Jensen’s Recap Corner

Aye ye, paladins of Majesta, I see ye’re back fer another round of hammer swinging, Rune enchanting, Rogue-cat slicing, necromantic Gran’ma, action are ye? Well My name is Jensen Clanmeister and it’s my civic duty to share with ye the plights and progress of a certain paladin named Pretty Princess Cuddle Fluff. Now without further ado let me catch ye up and send ye on yer way.

Since it’s only been three days since we last spoke this recap may be a bit on the shorter side but i’ll make it sweet as possible. I’ll start from where our heroine Fluff was entering her instance of Specter’s keep dungeon with her teammates Grax and Margaret. A wide open underground cavern filled with baddies of varying natures and nasty abilities.

Many Paladins across Majesta were given their own instanced dungeons to grind as a reward for winning their local tournament. After the first day, thousands of, we’ll call them unprepared, paladins were kicked from their respective dungeons. The Royal Death Claws though, have been progressing carefully for the past three days to stay safe. In fact, Fluff was almost kicked from the instance when she got in over her head and was taken out by a cranial slime. Luckily, Grax decided to finally return to Majesta seconds before Fluff took her trip across the veil. Just like that cat. Do none of the work and get all of the glory by saving the day.

They’ve battled vuurms and the Skaduu Army, Gained a boon from Umbrasom the God of Shadows, himself! And made a buttload of grenades. As Always Fluff has been creating all types of things for her team to use fer their betterment.

Through their hard work they’ve managed to light up three of the eight stones needed to unlock the door to shadow’s keep. They are about to wake upon Fluff’s twelfth day and continue that journey.

Now I would be remiss if I didn't mention Fluff’s brother Mojo Boomstar and his crew. They’re in the Capitol city of Techros, Drahtspule. While waiting for Fluff to defeat the dungeon, They ran into a rough group of guys named the Knockers. Somehow they wound up hitting it off and went to fight a bunch of chickens with elemental powers. Imagine dinosaurs with feathers spitting fire, swimming through the ground, or blinding ye like a strobe light an ye’ll get my point.

The knockers don’t have it easy because they’ve been plagued with a poor reputation score which can affect how the world treats ye. Ye tend to stay away from people that just want to see ye locked up just for saying good morning. And while the knockers may not all have hearts of gold they are definitely not the bad guys. How do we know this, ye may be asking? Because the bad guys are kidnapping them.

We’ll get more into those bad guys and Malcipher in a right mo. But before we continue on with our story, just take a look at my little goosle’s stat sheet. She’s grown so much.

Name:

Pretty Princess Cuddle Fluff

Race:

Princess

Alignment:

Chaotic Neutral

Title(s)

High Empress of the Pie Mountains, Enchanted Seamstress, Enchanted Grenadier, Enchanted Armorer

Raider Mark(s)

Imps of Avarice

Class Skill:

Engineer

Class Skill Points

Specialization:

Runes

25

Level:

20

XP:

6766/6,939

Hp:

1540

Regen:

15.07HP

per minute

Stats

Strength

23

Max. lift

177 +17lbs

Mana:

43

Mana pool:

1290

MP Regen:

12.17 per sec.

Stamina:

39

Depletion rate at max effort

.46SP

per sec.

Regen:

5.58 per min.

2 unassigned stat points and 4 unassigned attribute points

Attributes

Bonuses

Constitution:

22 (Base 19)

+21%

Endurance

22 (Base 19)

+21%

Intelligence

45 (Base 35)

+28%

Presence:

15 (Base 13)

+21%

Perception:

17 (Base 13)

+25%

Agility:

18 (Base 15)

+24%

Abilities

Awareness level: 7 (+15% to Perception)

Enchanted Grenadier Level 5

Iron will Level: 4 (+11% to Endurance +8% to Intelligence)

Whack-A-Vole Level: 4

Crushing Blow Level: 4

Skinflint Level: 4 (+11% to Presence)

Shadow Eye Level: 3

Enchanted seamstress Level: 2

Achilles Heel Level: 2 (+7% to Agility)

Acrobat Level: 1 (5% to agility)

Survivalist Level: 1 (+5% to Constitution)

Adamant Level: 1 (+10% to all Attributes)

Wellspring Level: 1

Flesh of The MagiI Level: 1

Spirit of Pie Mountain (Racial Ability) Level:1

Dual Cast Level: 1

Dual Wield Level: 1

Marathoner Level: 1 (Stat bonuses)

Dynamo Level: 1 (Stat bonuses)

Skills

Level

Enchantment

6

Runes

5

Rage of Pyrmos

1

Trades

Level

Sewing

2

166 unspent skill tree points

Trades

Level

Sewing

6

Engraving

5

Tactician

2

Blacksmithing

2

Armorer

2

Herbalist

1

Miner

1

Cobbler

1

Baker

1

Tailor

1

Glazier

1

Weaving

1

Fieldcraft

1

Fishing

1

Logging

1

Architect

1

Jewelcrafter

1

Knitting

1

Leatherworking

1

Alchemy

1

Calligrapher

1

Cartographer

1

Hunter

1

Carpentry

1

Stonemason

1

Mechanic

1

Painter

1

Trader

1

Locksmith

1

Sculptor

1

Saddlery

1

Acupuncturist

1

Field Medic

1

Healer

1

………

Trade Agreements

Princess Storage Company (+2 Skinflint +10 to Presence)

11.9b Prologue - The Heretic

Nilson Van Ondergod wasn’t easily likable. That fact was mostly a byproduct of what he did for a living—or the flies. People hated the flies that surrounded him, though that kept them from finding out what he really did. In his line of work secrecy was important.

