Ryme looked at the door for a lingering moment, then sighed. Without a word, she stood and crossed to the wood stove in one corner of their little cottage. A bottle of water went in the kettle, which she placed on top of the stove. Cadence, equally silent, moved to the box that sat next to the door, and picked out several pieces of thick tinder. She used one to lift the latch on the stove’s grate and slid it open with a loud squeal. Cadence added wood to the stove while Ryme began to bundle several dried herbs - including a few small glintcaps - into a soft cloth tea bag.

Both relaxed a little, the familiar evening routine wearing away some of the anxieties of the day and the worries born of their conversation with Storyteller. Neither spoke for the ten minutes it took to boil the water, steep the tea, and pour two cups. 

Finally, after she had blown on her tea and taken a small sip, Cadence asked, “Mother… What are attributes?”

Ryme looked up from her own cup of tea, and smiled slightly. “Right. These are the sort of things that I had planned to teach you this summer, once you had finished your trial hunt.” Cadence’s mother took a slow sip of her tea. “But I suppose now is as good a time as any. And I suspect if I don’t answer your questions, you’ll never get to sleep, will you?”

Cadence smiled, and didn’t bother to answer. Her mother knew how fixated she could get on a topic, once her interest was piqued. 

“Attributes are a way of measuring your physical and mental capabilities,” Ryme explained. “They can go up slowly on their own, through training or natural inclination, but they are also heavily affected by gifts.”

“Because a gift opens my soul to absorb magic, right?”

Ryme didn’t seem too surprised that Cadence had managed to pick some of these things up on her own. “Exactly. Gifts allow your soul to soak in the magic around you, and that magic has to go somewhere. So attributes control how that magic affects you, based on the gifts you’ve accepted.”

Ryme paused for a moment, putting her tea cup down and rolling up the sleeve of her tunic. High on her upper arm was a black tattoo in the shape of an eye, above a distinctive paw print - her own brands. “My gift of the hunter, for example, gives me a moderate boon to my awareness and coordination, while my gift of the bear gives me a major boon to my strength.” She rolled her sleeve back down, and peered at Cadence curiously. “What about you? Do you know what attributes the gift of the wanderer gave you?”

Cadence nodded. Her eyes were drawn back to the brand on her wrist as she explained, “It was what made Storyteller realize I had gotten a gift at all. We got all the way back from the barrens, and I wasn’t even tired.”

“Stamina,” Ryme siad. “That’s the attribute that controls things like physical endurance. A lot of the others in town have it - it’s how Havershaw and his boys stay out in the fields all day. The gift of the farmer and the laborer both give a similar boost.”

“It also raised my awareness,” Cadence added. “You have that one too, right? What does it do?”

Ryme blew out a breath. “Awareness is… hard to explain. Half of the attributes - strength, stamina, resilience, coordination, and speed - are physical. Their effects are obvious, the magic just enhances your body’s abilities in certain ways. The mental attributes are more complicated.” Ryme’s smile turned a shade rueful. “Storyteller might be able to explain those better than I can. Suffice to say, awareness is somewhere between physical and mental. It is associated with your senses and perception. It makes your eyesight better, your hearing sharper, your skin more sensitive. But it also makes your mind better able to process the information you get from them. It’s like…” Ryme trailed off for a moment, then shook her head. “I can’t explain it. But you’ll see, the more you try it out.”

Cadence pursed her lips and wiggled her fingers a little bit, examining them distrustfully. “I don’t feel any different…” She said.

“That’s because your gift is only Novice level,” Ryme explained. “The bonus it gives is still low. What’s your awareness score now?”

Cadence tried to remember - but as soon as she considered the question, her attributes from earlier popped up again. It was odd, like the words were floating right in front of her, but somehow without blocking her view of her mother. 

Cadence of Felisen

Level: Pre-Novice

Gifts:

Gift of the Wanderer - +3 to Stamina and Awareness

Accept another gift to reach Novice Level

Attributes:

Strength: 4

Resilience: 4

Stamina: 9 (6+3)

Coordination: 6

Speed: 5

Will: 5

Knowledge: 4

Focus: 4

Awareness: 9 (6+3)

Charm: 5

“Nine,” she answered. “It says I have a plus three from my gift?”

