Bewildered and annoyed, Noah typed in his username several more times on the virtual keyboard in an attempt to log in.
Sorry, the username "Rohgar" does not exist.
Sorry, the username "Rohgar" does not exist.
Sorry, the username "Rohgar" does not exist.
What the hell is going on? I've been able to log in without a single issue since the beta was released a month ago. Probably won't make a difference, but maybe if I try the voice recognition instead.
Voice trembling, he spoke his name aloud.
Sorry, the username "Rohgara" does not exist.
Rohgara, fucking Rohgara? I never said Rohgara. Stupid voice recognition.
Gah… for crying out loud! I know let me use my thoughts since the hardware was recently upgraded to make use of brain wave reading technology. That will be the most accurate input.
Relaxing his muscles, he took in a deep breath to gain some composure from his current predicament, when to his horror, the prompt appeared.
Sorry, the username "you stupid fucking game" does not exist.
Trust my thoughts to fuck it up!
After a moment, he tried again.
Sorry, the username "Rohgar" does not exist.
"Damn it you piece of junk!" he yelled. He ripped off his headset and threw them aside. He stared at the headset. The logo "Aztech Q-VR" emblazoned on the front.
Let me send the game developers a message. Ask them what the hell they think they are playing at?!
He quit the game and returned to the home screen of the Aztech Q-VR, the latest VR kit powered by a quantum processor making use of qubits rather than the defunct binary digits. For all its power of making super-realistic, immersive worlds with the most impressive graphics and intelligent AI, and at such high frame rates that never dropped, Roh couldn't even perform the simplest of tasks such as logging into the game.
A blinking red dot caught his eye. In a user interface (UI) this usually signalled a new unread notification. Noah clicked on it and it revealed an email sent by the game developers of Age of the Behemoths.
Email sent by Aztech Q-VR Devs at 11:00 pm on Friday 4th September 2037.
Dear Customer #5732210,
We regret to inform you that the game "Age of the Behemoths" has received a code injection attack on the server today resulting in a large number of deleted accounts.
We apologize for the huge inconvenience that this has caused and are shocked at how this has occurred since the data on our servers were encrypted by the state of the art quantum cryptography algorithms.
To provide complete security going forth we have updated our game to now make use of nodes and sharding through Blockchain technology together with our quantum cryptography algorithms in order to decentralise the system. Thus, we will no longer have to rely on servers which if they go down becomes a bottleneck. With decentralisation, if a single node or partition is affected then all the information is still shared by any remaining ones. It also ensures that all game data sent via the smart contracts are public which guarantees trust among all parties involved. The sharding will also enhance scalability and therefore stability running the game which will prevent any issues from occurring when more and more new players join the game.
You may notice a few unique game changes as a result ;)
We hope you continue to play 'Age of the Behemoths' and enjoy the new updates!
Yours Sincerely,
Logan Mills
Lead Developer of Aztech Q-VR
Noah closed the email. Well, that's a bummer. Guess it's a good thing I only put a few hours into the beta. It was pretty limited anyway. Only got to try like three Behemoths, all within the same area.
I wonder what the new changes are?
This time, he went over to the [Create New Character] button and clicked on it instead of trying to log in. I really enjoyed the character I played with during the beta so I think I will just stick with the same selections as before. Noah browsed over the menu selection presented at the center of his peripheral vision.
Select Race:
Dragon-blood
Drow Elf
Dwarf
Gnome
Half-Elf
Half-Orc
Human
Moonweave Elf
Orc
Shapeshifter
They will most likely add more races as DLCs in future updates, but it's not a bad starting lineup to be honest. Hmm…it's a tough choice but I think I will go Dragon-blood again.I really enjoyed playing it in the beta and didn't get a chance to develop it further. I could do with the raw magic power. And let's be honest it's probably the most badass of the lot. Gotta love me some runic power.
Dragon-blood
Dragon-bloods are descendants of the order known as the Scions of the Dragons. Keepers of the Sanctuary, and especially the mighty beasts within. They were chosen by arcane masters of power to save all the races from the impending doom. Ancient runic magic, inherited among Dragon-blood kin, passively courses through their veins. Once awoken this pulsating power, passed down through their ancestry, can do a great many things from warding to raising the dead. This power is also the reason why most tend to live to over 300 years. However, such primal magic carries heavy consequences as it originates from the fury within, therefore its downside is in the challenge of trying to maintain control.
