Lemuria

F

Frauxst

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Original poster
A one on one between Frauxst and Wistful Beast

Exhilarating. That was the best way to describe Lemuria. A totally life reviving breath of fresh air. The first time he had played, albeit for only five minutes, Drake couldn't believe the total immersion. Every tactile sensation the human mind could interpret, every sight vibrant yet pleasing to the eye, the very world around him was alive and real and it felt more so than even his own world. In those five minutes Drake had explored the starting area and ignored everything else, enjoying the breathing virtual world around him. Now though, now he had till the end of eternity to explore this ever expanding virtual world, and with a friend. Lemuria, the greatest Virtual Reality, True Immersion, MMORPG in the entirety of human history. One million in game square miles and growing each month, literally thousands of quests, hundreds of thousands of NPCs, dozens of cities, towns, a plethora of monsters. And of course, the classic battle of Light Vs. Dark with a Neutral gray in the middle. Could there ever be a more perfect world to live in till the end of time? Drake doubted it. Wait, no, not Drake anymore. The HUD, still in his view along with the other controls. His immersion wasn't complete yet, he could go by Drake for now. In his mind at least, everyone else would call him his new name. Frauxst. Frozen Prince in the elven tongue. Befitting of a Snow Elf, and odd since no other snow elf had it. Also of note, you weren't totally detached from the original world, as he liked to call it. You had the ability to look on Lemuria's wikia, and you can even view video feeds and some aspects of the internet. Contacting people was another matter, though that would come later. But these are all idle thoughts distracting from the current situation.

The young warrior was beginning his new journey, his new life in this world of fantasy and adventure, and like everyone else, you start from the beginning. At current he had no alliance either way towards light, dark, or neutral. As a Spellsword his kind could shift to either light or dark, and as a Snow Elf his inclination was neutral. A true blank slate. Either way he still had two messages in his inbox, the basic in game messages from the two sides beckoning for a new follower. At least the light was beckoning, the dark was hard to find. In this world, there was an excess of Light. Almost sickeningly so. Especially since his starting area near Illumii, one of the largest cities of Light in the game, more specifically he was in the Forest of Evergreen, a clever way to refer to the start area of most greenhorns. Let's read those messages.

"Frauxst. What a wonder to see a new face in Illumnii, especially one so stark white and noble. Truly, you must be one destined for Light. A natural with sword and magic, adaptable. I hope to see you join us." Killian, Guildmaster of The Guild of Light in Illumnii. So far, the light was sickening. The second message read.

"You will find no allies in this city. A city of false light ruled by those who shine it. Seek the darkness if you will, but know this. Light, is not always the right choice." Harkon, Guildmaster of The Guild of Dark in Illumnii. The city map said no such place existed, while the guild of light was smack dab in the middle of the city. Odd. Though, why would such a place exist in a city of light.

Frauxst was in the forest, leaned against an ancient oak. Hawk like eyes picking out his HUD. His current quest was Master. Find a grizzled old Spellsword living deep in the forest. Three hundred meters away. A five minute walk, at worst. They never start you too far from sanctuary do they? Frauxst began his trudge through the forest, pushing aside thick leaves and walking straight through bushes. It'd be best to meet his mentor before engaging in any wildlife. Albeit the only things he saw were level 1, no aggro Rabbits. A Mother Rabbit could be near by and hear the cries. No need to be swarmed. So within those five minutes, exactly, the tall snowy elf found himself at the entrance of a quaint little hut. Doubtlessly the home of his mentor. "Hello. I'm looking for a Spellsword." Frauxst entered and was immediately met with a gray, middle aged man sitting at a table, a sword in his hands but pointed to the ground, wedged into the floor boards. Dull, blind eyes seemed the stare straight through Frauxst. A gray cloak hid his upper half, though it was obvious the old man was strong, of body and mind. The prompt above his head said Griswold. For his own amusement Frauxst imagined his name continued on to say Griswold, The Grizzled. It brought a smile to the elf's face.

Master, Complete!
Reward: New Mentor
Continuation: Master II, gain an apprenticeship under Griswold and begin to learn the ways of the Spellsword


Frauxst took one step forward. "You must be Griswold. I am Frauxst, an aspiring Spellsword, I've been sent to seek your guidance."
 
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Griswold's intense, milky white eyes bore into the new player, a young snow elf. Though he appeared blind, he could certainly see and he didn't really need to be able to see to be able to sense the world around him. Lemuria wasn't new to him since he had been programmed into it years ago and had been fed a decent amount of information about the immersive game. At first he had been confused and a bit lost, but now he knew this place well. Knew the new players and the old, the war of light and dark especially, having played on both sides. His grip on the hilt of his long sword tightened and he pulled the blade from where it had stuck in the floorboards, using it as leverage to ease himself into a standing position.

He rose to his full height of about six feet tall. he wasn't a small man. Sure he had grown a bit more lean with age, but he still packed some muscle. He looked down at the youth that stood before him, knowing this was another young fool he was to train. Maybe this one would be different than the last. The last would run head first into a battle against a fully grown dragon if Griswold hadn't been there to knock some sense into him. That was before he had left the young boy to find another mentor, unable to tolerate the new player. Shifting his weight so he was more balanced and upright, he noted words above the boy that read, "Frauxt." Griswold grunted softly as he thought of what a peculiar name that was. He was vaguely aware that it translated into Prince. He hoped the young man could live up to such a lofty title.

"Of course you have. They always send me the green ones."Griswold replied gruffly. He sighed. "No matter. I have to teach you all the same."

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Jordan looked around, seeing that he was deep inside a darkened forest. Lights were situated on the black bark of towering trees and the air smelled cool and damp. He looked around and saw a city up ahead that had tall stone walls covered in tendrils of ivy. Everything felt so...real. More so than Jordan anticipated. He took a cautious step towards the city ahead, ears perking up at distant sounds. Jordan had almost forgotten that he was no longer human. He had tall lynx like ears and a furry body as well as a feline head. It was a rather odd sensation. He lifted a clawed hand and touched his nose, a short snout. His eyesight and hearing had improved though. Jordan looked behind himself and noted a tail. He also had control of it as if he had one all his life. He made it wave to and fro with an odd sense of fascination.

He was no longer Jordan of Earth, he was Joddar of Lemuria. A khajiit assassin with a more dark alliance. He felt lighter and more...cat like obviously. He noted two messages in his inbox and opened them.

"Joddar. You have chosen the dark path, the wrong one. There is still hope for you yet. I sense you are not yet corrupt and urge you to join the Light Alliance. If you come over to us, you will be welcomed." Killian, Guildmaster of The Guild of Light in Illumnii.

"You have chosen correctly. The Light players are abundant and as prevalent as ever. We are glad to have you and teach you to become a skilled assassin and player." Harkon, Guildmaster of The Guild of Dark in Illumnii

Joddar had already chosen Dark through his class option, the assassin class being assigned to the Dark side. Joddar didn't mind, finding them to probably be misunderstood like he was since it wasn't a popular route. Also, he couldn't really stomach the goody two shoes players who waltzed in and immediately tried to spread light and rise to fame as oh so honorable knights. Joddar preferred a more thoughtful route than hacking at things with a sword. He wanted to explore stealth and magic through learning to fulfill the occupation his class gave him.

