—and felt his gauntlet close on flesh. A hand. A hand he knew all too well.
“Anise,” he said, retreating to the green. “Report, I’m listening.” Then it was in through the barrier, and watching as the thing that wore Amelia’s face moved to stand in front of the column, fearful and worried.
“Milord,” she said. “Your daughter has won her first great battle, but there were consequences.”
Melos’ eyes snapped open. Mute, unable to speak, he stared out of the light. But he let his fury show, and she quailed to see it. He could punish her later, through the projection. He’d done that before, hurt her, done worse to her, until she’d learned.
Learned to lie better, anyway, the shattered remnants of his common sense whispered in the back of his mind. Or was that his guilt? He didn’t know. Couldn’t know.
“I tried to keep her safe! But... the cultists. She lost sanity, when she explored their sanctuary.” Anise took a breath. “Cecelia lost her jobs. I brought in some trusted cohorts, to reteach her the basics. They’re doing it even now. She tells me she can pilot the Steam Knight suit, so no one should ever know.”
Melos closed his eyes. When the tears stopped, he opened them again, and stepped out of the column.
“My lord?” Anise said, stepping back.
“You swear to me that you had no hand in this? That you didn’t wipe her mind?”
“I never affected Cecelia’s sanity, I swear.” Anise held up her hands. “She won the battle. The old one is no longer a threat in that area, nor ever will be again.”
With the seconds ticking by, with a growl of frustration that was half a sob, Melos fled back into the column, then out again, resetting the count. Anise offered him a roll, and he ate it, wincing at the staleness, as she continued.
“There is one windfall from this,” Anise said, and Melos gasped as she held up a new dungeon core. Only a minor one, but still, but still...
He tore it from her hand, ran to one of the filled columns, one of the ones labeled “LOOT.” He clawed at it, reached in and pulled a burned black crystal from its plinth, and replaced it with the red dungeon core. Immediately it lit up brighter, the numbers flashing in its depths cycling up, going into overdrive and vibrating in the enclosure. A strange energy pulsed from it, green numbers flashed overhead, and some of the tear overhead seemed to mend.
It wouldn’t be enough, he knew. Not for long. Not even for a year. But it would buy time, and that was what he needed right now. He took a look around at the other columns, sprinkled throughout the black space. Of the sixteen other filled loot columns, fourteen of them held burnt cores.
He lost a precious second then, to self-pity, as reality pulsed.
“Teach her quickly!” He yelled, throwing himself back into the Master’s column. In there for only a few seconds, just long enough to make sure it registered, then out again. “Teach her quickly. Get her back up to speed. Crush the dwarves. No more traitors.”
“I did execute a few, in the town. I hope you don’t mind that I attended to that personally.”
“I don’t care.”
She smiled, and her posture unbent a bit.
He knew she’d screwed him over somehow. But he didn’t care, couldn’t care. The daemon continued, glancing around the room, at the other four columns that held figures. “I could more efficiently crush your foes if you let the rest of the Hand out. They’ve spent too long as mid-bosses, it can’t be good for their health.”
“No,” Melos rasped, staring at the faces of his dead friends, their nude forms hiding the daemons inside them, trapped in green light for eternity. “No, but you can have the golem. Have Emmet, like we discussed. It’s time for Amelia Gearhart to return to the world. Talk to me in the castle.” Then it was back into the column, to reset the count, and closing his eyes again.
Resting them. Just resting.
He knew she was smiling. Knew she was sneering. Knew that she’d surely screwed him over in some petty, spiteful little way. He’d never had the time to properly review the pact, never had time to iron out the details. How could he, when he only had thirty seconds and passing through the column disoriented him each and every time?
When he opened them he saw her leaving, heading toward the hidden door, picking her way over the dismembered bodies. Past the throne, broken and sparking, where once all the loot columns had channeled their energy, past the apparatus that Grissle had made long ago. Past HIS corpse, the only intact one left in the room.
Things didn’t rot here. Didn’t change. Didn’t fade.