Racial Attributes:
Abilities: +30 to Magic Power
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral – You value your freedom. (Chaos inherited from the Dragons within them and Neutral from their human form)
Language: Common Script and Draconic Script
I will also select my actual age to add a slight Intellect boost.
Age: 31
+3 Intellect
-1 Strength
-1 Agility
Pity about the Strength deduction, but it's fine I will make up for it.
It now wants me to select my backstory?
Select Your Background:
Exile
Fugitive
Noble
Nomad
Orphan
Outlander
Refugee
Thief
Vagrant
Hmmm…didn't see this during the beta. Although it's to be expected as it was only a small section of the game to test out. Again all very interesting choices.
Think I will go with Orphan. Living so far away from my family, with very little contact lately, I'm beginning to feel like an orphan. Swallowing hard, Noah tried to barricade the emotions swelling within him. He didn't want to allow himself to think of them for too long as missing them hurt too much and it was his fault for leaving them. They had warned him, time and time again. Yet he didn't listen.
I risked everything for HER.
He could not bring himself to even dare think of her name. Right, no more! He would not let her ruin the last thing that gave him joy in the world. Gaming is my happy place. I'm going to look at it more from a roleplaying, flavour point of view.
Orphan
As one of the few remaining successors of your kind, your brethren chose a nomadic life over nobility to escape being pursued by those wishing for their extinction. Those that either feared the Dragon-bloods through ignorance or were jealous of their power. However, as a young boy a horrific tragedy struck as your entire family, save for you and your uncle, were slain by a traitorous Shapeshifter known as Morrkayn. Now your sworn nemesis, you have made an oath to avenge your kin with the primal rage that awoke on that fateful day.
Yes! The primal rage augments the fury from my chosen race and will go perfectly with the class that I always play.
Select Class:
Alchemist
Artificer
Arcane Sorcerer
Barbarian
Bard
Druid
Monk
Gunslinger
Ranger
Rogue
Again some fun options that are very tempting, but I always play the Barbarian. I can further fuel the rage from both my race and background with this class. Stacking that rage will make for some heavy damage output but more importantly it will help with maintaining the threat and holding the aggro from enemies. Aiming for that high DPS mixed with a tanky build should make me more versatile for any solo playing. It also works well with my alignment and maybe I can channel some of my real-life rage into my combat. Noah chuckled to himself. This should be interesting.
Barbarian
Defined by your primal instincts, you harbor an unbridled fury deep within you. Far more than pure uncontrollable emotion, the savagery of your rage exudes from your profound bond with nature absorbing arcane physical power that has withstood the test of time. Like the tumultuous waves of the ocean or a tempest or a mother bear protecting her young, you hear the calls of your surroundings that others don't. You then channel and unleash it to bring justice and balance.
Armor Proficiencies:
Unarmored, light armor, medium armor and shields
Bonus Trait: Natural Defense +15
As a barbarian, your leathery, weather-beaten skin can withstand some damage.
Weapon Proficiencies:
Basic weapons and martial weapons
Going through the plethora of options he selected male for gender. It's great that they are inclusive with non-binary options and although I sometimes choose female so I can check out my character as I play… I feel like I will go male since this game is more realistic than any game I've played before and I really want to feel immersed like I'm in the game.
Using the character creator tool, he proceeded to create a rugged physique.
I sure as hell don't want a character with a lean build. I've had enough of that in the real world. Ah yes! These big burly arms were great at raising an ax and crushing a Behemoth's skull. Hopefully, I will be better at withstanding the harsh terrain too since I'm yet to experience the other biomes. My character's build is still not as hefty as Rye's Half-Orc, but it is pretty large for a Dragon-blood.
I wonder if Rye, Florrie and Arkie will create the same characters. It is tempting to try some of the other races and classes, but I'm just so happy with mine.
I will finish my avatar with dark hair, tanned skin, hazel green eyes, a long Viking-inspired Mohawk and a mighty full beard. At least my hair and eyes are the same as reality. He shrugged. I may have got carried away, but these character creation tools are the best I've experienced and afterall I do want a character whose looks can strike fear in the enemy.
As for my name, I will go for the same one as the beta as it's awesome and matches both my ancestry and class. Plus I'm not fond of leetspeak and unwieldy gamertags.