Joddar noted a quest in his HUD and read it over. It was called Master and his destination was only 300 meters away in the forest he was in. Hm, so he wasn't to go to the city yet. No matter, he would go later. For now he was in the Shade Blossom Forest, which was named after the black rose like flowers sprouting from the ground on occasion. It also was the destination that many new Dark Players were brought to and the "blossom" part seemed to represent growth and a new beginning just like the Forest of Evergreen hinted the same message and also housed new players. That's where Drake said he'd be, the two having done a bit of research on starting in the game. He planned on getting to his friend as soon as possible, but decided to survive well enough he'd have to fulfill the first quest of finding a mentor.

Joddar tread carefully along what looked to be a narrow deer path. It was so dark and only the occasional lantern provided light, but Joddar's more acute vision allowed him to see well enough. he heard a few animals stirring but knew none of them would be hostile this early in the game. Soon enough he reached a cave up ahead with a door built into the front. The quest message and instructions suggested his mentor would be here, so he opened the door cautiously.

Inside the lighting was still dim, a fire pit situated in the middle. Pelts surrounded it to act as seating and a few chests and a cot sat in the back. Tunnels led to other places and Joddar guessed this was a small home of sorts. He spotted a short, lean looking dark elf female who wore a dark black cloak over her whole body,. The hood was down as well as a bandana that would normally cover her mouth and nose. Her skin had a greyish tint and long, silky black hair cascaded down over her shoulders. She didn't even look at him when he entered, though she had heard him coming even when he was meters outside of her door. She'd have to teach him to walk a bit more quietly. Joddar noted the name displayed above her was Sasha Wolfsbane and that a rather fine looking dagger was resting beside her.

"Greetings. As you are bound to know, I am a newbie here that has been told to train with you or something."he said, still not the best at communicating with others.

Master, Complete!
Reward: New Mentor
Continuation:Master II, gain an apprenticeship under Sasha and learn the ways of the Assassin
 
Sasha turned from the fire, dropping a bloody flaying knife into the sand in front of her and throwing a freshly skinned hunk if rabbit meat onto the grille above the fire. The dark elf was no more than five three, so short indeed. Even so she had an imposing figure, with intense eyes that focused solely on Joddar as he entered. 'Newbie' indeed. Sasha walked right up to Joddar, looking up to him her face was pulled into an intense, flat expression. Those dark, violet eyes bore straight into his own feline eyes, as if looking for any sign of weakness. There were many. "You're not fit to be an assassin. You were as loud as a knight barging to my hovel in the wall. We'll have to fix that, and if you don't shape up quickly you'll be dealt with. Understood?" Short and to the point, intense and terrifying. Sasha turned from Joddar without waiting for an answer she went back to the fire and a notif popped up for Joddar.

Master II, Complete!
Reward: N/A
Continuation: Apprentice. Sasha Wolfsbane has taken you as her apprentice... Even if it doesn't seem like it!


The dark elf once again sat at her fire, turning over the rabbit flesh she picked up the flaying knife and wiped it off, as if she had lost all attention to Joddar. This didn't last for long though as she once again spoke in that domineering, attention grabbing voice. "It's no easy task to be one of Darkness. Our allies are far and few, the world views us as something to be rid of. Your's will be a journey fraught with trials and tribulations. Even more so being an Assassin. Ours' is an order that is dying. But I will teach you, if you can learn." Sasha turned her head to glare at Joddar over her shoulder, a mix of doubt yet hope in her eyes. "I have a task for you, apprentice. Go and murder ten imps, they've been eating the black flowers around my cave and I need them to make a special poison. Their flesh will also be tainted with the flower's essence, for each pound of flesh you bring me there is five silver in it for you." Quite a good quest for a newb to have, earning some money and some exp, along with progressing his relation with his mentor.

Frauxst stood before the elder figure, undaunted by his impressive form and commanding presence. A coy smile came to his Snow White face and Frauxst would give a reply. "Perhaps they send you the green ones because you're such an excellent teacher and the only one who could make something of them. And you don't HAVE to teach me." The young snow elf was indeed a confusing in it seemed, keeping that teasing smile. "You do have a choice after all, as a great Spellsword you could do as you please no?" Frauxst wasn't asking in seriousness, and soon enough wiped the smile from his face. "Let's get straight to business shall we? I expect you'll want me to kill a dozen rabbits or so, perhaps collect some tedious thing you've left deep in the forest?" Taking a pause Frauxst would mentally write up a message and send it to Joddar, instantly it would ping in the assassin's box reading 'Going on with my mentor missions. Once I get my first few levels and skill points let's meet in Illuminii. Good luck friendo.' It was a wonder to be able to send messages mentally, to perform so many tasks mentally thanks to it all being a game, yet not. This world felt as real as our own, and who was to say it wasn't? Distracting thoughts, on the bright side Drake was getting better at thinking of himself as Frauxst.

"Sorry for my flippant nature, I'm a tad hyped up. Master Griswold (The Grizzled) what would you order of me? I will comply and learn as best I can, for the path of the Spellsword is one I yearn to tread and master as you so have." A respectful bow and humbled eyes, definitely a flippant nature with this one. Waiting for some progression Frauxst began to do some stat and skill planning, pondering on what the best path would be. Spellsword can specialize into one of two advancements at level ten, Battle Magister and Archaic Warrior, both featuring their own advantages and niche filling aspects. Battle Magister was one more focused on the separation of magic and might, using one or the other at either time to treat effect. While Archaic Warrior melded magic and might into a fluid, seamless form of battle. Both very interesting indeed. Luckily, with enough gold, Frauxst could respec if he ever felt the need. Speaking of money, 500 Gold was indeed a lot to start out with for a newb, the equivalent if 50$ IRL. Perhaps checking out the markets for some über gear would be a good idea, or saving his good and finding some way to invest it. Although it was a notable amount, many items on the market were quite expensive, most of the highest tier stuff being 40,000 gold! Not only was it a game of adventure, it was also one of economy and strategy. Perhaps if Frauxst found his own niche he could make gold fast.

Once again focusing in Griswold, the young snow elf has a brilliant smile on his face as he made oh so many plans for the future. Already his HUD was starting to fade a bit, faster than it should have in fact. His immersion was great.
 
Joddar watched intently as the short dark elf threw the knife aside. He remained frozen in place, eyes trailing her as she stood and approached him wordlessly. Joddar began to felt a nervous twinge within his stomach as this woman approached. She wasn't threatening with her size, but she had a mysterious presence. Her steps were soundless even when using the enhanced hearing Joddar's big cat ears allowed. Her gait was smooth and careful and she carried herself with confidence. Joddar hoped in the back of his mind that one day he'd be able to move with such precision. He could almost imagine the powerful feeling he could get from stalking through the forest on light, feline feet.

Joddar looked down a bit to meet the elf's eyes with his own. She appeared to be evaluating him, or maybe her eyes were just always that keen. Since she was an assassin and a professional at that, Joddar wouldn't be surprised if she had developed the tendency to always be extremely observant. In this case though, Joddar assumed she was looking to see if he was worth training or not. When she spoke, her message confirmed his suspicion. He was a bit surprised upon being told up front that he was not fit for the occupation his class entitled and it felt like a slap to the face. He took it anyways, face not revealing his reaction much, however his ears had angled backwards for a very quick moment. Joddar knew she'd see it all the same with that acute vision of hers. Joddar had remembered not taking much care in his treading. He had been too excited and eager to start to even think to start slinking around already. Joddar figured that he'd recieve the same comment even if he tried since he wasn't trained and this woman seemed to have high expectations. The khajiit was relieved to hear that she wanted him to work on it though, taking it as a sign that she would actually try to train him. "Understood."he replied cordially, saving any witty or sarcastic remarks he had for his head to avoid further agitating this prickly and daunting seeming woman. After all, he did need a mentor of sorts to help him understand the game a bit and teach him how to act like his class and support the dark side.

