The Judge weighed the empty soul with the focus only achieved by the divine. Darkness deep enough to contain worlds veiled the Judge's face. Blinding light draped it like a hooded robe. The soul waited, as it had since its reformation. The line of souls behind it stretched to the edges of perception. A slow day for the Judge.
[Measuring soul…please wait…Measuring soul… please wait…Measuring soul…please wait…]
The Judge didn’t use a voice. It laid its will upon the heavens, and the system took care of the rest. It scanned through the soul’s previous life. Looking for the traces of greatness that the angels sought in their warriors. The soul lost what it was, what it had accomplished, and how it had lived. Its death wiped away everything; the cycle was ready to reclaim it.
[Soul evaluated. 8.2%. Value: low. This soul is not worthy of the Eternal War.]
[Try again? Yes/no]
The soul drifted into the large [yes] floating before it. None of the souls before it had selected no, and it would not be the first.
[Confirmed. Generating genesis.]
More words appeared and disappeared in rapid succession. Breeds of dogs, birds, insects, and other animals. Human, elf, dwarf, sprite, and other humanoids flashed by, but more rarely. The words slowed, spinning slower and slower, nearing a final choice.
[human… northern jackrabbit… greenmoss moth… gremlin. Species selected. Species: gremlin. True name compatible. True name generated: Daggat.]
Statistics flooded the soul’s view.
True Name: Daggat
Soul: Monster
Genseed: gremlin
Monster Level: 1
Attributes:
Strength: 3
Dexterity: 4
Constitution: 3
Intelligence: 2
Will: 3
Charm: 3
Feats:
None
Biotraits:
Base size: Tiny [Source: Gremlin]
Regenerating Teeth [Source: Gremlin]
Enhanced Night Vision [Source: Gremlin]
Disease Resistance [Mutations: Rot Resistance; Source: Gremlin]
Daggat could feel himself fading away as something took him to be born into the world. Then, an alien presence descended upon the soul. It wasn’t dark or evil… but colorful. Wild and free, a bright canopy of infinite colors following no pattern. It… spoke? The words forced themselves into being.
“Well, well, what do we have here, A basic gremlin? We’ve had dozens of those this MINUTE already. Soooo booooring. Standard stats… nothing interesting. Fated to a life of… goblining about. Doing goblin things.” The presence cackled with a voice that sounded like the shattering of worlds. The Judge turned to face the presence.
[Request: Why meddle with this soul?]
“It is within my right, and my purpose. Besides, it's cute.” It turned its attention to Daggat. “Have a variation, little soul. Live an interesting life.” There was a pressure, like a small kiss atop the soul.
A wheel came into existence with a small musical flair. Its size dwarfed planets, yet it appeared confined to this point of the universe. Around its edges were an infinite number of lights. Thin slivers of red and white made the pattern of the wheel’s surface. Each sliver containing one of a myriad of boons, ranging from skills to traits or even soul modifiers. They were in different colors: copper, silver, gold. Some glittered in the light, others wavered as if cursed. The Judge placed their head shaped void into it's hands.
The wheel began to spin. Round and round it went at an impossible speed. An arrow at the top of the wheel made a little clicking noise as it passed each selection. After an age, it began to slow. Slower, slower, and slower still. Finally, it clicked towards its final selection. [Skill: sword-master level 1]… [Biotrait: Drake blood]… [Level boost +10]… finally it teetered on a final selection. [Skill: Skill Absorption]. Well, almost a final selection. In one final moment of chaotic, random selection, it clicked once more and stopped. A silver [Attribute boost: Intelligence +10] rested at the top. Almost reluctantly, Daggat’s statistics changed.
True Name: Daggat
Soul: Monster
Genseed: gremlin
Monster Level: 1
Attributes:
Strength: 3
Dexterity: 4
Constitution: 3
Intelligence: 12
Will: 3
Charm: 3
Feats:
None
Biotraits:
Base size: Tiny [Source: Gremlin]
Regenerating Teeth [Source: Gremlin]
Enhanced Night Vision [Source: Gremlin]
Disease Resistance [Mutations: Rot Resistance; Source: Gremlin]
Other:
Variant: +10 Intelligence
“Ooh, nice! That can be helpful. Have a nice life, little soul.”
