Previously On…
In the last chapter, we found out what Nod and the nodlings got up to while George getting his beauty sleep. We also got some interesting backstory about the downfall of Earth. (I’m a sucker for post-apocalyptic stories. There will certainly be more of that to come.) We also learned a bit more about what a node spider is… just in time for the next trial. Then, the chapter ended on a cliffhanger as George and Nod got an unexpected visitor.
If you want to read all of the story that has been published so far, you can do that here. Or jump straight to a certain chapter.
On to the story.
>>Whoa! Freaky! Didn’t even hear that guy.
George cast Draw, and the eight ball rose into his hand. He brandished it at the newcomer.
“Mr. Brandiss,” the man said, raising his arms. “Please put that down. I’m not here to hurt you. I’m here to offer you an advantage.” The man was short and wide. Round, jet-black glasses covered his eyes. He wore black from head to toe, and the folds of his neck spilled over his tight collar. His head was bare; even his eyebrows were only folded wrinkles banded across his forehead.
>>Oh, snap. New guy knows your name.
“Who are you?” George said.
“Why don’t we sit down?” the man said and then levered himself to the ground and used his arms to tuck one leg over another. He waved at George to do the same. He shook his head at the cradle and said, “Ah. I was told your accommodations were spartan, but this is… quite something, Mr. Brandiss.”
“Why did you call me that?” George repeated.
“Because it is your name. George Brandiss, fifty-three. Formerly of Chicago by way of California. Three children. Two male, Max and Christopher. One female, Katherine. One wife, Jane, deceased. Current residence… ” he raised his arms at the cradle. “Here.”
The man said, “You came to our attention during your first trial, and we did our homework. You have no memory of your previous life. You seemed to be set up to lose your duel with Charlie James, a member of House Harrow and the Saar guild, but you prevailed instead, earning yourself a death mark. You are also playing host to a node spider with whom you seem to have come to some sort of truce.”
“Who are you, and how do you know all of that?” George said. He was still holding the eight ball in his hand.
The man laughed, “Oh, forgive me, Mr. Brandiss. Manners! Identify me.” He waved his hand and George’s Identify skill supplied his basic information.
<Name: Murdo
Race: Human
Level: 344
Profession: Avant Courier
House: The Rook
Guild: The Rook>
“What the hell is the Rook?” George said. “And this still doesn’t explain why you are here.”
Murdo bonked the heel of his hand against his forehead. “Again, forgive me. It really is hard for us to remember how simple the interface is for those starting out on such a basic path.”
Then Murdo extended his finger and began to write in the air. His finger was encased in a pointed black sleeve that George had not noticed before. The sharp tip flashed with sparks like a fuse as Murdo traced an intricate shape that burned an afterimage into George’s vision. Yet, when Murdo was finished drawing, the shape did not fade. Murdo flipped his hand, and the shape shot at George. He flinched, but it moved too fast for him to dodge it. The glowing rune hit his chest and disappeared with another flash of light. George felt the rush of tiny bubbles radiating from the place on his chest where the rune had hit him.
“Now, Identify me again,” Murdo said.
George used the Identify skill again as Murdo sat there smiling and waiting. He flourished his hand as if to say, “See?”
<Name: Murdo
Race: Human
Level: 344, C-Grade
Profession: Avant Courier, Fifth Tier
Abilities: Rune Scrye, Construct Sigil, Snap Portal, Boneharrow Gaze, etc.
House: The Rook
[From Andy: What other things does his upgraded Identify show him? I’m going to come back to this later and fill it in. A lot of that answer will depend on what George needs to know about his fellow players in the upcoming trial.]>
“What did you do?” George asked.
“I upgraded your Identify. The Rook helps those who help the Rook,” Murdo said.
>>I didn’t know you could do that. Try focusing on something and see if you can get more.
George focused on the line about the Rook, and Identify provided a more detailed explanation.
<House: The Rook
The Rook is one of the twelve high houses of the Labyrinth. [From Andy: House history to come. I’m not sure what it is yet and the show must go on. If any of you readers have genius ideas about the backstories of nefarious, powerful fantasy houses, you know what to do.]
House Rank: 5>
Murdo put one of his hands on his chest and made a small bow while remaining seated. “As you can see, my name is Murdo. I am here in my official capacity as avant courier to the Rook to offer you an advantage. And to ask for your help. We can think of that upgrade as a small gift in honor of surviving your first trial. Please, would you sit?”
George sat down and put the pool ball on the floor beside him.
“Mr. Brandiss. I must ask,” Murdo said. “Is it true that you speak to the node spider? And that it responds?”
