Threadbare complete tr.., p.65
Threadbare - Complete Trilogy, page 65
“Wait, you know each other?” Threadbare rubbed his head.
“Yeah! Back when I was tryin’ ta blend in with Cylvania City’s nahtlife, my gang had this little kid that ran errands for us. Somewahn’s brother. Smart kid, for a street rat. Now heah you are, all… ooh. What happened, man?”
“Long story. A daemon kissed me. And from what my status screen tells me, it looks like it’s a curse. My strength’s currently a three.”
“Oof. Dat bad,” Zuula said. “Can’t do nutting for curses. Need a cleric, ‘bout twenty level or so. Or Oracle. Or wait until daemon remove curse.”
“I don’t see that happening, I don’t think,” Threadbare said.
“Hello?” Celia’s voice asked, and the toys froze. Threadbare buried his face in his paws. “Zuula? Garon? You’re here too?”
“Yes,” Zuula whispered. “Yes child, we are. Dreadbear, what is dis? How…”
“She was the one in the steam knight,” Fluffbear squeaked. “Threadbare thought her voice was familiar, but we didn’t know until the fighting got in the town. And we heard the soldiers yelling about Captain Ragandor.”
Garon spoke up. “Yeah. We had to try to talk to her. Mads and I gave up on the divebombing runs and we pulled back to the church so Threadbare could set up the neutral ground, try to defuse the situation. Then that fucking assassin came out of nowhere.”
“Sorry about that, by the way,” Kayin spoke up. “If it’s any consolation the little nasal one and the cultists there did for me, too.”
“She’s with me,” Graves added, hastily. “Or rather we’re with Dame Ragandor. Inquisitor Lay’di turned on us. She was the daemon that cursed me.”
“You’re the one that got me? Eh, it was war, no hard feelings,” Garon said. “That body had problems. Dragon wasn’t for me, as it turned out. No matter how powerful it was.”
“Now me, on the othah hand…” Madeline said, musing.
“Body?” Kayin asked, confused.
“Yeah, we’ll all get new bodies!” One of the soulstoned villagers shouted. “And be born again, for real, not like Hatecraft’s lies!”
“Yeah!”
“Right on!”
“Fuck yeah!”
“Easy, easy, please,” Fluffbear squeaked. “We have to tell the new ones about the deal, to see if they want to do it, too.”
“Deal?” Cecelia asked, warily. “I’ve had about enough of deals for the next few years. Too many daemons.”
“I’ve found a way to put soulstoned spirits into golem bodies,” Threadbare explained.
The clearing filled with silence, save for the muttering of the happy ex-cultists.
“Holy shit,” Graves finally gasped.
“Is it better than being a knife for all eternity?” Kayin asked.
“Yes. Most hauntblades and wraitharmors eventually go mad. But if you’re talking a body with full manipulation, sensory abilities like a golem could provide, and a voice for ease of socialization… wow. That has possibilities.”
“You know something about this?” Threadbare perked up.
“A little. There are these guys called Spirit Mediums that are supposed to operate in those areas, but I never got high enough rank to have the clearance to learn about them. That knowledge is in the very restricted section of the archives.”
“I’ve unlocked that, but I can’t take it. I think it’s to do with golemist and necromancer.”
“From the rumors I heard, either animator and enchanter are viable combos with necromancer to unlock it. I was going to go enchanter, anyway, at some point. If you tell me how you did it, then I might be able to learn that job for you, help you out with this.”
“And why would you do dat?” Zuula said, frowning at him. “You was killing some of dese people not too long ago,” she pointed at the crate of soulstones, some of whom were murmuring angrily.
“Yes, and I’m sorry. We thought they were going to call up the old one, and that they were sacrificing children. Your little bear friend set us straight. And when the Captain turned on the Inquisitor, I turned with her. I’m an enemy of the Crown now, the same as you.”
“And the Crown has to stop,” Cecelia decided. “Stop killing its own people, stop helping daemons,stop driving entire towns to rebellion, stop these senseless wars that it started. It has to stop the lies, and it won’t unless WE stop it.”
That got cheers from the assembled spirits.
And for the first time since he’d failed, Threadbare felt hope rising in his heart. He opened his mouth, closed it, and decided to ask the question that he hadn’t dared to ask before. “Will… will you let me put you into a new body, Celia? Will you stay with us, and help us save everyone?”
“Of course, you silly bear!” Cecelia said. “I just got you back, there’s no way you’re getting rid of me so easily!”
Threadbare sagged in relief.
He’d done it.
She hadn’t lived through the process, sure, but he’d saved Celia.
And with a soft chime, Caradon’s last gift to him unlocked, and he became nine thousand, four hundred, and sixty two experience points richer.