Joddar noted the new message in his HUD with a silent sense of triumph. He stifled a snort when the message added that she didn't seem to want to help. That was very true indeed. Joddar continued to stand in place, not having the courage to follow this woman awkwardly to the fire. He had guessed that she wouldn't like that. Joddar watched quietly as Sasha took a seat back by the fire with her flayed rabbit, seemingly ignoring him. Joddar shifted his weight onto different foot awkwardly, wondering if he was supposed to leave or speak of something. He still wasn't good with the whole talking thing. He perked up when Sasha spoke up again, quickly seizing his focus. Joddar hadn't expected being a Dark aligned assassin to be simple and accepted since after all, the dark side was viewed as a band of evil doers and assassins killed people for money. Joddar didn't join the immersive game to slay beasts with a mighty sword and woo female NPCs. Joddar had joined to experience an exciting adventure filled with challenges and having to master difficult skills that didn't involve toting a big sword and swinging it at anything that moved. He wanted to feel the thrill of stealth and agility, so that's what he was determined to do. The khajiit nodded in understanding and listened as Sasha continued to speak. He also noted her look that held mixed feeling so what seemed to be doubt and maybe a glimmer of hope. The glimmer of hope was a good sign. Maybe she didn't think he was a complete imbecile. Joddar dismissed the thought, not convinced she viewed him very highly.

Upon hearing her present the quest, Joddar nodded again. So he could get some good coin and some experience. It was a win win in his mind and he didn't have to kill anything of enough importance to make him think twice. Hopefully his dagger would fare on the small creatures. "Alright, will do."Joddar replied, confirming that he was up to the task presented to him. Joddar turned quietly and left the cave for now, knowing he'd be on his way to do his job before showing his face around the grumpy seeming assassin again. Once outside in the darkened forest again, he was distracted by a message that appeared. He opened it once he realized it was his friend, having to recall that Drake had told him his game name was Frauxst. He read it carefully, marveling idly over the technology that allowed them to communicate so easily. Joddar sent his reply, Rightyo. I'm doing the same out here in some spooky forest. I'll contact you when I make more progress. Hang in there, little spellsword. Drake, now known as Frauxst, was one of the very few that he was comfortable enough to address casually. Well, now he was the only one since he was the only friend that had joined the game as well. It was an odd thought, but Joddar hadn't been too attached to the world that he had left behind.

Joddar pressed onwards, more mindful of how lightly he walked. He pulled the standard steel dagger he had out of its sheath on his belt, wishing it was nicer. He'd have to use his great amount of starter loot to buy a new dagger later, but for now this blade would serve its purpose. He went out on the hunt for some pesky imps.
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Griswold noted the coy smile with a sense of disapproval. He liked the ones with spunk, but not the oddly confident rookies. That little smile hadn't served to convince the older man that this greenie was worth it. Griswold would take a chance anyways, not knowing enough to reject the potential apprentice so quickly. Maybe this one would prove to be more sensible than the last. Griswold was doubting it now, but he always doubted the newbies. Griswold wasn't too easy to impress, but if you did manage to impress him, he would offer more respect and patience. Hearing the young man speak, Griswold adjusted the grip on his sword hilt and cleared his throat before responding in his gruff tone.

Griwswold noted that the younger lad had a tendency to talk a lot, or at least that's the impression he received from the exciting yammering of the newbie. It reminded the older man of an eager puppy, tail wagging about as it yipped excitedly. Griswold openly sighed upon being asked if he would send the lad out to hunt rabbits or collect something. Griwswold heard that the lad also apologized for being so eager and what not. Griswold supposed it was a small step towards not being seen as annoying, but the older warrior was still a bit irked by Frauxst's personality as of now. Griswold was quiet for a moment, pale colored eyes boring into the snow elf as he thought. He grumbled momentarily before speaking up in a clear voice. "Fine. I will take you on as my apprentice in the hopes that you're worth it." Frauxst would now see,

Master II, Complete!
Reward: N/A
Continuation: Apprentice. Griswold has taken you as his apprentice, best you win his favor


Next the man turned and walked back to the chair he had been sitting on. He took a seat again and laid his great sword across his lap. He casually proceeded to grab a leather bound book from the table before him and opened it. It looked old and a bit damaged, but the words inked upon the yellowed pages were neat and formal looking. The man spoke up again, "A spellsword, eh? We spellswords have to be brave, but careful. Not like some silly knight sap. One of your guesses was correct. You must go into the forest and find a cave system nearby. In the topmost cave you'll find a book guarded by some snakes. They aren't venomous at this level, but you'd best watch out." Then he added as he looked up with those milky white eyes, "Now make haste, lad. Before I change my mind about training you."
 
Sasha watched as her new little apprentice left without a word more, sitting back at her cooking fire she pulled the well done rabbit off of it. Once again producing the flaying knife she went about eating dinner.

As Joddar left the cave he wouldn't have to go far to get to the imps, there was a clearing near Sasha's cave about a thousand feet away. A marker clearly pointed in the direction on his HUD. The quest popped up just below it reading.

Tainted Imps
Kill 10 Black Orchid tainted Imps then return to Sasha Wolfsbane

A simple starter quest.
---

Frauxst focused on the old Spellsword as if seemed they were having a stare off, even as a message popped up in his notifs he ignored it. Not for a moment did his intense, hawk like eyes leave those milky, blind orbs of Griswold's. Not once. As Griswold spoke Frauxst listened, quickly reading the quest as it popped up before once again focusing on the old Spellsword. He wondered what in the ever loving fuck the blind man would be doing reading a book. Perhaps his blindness was more of a rouse so enemies would underestimate him, or through some form of magic he could perceive the world and it's contents without eyes. A skilled Spellsword indeed, someone Frauxst wouldn't want to fight. Taking another look at Griswold's info display a low whistle escaped the snow elf. Griswold Level 150. The level cap in Lemuria so far hasn't been reached, but there are players, and enemies, recorded to be up to Level 270. It's a shame NPCs such as Griswold couldn't level up, though they could train their abilities such as cooking and the various crafts. Taking a few moments longer to linger. "Thank you for the quest Master Griswold. I'll be sure not to fail you." Without another moment wasted Frauxst would turn and walk out of the little cottage towards the direction of the quest.

This cave system appeared to be situated in a mountain, as Griswold had said top most cave. Odd that for a newb quest Frauxst would get a dungeon-esque area, very odd indeed. He didn't question it though, perhaps it could prove to be useful for getting some newb level loot, or leveling up. Heh, perhaps if he slew enough snakes he'd get an Achievement as the bane of snakes and all serpentine creatures. A silly thought. The quest was nearly three miles away, goddamned mountains. Frauxst would definitely have to get a mount to make traveling easier, or figure out how to set up teleport points every single place he would ever have to go. Luckily players started with three respawn markers, so they could be used as teleports to areas that didn't have teleport capabilities. Thankfully he could teleport back to Griswold's, and it seems all newbies in these starting areas are able to teleport to Illumnii. Well, might as well distract himself while he makes the journey. Popping up the message screen he quickly goes over the message Joddar sent him with a smile before giving a reply.

