Wrapping up their makeshift camp did not take as long as Cire would have expected. Many of the guard members who had relieved those who had fought were more experienced than the patrol Lucas led. Cire hadn’t even noticed that the bodies had been removed and stored onto a large stretcher until he had come back down from breakfast.

Eliana and Obelius organized the students into the center of the march back to the Tempest Treetops. Leading, far ahead of the column, was a scout patrol clearing their path. With this many bodies trampling through the brush few monsters would challenge them outright, but in this forest it was best to be on guard. Behind them were the members of the relief patrol guarding the captive gnolls.

The canines were tied together with strings of vine binding their wrists behind their backs. Another vine attached them all by loops around their throats creating a long single file procession. Watching the gnolls with their tails between their legs, downcast eyes, and flattened ears, Cire couldn’t find it in his heart to hang on to the hate that had been festering there.

Instinctually, Cire knew that the gnolls presented a real danger. He had not been living with constant incursions of their forces into his territory. Nor, had he been involved in the long history of conflict between these people. But there was far more to this groups actions than a simple raid or attack. They had been fleeing, with their young and old. Cire no longer saw them as simply enemies, monsters, or beasts – he recognized them for what they were – people. People who still posed a danger to a hamlet he had sworn to protect.

Twisting the pure silver ring on his finger, Cire waited for any telltale warmth to seep through. Doubting his own actions, feeling shame over striking without being fully informed, and anger over senseless violence did not amount to evil. The silver band was still cool to the touch. The goddess Selene had given him the agency to make his own decision, he prayed he had made the right one.

Behind the captives, Kepheus and another centaur from the relief guard, pulled the wide stretcher with the bodies of their fallen. Each corpse was bundled up and they had all been tied down together with another sheet covering them. If Cire hadn’t known what was being hauled he would have guessed trade goods, if not for the splotches of scarlet that had leaked through. The back end of the stretcher bumped over the ground as the two poles skipped over roots.

Cire avoided the gouges that the poles were cutting into the soil and looked over his shoulder. Eliana and several of the guards monitored their rear. He was pretty sure that the guard the instructor was talking with was Dimitri, Dimitra’s older brother. Cire wanted to say something, but he really didn’t know what he could. Compared to the other students in the class he had barely spent any time with Dimitra. Based on the look of Dimitri’s face, this wasn’t a good time to say anything at all.

Slapping Cire on the rump, Fizz chuckled when the elf partially tripped up on his own feet before righting himself.

“You’ve been pretty quiet there blood guzzler. Bat got your tongue?”

For someone who had been pummeled to the doorstep of the underworld, Fizzilius sure was able to maintain a positive outlook. He had immediately embraced the joy to be found in the day. To him, Dimitra’s fall had been immediately painful, but her life and sacrifice beautiful achievements to celebrate. Cire knew that processing grief was different for everyone. However, he was beginning to suspect that more than elves, gnomes and other fae were even more divorced from his previous human mindset.

To be fair, Cire didn’t feel like he thought he should either, his emotional state was more or less even. The trance sleep had given him the emotional equivalent of a drink from a waterfall in a single evening, it had felt like years. Selene had told him that as an elf he was not fully emotionally present on a day to day basis. That seemed more true now than months ago. He didn’t know if there was a transition period or if he was handling things better, but he didn’t feel governed by his experiences in the same manner.

Fizz snapped his fingers as close to Cire’s face as he could get while they were walking.

“I lost you again. You sure I am the one who had the head injury?”

Blinking, Cire let a small chuckle escape, and then gave himself permission to act normally.

“Ohh, I am sure. You should have seen how many bandages you were covered in. I almost thought you were a mummy and went looking for a priest.”

Fizz’s grin widened as he pulled Cire into a joking conversation. Honeydrop settled on Cire’s shoulder, he wings still drooping and her ineffable spark seemingly absent. She didn’t contribute any words, but her slowly growing smile as Fizz recounted tales of Dimitra’s wild escapades was enough. By the time they reached the first break area, Cire was feeling better about feeling better.

