As everything comes into focus I find myself in the center of a glade about sixty feet across surrounded by what looks like oak and maple trees.

The air is stirring in a light warm breeze and the sun is shining directly overhead. I appear to be wearing some ragged clothes, but my feet are bare and after patting my pockets I don’t seem to be carrying anything.

As I glance around I take in the glade covered with wild flowers and knee-high grass.

To my left, a small stream cuts through the corner of the glade. Suddenly a large blue panel appears a few feet in front of me.

Greetings and Welcome

This is your introduction to the world of Burra. The area you are in is a Starter Glade, which introduces newly reincarnated entities into the world. No harm can come to you while in this area and you will not need to consume food or drink. You can stay in this area for fifteen days or until you have reached level five before you must leave. The System maintains this world actively and there are several interfaces you may now access. These interfaces can be accessed by thinking or saying the following commands: Status, Inventory, (Un)Equip , Loot, Quests, Logs

You have great potential, but the true sign of greatness is how to realize that potential. You have completed the Greeting and Welcome quest. You receive 0 XP, but your completed quest list is now available. You can mentally dismiss this notification at any time.

After reading the panel for the fifth time I mentally dismiss it and it fades away. I concentrate on each of the interface commands and see a brief description for each.

Status - This will display information about your personal statistics, abilities, and skills.

Inventory - This will display the contents of your personal inventory and any soul-bound containers.

(Un)Equip - This will allow you to equip or un-equip any item in your inventory or soul-bound container.

Loot - This will allow you to retrieve any item from killed creatures or found containers.

Quests - This will list any current or previous quests.

Logs - This will list events and actions that occur in and out of combat.

I laugh out loud as it really hits me. I am in a game world, which was a fantasy back in high school when my friends and I use to stay up late playing games. Even though our game nights eventually evolved into long nights of online gaming, I think everyone in the group had dreamed about what it would be like to be part of the game. Now I just need to see if reality lived up to my dreams.

I focus on Status which opens a larger blue panel displaying my stats.

George Peterson Age: 16 Level: 1 XP to next Level: 0/100 Class: None Race: Harrow Titles: None Fame: 0 Str: 12 Melee Damage Modifier: +2 Agi: 12 Range Damage Modifier: +2 Dodge: 2% Con: 8 Health / Stamina: 40 / 40 Health / Stamina Regen: 8% per min End: 0 Pain Threshold: 0% Int: 17 Mana Pool: 85 Wis: 14 Mana Regen Rate: 3.5 per min Cha: 10 Trade Modifier: 0% Per: 15 Favor: 0 Abilities: Night Vision, Shaper Skills: none Spells: none Equipment: * Unallocated Status Points: 0

Well, my constitution sucks and why is Endurance zero. I focus on it and a new panel opens.

Endurance (End):

This attribute affects how much pain you feel with a 1% reduction in pain per endurance point above 10. There will be additional benefits at a higher level.

Ok, so really pain endurance. Otherwise everything looks straight forward. I turn in place to take in the area around me and nearly jump out of my skin. There is a glowing blue ball about the size of a cantaloupe floating in the air about five feet behind me. I realized I have taken a step back without being aware.

Tentatively I say. “Hello?”

“Greetings George Peterson.” The ball pulses in time with the voice, which is a low baritone.

I waited, but the ball didn’t say anything further. “Who are you?”

“I am a guide give to all Reborn to help them with basic information they would be lacking, because they have not been raised in this world.”

“I see. Can you tell me what you think would be most important to know?”

“No. I cannot offer any opinions or guides, only factual responses to questions.”

“Ok. I was about to look at my other attributes and then I will see if I can think of any questions.”

The ball was silent. If the System was trying to acclimate me or make me comfortable it missed the mark. I look at my other attributes next to make sure there are no surprises. A new panel opens as I focus on each one.

Strength (Str):

This attribute affects damage done with a melee weapon. Base Damage Modifier: +1 per point of strength above 10. Additionally, the maximum weight that you can equip and carry in personal inventory is determined by strength. Finally, Strength affects personal inventory size: (Strength point / 3) squared.

Agility (Agi):

This attribute affects damage done with a ranged weapon. Base Damage Modifier: +1 per point of agility above 10. Additionally, this attribute affects dodge chances: 1% per point of agility greater than 10.

