Erick arrived at the [Mend]+[Cleanse] job full on mana. He knocked on the large front door. Thanks to [Meditation 7] he could walk and regen at the same time, but he was already on his 6th mana bar of the day. He was doing too much. Bed time could not come soon enough… But…

Where would he sleep tonight? Would Al really add a third floor to the Sewerhouse, making space for Jane and Erick? That would be good enough for him, but Jane wanted—

The door opened. The sounds of screaming kids filled the street.

“WHAT!”

The pink dragonkin woman standing in the front door looked chastised as soon as she yelled the word. Red paint marred her face and shirt. Blue paint accented her trousers and hair. Yellow paint was, simply, all over. Her face, her hands, her entire self, had been messed by…

And here came the screaming dragonkin kids themselves, similarly looking like a Jackson Pollock painting, all of them every color of the rainbow, each one with different colored scales. Each of them wearing what had once been nice clothes.

Really nice clothes.

Erick looked around him. He was in a nice part of town. This was a big house. They were rich people.

Ah. Mana Exhaustion. He really shouldn’t walk around like this. He should have noticed the neighborhood before now. Was he dressed properly for this sort of place? No. Not in the least.

“Hume—” She cut herself off, saying, “Welcome to the Atriz house— Stop that, kids.” The screaming kids were pulling at Pinkscale’s clothes. She gently batted them away, speaking over the screams, “Are you from the Mage’s Guild? You really should wear your badge in view.”

“Oh!” Erick pulled out the badge from behind the collar of his shirt. “Sorry about that. I’m Erick Flatt from the Mage’s Guild here for a CL job at the Atriz house. I apologize for my manners and appearance. It’s been a long day. I’m a bit out of it.”

Pinkscale laughed loud. Tears trickled. She stopped herself before she started to cry.

Something happened among the kids and all five of them tore off, back through the house, screaming as they went, playing with each other in some strange, kid-like way. Why did they run away? Did Erick say something he shouldn’t have? Oh, no. Erick was really out of it. He shouldn’t have taken this job—

Pink lady didn’t give him a choice. “Thank all the gods and demons you’re here.” She stretched back, head to the sky. “Please, [Cleanse] me, right now. Big as you can. Grab as much of the house as you can.”

Shaped [Cleanse].

Thick air washed over Pinkscale, evaporating paint, continuing into the rest of the house like a stiff breeze. Unwanted paint footprints vanished from the wooden floor as hand and clawmarks disappeared from the papered walls.

Mana Shaping Level up!

Aurify unlocked!

Aurify 1

Transform an AOE spell into a semi-permanent effect surrounding yourself, based upon the parameters of the Aurified spell. Increase an instantaneous spell to a 1 second duration in order to create an aura.

Able to support 1 aura at a time.

Exp: 0/10000

If that’s level one, it can’t level like a normal skill. Right?

Pinkscale sighed in relief. “That feels so much better.” She smiled, ushering Erick inside. Erick walked two steps into the house. It was air conditioned, of course. “Wait here while I make this a bit easier. The Guild can never send enough of you guys.” The sounds of screaming, giggling, laughing kids began to return, like a police siren coming up from behind. With her voice a gentle warble, Pinkscale called to them, “Come here, kids! Meet the nice man.”

They screamed and laughed as they came forward.

The lead kid stopped, proclaiming, “He’s a cleaner! Run away!”

“[Cleanse] them, now!” Pinkscale pointed. “Now!”

The kids yelped and rushed to flee.

[Cleanse].

Pinkscale laughed as thick air washed over the kids and that whole section of the house, turning paint into a mirage, dirt into nothing, and screams of laughter into tortured sighs and drawn out ‘why!’s. The kids stopped in their tracks to pull at their clothes.

Pinkscale whipped a hand through the air. The air around the kids warped, a sphere of clear-something trapping them all together.

Silence descended, but the kids were obviously still yelling. All five of them pounded on the surrounding invisible sphere with their tiny fists, clawed at something, doing no damage. Two of them wailed, silent to Erick, as they crashed to their butts.

“Ah! Some quiet!” Pinkscale said, “I’m only allowed to do that for half an hour a day so we gotta hurry.”

One of the kids, Goldscale, had pulled out what was probably a pocketwatch, or something similar. Goldscale kid waggled his finger like a metronome at Pinkscale and Erick, as he held up the probable-watch.

