Three days. I have been here for three days now. I am beginning to get the hang of things in my dog form. I do most of my attacking in my dog form, and as a result I have spent most of my time in it. I turn human mainly to cook my food and eat it, since no matter how much time I am spending as a dog I am not going to eat raw meat. Hell no. I also bathe in the river that I luckily found as a human. I was not sure what I was going to do before I found the water. Dehydration was not on the top of my ways to die list and since I had apparently just died a few days ago, dying again so soon would just be lame and tragic. Mostly lame though. I decided to follow the river, it has to lead me somewhere. People build near rivers, or it will lead me to the ocean. People build near the ocean as well. Either way the goal is people. It is taking all the willpower that I have to stop myself from prancing about in celebration. I, Elise, the greatest canine shifter ever (just go with it) have leveled up one of my skills! Hunting leveled up. It turns out that hunting in my canine form counts toward experience for not only the Hunting skill but my Transformation skill. Well it looks like I get a little bit of experience the more time that I spend in my canine form. I get more experience each time I actually shift from one form to the other. That still hurts though, so I have been keeping that down to a minimum. I know this because I did some experimenting on day two. I had my skill screen open all day as I watched the experience bars next to each skill. It gave me the idea to look closely at my own level and find my experience bar. I had not thought about it on the first day, since everything was so crazy, waking up in a new world, finding out that I had died, being lost, trying to figure out what was going on with this game-like system. It was a busy day. It is no wonder that I had missed finding the experience bar then. Analyze was taking its sweet time to gather experience, to be fair though I do not have too much to Analyze. I use it on each of my prey, so long as I am the one who approaches them. I am not good enough to use when startled yet, that will take time and practice. I have had three sneak attacks from cats! Big cats, with long matted orange and grey fur. Analyze told me that they are called Wooly Claws. I am forever grateful for hunting and Scavenging skills, I would not have been able to get through the breaking down of the cats otherwise. I was a nice good city girl, I did not skin and disassemble animals. I don’t even have a knife, Scavenging made it so I could use a sharp rock that I found to act as one, and Hunting accepted it. Even though I have done it a few times now, it still is gross and creeps me out when I have to tear open a dead animal. The cats tasted okay when grilled over an open fire and their fur makes great warm blankets for me to sleep in. I used one to make a bag of sorts so I can carry my things easily when I am in my canine form. It makes keeping track of my clothes so much easier. Luckily for me the highest level that seems to be in this forest is Level 7 and it is the big cats. My bite and Transform skills are almost ready to level up and my keen hearing and keen smell skills are about halfway through. Their experience bars are crazy long. Must because it is an active skill so it needs a lot of use to get stronger.
I have not yet encountered another canine. It was starting to drive me a bit crazy, as much as I loved German shepherds I needed a stronger animal to change into. It was luck that made the creatures here weak enough for me to defeat. Those cats have almost killed me each time that I have crossed paths with them. I need more weapons in my arsenal. I am tired of transforming into a blood soaked girl each time I change back. If anyone had ever seen me I would not just look like a crazy woman, I would look like a crazed homicidal woman and all my dreams of conversation would run away. As fast as their legs could carry them. I need to look at least somewhat presentable when I come across another person. I have to! The rabbit creatures, comically called Rhabbits, here are not only looking like food, but good company. The Zoology skill allows me to connect with them on a deeper level, but the lack of real company is making me feel as if I truly can have a conversation with the flighty things. I also learned that my individual canine forms level up as well. My German shepherd form was just a few more vicious bites away from gaining a second level. Speaking of vicious bites…
Upon leveling my German shepherd form I gained a new ability!
Guardian: Increase % of all stats based on base plus form level when defending another creature. Current increase base (10) + Form (2)= 12% increase.
