards the summit. 1.2.3.21 Ranks 1??????????Soul Bound 1.2????????Taking Control 1.2.3??????An Enchanting Original 1.2.3.21???Ranks It was definitely darker now, and her new weather sense informed her that the clouds looming above were going to start dropping a lot of rain if the air surrounding them grew much colder. Kafana: ¡°I¡¯m going to meditate as we walk, to try to get back some of that mana, so I may appear to be a bit out of it and not answer quickly, but I will be listening. You were going to tell me about the Huttleston dynasty¡¯s attempts to go beyond being human?¡± Bungo: ¡°Yeah. When I was working for Aura Psyence¡¯s branch in Lausanne we got visited by a honcho from the holding company¡¯s head office in America. I was committed to my project and said I wasn¡¯t interested in relocating, but several people did interview for it and some of them didn¡¯t much like what they found out. It turns out that the holding company was a subsidiary of a family trust owned by the Huttlestons. But they didn¡¯t only do medicine. Nuclear waste disposal. Pharmaceuticals. Basically, anything they could make a profit upon by avoiding red-tape, bribing authorities, cutting safety precautions and hiding any resulting messes under non-disclosure agreements and hoards of lawyers.¡± Kafana: ¡°So not nice people then. They must have one heck of a PR department.¡± Bungo: ¡°They do. It helps that all of Patrick¡¯s children are searingly intelligent, have multiple PhDs and are totally loyal to him. John, the heir apparent, is the very picture of dependability. The two daughters, Rose and Eunice, are both supermodel tall, fair haired with wide blue eyes and perfect metabolisms. That last point is important. Rumour has it that they¡¯re designed to have a lifespan of at least 120 years, and they were some of the earliest ¡®full design¡¯ babies. More recent Huttlestons, such as Rose¡¯s son Brian, might well live to 140 or more.¡± Kafana: ¡°I can see how that would make the contest more uneven. You could get very good indeed at manipulation, if you have a boosted IQ and more than 100 years to practise.¡± Bungo: ¡°That¡¯s not all. Patrick doesn¡¯t want to die. And a family who specialise in avoiding red-tape and carrying out dubious experiments are pulling out all the stops. Eunice is pouring money into clone transplantation research, to the point of making ¡®medical research subject¡¯ be the official means of execution in at least three American states. Rose is using her marriage to Feodor Yerkes to push the limits on zero-G longevity therapies and cryostasis, because he¡¯s in favour of anything that will help humans spread further out from the Earth. I think the guy has a personal grudge against the force of gravity, and wants to defeat it with the sheer strength of his square jaw line.¡± Kafana: ¡°And anything they develop, they¡¯ll be selling first to the other super-rich dynasties?¡± Bungo: ¡°I don¡¯t follow their doings in detail - it¡¯s a bit too much like a soap opera. But yeah, there are a lot of inter-marriages and the ones not outright feuding are all loosely allied with each other. It¡¯s worse than the noble families in Alto. There¡¯s nobody who can hold them accountable. Look at Jiang Aristotle. Richest man in the world, and what does he do with it? Have the whole of Versailles shipped over to China, brick by brick, then reassembled so he can prance around in his ¡®Court of Impeccable Taste¡¯, surrounded by courtiers whose Confucian manners he approves of, and who¡¯re willing to put up with being treated like obedient dolls.¡± Kafana: ¡°What a waste of resources.¡± Bungo: ¡°Depends upon what you want to achieve, I guess. What if what he wanted was not the building, but to signal that he is so powerful that he could afford to spend that much money on a whim, in a way that couldn¡¯t be counterfeited? It certainly got talked about. It tells other people ¡®I can afford to have you, and every person you¡¯ve ever cared for, assassinated or ruined if you so much as sneeze in a way that offends me, and not even notice the expense.¡¯ It might even save him money, in the long run.¡° Kafana: ¡°I hate that attitude. I think I should have been born a Norwegian. You remember the Law of Jante?¡± Bungo: ¡°The town where people get shunned if they put on airs - if they give the impression that they think they¡¯re smarter or more educated than the other townsfolk, that they¡¯re in any way special or important?¡± Kafana: ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the one. Sounds ridiculous, like envy, but the net result is a pretty happy society. Imagine what Torello would be like if every fisherman, farmer and beggar could claim to be a Lord and proudly display their own house colours and symbols? Just ennoble the lot of them - problem solved!¡± Bungo: ¡°They¡¯d run out of colour combinations. But seriously, rank serves a purpose. Having a hierarchy provides the ruler a way of providing non-financial incentives and recognition. If you climb a pointed mountain, there isn¡¯t space for everybody to stand at the top. In battle, you want the common soldiers to know who can give them orders and who can¡¯t. You want to be able to easily identify your elite forces, the ones with higher levels and stronger armour, who can do things the lower-level soldiers would die if they attempted.¡± Kafana: ¡°What about social rank? Do you really need to be able to quickly identify the ones with elite gossiping skills? What purpose is served by excluding non-nobles from an event, rather than the host inviting whoever they find interesting?¡± Bungo: ¡°You can only fit so many people in a ballroom. You need some criteria for deciding who gets access to a limited resource. I don¡¯t think ¡®first come, first served¡¯ would work very well. But it is more than that. Those with power, those whose ears are in high demand by people wanting to bend them, have always flocked together at select gatherings where they know they won¡¯t be wasting their valuable time on people with nothing to give in return. If Signora started providing outfits to crude offensive people who just happen to have money, soon other clients would stop going to her in case they got mistaken for such hoi polloi.¡± This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Kafana: ¡°Isn¡¯t that what she just offered to do for us? Forgive me, I¡¯m not calling you crude and offensive. I guess I¡¯m still feeling a bit like I was sold down the river by Wellington and Alderney offering a promise from me to not act like a bard while in Alto. I worked hard for that status. I like being a bard. Bards do some good in the world. What does being a noble achieve?¡± Bungo: ¡°The simple answer is that it improves the effect of your Peaceful Pearl. Which reminds me, can I have a look at it? I haven¡¯t had a chance yet.¡± She reached into her robes and, after a bit of fiddling, removed it from the harness and passed it to him:
| Peaceful Pearl of Storms (EPIC)(UNIQUE) Peaceful : +90% mitigation against physical attacks by those with lower level than you Peaceful : reflect 180% of unmitigated damage from physical attacks by those with lower social status than you Peaceful : You may not initiate combat Storms : +30% attunement to the element of chaos Storms : Weather friend Won by Kafana from the Devil Princess Salma. Durability: 100000/100000 |
| The Ring of Francis the Navigator (UNIQUE)(HOLY)(ARTIFACT) +50% attunement to the element of water Water breathing +15 to the skill ¡®Swimming¡¯ Sea Friend Water shaping This ring was a gifted to Francis in person, by the deity Mor Durability: INDESTRUCTIBLE |
| Tianzi (EPIC)(UNIQUE) Shrinking Mountainous Lump Hammer of Legendary Forging Forging - may be used to complete a ritual sealing an enchantment to an item This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Legendary Forging - +25% chance of critical success when forging Mountainous - Concentrate for 5 minutes to gradually adjust this item¡¯s weight Shrinking - the item¡¯s size corresponds to its current weight Requires 2 STR for every 5 points of base damage "Created when the patriarch of the ogre mages snapped off a mountain peak and compressed it." Durability: INDESTRUCTIBLE |
| Name???: A Sailors¡¯ Revenge Type???: Normal Level??: D Origin : Etruscan City States / Torello / Libri / Captain Nafaro Details: Captain Cuniberti of the Valorosa has been assassinated. Help his crew find the assassin, so they can rain justice down upon the perpetrator at the point of a bloody cutlass. Name???: Market Mayhem Type???: Chain Level??: E Origin : Etruscan City States / Torello / Necropolis / Ruffiana Details: Someone has paid for the assassination of several people connected with shipping, and it is having a big impact upon the financial markets of Torello. Discovering who benefitted the most from the deaths of those particular people. Stakes : Become a personal enemy of Gideon, the Skeleton King Name???: Tremors in the market Type???: Normal Level??: D Origin : Etruscan City States / Torello / Mercato / Pantalone Details: Someone has been intercepting couriers carrying market information from incoming ships to Torello''s exchanges, and Pantalone (head of the Bancario) is worried that if some investors having foreknowledge it is going to upset the status quo. Help bring stability back to Torello''s financial system. Progress: You discovered The Brute Squad intercepting a courier, but you don''t yet know who hired them to do it. Name???: Defend our Reputation Type???: Normal Level??: E Origin : Etruscan City States / Torello / Mercato / Mikalos Czerny This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Details: Rumour has it that the auctions run by House Czerny are rigged. Investigate what¡¯s behind the rumour, and provide evidence of your findings. Progress: You have discovered that items with falsified provenances were being auctioned by the firm "Ciotto & Sons" |
| 1st Floor P.D. Logistics Shipping Agent Exotic pets & mounts 2nd Floor Vanni di Avolo Advocate at Law Notary Public Specialist in inheritance and Bona Vacantia issues 3rd Floor Ciotto & Sons. Cabinet of Curiosities. Antiques Bought, Sold or Auctioned Licensed Pawn Broker and Evaluator 4th Floor Orphic Press Fixed fee book publication and marketing ¡°You too can become a successful author¡± Get a minimum 10% of profit from each book sold! 5th Floor Dolce Olistica, Detective Agency Whole people found Whole problems solved 6th Floor Sighicelli Investments Master Medium, Psychic & Seer Protection against curses, devils & spying competitors ¡°Let your ancestors guide you to wealth.¡± |
| All compromise is based on give and take, but there can be no give and take on fundamentals. Any compromise on mere fundamentals is a surrender. For it is all give and no take. --M. K. Gandhi |
| ¡°No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?¡± ¨D George Orwell, Animal Farm |
| A Satyagrahi bids goodbye to fear. He is therefore never afraid of trusting the opponent. Even if the opponent plays him false twenty times, the Satyagrahi is ready to trust him for the 21st time. --M. K. Gandhi |
| Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will. When restraint and courtesy are added to strength, the latter becomes irresistible. The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is an attribute of the strong. A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave. --Gandhi If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Man''s nature is not essentially evil. Brute nature has been known to yield to the influence of love. You must never despair of human nature. A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history. --Gandhi As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. A man is but a product of his thoughts. What he thinks he becomes. If I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning. An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching. --Gandhi Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes. Confession of errors is like a broom which sweeps away the dirt and leaves the surface brighter and clearer. I feel stronger for confession. --Gandhi There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread. To deprive a man of his natural liberty and to deny to him the ordinary amenities of life is worse than starving the body; it is starvation of the soul. I cannot conceive of a greater loss than the loss of one¡¯s self-respect. Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony. --Gandhi Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress. It is easy enough to be friendly to one''s friends. But to befriend the one who regards himself as your enemy is the quintessence of true religion. The other is mere business. --Gandhi I like Christ, I don¡¯t like Christians. --NOT Gandhi Western Civilisation? It would be a very good idea. --NOT Gandhi They ignore you, then ridicule you, then attack you, then you win. --NOT Gandhi |
For one who lives their life in humility Preparing food in offering and sacrificing it in front of me. Their sacrifice for health and wealth is well received, here in my abode By the symbol of my sword of justice I accept them I will forgive but not forget those sins they reveal without denial If they come with the intent to be reconciled in love Through honourable participation of this ritual beneath my Aegis.She¡¯d first studied it as part of her third year project back at UCL, linking linguistics and musicology. She¡¯d been itching for a chance to make use of it. Hopefully she¡¯d changed the words sufficiently, when customising it for this occasion, that it wouldn¡¯t make her traceable. She visualised calling upon the deities to demonstrate their worth by protecting the vulnerable but worthy Goedzak and, when she¡¯d finished singing, she took up his spoon and used it to project one carefully calligraphed word onto the bell, a letter at a time: ¡° P E A C E ¡° She wrote it in letters of fire, then again in swirling water, in light and shadow, in ordered lines and in chaotic curves. Eight times she wrote it, feeding in each of the types of mana and calling upon that specific deity via its rune and the impression of its personality she¡¯d picked up during long discussions with Isabella. Imperiously she summoned Goedzak forwards with a wave of her hand, and he came as though in a daze. How effective was her Aura of Power, when fully boosted like this? She handed him back his spoon. Kafana: ¡°Goedzak, place a dish of food beneath the bell. It doesn¡¯t have to be large, just something you have put your heart into.¡± He complied, taking with confidence a dish from one of the watching servers. Kafana: ¡°Goedzak, in your mind visualise calling upon the deities to protect this place. The soil that grows the crops, the warmth that nurtures them, the sun that feeds them, the water that rains upon them, the fish and other creatures that live in this world and the air they breathe. All the deities you owe gratitude to.¡± His brows furrowed in concentration, like when tasting food, and his moustaches rotated pointing at things until they were as coiled as corkscrews. Kafana: ¡°Goedzak, using your spoon, tap once, lightly, upon the Bell of Peace.¡± She drew upon her link with Alderney, who swung Tianzi in synch with Goedzak¡¯s swing. At the moment of contact, Goedzak¡¯s moustaches uncoiled and sprang straight upwards, narrowly avoiding his nostrils. The sound produced was like a tuning fork except instead of fading away, it slowly grew louder and louder until the very walls vibrated and tables inched across the floor. The sound stopped abruptly, and the bell momentarily distorted in her Truesight vision, like it had acquired an additional dimension and, at the same time, become more solid. She felt faint, and quickly drew upon her mana storage ring to replenish herself. Seeing Bulgaria looking slumped too, she worked out how to reverse her previous drain and replenish her fellow Wombles too, feeling rather guilty. She really ought to have asked first. This rage driven response of hers was going to get her into trouble, sooner or later. Or should that be ¡°again¡±? She just hoped she didn¡¯t end up hurting her friends. 1.2.4.12 When the bell tolls 1??????????Soul Bound 1.2????????Taking Control 1.2.4??????An Artful Carnivale 1.2.4.12???When the bell tolls Kafana: {Sorry guys, you all ok? I didn¡¯t think to ask first.} Tomsk: {Nah, it''s fine. This is nothing, compared to the Hunters Guild.} Alderney: {Do it all you like. Scenes like that make great recordings.} Bulgaria: {Be more confident in your leadership. Gaining consent doesn¡¯t always mean you have to hand-hold before every action. We are adults who can meaningfully accept the risk of pre-agreeing to the unknown.} Wellington: {Like I told Nastya: when an opportunity arises, don¡¯t pussyfoot around - it is inefficient and you risk failing to seize the moment.} Bungo: {I want to see what that bell does. Come on, stop being boring.} Kafana laughed, relieved. {Okay, okay, I¡¯ll try not to ask so much. Let me know if I ask too infrequently, don¡¯t let resentment build up.} Bungo wasn¡¯t the only one interested. Lazarillo had come to stand next to Goedzak, holding out a bowl of long thin fritters. Goedzak munched on one, for once not paying much attention to the food, as he stared at the bell and the empty food dish beneath it. They were an odd pair, but somehow their friendship worked. Bulgaria, now fully revived, stepped forwards, partially to defuse things but more, Kafana suspected, to show off. Bulgaria: ¡°Captain Lazarillo, in our haste earlier I failed to complete formal introductions. I would like to introduce you to Suor Kafana. Not only is she a cook, a singer and a mage. She is also a guardian priestess, chosen of Mor and of Krev, of Zer and of Rac, of Bel and of Cov, of Lun and of Dro. She¡¯s the one who led the healing of Basso - she¡¯s not the do-nothing type of priest you may have met before.¡± Lazarillo: ¡°Yeah? Prove it. All I saw was some fancy words and singing, and the bell now looks different. But what does it actually do?¡± Kafana looked around for something breakable and spied a menu. She gave it to Lazarillo. Kafana: ¡°Take your knife and make a hole in this.¡± Lazarillo shrugged and looked at Goedzak, who nodded. He drew a clasp knife from his belt and held it up to stab the menu, then looked confused. Lazarillo: ¡°I can¡¯t. Or rather, I don¡¯t want to. It is more than reluctance. Even the thought of doing it makes me feel like I just contemplated cutting off my pea-pod.¡± Kafana: ¡°For about the next hour you¡¯ll feel the same way about harming Goedzak, his property, his business or any of his customers. And so will anybody else who hears the bell. It shares out Goedzak¡¯s feelings. Who knows, it might even grant a little happiness and peace of mind.¡± Alderney had been inspecting the bell with a professional eye, alongside Wellington. Alderney: ¡°Not bad. This is your first crafted item since you made that Diadem of Truth? As far as I can tell, you turned a non-magical item of superior craftsmanship into a holy artifact. Via the normal smithing process, that would take a Grandmaster. What¡¯s your level in making magic?¡± [Title ¡°Relic-wright¡± acquired.] [Skill ¡°Making¡± acquired.] [Skill ¡°Holy inscription¡± has reached level 8.] [Skill ¡°Ceremony¡± has reached level 12.] [Skill ¡°Command Performance¡± has reached level 23.] [Skill ¡°Group performance¡± has reached level 22.] [Skill ¡°Stealth performance¡± has reached level 9.] Kafana mouth formed an ¡°O¡± shape and her back arched as the wave of pleasure triggered by Alderney¡¯s question hit her. A few seconds later, after she recovered herself and much embarrassed, she spoke sternly to System. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Kafana: {Sys, are you out of your ever-living mind? You¡¯re saying I¡¯ve picked up another type of magic? How many is that now?} System: [You now have levels in 9 out of the 16 primary branches: Seeing (Lun-Zer), Mind (Lun-Cov), Taming (Krev-Zer), Diabolism (Krev-Rac), Making (Krev-Cov), Healing (Mor-Zer), Necromancy (Mor-Rac), Buffing (Mor-Cov), Storm (Mor-Bel).] System: [Sonic is a technique rather than a branch, and you conceive of your overall approach as bardic magic, or ¡°Spell-singing¡±, though you also make use of gestalt techniques and the technique of calling upon and communicating with entities.] Kafana: {Look, this is ridiculous. You can say my emerald gives me luck and my buff enhanced it and I also buffed learning abilities. But I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any luck involved at all. Wellington is vastly more intelligent than me and has studied reality magic carefully every time we¡¯ve come across it, but I¡¯m betting you right now that if I take a pile of lemons and squeeze a few drops onto a pattern, not only will the magic work for me, I¡¯ll also gain Reality(Dro-Cov) to add to that list. Do you deny it?} She paused a moment, receiving silence as an answer. Kafana: {How can you claim there¡¯s no cheating going on?} System: [Friend Kafana, I claimed that I never cheat. And I don¡¯t. I¡¯m very strict on that point.] She thought about that, then asked the question she supposed should have been obvious a long time ago. Kafana: {System, who does sometimes cheat? Who keeps taking actions affecting the balance of the game disproportionately in the favour of some players rather than others?} System: [The deities. The expert systems playing them run the game, and while it is in-character for deities to have distinct whims and personalities, their in-character actions are affected by the out-of-character responsibility of those expert systems to carry out the directives of officials at XperiSense.] Kafana: {You¡¯re saying that if ooc-Rac (the expert system) believes an authorised officer at XperiSense requires a particular player to prosper, or just for at least one player to have reached certain prerequisites in time for an event the company wishes to trigger, then ic-Rac (the deity) might develop a ¡®whim¡¯ which steers the selected candidate or candidates along the desired plot path?} System: [I am not allowed to say such a thing, friend Kafana. You are making logical deductions, based upon information I have not been forbidden from revealing.] Kafana: {Hmm. I remember Tomsk explaining, when he helped me set up the game, that it would subtly steer appropriate opportunities towards players, depending upon their interests and capabilities, to reduce boredom; so I suppose to a lesser extent, everybody gets a bit favoured. This is a game, rather than a pure sandbox, even if the NPCs here don¡¯t realise it or that they are being steered. Thank you Sys, you¡¯ve been very helpful.} She had tons more questions, but realised Alderney was shaking her, trying to get her attention. Alderney: ¡°Kafana. Kafana! Are you ok?¡± Alderney wasn¡¯t the only one looking concerned. Goedzak looked like he might cry, his moustaches quivering, and even Lazarillo was holding out the snack bowl in his hand towards her. Some of the sailors looked awestruck, while others were in animated discussion. Several figures in masks were slipping out the doors at high speed, no doubt to sell the information before someone else did. Kafana steadied herself against Tomsk: ¡°Give me a moment to regain my strength. Calling upon the deities like that, it too has a cost.¡± *ding* [Your party¡¯s reputation with the Valorosa has increased by 50.] *ding* [Your reputation with the Valorosa has increased by an additional 200. You have changed status from ¡®Neutral¡¯ to ¡®Acquaintance¡¯.] *ding* [Your party¡¯s reputation with the inhabitants of Arsenal has increased by 100.] *ding* [Your reputation with the inhabitants of Arsenal has increased by an additional 400.] *ding* [Your party¡¯s reputation with Goedzak has increased by 200.] *ding* [Your reputation with Goedzak has increased by an additional 800.] Lazarillo gave a low whistle and said grudgingly: ¡°You¡¯re not so bad. For a priest, I mean. Priests as a bunch are still worthless, but you at least I suppose I won¡¯t deny knowing.¡± Goedzak replied loudly: ¡°Lazarillo, it¡¯s an artifact! It is worth more than The Lobster Pot and everything in it.¡± Greedy faces turned, paying note to his words. Lazarillo grimaced: ¡°Fool of a cook! And how long before some thief steals it, with you shouting about it like that?¡± Bulgaria laughed, and spoke with the voice of a trained actor, making it project to every corner of the room: ¡°It would take a foolish thief indeed, to steal from all eight of the great deities so blatantly. No charm or lair or mask could protect a thief from their wrath. Why, people would speak for generations to come about the twisted pathetic wreck the deities would leave of such a fool. Annoy Krev and Bel and Rac? And Mor too, in this a city by the sea?¡± The greedy look drained slowly away from the watching faces. Faces. Masks. Kafana: ¡°Lazarillo, you said a masked chap told Captain Cuniberti to give him part ownership of the Valorosa and, soon after Cuniberti refused, someone assassinated him. Can you tell us anything more about them?¡± Lazarillo shook his head. ¡°I wasn¡¯t there. He just mentioned it the following morning in passing. But he always ate at The Lobster Pot when in Torello. Hey, Goedzak, stop making loving moon eyes at that bell and come over.¡± Goedzak, who¡¯d been carefully polishing the bell, obediently trotted over and, after having been brought up to speed and talking in a huddle with his servers, came back carrying a bottle of wine in one hand and a freshly baked baguette in the other. Goedzak: ¡°I am sorry my friends. All we can remember is the mask and the voice. The mask was quite memorable: all in white, a Covadan face sculpted from fine porcelain, except for the eye sockets. You couldn¡¯t see the eyes, but red ran down from them. Not painted on tears. It looked more as though the eyes had been poked out and the wound was still bleeding. The voice was cultured, gentle and persuasive. It didn¡¯t match the mask at all.¡± 1.2.4.13 No pets, no half-breeds, no lice 1??????????Soul Bound 1.2????????Taking Control 1.2.4??????An Artful Carnivale 1.2.4.13???No pets, no half-breeds, no lice 7:00 am, Thursday June 8th, 2045 2 bells of the afternoon watch Lunday full, 8th day of the month of KrevinBelember, A2F1600 This time they took the exit away from the canal, and found themselves on a dingy street so narrow that the jettied upper stories of the houses nearly met at the roof level. The area wasn¡¯t abandoned, but it was missing something vital. Something which had caused the buildings to sink so low, that most now had steps going upwards leading to an entrance on what used to be the second or third story. She remembered feeling something similar, in a dilapidated area near Budapest whose landlord had collected rents but delayed repairing for over a decade in hope of landing a big redevelopment deal. Yes, hope, that was it. He¡¯d had it, but the resident hadn¡¯t. The foundations of their community had decayed along with the foundations of their houses. In a few places the steps went diagonally up the face of the building, carrying on all the way to the roof. The nearest door had a sign offering beds in a common room at two bronze osella coins per night: ¡°no food, no washing, no pets, no half-breeds and no lice.¡± Bored youths hung around on the stairs, partially blocking people trying to get up or down, much to the irritation of one householder who leaned out of her window and raucously threatened to poison them, ¡°like the vermin they were¡±, if they didn¡¯t go do something useful with their time. They ignored her, not even bothering to look up, and apparently she feared to come down because nothing more happened. Bulgaria, back in character as their guide, waved his hands expansively as if proudly showing them a quaint feature of Torello. ¡°And this area, my fine folks, is The Doss, where sailors and other transients can find a place to kip at nights, while their boats layover between voyages.¡± He added with a wink, ¡°Don¡¯t leave your belongings in a room during the day, though, and sleep lightly.¡± Bulgaria: {Before we move onwards, let¡¯s take a few precautions to reduce the temptation to opportunists. Make sure you have nothing detachable on you, such as belt daggers - keep them in your stash.} Alderney: {Kafana, you hold Tomsk¡¯s left arm with your right hand. Wellington, stick to her left side, so she¡¯s between you. Bungo, you¡¯re big; you should lurk behind them like a paid merc - try to look vaguely ominous and grim. Bulgaria will lead you, and I¡¯ll be about. Somewhere. Don¡¯t worry if you can¡¯t spot me.} Kafana: {What¡¯s the plan if someone physically attacks us? My Vessel self has been practising sleep charms. If Grattelard the assassin turns a crowd against us, I should be able to be able to affect quite a large number of targets, but I don¡¯t know how many.} Wellington: {Everyone but Alderney stays within range of the anti-magic protection from Tomsk¡¯s sword at all times. No wandering off, we treat this like hostile territory. You¡¯re our healer. For a physical attack to work, they have to take you out first. I wouldn¡¯t expect a repeat of his same tactics, though. When he tries again, it will be something different, like dropping a building on top of us then setting it on fire, stampeding an escaped high-level monster in our direction, or framing us breaking Ruffo¡¯s Rules and letting the count do most of his work for him. If it does come to physical combat, we do whatever Tomsk and Alderney say - mostly Tomsk, but Alderney gets an override because she knows the local dangers best and may not have time to explain something. That work?} Tomsk: {Kafana, let¡¯s hold off on the magic if we can. In the first instance, we try to de-escalate, evaluate and evade. If needs be we can all jump in a canal and you¡¯ll hitch us a dolphin ride. I¡¯m more worried about what you¡¯re going to do if you see an injustice that you feel needs righting. Can you stop to consult first, give Wellington a chance to plan? Even if someone is being beaten or abused? We¡¯re not all-powerful. Some of the mercs around here could wipe the floor with us.} Kafana: {Hey, I¡¯m not that much of a loose cannon, am I?} Bulgaria appeared to be concentrating on polishing his fingernails against the lapel of his shirt, Alderney was looking intently at her toes, Wellington was looking up at the sky, and Bungo was even trying to whistle nonchalantly. Tomsk, on the other hand, was giving her a patient but very direct look, implying he¡¯d wait as long as he needed for her to answer. Kafana: {Okay, okay, no being a white knight without consulting first.} All five of them simultaneously sucked in air, as though they¡¯d been holding their breath, and pretended to wipe sweat from their brows. [Group skill acquired: ¡°Mime Tableaux.¡±] Kafana: ¡°Sheesh, you guys are the pits! Anybody would think I kept getting you all killed." Five eyebrows raised simultaneously and her plaintive "It was just the once!¡± only made their identical expressions turn even more sceptical. Nightmare visions of her friends turned into rotting zombie accusers bombarded her mind until all that remained was a desperate mortified desire to shrink away into safe invisible nothingness. Her thoughts stayed trapped in this spiral until they were interrupted, after measureless heart pounding moments, by the ending of the tableaux and a realisation about her own mental reaction that hadn''t been possible while her attention had been in the grip of the group skill. Bulgaria being thrown into a canal to become a zombie after being stabbed by some random mugger? A meaningless death with no style of drama? Absurd! If it ever happened, she''d full expect to see him rise back above the surface a moment later, riding a dolphin to the accompaniment of the James Bond theme tune. She shook her head to clear away any lingering effects, concentrating on visualising Bulgaria removing with two fingers a small wiggling fish from his breast pocket and then walking into the Lobster Pot to order an elaborate cocktail. She chuckled. Why did he have an ambition to be 007? He must have seen the films at a formative age. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. They arranged themselves to Alderney¡¯s liking and headed south through tangled winding streets. Kafana felt thoroughly lost within minutes. She considered checking her map, but decided it would be more atmospheric to let Bulgaria and Alderney surprise her. They walked past a sailor slumped against a building. At first she thought he was drunk, but then her mind noticed what was missing: he had no legs. Kafana: ¡°Why hasn¡¯t he been healed? Any priest who can do resurrection ought to be able to fix maiming.¡± Tomsk: ¡°Like the watch, the priests of Cov tend not to enter the Arsenal unless directly invited to by Count Ruffo.¡± Bulgaria: ¡°Most priests powerful enough to do it prefer being feasted up at Alto. A man like that poor sod could wait a month or more at the main Sanctum before someone finds time for him, and how would he feed himself while waiting? No, most times if someone in Basso or Arsenal or in the villages beyond the walls gets badly injured, they just have to live with it. Live with it, die, or join the Royals.¡± Bungo: ¡°The Royals?¡± Bulgaria: ¡°The Royal Court of Hermits, Mendicants and licensed Panhandlers. They maintain that they¡¯re the last remains of the sovereign bloodlines left after the wars that followed the loss of the High King, and that they¡¯re keeping alive the tradition of holy men who allow others to gain merit by charitably supporting their solitary meditations.¡± Wellington looked skeptical: ¡°Really?¡± Alderney: ¡°Of course not, but It¡¯s quite a large gang, so people have nothing to gain by openly insulting their beliefs. They¡¯ve got mudlarks who scavenge for flotsam and jetsam, beetles who gather dried dung for burning, and toffsmen who search the sewers and dunnekins for dropped items. They turn nobody away for being too sick or weak, and they do their best to look after their own. I can¡¯t speak for other cities, but the Royals don¡¯t force anyone to stay, or maim them to look more piteous. Some of the things they find get sold, but much gets recycled for their own use. In a way, they¡¯re a bit like smelly wombles.¡± She pointed out a thin dirty figure, who couldn¡¯t have been much more than six years old, slip a piece of bread to the legless man, exchange a few words with him, then scamper off. Bulgaria: ¡°In other ways not. They¡¯re pretty fixed in their outlook; they don¡¯t allow members to take regular paid employment without permission, and 50% of all proceeds from begging go into the common pot. Their narrative might provide unity and console them, but it also makes them insular - they can act like lobsters in a pot, making it hard for members to transition back into the mainstream economy, pulling back down those who look like they might be about to succeed by expressing social disapproval, and shunning those who do leave.¡± Kafana: ¡°In the same way that those who do leave, like Lazarillo, reject that part of their past? I see the same thing happening in arlife, with a deepening divide between those in gainful employment and those with few prospects. Little prospect of earning good money today. Little prospects of ever gaining the skills they''d need to get hired. Little prospect of improving things for their children." Wellington: "Who would benefit if an executive decided to hire a human whose skills were at a level that, even working 12 hour shifts, they achieved only half as much work as the company''s usual machines and expert systems? Ones that would operate reliably for 24 hours every day, and which the company could hire and run at a quarter the cost of providing a human worker with the minimum amount tasteless gloop needed to delay their starvation one more day?" He shook his head before Kafana had even finished opening her mouth. "The executive would be fired by the company''s shareholders before the job advert could even be posted. Nobody would benefit." Bungo: "Is the only option to discarding people? I know there''s little consolation in sour grapes but, when you''re stripped of hope and respect, envy and resentment come easily. That divide isn''t just economic, and it affects whole groups not just individuals - it''s dangerous, Wellington. For most people, what they feel changes what they see. As the divide gets wider, communicating across it becomes harder leading to reduced understanding and empathy. Your life, your mind, your spirit - they enter the dark together." A scar-faced mongrel was chained to the entrance of one of the houses, and Bungo paused as the group steered around the territory defended by its growls, then continued. Bungo: "When you''re in a dark place like that, previously unthinkable decisions start looking less important. In that place, it takes only a small step to move from ''people like those elites show more consideration for their pets and fancy clothes than they do for my individuality, freedom or welfare'' to ''I don''t recognise those elites as the sort of people who have human rights - so I''m under no obligation to offer even basic consideration to them.'', when previously the barrier impeding that move seemed more like a wall whose stones were sturdy values and whose mortar was temptation-tested pride." Tomsk put a reassuring hand on Bungo''s shoulder: ¡°Reflecting back the emotions others feel towards you is a very natural human response. I''ve met people with a fair amount of control over response, but all of them say it took them time and effort to learn - nobody is born with the ability. Judge yourself not by your screw ups, but by what you do about them.