“Sweetness!” Kristius exclaimed, ”Dude, we have a crew! We’ll need an awesome name, like ‘Death Dealers’ or ‘Mega Destroyers’! Ooh! Hey, maybe we could all shave our heads and be the ‘Bald Badasses’!” he looked at Arabella, ”We could make an exception for the ladies… unless you're willing? You could always claim that you were cursed or something.”

Arabella sighed, but before she could formulate a suitable retort, Meemaw came to the table carrying a tray with a steaming pot and five mismatched teacups. Setting the tray down, she filled the cups with a delicious-smelling brew, and placed one in front of each of the players. She eased herself down on the bench seat next to Niko with a weary sigh, then took a sip from her cup and smacked her lips in satisfaction. She looked around at her guests, who sat eyeing their cups with suspicion.

The old woman clucked her tongue impatiently, “Great gods of the under-earth! Children, if I wanted you dead I wouldn't need to waste my time with poison!” She waved her teacup at them, “This is my own special recipe. Believe me, you’ll like it!”

Summoning his nerve, Niko took a cautious sip of the aromatic drink. The flavor was surprisingly good, and he felt the tea warm his throat all the way down to his stomach, where the sensation then seemed to spread out to all of his limbs.

You have received a food boost:

Meemaw’s Tea — +1 to your primary attribute, dexterity, for 4 hours.

His eyes widened with surprise, and he noticed that his companions all had similar expressions on their faces. They all regarded Meemaw appreciatively.

Arabella was the first to speak, “This stuff is incredible! I had heard that some foods can give enhancements, but the recipes are supposed to be really hard to find. Thank you!”

Meemaw cackled, sounding the very image of a witch from a children’s holovid, ”You helped me, dear, so now I help you. I’ll let you all have the recipe if you want, but you’ll have to learn to find the plants to make it on your own.” She reached over and patted Niko on the cheek, ”Besides, this sweet boy here reminds me of my first husband.” She cackled again when his face flushed bright red. Taking several scraps of paper from the tray, she handed one to each of the players. Niko briefly scanned the note, which proved to be a list of ingredients and their amounts, with instructions on how to prepare and combine them to brew Meemaw’s tea.

Niko took another sip of his tea, savoring the spicy flavor for a moment before he addressed Meemaw. “I’m curious about something — Timm told us you went to the cave looking for some kind of mushrooms that let you speak to the dead. Is that right? Can you really speak to the dead?”

“Oh, he said that, did he?” Meemaw replied sternly, shooting a dark glare at Timm, who had suddenly found something intensely interesting to look at in the floorboards, ”Yes, that's true. I was in the cave looking for them when that little bastard of a shaman caught me unawares.” Her eyes went distant and dark as her voice dropped to a lower register, “Had a trap waiting for me that muddled my senses for a minute, and then a bunch of his grunts jumped on me and gagged me before I could utter a sound. I was down there for quite a while, while they tried to milk me for my magic!” She set her cup down briskly on the tabletop, and her eyes snapped back to alertness as she regarded them all with a raptor’s gaze, ”I have a little story to tell if you'd like to hear it, and maybe you could help an old lady out again this day.”

You have been offered a quest: Rambling Meemaw

Difficulty: Easy

Reward: Experience

Penalty for failure: None

Accept? Yes/No

Niko chose ‘Yes’ to accept, and settled back in his chair, ”Ok, we’re listening.” Everyone grew quiet as they focused their attention on the old lady.

Meemaw ordered Timm to bring her a small cob pipe and a worn, soft leather pouch. She drew a pinch of some dry, crumbled substance — not leafy like tobacco would be — and began to pack it carefully into the bowl of the well-used pipe. Timm fetched a glowing stick from the cookfire and handed it to her. She inhaled deeply as she touched the brand to the pipe’s bowl, more deeply than it seemed should be possible, and then finally exhaled a huge cloud of pungent smoke that wafted slowly throughout the room. As the haze ghosted up around the players’ faces, their eyes began to water and they started to cough and choke. The aroma bore a not unpleasant scent of woodsmoke and earth, but there was a sour undertone of something rotten and decaying. The choking sensation subsided quickly, and they were soon overcome by a strong feeling of disorientation as the world seemed to shift around them.

