Runeblade: URK, It seems my Forbidden Lifeforce-Burning Technique is no match for you, Rising Stars Algorithm....

Standing in the graveyard in front of the church, Kaius held his sheath in both hands like a sword. It was just as well made and enchanted as the blade itself, so it could more than stand up to the abuse of a spar.

Porkchop stood across from him, the massive badger-like creature almost bouncing from foot to foot with excitement. Together they had managed to clear a large section of headstones. Porkchop had used his digging claws to uproot the slabs of stone, while Kaius heaved them away on aching limbs.

He’d managed to squeeze into the old breastplate he had scavenged from one of the undead guards of the church. Much like his chain, it didn't fit well at all, pinching and scrapping at his chest. He wouldn't want to use it in an actual fight, but he should be able to gain his skill fine in a spar.

Ideally, he would cap off the skill quickly. Heavy armour had never been his style, far too constricting - it slowed him down. Judging by the deluge of playful energy that bled across their link, Kaius didn't think that Porkchop would mind that all too much.

“Wrestling!” His new companion barked.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Remember, the idea is for you to try to knock me here,” Kaius rapped his knuckle against his breastplate. “While I try to defend myself with this thing here.” He waved his scabbard at the meles.

“Wrestling!!!”

“Yeah, yeah. Alright buddy, I’m ready when you are.” Kaius settled into a close-guard, pulling his mock blade into his armpit. He’d have to hold back a bit, no need to sour a budding friendship by bludgeoning Porkchop too hard.

Porkchop hoofed in excitement, rising onto his rear legs to quickly slam back into the ground. Claws dug in.

The meles blurred.

Something hit him in the chest. Hard. His breastplate clanged, driving into his sternum with a winding force. Kaius sailed backwards, shoulder catching the dirt. Sending him into an uncontrolled rolling flail. His arm caught under him, wrenching at his shoulder terribly as his scabbard flew free of his grip.

He skidded to a stop, lying flat on his back. Wondering what the fuck had just happened.

“Kaius!” Panic flooded his connection with Porkchop, the creature bounding over to him.

Pushing himself up with a wince, Kaius felt his Health flood out to heal a dozen scrapes and bruises. He held up a hand, waving off the meles concern. Porkchop ignored him, shoving his nose at him. Checking to make sure he wasn’t too injured.

“I’m alright buddy.” He said, patting the meles’ head. “What the hell was that though. I didn’t even see you!”

Porkchop pulled back, expression impossible to read on its animal face.

“..Wrestling?” The connection made the emotion clear. He was bloody embarrassed.

Kaius couldn’t help but laugh. “That is what you call wrestling? Hells. I’m so screwed.”

“Do you want to stop?” Porkchop asked anxiously.

“No,” He shook his head. “I need this. Need to cap these skills as fast as I can. It’s for the best you can push me this hard. Though you should probably slow down enough that I can bloody react.”

Ears perking up, Porkchop bounced to his feet. The meles ran back to their starting area in the centre of the cleared headstones.

“More wrestling! Gentle wrestling.” Porkchop clarified after a moment.

Kaius simply shook his head, walking over to retrieve his scabbard.

“This is going to suck so much” He thought to himself.

Kaius moved to stand across from Porkchop, dropping into his stance once more.

“Alright. I’m ready.”

Porkchop chuffed in excitement. Thick claws bit deep into the earth, providing the necessary traction for the bear-sized greater beast to bring himself up to speed. A decided visible speed this time.

Though still not slow. Not at all.

Barreling towards him, Porkchop’s exposed teeth juxtaposed his bright eyes and easy expression. One claw swiped. Kaius moved to parry. The paw swished, diving under his guard. Another clang on his breastplate. He stumbled as Porkchop rapped him ‘gently’ on the chest with his claws.

Kaius tried to step back, pivoting on his front foot to slide around his new friend’s guard. Porkchop was too fast. Advancing on him to smack him in the ribs, a little harder than the last. Claws scrapped on metal with a squeal, sending him stumbling to the side.

Frustration mounted. He should be able to do something. This was embarrassing!

Lashing out with his scabbard, Kaius tried to smack him over the head. Porkchop reared up. One paw blurring to intercept his attack. He braced, ready for the collision. It didn’t help. Porkchop smacked his scabbard away with ease. The meles slashed towards his chest with his other paw. He brought his scabbard around, trying to block the swing.

