Sirius closed his eyes and exhaled a deep breath as the scattered spray of water trickled down his body. For a moment, he just stood there, letting the warm streams wash over his sore muscles. It didn’t do much to alleviate the all-encompassing dull ache left behind by his workout, but it did provide a certain amount of mental relief that only a hot shower could.

He’d gone way overboard at the gym today, Sirius knew. Pushing himself too hard in the ring and for far too long. It was a bit reckless, given his previous history with athletics-related injuries, but it was all he could do to suppress the ball of pent-up nerves and excitement that had been rapidly accumulating in his chest for the past year-and-a-half.

‘Age of Avarice…’ he mused, feeling his blood racing at the mere thought. That title had been occupying his mind every waking hour. Seeming to grow grander and more mysterious with every mention.

It was heralded as the world’s first truly immersive VRMMORPG. The brainchild of DigiEdge and Vault Creative Entertainment — two titans of the tech and gaming industries respectively. Not only did AoA boast lifelike realism thanks to DE’s revolutionary AI and processing engine, but the game also promised a world that was half the size of Earth and three Megaservers to accommodate upwards of a billion players in total.

‘Not that it will ever reach that amount with how expensive the gaming capsules are,’ Sirius grumbled internally as he scrubbed his body with soap. He’d had to devote nearly a third of his remaining savings to purchase the pod and the accompanying game; almost $2000 USD in total. There were monthly payment plans available, but Sirius had decided to go all in. And of course, it was still well worth it from his perspective. He planned to dedicate his foreseeable future to the game after all.

At 20 years of age, Sirius had dropped out of University; only two months after AoA had been announced. His parents were unhappy — to say the least — but it was the opportunity he’d been waiting for. Ever since the first AIs were introduced into games, and subsequently VR, the technology advanced by leaps and bounds, causing the gaming industry to experience a never before seen boom. Sirius kept constant track of the technology’s growth and was determined to be an early entrant into the VRMMO scene. He clearly saw the genre’s potential — as did many others. So every summer he slowly built up his wealth, working odd jobs at home until the right moment arrived.

And thankfully, it finally had.

AoA was announced to the world in grand fashion and Sirius immediately packed up his bags and bought a cheap apartment in a small, no-name town in the Northeast US. His family and friends all saw it as yet another bizarre and ill-advised move, but Sirius had done his research and knew that a renowned MMA veteran had retired there and opened a gym.

His sole purpose in moving to the town was to train diligently under this man until the game’s release. Sirius had also harbored a guess that combat sports would likewise see a significant rise in popularity due to VR and wanted to get a head start.

So far, everything had gone according to plan, and now — the long-anticipated day of release had arrived. Sirius could hardly contain himself.

After drying off and getting settled in his most comfortable clothes, Sirius walked tenderly into his kitchen for a final meal. ‘Less than two hours left…’

Not much was known about the game thus far, only leaving him all the more anxious and eager. A slew of Beta testers had entered AoA briefly a few months back, but they had all signed strict NDAs and were only able to disseminate vague information about the core themes and scope of the world.

From what little he had managed to gather, Sirius knew that Age of Avarice was set in The Scattered Realm: a fantasy world modeled after Earth’s 15th through 17th century Age of Exploration.

An intriguing setting, and one that lent itself to more mature themes — which Sirius preferred. However, many had raised concerns over how social issues like slavery would be addressed by the developers.

Vault Creative had confirmed that they wanted to maintain a certain level of historical accuracy, but player's ability to interact with the slave trade and other systems would be limited to a large extent, and sexual content or harassment between non-consenting parties (including NPCs) was forbidden and would result in a lifetime ban from any VCE games. Still, it remained to be seen how exactly people would act and how modern issues would be handled in the game. The players would be delving into an untamed and entirely new world; many were sure to cut themselves loose.

It was a bold decision on the part of VCE. One would think that with such ground-breaking technology they would choose to play it safe with the setting, but instead, they had gone in almost the complete opposite direction. Many would likely turn away from the game as a result; however, Sirius had never been bothered by such things and rather was glad that they had chosen to commit to their creative vision.

Earth had experienced many long periods of violence, brutality, and oppression; so how could a game boasting an authentic experience be any different!

Sirius devoured the final half of his sandwich in a flash and tossed his dish into the pile in the sink. His stomach was satisfied and his bowels were empty — it was time to play.

