CLAIRE

  STATUS CHAPTER

  Some readers appreciate all the numbers and data related to character growth. Or, with this book, their favorite character. I made this a standalone chapter. You may skip this or read at your pleasure. Your reading enjoyment should remain unaffected, regardless of the choice.

  NAME: Claire Contigo

  AFFINITY: (MIND) (RARE) Primal (EPIC)

  TITLES:

  ** PREFECT FOUNDATION (MAJOR).

  * SOUL SURVIVOR (UNIQUE).

  TIER: 1

  LEVEL: 26

  CLASS: (UNIQUE) PRIMAL MASTER; (+ 8 TO PRIMAL POINTS, + 3 TO BODY, +4 TO MIND, +5 FREE ATTRIBUTES PER LEVEL.)

  BONUS:

  * + 10 TO ALL DAMAGE. (TIER ZERO ATTRIBUTE CAP.)

  ATTRIBUTE POINTS

  PRIMAL POINTS (PP): 2,098    FREE POINTS: 130

  STRENGTH (ST): 184       AGILITY (AG): 184

  CONSTITUTION (CN): 184     INTELLIGENCE (IQ): 184

  WISDOM (WI): 210        PERCEPTION (PR): 184

  CHARISMA (CH): 34       FORTITUDE (FT): 34

  LUCK (LU): 34

  TALENTS:

  * PRIMAL STUDY (LEVEL 8).

  * PRIMAL MANIPULATION (LEVEL 6).

  ABILITIES:

  * INVENTORY (SOUL BOUND).

  * ELDRITCH LANGUAGE.

  * PRIMAL CASTING.

  SPELLS:

  * PRIMAL MISSILES.

  * WALL OF BRAMBLES.

  * BREATH OF SPRING.

  SKILLS:

  * PRIMAL SCREAM (CLASS SKILL).

  * SWORD STAFF

  * MEDITATION.

  “Its time, which of you are going next?” Katie announces to Claire and Connie. The two girls look at each other.

  Connie motions Claire to go. “Tanner will understand the sooner we get this done the sooner we can celebrate.”

  “Well that means it is my turn Katie. Tanner can go after he gets back or last if need be.”

  With a bright smile, Katie nods her head, “Good luck Claire. I would like to talk to after if that’s alright.”

  “Okay, you can talk to Connie or Tanner too if need be. We all all together.”

  Connie hugs her. “That is the first time I heard you say that. I like it.”

  “It’s the first time I have said it. I like it too.” She gives a shy smile. The two women hug and rock a little.

  “Now get going, I’ll see soon.”

  Claire, touches the dungeon pillar and vanishes with another purple aura.

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  “She’ll be fine. You guys are all so strong for your year.”

  “How do you know that about us?”

  “It is something we learn about in fourth year aura reading and projection. It gives a feel for some one’s strength. Overall. It’s considered rude to project unless in a fight or dueling. I can sense you are all low Tier One.”

  “Oh, uh I am not sure what I should say here.”

  “I am oath bound not to say anything so no worries. I would like to talk to the three of you later. I need some guidance for after I graduate school, I know what I want to do but not sure where to start.”

  “I’m not sure how much help we will be as first years but we can hear you out at least.”

  “Thanks.”

  Claire finds herself in a round brick chamber. Torch flame flickers every ten feet around the room. Exits head north, east, west, and south. Bones lay strewn around the floor, damp moss grows on the walls, the musty smell of deep earth saturates the air. Noise is heard from the south. Checking every step with care. Claire walks along the wall and pauses at each exit, listening for any clue about what may be in store for her. The scattered bones crunch underfoot as she walks. ‘That must mean they are ancient bones, I guess. That is probably good. I’ll check the noise first.’

  Claire skirts around the corner of the southern exit and finds a long tunnel also lit every ten feet. As she walks the tunnel, the moss and damp on the walls clear to reveal stone work set without mortar. Claire runs her hands along the smooth stone, the seams visible but the joins almost smooth. ‘I wonder if this is old dwarven work?’

  The tunnel turns left. She slows, looking over every surface for anything out of the ordinary. The noise grows louder and clearer. She can now make out grunting and gasping the closer to the bend she walks. An odd smell wafts from around the bend. Slowing to peep around the corner. Claire blushes as two small humanoid lizard creatures come into view. Casting Identify and Analyze, she sees Level Seven kobold warrior and kobold mate. Claire casts Primal Missiles at the engaged couple, killing them. She loots and moves forward, taking her time to listen for more opponents. As Claire moves further in the tunnels, the kobold population expands. She encounters more warrior and guard patrols. Claire pauses after each fight, caution fast becoming her watch word. The tunnel always leading left makes her think she may circle around. ‘This is slow going, but if i go too fast, I think I’ll be in big trouble.’ The smell of kobolds becomes stronger as she moves until she comes out on a ledge overlooking a small cavern. Claire crouches down and slips back a few feet. Keeping her eyes just at the angle to see the entire tribe. Claire uses Meditation to restore her Hit Points and Primal energy, while keeping the kobolds under observation. ‘Hmm shaman first? Or chieftain first?’ She muses. ‘Shaman may be a healer, and I am by myself. Shaman then chieftain.’

