* 06 The Unbearable Lightness of Being
There were many mysteries in the universe, three fundamental questions that most members of humankind face in their lives: "where, who I am, where I am, and why I´m here", not necessarily in the same context.
"Where the heck I am?"
"What the heck I am doing here?"
"Who the heck I am?"
More important… "
"What the heck is heck and why I am saying that if I don´t know what it means?"
The moment she started to have consciousness, it was the same she becomes irritated, frustrated, and annoyed. What also becomes her standard setting.
It was hard to understand what was happening, to memorize, to focus, even to think.
She gave a good look at her hands and her body. She was a child, the skinned child she ever saw. Had a bronze skin, it was not white, or pink, or with freckles. She should have freckles, a lot of freckles. Why she don´t have freckles? No idea! Why did she suppose to have freckles? Another mystery.
There were kids around her age playing with her, a woman, a smiling happy woman that sometimes wears Halloween makeup, a cosplay makeup of something with horns, and sometimes animals appeared to look at her, some kid watching, and … And what? What else? It was important, but … She feels sleep.
The confuse girl asleep all the time. It's was hard to think. To focus.
She felt like it was drunk and tired.
She knows because when she was younger experimented that once, and it was so bad that she never tried it again.
"Younger?"
She looked at her hands; small, cute, and hard to move. When she was younger she was a fetus, how she reminded that? It was hard to grasp the concept that she was… Well, whatever she was.
Many people come to look at her; some were cosplays, or maybe monsters from dreams?
It was hard to say exactly when she was awake or sleeping.
A little girl often comes to talk holding a stuffed toy, of a…
"What the heck was that?"
She wasn´t the only child that come in the room, other children often appeared, apparently just to poke her.
Five children dressed in five different colors, white, red, blue, green, and yellow, are annoying and her an orange dice.
She wished to be able to remember what those colors are and what that cube thing was.
She knows that thing was an orange Portable Airport + Space Station No.9 dice, however, it was hard to understand what was a four-sided dice.
Something different happened. An icon appeared in the middle of the air, in the corner of her eye. When she moved her head, it moved with her and suddenly disappeared when she tried to touch it. Then she noticed that the dice was on the floor.
Her attention span was almost inexistent, took a while to understand that the icon only appeared when she was holding the dice. An icon of a blue four-sided dice slowing moving around.
It can't look directly at it, what was so infuriating to hear that she ended slapping the icon, which disappeared, and in the place, a book appeared.
She tried to touch the book but he disappeared soon after she put the dice in the floor.
This time don't take so long to understand that she need to hold the dice to touch the floating book.
It was a large book with a reddish leather cover, a belt with a locker, and an embossing of five dragon heads in an oval piece of brown leather.
In the place of a keyhole, the locker had a slot to fit something. She tried the dice and fit perfectly, just by touching it the locker opened by itself and the book opened.
The pages flipped until the book stand in the air a couple of inches from the ground opened in the middle, she tried to flip the pages but they seemed to be stuck.
The opened pages reminded the menu of a roleplaying videogame, however, she wasn't able to remember what a menu or a videogame exactly are.
She couldn't read, but a couple of items in the superior corner were glowing. She rubbed the icon and the text. To her surprise, the pages turned by themselves in a new section that also seemed like a videogame menu.
Those pages were similar to a screen to construct a character. She has known what was, but couldn't exactly understand, what was annoying and infuriating.
There were some figures and text, simple decorations of branches, leaves and flowers, everything was pretty to look, but hard to make sense. Seven items were glowing and changing colors. The first one was a letter or a number. followed by the symbol of a hand, a star, a shield, a head with a visible brain, an eye, a hearth, and a flower.
Each one had a cross in the side, and for some reason she know that it was important.
It was hard to understand what they are, but she knows what they are. Does she know?
Unconsciously she knew that should touch the glowing symbols if was a tablet or smartphones.
She started to tap the symbol of the head and while the numbers started to increase, her understanding started to rise.
She looked at her own little hand and something snapped inside her. That's not a hand, that's a fist, strength, brawls, brain.
The symbol of the first is strength.
The symbol of the star is Reflex.
The symbol of the shield is the constitution.
The symbol of the head is intelligence.
The symbol of the eye is wisdom.
The symbol of the hearth is probably charisma.
