If there's an afterlife, I'd hope for redemption, not eternal suffering, yet this void feels like my punishment. I failed my family and now I'm nothing.
My heart stopped as I saw Death himself looming over me. A towering figure with a deer skull for a head, antlers scraping the void, clad in a black cloak, his spiraled cane taller than me. If this isn't Death, I'm not the loser I think I am.
Death and I stared at each other for what felt like eternity. If he was staring at me. I couldn't tell. The only indicator was that his skull was facing down towards me. If I had to calculate he was at least 10 ft tall. I was of average height so I had to snap my neck to look up at him. His cane was way taller than I was, hell even his antlers were probably as big as me.
I finally found the nerve to say something to Mr Death.
"Am I dead?"
I was expecting some kind of billowing ominous voice but the tall creature just slowly nodded its head up and down, making the sound of creaky bones fill the void.
Thinking of another question to ask I said
"Where are we?"
His cane tapped sharply, the void humming with a low, impatient drone.
"...right, so why am I here?" I asked hoping for an answer.
The skull tilted, antlers casting jagged shadows over me as if sizing me up. His cane tapped, the void rippling like black water, sand swirling into words with a hiss.
"Because you were nothing and ended with nothing."
Ouch.
"Well then is this my punishment?" I asked.
Mr Death did not tap his cane again instead the sand changed.
"No, this is another chance."
I stared at Death.
"What do you mean? Am I going to be sent back 20 years and rewrite all the mistakes I've made in my life?"
The thought of this excited me. I could change so many things and do so many things right this time around. I-
The sand instantly formed in front of my face with the word
"No."
As I began to ponder what this could mean I was met with two sentences encased in lines of sand that looked like two choices in a game.
___________________________________
| |
| Another world with your memories. |
|___________________________________|
Or
__________________________________
| |
| Homeworld with no memories. |
|__________________________________|
You would think this choice was a simple one but for me, it wasn't. Here I was presented with a chance to redeem the life I had lived back on Earth or live a life anew in a world I knew nothing about. Would I just repeat my Earthly mistakes in this new world, living for others until I broke again? The thought gnawed at me, but I had to decide
As I was thinking deeply about this decision I spotted an info button on the new world option. So I click it.
'A world of chaos, plagued by cosmic storms and shattered moons'
"Well that's just great that's only a little less abstract than the another world description," I said to myself.
Ultimately after an eternity of indecisiveness, I decided to choose this dangerous new world. Hell, I was already suicidal so why not give this a go on my terms? I'd spent my life living for others, letting their absence hollow me out. If I kept my memories, maybe I'd finally learn to live for me.
My hand hovered, the sand trembling as if alive, urging me to choose. My fingers shook, sweat beading on my brow afraid to choose wrong again. I pressed on the solidified words.
The sand pulsed, locking my choice. Then it shifted, forming a new menu that looked like a character creation system:
Name:
Race:
Background:
Traits (0/3):
Class:
Starting Location:
I pressed on race and was met with a list of Races:
Human
Elf
Dwarf
Orc
Dravok
Lunareth
Cragmora
Thaloryn
These seemed like pretty standard fantasy races except for the last 4.
I pressed on Dravok and was met with a flurry of sand forming into a dragon humanoid-looking creature with beautiful shimmering scales in front of me, with text that read:
Dravok: Fiery dragonkin (+4 Strength, -3 Charisma, Draconic Blaze: fire breath once/day, -2 Endurance after).
"Badass."
I decided to press on to the next race 'Lunareth'
Sand formed into a thin, tall, and pale figure. Something was ethereal about this race. They were almost glowing or they were just really pale I couldn't tell.
Lunareth: Moonfallen exiles (+2 Agility, +4 Intelligence, Moonshard Resonance: lunar shard attack or barrier once/day)
"I can't imagine myself being such a graceful being." I was anything but.
I pressed on the next one 'Cragmora'
Anticipating what this one could be a human appeared in front of me emerging from the sand. Only that this human had grey stone-like skin and gems for eyes. Almost like an elaborately designed carved statue of a Greek god or goddess.
Cragmora: Stone-hewn recluses (+3 Strength, -3 Agility, Noctcore Resilience: damage reduction).
"Rock people, I bet they don't sleep on box spring mattresses." I chuckle to myself.
With that thought I click on the next one.
Right in front of the sand, a light blue humanoid creature stands. With webbed feet and hands and gills on the neck, this was an aquatic race of people. Staring at the reconstruction of the race blue eyes the color of the ocean stared back at me. I was truly mesmerized.
Thaloryn: Liquid specters (+4 Agility, +2 Charisma, Current's Embrace: +1 Agility near water, -1 Endurance in arid areas).
"I sure wish I learned how to swim."