It was immortality, of a sort. And by the gods he’d scorned, it was a horror he’d never be free of. Not until his daughter was ready, not until he had someone he could trust, someone the traitors hadn’t twisted, to share the burden. One day she would be ready for the truth, and then they could trade off, take turns in the column that supported all of his reality, all the reality that Cylvania had ever known for the last fifteen years.
And perhaps, someday, they’d find a way to fix it.
Be strong, Cecelia. Endure. Fight hard, but never lose your heart. The hardest part is yet to come, thought the damned king, as he went back to his torment.
EPILOGUE
Once upon a time, there was a teddy bear whose little girl had died. But he wouldn’t let her go, and he knew that their story was far from over. He had much to do, so he said “Status” to check himself, and this is what he saw.
Name: Threadbare
Age: 5
Jobs:
Greater Toy Golem Level 15
Cave Bear Level 12
Ruler Level 11
Scout Level 7
Tailor Level 11
Model Level 8
Necromancer Level 11
Duelist Level 6
Animator Level 12
Enchanter Level 10
Golemist Level 12
Smith Level 10
Attributes Pools Defenses
Strength: 124 Constitution: 138 Hit Points: 330(410) Armor: 52(59)
Intelligence: 216 Wisdom: 201(208) Sanity: 417(545) Mental Fortitude: 42
Dexterity: 135(142) Agility: 112(126) Stamina: 257(358) Endurance: 62
Charisma: 110(145) Willpower: 199 Moxie: 309(424) Cool: 20(47)
Perception: 107 Luck: 89(96) Fortune: 196(283) Fate: 15(22)
Generic Skills
Brawling - Level 35 (+8)
Climb - Level 13
Clubs and Maces - Level 9
Dagger - Level 9
Dodge - Level 8
Fishing - Level 1
Ride - Level 8
Stealth - Level 13
Swim - Level 5
Greater Toy Golem Skills
Adorable - Level 30
Gift of Sapience - Level NA
Golem Body - Level 26
Innocent Embrace - Level 14
Magic Resistance - Level 7
Bear Skills
Animalistic Interface - NA
Claw Swipes - 24
Forage - 13
Growl - 2
Hibernate - 37
Scents and Sensibility - 20
Stubborn - 8
Toughness - 19
Ruler Skills
Appoint Official - NA
Emboldening Speech - Level 16
Identify Subject - Level 10
It’s Good to be King - NA
Noblesse Oblige - Level 26
Organize Minions - NA
Royal Audience - Level 17
Simple Decree - Level 8
Swear Fealty - NA
Scout Skills
Alertness - Level 2
Best Route - Level 2
Camouflage - Level 2
Firestarter - Level 4
Keen Eye - Level 5
Sturdy Back - Level 6
Wind’s Whisper - Level 5
Tailor Skills
Adjust Outfit - Level 4
Clean and Press - Level 13
Recycle Cloth - Level 1
&nb
sp; Tailoring - Level 51(65)
Model Skills
Call Outfit - Level 1
Dietary Restriction - Level 40 (+80 to all pools)
Fascination - Level 4
Flex - Level 16
Makeup - Level 3
Self-Esteem - Level 16
Strong Pose – Level 5
Work it Baby - Level 40
Necromancer Skills
Assess Corpse - Level 12
Command the Dead - Level 28
Deathsight - Level 8
Drain Life - Level 1
Invite Undead - Level 12
Mana Focus – NA (+11% to sanity)
Soulstone - Level 45
Speak With Dead - Level 20
Zombies - Level 3
Duelist Skills
Challenge - Level 4
Dazzling Entrance - Level 8
Fancy Flourish - Level 7 (14)
Guard Stance - Level 8
Parry - Level 6
Swashbuckler’s Spirit - NA (+13 to cool)
Swinger - Level 2
Weapon Specialist - Level 17 (Brawling +8)
Animator Skills
Animus - Level 35
Animus Blade - Level 10
Animus Shield - Level 4
Arm Creation - Level 7
Command Animus - Level 19
Creator’s Guardians - Level 26
Dollseye - Level 18
Eye for Detail - Level 20
Magic Mouth - Level 10
Mend - Level 40
Enchanter Skills
Appraise - Level 30