Username: Rohgar The Rage
Now finally, my weapon. I can choose from any of the ten available starter weapons. I'm going to make great use of this bulky figure of mine and go for the mighty Two-handed War Axe.
Noah gestured a tap on the confirm button and a notice popped up on the loading screen.
You will now enter the game shortly for the very first time. Note that you will spawn within an instance. If you are not familiar with MMO jargon, an instanced area is a copy of an area generated specifically for you. As such you will not be able to join friends just yet nor will they be able to join you until you leave the area. Therefore everything within the area such as the environment, NPCs, creatures, items, quests, etc. will only be provided to you. The instance provides emergent gameplay created specifically to each player due to the infinite choices and possibilities in this world managed by our incredibly intelligent and evolving AI making use of the latest deep learning technology. You can, however, take things from this area and likewise, you can return to the area with others as long as they are in your group initially with you as the party leader before entering.
I never realized any of this. Wow, this sounds great! I'm even more excited to play now.
After what felt like forever, he finally spawned in the game. Rohgar's eyes took time to adjust as it was unusually bright, almost unbearably so. The light did not originate from a single source like the sun, but instead seemed to emit perpetually up above him. The lower he looked the more the light dissipated and he could finally make out the sky behind the lower regions of the light source. Pale blue with not a single cloud in sight.
Unlike the beta, where he and other players normally spawned at the crowded and colorful Central Hub with the hubbub of everyone sprawling about in different directions, this location appeared deserted and void of sound and color. This new starting area seemed to be within some remote looking village. The entire village looked like it was covered in a sheet of white, high up on the snowy mountains.
A location popped up on the HUD.
STARTING LOCATION: NA'ROK VILLAGE
Followed by Rohgar's starting stats.
Name: Rohgar The Rage
Race: Dragon-blood
Class: Barbarian
Level: 1
XP: 0/500
Title: Unproven Hunter
Having the physique of a hunter is not enough to make one a hunter.
Primary Attributes (Vitals):
HP: 100/100
Defense: 15/15 (Natural Defense)
Mana: 50/50
Stamina: 110/110
Vigor: 3/3
Hunger: 20/100
Cold: -20/100
Secondary Attributes:
Strength [9]: 7 (-1) (+3)
Endurance [4]: 4
Agility [0]: 3 (-3)
Intellect [6]: 3 (+3)
Charisma [3]: 3
Boons:
Fervent Fury (Class Trait) - Rage + 20
Anger broils deep within you.
Bearlike Strength (Gained from Rugged Physique) - Strength + 3
You possess enormous strength.
Runic Markings (Racial Trait) – Unlocks Arcane Runic Powers at various levels
Runic markings on your body ignite and illuminate during your rage activating the powers.
Hot Blooded (Racial Trait) - Cold Resistance +20
More like Drake blooded, you exude heat like a Drake.
Banes:
Heavy-footed (Class Trait) - Agility -2
Nimble...is what you are not.
Hungersome (Gained from Rugged Physique) - Hunger +20
You have an insatiable appetite. This body needs more calories than the average person. You get hungry 20% more often and consuming food items are affected by a 20% reduction.
Flaw: You harbor a deep resentment to all Shapeshifters (Gained from Orphan background) – Relationship Rank with Shapeshifters 10/100
Equipment: Meagre tattered loincloth and worn leather sandals.
One size fits all. The default starter gear.
Weapon: Two-handed Battle Axe - Common
Your weapon of choice.
Item Level 1
Physical Damage: 9 – 16
Critical Strike Chance: 6.0%
Attacks per second: 0.6
Range: 13 ft
Durability: 5/5
Currency: 125 gold pieces.
Inventory: 5/5 – Survival Pack (Filled waterskin, 5 x small [low quality – 1 star] rations, rope, bedroll and pickaxe).
Carrying Weight: 25/100 lbs
Alignment Archetype: Chaotic Neutral
Background: Orphan
Reputation: Na'rok Village -50 (Distrusting).
He checked his stats from the top. The level and title make sense considering I've only just started the game. As for the equipment?
He looked down and noticed that he was wearing nothing at all save for a loincloth a few sizes too small. It was way too tight barely covering his dignity and with several holes. On his feet, he noticed the worn leather sandals.
Nostrils flared. Is this some kind of joke?!
At least I've got my trusty ax I guess. And the buffs are looking good. No wonder I'm not taking damage from the cold just yet. Although... I didn't realize the boons and banes! That's new. The agility reduction better not bite me in the ass during a fight and 'Hungersome'? Well, that explains this awful hunger.