Character creation would begin an hour before the launch, arriving in just a few minutes. Sirius walked down the narrow corridor past his kitchen and opened a door at the end of the hall. He arrived in a bare room; the sterile white walls and a singular window covered by a thick curtain painted a bleak picture. The only light in the space came from the old lamp resting on the nightstand next to a large mechanical pod.

Coated in a metallic dark blue sheen, Vault Creative’s new gaming pods allowed for total submersion for up to 24 hours. There were nutrient capsules, a newly remodeled nerve helmet, alarm systems, and Sirius had even had its waste tank hooked up to his building’s plumbing.

As he flipped the switch on the side of the machine to power it up, he was practically bouncing in anticipation.

Bright neon orange lines lit up across the pod’s surface, joining together to form Vault Creative’s simplistic logo as it hummed to life. Soon after, the roof slowly unfolded, exposing a plush lounge chair about as large as a twin-sized bed. Sirius lifted his aching legs and clambered up onto the chair before pressing a button on the armrest to seal himself inside.

A helmet stretched out from the back of the pod to fit snugly around his head as nanofluid flooded the empty space. The experience was quite claustrophobic, but Sirius had tested it beforehand and knew what to expect. With one final shift and a wiggle, he settled into a comfortable position; and promptly, his vision grew dark.

Sirius smiled underneath the helmet, his irrepressible grin stretching from ear to ear.

***

Greetings, Mr. Rowd. And welcome to the Age of Avarice!

An enthusiastic female voice entered his ears from the dark void as a faint amber glow began to fill the space. The light exuded a certain warmth and was soft on the eyes, approaching slowly and with grace.

Sirius decided to temporarily ignore the voice’s prompt in favor of moving slowly through some light stretches, but something immediately felt off during his attempts. His body responded to his will; however, the mental feedback he got lacked a certain concrete physicality. Swinging his arms around, Sirius was met with some resistance and his responses were sluggish. The air was thick and heavy, almost like he was drifting underwater. And it was also a bit unsettling to see blurry shadows in the place of his limbs.

Most VR games still weren’t able to connect a user’s consciousness directly with a simulated space, allowing them to inhabit an avatar, and the few that could were still in the early testing stages. AoA was the first of its kind to hit the open market, so Sirius had no idea as to what to expect in terms of movement and fluidity.

‘This will certainly take some getting used t—’ Sirius’ thoughts were abruptly cut off by the disembodied voice.

Servers will not be open for another 58m and 35s. Would you still like to begin Character Creation at this time?

“Yes,” Sirius replied, his voice drifting outwards. The encroaching figure of light had coalesced into a bright globe about the size of a basketball and was now bobbing gently up and down in front of him.

In response to his words, the sphere floated upwards, shedding light on a series of stiff figures that were lined up neatly like mannequins.

‘These must be all the race options.’ Sirius counted 18 figures in total, and upon closer inspection, he realized that they were all male and possessed a similar facial structure to his own — even the more exotic looking ones. It was creepy but interesting nonetheless. He took some time to walk around and take a good look at each one.

They seemed to be grouped in clusters of three, Sirius quickly realized. Making for 6 separate races, each with three variations or ethnicities. He then found that if he concentrated on one of them for long enough, a cluster of floating text would appear at their side.

A brief inspection of each of the six groups yielded the following results:

Elves: Believe themselves to be the first servants of the Gods. A proud and arrogant people that devoutly pursue knowledge and wealth.

Ethnicities: Arethene, Northern Fae, Larrel

Racial Bonuses: +5% bonus to Maximum Spirit, +8% bonus to all Elemental Dmg

Trait: Pompous. -5% base Charisma & -10 initial reputation with any non-elvish factions.

Exclusive Classes: Druid, Bard

Dracae: Descendants of the Ancient Dragons. Although stripped of their wings, they still retain their powerful bodies. Seekers of truth, the Dracae have long worked hand-in-hand with the Elves to unravel the mysteries of The Fracture.

Ethnicities: Shaidin, Halwyrms, Elders

Racial Bonuses: +5% flat increase to Physical and Magical Resistance, +5% bonus to base Strength & Constitution

Trait: Lasting Scar. Unable to use Back equipment slot

Exclusive Classes: Warlock, Scavenger

Humans: Most populous race within The Shattered Realm, but also possess the shortest lifespans. To compensate, they have learned how to squeeze out their potential at the cost of a weaker immune system.