“What the hell is that stuff?” Arabella choked out. She tried to stand up, only to drop woozily back into her seat.

“Oh wow… I think they had this stuff at the last frat party I went to….” Kristius leaned farther back in his chair and inhaled a deep breath.

“Yeah, what is that stuff? What are you doing to us?” Niko asked. His voice sounded to his ears as if it was echoing down a long tunnel. Battling a faint sense of alarm, he looked around at his companions, who seemed to waver in and out of view as the wisps of smoke danced crazily across his vision. He saw Meemaw belch forth another dense billow of smoke, obscuring still more of the room. Squatting behind her, Timm watched them all with a monstrous smile on his face — a smile much too wide for his head, and filled with pointed, shark-like teeth. He noticed Niko looking at him, and he slowly winked one blood-red eye before the smoke obscured everything from view.

“This is the smoke of the morte mushroom,” Meemaw’s voice murmured in their ears from nowhere and everywhere in the boundless world of wispy grey that now surrounded them, ”It lets us travel to the places of the dead, and to see many things that are hidden from others — and much more, for those who are learned in its secrets.” Her calm, soothing voice seemed to wrap around them like a cloak, like a shroud, enfolding them and pulling them gently but irresistibly along.

The grey haze began to disperse, blown away by a chilly wind. The adventurers found themselves walking on a bleak, rubble-strewn plain of black rock. Blackened, leafless trees poked up through the rock here and there, reaching vainly toward a sunless gray sky, while the cold wind made them twist and shiver as if they were writhing in pain. In the distance, the gray sky roiled with angry dark clouds, and searing flares of incandescent lightning flashed continually. Shadows and shapes shifted ceaselessly at the edge of his vision, but when Niko turned to look there was nothing there. He looked around at his friends, who all returned his gaze silently, unease painted on their faces. There was no color to anyone, only shades of gray. Startled, he looked down at his own hands and found them to appear gray and lifeless-looking. He jumped when Meemaw spoke from just behind him.

“Welcome to the land behind the veil… the domain of the dead,” she announced quietly, “Stay close to me, and ignore anything you hear or see unless I say otherwise.”

“Fuck me, dude… this is like a major bad trip, y’know? I don't feel giggly, and I sure don't have the munchies!” Kristius stated in an overly loud whisper.

“I’m pretty close to logging out here,” Arabella whispered nervously.

“Remember, stay close and don't wander off. If you get lost in here, you could be gone astray for a very long time!” Meemaw admonished, and started off at a brisk pace towards the distant storm. Niko noticed that there was no trace of the frail, old-lady hobbling pace of before. He looked around at his friends with a grimace, and then hurried to catch up with Meemaw. The others followed along, albeit with obvious reluctance.

“Why are we here?” he asked with concern, “I thought you were just going to tell us a story.”

She glanced at him briefly, “In due time. I have someone I want you to meet. He’s sort of the protector or guardian of this realm. He and I have a bit of history between us, and I think you might be someone he would be interested in.”

“History like what, and interested how?” Niko was starting to get an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.

The old woman abruptly stopped walking and turned to him with an impatient wave of her hand, “Long ago, when I was much younger, I apprenticed under an old hedge wizard. He taught me much about how to control my powers, and I practiced at the craft until I eventually became as powerful as him, and I kept honing my skills until finally I surpassed him. After that, I searched out others to learn from, and followed their teachings until, one by one, they had nothing more to teach me. I learned everything I could about magic — all of the elements, necromancy, demonology, even down to the very essences of life and death.” Her eyes took on a feverish intensity that grew as she continued, “Most magi study only one category of magic, trying to reach the pinnacle of its power, but that is so short sighted! All of the aspects of magic can be combined and blended, until you can create spells like no one has ever seen before!” She swept her arm around in an arc at the bleak landscape, “Look around you now, and you probably see a barren wasteland, oh, but it's so much more than that. This place radiates magical power, an untapped source that is primal and raw. That storm up ahead is pure magic, constantly surging and straining to be released. If anyone could learn how to tap into that, she would become the most powerful caster the world has ever seen!” Meemaw was nearly shouting by this time, with flecks of spittle flying from her mouth, ”The very gods themselves would tremble before that kind of power!”