Having had enough of looking at the stats screen, Rohgar closed it and decided to take in his new surroundings.
Among all the white, rounded peaks of granite protruded from all around the village, surrounding and enclosing the sparsely laid out wooden huts. Although not as comforting as the central hub he was used to, Rohgar felt a sense of protection among these large protrusions of rockface. Almost as if the mountains were living guardians protecting all its inhabitants. It felt idyllic up there looking down at the valleys far below.
This feels like a good place as any for new players to join. Away from all the dangerous creatures out in the wild, particularly the Behemoths. Rohgar drew in a deep breath of the crisp, fresh mountain air.
Almost as if to challenge his thoughts, he could hear the howling wind as the mysterious light above changed in hue from the bright white to a tint of blue and sleet began to fall. The surrounding area grew a shade darker which gave off an almost eerie look.
Smoke billowed from tall central beams atop the center of each hut. Mixed with the smoke, Rohgar could smell freshly cooked meat. With a panging sensation, his stomach rumbled. He could almost taste the flavor of whatever local beast had just been cooked.
Caught up in his culinary reverie, the frozen sleet whipped across his bare skin and the howling wind grew stronger as it echoed in his ears.
Good thing I have the Hot Blooded racial trait that provides me with some cold resistance, but I still need to find some shelter… and fast.
With each step, he felt the soft crunchy sleet beneath his sandals and every breath he exhaled looked like a plume of white steam.
From door to door, Rohgar knocked, but no one answered. He could hear shuffling sounds from within each hut and even hushed voices so he tried calling, "Hello! Anybody there?"
No response.
The villagers were obviously in there. The smoke from their cooking giving them away.
Knuckles red and raw, he gave up and walked further on hoping to find shelter close by.
He kept going until he reached the very edge of the village. A cliff dropping down below. He could walk no further.
Well, this is a great start! I'm about ready to rage quit. He slumped to the floor in defeat when an abandoned hut overgrown in foliage caught the corner of his eye. It was hard to tell where the tree ended and the hut began.
Separated by a great distance from the surrounding huts. A flickering glow effused from the cracks in the wooden slats.
As he reached the forlorn hut, Rohgar noticed a wooden sign above the door. He could not read the first section of it as it was all battered, weather-beaten and flipped over, however, the remaining letters read: "& Tucks Tailoring".
He knocked at the door half expecting no one to answer again, when to his astonishment, a short and stout dwarven male, with an almost crazed look in his eyes, opened the door and stood before him.
The weathered-looking hermit laughed raucously at the sight of Rohgar, his braided blonde beard bobbing up and down like a fish catching its bait.
"Why are you laughing so much?" Rohgar asked as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"Although I often gets visitors from players looking to earn a reward and some coin, I only rarely gets players who pick such a bulky build. Trying to compensate for something?" cackled the dwarven hermit.
Rohgar frowned and dropped his gaze to the floor, shoulders dropping at his sides.
"I think the developers thought it funny to provide only one size loincloth as the starter clothing. Either that or they got lazy," he continued. "Ah cheer up lad! You should see the ones that choose the leanest build. Poor sods having to hold onto theirs constantly with fear of it falling off. Although dare I say it. That's an even rarer sight."
The recluse ushered Rohgar into the dilapidated hut. "To show you I mean well. Here have these leather trousers. Just so happens I have your size he winked. I did a fair bit of tailoring back in my day. It's a handy skill to have and makes for some good coin too." He picked up the trousers from an open storage chest and passed it to Rohgar.
Looking down to avoid eye contact, Rohgar reached out and took the leather trousers and placed them on a wooden table next to him.
He wanted to change the subject to anything other than subjects surrounding his groin area.
"How come you're the only being here who opened the door?"
"Ah, don't take it personally." The dwarf eyed the faint sigils along Rohgar's arms. "You should know all about distrust considering you're a Dragon-blood. No mistaking it with those marks. So your race, just like mine, know what happens when you put your trust in the wrong sort. It can cost you dearly. All dwarves are distrusting in nature and even more so us highlander mountain dwarves. Folks around these parts survive because they know how to keep to themselves. It's not called Na'rok Village for nothing. It's named after the Rock Naga that roam these parts in the ancient language of the Seren people. Since them beings don't need to eat and therefore hunt for food, they don't normally cause any issues as they keep to their dwelling, but it gets dangerous once the Primordial Light turns dark crimson every few days. That's when the Rock Naga Behemoths come out from their lairs to perform their rituals and if they feel threatened, possibly because one of the villagers strayed too far and encroached their territory, they attack the village. They prefer the night since they see better in the dark due to their Shadowsight. Probably a result of them living below the mountain rocks. Plus they prefer attacking others in their sleep since they don't require sleep themselves."
