(Path of the Dragon Mage: Exiled) Parting Advice 2 (Patreon)

Note: Hope you like chapters with a little crunch. 

Larissa took Gwen through the steps to show her sheet to the rest of the party.

Name: Gwen

Gender: Female

Path: Wind Runner

Sub-class: Not set

Level 1

0/100

100 XP until level 2

Special Attributes:

Daughter of the Horse Man

Your father’s wide respect and renown also brings favor upon you. +3 Charisma, additional renown to other horse clans. (Amount of renown varies by clan). Enemies of Kale Horse Man will also be your enemies.

Horse Whisperer

You have known and trusted horse-kind all your life. Now, even unfamiliar equines and horse-type creatures will know and trust you. +10% to all animal handling skills. +10% to all riding skills. Substantially increased chance of being able to calm agitated horses. Creatures which see horses as prey will show marked aggression towards you. 

Bonded Companion - NightShade (Horse)

Attribute

Strength: 15

Speed: 18

Stamina: 12

Dexterity: 15

Charisma: 15

(12 + 3 - Daughter of Horseman)

Intelligence: 15

Wisdom: 9


Skills:

Animal Handling – Beginner 2

Horse Riding – Beginner 3

Trick Riding – Beginner 1

Bonded Companion:

Name: NightShade

Race: Horse (Mountain Heavy breed)

Level 1

0/100

100 XP until level 2

Special Attributes:

Bonded Companion:

You are not alone in this world. As your bonded partner grows, so shall you. You are non-species specific special attributes. In addition, your partner's growth in any general skill will reflect directly on to you at a 25% initial rate, 10% after.

Mountain Heavy

Better, stronger, faster and more intelligent than a normal horse, you can almost be considered a different species. This effect is compounded when bonded to a partner. +5 strength, +5 Speed, +10 intelligence.

Attributes

Strength: 25

(20 + 5 Mountain Heavy)

Speed: 20

(15 + 5 Mountain Heavy_

Stamina: 17

Dexterity: 15

Charisma: 10

Intelligence: 15

(5 + 10 intelligence)

Wisdom: 8


Current Essences:

Companion

1/1 Spells

Deep companion communication - 01/10 essence

“Such a fresh sheet,” Larissa marveled.

Gwen scowled at it. “Says I’m beginner rider. I’m beginner nothin’ when it comes to riding. Started me at zero like I was a child.”

“The same happened to me for literacy,” Corvus said. “I bet when you reach level five it will make it a general skill – That will give you more bonuses and other advantages.”

“Whatever it takes to stop feeling like a sack of potatoes on NightShade’s back.”

“I didn’t notice a decline in your riding,” Corvus said.

“You wouldn’t. NightShade sure did.”

NightShade lifted his upper lip over his horsey teeth in agreement.

Larissa ignored their byplay, still studying the sheet. “The Companion addition is new. Then again, I’ve never had much use for pets. That’s what my husband is for.”

Corvus looked around the well lived space. “Where is he?”

“Oh, out doing his thing. He sells carpets down at Merchant’s Row. He could put you to sleep with talks of weaves and colors of dye, but he’s a good man. Gentle. Helps balance out my rough edges.” Larissa swiped her hand through the air, dismissing the sheet. Strange, considering she wasn’t even ‘looking’ at it. “I wish I could figure out how to open the Paths for him, but…”

“If I find a reliable method, I’ll send word,” Corvus promised. It was the least he could do for her.

“You do that. Now, is that Companion Essence what I think it is?”

Corvus nodded. “Similar to the Silver Moon essence. Companion animals consume them, and it gives them abilities like our attributes and spells do for us.”

“Corvus said you had extra moon essences,” Gwen said hopefully.

“I have a giant jar of the things,” Larissa corrected. “You can’t have the ones my husband uses for the lamps, but I don’t see why you can’t have the rest. Now, as for your sheet you have the right idea of leveling up skills having to do with your path. He,” Larissa pointed a finger at Corvus, “picked an obscure Path having to do with dragons. You weren’t silly enough to make that mistake.”

