The embers of the fire had burned low, and most of the camp had gone to sleep. Some time ago Alomar had helped me put up a small tent beside his.

For the next step, I needed more input. I summoned my guide.

“I am your guide.”

“Can you say anything else when you appear?” I asked.

“I have variable greetings.”

“Can you just say ‘Hello.’?” I asked annoyed.

“I can.”

“Please do that from now on.” I said.

I turned to my apparently ever patient guide and asked, “If I were to determine that I wanted a Fae background, that would influence my abilities and so on?”

“Indeed.” My guide responded.

“I think I am willing to proceed.” My guide merely nodded.

I returned to the original options screen and started sorting through. My first profession was already selected.

[Characteristics]

[Abilities]

[Class]

[Race]

[Skills]

[Spellcasting]

[Profession]

Wilderness Guide

[Craft]

With a Fae heritage, and a Ranger path in front of me, I decided on Half Elven as a race. It seemed the most appropriate for my ongoing wilderness focus. I selected the [Race] option and scrolled down to [Half-Elf]. Taking a deep breath, I selected and confirmed it.

I felt a brief warmth and saw a slight glow about me. Without a mirror to check my appearance, I ran my hands over my face and head. Yup, my ears had points now. Not hugely obvious ones, but enough that I could tell they weren’t smoothly round anymore. My clothes felt a little roomier now, but I noticed my wrists stuck out of my sleeves a little more than they did before.

I held up my arm to my Guide. “What can I do about this? Will my clothes adjust to me?”

“Personal equipment adjusts to fit you when it is created, but not after. Perhaps if you had chosen your Race earlier?” It replied. I imagined it would have raised an eyebrow at me, if it had eyebrows.

“Fine then.” I said, resisting the urge to inject snark into my voice. “I have more questions. Are there specific conditions when I can see you, and can you change that? How about others? How do I decide what my abilities are? If I choose the Ranger apprentice path, will that determine my abilities or any other aspect?”

“Anyone can see me, unless you select otherwise, but only you can issue instructions. Whether or not I appear visually, I can always answer your questions and perform my system functions. Unless you forbid it, I can answer questions of others, but I can never interact with their information nor can they use me to interact with yours.” my guide clarified. “Choosing the Ranger path will determine certain aspects, and it will provide you with specific skills. Although it does not determine your characteristics, it does require certain minimums.”

“Do I currently meet these minimums?”

“You currently meet the required minimums, however your current scores would not allow for much progression and you would find it a challenging and difficult path.”

“How do I improve my abilities?”

“You have three options. First, you can accept random scores assigned to you. They could be better or worse than what you have now. They will remain fixed until they are improved within the parameters of the system.

Second, you can accept a pool of ability and assign your characteristics the values you desire within those limits. They will remain fixed until they are improved within the parameters of the system.

Third, you can accept your existing ability scores and work to improve them before completing your apprenticeship. On completion of your apprenticeship they will become fixed and subject to improvement within the parameters of the system.”

“What are these parameters of the system?”

“As you advance you will be given the opportunity to improve various abilities. The more you perform activities that use a given ability the more that ability will grow.”

“So the more heavy things I lift, the stronger I will get. The more I practice with the sword, the more agile I will get.”

“Yes.”

“Is it easier to advance abilities within an apprenticeship, or after the apprenticeship?”

“Generally speaking all advances come easier during the structure of an apprenticeship, however they are usually limited to the topics studied during the apprenticeship. “

“Do I retain any advances earned during my apprenticeship if I do not finish the apprenticeship?”

“Apprenticeships do not have a specific completion time. Apprenticeships can progress any time the appropriate teacher and resources are available. Some teachers may refuse to teach an apprentice from a different school or who does not meet any of their particular requirements.”

“Could I pursue multiple apprenticeships either in sequence or in parallel?”

“It is possible, but unlikely, you will be able to pursue parallel apprenticeships, due to the requirements of any given teacher and your proximity to them. Pursuing sequential apprenticeships depend on the instructors you have access to.”

“Are there any teachers in the trainee area would be unwilling to teach me during or after any portion of my Ranger apprenticeship?”

“None that I am aware of.”

“Which is currently higher, the pool of ability scores that would be available to me, or my existing ability scores? Would I be able to increase my existing ability scores to exceed the pool?”

“The pool exceeds your current ability scores, however average gains demonstrated by players would enable you to exceed the amount currently in the pool if you were to train diligently.”

“That settles it, I will take my existing ability scores and make what I can of my apprenticeship.”

“Please confirm you are accepting standard baseline ability scores. Ability scores will be fixed on the completion of your apprenticeship.”

“I confirm.”

[STR = 10]

[INT = 10]

[DEX = 10]

[WIS = 10]

[CON = 10]

[CHA = 10]

[Health = 10/10]

”Please confirm the remainder of your starting characteristics.”

I reopened the characteristics tab quickly scrolled through. Most of it was basic things I had overlooked in the beginning. Hair colour, eye colour, height, weight, and so on. The reason I had always assumed that I looked same way as… What did I look like before? I just assumed that what I looked like now was what I looked like before…

With nothing to go on I asked my guide for typical ranges for the character and race I had chosen. Since this was supposed to be some sort of game, I decided I might as well make myself a little heroic. A little taller, a little broader, more athletic.

