The map put the ruins they were searching for to the west and north, but they didn’t want to head into open country in the dark. The plan was to move far enough to get away from the bridge.
As they walked, the talk about new levels started up again. They stripped low hanging branches and picked up anything loose from the few trees they passed along the way.
Jo went back and forth on how to spend her points, weighing speed against awareness. Cedric answered in his steady way, thinking about endurance and holding ground so the others could do their jobs. Stan was the most undecided with so many options.
Harry left them to it. He stayed focused on the path, Blood Sense stretched ahead, listening and watching.
System, will we have to cross over the mountains?
:: System: Unknown. However, consensus places the final confrontation in the mountain peaks.
Why?
:: System: The Dungeon Aspect favors dramatic settings for dungeon climaxes.
Better than having to go all the way through I guess.
:: System: Affirmative.
Hey System, how far can a person go into the mountains?
:: System: At this time there is insufficient data to give a reasonable estimate.
No. They can go halfway. After that, they’d be going out.
:: System: Caution. User may be experiencing stroke or other side effect of recent injury or trauma.
You’re no fun at all.
:: System: Duly noted.
That reminds me. What title did we get?
:: System: New title awarded, “Swarm Caller”. (+50 xp)
Harry frowned slightly and kept walking.
That was stirring up the whole forest?
:: System: Affirmative.
Yeah, that was bad. I thought we could make a run for the bridge.
:: System: Danger correlates strongly with accelerated advancement.
Are you saying we should do that again?
:: System: Conversely, survival strongly correlates with caution and planning.
There we go. Let’s go for staying alive.
:: System: Affirmative.
They covered close to a mile before Cedric called a halt.
He picked a shallow rise of broken stone pressed up against the drop to the river. The bank fell away hard a few steps beyond the rocks, water moving dark and fast below. It gave them a backstop and limited approaches. Cedric took charge, setting them to work. Wooden stakes went in first, angled outward. After that a shallow trench, scraped out quick and ugly, dirt piled up into a low earth wall. It wasn’t pretty, but it was defensible.
After they had laid out their bedrolls and got as comfortable as they could, Harry moved to the edge of their camp and let his Blood Sense stretch out.
Fish moved in the river below, cold and steady. Bats flickered overhead, quick pulses darting through the air. Insects filled everything else, a constant diffuse haze of life.
“It seems clear,” Harry said as he came back and sat down.
Cedric nodded. “I’ll take first watch.”
Harry looked around at the others. “Did everyone finish leveling up?”
“We did,” Cedric said. “Two attribute points, three skill points, and an extra utility skill. I raised Strength and Endurance and put all three skill points into Power Attack.”
“What about the extra utility skill?”
“Pain Tolerance,” Cedric said. “And a free level of Inventory.”
- Cedric: Here is my current sheet.
:: System: Fighter
:: Species: Human
:: Class: Fighter 2 (72/4,000)
:: Health: 110/110 (Endurance * 10)
:: Vigor: 90/90 (Strength + Endurance) * 5
:: Vigor Regen Out of Combat: Endurance/minute
:: Vigor Regen In Combat: (Strength + Endurance)/minute
:: Strength: 7
:: Agility: 4
:: Endurance: 11
:: Willpower: 3
:: Presence: 4
:: Intellect: 3
:: Skills
:: Quick Strike: 2 (+25% chance to hit. 10 Vigor)
:: Power Attack: 3 (+15 damage. 15 Vigor)
:: Block: 1 (+25% chance to block. 10 Vigor)
:: Danger Sense: 1
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:: Tactical Insight: 2 (noble background)
:: Horsemanship: 3 (noble background)
:: Core Traits
:: Melee Weapons: 1
:: Shield Use: 1
:: Armor Use: 1
:: Arms & Armor Maintenance: 1
:: Endure: 1
:: Field Fortifications: 1
:: Inventory: 2
:: Map: 1
:: Pain Tolerance: 1 Lessens the impact of injuries and exhaustion.
:: Toughness: 1
:: Proficient Melee Weapon: Sword: 1 -> 2 (2 * normal damage)
:: Proficient Melee Weapon: 2 Handed Warhammer: 1 (2 * normal damage)
:: Partial Immunity to Mind Control
:: Partial Immunity to all Elemental Damage
Harry nodded. “Nice. Now all of us are on track to level three. Stan, what did you do?”
Stan scratched at his jaw. “Put the points in Endurance an’ Map. Picked up Breakfall too.”
