1??????????????Soul Bound


    1.2????????????Taking Control


    1.2.2??????????An Awakening Epiphany


    1.2.2.3????????Balanced ecosystems


    Tomsk: “What’s down the grey path?”


    Snowbell: “Fun things!”


    Gustav looked slightly pained: “The Lady keeps things like sirens and cockatrice on Rac’s path. It’s for advanced combat training only. There are dangers on Zer’s path too, but only for those who actually enter the enclosures. They won’t petrify you as you pass by.”


    He led them back down the pink path, more slowly this time, pausing to answer questions or point out species he found particularly interesting.


    Through one hex Kafana spotted some riders in a field, carrying wicked looking scythes. On looking closer, she realised the human top half was joined to the body and legs of a horse.


    Kafana: “Are those centaurs?”


    Gustav: “That''s what I thought, originally. But apparently they’re an offshoot; the ipotane. The centaurs are nomadic hunters, ranging through some of the more ancient forests in small bands. They know a lot about herb lore, and use Seeing to track their prey. The ipotane are farmers who pull their own ploughs. They use their herb lore to help with their brewing. They make everything from mead and ale, to mystic enchanted wines and potent liquors. Or did, until the Covadan drove them out. They sought sanctuary with the Lady and can leave any time they choose, but they’ve made a home here now.


    Tomsk: {Bungo, we’ve found your brewing masters. Ask your vessel to arrange a visit to the ipotane during downtime.}


    Alderney: “Snowbell, I have an idea, may I have a word with you?” Snowbell hopped onto Alderney’s shoulder and they started to talk quickly and quietly, Snowbell’s wings fluttering in excitement.


    Further down, Bulgaria paused at a hex looking out into a woodland grove. A group of mostly naked men were dancing around a fire under a darkened sky. Some were singing; others were playing pipes or drums. The melody was both haunting and passionate, the rhythm incredibly complex yet driving. Kafana felt like she could stay there watching for hours without getting bored. Or better yet, join in the dancing. She leaned closer.


    Bulgaria: “Fauns. Weren’t they meant to have magical powers over women?”


    Gustav shrugged: “There’s no sword symbol over the hex, just a heart to indicate the creatures in there are a rare exhibit, not to be harmed. The biggest danger in there is getting a hangover. They like to party, and are the biggest consumers of the ipotane’s wines.”


    Tomsk firmly drew Kafana on down the path and reluctantly she left the music behind her.


    Kafana: {I want to come back and learn their music.}


    Tomsk: {Don’t go without me. Maybe they can help improve my drumming. Promise?}


    Kafana: {Sure. It’ll be fun.}


    Gustav: “The mages here spend a lot of time keeping track of how the species change over time, and where they’re trending. It’s important to be able to spot new threats before they start destroying whole towns. So for example, if hippogryphs are offshoots from pegasi breeding with gryphons, that means pegasi have the ability to form new crossbreeds so need to be watched carefully.”


    Wellington: “Could we ask the Lady for mounts? I believe we are high enough level to have some.”


    Gustav: “You can ask, but I don’t think it works that way. This isn’t like a stable where creatures are for sale.”


    Tomsk: “Talking of aerial combat, this one looked interesting. Is that a group of monster hunters training? They look like they’re losing.”


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    Kafana and the others crowded around. Five archers and a mage were crouched on a mountain ledge, facing a flock of bronze-beaked stymphalians, who were diving in formation before releasing a fusillade of razor edged bronze feathers down at the bleeding party then veering away, easily avoiding the return arrows. Above the hex glowed both a sword and a moon.


    Gustav: “I think you’re right. Not to worry, they’re wearing monitor bracelets that let the Lady teleport them straight to the infirmary if they signal surrender or get below half hit points.”


    Tomsk: “That sounds a pretty safe way to level and get loot. Why aren’t more people doing it?”


    Gustav: “On occasions, if a group of creatures has gained more members than can be supported, a cull may be authorised. But it got reported and nerfed during the Beta. Or so I’m told.”


    He didn’t sound disappointed. Almost the opposite, in fact. It didn’t take more than a look of interest on Tomsk’s face, to cause Gustav to explain, clearly relishing each restriction the developers had added.