Well positioned defence wasn’t enough. Porkchop simply crushed his guard, sheath and claw crashing heavily into his chest together. The blow drove the air from his lungs, sending him reeling back.

Kaius fell backwards, thick chest plate doing little to stop his head from smacking painfully into the ground.

“You holding up okay??

Groaning in response, Kaius sat up. “Hells, Porkchop. How are you so gods-damned strong?”

“Stats work on the body, and I have a good body”. His tone was undeniably smug. “Plus, good skills.”

He grunted. It made sense. Didn't mean it was any less bullshit. Kaius hauled himself to his feet, levelling his scabbard once more. Porkchop flicked his ears with excitement as he settled into a crouch.

“Again.”

Yay!

**Ding! General Skill Available! Would you like to learn: Heavy Armour Mastery (Uncommon)?**

Kaius gasped in relief. Half an hour. Half a bloody hour of being tossed around the graveyard like a chew toy. Porkchop was relentless, and seemingly full of infinite enthusiasm for smacking him around.

“Wait! I got it!” Kaius hurriedly called out. Porkchop halted mid swing, halfway through sending him tumbling across the dirt. Again.

“Aww. What’d you get?” Porkchop asked, dropping to all fours.

“Heavy Armour Mastery. Now I just need to finish capping the skills.” Kaius replied, gleeful that his next legacy skill was within reach.

The spar had already done some work on that front. Earning him another level in Footwork, and two in Light Armour Mastery. That last one had surprised him. As best he guessed, the way his armoured jacked was softening the blows he had been taking to his breastplate was enough to count.

“…More wrestling?” Porkchop asked

Kaius’s shoulders slumped. “Yeah. Not right now though. I want to check on my new skill.”

“Okay!” Porkchop replied, clearly excited at the prospect of more spars.

Kaius dropped his hand to his friend's shoulder. The duo walked over to the church, where Kaius planted his back against the wall and slid down onto the ground. He ached. The breastplate had done its job. None of Porkchop’s heavy strikes had done enough individual damage to really drain his Health, but each smack had done enough to leech a few points. Over the course of a whole spar? He was down to half.

His Stamina, on the other hand, was completely drained. Exhaustion had well and truly set in. Reaching out to snag a waterskin he had left by the wall earlier, Kaius splashed a little on his face. The tepid water soothing his flushed skin.

A few quick quaffs quenched his throat. He poured some into Porkchop’s waiting mouth, chuckling as he struggled to not spill the water. He’d need to get some sort of bowl or trough for him, though either way they would probably have to make a daily trip to the river with how big he was.

Looking over the graveyard, Kaius relaxed into the wall and pulled up his latest skill.

Heavy Armour Mastery:

Level 1

Uncommon

Proper defence, the kind that lets you stand on the front lines, has weight. It’s hefty, restrictive, and burdensome. It’s also the only thing that will keep you, and your allies, safe in the face of a pouncing Gygax beast.

Skill that increases the defensive efficacy of worn heavy armour, and decreases armour weight.

Each level slightly increases the integrity of worn heavy armour.

Each level minutely decreases the encumbrance of worn heavy armour.

“Is it good?” Porkchop asked, nudging him with his nose when he didn't respond.

“Ehhh.” Kaius tilted his hand back and forth. “So so. The final skill will be. It’s a broad defensive skill, it’ll help a lot regardless of which armour I will use. A lot of my general skills are like that.”

“What's your goal?” Porkchop asked, curious.

Kaius looked quizzically at his new companion, surprised by the abrupt question.

“What? Like after we get out of here?” He responded.

“No. Your class. You talk about the broad base, not what you wish to use it for.” Porkchop explained.

“Oh..” Kaius supposed he had never really talked about it. It was something he had been working on for a while, had workshopped with his father. Father had gone the route of a runic inscriptionist - a runewright. Large workings that took time and preparation. It was a strong class in its element, but he had heard enough stories from his father to know that its lack of immediate force projection had forced Father to rely on his general skills far more than not.

He loved runes. Found them fascinating. Yet casting held his attention just as much. Many considered both to be incompatible. Casters channel. Inscriptionists spent hours - days - working on formations. Worse, focusing on either for his class would relegate Warforged and his upcoming skill to a supportive role. A stop gap measure.

