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  Suund'karon, Karalt', Binah!

  By channeling Mana through a Channeling Device (Spell Glove, Staff of Power, etc), you may call and bind the spirits of the dead to your will. You may enact Shadow of the Sun over a corpse and extract the creature's wraith to serve you. To qualify for extraction, the target must be an NPC of any species that possesses a Wisdom score. This excludes certain monsters and constructs. Constructs animated by a spirit may qualify for extraction, as you can extract and bind the spirit contained within the construct - assuming you are strong enough to defeat the wards and magic laid on the construct by its creator.

  You have a default 80% chance to summon an individual creature's wraithform. The chance of failure increases or decreases depending on the extracted creature's level (10% +/- per level relative to your level). For example, at Level 21, you have an 80% chance to bind another Level 21 creature, a 100% chance of binding any creature below Level 19, and a 70% chance of binding a Level 22 creature.

  Bound shadows are permanently available to be summoned. The number of summoned shadows you can retain depends on your Will score: 1 shadow per 5 Will points (current Will: 77). You may permanently dismiss any or all of your Bound shadows to regain a slot and summon a new minion. A dismissed bound shadow cannot be resummoned.

  Shadows retain all magical and combat abilities they had in life - however, any Light elemental abilities are transmuted to Dark elemental abilities instead.

  Your bound shadows cannot be healed in combat, and must be rested for 1 minute per 1HP/MP to recover. Summoned shadows do not drain MP once called; however, if a shadow is slain, you will lose 20MP. If you reach 0 MP, all of your summons will vanish.

  To increase this mastery of Shadow of the Sun, you must study Necromancy (Incorporeal) or Invocation (Summoning) at the appropriate level.

  Cost: 50 MP per shadow.

  ==Other information==

  Kingsmark: Citizens can identify you as an agent of the Vlachian Royal Family within Vlachia. This mark is concealed when not in Vlachia.

  Nobility: You have been elevated to the nobility and hold the rank of Count in Vlachia, conveying significant prestige and responsibility. If you verbally reveal or display your title through clothing or regalia, friendly and neutral NPCs of inferior social rank will defer to you, but people of equivalent or higher social rank will ignore your pre-titled Renown (any Renown you gained as a commoner) unless they personally assigned you those points. Other nobles will perceive you competitively. You may attract the attention of kidnappers, extorters, and other unfriendly actors who pursue you for reasons specifically related to your station.

  Renown: 1537 Renown (Public Figure) in Vlachia; 2473 Renown with the Myszno Defense Force (Idol); -1852 in Ilia (Public Enemy).

  Karalti, the Black Opal Queen

  Level 13 Young Adult Queen Dragon

  ==Stats==

  Strength: 101 (*67)

  Dexterity: 155 (*103)

  Stamina: 128 (*85)

  Will: 52

  Wisdom: 22

  Intelligence: 36

  HP: 5837

  MP: 324

  Affinity: Darkness/Life (Path of Alacrity)

  EXP: 21,388 (3617 to next level)

  Lexica: 28

  Spells: 7

  * While polymorphed; see Polymorph spell for details.

  =Gear=

  Royal Dragon Saddle

  Magical Armor (Dragon)

  125 Armor

  +10% flight speed, -5% stamina drain

  Body slot

  100% durability

  Built for speed and comfort, this enchanted saddle boosts your mount’s flight speed and stamina by reducing drag.

  Fine Saddlebags

  Masterwork Item

  100% Durability

  Increases carrying capacity by 120lb.

  Nizari Leather Armor Cuirass *

  105 armor

  +30% resistance to slashing damage

  +15% resistance to bludgeoning damage

  +5 Attack power

  +20% Elemental resistance

  Light armor

  Body Slot

  100% durability

  Required Level: 10

  Light, tough, maneuverable armor worn by the assassins of the Cult of Malek in Dakhdir.

  Sanctified Cold Iron Gauntlets *

  Magical Armor/Weapon

  50 Armor

  Item Class: Relic

  Item Quality: Exceptional

  Damage: 65 x 2 Bludgeoning

  Durability: 55% (-2 damage)

  Weight: 10 lb x 2

  Special: Darkness element. x3 damage against the Undead. x2 damage against monsters weak to cold iron. +20 bonus Adrenaline Points.