I scratched my chin at the abundance of variety and choices. Like my last decision, this would not come easy. Fear started to settle into my heart about the prospect of making the wrong choice. What if I chose the wrong options and permanently stunted my new life?
I spy an option at the bottom that reads 'Random' Most likely this would randomize all the options and create someone for me. As if Mr Death could sense my inability to decide, the sand swirled before me, forming races—tall, graceful figures, scaled warriors, all mocking my indecision. I'd failed at everything I've ever done, probably even this decision. I slammed the button, my chest tight with rage and fear, letting fate mock me one last time.
The sand spun wildly, as Dravok's fiery scales flashed, Thaloryn's watery grace shimmered, then slowed, settling on a stout dwarf with a hammer in hand. My stomach dropped. Dwarf?
Laughing at this clear mockery I pressed on 'Race' to undo this option but the sand was solidified almost like this decision had been locked into place.
I dropped to my knees. 'Th-this is unfair' I thought to myself. I could feel it in my soul, I was going to die and be just as pathetic as I was before if not worse. How could I compare to dragon people as a fucking dwarf?!
Mr Death had taken this as a question directed at him. Peering down at me from his vantage point I could tell he was enjoying the pathetic state I had found myself in. Death had firmly tapped his cane onto the ground as the description of Dwarf appeared in front of me.
'Dwarves are rugged artisans of Nocthys's underworld, their calloused hands shaping stone and steel into marvels. Dwarves often find themselves on the end of cheap subjugated labor from other races. Resilient and stubborn, they endure the planet's deepest perils, but their squat frames and gruff demeanor draw sneers from towering races. Their craft is their legacy.'
Unique Racial Trait:
Anvil's Echo (Active): Allows the user to summon a spectral forge and tools to craft 3 items per day. The crafts are only limited by the materials present and the user's imagination.
Stats:
Strength: +2
Agility: -3
Endurance: +4
Intelligence: +1
Charisma: -2
"A dwarf? Short, slow, and sneered at. It was everything I'd been on Earth, just uglier." I wanted to scream, but the void swallowed my voice. I curled up into a ball in the black void trying to wake up from this nightmare. Time passed but I could still hear the creaks of Mr Death. Maybe it wasn't all so bad, what if I was gifted some super secret op class and traits?
Trying to delude myself of this notion I looked at my next randomized option 'Name'
Name: Korgar Stonebreak
I laughed out loud at the name that was given. What a pompous and wholey Dwarven name. I have to admit it was much flashier than my name on earth that it wasn't even worth mentioning it. A part of me resented my family for giving me such a common-nothing burger name with no intention. But even then with a name like this, I wasn't sure I could live up to it.
I looked towards the next thing 'Background'
Volcanic Outcast: Exiled from a subterranean clan near Nocthys's volcanic heart, you learned to harness the planet's fiery energy for survival. Your strength grew, but rejection left you bitter and solitary. +2 Strength, -1 Charisma.
(HIDDEN TRAIT)
Hidden trait? What was that about? Yet these questions were quickly washed away by despair, this was all just some sick twisted joke. I'd become another outcast destined for the same fate.
With the last will I had left I selected the next option
Traits:
Amputee: Having suffered a tragic accident when you were younger you have lost one of your legs. This results in -2 Agility but having prevailed for all this time in Nocthys you gain +2 Endurance.
Moonshard eye: Fallen Moonshard debris landed on you resulting in it getting into your eye. You can not see out of this eye but instead are imparted a cosmic gift left behind by the moon shard lodged in your eye.
Heavy Handed: You've been fighting your whole life causing you to be proficient in hand-to-hand combat and affinity to heavy weapons.
'As if things couldn't get any worse for me I would be born into my new life as a cripple. Just my luck. The moonshard eye trait did look interesting though. I wonder what the cosmic gift was.'
"Maybe I'll get some super secret overpowered Class? Right?"
I press on the next option.
Class: Shardforged Geomancer
Shardforged Geomancers harness Nocthys's raw elements—moon shards, lava flows, tidal currents, and crystalline stone—to craft adaptive tools, reshape terrain, and survive the planet's harsh landscapes. They are wanderers and builders, deeply connected to Nocthys's chaotic essence, seeking mastery of its unpredictable gifts.
'This sounded strong and had synergy with my race as a dwarf but there were no more details. I supposed I'd learn more once I teleport into the other world.'
The most important option was still to come. My well-being and chances of survival all weighed on this.
