CHAPTER 12!

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CHAPTER 12 – Day 141 – Kuborn 31, 0 AoC

With Randy being a Companion, Richter now had access to his full status page. What he saw raised even more questions. 

Name: Ran’dolphinius

Profession: Rogue

Level: 47,   60%

Race: Half-Human/Half-Undine

Specialty: Spy

Focus: Counter-Intelligence

Languages: Common,   Elvish, Dwarvish, Gnomish, Spritespeak, Goblin, Trollish, Orcish, …

Reputation:   Lvl 3 “You seem like someone worthy of my attention.”

Age: 109

Alignment:   Chaotic (1) Evil (1)

STATS

Health:   581

Mana: 412

Stamina:   353

ATTRIBUTES

Strength: 29

Agility: 54

Dexterity: 52

Constitution: 43

Endurance: 32

Intelligence: 36

Wisdom: 57

Charisma: 59

Luck: 57

RESISTANCES

SPELL POWER

WEAKNESS

Water: +71%

Water: +36%

Fire: 34%

SKILLS

...

ABILITIES

Pleasing Visage:   Those that look upon will find you trust worthy and attractive
Yvevian Royal: A member of the   Royal Family of Yves

Undine’s Deception: Can disguise your intrinsic self and become another   persona. New persona must have   abilities and skills weaker than your true self. You will only have access to the capabilities   of this new persona.

QUALITIES

Ruthless   II: Up to +10% chance of critical   hit when using Small Blades. Up to   +50% Critical Damage. Aura of Menace:   Enemies may Fear you. +1 Evil Alignment

Loyal   III: Your deeds have proven you to   be trustworthy. People are 75% more   likely to believe you. +750% to   negative consequences of breaking a Vow, Oath or other binding geas

Obsessed   IV: Your dogged obsession with an   Oath has led to many sacrifices, but has also strengthened you will. +40% to Willpower and resistance to mental   or emotional control

MARKS

Adventurer

Obscured   Vision
Dark Deeds

Richter wasn’t even sure where to start. The status page was entirely too massive at first, mostly thanks to the listing of the man’s skills. Apparently a century was enough time to amass an insane amount of skill. Many of them were still novice rank, but it still an insane amount. A mental tweak was all it took to minimize them and Richter promised himself he’d go through them later. One that did pop out to him though was that the Spy was level forty-one in Adminstration, which could definitely come in handy. With the page more manageable now, he carefully read through the prompts three times. Ran’dolphinius must have known that his status screen was now available, as he had access to Richter’s as well, but he just remained still. Waiting. 

The first thing that bothered Richter needed to talk about was that the guy was literally “Evil”! He felt a bit better when he saw that the negative alignment was due to a Quality Randy had acquired. Then again, that Quality was “ruthless.” Nope, Richter corrected himself. “Ruthless two!” When he asked the Spy how he felt about the alignment, the response was simple. 

“My actions have earned me my Qualities and my alignment. I cannot say that it is not a fair assessment. I only ask that you judge me based on my entire status screen and my actions.”

That was a fair request, Richter decided. The whole topic of good vs evil had bothered him since coming to The Land. His best friend had a good alignment several times over, but he’d still let Richter be eaten alive while he’d just watched. The sprites actually had a long history of xenophobic killings. There was definitely an argument to be made that such actions could be “evil,” though the other argument could also be made that in a world of goblins and monster it was for the common “good” that a people protect their borders. Richter personally believed in benefits of a diverse society, but that was him. 

At the end of the day, he realized that he still wasn’t sure exactly what good or evil meant. The best definition he’d come up with dealt with intent and consideration. If you took the needs of others into account when you took an action, then you were good. If you only thought about yourself, then you were evil. Of course the holes in that logic were big enough for a hippo in a hummer to drive through, but it was better than nothing. The main fear that Richter had was that the terms might not be just descriptive. What if someone with an evil alignment had to do horrible and selfish acts, because the mechanics of The Land itself forced them to do so?

Philosophers had been tackling this particular question since consciousness had evolved on Earth and hadn’t made any headway. Richter was willing to bet it was the same in The Land, and the only ones who felt they had a definitive answer were normally perpetrators of the worst acts imaginable. Any action, no matter how heinous, could be justified if you had a “righteous” cause to drive you forward and you were acting in the “common” good.

It wasn’t like alignment was the only thing on Randy’s status sheet anyway. The man had literally been commended by the Universe for his loyalty three times. It didn’t mean the man couldn’t ever break his word, but there was no ambiguity about the increased penalty if he broke his word. Considering everything the Spy had sworn on when making his Blood Oath, if he ever broke trust with Richter, he’d be in a world of shit. In fact considering there was a 750% increase in penalties, the guy might actually get Walter Pecked. Instead of marshmellow falling though, it might literally be a god sized dollop of toxic shit. When you looked at it that way, Richter had more reason to trust Randy than almost anyone else. 