Sneaking away from the column would have been next to impossible if Eliana had not pulled him away. Once he was fully out of view from the others he released the keep. They had been hiking for sometime, so Cire wasn’t truly sure what would happen. After a short while, a cloud of black mist with roiling purple energy streamed through the trees. Eliana, who was watching from a distance, had an inscrutable look on her face as she observed.

Cire absorbed the mass of insubstantial mist into his form and felt slightly reinvigorated by the action. With a shake of his hands, he gave Eliana a signal of assent, and they made their way back to the group. He hadn’t expected the teacher to observe the process, but he wasn’t exactly in a place where he could have asked her to leave. At the very least, away from the group in the forest, they were vulnerable.

Most of the travel was uneventful during their trip back. Fizz continued joking and generally buoyed the classes spirits. The elves in the class had generally settled into a quiet acceptance of their losses, while encouraged by their victory. They had after all won the day by any measure. Even so, Cire wouldn’t realize the full ramifications of the battle until days after they returned to the city.

During the quiet, well guarded travel, Cire took an opportunity to review his notifications from the engagement and before. He had gained some skills, had plenty increase in strength, and a few other truly surprising changes to look over. Squeezing the shaft of his new weapon he figured it was about time to start there. He felt remiss in not inspecting it sooner, but it was easy to forgive himself with his scattered thoughts. It had probably been what Eliana had expected instead of deductive guesses.

Unidentified Swordstaff

Description:

An exotic bladed weapon that provides long reach, significant striking power, and is effective against cavalry.

Attack: 1d20 (Slicing) or 1d8 (Bludgeoning)

Rarity: Rare

Quality: Professional

Effects:

1. ???

2. ???

3. ???

Hmmm. Not really much new information, but at least the description confirms my suspicions about which skills are needed to use it properly. It looks like there is a two handed weapon out there for me to use. As expected, even without any additional effects it packs a wallop. I wonder why Eliana didn’t tell me about this before? She had to have known when she was teaching me the skills I had that this was an option.

Cire thought back and realized that he had never asked Eliana for assistance in finding a way to utilize his off hand. She had given him the tools, but the elder instructor had left it up to Cire to discover the methods. He promised himself that he would communicate better as his esteem for Eliana grew immeasurably.

Looking over the series of combat notifications didn’t take long, mainly because he had grown more accustomed of what to skim for. Checking over experience gains often gave Cire context for the struggle they had endured. Given the numbers he was seeing the elvish forces were lucky to have come out of the conflict in the state they had.

Your party has slain a total of 3 Shadow Vine Elementals (Levels 11 – 18). You have earned 0 experience points.

You have slain a Gnoll Rogue (Level 11). You earned 3,563 experience points.

You have slain a Gnoll Fighter (Level 14). You earned 5,372 experience points.

Your war party has slain a total of 13 Gnolls (Levels 8 – 12). You have earned 0 experience points.

Your war party has slain a total of 8 Gnoll Rogues (Levels 10 – 19). You have earned 0 experience points.

Your war party has slain a total of 15 Gnoll Fighters (Levels 10 – 19). You have earned 0 experience points.

Your war party has slain a total of 2 Gnoll Shamans (Levels 22 & 25). You have earned 0 experience points.

Your war party has slain a total of 1 Gnoll Wizard (Level 34). You have earned 0 experience points.

Your war party has slain a total of 2 Gnoll Battlechiefs (Levels 26 & 28). You have earned 0 experience points.

Your war party has slain a total of 1 Gnoll Packchief (Level 37). You have earned 0 experience points.

Your war party has achieved victory over another and won the field of combat. Your war party has received a bonus for being outnumbered, +50% experience. Your war party has received a penalty for level superiority, -50% experience. You have earned 5,000 experience points.

First and foremost, Cire wondered what a war party was compared to a traditional party. It was relatively easy to grasp from the clues presented at least. The low experience gains overall were to be expected since Eliana and Obelius were ostensibly part of the group. Cire didn’t know what their levels were, but he assumed they were significant, and this all but confirmed the fact.

Their group had been outnumbered three to one at a minimum. Most of the students had been lower levels than their opponents and the guards had been equivalent. The two instructors accounted for roughly the battle strength of sixty gnolls, some of which were relatively high leveled.