The symbol of the flower is a clover, which obviously means luck.
Basic roleplaying game attributes.
The cross was the signal of addition and when she pushes it her points diminish and the attributes rose.
The head has a brain inside, brains, intelligence "I need intelligence."
At each number, her mind was clear, she started to understand things, that those are numbers and she knows numbers. She even knows how to read those words.
She wanted to jump from happiness but was too weak. Unfortunately, her happiness quickly faded away.
There were just one point left in a circle in the top left corner, she put the last point in the fist icon and both the circle and the crosses disappeared.
For a while she felt like her mind and body was adapting to the new points and started to recognize the characters in the dice, 1. 2, 3…
"Wait! What?"
The numbers repeated, each face of the dice had the same number in the opposite side, that was a dice of three numbers.
"Odd."
Focusing and concentrating she started to recognize the characters and the language in the book, it was wrote in her native language.
Inside a box draw with branches and flowers it was written "status", those two spread pages are her status.
It was slow, but she was able to read everything in the pages.
...|
Name: ??????
Elf type: Ipareh / bonus -Venna form:
-Reflexes +10%
-Spirit +10%
-Heart -20%
Bonus -Primus form:
-Power +20%
-Body +20%
Class: Child / Level: 0
Subclass: None / Level: 0
HP: 50 with a bar in 10%
MP: 50 with a bar in 10%
Stamina: 50 with a bar in 10%
-Melee Attack: 5
-Melee Defense: 5
-Magic Attack: 5
-Magic Defense: 5
Body: 5
Reflex: 5
Spirit: 5
Mind: 5
Hearth: 5
Luck: 5
...|
She gave a good look.
"No name, or classes. What is elf class? What is Ipareh?"
She had five points in everything now. Fifth life points and the health bar in 10%, was not good at all, It wasn't a surprise that she was so weak.
"Magic attack, defense and MP? She had magic? How?"
Reading the attribute icons, they had a different label;
It had written power, under the symbol of the fist.
It had written reflex, under the symbol of the star.
It had written body, under the symbol of the shield.
It had written mind, under the symbol of the head.
It had written spirit, under the symbol of the eye.
It had written hearth, under the symbol of the … Heart?
"Whatever I know I played roleplaying games before I learn how to read. They are pretty much the same thing."
At least she was right about the symbol of the flower; actually, it had written luck, under it.
"Maybe she should put more points in strength or constitution."
However, the more important thing was in the name field;
"????????."
She still didn't have any idea what was her name.
It was just a bit hard to read, but now easy to manage.
That was the status page, with her attributes, and in the top left corner an arrow.
She touch and rubbed the arrow like if was a touchscreen, what worked. and the pages flipped by themselves, back to the original pages the book first opened and she barely could pay attention.
Most thing were decorations with simple vines and flowers.
In the top right corner it was written: "?????? Grimmoire."
Under there was a text:
...|
This book is for personal use only.
It will record and schedule the healthy and activities of the owner and aid in the owner life.
Nobody else's could change the contents of this book besides the owner. Any tentative will result in severe retaliation from the creators.
The ownership is non-transferable.
Welcome to a world of Adventures, Dangers, and dragons.
...|
And in the left side there was a box with a menu:
...|
Status
Maps
Magic
Inventory
Appraisal – You do not have enough level.
Library – You do not have enough level.
Equipment – You do not have enough level.
Alchemy – You do not have enough level.
Class proficiencies – You do not have a class
Minstrel proficiencies – You do not have enough level.
Notes
...|
And "Quest" in a separated box decorated with those branches, leaves and flowers, all daisy's, it seemed that was the theme of the book, Daises. Like her. She was a kind of flower. Margarida, in her native language.
"That´s my name! Margarida. I´m a Margot!"
The interrogations started to run like a slot machine, then slowly all kinf of letter and symbols appearing until stopped at "Margot Grimoire."
"Are you serious?"
She looked back at the status and now there was a name: "Margarida". And her magic bar slow down to 8%"
"That was really interesting."
Another problem she noticed. Her mouth and throat muscles were in bad shape and barely could talk. "A, e, i, o, u." while reading the book she trained her voice.
Margot rubbed the quest and the pages turned by itself.
Daily Quest finished, the missions to increase 5% of the map. "How I increased the map?" She looked at the map.