The Pleasing Visage ability made him a bit uncomfortable as well. It seemed that the man was intrinsically more likely to make others trust him. An extremely useful skill for a Spy, Richter supposed, but how could he be sure about his own choices? It all came back down to the Blood Oath and the fact that Richter had already decided to trust him. Either he was in or he was out. 

He was in.

Richter waved the Spy back down into his seat. He decided that if the two of them were to trust each other, then he needed to show trust in turn. First, Richter gave the chamberlain access to the Dungeon. Now that they were Companions, Richter felt comfortable sharing a few facts he hadn’t disclosed yet. 

“You ushered in the new Age?” the chamberlain asked in disbelief.

Richter nodded and told him about the Chaotic Shard, the release of energy and how it had triggered the end of the Epoch of Banished Gods and the start of the Age of Chaos. 

“What exactly did you see here in the village when the new Age began?” Richter asked. 

The chamberlain shook his head as if he still couldn’t believe what he had seen, “The sky rippled, like a pond struck with a stone, only the stone was the size of a moon. The sun had risen, but the blue disappeared and nothing was between me and the strarry cosmos. Then a new sky reappeared, but it was filled with green clouds and floating islands the size of cities. A few seconds later, another sky appeared and another. The shifts began to occur faster and faster until the stars appeared again. They raced across the sky as if a thousand years passed in a moment. Slowly, they stilled again, and I could see the original stars again. The sky rippled again, and the blue of mid-morning reappeared.”

“Was there anything else?” Richter asked. He was kinda pissed that he had missed such an awesome show. He had been stuck underground when the new Age began and it seemed like a bit unfair that he had missed the light show when he was the reason it happened. He huffed in irritation. Whatever.

Ran’dolphinius thought for a moment before speaking, “I was only able to see our original sky for a moment before the blue of day returned, but I thought I saw a few more stars than there should have been. As I said however, it was for just a moment. I could have been mistaken. I checked once night fell and did not see any extra stars then.”

Richter filled that information away and just kept on asking questions. In addition to the revelations already shared about his chamberlain’s past, there were other, more welcome surprises. 

“I have gained many skills over my century of life, Lord Richter. Now that we are Companions, I am sure that you can see them. I will be happy to share them with you as well as my knowledge. You would most likely be interested in my three masteries first. I am a master of Water Magic, Small Blades and Stealth.”

“A master?” Richter asked his eyes widening. “So you can teach magic?”

“I was hoping that you would be interested, my lord. By your leave? Ran’dolphinius asked raising both hands. 

The chaos seed nodded eagerly and the chamberlain placed one hand on Richter’s head and the other one his chest. A cool, crisp feeling spread through his body and with it came knowledge. His eyes widened and he knew!

Congratulations! You have learned the spell: Weak Find   Water. Casting this spell allows   you to sense sources of water within 100 feet of your location. This is a spell of Water Magic,   level 1.  Cost: 17 mana.  Duration: 10 min.  Range: 100 feet.    Cast Time: 1 second.  Cooldown: N/A.

Congratulations! You have   learned spell: Summon Weak Aether Carp. This spell summons a level four magical   fish to serve you. This is a   spell of Water Magic, level 5.  Cost: 42 mana.  Duration: 12 min.    Range: 7 feet.  Cast Time: 3 seconds.  Cooldown: 43 minutes.

Congratulations! You have   learned spell: Teatro’s Weak Water Casting. This spell created by the Water wizard   Teatro allows you to cast Novice level Water, Life and Dark spells   underwater. This is a spell of   Water Magic, level 4.  Cost: 65 mana.  Duration: 2 hours.    Range: Self.  Cast Time: 4 seconds.  Cooldown: 1 day.

Congratulations! You have   learned spell: Weak Purify Drink. This spell will clear a cup, flask, skin or other small holding   container of any weak impurities, poisons or diseases. This is a spell of Water Magic,   level 3.  Cost: 16 mana.  Duration: Instant.  Range: 4 feet.    Cast Time: 2 seconds.  Cooldown: N/A.

Congratulations! You have   learned spell: Weak Water Damage. This spell will add +1 damage to any weapon. Provides +1% chance to afflict a struck   enemy with Weak Slow, decreasing   their movement and attack speed by 10%. This is a spell of Water Magic, level 3.  Cost: 26 mana.    Duration: 22 minutes.  Range: 5 feet.  Cast Time: 1 second.    Cooldown: 27 minutes.

Congratulations! You have   learned spell: Weak Swift Swim. This spell increases your swimming speed by 50%. This is a spell of Water Magic,   level 4.  Cost: 28 mana.  Duration: 8 minutes.  Range: Touch.    Cast Time: 1 seconds.  Cooldown: 21 minutes.

Richter fell to the ground gasping. Arcane equations and calculations spun through his mind as his lungs seized. His neurons screamed as they realigned to accommodate so much new information. Spell theory that had taken months, years or lifetimes to create became as familiar to him as tying his shoes. Ran’dolphinius reached down to help him up, “Are you alright, my lord?”

