Name	Roland “Riggz” Mathews
Race	Deep Elf (Lycanthrope)
Age	24
Class	Abyssal Swashbuckler
Level	1
Exp	0
Subclass	Commander of the Deep
Level	1
Exp	0
Profession 1	Strategist
Rank	9
Profession 2	Sailor
Rank	5

 

 

Strength	8	Clarity	11
Constitution	8	Intelligence	9
Endurance	9	Wisdom	14
Vitality	10	Attunement	1
Agility	12	Will	6
Dexterity	12	Free Stat Points	251 (14 Njord’s Blessing) (225 comp) (6*2 level-up*foundation title)

 

 

Skill	Level	Skill	Level
Navigation	3	Swordsmanship	1
Command	1	Marksmanship	1
Helmsmanship	4	Sneak	1
Ambush	1	Intimidation	1
Animal understanding	1	Climbing	2
Knotsmanship	2	Tracking	1
Haggling	1	Void Magic	2
Water Magic	3	Magic Enhancement	1
Navigation(Nautical)	2

 

Traits

Darksense

Water-Sight

Enhanced Hearing

Enhanced Sense of Smell

Enhanced Sense of Taste

True Amphibian(gills, retractable webbing and fins, breathable skin)

Water Filtration

Lycanthropy

Money Sense

Heart of the Ship

 

Titles

Legendary Prodigy- Increases exp gain. Skills will level up faster. Double the free stats awarded from levels.

Pirate Captain- Allows you to grant [Naval] [Rank Titles] lesser than your own to your crew. While engaging in ranged naval combat, your presence enhances the effect of your crew’s Dexterity, Intelligence, and Constitution by 20%. When performing boarding actions against a hostile, your presence enhances the effect of your crew’s Strength, Agility, and Will by 20%. When tracking and stalking at sea, you, your ship, and your crew are 50% harder to detect. When disengaging from an opponent at sea, your ship’s speed increases by 25% . [Navigation(Nautical)] levels 15% faster. The effects of Intelligence are increased by 10% while at sea. [Helmsmanship] levels 15% faster. The effects of Wisdom are increased by 10% while at sea.

Child of Njord- Grants [Money Sense]. When at sea, the effects of Agility, Constitution, Endurance, Vitality, and Wisdom are increased by 10%. You may feel the desire to target ships belonging to those who disrespected the sea.

 

Synching Process Complete.

 

My head felt floaty as my bed swayed under me. Swayed… This is either the weirdest hangover ever, or the weird dream I had wasn’t a dream. I kept my eyes closed as I waited for my head to clear up, which had proved to be the right decision. As my senses returned, I was greeted to sounds and smells of a ship at sea. The salty air of the sea, the scent of the wet wood I was lying on, wet dog, the sounds of creaking wood and rope, feet shuffling about, what sounded like heavy wood containers landing on the floor. All sounds and smells that were very much too real to be from a game I left running, and otherwise not those that belonged anywhere near anywhere I should be (especially the wet dog smell); that includes both my bedroom and a hotel after my sister’s wedding. A wedding I had missed. 

Desperate to get my mind off my family, I focused on my immediate situation. Now that my head had gotten a chance to get out of the fog that comes with waking up from a long sleep, I felt fantastic. I hadn’t even felt this good before I got cancer. My entire being felt full of power and energy. Even my lungs felt beyond amazing as I took long slow breaths to make it look like I was still asleep. It was then that I noticed that the sounds and smells from earlier were more vivid than they should be, even in real life. It was to the point that I could already distinguish the eight people on the ship with me by their scent, walking cadence, and/or the sounds their boots made against the ship's planks. I bet I could even figure out their weight if I listened for a little longer. Curious if my vision improved too, I tried to open one of my eyes slightly. I was immediately blinded by the sun reflecting off the water, scrunching my nose at the sting. This had apparently allerted whoever was on the ship as I could hear the lightest set of feet change direction towards my location on the floor. The fact that I was still alive must have meant that they probably belonged to one of the allies the System mentioned. 

“I’m glad you’re awake Captain. We were worried something had happened when you were covered by a black shroud upon our arrival. Had it not been for the Patron warning us something like this might happen, we would have assumed you were some kind of monster who ate the captain.”

The voice sounded like it belonged to a young kid, maybe 9 years old. It was hard to believe someone who sounded so young could be one of the people who saved me from those pirate looking creatures. Had they called me Captain? Who is the Patron.What was that about a black shroud. 

