Aidan

The Realms

Fifthday, 2nd week of the 8th month, Age of the Chosen 1

Dusk

Starchaser Village, Mistvale Highlands

Okay, now onto my levels, Aidan decided. With six levels worth of points to distribute, there was a lot to consider. First, and most straightforward, were the Skill bonuses. He had 150% to distribute and not many viable places to put them. Aidan only had a bare handful of Skills on the verge of a rank increase: Magical Theory, Parrying, Persuasion, Smithing, and Swords were all within two levels of ranking up. Of those, he discarded Magical Theory and Smithing; whichever apprenticeship he took would cover his Magical Theory needs, and with Brighid around, he didn't need to level Smithing. Parrying wouldn't quite get enough to level with what he had, while Persuasion didn't need the entire amount, so he split the difference. Aidan invested four levels worth of Skill advancement into Persuasion, with the rest going to Parrying.

Congratulations! You have reached level 10 in Persuasion.

You are now an Initiate in Persuasion; your Persuasion attempts suffer reduced penalties due to the target's low Relationship with you.

Function follows form, eh? I'll take it. Attributes next. Aidan considered how to balance the mental stats for a while before deciding to devote one point per level into the Attributes governing each of his magic Skills: Intuition, Willpower, and Charisma. With the other half of his points, he invested a little into Toughness and Endurance—the latter mainly for Stamina to fuel Pulse of Life—as well as five each into Agility and Speed. They were the linked Attributes to Evasion, which Aidan considered his primary defensive Skill, and Agility was also linked to a couple of his other Skills. His final two points went to Luck; he didn't know how much of a role that Attribute had played so far, but it couldn't hurt.

Talents were next on Aidan's list, and this required considerably more thought on his part. His gut told him that ignoring his Courtesan Talents to focus on Exalted Mage would not work out well. He needed to keep them relatively balanced. His purchases earlier had eased the uneasy feeling that had lurked in the back of his head, but some quick math told him that he was still under-invested in Courtesan. When he opened his Talent web to rectify that, he found a trio of new Talents waiting for him.

All of Your Love

Requirements: That Loving Feeling, experience an orgasm triggered by That Loving Feeling. Effects: Expands the range of sensory input offered by That Loving Feeling to include taste, hearing, and scent. Each may be activated independently. Cost: 10 points. Extra Versatile I

Requirements: Extra Magical III, operate at least four different types of Magic Hands at the same time. Effects: Decreases the Concentration cost of Magic Hands by 10% and increases the malleability of created appendages by 25%. Cost: 5 points. Huffin' and Puffin' I

Requirements: Muffin' Stuffin' I, cause a female sexual partner to fall unconscious through Stamina or Concentration reaching zero. Effects: You gain +1% to all Attributes (maximum +5%) for each orgasm you give a female. These bonuses last for up to 24 hours. Cost: 4 points.

Those were all attractive for different reasons. Huffin' and Puffin' provided the clearest benefit, and Aidan bought the first two ranks without further thought, doubling both the cap on the bonus and the duration of the effect. All of Your Love further enhanced the non-sexual utility of Magic Hands by letting him use it as a remote listening device. If he could figure out how to add sight to the list of shared senses, it would make a perfect scout. Either way, it was an automatic purchase. Extra Versatile had the lowest direct impact, especially since the Concentration cost wasn't a concern for him, but the increased malleability made Aidan curious, so he went ahead and bought two ranks of it as well. Unfortunately, none of them unlocked new Talents yet, so Aidan was forced to consider his existing set.

Of the Talents he hadn't invested in yet, Ease the Burden was the only one that Aidan was interested in. Increased pleasure and decreased discomfort weren't something Aidan felt he needed with Brighid, and he didn't feel a pressing need to reduce his refractory period, either. However, he intended to fulfill his promise to his Soulmate, so Ease the Burden was something that he would buy at some point. Given the low cost and the need to balance his Talent spending, Aidan decided that he might as well invest in a couple of ranks now. He considered taking Submission to Erudition II because it allowed him to share his Skill affinity cheats, but the 20-point price tag was too high for the moment.

He only had 52 Talent points remaining, so he turned to his Exalted Mage talents next. Right away, he bought Fire Link I and Life Link I; the purring familiar in his lap was high enough level to contribute to combat now, so the extra buffs were worthwhile. He also purchased the first rank in Altered Beast and Soul Caliber, which opened up the expected Talents for Riama:

Beast Link I

Requirements: As Above, So Below I, Altered Beast I. Effect: While you are maintaining a Beast Magic spell or ritual upon yourself, including with Crown of the Exalted, your familiar gains a +5% bonus to her physical Attributes. Cost: 5 points. Soul Link I

Requirements: As Above, So Below I, Soul Caliber I. Effect: While you are maintaining an Animanancy ritual, including with Crown of the Exalted, your familiar gains a +5% bonus to her mental Attributes. Cost: 5 points.

