Nira looked at the wasteland around her. Okay okay. So she knew that there'd be a ton of work to do. The images that Shadows had shown her were proof enough but seeing it for herself was a different experience altogether.
It felt as dead as it looked. The wind carried a fine coating of granules and it was so dry she could feel herself dehydrating. The sight itself, gray dusty earth, and somber clouds were seriously depressing. Seriously, what had been done to, if what Shadow had shown was accurate, which it probably was, a once green and verdant continent into this gray haze?
Nira squared up her shoulders. She could handle a challenge. She needed to evaluate the lay of the land, and any hills or dips that she could make use of. Did the wind consistently blow from the same direction, or did it come from multiple directions? The angle of the sun in comparison to the land and how long a day was. Right now it may be barren, but these basics would create a solid foundation for her to carve, craft, and build not only an ecosystem but potentially hundreds of thousands of ecosystems and dozens if not hundreds or more microclimates if not more given the size of the continent.
The size of such a project was daunting so Nira broke it down. Bit by bit she'd get there and if done correctly, the ecosystems would establish and grow on their own, taking the weight load off her shoulder. Before she got into it, Nira needed to double-check her quest for any details that she may have missed in due excitement. With just a thought, Nira pulled up the cobalt box.
---
[The Bet with Murphy]
Murphy and $%##^%*&!%, correction, Shadow made a bet. The details are unknown. For more information complete additional quests.
Shadow has hedged their bet on you.
To win, you must heal the broken continent, Vio, of damages wrought from extreme battles.
Bonus: Educate or counsel those who needlessly destroy their natural surroundings.
Reward: A favor from Shadow
Bonus Reward: Evolution perk
Failure: W#ped fr$m ex^$#e$&ce. Correction. A non-magical life in a world of magic.
---
Sounds easy enough. Nira put that thought on hold, golden eyes wide in shock before they scrunched up as pain radiated from the base of her skull and lodged itself between her eyes. There it held and grew in force like the mother of all brain freezes.
Nira's freckled button nose wrinkled adorably from the torment and she sneezed. The force of it blasted the poor girl off her feet like a rocket at launch. Nira screamed at her sudden lift off, wings flittering erratically as she instinctively righted herself in the air.
Wait a minute, in the air? Is she really flying? Nira squeaked and shoved tiny green hands over her mouth as she finally took a look at herself and let out a squee of happiness. She was an actual fairy! She turned around to get a glimpse of her wings, but their rapid motions made them a blur. Nira enjoyed the sensation of the air pushing against her wings, but it wasn't long until she began to tire.
Nira landed, bare feet delicately touching down with a preternatural gracefulness that eluded her even in death. Her wings caught her attention, their delicate dragonfly like appearance delighting her one more. Nira couldn't resist and twirled, the light refracting through her wings awing her. Nira stopped when she grew dizzy.
When she could see straight, Nira ran her hands across petal-like tunic, enjoying the silken texture and did the buttered leather texture of her leafy leggings. Nira sent a quiet bit of praise to Shadow for their attention to detail when she noticed a seed in the corner of her eye.
---
[Nira]
Species: Fairy
Subspecies: Silvan
A Silvan Fairy belongs to the forest. They care for and nurture the forest and in return, the forest cares for them. Rising to their aid when called upon.
Racial Trait: Nature Blooms in Your Footsteps, Flittering Care
The forest listens. Plants are slightly more resilient. Seeds have a higher chance of taking root. The dirt is a little bit better.
A Silvan Fairy cares for their forest from flittering through the highest of canopies to walking amongst the detritus on the ground.
Skills: None
---
Thanks to the powers that be for the leggings otherwise she wouldn't be able to fly without making a show of it. Nira shuddered, her waist-length emerald curls bouncing with the movement. She ran a hand through the hair enjoying the soft feel of it and could feel her lips curl with joy and she let out a tinkle of laughter. She even sounded like a bell and cupped her mouth as she yelled upward. "Thank you, Shadow! I love it!"
There was no response, but Nira's heart felt light. She ran a hand along her deceptively fragile-looking wings. She couldn't believe it, she actually had wings. Nira almost had to wonder at some of the likenesses to certain characters but she guess Shadow drew the line at wing dust. Who cared about that? Besides, the last thing Nira wanted to be was a flying humanoid allergen.
Nira grinned again, unable to help herself. She had wings! Nira opened and closed them slowly, taking the time to consciously adjust to the motion. When she felt confident enough, Nira crouched down and lept, wings-a-hum as she began her first intentional flight.
It was freeing. Wonderous. Fantastical. Nira couldn't sum it up in just one word. The exhiliration she felt made her feel as if she were light itself, her spirits were so high. Right now the land was nothing but a wash of grey, but she could already picture it in her mind's eye. Zipping through a forest, taking a nap on a flower, riding on the back of a bee to make merry. Drinking honey she'd traded nectar and pollen for, out of an acorn while they spoke of their adventures.
