“Hello and welcome,” the woman at the podium began, “I’ll make this quick but before we get started I just wanted to thank you on behalf of everyone at VWE for your investment and your faith in us. Without you we wouldn’t have been able to accomplish all that we have and we are grateful beyond words for that.”

She smiled and continued, “Now, on to what you’ve all been waiting for, I’m sure,” she stepped back and raised a hand to a man in a white collared shirt who approached the podium. “Mark is one of our technicians and he’ll tell you the basics of what you will need to get around in the world of Novarra.”

Mark switched places with the woman and gave the crowd a nervous smile. “Hi. The basic user interface throughout Novarra is governed by what we call ‘mental commands’ and it’s how you’ll be interacting with things like your character sheet and item descriptions,” Mark spoke nervously at first but with increasing confidence as he talked about the technical aspects of his job.

“Although the process itself is somewhat complicated, the act of using it is not. All you have to do is think of something you want to happen. Like Character Sheet or Inspect, for example, and expect something to happen. Essentially, what happens is the nanites in your blood stream detect the electrical impulses in the language center of your brain and measure the neurochemical changes that occur when you are in anticipation of something happening.”

Mark paused for a moment to gather his thoughts before he continued, “The reason we pair both of these things in order for the command to work is so that you don’t get a bunch of pop-ups when thinking through things without intending them to actually show.”

“Like, if you’re fighting a group of monsters or something and you think ‘I wonder what that will do to my Character Sheet?’ we don’t want you to be distracted by the interface then. So, the expectation for something happening has to also be there. And don’t worry if it’s not perfect at first. The frustration you feel is much easier to track and we use that in our machine learning algorithms to determine when you actually want to see the interface or not.”

“Um,” Mark looked behind him at the woman in the business suit who was starting to give him the look and cleared his throat, “But you’ll get the chance to try all that out before entering Novarra after we assign you a pod.”

He blinked and said, “Speaking of, I should probably tell you about our long-term immersion technology.” The woman just shook her head slightly in exasperation behind him as he went on, “Our advances in nanotechnology have given us the ability to not only detect the electrical impulses in the brain but to transmit back to it as well. It is in this way that we can mimic reality so closely. But it requires the rest of your body be placed in a medical coma, since your mind can’t deal with being two places at once. We’re working on a solution for a more intermittent connection to Novarra but for now we’re sticking with on-site medical stasis so we can closely monitor vitals and refresh nanites on a regular basis. As part of our original backers you’ve all been extended the offer to join our long-term immersion program.”

The woman standing behind Mark gently but firmly took his place and said, “Thank you, Mark. I can assure you all that our medical technology has been carefully tested and throughly vetted over the last decade. I’m sure most of you have seen our public updates on the matter as well. If at any time you find yourself uncomfortable with the experience simply give the mental command to Logout three times in a row and our medical personnel will immediately disconnect you. And I assure you, regardless of whether or not you choose to participate in our full immersion program, as backers you will all be receiving the gear to connect to Novarra on a more intermittent basis as soon as the technology is ready for production.”

She nodded to someone off to the side and at the unspoken signal a small horde of people in VWE shirts went to the sides of each row and passed out black tablets of some kind. As I was on the end of the row myself, I passed them along until I was finally holding one of my own. It looked to be a simple touch screen tablet about twice the size of my phone and the only visible button was on the top. I looked around at others playing with the thing and it appeared to be the on switch so I pressed it.

The VWE logo flashed on screen for a moment then cleared to reveal a login screen with account name and password fields. I was halfway through putting in my account credentials when the woman spoke up, “Now that you all have your tablets please log in with your VWE account information. You’ll receive directions to the room where you will be connecting to Novarra now. Thanks, and enjoy!”

Simmering excitement turned into an explosion of activity as people got up to follow the directions that now appeared on their screens. At the end of the aisle, I got up as well despite still logging in, if only so that I wouldn’t get crushed by the eager horde. When I finally saw my own instructions I followed them as well.

Down the massive elevator, at which there was already a wait, and through some bare and unexciting halls, I followed the simple directions to my appointed room. Inside there were six silver pods, thicker than I expected but completely smooth and made up of some kind of brushed metal. Next to each was a stand with an array of monitors.

