Kevin rolled out of bed, yesterday had been a long day between clearing his initial quests and reviewing and editing his footage. His comm was beeping at him, ok let's see who wanted him now. "Hey Kevin, it's Jordan. Bree and I heard about your accident, we were just calling to check on you make sure your brain wasn't even more fried than usual. Take care brother, hit us up when you can." Kevin had to smile, it had been a couple weeks since he had heard from Jordan and Bree. It was always good to hear from them, they are crazy people but good. They also had a friendly rivalry with Matt due to them being part of the Grim Reapers. They really needed to have a BBQ again, it had been a while since they had done that. He would call them back during lunch to check on them and see if they were up to the idea. Time to get back to work. Fate Online...

Jacob opened his eyes and rolled out of bed, he had to go get his armor that had been trashed by the time he had gotten back in yesterday. Before that, though he had to read through the book he acquired and some of the gear he had decided to keep and the notifications he had put off. He had a shield, ring, and helm, hopefully, all of them would be upgrades.

Name: Spiked Shield of Life

Level: Uncommon

Properties: Armor Rating +15, Chance to block increased by 30%, Attackers receive 5 damage per attack, +3 to Constitution

Durability: 35/40

Description: Basic shield, little better then what the most common soldier can acquire (I get hurt, you get hurt, lets just both walk away)

Name: Ring of Minor Life

Level: Common

Properties: +5% Life

Description: Common ring that you can almost find anywhere

Name: Iron Helm of Defense

Level: Common

Properties: Armor Rating +8, Plus 3% chance to Block

Durability: 37/40

Description: Basic Helm that common front-line soldiers wear (Give me your best shot...that's all you got, I can do this all day)

Due to constant battle, the following skills have increased...

Name: Block

Level: Common (lvl 4)

Properties: +4% Chance to Block (Will increase as skill levels, Passive)

Description: Increases the chance that you will block a hostile attack (Physical, Ranged, or Magical), keep your shield and between you and the enemy. (If you are going to be a meat shield, put something between you and the pointy objects so you last longer)

Name: Parry

Level: Common (lvl 2)

Properties: +2% Chance to Parry (Will increase as skill levels, Passive)

Description: Increase the chance that you will parry a physical attack, at certain levels, it is said you can cut arrows and magic also (If you can't block the pointy end, make sure it doesn't hit you)

Name: Dodge

Level: Common (lvl 3)

Properties: +3% Chance to Dodge (Will increase as skill levels, Passive)

Description: Increase the chance that you will Dodge an attack (No you are not dancing, it is making sure the sharp points do not hit you)

Woohoo, every little chance to survive helps even small percentages could make all the difference in survival and death. Now let's see what that book will tell me about being a Blood Knight. As he opened the Tome the first page had a note attached

Sir, Ma'am

If you are reading this Tome, the Order of Blood Knights have become extinct and somehow against all odds you became one without someone to train you. Since you do not have a trainer though, you will still need to acquire the Skills and Abilities that our Order offers. This Tome was created in case our Order ever fell and needed to be reconstituted. The second part of this Tome has information about the inner workings of our Order, Ranks, and Tenants. Stay true to our Path, hold faith in your Brothers and Sisters, and you will never be alone.

V/R

Alexi Sunstreaker

Lord General of the Order of the Blood Knights

After that half the pages flew by as if by magic, knowledge, and power flowed into him as Skills and Abilities flew into his mind, Paths he might take as he became older and stronger, and when the knowledge was done flooding into his brain the Tome slammed shut and about it was half the size it once was.

He got up and had a cup of water and a cup of blood to top off. His head was still spinning like he had gotten up too fast but he knew it was his head just accepting all the new knowledge. Some he knew he would never use, and some paths would be locked away based on choices he would make but that was a worry for another day. He quickly read through the skills in abilities he had acquired.

Skill Unlocked

Name: Aura of Stalwart Malice

Level: Uncommon (Lvl 1)

Properties: Increase Armor by 5%, Allies by 2.5% (Passive)

Properties: Opponents within 10 ft receive increased 5% Damage (Passive)

Description: The Knight surrounds himself and allies boosting their defense, enemies within the area of influence receive additional damage from all sources (I am a brick wall, this is going to hurt you and me, you more than me though)

Skill Unlocked

Name: Bloodletting

Level: Rare (Lvl 1)

Properties: 5% of Damage you deal, you receive back as health (Passive)

Description: Every cut you deal bleeds and adds to your own health (let's make it rain...blood)

Ability Unlocked

Name: Aura Blast

Level: Uncommon (Lvl 1)