You are now a level 13 Greater Toy Golem! +2 to all attributes! You are now a level 14 Greater Toy Golem! +2 to all attributes! You are now a level 15 Greater Toy Golem! +2 to all attributes!
You are now a level 12 Cave Bear! CON +10 WIS +10 +5 Armor +5 Mental Fortitude +5 Endurance
You are now a level 8 Enchanter! DEX+3 INT+3 WILL +3
You are now a level 9 Enchanter! DEX+3 INT+3 WILL+3
You are now a level 10 Enchanter! DEX+3 INT+3 WILL+3
You have unlocked the Boost +10 skill! Your Boost +10 skill is now level 1! You have unlocked the Disenchant skill! Your Disenchant skill is now level 1! You have unlocked the Spellstore X skill! Your Spellstore X skill is now level 1!
You are now a level 6 Duelist! AGI+3 DEX+3 STR+3
He sighed in relief, feeling his pools refill. And with a slightly sharper mind, the massiveness of the tasks ahead of them came into focus.
“This won’t be easy,” he said. “We’ll need all the help we can get.”
“We’ll go to the dwarves,” Cecelia said. “In this case, the enemy of my enemy really IS my friend. Beryl named me a clan friend, remember?”
“I think that was before she knew you were the King’s daughter,” Garon pointed out.
That stunned the muttering and talking villager spirits into silence.
“I’ve studied the dwarves. That doesn’t matter. A debt like that has to be paid, regardless,” Cecelia said. “I was planning to try and use it to forge a fair armistice after we’d beaten them, but this is even better. And if I can offer to montage some of their people into steam knights, then that’s something else I can use to sweeten the deal. They’ve been trying to figure out the unlocks for those jobs for years.”
“Won’t work,” Garon said. “The best bodies Threadbare can stick us in are toy golems. And whether it’s the golem or the soulstone, whatever the case, we only get one adventuring job when we come across.”
“And one crafting jahb,” Madeline added. “I picked up jewelah in town, but didn’t have time ta grind it. Might be that I can turn soulstones into haiah level crystals. Get us to wood gahlems, or what was that one you just unlocked yestaday, beah?”
“Clay,” Threadbare confirmed. “That one takes a level 2 crystal and a green reagent. I just used the last of that though, I’m afraid.”
“Well, you’ve got two people ready and willing to experiment right here,” Garon said.
“Three,” Kayin added. “Although I’m okay with being a toy, if I have to. You gave me some ideas when you killed me, little miss bitey.”
“Heh. I’d say ya had good taste, but eh, no tastebuds, so tha joke doesn’t quite fit no moah.”
“If you can make me a spirit medium, I’m pretty sure that will help with the process,” Graves said, thinking it over. “I’ll need a montage or two.”
“Four,” Threadbare decided. “Do you have that many job slots open?”
“Just exactly. Knight, Necromancer, Death Knight… yeah, four. Why four?”
“Death Knight?” Squeaked Missus Fluffbear. “What does that do?”
“I’ll tell you later.”
“I want you to be a golemist too,” Said Threadbare. “It’s the way I got the unlock for Spirit Medium and I don’t know the other ways. And until we can get you uncursed, animator will let you animate your own armor so you can walk around and do things on your own. And this way, if I die and you survive, you’re a golemist so maybe you can make sure I have a new body to come back to.”
“Oh. Shoot, that’s a good idea.” Graves blinked, and looked down at the little bear. “Yeah, you’re the Captain’s teddy, all right.”
“Four montages, four days.” Cecelia mused. “Where are we, precisely?”
“Three montages,” said Threadbare. “I can’t montage spirit medium, I don’t know that one. But the unlock is simple enough that I can show him how.”
“More like two days,” Zuula said. “Toys and undead spirits don’t need to eat or sleep or none of dat.”
“But I do,” Graves pointed out. “Uh… I’ll need someone to hunt for me and scrounge up water.”
“No problem man,” Glub said.
“We out in middle of nowhere, Celia,” Zuula said. “Across de lake. Take dat army a week to get here, unless dey got boats and know where dey going.”
“No and no,” Celia said. “We’re not outfitted for a long pursuit anyway, and I’m assuming that those boats with wheels were the last ones in town?”
“They were,” Glub said. “Amphibious assault craft!”
“Was that your idea? That was pretty clever,” Graves said. “Also can I sit down now?”
“Oh, yes, sorry. Here.” Threadbare directed the armor to sit, and smiled as he sat down, with Celia in his hands. “I’ll let you rest for a bit, and when you’re ready we can start the training.”
“I’ll need to sleep and eat at some point,” Graves nodded. “Talk to me in the morning.”
“Well while they’re montaging, there’s a few things we can do,” Cecelia said, making the most of the situation. “I’ll need you to fill me in on everything you know about the current situation, the King, Anise, and by the way who are you Madeline, I don’t think we’ve met but you sound familiar somehow?”