“Dragon Mage isn’t obscure!”

“You don’t see many dragon related skills, do you? Oh, you might get some now with your little friend there, but until that point you’ve focused on other things. Literacy,” she snorted.

Corvus opened his mouth to tell her that Literacy was a very important skill – didn’t Larissa once say she regularly read forbidden texts in the library? But she already turned her attention back to Gwen.

“The sample size of Path Walkers is depressingly small, but far as I can tell there are two ways to go about it. You friend Corvus is more of a generalist. Corvus, show us your sheet.”

He did and Gwen’s eyes widened as she saw the list of his skills.

“All over the place, aren’t they?” Larissa said. “Young man, I can see your blood pressure rising. I am not criticizing you, and being general isn’t a bad thing. It makes you more well-rounded – and apparently well read. His Literacy is a match for his Combat skills.”

“A King needs to be well educated,” he grumbled.

“The other way is to focus on skills that will point you to the apex of your Path. It trims your overall choices down. Corvus’s first sub-class choices were all over the place, from Scullery Boy to Foot Soldier to Hedge Witch. Yours are narrowly focused, I’ll bet.”

Gwen nodded, but didn't share what they were. Her brows pinched in thought.

“Focus on your Path related skills,” Larissa advised. “I can see you’re a point a to point b person. Corvus meanders, though he gets there in the end. There’s nothing wrong with either approach,” she added. “And he was right that your animal handling, riding, or both will likely become General skills-- though I believe you'll have less General skills than him. Lean into them and build them as your strength.”

Gwen thought for a moment. “So I should ditch sewing lessons and work on shooting arrows from NightShade’s back?”

“That’s about the size of it,” Larissa said before turning to Corvus. “You didn’t pick the Jack of All Trades path, but there’s nothing wrong with exploring your options. Maybe you should take up your friend's sewing duties.”

He screwed up his nose at that thought, then remembered Larissa had once strongly considered being a seamstress. She didn’t look down at the profession at all. “I suppose it’s possible to sew runes in clothing…”

Larissa flashed a brilliant smile which showed a few missing teeth. “That’s exactly how I want you to think of it. Leather working too, in case you think knitting socks is above your station. Remember, it’s all about your mindset.” She reached over and touched his temple. “Now, let’s see about those essences.”

She turned and strode purposely out the back, leaving Gwen and Corvus to exchange startled looks. When it came to Larissa, she tended to set the pace and expected everyone else to keep up.

They followed her through the small house to a tiny private back garden. The walls were high, though NightShade, who was of a size of a Cart Horse, ducked his head anyway. Larissa pointed to some spouts sitting in a raised bed. “Make sure he doesn’t eat any of my vegetables. I’ve just developed a skill for gardening, and I intend to put some of those pumpkins up in the autumn fair.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” Gwen said again.

There was a small building out back normally used to store gardening equipment. When Larissa opened it, however, the shelves were stacked high with treasure. Exquisite scorpion carapaces, a number of swords both large and small, and other magical items. There was also a large glowing jar stuffed full of silver moon orbs.

“Where did you get all this?” Gwen asked.

“Looting mobs. This is just the stuff I haven’t fenced yet or want to keep for myself.” She gestured to a scorpion tail with a barb longer than Corvus was tall. “That was my first Daughter Scorpion kill. Good times.”

“You’re not worried anyone would steal this?” Gwen was boggling at a stack of gold coins in the corner.

“Young Lady, I am the village’s Long-Eyes. I’m also level seventy-two. Anyone who tried would be kicked so hard they'd get a taste of my boot.”

“… Oh.”

Larissa reached up and grabbed the large jar. It shimmered like a pool of moonlight in her hands. 

Charm, who had been unusually quiet in the face of the woman, chirruped in interest.

“I’ll part with ten essences to each of you as a parting gift,” Larissa said. “The rest I’ll need to keep. Otherwise my husband will be bumping around the shed and cut himself on one of my swords.”

Giving up twenty of the priceless essences was more than generous. 

“Thank you,” Corvus said.