Pinkscale pulled Erick along.

A whirlwind tour of the house demanded 270 mana spent on [Cleanse], 120 on Mana Shaping, and 150 on [Mend]. He had to Meditate for a bit in the middle there to make it all the way through Pinkscale’s CL job.

With ten minutes left on Pinkscale’s [Force Wall] cage, the job was over, the house was clean. She signed Erick’s work order as she begged him to come back tomorrow, preferably after dinner. When everything was done, she dismissed the [Force Wall] surrounding the kids.

Two of them were napping but they were quickly roused by their compatriots to once again terrorize Pinkscale and the rest of the house.

Pinkscale stood in the open doorway. “You were great. Thanks, Mister Flatt.”

“Glad to help.” Erick stood outside. “By the way, what was your name?”

Pinkscale said, “Redalia. Sorry. I thought I told you?”

“You might have.” Erick smiled. “It’s been a long, long day.”

“Don’t I know it. Thankfully, Paint Day is only once a month at the Atriz house. Good bye.”

- - - -

Erick trudged into the Mage’s Guild with his completed job order and handed it to the receptionist.

The Atriz job was worth 3 silver. No tip. They didn’t do tips in Spur, and the receptionist was a bit stiffer after Erick asked. Erick accepted the cash payout to lessen the dent of 1 gold it cost to sign up for the mage guild. Tomorrow he would do several of these jobs and direct deposit it all.

He left the Mage’s Guild feeling lightheaded, exhausted, and hungry.

When he arrived at the Sewerhouse and saw Jane alive, he felt a lot better.

Jane was more than just alive, too. She was highly successful in her first hunt. Where did she hunt? In the sewers, of course. She had found 5 slimes, two with above average cores, and a rusted sword that Al mended to perfection. It was better than her knife!

She had turned the cores into the Adventurer’s Guildhouse for a 1 gold quest completion, 10 gold for the pair of large cores, and 9 gold for the three smaller cores. She had brought a bottle of wine and part of a pig with most of her earnings. How she carried 200 pounds of meat through town was beyond Erick, but 20 Strength had a bit more of an effect than just more HP. Al was already chopping the pig up for dinner. He would be cooking tonight; Savral was out on an adventure in the Dead City.

As they sat down to eat, Erick said, “You did really good, Jane.”

“She did!” Al raised his glass. “To your first hunt!”

Jane raised her glass, first to Al. “I couldn’t have done it without you, Al. Thank you for everything you’ve done for both of us.” She turned to Erick. “And you, Dad. I’m so glad you ended up on Veird with me. If you hadn’t… I think I might have ruined any chance for a good life here, trying to get back home. I love you, Dad.”

Al smiled at both of them, but remained silent as tears began to well in Erick’s eyes.

Erick raised his own glass to clink Jane’s, and Al’s. “I’m glad we survived.”

“To more than survival!” Al shouted, “To the future!”

“To the future!” Jane agreed.

“To the future!” Erick said.

Dinner was great. Wine was delicious.

“Oh yeah. Al? I got Aurify today. That’s a funky looking experience requirement for level 1.”

“What is it?” Jane asked.

Al smiled, then said, “Level 2 Aurify needs 10000 experience. It looks like a lot, but it’s not. You don’t get experience from Aurify, either. There are a few other funky skills like that out there, but I doubt you’ll run into them.”

Jane ‘huh’d.

“Well that’s a shame,” Erick said. “I was hoping for a huge level boosting skill.”

Al laughed. “Everyone would be an aura mage! It’s 1 million experience for level 3, which is the last level, but the final level isn’t that important. It’s only two auras at once. The second level of Aurify is the good one. Aurify 2 lets you chose who is affected by your aura, or not, and doubles the range of your auras. Tripling your range at level 3 doesn’t feel that much different than level 2.”

Jane declared, “Funky skill!”

Erick said, “Now if only casting all this magic didn’t grind me down like a toddler after a snack.”

Al started, “Sci—”

“Scion of Focus means no Mana Exhaustion,” Jane continued, smiling.

Al laughed. Erick chuckled.

Jane said, “I’m scouting housing tomorrow. I want you to come with me, Dad.”

