Chapter 2: Prologue 2: Prologue Harder

In the mind of the dwarf, an information display supplants his vision of the rune covered walls. Black and gold borders pulsing around a series of tabs. A name in the upper left corner and a number in the upper right are ignored by the dwarf as he selects the tab labeled Respawn Options and Modifiers.

A new sub list populates and he scrolls immediately to the bottom, selecting an entry near the bottom as his eyebrow raises.

“Gloria, make note of two new entries at 10,000,000 XP. First is Ascendance - Rise above the mortal plane, mostly. Second is True Legacy - Guide your descendants. Note Ascendance as a possible solution for my… issue.”

“Both items added. Ascendance noted.”

With a mental nudge, a different entry is selected in the dwarf’s head.

Full Reroll - Sometimes you just have to start over. Resets all statistics and abilities. Removes all mortal or lower Boons and Banes. Removes Soulbound Boons and Banes of Demigod or lower status. Removes Transcendent or Deific Boons and Banes unless the respective Power expends additional resources. Cost is equal to current available XP. Minimum 1,000,000 XP.

Focusing on the XP cost, a window Identical to the screenshot that Gloria shared earlier appears:

Full Reroll may be cancelled after confirming purchase, however no XP will be refunded.

Confirm?

Yes / No

“Yup, sure.” Willing the ‘Yes’ prompts a new entry to appear and a stillness to wash over the dwarf.

Full Reroll initiated.

You are perception locked to this instance of the XP store interaction.

Any cancellation will end this perception lock and forfeit your spent XP.

Five prompts will follow that will guide your Reroll results.

“Well, I guess that is why there is no further information available. Sorry I didn’t say goodbye, Gloria.” The dwarf’s lips don’t move, but the thoughts hang in the air of his mental space.

1) Memories: Mental age exceeds 10. Memories will be impacted. Selections available are:

a) Screw My Memories - They are lost forever, vague impressions or dreams in the life of the new reroll. +10 Karma

b) Prophetic Dreams - Things you deem important will enter the new you occasionally as dreams or compulsions. +5 Karma

c) Fragments can be Reclaimed - Your memory will reintegrate as your experience increases. +0 Karma

d) My Memories are Inviolate - All memories remain intact. -10 Karma

“What is this ‘Karma’?” touching the word mentally causes a small bit of text to appear.

…

Karma - This value determines unnamed modifications and options provided to the user after the Full Reroll is complete. Positive results have beneficial modifications, negative results are the opposite. More is better.

…

“Oh swell… Well, without my memories I’m not really the same person… so I want to at least reclaim them, and I’m pretty sure I can Sam Beckett for a while. Maybe a mage or engineer path? Magic is fun anyhow. Store, select option C for prompt 1.”

Karma +0

Karma Total 0

2) Body:

a) Full Random - Any possible entity +20 Karma

b) Random - Any common intelligent race / bloodline, user may select gender after roll. +5 Karma. An additional +1 Karma if gender is random.

c) Almost Random - Random selection from a list of any race / bloodline which the user has previously been or befriended, user may select gender after the roll. +0 Karma. +1 Karma if gender is random.

d) Not Very Random - User presented with 10 random options to pick from. -5 Karma

e) Free to be Me - Select a common intelligent race / bloodline and gender. -10 Karma

“Interesting, I’d rather not come back as an intelligent amoeba… But some entities would likely be immune to the Bane even if it isn’t cleared otherwise. Heh, maybe an AI? A Dragon, Kraken or Elemental might be an interesting change of pace.” A low chuckle rumbles in the mental space, “Maybe pull old anime meme with a slime life. Convinced myself! Store, select option A for prompt 2.”

Karma +20

Karma Total 20

3) Age - presented as humanoid growth stage standard for simplicity but will be modified depending on body:

a) Full Random - Any possible age. Minimum 10% of life expectancy remaining even at venerable +15 Karma

b) Neonatal +10 Karma

c) Infancy +8 Karma

d) Toddler +6 Karma

e) Child +4 Karma

f) Puberty +2 Karma

g) Young Adult +0 Karma

h) Adult +1 Karma

i) Senior +5 Karma

j) Elder - Minimum 15% of life expectancy remaining +9 Karma

k) Venerable - Minimum 10% of life expectancy remaining +12 Karma

“New meaning to Toddler. I really don't want to be too old or too young, but this is one I could work for Karma, I wish I knew how good the benefits might be... Store, select option A for prompt 3.”