Those were both no-brainers, and Aidan purchased them immediately. Beast Link worked perfectly with Summon Obsidian Salamander, while Soul Link synergized with his new Fortify Soul spell. He spent several minutes considering where to spend his remaining 28 points, or even whether to spend them at all. In the end, Aidan decided to save them. He was tempted by Blending of Schools since he created his first multi-school spell, but he had Deific help to do so. He wanted to learn more about the process and the consequences of failure before spending five valuable points on it.

The final item on his agenda was those Paragon points. Aidan had no idea what to expect from them. Would they be another Talent-like system, a reputation store for his Patron, or something else entirely? Well, only one way to find out. He opened the interface.

Paragon Point Store Permanent Options (unlimited purchases): Attribute Points 3 Attribute points for 2 Paragon points 7 Attribute points for 4 Paragon points 11 Attribute points for 6 Paragon points Talent Points 5 Talent points for 2 Paragon points 11 Talent points for 4 Paragon points 18 Talent points for 6 Paragon points Skill Bonuses +5% affinity in a random Skill for 1 Paragon point +5% affinity in a chosen Skill for 5 Paragon points +25% advancement in a random Skill for 5 Paragon point +25% advancement in a chosen Skill for 10 Paragon points Temporary Options (limited stock, refreshes at noon): A magical cloak (unidentified, Epic rarity) for 5 Paragon points [1 in stock] A spellbook for a random known magic school for 5 Paragon points [5 in stock] Materials suitable for enchanting a single weapon or piece of armor with a Superior quality enchantment for 3 Paragon points [2 in stock] An Adamantite ingot for 10 Paragon points [1 in stock] A random assortment of valuable gems for 1 Paragon point [10 in stock] Special Offers (one-time purchase each): 1 extra life for 10 Paragon points +5 Skill levels in a chosen crafting Skill for 5 Paragon points A dream visit from your Patron for 1 Paragon point Unlock a unique Profession Specialization option for 10 Paragon points [you do not qualify for this purchase; must be Journeyman rank in an appropriate Skill] Unlock a unique Prestige Class option for 15 Paragon points [you do not qualify for this purchase; must be level 25]

The first two sections were about what Aidan expected. The option to purchase large quantities of Attribute and Talent points for relatively few Paragon points meant he could correct build problems if needed. The temporary options were a bit random—Aidan had no need of gems or enchanting materials—but he intended to purchase all five spellbooks and maybe see if Brighid could make good use of the Adamantite. The Special Offers section froze Aidan's blood in his veins, however.

An extra life. Extra. That means I don't have infinite lives. What happens if I die without extra lives? Would I get sent back to Earth or... He bought it without further thought and resolved to leave at least 25 Paragon points free to purchase any other extra lives that might pop up in the Temporary Options stock.

That wasn't the only shock in the Special Offers, though; the 'dream visit from his Patron' was almost as startling. That couldn't be a random selection. It was placed there with intent, and its cost was a conspicuous sign. Further, the unique Profession Specialization and Prestige Class options were beacons in the night. He had no doubt that those, too, were placed there by his Patron. For all that, however, he had no problem with the Brighaid. Aidan could blame them for his deaths, but he had been the one to choose the Mistvale Highlands as his starting zone, and he could have abandoned the quest once he'd convinced Brighid to warn the Starchasers.

It's only one point, Aidan decided, and they've been helpful so far. I might as well follow the yellow brick road for now. He bought the dream, then the five spellbooks. Nothing happened for the first purchase, but when he confirmed the 25 points for the spellbooks, the bed before him shimmered like pavement at noon in July. After a moment, the heat haze effect vanished, leaving behind five slim tomes. Aidan examined each in turn.

Spellbook of Summon Steed. A utilitarian text describing a common utility spell.

Rarity: Common. Item Quality: Standard.

Effects: Reading this Spellbook will teach the reader the level 5 Beast Magic spell Summon Steed. Time to read: 30 minutes at 100% affinity. Chance to learn: 100% at 25% affinity, 10% at 1% affinity. Summon Steed: Beast Magic, level 5.