“Jesus dude, she is fucking nuts!” Kristius whispered to Niko, ”Like, completely batshit crazy!”

Meemaw turned her fervid gaze on Kristius, causing the big man to recoil and draw back. ”The shortsighted always look upon the innovators as crazed,” she spat at him.

“Kristius, you really need to learn an inside voice,” Arabella said quietly.

Without another word, the witch whirled around and resumed her trek across the broken ground. The party exchanged worried looks, but having no better option, they grudgingly trailed along. As they travelled closer to the turbid storm, the stunted, twisted trees appeared out of the murky shadows more and more frequently, until it seemed as if they were walking through an eerie and unsettling forest. Niko thought that the trees seemed to turn and quiver as they passed, but quickly put the idea down to a nervous imagination.

“Keep silent, we’re nearly there,” Meemaw commanded in a muted voice.

“Where is there?” Arabella asked, but the old woman gave no answer.

A sudden horrified shout from the back of the group made everyone jump and turn in alarm, “Sweet lord!” The normally silent Lucius stood, pale and shaking, pointing at a tree near him. He looked at his companions with dread on his face, “These are people!” he rasped.

Niko looked where Lucius was pointing, and felt a shock in the pit of his stomach when he perceived the distorted parody of a face formed in the bark of the tree. Even as he watched, a pair of dark-pupiled eyes opened slowly and blinked at him, while the mouth twisted itself into a grim smile devoid of any humor.

“Quiet!” Meemaw admonished, ”Of course they’re people. They’re the souls of those who are trapped in this world. Now keep up!”

Lucius stared at the trees in consternation, trying to keep his distance from them as he followed the group. The others darted nervous glances at the macabre forest as well, looking quickly away to avoid looking at those ghastly faces.

After a short while, the group began to hear a low, sing-song voice emanating from the gloom just ahead of them. As they drew closer, they spied a short, gaunt man wearing an archaic blood-red dinner jacket, complete with long tails that hung to his ankles. His knee breeches were of the same color as the jacket, while his ruffled shirt was a bright, unblemished white. Although the man’s age was indeterminate, his head was bald on top, with a thin fringe of wispy white hair around the edge. His narrow hands had long, thin fingers, which he rubbed over the trees as he passed, like pale spiders dancing across the black bark. He gave a dry and raspy chuckle that sounded like the rustling of a parchment scroll.

“Ahh, Miss Cranton, you’ve come to visit again!” Glowing blue eyes the color of glacial ice appraised the newcomers, “And you brought friends! I do so adore guests,” he declared with a flourish of his hand. The man’s face was sallow and thin, bone-white and skeletal — to the point that it seemed as if his cheekbones might cut right through his flesh at any moment. A narrow blade of a nose hooked severely over a thin-lipped mouth that was currently drawn up into a colorless smile. Shockingly, where his eyes should have been, there were only empty sockets glowing with that uncanny bluish light.

Clasping his thin fingers together, he regarded the group with those unsettling eyes, ”Shalee, perhaps you could introduce me to your friends?” Meemaw made no move to answer, and his gaze flicked at her and back as he continued, ”No? Well, then please allow me. I am Mister Eshu, curator of this realm. Welcome to my humble demesne!” he announced, spreading his arms wide and executing a deep formal bow. He waved a pallid hand at Meemaw, ”Now, I know Miss Cranton here, but the rest of you… ?” He interlaced his fingers again, waiting expectantly.

Niko darted a quick glance at Meemaw, who was uncharacteristically speechless, and then stepped forward and tried awkwardly to emulate the pale man’s bow, “Niko. Pleased to make your acquaintance, sir.”

Arabella stepped up next, blushing furiously as she dipped a passable curtsy, ”Arabella, your... um, sir.”

“Kristius, Mister Eshu sir, and might I add that you have an interesting… umm… woodland?” the big warrior said, as he waved a hand to indicate the landscape.