Little Spellsword? Please. Anyway I'll contact you when I make some progress myself, I have to do a dungeon for my first quest. Odd but fun, at least, as far as I know, it's just snakes. Don't forget, on our first level up we get six skill points for our three trees, and five stat points. Then every two levels after level two we get the same amount of skill points, every level five stat points. So we'll have to do some careful planning if we want to become the most powerful players in the whole game.

Frauxst chuckled as he ended the message. It was a fact that most of the top tier players in Lemuria were permas, since their lives have literally become the game. Oddly enough, Permas only made up about fifteen percent of the game's player population. Even so, that was a couple hundred thousand people if not well into the million. Perhaps one day he and Joddar would become legends, there was more than enough opportunity in this literally ever expanding game. Already Frauxst found himself at the cave system, and it was indeed a dungeon. It read, Cave of Snakes, Dungeon, Lvl-1. Odd that they'd have a dungeon just for level 1's. Either way the snow elf shrugged, unsheathed his iron long sword and entered the dungeon.
 
Joddar noted the marker that led to his quest as well as the words that confirmed his quest. He began to approach cautiously, his dagger gripped carefully in one hadn't. Since this was a starter quest, Joddar figured it would be pretty simple, but he was still slightly apprehensive. He wondered how the imps behaved and if they were difficult to kill or not. Judging from the level Joddar was at, he figure it would be easy, but they might be a little bit fast and require some degree of effort.

As the clearing drew nearer, the khajiit noted he had another message from his friend. He opened it and read it, crouching down quietly by a tree a few meters away from the marker to avoid being seen by any wandering imps or what not when he checked his mail. Joddar believed his friend was lucky to start out with a dungeon, liking the classic feel of a good dungeon raid. Joddar already knew about how points worked, well generally, since they were sort of difficult to grasp at first. He was grateful for the reminder though and found the last part amusing, having wanted to be a top player.

It was a very lofty goal to be in the top one million soon, let alone one day be in the top thousand. And being the best was near impossible, but Joddar could be ambitious, especially when it came to games. Now he was in a game permanently so it would be best to try his hardest and become legendary. Joddar was excited by the mere thought of the game, the leveling up and raiding and fun, and now he was in it. Oh, and he had a quest that he should be attending to! Joddar sent a simple, Alright, dude. See you soon.

Then he stood up again and adjusted his grip on his dagger as he stalked forwards again. He scanned the clearing for imps and found one munching on a dark orchid. It was a creature with a human like torso and legs, but a misshapen head with small horns sprouting from it. It wore simple rags and mumbled to itself. Joddar quieted his breathing and crouched down lower as he used the trees and darkness as cover. He wasn't quiet enough and the imp lifted its head from where it was poking at the roots, showing a pig like face with protruding bottom canine teeth. Its bleak eyes scanned the area once before looking back to the roots. Joddar took a deep breath before lunging forwards and sending the knife into the creature's back. The imp made a little screaming sound before Joddar could cover its mouth. Frustrated, Joddar drew the knife from the flesh of the squirming creature and used it to mercifully slit the creature's throat. It was an odd feeling, but he knew the creature had just been part of the game and not a sentient being. It was still a bit odd though, and it did give him a nice rush that he enjoyed.

Joddar looted the body of the imp and added tainted imp meat, a dark orchid, and seven bronze coins to his inventory. Then he set about for more imps. Within the hour he found five more slayed them. He had even got a bit better at making them avoid screaming so they wouldn't alert others. He chased a few off and had to stalk them though, his pile becoming bigger. Eventually he had finished his task, ten imps in his pile. The small creature’s wounds were a bit sloppy, not exactly hitting the heart or a main artery on the first try, but it was better than some could accomplish though since he had still aimed in the general area of vital spots.

Joddar wiped the dark tainted blood off of his blade and sheathed it at his belt. Then he made his way back to Sasha's cave, imp meat stored safely in his inventory. He reached her home soon enough and tried to tread quietly. he knew that Sasha could still hear him, but it was betetr than trampling carelessly. he reached the door and entered. "I killed the imps."he replied, removing the tainted imp flesh from his inventory and setting it before Sasha.

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There were torches flickering in their places on the walls of the cave. The stone floor and walls were smooth, though caves were may more rugged for higher level dungeons. It was still dim and grew colder though as Frauxt would descend into the cave. It was a shallow cave, but still led downwards for a short distance. There was a distant hissing that grew nearer as the Spellsword walked onwards through the gloom.

A green colored snake about three feet in length slithered out from a rock near Fraust's feet with a hiss. It raised its small, rounded head and bared one inch long fangs. A black tongue darted from its mouth as it wondered if it should strike the man before it.
 
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It was a snake. Just a silly little green snake. Though for a snake, that black tongue was odd, and for a mob in a game odder still it didn't immediately attack as he entered it's aggro range. Frauxst pondered this for a little bit, perhaps he wasn't close enough? Or maybe it meant something else, it seemed the snake was deciding on whether to attack him or not. Odd behavior for an enemy, perhaps this game was more true to life then he thought? Snakes generally only attack creatures that threaten them, or ones they believe they can take down for a meal. A three foot serpent couldn't eat him so it was definitely a more defensive thing. Frauxst was eagerly going into these thoughts, exploring the more intrinsic nature of the game. In fact, he sheathed his sword. One or two hits from the snake if he was wrong wouldn't hurt him too badly. Obviously, he was all going on strung together theories in his head and this could all go horribly wrong. But the worst case scenario was him dying, coming back to the cave, and retrieving his loot from his gravestone then going on with the dungeon like normal. Maybe if it worked he could get through the whole cave without a battle, or earn some odd, little achievement. Albeit no battles meant no getting what little exp those snakes would give, or what little loot they would drop. But perhaps it would mean something deeper.

Frauxst decided on it, he'd try his theory. The snow elf took a non threatening disposition, stepping back to show he meant no harm to the snake and getting down on one knee. Snakes didn't primarily use their sight so he kept his eyes on the serpent. Now snakes weren't much like dogs or your common pet, they observe things with their sense of smell and taste. Frauxst unequipped his gloves, lower armor value meant the snake would do more damage if it attacked. Tentatively he reaches out a bare hand to the snake, enough so the serpent could slither forward a bit to observe his hand if it wanted, or to activate it's aggro and receive a strike. His health was buffered enough he could take a hit or two. Frauxst kept a smile on his face, god this was a terrible idea but, it was worth a shot. It was a game after all.
-----

Sasha had finished her dinner, and had estimated correctly when Joddar would be back. Already she was turned to the door as he entered, and immediately a knife was buried deep in the wood of the door next to his head. Once he had set down the tainted imp flesh she went about collecting it, once it was all accepted and the quest finished Joddar was awarded.

Tainted Imps, Complete!
Reward: 25 silver and 100 Exp
Continuation: Apprentice II, speak with Sasha Wolfsbane to learn about being an Assassin

Clearing her throat the dark elf began to speak. "You've done well. Now you may learn the specialization a of being an assassin. As a shadow of the dark your main weapons are your stealth and the small amount of magic assassins are imbued with. Not only that but skill and strategy. Invest well in these abilities and you have the making of an assassin. Now begone with you, come back when you are stronger." With that Sasha turned away from Joddar and a message popped up.