Most of the stands looked to be powered down but a couple clearly showed vitals signs and other data. I finally noticed the other person in the room standing in front of these with a tablet of their own in hand. From behind all I could see was that she had a blond ponytail and was wearing white medical scrubs. I waited until she was done with whatever she was doing. When I was in one of these I sure wouldn’t want my caretaker to be interrupted from doing their duties.

Eventually she turned and startled when she saw me. She looked a bit younger than me and she seemed flustered when she said, “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it was that time already.”

She shook her head as if to clear it and went on, “I’m Mary. I’ll be helping you get ready for Novarra today. Have you made your character decisions yet?”

I guess I must have given her a blank look because she laughed and said, “No worries, the app on the tablet will guide you through the process.”

“Huh, no character creation session in Novarra?” I asked, motioning to one of the pods. I was a bit disappointed actually, it seemed like that would be a good way to start off in a new world.

She smiled and said, “Unfortunately we found that it was too disconcerting for people new to virtual reality to start off without a body. And switching bodies after getting used to their own in a virtual world was even more off-putting.”

I nodded at that. I could certainly see how that would be problematic. It just wasn’t something I would ever have considered. Once again, I wondered just how realistic this was going to be and my excitement grew. But first I’d have to make some character decisions so I closed the directions pop-up on the tablet and tapped the one application icon that was visible.

It was almost spartan in it’s simplicity, a simple page-based format with the attribute information listed on the first screen. Since I’d practically memorized that information by now I just skimmed it to make sure it was all the same and hit the ‘Next’ button at the bottom. The second page had a list of the available races but this time there was a checkbox next to the options. I hesitated only a moment before selecting the Custom option.

The next screen listed the races again without the detailed information and the header text said to pick any two races. I selected the Dark Elf race as one option but stopped to think about the other for a minute. There were a few Racial Abilities I was interested in like the Gnome’s Trap Sense or the Infernal’s Blood Rage. But the issue with those choices was the very real risk of getting stuck with their other bonuses, ones that I had very little interest in.

Wood Elves, on the other hand, had the Keen Senses passive which, if I could get it to combine with the Nightvision passive, might let me see in the dark better than most could see in the daylight. They also had other bonuses that meshed well with my intentions of going the sneaky route. Checking the box next to the Wood Elf option, I then clicked on the button to continue.

Instead of the next screen appearing I got a pop-up. It said I’d chosen Half Dark Elf / Half Wood Elf as my race and that this would be a permanent choice once accepted. I assumed it was so that you couldn’t just try over and over for the optimal combination and, crossing my fingers, I pressed the ‘Accept’ button.

The next page showed my race at the top again with the racial bonuses I’d received listed under it:

Passive Ability: Nightvision - See clearly even in low lighting conditions. Passive Ability: Keen Senses - Taste, Sight, Touch, Smell, and Hearing are all enhanced. +2 to Agility

It was disappointing at first glance and I sighed at the sight of only three bonuses listed. Then again I’d gotten both of the passives I’d really wanted so maybe it would work out for the best. Under the bonuses was a line that said Available Points: 25 and a list of the five attributes. There was a 5 next to each attribute, except for Agility which had a 7, and a circular button containing a plus sign to the right of each number.

This part seemed fairly obvious so I immediately started pressing the button next to the Agility attribute. As a stealthy rogue, thief, assassin, agent, or something similar that Novarra might offer I figured having a high agility would be important for sneaking and dealing damage. When the number hit 17 the button to add points disappeared. I did notice a button to subtract points appear during my spending spree though, so it didn’t appear to be a permanent choice yet.

I tried adding points to Endurance next and it seemed like the limit for that was 15, which made sense when factoring in Agility’s racial bonus. That would only leave me with 5 extra points though and I wanted to be able to use a bit of magic to help keep me from sight and detect dangerous things. So I pulled Endurance back down to 10 and increased Intelligence and Wisdom to 10. At first, I had planned on fewer points in Wisdom and more in Strength but without a racial bonus to skill gain I figured the extra Wisdom would come in handy. With all my points spent I moved on to the next page.