Lucius’ head peered around from behind Kristius, ”Lucius,” he said, then ducked immediately back out of sight.

Eshu let out a quick laugh, the sound of corn husks rubbing together, and the blue light of his eyes seemed to twinkle, ”Excellent! Now we can all be friends! So now, pray tell, why have you come here?”

Meemaw suddenly pushed herself out in front of the group, ”I came here to offer you a trade — these four for what's mine!” she proclaimed fervently, her whole body shaking with emotion. Niko and the others just stared at the woman in stunned silence.

Eshu regarded her with amusement, ”Trade? Why Miss Cranton, what would ever make you think I was interested in a trade?”

“Please! I made a mistake!” she pleaded, actually dropping to her knees and clasping her hands in supplication, ”I want my soul back! Please!”

“Oh, this can't be good!” Arabella muttered, still wide-eyed with shock.

Eshu strolled casually over to a tree and caressed the trunk with a bony hand, ”I can assure you that won't be happening, Miss Cranton. You were unforgivably wicked! As such, I feel compelled to keep things just as they are.” He continued to run his hand over the tree as he spoke. His eyelights flicked briefly towards the party, “I suspect that these are not yours to trade in any case.”

“Dude!” Kristius poked Niko in the back and pointed at the tree, ”It's got her face! Whatthehell?”

Eshu turned and regarded them with an inscrutable gaze, then indicated the woman kneeling before him, ”Apparently, she neglected to tell you anything about our history together.”

“Actually, she neglected to say anything about you at all!” Niko said, with a look of disgust, ”She said she had a story to tell us, and then we ended up here with her trying to trade us off!”

Eshu clucked his tongue, ”Ah! So impolite. Très impoli! You must allow me to fill in the necessary details. You see, some time ago, Miss Cranton came to my realm, searching for a way to tap the power found here, seeking to become more powerful back in your world. I discovered her essence attempting to siphon off part of the great storm. Now, that alone is a pardonable offense, but she then attempted to strike me down when I bid her to stop.” He chuckled, a sound like bat wings stirring in the darkness, “Imagine, attacking me in my own domain! So terribly rude!”

“Please! I was drunk on the power! I didn't know what I was doing!” Meemaw moaned, shaking her clasped hands at him.

“Now, now, there is simply no excuse for bad manners,” he sniffed, then continued, ”So I decided that if she felt so strongly about this world, then by all means she should stay here,” he placed a hand possessively on the tree with Meemaw’s face, ”and here she will remain. I must apologize for her — she is apparently quite desperate if she thought to attempt such a trade without first consulting me.”

Congratulations! You have completed the quest Rambling Meemaw. Reward: 2600 xp (2000 base + 30% bonus)

“Where is ‘here’? Where exactly are we, Mister Eshu?” Arabella asked.

“Really? You truly have no idea? My dear young lady, you are in the realm between the living and the dead — the Tween!”

She furrowed her brow in perplexity, “And what’s the ‘Tween’, exactly?” she asked.

Eshu fixed her with his unsettling gaze, “Ah, my child, the Tween is the place which souls pass through on the way from the material plane to the realm of the dead. Most of them are here only briefly, but sometimes the soul and the body aren't yet ready to be separated. So the soul stops here and takes root. It retains a connection with its body back in the material realm, and feeds it power from here to there. The body from whence the soul came can at times become quite powerful from this feeding.”

“So they become undead, like zombies and such?”

The gaunt man made a sour face, ”No, my dear, nothing like zombies and the lesser undead. Those are but mindless creatures, powered only by the will of the necromancer who raises them.” He shuddered with distaste, “Nasty creatures! No, my children are of a higher nature,” he declared proudly.

“So, like vampires then?”

Eshu favored her with a fierce grin, revealing gleaming, pointed teeth, “Yes, just so! Vampires, nosferatu, death knights, ghosts, spectres — those and more count among my children. They all retain their intelligence, some of them because they were killed before they were ready and their souls have taken root. Vampires and death knights are exceptions — they are created creatures, but find the draw of the power they gain too much to turn down once they’re created,” he explained. ”Contrary to popular belief, such creatures are offered the choice to move on instead of becoming what they are. If they so choose,” he waved a hand airily, “the connection is severed and the soul continues its journey to the afterlife. Most created creatures were targeted by their makers from among the weak and destitute, so when they realize how much power they will have, and they’re given that choice, they most often refuse.”