Sasha Wolfsbane does not want to see you at this time. Return at Level 10 to continue your apprenticeship.

Seems Joddar could meet up with Frauxst now, or he could go out and do a bit of exploring on his own. Grinding levels and looking into other quests around the forest, or perhaps trying to discover the dark underbelly of Illumnii, if such a thing even existed.
 
The snake closed its jaws, allowing its tongue to slither out instead to sense what was going on. It lowered its head to feel vibrations, wondering if it should strike or retreat. It wondered if the being before it meant any harm, not being programmed for immediete aggro. It would attack if attatcked, being a low level enemy with little quarrel with a random player.

Naturally, there would be snakes deeper that were immeadietly enemies, but this snake was almost like an aspect of the background used to make the game more life like in a way. It felt a warm presence nearing its face and backed its head away. Darting a tongue out, it realized there was no cold emitted from steel and this was just flesh before him. The snake slithered away towards a crevice in the wall behind a rock. It had no idea that the game makers knew the snake in place would react like this.

In the wall near the crevice was a slip of parchment rolled up neatly, awiating being examined by a player that chose not to cut down the snake upon seeing it. After all, most players would be gung ho to take down any scrap of a threat without a thought.

-----

Joddar flinched when the knife lodged itself into the wood by his head. He turned and saw it still quavering, steel buried into the surface. Joddar forced himself to look back at Sasha, not being able to stifle his slight shaking. He had thought thatfor a second the knife would find itself into his head. Sure he'd respawn, he just didn't want to jave to deal with the complication. Sure his pain level was currently set to low at about 10 percent, but a knife to the face still wouldn't be pleasant.

Joddar watched the woman speak again as if she hadn't just sent a blade at him. Well, not at him, but near him. He was glad to hear her praide though, even if t was insincere. Joddar nodded, knowing the role his class played in this game. "I will."he affirmed before turning and carefully making his way out the door before the elf could send more sharp things at him.

Once outside, he decided he'd head towards the small city he saw earlier to get some gear or something. Heeding Sasha's words, he began to walk towards the direction of the city with a bit more stealth though he still had much to learn. It was better than trudging loudly though.
 
About the reaction her hoped for, a basic creature like a snake couldn't be programmed to do too much now could it? Frauxst stood as the little green snake slithered away and re-equipped his gloves. His sharp elven eyes caught the little parchment folded up into the crack of the wall near the crevice the snake had recreated into. Walking over the elf crouched down to take it. Unfolding the parchment Frauxst went about reading it.
-----

The small city was one of neutrality, neutral cities able to exist near ones of both light and dark, like Illumnii. The small city was Granedale, a settlement of merchants and farmers. More of a transient city than anything, a delta hub for those making passage to Illumnii. Or traveling to the outerlands or other cities. Joddar could definitely find a merchant or two that would sell him some nice starter equipment. Though it shouldn't go I forgotten that the game has a marketplace of it's own where players sell loot they gather or items they create, so Joddar could look their for some stronger, even unique loot to buy. All sorts of possibilities and options in a game overflowing with them.
 
The parchment was yellowed and old, damaged around the edges. Careful words were inked on in black, letters scrawling across in an organized way. It read,

"Congratulations, observant soul. As made clear by the discovery of this hidden paper, you have a decent level of observation skills. Such skills are useful to my guild. The Watcher's guild would welcome you into our brotherhood of rangers. It is up to us few to guard Redmaria, one of the grandest trading cities in this nation. We have use of folk like you to help guard the great city of thieves and most of all, the abundance of assassins trying to steal away the lives of the civilians for coin. If you wish to use your skills for good, consider taking a visit.
Sincerely,
Thenn Imar of the Watcher's Guild"

----------

Joddar entered the small city and tread softly on the cobble road underfoot. He sniffed the air and scented baking bread emitted from a small tavern. Laughter streamed out from the wooden door set into the old building, but Joddar would rather wait to join his friend before spending time in a tavern. Jordan walked past that building as well as a few old wooden houses that were home to some NPCs that we're currently moving about the day they were programmed to fulfill, tending to small tasks and talking amongst one another.

Joddar also saw a few players, most being lower levels. They wore leather armor, some odd bits of mail, or none at all. The weapons were generally standard too, but Joddar was glad to see other players in the same stage as him so he knew he wasn't the worst. He noted some merchants selling decent gear, but only ended up buying a standard dagger that was a few inches longer than his current with less flaws in its metal.

20 coppers lost
1 iron dagger in decent condition

He slid the dagger through his belt and placed his older one in his inventory for the time being. Satisfied for the time being, Joddar decided to press onwards to find someone who could give him some directions to places nearby.
 
Frauxst looked over the message for a good minute before turning the paper around in his fingers a few times. Redmaria, The Watcher's Guild, he searched them up on the wiki and did a bit of research. The words on the paper were definitely true, though info on The Watcher's Guild was very sparse. Apparently virtually no one, out of millions of players, were in it. It was primarily an NPC guild, a somewhat rare thing for real people to be invited to. Frauxst had to think it over, being part of a guild would definitely be a boon, especially considering they may outfit him with some gear, and one he gains enough rank he could access the guild's vault, and even ascend to a position of power. Though being an NPC guild it did just have one function, protecting Redmaria. Although he couldn't check his outer world map from the dungeon it had been listed as close to Illumnii. Hopefully he wouldn't be required to stay in the city to fully be part of the guild. A very odd opportunity for a Spellsword exclusive dungeon.

Unsheathing his sword and re-equipping his gloves Frauxst put the piece of paper into his inventory, doubtlessly he would need to show it to this Thenn Imar to join. With that Frauxst ran the rest of the dungeon, quickly figuring out the rest of the snakes were hostile. Coming out a half hour later he had five snake skins, ten copper, three snake teeth, and the book. Traveling back to the cabin he entered with the book held to his chest. "I've got your book Griswold. Didn't read it, doubted you'd want me too."
---

Joddar would find quite a few people around the town, though the best place for information was usually the pubs. There was one pub in particular, not too far off called The Codger's Lodge. It had a fair amount of people about, not too many but a good enough amount. The bartender or a patron could have some information, or even a quest.
 
Griswold seemed to stare right into the young lad, but of course he couldn't see. His milky stare still served to intimidate some though, the wiser ones. Griswold didn't have his vision, but he still had his swordsmenship and other senses. He relied on his now very acute hearing and perception of objects or entities near him, shocking most with his understanding of the area around him.

"Not yet. You'll read it to me when you return at level 10. Set the book down on the table. For now, you must begin to walk the path of a spellsword, learning your craft, duty, and weapon. Go, learn, quest, and return when a bit more worthy."Griswold dismissed Frauxst.

The older man pulled a small grindstone from its spot on the table before him and began to run it along the blade of his great sword. The stell hissed under the bte of the stone and the old warrior paid little heed to the spellsword.

Griswold saw possible potential in this young one. The lad had returned in good time, spending little time sniffing the flowers or hunting for bunnies. Instead he had returned with the book, an old leather bond tome with dusty pages. Griswold still had his doubts of course, but he felt a spark of faith. Maybe this was a good one, maybe.

Frauxt would now see:

Griswold does not want to see you at this time. Return at Level 10 to continue your apprenticeship.

-----------

Joddar didn't find much that was notable, deciding after all to check out a pub in the hopes of finding a quest or at least a drink. He sidled up to a bar called, "The Codger's Lodge," his felije tail snaking about in a curious manner. He made a thoughtful, "hm," sound before entering the quaint pub.