  These skillfully forged, heavy but flexible full-arm gauntlets are the traditional weapons and armor of the Baru, warrior-monks in service to Burna. They appear to be completely made of pitted cold iron, yet they have no rust.

  Boots of the Winding Path *

  Magical Armor

  Item Class: Artifact

  85 Armor

  Durability: 78%

  Weight: 3lb

  Special: +10 movement-related checks on unstable surfaces; +5 Stamina

  Boots made of hookwing leather and enchanted to be supernaturally resilient. There are small metal cleats on the soles that make them suitable for hiking in mountains and wilderness.

  =Skills=

  Acrobatics: 20

  - Aerial Acrobatics: 32

  Dive: 34

  Laden Flight: 24

  Perception: 30 (+5 with rider)

  =Abilities=

  Gift of the Blood: Allows a dragon to utilize magic and other supernatural abilities without the need for special tools or external sources of mana.

  Eviscerate: A power attack with the front claws.

  Ghost Fire: 411-576 Fire damage; sticky fire that burns underwater and deals ongoing damage to enemies (92 Fire damage per round for 5 rounds).

  Bite: 301-624 damage.

  Gore: A dragon’s unarmed attacks do double damage to unarmored opponents and cause Bleeding.

  Tail Attack: Blunt-force strike that flings enemies under 400 lbs.

  Split Turn: Burn 5 mana points per second to immediately change momentum while rolling. This allows for 90-degree and 180-degree turns in any direction.

  Wings of Deception: The dragon teleports one body-length in any direction and splits off into multiple images. Her mana and HP are evenly divided between herself and her doppelgangers. The copies can take damage, cast spells, and strike with any attack the dragon knows - however, spells cast by copies use 50% more mana, and breath weapon damage dealt by copies is reduced by 75%. Maintaining the copies costs 1 Mana per second per copy.

  =Spells=

  Bioscope: Analyze an enemy and learn their strengths and weaknesses. (4 MP, 10-sec cooldown)

  Sense Aether: Detect and assess magical effects, artifacts, and locations. (4 MP, 5-sec cooldown)

  Dark Focus II: Triple power of next magical attack. (18 MP, 25-sec cooldown)

  Dirge: A curse that slowly damages enemies every turn and has a chance to cause the Deaf and Mute debuffs. (16 MP, 25 sec cooldown)

  Haste II: Dramatically increases speed for 1 min per spell level (16 MP, 30-sec cooldown)

  Polymorph II: The dragon can change her shape twice* every 24 hours into that of a smaller beast or living humanoid**. Unlike the Humanoid version of this spell, Polymorph does not allow dragons to completely transform: observant players and NPCs may note draconic characteristics, such as scales, sharp teeth, etc. After 12 hours in the acquired form, the dragon will automatically revert to her native shape. (20 MP, 30-min cooldown)

  Circle of Protection I: Create a 10ft radius of protection against undead, warding them back from contact with the dragon’s body. (15 MP, 10-second cooldown)

  While in humanoid form, all physical stats and HP are reduced by 1/3rd. A dragon can assume a Path and Advanced Path and attain skills and abilities while transformed, bu
t they do not transfer to the dragon’s native form and are active only when she assumes the form she trains. This includes magic, which must be performed with mana and tools while polymorphed and cannot be cast innately. Dragons use mana instead of Adrenaline Points when performing Path maneuvers that would normally consume AP.

  * One instance is equal to transforming from dragon to other and back again.

  ** Does not include Mercurions.

  Suri Ba’Hadir

  Level 24 Berserker

  ==Stats==

  Strength: 98

  Dexterity: 23

  Stamina: 96

  Willpower: 20

  Wisdom: 63

  Intelligence: 26

  HP: 4378

  EXP: 41,051 (4562 to next level)

  Adrenaline: 785

  ==Gear==

  N/A (Imprisoned)

  ==Abilities==

  =Racial=

  Fireblooded (War-Type): Immune to Stranging. -10% damage from magic and fire-based effects. +50% heat resistance.

  Caste Pariah: -10 penalty to all social skill checks; -15 in Dakhdir.

  Warborn: Strength and Stamina gain 10% faster; Intelligence and Will gain 10% more slowly.