There just a square with small squares with text boxes:
Door, shelve, crib. You are here.
"You are here." She read. "What? That was a joke?"
Now is the part of the magi, she rubbed her ands existed and the pages flipped.
There was a complex diagram like a videogame spell, with circles, letters and weird symbols and in top was written. "Soul manipulation darmaquation. What´s that?" HP usage 1780040. "Are you kidding? I only have 50."
In inventory, the pages flipped until the illustration of a small binet with three shelves.
It was very well made and Margot put her finger, and to her surprise it entered inside. She started to experiment and the shelve get out of the book floating in the air.
She put the dice inside and the shelve disappeared, while the dice appeared in the book and the text box. "A three-sided dragon dice."
She experiment again and could take out the shelves and even change the sizes that shelve could fit, but she get afraid to be trapped inside the book.
The last section in the menu was notes, that oponed in the ilsutrtation of a chalkboard with a chalk.
Margot experimented and pulling with her finger took out the chalk from the book and easily could draw in the book.
She put the chalk back and tried to put in one of the shelves, but ended back in the notes section.
Finally she noticed a difference in the opening text:
"This book belongs to Margot."
Margot rubbed her name and to her surprise the text scrolled, there was a lot of text to read, and she read and reread many times.
...|
This book is for personal use only.
It will record and schedule the healthy and activities of the owner and aid in the owner life.
Nobody else's could change the contents of this book besides the owner. Any tentative will result in severe retaliation from the creators.
The ownership is non-transferable
This book belongs to Margot.
...|
"Severe retaliation?" Margot looked around the book. "There are none warning of copyright, who are those creators?"
Margot kept reading.
...|
Welcome to a world of Adventures, Dangers, and dragons.
Take on the personas of warriors, mages, and scoundrels in the land of Licorne and try to make your names by overcoming sinister foes and deadly challenges.
You may face down one of the vile caloras in ancient antarian ruins, engage in a duel of wits with an arrogant noble, or uncover the secrets of the ancients.
You may win renown or you may die alone in the trackless wilderness.
Whatever your fate, your story is your own to tell.
You make the choices and try to survive the consequences.
...|
"That´s all so familiar, like I had saw something dimilar, many, many times." Margot started to remind something. "Oh, uea! Videogames and Isekai. I´m in an Isekai."
...|
How to Begin
Before you dive into this world, think about which kind of adventurer you want to be first.
You might be a courageous fighter, a skulking rogue, a fervent wizard, or a flamboyant bard.
Or you might be more interested in becoming an unconventional character, such as a brawny rogue who likes hand-to-hand combat, or a sharpshooter who picks off enemies from afar.
Do you want to be the toughest adventurer at the land?
Consider the fighter class. If you don't know where else to begin, take a look at the classes section to see what catches your interest.
Once you have a class in mind, follow these steps in order, making decisions that reflect the adventurer you want to be. The conception of your path might evolve with each choice you make.
What's important is that you come to the adventures with a character you're excited to be.
Throughout the status section, we use the term character sheet to mean whatever you use to track your ability scores.
The character sheet is a fine place to start until you know what information you need and how you use it during the campaigns.
...|
"That´s sounds great how I make those choices." Margot clapped executed "I want to be one of those overpowered characters,"
...|
Your magical specie contributes to your character's identity in an important way, by establishing a general appearance and the natural talents gained from culture and ancestry.
Your magical specie grants particular magical racial traits, such as special senses, proficiency with certain weapons or tools, proficiency in one or more skills, or the ability to use minor spells.
Your magic specie is an Elf.
...|
"What?" Surprised Margot started to feel her ears. They are very point. "I really am elf! That's why the status says I have magic. But… When I chose to be an elf?"
...|
Magical Elf types
Every adventurer belongs to a elf type, one of the many intelligent species.
Elven types are classified as:
Naguals and Enyans.
...|
Good but, I´m not seeing any way to choose my Elfen type.
...|
Naguals:
They are the beast folk, with the skill to turn into demi humans and creatures similar to earth animals.
Their intermediate form is called venna and the second form primus.
They type are:
Andirahs
They can turn into creatures similar to giant bats.
Baguahs
They can turn into creatures similar to mythological creatures like chimeras and alicorns.
Guararahs
They can turn into creatures with scales and plaques similar to reptiles and lizards.