Properties: Opponents receive an Additional 5% damage from all sources (lasts 30 sec)

Properties: Decreases opponents Attack power by 10% (Lasts 15 Sec)

Cost: 25 Stamina, 10 Health

Description: Send out a blast of energy in the surrounding 10ft area, all opponents struck are affected (You think that's a fart, hold my beer and watch this)

Ability Unlocked

Name: Double Strike

Level: Common (Lvl 1)

Properties: Strike your Target Twice, the second attack deals 25% more damage then the first

Cost: 15 Stamina

Description: Hit a target once, then quickly follow up with a second strike with even more damage (Hitting you once didn't get the point across, well here is a second shot)

Two Skills and abilities for free at no cost, woohoo!!!!!!! Time to go get his Armor and get this show on the road. He needed to track down Sgt Shadowstrider and get Charge and Power Slash upgraded. As he was walking out of the Palace he was flagged down by a guard who gave him a piece of paper with the general location of where the spiders had been spawning in the Mid City.

Updated Quest: Itsy Bitsy Spider

Description: You now have the general location of the Spider Queen, hunt her down and eliminate her before her brood takes over the whole Mid City.

Now he had both locations for the quests within the Tomb, he could now scout them out and plan his attack. He spotted the Sgt bellowing at Guardsman and headed over to get his skills upgraded. Less then 30 seconds later he was walking away after making a promise next time he had some time he would stop by to spar, awesome he would get some bruises for the man's fun.

Ability Upgraded

Name: Charge

Level: Common (lvl 2)

Cost: 25 Stamina

Properties: Move to your target and possibly (55% chance) stun them for 3 seconds, cooldown 1 minute

Description: Rush your target and get right in their face, you might even nock them for a loop if you are lucky (Here comes the train baby, woo woo)

Ability Upgraded

Name: Power Slash

Level: Common (lvl 2)

Cost: 25 Stamina

Properties: Increases the damage of your attack by 55%

Description: Your next attack will hit your target for additional damage (I HAVE THE POWER)

The blacksmith charged him 3 Silver for repairs and bought the basic shield for 50 Copper. As he made his way out of the Inner City, so he could scout the Spider Queens area he felt a prick on his arm while walking through a crowd and the next thing he knew he was sitting in a chair with several cloaked figures standing around him. The lead one stepped forward and pulled back his cowl, "Sorry about interfering with your business, but Captain Isiah notified us of your encounter with the rogue faction. We appreciate your concern, we just wanted to make a request of you. If they contact you again, to threaten you or for something else, just notify us directly please." Jacob nodded, the man smiled and placed a coin in his outstretched hand and walked away with his two companions.

Name: Far Speaking Coin

Level: Epic

Properties: Allows the user to communicate over distances at no cost

Description: Rub the coin to communicate with the paired coin at almost any distance (testing 1, 2, 3, can you hear me now?)

When he looked up the three companions were gone, ok then let's see if I can get out of the city without being waylaid again. He was apparently in a cellar of a building near where he had been, good he wouldn't have to backtrack too far. About an hour later, he was approaching the designated area for the Spider Queen. To put it simply, he was screwed. The area swarmed with Spiderlings in groups of 3 patrolling the outer areas, the inner areas were patrolled with a spider warrior with two spiderlings or paired spider warriors and the weakest spiderling he saw was lvl 3. Well, that sucks, let's try and see what he could find with the Outer City. About 30 minutes later, he was approaching a fortified building that was swarming with Goblins and Orcs. Which led to him heading back to the city...time to call for some reinforcements if he could get anyone to go.

After an hour of sparring with Sgt Shadowstrider, he got to talking. "So I got a bit of a problem Sgt, I got to deal with a couple problems but I cannot do it alone. Any chance you can help me out?"

James smiled before responding "Wish I could, but I have too much to do here and I cannot shirk my duties here. I am guessing you are trying to figure out how to complete the more challenging quests that are coming your way?" Jacob nodded his agreement "Well if you had been turned by one of the other Noble families you would have a support structure. You don't, you are literary building a new noble house from the ground up. So you will have to create a new family including the inherent support structure, which includes Blood Bonded. Those are beings that are bound in blood to a noble house, it's a symbiotic relationship between the Vampires of the House and those that are not inherently vampires. They will provide substance and services to the Vampires while the Vampires themselves will donate blood to those bound to their House and support their needs."

