Almost before he knew it, Jack found himself drifting off in a king-sized bed as plush as a dream, curtained windows closed after a quick look at the colorful garden in full bloom beside a miniature hedge maze with a lemon tree at its heart. Jack had paused only long enough to take in the plush carpets and fine hardwood furniture after closing the curtains before slipping under the cool covers, Drake's parting words making Jack shake his head with wonder.

"Guest quarters? Oh no, these rooms are your own, now." his friend had tapped his pin. "This marks you as a member of our House. After what you did for Father and I, you're practically family. And together, Shieldbrother, we're going to conquer the Academy's darkest dungeon!" He laughed at Jack's bemused expression. "Or at least, get a proper party together and try out the white delve, whatever the hell that even means. So get a good night's sleep, Jack. I get the feeling we're going to need it for tomorrow."

And with a final shake of his head at the wonder and terror of all they had seen and done in just a few short days, and they hadn't even entered the dungeon proper yet, Jack did just that. Yet when he closed his eyes it wasn't to dream of riches or glory, but a certain doe-eyed beauty whose smile had pierced his heart, and whose dusky lips he ached to kiss even now.

A dream filled with bittersweet regret he had almost expected.

What he was not expecting was to be woken up in then deep of the night by that very same dusky vision of pure perfection looking now down at him, wearing a bemused grin.

"Someone's been telling tales, lover."

Jack winced, his heart racing with an odd mix of wonder and sudden regret. "But I didn't! My friends... No, I won't make excuses. You're right, I messed up. I hope you can—"

His words were cut of with the taste of cherries and wine, soft dark lips meshing so perfectly with his own.

Only then did he notice Stormy's perfectly pressed uniform, now draped carefully over a tall backed study chair. And the beautiful woman in his arms, the exquisite perfection he had yearned for. A quite throb turned to a desperate ache when her gaze had caught his own... and she had looked away so quickly.

Only now, it didn't matter. Now, when he ran his fingers through her thick curly tresses, softly kissing her lips once more before she shifted her hips with an adventurer's grace and power and was now straddling him, gazing down at him with a sweet sad smile upon her features, powerful fingers now tenderly caressing his cheeks. And how her eyes widened with surprise when the warmth of his tears caressed her dusky fingertip.

"Jack?"

"I missed you, Stormy. I know it's only been a few days, but..."

A soft fingertip covered his lip. "If you really missed me, then you will always keep my secrets close."

Her stern features eased into a forgiving smile when Jack's racing heart filled with sudden fear of something far worse than pain.

The fear that he'd hurt her, with a stupid careless comment thrown out after the high of fighting for his life and the crash that followed, dazed and bemused and drinking what was, for him, far too much fortified wine.

"But I'll forgive you just this once, Jack Evergreen... if you promise to make it up to me."

Jack swallowed. "You know I will. I swear it, Stormy! I think—"

She shook her head, fingers caressing his lips as she bit her own, flashing him a wicked, wanton smile. "Then show me with deeds, not words. And show me now."

And Jack did just that, sweeping her in arms far stronger than they had ever been before, her sultry laughter soon becoming the gasps of something else as they danced a dance as old as time. Jack felt his heart melting anew for the sweet, sweet flame blazing in his embrace. And when their blazing fire had at last soothed to warm embers, tender kisses, and sultry chuckles, he held her still, savoring the scent of her hair, the warmth of her body, whispering words of the heart he dared only when he thought she had finally dozed off, pretending he didn't sense her tremble, before sleep claimed him as well.

But not before taking a final quick glance at his condensed character sheet, noting in particular his Favored Spells and Skills at the bottom. He was pleased to see that both Blood Shield and Crimson Armor had both ranked up since last he checked, though knew he shouldn't be surprised. After Sin's deadly blow had almost effortlessly ruptured shield and pierce armor with a single deadly critical attack, Jack knew he would have perished had the meat of his arm and the pommel of the assassin's deadly blade not stopped the metal from piercing his lungs and heart. And perhaps Sin had also been fighting his former master's vile commands in the limited way he could. Either way, surviving that ordeal, recalling the hideous feeling of death's blade slithering through his defenses, made him that much more aware of the need to pour absolutely everything he had into perfecting his defenses, every time he cast those spells.

Even if he still had yet to gain a single level, and save for several affinity stones, had yet to gain any tiers in the underlying elemental arts that almost every other mage took for granted. At least he could take comfort in the significant potency bonuses his increasingly mastered skills were giving him. Bonuses that just might, if he were really, really lucky, allow him to survive the trials to come.

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Jack Evergreen

Class: Undecided

Level 0

Primary Attributes

Strength 13 (Exceeds 83% of base population)

Vitality 14 (Exceeds 90% of base population)

Finesse 14 (Exceeds 90% of base populationd)

Quickness 13 (Exceeds 83% of base population)

Perception 14 (Exceeds 90% of base population

Scholarship 15 (Exceeds 95% of base population)

Willpower 13 (Exceeds 83% of base population)

Charisma 14 (Exceeds 90% of base population)

Insight. - Gold Tier

Health 10xVit+Str+(10xlevel) = 153

Stamina 10xVit+Str= 153

Mana = 150

Base Appearance 11 (Slightly above average.)

Virtues

Rapid Learner

Explosive Growth

Plane Walker

Flaws

Painful Healing (This perk has been mitigated as you transcend all previous limitations! You now have the Knowledgeable Healer Perk instead!)