Inside he heard amiable chatter and laughter, looking around to see NPCs and even a few players of varying races. There were a few different types of elves, two orcs, a group of humans, a hulking wolven creature, and a few more. Joddar's keen eyes swept over the lot curiously, taking them all in quietly. He made his way to a high wooden counter and situated himself onto one of the empty stools lined up in front of the surface. A bartender NPC, a dark elf with a goatee and a missing eye, asked what he'd like.

Joddar exchanged a few coppers for some root beer, revieving an odd look from a few drinking real ale. Joddar paid them little mind, in the mood for something sweet. The bartender soon set a glass full of frothy dark liquid in front of the darkly clothed khajit.

Gained a glass of delicious rootbeer
Lost 4 coppers

Joddar took a few small sips of the cool liquid, wiping a bit of froth from his whiskers with the back of his furry hand. He looked around, wary ofhis surroundings and on the hunt for anything exciting.
 
Those milky white eyes did little to intimidate the elf, his intense, hawk like eyes just stared right back at Griswold's milky orbs. The elder Spellsword could cut him down with a single swing, but in a world without death why fear such a thing? You must fear those fates worse than death, when for death itself has died. Just a little philosophical analysis on Frauxst's part, consider there was truly no death in this world. There was only ascension, transcendence, and damnation. Though we'll leave those three interesting words for later. Reading the book didn't sound too bad, in fact it sounded like it would be fun. Some form of way to connect with Griswold.

Once the old man was finished speaking Frauxst simply gave a scant few words. "I'll return stronger than you'd believe." Confidence, hopefully not a confidence that would be his fall. Reading over the prompt he smiled and turned. Without another word the young elf turned and left the cabin of Griswold (The Grizzled). Frauxst pulled up his friend's list and saw his singular friend, Joddar, and his location. Message time.

Yo Jo. I'm finished with my starter quest, and I have what I believe is a pseudo-unique opportunity. I can join an NPC guild, in the grand trading city of Redmaria. Something about Rangers, and apparently it's a city filled with thieves and assassins. Perhaps you could find something interesting assassin opportunities there, maybe a guild or tutors? Offer me a teleport to your location and we'll talk in person.

In Lemuria your friends could offer you a teleport, albeit only to restricted locations such as cities and the like. Usually you could teleport on your own to previous visited locations, of to one of the five teleport points you've set yourself. Though friends help expedite this process. Even so, there was still a huge business made of teleporting. Specialized mages and magic users made a business of teleporting entire raid parties or quest teams all around Lemuria, to designated teleport hubs and locations.

For now, Frauxst would wait up against an old oak tree, shifting the piece of paper about Redmaria between his fingers.
-----

The Codger's Lodge was notably quiet for an inn, this little bar area should have been alight with laughter and drunken tom foolery. Though everyone seemed to be keeping to themselves, the group of humans had taken the round table near the corner and were thoughtfully sipping from their steins. The Lupine creature was secluded to the far end of the bar, while the two orcs took a seat in the middle of the room. Notably, a goblin sat a seat over from Joddar, a greenskinned fellow, a female in fact. The bartender was the first one to make any sort of move, he slowly strode over to Joddar. He was a human, albeit a hulking one. "You're new. Not often we get a fresh face here. What brings ye?" Speaking with a thick, Nordic accent and idly polishing a smudged metal stein. The goblin had an eye turned towards the two, while the orcs started up a quieted conversation.
 
Griswold heard the boy's response, hoping that the words uttered were true. Griswold didn't want to waste his time on a lad who didn't learn and improve on his own terms. Of course Griswold knew the lad would learn nore under his instruction, the best spellswords could also learn some skills without the aid of others. Griswold heard the elven boy leave his home. He then allowed himself to release a sigh, a caloused hand patting the steel in his lap. "Gods be good, let this lad prove his worth. "He mumbled to himself.
------
Joddar revieved a message from his friend, an alert being brought to his attention. He read the message over quickly and carefully, glad his friend had a more fruitful experience. Joddar had learned some from Sasha, but knew of no potential guilds like his friend had been informed of. Joddar did like the notion of a potential assassin's guild, so he was willing to check out this Redmaria place.

Joddar shot back a quick reply. Sounds cool. I'll offer a teleport to the little town I'm in. Look for a tavern called The Codger's Lodge. See you soon.Then he selected Frauxt's profile in his friend list and chose the option to send a teleport. Joddar found the aspect to be a cool feature. He could access his pal easier than having to travel across the map to him. Although there were probably some restrictions, it was still a cool and fascinating perk.

Joddar perked up when he heard a voice close to him, ears held higher and eyes focusing on the bartender that had spoken to him. Upon brief examination, Joddar knew this man to be human and noted that he had quite the muscle mass. Joddar would be willing to reply since he figured this man may be able to offer some information or even a quest of sorts.

"I came in for a drink and a potential quest."he answered truthfully, saying nothing more and nothing less than what he deemed as a fit reply. He cast a glance at the others in the pub, finding no dangee. He was slightly wary of the female goblin nearby who had looked over at him since she was in range to attack if she pleased. Joddar may keep it on the down low about being an assassin, as it seemed to be an unsavory line of work and could get him in some trouble.
 
Frauxst was busy poking around his HUB and the general interface. A little over halfway to level two, he was already planning out for what class and skill trees he'd go with. Planning planning planning, he had all the time in the world for planning now. Whether in ten months or ten thousand years, all these little plans would come to fruition. The elf had pocketed the paper of his invitation and stood up against the oak tree before taking out his sword. Test time. Frauxst whirled around and slashed the oak tree, the solid wood of the tree sent his blade ringing, all the kinetic force rattling up his arms. There was a shallow gash in the oak tree now, bleeding sap and wood shards. Permanency, Frauxst was testing for the effects players could have on the game world, he marked down the location of the tree just in time for the teleport invite.

Joddar has sent you a teleport! Accept? 30...29...28

With a mental click the elf was enveloped on bright, blue white light and taken dozens of miles across the game world. Frauxst appeared in the empty middle of the bar, seemed it was arranged that way just for teleports. In fact, he came just in time to hear Joddar's question. Frauxst shook his head making little tsk tsk tsk noises before slowly approaching the bar.
-----

The bartender looked the kahjiit over for a good few moments and slowly shook his head. "If yer askin' for work you came to the wrong place. Inns are never hirin'. Sides, a young fella like you should be out in the world." The goblin gal chuckled and turned to Joddar, downing the rest of her mead before speaking. "You're an odd one. Far too overt. Joddar." She was obviously a player if she immediately knew his name, obvious by the annotation above any characters head when another focused. If Joddar focused he would see the goblin woman's annotation. Sneza, Lvl 33 Ranger, a somewhat odd class for a goblin. Looking the kahjiit up and down she had a slight sneer on her face. "You're a newbie, still talk like one too."
-----

That's when Frauxst walked up behind Joddar, having overheard the one sided conversation he had to agree. "She's right Joddar. Albeit you're used to the normal world, this is fantasy. You'll have to talk a bit more, elevated, when it comes to NPCs." Frauxst stepped right up to the middle of Sneza and Joddar, arms crossed and hawk yellow eyes darting from one to another. He leaned over towards Joddar. "I see you're adjusting well. Seems this bar may be too quiet. Wanna make the trek to Redmaria now? Or wanna sit around and chat some?"
-----

Sneza smiled listening to the two, seemed they had plans. Although she never bothered with newbs, it'd be interesting to see what these two were up to. "Your friend is smart Joddar. Better listen to him, kitten." Her voice was almost teasing, naturally somewhat nasally and high before she let loose a little chuckle.
 