“Yeah,” Richter replied, “that just always feels like a kick to the mind nuts.”

The chamberlain blinked once or twice before a small smile stole across his face, “Yes, my lord. It can be. Still, it is impressive that you can retain so many spells, at such a low skill level.”

A flash of adrenalin shot through Richter’s body, “What do you mean ‘impressive’?”

“Merely that I did not believe you would be able to absorb all six spells. I thought perhaps three, maybe four, but learning all six is quite a feat. It speaks well for your future growth as an aquamancer.”

Richter’s head still ached and it put him a bit on edge, “Why wouldn’t I be able to absorb all the spells at once? What is it I don’t know?”

Ran-dolphinius blinked twice, then said carefully, “You do know that there is a limit on the number of spells anyone can learn, do you not, my lord?”

“News to me,” Richter said sitting back on the bed. His temples were throbbing! 

Alma had been looking worriedly at her master, but once he was off the floor, she relaxed. Before Ran’dolphinius had bent the knee, she had been ready to attack the man if needed. She had already planned on unleashing a Psi Blast followed by a quick casting of Weak Lightning Bolt. Then she would have physically attacked and tried to use her psi poison on the chamberlain. She was smart enough to understand how tense the situation had been. Even though she’d liked the chamberlain before, if he posed a risk to her master, he was going to die. She knew that as surely as she new scale scratches were heaven. Now that the moment had passed, the dragonling found she was glad an attack hadn’t been necessary. Not because she was afraid of violence. Fresh blood was even better than scale scratches, but she had always liked the chamberlain.

Both men were unaware of the thoughts passing unseen behind Alma’s draconian eyes. Instead, the chamberlain was trying to pondering what Richter had just said. His liege had made the comment in an off-handed fashion, but he’d seen him use magic from all eight Basic Elements and some Deeper Magic. Was it possible that Richter really didn’t have a limit to the spells he could know at one time?

Ran’dolphinius licked his lips as it tasting the idea. That was more than a little bit unnerving for Richter because it once again revealed the sharpness of the half-undine’s teeth. “I do not have a rare skill like your Analyze, my lord, but my Profession allows me a Talent to know what skills you possess and what their levels are. I know, for instance, that your highest level magic skill is Air. It is level fourteen, and is followed by Life and Earth magic which are both level ten. Your Water Magic, in contrast is only level five. What I do not know is how many spells you posses in total however, my lord. Would you mind telling me?”

Richter looked at the man and considered the request. He didn’t really see a reason not to share. He was already trusting Randy with his life and his training, afterall. It was just against his nature to share personal information unless absolutely necessary. He pushed his suspicion back down and decided to answer, but he also decided against providing the names of every spell. 

He accessed his spell lists and began to count. 

AIR MAGIC

Weak   Lightning Bolt

Cast a lightning bolt from your hand.  Damage 15-20. Chance to stun your target for 1-2 seconds.    

Weak   Aided Flight

Fire Projectiles 10% faster than normal

Weak   Air Push

Summons a column of air   ten feet in front of you, one foot in diameter.  Does no real damage,   but will knock enemies back and possibly prone

Weak   Errant Wind

Increase dodge of your party   to projectiles by 10%. Only works   outside

Glitterdust

Creates a 5x5 foot area of shining, sharp dust.  Anyone caught   in the AOE will suffer certain effects.  Effect 1: Hidden creatures will   be revealed.  Effect 2: Chance to blind creatures susceptible to such   attacks.  

Weak   Haste

Increases movement and attack speed by 10%.  

Gentle   Rain

Summons a small rainstorm

EARTH MAGIC

Weak   Static Earth Shield

Creates a magical sphere around you comprised of Earth magic.    The shield has 200 HPs.  Shield defense strength +5 (+15 vs Air   attacks).  Does not protect vs Earth attacks.  Only your   Earth-based spells may leave the boundaries of the shield.  Physically   touching your own shield will dispel it.  

Summon   Minor Chokespore Arachnid

This spell will make a 10x10 foot area slick greatly increasing   chance of anyone in the area falling down.  

Minor   Chitin Carapace

Covers the target in a flexible carapace.  Natural armor   increased by +6

Weak   Sonic Wail

You can make a sound attack with your voice.  All within cone   shaped AoE suffer damage and risk being deafened.  

Summon   Weak Saproling

Summons a level five forest elemental to do your bidding

Weak   Paralysis Beam

Fires a beam that will lock the target’s body into position

Weak   Acid Sphere

Creates a ball of acid that can be thrown at your target.    Damage 4-6 per second.  

Weak   Rending Talons

Summons invisible claws to attack all targets within a 10 foot AoE

Summon   Insects

Summons a host of stinging and biting insects in a ten-foot wide   circle.  Causes minimal damage, but impedes concentration.

