The Chronicles of a Scalebound Sage

[47] Identify

It was night by the time the caravan finally reached the outermost wall of the city. The entrance was behind one of the massive demilunes, which itself housed an entire neighborhood. The walls seemed to stretch up forever and were intimidating, and the low humming of thousands of enchantments left Tanisha and Bjorn in awe. 

There was no other city in Yuhia quite like Lavi; sure there were more magically secure, but none had the same grandiosity. Aside from perhaps the capital, which Tanisha has only ever heard about. Despite how late it was into the night, there was continuous bustle at the gate. People were coming and going of all shapes, sizes and species. It was expected, Lavi being one of the wealthiest trade cities along the border.

Tanisha rode her wagon up alongside Joha’s as Tyr dismounted to join his father and other refugee leaders at the front of the pack.

“Remember what I told you about your familiar, right?” Joha called.

Tanisha remembered that Bjorn was going to be a target, and the whole incident with Sabec and the gnolls proved this was true. After that experience she didn’t have to be reminded that she couldn’t tell anyone Bjorn was a hydra. She already planned to tell people he was a chimera. He had the features of many different species after all, and most people would accept it as a viable answer.

“Of course,” Tanisha responded.

“Good, good,” Joha muttered with a nod. “Tomorrow we will be going to get all the paperwork to sell in the city.” 

It didn’t take long before the refugees and merchants were at the front of the line to enter. Tanisha, Joha and Owen were called to the guard station with the village leaders. The guards were shocked that Hrolf and his people were displaced. Apparently, Hrolf was a bigger deal than Tanisha knew, as most of the guards were second or third generation disciples of Hrior af Brotnum Isi, the fighting style he taught.

“I will let the guard captain know right away,” One of the guards said as he ran off.

“We will all be staying at the estate in the inner city for the time being,” Hrolf said to another guard. He then turned to the approaching Tanisha, Joha and Owen. “Ah, there they are. These are the ones I was speaking about; if not for them we would not have survived the attacks on the village or journey here.”

Thanks to Hrolf, getting through the gate into the city was easy; they didn’t even search the wagons. Tanisha did get a few stares as Bjorn pulled the wagon inside; it wasn’t every day a three-headed familiar entered the city. Tyr joined her again as they passed into the outer city. 

Lavy was divided into multiple sections; the outermost was the demilunes, which each held a small population that lived outside of the main wall. Then the outer city, which was the main district for the majority of the citizens within the main wall. Following that was the middle district, which was separated by another wall. That was where the wealthier citizens resided. There were also high end shops and goods only available to wealthier individuals. In the center of Lavi, separated by another wall, was the fort palace, home to the Nazem Noble house, lords of the territory.

Bjorn pulled their wagon behind Joha’s through the city. The diversity of the city was not what he expected it would be. There were people of all walks of life here. Humans seemed to make up a large percentage of the foreigners, but he also saw elves, goblins, orcs, a group of gnomes and even another rakshasa smoking a long pipe like Joha. The streets were illuminated with floating orbs that seemed to be connected through a magic network that used ambient mana. Despite how late it was, the streets were still quite lively. 

“I finished it!” Failsafe yelled in Bjorn’s mind. 

Bjorn’s heads perked up at that.  “The secret thing you’ve been working on?”

“Yep, I did it,” Failsafe said. “Go ahead: look at someone and think about learning more about them. Oh and they have to be within thirty feet.”

“Okay,” Bjorn said, confused at the response.

He selected a young man they were passing on the street to be his target. He didn’t know what his species was, but he had feathered wings instead of arms and taloned feet. He only had a satchel and what looked like a skirt tied to his waist on his otherwise bare form.

Identify

Name: Aeneas Sower
Race: Harpy
Level: 5
Class: Noncombatant

“Woah,” Bjorn exclaimed at the mental projection. “You made the identification ability you were talking about a while ago?”

“Impressive, right?” Failsafe asked with pride. “Now that you have more mana circulating around you I was able to complete the basic identify function. You may praise me now.”

“Really-really impressive, Failsafe. You outdid yourself,” Bjorn said as he looked at several more people.

He found a level ten werewolf noncombatant, a level six wendigo teenager, and a level twenty human prana swordsman. 

“How does the identity know their name and level? And what is class?” Bjorn asked.

