19. Sapphire

You feel a rush of power as golden light cascades from you and into the tiny body on the stone floor in front of you.

Please, let this work.

The fight around you slows as everyone turns to look at the sudden source of light.

Please, let this save her.

Which turns out to be a mistake as the light suddenly goes off like a flare. The goblins flinch away from the light, and the humans are left rubbing sunspots in their eyes.

You hear overlapped fanfares as you gain at least two levels, which confuses you for a second. Only a second however, as Sapphire takes a strangled gasp and opens her eyes, giving you more immediate concerns. Her hands fly over several popups faster than you can read them, until she pauses on one that you can read, backwards.

Her eyes slide to Hyena, and she makes her choice.

Fighting resumes around you as she meets your gaze, sapphire against ruby, and then you both turn your gaze towards the rogue, currently clashing blade for blade with a furious Feathers. The gobliness is attacking with single minded ferocity, despite a dozen small wounds that the rogue has inflicted on her in return.

Two two of you move almost as one, like you've been training together for years, when you both take a great lungful of air and launch the narrowest beams of flame you can produce at the rogue, white hot intensity scouring the air and laying the cavern into stark relief. You hear the fighter give a bellow of surprise at the light and roaring sound, but both of you stay on target: the swaying, disoriented rogue.

Feathers lays into him afresh, sword sinking deeply into his legs and bringing him to his knees. You swing towards Sapphire, running next to you, and she grabs hold of one of your horns. Flicking your neck, you fling her into the air and begin to turn to the fighter, trusting her to finish the job.

While in the air, Sapphire nocks an arrow and releases it as she falls back down to earth on the far side of the rogue, point blank, into the back of his skull. He disintegrates into a lootbag as she stands up.

The goblin males have done less well. You can only see two of them, and a small pouch that you assume is all that is left of the third. The one you recognise is only fighting with one arm, the other hanging limply; the last goblin is mostly unhurt, but is also unarmed and being ignored by the fighter.

You pause, wondering how to tackle this, when a shadow rises up behind the fighter. Hyena, matted with blood and with one eye swollen shut, pounces on the fighter from behind. Unlike you, Hyena isn't distracted from delivering a coup de grace, his powerful jaws barely being slowed by the intervening neck as they come together with a wet thump.

And like that, the cave descends into silence, bar only the sound of breathing and thundering hearts as you slowly pull yourselves together. You look around the cave, curiously clean after the bodies despawned, leaving only the blood of the survivors.

Sapphire walks up and rests her head against your shoulder for a moment, before moving towards Hyena and starting to tend to his wounds. Feathers comes up on your other side and leans against you. You take comfort from each other, even as she uses her sword like a crutch, and you spend a moment comparing her to Sapphire.

One the runt, forever bullied and bloodied, given power for the first time. One the Chieftainess, took power by sword and guile, only to be forced into subservience to ensure the survival of her people.

You open your fame menu, taking a half second to glance at the champion fame abilities that have now been unlocked.

looked promising, but was currently greyed out.

also sounded like something you'd want, but right now you had a more important use for your fame.

The two surviving goblins presented two more limp, cold forms to you. Your kobolds had been cut down from behind, by the looks of their wounds. But you weren't going to use your fame for that, either.

You hit accept, and felt another rush of experience, and another two, layered level up sounds, and took a moment to bring up your character sheet, and then everyone else's.

Despite everything, you began to laugh.

Red Scale, Level 10 DrakelingMonster, Microboss, Drake, ExplicitExperience to level up – 20/600AttributesStrength 41 Dexterity 20 (Form Cap) Endurance 31Charisma 41 Manipulation 48 Appearance 41Perception 32 Intelligence 32 +4 Wits 28SkillsBrawling 42Athleticism 32Presence 43Lore 25Occult 27Stealth 10Dodge 10Crafting (Stoneworking) 10FeatsFire Breath –Can make a Ranged Spell Attack, treating Occult as 10 higher than it is for the purpose of hitting, at Occult feet range. Deals Fire damage, has a chance to set foes on fire. Invite –You can invite other creatures to take up residence in your lair as mooks. Doing so successfully grants you experience, and you will gain a small amount of all the experience your mooks gain. Having sleeping quarters, food and water already available will increase your chances of a successful invite. Micro-Boss –When you are defeated in battle, lose accumulated progress to your next level rather than all gained experience. Spend Fame on unique bonuses to your lair, your mooks and yourself. Monstrous Appearance –when attempting to use Appearance in a positive way on creatures without the Monster subtype, count it at 20 points lower until the target gets used to you. Natural Weapons –You are in possession of a set of Natural Weapons. You are immune to Disarm attacks. However, crippling effects have a chance to disarm you instead. Winglets –Your Winglets let you glide, slowing your falling speed to one tenth and allowing you to move at your normal speed in any horizontal axis while doing so. Alternately, they can be used to triple your athleticism for the purpose of a single jump Wisdom of the Ages –gain a constant, passive buff to your intelligence based on the time since your last death.