Ethnicities: Enten, Oreen, Serian

Racial Bonuses: +1 Free Attribute Point every 5 levels, +10% bonus to all Holy Damage

Trait: Carriers. -5% Decay Resistance & prone to disease

Exclusive Classes: Knight, Mage

Essien: More commonly known as Shifters, they are the natives of the Shangxin Archipelago. Their clans produce many famed combatants and artists due to their discipline and enhanced senses; however, they tend to be very secretive, closely guarding their rituals and sorcery.

Ethnicities: Foxkin, Wolfkin, Bearkin

Racial Bonuses: +5% Proficiency Experience earned, +8% bonus to base Perception

Trait: Isolationist. -3% to all attributes when partied with members who are not among their Kin

Exclusive Classes: Monk, Sorcerer

Khilaite: A fierce, warmongering race that inhabits the Arid-Isles. The Khilaite value loyalty to the tribe above all else. Highly valued as slaves due to their hardy nature and robust physiques.

Ethnicities: Toth, Orin, Vokulle

Racial Bonuses: +5% bonus to Maximum Stamina, +5% flat increase to Fire & Decay Resistance

Trait: Savages. More likely to be suspected of committing a crime in Non-Khilaite territories & will receive harsher sentences

Exclusive Classes: Barbarian, Shaman

Dwarves: A dexterous race that was originally thought to be a short and hairy breed of humans. That theory was later debunked, but they still carry a chip on their shoulders as a result. Widely renowned craftsmen and alcoholics.

Ethnicities: Runenon, Dregs, Belmouds

Racial bonuses: +10% bonus Profession Exp earned, +5% bonus to Equipment Effects

Trait: Eccentric. 75% chance to fail on the first attempt when creating an original design

Exclusive Classes: Wizard, Trickster

Sirius returned to his original position, sweeping his gaze over the various figures one final time before sinking deep into thought.

Two of the choices he was able to eliminate without any further consideration: Humans and Dwarves. Playing human characters in fantasy games had never been his first preference, and he was also put off by the racial trait that made them prone to disease. It was unclear how exactly disease would affect stats and the character overall, but it was sure to be running rampant considering the game’s setting. Basically, it just seemed like a hassle and wasn’t something he was interested in dealing with frequently. ‘As for the Dwarves…’ Sirius didn’t have any plans to make crafting his primary focus. It would be a more consistent way to make money, but he was considerably more interested in exploring, combat, and questing. Additionally, the exclusive classes of these two races didn’t wholly appeal to him.

That left Sirius with four primary choices. Then, three as he quickly eliminated the Elves as well. Ideally, he wanted to build his character as a tanky brawler type. Not only were tanks and healers traditionally in high demand in MMOs, but he had also been training himself in boxing and martial arts for the past year and wanted to put that experience to use. Furthermore, a few of the Beta testers had mentioned how real-life reflexes and skills had a large impact on combat. Sirius assumed that this would influence a lot of players to turn towards safer, ranged classes — only further increasing his value to groups as a close-range combatant.

Based on their racial bonuses, the Elves were definitely more geared towards playing casters. Druid seemed cool, and Sirius was interested in integrating magic into his playstyle in some form, but overall, the other options were just superior.

Between the Dracae, Essien, and Khilaite, Sirius was most interested in the Barbarian and Monk archetypes. By all appearances, the Dracae had the best racial bonuses for a tank, but their exclusive classes didn’t fit the bill and he wasn’t inclined towards playing as a Marauder — one of the four non-race-locked classes. Therefore, they were next off the list.

Sirius played around with the thought of a Bear or Wolfkin Monk for a while. It was a sorely tempting idea, but he eventually dismissed it in favor of rolling a Khilaite Barbarian. He intended to group up with others frequently due to his chosen role, so the Isolationist trait was worrying. Like many of the racials, it was unclear how big an impact 3% would be in the later stages of the game, but overall, it just seemed like the Khilaite were more suited to his goals and skill set.

With that finally settled, Sirius checked the timer that was hovering in the upper corner of his vision. ‘A little over 30 minutes left…’ Plenty of time to pick an ethnicity and tweak his avatar’s appearance a bit.

“I choose the Khilaite,” he announced. As his voice echoed through the void, the dismissed mannequins crumbled to dust one by one, swept away by an unseen wind until only 3 remained.