That would be so good if I had anything to defend. Still it made me think that maybe all my forms will have some super cool unique ability that I will get for leveling it up. I was not so crazy about being given the “gift” of shapeshifting, still not the happiest about it, but at least it seems to be getting more and more interesting every time I learn something new! My Transform skill leveled up as well, but Bite(Medium) was still a few enemies away from leveling. I am not sure but I think that my canine form got bigger just a bit with the level up. I was totally not dancing about in my dog form, nope not at all, when I heard the yip. I instantly froze, that sounded like...A CANINE!!!!!! Oooh, I pray that it is, I really want to start expanding my canine tree. Thirty seven, I have thirty seven canine forms that I have not unlocked yet. I have to have them! I know that is the compulsive “finish the game entirely” gamer that has become my generation, or had become my generation since technically I wasn’t a part of that crowd anymore. Still I had to unlock them all, it is important. My Keen hearing had caught the sound and my Hunting, good ole Hunting skill told me how far away it is. Zoology was letting me know that it is indeed canine, but was giving me nothing more than that. Ah, well it is a level one skill after all. Another cool thing I learned about being in my canine form was that Language translation would translate the animals languages as well. So I know that the yip had been some mystery canine saying “hungry”. Well it is too bad, cuz you’re on the menu today! Hahahahaha! As quickly and quietly as I can I move through the trees to where my nose, with the help of Hunting and Zoology, thanks guys, told me my prey is. Soon I caught sight of what I was chasing. A small black and white fox looking creature sat beside a tree and was grooming itself. It had five fluffy tails that swung around its body as it worked. I took a moment to use Analyze
Name: Ren
Age: 10
Mind: 150/200
Str: 4 Sp: 8 Int: 30 Res: 10 Def:4
Race: Kitsune
Level 6
Sex: Male
Gender Male
Titles: 2
Kitsune, Master of Ashe
Abilities: 5
???, ???, ???, ???, ???
Skills: 10
???, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???
Wow, its Int stat is way up there. I need to unlock this guy. Analyze was not strong enough yet to show me all the abilities and skills of my enemies. I was preparing myself to lunge at the Kitsune when it stopped grooming and turned its head in my direction. Orange eyes with a fire red ring around the pupil stared at me. As if waiting to see what I was going to do. I stopped, looked at the stats again and noticed it was named. Deciding to follow a gut instinct here I moved out of my cover and sat down in front of the Kitsune. “Hello there, my name is Elise.” I barked. The Kitsune’s eyes widened slightly then nodded its head almost regally. “Hello Elise, I am Ren it is an honor to meet you.” He yipped in return. He looked me up and down quizzically “ I have not seen one your kind before. What might you be Elise, if you do not mind my asking?” He is really polite, okay then, conversation here I come. It was hard to hold back the tears that wanted to fall at the realization. Joy! A true conversation partner! I most certainly was not doing a dance in my head, would you get off it with the dancing already? While I was...collecting my thoughts, yeah, collecting my thoughts the Kitsune turned its head to the side and yipped in concern. If dogs could blush my face would have been on fire. “Oh, sorry. I am fine, just a touch conversation starved. I am a shapeshifter human. I was brought here by some God or something. I am a canine from my home world, one that I died saving. It is called a German shepherd.” Ren nodded his adorable little head in a knowing manner. “You are a lost soul.” If I didn’t know better I would say that he looked sad for me. “You are civilized enough to speak first rather than just attack. It is a refreshing change of pace. Usually only other Kitsune have those kinds of manners.” I am so glad that dogs cannot blush, there is no way that I am going to let Ren know that I had been planning on attacking him. “Would you like some information about where you are?” Holy gifts from above yes I would! “Please.” The Kitsune shifted and settled down on the ground again. His five tails framing his little head. “Currently we are in the Drake Forest, on Darva’s side. This forest is part of the border between the countries Darva and Shevran. The river marks the human’s territory. The humans on the other side of the river do not seem to like each other. Local skulk history tells of a time in the last godly cycle where the humans crossed the river to kill each other.” He pointed down the river the way that I have been traveling with one of his tails “That way will lead to the ocean.” His tail pointed the way that I had come from “That way will lead to the sea of grass and the Human homes beyond it.” So I had been close to civilization when I had woken up. Maybe it is for the best that I did not head that way first. I do feel as if I needed a few days for my private freak out to get somewhat used to this world. There is still so much that I do not know about this world and how it works, but I am no longer filled with the urge to scream in panic. So my first impression for the humans in this world should not make me look crazy. I think that I am going to go to the ocean first before heading toward the humans. I mean I have already come this far, and I have always wanted to see the ocean. I bowed my head to Ren respectfully, there is no cause to be rude, “Thank you Ren. Your help has been greatly appreciated.” The Kitsune nodded at me before vanishing in a cloud of ash. A little bell chimed in my head. Conditions met: Kitsune form available. A rush of excitement coursed through me, a new form. Granted this one is most likely going to be smaller than my current one if Ren is anything to go off of, but still a new form. I have to check it out.