“So vampires are blood suckers by choice? That is a major FUBAR setup,” Kristius muttered disgustedly under his breath.

“So when a vampire is created, isn’t he under the control of his maker?” Niko asked.

Eshu turned his feral grin to Niko, “Not so, it is simply a matter of power. The vampire that was the creator is far more powerful than his creation, so he will dominate the new-made, much like a full grown lion might prevail over a cub. Sometimes, when the cub becomes strong enough, he will kill his creator out of vengeance — which is what propagated the myth that a lesser vampire can only be free by destroying his creator.”

“Any other myths that aren't quite right? Stakes, holy water, sunlight, that sort of thing?” Kristius asked.

The feral smile teetered on the verge of a snarl, ”You ask me how to destroy one of my children? Hmm… I believe I shall keep that to myself for now.”

Kristius shrugged and sighed, ”Had to try.”

“Very well, if there's nothing else?” Eshu cocked an elegant brow as he surveyed the players, “No? Then I'll send you back to your own world,” he said as he raised a skeletal hand.

“No, wait!” Meemaw screeched, ”What about me? With my soul trapped here, I have but a shadow of my former power!”

Niko cocked his head at the gaunt man, “I thought a soul planted here fed power to the body back in our realm?”

Eshu regarded the old woman with contempt, “I am the reigning power in this place, and I decide who will and who will not be fed. She deserves nothing from me. She will remain forever as she is.”

Niko nodded curtly, “Sounds fair to me. Alright, I think we’re ready to go.”

Meemaw threw herself prostrate on the ground at Eshu’s feet. “Mercy, I beg of you, Dominus solvit Haatelis!” she moaned.

“Mercy!?” Kristius scoffed, “Get a grip, lady! You tried to gamble — with us as your chips — and you lost. You can kiss my ass!” he said with venom.

“Anything! Anything you want, Mister Eshu!” she begged, groveling.

“I'm not the one you wronged — this time — so I see no reason to change anything. Your friends here might be willing to speak on your behalf,” he laughed, a sound like the shifting of desert sand, ”But I find that highly doubtful.”

Meemaw looked up at him, and then turned her tear-streaked face desperately to Nikko and his companions, ”Anything! Please, I’ll do anything!” she beseeched.

Struck by an impulse, Niko squatted down in front of the witch, ”Anything?” he asked, holding her gaze with his own.

“Yes! Anything I have is yours! Anything I can do, I will do for you!” she babbled.

“Niko, no! You can't seriously be considering this!” Arabella exclaimed in alarm.

“Really dude! Let the old bat stew in her own juices!” Kristius added. He cocked his head, “And by the way — what the heck does that mean, anyhow?”

Even Lucius made his opinion known by shaking his head in an emphatic negative.

Niko held up a hand to them in a placating gesture and looked at Eshu, ”What would you want to free her soul?”

Eshu looked at Niko momentarily in surprise, but then his arctic eyelights narrowed to slits as he pursed his lips in thought, ”If you are indeed thinking of doing this for her, I actually do have a situation that requires attention, which I cannot address. It has been vexing me of late, and now here you are offering your services.” He smiled a predatory smile, “Such a fortuitous coincidence, no?

“Some of my children are trapped in your realm, and I desire to see them freed. If you can accomplish that task, I would consent to free Ms Cranton’s soul —” the blue lights suddenly loomed up in their vision, boring into their eyes, “but be warned, I would be quite irate with you, were you to pledge this boon and then fail to complete it. I believe a being should honor his agreements.”

You have been offered the quest: All My Children

Difficulty: Hard

Reward : Experience (amount varies according to performance), and freedom for ‘Meemaw’ Cranton’s soul

Penalty for failure: Mister Eshu’s displeasure

Accept?: Yes/No

Niko rose to his feet, “Please, let me speak with my friends for a moment.” Eshu nodded and gave a graceful flourish of his hand. Niko stepped away a respectful distance, with his companions trailing after him.

