The Hunter's Guide to Monsters

"Should you be offering Temple items to strangers?"

The docent smiled briefly as they reached the end of the stairwell, entering the chamber to the vault. "We docents have some leeway. Many of the items stored here are donations after all, earned by our words and work."

He took out the key, a cube with arcane symbols on the sides and placed it on the pedestal. The walls of the empty stone chamber were suddenly full of shelves. Several trunks were stacked in one part, labeled. One had a crack near the edge of the metal band that circled its body, and the gleam of golden drax shone through.

"We only have six Unique items in storage – most of the others were taken to the capital. Not very many for a temple of Telanweth, yes? A poor haul for a robber." His lips slanted with restrained anger, his eyes flashed.

"You should probably change the location of your vault," Krow mentioned, turning his attention to the  shelf of Unique items. "That guy didn't seem the type to accept failure."

"My thoughts are the same," the docent nodded. "Hence the…offer you refused."

Yeah, failed-robber guy would probably coldly state something like 'To not learn from mistakes is to be a fool, and I, have never thought myself a fool.' Then he'd pull his sword from the scabbard and hold it until it reflected his eyes on the blade or something similarly melodramatic.

Krow straightened from his perusal of the shelves. He tilted his head.

How to say this….

"Can I have two Rares instead of the Unique?"

Because honestly, the Uniques in this vault were trash.

Docent, if the capital Temple left these with you for the value, you've been duped sideways and under.

Glarewood Ranger Bow, Infinity Glaive, Sylvandawn Boar Tendon, Phoenix Crystal Down, Stygian Steel Ingot, Seatalon Chakram.

The weapons were definitely Unique, made with expensive materials, excellent quality. The problem was, the creation pattern for these Uniques had been posted on the forums two months ago by a craftmaster quitting the game.

The market was saturated.

No one would buy even at the steep, steep discount of 30k drax.

At most, deconstructing them down to base materials could sell at eleven to fifteen thousand drax. Most Uniques cost over a hundred thousand.

The Tendon and the Steel Ingot were D- Uniques. A master enchanter might be able to do something, but they'd just clutter up Krow's Inventory.

The only need he had for Phoenix Crystal Down was to sacrifice it to Telanweth in a ritual, but there was a reason people didn't sacrifice things like slug pearls to the Divines, no matter how valuable and rare.

"You can have two Uniques, if you wish," the docent said dryly.

Krow peered at him. Was he serious?

Even with the loss of value, fifteen thousand drax was not a small sum. In Zushkenar, only mage-crafters, established merchants, and nobles could earn that much in a year.

The draculkar nodded, motioning encouragement.

Krow crossed his arms. "This isn't the actual vault, is it?"

"Why would you say that?"

Krow laughed, suspicion confirmed.

This was Telanweth, the patron the underground chose to be their deity of greed, of cunning and trickery.

"Alright then, thank you!" Cheered, Krow with no further ado took the Bow and the Chakram.

He disappeared the items into his inventory.

He'd initially thought he'd use the grade B Rare feathers on the vault shelves for his and Sein's spirit-binding, but he'd just go with the original plan and use his grade C Rare condorowl feathers.

He tripped out of the vault, smiling.

"Krow! You're alright!"

Krow grinned at Sein, waved at the kid and the impatient-looking Einel standing with him. The two Guards obviously keeping an eye on them told Krow the reason for the girl's irritation.

He walked the docent over to them. "Einel, Sein, this--"

"Docent," one of the Guards interrupted. "We found them loitering behind the altar."

"We were waiting for Krow," Sein huffed. He turned to Krow and the docent. "They wouldn't let us explore."

The docent smiled painfully at Sein. "All are welcome to walk the Temple, but today, not to explore, I think."

The Guards looked disappointed that they wouldn't get to arrest someone.

Murder always made law enforcement jittery.

Krow continued his introduction.  "This is Docent Ordoi of the Temple. You probably met his great-nephew. He was the youngest Guard, I think."

Einel nodded once.

Sein chortled at the docent. "Your nephew tripped three times just walking down the hall."