Boost+5 - Level 9
Boost +10 - Level 2
Disenchant - Level 1
Elemental Protection - Level 8
Glowgleam - Level 26
Harden - Level 28
Soften - Level 30
Spellstore I - Level 9
Spellstore V - Level 1
Spellstore X - Level 1
Wards - Level 2
Golemist Skills
Clay Golem - Level 1
Command Golem - Level 10
Golem Animus - Level 46
Golem Guardians - NA
Invite Golem - Level 11
Mend Golem - Level 15
Program Golem - Level 40
Toy Golem - Level 56
Wood Golem - Level 9
Smith Skills
Adjust Arms and Armor - Level 7
Refine Ore - Level 10
Smelt Down - Level 1
Smithing - Level 46
Equipment
Journeyman Tailor’s Apron of fire resistance (+6 Armor, +10 Tailoring, Resist Fire 9)(+2 Armor, +4 Tailoring, +3 Resist Fire from WIB)
Baggy Pants of Hammerspace (+5 AGL, +5 CHA, Allows hammerspace for one blunt weapon)(+2 AGI, CHA, from WIB)
Okay Quality Bling
Ringtail Master’s Coat (+5 CHA, +5 LUCK, +5 Armor, +5 Fate)(+2 CHA, LUCK, Armor, Fate from WIB)
Rod of Baronly Might (+5 CHA, +5 WIS, +10 Cool)(+2 CHA, WIS, +4 Cool from WIB)
Yellow Belt of Bravado (+5 AGL, +5 DEX, +5 to the Fancy Flourish skill)(+2 AGL, DEX, Fancy Flourish from WIB)
Toy Top Hat (CHA +10)(+4 CHA from WIB)
Inventory
A Finely-Made Dagger (Dagger Level 5)
Tailor’s Tools
A small jewelry box with a few reagents and crystals, most minor.
1 bead of Mend Golem (Level 15)
Minorphone (Enhances voice and social skills focused through it twice per day)
Quests
Berserker, Cleric, Cook, Cultist, Grifter, Spirit Medium, Tamer, Wizard
APPENDIX I: THREADBARE’S JOBS AND SKILLS
CAVE BEAR
Cave Bears are large beasts, tough and strong and stubborn. They eat pretty much anything organic and spend most of their lives underground, emerging to forage as needed. Bears gain experience by eating bear-associated foods, roaming their territory, and defeating foes with their natural weapons.
GREATER TOY GOLEM
Toy golems are the protectors of children everywhere! And also good, reasonably cheap guardians for any fledgling golemist. They aren’t the toughest of golems, but they possess a few costly powers good for helping their charges survive. Like all golems, they’re sturdy, resistant to magic, and immune to a lot of things that would kill living beings. Greater golems possess sapience, and attribute ranks that lesser golems simply do not have. They can even learn jobs! Limited in that aspect only by the intelligence of their crafter, greater golems have theoretically astronomical potential. Greater Toy Golems gain experience by doing adorable things, surviving conflict by toughing it out, and defeating foes using their natural weapons.
ANIMATOR
Animators give life to inanimate objects, awakening them to serve and defend the animator. Animators gain experience by casting animator spells and defeating foes with their animi.
DUELIST
Duelists fight with their chosen weapon and swashbuckle around, using mobility and attitude to win their fights. Duelists gain experience through fighting with their specialized weapon, defeating foes with panache and style, and doing risky, flashy things in dangerous situations. Note: Specialized weapons can be changed. Practice hard, your specialized weapon will shift to your highest weapon skill.
ENCHANTER
Enchanters are one of the oddest adventuring professions. They do most of their work beforehand, and use their items to devastating effect. Enchanters gain experience by creating magical items, casting enchanter spells, and using their created items to defeat foes.