The Toth, Orin, and Vokulle avatars stood proudly, their thick skin and muscles stretched taut in heroic poses. Each of the three options was unique in their own way. The Toth tribesman had dark gray skin, almost the color of charcoal, and a leaner frame — appearing the most human-like in the group. The Vokulle, on the other hand, was much more demonic; sporting vibrant crimson eyes and two ivory horns protruding from his scalp. And finally, the Orin with his sickly green skin and protruding tusks looked the closest to a traditional Orc.

Sirius observed them closely, his anticipation mounting as he imagined himself storming into battle and pulverizing his foes. But soon, he realized that there were new pop-ups with more detailed information, so he quickly refocused himself.

Toth

The most reclusive of the three major Khilaite tribes. They focus on developing powerful Shamans by baptizing their young in the waters of the Spirit Plane.

Additional Trait: Attuned Body - +10% bonus to all buffing effects given or received (excludes equipment bonuses) & increased compatibility with body augmentation.

Vokulle

The Vokulle bask in the brilliance of the sun. Their Warbands are fierce and unrelenting, leaving naught but ember and ash in their wake.

Additional Trait: Pyrokinetic - +10% bonus to all fire dmg & gain the Flame Dash ability

Orin

Both disciplined and well-balanced — the Orin armies are the most feared forces in the Arid Isles. Their young will often devote themselves to a weapon of choice at an early age.

Additional Trait: Warforged - Chosen weapon will start with a Mastery of Apprentice Lvl 1 & Orin will have an easier time gaining armor proficiency.

Sirius was stunned for a moment. The additional traits were a nice surprise, but they also left him with a tough decision once again. All of the choices were appealing in some way.

Warforged was the best trait for a tank, but Sirius had never trained with any weapons and had been planning on fighting unarmed. After hesitating briefly, he decided to question the floating light bulb.

“Excuse me, could Unarmed Mastery be affected by the Warforged trait?”

No.

The orb’s blunt reply lacked some of its former enthusiasm, but it did help Sirius eliminate the Orin from his list.

Admittedly, the Toth really stood out to him. It was clearly intended to be the most ideal choice for Shaman, but Tanks were often slapped with loads of buffs as well, so he didn’t think the trait would be diminished in any way on a Barbarian.

‘Attuned Body could be a core component of my build if I pick up some aura or buffing skills of my own and party up with suitable members…’ The mention of body modification was also really intriguing.

Flame Dash was about the only thing that attracted him to the Vokulle. Movement skills and gap closers were always vital, but it seemed more gimmicky than anything else. Sirius was confident that Barbarian would have its own skills in this area, so he ultimately decided to go with the Toth.

However, before he moved forward there were a few final things he needed to clarify. There had been a surprising lack of readily available information throughout the process so far.

“How many character slots do each account have available?”

Only one.

“Can characters be deleted at any time?”

Characters may only be deleted after completing the main questline in the Tutorial Zone.

“How long does it take, on average, to complete the tutorial?”

The average Beta tester took 122.3 in-game hours to complete the tutorial questline.

“Oh, is there a time compression?” The orb’s answer was worded like there was. Sirius had hoped this would be the case.

There is an existing 1:2 time compression. Meaning, every hour outside The Shattered Realm is equivalent to two inside.

‘Nice, that’s exciting! Although... the other aspects are not exactly ideal.’ Sirius frowned. He’d gained a lot from that rapid back-and-forth, but there was still one major issue. He knew himself well and therefore understood that while he may be confident in choices currently, he was liable to see something cool early on and immediately feel the desire to rush back into character creation and restart. It was his Achilles heel in all games.

But now, this lightbulb was telling him he was locked in — likely for days — with whatever he decided on first. There was no time for regrets and major backtracking if he wanted to keep up with the pros.

“Please show me all the available races.”

The scene expanded and he was once again confronted with the 18 statues. With his new knowledge, Sirius made sure to diligently check the additional traits of all the different ethnicities. At the very least, it would be useful information.

Finally, after another 15 minutes of scouring, he was relieved to find that nothing had jumped out at him more than the Toth. With a new measure of confidence, Sirius made his selection.

“I choose Toth. Class: Barbarian.”

Very well, would you like to make any alterations to your avatar’s appearance?

“Yes.”

Please proceed.

Sirius swore he could hear the smirk in the orb’s voice.