A very new Guard. No wonder the training sergeant looked so drained.

The docent sighed. "He was very excitable as a child. He made a good decision, joining the Guard. You are here to bind an object, I hear? I will prepare the main altar for you."

"Really, the big one!"

Krow eyed the docent. "Are you sure? There are things waiting for you, aren't there?"

"It's but the work of a minute," the docent waved him off. "It is good to be working. The people need to see we are working as usual. Besides, my nephew is not yet here. Come, come, young sirs, young miss."

The warm welcome of the docent had the Guards relaxing.

It was indeed the work of a minute to prepare the ritual circle on the main altar. The docent worked with practiced, easy motions, then finally, lit the two flames in the sacrificial bowls.

He looked at them. "Who is to do the bind? If you need a moment to practice the Chant?"

Krow shook his head, stepped forward. "Sein's going to do the same binding after me."

The docent obligingly pulled the boy to the side to check his knowledge of the Chant. Krow had already given Sein a copy, but it was less than a half-hour ago.

He placed his emptied [Starseeker Traveler Pack] on the altar.

Telanweth had an affinity to items connected to air, plus items that were food. So his ritual sacrifices were already in his Inventory.

-

[Favel's Berrybar]

[Freshness: 97%] [Quality: S]

-

[Ethereal Condorowl Flight Feather]

[Quality: C][Rare]

-

Krow placed the apple on the left flame, the feather on the right flame, then stepped back to the circle that denoted the supplicant. He took one golden drax and thirteen silver serpens, poured them into the offering bowl.

He took a breath.

He'd only done this in Zushkenar, never in the game.

[Telanweth gidon…]

The flames reared high at the first words, covering the sacrifices.

Huh.

That hadn't happened before. Redlands definitely had more deliberate special effects. He filled his lungs and restarted, rolling the words off his tongue, letting the words launch themselves into the air with his breath.

[Telanweth gidon, Cioth karhan adon]

[Urkameth siethanwe djaren siddath, mur siddath urkkath]

[Oth-aval, Telanweth, dur bredthen dath Ilas Krow]

[Japuri ben kathra, ben har, ovan sieth Bethal!]

The flames burned gold, then died down. The feather and apple disappeared with the blaze.

"Excellent success." The docent looked surprised. "There are usually red shadows in the flame."

Krow shrugged.

Premium perk?

He thought he'd run out of those by now.

The docent smiled a little. "Good pronunciation. Very soulful."

"That was how the old man always said it!"

"I see. It's an old technique, for memorization, to half-sing the words. Young Sein, did you hear?"

Sein nodded, the seriousness of his expression diminished by the fact that he was all but bouncing on his toes with anticipation.

Really? He'd learned the Grenod Temple Chant first, after all.

He stepped toward the altar to take the results. The Traveler Pack was still black, but now had fittings colored matte gold. It looked a little bit more durable than before.

[Starseeker Travelpack]

[Lvl 3/80]

[Quality: B][Rare]

Hah! Krow whooped internally in glee.

It really was a levelable item.

He had a real, actual Levelable Item in his hands.

Krow knew his information was true and legitimate. He'd seen a few Starseeker items in Zushkenar, which is why he bought those crates of Traveler items, but still…it was different having a tangible Levelable Item in his possession.

Crafted items in Redlands and Zushkenar were Upgradable.

But most were definitely not Levelable.

It was a property that, in Redlands, was only inherent in objects that had the word 'star' in the title. And as far as Krow knew, only Starfall items which were starting gear, and Starseeker items which were only available in starting villages, had the option.

He had a suspicion that any items made of starweave cloth would also be levelable.

He equipped the upgraded Travelpack.

[Congratulations! You have connected a Spirit-Bound Bag to your Inventory! You are allowed to connect three (3) Bags to your Inventory space.]

A set of Slots labeled 'Bag' were added to his Inventory. It was only sixteen slots, but the 70 starting slots of his avatar Inventory were already three-quarters filled.

A smile stretched across his face.

It wasn't expanded storage. It could only take items under a certain size limit.