Secret Identity (Mild) Half-elf. Mutated ears are hidden by thick hair & a friendly air sprite. General appearance is otherwise within human norms.

Dark Secret (The blood of Elven Grey Witches flow through your veins. If any Mind Mage discovers this, your life will be imperiled.)

Perks

An Ear for gossip! Perhaps it's a gift of your Elven ancestry. Ears uniquely suited for catching sounds at the same frequency as humanoid conversations, combined with just enough of a psionicist's gift to embrace the path of the Soul Weaver, even if your mother's tribe abhors the Mentalist's path. - Or perhaps you're just nosy!

Either way, you have a knack for picking up even the slightest whispers of conversation pertaining to yourself or those close to you, or of anyone speaking with your image in mind, at completely unreasonable ranges! If you want to spot that quietly stalking predator, however, best boost your Perception stat!

Knowledgeable Healer: You may now use magic to heal internal injuries as readily as flesh wounds and bloodloss.

Rank 1 Fire Affinity / Rank 1 Earth Affinity / Rank 1 Water Affinity / Rank 1 Blood affinity / Rank 3 Soul Weaver Affinity! - Spells associated with those schools are cast as if wielder has additional ranks in underlying arts = to affinity. (Each affinity rank in a given school grants 33.3% Potency bonus. All school rank bonuses are added before being multplied by any skill rank bonuses for any spell's final potency modifier.)

Elemental Resistances. - You are able to partially mitigate damage suffered from spells or effects belonging to any elemental sphere or spell school, depending on Ranks earned in any underlying school or elemental affinities you might have. You will also achieve increasing elemental resistance for every spell learned at Adept level or better.

Favorite Skills & Spells

Spell & Shield - Journeyman Rank 1 / Sword & Shield - Journeyman Rank 1 (Perk: Situational awareness when fighting with shield)

Firestream (Blood Flame) - Adept Rank 5 (Potency, Full Bloodflame, Willpower check +4 to pierce wards! = 1250% Base Firestream Damage. mana cost = 01.25 /second. (Note. damage goes up to 2500% and total cost of 2.35/sec & chance to knock foes back when used with Wind Gust. But no shield may be used.)

Water Spout - Adept Rank 2. / Tier 2 Greater Water Spout - Apprentice Rank 3

Acid Spray (Tier 2) - Water & Earth Sphere dependent. - Apprentice Rank 2 Mana cost 5.4 mana/sec (Cut in half once any Earth spell hits Adept Level).

Ice Shield (Blood Shield) - Adept Rank 2 (Resilience, 100% increased potency, no flame penalties, no experience cost. 20 Mana reserved. - Absorbs 170 Damage, Elemental or physical, with each attack. Will endure 85 additional damage before being destroyed. Note. Kinetic force transferred and peripheral splash damage can still wound & stun. Shield proficiency skill check needed. Spells without physical/elemental medium (transformation/enchantment/charm/death magics, sonic shout etc.) cannot be deflected this way.

Earth Armor (Crimson Armor) - Journeyman Rank 3 Reduces all damage, including impact damage. (No experience cost to blood armor. 10 mana reserved per piece)

Wind Gust - Apprentice Rank 5 1.1 mana/sec +50% damage bonus to Firestream with skillcheck! No shield though, both hands occupied.

Acid Arrow - Elite Rank 1 (4 for 1) 375% Base damage x4 volleyball size Orbs. / 0.90 Mana Per volley.

Dissolution Orb - Journeyman Rank 2 (4 for 1) 205% Base Damage x 4 Beachball size Orbs / 3 Mana Per volley. (Note. Base damage = acid arrow damage but Massive increase in volume covering entire foe, = hitting critical sensory organs and drenching through any armor, whole body dissolution, & potentially knocking over. & Extremely slippery fluid as it eats feet/floor.

Blood Bee - Apprentice Rank 5 - 10 Mana Reserved

Artisanal Manipulation - Apprentice Rank 3 - Shape non-magical inanimate objects like softest clay! (Runes can be countered if you know them).

Rune Forging - Elite Rank 1 (Blood Rune, Arcane Forger, Arcane Enlightenment) - (Added Resilience Perk: Pristine Synergistic Compatibility)

Artificer (Arcane Forger) - Journeyman Rank 1 (Sense the flow of mana through any artifact. Forge your own artifacts intuitively with the right resources & runes! - Elite Rune Forging Dependent)

Lesser Healing - Adept Rank 3 (Mitigated penalties, Knowledgeable Healer: Adept perk retroactively chosen- you are now capable of forging a Greater Artifact of Healing, combined with Rune Forging Perk! - Cost: 1 Full Level's worth of Experience!) +310% Base Healing. 29% Base Cost.

Wind Ward (Tier 2 Spell) - Journeyman Rank 2 (Blood Enhanced, Air cleansed 10 ft Radius. Sentient Spirit) 10 Mana reserved.

Windfire (Tier 3 Spell) - Apprentice Rank 2 (Potent + Bloodflame Perks ) lacking prerequisites = 8x normal cost - 20% reduced cost) = 10,000% of Base Firestream damage. - Mana cost: 69.2 Per second

Soul Weaver Arts:

Tier 1 Snip - Journeyman Rank 4 / Pinch - Journeyman Rank 4 / Spool - Journeyman Rank 4

Tier 2 Shear - Journeyman Rank 5 / Fabricate - Journeyman Rank 1

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