Constitution (Con):

This attribute affects how many health points: 5 per point of constitution, as well as, the amount of health/stamina regeneration: 1% per minute per point of constitution. This attribute fuels physical feats via a Stamina pool, 5 per point of constitution, which melee fighters will be heavily dependent on.

Intelligence (Int):

This attribute affects the size of one’s mana pool: 5 per point of intelligence.

Wisdom (Wis):

This attribute affects the amount of mana regeneration (.25 per point of wisdom).

Charisma (Cha):

This attribute affects trading and interaction with others. (1% decrease in price when purchasing per charisma point above ten. 1% increase in price when selling per charisma point above ten.) Charisma lower than ten can have negative effects on interaction with others. Charisma also affects your trade modifier, every point above 10 increases the modifier by 1%. Example: A 5% modifier would decrease the price of items you purchase and increase the amount you receive when you sell an item by that percentage. However, this modifier applies to both sides of the trade, so if you have a 5% modifier and the person you are trading with also has 5% effectively they cancel each other out.

Perception (Per):

This attribute affects one’s ability to find hidden or concealed items/entities. The chance to find hidden or concealed items/entities is extremely variable based on conditions, the user actively searching, and the method used to conceal it. Perception starts at a base of 10 plus both intelligence and wisdom greater than 10 divided by 2 rounded down.

Favor:

This attribute shows how much the System favors your actions. It is extremely rare for this to be anything other than zero as the System is neutral. If this ever goes negative you will regret it.

Wow, based on favor I better not mess with the System. The * next to Equipment captures my attention as I focus on it a new panel opens.

Equipment:

Ragged Shirt, Defense: 0, A ragged shirt that has seen better days, but at least it's better than being naked.

Ragged Pants, Defense: 0, A ragged pair of pants that have seen better days, but at least it's better than being naked.

Interesting I have no weapons or money. I guess the area outside the glade is safe or I am to make myself a weapon here in the glade. Next, I looked at XP, which indicated the total XP earned to date and the total XP needed to reach the next level. I dismiss all the panels and walk over to the stream and catch the blue ball following me after I get about ten feet away from it. I find a relatively calm spot and kneel to look at my reflection. The gold eyes made me flinch as I took in my new face. I could still recognize myself even with the grey skin. When I look down at my arms they seemed very close to the color of granite. Now that I have seen what I look like I look at my Race description, what is a Harrow?

Race: Harrow

A Harrow is a rare humanoid species attuned to magic in strange ways. As such while other races do not have default negative reputation with Harrow they are cautious around them because their powers are both unpredictable and strong. It is rumored Harrow have traveled from another world fleeing something that they never discuss with other races. They typically stand 5-6 feet in height with no difference between female and male. They have distinctive golden eyes and grey colored skin. Their hair is typically brown or black with no facial hair.

Harrow start with a +2 to both Strength and Agility, a -2 to Constitution, and a magical ability. They also have night vision, which allows them to see 30 feet if there is any light. They cannot see in complete darkness.

To learn your racial ability, as a reincarnation in a Harrow body, you will have to find a teacher among the Harrow.

I stood up and checked my Inventory and found a 4 by 4 grid with two squares occupied.

A loaf of Bread (5). When eaten, increases regeneration of health and stamina by 5% over 30 minutes. Also removes the starving de-buff.

Water Skin (5). When drunk, increases mana regeneration by 5% over 30 minutes. Also removes the thirsty de-buff.

Good to know I have some food and water when I leave the glade. I look around and I can’t help feeling there has to be more than just checking out the System interfaces and my stats. I also don’t feel comfortable about leaving without a weapon. Especially since as far as I know I only get one life here and I didn’t think to ask what will happen after I die here on this new world.

I turn back to the blue ball. “What should I call you?”

“I have no designation.”

“I will call you Spark then.”

“Your designation has been accepted.”

“Ok, Spark I have some questions. I have no weapons and only a little food. How will I feed myself for fifteen days and defend myself?”

“This area is protected by the System, you will not feel hunger or thirst while here. Also, there are no other creatures located in this area to interact with. Finally, the System will prevent you from taking any physical damage while in this area.”

“What about when I leave the Starter Glade?”