Guyra
They can turn into creatures with wings and feathers similar to giant birds.
Ipareh
They can turn into creatures with hoofs and horns similar to deers and bulls.
Kande
They can turn into creatures similar to herbivores and rodents giant rabbits and elephants.
Taia
They can turn into creatures with big fangs and claws similar to tigers and wolfs.
Yakuruna
They can turn into creatures similar to fish.
Ogbanje
One of the hybrid even types between Naguals and Enyans, they are changelings capable to turn into different creatures outside the Nagual spectrum for a limited period of time.
...|
"I saw something like that in my status." Margoy gave a look in her status page. "Ipare, that means my Elven race was already chose."
...|
Enyan
The fairy-folk, Enyan elf types have an affinity with the magical colors of nature and can turn in to creatures similar to fairy like elementals and totems.
Because of their strong magic they usually are incentivized to get carrier paths that match their magic skills.
Afefe
They born with affinity to yellow magic and can turn into air elementals fairies.
Aliku
They are corrupted or cursed becoming alied to black magic and turn into unnatural living-dead creatures. Nobody born Aliku, but anyone can turn into one.
Eja
They born with affinity to brown or orange magic and can turn into earth elemental that resemble stones.
Eyin
They born with affinity to green magic and can turn into plant elemental fairies.
Imole
One of the hybrids between Naguals and Enyans, they born with affinity to white magic and instead of turning into creature they born with spiritual animals the resemble the primus form of the Nagual.
Inapura
They born with affinity to red magic and can turn into fire elementals that resemble stones.
Jengu
They born with affinity to blue magic and can turn into water elementals.
Onina
They born with affinity to violet magic and can turn into metal elemental that resemble stones.
...|
"Disgrace!" Margot tried to snap her finger. "If I could choose I will want to be one of those guys."
...|
Other prominent non elves intelligent creatures in Propasa are:
Amarus
They are wise wonderful and powerful, some also use faith energy from the elves who call some of the gods.
Juvakah
Once known as giants, they had all kinds of appearance, and are shape shifter with strong magic, who uses the faith energy from elves who call them gods.
Abarunas
The non-elven races are the Abarunas, and usually do not look too humanoids.
They cannot reproduce with elves, which can be seen as a different species
Like the Irin, who are living robots in the shape of giant insects, or the eweko the plant people.
Most intelligent types are abarunas.
They were less humanoid, more diverse, and usually can't reproduce with nagual or enyans.
You are not an abaruna, they aren't elves.
Anyangah
Kill. If you cross with an anyangah if possible kill and burn the body.
Don't make questions, just kill.
If is not possible to kill run.
...|
"That was a bit ominous." Margot gulped. "I hope, I don't find those guys."
...|
Those are the elven-types you can chose and a bit about other centiente species you can find along your campaigns.
...|
"What?" Margot Slapped the book and hurt her hand. "No, I couldn't chose anything. Who wrote this crap?"
...|
Your Elven type also increases one or more of your ability scores.
Your Elven:
You are a nagual.
Your category is a iperah.
Your sub category is an Ibex.
You are linked to the anthropomorphic bovine field, able to turn into a creature with horns and hoofs with strength, resistance, and stamina amplified.
Venna form natural bonuses:
Reflexes +10%
Spirit +10%
Heart -10%
Primus form natural bonuses:
Power +20%
Body +20%
Mind -30%
...|
"It was everything previously choosen. But I still don't understand completely what all that mean" Margot breath deeply. ".Adventure class, there are none in the status, lets see if I can choose the next one."
...|
Adventurer Class
Every adventurer is a member of an adventurer class and often a subclass.
Class broadly describes a vocation for some jobs, what special talents he or she possesses, and the tactics he or she is most likely to employ when exploring a dungeon, fighting monsters, or engaging in a tense negotiation.
Each class will develop a set of proficiencies that would improve or allow new proficiencies and eventually reach a paragon class.
It's possible to develop multi classes, with subclasses.
...|
"Yeah, I know. I´m a bard." Margot verified the status page. "I´m feeling there's a catch coming."