:: System: Jack-Of-All-Trades
:: Species: Human
:: Class: Jack-Of-All-Trades 2 (72/4,000)
:: Health: 100/100 (Endurance * 10)
:: Mana: 50/50 (Intellect * 10)
:: Mana Regen Out of Combat: Intellect/minute
:: Mana Regen In Combat: Intellect/minute * 50%
:: Strength: 5
:: Agility: 5
:: Endurance: 10
:: Willpower: 4
:: Presence: 3
:: Intellect: 5
:: Utility Spells
:: Detect Magic: 1 (Active, Cost: 5 Mana. Duration: 1 Minute)
:: Find Hidden: 1 (Active, Cost: 5 Mana. Duration: 1 Minute)
:: Inspect: 1 (Active, Cost: 5 Mana. Duration: 1 Minutes)
:: Open/Lock: 1 (Cost: 5 Mana)
:: Summon Tool: 1 (Active, Cost: 5 Mana. Duration: 1 Hour)
:: Utility Skills
:: Armor Use: 1
:: Melee Weapon: 1
:: Ranged Weapon: 1
:: Shield Use: 2
:: Appraisal: 1
:: Awareness: 1
:: Breakfall: 1 Reduces harm or disorientation from falls or knockdowns.
:: Danger Sense: 1
:: Efficient Search: 1
:: Endure: 1
:: Field Dressing: 1
:: Inventory: 2
:: Iron Stomach: 1
:: Keen Hearing: 1
:: Map: 3
:: Night Attunement: 1
:: Repair: 1
:: Quick Step: 1
:: Silent Step: 1
:: Tactical Insight: 1
:: Proficient Melee Weapon: Spear: 2 (2.5 * normal damage)
:: Enhanced Situational Awareness
:: Enhanced Resistance to Mind Control
“Why Breakfall?” Harry asked.
Stan shrugged. “We’re goin’ up in them mountains now, ain’t we?”
“Yeah?”
“Well there you go then.”
Jo glanced at him. “I think Stan’s not fond of heights.”
“I never said such,” Stan muttered, staring down at the ground in front of him.
Harry grinned. “It’s fine. I feel the same way. I should probably get that too.”
Stan gave a firm nod at that.
“What does level three of Map do?” Harry asked.
Stan brightened up and swept his arm to include everyone. “Shows green dots for the party.”
“Does it show anyone else?”
“At level four it will,” Cedric said. “Anyone you are aware of. Red for enemies, green for your party, yellow for everyone else.”
Harry’s eyebrows lifted. “What happens at level five?”
“It shows possible targets at short range as gray before you’ve seen them.”
“That sounds amazing.”
“It is,” Cedric said. “Father believes it is invaluable, especially in the chaos of a large battle.”
At the mention of his father, Cedric’s expression tightened. He stood and climbed up onto the rock pile, settling himself at the top to take first watch. The others watched him get into position before Harry turned back to Jo.
“How about you?”
“I raised Agility,” Jo said. She ran one hand over her bow. “Put the skill points, plus the one I was saving, into Longbow. Inventory went up. Quiver too, that gave me forty arrows.” She looked off into the darkness. “And I added Keen Hearing.”
:: System: ARCHER
:: Species: Human
:: Class: Archer 2 (97/4,000)
:: Health: 60/60 (Endurance * 10)
:: Strength: 4
:: Agility: 9
:: Endurance: 6
:: Willpower: 4
:: Presence: 4
:: Intellect: 5
:: Skills
:: Map: 1
:: Steady Aim: 1
:: Melee Weapons: 1
:: Ranged Weapons: 1
:: Hunting: 3
:: Wood craft: 2
:: Core Traits
:: Fletcher: 1
:: Bowyer: 1
:: Awareness: 1
:: Danger Sense: 1
:: Keen Eye
:: Keen Hearing: 1 Heightens awareness of movement and sound cues.
:: Inventory: 2
:: Wind Sense
:: Arrow Recovery
:: Arcane Quiver: 3 (Store level * 40 arrows or bolts)
:: Proficient Ranged Weapon: Longbow: 4 (3.5 * normal damage)
:: Enhanced Resistance to Mind Control
“Your experience points are different.”
Jo was slow to answer. “Oh. It’s from a title I got for shooting the stalkers when they jumped.”
Harry looked over at her. “That’s awesome. What did they give you?”
She grimaced. “Nema says they like overly fancy titles.”
“I am very aware,” Harry said. “What did they give you?”
Jo sighed. “Fine.”
:: New title awarded, “Aerial Angel of Death”. (+25 xp)
“That’s a great title,” Harry said. “You should see some of what they gave me.”
“Aye,” Stan added. “An’ well earned.”
Jo sat up straight and looked at Harry. “Hold on. What other titles do you have?”
Harry stood, making a small show of brushing off dirt and stretching his shoulders. “Remind me to show you later. I’m going to do a quick look around.”
“But you can show us on chat while…”
“Just making sure nothing’s creeping up on us.”
“But…”
“A quick look.”
He gave her a grin and stepped through the fortified perimeter, pulled a spear from inventory, and walked out into the dark.
***
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