>>If he knows to ask that, he must already know the answer.
“Yes,” George said.
“Truly, that is a wonder!” Murdo said. “I confess that the relationship between all varieties of parasite and host is a fascination of mine. Life finds so many curious ways to preserve itself, does it not? I was overjoyed to learn that the task of meeting you had fallen to me. It is most unusual for a node spider to allow its host to even know of its existence, let alone aid its host as yours did during your first trial. I have not come across another example of such an arrangement in my studies. Most intriguing!” Murdo stretched out his hands and clapped in George’s direction.
“As to why I am here, there is a certain person of interest to the Rook who will be competing alongside you in the next trial. I have been dispatched to obtain your cooperation in advance to ensure the survival and victory of that person of interest.”
>>They are rigging the game. Those assholes. But… maybe good for us?
“OK. Who is this person of interest? What am I supposed to do for him? And what can he do for me?” George asked.
Murdo laughed quietly and looked over his shoulder as though someone might overhear him. “Mr. Brandiss. George. May I call you George? You must be careful how you speak. I am aware of your unique circumstances. You are new to the world and its power structures. However, etiquette must be observed. The Rook is a very hierarchical organization, and that hierarchy is enforced with, shall we say, a predilection for intolerance. The person of interest happens to be prince Neco, a member of the royal family and dux of an influential faction within the house.”
Murdo laid his hand on his chest, “In my function as avant courier and emissary of the Rook, we may banter, we may haggle, we may talk of quid-pro-quo, but the royal family suffers none of that. They do not engage in tit-for-tat exchanges with their inferiors.” At that, Murdo made a gesture that included them both. “They demand and we comply. Those who forget this rule tend to find their lives painfully foreshortened.”
>>And I have just made a new entry in my “people to not piss off but to kill if we get the chance” list.
“Forgive me for saying so, George, but you are truly among the weakest and most lowly participants in the upcoming trial. Your fellow competitors will range from F grade to D grade. At level 17, you are on the low end of F grade. However, due to the nature of the trial, the victory—and the spoils thereof—will not necessarily go to the strongest. In the end, it will come down to a series of votes. All we ask is that you do not cast your votes against the prince’s interests when the time for voting comes.”
“How does the trial work?” George said. “Last time, it was just two people who had to kill each other.”
“Like so many trials, it is a game,” Murdo answered. “It will play out over a series of alternating rounds rounds. Players will be divided into two teams. Each player will be released into a maze of challenging environments linked by portals. During that period, some players will try to locate and kill players from the opposite team. Some players will set traps. Others will hide and let the timer run out, hoping to survive the round.”
Murdo said, “When the hunting round ends, the voting round begins. All players will be teleported to a common room in which violence is disallowed. There is a negotiation period in which players will attempt to sway the vote in one direction or another, and then everyone votes on which player they would like to leave the game. The player with the most votes is teleported safely out of the trial but receives a penalty and loses their share of the spoils if their team should win.”
Murdo went on, “The game continues to alternate between the hunting round and the voting round until all the members of one team are either killed or ejected from the game during the voting round.”
“My proposal is that you aid Prince Neco to the best of your ability during the trial or, at the very least, that you do not vote against him. In exchange for your support, I have been empowered to offer you your choice of one of three items to help you survive and prevail.”
He waved his hand, and three items appeared on the floor between them. One was a full-head helmet made of a dark material that seemed to absorb the light. The second was a medallion hung on a thin golden chain. The medallion was polished silver-bright and showed a picture of a black tower beneath a silver skull. The third item was an unadorned black ring.
“These items have been gathered at our expense. Given your low level, there are many limitations on what items you are able to use; however, each of these three items is suited to your weakness and the challenges in the impending trial.”
“You should, of course, Identify these items, but may I also give you a brief summary of their attributes?” Murdo said.
Murdo picked up the ring first. “This useful piece of kit will give you a small dimensional storage equal to five cubic feet. It isn’t much volume, but unless I am mistaken, you have not been able to acquire dimensional storage yet. To use the storage, put the ring on; it will enable you to send any inorganic object you are touching into storage. To withdraw the item, make a fist and think of the item you would like to recall. It will reappear.”
“Some use storage spaces like this one to store healing vials, small weapons, or devices such as traps or explosives that would be cumbersome or dangerous to transport outside dimensional spaces. There are endless uses for dimensional storage items, and even if you do not choose this one, you should acquire one through some other means as soon as possible.”