Starting Location: Fort Tinia
Description: Ȩ̴̰̦̻̟̼̦̞̞̫̞̭̼̲̣̓́̈́̎͋̓̚͜r̴̢̲̬̯̱̹̖̜̥̪̻̝̘̗̣͉͍͈͚̠̬͍̳͈̯͈̺͚̪͍͈̥͔̟͙̙̦̝̅̆̍́̔̀͒͋̑̐̅̇͛͗̓͌̏̎̑̾͂̓̚͜͜ͅr̶̢̡̡̛̤͔̘̞̩̟̭̻̲̖̳̫͉̣̲̬̯͇̭̬͓̟̫̄͋̏̐̇̆̓̄̓͗͝͠͝ở̶̧̢̛̮̮͉͇̥̟͎͔̼̣̦̞̮̬̝͖͈͚̩̱̻̼͉̭̦͚̰̥͔̭́̑̈͌̌̈́̂̊̎́͂̇̈͊̑̒̍̄̈́̊̏͗͑̂̄̓͛͗͆̊̿̇̆́͗͌̄̓̏̂̓̄̽̎̚͝͠ͅr̴̢̨̨̢̞̩͙̪͖̳̳͎̼̼̹̘͙̮͕͕̜͓͇̲̲̩̩̩̮̰̣̻͔͖̝̮̖̻̟͈͍̼̿̉̅̍̓͂́̈́̊͐̓̾͂͊͋̓̿̈̀͌͂͛̿̌̎̓̄͛̀̀̓̌̈́̀͗̀̚͜͝͠͝ͅ ̸̨̧̢̛̛̛̠͇̭͓͍̻͍̣͔̲͕̬̮̳͙̣̝̺͚͎̘̱͓͚̥̇̿̌̂͆̽̑̈́͗̅̃̉̅̓̇̏̓̉͋͐̋̆̈́̊̎́̈́͒̑̉̽̎̀̀͐͛̂̆̐̊̍͘̕̕͝ȩ̶̛͙̤̫̹͙̖̠̭̗̩̔̈́̍̋̉̇͊̂͐̌̎̉͗́̽̂̈͋̈́̅̄̈́̄̒͋̈́̆̌̇̈́̂̽͊̈́͊̑̕̕͘̚͜͝͝͝ŗ̶̢̛͔̼̤̦̭͚͕̫͕͚͇̰̱̮̘̝̬̠̤̤̗̭̫͚̱͙̫͚̮̪͖̺͕͚̙̘̫̙̙͇͍̈́̇̋̀͋̽́̅͋̒̊͜͜r̶̨̧̢̡̝̯̱͚̻̙͍̮̻͉͓̯͎͚̼͔̘͍̻̹͚̤̥̯̳̜̖̘̗̖͖̜̪̗͚̦͍͎̺̻̭͙̃͌͜ö̶̡̹̘͚̳̫̪͈̲̹̤̼̣͔̬̯͉̲̟͉́͌͒͋͗̓̇͂̑̂̀̑̉̋͆̿̅̈́̓̈̋̕͝r̴̢̨̡̨̛̛̺͚̗̪̟̹̺̩̬̞̟̱̖̖̦̖̱̦̪̗̫̩͖̱̗̹̜͓̮͌̿͑̆̿̓̃́͆̈́̾͌̀́̈́̃̅͐̿̄̈͛͗͆̈́̍͛͆̈́̌͋̾̃̈́̈͛̏͆͘͜͠͝͝
'What the hell? This didn't look ominous at all!' I looked up to Mr Death to see if he had anything to do or say to me about this. But when I looked up he was gone. The creak of his bones echoed one last time, a cruel laugh in the darkness. I was alone in the void.
The sand pulsed. With a final message.
Name: Korgar Stonebreak
Race: [Dwarf]
Background: [Volcanic Outcast]
Traits: [Amputee] [MoonShard Eye]
[Heavy Handed]
Class: [Shardforged Geomancer]
Starting Location: [Fort Tinia]
Sand appeared in front of me but this time more violently like a storm. It said,
"Survive Nocthys or fade back into nothing"
With that, my body started to deteriorate as if I was made of sand this whole time. It felt as if every cell of my being was disappearing from existence. The me that I was, was beginning to disappear. My throat burned as sand choked my screams, my body unraveling like a forgotten memory. My leg throbbed, sand grains biting as they fell away, my vision fading to a lunar haze.
I opened my eyes, gasping. Two moons hung above: one shattered, leaking silver light, the other full and radiant.
I had arrived in Nocthys.
The carriage beneath me rattled on jagged stone, its wheels grinding ash, while sickly coughs rasped beside me, blood flecking a stranger's lips. Chains clinked, violent birds screeched under the broken moon, and the air reeked of ash and salt, waves crashing in the distance. I had arrived in Nocthys. A shadow loomed, boots crunching ash, as a gruff voice barked, "WAKE UP DWARF!" A scarred fist slammed into my head, stars bursting behind my eyes.