At the top of the page was a simple message: Select any four starting skills. What followed was a list of hundreds of skills. The sheer variety was just incredible. There was the stuff you’d expect like Swords, Bows, and Fire Magic. Then there was stuff that made me laugh out loud, startling the poor blond woman in the room as I read through the list. Who would want to pick Basket Weaving as one of their skills? Although, as I thought about it more, the one person who did pick it might just make a killing off of it. Clearly, Novarra was catering to all types. That was a good thing in my mind, it tended to result in a healthier economy.

As I scrolled through the list it occurred to me that some of these skills might be more valuable than others. Swords, for example, was probably a lot easier to learn than something like Fire Magic. You could pick up any sword and start swinging it around and probably learn the first one but how would you learn a magical skill through experimentation? I was almost certain there would be some kind of skill books or trainers but just the fact that it couldn’t be learned any other way would increase the value of certain skills.

To that end I looked through the list specifically for things that would be difficult to learn otherwise. I actually already knew a bit about the classic rogue skill of Lockpicking thanks to some of my odd hobbies but I wasn’t sure how it would work in Novarra. It was almost assured to be illegal though, so it might be difficult or expensive to get training for it. I selected it as my first skill after a bit of hesitation then kept scrolling. The next one that caught my eye wasn’t because I thought it would necessarily be difficult to learn, just painful. Traps. Definitely not one I’d want to learn the hard way, I selected it without a second thought.

With half of my skills selected, but still having no combat ability, I decided to look at the magical side of things. The magic system in Novarra was split into three different branches: Source, Elemental, and Primal. The Source branch consisted of a single school or affinity of magic, Arcane Magic. It had no bonuses or penalties against any other type of magic. The Elemental magics were Air, Earth, Water, and Fire and each of them had a +25% bonus against an element, a -25% penalty against another element, and a final neutral element. The Primal magics were Light, Death, Life, and Dark. They also had the same bonus/penalty structure as the elemental magics except in the amount of 50% for each.

I decided to take both Arcane Magic and Dark Magic. The first I theorized might be home to utility spells and the like since it had no direct attribute besides magic itself. Dark Magic I was hoping had some spells to make it easier to sneak around or remain hidden. With all four skills selected I hit the button to take me to the next screen.

The top of this page simply stated to pick any two spells for each of my magic skills. There were five Novice spells listed under Arcane Magic and the same amount listed under Dark Magic. I poured over the spells and their descriptions for quite some time. In the end I chose Mana Bolt and Mage Sight from Arcane Magic and Curse of Blindness and Embrace the Darkness from Dark Magic.

Name

Mana Bolt

School

Arcane Magic

Tier

Novice

Cost

10 Mana

Description

A bolt formed of pure mana is cast at a target. Range and damage increase based on the caster’s Intelligence. (1 foot and 1.5 damage per point of Intelligence. +0.5% to range and damage per level of Arcane Magic.)

Name

Mage Sight

School

Arcane Magic

Tier

Novice

Cost

15 Mana

Description

Imbues the caster’s sight with the ability to detect mana sources. Highlights any mana sources within the caster’s range of vision by color based on the source’s school of magic. (10 second duration per point of Intelligence. +2% duration per level of Arcane Magic.)

Name

Curse of Blindness

School

Dark Magic

Tier

Novice

Cost

12 Mana

Description

Lays a curse on the target that temporarily renders them blind. Does not affect beings who can see in the dark. (1 second duration per point of Intelligence. +1% duration per level of Dark Magic.)

Name

Embrace the Darkness

School

Dark Magic

Tier

Novice

Cost

8 Mana

Description

Gathers the shadows themselves around the caster’s body and makes the Sneak ability more effective when used. (5 seconds duration and +1 to the Stealth skill per point of Intelligence. +2% duration per level of Dark Magic.)

With a grin at the idea of using actual magic I eagerly hit the button to continue to the next page. On it was a list of what appeared to be the pantheon of Novarra and a prompt to choose my patron god or goddess.

Io: God of All

The creator of all of Novarra, including the other gods, Io is the supreme being responsible for all of existence. Despite this, not much is known about Io. Any direct interactions with the world of Novarra are typically handled by the other gods on Io’s behalf.