Suddenly, the solemn Toth in front of him distorted, briefly becoming a mass of wriggling shadows until it solidified a few seconds later. Now, Sirius was presented with a figure that looked uncannily similar to himself — albeit grey-skinned and a bit more masculine. There was a series of sliders available that he could manually drag in order to alter his character’s looks. Unfortunately, most of them were concentrated on the face and there wasn't much leeway to adjust the avatar’s height or weight, so Sirius was stuck with an impressively average 185cm and slightly more muscular build. There would be no leaping into battle as a veritable hulk for the time being. He still had his hopes, but he understood that it was designed this way in order to avoid any feelings of disassociation when inhabiting the avatar.

‘But that begs the question of how Dwarves will be handled. Maybe they just won’t be as obscenely short as they’re normally depicted…’

Anyway, the disappointment was fleeting and Sirius eventually decided to only make some minor touch-ups to his appearance; choosing a short, unruly hairstyle and a vibrant amethyst eye color.

‘Definitely more suited for a Shaman,’ Sirius lamented in his heart as he looked at the face staring back at him. The changes were supposed to make him look more fierce, but instead, he was left with a man that had the look of a lazy scholar: a thin face, dark messy hair, and hooded eyes that made him appear perpetually drowsy.

‘Well, whatever…’ Time was running short and he didn’t want to get stuck in an endless cycle of fiddling with sliders.

“Ok, all done.”

Following his decree, the avatar disappeared and the light descended to hover in front of him once more.

Looking good! Now the next step is to choose a patron Deity from the Khilaite Pantheon. Please, make a selection from the following list:

Kimala, Goddess of Passage and the Ruler of the Underworld Yda, the Messenger God Doehr, the God of War and Iron Nimera, the Sky Goddess — Bringer of Wind and Rain Deias, the Creator God Solarus, God of the Sun and Flames

This presented another instance where Sirius felt he was lacking information. How important was this decision to his playstyle? Would it affect his faction standing, choices, questlines, etc?

“Is this decision permanent?”

No. It can be changed at any time. However, converting to a new faith requires certain criteria to be met.

A good start, but he still needed more. “What can you tell me about how my chosen religion affects gameplay?”

Currently, I can only provide you with information regarding the Khilaite Pantheon.

“Well… Who does the Toth typically worship?”

Members of the Toth tribe primarily worship Kimala and Deias.

Sirius sighed mentally. He hated not having detailed information about every single aspect and feature of the game, but at least everyone was on a level playing field — aside from the Beta testers. Regardless, this didn’t seem like something to get too hung up on considering the choice could be altered whenever.

“Alright, I’ll go with Kimala, I guess.

Are you sure?

“...Yes.” Neither Kimala nor Deias seemed as well suited to the Barbarian class as Doehr did. But Doehr would likely be the choice for all Orin, and Solarus for all Vokulle. Furthermore, considering that the Khilaite seemed to have a tight-knit tribal culture, he didn't want to set himself up as an outcast in a Toth starting zone by choosing to worship an Orin favored Deity.

Okay, final step. Please choose a name. Note: You may call yourself whatever you desire in the game. This name will only be used for the purpose of leaderboards, announcements, etc.

Easy enough. “Sirius of the Toth,” he replied.

Name accepted. Are you certain this is the character you desire?

“Y-Yes!” Sirius’ words nearly caught in his throat, his previous excitement and a fresh bundle of nerves surging back all at once.

Wonderful! Please use the remaining time to synchronize with your new avatar.

Sirius’ vision grew blurry, the scene around him distorting as a bout of dizziness washed over struck his mind. Fortunately, it didn’t take too long to regain some stability. His feet planted on solid ground as an ancient windswept ruin appeared around him. The feeling of the sand between his toes and the faint herbal scent in the dry air, combined to create such a vivid, life-like impression that Sirius momentarily forgot who he was or what he was supposed to be doing. He simply lost himself in the scene.

After recovering from the moment of stupor, he took a few hesitant steps forward; making his way towards the sandstone pillars and crumbling ramparts. This time, his movements felt much more natural. In short order, Sirius was running and jumping around, flowing smoothly through his usual warm-up routine. It felt great, liberating almost. And when he finally paused to run his fingers over the rough, chalky walls — a chill ran down his spine.

‘This is it… This is what I’ve been waiting for,’ he thought. Sirius paused, performing a series of deep breaths to suppress his chaotic emotions.

The timer continued to tick down slowly as his heart hammered inside his chest.

30 seconds… 25… 10… 3,2,1…

Thank you for your patience, Mr. Rowd. And welcome to the Age of Avarice, Sirius of the Toth!

The light disappeared in a bright flash and Sirius soon felt his body and mind being drawn down into a dark vortex below.