“Dude! No effing way! She tried to sell us down the river!” Kristius said, red-faced, waving a clenched fist for emphasis.

“I agree with Kristius — let her stay like she is,” Arabella added, “I sure don't feel like getting my butt kicked for someone who booched us like that.” Lucius crossed his arms over his chest and nodded stern agreement.

“Hold up, listen a sec, just listen.” Niko spread his palms out in front of him as he spoke, “I understand how you guys feel. Honestly, I feel the same, and mostly I just want to see that treacherous old sow suffer for what she tried to do to us.” He looked around at each of them, meeting their eyes one by one, “But then another part of me is thinking that, if we do this thing, we’ll have an uncommonly powerful ally. Even Eshu himself said she was remarkably strong back in our world.” He regarded Kristius with a frank gaze, “We could use some mystical muscle later on down the road, and you know that,” he said.

Arabella and Lucius wore expressions of puzzlement, and the big warrior craned his neck uncomfortably, “Well yeah,” he admitted grudgingly, “but what's to stop her from trying to screw us over again, especially once she’s all juiced up back to full?” he asked.

Niko nodded, “Fair question.” He turned and looked toward Mister Eshu, who was murmuring softly to a nearby tree, ”Mister Eshu, is there a way to make sure someone honors a bargain? Some kind of binding oath or something like that?” he asked.

Without looking around, Eshu replied, ”If one swears by the creator and all her creations, that creature will then be inescapably bound to honor that vow or face the wrath of the creator herself,” he glanced gravely over his shoulder at the four of them, ”and that is something no one, no matter how powerful, would ever dare to face.” He turned back the tree, humming a songless tune to it.

Niko surveyed his crew once more. “Do you all trust me?” he asked.

Kristius opened his mouth as if to retort, but he stopped himself, huffed out a frustrated breath, and nodded curtly. Arabella and Lucius exchanged questioning glances before also giving reluctant nods of agreement.

Niko walked back over to Meemaw and squatted down in front of her again. He could see both desperation and hope burning in her eyes, ”Listen, and listen well. You are going to swear to me by the creator herself that you will follow my orders, or those of anyone I appoint to give you orders. Furthermore, you will swear that neither you nor any of your minions will cause harm or hindrance to me, my friends, or even to anyone whom we consider allies from this point forward. Swear it.” He wasn't sure she would agree to his terms, ”It's the only way, if you ever want to have your full power back. Swear it.”

Meemaw’s eyes narrowed to slits, and she said quietly, “I do so swear.”

Niko shook his head, “Oh no you don’t. I’m not that gullible.” He glared at her, “You know what you have to do.”

The old woman’s eyes glinted resentment at him before she dropped her gaze and said in a low voice, “I swear by the creator and all of her creations that I will abide by the terms you have set forth.”

A soft, silvery glow, somewhat like moonlight under a full moon, arose in a glimmering circle that enveloped both the monk and the witch for a brief moment before fading away.

“Well, that was a little anticlimactic,” Niko muttered under his breath.

“Perhaps so, my young friend, but that is no oath to be trifled with — is it, Miss Cranton?” Mister Eshu asked. Meemaw shot him a dark look, and he chuckled in response. It sounded like beetles scuttling over dry cloth. He turned his attention back to Niko. ”So, am I to understand that you'll accept my offer then? Her soul in exchange for freeing my subjects on the mortal plane?” He clapped his hands together happily when Niko nodded, ”Oh, most excellent!”

Twin points of blue light bored intently into Niko’s eyes. “My children are trapped in an ancient mausoleum in the graveyard known as the ‘Beastwar Barrens’. It lies in a shunned area between the Allied Baronies and the Bestia Terras, and is the remnant of a long-past war between the men of the Baronies and the foul creatures out of the Bestia Terras.