Name: Elise
Age: 25
Mind: 70/90
Str: 10 Spd: 10 Int: 15 Res: 6 Def: 9
Race: German Shepherd (Earth)
Sex: Female
Gender: Female
Level: 10
Gift: Shapeshifter
Titles: 5
Abilities: 6
Skills: 9
Skill points: 5
I focused on my skills again and found that my Transform (human) had turned into Transform (canine/human). It looks as if I can change between my canine forms without having to change to human first. That is a relief, it will save time and pain. I went to my form page and found a new picture, a small black and orange fox sat on the screen. The words, like the German Shepherd, are written in gold. Kitsune: Magical Fox. An elusive creature that uses the power of the magical energy in the atmosphere by focusing the energy into their tails. Condition met: Gain the respect of a Kitsune. Rarity S. I focused on it and the pressure settled over me. When it was over, everything looked so big! I did indeed get smaller, a lot smaller. It is the strangest thing, I can feel all five of my tails, moving independently of each other, but still a part of me. I went back to the main screen and found the most adorable thing I have ever seen on the screen in front of me. Ren had been black with patches of white, I was black, the same shade that my hair is as a human, with the orange red color that had been Ren’s eyes in smaller amounts across my body. My whole chest from the bottom of my chin was the orange color, the front left paw and three of my five tails were tipped with it, one of my ears was orange and my back had small stripes of the color running down it. The pendant was a thin silver collar with the jewel hanging like a small tear drop from my neck. I was so cute, I just wanted to be human so I could cuddle my Kitsune self. Ahh!
Name: Elise
Age: 25
Mind: 280/300
Str: 4 Spd: 10 Int: 40 Res: 10 Def: 4
Race: Kitsune
Sex: Female
Gender: Female
Level: 10
Gift: Shapeshifter
Titles: 4
Abilities: 7
Skills: 10
Skill points: 5
My attack and defense had dropped significantly and I felt much more fragile as if getting hit would do a lot more damage to me, but my Mind and Int had gone way up. I actually felt smarter, and could sense something around me that I had not been able to before. I took a quick look at my abilities, it told me that I got a new one.
Abilities: Unique skills that a person can use.
Abilities: Analyze, Transform (canine/human), Language translation, Keen hearing, Keen smell, Bite (small), Firefox
Analyze: The ability to look and see the description and status of self, other things and people. Rare. (Level 1) Points to next level 10
Transform (canine/human): The ability to change into another creature. Restricted to human (Elise) and canine. Rare. Cost 20 Mind. (Level 2) Points to next level 40
Language Translation: Automatically understand the verbal language of all speakers and basic understanding of the written. Ultra Rare. (Level --)
Keen hearing: Greater hearing, can hear sounds from greater distance. Rare. (Level 1). Points to next level 15
Keen smell: Greater sense of smell. Rare. (Level 1). Points to next level 15.
Bite (small): Use fangs to cause damage to the target. small effectiveness. Does damage equal to Str. stat. Common. (Level 1) Points to next level 5
Firefox: Skill restricted to Kitsune, summon fire from tails to barrage target. Often called will-o-wisps and have been used to lure travelers off their path and to their deaths. Damage based on Int. Cost 10 Mind. Rare. (Level 1) Points to next level 30.
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