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Joddar was disappointed by the bartender's answer. He didn't want to be an inkeep, he wanted a job. He thought video games were supposed to have quest givers in the stereotypical sketchy tavern. This one didn't seem busy enough though. Joddar felt like an idiot for asking now, frustrated that he hadn't been successful. Joddar's tail flicked behind him and the khajiit downed all of his root beer in one last, long drink. He sighed afterwards, the sweet taste still on his rough tongue. Joddar also really needed to work on his people skills. He had a cunning mind and no lack of IQ points, but sometimes his tongue was too lose and his mouth to quick to act, which could get him killed with his assigned line of work.

Joddar found his situation to get worse when he discovered the goblin was a player since she had said his name. He now noticed her name above her as well as her level and class. Jodar felt insecure now, being a level one in the face of the level 33. Joddar didn't like what the goblin woman said either, finding overt to be an insult for an assassin like him. He snorted and looked to his empty glass for a moment.

Joddar looked up when he hearf footsteps behind him, angling his furry head back to identify Frauxst. Joddar would be sure to hit his friend later for supporting the argument of the goblin girl. "I know, I know."he responded bitterly to the suggestion to imrpove his speaking, not wanting to appear more pathetic than others in the tavern probably now believed him to be.

Joddar's fur smoothed out again when his friend just addressed him about the plans they had. Joddar felt happier to return to the subject of the adventure ahead and improving instead of being criticized. "We should get out of here. Redmaria sounds more promising for opportunities for the both of us and maybe we can find some new gear there as well."Joddar answered after a moment of thought.

Jiddr was eager to start leveling up and learning his craft and a new environment as well as improved gear would make that task even bettterand more eefficient. It would also be enjoyable too do since they'd be starting their long life in this game. He did find it odd that he would be assassinating people to level up and Frauxst would be part of a guild that hunted assassins and the like. It could make for an amusing rivalry and time in general so long as Frauxst was never given the task of picking off him.

Sneza's words were a blow to Joddar since Joddar never considered himself to be any less than intelligent. The kitten part just added sting to that slap and the teasing voice made little ammends to that. The khajiit's tall, tufted ears angled backwards, his jaw set. "At least my skin isn't the color of a pickle...."he muttered. He soon released the tension in his muscles though, just telling himself that the silly joke of this goblin had no impact on his hopefully successful future.

Joddar slid off of his stool carefully, landing lightly on his feet. He was niw more cautious of his steps and would be ever since Sasha had recommended he changed his walk. He cast a look at Frauxst and assumed the elf would follow him, making his way to the door with his tail trailing out from the hole he had cut in his standard black pants. He needed to find clothing that accommodated his race a bit better since he had to cut the hole in his pants and if he wanted to wear the black cowl in his inventory then he'd have to slice ear holes. Besides that, the simple black vest and matching boots fit fine.
 
Frauxst turned with Joddar to exit the pub, but not before offering Sneza a few rude hand gestures, some quite new to the goblin, and that brought some laughter from the nearby orc duo. The elf followed side by side with Joddar, a slight smile on his face as he suddenly reaches out and pats the kahjiit on the shoulder. "I think I've made my first enemy. And if not she's a very passive gobby." A wicked chuckle from Frauxst and a smile, when you're below level 10 you have nothing to worry about from anyone else. They can't inflict any form of injury upon you thanks to the PvP restrictions. To Frauxst though, it'd make more sense if PvP had restrictions based upon level difference instead of a threshold. Though that would be too easy and make the game pander to weaklings. When you're eighteen or older you don't stay at your parent's house, you're kicked out on your own.
-----

Sneza leaned up against the bar again, grumbling under her breath after that rude elf and the kitten left. She hadn't caught the snow elf's prompt but was sure to mark him down. Surely if she kept track of the cat she'd find the elf, all in due time, and all in good spirits to a rude new player. For now she sat at the bar, going over her inventory and picking out a good dagger and poison for the far future. The orcs were still laughing, they earned her ire moments later.

Far from the Codger's Lodge the companions wouldn't hear the commotion that went on as two orcs were slaughtered and a particular Ranger made herself an effortless getaway.
-----

Frauxst still had a smile plastered on his face as they walked in the direction of Redmaria, it would take a couple hours going along the Pearlescent Road, the main trading route that ran through the Land of Light. Crossing Illumnii and Redmaria in particular. They'd walk through Illumnii first, effectively acquiring it as a basic teleport city. Also of note, the trade route was usually busy with merchant caravans and mercenary cartels, so they didn't have to worry much about any high level monsters or the like. So the elf walked with hands in his pockets. "Sorry about the bar. But she did have a point. It is different though. So used to the other world, it'll be a tad hard adjusting. Jordan." Frauxst smiled as he used Joddar's real name. "So I was thinking, when we pass through Illumnii we could hit up the markets for any interesting items. Albeit a city of light I'm sure we could find something. Though thinking on it now, it'd make more sense to teleport back to Illumnii once we've made it to Redmaria. I believe we'll be making out roots there, since it's a city of neutrality. Considering the equal factions of dark and light that inhabit it. Odd for a neutral city to be within a country of light, but not too odd." The requirements for a neutral city are equal parts dark and light where neutrality can breed, or total neutrality amongst the populace and factions.

Dear god Frauxst could talk, but that's just how his mind was. He could go off on tangents for hours on end. The snow elf quieted a bit but still chattered on with his endless planning. "We'll also have to remember to eat and drink. It's necessary in this game after all. Unlike sleeping, but sleep does provide a well rested bonus. Perhaps if it gets dark before we hit Redmaria we can stop off in a small village. Or we can hunt low level monsters in the dead of night. Who knows what we'd run in to. In a game of infinite possibilities, there is infinite opportunity." Nice little words from the chatter box. "Sorry, I must be torturing your feline ears. So what's been going on with you Joddar? How's your mentor? Mine is an old man, a cool old man."
 
Joddar's mood improved slightly when he noted that Frauxst had offered a variety of rude gestures in the direction of the rude, little goblin woman. It reminded Joddar that Frauxst was on his side. He always had his friend looking out for him and he'd do the same in return. Joddar was usually rather independent, preffering to work alone, but he enjoyed having one close friend around. Although Joddar had never met his friend in person until now, it felt as if they had been since they were very close over the internet and had talked and skyped and such.

Joddar took a breath of the fresh air outside of the quaint pub. Joddar soon felt his friend's hand on his shoulder and looked over to see the snow elf smile. "Seems like you did. Maybe we'll see her again when we're more skilled and teach her a lesson or two."he suggested, cracking an awkward half smile that exposed a long canine fang. Joddar wasn't very happy that they were low level currently, but it did have it perks since no other players could pick on them no matter what Frauxst and him did to annoy the said players.

Joddar walked in the direction of the town that Frauxst had mentioned, eager for new opportunities and hoping to better his assassin skills. Joddar snorted at what his friend had said about how he needed to adjust to this world. "I know. It'll take some adjusting, but I'll figure things out soon."he said. Then he looked to Frauxst and added, "Drake." Joddar proceeded to intently listen to his friend speak, processing the information quietly. He was one to listen before developing his reply. "Sounds like a plan. I could use some cool assassin gear. Maybe some smoke bombs or a nice cloak or something. And we can get you a decent sword, one you can name like knights did in ancient times."Joddar replied. He only donned pants, a leather vest, boots, and a cowel now so he could certainly use some more concealing garb for his work.