Shaking his head to himself, he looked over the list again. It left him with some unsettling questions and some rather obvious ones.

How many high level gnolls are left in that group headed to the Mane? I firmly believe that they are refugees, what I don’t know, is can I risk that they won’t attack Sunset? What level are Maisy and Stout? What are their professions? Would the naga help defend Sunset if it was attacked? It’s not like I left any standing orders or requests. How have things been going back at home?

At that last question an unbidden smile poked its way onto the corners of Cire’s mouth. Basking in the warm sensation of having a place to call home, Cire took his time moving on. It was a pleasant realization that he had a place he belonged. Eventually he brought up the list of skills he had gained and grown.

You have gained a new skill: Body Mana Manipulation (Legendary).

“It’s not what happens to you, but how you react that matters.” - Epictetus

At initiate rank you can utilize skill abilities with any applicable part of your body even if they are limited to a specific one.

You have gained a new sub-skill: Mana Burst (Rare) Body Mana Manipulation Tree, Skill Ability.

“Learn to bear bravely the changes of fortune.” - Periander

At initiate rank you can release a burst of mana from any point of your body. This can produce many effects. If used as an attack will cause 1d8 damage. Cost: 5 mana.

You have gained a new sub-skill: Undiminishing Returns (Legendary) Body Mana Manipulation Tree.

“We are what we repeatedly do.” - Aristotle

At initiate rank you receive a 5% reduction in mana cost after each skill ability use, stacking. An instance of the reduction will be removed every minute after they begin accumulating.

Skill level up! You have reached level 11 in Wilderness Survival.

Skill level up! You have reached level 40 in Martial Combat.

Your skill, Martial Combat, has progressed to Journeyman rank. You have gained 2,000 experience points.

At Journeyman rank, you receive a hit bonus for fighting unarmed,+1. +15% chance to dodge when unarmored.

Skill level up! You have reached level 32 in Fluid Motion.

Skill level up! You have reached level 20 in Martial Acrobatics.

Your skill, Martial Acrobatics, has progressed to Apprentice rank. You have gained 1,000 experience points.

At Apprentice rank, you suffer no movement penalty from minor natural obstacles during combat. You have an increased chance to recover when balance is lost. +1 to all movement based saves during combat.

Skill level up! You have reached level 34 in Swordsmanship.

Skill level up! You have reached level 30 in Large Blades.

Skill level up! You have reached level 20 in Surging Strike.

Your skill, Surging Strike, has progressed to Apprentice rank. You have gained 1,000 experience points.

At Apprentice rank, you can imbue your strike with mana enhanced strength. This will increase the damage of your next strike by 50%. Cost: 20 mana.

Skill level up! You have reached level 10 in Scavenging.

Skill level up! You have reached level 13 in Adventurer.

Skill level up! You have reached level 17 in Lore.

Skill level up! You have reached level 10 in Lore: Woods & Forests

Skill level up! You have reached level 11 in Elvish Culture & Customs.

Skill level up! You have reached level 9 in Fae Culture & Customs.

Skill level up! You have reached level 20 in Acrobatics.

Your skill, Acrobatics, has progressed to Apprentice rank. You have gained 1,000 experience points.

At Apprentice rank, you have increased movement speed over difficult terrain and through vertical movement, +10%. You can disengage from an opponent with ease during combat.

Skill level up! You have reached level 20 in Flash Step.

Your skill, Flash Step, has progressed to Apprentice rank. You have gained 1,000 experience points.

At Apprentice rank, you can rapidly propel yourself by channeling mana through your feet and legs. Doubles movement speed for one round. You can now use flash steps without physical contact with a surface. Cost: 10 mana.

Cire was at a bit of a loss when he re-read the new skills he had acquired. They made sense from a logical standpoint. He had been pushing his skill ability use ever since he had gotten them. These were perhaps the first tangible benefits of selecting his profession. It did speed up martial skill and ability acquisition after all.