Weak   Thorns Underfoot

Creates a field of thorns 30x30 yards.  Most likely would not be   noticed by anyone wearing stout boots, the spell can cause extreme discomfort   and minor damage to anyone barefoot or to animals.  

Grease

This spell will make a 10x10 foot area slick greatly increasing   chance of anyone in the area falling down.  

Weak   Barkskin

This spell will increase natural armor by +2.

FIRE

Weak   Fireball

Fires a ball of flame that detonates upon impact.  Flames are   spread out from this area dousing anyone in a ten-meter radius in fire. Chance to cause Burn. 20-25 Damage. 

Weak   Flame

Shoot a weak gout of flame from your hand. Chance to cause Burn. 3-5 Damage per   second.

WATER

Summon   Weak Aether Carp

This spell summons a   five-foot magical fish to serve you

Teatro’s   Weak Water Casting

This spell created by the   Water wizard Teatro allows you to cast Novice level Water, Life and Dark   spells underwater

Weak   Swift Swim

This spell increases your   swimming speed by 50%. 

Weak   Purify Drink

This spell will clear a cup,   flask, skin or other small holding container of any weak impurities, poisons   or diseases. 

Weak   Water Damage

This spell will add +1 damage   to any weapon. Provides 1% chance to   afflict a struck enemy with Weak Slow, decreasing their movement and attack   speed by 10%

Weak   Slow

This spell will slow the target by 10%

Weak   Ice Dagger

This spell will throw a dagger made of ice at your target 5-6 Damage

Weak   Find Water

Casting this spell allows you   to sense sources of water within 100 feet of your location.

LIFE

Summon   Weak Gold Fox

Summons a magical fox that will heal you and allies for one hundred   points each.  The fox may heal five times before disappearing

Weak   Static Life Shield

Creates a magical sphere around you comprised of Life magic.    The shield has 100 HPs.  Shield defense strength +3 (+9 vs Death   attacks).  Ineffective against Life attacks.  Only your Life-based   spells may leave the boundaries of the shield.  Physically touching your   own shield will dispel it.

Minor   Slow Heal

Restore 90 missing health over 60 seconds upon casting

Weak   Mend Bone

Fix small, uncomplicated breaks in bone.  Must be targeted to   each fracture

Weak   Detect Hostile Intent

Casting this spell will reveal if any creatures within ten yards have   an active, deadly intent towards you

Summon   Weak Life Wisp

Summons an entity comprised of Life magic.  Will float in the   area and restore a total of 100 health to you or one of your allies.  

Weak   Life Armor

Defense of all armor pieces increased by +1 (+3 vs. Death attacks)

Weak   Courage

Improves your Fighting Spirit by +50

Weak   Life Bolt 

Fire a bolt of concentrated Life energy.  Damage 5-10 (15-30 vs   Death creatures)

Weak   Banish Undead

If successful, you will dissipate the energy   allowing a Death creature to exist in this plane

Weak   Life Aura

The caster’s body is surrounded by a golden shield of pure Life   energy.  Any nearby death, dead or undead creatures will be   discomforted.  Any actual contact with the shield will cause damage to   the undead

Weak   Stabilize

If a target is stricken with a ‘Bleeding’ status, this spell will   decrease the rate of bleeding and total bleeding time

Soul   Trap

Binds the soul of the target to this plane, preventing passage to the   beyond at the time of death.  They will instead be pulled into any   nearby empty soul stone of appropriate size.  

Weak   Slow Heal

Restore 30 missing health over 60 seconds upon casting

Weak   Cure Disease

This spell will cure most weak diseases

Weak   Cure Poison

This spell will remove weak   poison effects

Call   Weak Small Creature

If there is a non-sentient creature of ‘Small’ size, two to four feet   long, in the immediate area, it will be called to the caster, and it will follow   simple commands.

Weak   Charm

You can convince an enemy that they are your friend.  In battle,   they will fight for you.  Casting this upon a creature lowers they   regard for you after the spell wears off.  

Weak   Life Beacon

This spell shoots a golden flare high into the air.  Any   creatures with a relationship to you, friendly and above, within one mile,   will be compelled to come to your aid.

Summon   Weak Luminous Butterflies

Summons a small number of glowing butterflies.  Any creature of   positive alignment who catches one of these butterflies will have a boost to   their stamina for one day.  Total boost equal to 1% per number of   alignment.  Only one butterfly may affect each individual.  

Virol’s   Blessing

Casting this spell will increase the yield and potency of a 20x20   yard area of plants by 5%.  Successive casts of this spell create a   cumulative effect for a max of 100%.

DEATH MAGIC

Summon   Weak Bile Rats

Summons a small nest of bile rats.  The bites of these creatures   can cause nausea.

