Rebirth and Second Chances

Chapter 12: Binding

[Spit will allow you to create a temporary bond, as long as you possess the ring and it remains in contact with your body the link will exist.]

[A blood bond is more permanent. As long as the blood courses through your veins, as long as you live, the link will exist. The ring cannot be stolen, bartered, or traded and will always return to your hand no matter where or how.]

[A semen bond is generational. As long as an heir of your body exists, no matter how faint the bloodline becomes, they and all their descendants can form a life bond. It will tie all the family members into a network of uses and if stolen or lost will seek out and return to the closest person linked. If the ring has any special properties, those properties can be shared between each person that is linked.]

"Can the type of bond be upgraded? If I chose blood for now, can I overwrite that bond with semen later?" I asked.

[Yes. But once an object has been linked by semen, it upgrades to artifact quality and can only be passed down using that type of binding connection.]

"I wonder what it does," I mused continuing to examine the crystal.

Searching the room for something to cut my finger and failing to find anything, I entered the closet.

Caraid was correct, the clothes in there were serviceable, but that was about that best that could be said about them. There was a cloak that had a clasp attached that would work to pierce my flesh. Grabbing that, I stuck my index finger, squeezing out a drop of blood.

As the blood dropped on the crystal, a transformation began to take place, the warm tones from my skin and fire highlights in my hair and eyes began to be reflected. The ring began to throb in sync with my heartbeat.

The silver remained, but instead of a solid band of silver, Celtic knots and twists formed, as the crystal slowly dematerialized and reformed, merging with the ring. As the dull and tarnished semblance of the ring was surrounded by a crystal lattice of aquamarine, the ring's ability to reflect light became clear.

Light separated into a prism of colors as they rebound and flashed across the myriad embedded crystals. A setting with characteristics and form very similar to the infinity symbol I used to twist magical energy for spells seemed to reach out from the band of the ring and grab the much smaller crystal, welding the ring and aquamarine, creating a setting that was intricate yet subtle.

Once the transformation was complete, the ring continued to pulse with my heartbeat. And with each beat, the color of the crystal transitioned from the blue of aquamarine to a fiery red like an opal. Extending my perception, I tried to discover the properties of the rings.

[RING OF HIDDEN DEPTHS

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QUALITY: LEGENDARY

ATTRIBUTES: +2 TO ALL STATS (CAN BE UPGRADED)

SPATIAL CONTAINMENT: WEIGHT REDUCTION 90%

20 CUBIC FEET OF SPACE (CAN BE UPGRADED)

SOUL REALM - A RIFT IN TIME AND SPACE IS CONTAINED WITHIN THIS RING. A DOORWAY THAT ALLOWS THE USER TO ENTER A REALM WHERE THE USER CAN SEND SPIRITUAL ENERGIES. THE SOUL REALM MAY BE USED TO TRAIN IN COMBAT TECHNIQUES AND MAGIC ABILITIES. NO EXPERIENCE GAINS ARE AVAILABLE DURING TRAINING]

[Interesting. I've never heard of an item that allowed an individual to enter and visit a soul realm. In fact, this is the first time I've even heard a soul realm existed.] Caraid said.

[Portals exist for the Sidhe to access the Summerlands, but as far as I'm aware that is the only extra-dimensional traveling anyone on any world has access to.]

[Between planets, certainly.]

[Between realms?]

[You might want to keep that attribute secret. Especially until you find out what visiting that soul realm entails.]

Silently agreeing with Caraid, I searched the closet I was standing in for the items he had mentioned. The top shelf only contained one bag. Using my perception skill, I identified it as a bag of holding that reduced the weight of items placed inside by 20 percent. Not a great conversion ratio, especially if bags of holding existed that reduced weight by 100%. I'd discovered those types of bags in past games I'd played and the attributes for my ring suggested that at least 90% weight reduction was possible.

Opening the bag, I found it nicely organized. A HUD display with partitions was displayed once I infused a bit of my intent and will. Individual fields existed. One filled with a flask, one with herbs of some type, and one with a few low-quality gems.

"Anything interesting about the flask or herbs?" I asked.

[Not really.]

[The flask is enchanted. It can never empty and keeps water cold.]

[The herbs are something I eat when I'm tired but need to stay alert. Harmless stimulants.]

[The gems are inexpensive and low quality. I was attempting to learn how to create formation arrays]

"Formation arrays?"

[It's the method most often used to power permanent magical constructs. I had thought to become a Formation Master as my profession.]

I sorted through Caraid's clothing as we spoke, dismissing most, before grabbing a pair of shorts and an oversized shirt that I could wear, the best that he had available. After changing clothes, I walked into the main room, surveying it one final time, hoping to find some keepsake or memento that Caraid may have treasured.

There was nothing.

My opinion of Lord Kel was plummeting as I inspected Caraid's possessions. He may have elevated Caraid from drudgery and obsolescence. But he'd obeyed Duke A'Daoine's instruction narrowly. Following the letter of the law but ignoring the real meaning and obligations he owed both his liege lord and his ward.

"Caraid, before we leave, would you explain the ranking system for items and levels? These gems are of poor quality. What quality rankings are there?"

[Levels don't just apply to only people and ranks. I mentioned a Formation Master as a profession. Rankings are also used to distinguish abilities and rarity between professions, items, buildings, and lands.]

[Advancement in Ranking is possible through hard work, diligence, and ability for Professions and Craftsmen. Experience can be gained similarly to those that focus on combat rank ups. Producing better quality items, researching new innovations, or mentoring apprentices are the method Production type classes gain experience and gain levels and ranks. The Production Ranks include Apprentice, Journeyman, Expert, Master, Grandmaster, and Legendary Grandmaster.]

[Item ranks are based on durability, rarity, and enchantments. They are classified as poor, common, good, excellent, superior, and perfect. In a very few instances, an item has the ability to scale, so it can grow from poor quality to perfect. Those items are supremely rare and are often soul bound when found.]

[Soulbound items can be transferred between people as long as both parties in the trade are in agreement, but any attempt at coercion will fail and the System considers attempts at stealing these items tantamount to oath-breaking. Wild hunts have been summoned and released on those who have tried.]

"That's the second or third time I've heard that term. What is a Wild hunt?"

[The Wild Hunt?]

[The Sidhe boogeyman.]

[Everyone fears the Wild Hunt.]

[They are Justice. Vengeance. Retribution.]

[Hope to never see them.]