With that, the soul faded away to wait to be born. Daggat soon forgot the pains of birth, the first pangs of hunger, thirst, and the blinding light of first sight. So too forgotten was the taste of mother’s milk and the days of being little more than a hungry animal. The first scramble for food with his siblings felt like a distant dream. Daggat’s earliest clear memory was his first kill.
[You have devoured - gremlin, level 1. Experience Gained.]
Teeth covered in blood, hunger finally satiated. Daggat stood over the corpse of one of his siblings. Others of his kin feasted on the scraps of meat left. Life as a gremlin was rough. Only the strongest survived. Daggat was far from the strongest. Among the weakest, actually. But what he had over the others was his wit. Unlike the others, he did not use his small claws, teeth, or pitiful strength to kill. Daggat used a rock. A beautiful instrument of simplicity. A tool perfect for cracking little green skulls.
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Before his first kill, Daggat only ate, grew, and, most importantly, learned. He was beginning to piece together the melodic sounds the adult goblins made into words. An unrefined understanding of language. Picking up the words for goblin, gremlin, food, and levels, among others. He knew that his entire life existed within a large mud pit. One of several he could see. A different generation of gremlins filled each one. A simple fence reinforced the edges, so no gremlins could escape. The goblins tossed young gremlins into the pits. They survived on mud and the vermin fed to them. At some point, the goblins stopped feeding them altogether. Hunger turned to desperation, which soon evolved into aggression. Klaw was the first to kill. He was the largest and strongest of the lot. He simply grabbed the smallest gremlin and ate it, ignoring the squirming limbs.
The other gremlins had green, smooth skin. Generally unbalanced features plagued them. One had a nostril slightly too large. Another had ears that drooped to the ground. The variations of the gremlins were too great to quantify. They only shared a few traits: green-tinted skin, long pointed noses, large floppy ears, and sharp teeth and claws.
One by one, the gremlins disappeared since the first kill. They fell to hunger, only to be eaten by the others. Afraid of being killed by Klaw or another gremlin, Daggat was careful. Eating mouthfuls of scrap and generally staying out of the way. He was getting smaller and smaller compared to the next smallest gremlin. Friends were not a luxury Daggat could have, nor could he view the other gremlins as family. They were rivals and sources of food.
Klaw was also the first to be removed from the mud pits. It happened minutes after his third kill. A goblin leaped into the mud, kicking gremlins out of the way, and simply picked him up. A gremlin named Glut was the next to be removed. A particularly fat gremlin whom Daggat spent a lot of time hovering near. He was a messy eater. Upon his third kill, a goblin removed him from the pit, the same as Klaw. Next was Zuss. A female who was quick and ruthless. She learned early that the throat was a vital place to bite. Something Daggat learned from her. On her third kill, they removed her. With each rival gone, Daggat felt both relief and jealousy. He wanted out as well.
Three kills. That was what it took. Daggat now knew for sure. For the first time in his life, Daggat had a goal other than survival. Three kills. How hard could it be? His first was easy. Daggat was small and lonesome. Keeping away from the more dangerous gremlins and being no threat, few paid attention to him. The poor sap didn’t even expect the attack. Weeks earlier, Daggat had found a stone in the mud. This rock was the first weapon used by a gremlin, as far as Daggat knew. The discovery of rock equals weapon was an accident. Daggat had dropped the stone on his foot. That was when he realized… what if he dropped it REALLY hard on another gremlin? With a crack, Daggat had split the gremlin’s skull, confirming its use as a weapon. He felt a sickening rush. A bloodlust and thrill mixed with a strange apprehension. Like the foundations of his rebellion against acts of cruelty. Excitement, guilt, and hunger battled within him. Hunger won.
After this, the others were wary of him. With the weapon, he could kill anyone not paying attention with ease. It took a clever ruse to clear the second hurdle. Daggat thought long and hard about this plan. Finally, he sat, facing away from the other gremlins. It didn’t take long for a foolish target to approach the “vulnerable” Daggat. This stage in Daggat’s development taught him a lot about gremlin nature. No gremlin could resist easy prey. He listened, waiting. He heard the sloshing of mud. NOW! He twirled around, wielding the stone in both hands, and swung it upwards. It collided with the gremlin’s chin, cracking bone and splintering teeth. The gremlin sprawled backward, too stunned to even scream in pain. Daggat leaped on the gremlin, smashing down with the stone. Again and again, he smashed with every bit of his three strength. Mud and blood mixed, becoming indistinguishable. Finally, it stopped quivering. The guilty feeling was less now, but the thrill was the same. He ate.