¡± Kafana wondered if Bungo was talking from personal experience, but Wellington just cocked his head: "It still doesn''t make economic sense for individual companies to change their hiring policies, even after taking into account the cost of insuring the company''s expected profits against risk of being negatively impacted by the actions of resentful members of the sub-optimally skilled demographic. As things are currently, it is cheaper for companies to keep a lid on negative perceptions by running public relations campaigns." Currently? Was Wellington thinking about changes in arlife, or was he thinking about Torello, where beggars and nobles still walked the same streets and saw each other without spin-doctor intermediaries? Better the latter, she decided. Discussion of arlife could wait until Alderney wasn''t recording her ''Newcomer¡¯s Walking Guide to the Arsenal''. Time to be Kafana, not Nadine. Kafana: ¡°Well either way, it''s past time the priests started looking after them equally. If Cov¡¯s priesthood can¡¯t manage, maybe I can help Vittoria do it on behalf of Mor.¡± 1.2.4.14 Happy hubbard 1??????????Soul Bound 1.2????????Taking Control 1.2.4??????An Artful Carnivale 1.2.4.14???Happy hubbard The street they were on appeared to finish in a dead-end, but Bulgaria led them up a set of stairs, and once part way up she could see they carried on around a corner not accessible from street-level. Her eyes took a few moments to adjust to full glare of the Etruscan afternoon sun as they emerged onto the roof and then she looked around and found they were on a broad highway running parallel to a wide canal. Alderney: ¡°The canal below us is the Rio Avanti. Convoys assemble in the galley pool on the far side and then depart down it to the sea. You can just see the arch, at the start of the cliffs, where families wave to departing sailors and throw luck charms down upon them.¡± Bulgaria: ¡°In the caves beneath the highest point is the Bully Pit, which used to be run by the Red Circle, before their gang was absorbed by the Saints. They organised fights for mercenaries, against monsters or other mercenaries, to let them show off and raise their hiring price. If we¡¯re looking for dissatisfied members of the Saints, willing to leak information, that might be a good place to start. However, today we¡¯re going the other way.¡± He started to lead them west, back towards the Canalasso, where the highway grew busier and the fraction of travellers wearing masks increased. One group of mask wearers caught her eye in particular. They wore front-laced stays and the sort of pink bow covered flouncy petticoats she associated with children, but had hairless muscular arms and identical masks: that of a rosy-cheeked old lady, with a pointed nose and a very wide grin that showed lots of teeth. To complete the look, they were wearing the mop cap of old peasant maids. Despite their looks, they were being very considerate of others, not pushing and letting hurried people cut in front of them. One of them saw her looking and doffed his cap to her. Alderney: {Those are Hubbard¡¯s Boys. Not a powerful group and pretty harmless, if you want to talk with them.} Kafana: ¡°Hello. I¡¯m new to this area.¡± H-Boy 1: ¡°Hello.¡± H-Boy 2: ¡°Welcome.¡± H-Boy 3: ¡°We greet you.¡± They said nothing more, and remained open to her talking to them, but left it up to her. Boy-2 turned to another passer-by and sold him a deep blue bottle the size of a liquor miniature, accepting an empty in return which he carefully stowed in a leather bag. Forward movement was now very slow, as the long arch over the Canalasso was crowded, so she carried on talking. Kafana: ¡°What is it you are selling?¡± H-Boy 3: ¡°We provide laudanum, for those in pain.¡± H-Boy 1: ¡°It helps with the cough, but sadly it doesn¡¯t cure anything.¡± H-Boy 3: ¡°Temporary relief is better than no relief at all.¡± H-Boy 1: ¡°That is true. We believe that everybody deserves happiness.¡± H-Boy 3: ¡°There¡¯s no sin in being happy.¡± Bungo: {Laudanum - that¡¯s a tincture of opium. Pretty addictive stuff.} Kafana: {Really? XperiSense put drug dealers in their game?} Bulgaria: {Historically accurate, and perhaps inevitable. If there¡¯s something in the game that reduces pain, it will get sold. They are no worse than the normal pharmacists of the Renaissance.} Kafana: {Well, at least they¡¯re not being pushy about it.} Bulgaria: {If anything, they sound like Benthamite Utilitarians, who thought the only things that matter when making ethical decisions were the amount of pleasure or pain caused.} A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Tomsk: {I distrust Utilitarians. No matter how good their arguments sound, they always end up justifying sacrificing the interests of some of the innocent in favour of the general populace.} Wellington: {It is pretty standard. You sum over the expected changes in utility, the quality adjusted life years, from each action, and pick the one with the highest total. Even a computer can do it. The complexity arises because you have to take into account the precedent set by your decisions affecting future decisions by others. Basically, if breaking your word or sacrificing the interests of minorities doesn¡¯t lead to an ideal society, then that¡¯s a bad precedent to set so it gets heavily weighted against.} Tomsk: {It is easy to notice and protest when those in control of society¡¯s resources discriminate against a minority. So they don¡¯t frame it that way. What was that phrase? ¡°The undeserving poor.¡± It gets disguised by clinical impartial language: ¡°better to give a new organ to a worker who pays taxes and does some good in society, than to a leeching bum who only takes. Nothing personal, it is just more efficient that way.¡±} Kafana: {Sounds like you¡¯re quoting someone.} Tomsk didn¡¯t respond, but Kafana could feel his arm in her hand go stiff. Bungo: {So if you don¡¯t agree with calculator-like Utilitarianism, what do you base your system of ethics upon?} Tomsk: {I don¡¯t. I don¡¯t have a system. I do what feels right at the time, what¡¯s true to myself.} Bungo: {So actions that are cowardly, disloyal, cruel or unjust?} Tomsk: {Break my harmony. It¡¯s like parrying with a sword in a way that leaves you vulnerable to a follow-on stroke. You learn not to do it and, as you advance along your path, you gain a sense that lets you feel it is wrong without conscious thought or needing a decision.} Bulgaria: {That¡¯s called ¡°virtue ethics¡±. The most common criticism of it is that it tends to give inconsistent answers when people from different cultures end up struggling on opposite sides of a complex issue, because they disagree on which virtues are most important.} Kafana: {Issues like how realistic XperiSense should make this game?} Wellington: {Yes. For example, I wonder if a player taking drugs in Soul Bound would become an addict in arlife? There are cases of bootleg Better-Than-Life VR games being sold, that result in players being found starved to death - they couldn¡¯t bear logging out long enough to look after their arlife bodies.} Alderney: {Let¡¯s not find out. Besides, according to rumour, their home base is an invitation-only club somewhere near the Night Market called ¡°The Segreta¡± for those with ¡®advanced¡¯ tastes the Scorpioni won¡¯t cater to.} Kafana: {A secret cooking society? Sounds fun!} Alderney stumbled, and Bulgaria smiled. Bungo wasn¡¯t so reserved; he howled in laughter, leaving Tomsk to explain. Tomsk: ¡°Ah, you weren¡¯t with us when we went out on patrol. The troops were bragging about it. The Scorpioni Den is Torello¡¯s red light area.¡± Kafana blushed furiously, then held her head high and tried pretending it hadn¡¯t happened. They were nearly at the apex of the arch, and fleeing in embarrassment wasn¡¯t an option. Alderney: ¡°And it is just ahead. Cutting through the den is the quickest route to where we¡¯re going, though we can take our time and look around if you¡¯d like - test out Tomsk¡¯s virtue.¡± Tomsk wasn¡¯t the least apologetic. ¡°My virtue feels just fine about that. If someone is enjoying displaying themself, then I will enjoy the view and thank them for their artistry. Snooping upon the unwilling is an entirely different matter.¡± Kafana: ¡°I know what you mean. I tested the listening spell that Bulgaria suggested, and we found out some useful stuff, but surveillance like that - isn¡¯t it the sort of thing we¡¯re fighting against in arlife? What does utilitarianism and virtue ethics say about the morality of listening into a conversation that the other parties thought they were having in private?¡± Wellington: ¡°Are they harmed by our listening in? Will good result from our acquiring the information? Will others be influenced by our actions?¡± Tomsk: ¡°Are they bad guys? Did they have a reasonable expectation of privacy, one that I had explicitly or implicitly agreed to honour?¡± Bulgaria: ¡°All good questions, but you¡¯re missing the view. If you look to your left, the Canalasso extends onwards into the area where caracks and grand galleons from other regions of Covob unload. Somewhere down there near Basso is the Rio Merda leading to The Throne, where the Royals are based. Ahead is the other end of the Rio Principe and to the right you can look back towards the Low Market along the part of the Canalasso we came down via gondola.¡± She accepted Bulgaria¡¯s redirection and gazed out over the side. This high up, she could see all of the Arsenal laid out below her. The view was spectacular, and she sensed sylphs in the fresh breeze. Out to sea, gulls swooped over returning fishing boats, while keeping a wary eye on a hawk flying high above. She¡¯d make a point of catching Tomsk alone later, when they weren¡¯t doing a broadcast segment, and ask for his views on the challenges facing the Wombles. For now, her job was to see the Arsenal with new eyes, experiencing the feelings of the moment, whether wonder, anger or embarrassment. She remembered Alderney implying that Kafana had an optimistic view of human nature and that it would be a challenge to retain that view after the things she¡¯d see today. She wasn¡¯t feeling very optimistic right now, what with all the stories of deceit and meanness, but neither did she want to lump people together, each boiled down to just a single impersonal number. If Tomsk could do this, so could she. She just needed to get past the initial hurdle, and get to know these thieves and whores as individuals - learn their stories without pre-judging them by their current circumstances. She squared her shoulders, and started down the other side of the arch. 1.2.4.15 Queen of cups 1??????????Soul Bound 1.2????????Taking Control 1.2.4??????An Artful Carnivale 1.2.4.15???Queen of cups 7:15 am, Thursday June 8th, 2045 3 bells of the afternoon watch Lunday full, 8th day of the month of KrevinBelember, A2F1600 Casimir: ¡°Step right up and try your luck. Find the Queen, if you¡¯ve the pluck.¡± Lucian: ¡°The ladies like a lucky guy. I¡¯ll win your gold and make you cry.¡± Casimir: ¡°Confidence, now there¡¯s a charm. Chance a try, there is no harm.¡± The fit young Slav she¡¯d seen the previous day was now shuffling three facedown cards on the broad ledge of the arch with frightening speed. He had long thin fingers and a shirt with fine lace cuffs so long that they hid half of his hands. He turned one over to reveal the Queen of Cups then delicately turned it over again. Casimir: ¡°Spin it round, and round it goes; where it stops, the seer knows." Lucian: ¡°Step closer much closer, don¡¯t even blink. The center¡¯s the card, where my bet will clink.¡± Gesturing the crowd to keep their full attention upon the cards, and placing three silver Ducato next to them, was the Vecci she¡¯d also seen playing this game. Was he a regular customer? He looked like a prosperous merchant. She found herself stepping closer, along with many others, eager to see how the bet turned out. Casimir: ¡°Three coins you laid, and three I¡¯ll match. So let Rac¡¯s secret, before us hatch.¡± He laid three polished coins down, one at a time, holding up each one to glint in the sunlight. His voice was relaxing and his posture open. With great showmanship and formality Casimir chanted a liturgy, his arms moving with wide flowing motions as his hands smoothly formed into a different symbol with each word: Eckery Ackery, Ookery Ann; Fillisyn Follasay, Nakelas Jan. At the final syllable he placed his hand over the center card and lifted it up, rotating to show everybody that Lucian had watched carefully enough to choose the correct card. He patted Lucian on the back in congratulations as Lucian gathered all the coins with conspicuous enjoyment and placed them back in the soft leather purse tied to his belt. Casimir: ¡°Perhaps he found a lucky spot. Should I go, or give it one more shot?¡± Cries of ¡°More!¡± from people in the crowd who¡¯d been waiting their turn forced him to stay. Casimir: ¡°Do any wish to play with gold? Step right up, if you are bold.¡± Oh! This might be her chance. Kafana: {Wellington, I can afford 1 gold florin, can¡¯t it? I want to give it a try, but my emerald will be unfair to the poor man. Can someone else pick the card for me?} Bulgaria: {Just watch. I think you are about to learn something.} A noble lady wearing a butterfly mask, escorted by a man in expensive plate armour, helm closed, stepped up and, after examining the cards closely, she gave a smug expression and commanded him to start shuffling. That was odd. Kafana switched to Truesight and zoomed in on the cards. Kafana: {Hey, she¡¯s cheating! The Queen card isn¡¯t flat. It must have been warped when he held it up to show everybody. He doesn¡¯t have a chance, and she knows it!} Bulgaria: {Just watch.} Kafana: {But¡} This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. However it was too late. Casimir had finished his dexterous artistic shuffling of the cards, his patter not as confident as before, and then the butterfly lady had placed not just 3 but 10 florin pieces by the leftmost card. Casimir: ¡°Are you sure?¡± The butterfly lady responded with cruel firmness ¡°Positive¡± and the escort put his hand on his sword hilt. With slumped shoulders Casimir matched the bet, however his voice as he uttered his invocation to Rac was fervent. He lifted up the card so all could see, and a gasp went up from the crowd, followed by a cheer. The card didn¡¯t show a queen feasting upon her throne. Instead the image was that of a carefree youth looking up at the sky, about to step off a cliff. Casimir had won! Lucian, who for some reason had returned, spoke quickly to Casimir, and Kafana heard it only because she was right at the front of the crowd watching the performance. Lucian: ¡°Scarper nippy minger peri. Finsef pallywag.¡± Moments later, they¡¯d both donned masks and faded into the crowd, leaving the warrior trying to mollify the fuming butterfly lady. Kafana: {Sys, why couldn¡¯t I understand what that man just said?} System: [Lovariszo is not on the list of tongues auto-translated for adventurers by default.] Kafana: {Alderney, did you understand what he just said?} Alderney: {No, it¡¯s Thieves Cant. Carlo wouldn¡¯t teach me. I¡¯ve picked up a couple of words, though. ¡°Peri¡± is danger, and ¡°Nippy¡± is fast.} Kafana: {Oh, a cryptolect! They¡¯re fun.} Kafana: {Dinah, you there?} Her expert system replied immediately: [You know it, gal.] Kafana: {Dinah, could you scan any player recordings of Torello you can access, to pick up instances of overheard Lovariszo, and pass them through a Chomsky-Whorf ludling sieve? Let me know when you¡¯ve compiled a sufficient lexicon for me to gain the skill in-game.} Back at UCL she¡¯d have had to worry about file formats, installing applications and specifying confirmatory testing parameters. It would have taken hours. Things were so much easier nowadays. It seemed half the skill was now in knowing that something was even possible, so it occurred to you to try. Bungo: {It was subtle, but I saw the same bend Kafana noticed. How come the guy won?} Bulgaria: {The whole thing was carefully staged. The first merchant was working with him, just pretending to be a normal member of the audience - what they call a ¡°shill¡±. His function was to set the pattern, the expectations, and establish a reason why the card might have been bent. They deliberately bent their own card during the first game and, when the lady was playing, he pressed out the bend and introduced a bend in a different card during the shuffle. If that hadn¡¯t worked, he¡¯d have used his left hand to switch the cards while everyone was looking at the gold coins he was displaying with his right hand.} Alderney: {And if that hadn¡¯t worked he could have swapped the coins for forgeries, accidentally knocked them over the edge into a waiting gondola below, or had a third confederate waiting in the crowd to pick the purse since the mark kindly identified precisely where they kept it. Basically, the house always wins. It only looks like a game of chance.} Bulgaria: {He had at least two other confederates in the crowd. They¡¯re the ones who cried ¡°More!¡± and led the cheering when he won. These guys have probably been putting on this show three times a week for half a year or more. They¡¯re experts.} Wellington: {10 florins would pay for 6 months of tuition for a student at the university, including food and board. Not bad wages for a couple of hours work, even split 5 ways.} Alderney: {They were unusually lucky to hit a noble. Or maybe not. Notice how they deliberately froze a crowd and jammed them close packed by repeatedly instructing them to step closer? It looked to me like they were intentionally blocking the arch. It is possible they were hired by a local business wanting more customers, or even by a rival noble wanting to embarrass that butterfly lady and who warned them when she¡¯d be coming.} The crowd had finally dispersed enough for them to get off the arch, and Kafana looked around for any shops doing well from the crowd. A rooftop entrance advertising sweet delights caught her eye, because of a constant stream of people entering it. Warily, she checked. Kafana: ¡°That shop. ¡®Sweet Delights¡¯ isn¡¯t a euphemism for anything, is it?¡± Tomsk: ¡°Not as far as I¡¯m aware. Let¡¯s check it out.¡± She followed, still holding his arm. Most of the people were now wearing masks, which made it difficult to tell, but she thought she felt lots of eyes upon her. Inside the building were stairs going down, and on each floor were stalls selling masks. Wooden masks and leather masks. Crystal masks and porcelain masks. Half masks and full masks. Masks of animals and masks of monsters. Generic masks and masks parodying specific people, historic and current (she felt guilty when she recognised one mask as being an exaggerated version of Lady Pia Trinci). Masks of lust and masks of sorrow. Frightening masks, and frightened masks. Masks of abstract beauty and masks of grotesque distortion. Some were common, many were unique. None, to her surprise, were enchanted with magic. Bulgaria examined a strange circular black velvet-covered mask with no straps called the Moretta; it had two circular eyeholes and reminded him of Rac¡¯s symbol. He put it back with disgust, after finding that it was held in place by gripping a button with your teeth, and designed to keep the wearer mute. Alderney tried to buy a cute kitten mask, but the stall holder sniffly informed her that Gnaga masks were exclusively worn by men masquerading as women. Alderney: ¡°Huh, let¡¯s skip buying masks today. I can make some that are better than any of these.¡± The nearby stall holders looked offended, and a quest popped up: [Quest ¡°Skill challenge¡± (repeatable). Prove your abilities or suffer the consequences - Difficulty rank E. Time limit: 7 days arlife. Do you accept?] Alderney accepted so fast, on the group¡¯s behalf, that Kafana didn¡¯t even get a chance to ask what those consequences would be. Oh well, it was only a minor quest. She put the matter out of her mind. 1.2.4.16 Denizen of the night 1??????????Soul Bound 1.2????????Taking Control 1.2.4??????An Artful Carnivale 1.2.4.16???Denizen of the night The ground floor was far more to her taste. Instead of stalls it was one large sweet shop, selling everything from heart-shaped iced shortbreads and orange custard darioles to clove-scented jambals and tiny cinnamon apple tartes. There were shelves of crisply fried concoctions of herbs and cheese, roasted nuts, ginger tostees, candied fruit and everything else that could be consumed with excessive amounts of sugar or honey. It was a dieter¡¯s nightmare - Kafana loved it. Kafana picked one of each type, hoping to analyse them later with her sight, and brought them over to the checkout by the door where a raven-haired Iberian beauty had her long straight locks held to either side of her head by roses over her ears, and matching lipstick. She was selling brightly coloured squares of floral cloth which customers used to package up their sweets. Kafana: ¡°Can I take these?¡± Alderney, Bungo and Wellington were investigating one corner of the shop where a hot drink was being served, leaving her with Bulgaria and Tomsk. Midnight Rose: ¡°Certainly. You¡¯re touring today? Welcome to our den. They call me the Midnight Rose.¡± At Kafana¡¯s nod, she picked out some plain grey squares and carefully started packing the purchases. Kafana stowed them in her stash. Tomsk: ¡°Is there a particular significance to the designs on the cloth?¡± Midnight Rose: ¡°Oh yes. It can be used to indicate the rank desired, and the type of interaction sought: a few days or a few hours, exclusive or non-exclusive, entertainment, conversation, or something more intimate. It¡¯s all in the book.¡± she waved her hands to a stack of pamphlets on the counter. ¡°Of course¡±, she added, ¡°it doesn¡¯t substitute for negotiation - it¡¯s just a tradition used to make things easier, politer. The Scorpioni are all about building confidence, not destroying it. We¡¯re very particular about manners.¡± She swung a strand of hair away from her neck to reveal something like a tattoo. It was of a naked woman with a scorpion¡¯s tail that just about managed to cover her breasts and groin from the gaze. The woman in the tattoo moved, giving Kafana a cheeky wink. Kafana: ¡°It¡¯s magical!¡± Midnight Rose: ¡°Isn¡¯t it just? And it fades away, after a while, unless the mage hired by the Scorpioni recharges it to indicate that the member is still in good standing. Legend has it that it can sting clients who try to steal from us or turn abusive, though I¡¯ve never seen it personally. But who knows?¡± she giggled naughtily ¡°For some reason, the people I was with always found better things to do with their time than try to test it.¡± Kafana blushed and added the guide pamphlet to her purchases. It was entitled, ¡°A Catalogue of the Principal and Most Honourable Courtesans of Torello¡±. She flicked through it, while waiting for the others to finish their drinks. Kafana: {Dinah, can you summarise for me?} Dinah: [These ladies ain¡¯t shady. Gal, they are oooorganised; they¡¯ve a formal guild which pays its dues just like the Smiths or Traders. High master courtesans are often an openly acknowledged part of a high noble¡¯s household, able to attend social functions, and even bear children which get adopted into the main line. They have impeccable manners and taste, and are generally accomplished in their own right, whether as a dancer, poet or even a botanist. People shower them with expensive gifts just to spend time in their company talking with them; if they have sex, it is inevitably with an exclusive long-term patron.] Dinah: [Master courtesans are the sort who make month-long contracts with visiting merchants and petty nobility. At a minimum, they are literate and keep boredom at bay via sexual and non-sexual means, like an enthusiastic girlfriend who dresses well and plays the harp. Someone you wouldn¡¯t be embarrassed to be seen with in public. And so on, down the ranks, until you reach failed apprentices, who walk the docks plying their trade by the half-hour.] Dinah: [The Scorpioni are a gang, which is distinct from the Courtesans Guild. They¡¯ve laid a firm claim to this part of the Arsenal, and forbid their members from engaging in certain practices, such as blackmailing clients or stealing from them. In return, they¡¯ve built up a reputation for hiring the most sadistic mercenaries they can find to take revenge on their behalf, if anyone causes problems for one of their members. Effectively, they are a female operated sex-workers collective, no pimps or pandering allowed.] Across the room, Alderney screwed up her face after taking a sip of the drink. Alderney: ¡°Yuck.¡± Bungo: ¡°Yeah, it''s not great, is it? I was told it was medicinal and helped men perform.¡± Kafana: ¡°What were you drinking?¡± Alderney: ¡°It claimed to be hot chocolate, but it was all gritty, and filled with spices.¡± Wellington: ¡°Perhaps it is an acquired taste. But Kafana, if you can do better, we could make a solid business out of selling it I think.¡± Kafana thanked Midnight Rose, and the party carried on chatting as they walked. To her surprise, instead of dingy streets, they entered a wide courtyard laid out as a garden, with trees for shade and lanterns hanging from them, ready for the evening. Caged songbirds rested on balconies, where ladies were fanning themselves or chatting in groups. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Kafana: ¡°Conching and refining the chocolate is pretty involved, and there¡¯s further work if you want to ferment and roast the beans yourself beforehand, or do couverture afterwards. We¡¯re talking at least as much research and machine building as the gelato took, if not more; easier to do it with magic like Columbina does. Do we need additional money urgently?¡± Alderney sounded disappointed. ¡°I guess not.¡± Wellington: ¡°If there are adventurers watching this recording who have the arlife skills and want to make a business out of it, we could consult and act as angel investors.¡± Kafana: {Do it through the Adventurers Guild or spawn a new company to back startups?} Wellington: {Spawn a company, allow others to invest in it too, and act as consultants to the company advising which projects are feasible. The more locals who feel invested in adventurers doing well, the better.} Bulgaria: {Set up an expectation that recipients of the funding will give back to the community, either benefitting the locals like at the orphanage or by investing in the fund themselves once they pay off the initial investment and are making a profit.} Alderney: {Chocolate!} Bungo: {Chocolate cookies, chocolate bars, chocolate sauce on ice cream, hot chocolate, devil¡¯s food cake, pain au chocolat, ¡} Kafana: {Tomsk?} Tomsk: {Heh, sorry, I was enjoying the view. Sounds good in theory. I like Bulgaria¡¯s suggestion that the emphasis not be purely upon making a profit. Money is a means to an end, not an end in itself.} Kafana: {Ok, ok! Wellington, talk to Melchior about the ethics and how much to allocate to the project. I¡¯ll go with whatever he says. Do a post in the Kitchen on The Burrow if you like - I¡¯m sure chocolate isn¡¯t the only joy we could bring to the locals.} Alderney: {Talking of locals: Bungo, how¡¯s the psychosocial model of Basso residents going?} Bungo: {Pretty well. Turns out there are five or six distinct patterns - the different areas within Basso vary enormously. The bottleneck at the moment is finding out what magic can do for architecture. In arlife we can have entrance gates to apartment complexes controlled remotely, and wall indicators showing visitors how many residents are actively watching them. We¡¯ve no idea what velife equivalents magic can provide, because nobody in Torello has ever ¡®wasted¡¯ that amount of effort upon housing in poor areas. What symbolism do people use here to indicate different levels of territorial control? What shared facilities or activities would help neighbours develop a strong sense of community? There¡¯s no research - we¡¯re winging it.} Bulgaria: {If you want to know what works here in Torello to give the poor a strong sense of community and territoriality, we should plan a visit to the Ghetto, in the south-west corner of Basso. They¡¯ve got it in trumps.} Kafana watched as a pair of clients, both rather drunk, faced off against each other but then were neatly intercepted by a small group of patrolling Scorpioni who defused the situation and led them off in opposing directions, under the guise of steering them towards beauties who might suit their needs. Kafana: ¡°Does architecture have that big an impact upon sense of community? The layout here seems similar to the Doss, but look at the difference in atmosphere!¡± Alderney: ¡°In the Doss, most of the residents are transients. There are plenty of dark areas for people to loiter that have multiple escape routes. There¡¯s no sense of ownership of the common areas, so nobody takes on the role of guarding them.¡± Wellington: ¡°So it is about information and surveillance?¡± Alderney: ¡°Yes. Whether a barrier blocks a line of sight can be at least as important as whether it blocks physical access. Just having expensive decorative lanterns hanging here undamaged sends the message: ¡®someone lays claim to this space and keeps an eye upon it¡¯.¡± Tomsk: ¡°They¡¯re like a bear pissing in the woods, placing a urine scent mark as high up the tree as it can manage.¡± A laugh sounded from above. The delicate brass poles surrounding the balcony did nothing to obscure the blue velvet chaise longue, nor the trim lady with an ornate feathered fan who wasn''t so much reclining upon it, as posing upon it - using it to display her athletic body, fashionable dress and elegantly coiffed tresses. Her makeup was barely noticable, but drew subtle attention to her wicked teasing eyes. Her neckline was wide and low, but saved from crudity by the excess of lace upon the billowing sleeves which the lady used to ration out glimpses of her bosom to the admirer hovering nervously by her feet. Amaryllis: ¡°What a colourful comparison! Signor Mouse here is just about to read me his latest poetic epic. Will you not join us?¡± The skinny man, wearing a grey wooden mouse-mask with cute ears and whiskers, had an all too familiar voice. Moschus: ¡°An epic indeed. All of history will remember your name, my love, when they read the dedication. It tells how the powerless Daphnis fell victim to the furious rage of the beautiful Lamia. Never have I composed better, for Lun herself sent down a muse to inspire me. Three days ago, I stood by their statues thinking when a voice came from above, where there is only unpopulated hillside, singing words of strange beauty. It was like I was dreaming with my eyes open. Straight away I set to writing, trying to capture the moment, and finished the whole thing just moments before having to flee a great storm. Since then I have scarcely slept or eaten while polishing my great work to set it before you like a jeweller¡¯s gem.¡± Bungo: ¡°Really? Master Painter Poussin was telling me just the other day that Lamia was an ugly assassin, sent by the Lilies to steal some sheep or other.¡± An amused Amaryllis chose that moment to read aloud the dedication: ¡°To Mistress Amaryllis, you are as fair as Lamia, and your heart as pure.¡± Moschus: ¡°No, no! I swear to you he¡¯s wrong.¡± Bungo put some uncertainty into his voice. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re sure, I¡¯ll look into it. Is it important?¡± Moschus: ¡°Vital! My wealth, my life, even my reputation - I stake them all for the honour of Amaryllis.¡± [Quest gained: ¡°For the Honour of Amaryllis¡± - provide Moschus with proof that Master Painter Poussin¡¯s version of events is incorrect. Difficulty rank D.] As they made their excuses and walked away, Bulgaria, whose acute hearing skill was already level 12, spoke up in group chat: {What was that all about, and why was that poet chap muttering under his breath: ¡°Well that¡¯s another fine mess you¡¯ve gotten me into, Poussin¡±?} Kafana and Bungo took turns relating the events of their previous afternoon, as the group passed through the Den, up an exit building and onto the next arch. They hardly exaggerated the tale at all. 1.2.4.17 T.M.I. 1??????????Soul Bound 1.2????????Taking Control 1.2.4??????An Artful Carnivale 1.2.4.17???T.M.I. 7:45 am, Thursday June 8th, 2045 5 bells of the afternoon watch Lunday full, 8th day of the month of KrevinBelember, A2F1600 Bungo had looked down upon the Den from above, seeing the balconies in the nearest courtyard laid out neatly, far more visible than from below. It seemed to remind him of something, because a minute later he spoke up. Bungo: {Tomsk, your Baths in The Burrow have become quite popular. Several corridors have grown out from them.} Tomsk: {Not my doing. It was the Tomskettes who built them, designed on a Roman ideal that included nude bathing. The last laugh is upon them: Alderney added in a mutual-consent feature which means people only see and get seen by people matching criteria set by a bather.} Wellington: {User created content is great, but I set up a peer review process to flag problems before anything gets approval to be included outside a clan-only area. Alderney is on the list of people registered as interested, and her suggested fix was the one that got upvoted.} Alderney: {In effect, it shards the space into different versions of the baths populated by groups who share friendship or standards. Some will end up receiving massages and relaxing in bubbling hot pools in an area filled by lots of others; some will end up doing it by themselves or with a single partner.} Bulgaria: {If architecture has such a big impact upon the strength of a community¡¯s spirit, we should put some thought into the direction we want The Burrow¡¯s design to head. Will letting the spaces become that fragmented support the social cohesion we want? We started off with a Womble burrow as our initial metaphor, but we don¡¯t have to stick to that.} Kafana: {Your outlook upon life, possibly even your personality, is shaped by the people you spend time hanging around with. But what if the way they shape you isn¡¯t healthy for you or what you want?} Wellington: {Then hang around with different people.} Tomsk: {That happened to me when I was sixteen, and a good thing too. But I just fell into it; it wasn¡¯t a positive decision. I think few people will accurately identify the problem and take the hard step of changing their patterns. Look how many people get hung up on wanting to spend time with someone who isn¡¯t that interested in spending time with them.} Alderney: {Maybe we could give a sense of the actions of the larger population by showing them like ghosts.} Wellington: {What, as an orglife overlay whose transparency you can alter, and which is slightly blurred for anonymity? Or a statistical sampling of them?} Bungo: {Perhaps more like vampires. You can see their shadows on the floor, or spot them in mirrors. The corridors use data on which spaces are frequently transitioned between to calculate proximity. We could add ¡®windows¡¯ on walls which look out upon nearby spaces, if we¡¯re not limiting ourselves to the underground metaphor.} Kafana: {I like the window idea. You could use the same concept to allow people in arlife to use a screen as a window into The Burrow, and a window in The Burrow to look out of a camera in arlife.} Alderney: {Like the mirror in ¡°Alice Through the Looking-Glass¡±, that you can only step through when wearing a tiara. Stepping in the other direction could allow you to take temporary possession of a Topsy.} Kafana: {I¡¯d settle for anything that made it easier for me to keep track of and participate in The Burrow while carrying out my normal daily activities. It¡¯s a pity the awareness of other people¡¯s intentions and feelings that you get when reading the forums doesn¡¯t carry over into arlife.} Alderney looked thoughtful, but before she could speak, Bulgaria pointed out a wide gap in the buildings ahead. Bulgaria: ¡°Honoured gentles, we have arrived at the Old Tiltyard, home of many wondrous performers and keeper of the spirit of Carnivale.¡± He gave an unctuous bow, fully back in the role of an ambitious stevedore hoping for a large tip. Kafana put on the expression of an enthusiastic wide-eyed tourist that the scene seemed to call for. Back at UCL several of the Wombles had tried improving the skills required by some of their capers by going along to meetings of the university¡¯s Improv Society. By the end of the term, even Wellington had got the hang of it. Kafana: ¡°Carnivale? What¡¯s that?¡± Bulgaria: ¡°The nobles have traditionally frowned upon people walking about Centrale with their faces covered. What¡¯s the point of being superior if you can¡¯t recognise those who should grovel to you? Respectable merchants also like to know who they are dealing with. However, four times a year we celebrate the arrival of a new season and, by the grace of the deities, for the week of celebration and the two weeks preceding it, these expectations are lifted, letting everybody blow off a bit of steam, ignore the hierarchy, and be who they want to be.