Erick smiled. “I’d like that.”

“But it’s late and all the hotels are too far away! You sleep here tonight.”

“Thanks, Al.”

“Thank you.”

- - - -

Earlier in the day, Al had spent all of 4 seconds Aurifying a Mana Shaped [Mend] for 510 MP per second, inside of his office. Every scrap of paper that had been burned, every fragment of his desk, everything that had been trashed in the attack, was remade in those 4, short seconds.

Part of what Al recreated were the papers and notes he had given Erick.

Erick spent some time after dinner lying on his couch, reading those papers, while Jane snored softly on the couch next to him. They were abbreviated lists, curated by Al, and with a few of his personal notes strewn throughout. One of the lists was of skills that gave a hint as to the greater workings of the Script. He went over that list first.

Skill

Effect

Cost

Requirements

Strike 1

Hit for damage + damage

Variable

10 STR

Defend 1

Take a % less HP damage

Variable.

10 STR

Strong 1

2x-3x HP

passive

20 STR

Scion of STR

Quadruples HP, no other effect

passive

50 STR, can only pick one Scion ability

Skill

Effect

Cost

Requirements

Second Wind 1

HP recovery per day becomes per minute for 1 minute.

1/2 HP cap level 1, 1/10th cap at level X

10 VIT

Precision 1

Lower HP cost of skills by 5% to 50%, Favored Attack for extra 25% off for 4 selected attacks

passive

10 VIT

Enduring 1

2x-3x natural HP regen

passive

20 VIT

Scion of VIT

4x natural HP regen, no healing fatigue.

passive

50 VIT, can only pick one Scion ability

Skill

Effect

Cost

Requirements

Mana Shaping 1

Alter spell AOE

Variable

10 WIL,

Mana Altering 1

Alter spell effects

Variable

10 WIL

Discipline 1

2x-3x MP

passive

20 WIL

Scion of WIL

Quadruples MP, no other effect

passive

50 WIL, can only pick one Scion ability

You need all of these except Scion of Willpower.

Skill

Effect

Cost

Requirements

Meditation 1

You are at Rest while Meditating.

Free.

10 FOC.

Clarity 1

Lower MP cost of all skills by 5% to 50%, Favored Spell for extra 25% off for 4 selected spells

Passive. You need Clarity eventually. Buy after you pick your attack spell.

10 FOC,

Concentration 1

2x-3x natural MP regen

Passive

20 FOC

Scion of FOC

4x natural MP regen, no mana exhaustion.

Passive

50 FOC, can only pick one Scion ability

Clarity was nothing special. Just less MP costs. Cheaper spells were absolutely needed to keep an aura up for long, but Clarity wasn’t important right now. First level gave a Favored Spell, too. He could save up his Favored Spells, but that seemed like a waste.

He glanced at Jane, tucked in to herself, sleeping on top of five pillows and under her blanket.

Maybe I should go hunting slimes with her tomorrow. I still can’t believe that she was out killing monsters and making so much more money than I did. But that’s what risking your life does for you. I’m not about to start killing monsters for money, though.

But if those Incani attack me… Ugh. Not great.

He read Al’s attack spell list. He needed one of those. Probably Shrapnel.

Force Bolt

A bolt of mana unerringly strikes a target for 10 + ½ WIL damage if you can’t aim, take this.

5 MP

Force Shrapnel

Sharpened forward blast of mana for 5 + ½ WIL damage Take this as soon as you can. If you’ve the personal skill, the shrapnel can be Mana Shaped to all strike one target.

Basis of much of an Auramancer’s arsenal.

5 MP

Force Wave

A pulse of rolling mana for 15 + ½ WIL all around you.

15 MP

Force Bomb

Launch a ball of tightly packed mana that explodes on contact

25 MP

Force Beam

A thin beam of piercing, slicing mana Can you aim?

25 MP

Force Trap

A meter-wide trigger mechanism explodes into damage Z

10 MP + Z

Force Crash

Rain AOE destruction from on high. Better than Force Bomb

50 MP

Force Wall

Create a stable, stationary wall of hardened mana.

25 MP

Force Platform

Create a mobile platform of hardened mana that moves with you

25 MP

Conjure weapon

Create an unbreakable weightless weapon

50 MP

Conjure armor

Create unbreakable weightless basic body armor on yourself

50 MP

Conjure item

Create an unbreakable non-specific item

50 MP +variable

Envelop item

Envelop an item in unbreakable mana.