“Heh! We did, actually, but it’s been a few years. See, I was actually hiding out pretty close to yah house, and we met one naht when Mordecah took ya out inta tha woods…”
Threadbare walked into the rotting old shack as they chatted, put his back to Pulsivar, and rested. The big cat grumbled, and curled up with him, and Mopsy took his other side. Tails thumped, and he petted them, listening to his little girl’s voice as she planned, and plotted, and caught up with old friends.
She sounded happy, and that was good enough for him, good enough right now.
The little band of friends had much to do, but that would come later. For now, though the night had almost been disastrous, they’d forged a somewhat happy outcome from it regardless.
And that was enough.
THREADBARE’S CHARACTER SHEET
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: Strength: 124 Constitution: 138 Hit Points: 330(410) Armor: 52(59) Intelligence: 216 Wisdom: 201(208) Sanity: 417(550) 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 Magic Item 1 - Resist Fire 12 Ride - Level 8 Stealth - Level 13 Swim - Level 5
Greater Toy Golem Skills Adorable - Level 30 Bodyguard - Level 7 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 Darkspawn - NA Forage - 13 Growl - 2 Hibernate - 37 Scents and Sensibility - 20 Stubborn - 8 Toughness - 19
Ruler Skills Appoint Official - Level NA Emboldening Speech - Level 16 Identify Subject - Level 10 It’s Good to be King - NA King’s Quest - Level 6 Noblesse Oblige - Level 26 Organize Minions - Level NA Royal Audience - Level 17 Simple Decree - Level 8 Swear Fealty - Level 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 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 1 Self-Esteem - Level 16 Strong Pose - Level 5 Work it Baby - Level 40 (+40% to raw item bonuses) Necromancer Skills Assess Corpse - Level 12 Command the Dead - Level 28 Deathsight - Level 8 Drain Life - Level 1 Invite Undead - Level 12 Mana Focus - Level NA (+11% to sanity) Skeletons - Level 19 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 18 Mend - Level 40
Enchanter Skills Appraise - Level 30 Boost+5 - Level 9 Boost +10 - Level 1 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
Unlocked Jobs Berserker, Cleric, Cook, Cultist, Grifter, Spirit Medium, Tamer, Wizard
And Yet She Persisted 2
Arusheluxem sighed, as she looked around the chamber. The iconography was of the blasphemous spawn of the outer darkness, the chaos from ancient times, when everything was far more, well, basic. Before Konol had done his thing, and then obligingly died. Making it about the one and only time the gods had ever been useful.
It was all wrong for what she needed to do, but she had neither the time nor the resources to hand to formalize the matter.
Fortunately, the nature of the being she was calling lent itself to utility over appearances, a concept distasteful to her own preferences.
Anise Lay’di. It made her smile, whenever they called her that. It’s what she used on her status screen, these days, now that her Conceal Status skill was up to decent levels. It had taken a little bit, once she’d been summoned, to unlock the cultist job and grind it to the point where she could reliably hide her status from the various means of viewing it. A trick which she’d have to help this new spawn master in short order.
First things first. The succubus laid the head down first, on the slimy mattress, then deposited the still-beating heart below it. Weaker now, but still fresh enough for her purposes. In fact… yes, she had time. “Occult Eye,” she murmured, and blinked as the world shifted to her view. An easy cultist trick, one that identified adherents of the same faith, and flagged objects of occult significance. In this case, she’d used it because it made artifacts of forbidden lores and the planes above and beyond, glow to her sight. Then she strolled back to the cove, looking for what had been left behind, when the cowards fled.
And she found it.
Minutes left, she gauged, returning to the room where a high priest had once indulged his kinks at the cost of his follower’s time and effort. She gathered her thoughts, cleared her mind, and checked her sanity. Good enough, she wagered. It had mainly been moxie and endurance burned during that farce of a fight. If she hadn’t had her hands literally full… ah. Regrets. She’d kill them later, she or one of the others.
“I invoke the Second Pact. The forbidden knowledge, offering the heart and mind of the mortal mob Cecelia Ragandor-Gearhart, as sacrifice to call forth a Hellsmith of the second circle, forging darkness to my desire. These the terms of the pact, in the true tongue;”
She cleared her throat, and began the lengthy process. Clarity was vital here, even a single missed syllable or accent could have disastrous repercussions.
Fortunately, being a daemon, she was fluent in her native tongue.
“Ent mayne, par an the seas arg sea, char twin stars arg thee, par an thesis bracketa…”
It felt good to speak the true tongue once more, the one that bent the mind, and drove daemon cultists to caffeine and insomnia, pouring over ancient texts time and again, to ensure that they had the commands inlaid correctly.
And as she spoke, the air thickened around the severed parts of the girl, Cecelia.