[You have devoured - gremlin, level 1. Experience Gained.]
With that, the gremlins feared Daggat. Smallest of the gremlins, yet the strongest. The difference a weapon can make. He tried his trick again, to no avail. No gremlin would allow him near enough to strike. Daggat discovered that he could not easily kill a rival, and he deemed a straight fight far too risky. Lazily tossing the stone one day, he figured out his plan. Smiling evilly to himself, he sat and waited.
The hunger grew. Days passed since the last meal. Daggat could see that he was not the only one. They became restless and anxious. He turned away anyone who came too near him by brandishing his stone. After killing his second gremlin, he searched through the stones and tossed them out of the pit. His was the only weapon.
Finally, it happened. Overcome with hunger, a gremlin leaped at an unsuspecting snack. Soon, they were wrestling in the mud. Scratching and clawing at one another. Daggat watched and waited. His grin grew with every moment. After a minute of tense combat, one had the other pinned, face shoved into the mud. No one knew which was the gremlin who started the fight. Daggat stirred. There was only one shot at this. The mud bubbled and splashed as the weaker gremlin thrashed about. Then, sensing the time was right, Daggat threw the stone. It hit the aggressor’s head with a hollow clonk. This knocked it off its prey, making it scramble away while holding its head. Daggat was already moving. For a brief moment, the near-dead gremlin believed that someone had saved his life. Until Daggat stomped on the back of his neck. He stomped again, putting his full weight into the strikes. Too weak to move, the victim had no chance. Once more, and there was an unsettling crack. He grabbed for a limp arm and bit a chunk out of it like a chicken leg.
[You have devoured - gremlin, level 1. Experience Gained. You have gained one monster level. One Biotrait point awarded. All attributes increased by 1. One growth point available.]
Daggat danced with glee, still standing on his kill. He lifted his arms to receive apotheosis from the pit. But no goblin came. Instead, the other gremlin recovered, standing menacingly in the mud. Its face was a mask of fury. Daggat retreated, moving to the edge of the pit. It dashed at him, crawling through the mud like an animal, blood dripping from its wound. Panic seized Daggat as he searched outside the mud pit. There! The goblin watching the gremlins was asleep. Daggat cried out.
“L…leeva… level!” he tried to speak. He knew the words but had little experience using them. The other gremlin was on him, pulling him into the mud. Grasping at him with stronger arms and larger hands, it had the advantage. Daggat used claws and teeth, pulling at eyes and cheeks, biting hands. Using every dirty tactic he could think of. But he felt overwhelmed. Mud filled his large ears, nose, and eyes as he submerged. By some miracle, Daggat managed to gasp a mouthful of air in the struggle and screamed, “Level two!” He went under again. Strength was fading from him. The other gremlin had his hands around his neck, squeezing.
Just when Daggat thought he would die so young, a strong hand grabbed his leg. It pulled him out of the mud. Coughing, sputtering, and gasping, Daggat looked upon his savior. A large goblin, bigger than the others, glared at him with a curious glint in his eye. He wore hides decorated with totems. Both of his ears were missing, torn off in some past fight. He barked words at the sleeping goblin, who woke with a start. Still holding Daggat by the leg, the larger goblin punched the other square in the face. They cried as blood gushed from their now broken nose. With a grunt, the larger goblin shoved Daggat into his arms.
They took Daggat from the mud pits and brought him into the world. He did not glance back as he cackled, daring his own future to challenge him. He tasted victory for the first time, and he was already hooked.
At the end of each chapter, the current stats of the relevant characters will be found in a spoiler.
Daggat
True Name: Daggat
Soul: Monster
Genseed: gremlin
Monster Level: 2
Attributes (1/1):
Strength: 4
Dexterity: 5
Constitution: 4
Intelligence: 13
Will: 4
Charm: 4
Feats:
Encounter: True Angel
Biotraits (1/1):
Base size: Tiny [Source: Gremlin]
Regenerating Teeth [Source: Gremlin]
Enhanced Night Vision [Source: Gremlin]
Disease Resistance [Mutations: Rot Resistance; Source: Gremlin]
Other:
Variant: +10 Intelligence