Karma +15

Karma Total 35

4) Initial Location:

a) Full Random - Any location where the users new Body can survive for at least 3 hours without shelter is possible +15 Karma

b) Random location by environment type - Select environment type after selection (examples include desert, mountain, island, rainforest…) +10 Karma

c) Random Urban Location - A town or city where your body / race is accepted +5 Karma

d) Not so Random Location - Random roll among places which have strong personal meaning to you +0 Karma

e) Less Random Location - Initial spawn will be within the same region as the location from which Full Reroll was triggered. -5 Karma This option is unavailable to you

f) Home Sweet Home - Select your initial spawn location - 10 Karma. This option is unavailable to you

“Unavailable?” Focusing on that line of text a new line of text appeared.

…

Home Sweet Home is unavailable due to selections for Prompt 2 and 3. Random factors may trigger unexpected survival risks which would be prevented through automated system adjustments.

…

“I mean, I suppose if the new body was huge it might be a problem, but why not the same region? Oh, right, land locked, might be rough for a kraken. Ri-ight… Store, reset selections for prompts 1, 2 and 3. Return to prompt 1.”

…

Unable to reset selections once they are made for Full Reroll. Option to cancel Full Reroll remains. Cancel Full Reroll?

…

“Isn’t that convenient. Store, do NOT cancel Full Reroll. I should have thought to ask. Store, display prompt 5 and the prompt 5 options.”

…

Prompt 5 is unavailable for display. All previous prompt selections must be made prior to displaying Prompt 5. Selection for Prompt 4 is not set.

…

“Store, can you provide any information about Prompt 5 prior to making all selections for Prompts 1 through 4?”

…

No

…

“In for a penny, in for a pound… another full random it is. Store, select option A for Prompt 4”

Karma +15

Karma Total 50

5) Initial Social Standing:

a) Random - Perhaps a Prince, Perhaps a Pauper +25 Karma

b) Bottom - lowest 1% average status for the region of initial spawn. +50 Karma

c) Low - In the lower 25% average status for the region of initial spawn. +10 Karma

d) Average - Within 25% of the midpoint of average status for the region of initial spawn. +0 Karma

e) High - in the higher 25% average status for the region of initial spawn. -10 Karma

f) Superior - in the top 5% average status for the region of initial spawn. -25 Karma

g) Elite - in the top 0.1% average status for the region of initial spawn. -50 Karma

“Hmm, Well, the high Karma variance indicates how important this option is… But do I care? Well, if I start as a baby of an impoverished indenture it would be very high risk. Store, is there anything in place to exclude the possibility of starting enslaved?”

…

No

…

“Store, are there examples provided for what might qualify as Bottom social status?”

…

Branded Criminal, Criminal Indenture, Vilified Creature such as Feral Beastkin in an urban techno center .

…

“Yeah, certainly not good. I could work around it though. But I also don’t want the politics of nobility… certainly don’t want to pay for it… So Boring, but... Store, select option A for Prompt 5”

Karma +25

Final Karma Total 75

Full Reroll available to complete or abort. Selecting No will forfeit XP and cancel.

Confirm?

Yes / No

“Yeah, time for a change.”

Mentally pressing the Yes selection triggers a glow that washes over the dwarf from all directions. Brightness increases moment by moment until the very flesh of the stout body begins to flake away, revealing only more light beneath. Once the dwarf is gone the light pulses and shrinks to nothing.

Full Reroll underway.

Statistics and Abilities reset.

Removing Boons and Banes

Conflict recorded from Bane source - Deific Bane remains attached to soul

Karma granted to user +50

New Karma Total 125

Memories can be reclaimed - User’s memory will reintegrate as system experience increases

Body Random Roll Underway

Result: Treant - No Gender Needed

Conflict from Bane attached to soul. Bane source prompts reroll

Karma granted to user +5

New Karma Total 130

Body Random Roll Underway

Result: Walking Corpse - Male

Conflict from Bane attached to soul. Bane source prompts reroll

Karma granted to user +10

New Karma Total 140

Body Random Roll Underway

Result: Fire Elemental - No Gender Needed

Conflict from Bane attached to soul. Bane source prompts reroll

Karma granted to user +20

New Karma Total 160

Body Random Roll Underway

Result: Slime - No Gender Needed

Conflict from Bane attached to soul. Bane source prompts reroll

Karma granted to user +40

New Karma Total 200

Body Random Roll Underway

Result: Giant Blooded - Female

Age Random Roll Underway

Puberty

Initial Location Random Roll Underway

(38°00'00.3"N 119°59'59.5"W)

Valid location Locked

Initial Status Random Roll Underway

60.4% - Slightly above Average

Karma Total 200

Calculated Bonuses:

+20.0% Bonus XP

+4.0% Beneficial Luck adjustment

4 Common Boons:

Symmetry

Mana Eyes - Lesser

Sure Grip

Good Balance

2 Uncommon Boons:

Spare Change

Improved Mana Capacity

1 Rare Boon:

Magical Affinity - Universal

200XP