“That sounds about right. Ten is generally considered the peak an attribute can get without magical assistance, so nine is still inside human norms, if only just. As you level up, your soul will get stronger, and your gifts will be more able to let magic in. That’s when you start to really leave behind your natural limits.”

The conversation seemed to be relaxing her mother, and Cadence found herself getting more comfortable as well. Now that she finally had her gifts, she had a thousand questions, and it seemed her mother was more than happy to give her answers. In fact, Cadence realized, it was the first time she had ever felt like her mother was talking to her as a person, instead of just a child. It was an odd, but validating feeling, even if she hadn’t gotten the gift she had planned on. 

“What about your abilities?” Ryme asked, leaning forward in her chair in interest. “What can this gift of the wanderer actually do?”

Cadence blinked in surprise. “Um… I don’t know? What should it do?”

Ryme’s lips twitched, and she actually let out a tiny snort of amusement. “Even at Novice level, your gift should give you two other powers, in addition to your passive attribute boon. Think about it just like you did with your attributes, you should be able to tell.”

Cadence frowned thoughtfully, but did just that, focusing on her gift of the wanderer and its abilities. Instantly, new text appeared before her, just like her attributes had. 

Gift of the Wanderer

Novice level

Experience: –

Abilities:

Know Direction - Active, Utility - Learn the direction of true north. No cost.

Wanderer’s Knowledge - Active, Utility - Learn rudimentary knowledge about any single target. May not work on exceptional or rare targets. Minor Focus cost per use.

Wanderer’s Mantle - Passive - Moderate boost to your Stamina and Awareness attributes.

Augments:

None

Gain a second gift to unlock an Augment

Cadence read the two abilities aloud to her mother, her voice growing increasingly disappointed as she did. “That’s all?” She asked when she finished. “Those are… nothing! How am I supposed to fight things with abilities like that?”

Ryme chuckled at Cadence’s pouting expression. “There’s more to life than killing things, Cadence. Sometimes I wish I had a utility gift like that. Sure, two combat gifts would be great the handful times you actually need to fight some big nasty, but most of the time? That’s the kind of gift you’ll be able to use every day. Besides, maybe this gift is right for you after all - one ability to keep you from getting lost when you go wandering about, and one to answer some of those endless questions in your head.”

Cadence opened her mouth to retort, then hesitated, narrowing her eyes thoughtfully. She swung her eyes around the cottage briefly before her gaze landed on her mother’s unstrung greatbow, leaning against the wall in the corner of the room. In the same way that she had called up the ability description, she focused on her Wanderer’s Knowledge power - and suddenly, more text appeared.

Greatbow (unstrung) - Ranged weapon designed for a wielder with magically enhanced strength. 

“Really?” Cadence said out loud, surprised.

“Hmm?” 

“I didn’t know your bow was made special for your strength attribute,” Cadence told her. 

Ryme looked from her bow to Cadence a couple times before she nodded in understanding. “So that falls under rudimentary knowledge, huh? Yeah, Callahan had to make me a new one every time I leveled up, to keep up with my strength.” Ryme tilted her head, studying Cadence. “That ability might be worth experimenting with, to figure out what counts as ‘rudimentary.’” 

Cadence nodded her agreement before her mother added, “Tomorrow, that is. It’s getting late as it is, and I suspect tomorrow won’t be any easier for either of us than today. We should get to bed.”

Cadence bit back a complaint, knowing how immature it would make her sound. But then… her mother had been treating her more like an equal now, right? Because she had a gift? Maybe it was worth a try. “I think… I’d like to take a little walk before bed, if you don’t mind.” 

Ryme was already halfway to the wash basin before she heard the question. She turned carefully, one eyebrow arched suspiciously. Cadence could see her mother bite back her own initial response. Both of them were having a hard time breaking sixteen years of routine, but they both knew that their dynamic was due to change now. 

“I need to clear my head after all of this,” Cadence insisted.

Ryme considered for a moment, then sighed. “Of course you do. Fine. Just… try to stay in the village this time? For me?”