...|
The basic adventurer classes were:
Artisan: Minimum requisites: Mind 130, Reflex 130
Bard: Minimum requisites: Reflex 130, Hearth 130
Cleric: Minimum requisites: Spirit 130, Body 130
Explorer: Minimum requisites: Power 130, Spirit 130
Merchant: Minimum requisites: Mind 130, Hearth 130
Rogue: Minimum requisites: Reflex 130, Spirit 130
Soldier: Minimum requisites: Power 130, Body 130
Shaman: Minimum requisites: Spirit 130, Hearth 130
Hunter: Minimum requisites: Power 130, Reflex 130
Wizard: Minimum requisites: Mind 130, Spirit 130
You don't have a Class.
You don't have minimum requirements to have a class.
You didn't reached the basic ability score requisites to have a class yet.
You need to be at least level 1 to choose a Class and have at leats 130 points in two class requisites.
...|
"130 points?" Margot looked at the status again, "I ave five. I should see that coming."
...|
Attack and Defense
You attack define how much raw damage your are capable to do.
Attack is your power, reflex and spirit combined, each 3 points = 1 attack point.
Your attack can have a boost or penalty from equipment, proficiency's and combat skills.
Defense is your ability to stand and avoid damage.
It's the combination of reflex, body and spirit combined. Each 3 points = 1 point.
Your defense can be boosted thought equipment and proficiencies.
Attack and defense are boosted by luck, each 2 points of luck increase a point of attack and defense.
Your attack is 5 and defense is 5.
...|
"Attacks?" Margot sighed. "I´m not going to be attacking anything."
...|
Hitpoints
Your hitpoints define how tough you are in combat and other dangerous situations trought your life bar.
They define the extension of your health bar, which measures your life.
The basic Hitpoints are your Power, Body and hearth combined, multiplied by ten. Each 3 points = 1 life point or 10 hitpoint.
Along with your Hitpoints, it has your Defense that defines how resistant and skillful you are to avoid lose hitpoints.
The hitpoints were located in your character sheet in the status section and represented by your life bar.
When you ill or wounded your life bar diminish, if your life bar is empty you reached zero life points and die.
Hitpoints and Defense can be raised by several different means, like magic gear and class, life points cannot be affected.
Life points aren't countable against fatal wounds like being beheaded and they immediately went to zero.
Keep track of your life points through your character sheet in your personal grimoire.
You have 5 life points and 50 hitpoints.
...|
"Okay!" Margot read again. "How I recover may hitpoints: My HP is in 10%, how I get to 100?"
...|
Magic Points
Your magic points measure your spiritual stamina to produce magical effects, thought magical items, gadgets, spells and enchants.
If you had some item or device that contain its own magic points can be used instead of the user, sometimes with the cost of an small amount of magic points.
Magic points can be boosted thought magical gear equipped.
Your magic points are defined thought a combination of your mind, spirit and heart, multiply by ten, each 3 points = 10 magic points.
You have 50 magic points.
...|
"Nos so useful, I tought."
...|
Proficiency Bonus
Your proficiency's had their bonus in the description.
The table that appears in your class description shows your proficiency bonus of the class.
You don't have a class.
...|
"I know, you don´t need to remind me all the time."
...|
Ability Scores
Much of what you will do depends on your seven abilities: Power, reflexes, body, mind, spirit, hearth, and luck.
Each of those attributes has a score, which is a number on your character sheet.
...|
"I kinda know all that." Margot tought for a moment. No,, she did not. Until she read those information was like it didn't existed in her head, but after reading was like always knew it.
...|
Attributes summary:
Power:
Power is represented by a punch.
It's the sum of your strength, speed, and athletic abilities.
Reflex:
Reflex is represented by a star.
It's the sum of your reflex, balance, and mobility.
Body:
Body is represented by a shield.
It's a sum of your constitution, vitality, and stamina.
Mind:
Mind is represented by a head.
Is the sum of your intellect, awareness, and eloquence.
Spirit:
Spirit is represented by an eye.
Is the sum of your concentration, sanity, and psyche.
Hearth:
Hearth is represented by a hearth.
Is the sum of your confidence, willpower, and wisdom.
Luck:
Luck is represented by a clover.
Is the sum of your intuition, sense of opportunity, and pure dumb luck.
You develop your attributes and Ability score through experience points received archiving tasks, shores, missions, quests, and training.
...|
"That feel obvious, but at the same does not." That was a very weird feeling.
...|
Customizing ability scores.