"Primordial Light? Rock Naga?"
"You're definitely new to these here parts. The Primordial Light is the light above us which has existed from the beginning of time hence its name." The highlander looked towards the boarded-up windows where a few rays of light managed to seep through the cracks into the otherwise dimly lit room that's only real source of light and heat seemed to radiate from a hearth at the far back. It flickered and crackled as if acknowledging its presence.
"And the Rock Naga are terrible, ferocious monsters with their large carapace and sharp fangs. They can crush you and poison you in one fell swoop. They were the original inhabitants of this here rocky mountainside."
"So then why did you open the door?"
"Who's really going to bother the crazy village hermit? Anyway who has time for fear? Not someone of my age. Call it bravery or utter foolishness. Take your pick," he smiled as he moved to sit beside a bed near the hearth.
Rohgar felt speechless. He wasn't sure how to respond to that. He started to fidget with the corners of his loincloth when he remembered the state of them and hot flushes on his cheeks.
Just then he heard a splutter originating from the corner by the bed. Due to the semi-darkness of the room, Roh hadn't noticed someone lying in the bed until now.
Rohgar moved closer to inspect.
An ashen dwarf with deep blue lips lay sleeping beneath the bed covers.
Overwhelmed by the shocking sight and the strong, putrid smell, Rohgar's eyes blinked rapidly and he took a step back. The muscles on the back of his neck tightened and he felt weak in his legs and knees.
Catching sight of Rohgar's concern and discomfort, the hermit dwarf interjected, "Just so happens I'm in need for someone to go fetch me a Wyvern Core as that seems to be the only thing keeping this infernal Frigid Blight at bay." The recluse looked Rohgar directly in the eyes.
Letting out a huge breath as his muscles began to relax, Rohgar pulled up a stool and sat beside the hermit. "What is the Frigid Blight… can I get it?"
"The main reason our village distrusts everyone. Ever since the gnomes have been mining below our village, this blasted disease has been spreading and no one knows much else about it except that it only affects us dwarves and I'm the only one in the village immune to it. I've had to take on the responsibility of caring for all the sick, doing my rounds in the village. Unfortunately, this here fellow hasn't got any living kin. "
Rohgar couldn't help but think that the recluse dwarf's haggard face belied his years.
"The Wyvern Core's heat placed on the hearth can help keep the sick alive until a cure is found, however, the current core is on its way out so I'm in desperate need of a replacement. I'd give it three days max. If you agree I will provide you a special satchel to retain and carry the core. The Chief Tailor and I go way back."
With a glint in his eye. "On your return, I will also share with you one of my most prized 'possessions'. If you prove yourself then you will get to discover what it is."
Eager to start his adventure in this game, and as a bonus help these dwarves, Rohgar accepted the request without even a thought. "Say no more. I want to help the village."
Quest Accepted – A Favour for the Recluse
Objective: Reheat the hearth with a Wyvern Core
Location: Wyvern Heights
Level: Beginner
Conditions: None
Failure Conditions: Failure to reheat the hearth within 3 days
Reward: The quest giver's most [prized possession], 1000XP and +200 reputation with Na'rok Village.
"Ah, now that's a good lad. I'm extremely grateful to you. Believe you me, you won't regret it! Plus it will help you gain favor with the locals so that they actually respond to you"
Rohgar's stomach grumbled aloud.
"Seems like you have a roaring Wyvern Core inside of you," the hermit jested. "I have some freshly cooked venison and mead for you and you can lay on the extra straw mat on the floor for the night."
"That's awfully generous of you," Rohgar replied.
"Well, I can't exactly let you die before you've completed my quest," the old man laughed as he slapped Roh on the back. "The name's Tucks by the way."
"Rohgar. Rohgar The Rage to my foes…and Roh to my friends."
The highlander dwarf gave a warm smile. "And Roh, don't let the serene, idyllic setting lull you into a false sense of security. You need to be prepared for anything out there!"