Cadence grinned and nodded. She stopped to grab a dark cloak on her way out, knowing the night air had likely chilled since she got inside, then hesitated at the door. She turned to face Ryme, and quietly asked,  “Mom… do you think I can really be an adventurer?”

Ryme looked up from the basin, a look of worry clear on her normally resolute face. “Maybe, Cadence. But… the real world isn’t like stories. You know that. Stories don’t just end happily ever after, and heroes don’t really just wander the Realm, saving…” Ryme paused, looking at her daughter, as she realized what she was saying.

Cadence felt the need to say it anyways. “But Storyteller really did kill that ogre. He showed up, out of nowhere, and saved me.”

“Yes. Yes, it seems he did.”

Cadence looked at her mother for a long moment, then swallowed thickly and added, “I’m sorry. For worrying you like that.”

Ryme turned a weary smile on her daughter, and for a moment, every one of her nearly forty years showed through the rejuvenating effects of her gifts. “I’m happy you’re okay, Cadie. And I love you. No matter what.”

Cadence smiled back. “I love you too, mom.” Then she slipped out of the door, her head too full of thoughts of gifts and attributes and leveling to really consider Ryme’s words.

#

Cadence’s footsteps carried her down the winding stone path that led to her mother’s remote cottage, then up the hill next to the house. Normally, her heart would’ve been pounding and she would’ve been a little short of breath by the time she made it to the top of the hill, but this time, Cadence barely seemed to notice the exertion. “I could get used to this stamina,” she decided happily. 

Atop the hill was a ring of long stone columns, lain on their sides and carved flat along the top. In the center was a massive and carefully maintained fire pit, an artistic creation of wrought iron and carved stone that resembled an intricate series of vines. When illuminated from the inside, the firelight would dance along the designs, creating the illusion of burning brambles, but tonight, the fire pit sat dark. It was lit only rarely, for large gatherings and festivals, but Cadence had always enjoyed going up to the bonfire hill anyways. Everyone in the village knew the spot when it was warm and bright and merry, but she fancied that she was the only one who truly knew it when it was cool and dark and serene. That dichotomy suited her.

Cadence settled on one of the columns, facing away from the fire pit. She had always loved the view from the hilltop. Below, the buildings of Felisen lay scattered across the valley. Though it was all she had ever known, Cadence knew it was a small town. It numbered less than two hundred people, mostly families who lived in the scattering of houses, independent artisans and craftspeople who lived above or behind their workshops, and a couple communal bunk houses packed with the laborers who helped to work the fields and harvest lumber. Collectively, the flickering torches, wavering candles, and steady heat lanterns turned the valley into a blanket of glittering lights. 

Those lights trailed out from the center of the town like the tail of a comet, gradually petering out. They marked the road, always kept lit for travelers and merchants, and the way out to the half-dozen farmhouses set along the acres of tilled fields. On the far side of the village, opposite the bonfire hill, the fat, low-hanging moon illuminated a curved line that the lights didn’t penetrate, a curling arm that held the sparkling gems of Felisen close to its chest. The wood. 

Cadence knew the view by heart. It was her world. It was the world her mother had dedicated herself to protecting. Cadence had always expected to follow in Ryme’s footsteps - but she had never known how to tell her mother she also wanted to see more of the Realm. To have a world larger than a few dozen miles. 

“It’s a beautiful view,” Storyteller said.

Cadence didn’t jump. Her improved awareness helped her distinguish shapes even in the darkness, and she had noticed the looming shadow occupying the next stone bench to her left before she sat down. “It’s like a piece of art,” Cadence agreed. “But… I think, no matter how beautiful a painting is, you would get bored if you looked at it every day, wouldn’t you?”

Storyteller stood, and moved to sit next to Cadence. “Did you talk about your gift with your mother?”

Cadence nodded. Somehow, she knew Storyteller could see the insecurity on her face. “She wasn’t upset at least,” she told him. “But…”

“She assumes you’re going to stay here?”

Cadence looked up with a start. That was exactly it. That was the nameless, formless anxiety that had grown within her since she had found out about her gift. “How did you know?”

