Periapt [Survival in the world of a Cursed CRPG, Progression, Crafting, LitRPG]

Eidolons never meddled in the affairs of mankind. They cared only for the animals and plants in their domains. The only time the spirits ever revealed themselves to human eyes was when a deal was to be struck.

This was the fundamental source of magic in Periapt: that an exchange could be made between beast and man, and both could walk away changed.

Man bartered on his own behalf, but the plants and animals often needed an intermediary to advocate their needs. When he first started playing the game, Hollis feared crossing the paths of an eidolon. He still feared it.

The glowbugs could not barter for themselves. The Lambent Maiden would do it on their behalf. The question was, what did she want for them? More than that, what could Hollis get in return?

The flying lights of the swarm in the field eternally entranced the Lambent Maiden. She seemed to forget Hollis existed at all.

When she didn’t speak for a time, Hollis got brave. With a great deal of subtlety, he cleared his throat. Not just once, but twice.

This reminded the floating woman that he existed. As she turned and stared at him, seemingly unimpressed at his lack of flying and glowing, he breathed out a nervous breath, awaiting her offer.

In the game, the eidolons were pretty quick about such things.

The Lambent Maiden was not quick about anything.

“The fog comes tonight,” she said eventually. “It comes every night and hunger with it.”

Hollis stared back at the remains of Beckett’s Sound. There was no fog in the game that he remembered.

“The fog?” he asked, his curiosity steeling his voice and resolve.

“Flowing like waves over the sea, crashing on the land, and feasting on whatever it finds here,” she said in a haunting tone. “None of my charges that venture into it survives, not even those with the brightest lights. None returns with a story to tell. It has teeth, the fog. It nibbles their wings and swallows them whole. It ignores the warning of their glow.”

“What causes the fog?” Hollis asked. “Is that the reason the people fled? The fog rolling in at night?”

The Lambent Maiden thought for a moment as some trickerwisps performed a high-flying ballet.

“The humans left because their good sense told them to,” she said. “My charges stayed because they have no good sense. They do not fear any danger. Those who cast bright lights can see through darkness, but they cannot see the darkness. It is their weakness. These glowbugs only create beauty. Most beasts leave them be, beasts that fear their bright colors. My beauties do not understand the hunger in the fog. Most animals didn’t. Humans did, though. Their good sense told them right away.”

When the spirit turned back to the swarm of glowbugs, Hollis did too. He watched them dance fearlessly. Their numbers were few. He could only imagine how wonderful it might have been to see them when they were many.

“You’re asking for Mind, then,” he said.

Without turning back to him, the spirit said, “I am asking for your good sense. For them.”

Hollis took a few deep breaths to process. His swallow of Thinkin’ Man’s Gin had worn off. He contemplated downing a swig just to help him process more clearly, but decided against it for a while.

The first time Hollis had been offered a trade, it was the Rat King offering him the enhanced spore immunity of the rodent known as the Long Rascal, one of the creatures in that spirit’s domain. He wanted Hollis’ human eyesight in exchange.

That was how it was worded. His eyesight.

Hollis turned down the offer, thinking the meaning was literal. It was only later that he learned how these bargains worked.

Humans did not have magical traits to trade, but they had some desirable traits all the same. Intelligence, longevity, endurance, eyesight, and a host of other abilities that the animal and plant kingdoms would love to get their paws on.

The Rat King wasn’t asking for Hollis to give up his ability to see. He was asking for him to give up a point from his Mind Vital, as Mind governed perception.

Blood ▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰ [10/10]

Breath ▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰ [10/10]

Bile ▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▱▱▱ [7/10]

Mind ▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▱▱▱ [7/10]

Spirit ▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▱▱▱ [7/10]

The trade would drop Hollis' total Mind down to nine.

Likewise, when the Lambent Maiden asked for his good sense, she was asking the same thing: for him to trade part of his Mind Vital to her, in order to make her charges smarter.

The vitals were not merely a measure of health, nor of mana or energy. They were Hollis’ bargaining chips. If he made the right deals, he might be able to survive this place.

“What are you offering in exchange?” he asked.

She turned to him and said, “The light, of course. His light,” as she pointed to the little Ghost Light Beetle still fighting with all his might to protect the swarm from the bat creature.

