The Oath of the Blessed Guard

We hereby swear that we will defend the office of the Primus

That we will obey the orders of our Divine Leader

And that we will way lay down our lives to protect what is his

From this point onwards we give our lives to Primus Irsorth

I stare at Albasalas with a furrowed brow, unsure what the best decision is. Do I accept her offer? Screaming Mind sounds interesting, probably some sort of mental Skill given her focus, but I’m more interested in getting my hands on the Sigil of House Dor. The Item represents an entire aspect of Genesis that I am completely unaware of and I feel my curiosity pushing me towards accepting the deal. My curiosity can’t override my suspicions, however.

“What’s to stop you from betraying me the minute I walk out of here?”

Her smile gets wider, knowing that she’s piqued my interest and has the potential to survive without any conflict. The branches appear to be strained, small stress fractures forming as they contort into positions that are obviously unnatural. “The agreement will form a Binding Contract.”

I keep my face neutral, internally questioning what the hell a Contract is. Her inflection made it sound like the C was capitalized, suggesting that Genesis will play a role. If so, what are the consequences of breaking said Contract? Can they be formed between any entities in the system? I need to better understand the Universe as a whole if I’m going to have any hope of surviving back on Earth. Of course, surviving this moment is equally as important. I decide to feign understanding, hoping that the Contract itself will provide answers.

“What are the terms?”

“See for yourself manling”

Albasalas Ophiocordyceps [Lvl 51], has offered to enter into a Binding Contract with you, Cael King [Lvl 39].

The following are the terms of the Contract

1: Albasalas shall grant Cael King the knowledge of her Skill Screaming Mind (R-3)

2: Albasalas shall give Cael King the Item ‘The Sigil of House Dor’

3: Albasalas shall furnish Cael King with information regarding two Zone Leaders. This shall include:

Their weaknesses Their strengths Their locations Their minions

4. Cael King and Albasalas shall agree to a 5 year Ceasefire. This includes all minions, controlled beings, traps, summons, control attempts, contracted parties, and any potentially damaging aspect.

Failure to follow the requirements of the Binding Contract, once agreed, shall result in an immediate reduction in level by the average of the two parties (45 Levels), reduction of all Skills by the average skill level of both parties (43 Levels), and notification to all future Contract signers.

Do you agree? [Verbal Assent Required]

I stare at the Contract in front of me, completely taken aback by the sheer amount of information that is provided. The punishments for breaking the stipulations are immense, there is no way that Albasalas would ever be willing to reduce herself to Lvl 6, as well as reduce all of her Skills. Still… are the rewards worth not getting the extra step towards returning home?

The next few minutes are spent in silence as I stare at the Contract, ignoring Albasalas as she clearly becomes more and more agitated. This whole thing could be an attempt to stall for time but I’m almost certain that it is just her attempt at self-preservation. When faced with a battle and the possibility of death, who wouldn’t offer a bit of information and treasure to survive? I bet the outcome is beneficial to her as well. Taking out Zone Leaders in neighboring areas will probably create a power vacuum that will afford her opportunities that she wouldn’t otherwise have.

After a lot of thought, I finally reach my decision. “I agree”.

A flash of light illuminates the cave as soon as the words escape my mouth, ambient Mana in the room becoming visible. It spirals downward in a vortex that diverges to end at both mine and Albasalas’s chests, sucking in the power from the room and creating the Contract. This continues for a few moments until there is another flash of light, everything suddenly returning to the way that it was.

Albasalas nods her head and her body relaxes on her stump, the tension of staring at your potential killer in the face obviously released. She reaches out with one hand, a rough appendage of fungus, branch, and leaf. “You must take my hand for the knowledge to flow. Verbal communication is slow and lacks finesse.”

Gritting my teeth at yet another risk, I trust in the Contract formed and place my hand on top of hers.

Knowledge floods into my mind from hers. The Skill must have roots in her race’s history as the information that flows into my brain contains hints and memories of the discovery process. The first of her species as they evolve into simple thought. The expansion of intellect upon the arrival of Genesis and their proliferation among the Dungeon Worlds. Their method of conquering through mental control, battering down the mental shields of their weak-minded foes. The civilization they built on one such World and the collapse upon the arrival of the Qual’Fan. I experience fleeting memories of all of these things, the understanding of the skill an impossibility without experiencing their racial memories.

This entire exchange takes only a second but upon completion I’m left reeling, stumbling backwards and falling onto the soft fungus floor of the cave.