I have to ask Eliana about these skills. If I get an opportunity I should really ask her to help me find a martial art or form that fits with my general skill set. These skills and abilities will obviously compliment what I already have. Right now I am just hodgepodging everything together. It’s worked so far, but that really isn’t an excuse.

Most of the other skill gains were expected given how he had fought during the battle. What he hadn’t been tracking was the influx of experience that he had earned by pushing them forward in rank. Cire had not taken a typical path to his current level, so it was rewarding to finally see progression through more typical means. This was especially heartening after the penalty the group had incurred to experience gain from Eliana and Obelius involvement in the fighting. Those zeros, while understandable, still hurt.

Level 15 Acquired!

Earned per level

Points

Health & Mana Points

You earn 5 – 10 hit points per level + constitution modifier (3)

You earn 5 – 10 mana points per level + intelligence modifier (3)

13

9

Skill Points

You currently earn one skill point per level.

3

Ability Points

You currently earn one ability point per level.

2

Racial Bonus

You earn an additional skill point per level that is restricted to a martial skill of your choice.

5

Ability

Current Lvl

Points until next Lvl

Shapechanger: Can change into a small black bat once per rest for a duration of 2 hours. Bats are considered a tiny creature. You will have reduced stats in many areas, but increased stats in others.

1

1

Bite: You can savagely pierce your enemies' flesh with sharp fangs to drain their health and experience. HP drain is currently 250 per minute and experience drain is 7% if the target is killed by the action. This ability renders you helpless. This ability is synergistic with Regeneration and will boost it by 1 ability level.

4

4

Regeneration: You can heal from small and moderate wounds with ease and heal faster than most sapients. Limbs can be reattached if applied quickly. At your current level you regain 4 HP per minute.

4

4

Blood Rage: Significantly increases your physical stats while decreasing your mental ones. +50% to Strength and Constitution, +30% to Dexterity. -50% to Intelligence, Spirit, and Charisma for the duration of the rage. If your mental resistance is overcome by the ability, you will attack targets at random. At your current level, the duration of this ability is 6 minutes once per rest. Duration is refreshed if Bite is performed while enraged.

2

2

Overall things are shaping up well. Much better result for hit points this time, but my mana is lagging a bit. Now that I have ways to use it, and a lot of it, I should find out about ways to increase my stats outside of leveling. I have done that once before, but it seems like the exception rather than the rule.

I am obviously going to keep banking points at this juncture. The only thing I could really do with what I have is level Shapechanger or Blood Rage. Neither of which feels like the right play. It really doesn’t make sense to push any skill. I am starting to regret using the skill points I did, even if it turned out for the better. I am better off waiting to push Bite or Regeneration to their last level and see what happens.

Cire brought up his status sheet, which was starting to resemble Selene and Durg’s. Compared to others in his class he was still a bit behind for skill variety. However, the skills that formed the core of how he engaged in combat were filling out.

Biographical Information:

Name: Ciresil Eventide

Level: 15

Experience: 127,286

Lineage: Sun Elf – Vampire

Profession: Fighter

Disposition: Flexibly Idealistic (+2 to Chaotic, +3 to Good, +2 to Orderly)

Languages: Divine Elvish, Ancient Elvish, Elvish Handtalk, Elvish, Common

Stats:

Health: 178/178

Mana: 161/161

Armor: 0

Dodge: 24%

Strength: 14

Dexterity: 19

Constitution: 13 (+1)

Intelligence: 13

Spirit: 9 (+2)

Charisma: 19

Luck: 9 (+2)

Resistances:

50% Enchantment

20% Weather

5% Mental

-50% Holy Magic

Aspects:

Indefatigable

Trustworthy

Accepting

Skills:

Wilderness Survival 11, Natural

Martial Combat 40, Natural

Sub-skill: Fluid Motion 36, Natural

Sub-skill: Martial Acrobatics 20, Natural

Sub-skill: Grappling 6, Significant

Swordsmanship 34, Natural

Sub-skill: Large Blades 30, Natural

Sub-skill: Curved Blades 10, Natural

Sub-skill: Exotic Blades 8, Natural

Sub-skill: Surging Strike 20, Natural

Scavenging 10, Natural

Adventurer 13, Natural

Meditation 16, Significant

Armor 8, Average

Sub-skill: Light Armor 8, Average

Lore 15, General

Sub-skill: Arcana 4, Significant

Sub-skill: Mountains and Hills 5, Average

Sub-skill: Woods & Forests 9, Significant

Sub-skill: Elvish Culture & Customs 10, Natural

Sub-skill: Fae Culture & Customs 7, Significant

Communication 10, General

Sub-skill: Persuasion 5, Natural

Sub-skill: Oratory 2, Significant

Sub-skill: Diplomacy 6, Significant

Climbing 2, Average

Sub-skill: Rappelling 2, Average

Acrobatics 20, Natural

Sub-skill: Flash Step 20, Natural

Dancing 3, Significant

Sub-skill: Group Movements 2, Significant

Sub-skill: Solo Expression 2, Significant

Musical Instruments 2, Average

Sub-skill: Singing 1, Average

Sub-skill: Flute 1, Limited

Body Mana Manipulation 3, Natural

Sub-skill: Mana Burst 1, Natural

Sub-skill: Undiminishing Returns 2, Significant

Abilities:

Vampiric Abilities: Shapechanger (1), Bite (4), Regeneration (4), Blood Rage (2)

Skill Abilities: Flash Step, Surging Strike, Mana Burst

Traits:

Child of Night: Vampiric abilities, heat vision. Nascent vulnerability to silver and Light Magic. -100% resistance to Holy Magic.

Child of Heaven: You have retained a divine soul. Reduced susceptibility to Holy Magic by 50%, vampiric light & silver vulnerability negated, and vampiric hunger reduced.

Elven Heritage: 50% Enchantment resistance. Low-light vision & acute senses, Perception +1.

Honorbound: While within the Hamlet of Sunset you receive a 5% bonus to all actions.

Scion of the Chimera’s Mane: As ruler of the territories’ noble house you receive a 10% bonus to all actions within the area. You may summon a territorial keep once per month. Theia’s Blessing: Luck +1, Perception +1. Other elements of this trait may reveal themselves over time.

Inventory:

Set of Clothing (Body)

Unidentified Swordstaff (Equipped)

Scrimshaw Necklace of the Naga (Neck)

Warden’s Bracelet of Elucidation (Wrist)

Ring of Lunar Sunrise (Finger)

Silver Ring (Finger)

Backpack:

Bedroll

Wool Blanket

Fire Sparker

2 Tinctures of Minor Healing

2 Tinctures of Moderate Healing

2 Minor Antidote Elixirs

Crown of Moonlight

3 Waterskins

Small Pouch of Coins (Pocket):

1 gold, 11 silver, 54 copper

Looking over his status sheet, Cire discovered the results of his next notification before he brought it up. Generally he skipped over the top of the sheet, it didn’t really change as often as the skills and traits. This time, that was not the case.

You have lost your favored enemy: Gnolls

You have gained an Aspect: Accepting. You chose to see enemy combatants for what they truly were, individuals. Your perspective of the living beings of Elysium has fundamentally shifted. You are open to disparate cultures and ways of life.

Effect:+1 to Chaotic Disposition, decreased chance to perceive a potential threat, 75% penalty to sneak attacks unless the enemy is known, increased chance for territorial population immigration, and a 25% increase to reputation gain with non-elves.

Cire was pleased to see what he considered a generally positive aspect of himself enshrined in the reflection of the status sheet. While he would still put down any gnoll raiders who came to threaten him or his community, he no longer looked at them as a monolithic group. This would obviously make sneak attacking difficult, if not pointless, but the memory of ambushing the gnoll at the start of the battle now conjured a bitter taste in his mouth.

In fact, that was a rather severe unexpected result of wearing the crown in battle. Before when he had fought with the Blood Rage against the duergar and the mushrooms it had fogged over his memories. He could still remember generally what he had done, but the visceral experience of battle was overshadowed by fury and a dulling of his senses. The Clear Mind state the crown induced didn’t dull the experience at all, if anything he remembered details from fighting the gnolls too crisply.