Hollis didn’t understand at first. Traits worked on trees. Each one led to another. Any trait he gained would have to stem from an ability or adaptation he already had. Spore Immunity from the Long Rascal, as offered by the Rat King, would graft onto his innate immune system.

But giving a human bioluminescence was far more involved than a simple trade.

The Lambent Maiden continued.

“He is a brave soul, is he not?” she asked.

“I suppose so,” Hollis said as he admired the bug’s tenacity.

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“He will die tonight,” she said. “If not from the darkling, then from old age. Isn’t it sad? He lived two years digging in the dirt, growing his wings, but when he emerged, he was only given six weeks in the air. Does that strike you as fair?”

Was she bargaining for human longevity now, too? Hollis eyed her suspiciously. In the game, eidolons would absolutely offer bad deals. Was that true in the real Periapt, too?

“Even if he could live longer, he has no way to eat,” she continued. “He was born to dance and to die. Time was never his ally.”

While the Maiden was speaking, Hollis’ inspector screen was listing out Naturalism facts left and right about fireflies. Their adult forms only existed to reproduce.

“So what is it you want?” Hollis asked, looking for a straight answer. "Longevity?"

“Humans do not see fit to concern themselves with the soul of an insect,” she said. “But that is what I ask of you, to consider his good soul and recognize the value of a small light in the darkness. Had he the mind of a human or their lifespan, he might be able to protect his kin from the fog. He might have been a noble warrior or a great king. But he was born a glowbug, with the mind of a bug, and a lifespan short even for an insect. Soon, his good soul will fade away. Except that I happened to find you here tonight, on the night he was to die. I dream of all the possibilities for him now.”

In the distance, the Ghost Light Beetle’s movement was slowing. His light was fading and flickering.

“So you want me to give human intelligence and lifespan to that one?” Hollis asked.

The Maiden shook her head.

“And what would that accomplish? Even with a human lifespan, how long would a human live if they lacked the ability to eat? What good would be a human’s intelligence if they had no hands?” she asked. “Those gifts are valuable, but they are not enough. My offer to you is… him. He will be completely yours for as long as you shall live.”

[Bartering lvl. 2] The Lambent Maiden has offered a trade: You LOSE (1) Mind. You GAIN an ACCORD with a Ghost Light Beetle.

…An accord with the Ghost Light Beetle will SHARE: Blood, Bile, and Mind.

…An accord with the Ghost Light Beetle will grant: (1) Spirit.

Bartering was a minigame unto itself. Hollis considered the offer.

He would lose one Mind pip permanently in order to make the glowbugs under the Maiden’s domain a bit smarter. At the same time, he would gain one Spirit permanently.

To create an accord, he would have to share Blood, Bile, and Mind with the Ghost Light Beetle in order to grant it a human lifespan, sustenance, and intelligence, respectively. Sharing meant that keeping his vitals full would be a bit harder because the beetle would be using them too.

Losing a Mind pip felt like a poor prospect, but the reality was, the Mind Vital was never full. Even when he played the game. It always hovered around half full by its nature. What human could say their mind was functioning at full capacity at any given moment? Most needed their coffee or a nap to get to the end of the day. They needed preparation to socialize or do deep thinking.

Losing one pip might not even be noticed. Even when he drank the Thinkin’ Man’s Gin, and it buffed his Mind by two pips, he was still only at [8/10]. There was a chance he might never even notice the loss.

But even if the loss were acceptable, what exactly was there to be gained by an accord with a Ghost Light Beetle? He had never successfully bargained for an accord when he played the game. Animal companions could be trained without a deal being struck.

He had trained hounds and several birds, controlling them with the Animal Handling skill. An accord was a much deeper bond. The magic system would treat him and the beetle like they were the same being.

In order to know if the trade was worth it, he needed to know what traits the beetle brought to bear. Unfortunately, his Taxonomy skill was only at level one. He would have to change that.

“Put two points into Taxonomy,” he whispered to the inspector. It worked instantly.

You studied animal and plant behavior at the University of Shoaltown in the outer islands. While your studies were limited to basic forms and adaptations, you have some practical knowledge to help you analyze the fauna and flora of Periapt. [Taxonomy lvl. 1] -> [Taxonomy lvl. 3]

You have 10 assignable points. Your past is still unwritten.