To start you have twenty-eight points to distribute between your attributes and create your basic ability scores.
Go to the Status section and use the addition symbol.
You can upgrade this book adding more dragon dice.
The book has a requirement and limit of twelve dragon dice.
1d3, 1d4. 3d6, 1d8, 2d10. 1d12, 2d20, 1D30
...|
"I already used all the attribute points," Margot verified the pahes, theres nothing eels to see. "Hum… There are more dices."
Margot returned to the started and was disappointed.
"That's it? Status, inventory, map, and notes? Super basic. What a bum, I want moar."
Frustrated she slapped the book that closed and disappeared in a thin cloud of smoke.
"No!" Margot yelled.
Accidentally closed the book and forgot the dice inside it. For a time she was devastated with her hands in the face. "It disappeared! How I can be so dumb?"
Didn't took too long to notice the small icon of a dice,s there in the corner of her vision like a floater, and sighted relived.
With the dice inside the book, she had the icon around full time.
Now that her conscience of the own being improved, things were starting to make sense, questions were also rising from things that don't make sense. How there´s a videogame menu in a book that comes from a dice? Why does she remember to be a young woman if she was undeniably a child? Why she was in a weird playpen? Why there's a creature that looks like an antelope looking at her?
"Caramba!" The small girl tried to run frightened by the weird animal, however, when she looked again the smiling woman was in the place of the animal.
The woman started to play a pan flute and make baby noises.
She was a baby? Her proportions are bigger than of a toddler, seemed to be around six years old, however, she barely could move, it was weak and without coordination like a baby.
The sound reminded of native Andean and Hawaiian songs, which she used to listen to.
Now her mind was working she noticed that the woman was pretty. She had a body of a wrestler fighter, dark curly hair, tanned skin, amber eyes, and a humongous shining smile. She sounded like the happiest person on the planet.
The woman got Margot in her arms and went down stairs and went outside. They come from a kind of farmhouse. The floor was just earth and grass, with some kind of big chickens wandering around. Those were the biggest chickens she ever saw, and they weren´t exactly chickens because they looked like half quails. Enormous chicken quails were bigger than gooses.
Looking around she noticed many houses that remembered Mesoamerican constructions, like Inca and Mayan.
"And what is this thing poking me?"
The little girl barely could remember her name, but know about jewelry and clothes. Those collars seemed to be made of gold and emeralds also that sarong was made of the best silk he even could remember to see.
"That's calcite? Those walls are made of limestone.
The floor of clay and the chickens made her think that this was a poor place but seems to be some kind of resort. Those houses are fancy as it can be, and the golden decorations really look like gold."
The woman shook her around smiling.
"Hoy lady! You shouldn't shake a child? You can hurt me and is annoying."
More she tried to complain, more that women seemed amused.
She wasn't strong enough to escape from the arms of the women and when she was in the ground barely could stand. Her body was too weak. "I'm sounding like mumbling. I barely can control this body to talk." She said frustrated while the woman carried her around.
He girl saw some odd wooden walls making paths in the place, but now could see some tall fences at distance. They aren't in the floor, they are high, very high among trees. Absurd big trees, with houses half built and half carved in those massive tress connected by all kind of wooden bridges.
They aren't in the floor, they are in a gigantic tree branch, and looking back they didn't get out from a farmhouse it was like a wooden castle built around the most absurd big tree you can imagine.
The trees are so big that coy could build squares with plants and small trees in the branchs.
Finally, she saw the sky amoung the giant leaves. "By the beards of the prophet. What happened to the sky?" It was cloudy in the last days, she could remind a little, but now that the sky was appearing, she could see behind the clouds a humongous ring crossing the sky, three moons, and a beautiful aurora, similar to the aurora boreal.
Everything made sense now.
She transmigrated in another world in a child´s body.
Like in many movies, books games, and animations she loved to watch.
In addition, that magic book already shows that she was in a fantasy world with videogame mechanics. It was like a dream coming true. A secret wish that became reality. "No. A dream would be migrated to a western fantasy world in my adult body overpowered."
The girl reminded of a time when she liked to have impossible ideas. "If the other worlds stories were real? If the writers and artists grab things that really happened and put in their works. Or even was something similar that they adapted to something more fit to our understanding."
Whoever was the answer, didn´t Mather at that moment.