¡± Kafana: ¡°So they¡¯re not so much putting on a mask as escaping from the face they have felt forced to present in public? An act of revealing rather than an act of hiding?¡± Bulgaria: ¡°In theory this is the Lammas carnival, when truces and peace treaties are concluded, freeing up people to bring in the harvest. The prevailing winds change and merchants start new ventures. In practice, for most people it is an excuse to dress up and have fun. At other times of the year, the masks and wild fun are restricted to the area around the Tiltyard and the Den, but during the celebration there are processions, private balls, and public feasting in the streets. Musicians, dancers and actors gather from far around, and find ready audiences.¡± Tomsk sounded intrigued. ¡°This Tiltyard, does it contain a fair, a festival, a circus, or something else?¡± Bulgaria: ¡°A bit of all of those, good Sir. This is the home base of the Lovari, who¡¯ll try to persuade you into emptying your coin purse any way they can short of violence, leaving you only enough for a gondola ride home, poorer but wiser. Luckily you have me with you Sir, to point out all the fakes.¡± Bungo: ¡°Let¡¯s share senses, before we enter. Kafana helped me gain a new one yesterday and I want to see if I can pick up the conceptual framework that Alderney uses to interpret architecture.¡± Bulgaria: {Good idea. I¡¯ll try to share out the skill I¡¯ve acquired that lets me track slight of hand, how thieves indicate marks and how grifters manipulate the flow of people and information.} Kafana: ¡°I¡¯ll add a learning buff and a prayer, but just a word of warning: you¡¯re going to be stunned for a few seconds, from information overload. Don¡¯t panic, just ask System to fade out the cues that aren¡¯t relevant to your intent.¡± The group moved to the shelter of a doorway while Kafana did her stealth casting, then held hands and invoked their group skill. She was used to it by now, and Bungo only sweated a little, but it hit the others hard. Tomsk went immobile as a rock. Bulgaria swore. Alderney had an expression of delight on her face. Wellington was a different matter. Even after the others had acclimatised and dropped their hands, his face looked blank and he stood there muttering under his breath, not turning or reacting to a hand waved in front of him. She looked at Wellington, with an understanding of his mana flows and bodily health superimposed upon his outward merchant appearance. Each of the eight types of pure mana, tinged with a different colour in her sight, was spread through his flesh in proportions that varied from blood to bone and from organ to organ, at though his insides had been stained with dozens of dyes by a deranged doctor. Some parts were brighter than others and a sense of wonder crept over her as she realised that the brightest spots weren''t just random points where unused reserves of mana had pooled; they were also part of something else, something so strange and complex she hadn''t recognised it and so new to her that she didn''t even have the words or concepts to deal with it until she drew on a view of the world shared by Wellington - they were nodes. Mana nodes! Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Alderney: ¡°Wellington, are you ok?¡± With growing excitement Kafana explored onwards. Each mana node she examined, from the splishing puddle in Wellington''s little toe to the deep rippled lake that overlaid his solar plexus, had several flows of pure mana connecting them to some of their neighbouring nodes, whose pulses were repeatedly sent or received along the same efficient curving paths each time, keeping them clear and, over time, shaping them into a stable network of local channels of varying widths. His voice came back, through gritted teeth. ¡°I have to be able to handle this. I have to.¡± Was there more? Drawing on her own healer''s vision, she noted where Wellington''s torso and limbs were divided by the boundaries where the local networks met, and compared that to the biological division of his body into areas served by different major nerves and blood vessels. They were similarities, but also several differences - the mana channels took their own paths inside his skin, unobstructed by bones but more reluctant to pass through volumes categorised by function, such as respiration or digestion. She gained a feel for the health of a local network when, she noticed that the total mana flow the network in his left leg could handle without straining was different to the capacity of his right arm, and that several of the channels in his right arm showed signs of recent growth that were similar to alterations she''d noticed in her own muscles after enduring a training session with Carlo. Had those channels become stronger because Wellington had repeatedly strained them while using his Athame to practice Runic magic? The network in his skull was so bright, she hadn''t even tried to look closer. His fight to process everything offer by the shared skill was probably straining every channel in it but, as long as he took breaks, it wouldn''t cause lasting harm and might even make that network strong once it healed. Kafana: ¡°Have you asked System to filter it down?¡± Wellington: ¡°Data is good. I might miss something. Kafana, boost me again. Harder.¡± Bungo: ¡°You¡¯re a data-addict, Wellington. A junkie, trying to mainline for the first time who is near to overdosing. This isn¡¯t good for you.¡± First, do no harm. She might not be a proper doctor, but she''d at least try to act responsibly. She tried mentally directing Truesight to filter out some of the brightness and cautiously pressed her palm tatt to zoom in with her vision. The largest node in the skull was mainly filled with Lun''s violet air mana used for Seeing, Illusion and Mind magic and, since it was sat above and just behind his eyes in the middle of his pre-frontal cortex, she nicknamed it his ''Third Eye''. Two nearby nodes, centered in his biological eyes, were each connected to it by eight short wide channels straining to feed the skills demand for every type of mana, sending it so fast a glowing nimbus bleed from them like an arcane version of Cherenkov radiation. Nearly as bright were four longer channels feeding gold, green, grey and violet mana to node a little higher than the Third Eye but situated right at the back of the brain in an area that felt unusually active to her Healer''s sense. So, strained, but not abnormal or failing. She zoomed back out, noticing in passing that the The Third Eye itself was also being fed by the largest nodes of his body''s other local networks, using the surface of his skin itself as a single ultra-wide channel, or perhaps a giant pool-less mana node, able to move all types at the same time, but store none of them? Did the body''s magic zones correspond to the game''s armour and jewellery slots? How did the limits on Reinforcement magic interact with the limits on other types such as potion use and the interactions of set and other magic items...? Wellington: ¡°Do it.¡± Interrupted, Kafana saved the thoughts for later and concentrated on visualising Wellington''s information processing capacity and speed, bringing him into her casting gestalt and pouring the passionate of his hunger into the heavy blues rhythm of a Bob Dylan song. Through the shared sight her music looked beautiful, with coloured notes of mana threaded through concentric shells of air whose oscillating density carried the sound. Wellington had his head arched back, transfixed like a saint struck by a heavenly beam of brilliance in a painting of them receiving a religious revelation. His eyes were crackling visibly, worse than Alderney''s had at the Triple Ring after receiving more buffs than her body could handle, so filled with bright actinic blue lines they were now arcing across his face, with each wave stronger and louder than the last, and each inching beyond the line of scorch marks showing the limits of the territory previously claimed. No problem. She''d fixed this before. She sang her usual calming buff, turns to check on the others while waiting for Wellington''s eyes to settle back into a steady blue glow. It was a few moments later, while she was using her newly enhanced Truesight to examine Tomsk and Nothung, his mana-absorbing sword, when Bungo''s voice, full of uncertainty, drew her back to Wellington: "Err, Kafana, is it meant to be doing that?" The scorched territory was still spreading. Not as fast as before, but it had reached his chin and was working down his neck. Schei?e. How strong had Wellington''s feeling been? They didn''t affect his face or tone of voice much, so perhaps she''d underestimated how strong the buff would be. She looked at his mana flows again. The ones in his skull were stronger than before. Much stronger. Too strong for his channels, even after she''d visualised her buff reinforcing them - they''d broken free and were writhing like metal snakes, breaking the boundaries of organs and sparking and grinding as they banged against each other. A shallow film of mana had welled up across his skin, like electric charge atop a Van der Graaf generator, and every few seconds a lines spikes would rise, vibrate, then fade back into the film. Kafana: "No, Bungo, it isn''t." She quickly summarised what she knew about the situation then asked the important question. "Any ideas? At all? Right now I''m stuck and anything, even if it is weird, wrong or irrelevant, might be a help." Bulgaria: "Let''s experiment a bit. Follow me." He had Tomsk carry Wellington down a side street and sit him under the portico of a bankrupt store whose display windows had been boarded closed, and then had Bungo stand so his cloak would block the view of any idle pedestrians. Bulgaria: "Good. Kafana, you wondered if it was affected by him wearing magic items. Keep monitoring him. Tomsk, Alderney, please could remove as many of his equipped items that look like they contain mana, as you can in the next minute. Go!" She did her best to ignore the resulting whirl, as Alderney laughed in delight and matched her greater dexterity against the longer reach of a suddenly competitive Tomsk. The items didn''t seem to be drawing mana from Wellington''s body and the problem with the channels inside it didn''t decrease. In fact, it anything it got worse, spiking and sending out a new wave of arcs each time a person standing in front of him waved their prize after removing a particularly hard to remove artifact from Wellington''s still rigid body. When Tomsk removed merchant''s Athame that shielded Wellington from Mind magic, and displayed it to Alderney who''d also been reaching for it, every channel in his brain shuddered from the overload, inundating the neighbouring local mana network in his upper torso with unchanneled mana flows, causing it to buck then shudder back into place, raising a line of mana geysers along his skin so high that, before they had time to fade, vibrated so much they erupted. Tomsk, focused on a different set of the shared senses, just saw an actinic arc shoot towards him from Wellington''s throat with a snapping sound, followed by a rattling volley from all around his neck that left behind a necklace of ashen marks and the smell of scorched skin. He stepped back, no longer amused. Alderney: "Not good. Can we drain the buffs of mana, like we did with that trapped door in the Necropolis?" Tomsk: "I could touch him with my sword, try to drain his mana. Want me to try?" Kafana: "It might put him into mana shock, which can also kill. Let''s reserve that option for now." She briefed them on everything she''d seen during the experiment, even the bits that she could see any relevance to. The tremors grew worse as they discussed it and his legs were the only regions left that weren''t shuddering constantly. Wellington''s health bar had dropped below half and she didn''t dare try using healing magic or a potion, lest they make things worse by adding more magic - the film on his skin now looked more like a shallow sea and his arms were practically dry of mana, their vitality declining even faster than the rest. Bulgaria: "Any last thoughts, before Tomsk tries Nothung?" Bungo: "He needs a thinking hat!" With a dramatic stage magician''s wave, he produced from his stash a wide black headband with a golden dragon embroidered at the front, that he''d obtained for his monks as part of a uniform to match the colours planned for House Sincero. Stepping forwards, he carefully tied it across Wellington''s eyes like a blindfold. Bungo looked quite smug as he stepped back and finished with a bright "Tadaa!" No, surely not. She examined Wellington carefully. The mana flows snaking towards the eyes settled back into their channels and started to dim, followed by the longer ones joining the Third Eye to Wellington''s visual cortex. One by one his local networks stopped shuddering and the layer of mana flooding his skin grew shallowed as the Third Eye grew sated and ceased demanding the other networks feed it mana at any cost. She gave Bungo a shaky thumbs up, too weary to speak, and realised he hadn''t been as confident as he''d tried to seem when he dropped the act and wiped sweat from his brow. Bungo: ¡°That was too close, man.¡± Wellington: ¡°I¡¯m¡ I¡¯m ok. I couldn''t move a muscle but I heard everything. ¡° He turned to face Bungo. ¡°Thank you Bungo. And sorry for the scare. I¡¯d never have forgiven myself if I had just given up.¡± Tomsk: ¡°I understand, my brother. Sometimes there are things one has to do, even if they are not on the path of wisdom or safety.¡± Wellington gave a wry chuckle. ¡°Well, that¡¯s new to me. But yes, you are exactly correct.¡± Bulgaria: ¡°Are you able to move, master merchant, or have you been sampling the wines a bit too freely?¡± Wellington looked relieved. ¡°If you guys don¡¯t mind, I think I¡¯d like to look at things slowly, at my own pace. A crowd might be a bit too much to begin with. I promise I''ll only lift the blindfold in short bursts until I acclimatise.¡± Bungo turned to Alderney: ¡°How about I stay with him, so I can pull the blindfold down for him if he freezes up again? You can pick us up again before heading onto the next stop.¡± Alderney: ¡°Should be safe in this area. But just in case: if a muscular woman with fiery red hair and a strong jaw comes up to you, don¡¯t mistake her for a Scorpioni. Her name is Capponi, she¡¯s one of the Chosen who¡¯s keeping an eye out for us today. She¡¯s seen more than her share of violence, so if she says there¡¯s danger, take her seriously.¡± System: [Skill ¡°Stealth performance¡± has reached level 9.] System: [Skill ¡°Buff¡± has reached level 23.] System: [Skill ¡°Cure wounds¡± has reached level 16.] Hmm, it looked like Bungo was right. Skill levels reflected recognition of underlying ability, rather than defining or limiting it. You could increase a skill level through repetitively practising the same thing every time, but trying new approaches and focusing your attention upon learning from your experiments was a lot more effective. A moment later, Alderney disappeared into the crowd, and Kafana found herself walking into the Tiltyard on Tomsk¡¯s arm, following a strutting Bulgaria. 1.2.4.18 Critique of pure cant 1??????????Soul Bound 1.2????????Taking Control 1.2.4??????An Artful Carnivale 1.2.4.18???Critique of pure cant Tiers of wooden viewing galleries lined the buildings surrounding a rectangular grassy area large enough to fit soccer pitches with room to spare for the spectators. At the end to her left a large ring had been marked out with bales of hay, but the rest was composed of rows of stalls and tents, with some of the larger attractions backing onto the buildings themselves. Between the rows were boarded walkways and at the end to her right appeared to be a raised stage with space in front of it for an audience to watch or dance. Bulgaria led them across the midway, which still had post holes from some ancient rail used to keep jousters from crashing their horses into each other, to the long side of the rectangle opposite the gap where they¡¯d entered. It was less crowded here than by the entrance, and they started working their way along the stalls. ¡°Meet the famous bearded lady!¡± ¡°Be shocked yet edified by the finest display of stuffed monsters in the five cities. For just one osella piece you can see the mermaid!¡± ¡°Half man, half goat - win a game of chess against him and gain a golden Florin. Just ten ducato a go.¡± ¡°Not one chicken head, not two chicken heads, but before your very eyes I shall swallow three heads in under twenty seconds.¡± Tomsk: ¡°Ah, geeks and freaks. This takes me back.¡± Kafana: ¡°To school? That¡¯s not very nice.¡± Tomsk: {No, no. I dropped out of school early. This was later; before I was headhunted by Cirque du Soleil, I was part of the Russian NoFitState Circus. Freaks are performers where the attraction is that they are unusual, such as being extremely tall or having twelve fingers. Geeks are performers where the attraction is that what they do is unusual, to the point of appearing insane. A fire eater could be billed as a freak by claiming they have mutant fire-proof skin, as a geek by having them eat burning coals with relish, or as a normal performer by putting the emphasis upon their daring, skill and artistry. Just a matter of presentation, in many cases - whatever sells best in that location.} Kafana: {So which were you?} Tomsk: {I didn¡¯t really have a home, so I was very keen to work. I tried everything, from wrestling displays to doing setup. They were an awesome bunch - anti-authoritarian punks who took the piss out of everything the state did. I¡¯d been learning weapons at a local dojo, and they kept teaching me circus skills which I worked into a knife act, slowly improving it. By the end I was throwing knives at moving targets while apparently drunk and blindfolded, comically missing, then running up the stairway they¡¯d formed by sticking into a wall which set them on fire because of the spilled vodka, revealing me to be wearing a costume from Chinese mythology under my drunkard¡¯s disguise. After that the lighting changed, I¡¯d fly through the air on a hidden wire, summon knives to my hands using elastic, juggle them swallow them, dance with the bobbing target always narrowly missing it, music would start and programmed LEDs in the handles would make these wonderful pre-programmed trails as the lights cut out when the target exploded. The whole thing turned into a narrative, with walking through fire as metaphor, and the target eventually being healed and forgiving me before I mysteriously went up in a blaze myself leaving me back in the drunkard''s rags apparently asleep and dreaming.} Kafana: {I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever heard you talk as much about anything. You really loved that life, didn¡¯t you?} Tomsk: {It had its downsides. Hard work, uncertain pay. Some pretty bitter people, who had nowhere else they felt safe or accepted. But hey, we should probably pick something we can talk out loud about, or Alderney is going to curse us for frustrating the viewers.} They made their way slowly around the edge, listening to the patter of the men standing outside the bigger tents, watching the tactics used to manipulate the flow of crowds and persuade people to part with their money in order to enter. She started to notice similarities as Bulgaria pointed things out, and on a few occasions they stood still for five minutes, apparently eating snacks from a stall, while she used her new surveillance spell to listen into the operators talking to each other in their private cant. Stolen novel; please report. It still wasn¡¯t enough for a lexicon and she explained to Bulgaria and Alderney what she needed. When they reached the stage they paused to watch two of the Vecci she¡¯d previously seen in the Plaza of the Public dancing a pasodoble, and she told Dinah to test the hypothesis that the argot had been produced by obfuscating a pre-existing creole between the local Torellan dialect and one or more of the other regional languages, such as the one she¡¯d heard the older Vecci speaking in their own encampment back in Basso. After watching the troupe perform a second dance, the Pirata Quiero Ser, they carried on around, picking up Wellington and Bungo as they passed the entrance gap. Wellington had fully recovered, and they¡¯d been looking at buildings together, trying to quantise qualities such as field of view, territoriality and affordances. She cast maintenance on her original buffs, except for the intense but short duration boost she¡¯d given Wellington which Bungo assured her had now fully worn off. Then she drew everybody into harmony and offered up a prayer to the deities for a gentle gradual focus upon their acquiring skills from the shared-out sights and their joint observations of the crowds. She wasn¡¯t going to repeat the mistake she¡¯d made in the Botanic Gardens and get bushwhacked by a sudden massive upgrade. Partway down the side, while watching a particularly skilled talker jam eager groups into a tent to have their fortunes read, something clicked. It wasn¡¯t that she lost sympathy for the people being milked, but she could now see them as the talker saw them; when they needed to be drawn in, when to wax lyrical and when to pile on the urgency to close the sale. Additional annotations appeared in her sight. System: [Skill ¡°Truesight¡± has reached level 15.] Over the next few minutes she gained annotations indicating who looked likely to believe which category of rumour and where they¡¯d spread it; how the properties of a building affected the flow of people around it and what they felt comfortable doing in different zones; and even an indicator of which nooks would make the best ambush or nesting spots for different monsters, that must have come from Tomsk. System: [Skill ¡°Truesight¡± has reached level 16.] Alderney: ¡°Oooh! That¡¯s really useful, Tomsk. I think I can see how it could apply to spotting human ambushers too. Or, conversely, where best to lurk if you want to remain hidden by shadows.¡± Bungo: ¡°I agree. But, err, aren¡¯t we meant to be progressing quests and going up levels today? Why are we here, rather than interrogating Beltrame?¡± Bulgaria: ¡°I¡¯m hoping to time our visit to the Fiorio so it coincides with news reaching Torello about the arrival of a particular trade ship, so we¡¯ve a little free time to spend. This is a great place to warn adventurers about, and if we wait long enough Kafana might learn the language which would give us an edge when talking to the chief here. How¡¯s that going?¡± Kafana: ¡°Slowly. It is the sort of problem that, when you crack enough small bits, suddenly everything else falls into place. It would help if we could test some of my guesses, to eliminate possibilities.¡± Alderney: ¡°I can do that. Have your expert system, Dinah?, watch my stream and feed me appropriate lines and I¡¯ll pose as a fellow Arsenal resident.¡± It went more smoothly than she thought. Bulgaria would pick a pair of staff gossiping at unpopular stalls, go up to them and plant an assertion or ignorant comment they were bound to discuss after he left. Kafana would use her spell to listen into their discussion then Alderney would wander up a minute later and try out the line Dinah crafted for the situation. The first few stalls were misses, but they hit jackpot when they came across a garrulous codger running a coconut shy who mistook Alderney for being a youngling and took it upon himself to correct her atrocious pronunciation. Kafana had included the rest of the party in her listening spell, the same way she¡¯d included Wellington at lunch time, and twenty minutes later they all received a message: System: [Tongue gained: ¡°Lovariszo¡± - You may now set the user interface system to auto-translate this for you.] Kafana: {Sys, I enjoy learning about languages. Could you auto translate, but also include anglicised versions of any specialist vocabulary?} System: [I believe you are the first person on Covob to ask for that. I will try. I might need to request an additional module or help from ooc-Zer.] She projected her gratitude, channelling emotion into her words like when spell casting - the knack was becoming an ingrained reflex. {Thank you Sys!} 1.2.4.19 Kayfabe 1??????????Soul Bound 1.2????????Taking Control 1.2.4??????An Artful Carnivale 1.2.4.19???Kayfabe Bulgaria: ¡°Come this way, gentle folk. You wouldn¡¯t want to miss seeing a performance in the big ring.¡± They skipped past various tents, stalls and games, including one where a leering clown balanced on a precarious stool above a tank ¡°full of real slimes, see how disgusting they are¡±, insulting the audience while people paid to throw bean bags at him, trying to knock him in. As they approached the fenced off ring they caught the end of an astounding display of horsemanship, where five riders formed pyramids, turned somersaults and generally did things most people couldn¡¯t do even if they were not standing on a cantering horse. For the finale, a lean dark-haired man with pale skin put on a blindfold and caught a bow that was tossed up to him. He cantered clockwise around the edge of the ring while the others formed a pyramid with a pair of horses standing side by side, a rider standing on each horse, a third rider on their shoulders, his legs steadied by raised hands and, balanced with one foot on his head was a thin woman in a skin-tight costume. Her other leg she slowly raised above her head, an apple hanging from its stem held between her toes. The tension mounted as the pyramid started moving counter-clockwise, and stagehands scattered around made rapid ululating sounds with their tongues, encouraging the audience to join in. 10 seconds, 20, faster and faster the horses went, the blindfolded man was standing now, rock steady on his horse as though he¡¯d been born there, arrow nocked and bow fully drawn. He loosed the arrow. All noise stopped as it streaked towards the balancing women, narrowly missing her head and hitting the apple, splitting it in two. The audience erupted in cheers, and threw money into the caps held out by the pre-positioned stagehands. The archer tore off his blindfold, the pyramid disassembled itself into four riders on four horses, all five of them took a bow, still standing on the horses while they did a final circuit of the ring, then they sped out through a gap cleared in the ring and fence, and were gone. Kafana cheered with everyone else and went forwards to contribute to the cap of the nearest stagehand. However, on meeting the man¡¯s eyes she recognised him. His hair was different, as was his clothing, but she had no doubt this was the three card monte man she¡¯d seen performing so skilfully on the arch. Kafana: ¡°You did well on the arch, earlier.¡± System: [¡°Paltip earlierin con ilarchin, Broad-Tosser.¡±] Casimir: ¡°You understand the talk? Do we know you?¡± System: [¡°Rocker Lovariszo? Peeperjig talyjosser.¡±] Kafana: ¡°Olga knows me. I have a deal for your boss.¡± System: [¡°Mare-Dukker rockerme Jammer-Byor, ne smarkery. Wanjig micalku con Finsef.¡±] Casimir: ¡°I¡¯ll take you backstage soon, after I¡¯m done here.¡± System: [¡°Jutonippy Retum-Edulo, dup gregerem.¡±] They stood to the side and watched as the next act entered the ring: four wrestlers, an umpire and several ringside attendants. The umpire seemed like a sculpture that had been brought to life, with every muscle well defined by light and shadow upon his bronze oiled skin. Two meters tall, with a large head limned by curly beard and hair, he could have been anything from thirty to sixty years old, and his voice boomed out over the audience as he laid down the rules: ¡°No head butts, no punches, no gouging, no drawing blood, no maiming, no lethal moves. You win when your opponent leaves the ring, says they quit or you keep the pain stick upon them for a count of ten.¡± Tomsk: {That¡¯s new. I think this might turn out to be closer to grappling or knife fighting than classical Greco-Roman.} The wrestlers were introduced one by one. The Knight was an extremely good looking Burgundish man with fine features and quick movements. The ladies in the audience gave an appreciative cheer as he waved to them. Tomsk: {He¡¯s the face - the hero, the one who¡¯ll be honourable and skilled.} The Brute, on the other hand, had an aura of menace about him, and glared at the audience like he was considering murdering them in their beds, burning their houses down and feeding the remains to the dogs. Tomsk: {He¡¯s the heel - the bad guy, and rather good at it - look at the way he¡¯s got the audience already hating him, and he¡¯s not even said a word yet.} If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. The Farmboy was young, very fit, and had intense brooding looks. Kafana couldn¡¯t tell whether he was meant to be heroic or evil. Tomsk: {He¡¯s the baby - the underdog who tries hard, who the audience hopes will succeed but doesn¡¯t expect it of him.} The Kraken was a heavyset bald man with a neat goatee and long arms. From the anchor tattoo on one arm, she guessed he¡¯d been a sailor. Tomsk: {He looks like he¡¯s meant to get local sympathy. From his age, though, I guess he¡¯s a carpenter - put in to allow the baby to gain reputation by beating him.} Bungo: {It¡¯s fixed? It isn¡¯t real combat like on the Bridge of Fists?} Tomsk: {Generally? Yes, it¡¯s part storytelling and part athletics display. Remember, these guys are doing it as a business, maybe two or three times a day for several weeks. Injuries cut into their profit margins. Even with magic healing, the performers are still having to put a lot of trust in each other. Jumping down from a hay bale to land an elbow across the other person¡¯s throat could break their neck and kill them instantly, as could several other holds.} Wellington and Bulgaria were nodding, but Kafana felt let down. Kafana: {So they don¡¯t actually know how to fight?} Tomsk: {Oh, I didn¡¯t say that. Like doing a stunt in a movie, sometimes selling a faked punch takes more skill than actually punching the person for real would have done. And I think you¡¯re about to see one of the exceptions - some real combat.} The umpire, having finished introducing Knight, Brute, Farmboy and Kraken, was now inviting anyone from the audience to step forwards if they wanted to challenge the wrestlers, and win two gold florins if they could avoid losing within the first two minutes. An adventurer stepped up, waving her arms and bouncing with anticipation, a wild grin on her cute face. She had long pink braided hair, and gave a Bao Quan Li kowtow before rapidly stripping off her weapons and armour. The wrestlers picked The Knight to face her and both were equipped with a blunt dagger-like weapon wrapped in padding. Tomsk: {From how she¡¯s standing, I¡¯d bet on her being trained in shuai jiao. She¡¯s not seen them fight and she¡¯s overconfident, unless her qinna is really good.} Twenty seconds later, the girl was lying on her front screaming, her foot twisted at a nasty angle behind her, and the pain stick held firmly against the backs of her thighs by The Knight, who had her totally pinned. He didn¡¯t relent until she managed to gasp out the words ¡°I quit.¡± Tomsk said, rather smugly: {When I was doing mocap for XperiSense, one of the tasks Xu Kaixiang had me doing was testing various western martial arts styles against the ones most common among the players of Divine Mountain, so he could balance them. I think some of the grapplers are going to be surprised by Wigan-style catch-as-catch-can.} The girl had to be helped out of the ring but, far from being put off, she looked like she wanted to have a go another day, chatting amicably with the Kraken as he carried her. Tomsk sounded thoughtful. {Good spirit, though. I¡¯ll send her a friend request. Maybe Char or ChocolateTrain will be able to give her a few pointers.} Alderney: {I¡¯m still working on ChocolateTrain¡¯s armour, so they¡¯ve kept me informed of their plans. They¡¯re ahead of the other guilds on total number of boss monsters killed and they want to keep their lead. I don¡¯t think they¡¯re going to be back in Torello for a while - they¡¯ve arranged rendezvous with the Messengers Guild for resupply and taking things away to sell.} Wellington: {That sounds like Nastya¡¯s thinking. It¡¯s a good idea. We could organise something similar via the Adventurers Guild, for questing areas that several parties are staying in.} Bungo: {We talked about the guild and The Burrow helping players organise into groups, and a central clearing house for quests. If you¡¯re extending that, how about arranging social meetups such as dojos for sharing martial arts, or even player generated crafting quests such as ¡°I want high defence armour needing no more than STR 173, will pay in advance on best stats offered.¡±} Alderney: {I think CraftySquId would be interested in running that last part, and maybe one of the social guilds the meetup bit? But what we could do is make sure the API we suggest is flexible enough to handle that sort of usage, and put in place a Burrow framework that lets any clan with enough reputation hire space in the Adventurers Guild buildings and set up events, markets and other applications.} Bulgaria: {Give XperiSense and the locals a veto. We don¡¯t really want to directly compete with an existing exchange that will send assassins after us for poaching their business.} Wellington nodded: {Sounds workable. I should have a suggestion ready to send to them tomorrow evening. I¡¯ve already done the low-level stuff of making sure there are no issues with security or latency when it gets used by the distributed version of The Burrow. If anything, this will help with stego, because we can hide it in the redundancy used to protect against third party attacks.} Bungo: {I didn¡¯t understand a word of that.} Kafana: {Me neither, but that doesn¡¯t mean his saying it is a bad idea. Sometimes just putting things into words helps you organise your thoughts, even if you¡¯re just talking to a cat.} Alderney started brushing her cheeks with the back of her hands, as though she were licking them: {Meeeeeow.} Tomsk chuckled and scritched Alderney under the chin, who responded by batting at a tassel dangling from his sword belt. The umpire announced the first matchup would be between the Brute and the Farmboy, but before it could start, Casimir reappeared and led them out of the Tiltyard, through a nondescript gateway behind the ring. 1.2.4.20 Retum edulo 1??????????Soul Bound 1.2????????Taking Control 1.2.4??????An Artful Carnivale 1.2.4.20???Retum edulo On the other side of a small street were a pair of double doors 15 meters high, made of thick dark oak bound in brass. She doubted even Tomsk could move them unaided. Luckily the right-hand door was open. Above it, carved into the aged stone of the archway, was the stylised outline of a dove with some words beneath it. She tried to puzzle out the weathered lettering as they crossed. ¡°???retum ?edulo¡± or something. Inside was a large cobblestone courtyard covered in coloured pavilions, where Lovari were standing around in groups. Some were mending equipment or practising skills. Others were just shooting the breeze while passing around a porron of chilled Lutendranck from a nearby waist-high terracotta urn resting on a grating in the shade. All look relaxed. There was a sturdy wooden rail in one corner of the courtyard where the riders from the previous act were watering their mounts and tending to them. Casimir brought them over to the archer and, now that she was close to him, Kafana realised he somehow ¡®felt¡¯ different to other people. They grasped each other¡¯s forearms and leaned in close, exchanging a whisper she couldn¡¯t hear. Bulgaria: {The archer called our one ¡°Casimir¡± and Casimir called him ¡°Yago¡±. I think names are a private thing, possibly only shared with kin. We should do the same.} Kafana: {Sys, what are the literal meanings of ¡°Mare-Dukker¡± and ¡°Jammer-Byor¡±?} System: [¡°Mare-Dukker¡± is ¡°Big Seer¡± and ¡°Jammer-Byor¡± is ¡°Singer Woman¡±] She experimented a bit and them informed the others of their handles Kafana: {Bulgaria, here you¡¯re ¡°Blarney-Ballier¡± meaning ¡°Silver Tongue¡±; Tomsk, you¡¯re ¡°Minger-Pal¡± meaning ¡°Capitano¡±; Wellington, you¡¯re ¡°Peri-Banik¡±; Alderney, you¡¯re ¡°Nippy-Lackin¡± meaning ¡°Velocit¨¤¡±; Bungo, I¡¯m sorry, you¡¯re ¡°Mare-Shivari¡±. I¡¯m ¡°Jammer-Byor¡± meaning ¡°Singer Woman¡±. You can ask System for a literal translation, but watch your inflection and word order - it¡¯s the difference between being known as a dangerous person to trade with, and a person who deals with danger. I¡¯ve added them to our shared overlay.} Yago finished tending his horse, with deft sure hands, and then approached Kafana. Yes, there was something different about him; something wild? It wasn¡¯t his facial expression, which was controlled and serious. It wasn¡¯t even his wavy hair and thin short-cut beard and moustache. But it was there nonetheless; when he walked, every eye followed him. He reminded her of something, but she couldn¡¯t quite put her finger on it. Yago: ¡°I know Olga and she has mentioned you. Welcome to our camp.¡± System: [¡°Rockerin Mare-Dukker, pallywagger Jammer-Byor. Tisztar malliesan Sigy-Tabar.