If her new life was already this amazing what about the red box? How would that help her finish this quest? Shadow had done so much for her already. Nira's eyes misted. It was a miracle. Not that dying, speaking with some cosmic creature of godly capabilities, and then being reborn wasn't a miracle. It was but of all the things. Shadow really listened to her and went above any hope that Nira had. Sure there'd been a wish list, but the fact that Shadow fulfilled it? Nira's hands clenched her petal tunic and sniffled. She wasn't perfect, but she'd give it her all to bring life back to Vio. Nira pulled up the red box.
Nira stared at it and with another thought pulled up her personal box to re-read it. She hadn't seen any skills, but given what the offer said surely there was, ah ha! There it is. With a victorious smirk, Nira poked the outline of what looked to be either a seed in the lower right-hand corner.
---
Please Choose One Skill:
1. Grow.
A healthy seed is the place to start. Encourage a seed to take root faster. Plants mature a little quicker.
2. Nourish.
Heal withered or malformed seeds slightly. Plants are slightly more resilient.
3. Water.
Create a tiny bit of water. One does not begin with dirt when it comes to growing things, but with water.
---
Nira's fingers twitched. She wanted them all, she needed them all. Nira nibbled on her lips as she read the sparse details. No hint was given as to whether or not these skills would develop with use, evolve, or what impact they'd have to alter or guide her evolutionary path. If that was the case then she'd have to really think about what she wanted to be in the long run starting with the skills she choose here and now. Nira tapped the red box behind her green box, bringing it to the forefront.
---
[Murphy's Tipped Scales]
In exchange for your choice of a first skill, Murphy will grant you a skill with at least the rank of uncommon.
This skill could mean the difference between a life of leisure, adventure, surviving-the-to-to-day, or death. There is a distinct possibility that this could go wrong.
Tip the Scales in Favor of Murphy, for a potentially epic skill?
---
An uncommon skill was the phrase that stuck out the most. She didn't know how she missed it the first time she read but somehow she did, but if an offered skill was at least uncommon then what did that make the three options that she currently had? Nira looked over her skill choices again and noticed that the improvements offered were 'slight' or 'marginal'.
There was a chance here. A bit of risk. What if it didn't work out? What if made things more complicated? Nira frowned but continued her train of thought. Worst case scenario she lost a slot potential skill that had good cohesion.
---
[Congratulations!]
Epic Passive Skill, Drain Received.
Drain:
In nature, balance is necessary. As such, Murphy tipped the scale and you received the epic passive skill, Drain. While the world uses magic as a tool to impact, you use it for support. Like many creatures, magic is what keeps you alive, but where others create a cycle of magic through and around, you drain the world of its magic.
---
[Congratulations! Due to the epic nature of your new skill, you will evolve!]
---
Evolve? Sure Nira wanted to evolve when she'd been talking to Shadow, but now that she was here, a friggin' fairy with wings and everything, what could be better than this? Well, it'd be nice if she were a bit bigger. Afterall who wanted to get stepped on or even swatted like a fly. Her voice was melodic, but now that she thought about it, would a human even be able to understand her?
Well, it'd make sense that an epic skill could push a newly born being to evolve, and perhaps it'd address her concerns? Nira wasn't sure how she felt about that. Not that she wanted to have problems when it came to others, but she hadn't had the time to work out what problems there were and if she could resolve them on her own. A light flashed and drew Nira's attention.
---
*Notification*
Due to the passive skill, Drain, your species, Silvan Fairy will evolve into a Parasitic Fae.
---
Parasitic Fae? What they heck was that? She tapped the box to get more information but nothing showed. Underneath the notification a loading bar with dancing sprouts appeared. She would have laugh if she wasn't literally having an existential crisis.
She shivered, her skin feeling like loose, because it didn't look like it had changed but then the feeling changed to like that of the sun pulling all the moisture from her skin, leaving it feel too tight. Nira's eyes grew wide with horror as her once supple green skin withered to bark and her hands and feet turned branch-like.
Her hair blackened and turned into thin tendrils of willow. Feeling hollow, Nira reached up and touched the thin braid-like branches where her emerald hair had once been. Then she heard a rustling and caught a glimpse of her wings. Tears fell silently down her face as she could only watch wings shrivel up and turn to dust.
---
[Nira]
Species: Fae
Sub Species: Parasite
A Parasitic Fae is a fearful existence. Where the Sylvan Fairy nurtures, Parasitic Fae take. It is a species that preys upon the world's magic itself.
Racial Trait: Withering
Skills:
Active:
Passive: Drain
---
Nira did not know how long she stood there staring at where her wings had once been. To have known the freedom of flight and to have lost it. She wasn't quite sure how to put it into words. She hadn't even had them a day. Nira jumped when a semi-transparent box popped into existence.
---
*Notification*
Due to your existence, an ancient being has taken an interest in the affairs of mortals once more.
---
*Notification*
The gods and goddesses of the world have gathered to confer on whether or not you are a danger on a planetary level.
---
*Notification*
Due to the skill, Drain, and evolution, you have been classified as a planetary parasite.
---
[Congratulations!]
You have failed the quest.
---
[~Title Received~]
Loser.
One who does not win.
De-buff: If it is a game you play, a bet you made, a competition you seek, or a race to be run Murphy will ever tip the scales in your rival's favor. In other words, you are a loser and will always be a loser.
---