LIGHT MAGIC

Create Soul Stone (Luminous)

Can create soul stones up to Luminous level

Weak Mirror Image

A duplicate image of yourself is summoned nearby.  It will   duplicate your actions with small variations to take terrain into account.    Number of images is determined by 1+ Light Magic/5.  Max 5 images

Create Soul Stone (Common)

Can create soul stones up to Common level

Weak Magic Missiles

Produces colorful balls of magical force that fly unerringly towards   the enemy.  Each sphere causes 4-5 points of magical force damage.    Each sphere can be directed towards different enemies.  Number of   missiles is determined by (1 + Light Magic/5).  Maximum 7 missiles

Far Light

Creates a ball of white light that can be fixed to a distant surface

Simple Light

Creates a ball of white light that will hover above your head, moving   with you

Mirror

Creates a 6x3 foot insubstantial, reflective surface

DARK MAGIC

Weak Dark Bolts

Fires a bolt of   concentrated Dark energy at your target.  For every three skill levels   the caster has in Dark magic, the spell will fire another bolt (Max 10).    Damage 7-9.

Troubled   Sleep

Places your   target in a restless sleep.  He will be plagued by nightmares until   awakening.  Any attack or hostile action taken against target will   awaken them.  Area of effect five feet.  

Flood of   Darkness

Blankets an area   25 yards around you in darkness.   Effect banished by direct   sunlight.  Blocks out all light based sight.  

Darkvision

Provides   Darkvision for 25 yards

Weak Cloying   Darkness

Cast a cone of   thickened darkness from your hand.  Movement and Attack speed of targets   decreased by 20%.  All in area of effect will suffer from spell.    Will not work in direct sunlight

Night Vision

Illuminates low   light areas

BLOOD MAGIC

Blood Mana

Every 10 points of Health will provide one point of Mana that will   increase your total mana pool for one hour. Can absorb 1 mana/Blood Magic skill level from each blood source.

Weak Vitality Puppet

This spell allows you to take complete control over one other   creature that has blood.

Tame

Bend the will of a creature to your own.  Creature level must be   less than or equal to your rank in the skill: Beast Bonding.  At the   rank of Novice, you may attempt to tame ‘weak’ level souls and may use the   spell once per day.  If you tame the same creature for a required number   of days in a row, then it will be loyal to you til death.  As a novice   in Beast Bonding, the required time is six days for every level of the   creature you have tamed.  Betray the sacred trust with you bonded beast   to your peril!  

SPIRIT MAGIC

Weak Aura Lance

Fires a blast of spiritual energy at your target.  Does no   physical damage, but causes disruption of the target’s aura.  Reduces   resistance to all spell types.  

CHAOS MAGIC

Akaton Evolution

Triggers the evolution   of a summoned creature or pet. In the   case of summoned creatures, it will also lengthen the spell duration of your   summoning by 50%. This spell will not work on sapient beings. 

UNALIGNED MAGIC 

Manifest Mana

This spell has no specific affinity for any type of magic.    Instead, the power and effects of this spell are determined by the   skill level of Mana Manipulation.  Successful casting of this spell   makes your mana tangible in the physical world.  At skill level one, the   cost is 100 mana and, if thrown at an attacker, will cause 1 point of magical   force damage.  

SETTLEMENT MAGIC (Must be cast within the domain of the village)

Summon Mist Worker

This spell has no specific affinity for any type of magic.    Instead, the power and effects of this spell are determined by the   skill level of Mana Manipulation.  Successful casting of this spell   makes your mana tangible in the physical world.  At skill level one, the   cost is 100 mana and, if thrown at an attacker, will cause 1 point of magical   force damage.  

Summon Mist Light

Summons a glow of glowing grey energy that can adhere to any surface   or hang in midair.

Dungeon Transport

You may now instantly transport yourself, and any creatures within   five yards, to any accessed transport sphere in the Dungeon of Bloody   Chaos. Must be cast within the domain   of the village. 

Richter did a final tally of his spells, overwhelmed by the number despite himself, “Seventy-three.”

“Seventy-three!” Ran-dolphinius exclaimed. The reserve he normally wore with unthinking grace disappeared, and all that remained was astonishment. “Even if they were all low level spells of the Basic Elements, that is unheard of for one of your skill level!”

Richter wasn’t sure how he should feel about that. He kept watching Ran-dolphinius who was now muttering to himself. One phrase the chaos seed heard clearly was, “… would not even need a grimoire. … could his ability truly…” 

This went on for a full three minutes, until he looked at Richter who was staring at him bemusedly at this point. “I apologize, my lord, but I do not think you understand how shocking this is. It is easy to forget there is much you do not know when faced with the power you wield. I will attempt to explain. One of the primary reasons magi invest heavily into Intelligence and Wisdom is to increase the number of spells they can learn. Other factors affect spell limit as well such as skill affinity, skill level in various schools of magic, race and several others.  Increasing Intelligence and Wisdom, however, is the easiest way to ensure a higher spell limit.”

“How many spells did you think I would be able to know?”