I tried to open my eyes again, needing any kind of additional information to calm my mind. What greeted me was a pair of small black boots. My stomach clenched as my eyes climbed upward: Tight black socks, decorated with embroidered waves of a color similar to teal running down the outside, a maroon sash with a white mask hanging from it. Tucked into the sash was a black poet shirt, closed this time. My eyes wandered to a neck, then to a head with a youthful, gray-ish blue face, smiling with bright white canines that looked a little too sharp. My eyes jumped to the top of the child’s head, seeing dark navy blue hair poking out from under a black bandana. Finally my eyes fell back down to meet a pair of sea green eyes filled with… joy? I was expecting malice, hunger, or something else that meant I was in for a bad time. I did not expect the joy and excitement I saw. I sat up slowly, my mind racing before I perceived my own hands. My own gray-ish blue skin, a bit darker than the child’s.

“Let me be the first to welcome you to Aesirvale, Captain. The name’s Ghili. The Patron sent us a message that he’d chosen a new Child among a new group of world travelers. He also let us know the Child had been separated from his group. He even gave us a [Quest] to find you! And the captain is an independent deep-elf! With a ship! This is the best day ever.”

Deep-Elf? Wasn’t my character in VoV a Deep-Elf? I haven’t played that since my diagnosis. Too likely that my sister would see me online.

“Why do you keep calling me Captain?  What is going on?”

“Well I’m calling you Captain cause you’re obviously the captain. I mean, it’s your ship, you’re a child of Njord, and we can all clearly feel the aura of a captain radiating off of you!”

When the child, Ghili said “we”, I finally noticed the small group of onlookers forming around us. Ghili was definitely the youngest, but not by much. One of the boys looked maybe a year or two older. The oldest looked not any older than me. Well, old me anyway. I have no idea how I look now. Just based on appearances, it was a split between four men and three women, with Ghili as an unknown. They appear to be two groups of siblings based on how similar some looked. Ghili might be a child of two of the oldest, but even they look too young to have a child of Ghili's age. One of the men, about middle of the pack age-wise, maybe 20, stepped forward.

“Calm down Ghili. We’re all very excited, but the Captain is clearly overwhelmed. Let your grandfather talk to him.”

“But Daaad”

“No buts young lady”

Ghili let out a groan as she returned to her apparent father. While their exchange answered the question of Ghili’s gender, it raised so many more. To start, that guy was her Father?! He couldn’t have been older than 21! How young was he when Ghili was born? My questions only increased when the oldest among them, a man who looked 24, came over and sat in front of me. 

If the previous conversation between Ghili and her father was any indication, this man who looked my age was a grandfather of a nine year old, and a father of someone who looked four years younger than him at most.

“I apologize about my granddaughter. I’m sure you know how kids are. My name is Ford.” 

Ford’s voice was like butter. Despite his appearance, he also spoke with a certain wisdom. It made me feel safe, despite how unnerving the dissonance should be.

“I had two little sisters, three and seven years younger than me, so I get it a little. Oh, and my name is Roland, Roland Matthews.”

“You have a surname? I was under the understanding you weren’t affiliated to any of the Great Clans.” Ford’s brow fell with disappointment that broke my heart.

“No, no. I’m not. I’m not even from this world if what Ghili said was true. Most people have a surname where I’m from.” I had better clear that up as soon as possible before it causes problems. I’m already a captain and a Child, whatever that means, I don’t need to be Nobility on top of that. My sisters might’ve loved that though.

Ford looked happy at what I said, before he smacked himself on the forehead.

“Of course, how could I have forgotten? You’re probably full of questions and I’m certainly not helping. I’m no better than Ghili.” He let out a chuckle as he gestured with his hand, letting me know he was ready for my questions.

“If you don’t mind me asking, how old were you when your son was born?”

“27.”

“But you don’t look a day over 24?”

“Thank you for the compliment, but I’m actually 57.”

“In what world are you 57? That’s ridiculous!”

“In this one actually. I’m aware 24 would be right for my appearance if I was a very low level human. I also know other worlds have no system. Do elves age like humans on your world? You look about 24 to me.”

“Everyone ages like humans on my world.” I then realized something. “How old would I be if my appearance belonged to a human?”

“Well here, that is not the case at all. For deep-elves, our aging is the same as a human’s until it greatly slows at around 15 years. I’d say you look about 16? No, 17 in human aging.”