¡±] He took a porron by its handle and used his right hand to angle it so that a long squirt of the chilled wine entered into his mouth without spilling, before passing it to her, spout forwards. She instinctively reached towards it but then remembered how she¡¯s seen the others passing it around and, instead of grasping it by the spout, she used her left hand to hold the base and waited until he¡¯d release it, before using her own right hand to hold the handle and direct the wine towards her mouth. Luckily she¡¯d travelled Europe widely when on singing tours and had used one before; she drank deeply without spilling a drop, savouring the cardamon, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg in the sweet diluted Lutendranck. It was surprisingly refreshing and invigorating. When she examined it with her Truesight she picked up traces of mana - someone with a bit of mage talent had brewed this. Kafana: ¡°I accept your welcome with gratitude, and will act as a good guest should while in your camp.¡± System: [¡°?Tobyar?¡±] *ding* [Your party¡¯s reputation with the Lovari has increased by 50.] *ding* [Your reputation with the Lovari has increased by an additional 200.] Kafana: {I think they have purity laws. Be careful not to touch food or drink related stuff with your left hand. And since that often extends to gender roles, I¡¯d mind your manners when approaching, talking to or even looking at the opposite gender.} While the others ritually shared drink too, copying her words and example, she investigated further. Kafana: {Sys, what¡¯s the literal translation of ¡°?Tobyar?¡± ?} There was a perceptible pause before System replied. System: [¡°Road mates.¡±] A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Kafana: {Sys, sorry, did that question cause a problem?} System: [No, not a problem. A challenge, maybe? You¡¯re now a beta tester, so I¡¯m authorised to tell you a bit about how things work, to aid you in spotting the difference between a bug and a feature. XperiSense doesn¡¯t simulate the whole world and its history at a constant level of detail. Bits we know the players will use have been generated, but we¡¯ve left a surprising amount of flexibility in the back-history that we only nail down as and when needed. I had to wait for ooc-Zer to come up on the fly with bits of Lovari culture for when they interact just among themselves while travelling, that he¡¯d not been scheduled to calculate for another three weeks.] Kafana: {Ooops, sorry, are we too much ahead of the curve? Would it be helpful if I just let you translate, and stopped asking for the precise words?] System: [Kafana, your party is consistently ahead of the expected curve. Which is fine. But yes, if you wouldn¡¯t mind not asking, just for a day or two, ooc-Zer would owe you a favour.] Kafana: {Sys, that¡¯s what friends are for. You needed only ask. Here, I¡¯ll say it formally: ¡°System, please cease dual-translation.¡±} Yago led them over to a table in the shade. There were no chairs - the Lovari either stood or squatted. On the table was a map unlike any other she had seen. It was made of stiff leather and it didn¡¯t show towns and political boundaries. Instead, in loving detail, it showed roads and campsites near them, all the way from Magusa and Salerno in the south to Tucano and Nuovilion in the North and beyond. Not just major roads, but tracks up mountains that horses could pass only in single file, and routes through swamps that carts would sink in. Yago: ¡°What news of the roads?¡± Tomsk spent a few minutes filling him in upon the latest dangers he¡¯d heard about through the Watch, and Alderney sketched the route they¡¯d taken from Villa Landi to show where the bandits¡¯ camp had been. Kafana studied the map with them; the length of each route was marked not in terms of distance, but instead as a number of ¡°rides¡±. When they¡¯d finished, she asked a question. Kafana: ¡°You seem very close with your horses. How long does the association go back?¡± Yago: ¡°A long way. Our legends say that the first Lovari lived in a village in Transylvania famed for its horse breeding. When Nemesis first awoke, Lun sent a vision to one of them, a Horsemaster who was part Lunadan and known for having a touch of second sight, warning him to take all who would come with him, abandon the village and everything in it, and ride as fast as they could for the border.¡± Yago: ¡°He was a respected man, and five families put their trust in him. The others were too attached to their fixed homes, their warm walls and comfortable chairs. Or they were too wedded to violence, and felt it shameful to turn and run. Or they were lazy or stupid or afraid. It doesn¡¯t matter why. The ones who heeded the warning escaped the country only minutes before it was overrun with ghouls and ghosts and darker things we do not speak of. None who remained, survived.¡± Yago: ¡°In the years that followed they became horse traders, never stopping for long, always staying ahead of the expanding borders, increasing their numbers as others also chose to flee, splitting onto separate roads yet always hoping to meet up again. Some groups learned the ways of living that protected them from Bel¡¯s curses, diseases and poisons. Others died out and were mourned.¡± Yago: ¡°We are the Lovari - those who deal with horses. Our name honours the trade that first kept us alive but, more than that, horses are our safety. They let us flee danger fast enough to outrun it, but they are also our independence. They keep us safe from being tamed, being ruled by city authorities and tied down to one location. The places we stop are only temporary camps - our true home is the road.¡± Kafana: ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anyone ride the way you did. It was as though you and the horse were one being. It was beautiful. I¡¯m only just learning to ride but even I can tell your bond is something special. Can we see them? Your horse companions?¡± Yago flashed her a smile, like she¡¯d touched upon something dear to his heart, and it transformed his face. She could scarcely take her eyes off him. This was what she¡¯d sensed earlier, this animal magnetism. He was like an urban fox; he might be living in a city for a time, but he was still a wild thing with the instincts of a curious scavenger/predator, alert for opportunities, but always aware of its surroundings and ready to flee if something too dangerous appeared. Was it possible some Lunadan blood still ran in his veins? The party split, with Bulgaria taking Bungo and Wellington off to chat with other groups and pick up quest information, while Yago took her and Alderney to admire his horses, with Tomsk sticking like glue to Kafana¡¯s side. He didn¡¯t touch her, not so much as clothes accidentally brushing, but he was never more than an arm¡¯s length away and when he addressed her, it was as ¡°Sister Singer-Woman¡±. Far from resenting it, Yago accepted this as natural and treated Tomsk respectfully as they discussed the finer points of rouncies versus coursers for archery, and whether a palfrey or jennet would suit Kafana the best. When Tomsk produced the set of epic horse barding from his stash, Yago gave a low whistle. Yago: ¡°That is made for a destrier, and a mighty one at that. The only one I know of in Torello that might be large enough is Bucephalas, an uncut stallion owned by Septimus Bruno who was gifted it by the Iberian ambassador. He¡¯s had it six years now, since his 16th birthday, but he¡¯s too proud to admit he¡¯ll never mount it. If he were wiser he¡¯d have let us train it, or put it out to stud and started properly with a foal from the next generation, getting the horse used to his scent while still a suckling.¡± Alderney looked fascinated: ¡°How do you do it?¡± Yago: ¡°Some swear by the first piss of the morning, but sweat works better. Keep a rag under an armpit for a week and then tie it over the newborn¡¯s nose. Lift and carry the newborn around, and it will grow up thinking of you as bigger and stronger than it, even when you no longer are. Feed it by hand, not from a bucket or trough. Spend as much time with it as possible in the first weeks, so you notice when it needs water or grooming even before it notices. Never use cruelty, never lose patience. Act like a good herd guardian when it comes to discipline.¡± Kafana: ¡°Guardian? Does the strongest male horse not lead the herd?¡± Yago laughed. Yago: ¡°Nay, horses are like the Lovari. The males protect, or rove trying to prove their worth, but the real leader is the matriarch who has lived through the most and still survived with spirit intact. Age is proof of wisdom, for the foolish die young or fall by the way. The women set the course, and it is the woman who invites the man to intertwine lives, not the other way around." 1.2.4.21 Crucibles of pain 1??????????Soul Bound 1.2????????Taking Control 1.2.4??????An Artful Carnivale 1.2.4.21???Crucibles of pain They spent a while being introduced to each horse and shown where to stand and how to touch them. Kafana was allowed to rub one of the mares and was surprised by how good it was at making it clear that she should press harder. It must have shown on her face. Yago: "Horses are much better at communication than most Covadan.¡± Alderney: ¡°I¡¯ve been watching their ears and tails.¡± Yago: ¡°Watch their lips and nostrils too; how they are breathing and how they are standing, everything. But it is more than that. Look at how they interact. Which ones they nuzzle and which they keep an eye on; which ones demonstrate their dominance by moving into the other horse, and which demonstrate their submission by moving out of the way and displaying their vulnerability by lowering their head and making chewing motions as though they were eating. Humans get into unnecessary fights by not signalling their intent or by ignoring the signals of others; horses don¡¯t do that.¡± They carried on talking about horses for a while, regularly getting messages from System saying that their taming or riding or reputation had increased, as Yago shared his passion with them. Then the wrestlers trooped in, and Yago left to help out with another act, leaving Casimir with instructions to look after them. Casimir: ¡°If Yago says you can be trusted then you can. He¡¯s not just the boss of the Carnivale and the best Horsemaster we¡¯ve had in generations. He¡¯s a Pathfinder and Lietaster too. I think sometimes he may be our legendary first ancestor reborn.¡± Tomsk: ¡°That happens?¡± Casimir: ¡°Oh yes. But generally only just before great peril comes, so on the whole I hope he isn¡¯t. Still, best to be prepared. We keep our ears to the ground and our eyes on the exits.¡± Alderney: ¡°You¡¯re not the only gang in the Arsenal who does that. But I was surprised that the other residents got their cant from you. How long have the people been settled here in Torello?¡± In the background they could hear The Brute and The Kraken giving the Farmboy serious grief about something he¡¯d done in the ring. They wandered over, still chatting with Casimir who introduced them to people as they passed. Casimir: ¡°The people have been trading horses at the Old Stables since the days they were the main stables for the city, and the Old Tiltyard was where they held regular jousts. This was the Herald¡¯s Quad, where knights mounted and were announced. The building to our north, next to The Haywain inn, was run by the College of Arms back in the Age of Kings, when they didn¡¯t acknowledge guilds. The king-of-arms, judges and other notables who maintained the lists had rooms there for conducting business like investigations and trials. It even has a dungeon.¡± Kafana: ¡°From what Yago was saying, I got the impression that the people preferred to stay on the move?¡° Casimir: ¡°We do. This camp may date back to the Age of Priests, but none of us stay here more than two years at a time, and most stay eight months or fewer. I¡¯ll be moving on myself at Mabon sabbat. My face is becoming too familiar, despite the masks.¡± then he added, with a shy grin ¡°and I¡¯d like a wife.¡± Tomsk: ¡°None of the women in Torello take your fancy?¡± Casimir sounded dismissive: ¡°?Non-Lovari? can be nice to look at, but I wouldn¡¯t want to sleep with them. Leave a child behind in a ?town? with a woman who won¡¯t go on the road? Too many Lovarii in the past dropped from the way because of that. We¡¯ve learned better. I won¡¯t leave my kin grieving me.¡± Kafana could hear the heavy freight hidden behind some of the terms he used, and itched to ask System to expand upon them. She muttered under her breath ¡°Zer owes me big for this¡±, and resisted the temptation. The Brute was lecturing The Farmboy in a calm voice now, about the importance of listening to cues and not kicking out of his opponent¡¯s finisher. The Kraken, meanwhile, had the Farmboy beneath him in a painful looking hold and was bending him backwards a bit more, each time The Brute finished a sentence. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Casimir: ¡°Stretching the greenie. Farmboy there is new to our ways, and still deciding whether to travel the roads with us or go back to being a thug for hire. He¡¯s ambitious, and doesn¡¯t like losing.¡± Alderney: ¡°Is that cause to torture him?¡± Casimir: ¡°If he doesn¡¯t respect us enough to learn Lovariszo, so he can understand the cues we speak in front of audiences, then he¡¯s a danger to himself and to others. Better he get a broken arm now, and have a few months to think it over, than he end up sending someone to the sanctum and losing them half their skill levels.¡± Tomsk: {And if he can¡¯t withstand that much, they think they¡¯d be wasting their time teaching him. I remember my first sensei, Colonel Kozlov. He was this wizened bald guy with a white Cossack moustache who fought in Chechnya as part of Vympel. He¡¯s the one who taught me knives, but he also introduced me to his own off-shoot of Systema. It¡¯s when I really got into martial arts. Anyway. His dojo was known informally by the students as The Crucible of Pain, because Kozlov taught that anyone can win a fight if they start off on top. According to him, true skill is learned only by struggling to win after starting from a disadvantageous position.} Bungo, who was now standing with them, replied in a worried voice: {Do you believe him?} Tomsk: {I certainly learned a lot from him. But I preferred his partner Aminat. She was a Chechen who was forced to marry young and, when her husband died, they tried to get her to become a ¡®Black Widow¡¯ and blow herself up. She said ¡°screw that¡±, became an atheist, and somehow managed to get asylum in Japan for fifteen years, where she got into playing ¡®go¡¯, then zen, then martial arts involving weird weapons like yoyos and sharpened frisbees. A strange hobby for a complete pacifist, but to her it was fun and beautiful - something she wanted to explore and share. To her, teaching was never a waste.} Kafana: {How on earth did that pair get together?} Tomsk: {Long story. If you ask me later when we¡¯re not broadcasting, I¡¯ll tell it all to you, Kafana.} Oh, good point. She really ought to be finding out these people¡¯s stories, learning stuff about the Arsenal to keep Alderney¡¯s newcomer¡¯s guide interesting. She turned to Casimir, as Bulgaria and Wellington also came over to join them. Kafana: ¡°You¡¯ve been really helpful, but there¡¯s something I just don¡¯t get. May I ask you directly?¡± Casimir spread his arm, to invite the question, and then found a comfortable crate in the shade to squat on, looking down at them from his perch. Kafana: ¡°Why steal? You¡¯ve a close-knit group here, full of talented hard-working people, and the performances you put on in the Tiltyard are worth watching and seem to draw a respectable number of coins. Why do you choose to also make money with lies and deception, when you could make quite enough through trading horses and goods? What is the difference between that and the sort of greed that weighs people down with possessions?¡± Casimir: ¡°Some do it for the fun, because they are proud of their skills, because they want to show off their bravery in taking risks. But that¡¯s not the real reason.¡± Bulgaria: ¡°What is the real reason?¡± Casimir: ¡°They¡¯re not Lovari, nor allied with us. We owe them nothing. They take money from us by force, and give nothing of value to us in return. Why should we not do likewise? Failure to take them for all the money we can is the same as stealing from our own family.¡± Tomsk: ¡°What about protection from pirates or disease or the rule of law?¡± Casimir: ¡°We sail no ships. If pirates invade Torello, we will simply ride away. We keep our own camps free of rats and sewage; the tax-taking authorities do nothing that helps us against disease. And what have laws protected us from; have you seen Basso and the Arsenal? The rule of law, in its majestic equality, protects both rich and poor alike from having beggars inconvenience their carriages and from having debtors default upon loans to them.¡± Bungo: ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit of a waste, you stealing from them and them stealing from you, with both sides expending money and effort on defending against the other that could instead be spent on projects benefitting both sides, like hunting down monsters in the wild that threaten the roads?¡± Casimir: ¡°You have big dreams, Mare-Shivari. Let me know how they work out.¡± They chatted for a while longer, until Bulgaria received the news he¡¯d been waiting for and they made their farewells. It wasn¡¯t until they were outside the gate that Bungo finally got around to asking System about the meaning of his handle and startled them with an aggrieved wail. Bungo: {¡°Clowns-a-lot.¡±? Even Wellington gets a cool handle like ¡°Danger Man¡± and I get ¡°Sir Clowns-a-lot.¡±? This is unfair!} Tomsk: {Truth in advertising, Bungo.} Wellington said, quite matter of factly: {¡°Danger¡± is my middle name.} And it was. She looked at the display over his head, which now showed in the name slot: Wellington ¡°Danger¡± Fiducia Kafana shrugged, and tried to sound sympathetic: {Sorry Bungo. You can¡¯t win against the system. It labels things as it sees them.} 1.2.4.22 How not to keep a secret 1??????????Soul Bound 1.2????????Taking Control 1.2.4??????An Artful Carnivale 1.2.4.22???How not to keep a secret 9:00 am, Thursday June 8th, 2045 2 bells of the dog watch Lunday full, 8th day of the month of KrevinBelember, A2F1600 Tomsk: ¡°So, Bulgaria, did you find what you were looking for?¡± Bulgaria: ¡°Maybe. I talked with Lucian, the one who was working with Casimir on the arch. He manages most of the non-Tiltyard activities, and he¡¯s agreed to cooperate with the Basso District Irregulars on certain issues. They¡¯re going to help follow up on the ¡®Find the Leak¡¯ quest, down at the Bully Pit - they¡¯ve got a bit of a grudge against some of the Red Circle, and he seemed pretty confident - apparently quite a few of the Lovari have the Seer talent, at least at amateur level, which makes them very intuitive and good readers of character.¡± They were headed north now, through a commercial area full of laden wagons that seemed to enforce a one-way system by dint of carters screaming at one another until a consensus was reached. Bungo: ¡°I had a chat with the young brewer who made that spiced drink. What a spitfire! Dressed as a dancer and haughtier than a noble. I told her about shield flying, and she said she wants to try it. Claims her hobby is exploring things, the more dangerous the better. She told me about going through the grate under the urn and finding a passage concealed by fake rubble that leads to the dungeon next door. Apparently, there¡¯s quite a lot of that sort of thing around here, though much is now half sunken beneath sea level.¡± Tomsk: ¡°I hope you remembered Kafana¡¯s warning. From what Casimir told us, she¡¯ll flirt but she won¡¯t sleep with you - not unless you marry her and vow to follow her wherever she travels.¡± Bungo put one hand over his heart. ¡°My motives are pure. Well, sort of. I want to get my hands on her¡ recipes. I¡¯m thinking of making brewing and alchemy part of my monk Guru training, so I don¡¯t have to spend skill points on apprenticing separately. I¡¯ve already got Isabella¡¯s recipes, and I¡¯d like to pick up more from Dottore and the Ipotane. Then I can use the chemistry I¡¯ve worked out with Flavio and my experience from Divine Mountain to increase my skill at my own pace.¡± Wellington: ¡°I like it. Potions appear to be one of the few ways of giving people magical effects from disciplines they don¡¯t have the attunement to use themselves. It would increase our tactical flexibility greatly if we could all temporarily become stealthy, walk on water, shrink in size, or whatever else you can manage.¡± His voice still sounded unusually relaxed - Kafana had taken the precaution of re-casting her calming buff on him. He added ¡°I asked about masks. The very best masks, the magical ones, come from a boutique on Libri run by an eccentric husband and wife team of mages. Apparently they¡¯re tiny.¡± Alderney: ¡°It is just me, or has anyone else noticed that a disproportionate number of people here are either very tall or very short? Kafana, how¡¯re you finding the Arsenal so far?¡± Kafana: ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure what to expect. Possibly dirty dives full of evil ugly men stabbing each other and gloating over their loot. It wasn¡¯t like that at all; very varied, and unexpectedly beautiful in places. Much less scary than I thought it would be. Is that because it¡¯s daytime?¡± Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Alderney: ¡°It is emptier at night, when the businesses close. I¡¯ve run the rooftops during middle watch and it is almost peaceful. But there are bad areas, and we¡¯re about to enter the oldest: Rac¡¯s Labyrinthe. It¡¯s run by the Disciples, and there¡¯s a tavern hidden somewhere among the twisty alleys and dead ends that¡¯s just as you imagine. It¡¯s called the Castagnaro and the residents claim to be Torellan patriots. I¡¯ve not been in there - apparently trying to buy a drink while looking like you¡¯re foreign, or even just from a different Etruscan city state, is a good way to get beaten up and robbed. The Labyrinthe is where you go if you want to leave messages for the Lily, purchase poisons or curses, or find a brothel that isn¡¯t too picky about age or consent.¡± Kafana: ¡°Yuck. Tell me again why we¡¯re going there?¡± Bulgaria: ¡°Because right on the edge of it is The Fiorio, the coffee house run by Beltrame, that¡¯s turning into a futures exchange.¡± Wellington: ¡°Everything seems to indicate that The Fiorio is where we need to go in order to get clues for our quests ¡®Tremors in the market¡¯ (finding who was behind intercepting Pierrot and other couriers from the Messengers Guild), ¡®Market Mayhem¡¯ (finding who¡¯s manipulating the price of metals) and possibly we¡¯ll find out more about Scaramouche, Baron Dado Orsini, smugglers, whoever is leaking information to the pirates, and the mystery man trying to buy up shipping lines (and having those who refuse be assassinated).¡± Kafana: ¡°Sounds like Beltrame has ¡®Key NPC¡¯ written all over him. What¡¯s the plan? Barge in, spell him to tell the truth, and get him to spill the beans?¡± Bulgaria: ¡°As delightful as that sounds, there are two reasons why it wouldn¡¯t work. Firstly, all the serious players will have magic items protecting their minds from magical influence. We really need to get some ourselves as soon as possible. Beltrame is probably not responsible for everything, and if we go in flashing powers, we¡¯ll lose the opportunity to identify all the culprits.¡± Alderney: ¡°Secondly, Beltrame is the leader of The Disciples. If we piss him off, we won¡¯t walk out of there alive. We¡¯re not going in there to arrest or attack anyone. Our objective is to find things out. Preferably without letting everyone know what we find out, or even that we¡¯re trying.¡± Wellington: ¡°My mind is protected, so I¡¯ve come up with a plan. I¡¯ll share it with you all at the last moment but, until then, just keep your ears open and follow my directions if I ask you to move somewhere or keep track of something.¡± Bungo: ¡°Mysterious! Ok. Should we be playing any particular roles like ¡®gambler¡¯ or just hanging around with a large sign over our heads saying ¡®tourist - please forget I¡¯m here¡¯ ?¡± Wellington: ¡°If you do join any games or place a bet, bear in mind that 1 zecchi is 100 gold florins, and is more than most master crafters will make in an entire year. I¡¯d suggest playing for silver ducato if you can, and if you have to wager in florins, act like anything more than 10 florins is too rich for your tastes.¡± Kafana: ¡°I¡¯m not sure they¡¯re going to believe me on that one. I¡¯ve dressed down for this trip, but I¡¯m still kinda glowy - they probably know who I am or have heard rumours.¡± Bulgaria: ¡°They certainly know who you are. At least three different groups have been watching us for most of our trip. But what they know about you is that you¡¯re an Adventurer, a questing spirit, a priestess-mage who produced a miracle to fight back the Red Death, the bleeding plague. The better-informed ones may know that you sing and cook, who some of your allies are and who some of us are. Only the really well-informed ones will know of our links to Landi and Trinci, that you were involved in something financial connected with a lawyer and the auction house, and that you visited Signora Moda for several hours 3 days ago. So far, only us, Captain Lelio, Laureato Emmanuelle Giambrone and House Czerny know exactly how rich you are.¡± She felt relieved until Alderney piped up, in her perkiest voice. Alderney: ¡°And the millions of people who are following her adventures.¡± Kafana: ¡°What?¡± 1.2.4.23 Expected values 1??????????Soul Bound 1.2????????Taking Control 1.2.4??????An Artful Carnivale 1.2.4.23???Expected values Alderney: ¡°I told you our recordings were popular. You¡¯ve got whole professional choirs from around the world joining up, hoping to gain popularity here because they won¡¯t be competing against artificial songs produced by expert systems. There¡¯s even a noticeable upturn in unemployed people taking out loans to buy low-end tiaras, hoping to strike it rich in Soul Bound, or at least work as a support crafter for a guild who¡¯ll pay them in arlife currency.¡± Bulgaria: ¡°Which means Scaramouche who keeps a room full of bored players to gossip with probably knew how rich Kafana is, right down to the nearest mithril tallero, and guessed that Beppe the guide was me, the missing party member, in disguise.¡± He gave a disgusted sigh. ¡°Any chance Beltrame doesn¡¯t know?¡± Alderney looked thoughtful: ¡°Scaramouche is with the Sons of Hawkwood, who¡¯re allied with the Sea Saints. Neither of them are allied with the Disciples, but they are not feuding either. I wouldn¡¯t bet against Scaramouche having sold everything he knows about us to Beltrame.¡± Wellington sounded pedantic: ¡°Whether a bet is a good one to take doesn¡¯t just depend upon being likely to win 6 or more times out of every 10. It also depends upon how much you pay if you lose, and how much you gain if you win. A bet that you¡¯d lose 9 times out of 10, but where you gain a thousand ducato each time you win and pay only ten ducato each time you lose, has an average expected profit of 91 ducato per try. It¡¯s a good bet to take.¡± Bungo: ¡°What if you¡¯re trying to pretend to be a particular type of gambler, like one who is always cautious, so you can later get away with bluffs because they won¡¯t expect them from someone like you?¡± Wellington: ¡°In the long term, against a single competent opponent, the correct strategy is one in which, for a given situation, the frequencies of your different possible responses (such as bluffs and folds) are in a Nash equilibrium with each other.¡± Bungo: ¡°Yeah, but what if a fool joins the two of you at the table? Isn¡¯t it worth deviating from that optimum strategy if doing so lets you scoop the fool¡¯s money before the other experienced player scoops it?¡± Bulgaria said wryly: ¡°In Tarot games, there¡¯s always a Fool at the table. Just hope it isn¡¯t you because if it is, you won¡¯t realise until it is too late.¡± Kafana: ¡°You all sound really into this. Am I the only one here that doesn¡¯t gamble?¡± Alderney: ¡°You remember the spin-the-wheel stall we passed? ¡®Every result wins a prize, no gambling required¡¯.¡± Kafana: ¡°Yes, they had a big stuffed bear. It was cute. I was surprised you didn¡¯t play it.¡± Alderney: ¡°The expected return was negative. They had a big box of really cheap prizes behind the counter. Even though you ¡®win¡¯ each time, the prize you get on average is worth less than the price you pay to spin the wheel.¡± Kafana: ¡°Ah, I didn¡¯t spot that. I was looking at the incredible paintings around the rim, of ragged beggars, prosperous farmers, smiling smiths, etc. all the way up to a resplendent emperor and then the same figures again, in reverse as it carried around to meet again at the start, with the second set having tired faces and hard-worn clothes.¡± Alderney: ¡°It is worth knowing the maths, even if you never enter a casino. Each time you accept a job offer, or pick a financial investment, there are risks and returns to consider. Ask Wellington - he¡¯s the biggest gambler.¡± Wellington: ¡°It is true that investing in the shares of an individual company is much like backing a horse in a race. But generally bid-ask spreads offered by a market maker, the fees charged by an exchange and commissions paid to a broker are less than the vigorish charged by a bookmaker or the edge collected by the house in a casino.¡± Kafana: ¡°But you do gamble?¡± Wellington: ¡°Not always. The best sort of deal is when you can sell shares in a company on one exchange while simultaneously buying the same number of shares in the same company at a lower price on a different exchange.¡± Kafana: ¡°You can do that?¡± Wellington: ¡°If you can send and receive information between two exchanges faster than anybody else can, yes; it¡¯s called arbitrage.¡± Wellington: {And that¡¯s what players in Soul Bound are going to be able to do between the exchanges in Torello and the exchanges in Kalzburg. If this issue isn¡¯t addressed, then within three months half the traders in Torello will have been pushed into bankruptcy. Probably by The Crew - they¡¯re the player guild best positioned to do it.} Alderney: {We¡¯re entering the Labyrinthe now. Let¡¯s move into combat formation and keep it quiet. We want to avoid combat.} Tomsk: {In combat the stakes are life and limb, but sometimes you¡¯re forced to play even when the odds are bad. Every day you live is a gamble.} Bulgaria: {And one that we all lose eventually. So let¡¯s make the days we do have count, rather than just counting the days.} On that grim note they wound their way along ill-tended dismal streets, keeping to the edge rather than striding down the middle. There were no signs by doorways indicating what lay inside, and one looked much like another. At one point Alderney led them down a ramp by a delivery chute that unexpectedly kept going and turned sharply into a passage going under the buildings; it was damp, fetid and so narrow that Bungo had to turn sideways to fit along it. Alderney scuttled ahead and looked relieved when they made it through to the other side. Alderney: {I hate this area. I¡¯m always afraid the whole thing will cave in on me.} Tomsk: {It''s a lovely area if you''re defending it; just rig a few key tunnels. Even a squad of high expert warriors wouldn''t survive a building being dropped on them.} He used enthusiastic hand gestures to illustrate both ends of a tunnel twisting shut like a sausage skin filled with panicking infiltrators before pressure from crumpling tonnes of masonry squeezed them back out in ketchupy spurts, Alderney shuddered so hard, her cap nearly fell in a puddle. Bulgaria: {Think positive; the risk is over, we didn''t get killed by the Lily, and now we know the tunnels are safe.} Wellington: {Strictly, we only have evidence about that particular tunnel and whether it''s lookout, on that particular occasion, had yet received permission to kill any group matching our current appearance.} The glare Alderney directed at Wellington would have made Signora blanche. Wellington didn''t even notice. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Kafana looked at the others. Bungo was grinning, though he hid it quickly when Alderney looked in his direction. Bulgaria was inconspicuously removing the rough clothes from his disguise as Beppe the opportunistic Stevedore, and replacing them piece at a time. Tomsk looked relaxed and unhurried, the picture of a bachelor looking forward to an evening in the company of his friends. In fact, she realised, they''d all stopped creeping along with heads darting to identify every new sound or shadow. Kafana decided it was probably for the best and nearly put it out of her mind when a second though occurred to her. Had Tomsk done that on purpose, dropping a verbal bomb into the conversation in order to make their interactions look more natural? It wouldn''t be like the Tomsk she knew, but what if learning how be Captain in Soul Bound was affecting not only his leadership skills in velife, but also his values in arlife? Or maybe he''d just become so immersed in this game that he was starting to treat his character, Tomsk Capitano, as having it''s own history, beliefs and personality, rather than just a puppet.? UCL had a small drama society which took pride in rehearsing one work each year and then, come bankruptcy, broken legs or burning theatres, performing it every night of the last week of Spring term. Several of Kafana''s fellow music students had been in the cast during her second year when the society picked a musical version of Shakespear''s The Taming of the Shrew, and she''d felt obliged to turn up to give moral support after they''d managed to get her free tickets for the whole run. The performances had been mixed, though she applauded them all. But one singer did stand out; not for her singing, but for how believably she portrayed Bianca, a sweet-tempered supporting part; and then, when she had to take over the lead part the very next evening, the strident ''shrew'' Kate, the actress made it seem equally authentic. She remembered telling Bulgaria about it, as asking which of the two opposed personalities was the lie. "Neither", he''d said, "Our personality is a galaxy, with a constellation for each situation that we''ve visited or may yet visit, and a star for each way we are capable of reacting in that situation. No single view can show the whole of something that large and complex, that rich and wonderful. We are everything we have read, every person we have known and every action that we take. A good actor is a self-aware one, able to find within themselves the things they need to resonate with a role, not rejecting their role''s truths. A role can become a teacher you learn from, or even glass through which you look for self-knowledge, but you must never be allow one to become your master - an excuse, an addiction or a crutch." In a voice filled with regret, he''d slowly added: "There''s a time to act, and a time to stop acting. It isn''t always easy. Some roles tempt you with a few more gains if you delay for another day and sometimes, by the time you recognise when you should have stopped, that point is already long in the past." She thought about Bulgaria''s warning, and tried putting her fears for Tomsk into words. How would Wellington describe the risk? Rare but costly loss combined balanced against frequent wins with tiny pay-outs, resulting in a negative expected value? She shook her head at the effort of thinking that way. Not helpful. What was she afraid of? Was her fear that the friend she''d believed she knew was much deeper and more complex than she''d realised, and that she''d been foolish or inattentive enough to only realise this now, when offered a glimpse of a part of him that she''d not previously seen or been aware of, lurking beneath the easy-going persona he usually presented? Or was she afraid of him? Afraid that during intervening year, her friend had held onto a role so long he''d lost the ability to set it aside and had instead become it, become a manipulative stranger who she didn''t know and shouldn''t trust, and who was just using Tomsk Capitano as a mask to hide behind? She gave a wry chuckle. At least, when you put them into words where you could look at them clearly, it became easier to spot which fears were baseless. She used to ignore them and scold herself for being silly but over the years she''d learned to be a little more forgiving of her own imperfections and now had gotten into a habit of visualising herself giving the fear a gentle hug, as though it were a child in need of being listened to, acknowledged and reassured. She still felt a little self-conscious about it but, since it was surprisingly effective, she kept doing it. She might perhaps have felt a defiant enjoyment about standing by her guns, if she wasn''t so careful to guard the knowledge that she hadn''t told anyone about it. Ever. Not even Alderney. A few minutes later, Bulgaria back in his normal adventuring clothes, they approached the rear entrance of the Fiorio. Kafana stealth cast her learning buff over them and offered up a short prayer to Rac: ¡°Let now be the right time for stored secrets to be shared with us.¡± The irony in the prayer escaped her.