“You will have to consume food and drink three times per day to prevent negative status effects. The Starter Area outside the Glade is full of creatures, but those immediately outside are not aggressive and will not attack you unless you attack them first. Immediately to the North is a village where you will be able to receive more information and acquire quests and some basic equipment. In the Starter Area you can be injured and killed. If injured you will regenerated at you current health regeneration rate and if killed you will respawn losing one level in the process. If your level reduced to level 0 you will no longer respawn.”

Well since I am currently level one I will need to gain a level. Since there is a level limit on the Starter Glade there must be away to gain XP here.

“Spark, how long will I have to ask you questions?”

“I will remain for a maximum of one day.”

“What skills can I learn here?”

“I am only allowed to discuss skills you already have.”

I just have a thought. “Spark how long in a day? And how do I tell time?”

“There are twenty-five hours in the day, with forty days in a month, which is divided into four weeks. There are ten months in a year with three months for summer and winter and two months for spring and fall. The days are simply first day through tenth day. The months are Torrent, First Dawn, Blossoms, Spirit, Midyear, Vera, Harvest, Leaves, Frost, Year’s End. The years occur in six-year cycles among the six domains, Fire, Air, Water, Earth, Light, and Darkness. The current date is the fifth day of the first week in the month of Blossoms, Year 1237 of Fire.”

After he tells me this I notice a small faintly flashing icon the size of a dime on my lower left-hand side, which moves with my field of vision. “Ah, I bet this is a Heads-Up Display or HUD like many games I’ve played. When I focus on it I received a notification that the Clock/Calendar functions are now enabled in my System Interface. I curse silently, this means there are probably more features that are hidden in my System Interface. I think this is a stupid way to introduce a person to the System, but then it is also possible that Spark could offer up some truly game changing information if I only hit on the right question. Spark won’t discuss skills, but the next most important thing for growth would be attributes, so let’s see what he will tell me about that.

“Spark how do I increase my attributes?”

“Attributes for Strength, Agility, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma can be increased temporarily by using spells and potions. Permanent increases will occur when virtual attribute points are converted to actual points when you level up or as a quest reward. Your Endurance attribute can only be increased by training.”

“What is a virtual attribute point?”

“As you gain XP the System records the attributes used when gaining that XP. As thresholds are reached the System will record a virtual increase in that attribute, which will be awarded on level up.”

“Is it solely related to the amount of XP you earn or is there something else that affects the ratio of XP to attribute points?”

“The difficulty in earning the XP affects ratio of XP to virtual attribute points. The default is 50% of the levels required XP is needed to increase one virtual attribute point, which means an average of two attribute points awarded with each level.”

Spark flickered. “The System now considers your tutorial to be complete.”

“What? But I still have more questions. I thought you said I have a day?”

Spark flickered again. “You have a maximum of a day to receive a set amount of information. The more valuable the information the fewer questions you can ask. Good luck George Peterson.”

Spark vanished with a small pop.

I spend several minutes cursing, thinking I was on the right track with my questions about attribute point gains. I need to calm down, there is nothing I can do except explore the area and see if I can find anything that will earn me some XP. I start walking straight to the tree line and shortly after entering the cool shade of a 30-foot-tall maple I bounce off an invisible wall that feels like a mattress. A new blue panel appears.

Leaving Starter Glade

Do you wish to leave the Starter Glade? You will not be able to re-enter after leaving. Leave or Stay?

I ignore the prompt for the moment and try moving toward the right with my hand on the barrier. It takes about twenty minutes to slowly circumvent the glade including jumping across the stream. The boundary appears to be a uniform thirty feet from the edge of the glade into the trees. I firmly select Stay for now and the panel closes. Another flashing icon appears and a new panel opens as I mentally focus on the icon.

You have learned the skill Inspection, 5 XP awarded. Basic 1.

I focus on Inspection to get more information.

Inspection, Basic Level 1 (35% progress toward next level)

This skill acts as a modifier for Perception to highlight contextually useful information, etc.

Hmmm, I guess that can’t hurt, but not sure what it really does, I think as I rub my chin. I suddenly feel strange until I realize it’s because my chin is smooth with no stubble. This new body is going to take some time to adapt to.

Now let’s see if I can find a weapon. After several hours of crisscrossing the glade and surrounding trees, I have found numerous branches of varying lengths, several stones of varying sizes, lots of grass, and assorted wild flowers. As I sit with my back to one of the Oak trees, I consider what I have found and there are no great options for weapons. I can carry some of the rocks to throw and take one of the larger branches as a club, but I am concerned about what I will find outside the glade when I leave.