I remembered what he said about the human in question being very low level, and the stat block I pulled up when I first got here. 

“Status.”

A long chain of notifications appeared in front of me. I’m not sure if they answered more questions than they created though. Good news, no more lung cancer. But apparently it also came with being chosen as a god’s [Child], getting a blessing, a couple more [Titles], losing classes, losing levels, getting a trait, and lycanthropy. I suppose that explains why I smell wet dog. Weren’t those my character’s classes in VoV? My body is a deep-elf lycanthrope, had my classes at my levels, and it’s at the age I set my character.  My nickname is even included. If the only thing that’s different is the name of this place: Aesirvale.

Even the stat page is the same, and I have a shit ton of free stats.

 

Name	Roland “Riggz” Mathews
Race	Deep-Elf (Lycanthrope)
Age	24(Appears Human 17)
Class	Abyssal Swashbuckler
Level	1
Exp	0
Subclass	Commander of the Deep
Level	1
Exp	0
Profession 1	Strategist
Rank	9
Profession 2	Sailor
Rank	5

 

 

Strength	8	Clarity	11
Constitution	8	Intelligence	9
Endurance	9	Wisdom	14
Vitality	10	Attunement	1
Agility	12	Will	6
Dexterity	12	Free Stat Points	251 (14 From Njord. One time thing, Kid.) (225 comp) (6*2 level-up*foundation title)

 

 

Skill	Level	Skill	Level
Navigation	3	Swordsmanship	1
Command	1	Marksmanship	1
Helmsmanship	4	Sneak	1
Ambush	1	Intimidation	1
Animal understanding	1	Climbing	2
Knotsmanship	2	Tracking	1
Haggling	1	Void Magic	2
Water Magic	3	Magic Enhancement	1
Navigation(Nautical)	2

 

Traits

Darksense

Water-Sight

Enhanced Hearing

Enhanced Sense of Smell

Enhanced Sense of Taste

True Amphibian(gills, retractable webbing and fins, breathable skin)

Water Filtration

Lycanthropy

Money Sense

Heart of the Ship

 

Titles

Legendary Prodigy- Increases exp gain. Skills will level up faster. Double the free stats awarded from levels.

Pirate Captain- Allows you to grant [Naval] [Rank Titles] lesser than your own to your crew. While engaging in ranged naval combat, your presence enhances the effect of your crew’s Dexterity, Intelligence, and Constitution by 20%. When performing boarding actions against a hostile, your presence enhances the effect of your crew’s Strength, Agility, and Will by 20%. When tracking and stalking at sea, you, your ship, and your crew are 50% harder to detect. When disengaging from an opponent at sea, your ship’s speed increases by 25%.  [Navigation(Nautical)] levels 15% faster. The effects of Intelligence are increased by 10% while at sea. [Helmsmanship] levels 15% faster. The effects of Wisdom are increased by 10% while at sea.

Child of Njord- Grants [Money Sense]. When at sea, the effects of Agility, Constitution, Endurance, Vitality, and Wisdom are increased by 10%. You may feel the desire to target ships belonging to those who disrespected the sea.

 

Isn’t some of this unbalanced as shit? Also, these kind people are actual pirates? And now I’m implicated. Isn’t the punishment for piracy death? On second thought, none of this is broken. Everything is perfectly balanced here. You can look somewhere else admins. Are there admins?

As I mulled over my broken stat sheet, I finally got a good look at my ship. It wasn’t large, but it still felt like it could handle the open ocean. It actually seemed kind of perfect for a crew of nine, including myself.There were four cannons on either side of the deck, with boxes nailed down  a few feet away from each of them, presumably full of ammunition. The railings on either side had indents every few feet where planks for boarding could be secured. There were three masts with large triangular sails hanging from them. In between the back two sails sat the capstan (the circular spoke looking thing used to raise the anchor). If the deck was anything to go by, there was plenty of space in the hull for living and cargo. Not far behind me was presumably the door to the Captain’s quarters with a set of stairs on either side leading above the Captain’s quarters to the flybridge. I could see Ford’s son looking very nervous at the helm, clearly unused to steering a ship. The ship gave off a feeling of speed, as if, despite the sails already being full of wind, this wasn’t even close to its top speed. As I looked over my status page and ship, my face adorned a broad smile. I turned to Ford who had been waiting patiently.

“Yeah, I can definitely work with this.”