His main occupation was surviving his employer’s wrath. His employers? One could describe them as bloodthirsty businessmen who had him under contract for the rest of his natural life, any unnatural life and then for the eternity afterwards.

Nilson had learned to hate dealing with them because they always found another loophole in his contract to torture him with. That, and they smelled like sulfur and brimstone.

Every promise of power that was given added to his worldly advantages. It was a welcome addition, making him stronger, more competent, and more potent. These additions also came with more severe restrictions that placed his soul deeper and deeper in jeopardy. While most would quail, Nilson had fought back and studied the techniques his employers used to spread their taint into the world. His successes pleased his employers furthering him into a higher standing and granting him greater favor. And endless cycle that always ended in his damnation. It was that very point Nilson was thinking on, quill in hand and finger on his lip.

The feather on the quill tickled his nose and he sneezed. The force of his breath splattered ink over the drawing of his magical diagram obscuring some of the runes and abyssmal sigils. He growled in complaint and made quick notes to make sure the sigils were not forgotten as he began redrawing the diagram from scratch.

The abysmal lords he served were not of the eight gods of Majesta nor their children. They existed beyond their influence and as such were not natural to this world. They existed only to devour the essence of everything they came into contact with. To do this they needed agents in this world to spread their taint allowing them to feed on the very essence of the world.

It’s akin to the external digestion that insects use. They spread their taint to break down the fabric of creation and then slurp up all of the raw essence, Nilson thought.

But even at a feast of essence as grand as Majesta, souls were still the most delightful of delicacies. Providing the flavors of pain that the abysmal lords relished.

Well, it’s too late to back out now. Grx’ybl would swallow my soul and then I wouldn’t be able to survive the abysmal cataclysm.

Nilson never said these thoughts out loud because his employers were always watching or listening. And as he had this thought a fly landed on the back of his hand. Flies were always drawn to where the taint was present. Same as they were drawn to bloated corpses, offal, and animal droppings. They could sense the world breaking down and enjoyed the easy pickings.

“They are the worst part of this contract,” he muttered. He swatted at the bug knowing that even if he killed it a hundred would take its place. The buzzing drone that existed in his personal office was why no one ever came to visit him. That or the glowing sigils that covered the room and drained people of their energy.

He set about redrawing his diagram when he heard his other employer call for him.

“Harry, are you here?”

Nilson shuddered. Her voice had the same effect of nails on a chalkboard even though it sounded saccharine and sultry. It was all fake and Nilson knew it. She was a spider who ate her prey with zealous abandon.

I hope she does try to eat me. He chuckled thinking about the painful surprises and multitude of ways he could destroy her if she tried. The fly that would eat the spider. But for now she furthers my goals and for that, I have to play the role.

He sighed pulling his hood over his face and slid through the shadows to the warehouse floor where she stood fawning over her hunky new bit of prey. He made a wide berth around the soul converter he had created for her to ingratiate himself to her and useful to his main employers. It sigils lay dormant except for the few that linked the diagram to the abyssal plane and kept a small imperceptible hole open.

What Nilson hadn’t told her, was that this soul converter caused each soul that underwent the process to continuously feed his abyssal masters as well as cause them to serve her as mindless husks. The four pillars that surrounded the diagram were merely channeling inputs that converted mana to essence and fed his masters. His masters, in turn, wiped the free will of whatever subject was placed into the diagram. They would also take some of the subject’s essence as a snack. He was essentially feeding Peter to pay Paul.

He approached the boss of the spiders, his impatience literally vibrating off of him.

“I am not Harry,” he snarled. “I am the Heretic and it would do you good to remember that, Zhīzhū,” he spit her named like it was bitter ash on his tongue.

Zhīzhū looked bored and rolled her eyes. “Anyway, Harry could you show our guest what this does?” She motioned to the diagram.

Nilson sighed loud and deep.

I will personally feed her soul to Grx’ybl, bit by bit.

He gave up on the stupid name game and focused on what it was she wanted. He grumbled as he walked away snapping his fingers to alert the members of his circle. They joined him without hesitation. His circle was well disciplined and they knew their jobs well.

Bit by bit may be too good for her. I'll have to ask Grx’ybl for ideas to lengthen her pain. He then motioned for the subject to be brought forth.

As the poor sot was placed in the soul converter and it fired up a bit of resonance abyssal resonance escaped the formation and flew towards Zhīzhū’s new boy toy. It lit him up light a beacon to his abyssal sight.

He has no soul!

Nilson’s mind rolled from the idea that someone without a soul could exist. He made plans to get closer to this man just to find out how this had happened. The information could gain him some favor. At the least, the demon lord Grx’ybl may find this idea to be most amusing. At most, the demon lord may be able to use this body as a vessel. And that would mean rewards of power.

Only the shadows under the hood and the distance from Zhīzhū kept his leering grin and guttural laughter from reaching her attention. That, and the fact that she was fascinated with her tall, muscular, new toy.

But just like all of the other toys, he would break soon enough.

Here's a sneak peek of the cover for book 2.1 https://drive.google.com/open?id=1hg68rpa1NTlTniEE76EvcBLniz9BfiFv