  Plan in place Claire stands casting Primal Missiles on the shaman, killing it. A small female kobold runs to the dead shaman, casting spells on it. Claire fires off another volley of Primal Missiles at her new target. As the young spell caster falls dead, she casts Wall of Brambles on the path to her. She scans the area for the kobold chief while the small village erupts into chaos. Unable to locate her target, Claire lays a barrage of missile spells on the kobolds closest to the pathway leading to her. The kobolds mass rush the path, several jump over the wall barrier. Surprised, she cast Wall of Brambles on top of the existing wall. Claire turns to the rushing chieftain leading the small squad of attackers. She uses her Primal Scream. The briefly stunned kobolds freeze in place, one close to the edge of the perilous track falls to its death. Claire, realizing she can not cast her missile spell fast enough to deal with the monsters, casts her Spring Breeze spell in desperation. The wind blows gently over the charging kobolds. The monsters come out of stun only to fall to their knees gasping for breath, coughing, eyes and noses running fiercely. Claire overcomes her surprise and slams her missile spell into the sick creatures, killing them all.

  Confused about what just happened, Claire goes back over her spells, she ignores the kill notices and finds the spell effect. “BREATH OF SPRING, NOT ONLY DOES IT BRING A SENSE OF RENEWAL FOR YOUR ALLY'S MIND, BODY, AND SOUL. IT ENCOURAGES THE GROWTH OF ALL THINGS NATURAL. CONGRATULATIONS, YOU HAVE INFECTED YOUR OPPONENTS WITH DEADLY PNEUMONIA. DAMAGE OVER TIME, 6 TO 18 DAMAGE PER MINUTE. POSSIBLE INCAPACITATION WHILE VICTIMS COUGH THEIR LUNGS OUT.”

  Claire rereads the notice, thinking, ‘Wow, need to be careful with this.’ Not seeing any ranged weapons in kobold hands. Claire stands and casts Breath of Spring in the cavern, pushing the spell around the chamber. She watches the kobolds react to the spell. Some break out in sores, others fall to their knees, coughing like her earlier opponents. Others simply fall, calling out in pain as their bones break. Horrified, Claire casts Primal Missiles as fast as she can, to kill the most wounded first. She cast analyze on the dead, finding the illnesses cleared as her fallen opponents died. ‘I wonder if that happened because I am so much higher Level than them?’ Claire pulls out her journal and makes several notations. She checks the bodies once more to make sure, then walks around grabbing the loot drops.

  Claire continues traveling through the tunnel after the village chamber, practicing with her weapon on the single low leveled kobolds. The Tunnel opens on another larger chamber filled with huts and a statue of a dragon raising over the rooftops. Claire hides, then waits for an attack, when nothing happens. She breathes a sigh of relief, Then mentally fortifying herself, casts Breath of Spring and pushes the spell around the cavern. The cries of pain and confusion are just as horrid as the first time. Steeling her heart, she continues channeling the spell, insuring every inch of the cavern has been covered. Claire lets the spell die and waits, using a light meditation to recover her energies. The kill notices taper off. Claire patrols the outskirts around the small village, killing any left alive and looting her opponents. At the center of the huts, she discovers a clearing featuring a dragon statue. At the statue's base, a larger kobold lies panting, casting Identify and Analyze. She reads, “KOBOLD EARL. KOBOLD NOBILITY ARE MUCH LARGER AND STRONGER THAN THE COMMON KOBOLD. SPECULATION RUNS FROM A SEPARATE SPECIES TO KOBOLD BLOODLINES SPRING FROM DRAGONS, WITH THE NOBLES BLOODLINE PURER THAN THE OTHERS. DRAGON STATUES OR EFFIGIES ARE OFTEN FOUND AMONGST KOBOLD.” Claire casts Primal Missiles, finishing the suffering kobold off and putting it down. After she loots the boss, on a whim, she places her hand on the statue. To her surprise, she gains two dragon eye gems, a large amount of gold, and a set of paired short swords. Pocketing all the loot, she heads to the shining portal home.