Murdo set the ring down and picked up the necklace. “This amulet has a twofold effect. It grants the wearer a passive healing effect and can project a limited-use energy shield against blunt-force attacks. This amulet would be a good choice if you are concerned about defending yourself. However, I must say that the shield is powered by your own kinetic energy and must recharge itself after each use. Depending on the level of kinetic energy it is exposed to, that can take several hours. Also, it only applies to blunt force beneath a certain threshold. It would stop, say, a punch from an armored gauntlet, but it would not block a stab from a dagger. If the blunt force were too great, the amulet would reduce the damage by a small amount and transfer the rest to you. It is a useful item but limited. However, given your notable lack of armor, you might still want to consider it.”
Murdo gestured at the helmet. “The helm is a type called a duskveil. It is opaque from the outside but transparent from the inside. It has several useful properties, including a low-level resistance to mental attack. We have learned that there will be at least two telepaths in the trial. You may find that the ability to resist their influence is the difference between life and death. A powerful telepath can be a formidable enemy if you do not take precautions.”
“Murdo, how many people will be in the trial?” George asked.
“Thirty,” Murdo answered. “But we expect that number to dwindle quickly due to the nature of the trial.”
>>Well. We’re screwed.
“The helm will synchronize with your Identify skill and provide a heads-up display of the information Identify provides you. It also has a mild mental clarity effect, equivalent to a boost of five intelligence points.”
>>Oh, you need that one.
“If I might say, George, in your unique situation, the helm will have one other useful characteristic,” Murdo tapped his own cheek in the spot where George’s Saar death brand had appeared.
“What is the story with the brand?” George said. “It just appeared after the first trial.”
“George, conversing with you is a refreshing adventure. You are so direct and so grasping, yet so ignorant. It is like speaking to a child!” Murdo said with a laugh. “Allow me to enlighten you. All inhabitants of the Labyrinth must find a way to survive the trials. The best find a way not only to survive but also to leverage the trials to their own advantage. The Saar guild copes with the relentless fact of the trials by requiring their members to bind themselves to a vengeance pact. If anyone kills a member of the guild in a trial, they receive a deathmark. It is the duty of all guild members who find themselves in a trial with someone with a deathmark to kill that person during the trial, lest they suffer rather unpleasant consequences. If they can accomplish that mission before the trial is over, they gain rewards.”
“It is a terribly effective deterrent, causing so much trouble for those who bear a deathmark that denizens of the Labyrinth will go to great lengths to avoid killing a Saar, even if it means losing a trial.”
“Oh,” George said.
“Yes,” Murdo said, affecting a sad smile. “I regret to tell you that there will be not one but two members of the Saar guild in the upcoming trial. This helm will provide you with visual protection from them and will block them from learning of your deathmark, provided their levels are close to yours. Unfortunately, if their levels are high enough, they will sense the mark despite the helm. That is part of being a Saar.”
“Now, it is time to make your decision. If you need to converse with your node spider, feel free to do so. I shall await your response,” Murdo said, folded his hands and waited. “If you accept my offer, you may choose one of these items. If you should choose to reject the offer, we will conclude our negotiations, and I will leave you to the fate that awaits you.”
>>What do you think, Nod?
>>I think Prince Neco sounds like he needs a royal spanking.
>>Also, Murdo seems OK but in a weird way… like he might dress up as a clown in his spare time and have bodies buried under his floor back home.
>>Nod. Focus. Do we take the deal or not?
>>What choice do we have?
>>It seems like this Prince Neco guy has a big head start already. I bet the others will have other types of advantages. Who knows how long they’ve known about the trial and what they’ve done to prepare?
>>Narrowing that advantage gap wouldn’t hurt us. Having an energy shield beats wearing that baking sheet under your shirt any day.
>>Plus, how hard can it be to not vote against the prince? If it is really going to be as gnarly as Murdo said, there is a chance someone else will take him out of the game early anyway.
>>Here’s something I’ve been thinking. All three items seem just OK. If Rook is such a fancy House, why couldn’t he give me some overpowered thing that would guarantee a win?
>>Maybe he is trying to respect the underdog build you got going on?
>>#craftingsucks
>>Actually, Murdo already told you the answer to this one. It has to do with your low level. Raising your level changes a lot of things, like using more powerful items.
>>Ok. Which one do we choose?
>>I say we take the helmet. Those Saar guys sound like bad news.
>>Yeah, that’s where I was leaning. Plus, I didn’t even know telepathy was a thing. Can those people really control other people?
>>Asks the guy with a node spider in his body…
>>Yeah. They can. And they’re scary as hell. A strong telepath can make you do whatever they want. Walk off a cliff. Kiss your mother. Eat your hand. Etc. Etc.