But it was added storage space. And it was levelable.

He turned to grin at Sein. "Ready?"

The boy nodded, determined. He took the coins and sacrifices that Krow handed him – the same rarity and quality of items, and the second [Starseeker Traveler Pack].

The docent lit the flames again, with a wave of his hand and a single Word.

Sein stepped forward. The careful way he followed Krow's earlier movements exactly, gave him an air of cuteness he'd never admit to at his age.

[Telanweth gidon, Ciothkar…Cioth karhan adon]

He inhaled, then said the next lines slowly, brows crinkling as he recited, trying to infuse the proper tone to the words.

[Urk…urkameth siethanwe djaren siddath, mur siddath urkkath]

[Oth-aval, Telanweth, dur bredthen dath Seinalt Garvan al Treblach-kedau]

[Japuri ben kathra, ben har, ovan sieth Bethal!]

The flames burned gold, same as Krow's. They died down, sacrifices nowhere to be seen.

They smiled at the kid when he whooped and ran to the altar.

It was the same.

[Starseeker Travelpack]

[Lvl 2/80]

[Quality: B][Rare]

"Excellent success, also," the docent murmured.

Sein beamed.

"Do you know why?"

Krow had no answer. Sein shook his head, eyes widening expectantly.

"I expect, you gathered the primary sacrifice material yourselves. To have suffered for a sacrifice, the ritual is stronger." The docent frowned. "I do not know what to think of your rashness, however, as I understand that you both have faced a condorowl in a death fight for those feathers?"

Sein's eyes widened. "It was an accident!"

Einel, who'd been chilling nearby, leaning on a pillar, made herself known by a soft clearing of her throat. "Is it done?"

Sein ran to her side, showing her the travelpack. "I can take more things with me now!"

Einel subtly sent Krow an accusing look.

Alright, maybe he suspected that the kid had a penchant for running into trouble, mostly by running directly at it. But a bag would just give him room for a bigger survival kit until he earned his expanded storage, right?

"Father would speak to you before we leave," she only said.

That meant she agreed with him.

He grinned.

Maybe she was even coming to view him as a possible friend!

He glanced at her, then immediately reconsidered that thought.

The docent put away the ritual tools. "You are not leaving with the caravan?"

"We are going in different directions, I think." Krow was fairly certain, from the riders' gossip, the caravan was going to Velkenbragg, then over the mountains to Gulmenel.

Sein skipped over to them, proudly wearing his new travelpack. "What does it mean, the Chant?"

The docent smiled gently at him. "The first line is a hailing, indicating understanding of Telanweth's role in the cosmos. The second…hm, it reflects the manner of ritual you perform. The third line is a statement of self, a glorifying; and the last is a humbling. The understanding is different, for different people. There are many interpretations."

It was a made-up language, the Blessed Words used in all the Temple Chants. The actual official translations were never released.

But there had been a player contest for best unofficial translation of several Chants, sponsored by RSI. Krow's favorite wasn't the one that won, not even in the top ten.

It didn't receive a prize, but something about it caught his eye.

-

Telanweth, of flowing greatness, who watches over the soul of Creation,

The powers of the world are bound in your eyes, as I am bound to the world.

I greet you, Telanweth, in the name of Ilas Krow,

Born with a heart free, a soul pure, under the gaze of the Divines!

-

It was the only one of six in the top hundred entries that didn't directly promise worship.

*

Krow realized he forgot to do one thing they walked out of the Temple.

He leaned down slightly.

"This Starseeker Travelpack is a bit special..."

Sein looked at him, confused.

"What?"

"If it wasn't special, why would you spirit-bind it?" The kid said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"…anyway, it'll grow tougher and more magical as you grow in strength and age. By the time you're as old as I am, you could probably enchant it with expanded storage. So take care of it, alright?"

"Really?" Sein thrilled, then eyed Krow and deflated. "You're already so old though…I have to wait that long?"

"Brat, I'm very young."

In draculkar terms, thirty-five was barely out of human-equivalent teens!

"If you say so."