Something had happened to the two items when Selene had reached out to him. Surreptitiously Cire inspected each of them, making sure to keep the crown tucked away. Plenty of people had seen him wearing it, but during the rush of combat he was counting on it being forgotten. Perhaps his paranoia was overblown, perhaps not. Cire had already revealed more than he had intended when answering Eliana.

Ring of Lunar Sunrise

Description:

Mithril ring inset with an onyx and gold eclipse symbol. Crafted for Constantine Dawnslight as a symbol of his power. Bestowed with a residual blessing by the goddess Selene after it was used as a conduit of her power. This had changed elements of this item permanently.

Rarity: Legendary

Quality: Masterpiece (Divine Touched)

Effects:

1. +2 to Spirit, +1 to Luck

2. Moonlight Shroud – A near invisible shield that only appears when dampening a ranged attack. Reduces magical and non-magical projectile damage by 33%.

3. Conceals the wearer’s aura of leadership making them indistinguishable by other rulers, citizens, freeman or slaves.

4. Soulbound: cannot be used or removed by anyone other than Ciresil Eventide.

Crown of Moonlight

Description:

Mithril circlet with moonstones pattered after the moon’s cycle. Crafted for Constantine Dawnslight as a symbol of his power. Bestowed with a residual blessing by the goddess Selene after it was used as a conduit of her power. This had changed elements of this item permanently.

Rarity: Legendary

Quality: Masterpiece (Divine Touched)

Effects:

1. +2 to Intelligence, +2 to Perception

2. Serene Mind – immune to mental status afflictions.

3. +50% Holy Resistance.

4. Soulbound: cannot be used or removed by anyone other than Ciresil Eventide.

The changes to each item appeared to be tailored for his use. Effects that were exceptionally powerful, but functionally useless to him had been replaced with effects that offset specific weaknesses he possessed. Cire didn’t think that was unintentional. It made the goddesses’ motivations all that much more important to uncover. Ultimately, he decided to accept the gift and worry about any strings that may be attached later. He wasn’t in a position where he could turn down the boon.

If I was a suspicious man, which generally I am not, I would assume that Selene was watching the battle. Those are some very specific changes, extremely welcome to be sure, but specific. I wonder if I caught her attention when I went to her temple, or if it was before?

Realizing for the countless time that trying to suss out the motivations of the goddess were beyond him, Cire moved on to the last notifications blinking away at him. Ever since sequestering himself in the academy he hadn’t received any new quests. The ones before him fit with a recent trend, he was forced to pick one or the other.

Quest Title: Chase the Canines

Condition(s): Track down the gnoll pack that you recently fought with. Eliminate the threat.

Rewards: All items and treasure held by the pack.

Penalty for failure or refusal of Quest: None

Do you Accept? Yes or No

Quest Title: Help the Hounds

Condition(s): Engage the gnoll pack that you recently fought in a diplomatic negotiation. Discover the reason for their incursion into the Shadowed Forest.

Rewards: Unknown.

Penalty for failure or refusal of Quest: None

Do you Accept? Yes or No

Quickly dismissing the quest to hunt down the gnolls, Cire said “Yes” to the “Help the Hounds” option. He wasn’t ready to welcome them with open arms, and he doubted they would be too receptive to him either, but he knew in his bones that he didn’t want to slaughter them. At one point he had been so sure of what he would do any time he ran into a gnoll, now he was doubtful. There had to be more raiders out there, threats to him and his friends, but this pack had purchased a right to mediation with the blood of their fallen. There was nothing to say he wouldn’t end up needing to do both if the option he chose failed.

The group was in the midst of pulling up to make camp for the evening when a messenger party arrived. Word of the battle, and its results, had reached the city. Eliana, Obelius, Lucas, and the relief guard captain were pulled together as orders were delivered.

Cire caught a knowing look from Fizz as they exchanged glances. They were both wondering what they were in for when they got back to the Tempest Treetops. The mood on the hike so far wasn’t exactly jubilant, but it wasn’t downcast. They had managed to best a significant host, but Cire got the feeling that the people who lived high up in the towers, behind secure walls, might not see it that way. He hoped he was wrong.