With a glance over at the Ghost Light Beetle, now Hollis had a much better idea of what the beetle could do. The inspector showed him the bug's Adaptations and the Abilities that stemmed from them.

Ghost Light Beetle

Reflex Bleeding- An adaptation that causes the creature to secrete a toxic substance when predators are near.

• Bitter Pill: This toxin causes any animal or plant that consumes it to regurgitate. [Alchemy lvl. 1]

Bioluminescence- This creature can create light via a chemical reaction.

• Spotlight: A bright light fills the immediate area. Allies will be able to see the light and whatever it illuminates in detail from a great distance if they have a line of sight. [Investigation lvl. 3]

• Light Mimicry: Another creature’s light display is imitated. [Storytelling lvl. 1]

• Warning Beacon: A bright light warns predators of toxins and calls out to allies. [Signaling lvl. 2]

• Will o’ the Wisp: An illusory copy of the user’s light source is produced that confuses or distracts predators. [Storytelling lvl. 1]

The Ghost Light Beetle has several other Adaptations without any associated Abilities.

It had five abilities right out of the box, Hollis noted. None were offensive abilities, but the ability to produce light itself was a godsend. He had brought a flashlight, but it was weak and could break.

Abilities of pets, like the beetle’s Spotlight or Will o’ Wisp, scaled off their handler’s skill levels. Hollis had trained in Investigation, both in research and fieldwork, through his varied odd jobs, so it was level three already.

He had no talent for Storytelling, which, as it sounded, governed weaving narratives and folksy charm, but also covered most forms of deception, so it was only level one.

“He will be your guide in the darkness,” the Maiden said softly. “Please say you know the value of a good soul. Please say the Cat’s Eye teaches men to protect beauty.”

The Cat’s Eye, Hollis had learned, was what citizens of Periapt called Earth. Their reasoning was never explained.

Hollis didn’t know what the right answer was. It was so hard to turn down a spirit like the Lambent Maiden. She seemed so earnest, so pure. Her love for the glowbugs endeared her to him.

He reached into his bag and grabbed the bottle of Thinkin’ Man’s Gin. One swig of that, and his mind calmed. His thoughts took turns, and his nerves vanished. He hoped it wouldn’t become a habit. He didn’t dare drink any more that day.

Your consciousness relaxes as the elixir frees it from its toils. You heal 2 Mind. ▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▱ [9/10]

The wretched liquor sours in your gut. You lose 1 Bile. ▰▰▰▰▰▰▱▱▱▱ [6/10]

You are hungry.

He realized that the deal itself might not be the only thing he should be focusing on. He was talking to some sort of higher being. She had a twinge of sincere desperation to her voice. Maybe now was the time for some answers.

“What happened to this world?” he asked. “Not the fog, I understand that.” He looked out at the ruins of old Beckett’s Sound, from before its people fled three hundred years earlier. “Why did the people of Periapt need to flee the continent? Why did you need people like me to come help?”

The Lambent Maiden was saddened deeply by his question, and he regretted asking almost immediately. It seemed a sin to sadden a being like her.

“If I could see the whole world, I would still only look at the glowbugs, how they dip and dance in the stars,” she said tearfully. “Who knew you had to watch the humans, too? Who knew what they dreamed of?” She stared into Hollis’ face, perhaps evaluating if he was good or bad. “What happened here is what happens in all fallen lands. There are those born amongst men who seek to be above the world, but never a part of it."

She paused. Hollis thought she would say more about it, but she didn't.

"Hurry now. The fog is coming," she said, "Will you accept his good soul into your own?”

A light in the darkness was not going to be enough for Hollis to survive, but as he watched the glowing beetle finally drive the batlike darkness away from his swarm, he thought it was a good start.

The bug fell from the sky once the bat flew away. His swarm was saved. His life's work was finished. Or so it would have been if the Lambent Maiden had not been his advocate.

“I accept,” Hollis said.

“Thank you,” the Maiden said with a tear. She glowed a little brighter for a moment.

And so Hollis Hood fell to the ground, his Mind splitting, as his Spirit grew by the size of one brave Ghost Light Beetle.