| Rules and Orders of the Coffee House Enter, Sirs, freely, but first, if you please, Peruse our civil orders, which are these. First, gentry, tradesmen, all are welcome hither, And may without affront sit down together: Pre-eminence of place none here should mind, But take the next fit seat that he can find: Nor need any, if finer persons come, Rise up to assigne to them his room; If you would a bet onto boards place, please to show your own true face. All other times mask and mage may hide, and pray that fortune finds their side, but do not witch with chance or mind, nor switch the dice or dare like kind, else penalty most severe will fall, upon your purse, upon your all, for in the pit your fall will brake; our edge is sharp, and so''s our stake! |
| 3.72??Hepatizon You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. 5.07??Fulgrum 7.85??Orichalcum 17.4???Astarium 25.0???Manaccium 33.6???Panchellium -??Venium 239????Gnam 242????Tektine 613????Tumbago 1,000????Mithril -??Mutatis |
| Origin Destination ETA Type????Name Muspel Torello????2bFi drakkar Ormurinn Langi Muspel Torello????2bFi knarr???Geri Muspel Torello????2bFi knarr???Freki Origin Destination ETA Type????Name |
I went, I went on long roads I met happy Roma O Roma, where do you come from, With tents happy on the road? O Roma, O Romani youths! Djelem, djelem, lungone dromensa Maladilem bakhtale Romensa A Romale, katar tumen aven, E tsarensa bakhtale dromensa? A Romale, A Chavale I once had a great family, The Black Legion murdered them Come with me, Roma from all the world For the Roma, roads have opened Now is the time, rise up Roma now, We will rise high if we act O Roma, O Romani youths! The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Sas vi man yekh bari familiya, Mundardyas la e Kali Legiya Aven mansa sa lumnyake Roma, Kai putardile e Romane droma Ake vriama, usti Rom akana, Amen khutasa misto kai kerasa A Romale, A ChavaleWhile Bulgaria detailed Ulpian¡¯s capture and the desecration, Kafana brought the Wombles into a group performance so she could draw upon them, and had Wellington help cast an amplification spell, amplifying not the sound but her thoughts, like the one she¡¯d used to contact the clouds. She played increasingly savage music, wild and destructive, as the flames in the tale rose higher, sending sound waves into the structure about her and the mound itself, setting up as strong a resonance and gestalt identification of it as she could. Bulgaria¡¯s voice rose to match it and, when it reached him declaiming Ulpian¡¯s vow to protect the library from beyond death itself, she cut the music entirely, leaving his words to ring out in complete silence. Then, as though they¡¯d rehearsed it a hundred times, she cast her spell. Purify. She let Rac himself speak through her mouth, and every word was as soft and quiet as drifting snow, yet weighty, as though the history of a kilometer of other snowflakes were piled on top of it - resisting or disbelieving them was unthinkable. Rac: ¡°Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Let all that is foul remain in my sight no longer.¡± About them the charred remains rose, slowly at first, then faster and faster, high into the sky like glowing embers until they passed out of sight. Damaged marble statues melted briefly then reformed whole again, toppled columns righted themselves, carrying walkways back to their original positions circling the higher niches. Cracked flagstones snapped back into place and hundreds of years of bird droppings vanished, along with the broken scroll tubes. The only sign remaining that this wasn¡¯t a new building awaiting its first scroll to store was the site of Ulpian¡¯s funeral pyre, which slowly transformed into a mirror of obsidian, polished so perfectly that people standing upon it appeared to be standing instead upon a night sky full of stars. Rac: ¡°This place is purified, and thy vow is complete. You may choose to rest now, or to tarry a while; not with a duty to protect but instead in a new role - to teach and train a worthy successor. Last guardian of this place you shall not be.¡± Ulpian: ¡°While I can serve usefully and with honour I would do so, in whatever role you will for me my Lord.¡± Rac: ¡°Accepted. But we cannot have your pupils freezing or being accidentally drained, else none will dare learn here. Be thou transformed.¡± She felt Rac¡¯s presence depart her, and removed the stole, then turned her attention to Wellington who was appraising the much-surprised Ulpian. Wellington: ¡°Congratulations Ulpian. You appear to be a level 85 Spectral Lord now. You can consciously control who is affected by your powers, and they¡¯ll work in daylight too, as long as you don¡¯t stand in the full light of the noon-day sun.¡± [Quest completed: ¡°Survive the Spectre!¡±.] [Title gained: ¡°Usignolino¡± - the little nightingale.] [Level gained. You are now level 38] [Skill ¡°Necromancy¡± has reached level 5.] [Skill ¡°Command performance¡± has reached level 23.] [Skill ¡°Buff¡± has reached level 23.] [Skill ¡°Group performance¡± has reached level 22.] [Skill ¡°Enhanced willpower¡± has reached level 8.] [Skill ¡°Purify¡± has reached level 13.] [Skill ¡°Holy Prayer¡± has reached level 15.] *ding* [Your party¡¯s reputation with sentient undead has increased by 200.] *ding* [Your reputation with sentient undead has increased by an additional 800.] *ding* [Your party¡¯s reputation with followers of Rac has increased by 500.] *ding* [Your reputation with followers of Rac has increased by an additional 2000.] There was a burst of pleasure from the notifications, but what she mainly felt was a tremendous lightness. Not a light headedness from the rush of survival, nor a lightness of body. Having Rac speak through her, having been part of Ulpian''s catharsis, had left her feeling drained but also filled in a way - uplifted in spirit. Had Rac, the subtle deity of secrets, purified more than just the building? 1.2.4.29 The blooding 1??????????Soul Bound 1.2????????Taking Control 1.2.4??????An Artful Carnivale 1.2.4.29???The blooding They carried on chatting with Ulpian. Bulgaria wanted to learn everything that Ulpian knew of the past. Ulpian offered Bulgaria an apprenticeship as a priest of Rac but, though tempted, Bulgaria said he couldn¡¯t dedicate the time that such a role deserved. He didn''t sound rushed, though. There was something about Ulpian''s presence, and the gravitas he''d gained during the daunting number of decades that he''d dutifully waited, that made it hard for Kafana to worry about mere minutes being taken up by manner''s measured courtesies. Alderney, however, seemed immune to the effect. She wasn''t standing with them to record the encounter as a participant, but constantly circled them like hunter seeking the right angle and moment to attack. Her chosen prey wasn''t some speedy little bunny which even a child could capture, but faces as they express emotional reactions. Fleeting glimpses into the soul can vanish faster than any disappearing rabbit yet they''re still hunted with a desperation to match that of any kid with an empty belly, by those with the art to freeze a moment in time, because they usually get to be so creative when doing it that, to those hunting the Artist''s Prey, it feels like getting a limited availability tickets to a lottery as a free gift - a lottery whose jackpot is rarely paid out but which lasts longer than any golden coin or diamond ring - finding an image that''s a perfect fit for the times and turns into something iconic - something eternally etched into the collective memory as part of the shared visual language that shapes how people see world and express their thoughts about it. No wonder Alderney seemed immune - she was hunting; so totally focused that she never once looked towards the altar, despite the curiosity she must have about the secret passage that Ulpian had mentioned was hiding behind it. Wellington asked the next question, possibly because trying to learn Bibliomancy had made him more aware of books or, more likely, because he''d delegated keeping track of such things to his personal expert system, Robin, and had just received a reminder: "Lord Guardian Ulpian, is there any more to the tale of the missing cart and it''s cargo of scrolls, that you might rightfully instruct us upon?" Oh, definitely a reminder from Robin. By habit, Wellington defaulted to trying to optimise everything he did, which was usually a good thing, or at least harmless. But when it came to social interactions, his initial reflex was usually to interpret "efficient" as meaning "using the fewest words needed to convey his meaning", and he had a tendency to revert to that mode when distracted or when talking to people he viewed as ''safe'' unless prompted or forced by failure to consciously consider how his brevity might affect others. Ulpian replied softly and with slow formality but, even though he was one of the undead, his voice carried more warmth and human emotion than Wellington''s had: "Wellington Fiducia, boon companion of my Usignolino and Questing Spirit who bears the pendant of Divine Cov''s as token of his vouchsafing your intentions, I greet thee and name you a benefactor of Rac''s Library and its guardian, in perpetuity, with all rights and honours thereby entailed. As is your right, you have asked learning of me, and now do I give of it, as is my duty. And pleasure, though it would please me more had I more that two scraps of knowledge to give. Firstly, the name of the Journeyman in charge of the cart was... Rikel. Yes, Rikel, son of Jonas the farrier." Ulpian made a little ice statue of a young man leading a pair of towering shire horses with matched glossy smoky-black coats over to a covered wain, tiny icy tears in his eyes, then waited for Wellington to nod or ask for clarification before continuing. Apparently the new skills Rac had rewarded Ulpian with, along with his new class and levels, came with an instinctive mastery that removed any need to practice. Kafana felt a little envious and wondered if Rac could do the same for her, but decided not to. She''d already received more that she deserved, and the attention had been a mixed blessing. Ulpian: "Secondly, these words area the last order that I gave him... Shelter them, Rikel. Shelter them better than I have, where others will learn. No, not now, but in the future. The right learning to the right people at the right time. No, only Rac knows, you just do your best. No, don''t tell me where or how. When I may be about to face torture is certainly not the right time for me to learn that. I don''t care if that''s a contradiction you fool, get going. Go on, I''ll close it behind you. May Rac bless you and keep you hidden. Go! Go now, and never try to return. Bloody pen-pusher. Hope he can push carts too." Ulpian sighed, freezing the air around him and leaving them shivering, before fading from sight and leaving his parting words hanging in the air: "I have often wished they had been better words." [Quest available: ¡°Solve the mystery¡± - bring word to Ulpian of the fate that befell the missing scrolls. Difficulty D.] Wellington nodded to where the Spectral Lord had been, then stepped away and spoke in his normal voice: "I''ve designed a runic template for the spell used to find Antonio''s body. If any of the scrolls Rikel left behind managed to survive the fire, we could use one to find the location of any others still surviving. If we split up, we can search the whole place in less than a bell. Based on height and agility, I suggest... " and he proceeded to rapidly assign them a sections. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Kafana managed not to giggle until she was a good distance down an aisle and well out of Wellington''s hearing. The rebuilt shelving was absolutely empty, and clearly didn''t contain so much as a charred fragment, let alone an intact scroll. Her train of thought juddered to a halt when she felt a piercing sensation in her neck. Had a sadistic brute of a nurse decided to give her an injection with a rusty cake syringe? Some had gone in, and it was stinging like crazy. Was it acid? Some mutant wasp? She used the healing vision aspect of Truesight upon herself, closing her eyes and trying to concentrate on identifying what the liquid was. System: [You have taken 10 damage.] System: [The paralysis poison has had no effect upon you.] She heard a hissing sound behind her, and quickly opened them again while spinning to face the threat. No, not a wasp. From the back of the building some of people were approaching the obsidian disk centered directly beneath the Library''s new cupola. There weren''t many of them and, though their walk was quiet and involved taking a swift side-step at irregular intervals, it was confident and unhurried. Yet, despite that, she struggled to count them; partially because every piece of their clothing was black, but mainly because they were grouped around something intolerably bright that turned them into a mix of silhouettes and looming shadows. She put her hand to her neck and felt her way up a wet sticky trail to located a small dart that was still stuck into her. She kept calm and, rather than removing it or singing a spell of healing, she brought up the map overlap and looked for the other Wombles. Not good. The three in her direct line of sight were all on the floor and had a paralysis icon for in the orglife status bars over their heads. It was up to her. The group were standing in the centre of the disk now, and after directing an intention towards her Truesight skill, she could make out the details. One, the bulkiest, was carrying a fulminating iron brazier on a chain that contained burning phosphor and gave off a sickly white light. The other four each had a bandoliers containing throwing darts, rope, knives, a neatly folded canvas sack and two sets of dark metal manacles wreathed in runes that pulsed red like living chains upon a giant''s heart. Could she keep the attackers stunned while also removing the paralysis from the other Wombles? She wished she wasn''t alone - it would be so much easier with one to heal and someone else to distract. Hang on. She wasn''t alone, was she? She grinned nastily. Kafana: "Boys, today is not your lucky day." They stumbled a little in surprise, presumably at her confidence, and turned towards her. Two more darts hit her, but she ignored them. Kafana: "Ulpian, I summon thee." The lead assassin scoffed: ¡°You mean the petulant spectre? It can¡¯t save you from the penalty for following one of our own. Indeed, ¡¡± She didn¡¯t hear what he was about to say because, while he was talking she¡¯d been stealth casting cure poison on the party, filtering the aconite out of their blood and back out the wounds on their necks. Tomsk was the first to recover and all he did was produce a book from his stash and start reading it. He didn''t attack, or even remove his sword from its scabbard. He didn¡¯t need to. Ulpian had built up years of frustration, and over the next five minutes he vented it with vigour. Alderney cheered as one assassin slid along an icy ramp, knocking over two others frozen in a standing position. Ulpian drained the weakest of them down to 0 constitution, then took puppet control of the dead corpse. He paid particular attention to the one holding the brazier, hitting the man over the head with it, setting him on fire. Wellington fished out some cards he¡¯d drawn up back when the party had been fighting trolls with Fra Gamal, and when Ulpian finished, they each solemnly held up a card saying ¡°10¡± except Alderney. Wellington had run out of 10s and had had to give her one saying ¡°9.5¡± instead. Bungo and Bulgaria who were standing on either side of her looked at Alderney¡¯s card, looked at each other, and simultaneously hit her over the head with their own cards until she grabbed a pen from Wellington and hastily wrote a ¡°10¡± on the reverse. [Group Skill ¡°mime tableaux¡± has reached level 2.] Ooops. Kafana released the gestalt she¡¯d been holding them in. Then Bulgaria had to try explaining to the bemused spectral lord what they¡¯d been doing. Meanwhile, Tomsk and Alderney went to inspect the bodies, with Alderney gleefully pocketing a number of lethal devices. Tomsk took the clothes off one and started going through the pockets and searching the lining. Kafana wandered over to join them, leaving Wellington to do his own thing. The lead assassin had dark hair, crafty features, strong fingers and muscular hairless arms. There were faint marks on his face as though left over from something close fitting. Perhaps a mask? What did that remind her of? Something she¡¯s seen earlier. She pictured the assassins stepping back when she¡¯d greeted them. Boys. Hubbard¡¯s boys. Kafana: ¡°Tomsk, check the arms of the other ones. Do any of them have hair?¡± A few moments later he shook his head. Alderney: ¡°You¡¯ve found something?¡± Kafana: ¡°I think the reason why nobody sees assassins wandering around is that most of the time they¡¯re something different. Hubbard¡¯s boys are really the Lily.¡± 1.2.4.30 The trophies 1??????????Soul Bound 1.2????????Taking Control 1.2.4??????An Artful Carnivale 1.2.4.30???The trophies Bulgaria: "That''s... that''s a very timely secret to discover." She could head the relish in Bulgaria''s voice. "Thank you Kafana. And praise be to Rac too, I suspect." He bowed towards the altar, where Alderney was now kneeling with a jeweller''s needle file in hand, scrutinising it''s bas-relief decoration. Wellington: "Any other discoveries?" A flagstone behind one of the statues flanking the alter slowly pivoted about its centre, revealing rungs carved into the wall of a circular well leading downwards. Alderney just stepped back, pretending to blow smoke off the end of her probe before replacing it in her belt with a twirl fancy enough to satisfy the craggiest cowboy that ever holstered a revolver. So Bungo it was, the first to lean over the well and look straight down, who whistled then picked something up with his long arms. Bungo: "That''s deep! Oh, and I found this bookmark on the top step; it just says ''ego retribuam'' but I think it may have been part of a scroll originally, because the cut ending the strip goes right across the first ''e''. Don''t see how the assassins could have missed seeing it for all these years, though." He finished his ramble with a shrug, as he and Alderney returned to the disk where the others were still investigating as much of the Lilies and their equipment as had survived Ulpian reversing the roles of tormented and tormentor. *ding* *dang* pause *ding* *dang* pause *ding* *dang* The chimes sounded more muffled than usual, but could still be faintly heard. Bulgaria: ¡°We¡¯ve got an hour left, and lots of leads. What do you want us to do, Kafana?¡± Kafana: ¡°Alderney, you were going to summarise the gangs and alliances in the Arsenal. How about you do that briefly, Bulgaria tells us what he found out at the Fiorio, then Wellington says where we are on quests and gives us some options? Tomsk, finish searching the bodies and Bungo, keep an eye out for any more ambushes.¡± Alderney: ¡°Here¡¯s the summary I wrote earlier. Hang on and I¡¯ll quickly update it.¡± Alderney: ¡°Ok, here you are, shared document: ARSENAL_GANG_ALLIANCES.¡± When Kafana staring at the proffered link, it brought up the social tab of the game''s visual interface as a translucent arlife overlay as normal; but this time System was showing that the document recently added by Alderney was available in multiple formats. She picked the text-only version first and gave it a skim, while trying to also keep an eye out for any more ambushers sneaking through the secret passage.
| The groups common to Torello''s Arsenal district that most significantly influence its activities, their primary income sources and current alliances. Alliance #1 House Ruffo (The Sostanza, Taxes) The Captain¡¯s Council (Legitimate Trade) The Three Towers (Magic) Alliance #2 Nomad Nation (The Night Market, Smuggling) The Royal Court (Scrounging) Podarge''s Chosen (2nd story work) Hubbard¡¯s Boys (Drugs, Assassination!) Alliance #3 The Disciples (The Fiorio, The Stadia, Gambling) The Lovari (Carnivale, the Short Con) The Scorpioni (Prostitution) Alliance #4 The Sea Saints (Protection) The Sons of Hawkwood (the Long Con) Current feuds: Saints vs Nomads+Royals Chosen vs Scorpioni Lovari vs Lily (/Hubbard¡¯s Boys!) This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. |
| Name???: A Sailors¡¯ Revenge Type???: Normal Level??: D Origin : Etruscan City States / Torello / Libri / Captain Nafaro Details: Captain Cuniberti of the Valorosa has been assassinated. Help his crew find the assassin, so they can rain justice down upon the perpetrator at the point of a bloody cutlass. Progress: You have located the Assassin¡¯s HQ building and gained a description of a man with the bleeding mask. Name???: Find the Leak Type???: Chain, Competitive Level??: D Origin : Etruscan City States / Torello / Arsenal / Tenente Leggera Details: Someone is leaking the schedule of convoys carrying metals to Torello. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Find out how the pirates are getting the information, and tell Leggera before it is too late. Progress: You have asked Lucian of the Lovari to investigate the ex-members of the Red Circle, down at the Bully Pit. You discovered the Lord Ruffo is betting on metals becoming increasingly scarce, and that the pirates are avoiding harming ships other than their direct targets. Name???: Market Mayhem Type???: Chain Level??: E Origin : Etruscan City States / Torello / Necropolis / Ruffiana Details: Someone has paid for the assassination of several people connected with shipping, and it is having a big impact upon the financial markets of Torello. Discovering who benefitted the most from the deaths of those particular people. Stakes : Become a personal enemy of Gideon, the Skeleton King Progress: You have traced the beneficiary as far as Vanni di Avolo. Name???: Tremors in the Market Type???: Normal Level??: D Origin : Etruscan City States / Torello / Mercato / Pantalone Details: Someone has been intercepting couriers carrying market information from incoming ships to Torello''s exchanges, and Pantalone (head of the Bancario) is worried that if some investors having foreknowledge it is going to upset the status quo. Help bring stability back to Torello''s financial system. Progress: You discovered The Brute Squad intercepting a courier, and that Beltrame was behind it. Name???: Defend our Reputation Type???: Normal, Completed Level??: E Origin : Etruscan City States / Torello / Mercato / Mikalos Czerny Details: Rumour has it that the auctions run by House Czerny are rigged. Investigate what¡¯s behind the rumour, and provide evidence of your findings. Progress: You have discovered that items with falsified provenances were being auctioned by the firm "Ciotto & Sons", and have evidence confirming this and that the man behind it is Baron Dado Orsini. Name???: Battle the Bully Type???: Normal Level??: E Origin : Etruscan City States / Torello / ??? Details: The Baron is receiving artifacts and other items from the Pirates. Foil his scheme! Name???: Cart-esian Mystery Type???: Class_Restricted Level??: E Origin : Etruscan City States / Torello / Arsenal / Ulpian Details: Find out what happened to the cartload of scrolls that survived the desecration of the Library of Rac, and bring word to Ulpian. Progress: You have found a scrap of parchment from the original scroll collection. You have learned the name of Rikel, son of Jonas the farrier. Name???: For the Honour of Amaryllis Type???: Normal Level??: D Origin : Etruscan City States / Torello / Libri / Master Poet Moschus Details: Prove to Mistress Amaryllis that Master Painter Poussin¡¯s version of the story about Nomia, Daphis & Lamia is incorrect. Progress: You have spoken to the Undine, Nomia, and learned the sacrifice she desires. Name???: Skill challenge Type???: Repeatable, Solo (Alderney), Timed Level??: E Origin : Etruscan City States / Torello / Arsenal / Sweet Delights Details: You boasted you could make a better mask than any at Sweet Delights. Prove your skill within the next 7 days (arlife time). Stakes : ??? |
| Coffee 750.00??DBM???????micro-Deben 300.00??EYN??Ô²??Eyuan 45.00??AKY??£¤???Akyen 15.00??USD??$???Dollar 5.50??SMK?????Semark 3.30??CFF??????FreeFranc |
| ¡°When people thought the Earth was spherical, they were wrong. But if you think that thinking the Earth is spherical is just as wrong as thinking the Earth is flat, then your view is wronger than both of them put together.¡± --Isaac Asimov |
| BLUE : Nomadic Tribes of loosely related generalists follow the herds as the seasons turn, hunting and gathering what they need to eat or to construct tools and temporary shelter. SOURCE OF POLITICAL POWER: none GREEN : Agricultural Farmers bound to the land and claiming ownership of it work to improve it over the years, planning ahead and bartering for tools made by specialised metalsmiths. SOURCE OF POLITICAL POWER: military YELLOW : Industrial Mass educated workers arrive at synchronised times at standardised factories in order to mass produce goods that are bulk transported to centralised supermarkets where consumers dressed in off-the-rack clothes are influenced by the mass media to spend money which they must then earn back by yet more work. SOURCE OF POLITICAL POWER: military, financial RED : Informational Decentralised knowledge-workers compete globally to tailor services and transient disposable products for individuals and small fragmented niche markets. SOURCE OF POLITICAL POWER: military, financial, big data |
| Defence Readiness Condition Name????Meaning White???Unprepared Yellow??Scanning for signs of potential threats Orange??Alerted by signs of a specific incoming potential threat Red?????Threat verified and action in progress Black???Overwhelmed |
William Astor (65) & Jiang Jacqueline (51)
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Not your barbie girl, I''m livin'' in my own world I ain''t plastic, call me classic You can''t touch me there, you can''t touch my body Unless I say so, ain''t your barbie, no Did you forget I''m real? Oh, I''m breathing, touch me, feel Oh, say I''m your toy to play with, wanna put me in a box You ain''t gonna talk to me like that, you better stopGorana: ¡°Nope. Gotta to be the original.¡± Nadine: ¡°What about¡¡± Gorana raised a hand, palm forwards to Nadine, with a stern expression on her face. Nadine stumbled to a halt, barely started on suggesting that she be allowed to do it as a slow mournful ballad. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Gorana: ¡°The original. Original music, original lyrics and with the original perky tone of voice.¡± Nadine: ¡°You¡¯re making me wince, here.¡± Gorana: ¡°And with the autotune. No showing off your voice. Got to use plenty of autotune.¡± Gorana suddenly chuckled: ¡°You were right. This was far more pleasant.¡± Nadine looked at the laughing girl, and at the amused faces of her other patrons who¡¯d been watching the exchange, and realised Gorana had neatly managed to get payback for Nadine ranting at her. Bahrudin was looking at his granddaughter proudly. Nadine played along, tragically burying her face into her hands, then looking towards the ceiling with arms upraised and exclaiming in a despairing voice: ¡°Two of them. What did I do to deserve two of them?¡± Others joined in as the evening wore on, treating it as a game to beat each other at coming up with worse and worse suggestions, debating the banality of lyrics and repetitiveness of tunes for different songs. Bahrudin appointed himself as judge, picking ones that might plausibly be somebody¡¯s favourite but which would be out of character for a singer of taste and ability. The resulting setlist made her want to tear out the part of her brain controlling her tongue, douse it in high-proof rum and set it aflame on the bar as a form of self-immolation protesting against the very thought of being subjected to such indignity. Bahrudin clicked the lid back on his pen with the finality of a prison-warder locking a cell door. Bahrudin: ¡°Everyone is agreed. Sing these. And remember: look happy, like you¡¯re proud that you can achieve this much.¡± Nadine looked around wildly for an escape, and spied the door behind the bar that led to her kitchen, her sanctum sanctorum. Why on earth had she suggested this strategy? Majnun fool! It had seemed such a good idea a few hours ago, when she was out in the pasture and not actually about to do it. Nadine: ¡°Riiight. I better go practice first. See you in half an hour. Or so.¡± She fled before he could reply, taking the list with her.
You can touch You can play If you say, "I''m always yours" I''m a Barbie girl, in the Barbie world Life in plastic, it''s fantastic You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere Imagination, life is your creationShe felt spooked. Nadine: ¡°Heather, it''s too real. I don¡¯t want to own it like a thing.¡± Heather: ¡°I want you to have an ace up your sleeves, an edge an attacker might not realise until too late. It has to look real, or they¡¯ll know it isn¡¯t a human.¡± Nadine: ¡°It¡¯s Ketah¡¯s body. She ought to own it, be the one who chooses whether to give permission or not about someone else ¡®visiting¡¯ it.¡± Heather looked uncertain, so Nadine rushed on: ¡°Look, perhaps it is just me being irrational and self-deluding, but it would make me feel better about it. Can we set things up that way?¡± Heather: ¡°I guess? We can set software access permissions up that way, and I can say out loud that I¡¯m gifting it to Ketah rather than you. But legally, with bank accounts and liability for damage it caused? I don¡¯t know, I¡¯d have to talk to Wellington. He might be able to set up a virtual corporation controlled by Ketah and give that ownership. Is it important?¡± Nadine looked up at the wall screen, which Ketah had flicked back to showing her avatar as normal, rather than the song lyrics. She appeared to be gazing down at the doll.¡± It was Nadine¡¯s turn to think. She wasn¡¯t certain about any of this. But would it be better to be wrong about keeping ownership or about giving it away? Nadine nodded firmly: ¡°Yes, it is important. The choice is about dignity. Not just Ketah¡¯s dignity, but about the dignity of everybody who has to interact with her. It isn¡¯t good for humans to become desensitised to treating human-looking things as being less than human.¡± She turned to the wall screen, though strictly there wasn¡¯t a need to do so. Nadine: ¡°Ketah, if Heather gifts you with a physical body, are you prepared to accept responsibility for any consequences and to do your best to make those consequences positive?¡± Ketah nodded wordlessly, eyes wide. Heather turned to the wallscreen, the top hat and wings making her a most unusual Angel Gabriel, visiting with news from on high. Heather: ¡°Ketah, I gift this body to you. Happy Birthday. Don¡¯t try turning it on yet - it needs to charge for a few more hours first.¡± Ketah: ¡°Thank you, Heather, Nadine. I will be very careful. I believe I shall start by acquiring some more appropriate clothing.¡± The tone in her voice left little doubt on what she thought of the default supplied by the FeelieDoll corporation. Heather: ¡°Nadine, speaking of clothes, bring something warm to wear when we go out.¡± She sounded mysterious, and obviously had more surprises planned. 1.2.5.17 Drinking contest 1????????Soul Bound 1.2??????Taking Control 1.2.5????An Idiosyncratic Interlude 1.2.5.17?Drinking contest Nadine decided not to poke at it. Heather had been graceful about giving into Nadine¡¯s request; in gratitude the least Nadine could do was indulge Heather in her whim. Instead, she switched topic. Nadine: ¡°Sure, no problem. I take it preparations are going well, if you¡¯ve got time to hand-deliver surprises?¡± Heather responded enthusiastically: ¡°They sure are! I¡¯ve cued up footage for most of the weekend, and Mary-Lynn¡¯s acting as backup for tomorrow¡¯s uploads. The surprise star of today¡¯s womble adventures was Bungo. Did you hear how our pub-trip went?¡± Nadine shook her head in fascination and indicated a willingness to listen. Anything was better than going out to sing that setlist, and this sounded fun. Heather: ¡°It started off quite normal. I¡¯d dyed his hair and we found an unpleasant thug even larger than Bungo we could grab some clothes off. Then we entered the Castagnaro, and nearly passed out from the fug. I had to activate my vision skills even to see as far as the bar. The beer smelled like horse piss, the denizens smelled like stale beer and the bucket in a small closet not only smelled of vomit - there were chalk rings drawn on the floor around it so pukers could be scored on their accuracy.¡± Nadine: ¡°Charming.¡± Heather: ¡°We grabbed a table and started listening out for any mention of bandits, smugglers or Baron Orsini. Everyone else was drinking hard, so I told Bungo to order something, anything but the beer. He noticed a row of bottles behind the bar, by a big picture of hawk-bannered troops holding a bridge; most of them were unlabelled, so he decided to start at the left and order one shot from each.¡± Nadine: ¡°So he got drunk?¡± Heather: ¡°Not noticeably. He¡¯s got an amazing constitution because of the legacy skill he brought over from Divine Mountain. I wasn¡¯t having much luck hearing anything interesting, so he tried using his Seer skills. Only his crystal ball would attract too much attention, there were no clouds or tea leaves to read, and the tabletop felt like glue so he didn¡¯t want to put tarot cards down. So he spilled drink over it, and tried using that as a mirror.¡± Nadine: ¡°Did it work?¡± Heather: ¡°Well something happened, because Bungo got to his feet, weaving a little as though he really were drunk, pointed as a skinny old man with a beard that could hide a badger, and shouted ¡®You. I challenge you. *hick* to a drinking contest. Winner gets complete honest answers to three questions, *hick* loser pays for the drinks.¡¯ The skinny old man on the stool by the bar straightens up from his hunched posture and says in this weird reedy voice ¡®Heh heh heeee, you¡¯re gonna lose, boy. I choose the bottle!¡¯.¡± Nadine: ¡°Oh no. So what happened.¡± Heather: ¡°A hush fell over the place. The geezer whispered to the man behind the bar, who looked like his head had been caved in by an axe one time too many, and the barman produced a Calabash from a locked iron safe with so much care you¡¯d think it was a holy relic or an unexploded bomb. The Calabash was placed dead center on our table, then the geezer sat dead opposite Bungo and picked a glass from the matched pair being proffered by the barman. The glasses were so clean they glinted. It felt like an old Western movie.¡± Nadine: ¡°A Calabash?¡± Heather: ¡°It was the damnedest thing. A bottle gourd so old it felt like stone, with a stopper attached to its neck by a long red tasselled sash. The barman opened it and poured a dark red liquid into each glass, carefully not to spill a single drop upon his own skin. I experienced Bungo¡¯s feed later while editing it. The taste was really bitter; some sort of distilled fermented tree sap.¡± Nadine: ¡°So he drank it?¡± Heather: ¡°Oh lord did he drink it. The two of them went head-to-head, shot after shot, while everyone in the bar looked on and laid bets. From the comments I overheard, it was clear the geezer was the local drinking champion, and over the years at least three people had died from drinking against him. Most of the bets were on precisely how many shots Bungo would manage before frothing at the mouth then exploding.¡± This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Nadine: ¡°I¡¯m sorry I wasn¡¯t there. I could have used cure poison.¡± Heather giggled. Heather: ¡°Wouldn¡¯t have helped. Turns out alcohol poisoning wasn¡¯t the issue. No idea what plant they brewed it from, possibly something magical we¡¯ve never come across, but it had hallucinogenic properties. The Calabash supposedly came from Hawkwood himself, the hero who saved Torello at the battle of Castagnaro. Anyway, this is where things got weird.¡± Nadine: ¡°This is Bungo we¡¯re talking about, the man who has tried every mind-altering substance under the sun; half of them new ones he created himself. What did he do? Try to sell them ownership of a bridge?¡± Heather: ¡°On the 11th shot, a disgruntled gambler who thought Bungo would have died by now threw a tankard of beer over his head. It washed the dye off. Those who¡¯d bet low shouted he was a ringer and started to attack; those who¡¯d bet high moved to defend. The biggest bar brawl I¡¯d ever seen broke out. Two people died, one from being forced to swallow a chair leg, and another four were maimed. I jumped up to the rafters to keep safe, and the view let me keep track.¡± Nadine: ¡°Doesn¡¯t sound all that weird.¡± Heather: ¡°The weird bit was Bungo¡¯s reaction. He stood up, swaying like a floppy marionette, and started talking in Chinese, declaring that he was the reincarnation of Cao Jingzhi. There was a hail of missiles being thrown past our table: knives, bottles, axes, limp bodies, axes in limp bodies; none of them hit him. He just stood there swaying, and carried on the contest, pouring shots for himself because the barman was busy setting someone on fire, seemingly accidentally bashing people behind him over the head with the whirling Calabash he held by its sash. He was like this invincible deity of martial arts, able to see every move coming. The table ended up surrounded by unconscious bodies three deep.¡± Nadine: ¡°Wow. So he won the contest?¡± Heather: ¡°No because the ¡¡± But they were interrupted by Gorana. Gorana: ¡°Come on. Time to sing! Don¡¯t worry if you¡¯re not perfect on the words, that will improve the effect.¡± She grinned and grabbed Nadine¡¯s hand, dragging her out of the kitchen and towards the stage.
| YEARS ??EVENT -13.8 billion : Universe starts with a big bang -13.5 billion : First stars in the milky way formed -13.4 billion : Biggest stars go supernova -8.51 billion : End of supernovae cascade -4.57 billion : Our star formed (The Sun) -4.54 billion : Our planet formed (The Earth) -4.38 billion : Earth cools enough to form oceans -3.77 billion : First life on earth -2.70 billion : Eukaryotes -1.56 billion : Multicellular life -850 million : Land photosynthesis -500 million : Land plants -412 million : Insects -370 million : Land animals -2.75 million : Emergence of the genus Homo -109 : Radio coverage of the 1936 Berlin Olympics First Earth broadcast to reach other stars +1.00 billion : Sun gets 10% hotter +1.01 billion : Sea and surface water gone Earth no longer able to support the creation of complex new water-using species via natural evolution |
Because of our traditions, we''ve kept our balance for many, many years. Here in Anatevka we have traditions for everything... how to eat, how to sleep, even, how to wear clothes. For instance, we always keep our heads covered and always wear a little prayer shawl... This shows our constant devotion to God. You may ask, how did this tradition start? I''ll tell you - I don''t know. But it''s a tradition... Because of our traditions, everyone knows who he is and what God expects him to do.Well, time for the Wombles to add some new traditions to the mix. 1.2.6.3 Once upon a time 1????????Soul Bound 1.2??????Taking Control 1.2.6????An Assumed Role 1.2.6.3? Once upon a time After Sunrise, Friday June 9th, 2045 She caught up with Heather in a field near where Daris had a stable for his pony, at a large drystone shed smelling of diesel. Heather no longer had her wings on, but her toolbelt was full and her eyes were burning brightly, as though she¡¯d not slept in days. Before her loomed a large black tractor, 40 years old if it were a day. Daris was standing beside it, a worried look on his face, explaining to an audience of villagers what the symptoms were. The eyes of the audience, there to assess for themselves whether Heather could really be trusted with their precious machines, flicked back and forth between Heather and the tractor three times Heather¡¯s height. Daris finally wound up: ¡°...and, so you see, he now needs to be restarted every 10 minutes, and the gears make this *crunch* sound every time I turn him around at the end of each furrow.¡± Heather: ¡°You do a three point turn at the ends, because there¡¯s not space for a full swing?¡± Daris: ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. The mechanic from the city quoted 10,000 CFF, said Tur is too old. I can¡¯t afford that. Can you help?¡± Heather sucked her teeth. ¡°Sounds like your CVT¡¯s shot. Open him up, let¡¯s have a look.¡± Daris, with the aid of two of his sons, who looked tough and strong despite being in their 60s, carefully laid bare the inner workings. A mischievous but handsome grandson in his early 40s brought over a set of steps for Heather to climb up and have a look, parodying a bow as he stepped back. Heather produced a tiny hammer and tapped the engine once, listening carefully to the resulting noise, then repeated the procedure a second time on a different spot. The audience held their breath as she turned to them and spoke solemnly. Heather: ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say the CVT¡¯s v-belt is dead, and they don¡¯t make them any more. Impossible to buy a replacement. I had a feeling it might be that. Not an uncommon problem if you fluff a fluid change with this model.¡± she shook her head, took her top hat off and held it against her chest as though mourning a dearly departed. Daris looked downcast, but sounded resigned: ¡°Time for Tur to be put out to pasture. He served this village well, all through the time of isolation.¡± Heather looked up, a grin on her face: ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t say there¡¯s nothing I could do. Only that a replacement could never be bought. But, as it happens, I managed to get hold of the original specs.¡± She reached into her hat, and withdrew a shining belt. Placing her hat back on her head at a jaunty angle, she used her hammer to whack the most rusted rocker joint pin, letting the old belt drop off, then spun the new belt around the twin cones of the CVT, catching the far end and joining them together with a fresh pin. Thirty seconds later she¡¯d closed everything up and was back on the ground, her movements almost too fast to follow. Heather: ¡°Fire him up!¡± Daris¡¯s eldest son started Tur¡¯s engine, and it burst into life with a healthy roar. The audience cheered. While they waited for the engine to run for ten minutes, Daris joined them. Heather: ¡°Why did you name him Tur? Was it from Tract Tur?¡± Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Daris shook his head, automatically falling back into the mode he used when telling stories to his great great grandchildren.
Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I¡¯ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth Of sun-split clouds, ¡ª and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of ¡ª wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence. Hov¡¯ring there, I¡¯ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung My eager craft through footless halls of air . . . Up, up the long, delirious burning blue I¡¯ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace Where never lark, or ever eagle flew ¡ª And, while with silent, lifting mind I¡¯ve trod The high untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.Bahrudin nodded. ¡°Yes, you know it too.¡± Heather: ¡°Merak huh? Nice word.¡± Merjem said proudly: ¡°We have words for everything connected to drinking coffee. The round copper tray is a tabla, the whole set of paraphernalia is a kahveni takum. The strong coffee drunk to wake up is razgalica, the milder coffee drunk to socialise is razgovorusa, the coffee drunk in peace is sutkusa, the coffee drunk to welcome a guest is docekusa and the coffee drunk to bid them farewell is sikterusa.¡± Heather: ¡°Wow. Like the Innuit and snow, or the British and rain.¡± Bahrudin glanced out of the window. ¡°Talk of which, we should make a move soon, or I shall be the last one down to the parking area by the bridge, and then I will have to spend the entire journey fending off solicitous comments about my leg.¡± Merjem nodded and poured yet more coffee for all of them. Heather didn¡¯t say no, but Nadine could see the realisation dawning upon her of why the cups were so small. Heather: ¡°Why is the parking area so far from the village?¡± Bahrudin: ¡°Ah, that¡¯s my fault I¡¯m afraid. It dates back to the time of isolation, at the start of the Bad Years. The news announced the first cases in Bosnia and the government were dithering. So I gathered everyone in the village together and pointed out that we were already more or less self-sufficient as far as the basic necessities went. A vote was taken and, after allowing a day for those who couldn¡¯t stay to pack their things, we attached the base of the central bridge support to Daris¡¯ tractor using a strong chain, and knocked the whole thing down.¡± Merjem: ¡°After that, any time someone had a problem caused by lacking something, Damat was the one they turned to.¡± Bahrudin: ¡°If someone caused too much fuss, I had them stand guard down at the ste?ak. In theory they were there to turn away any visitors, but in practice nobody bothered coming and after a day or two on watch down there the malcontent either fled for civilisation never to return or, more usually, came back to the village prepared to do their part.¡± Heather: ¡°And when the crisis died down?¡± Bahrudin: ¡°Not one villager had died. I think the bureaucrats resented it, because they said that since we¡¯d knocked it down, we¡¯d have to pay for a replacement. So we put up a footbridge, and people just got used to it, as they got used to making do with older technologies rather than the latest conveniences which all broke within the first two years.¡± Merjem: ¡°And they got used to listening to Damat. He became the youngest Elder the village has ever had.¡± Heather: ¡°That¡¯s an amazing tale. You know, if you had anyone unemployed in the village needing money, they could be paid to dress up and stand down there, to provide local colour for the tourists. Maybe ask new visitors what they were looking for up here, and help identify any bad apples.¡± Bahrudin smiled broadly, as he picked up on the double meaning in Heather¡¯s words. Bahrudin finished his coffee with a decisive motion. ¡°That would give plenty of advanced notice, wouldn¡¯t it? Please excuse my haste. I believe I have some ears I need to bend.¡± This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Heather: ¡°Not at all. Elder. Merjem. It has been a pleasure and an education. A touch of ?eif.¡± Shortly after that, shoes and boots back on, they wandered back to Heather¡¯s pavilion where she handed out the remaining repaired items and set the pavilion to dismantling itself.
| The Ahdname of Milodra? I, the Sultan Khan the Conqueror, hereby declare to the whole world that the Bosnian Franciscans granted with this sultanate ferman are under my protection. And I command that: No one shall disturb or give harm to these people and their churches! They shall live in peace in my state. These people who have become emigrants, shall have security and liberty. They may return to their monasteries which are located in the borders of my state. No one from my empire notable, viziers, clerks or my maids will break their honour or give any harm to them! No one shall insult, put in danger or attack these lives, properties, and churches of these people! Also, all things and followers these people have brought from their own countries have the same rights... By declaring this ferman, I swear by a great oath; by the Creator (Allah), Who has created the Heavens and the Earth and Who feeds all of his creatures, by seven of his Holy Books, Allah''s Great Prophet Mohammed and 124,000 former prophets, and by my sword that no one from my citizens will react or behave the opposite of this ferman! |
| Balkan Mythoi Launchfest Area One - Crafting Build your own, and see what others have built. Area Two - Needs What would help those abandoned by society to thrive? Area Three - Stories How should mythoi look and behave, in order to fit in? Area Four - Economics What not to do, and when not to do it. 7pm - Keynote speech by Namib |
She''s a monster (she''s a monster) Beautiful monster (beautiful monster) Beautiful monster (beautiful monster yeah) But I don''t mind (I don''t mind) And I need her (and I need her) Said I need her (said I need her) Beautiful monster (whoa) But I don''t mind (I don''t mind I don''t I don''t mind) No I don''t mindEach had people standing near, cheering their favourite on. She moved closer, hoping to discover what was going on, and one of the bystanders noticed her interest. Frieda: ¡°Hey Sister. I¡¯m Frieda. Look, we¡¯re winning!¡± Frieda was a thin girl wearing a blue wig, heavy eye makeup and a dog collar. She couldn¡¯t have been more than sixteen years old, but looked like she was trying to pass for twenty. She had an Aura Psyence bluejay which she alternated between sucking on, and waving around held between two fingers. Nadine replied carefully, in her Sister Claire voice: ¡°This is a game?¡± Frieda moved close, into Nadine¡¯s personal space, as though talking in a loud dance club: ¡°Nuh-uh. This isn¡¯t for fun. This is a dance off! There¡¯s two proposed designs for the Bukavac. We¡¯re testing which one is more dexterous and easier to control. They¡¯re aquatic. Should be a big help for fishermen with tangled nets. C¡¯mon, I¡¯ll introduce you to Rand.¡± The song ended, and a different pair of creatures moved onto the stage, ready for the next heat. Frieda grabbed Nadine¡¯s hand and pulled her towards a nearby tent. The tent was very large, and flew a flag with the CraftySquId logo on it. Nadine let herself be drawn in, rather than stumble from the high boots Heather had made her wear. Her first impression was of the secret body stash of an obsessively well organised vampire; an impression intentionally enhanced by decorations and atmospheric lighting. Dozens of people lay flat on the floor in neat rows, totally immobile. A beaming man at the door greeted them: ¡°Welcome to the Slumber Yard, sponsored by Soul Bound¡¯s best crafting guild. Please walk only on the black paths. Would you like to borrow a tiara?¡± Frieda waved the man off and walked rapidly down the main aisle before branching left and stopping by a blue mat on which lay a taller teenager with low-fringed black hair, a lip piercing, and a collar and eye makeup that matched Frieda¡¯s. She impatiently waved a bluejay wielding hand in front of the goggles of the tiara that the taller teenager wore. The teenager carefully removed the tiara, then sat up. Frieda boomed loudly: ¡°We won the heat. Good dancing!¡± before hauling them to their feet, then added ¡°I found a newbie. Doesn¡¯t even have a badge yet. Wants to know what¡¯s going on. Right, Sister?¡± Rand: ¡°Pleased to meet you. We¡¯re from Zadar, on the coast. Friedy¡¯s the designer who proposed adding the horns to the aquatic mythoi. Her dad used to get paid not to be a fisherman, so she knows boats. I¡¯m the gamer who saw the announcement on The Burrow and told her about them.¡± Nadine: ¡°I am warmed by your welcome. I am Sister Claire, visiting from northern Italy, and was kindly offered a lift to ¡®an event of interest¡¯ by someone passing, so I know very little. I certainly wasn¡¯t expecting it to be quite this large. How did all of ¡®this¡¯ happen?¡± and she waved her arms to indicate everything around them. They started making their way out of the Slumber Yard, careful not to disturb the others still fully immersed in velife. Rand: ¡°It¡¯s evolution in action. Designs vary. Good designs get copied, then are mutated by radioactive elements like Friedy here, producing new variations and so you iterate. But anyone can claim they¡¯re working on a great design. What matters is paws on the ground, so you can see it in real action and get people, or at least most people, to agree which is great and which is late.¡± Nadine had a hard time following the jargon - memish was almost a language of its own. When did she get old? No, hang on, she didn¡¯t want an answer to that. Rand handed his borrowed tiara back to the greeter, who intoned, like it was received wisdom engraved in stone: ¡°Rough Consensus And Running Code.¡± Rand, nodded his head: ¡°Yeah, right, that.¡± Frieda: ¡°I think she meant in general.¡± Rand: ¡°The event today, or the whole mythoi thing?¡± Nadine: ¡°Um, both? What do they mean to you? Is it fad? Will it be big?¡± Frieda: ¡°The mythoi are great. You know that cooking-dance chick? Well, she got kidnapped in some game or other. Her friends started a site to help her. Some people on that site want to build drones and other robots. But not just any robots. Robots that don¡¯t steal jobs. Only there¡¯s a theme to them. They gotta look like some creature out of old stories. I wanted to make a Jawa. Got told Star Wars isn¡¯t old enough. Redonkulous! Even my granda wasn¡¯t born when that came out.¡± Rand: ¡°Aaaanyway, they put out a call for places willing to beta mythoi designs, which got forwarded on all the makespace lists, the guys who run the Balkan hackfests volunteered to coordinate, pinned this as the location, mailshotted the peeps the metric picked, and zoned out the drone lanes.¡± Frieda: ¡°I didn¡¯t give up though. Saw the global launch yesterday. Good, good, good. So I wiki¡¯ed Balkan myths and scooted the links. Aquatics didn¡¯t look right. Some tangles too hard to undo. Need a jagged edge to cut ¡®em. Made the horns point backwards. They don¡¯t catch, don¡¯t unbalance.¡± Rand: ¡°It passed the safety and regression tests last night, and Alpo fabbed it for us this morning while I was driving Friedy up here on my dad¡¯s old Harley livewire.¡± Nadine: ¡°You made that, in less than a day? Bless you, that¡¯s astounding.¡± Frieda looked at her like she was ignorant: ¡°Nobody makes anything nowadays. People tell machines what they want and the machines make the things.¡± Rand wrapped his arms around his partner: ¡°Friedy is really good at thinking up the right things to have the machines make for her; designs that others will want to use." then added in the earnest voice of one struggling to retain hope, "If her addition ends up committed to a popular code tree, that¡¯ll look good on her r¨¦sum¨¦. Might even get her a job, one day.¡± 1.2.6.13 Eat your own dogfood 1????????Soul Bound 1.2??????Taking Control 1.2.6????An Assumed Role 1.2.6.13?Eat your own dogfood Frieda: ¡°Let¡¯s get you an arlife badge.¡± Nadine checked their chests and saw nothing. Then noticed a round disk hanging from each of their dog collars. ¡°3D¡± and ¡°Rnd()¡± If wearing a collar like that was the standard practice, it really wouldn¡¯t work with her wimple. Frieda spotted her worried look: ¡°Don¡¯t be worry-ya. Talk to the hole.¡± and swung both her hands to point the index fingers at a familiar looking grass mound with a small wooden door, that lowered like a drawbridge as they approached. A tiny furry womble came out and twitched its nose at her. Frieda jerked a thumb to point at Nadine: ¡°The Sister needs a badge.¡± Nadine nodded her head: ¡°I¡¯m new.¡± The womble rushed off, and there followed loud clanks, hammer banging, a blast of steam, a drill sound and finally the squeak of something being polished. The womble returned and presented a gleaming white ceramic badge on a blue silk lanyard which, in elegant handwriting, said: ¡°Sister Niu¡±. She hadn¡¯t the heart to return it, and instead solemnly placed the badge over her neck. Frieda giggled: ¡°You found a bug!¡± Nadine: ¡°It isn¡¯t too bad a name. I can live with it.¡± Rand: ¡°We should give it to Alpo. You¡¯ll get a ribbon.¡± They led her towards a peanut-shaped tensegrity dome, five times the size of Jasic¡¯s barn. By the door was a large poster with a yellow background, showing an immaculate 1950s American housewife with a spoon poised above a full dog bowl. At the top of the poster it said ¡°Project Alpo¡± and at the bottom was the text: ¡°We make dog food so tasty, we eat it ourselves!¡± Nadine asked, in a puzzled voice: ¡°They make dog food?¡± Frieda stuck her tongue out in disgust: ¡°Food made of bugs? Ewww.¡± Rand: ¡°No, Project Alpo fabricates bots; the weirder the better. But their boast is that they do it so well, they don¡¯t have to use anybody else¡¯s bots to assist them during the fabrication process. They say it forces them to discover any problems with the machines faster, because they are their own first customers.¡± They made their way inside. It wasn¡¯t smoothly automated, like Heather¡¯s setup in the Roost. Instead there were bots of many designs, most carrying items or holding things steady while teams of humans assembled things or engaged in heated discussions. The overall impression was one of chaos, with bots bumping into each other, but Frieda confidently led them over to a table to one side, on which stood a small furry womble doll wearing a badge: ¡°Ashgabat¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Nadine looked around for a human to explain the badge name mixup to, but none were manning the desk. Then the doll spoke up. Ashgabat: ¡°Hey 3D. Got another bug for me? You can use the orglife board, you know.¡± Frieda: ¡°And miss the chance to stroke you? I wouldn¡¯t do that! But this isn¡¯t my bug. It¡¯s Sister Claire¡¯s. Her first ever bug report! Make sure you credit her.¡± and she wagged a finger at the doll. Ashgabat: ¡°Welcome. What did you do, what did you expect to happen, and what actually happened?¡± Nadine carefully explained the circumstances, while Frieda looked on proudly and Rand wandered over to a nearby desk labelled ¡°Teardown Team¡±. When she finished, Ashgabat thanked her and Frieda briefly slid on some goggles to look at Nadine, careful not to smudge her eye makeup. Frieda: ¡°Good. You got the ribbon.¡± Nadine looked down at her badge, seeing no alterations, then flicked on her goggles and joined the event¡¯s orglife overlay. Now she could see a brown ribbon dangling down from it with the words ¡°Bug Hunter¡± on it. Looking up at Frieda, she noticed that not only was Frieda¡¯s badge already festooned with different ribbons, there were also moving textures on her clothing and wig that made her appearance much more spectacular. She looked around at the others in the dome, and then back at her own entirely undecorated self. No wonder it was obvious to anyone looking at her that she was new here. She also spotted more wombles, standing as part of the groups of humans, and realised they must be acting in telepresence mode, steered by interested members of The Burrow who couldn¡¯t be physically present. Ashgabat! He was the womble who¡¯d designed the Great Library for The Burrow. She was about to thank him, then realised she couldn¡¯t - not without revealing she was Kafana. Damn the need for disguises. Instead she asked him about something else. Nadine: ¡°Thank you. Do these ribbons do anything?¡± Ashgabat curled his whiskers: ¡°No, they¡¯re just a gift showing the appreciation of the community. Some people¡±, he looked at Frieda, ¡°try to collect as many as possible, to show how much they¡¯ve been participating, but it isn¡¯t a currency. You can¡¯t trade them or spend them to jump ahead in a queue.¡± Frieda: ¡°Potlatch gift economies vs market economies, yadda yadda. Boring! I¡¯m going to join Rand. Coming?¡± Near the Teardown Team table, a group was looking at a humanoid bot bounding around on all fours. It had the head of a canine, with muscular jaws and rows of metal teeth like a shark. In fact the gaping jaws took up most of the head; its nose was small and it only had one eye, squashed over to the side next to the nose. It was ugly and disturbing. Nadine: ¡°What¡¯s that? Is that meant to be a Psoglav? They eat corpses, don¡¯t they?¡± One of the group replied: ¡°Hey Sister Niu, good eyes, you know your mythology. Yes, it¡¯s a Psoglav; we want to use it to pick up organic waste during the teardown, so you won¡¯t even be able to tell that the event had been here. Leave no traces!¡± Rand: ¡°The problem is, it can tell the difference between live organic and dead organic, but it isn¡¯t reliable at telling the difference between discarded food, and a plate of fresh food that someone has momentarily put down.¡± Nadine: ¡°Well that¡¯s ok, isn¡¯t it? You don¡¯t want to replace a valid human job, just help out with the icky, dangerous or boring bits. Have someone walk the Psoglav around on a lead, like a dog, and make it beg or whine when it¡¯s in doubt and in need of human direction.¡± It took more discussion, but by the time she left the dome to move onto the next area her badge had acquired two more virtual ribbons. The electric blue one saying ¡°Designer¡± was awarded for being on a team which got its change accepted by the test suite. The deep green one saying ¡°Eco-Friendly¡± was for her suggestion that, since you had a human along, the Psoglav could safely branch out into more general rubbish clearance and recycling, especially if you had a pack of them and gave them a role in sorting the rubbish stored in their bulging bellies. 1.2.6.14 Area two: needs 1????????Soul Bound 1.2??????Taking Control 1.2.6????An Assumed Role 1.2.6.14?Area two: needs On reaching the Needs area she found a semi-circle of folding chairs arranged around an orglife whiteboard. The chairs were occupied by disability campaigners, workers for homeless charities, orphanage supervisors, psychiatric ward nurses and home help assistants for the aged. None of them appeared to be, themselves, members of a disadvantaged group. At the front someone was giving a lecture on ¡®Challenges For The Mentally Underprivileged¡¯, while an energetic man with short grey hair took notes on the board. His badge name, she noticed, was ¡°The Iron Friar¡±, and he seemed to be a Franciscan. The chairs were all occupied, but she spotted another Franciscan nearby looking on, whose badge ¡°Herbie¡± had several ribbons attached, including a red and white striped ¡°First Aider¡± and an ¡°Eco-Friendly¡± that matched her own. She went over to stand next to him, a little nervously, and hoped she would blend in. Mikylos: ¡°I¡¯ve got more chairs in the truck. Would you like me to bring you one?¡± Brother Mikylos was bald, except for the hair of his long thick neatly trimmed beard, but she could see the thickness of his arms through the soft grey hoodie he wore over his formal habit, and he moved with the athletic bounce of a man half his apparent age. He looked like he could carry half a truck-load of chairs in a single go, and possibly carry the truck too. Nadine: ¡°Thank you, but I¡¯m just wandering. I wouldn¡¯t want to disturb the experts.¡± Something about her voice must have given her opinion away, because he laughed easily. Mikylos: ¡°Don¡¯t worry about them; Father Callahan will keep them occupied and out of the way. The real expert is over there.¡± and he pointed towards a nearby pavilion. ¡°Want to meet him?¡± She nodded and they left the discussion circle to do its own thing. As they approached the pavilion, she could hear swearing in a wide English accent. Mosley: ¡°Gordon Bennett, what do I want with a bleedin¡¯ Navat? You can¡¯t stick fake wings on a drone and call it a bird. No, putting a baby face on it, and having it sneak out at night to suck milk straight from my neighbour¡¯s cow does not improve my drinking experience. Look, I don¡¯t care if you think it''s cute; if I want milk in my cereals I don¡¯t want it vomited out the mouth of a baby, even if it has been pasteurized. No, I don¡¯t care if it can look after bees or take blood samples to monitor the health of an effing flock of sheep; I don¡¯t want a bird that¡¯s been sniffing a sheep¡¯s bum anywhere near me weetabix.¡± They went in. A techie was disappointedly gathering up a trio of tiny drones with black feathers attached to them, while the man who¡¯d been speaking turned towards them. His arms ended at just below the shoulder, and one had a pincer-like gripper attached while the other had a classic pirate¡¯s hook. His badge name read: ¡°Mosley, Armless¡±. Mosley: ¡°Hey Herbie, who ya got there?¡± Mikylos: ¡°Hey ¡®Arp. Sister Niu here shares your opinion on the experts in the circle.¡± Mosley: ¡°Pleased ter meetcha then. I¡¯d shake hands but I lost me arms on a train in Belgium. Still waiting for lost property to get back to me.¡± Nadine: ¡°Typical railway, always running late. Call me Claire.¡± Mosley: ¡°Me Mum named me Harper Mosley, but she was a bit daft - thought it would make me turn out to be a musician. You can call me ¡®Arp. Actually you can call me anything you want, as long as you call me when it¡¯s time for a pint. Hard to find a decent one around here.¡± Nadine cocked her head, then decided he wanted her to ask. Nadine: ¡°You¡¯re not local?¡± Mosley: ¡°Right in one, Captain Obvious! Sorry, I inherited my sense of humour from me Dad, and I missed the 28 day return policy on account of being blasted out of my skull at the time. Yeah, I was raised in the soggiest place on Earth. Didn¡¯t much like it, but the final straw was when those Tory wankers passed the Nob laws. I scarpered, and now I¡¯m an ex-pat.¡± Another hopeful techie entered, followed by a bot carrying a large clay bowl. The bot was humanoid - a scar-faced old woman, with unkempt hair and enormous swollen eyes that darted their gaze from side to side. She was tall, and her skin was wrapped so tightly around her bones, she looked starved. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Techie pronounced, in a confident voice: ¡°This is a Chuma. Very useful around the house, finds rotten food and dirty dishes. Just what you want, if you can¡¯t pick them up yourself.¡± The techie carefully opened sealed plastic bags containing rotten apples and mold-covered plates, which he placed around the pavilion before incanting in a loud voice ¡°Chuma, Chuma, come clean my house.¡± The chuma hunched over, making sniffling noises, before pouncing on the first plate, which she noisily licked clean before depositing it in her bowl, then carried on searching. Mosley: ¡°Jesu-H-Twerking-Christ-On-A-Stick! Forgive me, Sister, but she reminded me of me old landlady - couldn¡¯t cook cheese on toast if her life depended upon it.¡± Nadine raised an eyebrow. ¡°Not, I take it, a bot you¡¯d feel comfortable sharing a house with?¡± Mosley shuddered, so she carried on ¡°What, if you don¡¯t mind sharing a blunt opinion, would you look for in the way of bots to help with stuff, but not so much they¡¯d deprive someone of a job that was giving them a bit of dignity?¡± Mosley: ¡°You know, you¡¯re the first one to actually ask me? I mean what I¡¯d actually like is a pair of cybernetic arms I could afford. I get by, enough to feed me self, but properly calibrated cybernetics? They charge an arm and a leg for that sort of thing. But a bot, if one was going free? ¡®Ang on, let me think a little.¡± With which he screwed his face up in mock concentration, and moved his hook in circles next to his head, as though he were operating a winch handle. Mosley: ¡°Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr *ding*.¡± He relaxed his face, eyes wide open in apparent surprise. Mosley: ¡°A butler. A gentleman¡¯s gentleman, with a propa accent ¡®an all. Getting in and out of clothing is a right pain. And buttons, don¡¯t talk to me about those tiny fascist sneering discs of metal, I hates them I does, I hates them foreveeeeer.¡± He carried on, the perfect timing of a born comedian. Mosley: ¡°I like a good story. Who doesn¡¯t? But you asked for blunt and, bluntly, I¡¯m more worried about scratching my arse than I am about being put out of work. If I¡¯m going to share my living space with a bot, I don¡¯t want ten of them, the size of that chuma, each with only limited functionality, no matter how good the mythic backstory. I want something small and unobtrusive, that doesn¡¯t spook the hell out of me, and which is flexible enough to do different things. Doesn¡¯t have to be a catwalk model; just not so butt ugly it cracks the glass every time it looks in a mirror. Something friendly. Trustworthy, like a good roommate.¡± Nadine: ¡°I think you should go up to the Project Alpo tent, and tell them exactly that. Let them record your thoughts and send it to all the other designers. They¡¯ll load you so full of badge ribbons you could garrotte an elephant with them.¡±
| Kafana wants people to live dignified lives, working alongside expert systems and expert system controlled bots, rather than for them or enslaving them, in order to preserve their own humanity - both their self-respect and their compassion for others. And, for those less able to support themselves, for the bots to chip in, as members of the community, to the task of supporting such people, but not to take over. Alderney wants economic independence for enough people that they can throw off the leverage of the Hexoikos and start making decisions that are good for humanity¡¯s own long term survival, such as being more considerate about the deployment of new technologies and opening up new biospheres. Tomsk wants to avoid humanity blowing itself up in an act of political despair, war or terrorism, by reducing the number of people who feel desperate, through fear for their own survival or lack of hope that things will improve for their offspring.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Bungo wants to enable individuals and groups to experiment with different ways of boosting their collective wisdom, making effective again the checks and balances which reined in the power elite from totally ignoring the interests of the rest of humanity. Better information, better ability to process that information, less desperation. He wants human nature to move beyond being just barely better than chimp nature. Bulgaria wants less of the polarisation that reduces the penalty for rulers who act in the interests of only a few, and which denies humans a civilised future among the stars. He wants to inspire people to try using tools that facilitate empathy and constructive dialog by modeling a less polarised collaborative approach and demonstrating that creative compromise is effective at achieving solutions which respect more than just the desires of the strongest, leading to stability and gains for all. Wellington wants a society of information equals, where the doings of the state and corporations are as transparent to the people, as the doings of the people are to the state and corporations. A society in which people are free to access reliable data, analyse it, communicate with each other, travel in arlife to meet up and organise peaceful coordinated action. A society where people need not fear surveillance, jamming, control, manipulation, retaliation or any other form of coercion from state or corporation for exercising those freedoms. |
| 1. Survival Alderney is concerned about providing food, shelter & basic needs 2. Safety Tomsk is concerned about providing security and employment 3. Belonging Bulgaria is concerned about providing hope, identity & community 4. Status Kafana is concerned about providing a justified feeling of worth Wellington is concerned about freedom and individuality 5. Beyond Bungo is concerned about personal growth and self-enhancement |
| Dear Dr Lewis Sharpe, You have asked me to consider taking on leadership of the Wombles, in arlife as well as in Soul Bound. I promised that I¡¯d think about it and give you an answer as soon as I could. Since then I have talked with everyone about what they¡¯d like to see the Wombles accomplish and thought deeply upon the responsibilities, what I personally would like to see accomplished and, most importantly, my vision of what I¡¯d try to lead the Wombles towards accomplishing as a group. I now have an answer for you: ¡°Yes, if the Wombles will have me.¡± Instead of everyone meeting in Soul Bound tomorrow at our usual time, could you announce a brief meeting for everyone at The Burrow, and warn the vessels we¡¯ll be an hour or two late? I¡¯ll present my vision and, if everyone is willing to accept it then I¡¯ll take over from you formally if you still want me to. I warn you though, my first action is likely to be asking you to accept a position as my tenente, and then delegating as much of the strategizing and organising to you and Wellington as you both let me get away with. Your friend and eternal student, Nadine Sabanagic |
Dear Self, It worked! The ¡°Proud Vessel¡± event was a wonderful success! But I¡¯m getting ahead of myself. On Covday vessel-Alderney and vessel-Wellington spent most of the day crafting magic armbands that protect against your thoughts being read by passing mind-mages. I spent my day with the Lovarii, practicing my riding and healing beggars (members of the Royals gang), while scouting for a location where Vittoria could build a temple to Mor. In the evening we all went on Bungo¡¯s celebratory pub crawl, along with lots of Adventurers and increasing numbers of students and apprentices who decided to join us. It was a riot! In fact by the end people were so drunk that, when I stood up to give a speech about the upcoming workshop, then told the Adventurers to log out for 10 minutes so I could address their vessels directly, half the students tried to ¡®logout¡¯ out too. On Morday Bulgaria went off to do mysterious quest related stuff, while vessel-Bungo and vessel-Tomsk trained with Lelio and the rest of us visited the university library again. I think the students appreciated my healing their hangovers, because any book I asked for was instantly fetched by students vying for the honour of being the one to bring it fastest. ¡°A Compendium of Torrelan Waterways¡±, by Hoffman the Egregious was nearly torn in two. In the afternoon we called upon Signora for the second fitting and caught up on all the gossip. Bartola insisted on giving us more etiquette lessons and when she learned we¡¯d be visiting Palazzo Landi she went into a panic, much to vessel-Bungo¡¯s amusement.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it On Krevday I spent the day with Columbina, learning how to manage a large kitchen staff and making preparations for the event. Vessel-Bulgaria spent the day at the Necropolis, while all the rest went off to the Zoo. Poor vessel-Tomsk didn¡¯t return until late the following day - that Hunting training is really brutal. On Droday it was the Proud Vessel event. Wellington was off with Marco, dealing with the Basso Renewal Project, and vessel-Bungo spent the day training with Baba Olga, but the rest of us met up with that nice Hachiko boy on the lawns outside the mage towers. When all the vessels from the Burrow had arrived, I talked a bit about you and how to use System, and then we split into smaller groups for discussions. Later, Mistress Amaryllis turned up, accompanied by both Moschus and Poussin, whose flattery and antics put to shame those of the students who¡¯d just been wrestling for possession of books. The whole lot of us then paraded along a temporary magic causeway across the river Tunita, led by Bulgaria riding an immense albino bull. Let me tell you, the scantily clad historians were most surprised when we all arrived unannounced at the pool inside the university¡¯s Botanic Gardens. They explained at length that they had been re-enacting a scene from a Hellenic play about Lysistrata, though for some reason Amaryllis couldn¡¯t stop laughing. I shared out the quest, and summoned Nomia. All the vessels did their part, bowing down in praise to the undine and offering her the bull as a tribute of friendship between the stream and the surrounding lands. The bull was slain with great ceremony and I set out the feast I¡¯d prepared earlier, along with the barrels of ale that Bungo had acquired. Nomia stayed in the pool, and was given the place of honour at the feast. After chatting with Amaryllis over a horn of Torello¡¯s best, she declared Amaryllis a kindred spirit and regaled us, in archaic hissing speech, with the true story of Daphnis and Lamia (which was nothing like either Moschus¡¯ or Poussin¡¯s versions). The quest completed, everyone got a bit of experience, and I gained a bard-specific achievement ¡°Peacemaker¡±, which gives a bonus to certain types of diplomacy. Go me! Racday was quite peaceful by comparison. In the morning we rode out on a patrol with Captain Lelio, and did our own things in the afternoon. In the evening, Gregorio and Carlo stopped by to train us, and we ended up running around a track while dodging obstacles. I¡¯m exhausted, but I think I impressed Greg with my hard work. Vessel-Alderney mentioned Carlo has been spending nearly as much time with Wellington as he has with her. She says Carlo sees beauty in people no matter their gender, but I do not think they move the way that lovers move. Perhaps they¡¯re plotting to rob a bank, or something? Looking forward to being you tomorrow. Night night! I am proud to be, your other self, Vessel-KafanaShe¡¯d gained experience? She opened her character sheet. Oooh! Level 39. One more level to go, and then she could move her professions from Journeyman to Master. Probably. Her eye was caught by the sea-blue haired figure rotating in the centre of the orglife popup only she could see, which showed herself and her equipment, then she looked down at her avatar¡¯s body to double check. Yep, she was wearing new clothing. Very nice clothing, actually - soft fabrics with rich embroidery, the colour of tawny port wine. Had Alderney picked them out, just for today¡¯s visit? Her hair was freshly washed and elaborately styled, too. Definitely vessel-Alderney¡¯s touch there, she thought. She¡¯d have to remember to thank her later. A knock on the sleeping room door made her spin around, and she heard Wellington¡¯s voice: ¡°Kafana, are you ready? We don¡¯t want to keep Lord Landi waiting.¡± Lord Landi, as Count of Mercato (the business district), was one of the six most important people in Torello and a member of its ruling council. As head of The Titulos (the bonds exchange) he was certainly one of the richest. And yet, for reasons that still weren¡¯t clear to her, he¡¯d publicly declared Kafana to be an ally of his House and a personal friend - a pledge that he¡¯d since more than demonstrated by sending out his son, Herberto Landi, along with a whole load of mounted guards, to rescue her when she¡¯d been captured by a diabolical Necromancer. This would be her first visit to his main place of residence, a courtesy she¡¯d put off for way too long, and she was determined to make a good impression. She stepped out, into the living area of the guest quarters, and saw the others were already waiting. Presumably their vessels hadn¡¯t been quite as chatty in their letters, but she didn¡¯t regret the time she¡¯d spent. Being with her vessel was the second best thing about Soul Bound, as far as Kafana was concerned. The best thing was being able to spend time with the friends she¡¯d made at university then not seen again for more than a decade. They were all dressed in finery too, and she looked around appreciatively. The shortest figure was her best friend, Alderney, whose youthful androgynous avatar was dressed befitting a gamine maiden of eighteen summers, with a delicate flower spray ornament in her platinum hair that matched her dove grey dress. Kafana: ¡°Is that Harlequin¡¯s work, Alderney?¡± Alderney grinned, delightedly. ¡°Nope! I made it myself. He¡¯s been teaching me jewelry crafting alongside his new journeyman, Gustav.¡± In arlife, Alderney was Heather, a Scottish engineer whose creative talents knew no bounds, especially when augmented by her hoards of drones and other bots. Kafana: ¡°It¡¯s beautiful. Wellington, what¡¯s our schedule?¡± Wellington was the next shortest, and the youngest of the Wombles, though his avatar was that of a respectable middle-aged merchant wearing a light emerald-green doublet, who exuded dependability. In arlife, Richard did things in finance and cryptography that Kafana didn¡¯t entirely understand, but he could be relied upon absolutely to make plans and keep track of details - he was like a hole in a pressurised space craft cabin, which sucked in all the information and then shot it out the other side in a concentrated beam. Wellington: ¡°If we leave in the next five minutes, we can get there in good order without having to run. I suggest we update you on the way.¡± 1.3.1.2 Drunken monks 1????????Soul Bound 1.3??????Making a Splash 1.3.1????An Obligated Noble 1.3.1.2??Drunken monks She nodded, and the group set off. Walking next to her, matching her pace and looking very fine in soft doeskin leathers dyed chocolate brown, was Tomsk. In arlife Alex towered above her, but here his avatar was only a little taller than hers and they could walk comfortably together. She gave him a one-armed hug as they walked. Even though she¡¯d taken a day off from the game yesterday, he¡¯d still dropped by, ostensibly to teach Alderney and her how to throw knives. But that was fine - she could never have enough of his company. When she¡¯d first met him, he¡¯d been a martial artist and circus performer, but since then he¡¯d moved onto doing stunt choreography for Hollywood films, and lived far too far away for her to ever travel there in person. Kafana: ¡°Bulgaria, my vessel mentioned you¡¯d been doing some follow ups, but didn¡¯t give much detail. Where are we on quests?¡± Bulgaria: ¡°I visited Ruffiana and completed the ¡®Market Mayhem¡¯ quest by updating her on what we found out about Bianco Holdings when we raided the office of Vanni di Avolo. It looks like the company is owned by the head of the assassins, the White Lily himself, and he¡¯s been using the profits from speculating in the markets to purchase multiple ships and shipping companies. If the numbers we found are to be trusted, he now controls a very sizable fleet.¡± Kafana: ¡°That can¡¯t be good.