    Gustav: “Firstly, it’s rare. To obtain even a three-kill permit, a party will now need luck, time, money, high reputation or the favour from completing some quest. Secondly, none of the party’s members will gain experience from the kills. Because the Lady’s ability to act through the bracelets affects the outcome of combats, the game now treats her as being in the party. Thus, if a member had reached character level 55 and could party with a High Master Mage without being penalised by the game’s anti-boosting mechanic, they’d get penalised instead by the anti-bottom-feeding mechanic for being more than 5 levels higher than the monster they killed. Lose-Lose.”


    He smiled modestly, giving no hint of having been one of the Beta testers that XperiSense had invited to play the game in the months before it had been opened to the public on the official launch date. However the thought of asking Snowbell to also sign a binding non-disclosure agreement clearly had not occur to even the most imaginative shark in XperiSense’s legal department - she danced with an utter lack of constraint, part the swagger of a sports star scoring, part the aerial acrobatics of a jet pilot, throwing every centimeter of her body into communicating all the things too risky for him to say.


    Gustav: “Finally, the party now doesn’t get to keep any money or items from the kills. All loot and material harvested is confiscated, to fund ongoing support for the group of creatures that got culled. Even a healer who can’t make the potion they need to cure a suffering patient without an ingredient they only obtainable in time by coming to the Zoo would have to gain a favour from the Lady before the Zoo would permit the healer to claim an the item back by purchasing it directly.”


    How close was the bond with a familiar? Was it like the one she’d briefly had with her other self? Thinking the term felt painful, dangerous like tottering on a cliff over a bottomless ravine. She hastily corrected herself: with her Vessel. Was it like that, even a bit? Gustav hadn’t shown any sign he’d noticed Snowbell’s actions, but she thought she’d noticed a glint in his eye, a joy or easing of some sort? As though he were sharing more than just thoughts or images, or even feelings - something closer to sharing identity, where a thing-his-familiar did merged into the concept of a thing-he-did or maybe a thing-they-had-done.


    Snowbell returned to Alderney, holding a finger up to her lips while looking in Gustav’s direction as his explanation drew to a close: “Realistically, the only way to get permission to go on a hunt in the Zoo is to be a research mage, or as part of an agreement between the Zoo and the guildmaster of a profession. And maybe with a player guild too, if CraftySquId gain enough reputation and are willing to wait for however long it takes me to gain the ability on this new server to set up a guild in a way that the NPCs will give it formal recognition. But, I’m a crafter first. Always have been. So if reaching level 70 quickly enough would require my turning into some sort of combat monkey, I’d rather step down as guild leader.”


    He didn’t sound regretful. He sounded at peace; a person who knew what he was, warts and all, and fully accepted it. Kafana made a mental bet with herself that the guild of crafting fanatics wouldn’t be asking Gustav to step down, even if that delayed their access to guild-only quests or facilities by a couple of years. He didn’t just craft. He believed in crafting, and in the worth of being a crafter. He did it quietly, but with such certainty and passion that, after meeting him, most crafters probably dove straight for the nearest anvil or workbench. They’d be fools to let someone like that slip away.


    A moment later, he stopped by a hex with a glowing mask of Rac above it: “Ah, here we are! Experimental. Johannes is in there. At least, it was this door earlier. The Lady moves them around regularly, but if she likes you and knows you need a door, she’ll generally not move it unless it’s feeding time. Feeding times are on a fixed schedule and take priority over everything. Mycroft should be just inside to show you the rest of the way, so I’ll be parting with you here. It was nice to meet you.”


    Bulgaria: “You too, and thank you for the guided tour. I’m impressed by how much you picked up in just one morning. Your replies were very detailed.”


    Gustav blushed and confided in them: “I cheated. Mycroft was listening in to my stream and helped me with the answers.”


    Alderney: “I knew it. You’re going to fit him perfectly.”


    Snowbell: “Gustav, I have a surprise for you. Alderney and I have found you a high master craftsman who works with fine metals, and who matches you in his passion for his work.”


    They ducked through the hex, leaving Snowbell to explain about Harlequin’s peculiarities.