Hesnos: God of Knowledge

Patron of bookworms and seekers of lore, Hesnos has a fondness for knowledge in any shape it may take. Typically taking the form of a wizened, balding old man with a flowing white beard, he is most often found amidst stacks of books or reading from long-forgotten scrolls.

Anera: Goddess of Love

Widely considered the most beautiful being in Novarra, Anera treasures love in all of its many forms. Whether the bond between siblings, the adoration of a child for their parents, or the fierce passion of romance, Anera encourages and nurtures one of the most potent motivations in all people.

Oxion: God of Creativity

When an artist pens the final stroke of a masterpiece, a singer inspires an entire crowd with a new song, or an inventor creates something never before seen, a heartfelt prayer to Oxion often follows. Characterized by his blond goatee and wild air, his appearance is as effervescent as it is flamboyant and he is known to speak exclusively in rhymes.

Miris: Goddess of Wealth

Whether a prosperous merchant or successful thief, anyone who is involved in the flowing, golden veins of commerce gives their respect to Miris. Despite the common misconception, she is not solely focused on money, but on generating wealth of any kind. She is most often seen wearing a royal purple dress accented by a plethora of golden jewelry.

Anbris: God of War

Men and women familiar with the battlefield give homage to Anbris in the hopes of finding victory, or a quick and merciful death. But Anbris values honor as well as martial prowess and those who commit crimes of war have been known to feel his wrath. Nobody but Io knows what he looks like though entire battlefields have paused when the god in platemail arrives to bestow his judgment.

Byrena: Goddess of Nature

As wild and untamed as nature itself, Byrena most often takes the form of a young woman in leathers with an animal companion. Famously deaf to the pleas of those suffering in the face of natural disasters, Byrena can often seem as cruel and uncaring as her namesake. However, in the cases where nature is defiled or disrespected those same disasters are directed to her will.

Confused about what a patron god or goddess was for, but I was pretty sure that as a sneaky type, and as someone who loved the whole buying low and selling high thing, I would be safe with Miris. After confirming my selection the next page was a simple yes or no checkbox asking if I wanted to record my sessions for editing and streaming by VWE at a later date in return for a cut of the profits. I looked for the Not only no, but hell no option, couldn’t find it, and just selected no. I wouldn’t make it far keeping secrets if every new person to join the world already new everything I’d done.

The button at the bottom of the page now read ‘Finish’ and with my excitement higher than ever before I pressed it. Anti-climatically, the app just closed back to the default screen with the one icon. However, it was only a moment before the woman in the white scrubs turned and addressed me.

“All done I see. Alright, let’s get you set up,” she walked over to one of the silver pods and pressed something on her tablet. The top half slowly rose until it propped open, looking like a metallic clamshell but instead of a pearl inside there was a ridged foam mattress. There looked to be a variety of sensors on the interior of the pod but I had no idea what they were for.

The woman turned to me again, “Before I give you your nanites I’ll need you to sign the legal documents.” She tapped her tablet and said documents appeared on my screen in a flash. I scrolled through what I assumed was the typical legal jargon about waiving liability but considering the advanced technology involved I figured I should slow down and at least read some of it.

After seeing some passages like Waives the right to litigation in the case of depression, post traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and panic attacks, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and other mental conditions I decided I actually didn’t want to know what it said. I just scrolled to the bottom of the excessively long document and confirmed my acceptance. And fervently hoped I didn’t just sign away my sanity.

When I was done and trying not to let fear creep up on me about what I was about to do, the woman checked her tablet again and said, “Okay, good. Now I just need to give you an injection to put you under. If you can remove your clothes and lay down on the bed that would be great.”

I followed her instructions with some embarrassment, not really enjoying being naked in the cold room, but the tiny syringe full of clear liquid she held drew my eye. “Is that the nanite injection?” I asked.

She laughed and said, “Oh no, this is just to knock you out first. This has the nanites in it,” she pulled out an enormous syringe full of a silvery substance that would have given an elephant pause. I wasn’t afraid of needles but I suddenly felt the urge to develop a healthy fear in the very near future. Before I could say anything she gave me a smile and said, “Sweet dreams!”

Then she plunged the syringe into my neck and I blacked out. Thankfully, it was the small one.