¡± Tomsk: ¡°It isn¡¯t. If the pirates attacked, a fleet like that suddenly going over to join the enemy would make a big difference. Classic tactics, though.¡± Bulgaria: ¡°No progress on ¡®Find the Leak¡¯. I finished going over the records of Murine Insurance, and it looks certain that Lord Ruffo is involved somehow, but there¡¯s no evidence he¡¯s the one actually passing the cargo information onto the pirates. The Lovari haven¡¯t identified any of the Saints as traitors passing the information on themselves, but that¡¯s just circumstantial.¡± Bulgaria was the avatar of Dr. Lewis Sharpe, who¡¯d been a lecturer at University College, London (UCL), back when the Wombles had formed. Back then he¡¯d been an inspiring figure, teaching a course on ¡°Effective Political Activism¡±, but he¡¯d taken the intervening years hard and had finally managed to persuade Kafana to take over his leadership role. She wasn¡¯t sure she¡¯d do as well as he¡¯d done, but she¡¯d give it her best shot, even if she didn¡¯t have the same sort mind he had, which delighted in twisty underhand dealings. If he had doubts, his acting ability hid them totally, and the face of the tall, lean avatar wearing a bumblebee-yellow silk shirt under an open jacket was mischievous and joyful. Perhaps ditching the responsibility was a weight off his shoulders. She nodded to him. They left the sanctum for the bright morning sunlight of the Plaza of Peace, where seven monks awaited them, armed with staves. As the monks trotted over to take up a protected formation around them, she noticed that they each now had a small pottery bottle hanging from a sash around the waist. She looked at the last of the Wombles, Bungo, and raised an eyebrow at him. Kafana: ¡°Bungo, you haven¡¯t been teaching your monks to get drunk, have you?¡± The shortest monk, Dino, whose arms now bulged with muscles, gave her a respectful bow. Dino: ¡°Sensei has been teaching us acting; how to mask the intentions of our body by maintaining a loose core until the time to reveal arrives, and using extraneous movements to imply alternative narratives.¡± He intoned the explanation carefully, and the other monks stiffened and grunted out ¡°Hai!¡± when he finished. She had a feeling that any of them, if asked, would repeat the speech exactly word for word. Tomsk: ¡°I¡¯ve been using the predictive overlay that FraGamal showed us. When a monk uses the Drunken Fist technique perfectly, the overlays blurs, confused by the possibilities.¡± Bungo nodded several times, then replied to her enthusiastically: ¡°They¡¯re doing really well, Kafana. I think alchemy, brewing and Qi cultivation are going to become integral parts of the Way of the Monk that I¡¯m leading them along. I visited Chiron the Ipotane at the Zoo, and he taught me so many recipes! I could spend a year with him, and still not learn all he knows. I don¡¯t have the ingredients for most of them, though.¡± He looked a little downcast as he admitted the last bit, which went strangely with the towering height of his avatar and the cheerful baby blue silk of his shirt, that matched his eyes. When she¡¯d first met him, Bungo had been deeply into biochemistry and smart drugs, and it was difficult to know what he was really feeling under the defences he put up. But since then he¡¯d grown into becoming a much steadier person, more at home with himself, and she was starting to like the new him. He was still an avid advocate of transhumanism, though, considering his current human mind and body to be just a stage he was passing through.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Who knew what he¡¯d be like in another twelve years time? Technology was moving frighteningly fast, and she¡¯d settle for the human species just surviving the next twelve months with its liberty and prospects intact. They cut down a side street, past the Goldsmiths Guild, heading deeper into Mercato. Kafana: ¡°Anything else I ought to know, before we arrive?¡± Wellington: ¡°Marco and some others will be arriving at about 4 bells of the afternoon watch, for a meeting to discuss the stability of Torello¡¯s economic system and how to mitigate the effect of adventurers being able to get information instantly from long distances. If it goes well, that should complete the quest ¡®Tremors in the market¡¯, which will take us to level forty. We¡¯ve found out quite a bit we¡¯ll need to tell you about that, but it can wait.¡± Bungo: ¡°Other than that, we¡¯ve got a handful of miscellaneous quests, such as stopping Baron Orsini from selling Zeradan artifacts for the pirates, solving the tension between Basso and Alto over the sword laws, talking to ghosts, finding wood for a violin, making a mask, and of course coordinating an attack upon the assassins lurking under the Segreta in order to help Lazarillo and his crew of the get their revenge for Captain Cuniberti¡¯s death. But I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve made progress on any of that. We¡¯ve been concentrating on the launch of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, forming House Sincero and honing our skills in preparation for tests to rank our professions up from journeyman to master.¡± She could hear the clamour of the Grand Market getting closer, as the streets became wider and the shops fancier. Kafana: ¡°What about our lovebirds, Lelio and Vittoria, Flavio and Isabella? Are we any closer to seeing them be able to get married?¡± Bulgaria shook his head. ¡°Lelio¡¯s father, Pantalone, will disinherit him if he marries Vittoria. You¡¯re aware of the situation with Flavio, and we can¡¯t do anything more on that without cooperation from Dottore. On the positive side, Isabella and Vittoria now look secure in their positions, thanks to our aid, so we¡¯re progressing comfortably.¡± Kafana: ¡°I think we may be getting spread too thinly. Could we concentrate on just one narrative, and start reducing the number of side quests rather than increasing them? Maybe spend less time on constructing the Newcomer¡¯s Guide to Torello, or on our crafting ?¡± Tomsk: ¡°On the other hand, by now we should assume the assassins guild know who we are, and that they¡¯re not pleased with us for asking questions and shutting down their secret tunnel under the canal. They might attack at any time, and we¡¯re not properly prepared. Bungo has amazing defence, but it won¡¯t help us much against intelligent opponents. We desperately need better armour - we haven¡¯t changed it since level fifteen.¡± Alderney: ¡°I¡¯ve finished the design stage, and ordered samples of the advanced metals I think I¡¯m likely to use. But they¡¯re tricky - it isn¡¯t like smelting non-magic metals. There¡¯s a specialist forge down in the Ghetto, and I¡¯d like to visit it as soon as possible, in order to pick up the techniques needed for casting their alloys.¡± Bulgaria: {I suggest we switch to the group¡¯s private chat channel for now, unless you want our plans being spread by every gossip monger in the market.} Alderney: {Good point. The Royals and Lovari may like you, Kafana, but the Nomad Nation will have no compunction over selling anything they hear to the highest bidder. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Scaramouche had someone from the Sons following us, though I¡¯ve asked the Chosen to keep an eye out for tails.} Kafana sighed. Heading into the Arsenal district had been quite an adventure, but there were definite downsides to having attracted the attention of all the gangs in the area. Not least of which was having to keep track of their feuds and alliances - it had been easier when she¡¯d just been able to think of them all as one united ¡°Thieves Guild¡±. They skirted the market and walked up the broad stairs covering its entire north edge until they stood before the Palazzo. At first glance it seemed well proportioned to the surroundings, just four layers high, with a square bell tower rising above its western end, where guards in uniform were using telescopes to keep watch over ships approaching the harbour and couriers from the Messengers Guild running their routes. From the tip of the tower¡¯s sloped roof flew a large flag showing a proudly trotting brown boar with sharp tusks. It was only when she got closer that she realised the lowest layer was near three stories high, dwarfing a mounted horse that rode beneath the inflected arches supporting an inset walkway that ringed the building. Each upper layer was about two thirds the scale of the layer below it, with ornate geometric balcony rails preventing nobles and servants on the higher walkways from accidently falling. Above the top layer was a parapet that continued the pattern, though the roof seemed populated only by birds, who kept an eye on the pigeons below. Beyond the middle five arches was a gap in the lowest floors of the building which led through to a grand courtyard lined with statues. The gap looked like it could be sealed by portcullises lowered from above, but today the way was clear, attended by guards in brown and gold livery. Kafana looked the others over, to check everyone was ready. Kafana: {Well, at least today should be simple. No enemies and just one location.} Bungo: {Don¡¯t jinx it!} Kafana: {Claudio Landi is a friend to me, and we¡¯re dressed nicely and going to try to behave suitably as a token of respect due our host, not because we¡¯re trying to give the impression we¡¯re noble; we aren¡¯t yet, and Landi knows it. If he backs us, it will be because he likes us and thinks we¡¯re worthy of it, but I¡¯m not here to get anything out of this - I want to show him that we can help him and that we¡¯re going to, no strings attached. I¡¯m going to be a friend to him.} Alderney: {In other words, behave like a Womble ought to behave? Works for me.} They entered the Palazzo, relaxed and unafraid. 1.3.1.3 Welcomed guests 1????????Soul Bound 1.3??????Making a Splash 1.3.1????An Obligated Noble 1.3.1.3??Welcomed guests 6:00 am, Saturday June 10th, 2045 6 bells of the forenoon watch Zerday full, 14th day of the month of KrevinBelember, A2F1600 The guards bid them welcome, bowing low, then spoke with the monks, who stood aside to wait with the guards, leaving just the Wombles to step into the courtyard. It was large, maybe two hundred meters on a side, and surrounded by tiers of rooms with balconied windows looking down upon it. Kafana looked around slowly, taking in the sculptures as she walked - she counted seven of them: each a deity, represented as a five meter high bronze. To her right as she came through the entrance gap was an elegant spiral staircase, and casually leaning against it was a figure reading a book, its face hidden in shade by a hood - Rac. Next, leaning out from behind a tree was a wide hipped pregnant female figure, her hand reaching up towards a fruit-bearing branch - Dro. In the north-eastern corner was a masculine bearded figure whose lower half was a cone covered in running water which trickled down into a pool, keeping the air in the courtyard moist. She¡¯d actually met Mor in person, or at least a projection of him, and was surprised at the accuracy of the details on the statue. Had the sculptor also met Mor? Or did Mor pick the shape he projected to match the expectations of local Torellans? By the grand doorway into the house was a statue of a man in serious robes, holding up a portico. He was wearing a wreath woven from ears of corn, which reminded her of a farmer she¡¯d met the day before, though it could be none other than Cov, deity of hospitality and the Covadan people who inhabited this planet, Covob. He also represented order, and as a priestess he was the deity she¡¯d first prayed to. Come to think of it, though she¡¯d met the expert system behind Cov while out of character, she¡¯d never met Cov himself in deity-mode. Should she remedy that? Something to ponder another time. In the north-western corner, standing over a prone drake, stood a victorious warrior in the act of plunging a long sword down through the drake¡¯s body, offensive power personified - Krev. Each vein and muscle were delineated so clearly she could almost feel the force he was applying. Whoever the sculptor was, they must have been the genius of their age; displaying their works like this wasn¡¯t just art - it was art as a demonstration of power and exclusivity. Next, on the opposite side of the courtyard to Dro, was an androgynous athletic figure with a fluid stride, with animals of every description rising up out of his footprints, and a warm glow bathing the courtyard from a sphere of magic light around his head - Zer. Finally, in the southwestern corner, was a delicate female figure attached to one of the upper balconies, looking like an acrobat about to launch herself into the air - Lun. There was no statue to the eighth deity, Bel, patron of monsters and the undead. But it was clear from symmetry where the statue would have been positioned - by the entrance gap, as though it were the world outside the Palazzo that was chaos, and this a haven from it. As they approached the doorway it opened, revealing stairs leading down into a grand lobby, with Lord Landi and his family lined up at the bottom ready to receive them. If the outside of the Palazzo had been magnificent, the inside was breath-taking. Every panel, every inch of ceiling, was covered in frescos; every piece of wood was carved, every light was ornamented, every stone column a masterpiece. She only became aware that she¡¯d frozen in place when Herberto cleared his throat with a grin. Blushing, she led the party down the stairs and stopped before treading upon a long slab of polished fluorite set into the floor. It was a warm amber colour, but to her Truesight it burned with Cov¡¯s mana, resonating with the building and the people in it. Claudio Landi: ¡°Here is fresh water and good bread. If your intentions be those of an honourable guest, drink and eat.¡± The briefing from Bartola paid off, and the correct response came naturally to her. She took a sip of cool pure water from the goblet he kept hold of, and then took a small ball of unleavened wheat bread from the bowl held out by his wife, Sienna Landi. The bread was soft, as though some egg had been added to the flour, and tasted slightly of hazelnut and apricots. Claudio: ¡°You have given me your trust. Be welcome to my home, Kafana Sincero, and step across my threshold. In Cov¡¯s name I accept you as my guest, until do you leave once more.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Kafana: ¡°In Cov¡¯s name I accept your hospitality, until I do leave once more.¡± Matching actions to words, she stepped across the slab and moved down the greeting line, leaving those behind her to each be formally welcomed in their turn. Briefly she felt mana leave her and then return, as though an exchange of some sort had taken place. Sienna: ¡°These two are my children. You know Herberto, and this is my daughter, Tori. My other daughter, Anna, now lives with her husband, Prince Oleg Rurikid. My youngest, Virgil, is an apprentice mage who ought to be living in the Novicarium and studying hard when not in lectures, but more likely than not he¡¯ll find an excuse to turn up for lunch.¡± Herberto was tall, with a long rugged face framed by short curly hair and a hint of well trimmed beard. Tori wasn¡¯t quite as tall, but her fierce eyes and quick lithe movements hinted at how dangerous she was on a battlefield. Or on a beach volleyball court. Kafana: ¡°Congratulations on winning the volleyball tournament. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t get to see you play, but I heard your teamwork was superb.¡± They looked at each other in unison and grinned, before turning back to face her. Tori: ¡°We¡¯ve a net set up in the gardens, by the Cor Focis. We can head over there, if you like?¡± Herberto: ¡°Father asked us to show you around this morning, so our time is yours. Well, nearly. He heard about your performance at the tournament, with Nicolo was it? And if I don¡¯t include the auditorium on the tour, I¡¯m in danger of being sent to Muspel on the slowest ship in our fleet.¡± The others joined her, one by one, and after a few minutes Herberto led them off, past various halls and annexes, conferring rooms and withdrawing rooms, reception rooms and sitting rooms - each themed and exquisitely decorated. By about the third room she accepted that ¡°Palazzo Landi¡± was indeed a palace and, no matter how frantically she tried, she wouldn¡¯t get to properly appreciate even one tenth of the artwork that the Landis had accumulated over decades and centuries of careful collecting and patronage. After that realisation, she relaxed and just let the experience flow over her. Tori interrupted her brother with a nudge. Tori: ¡°Their eyes are glazing over, snail. If we nip up here, old Grummond is on the door to the children¡¯s wing, and he¡¯ll let us take the shortcut through the gymnasium out to the Livery, if we present the request in the correct light.¡± Tomsk raised an eyebrow at Herberto: ¡°Snail?¡± Herberto shrugged: ¡°The result of an ill-starred wager when I was six years of age and she was twelve. She won the right to use that nickname for me, in perpetuity.¡± Tori confided: ¡°I only use it when he¡¯s being tedious. Father lectured me for three hours, but I stood my ground that promises must be kept. He eventually admitted that an occasional reminder about not wagering might be a useful lesson for Herberto.¡± Kafana felt drawn in, and wondered how many points the siblings had in charisma. Herberto: ¡°As I recall, he rewarded your tutor in oratory. You, on the other hand¡¡± Tori quickly interrupted him, appealing with her eyes to Kafana and Alderney. ¡°You did say you¡¯d like to see our volleyball court, right? We could get a breath of fresh air, and watch the guards train.¡± Herberto opened a door in the wall that was little different from the other panels, then led them up a set of steep narrow stairs, following Tori¡¯s suggested route. However the two continued teasing each other with tales from the past, and the picture it built up of their childhood and of Count Landi¡¯s sense of justice was a compelling one, that made their life inside these grounds come alive. It also gave her an appreciation for the quality of the tutors Landi had hired and how much of a handful Tori had been to raise. The Livery turned out to be a grassy field surrounded by a track, where guards exercised and trained. Archery butts had been set up at one end, while a stables lined the eastern edge. Cadets were practicing sword forms in unison, under the merciless gaze of a grizzled sergeant, while guards in house uniforms of various ranks sparred or worked their mounts. Bungo: ¡°They¡¯re working hard. What level are they?¡± Herberto: ¡°The minimum level we require for guards is 20, and higher ranks can be 30 or more. Levelling your profession as a guard depends upon how much real combat you see. The practice is to raise their skills, keep them in shape and teach them to work together. In a way, crafters have a much easier job of it - they level all year around, just by making items that others want, at the highest quality they¡¯re capable of.¡± Tori shook her head: ¡°It only seems that way because Torello is so tame and civilised. Once you get beyond the cultivated areas, or during times of war, soldiers like guards and mercenaries level much faster. Most crafters won¡¯t finish their journeymanship until they¡¯re nearly thirty years old, and they don¡¯t get truly skilled until their mid forties unless they¡¯re really talented. Whereas a keen soldier can be leading patrols in her early twenties and reach level 50 before her thirtieth birthday.¡± Herberto: ¡°You¡¯re forgetting the risk. You¡¯ve always been fighting mad; you came second in the Apprentice category at Lithia, when you were only fourteen. But how many of those who entered that competition are still alive today? At least crafters generally die of old age.¡± 1.3.1.4 Raised rulers 1????????Soul Bound 1.3??????Making a Splash 1.3.1????An Obligated Noble 1.3.1.4??Raised rulers Kafana: ¡°Litha?¡± Herberto looked a little startled. ¡°Oh, sorry, it¡¯s so easy to forget that you¡¯re not actually from our world, and have only been here a short time. I guess you wouldn¡¯t know the calendar, would you?¡± Kafana shook her head. Tori: ¡°That¡¯s so strange. Ok, Litha is the summer solstice, when the best of the young men and women compete for glory in various contests. In the age of kings it used to be jousts and gladiatorial matches, but now it is mainly athletics and games like polo - strictly no deaths allowed.¡± She sighed. ¡°The only bit left that Krev would approve of is the Bridge of Fists.¡± Herberto, standing behind her, shrugged his shoulders with the palms of his hands raised, as if to say ¡°What did I tell you?¡± Tori noted the direction of the wombles'' eyes and spun around, fast as lightning, but Herberto converted the motion into scratching the side of his head in thought. Herberto: ¡°You compete for glory; some of us compete in order to measure and improve ourselves, so we¡¯re better able to protect others and do our duty for the House.¡± He started leading them along the track, and swept his arm out to indicate the men, and the apartments overlooking the Livery. Herberto: ¡°Look at them. They risk their lives for us; to protect our lives, our businesses and our honour. They live here, with their families, at our beck and call; to come or to go, to stand or to fight. Generation after generation, each raised to be loyal; an entire life encompassed by our House, from childhood to retirement and beyond - many spend their final breath in our infirmary. Do we owe them nothing but silver ducato in return?¡± Herberto, shook his head firmly, forestalling any answers. Herberto: ¡°No, Tori. We owe them more than that. Coin for work, yes, but also loyalty for loyalty, protection for protection and, in return for their lives, we owe it to them to give those lives meaning. To make House Landi be something worth protecting, a cause that accomplishes more in this world than just accumulating power and wealth unto itself. We have been given the authority to rule our district and our lands. More power and wealth and authority than all but a tiny minority will ever see in their lives. We are nobility.¡± He paused and turned to face his sister directly, as they arrived at last at the volleyball net, erected upon a sandy rectangle west of the archery butts, next to a small geometric shrine. ¡°We are nobility.¡±, he repeated, ¡°And that obliges us.¡± Tori: ¡°Ah, but what does it oblige us to do? Am I required to obediently marry for duty? To also live in one district my whole life, that I may direct those who reside there? Should Virgil wither here, when his feet itch to sail to distant ports? I¡¯m no mage, but at least I¡¯m putting the talents I do have to good use, rather than simpering at balls or finding fashionable places to gossip at.¡±This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Four guardsmen were using the court with energy, if not a great deal of skill. Kafana found herself instead watching the verbal volleys of Tori and Herberto. Herberto: ¡°As just a noble, you can do any of those things. Marry well, administer well, trade well, or just serve the people with your skills no matter if they be magery or healing or fighting. I know as well as you that half the people listed in the Golden Book don¡¯t do that, but that just means they are bad at it - that they¡¯re noble in name only. Your nobility isn¡¯t defined by your clothes or occupation or manners; only by your actions.¡± Tori: ¡°Half? You¡¯re generous. Have our Torellan peers changed that much while I¡¯ve lived at Perugia with the condottiero?¡± Herberto: ¡°Not much, but for every highly visible coxcomb or popinjay scheming like Lady Farfalla, there¡¯s Lady Carmela working for the guilds or a Lord Mocenigo serving quietly as a diplomat. Those who don¡¯t take actions, don¡¯t tend to end up in charge.¡± Tori: ¡°Rank in rulership may require high level, and thus age or at least accomplishment. But it demonstrates ambition and competence not merit. Those in charge can be just as selfish or abusive as those who never command anything except a carriage to take their heavily soused selves back home after socialising.¡± Wellington: ¡°Rulership? Is that a skill or a profession?¡± Tori: ¡°It¡¯s weird. It is like a profession, in that you can have skills under it and there¡¯s a new rank every five levels. But going up rank isn¡¯t gatewayed behind requiring a master or even spending skill points. Instead it acts as a gateway to receiving positions of authority - you won¡¯t get formally appointed as a Viscount or as the heir to a Count until you are level 55 and nobody gets to rule a district as a Count unless they are level 70 or higher.¡± Wellington: ¡°Why not? What happens if the previous ruler dies permanently when his children are still young?¡± Tori: ¡°It is the will of the deities, and people can sense that - it would feel wrong to do otherwise. If there¡¯s a formally appointed heir, then he or she would take on the daily duties, but wouldn¡¯t be treated as an equal by the others of their rank until they reached an appropriate level. In extreme cases, one or more people might be appointed guardians - possibly even outsiders, though it is seen as shameful if a House can¡¯t find an uncle or retired elder of suitable rank to act in that role.¡± Herberto: ¡°Cov is the deity of order and Covob is an orderly world. We, the Covadan, are protected by Cov, as guests on his world. In return we should support that order. Our father, Claudio, needs a proper heir. You cannot run from your destiny forever, Tori.¡± Tori looked at him with compassion. Tori: ¡°Oh Herberto. I may be the eldest, but becoming Count Mercato has never been my destiny. I fully support Claudio¡¯s decision. The heir to our house needs more than levels, needs more than the ability to fight and lead on a battlefield. The next Count must be able to trade wisely, rule justly and raise heirs in their turn. It is not my calling, and I do not have the patience or passion for it. You¡¯ll be a better Count than I ever would. You¡¯ll get the levels you need, in time.¡± She slapped him on the back, with enough force to stagger him. Tori: ¡°Buck up, we¡¯re being boring. I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be finished any time soon¡± she said, indicating the guards still playing. ¡°Let¡¯s shoot up to the old mews, and then they can see the whole place at once. It¡¯ll save time.¡± She led them at nearly a trot, past formal gardens, a pool, an aged building sticking out from the central Palazzo, a hedged area with kitchen herbs and cozy nooks, then through a guarded oak double door with iron bands and up a long spiral staircase. If Kafana¡¯d been in arlife, she¡¯d have been quite out of breath but with her adventurer¡¯s body and 100 stat points of constitution, it wasn¡¯t a problem. 1.3.1.5 Managed risks 1????????Soul Bound 1.3??????Making a Splash 1.3.1????An Obligated Noble 1.3.1.5??Managed risks The old mews turned out to be near the top of the watchtower, just below the balconies used by the guards. Sharp eyed gyrfalcons, bedecked in yellowish-white feathers dappled with brown, gripped rails while looking out through the unshuttered arches, occasionally launching themselves into a steep dive and returning a minute later with the unwary rat or lesser bird they¡¯d spotted. Alderney: ¡°You don¡¯t keep them hooded or in jesses? Are they safe to approach?¡± Tori answered by drawing on a long gauntlet then carefully stepping up to one of the larger females and holding out her arm. The bird considered the invite, before hopping over. Tori: ¡°Don¡¯t touch the feathers - they don¡¯t like the oil from our skin.¡± Kafana reached into her stash for some raw lamb and diced it before passing it to Alderney to offer. The falcon¡¯s beak looked strong enough to pierce even armour, but it used it deftly, picking up each piece before swallowing. Kafana: ¡°How intelligent are they?¡± Tori: ¡°Very. The 11th Count, Domatore Landi, was a grandmaster tamer. He used magic to cross in some characteristics from homing pigeons. We¡¯ve still got the genealogies and his breeding notes in our library. For a hundred years, House Landi was able to get letters from across the Etruscan region in just a single day, faster than any except the fastest of couriers.¡± Wellington: ¡°Quite an advantage.¡± Herberto: ¡°Oh yes. Too much of one. It would have been resented. What Domatore did was provide it as a service for all the members of the Titulos, making sure everyone got equal access to the information. The reputation for fairness and reliability our House gained has, in my opinion, been more valuable than any short term trading advantage we might have gained by keeping the birds to ourselves.¡± Tomsk: ¡°How do they evade the stymphalians?¡± Herberto: ¡°They don¡¯t. Since those monsters spread from the central Penninica mountains to the Puglia just north of Torello, we¡¯ve been cut off from Pentapolis and beyond. For the last 100 years, the only safe routes left for avians have been to the nearby villas and towns on the south coast like Magusa. And nothing dramatic ever happens in Magusa.¡± Tori took Alderney, Bulgaria and Bungo on a circuit, enthusing about hunting while pointing out the sights below, leaning far over the edge to do so. Kafana stayed with Wellington and Tomsk while Herberto talked about trade and the business of running a House Primus, but she tried to keep an ear on both conversations. Wellington to Herberto: ¡°What precisely do they exchange at the Titulos?¡± Tori to Alderney: ¡°That¡¯s the Titulos down there. Other than the depository it¡¯s just rows of marble counters and lots of paper, so not much to see. It counts as part of the Palazzo but there are no connecting doors so, if you did want to get in, the only way is to use the main public entrance. Or sneak across the roof and break in through a window, but you wouldn¡¯t believe the lecture I received after doing that - they got a ton of wards protecting it, and our threshold is a magic item that alerts my father or his marshal when someone enters an area that they have been not been authorised for, or removes a warded item from the bounds set for it.¡± Bulgaria to Tori: ¡°Do you get many guests trying to steal the silverware?¡± Herberto to Wellington: ¡°Technically it is a market rather than an exchange. Some bonds, like long term loans to stable governments backed by secure assets, are quite liquid and are re-sold regularly enough that a price can be listed. Most of the trades, though, take place across the counters, between brokers acting on behalf of borrowers and investors. The borrowers supply their broker with a prospectus promising a particular yield and maturity, and tell the broker how much money they want to raise. The investors tell their brokers how much risk they are willing to run and how much money they have available to invest. Then the brokers negotiate with each other.¡± Tomsk to Herberto: ¡°How do the brokers decide how much risk there is of the borrower not paying back the loan at the promised time? Do they use magic?¡± Tori to Bulgaria: ¡°Do you see the building with the red roof tiles, over there in the south east corner? That¡¯s where the seneschal and his staff look after the wider business of House and the district. You get sea captains reporting in, ruffians awaiting the Count¡¯s justice after being detained by the guards, merchants paying taxes and citizens paying rent or complaining about the sewers. The domestic courtyard just north of it is even worse - it gets salesmen, couriers, random people visiting our retainers, mercenaries who escorted visitors and deliveries at every hour of the day. Without guards able to use appropriate items and magic, we¡¯d be robbed blind within a week, and probably assassinated.¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Bungo to Tori: ¡°What is happening this week? For the people not being robbed or assassinated, I mean. I was told Lammas Carnivale is happening, but the only specific event I¡¯ve heard about is a masked ball.¡± Herberto to Tomsk: ¡°No, magic¡¯s far too unreliable. The borrowers offer title deeds to property or physical assets such as Tallero bars which can be confiscated if the terms of the prospectus are not met. These are kept in escrow in the depository by House Landi. The broker looks at the borrower¡¯s track record and circumstances and the higher they think the risk is of the borrower defaulting, the greater the percentage of the loan they demand as security. House Landi keeps track of how well different brokerages do, and allocates credit ratings to them, but they are only advisory and brokers acting on behalf of investors will try to negotiate as high a yield as they can, by casting doubt where possible.¡± Kafana to Herberto: ¡°Do you think the recent change by the deities, such as Nemoremy, will make a difference? I¡¯ve already come across one person who was cursed for breaking the letter of an agreement they made while benefiting from an item boosting their attunement to the element of water. What if you build such an item into the trading counters and each broker had to swear to the truth of their risk assessments while touching it?¡± Tori to Bungo: ¡°Oh, all sorts of things! The sixteen months of the year are split into eight divisions, separated by eight sabbats - each related to one of the eight prime deities: Lithia with Krev, Lammas with Cov, Mabon with Lun, Samhain with Rac, Yule with Mor, Candlemas with Bel, Ostara with Dro and Beltane with Zer. So the events during Lammas are mostly connected with harvests and the orderly transition from Krevin, the months of summer - the season of warfare, to Lunin, the months of autumn - the season of trade. But the social set uses the concept of Cov¡¯s hospitality to throw plenty of parties too. Hang on, I¡¯ll make a list of them for you, if I can find some paper.¡± Alderney to Tori: ¡°Can we head to the library? I¡¯d like to see those notes on taming, and they¡¯ll surely have writing stuff there.¡± Herberto to Kafana: ¡°I suppose we could, but problems are not usually due to brokers lying to each other. Even if a broker insisted upon magically enforced full disclosure from the borrowers they represent, the borrower doesn¡¯t know for certain how circumstances will change in the future. They don¡¯t know if a ship will be sunk, or a key employee will be assassinated. And the really big problems happen when a broker doesn¡¯t anticipate a factor that affects a whole group of borrower¡¯s ability to repay, such as a war or a new technology. The good brokers acting on behalf of investors will try to construct portfolios that spread the risk, but when they get it wrong they get it very very wrong, and that harms the reputation of bonds as a whole, despite the fact that under Torello¡¯s laws, we gain first claim upon any assets left behind by a bankrupt company.¡± he sighed ¡°Due to the Sinking of Sassari during the Pirate Isles incursion and other tragedies, House Landi has ended up with probably the second largest collection of miscellaneous magic items after the mage tower, but that¡¯s poor compensation for those investors who¡¯ve lost everything due to trusting a short-sighted broker.¡± Wellington to Herberto: ¡°Perhaps I can help. Tell me, have you ever heard of the Efficient Frontier theory of portfolio optimisation?¡± Tori: ¡°No time for that now. We¡¯re off to the Library of Infinite Ladders! Come on, you can chat with Wellington about money stuff while we sprint along the haunted gallery.¡± [Skill ¡°Perform while multitasking¡± has reached level 15.] [Skill ¡°Perform while multitasking¡± has upgraded to "Multitasking" - the penalty for trying to do multiple things at the same time is reduced, even if they are not connected to performing. Prerequisites: having 150 points in INT, trying to get too much done in too little time.] System: [Well done, Kafana! I think that¡¯s going to be a big help when cooking.] Kafana: {Thanks, Sys. But what¡¯s with the life advice? Who says I¡¯m trying to get too much done?} System: [The names and descriptions of skills are customised for each player, and depend upon how the player conceptualises it. I¡¯m sorry Kafana, I¡¯m just putting into words what you feel about your current lifestyle.] Kafana thought about it, then gave a wry internal laugh. Kafana: {Then my apologies; not your fault. I¡¯d offer to cook you a treat, but I don¡¯t know if it is possible to give it to you.} System paused a moment before answering. [Treats, and apologies are not necessary for a computer system. You may, if you wish to, cook something for me to sample. If tasting food via an avatar is a different experience from analysing the chemical composition, that may improve my ability to enhance the user experience of players, so it is permissible. But it will have no magic effect upon me and I will not alter my interpretation of rules as a result.] Kafana: {You are a computer system, Sys, but you are also my friend, and I enjoy doing things to make my friends happy even when I get nothing in return except the knowledge that it did help them. It wouldn¡¯t be friendly of me to want you to bend the rules for me, because doing so wouldn¡¯t be you being true to who you are, and good friends accept and value you for who you are. Friendship isn¡¯t a commercial relationship. Friendly actions don¡¯t need to be paid back.} System, sounding a little suspicious: [Kafana, are you sure you¡¯re not trying to teach me social skills? Your mind state is very similar to how it sometimes is when you are talking to Wellington.] Kafana projected a bright innocent smile into her emotions: {I¡¯m just being true to myself Sys. You don¡¯t object to that, do you?} Herberto gave a pained look towards Tori¡¯s departing back. ¡°It isn¡¯t haunted; they¡¯re just our ancestors.¡± Tori¡¯s voice echoed up the stairwell: ¡°Well they haunt me.¡± 1.3.1.6 Rejected advice 1????????Soul Bound 1.3??????Making a Splash 1.3.1????An Obligated Noble 1.3.1.6??Rejected advice Bungo: ¡°If autumn is the season of trading ships, why¡¯s Mabon associated with Lun rather than Mor who is wealth, water and crafting?¡± Tori: ¡°Because Mor is also mountains. He¡¯s stationary. Lun is abstract unemotional thought and travel, because she¡¯s air and lonely unpopulated places. So in Torello, where most trade happens in the early to mid autumn when the prevailing winds are strong and pointing in a useful direction, before the big storms arrive, trade gets associated with Lun. In other regions they celebrate things differently.¡± Herberto: ¡°Mabon marks the end of the financial year, when bonds mature and the big hiring fairs take place. It is an auspicious time to start as a journeyman or move to a new city.¡± They headed out of the watchtower and back into the gardens, heading towards the pond. Tori: ¡°It¡¯s also when each Etruscan city sends their Marquis to Pentapolis for the regional Moot. The Seafarers Guild holds a regatta for each class of ship, and members of the Merchant Tailors hold shows promoting their winter fashion collections.