50 MP +variable

Utility spells…

Name

Description

Cost

Cleanse

Remove Toxins, Disease, Filth, and Corruption in an area

10 MP

Mend

Repair objects

10 MP

Prestidigitation

Create small magical effects, Can cook with this and cause lights to attach to your person and walls. Useful, but not recommended.

10 MP

Mage Hand

Move small objects for a time

10 MP

Identify

Discover the properties of an object touch range! Don’t go touching magical objects if you don’t know what they are!

50 MP

Tongues

Speak and Hear in any language Registrar Only. Sad.

25 MP

Create Food and Water

As it says in the name. Registrar Only. Very Sad

variable

Ward

Prevents damage in an area + more

10 MP + variable

Invisibility

Light passes through you, except for your eyes Certain cultures don’t like you to have this, like human and incani. If you do, you are ostracized. Spur is not one of them, but you are required to report that you have this skill. Also, human and incani are the two cultures who use this the most.

100 MP

Blink

Instantly move from one location to another within sight

25 MP

Teleport

You and [hands] number of people reappear in a known location

Must have Blink 10 for Teleport to appear for purchase

250 mana per person

And yet more skills and spells.

Spells, other:

Telekinesis 1

Move a small object with your mind. Might be good. Your choice, of course.

10 MP + variable

Control Item 1

Control a non-living object to move how you want

5 MP + Weight in KG

Fabricate 1

Using provided materials, create an object you know how to create. Supposed to be Registrar Only, but it’s not. Good luck finding a teacher.

50 MP + variable

Duplicate 1

Using provided materials, create a copy of an object. Supposed to be Registrar Only, but it’s not. Good luck finding a teacher.

50 MP + variable

Telepathy 1

Communicate with the minds of people you know. 1 connection available per level. Unwanted connections are harmful to caster.

1 MP per minute + Variable

Conjure Force Elemental

Conjure a non-intelligent monster made of hardened mana to attack your enemies for 1 minute per spell level. Very stupid creature. Hard to make good, but can be done. I have witnessed very impressive summons before.

10 MP level 1

100 MP level 10

Dispel

Uncreate an ongoing magical effect Situational. Hard to say if it’s good or not. Better for Scion of Willpower than Focus

MP of spell you’re trying to Dispel

Induce Emotion

Induce an emotion in yourself and then the target. Restricted by law and by Script. Mind Magic is frowned upon by most cultures, so don’t buy stuff like this

25 MP, minor, 100 MP major.

Find Target

Find a target near you. The basis for many homing spells. EXPENSIVE

5 MP + 5 per square meter searched

Interception

Take an attack meant for another. Jane might like this.

5 MP + 5 MP per meter moved to intercept

Detect Magic

Detect ongoing magical effects Good? Probably.

10 MP, aoe pulse

Grow

Cultivate a single plant, or induce growth in an area. Absolutely necessary for Mage Guild work. Do you need it? Your choice.

5 MP

Stoneshape

Control a minor volume of stone and dirt for 1 minute per spell level. Necessary for construction work

10 MP, same growth as telekinesis

Watershape

``, but water

``

Airshape

``, but air

``

Fireshape

``, but fire None of these create, just control

``

Lightshape

``, but light Useful for fighting in Ar’Kendrithyst, but not directly.

``

Shadowshape

``, but shadow Useful for fighting in Ar’Kendrithyst

``

And then, of course, there were some healing spells, though these came with a message attached at the beginning. Erick didn’t think he was going to get many of these, and certainly not right now.

You can pick one healing spell with no worries, but multiple healing spells require Registrar or priestly approval. Pick carefully, or not at all. I would stick to a high mana personal [Ward]. You’ll see why when you get to [Ward X]

Rejuvenation 1

Touch a creature, heal 5 HP + ½ WIL per second per level of spell. One of the best. Consider it, but you don’t need it.

5 MP

Healing Word

Speak, and heal 25 HP + ½ WIL Very fast casting spell. Most spells take a second or so to activate. You can cast this as fast as you can speak.

10 MP

Healing Beacon

Stationary light orb heals all in range for 10HP per second, per level of the spell, for 1 minute. Heals ALL. Don’t use in combat.