I look at the flashing notification I have been ignoring while searching the glade.

You have gained a level in Inspection. Basic 2.

…

You have gained a level in Inspection. Basic 7.

While sitting there I suddenly feel the urge to face palm. I totally forgot to check out my Shaper ability. I open my Status panel and focus on Shaper.

Shaper

This is the ability to infuse an object with mana and then change its characteristics. Effects will vary based on the object, amount of mana infused, and one's skill at Shaping.

Ok, not very informative and it uses mana. I take out one of the rocks from my pocket and spend the next hour trying to infuse mana and shape it to no avail. It is starting to get late so I gather handfuls of leaves under one of the trees to make a bed for the night. As the sun sets I look up at the night sky and chill runs down my spine as it really hits home that I am not on Earth anymore. I can’t recognize the stars at all. While staring at the sky I see a bright green moon about the size of a golf ball rising from the direction of the setting sun. I lay back on my improvised bed and fall into a troubled sleep.

My sleep is interrupted by a vivid dream. I seem to be floating above a large auditorium that is carved out of a huge cavern. I float down until I enter the body of one of the children filling the wooden seats below. The class was excited about the Xiallak visiting today. Xiallak is more a title than a name. They are well versed in the history of the Harrow and are skilled story teller. This would be the day the students get to hear the full story of how their ancestors traveled to this planet. They had, of course, heard whispers and rumors from their older siblings, but remarkably they knew only small fragments.

The class was being held in a large auditorium, unlike regular classes. The tiered wooden seats allowed everyone to see the raised stone bench behind a beautifully carved desk made of the mana enriched Telth tree, one of the few native plants that survived the trip to this world. The desk was for the book of histories, not that the Xiallak would need it, but it was a custom.

The class became quiet as the Xiallak arrived. Two Grand Master ranked guardians materialized by the desk at the same time using their racial skill. The presence of the guardians demonstrated how much the Harrow cherished the Xiallak since only Xiallak knew the arts to awaken a Harrow’s racial ability to manipulate the domain of time. The time domain was both a powerful and difficult skill to master. The Xiallak appeared to be of middle age and of average build, dressed in worn long blue and silver robes that blended with his granite-like skin. His appearance is deceptive since his mastery of time would be even greater than the guardians that protect him. Everyone hardly breathed listening to the Xiallak’s footsteps echoing throughout the hall. When he reached the bench, he gently took the book of histories from his inventory, placing it on the desk to his right.

“Greetings class! My name is Folen.” His voice resonated throughout the auditorium, sending a chill down their spines.

The class was in such awe they only managed a mumbled greeting in reply. Folen chuckled, knowing full well the impact he was having on the class.

“Today we will discuss the tale of origin, but truly it is more a tale of how we came to this world. To begin we must go back a thousand years to the time we first set foot on Burra. At that time the Harrow lived on our homeworld of Talos. We shared this beautiful world with the Yikold. They were not elementals beings, but were so in tune with the Earth Domain, their bodies gradually changed to living rock as they aged. For thousands of years, our two peoples had shared the world, with the Yikold keeping mostly to the vast mountain ranges.”

Folen’s demeanor took on a more serious countenance as he continued. “One day much like any other this changed. A Yikold arrived in the town of Hilgurth on the edge of the southern mountain ranges. He was badly injured and nearly incoherent as he told the tale of ferocious creatures that attacked several of their deep places throughout the mountains to the south. These creatures absorbed any spell cast at them. Only by using their mana to propel the earth against the creatures were they able to injure them. The Yikold died shortly after delivering the message. While there had not been a war in recorded history, there were still monsters, dungeons, and natural disasters, such that our people had established a world-spanning network of communication. This was used to spread the word about the danger as guardians and Xiallak like myself prepared to probe the south.”

He paused and sighed. “Little did we know the problem was greater than we first thought. The warning from the southern mountains was a fluke. The creatures had not just attacked the mountains to the south. We found out they had attacked all the mountain chains of Talos. Later we surmised that the creatures thought the mountains would be the most defensible location, so they took them first. Most of the Yikold race had perished by the time we discovered the depth of our error. As we started to probe the south our Guardians and their Xiallak vanished. Finally, on the third attempt, one of the party members remained behind to relay what happened to the group. Even then the entire party was killed in less than a minute, only lasting that long because of the Xiallak put all his power into accelerating time for himself. For a few moments, he evaded the creatures which he identified as Carnos, but on brushing against one he found his power sundered as it absorbed his power.”