  Sachara's Curse: Sterile, but immune to contagious, non-magical diseases.

  =Traits=

  Resilient: You are naturally stubborn and self-confident, with a high threshold for some forms of psychological stress. You gain +25% against attempts to break your will and +25% to resist non-magical fear effects.

  Endurance: You are accustomed to pushing yourself, even when you are exhausted. You may spend Adrenaline to offset starvation, fatigue or bleeding for +1 minutes x your Stamina.

  Hollow Legs: Due to your physical vitality, you struggle to become intoxicated and can drink most people under the table. Intoxicating substances have 45% less effect. Use your power wisely!

  Agoraphobia: Due to your early circumstances, you are afraid of wide-open spaces. You are 20% more prone to fear effects in environments without ceilings.

  Megasapiophobia: You have a phobia of large humanoids, such as giants and trolls. You are 60% more prone to fear effects in the presence of large to gargantuan humanoids outside of combat.

  ==Combat Abilities==

  =Path Abilities=

  Primal Rage IV

  The Berserker’s greatest strength is their unrelenting rage combined with their thirst for battle. Whether driven by the need for revenge or simply by bloodlust, the Berserker’s key ability causes them to lose control of their conscious awareness in exchange for high damage reduction and exceptional offensive power.

  When you enter an enraged state, you automatically unequip your armor as your reason deserts you. You lose your ability to use all non-combat skills and abilities. You drain Stamina twice as quickly for the duration of the rage, which ends when you run out of Stamina.

  However, you gain +200% HP, x3 Adrenaline Point regen, and natural armor equal to your Constitution stat x 4. Every time you are dealt damage totaling at least 1/5th of your total HP, you gain exponential damage reduction and increased attack power up to a maximum of the Primal Rage skill level x 200% (Current max buff: -800% damage reduction, +800% attack power). Unless noted, all Berserker combat abilities stack with Primal Rage.

  When your Stamina reaches zero, the rage ends. You suffer an immediate Exhaustion debuff with all penalties, and your Stamina regenerates at half speed until you have refilled your Stamina and Adrenaline Points to 100%. Your passive fear and inspiration buffs are canceled until you have recovered.

  > Battle Haze IV

  Chained from Primal Rage. You burn one quarter of your remaining Adrenaline Points to boost your strength, speed, and power to superhuman heights. You gain x2 movement speed, x2 attack speed, +10 Strength, and are 40% more likely to score critical hits.

  > Gorgon Overdrive IV

  Chained from Primal Rage. A massively powerful attack that can decapitate even gigantic foes in a single blow. You burn half of your remaining Stamina to deal one strike against one enemy. If the enemy can be decapitated, you have a chance to instantly kill them. The chance is equal to one quarter of your strength score, rounded down.

  Shredder III

  The armor of your opponents is no match for your strength and fury. For a maximum of three attacks, your weapons deal half damage but destroy natural and equipped armor, reducing their effectiveness by 10% per good hit.

  Warpath IV

  You carve a path straight through a pack of enemies, sending them reeling from the power of your blows. Hit up to 8 targets along any horizontal axis, knocks down enemies, deal x2 damage.

  Storm of Corpses IV

  You discharge a boiling burst of energy that deals damage and sends enemies flying. Hit up to 10 enemies in a circle, knockdown, x3 damage.

  Dauntless IV

  When struck by a blow powerful enough to kill you, you somehow manage to cling to life. On taking a fatal blow from an enemy, you are instead reduced to 1HP. You lose all armor and damage reduction, but gain x400% attack damage and x2 attack speed on your next attack. You are 40% more likely to score a critical hit.

  Crushing Presence IV

  You radiate an aura of violence that chills the hearts of your opponents. When this ability is activated, any un-allied NPC in range who is a lower level than you and is capable of feeling fear gains the Terrified debuff and may attempt to flee. NPCs who are within range of your level (23 to 30) will suffer the Intimidated debuff and suffer penalties to evasion and concentration. Higher-level enemies will not be immediately affected, but will suffer the Dread debuff if you reduce them to 1/2 HP or below while this effect is active. Players of any level will have to make a Willpower-based save to avoid being scared; their level, the depth of their success or failure, and their own actions will determine their level of fear.