Sapphire, Level 5 Kobold Runt BeastmasterMonster, Kobold, Runt, Champion, ExplicitExperience to level up – N/AAttributesStrength 20 + 10 Dexterity 54 + 10 Endurance 20 + 10Charisma 27 Manipulation 32 Appearance 31Perception 41 Intelligence 32 Wits 32SkillsArchery 28 + 10Stealth 25 (In Combat + 10)Dodge 25 + 10Melee 20 + 10Athleticism 19Awareness 17Survival 13Craft (Mechanism) 8Occult (In Combat + 10)FeatsBeastmaster's Boon – You can convince animals to join you as permanent companions. You can have a total of (Survival/10 = 1) companions at a time, and you give your companions benefits beyond other animals that follow you. Your companions are level locked to one level beneath your own, and you gain their experience.Beastmaster's Boon (Permanence) – your companions will never leave you. When your companion would be killed, instead they are knocked unconscious so long as you live. Attacks against your unconscious companions will deal damage to you instead.Champion – Your Liege has selected you to be one of their permanent companions. Unless given a different order by your Liege, their servant will serve you as if you were them. Your level is locked to ½ of your liege's level, rounded up. Your liege gains all of your experience and fame. Unlocks Champion Fame Options for your liege. You will always respawn with your liege.Kobold Ingenuity – Treat your craft (Mechanism) as (Your Level) higher for the purposes of crafting traps. You may count your Craft (Mechanism) as any other Craft skill at half as high when making components for traps. Liege – You have chosen another monster to be your Liege. It is harder for you to lie to or work against your Liege. Your Liege may choose to impart a number of benefits to you. Liege (Empowered, Combat Suite) – Gain one time experience as if you had defeated your liege in combat. Gain a passive buff to your combat skills and Physical Attributes equal to your Liege's Level. Gain a combat feat from your Liege's race.Liege (Fire Breath ) – Can make a Ranged Spell Attack, treating Occult as 10 higher than it is for the purpose of hitting, at Occult feet range. Deals Fire damage, has a chance to set foes on fire.Monstrous Appearance – when attempting to use Appearance in a positive way on creatures without the Monster subtype, count it at 20 points lower until the target gets used to you. Runt – Strength and Endurance are lower than for an average member of your race, dexterity is raised. All social stats are halved when dealing with members of your own race. It is harder for you to raise physical stats.

Hyena, level 4 HyenaAnimal, Hyena, CompanionExperience to Level UP: N/AAttributesStrength 36 +10 Dexterity 19 +10 (Error, Form Cap 19) Endurance 36 +10Charisma 15 Manipulation 15 Appearance 20Perception 30 Intelligence 15 Wits 30SkillsBrawling 25 (in combat +10)Survival 25Awareness 20Presence 10Occult 0 (in combat +10)FeatsAnimal – You lack sentience. Your Skill and Attribute points are assigned automatically.Companion – You serve another as their loyal companion. Your level is locked to one below theirs, and they gain your experience. They may allocate your Skill and Attribute points (Overrides Animal)Liege – You (Or your master) have chosen another monster to be your Liege. It is harder for you to lie to or work against your Liege. Your Liege may choose to impart a number of benefits to you. Liege (Empowered, Combat Suite) – Gain one time experience as if you had defeated your liege in combat. Gain a passive buff to your combat skills and Physical Attributes equal to your Liege's Level. Gain a combat feat from your Liege's race.Liege (Fire Breath ) – Can make a Ranged Spell Attack, treating Occult as 10 higher than it is for the purpose of hitting, at Occult feet range. Deals Fire damage, has a chance to set foes on fire.Natural Weapons –You are in possession of a set of Natural Weapons. You are immune to Disarm attacks. However, crippling effects have a chance to disarm you instead.

Feathers, Level 5 Goblin BarbarianMonster, Goblin, Champion, ExplicitExperience to Level Up: N/AAttributesStrength 32 Dexterity 28 Endurance 30Charisma 21 Manipulation 25 Appearance 31Perception 24 Intelligence 31 Wits 31SkillsBrawling 30Melee 30Survival 22Athletics 19Resistance 17Medicine 15FeatsBarbarian - When fighting you are liable to enter into a mindless fury, gaining a bonus to your strength and endurance equal to your level, but losing the same from your Perception, Intelligence, and Wits. You will gain further Rage Abilities every 5 levelsChampion – Your Liege has selected you to be one of their permanent companions. Unless given a different order by your Liege, their servants will serve you. Your level is locked to ½ of your liege's level, rounded up. Your liege gains all of your experience and fame. Unlocks Champion Fame Options for your liege. You will always respawn with your liege.Goblin Fury (Empowered) – When fighting foes larger than yourself, you are liable to enter into a mindless fury, gaining a bonus to your strength and endurance equal to your level, but losing the same from your Perception, Intelligence, and Wits. Due to your class, While Raging you also gain Damage Resistance equal to your level against mundane weapons, and further bonuses as you gain levels.Monstrous Appearance – when attempting to use Appearance in a positive way on creatures without the Monster subtype, count it at 20 points lower until the target gets used to youLiege – You have chosen another monster to be your Liege. It is harder for you to lie to or work against your Liege. Your Liege may choose to impart a number of benefits to you.Rage (Unbreakable) - When raging, gain damage resistance equal to your level against mundane weaponry.