Ran-dolphinius shrugged, “As I said, my lord, there are many factors that influence that. My mixed parentage gave me an extremely high spell limit for Water magic, even before I became an master in the skill. The fact that you know multiple types of magic would increase your spell limit as well. For a normal novice in a Basic Element however, I wouldn’t expect them to know more than five to ten spells. That is why almost every battle mage must rely upon wands, staves or grimoires.”

The chamberlain paused for a moment before continuing, “The spell limit is one of the reasons magi are vulnerable. It is not just a lack of mana that can spell death for a caster, it is knowing a finite amount of spells. It is also why magi typically specialize not only in a certain branch of magic, but also in specific spell schools. Battlemages do not learn domestic or agricultural magic, for instance.”

“Why haven’t I ever heard about this before?” Richter asked. “Why don’t I ever have a problem learning spells?”

Ran-dolphinius shook his head slowly, “I do not know for certain, but I would guess your Limitless ability.” 

Richter stared at him. When he had been transported to The Land, the creature he had first met, Xuetrix, had told him to be wary of telling other people about his Limitless ability. Specifically, the imp had said there were those that would kill him “today” out of fear of what he would become “tomorrow.” Ran-dolphinius was no fool though, and they were Companions now so the man already had access to his status page. He just nodded slowly. 

The Spy whistled softly, before saying, “You could very well become the most powerful being in The Land. I advise you to tell no one else about your ability, my lord. Many will consider you a threat and might destroy you before you reach your potential.”

Déjà vu much, Richter thought to himself. He just nodded again though, and thought about the new info. If the man was right that a spell limit was partially based on magical affinity, and his affinity was infinite, then it made sense. It also meant he might have a real edge over other casters. That sounded more than alright to him! Richter asked another question. “If you didn’t think I would be able to learn all of the spells, then why did you teach them to me?”

“That is just a common technique to test new magical students,” Ran’dolphinius replied absently. “It gives a good indication of how far a student might one day progress.” He was still lost in thought, considering the implications of his liege’s ability and magical powers. 

“It’s a very common practice?” Richter asked, something clicking in his mind.  The chamberlain nodded, and the chaos seed cursed softly. It now made more sense why Hisako had given him so many Life spells all at once. She had been helping him, yes, but she had been testing him as well. If she didn’t know about his Limitless ability, then she had at least expected and now had a bit of proof. He started speaking under his breath, “That wily old b-”

“It is especially amazing that you were able to absorb all the spells seeing as how one of them is rare,” Ran’dolphinius commented, “and the others are-” 

“You know,” Richter interrupted, “you mentioned something about my Analyze skill being rare earlier. Now you’re talking about a rare spell.” He put the same slight extra emphasis on the word that he had heard Randy use, “What do you mean exactly?”

The chamberlain gave him yet another of those “Oh honey…” looks. 

Richter lips thinned and he quietly murmured, “God dammit,” before speaking up again, “Okay. Hit me with it. What the fuck else don’t I know?”

Shrewdly, sensing his liege’s fragile emotional state, Ran’dolphinius simply explained that spells had a class system not unlike weapons and items. The rankings were common, uncommon, unusual, scarce, rare, epic, mythic, legendary, and God-tier. Spells with a greater rarity were apparently much sought after and cost a great deal more even if they were low level. Some were even considered priceless and could not be bought. The more rare the spell, the more rare the effect they produced. Sometime it was just a random and seemingly pointless manifestation, but other times the effects could change the very face of The Land. 

Richter nodded while he reached up and rubbed the necklace he always wore. The Necklace of Scry Defense was one of the first items he had found upon coming to The Land. He had come across other magical necklaces, but for some reason he had always felt the need to stay with this first one. It was supposed to “block all but God level scrying spells.” Richter knew he might be completely paranoid, but then again he caught enemies like crabs in Saigon. And like his Uncle Ko always said, you were only paranoid if they weren’t out to get ya.

“Well how do I know how rare my spells are?” Richter asked.

“The easiest way is simply to have someone tell you their rarity.” Randolphus then went on to explain that the spell that let Richter breathe underwater was rare. The one that summoned the magic fish was unusual and the others were common. “By reading the correct books, you can increase your Lore skill as well. That may allow you to identify the rarity of certain spells. With a Lore of one, you should be able to identify any of your spells that are common or uncommon. Anything higher will most likely show up as ‘unknown,’ until you know a sufficient amount of Lore. Do you know any, my lord?”

Richter did as the Spy suggested and accessed the spell list on his interface. To his surprise, Randy was right. Most of his spells did have a classification of common. A few had the word uncommon appear next them as well. A few others had unknown written next to them, including his Settlement, Deeper Magic and Chaos spells. He’d mostly started reading his Lore books so that he could identify magic items. 

“I’m level one in Lore,” Richter admitted. “I have a book that is supposed to get me to level two, but-”

Randolphus chucked slightly, “I understand, my lord. Lore books can be extremely dry. I recommend that you continue your studies however. Lore can affect many skills and can open up possibilities that otherwise would be closed to you.”