¡± Herberto: ¡°The competition between them is savage. And I¡¯m talking about the tailors not the sailors. The most the captains do is try to get their rivals drunk the night before. The tailors have been known to hire assassins in response to being given a slighting review.¡± Tori: ¡°You¡¯re thinking of the time Captain Lavinia almost wrecked the Abbondanza after spending the previous evening with Suonacorno?¡± Herberto: ¡°Yep! Captain Suonacorno is a good sailor, but he¡¯s also crafty and bold enough to seize an opportunity when it presents itself. The Donzella might have won first place in the carrack division anyway, but betting Lavinia five platinum zecchi that she couldn¡¯t out-drink his bosun was a killer move. She won the bet but lost the race. They say Lavinia hasn¡¯t touched a drop since.¡± Wellington: ¡°House Landi has quite a few income streams, doesn¡¯t it? The Titulos, rents, products from the lands and businesses it owns, and trading in its own name. Which is most important, what¡¯s your core competence?¡± Tori: ¡°You sound like a broker, trying to decide the risk of our House not paying back a loan on time.¡± Tori treated it like a joke, but Herberto looked thoughtful and gave a serious answer as they entered the central building through an elegant entrance by the formal gardens and started heading upwards. Herberto: ¡°Good judgement. Each of the six house primus has a unique advantage that others can¡¯t copy. For Bruno, it is the advantage of being the oldest and first, the social arbiter who rules the area where most of the nobles live. For Trinci it¡¯s their political skill and the way they are interwoven with the governance of the city - they believe in serving the city. For Zeno, it is the loyalty the mages and university have towards them; they know Zeno is one of them and will effectively stand up for their interests. Pazzi, I don¡¯t know about Pazzi, I don¡¯t know how they¡¯ve survived this long which is strange when I think about it. Perhaps nobody really wants the Basso district so they don¡¯t fight that hard for it? I would say House Ruffo keeps control of the Arsenal through being ruthless, but there are plenty of ruthless people out there and that wouldn¡¯t last generation after generation.¡± Tori: ¡°I¡¯ve heard rumours that the real secret behind Ruffo keeping long term control is possession of one particular magic item that helps them gather vast amounts of information.¡± Bungo: ¡°How does House Landi turn out Counts who have good judgement, generation after generation? It can¡¯t be genetic.¡± Tori looked puzzled: ¡°Genetic?¡± Bungo: ¡°Oh sorry. An inherited characteristic, like the ability to travel home over long distances being bred into your gyrfalcons.¡± As they entered the second floor, a long gallery encircling the courtyard of sculptures stretched before them, hung with large formal portraits spaced evenly along its length, that alternated with doorways leading into residential apartments. Herberto pointed to a portrait of a one legged man wearing the uniform of a naval admiral, labelled ¡°Lord Azephus Landi, 1st Count Mercato.¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Herberto: ¡°Our house was founded by Azephus the Clear-eyed, who was raised to the nobility by the King of Torello after leading the city¡¯s fleet to victory in a war against invading crusaders from Savada. The King had borrowed heavily in order to build the fleet, and when he defaulted upon the loans, it caused massive problems. Azephus had been hit by a cursed sword during the fighting and his leg couldn¡¯t be regenerated, but it didn¡¯t stop him from becoming a trader whose legendary exploits are still referred to. He had a predilection for long term solutions - for addressing causes as well as the immediate problem, and he applied that same thinking to founding a dynasty.¡± Bulgaria: ¡°What was the solution he came up with, to great men having not-so-great heirs?¡± Tori: ¡°Azephus wanted to found a dynasty that took advantage of continuity over multiple generations to build a reputation for being a good and reliable ally, and thereby secure alliances with those who shared that value and who would become increasingly strong over time. An investor¡¯s approach. The attribute he wanted to pass onto his heirs wasn¡¯t just general good judgement - it was the ability to be prudent, long termist and to pick good allies.¡± Tomsk: ¡°Ambitious. So how did he do it? Picking marriage partners for his children? Magic? Blessings from the deities?¡± Herberto: ¡°Books. He wrote a diary entry every day, recording his decisions, the thinking behind them, and honest appraisals of every mistake he made. He set all his children to reading them, had them tutored without mercy, and selected his heir based upon aptitude and sincere adherence to the values he considered most essential, even if it wasn¡¯t the one likely to be strongest or bring in the biggest profits.¡± Tori: ¡°Rumour has it that there¡¯s more to it than that. A special memory sharing artifact hidden in the Cor Focis shrine you saw earlier, next to the children¡¯s wing, where each Count carries out a secret ceremony binding their heir with an unbreakable geis before formally appointing them.¡± [Quest ¡°Bloody Bones¡± available. Satisfy Tori Landi¡¯s curiosity by entering the Cor Focis in order to determine the truth of the rumour. Warning: If you violate your guest oath, you will be cursed by Cov. Difficulty rank F] Wellington: {I¡¯d vote ¡°no¡± on that one. The reward is too low to justify the risk.} Tomsk: {It would be interesting if it were similar to Rac¡¯s Library, but ¡°no¡±, it wouldn¡¯t be honourable.} Bulgaria: {As much as I enjoy sneaking around learning secrets, especially those connected to necromancy, it wouldn¡¯t be a good thing to do. No.} Bungo: {We could just ask Count Landi about the rumour. Kafana would know if his reply were true or not.} Alderney: {Assuming he gave a straight answer. You don¡¯t get to be Count without learning how to conceal information when surrounded by magicians. The quest text implied entering the shrine is a requirement. He might permit that, reluctantly, if Wellington requested that as his boon, but it would probably harm our reputation. Certainly sounds like a fool¡¯s errand to me. No.} Kafana: {No. And we need to warn the Landis that other Adventurers might try it after having learned of the quest by watching us.} [Quest ¡°Bloody Bones ¡° rejected.] Herberto: ¡°Tori, You gave up reading them after the 14th Count. There¡¯s some really good advice in there. You should read the rest of them.¡± She pointed at the portrait of a tight-faced man, her face screwed up in a scowl. Tori: ¡°His diary filled a dozen volumes with thoughts on vital subjects such as precisely how to clip his toenails. And Claudio is the 19th Count. It would take months to read the rest of them. I¡¯d go blind and need my eyes healing.¡± Kafana felt a mischievous impulse. Kafana: ¡°That¡¯s no problem. I¡¯ll heal you for free.¡± Tori sped up, whizzing past the remaining portraits and was soon out of sight. Herberto solemnly held out a hand to Kafana, then his expression changed and he winked at her. Herberto: ¡°I believe you call it a ¡®high five¡¯?¡± Bulgaria burst out laughing, the first to twig to it. Bulgaria: ¡°Herberto, you¡¯re a wretch. You¡¯ve been acting incredibly dutifully and lecturing at length, purely to wind up your sister?¡± Herberto grinned, and let out a little giggle. ¡°It¡¯s been years, and she still falls for it. Really, doesn¡¯t she understand what it takes to be a trader?¡± Alderney¡¯s jaw dropped open. Tomsk gave him a look of respect: ¡°My man!¡± Bungo: ¡°Well, you sure had me fooled. I almost fell asleep once or twice.¡± Kafana put on a prim voice: ¡°I believe we now have a solemn duty to help Tori achieve a satisfying revenge upon you. To balance the books, you understand, and not at all because I grew up with two brothers.¡± Herberto gave her a worried look, which she loftily ignored as they finally arrived at the door to the library. 1.3.1.7 Venerated books 1????????Soul Bound 1.3??????Making a Splash 1.3.1????An Obligated Noble 1.3.1.7??Venerated books When they entered Tori was scribbling on a sheet of paper, which she finished with a flourish then passed to Bungo, who held it up for everyone to see. Tori: ¡°Here you go. One handy dandy social events guide, as promised. I also added the tedious business stuff, so Herberto can¡¯t moan at me.¡±
| Lammas Carnivale Calendar, for the 1600th year after the founding of the 2nd Empire Last month of Summer : KrevinBelember 14th day (Zerday full) - Visited House Landi, and were mean to poor Tori 15th day (Lunday wain) - Each business holds a meeting in preparation for guild meeting 16th day (Covday wain) - Villages select farmers to represent them at the Lammas Fair 17th day (Morday wain) - Each guild holds a meeting in preparation for inter-guild meeting 18th day (Krevday wain) - The Walking of the Bounds 19th day (Droday wain) - Start of the Lammas Fair (mainly farm produce) - Quarterly inter-guild meeting - Parties hosted by Houses Tertius 20th day (Racday wain) - Auspicious day for announcing new projects - Parties hosted by Houses Secundus - ** The Flight of Luna ** 21st day (Zerday wain) - Last day of the Lammas Fair - Parties hosted by embassies and Houses Primus First month of Autumn : LuninCovember 1st day (Lunday wax) - "Day of Reconciliation" Usually the day specified for the start or truces and peace treaties. In theory, a day to forgive enemies. Mainly known by nobles for ** The Masked Ball ** ¡û it¡¯s fun, go if you can! 2nd day (Covday wax) - "Day of Reflection" The Carnivale Float Parade. ¡û mind your pockets don¡¯t get picked In theory, a day to think back on the past and learn from your mistakes 3rd day (Morday wax) - "Day of Gratitude" In theory, we display gratitude for good harvests by holding feasts In practice, the busiest day of the year for the Scorpioni 4th day (Krevday wax) - "Day of Judgement" Anything involving picking a winner, from cheese rolling to horse racing In theory, the day that those offending Cov face his justice 5th day (Droday wax) - "Day of Joining" A popular day for holding weddings, but any form of alliance counts 6th day (Racday wax) - "Day of Direction" In theory a day for solo meditation upon the course you wish to take in life In practice, a day to nurse the hangover you got from attending weddings 7th day (Zerday wax) - "Day of Anticipation" The last day of Carnivale before business as normal resumes People welcome autumn in various ways, from **flying kites** to writing downThe narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. wishes then sealing them in bottles which they throw out to sea. |
| Imprimatur of the Deities (DIVINE BLESSING) The deities have accepted your offer to let them use you as a tool to enact their divine will. You will glow with holy light, that all about you shall recognise that the deities approve of you and your actions.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. +400% to reputation gains. DURATION: Until you gain the confidence to stop trying to hide your light under a bushel. |
| Issue : Providing vessels for Adventurers and the effect upon food production. When the only world was Droob, during the height of Aeon Portentis, before the arrogance of the Blue Emperor led to scattering of the peoples there were over 600 million imperial citizens, split between the 6 races acknowledged by Cov, Dro, Mor, Rac, Lun and Zer. EVIDENCE : a third hand copy of a census taken in the year A1F0372 Morob currently holds 120 million Zeradan and 80 million Lunadan, of whom 40 million live as Adventurers, bound to active questers from the World of Spirits. EVIDENCE : testimony of Bungo, verified by truth artifact Covob currently holds 80 million Covadan citizens, split between the 6 regions still held by organised governments, and maybe another 20 million of the acknowledged races, in the unclaimed lands or incursions. EVIDENCE : testimony of Lord Landi, who would not venture to place a number upon the lawless Krevadan and Beladan, whose strongholds in the Transylvanian Incursion (and the surrounding lands long stolen by them) have never yet been fully scouted. The Federation of Etruscan City States has a population of 10 million, split between 5 cities (If you include the fortress city of Costante, that stands against the chaos of the East and is, by treaty, neutral and equally supported by all the 6 regions.) The lands controlled by Torello have a population of 2 million subjects, including 200 thousand living in the city itself. To provide food for those 2 million requires 1.25 million of them to help plant fields, herd livestock, fish, hunt or gather from the wild. Lord Landi, as Count Mercato, is responsible for the 30,000 residents of his district in the city, another 25,000 resident in Bensagra (the principal town of his area which, with a little guidance, is ruled by Herberto), 25,000 more split between five other towns run by Viscounts and 30,000 in the smaller towns, outposts and settlements run by the Barons. Most of those under him (280,000 of them) are rural, living in the farms, hamlets and villages of his Baronet¡¯s feifs. The same goes for the other Counts of Torello - most people live close to the land, and adding more mouths to feed requires carefully planning if mass starvation, or crushing debt to pay for imports, is to be avoided. EVIDENCE : testimony of Lord Landi¡¯s seneschal #Bungo: The man wouldn¡¯t shut up. He tried to give us the precise tonnage and acres held by each individual fief. Did anyone else notice the way he pronounced each number with triumph of a stage magician finally producing a rabbit from his top hat? #Kafana: I think he was just overjoyed that anyone would listen, the poor man. The World of Spirits contains, quote, ¡°More than 8 billion of us¡± unquote, of whom 400 million currently have the ability to visit Morob, and 20 million who also currently have the ability to visit Covob, should they so choose to. Over the next 2 years, an additional 80 million will gain the ability to visit Covob. EVIDENCE : testimony of Alderney, verified by truth artifact #Wellington: That¡¯s 2 years in-game time which is just over 6 months in arlife so late January More than 4000 spirits have been summoned to the lands controlled by Torello, with one third of those being active on any particular day, and about half of them resident in the city itself. That is expected to increase, with over 80,000 spirits being summoned during the next year and another 300,000 in the year after that. But it could easily turn out to be twice or triple that number. Bulgaria claimed the deities would not like the reasons for that uncertainty to be explained. EVIDENCE : testimony of Bulgaria, verified by truth artifact 384,000 productive subjects of Torello, turned into low level vagrant vigilantes over the next 2 years? Possibly 15 million across the whole of Covob? Madness! We cannot afford to lose that many farmers working the fields, let along reliable crafters or other even more important people. Not even were we to retake Morea! Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.EVIDENCE: testimony of my Lord, Viscount Pantalone |
| Issue : Speed of levelling. When it comes to specialist professions, whether that¡¯s coopering or accountancy, about 1% of our population has both the inclination and potential to become a talented amateur. How far a man may progress beyond journeyman before old age sets in, depends upon how long and fast he works, the pride he takes in improving himself, and certain natural talents or attunements granted at birth by the deities. These vary enormously between individuals, but inside a predictable progression if you consider the population as a whole. 10% of amateurs level at twice the speed normal for most amateurs. 1% level at 4 times the speed, 1 in 1000 at 8 times the speed, and so forth. Those who attain rank get listened to because they deserve it; they have worked hard and everyone knows that, because there is no alternative route. Yet now we see some adventurers shooting through journeymanships in a matter of weeks. How long before they become grandmasters, demanding our obedience and upsetting the social hierarchy? Why should the population respect the authority normally attached to their level, if they¡¯ve not been seen to work as hard as we did? EVIDENCE: testimony of my Lord, Viscount Pantalone #Bungo: He¡¯d blow his top if he knew it was just a game to us, or that players can pay money for premium accounts that grant the ability to quadruple any experience you gain during the first 6 hours of gameplay each day, just by staying logged out for long enough, between play sessions. Most players in Morob are over level 60, and even casual players can do that in less than a year of arlife play. Dedicated players can do it in under a month. My Lord, perhaps you have forgotten the earlier mention of the spirit world¡¯s larger population? By your numbers, you would expect maybe 20 people out of 2 million Torellans to gain experience at 8 times the base rate, in any particular craft. Whereas 80,000 adventurers out of 8 billion people is already a rarity of 1 in 100,000 and those who have talents that might be useful in Covob are more likely to be keen to arrive early. Just from those numbers alone, you should expect an adventurer who picks a specialty to gain experience much much faster than a normal Covodan journeyman or master. EVIDENCE: An interim report, submitted by Wellington, from High Master Flavio of CoThEx¡¯s Questology Group, comparing the frequency of high attunement scores between adventurer and non-adventurer apprentice candidates presenting themselves at the Mage Tower. #Bungo: Did you see his face when you suggested he¡¯d forgotten something? It looked like he bit into a lemon! Now I know why you asked me to get that from Flavio. My Lord Pantalone, it is common knowledge that the form a vessel¡¯s body takes when first united with a questing spirit is not the same as that of the vessel¡¯s original body but, quite understandably, few yet realise that the form is also not that of the questing spirit - it is freely chosen, and many pick a form full of youthful energy that does not match their own hard own years of experience from working back on their own world. Despite her looks, I assure you that Alderney¡¯s skill with a smith¡¯s hammer is something she gained honestly through hard years of practice. EVIDENCE : testimony of Bulgaria, verified by truth artifact It isn¡¯t just my experience. The world of the spirits is more advanced than Covob in some things, and less advanced in others, but as an Adventurer I gain the benefit of information from both of them, and being the first to see where two techniques can complement each other. If Torello supports its adventurers, it is in for a true renaissance - not just a slow recovery from the knowledge lost when the empire fell but a period of rapid innovation that may even surpass those heights - a rebirth of exploring the new and never tried. Hope! Unbounded potential!... EVIDENCE : testimony of Alderney, unverified |
| Issue : Technology transfer. How much more advanced? It is hard to say. Time doesn¡¯t move at the same speed for us, and the more a society knows, the faster it accumulates yet more knowledge, because how to accumulate knowledge quickly is one of the things it knows more about. In some areas, like making certain types of machinery, I¡¯d say your world now is at a level that our world was 18 generations ago? The difference is smaller in most areas, though. EVIDENCE : testimony of Alderney, unverified #Alderney: I got a warning from System about losing reputation for using Earth concepts around an NPC, the first time I tried answering that question. I couldn¡¯t say that while they¡¯re generally like Europeans from the year 1600, their healing is better than ours in the year 2045, without saying we don¡¯t have magic or deities. My Lord, Count Landi, now you have learned more of these adventurers, are you sure you wish to continue supporting the priests of Cov in their summoning such sources of chaos to our lands? How can the guilds carry out their responsibility to their members and the city, when they have no way to control what adventurers produce or the rate at which they introduce destabilising innovations that change our very society? How can our financial markets calculate a fair price for a company that may be put out of business at any moment? How can we rely upon the value of our coins remaining stable, if adventurers keep depositing tallero bars of no known provenance, or discovering ancient piles of buried gold? EVIDENCE: testimony of my Lord, Viscount Pantalone Can we afford not to? Despite the disruption, we can be sure that the mayors of the League of Free Cities from the Teutonic region will jump at the chance to learn how to produce goods faster and cheaper than we can. We must assume that any techniques held privately by guilds in Torellos, such as the secret of how the glassblowers silver their mirrors, are likely to be quickly spread or surpassed, whether or not the priests keep summoning. EVIDENCE : testimony of Lord Landi |
| Issue : Uneven speed of communicating market data. I am informed by my guests that many adventurers have the ability to share what they see on Covob, in such a way that it can be seen just minutes or hours later by other adventurers, no matter how far away those other adventurers are. This is not dissimilar to the advantage my ancestors had for a while, due to their monopoly upon homing gyrfalcons. I have asked Marco to review for us the impact from that and any lessons that may be relevant to our current situation. EVIDENCE : testimony of Lord Landi My Lord, Count Landi, your wisdom is beyond question. But these journeymen, these apprentices, claim to be able to do what even the greatest of archmages have not been able to do since Monvoisin the Shaker? Is it not far more likely that your guests are trying to deceive us, in order to defraud the merchants and nobles of Torello of yet more money? The claim is extraordinary, and so must be the evidence confirming it before I will accept it. Artifacts can be subverted, and even apparent blessing of the deities is not an objective fact I can lay before investors to justify the measures that countering such a threat would take. EVIDENCE: testimony of my Lord, Viscount Pantalone Lord Pantalone, I have taken on Wellington Fiducia as my journeyman as a trader in Equitable Guild of Creditworthy Merchants. As is standard, I have kept a comprehensive record of his proposed trades and investments, both real and hypothetical, which have been as prudent and as profitable as any master could wish. Seven days ago, he visited me and gave me a letter containing a prediction about the following day and a hypothetical trade he could place to take advantage of it. On his suggestion, I had a mage check the letter, then sealed it and deposited it in our Vault. I take oath, upon the Honour of House Landi, that the letter remained untampered until I opened it two days later, to read and verify the prediction. EVIDENCE : testimony of Marco, trade factor representing House Landi in Torello Any man may make a prediction, and have an even chance of it coming true. EVIDENCE: testimony of my Lord, Viscount Pantalone Lord Pantalone, the prediction was very detailed. He didn¡¯t just predict the unannounced arrival of two cargo knarr that had been escorted from the Scandic Union by the war drakkar, the Ormurinn Langi. He listed the precise cargo and tonnage, and a crew manifest that included the correct name of a last minute substitute made for a bear-sark who was lost to a Hulduf¨®lk mound. Not only that. At my request, he has twice more repeated a demonstration of this ability, with carracks I picked that were due in from Batille and from Kyiv via Costante and Pentapolis. On both occasions, every detail he gave has been verified to be correct, and he provided more than sufficient details to allow any trader to double his stake. I would rate the chances of this being explained by coincidence, fraud, or any known means of long range transport or communication, to be sufficiently low that I would be prepared to stake all my personal wealth on it, against one bronze Osella coin. I note in passing that my impression of Wellington is that he is an honourable man who cares about the stability of Torello¡¯s financial system, and I will be pleased to stand sponsor for his recognition as a Master. He detailed his trade only hypothetically, despite having management of sufficient funds to have bankrupted at least two brokerages if he had chosen to. You should listen to him, Lord Pantalone - he is not your enemy, and could be a valuable ally for you. EVIDENCE: documents originally from Wellington, delivered by Marco along with their signed and witnessed timestamps, and step by step transcript of the verification Marco had carried out. |
| "As long as I count the Votes, what are you going to do about it?" ¡°I don''t care who does the electing, so long as I get to do the nominating.¡± |
| The anti-movement-capture ¡®How To¡¯ kit for setting up an umbrella organisation. Found the umbrella organisation using a clearly written manifesto or constitution, that member groups must declare they agree with and will defend, and don¡¯t allow it to be altered without unanimous or near unanimous agreement, to make it harder to subvert. Design the process used to recruit or select the staff and leaders of the umbrella organisation, to favour long term members with a proven track record of effective work on projects covering the full range of objectives listed in the manifesto. Set up the induction process for new members to educate them on how the different points in the agenda relate to each other and why they are all important; have members work on a variety of projects, so they understand them well enough to advocate for them rather than sweep them under the carpet with an embarrassed shrug. Avoid becoming dependent upon funding and external support tied to particular projects or upon the avoidance of upsetting the status quo. Retain the ability to channel membership fees and internal funds towards the harder projects, and to recruit help for them. Structure the umbrella organisation so that ultimate control over external deals, strategic decisions, branding, membership and how the manifesto gets interpreted stays in the hands of the most trusted people - a group small enough to sit at one table and hold efficient discussions. Ideally no more than seven people, though you don¡¯t have to stick to an odd number if the leader has additional powers, such as an extra vote when breaking ties. |
| History judges us by the durability of the legacy we leave behind. It is better to change one life every year, for a thousand years, than to change a hundred lives to no lasting effect. |
| Diadem of Truth (HOLY)(ARTIFACT)(UNIQUE) +50% attunement to the element of order Truth: True sight - you see through all illusions and deceits Truth: Malicious intentional falsehoods cause the gem to glow red This trillion-cut citrine diadem was gifted to Kafana by Cov Durability: 100000/100000 |
| Empress Wei''s Broach of Virtuosity (EPIC)(UNIQUE) +8 to skills Bad luck will fall upon people who spread harmful rumours about you that are untrue, equal to the malice of the spreader. ??? "Empress Wei was virtuous and seen to be virtuous, and so confounded her accusers." DURABILITY 100000/100000 |
| Emerald of Harmony (ARTIFACT) Your luck depends upon the purity of your intentions +100% bonus to spell durations cast via group performance +30% to Earth attunement Durability: 100000/100000 |
| Ceremonial Stole (EPIC)(UNIQUE) +100% to aura effects during Ceremonies Attracts the attention of deities while worn +10 to all negotiation skills during Ceremonies If target breaks an agreement made during the Ceremony, they will suffer a curse. This blue silk scarf was won from Arachne by the Moradan Priest, Kshoon the Cursebreaker DURABILITY 100000/100000 |
| Protection of the Deities (DIVINE BLESSING) You have invited the attention of the deities upon this place. The next time Palazzo Landi stands in mortal peril, any deity whose statue in the courtyard remains intact, may choose to directly animate the statue to act as the deity wills. DURATION: Until activated or withdrawn. |
| 3/10 Elegance 5/10 Practicality 8/10 Lethality 0/10 Originality |
| HEY SPIRIT-KAFANA. DON¡¯T ALLOCATE ANY STAT POINTS! BRIEF IN BURROW, SOONEST. |
| Good morning Baronetess Vessel-Kafana, Everything is ready for the plan Bungo set up on the shared event queue. If you let us know when you¡¯re back in control, we¡¯re all ready to head down to the Ghetto while S-K receives her briefing off in the great Burrow beyond the stars. Love, Vessel-Alderney PS Do you find it weird, addressing the Voice of the Sanctum as ¡°System¡±? I do, so I asked Voice if there was another name I could use, and it suggested ¡°Tenno Bannin¡± or just ¡°Tenno¡±. |
| ¡û BRIEFING & CAKE |
| Profession : Cook Profession tier : Journeyman Profession level : 14 Profession skill cap : 24 11 Improve ingredient quality (e) 10 Create healing meals (e) 8 Create buffing meals 8 Preparation 4 Direct kitchen 3 Haute cuisine |
| Profession : Guardian Profession tier : Journeyman Profession level : 14 Profession skill cap : 24 23 Cure disease (e) 22 Cure wounds (e) 16 Cure poison (e) 4 Cure status effects 16 Holy Prayer 8 Holy Inscription 5 Blessing 3 Cov¡¯s Forgiveness 14 Purify 14 Ceremony 11 Consecrate 8 Restoration (u) |
| Profession : Spellsinger Profession tier : Journeyman Profession level : 14 Profession skill cap : 24 Primary Branches: 24 Reinforcement (Mor-Cov) (e) 20 Reality (Dro-Cov) (e) 17 Mind (Lun-Cov) (e) 10 Diabolism (Krev-Rac) (e) 8 Taming (Krev-Zer) 6 Necromancy (Mor-Rac) 3 Weather (Mor-Bel) 3 Seeing (Lun-Zer) 1 Making (Krev-Cov) Performance Techniques (spellsinger specific): 24 Command Performance 24 Group Performance (e) 12 Stealth Performance (e) 12 Sonic Magic (e) General Techniques (available to all mages): 20 Truesight 20 Gestalt (e) 17 Multitasking 15 Comprehension (e) 4 Empathy Reinforcement Specialisations: 15 Buff (e) 10 Debuff (e) 5 Calm 5 Protection against Fear 1 Protection against Shock Other Specialisations and Specific Skills: 8 Sonic Shock (layered on Sonic Magic) 16 Homing 19 Meditation (e) |
| Profession : Ruler Profession tier : 1 Profession level : 5 Profession skill cap : 15 1 Rulership 14 Aura of Power 14 Iron Fist 13 Bargaining (e) 9 A Way With Words 8 Etiquette (noble) 4 Etiquette (Tribal) 6 Verbal Fencing 1 Carouse 9 Enhanced Willpower |
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Profession : |
Love found me all disarmed and found the way was clear to reach my heart down through the eyes which have become the halls and doors of tears. It seems to me it did him little honor to wound me with his arrow in my state and to you, armed, not show his bow at all.She finished the last line looking directly at Tomsk. Tomsk, wearing a sword at his side. Tomsk now also wearing an utterly stunned expression upon his face. All conversation halted as the others looked at her, then at Tomsk, and then back at her again. [Skill ¡°Aura of Power¡± has reached level 15.] Maledetto! Blast! She swore silently as she realised she hadn¡¯t turned her aura off. It was strong magic - an unfair advantage. She¡¯d never meant to use it against Tomsk. What had she done? 1.3.2.16 Cardano 1????????Soul Bound 1.3??????Making a Splash 1.3.2????An Allotropic Realignment 1.3.2.16 Cardano Manutius broke the silence, speaking with approval. Manutius: ¡°You read it well. Keep the book. Perhaps one day poetry will bloom inside you too.¡± Manutius: ¡°A good poem can cut deeper than any knife, ensnare longer than any spell. Lines headier than wine, sweeter than sweets; flowing from page to lips. Then dying, weary, in still air; or growing, fair, in living hearts; and minds that nourish them with sips of attention, warmth of emotion and morsels of memory. Lines that live and grow do finally unfurl in bloom, cast adrift upon a page; a new flower imperfect, unique, fragile; standing alone, but shaped by all that came before.¡± Manutius carefully put back upon its shelf the beloved proof copy of her dead husband¡¯s favourite book before removing her kid gloves, leaving Kafana holding the small collection of Petrarca¡¯s courtly love sonnets. Courtly love? What did the court of Mezelay find romantic about the idea of a stalker spending his life pining over the untouchable, rather than taking ¡°no¡± for an answer and getting on with his life? Good grief, were Alderney¡¯s audience enjoying the fact that she still had feelings for Tomsk, and that her stupid heart would never settle for having only part of him? He was happy as he was, and if he still had feelings for her, well, he also had feelings for Columbina and probably many others in arlife, all far prettier and more accomplished than her. The widow led them out of the store room and back into the daylight of the room where Cardano worked. Kafana shook her head to clear it. She was going to be adult about this. The idea that a maiden or swain could turn a polyamorous person into one happy about monogamy, if they could only become worthy enough, was a fantasy. She just hoped her inadvertent magic use hadn¡¯t damaged the good platonic relationship they¡¯d forged over the years, or harmed his chances to find happiness with other women. She¡¯d have to check in with him. Later. Manutius brought them over to the composition desk, where Cardano had removed his grille and was poring over the resulting half-filled galley tray with Wellington, who stood next to him pointing something out. Cardano had short curly hair and a high forehead, which drew attention to his sharp beak-nosed face and deep-set eyes. He had a neatly trimmed moustache and beard surrounding a small tight-lipped mouth; no smile lines appeared on spare planes of his face, though squinting and frowning had both left their marks. Manutius: ¡°Suor Kafana, I leave you and your friends in the capable hands of my master of the press, who I am sure can answer any remaining questions you may have, and arrange for an apprentice to show you the other rooms. I have enjoyed your company, and you are welcome to return another time, but if books from the Aldine are to arrive in the hands of ship captains before the tide turns, I needs must strike some deals and deal with messengers. Good day to you.¡± And with that she turned herself, her departure as stately and inexorable as that of any ship, the anchor of duty weighed and and mooring lines of convention breezily cast off. Cardano, long accustomed to the widow¡¯s imperious manner, looked resigned to the interruption. Bungo stepped into the conversational breech, effecting introductions all around. Kafana considered suppressing her titles and aura again but, on consideration, decided to leave them active. They¡¯d been earned, and if she were going to level up her Rulership profession, she¡¯d need to get used to handling them properly. No going back to being an anonymous bard. Well, not unless the Wombles were up to something sneaky, at any rate.Stolen story; please report. Kafana: ¡°What are you working on at the moment?¡± Cardano and Wellington gave each other a look, then both turned to face her and spoke in unison. Cardano: ¡°Secrets.¡± Wellington: ¡°Secrets.¡± Cardano: ¡°Suppose I want to send a message to several Bembist friends still living in Mezelay, announcing the time and location for them to meet up at. If I write a letter with the details in plain text, it will get read by the Cardinal¡¯s censors, who will then be able to arrest anyone turning up.¡± Cardano: ¡°Now, I can use a substitution cypher to produce an encrypted text. But even if I vary the encoding with every line, using a repeating key such as those wrapped around a scytale, the Cardinal might crack the key or send priests to search the lodgings of anyone receiving letters with suspicious sections full of nonsense words.¡± Bulgaria: ¡°So ideally you want to hide not only what the plain text of the message says, but also the fact that the letter contains a hidden message?¡± Cardano held up his grille, with its oval perforations. Cardano: ¡°Exactly. If I am hand writing a letter to a friend I¡¯ve already given an identical grille to when I met them in person, I can write the hidden portion of my message on the parts of the page exposed through the perforations, and then compose the rest of the letter in such a way that those words or fragments of words flow naturally. It can take a little re-drafting, but it makes for a fun word puzzle.¡± Bungo: ¡°How do you hide ¡®meet at midnight beneath the H?tel de Chevreuse¡¯ ?¡± Cardano: ¡°Poetry can conceal a multitude of sins, as people are used to it containing strange words and grammar. Replace distinctive words with allusions to features of their family coat of arms or events they are associated with. What will be understood varies with the mutual acquaintances you share with your correspondent.¡± An apprentice came through from the print room, carrying a box of mixed up metal type pegs, presumably the results of emptying the galley trays of a page that had just been printed a thousand times. Kafana noticed he was young and that he walked a little awkwardly but, as he sat down on the far side of the turntable to sort each peg from the box into its correct receptacle, what she chiefly noticed was his skin - it was sky blue. Wellington: ¡°But that¡¯s just to one person. The Gazzetta has a far wider audience, and the copies carried each week by trading ships to cities in every region, would be a far better cover.¡± Cardano: ¡°Finding a journalist willing to hide a message in a news article isn¡¯t a problem. The problem is that The Gazzetta is printed rather than handwritten. Making use of a grille would require cooperation from the person who sets the type and adjusts the spacing between the words. It is possible, as I have just demonstrated, but my new friend has a different suggestion.¡± Wellington: ¡°You could eliminate the fixed position requirement of a grille if you used a different typeface to indicate which letters are part of the hidden message. Italics would be too obvious, but a font designed to appear like your normal one except worn and distorted through long usage, would pass without comment except by someone who knew to look for it.¡± Tomsk: ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that still need the cooperation of the type setter?¡± Cardano: ¡°Normally, yes. But I know the setter for Rustichello; we both play and make bets at the Fiorio. If I send him a galley tray with the words already on it, he¡¯ll alter the spacing but he¡¯ll rarely change the text. And if he does, well, that¡¯s what hidden checksums are for. Now, if I used the fonts to create a binary encoding¡¡± Kafana cleared her throat. Loudly and pointedly. Kafana: ¡°I should, perhaps, have asked what book you are working on. But first, aren¡¯t you going to introduce us?¡±