Then he took a small pause before adding, "Ot is sort of odd, but it makes sense I suppose. Some cities may be more diverse in classes and alignments than others, while some may be exclusive for certain groups." Joddar wasn't too off put by Frauxst's talking. Others may call it rambling, but Joddar would always listen. He was a rather good listener, enjoying the gathering of knowledge. "Eating and drinking is vital for basically all life forms, so I'm not really surprised. "Joddar commented.

Joddar nodded in response to his friend's sugestion, wanting to get some experience points so they could improve. Joddar chuckled briefly at what Frauxst had said about his feline ears. "They aren't being harmed, but they are rather awesome. My hearing is way better and the piercings and fur tufts are cool. Being a khajiit is great, but I'll be suffering an eternity of cat jokes now or being called a kitten. Maybe thhey won't do that if I have a dagger in their backs."he replied. Upon being asked about his mentor, he said, "My mentor is a short, female assassin. She seems rather unpredictable and actually threw a knife near my head land then acted like nothing had happened. I worry about how she may train me considering her very aggressive seeming methods of getting her point across. I want to be an assassin, not a walking pin cushion."
 
They were indeed great long distance friends. For years Joddar and Frauxst had known each other. Now they finally meet, and it's in a seedy pub teasing a goblin. Great start to the physicality of their friendship. The elf walked with a relaxed pace, softly humming to himself as he listened to Joddar. Frauxst was doing a bit more stat planning as they walked, yet his attention was by no means taken from Joddar. A smile spread across his Snow White face hearing the kahjiit before he would give a reply. "Don't forget, by the time we're 'more skilled' she could be pro level at that point, maybe even pest of a guild. We'll have to pick our fights wisely in the future Joddar. For now we can live without consequences. Save for the fact we actually have to level up, and it would do us well to make more allies than enemies." Nodding to himself he continued to smile.

"It is good yet bad being low level, it's also good I was able to get us an amicable amount of in game currency. If I can get some contact with the real world I may be able to acquire more from my parents, of they're feeling generous." His voice audibly changed in pitch, more monotone and gray, his smile gone. "They've been doing well. It's barely bend a day. After a week, or a month, we should get back in touch with our families. Let them know how we're doing. Their travels would take them through Illumnii after the first hour of their journey, after the next two hours they would be in Redmaria. Frauxst took a look around the trade route and noted many of the caravans were a mix of NPCs and actual players. Interesting, more so interesting to wonder what kind of cargo and loot they could have. As if either of the newbs could survive shy of these mercenaries, many of them weighing in around level 70 or 80. There was even a caravan where the guards were all level 140! They must have some serious cargo to guard.

With a smirk Frauxst chuckled, already used to his new name, but he still remembered his old name. "Oh you'll adjust just fine. Kitten~" An uproarious laugh escaped the young elf and he couldn't help but pat Joddar on the back, all in good fun and teasing. At the mention of the sword Frauxst would shake his head. "Many swords in this game, the ones worth having such as uniques, epics, and legendaries, even divine swords, already have a name. You must learn. If I want to name a sword, I either have to make it, or see if there is an item to rename named items. Maybe you'll find some twin daggers to keep you company. Stabby and Slashy heheh." Frauxst chuckled, in white the good mood and light spirited right now. "Some new good and specialized items would be good though. I could go for something more than cloth and chainmail. Maybe those Redmaria ranger's will give me a special guild armor set and sword heh. Or at least a signet ring and allow me to earn some armor and gear." With a nod he looked forward, forty five more minutes till they would hit Illumnii.

At the mention of putting daggers on backs Frauxst would make a tsk tsk noise. "Don't forget there is a player kill counter. If you're killing players out of sanctioned events that allow it, player kill can make you infamous. And if anyone kills you it'll be justified, and they'll even be reward. Though the same goes in reverse, if you kill people who are infamous and wanted, with a high player kill score you'll be rewarded. As always, it pays to be good, and you're punished for being bad. Albeit, I'm sure there are some hidden benefits for being infamous." Frauxst smiled at Joddar, infamy was just as revered as fame after all. With a whistle the elf goes to shake his head. "Sounds like your mentor is a bit of a spitfire. I hope you survive your training. I'm sure once we're pretty much done with our mentor's we'll be decently strong enough." Their journey continued onward, they'd make it into Illumnii in another twenty minutes.
 
Joddar walked around as if he were slinking, mindful of his steps. He knew he wasn't the best at stealth as of now, but he would never get better if he wasn't use to moving about with more care. His tail was mostly unmoving behind him since he still wasn't used to it, but on occasion it would flick back and forth. Joddar was adjusting rather well to his new species. His sister had always teased him about being almost cat like in his manner, being mostly independent and having a tendency to lash out if he felt like someone was getting in his face or business. Sometimes when Joddar had been in a good mood, he had made his sister laugh by meowing a few times. He smiled, trying to think of how his sister would react if she knew that now he basically was a cat. He imagined that she'd comment on his ears or whiskers or something, always being one to pay more attention to detail. Joddar roused from his little reverie.

Joddar noticed that his friend's mood had changed quickly, voice and facial expression having shifted in a darker direction. Their families were touchier subjects and Joddar was certainly not one to dwell on subjects that resulted in an emotion other than anger, passion, or happiness. "Maybe so. I should contact my mother. I can imagine that my sister will be asking many questions about my current status."he replied, tone of voice rather neutral and not revealing of what his emotions may be. Joddar took to looking at those that passed them on the trail, noting their high levels. He suddenly felt pathetic, ashamed of only being a level one when some of the players he seen had levels in the hundreds! Joddar felt a rush of determination and he knew that he'd strive for that level and higher. He knew it would take a lot of work, but he was willing to put forth the effort in what would be an eternal adventure. His mood improved at the prospect that from now on his life would be way more exciting.

Joddar heard his friend speak again and listened. He snorted and threw his head aside at being called, "kitten." He shrugged off Frauxst's hand on his back, offering a light smile to show that he was also acting in good humor. "Well, then why don't you make one, you oh so skilled spellsword? Shouldn't be that hard to forge a sword."he said, obviously using sarcasm. Then he added thoughtfully, "Twin daggers would make great company, I think." Daggers were his weapon of choice in his line of work, so of course he'd strive for ones with better quality. Now he had the coin for better quality, so he could start off with a decent set.

Upon hearing his friend begin to explain the kill count and such, Joddar snorted and waved his hand to dismiss the explanation. He said, "I know, I have to play nicely unless I'm on the job or someone is after our throats. I know the consequences as well as you do, having also looked into the information on this game. I knew what could happen to me if I chose the class I did." He collected his thoughts in a brief moment and went on to say, "I could have picked a class of light and honor, but no. Those classes aren't for me. I'm not a bulky sword toting kind of guy at heart. I don't have golden morals and I can't keep my hands clean. I seek adventure and a challenge so naturally I picked a class that needed wits and a will of iron to pursue. One that had more daunting consequences for failure."

Joddar didn't have much to say of his mentor for now other than, "Spitfire is a good way to describe her. I'm sure she'll shape me into a great assassin."