“No one knows how or why it happened, but uncounted hordes of twisted and horrific monsters descended on the lands of men from the wild lands of the uncharted east, bent on bloodshed and destruction. The humans of the Baronies, along with some few of their demi-human allies rallied a desperate defense — just barely managing to send the fell horde back to the wastes — and there were so many fallen that they were buried in vast barrows all over the battlefield. The survivors built a mausoleum to honor the greatest warriors and heroes of the battle. The land itself was so tainted by the blood that had spilled that no priest of light can set foot there even now. It is whispered among the men of that region that when there is a new moon, the dead rise and fight the battle all over again. You'll find the mausoleum at the center of that graveyard.”

“Of course we will,” Niko said with a weary sigh, ”And when we get there, what do we have to do to free your, um... children.”

Eshu smiled, ”That is part of your assignment — you'll have to determine the answer to that question once you’ve arrived. Someone will meet you when you get there who can explain in more detail. No need to hurry, he is a very patient being. In the meantime, I'll keep Miss Cranton entertained here with me. Good hunting to all of you.”

With nothing more than a negligent shooing motion of the gaunt man’s hand, the players suddenly found themselves seated around Meemaw’s table once more. The tea they had been drinking was still steaming in the cups before them, and a faint scent of pipesmoke lingered in the air.

“Whoa… ” Kristius uttered in a low voice, and the others nodded solemn agreement.

Niko looked around the cabin, but there was no sign of Meemaw or Timm. He ran a hand over his head and blew out a breath as he gathered his thoughts. “Ok, so it looks like we have to go find a graveyard,” he said, ”but first, we need to get to Oppida and hopefully get some supplies and training.”

Arabella looked wistful. “I guess this is where we part ways for a little while,” she said. “I'll message you as soon as my brother gets to tenth level. At that point, we’ll head over to Oppida and pick up our advancement, plus I'll have to pick a deity.”

Niko’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “You don't follow a deity yet?” he asked.

“Nope, not yet. Spells are just general protections and healing until you hit tenth, then you pick a deity to follow and get spells specialized to that deity. I haven’t decided yet which way I want to go — healer, protector, or enforcer. Each deity has some of each kind, but each one has different benefits, specialties, and disadvantages.”

She rose to her feet. “In the meantime, I’ll just try to get my brother to quit being such a butt dumpling. I’m gonna use that new recall and log out now. See you guys later.” With that, Arabella disappeared in a flash of sparkling light.

Lucius stood, waved at Niko and Kristius with a grin, and also sparkled out of view.

Kristius picked up his mug and sipped some tea. “Well, oh mighty bald one, what's the plan?” he asked, peering at Niko over the rim of his cup.

“Good question. I think first off we should head for Oppida and get some advanced training. We also need to figure out where that graveyard is, and how to get there, and on top of that we need to eventually start gathering some info on Sheriam. Jeez, this is more complicated than any game should be!” Niko grumbled.

“Well, time for me to make it even more so. What do you know about adaptive training?” Kristius asked in a serious tone, taking another sip of his tea.

Niko pursed his lips as he searched his memory, “Hmm, I remember reading something about that in the handbook — something along the line that real life skills can enhance the effectiveness of your training in game. Didn’t really understand what it meant. Why?”

“Because that is one thing we’re gonna have to max out in order to have a chance to beat Sheriam. What the manual says is kinda vague, but it’s been in VR games for a while now — just not to the extent that Otherverse has taken it.” Kristius set his cup down and leaned forward as he talked. “OK, so take a look at your basic martial arts skill, what rank is it?”

Niko pulled up his character sheet, ”Two. That’s not too bad, is it?”

“For a starter cluebie with no actual martial arts background, no it’s not. But let's look at my battle axe skill in comparison, which is six.”

“Six?” Niko exclaimed, “How the hell did you get to rank six already?”

“It'd be higher than that, but my stats are holding me back. So here’s how it works… I think. As far as your martial arts rating, you’ve probably never studied martial arts and have no previous knowledge of them other than what you’ve seen in vids, right?”

Niko shrugged, “Yeah, so?”

“So, you're learning those skills in-game, and your body is training for them in-game. You gain in rank as your body adapts to the movements and you learn and practice new moves and techniques. You follow?”

“Well yeah, that’s how it works in any game I’ve ever played, Mr States-the-Obvious.”