A suitably heroic name rounded out my selections. Henceforth I would be known as:

Ixion

When I was done I confirmed with the guide of this is acceptable.

In the morning I would tell my new friends I was ready to start my Ranger apprenticeship.

***

Every few moments I kept wondering if this was when I started to regret my decision. Every part of me ached. Parts I didn’t know could ache were aching. How was it possible that I could be trapped in a game or simulation of some sort and feel this bone tired?

I still hadn’t figured out where I was, or what was going on. Every once in a while I suspected my guide knew more than it was letting on, and maybe even was trying to coach me or give me something, but then it was like a shutter closed and it was back to talking to a wall.

I never thought it was possible to learn this much this fast, but as soon as I thought I had reached my limits, my teachers pushed me harder and further. They never yelled, or in fact raised their voices. They just had a way of looking at me that told me I was once again falling somewhat short of their expectations. I learned quickly how much more there was being a Ranger than sneaking around in the bushes and shooting a bow and arrow.

It wasn’t like real life...at least I thought it wasn’t. I knew there had to have been more before waking up on a dirt road, because that’s not how life starts. But I couldn’t remember anything before that. Was this a game? Was it a simulation? ...and if so, of what? I knew I was getting better at...this, whatever ‘this’ was. Sometimes I could see the progress and know when I was going to improve, but other times my gains seemed less...linear. I kept watching for clues to what was going on, and when my guide seemed less...guarded, I tried to dig for more answers. Sometimes I got extra useful tidbits that helped me understand how to do better...other times, not so much.

Apparently an apprenticeship was treated as one massive quest built out of dozens, if not hundreds, of smaller quests. Every day I woke to find a long list of quests I had to achieve or complete before I could move on to the next ones. Sometimes I got to choose what to do next, and other times everything was laid out like a ladder and I just had to keep stepping.

[Quest: prepare breakfast]

[Quest: clean and oil weapons]

[Quest:

I learned how to select materials for quarterstaves, bows, and arrows. While there was never any thought I would become a Master Bowyer or Fletcher, I had to be able to maintain my weapons away from the encampments, and if necessary to build a new one if one were lost or damaged. I spent hours every day producing dozens of basic arrows and then using them over and over until they were useless. Eventually a few of my better ones were even considered good enough to be practice arrows for the full Rangers.

[Craft: Lv 1 - Bowyer]

[Craft: Lv 2 - Fletcher]

[Craft: Lv 3 - Sylvan weapons]

I learned to fight with the quarterstaff. Although not as lethal as a sword in untrained hands, it could become plenty lethal in the hands of a master. Besides, it was easier to find or make a stick than a sword, and less likely to attract attention walking through town. It would also be easier to mend or replace in the wilderness. Swords would come later in my apprenticeship, after I mastered the traditional weapons.

[Skill: Lv 2 - Quarterstaff]

I learned how to track both two-legged and four-legged quarries, as well as hide my own tracks. After a few days, I was using all of my skills to hunt for the encampment. Fortunately there were other Rangers out foraging for the encampment for if they had relied on my skills we would’ve gone hungry more than a few nights. However my skills continued to increase along with my abilities, although I wasn’t sure if one was leading the other.

[Skill: Lv 1 - Tracking]

[Skill: Lv 1 - Hunting]

[Skill: Lv 1 - Dressing game]

[Skill: Lv 1 - Cooking]

[STR = 12]

[INT = 11]

[DEX = 12]

[WIS = 10]

[CON = 10]

[CHA = 10]

[Health = 12/12]

***

After the first few successful hunts I noticed that I didn’t seem to gain any experience. Sitting by the fire one night making arrows, I asked the Guide about this.

“Experience accrues as a method of advancing in a class. Until you complete an apprenticeship and possess a class, the system does not assign experience to you as it has no mechanism to recognize. You continue to advance your ranking in any skill you practice independent of your class.”

“So I can continue to advance in skills, but not in the class. I thought they were the same thing.”

“They are similar and related, but not the same. Classes have specific skills that are associated with them and increase as they do. However you can also train in skills outside of your class, or focus on skills beyond the expectations of that class. Until you complete your apprenticeship, all skills are treated the same way.”

“Can you give me an example?” I asked, still a bit confused.

“The Ranger class trains you in Skills such as Tracking and Hunting, and Crafts such as Bowyer and Fletcher. However, it does not provide instruction in blacksmithing, or Arcane spell work. If you wish to learn those skills you must find a different teacher.”

“What if I train a skill that is part of the Ranger class beyond what is part of the apprenticeship? …And what about my Fae heritage? When does that come into play?”

“Skills continue to advance, regardless of whether or not you have a class. Once you have a class, the interplay becomes simpler, but you do not lose the skills. As to your Fae heritage, it is impossible to determine when Heritage powers will manifest. Since you have been immersing yourself in the Sylvan environment I would expect it would be sooner rather than later. However it has been known to take years before Fae heritage manifests.”

“Years?”, I said with a sigh. I turned back to making more arrows.