“I just thought it seemed pointless in light of my Analyze skill and my Identify Enchantments Talent.”

“It is true that your Analyze is impressive, but that only gives information. Increasing your Lore skill can help you with greater understanding of The Land, yourself, and the many creatures and magics of this world. It can even unlock mysteries and offer quests that would otherwise forever stay beyond your grasp.”

Richter nodded and promised himself that he’d start taking his education seriously again. The chamberlain went on to explain that skills also had class ranks. The system was he same until it reached legendary, which was where it ended. Ran-dolphinius said he had heard stories of skills stronger than that, but did not know of any from personal experience. 

The chas seed hadn’t ever tried to qualify his skills by rarity, but he supposed it made perfect sense. Skills arose from affinities after all. It was only natural that some affinities were more common than others. He already knew that magical affinity was not overly common for instance, which in turn made magical skill equally rare to find. When he looked at spellbooks, they also had rarities listed. Richter had always assumed it refered just to the item itself, but now that he was thinking about it, the spell the book contained would probably also be a determining factor. 

Ran’dolphinius started giving examples. Cooking was an example of a common skills. Martial skills like Swordsmanship, Shields and Archery were uncommon. Have magical affinity in one of the basic elements were unsual or scarce, depending on one’s race and other qualifiers. Dwarves were more likely to learn Earth magic for instance and less likely to learn Life magic, Krom to the contrary. High elves also more likely than other races to develop magical talent, so Light magic might be only uncommon for their people. 

The Spy then began speaking about Richter’s new spells, “I know many of these are of no value in combat, but I promise they are what you need to survive in the Labyrinth. You will find every conceivable terrain and situation in there that place. There may come a time that the first spell I have taught you, how to find water, may be the most useful magic you have.”

“I can see why finding water would be important,” Richter aceeded. “What about the rest?”

“Summon Weak Aether Carp is just as it sounds. It summons a magical fish. The creature has some offensive capability, but it is best used for support. It is at least five feet long and can eat smaller creatures. The true usefulness is that it is an aquatic creature. If you summon it on land it will die quickly, but if you are in the water it can be a strong ally. By holding the fish, it can propel you quickly through the water. Using Water magic in its presence also reduces the casting cost by 2%. It is not much, but it might make the difference between life and death.”

Richter nodded thoughtfully. This was the first summoning spell he had learned that couldn’t successfully be used on land, but he saw the wisdom of having a diverse spell bank. A spell like this might have helped him in his fight against the skaths, or when he was going after the shiverleaf fronds. That made him think about the baby skaths and how he needed to spend some time with them soon. That, in turn, made him think about how he needed to find a new pet. He felt a surprising twinge of loss as he thought about the shale adder. He supposed it wasn’t truly dead, as it was now the Harbinger of the Dungeon of Bloody Chaos. It had been a staunch ally through many battles. The chaos seed motioned for Ran’dolphinius to continue. 

“Perhaps the most versatile spell I taught you was Teatro’s Weak Water Casting. Its rank is rare. Obviously, the verbal component of spells becomes impossible if your mouth is underwater. This spell allows you to speak clearly despite being underwater. Do not forget however, that it offers no protection against drowning. If you run out of air, you will die even if this spell has not elapsed.”

“Good safety tip,” Richter said wryly. He may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer all the time, but he knew that he needed air to live. The chaos seed wasn’t complaining about Randy’s explanation of the spell, though. He had just become dangerous and deadly underwater.

“I must now ask, my lord” Ran’dolphinius began delicately, “would you like me to start instructing you in the ways of Water magic and rogue skills? If the answer is yes, I only ask three things. One, that you keep my secret about my Profession and Specialty unless I give you permission otherwise. Two, that we make a concerted effort to explore the Labyrinth and hopefully find a node road to the Dungeon under Yves. Finally, three, when we train, all that matters is my experience. At those times, I must be the master and you the student if I am going to teach you properly.”

Before Richter could respond a notification window appeared. 

You have been offered a Quest: Spells and Skills for Silence I. Your chamberlain and new Companion is much more than ever suspected. Over nearly a century of life, he has garnered many skills, spells and capabilities. He offers to share them with you freely, but you must make your best effort to explore the Labyrinth. Required Condition: Tell no one of his true nature. Required Condition: Make a concerted effort to find a “node road” to the Hall of Elemental Hunters under the palace in Law. Required Condition: You submit to Ran-dolphinius’ direction when actively training. Optional Condition: Find a path to the Dungeon that the royal palace in Law is built upon, the Hall of Elemental Hunters. Reward: Instruction in Water magic and rogue skills. Do you accept? Yes or No?