25 MP

Heal

Touch a creature, instantly heal 50% HP Have to have clearance from a god or other similar entity to get this spell. Cannot buy it.

5 MP per 50 healed.

Soothing Light

Instantly put willing target into state of Rest, removes pain.

25 MP

Treat Wounds

Heal long term damage for a single target over the course of a day; restoring limbs, fixing teeth, etc. Restore all HP over 24 hours. Damage breaks effect. Don’t buy. Go to a priest or doctor

50 MP

Mass Treat Wounds

Heal long term damage for all in range over the course of a day; restoring limbs, fixing teeth, etc. Restore all HP over 24 hours. Damage breaks effect. Only a priest or doctor can get this

100 MP

There were entirely too many options. What should he pick? There were thousands of basic spells out there; the ones on these papers were just a part of Al's curated list. There were undoubtedly more attacks than just [Strike], too.

What sort of build was Jane planning? What skills has she bought lately?

…

… Erick bought Mana Altering, Force Shrapnel, and Force Beam, before he could talk himself out of it. And then he bought Clarity, which prompted a Favored Spell, which, thankfully, he could put off selecting.

As hovering boxes appeared and disappeared, Erick had a thought.

I think I made a mistake.

Erick Flatt

Human, age 48

Level 9, Class: None

Exp: 1713/5500

Class: -/-

Points: 4

HP

90/90

150 per day

MP

532/532

554 per day

Strength

9

+0

[9]

Vitality

15

+0

[15]

Willpower

20

+0

[20]

Focus

20

+0

[20]

Favored Spell waiting!

Concentration 8

Multiply your base MP regen by 2.77

Requirements: 20 Focus

Exp: 1055/3400

Discipline 7

Multiply your base MP by 2.66

Requirements: 20 Willpower

Exp: 1886/2100

Clarity 1

Reduces spell MP costs by 5%

Requirements: 10 Focus

Exp: 0/100

Mana Shaping 5

Alter spell AOE in better, subtle ways, 10 MP + spellcost

Alter spell AOE in better, moderate ways, 30 MP + spellcost

Aurify Unlocked

Requirements: 10 Willpower

Exp: 140/800

Aurify 1

Transform an AOE spell into a semi-permanent effect surrounding yourself, based upon the parameters of the Aurified spell. Increases an instantaneous spell to a 1 second duration in order to create an aura.

Able to support 1 aura at a time.

Exp: 0/10000

Mana Altering 1

Bludgeoning, Slashing, or Piercing Damage

Exp: 0/100

Meditation 7

You are at Rest while Meditating.

Afflicted ailments: Normal movement, small actions/spells.

Requirements: 10 Willpower

Exp: 926/2100

Cleanse 5, instant, short range, 10 mana.

Purge an area equal to the level of the spell in meters of all Toxins, Disease, Filth, and Corruption.

Exp: 460/800

Mend 4, instant, touch, 10 mana

Touch a non-magical medium sized object, or small complicated, and restore it to its prime.

Exp: 200/500

Ward 6, instant, short range, 24 hours,

Create a Small Ward that can have Minor Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 10 MP + Z

Create a Small Ward that can have Small Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 15 MP + Z

Create a Special Ward. Variable Cost

Create a Medium Ward that can have Small Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 20 MP + Z

Create a Medium Ward that can have Medium Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 25 MP + Z

Personal Ward: Any Ward of any type can be made Personal, to move with you. Original Cost x2

Minor Effects: Bug Ward, Temperature Ward, Alarm Ward

Small Effects: Visual Disruption, Audio Disruption, Weather Ward

Medium Effects: Area Hostile Visual Disruption, Area Hostile Audio Disruption

Special Ward: Eschew all other effects in order to shape, color, and illuminate a ward however you can. Skill at mana manipulation determines final outcome.

Exp: 987/1300

Force Beam 1, instant, medium range, 25 mana

A piercing, slicing beam of hardened mana that deals 25 + ½ WIL damage for 1 second

Exp: 0/100

Force Shrapnel 1, instant, short cone, 5 MP

Sharpened forward blast of mana that deals 5 + ½ WIL damage in a cone

Exp: 0/100

Damn. That’s a lot of little boxes.

… I hope I can aim!