This spell summons an unremarkable mount suitable to the current terrain: horses for grasslands, goats for mountains, deer for forests, and so on. The steed will be large enough and sturdy enough to bear you as a rider and will never balk or attempt to dislodge you; however, it is not suited for combat. The steed comes with appropriate riding gear, though not with any storage containers.

Cost: 200 Concentration. Duration: Concentration, up to 8 hours. Casting Time: 1 minute. Cooldown: 4 hours. Spellbook of Lesser Soulbind. This Spellbook is made from impossibly thin and flexible sheets of basalt engraved with mithril ink.

Rarity: Rare. Item Quality: Exquisite.

Effects: Reading this Spellbook will teach the reader the level 5 Animamancy spell Lesser Soulbind. Time to read: 5 hours at 100% affinity. Chance to learn: 100% at 75% affinity, <1% at 25% affinity. Lesser Soulbind: Animamancy, level 5.

Through the use of this spell, an Animanancer can infuse an object with their own soul, causing it to be Soulbound to them. Having an object Soulbound to you carries many benefits, from always knowing where the object is, to severe penalties for anyone else who tries to use it. As a Chosen, there is an additional benefit to you: any object which is Soulbound to you and near you when you die will be brought to you when and if you return to life. This ritual can only Soulbind common, uncommon, or rare objects, and cannot Soulbind an object which is already bound.

Cost: 500 experience times rarity multiplier. Duration: Permanent until final death. Casting Time: 1 minute. Spellbook of Summon Golden Fawn. The pages of this Spellbook are illustrated with pastoral scenes.

Rarity: Rare. Item Quality: Superior.

Effects: Reading this Spellbook will teach the reader the level 10 Vivimancy spell Summon Golden Fawn. Time to read: 8 hours at 100% affinity. Chance to learn: 100% at 100% affinity, <1% at 25% affinity. Summon Golden Fawn: Vivimancy, level 10.

Golden deer are magical creatures heavily steeped in life energy; merely being near a golden deer will restore small amounts of Health and Psyche damage. This ritual summons a very young golden deer which is not capable of participating in combat but still has the Aura of Life Ability of an adult.

Cost: 100 Concentration, 1 sprig of leaves edible by a golden deer. Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour. Casting Time: 30 seconds. Cooldown: 6 hours. Spellbook of Origination of Species. This Spellbook is wrapped with steel chains and sealed with a heavy lock, however, it opens at your touch.

Rarity: Mythic. Item Quality: Superior.

Effects: Reading this Spellbook will teach the reader the level 75 Beast Magic spell Origination of Species. Time to read: 24 hours at 100% affinity. Chance to learn: 100% at 100% affinity, <1% at 50% affinity. Origination of Species: Beast Magic, level 75.

This forbidden spell allows the caster to create a breeding set of a new species. There is no guarantee that the new creatures will be loyal to their creator, nor that they will survive long enough to establish themselves as a part of the ecosystem.

Cost: 5,000 Concentration base (increasing with complexity of created species). Duration: Permanent. Casting Time: 24 hours. Spellbook of Resurrection. A soft silver and golden light shines from within this grimoire.

Rarity: Unique. Item Quality: Incomparable.

Effects: Reading this Spellbook will teach the reader the level 100 Animanancy and Vivimancy spell Resurrection. Time to read: 48 hours at 100% affinity. Chance to learn: 100% at 100% affinity, <1% at 75% affinity. Resurrection: Animamancy and Vivimancy, level 100.

Death is not absolute in the Realms, but once a soul has passed into the Beyond, it is gone forever—or so anyone would tell you. The very possibility of this spell is a secret that Powers would kill to maintain. For one with the Skills to learn it, it offers salvation and damnation in equal measure.

Cost: 500 Concentration and 10,000 experience per level of the deceased, rare incenses and oils, the body of the deceased. Duration: Permanent. Casting Time: 1 hour base (increasing with decreasing condition of the body). Cooldown: 1 year.

"Holy shit!" Aidan yelped. Brighid's arms tightened around him, and she muttered in her sleep; Aidan stroked her hand in silent apology. He had expected the spells to be ones he could learn right away, and three of them were. Origination of Species and fucking Resurrection, however, blew his mind. Sitting in front of him on a rustic bed in a tiny village in the middle of nowhere were the means to learn how to create entirely new species and to steal lives from Death's grasp. Moving with care born of trembling limbs, Aidan gathered Riama into his arms and placed her on the bed, then stood. He collected the Spellbooks one by one, walked over to his Handy Haversack, and slid them inside. Only when all five were sealed in an extra-dimensional space that only he could access was Aidan able to relax for a moment.

It was only a moment, however. Behind him, Brighid screamed, "AIDANNNN!"