Richter blinked. On the surface, it sounded like a really good deal. He had already gained a crapload of really useful spells from his chamberlain. There was also the point that studying under someone that had reached master rank would let him power level through his skills. His rogue skills were sorely lacking. The chaos seed’s Limitless ability meant he could advance in any direction, but he’d definitely become magic focused of late. He had a strong suspicion that ignoring other parts of his education would have serious repercussions in the future. 

One the other hand… the man was a Spy! That third condition of following him as a student made logical sense, but he wondered if there was a hidden trap in the words. He really wanted to trust Randolphus. The man had always been awesome, but isn’t that what a Spy would do? Get his trust and then… 

Richter had to almost physically get control of himself. No! He had already decided not to do this. Richter looked his Companion in the eye. He trusted him. And the man was his Companion. It was in the wording. That only happened as long as their “goals aligned.” There were things Ran-dolphinius wasn’t telling him, he had admitted as much, but Richter trusted him. There was a question he needed answered first before accepting, though.

“What do you mean by a node road?”

“In Dungeons and the Labyrinth there are nodes scattered throughout. If you touch one of these, you can transport instantly to another location. There is a caveot however. Every node is a part of a vast network. Though I have touched nodes in the Hall of Elemental Hunters, I cannot transport there from this Dungeon because I have not touched the nodes inbetween.”

The possibilities of that started racing through Richter’s mind, “So if we can find the nodes between here and there, you could transport us into the palace of Law?”

“No, my lord,” Randolphus said definitively. His voice took on the sing-song aspect heard when someone was repeating an old adage, “‘Dungeons are for adventure, not war.’ The node road only works for whomever touches that actual node. Even if we found our way all the way to the entrance of the Hall of Elemental Hunters, I still could not transport you to any other location in that Dungeon until you touched those nodes yourself. This is also a good time to warn you never to take a large army into the Labyrinth. You may have already noticed that your War Leader skill does not work in the Dungeon?”

Richter nodded, “Yeah, I was meaning to ask you about that.”

“It is because the magic of the Labyrinth polices such things. If you enter the Dungeon with too large a party, you will gain no drops and you will also find yourself afflicted with penalties. Blows that should have landed will miss. Attacks your armor should rebuff will find your flesh. There is no way around this. There are cautionary tales of leaders foolish enough to try to take armies within the Labyrinth itself. They have each been destroyed to the last man. Taking a party larger than permitted into the Labyrinth attracts the very worst and strongest monsters. Colossal horrors that none can resist. Pay heed to this warning, my lord, ‘Dungeons are for adventure, not war’.” 

The chamberlain’s tone was deadly serious, and Richter took his warning to heart, “That begs the question though, how many people can I safely take into the Dungeon? And does that mean only one group can enter the Dungeon at a time?”

“In answer to your first question, my lord, the standard party of five is what is allowed. There are ways to increase this.  It is possible to gain an evolution to your Mark of the Adventurer that increases party size called Logistics. There are Adventurers who make a living by having increased that particular evolutions several times allowing for much larger party sizes even if they are not strong fighters themselves.

In regards to the maximum group size, I do not know. The Hall of Elemental Hunters is so old, and large, that I know of no issues with many parties entering at once. For this Dungeon, without having even entered, I cannot say.”

Richter checked his Dungeon interface for an answer, but again, it was a function blocked out saying he needed a “Dungeon Keeper.” A prompt he was getting very tired of seeing. Another prompt still hovered in his vision though, the quest offer.

He chose “Yes.” Then he spoke clearly and directly to his chamberlain., “I am not a fool. I know that I have much to learn, but I am not a fool. You are a man of secrets. I have ample reasons not to trust you, but I also have good reasons to give you trust. I choose to keep you with me. More than that, I choose to put my faith in you. Please do not disappoint me, or betray our people.” There was just the slightest of emphasis when he said “our” and Richter further punctuated his choice by accessing the Dungeon interface. 

You have given Ran’dolphinius access to the Dungeon of Bloody Chaos. 

You have given Ran’dolphinius immunity to the Doubt effect of the Dungeon entrance. 

The chamberlain bowed his head and reverentially said, “I am honored.”

The trust you have shown to Randolphus has not gone unnapreciated. Long has he been rejected for his heritage. The fact that you still accept him, and better yet, show understanding of why he initially concealed things has strengthened the bond between the two of you. Allowing him access to the Dungeon has made this positive shift in relationship even stronger. 

You have gained +11,178 Relationship Points with Ran’dolphinius. Total Relationship Points: +31,695.

He read and dismissed the prompts, processing the information with a faint smile. His decision to trust was already showing a positive yield. Based on the wording of the prompt, there might have been a decidedly significant drop in their relationship if he had refused the quest. Richter just hoped he didn’t regret his decision in the long term. 

“Thank you for your trust, my lord,” the chamberlain said with the same appreciative tone. “I will not betray it.”

It was a moment of profound truth, and the two men shared a oneness of purpose that few ever experienced.

That was why Richter couldn’t help it, “You got it Randy!”

A strained groan was his only reply.