Dungeon Master (Karma System)

Lana woke in the room of the Inn she shared with her mother. They had arrived late last night and agreed to find a place to sleep and get an early start in the morning.

Looking out the window, she noticed that the sun was just starting to rise.

When her mother exited the bathroom, Lana crawled out form under the covers and went to relieve herself.

The Winter Ladies met with Oswald and grabbed a quick breakfast before heading to the training hall.

Lana was already familiar with the sights but Lady Winters and Oswald took everything in as they exited the inn.

Last night, the village had been quiet since they had arrived at such a late hour. Now there were all sorts of creatures walking up and down the streets.

A pair of gnomes dressed in work clothes were sweeping the walkway.

A dwarf was pulling a hand cart filled with his crafts as he transferred them from his workshop to a storefront.

2 large and intimidating orcs were stumbling out of a tavern while being followed by an a pale skinned elf.

That really surprised Oswald. From how they were acting, it seemed like the 3 were good friends. It was rare to see orcs and elves getting along.

When the 3 entered the training hall they found it empty except for the automaton behind the counter.

”Hello, we would like to meet with the mage trainer.” Lana said after approaching the mechanical humanoid covered in runes.

”Do you have a reservation?” The machine asked.

”No.” Lana said while shaking her head.

”The mage trainer is free now or after dinner. The midday appointments are already booked.” The machine replied.

”We would like to meet now.” Lady Winters said. ”Is it possible for us all to meet the trainer together?”

The automaton nodded. ”Yes, but you will all be required to learn the same ability or skill. And the cost of the lesson will be tripled.”

Lady Winters thought it over then nodded. ”That is fair.”

Once she settled the bill the automaton led them to the training room where the mage instructor waited.

Walking in, Lana was happy to be back in the familiar room.

On the far side of the training area. A tall regal elf sat behind a desk that was covered in books. When he heard the others enter, he looked up from his parchment and noticed Lana with the others.

”Miss Lana, it is good to see that you have returned.” Th elf said. With a wave of his hand, the books rose from his desk and found their places on the bookshelf behind him as he walked around to greet his guests.

”Good morning teacher.” Lana said. ”I am now able to quick cast both Spark and Ice Bolt.”

”Good, good, now why don’t you introduce me to your companions.”

Lana blushed when she realized that she had ignored and forgotten about her mother.

”This is my mother Lady Winters, and her friend-.”

At that, Oswald took over. ”I am Oswald Perchant, a level 45 Space Mage.”

”And I am Telany Winters, a level 61 Arcane Mage.”

”It’s a pleasure to meet you both. I supposed I should introduce myself then. I am the Geldin Sowan, a level 25 mage.”

Both Oswald and Lady Winters were a bit surprised. The aura radiating from the man reminded them of those old powerhouses who oversaw the school, but this elf’s level wasn’t even half of theirs.

The elf let out a small laugh as he read their faces. ”There is no need to be surprised. Even though Mage is a basic class it is no to be underestimated when it is taken to its limits.”

Lana nodded. ”Don’t look down on Mr. Sowan.” She told her mother. ”Even though his level is low, he could probably thrash all of us together. He knows every single spell, skill and ability that is able to be learned by a mage.”

”Truly?” Oswald asked in surprise.

The elf gave him a clam smile and nodded and then addressed the 3 together. ”Now that introductions are out of the way, what would you like to learn?”

”I was told that you were going to teach my daughter Combo Casting, we would also be interested in learning that.”

The elf gave both Lady Winters and Oswald a surprised look when he saw their eager faces. ”Why would you ever want to learn such a thing? An Arcane Mage and a Space Mage would gain little from such a practice.”

Both older mages looked unsure of why the elf was surprised.

It was Oswald who spoke up to clarify things. ”Who wouldn’t want to be able to cast 2 spells at once. I have heard that it wastes a bit of mana to do so, but it sounds like an invaluable skill.”

The confusion on the elf’s face cleared.

”Ah, I understand. I believe you are speaking about dual casting.” The elf said.

”Dual casting?” Lady winters said. ”I have never heard of it.”

The elf explained. ”It is the process of casting 2 different spells at the same time.”

Lady Winters and Oswald looked at each other. That was the definition of combo casting that they had been given at the Academy of Magic.

”Then what is combo casting?” Oswald asked.

”Combo casting, or combination casting is when you take two spells and meld them into one. It is usually done with opposing branches of magic to develop a different spell. Take Miss Lana for example. She has a preference for both ice and lightning. If she is able to combine both Ice Spike and Spark, the damage of the spell should increase as well as the projectiles speed, compared to the regular ice spike at least. And on top of the slowing effect of the ice, the lightning will have a chance to temporarily paralyze the target. Overall, it will make the spell stronger and give it more control options.”

Oswald was looking thoughtful while he was considering the possibilities of such a skill while Lady Winters turned to her daughter.

”If you are pursuing Combo casting, does that mean you have made a decision on what type of mage you want to become?”

”Yes Mother. I want to become an Elemental Mage that specializes in both Lightning and Ice. Teacher explained that I had a natural affinity to both those elements that was why I was able to learn spells in those categories quicker.”

Lady Winters had a slight look of worry on her face. ”Taking 2 elemental specializations will slow down your path, are you sure about this?”

Lana was sure, but she looked to her teacher for some help explaining it.

”Her path will not be slowed compared to others Mrs. Winters.” The elf said. ”It is not as if she is specializing in Fire and water magic. Ice is a small subsection of water and lightning is a small parallel path that is an off shoot of fire magic. She will be learning two minor elements that will be combined to make a whole.”

”I see.” Said Lady Winters. The elf was correct, her daughter wasn’t trying to learn everything about fire and water, she wanted to learn 2 smaller sections.

”I think it will suit her well.” The elf said. ”Ice and lightning have a cooperative relationship unlike the clashing that occurs between fire and water. Take the next set of spells your daughter wishes to learn.”

”Oh, what do you want to learn next?” Lady Winters asked her daughter.

Lana excitedly answered. ”Ice shield and Lightning armor.”

”I am not too familiar with elemental spells but I can understand their effects from the names.” Lady Winters said.

The elf nodded. ”Both are low level defensive spells. Ice Shield creates a shield of ice in front of the caster that can take a decent amount of damage before it shatters. The downside is that is blocks your line of sight. The upside is that it can be cast up to 10 meters away so it can be used to block an enemy or shield an ally. It can last up to a minute or until it is destroyed.”

”Sounds like a handy shield for lower levels, even if you can’t see through it.” Oswald added.

The elf agreed and then continued. ”Lightning armor wraps your body in lightning. Those who enter within melee range will be struck and paralyzed. The lightning also has a chance to lash out at incoming projectiles and destroy them. The downside to the spell is that it doesn’t give you an physical protection. The upside is that it can increase your speed and agility while the spell is in effect.”

”I imagine they can be combined.” Lady Winters said.

It was Lana who excitedly answered. ”They can make Thunder-Frost armor. Ice wraps around your body and it is infused with lightning. You get the physical defense, improved speed and the paralyzing effect when struck. But you can no longer cast it at a distance, only on yourself, and since the lightning is trapped in the ice it can no longer lash out at projectiles.”

Both Oswald and her mother agreed that it was a great spell to learn. Even if the requirement for combo casting was to be able to quick cast both spells.

Oswald and Lady winters discussed a few things with the elf. Both had some spells that didn’t follow their chosen class advancements. They would be able to combo cast by combining those with the paths they had taken. All three were eager to learn to combo cast.

Lana wanted to jump and fist pump when she heard her mother discussing with Oswald that they would need to schedule more lessons to learn dual casting and other skills and spells.