You have been taught the Skill Screaming Mind (R-3) Lvl 1! Using the capabilities of your [ERROR], you harness your mental abilities and let loose a mental scream, stunning your enemies. Cost: 40 Stamina, 10 Health. Increased Skill level decreases the effect of targets Willpower and increases duration.

Analyzing … Telepathic Capabilities Missing.

Analyzing … Intelligence and Wisdom Attributes within Acceptable Parameters.

You have unlocked the Skill Weak Telepathic Mind (R-1) Lvl 1! You have evolved and developed slight psionic capabilities, opening up yourself to a new world. As the first of your race to develop this potential, your Skill was upgraded from Paltry Telepathic Mind to Weak Telepathic Mind.

My mind and body lock up as the changes are initiated. A slightly similar feeling to the first use of Field of Mana, my mind unfolds and a completely new sensory input suddenly begins to flow inwards. I can feel the presence of the fungus all around me as I realize that the lights are actually electrical signals that send information back to Albasalas. I revel in these new sensations for a few moments as they slowly lessen, reaching a point where I am able to comfortably consider the inputs along with my other senses.

A stray thought crosses my mind and I stare at Albasalas with suspicious eyes. “What would have happened if my Intelligence and Wisdom hadn’t been high enough to accept Screaming Mind?”

She just smiles back at me innocently. “Your mind would have collapsed upon itself and you would have become comatose.”

I run my hands through my hair, already slightly regretting my decision to trust her. If anything, it is a warning that Contracts can’t cover all possibilities, the need to remain vigilant ever present.

Letting out a sigh, I stare at her with deadpan eyes as she reaches into her body, approximately where her heart would be, and pulls out a small ring with an elegant sigil engraved onto it. Seven arcs cascade upwards, forming different levels that decrease in size as they approach the top. She hands it to me, the notification of the item appearing as soon as I hold it.

The Sigil of House Dor: As one of the eight Artisan Families of the Qual’Fan, the House of Dor is a considerable power amongst the leader of the 9th Wave. This Sigil is the product of their power, influence, and resources. +5 Dexterity, Endurance, Physique, & Recovery

I stare at the ring in complete fascination, my curiosity overwhelming everything else as I spin it around in my hand, trying to discover how it was made. Small and incomprehensible marks cover the entire ring and, through my field and perception, I can feel the Mana stored within every single one. Is it a language that gathers mana or is it infused by the writer upon creation? Are there any upper limits to the amount of Attributes it can increase? Are there other possibilities outside of just Attributes? These and a thousand other questions run through my mind as I stare at it.

A slight coughing sound brings me back to reality and I look up at Albasalas, her face scrunched in annoyance. I at least have the decency to blush in slight embarrassment. This isn’t the first time something like this has happened and it certainly won’t be the last. I raise my hand in concession, encouraging her to continue with the requirements.

Slightly annoyed, she continues. “You will find the next Zone to the east of here, a mountainous region home to Rolarch the Gluttonous. There are no minions in his dominion as he eats everything and anything that wanders in. He has no home location, just wandering around in search of his next meal, but if you make enough noise you should be able to get his attention easily. He is a large creature, slow in movement until bursting with speed when within range of his prey, and his large mouth is his only weapon that I know of. To my knowledge his only weakness is his lack of intelligence. The brute is controlled by his hunger and has no sense of strategy or guile. Do not underestimate him though, his strength is overwhelming.”

“The other is to the west of my domain, a flatland plain that is the resting place of Shssiss. Despite her laziness, she and her children are all stealthy creatures, preferring to attack when their prey is unaware. You will find her in the center of her Zone, wandering amongst the tall stalks of grass that hide her and her kin. Either that or asleep in the tree at the center” She trails off, becoming lost in her thoughts. A grimace appears on her face after a few seconds and I feel a strange sensation pulse outwards, caught by the fungi and carried away in a flurry of light.

“And her weakness?”

“Yes, yes I’ll get to that. One minute.” Signals continue to pulse outwards from her and are carried by the fungi. A few minutes pass like this and I’m able to slowly interpret little pieces of the signals. The word ‘Challenge’, the sensations of defending, and the elation of triumph are the only parts I’m able to pick up on before she starts speaking again, interrupting my snooping.

“Shssiss is an expert in ambushing but cannot sustain long term conflict. If you are able to survive the initial attack then you will be able to rain attacks down upon her. I do not know if she is weak to anything in particular but I imagine her fields will burn quite nicely, removing her primary method of hiding.” A vicious grin graces her face as she finishes, probably imagining me burning the Zone of one of her rivals.

“Now leave me, I have a challenger to rebuff”