“So, the skill can analyze their core from a distance. I can't get too much information without you touching them though. All the data I got from analyzing you and Tanisha allowed me to create a baseline. As for names, since the information I get comes from their core I can obtain the purest sense of self from it. So technically if we come across anyone that truly believes they are a different species or have a different name, they could trick the identify. I should also mention, if someone is more than fifty levels higher than you identify may fail to work accurately. Their core would be too dense for the skill to analyze them.”

“So everyone on the same level should be the same strength?” Bjorn asked.

“Not necessarily. So, species matters too, like… an ant for example, if you met a level one hundred ant it’s still just an ant. A human is naturally weaker and less durable than a wendigo, so if a level ten human and a level ten wendigo got into a fight the wendigo would have the advantage. Not to mention base stats.”

“What are base stats?” Bjorn asked. “And why am I just now hearing about it?”

“Uh, I thought it was understood,” Failsafe responded sheepishly. “Base stats are all of the status points you have before the bonuses from being a cultivator. So if you started running everyday your constitution and stamina would rise without you leveling up, or if you lifted weights you could increase your strength, or…”

“Failsafe,” Bjorn said calmly.

“Yes?” Failsafe asked.

“How in the Infernal Planes would I know about that if you didn’t tell me!” He screamed in his head. “I didn’t make the system, you did!” 

“I-I, uh… might have let that one fly,” Failsafe responded.

“Are base stats shown in my status now?” Bjorn asked.

“No,” Failsafe responded. 

Bjorn shook his heads in disbelief. “Can you add them?”

“Done,” Failsafe responded immediately. “Don’t be mad, okay? I readjusted the limits before I would have to forcefully increase your maturation. It is still the same amount difference, just higher numbers.”

Bjorn opened his stats and all three of his jaws hung low in disbelief. Failsafe went on to assure him that this didn’t increase his strength, only showed his base stats were being shown.

Status Menu

Name: Bjorn Isin Scalebound
Species: Unknown
Level: 21
Vitality: 150 / 195
Restoration: 220 / 270
Constitution: 85 / 135
Strength: 100 / 130
Dexterity: 85 / 100
Stamina: 95 / 115
Maya: 50 / 50 (DO NOT USE!)

Magic: 10 / 25
Magic Regeneration:  20 / 50  (+100 from bond)
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“What about magic and maya?” Bjorn asked as the shock wore off.

“Those don’t have any changes,” Failsafe stated.

Bjorn heads sighed in unison. “What about class? Is it a social class thing?”

“It’s supposed to tell us what combat ability they have. If they are a mystic swordsman like Tyr, or mage, or spearman or such.”

“Why class then? That makes no sense,” Bjorn said.

“I could call it vocation,” Failsafe responded, slightly deflated.

Bjorn turned around and looked at Tanisha with one of his heads.

Identify

Name: Tanisha Scalebound
Race: Lernaean-Wendigo
Level: 17
Vocation: Arcanist-Sage

Bjorn stopped the wagon, which caused Tanisha and Tyr to jerk forward. He focused all of his heads on Tanisha, then turned two of his heads to other wendigo to identify them as well. 

Identify

Name: Tanisha Scalebound
Race: Lernaean-Wendigo
Level: 17
Vocation: Arcanist Sage

Identify

Name: Tyr Isi
Race: Wendigo
Level: 15
Vocation: Mystic Swordsman

Identify

Name: Gunhild Kale
Race: Wendigo
Level: 4
Vocation: Noncombatant

“Didn’t she say I was a lernaean hydra? Why is her race changed too?” Bjorn asked. “I remember her asking Joha if she was a demon.”

“I… believe Joha said that means she had a pact with him.” Failsafe was quiet for a while. “So she has a pact with a lernaean hydra now? Uh, it’s not with you though so… The mysterious connection you have that I can’t see, it’s clearer now you have a fan with a member of your kin in the Higher Planes.”

“I wonder if Tanisha knows?” Bjorn asked.

“She has to,” Failsafe stated. “She has access to the menus too, remember?”

“Bjorn, is everything alright?” Tanisha called out. “I know it’s a big city. Are you scared with so many people around, baby, I mean big man?” She hopped down from the box seat. “I’ll walk beside you, okay?”

Tanisha walked alongside Bjorn as he continued along with the caravan.

“Failsafe, what is a sage?” Bjorn asked.

“I’m not sure,” Failsafe responded. “Must be a type of magic caster or something. It didn’t exist in the memories I have of your past life as a magecrafter.”

“More questions then,” Bjorn said.