  Warrior's Instinct IV

  As a Berserker, you are keenly aware of your body and environment on an instinctual level others lack, making you more resistant to deception of all kinds. You gain a +25% advantage on automatic checks against enemies using the Stealth, Flank, or Mug abilities in combat. Out of combat, you gain +25% on checks against anyone attempting to use Pickpocket, Bluff, or Hypnosis on you. This stacks with other passive skills and abilities, such as Appraise, Perceptive, and Soothsayer.

  Preface II: Important Characters

  Player Characters:

  ● Hector Park (Park Jeong-Ho, Dragozin Hector) – Dark Lancer, Lvl. 23

  ● Suri Ba’Hadir – Berserker, Lvl. 24

  ● Rin Lu – Arcane Engineer, Lvl. 21

  ● Baldr Hyland (Possessed by ‘Ororgael’) – Spirit Knight, Lvl. ???

  ● Lucien Hart – Unknown Path, Lvl. 35

  ● Violetta DeVrys – Elemental Sorceress, Lvl. 35

  NPCs

  ● Karalti, the Black Opal Queen – Queen Dragon, Lvl. 13

  ● Vash Dorha – Baru (Dark Monk), Lvl. 31

  ● Istvan Arshak – Dragoon, Lvl. 27

  ● Ebisa, the King’s Blade – Assassin, Lvl. 35

  ● Rutha of Vasteau – Primal Sorceress, Lvl. ???

  ● Ignas Corvinus II – Volod (King) of Vlachia; Swashbuckler, Lvl. 45

  ● Andrik Corvinus III – Former Volod of Vlachia (deceased)

  Owen & Kira of Lyrensgrove - Healers

  Sergeant Anya Blackwin – Captain of Fort Palewing

  Jasper – Mage at Fort Palewing

  Pavetta Blackwin – Primera of the Church of Kyrie

  Taethawn the Bleak – Meewfolk Exile, mercenary commander

  Count Lorenzo Soma – lord of Litvy County, Arcane Engineer, Lvl. 30

  Masterhealer Masha – Arcane Physician, Lvl. 50

  Lazar Skalitz – General Physician, Lvl. 23

  Ashur of the Thousand Swords, AKA The Demon of Myszno (deceased)

  Preface III: Important Game System Concepts

  Archemi

  Archemi Online, colloquially known as ArchOn, is the world’s firs
t hyper-immersion VR-RPG, though it is not the only VR-RPG extant in Hector’s world. ArchOn was not designed to be an MMO in which millions access a single world: to support the massive memory demands of processing human brain data in a full-immersion VR, Archemi supports capped ‘cells’ of players, to a maximum of 5000 players per cell. Due to cataclysmic plague on Earth, there is only one cell supporting approximately 2389 players, almost all of whom are ‘virtual refugees’ uploaded to escape their death from the HEX Virus.

  Paths & Advanced Paths

  Rather than set, static classes, Archemi has an organic Path system that evolves with a player’s interests and abilities. New players initially select one of four base paths – Warrior, Specialist (Rogue), Mage, or Artificer. At Level 5 and Level 10, characters are offered the chance to choose an Advanced Path, which takes them down a specialized stream from their initial Path. Advanced Paths are offered on a per-character basis by the game’s system, which reads into a person’s play-style, quest choice, and other factors to offer Advanced Paths the player is suited to. Advanced Paths themselves have customized progressions that unfold for players as they advance.

  Renown

  Renown is the measure of fame or infamy you possess in a locale. In every location where you complete (or fail to complete) quests, you can potentially gain renown. Renown is important for players interested in Mass Combat.

  Like most things in Archemi, Renown is accrued through points. After accumulating a certain number of renown points, you gain bonuses or penalties to dealing with people in your locale. The size of the locale where you command fame or terror varies depending on your renown tier. The tiers are as follows:

  ● 0-300 - Stranger: Unknown and unnotable.

  ● 301-700 - Adventurer: Some people have heard of you, and neighborhoods where you completed adventures are friendly/hostile. You can gain the alliance of small units.

  ● 701-1081 - Local Hero/Villain: You are a person of note in your city, able to command respect, fear, or both. You can potentially command loyalty from a medium-sized organization.