Kristius slugged Niko on the shoulder, none too gently, “Pay attention, son, I’m trying to eddy-fi-cate you here.” Niko winced and rubbed ruefully at his arm as Kristius continued, “Alright, so for argument's sake let's say a dude is Captain Chop-sake, who has been doing martial arts since they were like three or something. He starts off in the game with more martial arts knowledge than most other people would ever possess, so not only does he already know the basic skill, he knows advanced techniques too.”

Niko nodded, “Sure, makes sense. Go on.”

The big man paused long enough to pour himself a fresh mug of tea and take a sip. “Instead of forcing this guy to go through the basics like any other noob, the game incorporates his experience by allowing him to gain rank more quickly. The only limitation is his character’s stats. The player knows what he’s doing, but his game avatar isn't up to the challenge until he gains levels and boosts his specs. The game framework continuously scans your brain as you do things, to see if you know what the hell you're doing. Once it decides that your knowledge and your body are in sync, it grants a rank. So the only thing holding our friend Captain Chop-sake from becoming a super-uber ass-kicker at first level is that his avatar isn't physically capable.

“The game has a scale that ranks knowledge and ability, let's say from one to one hundred each. As a one in ability and a knowledge one, you can achieve rank one in a skill. Maybe you haven’t used your martial arts yet, but your character improves his stats, then you might be rank one still but with a potential of two. Then, once you practice your martial arts, you gain in skill and — bingo, rank two. Suppose that the top end is a one hundred ability and a one hundred knowledge to achieve a rank one hundred in a skill. Captain Chop-sake already has a one hundred knowledge, so he just needs to get his ability up to one hundred to match. Get it?” Kristius took a long swallow from his cup, “Man, this tutoring gig is thirsty work.”

Niko mulled over what his friend had said. “Yeah, I guess that does makes sense. So what about the knowledge you gain in-game? Do you get the same knowledge out in the real world?”

“Nope, doesn’t work that way far as I can tell. It's like a one-way door for some reason. What you have you can bring in, but what happens in Otherverse stays in Otherverse.” Kristius finished off his tea and set the cup down on the table.

“Well, that kinda sucks,” Niko replied, “But wait, how did you get to rank six in battle axe already?” he asked. ”Did you learn how to fight with an axe in real life?”

Kristius let out a chuckle, ”Yeah, they’ve had adaptive skills to some extent in VR games for quite a while. I figured out early on that the better I was in real life with something, the better I was at it in a game. In Wild World I found that I really like big axes, so I had one made in real life and started training with it. I studied vids, ebooks — pretty much anything I could find that had to do with battle axes. Hatchets too. I'm actually pretty good with both, if I do say so myself!”

Niko goggled at the big man with mouth agape, “Ummm… that’s just a smidge obsessive, isn't it?”he asked.

“Depends on what you’re after. PKs have in-game cameras that are always on, and if they’re any good they build a following. If you build a big enough following, sponsors want to use you for advertising, which can be some damn lucrative contracts! I had a few sponsors in Wild World and made a pretty decent living at it,” Kristius said with a smile.

“Hmmm, I do remember a part of the terms of service saying we would have in-game cams, but I didn't quite understand it was mandatory.” Niko chewed at his lip, “So when we go PK people are gonna be watching our every move?”

“Yep, people love their blood sports. The only time we can’t be watched is when you're in a private area, like in the privy or your room at the inn — there you’re offline. Also, the audio gets muted when you discuss strategy and plans, so you don’t have to worry about eavesdroppers.”

“Sheesh, my head’s spinning!” Niko shook his head, “Ok, so when do you want to head out for Oppida?”

“I say tomorrow will be soon enough — we’ll get some sleep and hit it fresh.” Kristius stood up and mimed Eshu’s bow and flourish, “In the meantime, oh mighty bald one, I’m gonna recall and hit the inn. I’ll meet you at the obelisk about 8.”

“See ya then,” Niko said as Kristius disappeared from view. ”There is wa-ay more to that guy than he lets on,” he muttered to himself. ”Recall,” he commanded, and his world blended into a kaleidoscope of colors, which then expanded to take the shape of the obelisk in Hampton town.

“Very cool!” he remarked, ”Exit game.”