Folen looked up from the book of history to take in the class, which was utterly silent and still as they waited with bated breath to hear of the downfall of our home world, as Folen continued. “This explained why the scouts failed to report back. Just a touch was all it took for the creatures to absorb and disrupt our control over time, rendering us helpless. Within a week the Carnos began to attack from every mountain. Our people frantically consulted the gods and even demons in our desperation as we fell by the millions. Our strategies changed to using our powers indirectly to kill the creatures, however it hardly slowed their advance. The demons knew the most about the Carnos. They were creatures that feed on mana and lifeforce. The more sentient the creature the more they gained by consuming them. In our horror, we realized that many of the fallen were not dead, but instead now existed on farms where they were kept like cattle to be fed upon.”

Folen seemed to shake himself as he continued. “Our greatest mages tried to open portals to other worlds hoping that some of our people might escape. Unfortunately, there was a barrier around our world preventing a gate from opening. Our greatest mage Parul found that this did not block access to demons or the gods. He theorized that since they were on a different plane of existence, it might be possible to travel to another dimension. After nearly a month of battle, the remainder of our forces retreated to a collection of time worn islands in the middle of the Eastern Ocean. The barrier of water with no mountains allowed us to hold out, but each subsequent attack became stronger.”

“Parul gathered our greatest mages with priests bolstering the group to open a gate across universes. They knew they could not keep this portal open very long. Maintaining the opening would consume the most powerful mana potions and use mana crystals like water. Since there might not be enough time to transport everyone, the travelers were chosen with careful consideration to carry on the species. They numbered ten thousand strong, though the most important to their survival went first, because the portal may collapse at any time. They carried seeds, dried food, tools, and everything else that could be carried on their bodies. Parul was not sure if their inventory space would survive the trip, as a result they could only take what they could carry. Many had tears in their eyes as they left friends and family behind to a certain death. From the moment the gate stabilized the group sprinted through the opening. The Carnos seemed to realize their prey was escaping and a vast new attack began. Everyone not maintaining the portal or in the group of travelers ran to the defense.”

“At this point, many of the strongest of our guardians attacked with a new weapon. Parul had created an item that harnessed our power over time to increase the yield of our most destructive device. When it exploded the mana used to generate the explosion was contained in a small sphere of accelerated time and compressed space, which consumed all of the mana in an instant. When the sphere collapsed killing the guardian, the violence of the explosion killed hundreds. Others wore devices constructed to kill the wearer if they became unconscious. All were truly desperate as they tried to hold back the tide of Carnos.”

“At the end, their sacrifice was not in vain. After all travelers entered the portal, Parul performed his last act. He and the few mages remaining conscious through the mana drain severed their connection with the portal and then powered a final device that caused a rupture in the portal’s integrity. From this tiny rupture, a blade of immense force cut into the earth to the core of the planet. When this happened Parul felt the barrier around the world fail, which allowed him to teleported to the small moon that circled his world. Mana was thin here. His wards flickered and he fell to his knees, though he had enough time left to witness his world crack and then explode. As the world ruptured he felt his connection to the party members that traveled to the new universe snap. We don’t know what happened to Parul after that, but we hope he died with satisfaction, knowing his people lived on and were safe.”

Folen saw tears in many of the student’s eyes as he finished. “On arrival to Burra, we found that our spells worked differently here. While there are no ley lines the ambient mana is stronger. Most importantly we discovered that our time domain skill required a Sage to awaken it, unlike in our original universe where anyone with patience could learn it. As you know we settled to the north of the Tassan empire and came to an agreement with the Empress to send Guardians to protect her using our unique skill. We built underground for safety and have thrived over the last thousand years. We will never forget the sacrifice that got us here.”

Folen gently closed the book of histories. He looked up at the class and said. “This is a sad tale, but also a tale of sacrifice and love. Countless Harrow gave their lives, so that we could be here today. Remember them and let this example guide your life and steel your resolve in times of trouble. We are Harrow!!” Folen finished with a shout that rang out through the auditorium. The class leaped to their feet, answering. “WE ARE HARROW!!!”