Secret Achievement Unlocked: Noble Construction

Description: You found out about the basic building blocks of any Vampires House are the Blood Bound (Your Bonded gain 10% to their Stats within 10 feet, and gain 5% more experience due to the Bond)

Secret Quest Found: Everyone Starts Somewhere (Stage 1)

Description: Bind 10 beings to your Line (Hey everyone has to start somewhere) 0/10

Rewards: Increases the loyalty of all your bound by 10%, UNKNOWN

Ability Unlocked

Name: Blood Binding

Level: N/A

Cost: 10% of Your Health

Properties: Create a blood link between you and a mortal, increases the Bonded stats by 5%

Description: This Ancient Ritual is as old as the Vampire race that enhances the mortal bonded. (Why can't we be friends, why can't we be friends)

"Anyway, you can go down to the Pit, that is where you will find all those that are not bound to any house that wants to be. Those that run that area will have catalogs of those that are offering their services, they will require a small fee for being the middleman." Jacob nodded his head and headed off with the new direction. Approaching the area he saw multiple stands with clerks manning each stand. He saw a small group of people waiting to talk to the clerks. He decided before talking to the clerks that he would log off for lunch before figuring out what he would do here. Real World

Kevin stretched his muscles as he got out of the pod and made his way to his kitchen and getting his food ready "Cortana call Jordan."

"Earth to Douche Canal, Earth to Douche Canal, how can I help you?" Jordan responded.

"Shut the fuck up dude, I am just calling to check on you and Bree." Kevin said.

Jordan promptly responded "We are doing good, Bree is out getting groceries. How is your head?"

"Good, I was thinking about doing a bbq. You and your other half and Matt, we have not had a good bbq in a while. How about later this week, what do you think?" Kevin responded.

"Yeah sounds good. I will call the scoundrel and see what we can set up. Either Bree or I will call you later." Jordan responded. With that the shot the shit for a little while before they both had to go. Fate Online The Pit

Logging back in Jacob checked his surrounding before heading to the nearest clerk. Without even looking up the clerk asked, "How can I help you, sir?" Like so many times before recently

"Ummm, this is my first time, so I really have no idea." The clerk snapped his head up and stared at him, so did several other clerks that were working around. Now he felt like a sideshow freak again, great.

The clerk composed himself before responding "I apologize, sir, you need to tell me what you are looking for, once you do that I can assist you."

Jacob had been thinking about this for a while, "Right now I need two Bonded, both combat oriented. Both near my strength, one that is primarily a healer and the other one ranged combat." The clerk thought before responding, "We have a few selections that should fit in your criteria."

Name: Snaggletooth Stormcaller

Race: Orc

Class: Shaman

Level: 6

Cost: 10 Silver

Name: June Moonshadow

Race: Drow

Class: Ranger

Level: 4

Cost: 10 Silver

Name: Demetri Stonecrusher

Race: Duergar

Class: Priest

Level: 7

Cost: 10 Silver

Name: Shigna Firecaller

Race: Kobold

Class: Mage

Level: 4

Cost: 10 Silver

"Whatever you choose sir, I would also recommend seeing the city clerk about housing your bounded until you earn or buy property. We have plenty of room I am sure you are aware of that fact and that you will be able to acquire property cheaply." the clerk said.

After Jacob looked at the listing, he was thinking about getting 3 of the 4. Housing though would be a problem, the clerk was right about that. He would head over to see the city clerk after he was done here and secure housing for them. "I want to talk to Snaggletooth Stormcaller, June Moonshadow, and Shigna Firecaller. Also, do they have their own equipment or will I need to outfit them as well?" The clerk looked at his paperwork while he sent a runner away

"They already have their own basic equipment if you want something more you will have to purchase it for them." While he was thinking of housing options the runner came back with the three potential bonded.

All three were eyeing Jacob like he was crazy, why he had no idea, so he asked the clerk. "Well sir, most bonded are born into families it takes something special to end up as non-bonded. The Shaman left his family because he said the spirits told him too, he never gave any other reason. The Kobold because he fell out of favor with his Kobold clan, and the Drow was captured, and we could not let her leave to report our location to anyone."

The shaman made some weird gestures and his hand glowed, he smiled for some reason and came right up to Jacob "I will accept the bond." Woohoo, I got a healer, let's see if I can get the DPS. The Kobold simple shrugged and accepted, while the Drow shivered and nodded as well. Jacob quickly cast Blood Binding on all three, he then headed over to the city clerks' office to get them set up with housing until he could figure out a more permanent solution for housing. Once they were done with that, time to head out and kill two mini-bosses and help secure the Mid and Outer Cities. Time to kill a Spider Queen and a rebel...