Larissa shrugged it off. “I'll see what essences I can pick up in the future. Next time we meet, we'll have ourselves a good trade. Now, let’s see how this words.” Opening the lid, she poured out the essences on the shed's rough wooden table. 

Corvus picked up one and held it up to Charm who was looking on from his shoulder. “What do you think?”

Can I eat it?

“Yes, you may—”

She snatched it out of his hand before he had time to finish and gobbled it down like a snake eating an egg. The glow of the moon essence was briefly visible as it traveled down her neck. It faded once it reached her stomach.

Ding!

Your Companion has consumed one Silver Moon Essence

6 essences of 10 to intermediate.

Another? Charm asked, eyeing the pile greedily.

Corvus grabbed another and offered it to her. As he did, Gwen did the same for NightShade who sniffed the orb suspiciously. Once he gently took it in his teeth and swallowed, Gwen gave a start.

“I just received a notification.”

“Well, share it with the party, just how I told you with the sheet,” Larissa said.

Ding!

Moon essence ability has been added. Choose from one of the following (horse) moon essences spells.

Eye of the moon

Moonlit Hooves

Silver Constitution

“Those are different from Charm’s choices,” Corvus said.

"No moon breath," Gwen agreed. "Give me a few minutes to think about which we'll choose. I want to see what happens when Charm hits Intermediate."

Gwen wasn't the only one who wanted to see. 

Charm she was already on her third essences and didn’t look like she was getting full any time soon. She had already received five while in the egg so she had a couple more to go.

Finally, when Charm reached her tenth essence he received a new notification.

Ding!

Charm has received 10/10 Silver Moon essences. Breath of the Silver Moon has been moved from beginner to intermediate. 

Mana cost is lowered. Moon Breath is now available in the day light when the moon is present. 

“That happens with General Skills, too,” Larissa commented once Corvus shared the notification. “Generally the cost goes down, and functionality ticks up. Though occasionally you’ll get a complete evolution into something fun and new. The real power begins at advanced… but you kids have a long Path to travel before you get there.”

Charm had previously gained access to five moon essences while in the egg. She still had five from Larissa’s pile to go. Corvus fed her another, fully expecting to see her Moon Breath spell jump to Intermediate 2.

Instead he received a surprising message.

You have gained access to a beginner level new spell. If chosen, future Silver Moon essences can be added to one available Silver Moon essence spell. 

New spells:

Moon Illusion

Moon Claw

Luck of the Moon

The last two were the same choices before. The new addition, Luck of the Moon, seemed to provide a boost to Corvus when he looted creatures under the moon. That seemed highly specific and didn’t help Charm directly. 

“How about the Moon Illusion?” he asked. “If it works like I hope, you won’t have to hide in my jacket all the time.” A baby dragon wouldn’t be able to do that long, anyway.

Charm, who seemed to be mostly sated by the amount of moon essences she’d eaten, nodded.

“Oh, this can get expensive very fast,” Larissa commented.

Her theory was proven out. With each new Silver Moon essence, Corvus was given the choice to level up either her Moon Breath spell or the new Moon Illusion spell. Not both. He chose to put the last of the essences towards Illusion, hoping to get that to intermediate someday.

Meanwhile, Gwen had not been idle. After some discussion, she and NightShade picked Moonlit Hooves. 

In Corvus's opinion, it was not the most interesting spell.

Moonlit Hooves:

Under moonlight, horse will be twice as swift and twice as strong, hooves and teeth as sharp as a clear night sky. Direct moonlight will create a negligible mana draw.

Then, when NightShade reached Intermediate on the tenth essences, it ranked up. 

Ding!

Moon Lit Hooves

Intermediate – Horse will now be able to step on beams of moonlight for short periods of time.

Gwen’s eyes widened. “Does that mean what I think it means?”

Corvus nodded. He had been very, very wrong on the usefulness of that spell.

“That will be fun,” Larissa said, “Just make sure you practice close to the ground until you get a hand of it.”

“Wow,” Gwen said. “I can’t wait until nightfall.”