GOLEMIST
Congratulations! Through blending Animator and Enchanter, you are now a golemist! Golemists craft unique magical constructs, and use them to fight their battles. Golemists gain experience by casting golemist spells, creating golems, and using their golems to defeat their foes.
MODEL
Models improve their bodies and attitudes, displaying their glory for all to see and controlling how others look upon them. Models gain experience by using model skills, successfully controlling first impressions, and defeating their foes through social maneuvering.
NECROMANCER
Necromancers raise the dead to do their bidding, and can negotiate with powerful spirits and undead entities. Necromancers gain experience by interacting positively with the dead, casting necromancer spells, and using the undead to defeat their foes.
RULER
Rulers entice people to work for them, and organize them through decrees and rewards to do their bidding. Rulers gain experience by having their subjects do their bidding, organizing others to a common goal, and looking out for the interests of those in their charge.
SCOUT
Scouts roam the wilderness, spying upon foes and using stealth and survival to accomplish their goals. Remember, be prepared! Scouts gain experience by using scout skills, exploring new wilderness areas, and remaining undetected by foes.
SMITH
Smiths work with metal, crafting objects with the help of a forge, anvil, and hammer.
TAILOR
Tailors work with cloth and occasionally other flexible materials, crafting objects with the help of scissors, needle, and thread.
GREATER TOY GOLEM SKILLS
ADORABLE
Level 1, Cost N/A, Duration: Passive Constant
Adorable has a chance of activating when you do something cute in front of an audience, or onlookers blame you for something that isn’t your fault. It improves the attitude of anyone who fails to resist your charms.
BODYGUARD
Level: 10, Cost: 25 Sta Duration: 1 minute per toy golem level
Name a target party member when activating this skill. For the duration, you have a chance of intercepting each attack aimed at them, so long as you remain within two yards of them. Multiple attackers or overwhelming amounts of strikes may reduce the effectiveness of this defence.
GIFT OF SAPIENCE
Level 1, Cost N/A, Duration:
Passive Constant
Congratulations, you now have all the attributes and can think and learn. Good luck with that. You also have 0/8 adventuring job slots open, and 2/4 crafting job slots.
GOLEM BODY
Level 1, Cost N/A, Duration: Passive Constant
Your body has no organs, and is made from inorganic or once-organic material infused with a magical force. By being exposed to effects that would kill or cripple living beings and surviving them, this skill will level up. As it levels up, you will gain immunity and resistance to a wider range of lethal effects.
INNOCENT EMBRACE
Level 5, Cost: Sanity equal to half the amount healed, Duration: Instant
Heals an embraced target 10 X the level of this skill. Will affect on other golems, is standard healing otherwise. Currently activated through Animalistic Interface, and will affect any legal target embraced. Does not affect uninjured targets.
MAGIC RESISTANCE
Level 1, Cost: N/A, Duration: Passive Constant
Has a chance of negating any non-beneficial magic cast upon you. The chance of success is dependant upon the spellcaster’s level.
CAVE BEAR SKILLS
ANIMALISTIC INTERFACE
Level 1, Cost N/A, Duration: Passive Constant
Allows the beast to use their racial skills without requiring vocalization. All skills that are not constant passives may be turned on and off as the situation and instinct require.
CLAW SWIPES
Level 1, Cost 5 Sta, Duration: 5 attacks
Enhances the damage caused by your hands and feet, and adds the sharp quality for the next five strikes. Currently activated through Animalistic Interface, and will activate whenever you brawl with intent to injure.
DARKSPAWN
Level: 10, Cost: N/A Duration: Passive Constant
You gain a bonus to all attributes equal to twice your Cave Bear level while in darkness, and can see normally in darkness. Sufficient light will disrupt this effect, and the bonus does not increase the maximum size of the associated pools.
FORAGE
Level 1, Cost 10 Sta, Duration: 10 minutes
Greatly enhances your perception for the purposes of finding food, water, or other natural resources in the wilderness. At higher levels, may be used to locate specific naturally occurring resources. Currently activated through Animalistic Interface, will activate whenever you hunt for natural resources.