“Your gift,” Storyteller told her, as if it was obvious. “The Adventurer doesn’t generally give gifts to those who plan to spend their life in one place.”

Cadence bit her bottom lip and looked away, back towards the glittering lights of Felisen. “What do you think I should do?”

Storyteller chuckled dryly. His amusement reminded Cadence she had only known the peculiar man for less than a day - even if, in that time, he had saved her life. “That’s not my decision to make Cadence, anymore than it’s your mother’s.” He spent a long moment considering his words before he continued. “You could have a good life here. Get the gift of the hunter, like your mother. Of course, you’re going to end up moving around anyways, with a gift like the wanderer, but I have no doubt that by Initiate, you could be a local hero. A ranger, roaming from town to town, pitching in against threats like that ogre. You could do much to make this region safe for its people.”

“You think I should stay here then?” Cadence asked, a little disappointed. She’d be lying if she said that she wasn’t drawn to the ideas he proposed, but she hadn’t expected Storyteller to side with her mother. After all, it hadn’t been a warden or a hunter that saved her. It had been an adventurer.

“I didn’t say that,” Storyteller replied immediately. 

“Then… you think I could be an adventurer? Like in the stories?” Cadence asked.

Storyteller sighed, the sound deeply tired. “Anyone can be an adventurer, Cadence. All it requires is the desire to see the world and to help people you don’t know. And, perhaps, skin thick enough to ignore some judgemental looks.”

Cadence couldn’t help but giggle at the exasperation that crept into his voice. “Is it… a good life?”

“I would do it all again, if I had the chance. But then, I have the gift of the wanderer too.” Storyteller looked at her, and the moon overhead caught his eyes. They were yellow now, and seemed to glow dimly in the ambient moonlight.

Sometimes, when he looked at her in just the right way, it was like Storyteller was staring into her soul itself - and approving of what he found there. It made her shiver a little bit, but she couldn’t deny that she sort of liked it.

“Cadence…” He spoke carefully, like a man worried his voice would spook a cat. “What if I told you I had a gift no one else did? One granted by no archetype. A gift that gave me abilities unlike those possessed by anyone else in the Realm. The same gift that allowed me to save you, earlier today. What would you say to that?”

“I… I’d say that’s impossible,” Cadence responded. She felt a little breathless under the weight of that stare.. “But… I’d also say every rule has an exception. Right?”

Storyteller’s mouth quirked at one corner, turning up into the ghost of a smirk. “You learn quick. Good. Now… What if I told you I could bestow this very gift on you?” Those eyes, unnatural and intriguing, held her gaze tightly. “You could gain both of your Novice gifts in a single day, one of them unique, the other impossible.”

“Like… like a relic gift?” Cadence had heard of those. Her mother had used totems looted from the magically altered beasts she had defeated over the years to get her gift of the bear. Cadence knew there was another hunter too, whose father, the carpenter Callahan, had given him a magic spear that had bestowed a different gift to him. 

There was a swish of fabric as Storyteller’s shadowed head shook. “No. This is no trifling toy, made to appease the lazy and the desperate; nor is it a simple totem collected from a fallen monster. The gift of the echo would mark you for greatness - for a fate far grander than this little town.”

The gift of the echo. Cadence chewed her bottom lip. “I don’t get it. You can bestow this gift? But it’s not a relic?”

“I can’t explain it all, Cadence. I told you there is an exception to every rule, but even I don’t understand the rules surrounding the echo. But suffice to say, yes. I can bestow this gift, a single time, to a single person. And if you’d like, I would be happy to give it to you.”

“Why?”

“The same reason I told your mother. Fate.”

Cadence remembered watching Storyteller fight the ogre. The way he had stared down the massive beast without fear, the sheer ease with which he had slain it. Was that because of this gift? The gift of the echo?

A gift even Storyteller didn’t fully understand. A gift no one else in the world had or even knew about.

The ultimate mystery, one Cadence would need to spend a lifetime to understand.

How could she say no to that?

Storyteller, Master of the Echo has offered you the Gift of the Echo.

Do you accept? 

Yes / No

Once accepted, gifts can never be relinquished.

Novice gifts: 1/2