>>Gross, Nod.
>>The thing is, they get so used to controlling others that they are nearly all terrible people. I mean, why would you try to convince anyone of anything if you could make them do what you wanted and make them think it was their idea?
>>That terrifying scenario aside, we are agreed, yeah? Let’s get this helmet and do whatever else we have to do before the trial starts.
Then George had an idea and turned his attention back to Murdo. “I’ll take your deal on one condition,” George said.
Murdo clapped his hands again and said, “That is the spirit, Mr. Brandiss! Let’s make a deal. Tell me your condition, and I will meet it if I can.”
“In addition to an item, I want 100 gold. Right now,” George said.
“100 gold,” Murdo said, allowing himself a small smile. “Yes, I believe we can accommodate that.” Murdo flicked his hand the way he had after making the rune, and George received a notification.
Received: 100 gold.
“I take it we have an understanding, George,” Murdo said. “Choose your item, and we can conclude our business. You do not have long before the trial begins.”
Next trial: 00:28:44
“We choose the helmet,” George said.
The other two items disappeared, and Murdo gestured at the helmet, inviting George to take it. George reached forward and picked the helmet up. It was lighter than it looked despite giving off a feeling of solidity.
“Put it on,” Murdo said, unsmiling.
George slid the helmet over his head as Murdo watched him. He felt motion inside the helmet as the material within reconfigured itself to fit his head. In a moment, it fit so comfortably he could hardly feel it. Just as Murdo had said, it was transparent inside. He could see the faint grey outline of the visor on the edges of his vision, but in front of his eyes, the helmet was so clear as to be invisible.
Then the helmet suddenly tightened around his neck and hugged itself around his jawline and the base of his head. It was not painful but was tighter than he would have liked. As soon as he thought that, he felt a series of needles jab into his neck. He reached up to feel the spot where the pain was, but whatever had caused it was gone. He tried to take the helmet off, but he could not. It was hugging the base of his head too tightly. When he pushed his fingers in to pry it off, the whole helmet got even tighter.
“You have probably just felt a few small pinpricks in your neck, Mr. Brandiss. I’m afraid that was the activation of a feature of the helm that I neglected to mention. We know that many unforeseen things can happen in a trial, and even a bargain struck with the best of intentions may go awry, so we installed a small insurance policy so that your compliance to carry out your end of the deal does not waver.”
“As I can see that you are discovering even now, you will be unable to remove the helm until the trial is completed. You have been injected with a neurotoxin that will activate if you vote against Prince Neco. The prince can also activate it upon command, should he deem it necessary,” Murdo said. “If this happens, you will be dead within seconds. If you try to remove the helmet by physical or magical means, the neurotoxin will activate.”
George stood up quickly, drawing the pool ball into one hand and the sewing needle into the other. He took a step toward the smaller man and raised the needle. “Ah, ah, Mr. Brandiss,” Murdo didn’t stand up but raised the black finger he had used to draw the rune in the air. “I wouldn’t.”
“You must understand,” Murdo said. “The Rook would not simply offer you these advantages on the strength of a smile and a handshake. The house felt the need to take measures to ensure your cooperation. But fear not; adhere to the imperative to aid the prince at every possible opportunity, and you will not be harmed. “
>>He snuck a few extra clauses into that deal, didn’t he? I’m doodling all over this guys Identify the next chance I get.
“You feel that you have been wrong because you have been. Consider that another welcome gift as a new player. Learn to trust less readily, Mr. Brandiss. This is the way the Labyrinth works,” Murdo said. He levered himself up to his feet. “Apply that righteous anger to your enemies in the upcoming trial, and you will find that helm and the ordeal it entails disappear after the trial is concluded. We have every confidence in you, George. That is why we chose you.”
>>Yeah, right. They chose you because you don’t know shit about this game, and they sent this asshole to pull a fast one on us.
“But I will tell you this, one inferior to another,” Murdo stepped closer to George and lowered his voice, “the prince is young and can be, hmm… how to put this… fickle in his affections. However, he can also be lavish in rewarding those who serve him well.” Murdo patted him on the shoulder and favored George with a wide smile as though he’d given him happy news.
“Before I leave you to your last-minute preparations, I will say one more thing. You are not the only person in the trial with whom we have come to a similar arrangement. You will be joined by two other co-conspirators in addition to Prince Neco. With their help, we know you will overcome. Good luck, Mr. Brandiss,” Murdo said and disappeared as silently and as instantly as he arrived.