Emerilia Box Set, page 118
part #1 of Emerilia Series
Level: Master Level 2
Effect: 89% chance to find hidden details. 10% chance at better loot
Active Skill: Two-handed
Level: Journeyman Level 5
Effect: 25% armor penetration on target. Stamina costs reduced 10% while fighting.
Cost: 35 Stamina
Active Skill: Dual wield
Level: Expert Level 6
Effect: Attacks are 36 % faster. 25% reduced damage with off hand weapon.
Cost: 15 Stamina/second
Active Skill: Inference
Level: Journeyman Level 1
Effect: 45% increased chance of using moves you’ve read in books.
Active Skill: One-handed and Shield
Level: Journeyman Level 7
Effect: Weapons damage increased by 27%. Defense increases by 10%.
Cost: 20 Stamina
It wasn’t as impressive as what he had got from fighting other Players, but he was more than happy to take it. He wanted to level up his different fighting skills as fast as possible. It was clear to him that he would need to fight in the future. Aleph was the perfect place to develop those skills in secret.
Stat Increase
+2 Strength
+1 Intelligence
+2 Agility
+1 Vitality
+1 Endurance
Dave checked out the changes that had happened to his character sheet.
Character Sheet
Name:
David Grahslagg
Gender:
Male
Level:
10
Class:
Dwarven Master Smith, Friend of the Gray God, Bleeder, Librarian
Race:
Human/Dwarf
Alignment:
Chaotic Neutral
Unspent points-316
Health:
10,000
Regen:
3.38/s
Mana:
2,200
Regen:
9.75/s
Stamina:
1,550
Regen:
8.35/s
Vitality:
100
Endurance:
169
Intelligence:
220
Willpower:
195
Strength:
155
Agility:
167
He felt stronger than ever before, but it looked as if his growth was at an end. He was about average human height now. His dense muscles made it so that he looked shorter than he actually was, causing many people to disregard him.
Always good to look like the least threatening dude in the room.
Dave smiled to himself, closing the interface as Deia tossed him his bag of holding. Dave grunted with the weight. He hadn’t unloaded much from his bag—he had ores of all kinds and had purchased more materials from Shard to experiment on.
“How did the meeting go with the Dwarves?” Deia asked as she led the way out of the room.
“Good. I gave them a periodic table and unleashed wiki pages on them of mining and material information. Most of them looked at it as if they had found the Holy Grail.” Dave smiled as he thought about their faces and expressions of awe as they had flipped through the books with increased interest.
Not a single Dwarf had been talking as they moved through the pages. Dave had broken up the silence simply because he wanted to get back to bed. One thing was for sure: the Dwarves would be working around the clock to try out the information Dave had supplied.
“So, what happens now?”
“Now they experiment a whole bunch—we get different kinds of materials and we see what happens,” Dave said.
“Dave, I was wondering if you could share the same information with me.” Shard’s voice came through the hallways.
“Sure.” Dave pulled up the information and shared it to Shard.
Deia shook her head at his actions.
“What?” Dave asked.
“This information will change the face of Emerilia, could change everything, and you’re passing it out like it’s worth nothing,” Deia said.
“Well, what else am I going to do? Hoard it to myself?”
“That is what most people from Emerilia do, the mages guild being an exception only due to their rules and guidelines,” Shard said.
“This information is power. Spreading it around will make you a target.” Deia sounded worried.
“But every other Player is capable of getting this information as well.”
“Yes, babe, but they’re not the ones who started it, are experimenting with it, and can do something with it.”
“Deia is correct. With your alliances, connections, and your wealth of knowledge—both theoretical and practical—you are becoming a powerful person,” Shard interjected.
Deia gave Dave a hard look.
“The more people know, the better. Ignorance and the lack of academic pursuits breeds stupidity and a people without options. I am giving Emerilia more options. There will be more jobs, more needs for resources. The possibility for anyone to advance themselves. That will bring stability to Emerilia. Add in the common enemies of monsters and people through the portals, you would be surprised what humanity, no matter their sub-race, can do.”
“I hope you’re right,” Deia said. Her hand wormed its way into his.
“Ready?” Induca asked as they met up with the rest of their party, heading for the lifts that would take them to their operational teleport pad.
“As we’ll ever be.” Deia smiled, looking between Suzy and Induca, who were also holding hands.
“Suzy, you look like crap! I know you’re new lovers and all that, but there still is a time for sleep!” Dave shook his head, a wide grin on his face.
“Oh, shut up. I was working on different projects last night,” Suzy said, blinking as if the light offended her.
“You’ve got to get more sleep, babe. Pushing yourself like this isn’t good for your health,” Induca added, continuing before Suzy could protest. “It also leads to not taking advantage of being young nubile lovers.”
Malsour let out a shocked cough, choking slightly as Induca gave the red-faced Suzy a saucy wink.