No, he had something else planned. He drifted to the memory of when he had first told his father.

Father walked beside him, pushing away an errant branch that was just low enough to brush his head.

“Body formations? Niche things. What's with the sudden interest in runes?” His father looked at him with a questioning look and a cocked brow.

Kaius squirmed under his gaze. It was a stupid idea.

“Well, you mentioned that some delvers carry single use formations. Primed spell effects that were too niche for a dedicated skill, but would take too long to make with freeform channelling when they were needed? I was wondering if you could do something similar with tattoos,” he answered.

Father scratched his chin, falling silent as he pondered on the question.

“Fascinating. I don't see why not. It could solve the issue of anything more than a cantrip needing far too much power for a trinket. It would be ruinously complex though. An anchor to subordinate lengthy runic hymns. Hmm.” Hastur started to mutter under his breath, talking his way through enchanting concepts that flew far over Kaius’s head.

His heart skipped a beat. He hadn’t expected that it might actually be possible. Kaius kept walking with just a little more bounce to his step.

The memory faded. Kaius turned to his friend with a smile. The theory was there, he just needed to put it into practice.

“I want to cast and use swordplay. Channelling is usually too focus intensive to use from the front lines, but I have an idea. It should work, there is no reason it shouldn’t. I won't know for sure until I have my fifth through seventh skills though..”

“Experimentation is good! Especially when there are no Matriarchs watching…” Porkchop said. Pride flowed across the connection, but so did a hint of embarrassment.

Kaius cocked an eyebrow at that.

“Oh? And what did you do that got you yelled at, huh?” He asked, a smile tugging at his mouth.

“Ahhh. I did well! Merged a higher order manipulation skill! Multiple sequential merges! By myself!” Porkchop replied

“You got in trouble for merging a skill? I thought you basically got a free choice?”

“Ah. That.” Porkchop said, a little embarrassed. “I may have not asked the Matriarch, and we had already known how to merge crystal? I thought she might eat me.”

Kaius laughed, deep from his belly.

“You didn’t think to ask?” He said in disbelief.

“Hmm. No. In my defence I had already picked metal! And crystal is pretty close to metal, only one step higher!”

“Reckless.” Kaius said, shaking his head.

Porkchop huffed, nudging him roughly enough that he had to stick his arm out to stop from toppling over.

“You sound like the Matriarchs.”

Chuckling, Kaius pushed himself back up, playfully shoving Porkchop’s head off him before he asked what was on his mind.

“And what of you? What do you wish from your class? Or whatever it is that you beasts get.”

Porkchop shook his head.

“It’s a little different. We commune with the ancestral blood. Body changes, skills tied to new form. Not so flexible as a class, I will most likely always be a Forest King. The Voice will only give me options that would suit me. I am happy to just pick what looks best when it happens.” He explained.

Kaius leaned forwards in interest. It wasn’t every day that you got insight into how the system worked for greater beasts.

“Sounds nice. More time with your general skills, no need to stress about influencing your class. Time to just enjoy life.” Kaius said, envious.

Porkchop snorted, shoving his cold nose into Kaius’s cheek.

“No being grumpy. You can change. That is bigger than you know. Becoming more than a greater meles is almost impossible for me. Becoming more than just Kaius only requires work.”

Grunting in acknowledgment, Kaius batted his friend away. He knew that Porkchop was right. It still grated at him. He wanted to be done now, to slay the Guardian and escape. He’d already been down here for weeks. He had years left. Years.

At the very least when he had finished this skill he would actually feel confident pushing deeper into the glade, and the Depths as a whole. The whole glowing trees thing lost its shine after the first few days. After that? It wouldn’t be too long until he could start his experimentation with magic. A familiar swell of excitement welled up in him, filling his limbs with a bubbling energy that made him want to hop on the spot.

Magic. He couldn’t wait.

“Hey Porkchop?”

“Yeah?”

“I’ve been avoiding pushing into the centre of this glade for a while now. I’ve been waiting until I have my next skill. Want to help me get it as fast as we can?” He asked, looking at Porkchop expectantly.

His friend pounced to his feet, flying a full stride in the air. Porkchop landed with a heavy thud, every part of his body practically vibrating with excitement.

“More wrestling?!”

Kaius laughed, pushing up. “Yeah buddy. A lot more wrestling.”