Chapter 43: Skills

Chapter 43: Skills

Two new classes. Both were very similar in description. Leif was at a loss, which should he pick? [Attuned: Life] or [Adept]?

Both?

Neither?

He knew from pestering both Marcus and Sieg that one of the strongest arguments against filling up all your class slots was that low level classes granted a whole lot of skills. And if you went over a certain limit you wouldn’t be able to gain levels.

Leif looked between both classes, he had no idea what to do. Luckily there was a campsite full of academics nearby. He had time to go over the options with people more knowledgeable than himself, so he would.

He turned his attention to the first of his skill options. [Veil of Nature] and [Embolden Vegetation].

The first was difficult to get a solid grasp of. Initially Leif thought it might be an aura skill but he shouldn’t get one of those until level thirty in his [Amber Blight Spriggan] class. Or whatever it will evolve into.

Instead it was a perception skill, or rather, the opposite of a perception skill. A stealth skill, a way to hide himself and those nearby.

No, that's not quite right. It has some protective capabilities as well. He realised, studying more closely the feeling he got from the skill.

As for the other skill. It seemed decent actually. [Embolden Vegetation] would, quite simply, allow him to empower any plant he touched. Leif was a plant, so the skill should work if he used it on himself. Right?

Just from Leif’s initial evaluation of both skills he was leaning towards [Embolden Vegetation], but it would be smart to look over the other options before making a decision.

The next two skills were [Nature’s Beacon] and [Amber Steps]. The first skill had a social aspect, he felt it resonate slightly with his [Noble] class perk. He could call animals to his location, or potentially direct them to a place of his choice.

Leif looked around at the piles of sleeping forest critters. Birds and rats, hogs and squirrels. I don’t think I need any more of them. I have no idea how they’re keeping themselves fed either. From what he knew these animals should be eating far more than they were currently consuming.

Hogs were notoriously destructive foragers, and while they did wander off at times to eat, these outings weren’t anywhere near as frequent as the spriggan would have thought. But if they were healthy and happy he wouldn’t complain.

As for [Amber Steps]...

Oh wow, that’s amazing. I’m definitely picking this.

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Amber Steps:

Aspects: Technique (Teleportation) (Movement) (Time)

Your every step echoes into the past. You may teleport to a location you recently occupied.

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Aspects: Analysis

You may analyse a target to determine if their combat experience is greater, lesser or equivalent to your own.

Analysis may fail if the target is significantly more powerful.

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He immediately used it on the hog.

Combat experience: Lesser!

I don’t know what I expected.

Finally Leif returned to the first pair of skills. He still couldn’t get a clear read on what [Veil of Nature] could truly do. Picking it would be a gamble, one that may or may not pay off. Ultimately Leif made the simple choice and picked [Embolden Vegetation].

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Embolden Vegetation:

Aspects: Empowerment (Nature) (Body)* (Life)

Touch a plant to spur it to rapid growth and recovery. Vegetation you empower with this skill become more resilient and require less nourishment to survive.

The targets of this skill quickly lose the majority of its empowering effects. A small portion of this skill’s effects are maintained but will slowly decay over a longer period of time.

Repeated uses of this skill on the same targets reduce its efficacy.

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Leif’s immediate fear after reading over the skill’s description would be that he couldn’t target himself. After a moment of panic he calmed down, he could indeed feel that his own body was a valid target.

The second question was how long was the ‘slower decay period’? He plodded over to a nearby tree and placed a hand on the trunk. [Embolden Vegetation] triggered and a shudder rippled through the plant’s centre of mass before shooting up its branches and down into its roots.

Almost immediately leaves began to bud, then fully grow in the tree’s canopy. Leif spotted several small branches spread, reaching for the surrounding air like greedy little fingers.

The spriggan could feel the energy thrumming through the tree. A vibrant and potent force that made its vitality hum with delight.

It made Leif curious as to what exactly [Embolden Vegetation] would do for him.

If it makes my mobile form sprout branches I will not be pleased.