“Very interesting color of red,” Anna commented, grinning at the helpless Suzy who looked as if she wanted to melt into the floor.
The lift came to a stop and they walked out.
“Parties going to power station three, please move to the teleport pad.” Shard’s voice rang through the halls.
“Looks like we’re just in time.” Deia led Dave by the hand and the others followed.
The teleport room was just like the ones they had seen in the housing substation. Three control rooms overlooked the teleport pad. Doors led in from under the control room facing the teleport pad. The teleport pad was moving; new runes rose into place before the whole pad moved, new runes moving in and out of position.
“Stand clear. Connecting to power station,” Shard said.
Deia and Dave let go of each other’s hands. Everyone checked their gear. Dave hotkeyed his gear. His armor appeared on him, making him look bulkier and more threatening.
The two other parties waved to them in greeting and made small talk as the teleport added runes that turned blue. A portal opened, showing another room identical to the one that they were in. The magical lamps were only slightly lit, most flickering, showing a lack of power.
“Connection established with power station three,” Shard declared.
“Let’s move!” Deia said, the leader of the expedition.
One party stepped on the teleport pad and then appeared on the other side of the image. Party Zero shadowed them, with Party Nine following.
Dave looked around the room as the light from the teleport pad faded.
“Looks like someone turned off the lights,” one of the other party’s members said.
“Fuck, it’s warm in here,” another said.
“We’re far enough down in Emerilia’s crust that we’re being heated by the planet’s core,” Malsour said.
Dave closed his eyes and sent out a Touch. It spread out, making a map in his mind and updating everyone’s mini-map with the latest information.
“I’m not sensing anyone here, though I’m picking up...holy shit.” Dave’s eyes snapped open.
“What?” Deia asked.
“Sorry, just—never thought on the kind of scale that the Aleph do. Whoever made this place is either a madman or a genius.” Dave started to get excited.
“Why?” Suzy asked.
“You’ll see.” Dave led the way, smiling to himself, not finding anything trying to attack them, yet.
If turning on the tower attracted the natural residents of the city, this place has got to be a hub with the kind of magical energy running through it.
Chapter 28: Secrets of the Aleph
Dave opened his interface and checked out the quest that had updated.
Quest: Aleph Homecoming
You have reached an Aleph power station. Clear it of all threats and restart the power station.
Rewards: Increased power usage to assist in other activities.
“Okay, Dave, what is it that has you acting like a damned nervous cheerleader?” Suzy asked.
Dave smiled, warring between telling them or not.
The facility was huge and it was taking them some time to move through it. Massive soul gem carts waited on tracks that led through the facility and to a teleport pad that would take them to some other Aleph installation. Dave wasn’t picking up anything living other than the three parties as they headed toward their waypointed destination.
“What do you know of magical ley lines?” Dave asked.
“Aren’t they supposed to be a source of ever turning and changing power that allows us to use magic?” Suzy said.
“They are lines of plasma and ionized particles that circulate through the planet’s mantle in streams. They give off electrical charges, which are used to charge the nanites in our bodies, to be used as what we perceive as magical power,” Anna said.
“Correctamundo! So, magical ley lines are like swirling masses of pure energy, all kinds of massive power. It’s a rare situation and I think that the process was started by the Jukal.” Dave looked to Anna, who nodded.
“It was either set up as an underground natural system of power creation, or to install massive wireless reactors. We could have hidden them but it took more resources than we had to make them. Maintaining them would have also raised questions and broken people out of the immersion of Emerilia.”
“So, some of that energy escapes through tunnels and places that get close to the surface of Emerilia. These are magical ley lines. Now, they’re just a huge mass of charged particles running through the planet. It seems the Aleph had a similar idea to Benjamin Franklin. Instead of using a key and a kite, they used really big rune-enhanced metal.”
Dave looked at the others, who looked mildly interested.
“This entire power station is one big power socket, plugged right into the magical ley lines of Emerilia. Some of the deepest, most concentrated streams. There is so much power circulating this planet that it would rate as type one on the Kardashev scale. There is the power to control our planet. From volcanoes to glaciers, this power would allow us to change Emerilia completely, and more. No wonder your father took the Aleph under his protection and made sure that all their homes were hidden. If someone pissed off the Aleph enough, they could shift the entire planet to eradicate them.” Dave’s little talk made him glassy-eyed and stare off into the distance in thought.
They stepped into a massive room, where there were two metal prongs extended up twenty floors and were three meters wide at their tip, expanding upwards and to twenty meters wide at the base. Runes glistened over the pure ebony two spikes.
“Holy shit,” Suzy whispered as they looked at the massive power spikes.
Dave moved to the end of the catwalk, looking the five floors down before the bottom of the power station. A shutter was closed underneath the massive spikes.
“So, what do we have to do?” Deia turned to Dave.
“We plug it back in,” Dave said.
