Chapter 1

**The Trials**

Jason peeled his eyes open to find himself standing in a small glass-walled room. Pixels started to gravitate from the corners of the room toward the center of the wall Jason was staring at and form giants numbers.

4...

3...

2...

1...

To Jason, it felt as if the floor had fallen out from beneath him but in an instant, he stood on a tightrope. Half of his body was scorching hot and the other bitterly cold. His nerves had gone into overdrive and without thinking he fell off the tightrope on his cold side.

He landed on a giant pillow. He looked around and saw he was in a massive cave. Stalactites hung from the ceiling like floating artillery shells ready to fall at the simplest disturbance. A hush of humid wind splashed his face and Jason turned to see a dragon multiple times larger than a school bus rest on an equally as large pile of gold coins. To his right, there was an exit safely tucked away from the monster.

Jason rolled off the pillow taking great pains to maintain utter silence and began to tiptoe towards the dragon’s hoard. Globs of mucus flew from the beast inflamed nostrils each time it snored. Jason plucked a few coins from the edge of the pile into his pockets then ran for the exit. When he was 10 yards away from the door the dragon roar. He looked back to see a pillar of flames racing after him. Jason clamped his eyes shut and dove through the exit.

Jason flexed his fingers and felt sand sift through them. When he opened his eyes he found himself on an empty island as small as his apartment. He tore off his shirt still humid from the dragon’s lair and jumped into the water and started to swim. After a minute he stood up and realized the ocean was only waist deep so he started to wade through the water. The sun began to fly faster in the sky like the hands of a broken clock and in a minute it was night.

Jason felt a current pull him forward and saw a giant blob approaching. The blue creation rolled towards him like a bowling ball. As it approached him, the unscarred surface of the thing opened to reveal a dark void. Before Jason could move, the blob engulfed him and he was swallowed whole.

He opened his eyes again and he was staring right at an arrow flying towards his chest. He ducked and heard a scream from behind. He turned and saw a young girl on the ground bleeding from the hole the arrow put in her chest. She cried and whimpered as the hole dripped away her life force. Jason turned around looking for the assailant but the bowman was gone. He started to cry as he held the girl in his arms wishing that he had been hit by the arrow. The girl died in his arms, leaving him clutching a limp corpse soaked in salty tears.

Jason’s world began to fade, his spotlight dimmed until he was in complete darkness. The weight of the girl disappeared and all his lingering pain vanished until Jason was in a numb, senseless existence where even his thoughts had no shape or meaning.

Blue lights began to appear from where he perceived his feet were and they slithered out until they reached walls where they curved up and turned to white lights and again he was in the room he started this nightmare in.

An announcement appeared on the wall nearest to him:

*Congratulations you have passed the trials*

*Based on your performance your starting class is: Peddler: If someone is buying you will sell. It’s up to you if you will choose to evade the law for greed or promote the flow of commerce. +1 Charisma per level, +1 Intelligence per even level (Lv. 2, 4, etc.)*

*Based on your performance, you may choose amongst the following starting tribes:*

*Titon: In the last few centuries the Titons have united to form an empire encompassing most of the continent Titan. Although they were once a warlike people they have become docile with the peace following their unification long ago. The Titon society is highly organized and laws and traditions encompass citizens’ everyday lives, some see this as protection other as restrictions on one’s freedom. The caste system of the Titons’ is rigid and complex, if you are unlucky to be born into the lower echelons you have little hope for advancement. Starting Relationship with Hessians: Cordial. Starting Relationship with Braccians: Neutral. All other tribes: Hostile. +3 to starting Constitution and Wisdom.*

Jason attempted to select a few of the bolded terms but was not rewarded with additional information so he continued reading about the other two tribes he could select from. He assumed that tribes were different cultural groups.

*Braccian- Unlike the Titons, the Braccians are a fractured people. Their tribes live in the north of Titon, in a land carved with rapid rivers and rolling hills. Dozens of petty kingdoms create an unbreakable quilt between the Titon Empire and the North. Infighting is a fact of life between the kingdoms, but no chieftain has ever been able to unite the Braccians under one standard. War has made them strong and honor is highly valued in their society. Braccian society has adopted feudalism, but the social ladder is not restricting to even the lowest of men. In Braccia, any man can carve their future but must always be wary of dangers. +1 to all starting stats. Starting Relationship with all tribes of Titan: Cordial. Starting Relationship with all other tribes: Neutral*

*Hessians- In the past, Hessians were seen as exotic foreigners but now their people are refugees in the Titan Isles and have formed large minorities in many urban areas. Their ancient empire fell into ruins as a result of civil war and environmental change and as a result, many have fled from the Dark Continent. Now Hessians are splintered throughout the Isles working as Mercenaries or traders. The large stature of Hessians is valued in Titan, but many Hessians feel their people will never be welcomed as true Titans. Their only wish is to have a united nation-state once again. +3 to starting Strength and Constitution. Starting relationship with Titons: Cordial, Starting Relationship with all other tribes: Neutral.*

Jason looked over the starting tribes and juggled between choosing Braccian or Hessian. He was scared about what the caste system of the Titon’s could mean if he started there, he didn’t want to spawn as an untouchable. He liked the jack-of-all-trades vibe he felt from the Braccians. But he also liked the backstory for the Hessians, the part about uniting a nation sounded interesting but also like a daunting task. Eventually, he chose to become a Braccian because of their general neutrality so that he could later freely decide what he wanted to be once he learned more aspects of the game.

He mentally picked Braccian and then the room went dark.