“If there’s anything alive in here, then it is going to come running. All life on Emerilia has adapted to the currents and power of the magical ley lines. As we turned on the tower, they were all attracted, using it to fuel themselves. The same thing will happen here,” Anna said.
“So, we’re going hunting.” Deia touched the bow over her shoulder.
“Yeah,” Anna said.
“I’ll stay here and check things out.” Dave looked over the different consoles and control rooms scattered about, as well as the rune work. He had never thought of something on the scale as this.
Deia pulled his ear.
“Ow owow, what?” Dave asked as she let go.
“If there’s anything out there, I want you and your Touch to find it,” she said as he pouted. “It will also be good training if we do run into anything.”
The other parties listened in, a few smiling at Dave’s unhappy pouting.
“Let’s clear this place out. The faster we get it done, the longer you get to play with the big magical plug.” Deia smiled sweetly.
***
The council ate and drank, few of them talking, but most of them deep in thought.
“Copper for your thoughts?” Ela-dorn asked Hamdir as he munched on hard biscuits.
“Things have changed greatly since we were last on Emerilia. Our old enemies and alliances will have fallen apart for the most part. The Dwarves and the Elves are still in the same places and there might be a few of them who remember us, though we must forge new alliances and keep an eye out for new enemies. The Gray God woke me before we were sent back here. He told me that strife and war is coming to Emerilia. We may wish to hide from our fellows, to keep our privacy and our technology to ourselves, but Emerilia is still our home and we herald from the other races. I am wondering if it would be of benefit to us to meet with and talk to the Stone Raiders. They have made a good number of allies, Shard has reported. They have also collected a variety of people who would make any kingdom more powerful with their allegiance. They are a formidable ally in the making. Given time and resources, they could become truly powerful in their twenty-seven-year cycle.” Hamdir looked to Ela-dorn to gauge her response.
“They are indeed possible allies, but I think it prudent for us to wait until we are secure before talking to them. We can still use Shard as an intermediary in those regards. We can use Shard to give them quests to act as our forces aboveground. Shard has already positioned us to be able to use their connections to buy and sell items. For now, we should focus on getting the greenhouses back into production and purchase foodstuffs. We have the shelter but not the edibles and other resources that the Gray God has requested we fulfill in order for more of our people to join us.”
Hamdir nodded, agreeing with her plan. He didn’t like the hiding and secrecy, but as they grew in strength, they could come to understand all that had happened on Emerilia while they were gone.
“As you say, the Stone Raiders are working to re-establish our power and clear our areas free of aggressive creatures. Having an undying force eagerly following our quests is quite the useful asset. I have been putting thought into their reward if they are to complete all of the facilities. I wonder what your thoughts might be on them.” Hamdir shared a file he had created with her.
“Generous, but do you think they will be happy with just this? They fight for gold, weapons, and gear,” Ela-dorn said.
“They look to be a forward-thinking group. This will be of more help than any weapon, armor, or gear. Of which they have plenty that they are waiting to sell to their traders,” Hamdir said.
“I agree to it. We shall raise it with the rest of the council,” Ela-dorn said.
“Of course.” Hamdir snorted and shook his head.
“What is it?” Ela-dorn cocked her head to the side in curiosity.
“When we left, the Dragons had been gone for decades. I missed my friend Gelimah dearly. Now we return to find that they have as well. I wonder what that cantankerous old Dragon is up to.” Hamdir snorted.
“Is he still active in your friends list?”
“Yes, though he is not one to check his friends list and contacts frequently. I wonder who will be the first to contact the other.” Hamdir looked amused as he looked at the council chambers.
The world he knew had changed, but now truly a secret from all of the races, the Aleph could begin to rebuild, not worrying about outside forces pressuring them for information or threatening murder and kidnapping. Information was a rare resource, one that the Aleph people closely guarded.
***
Suzy’s last metal creation turned into a spike, impaling the last remaining rock worm, breaking its hard shell and stopping its movement. Black ichor fell from its side as the others looked on.
“Ugly bugs.” Steve swung his axe in a bored manner. “When can I get to hit something?”
“When you hitting something means it will die. Those things’ armor would make a hit from your axe feel like a tickle,” Suzy said.
“No, it wouldn’t. Don’t talk about axey like that.” Steve caressed “axey” as if it were some lovable beast instead of a half-ton of sharpened metal.
“Can we go plug the power station in now?” Dave asked, not paying attention to Suzy and Steve.
“Fine,” Deia said.
“Woohoo!” Dave’s face lit up as he rubbed his hands and shared a look with Malsour. Malsour’s face split into an eager grin as they took off jogging for the main command center of the power station.
The command center was laid out like a water ship’s command center: banks of consoles at the front, with more behind them and a raised platform for whoever was in command to sit at.
Dave and Malsour went through the systems. Malsour was the only other person on their expedition who came close to Dave’s knowledge on runic systems.
