Tunnel Rat - Epilogues

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Epilogue 1: Better Claws!

No alarms were going off, and he felt much better as he got out of the pod. He had some ideas. He couldn’t create the bone claws he had in the game, but he wasn’t limited to his weak ones made of flesh and blood. After taking care of his daily chores and checking in on the mechanical systems in his section, Milo got a bowl of food and settled down with a design program.

Falling into a trance as he worked, he designed, discarded, and redesigned ideas for a set of mechanical gloves that he could wear and plug into his modified nervous system. From scans of his own hands, he built outwards. A layer of thin graphene mesh was first. Graphene was an allotrope of carbon. A two-dimensional, hexagon lattice of carbon molecules. It was incredibly strong and flexible and conductive of electrical pulses. Layers of graphene nano-flakes and nano-strands were woven together along with a sensor net that would pick up the movements of his hands.

Backing up the sensor net would be a direct connection to the plugs in his neck. He started another design for a full suit of graphene mesh to carry the connections to the plugs in his neck. The two systems would work with each other to control the mechanical systems that would be built into the next layers. Before he knew it, the timer he’d set was going off, waking him. It wasn’t good to sit for more than half a day while working.

His next task was creating a half dozen fake identities to begin investigating the companies that supplied the machines to create the graphene materials he needed. He had to be very careful. This wasn’t like ordering a few pounds of cheese. Nothing in the habitat required such machines. He decided to order replacement parts and raw materials, and then build the machines himself. He had some ideas on how to modify them for better efficiency.

The last thing he did before logging back into the game was to check on his information-gathering program for what was going on in section H. He was tired of the people making a mess of his Section. He was going to keep an eye on his new neighbors and his new suit would help with that.

Then he was back in the pod and logging into the game. His ‘nap’ would be over, and they’d be on their way to up-top.

Epilogue 2: The Sleeper Wakes
In the center of the world, the Engine began to spin faster. An explosion of great power had rocked the under caverns near the lair of a sleeping creature, causing it to stir. The threads of a quest connected the massive creature to many other gigantic sleepers beneath the ancient cities. They waited for the call, and the call had come. Uthneragrubban stirred and began eating her way through the rock, heading for the surface. She didn’t know what had awakened her, and she didn’t care. She only knew that she was hungry.

Crushing stone, digging new tunnels, and following the cave system upward, she paused briefly as she felt small, scurrying creatures nearby. A Hollow? She had seen these before. Hundreds of ratkin lived peacefully within this Hollow, making their cheese and protecting their home. Their guards and mages were arrayed against her should she turn towards them but were relieved when she continued upward. She didn’t spare them a thought. She had a quest: Destroy the city above to awaken her brethren beneath other cities. The first World-Wide Quest had begun.

Epilogue 3: Manpower INC.
Section H was coming along quickly, and John Sabbatino was becoming more enthusiastic about the project. The Habitat was a shithole of a building, but it was cheap with lots of space. And lots of people who needed jobs were all around him. Once they sorted out the problems with electricity distribution and waste disposal, they could start moving in the first thousand pods and begin hiring. The corporations trying to carve out a chunk of the online economy needed people to work in the new game, and his new company, Manpower, was going to provide those people.

Once the money started rolling in, he had plans to take over more sections of the Habitat. Section H was first, then Section E with its control over the rest of the habitat’s mechanical system, and finally, Section J which he could fill top to bottom with long-term employees doing work for weeks and months at a time without leaving their pods. By the end of the year, he wanted to have a hundred thousand people in pods and a lease on the entire habitat.

Epilogue 4: The Back Alleys
The children huddled in the alley, hidden behind a stack of rotten crates and crab traps, not daring to breathe. The bad man was walking toward them, and no one wanted to be the next one to disappear. Gully looked at the little ones huddled next to Clary. They ran too slow on their small legs and couldn’t make the jump to the top of the wall. They were trapped. He glanced at the wall at the end of the tunnel; once over it, he could get away. He set his knife and pouch next to Clary. It had a half-eaten apple from the tail-man and a couple of copper in it.

Clary realized what she was about to do and shook her head in panic. Gully shrugged. Better someone got caught than all of them. When the bad man was close, Gully darted past him, holding a board with a loose nail. She surprised him and swung the board into his knee, making him curse. Then she was past him, running for the entrance to the alley. She knew she wouldn’t make it. The spell hit her, and she disappeared. The bad man walked to where Gully had been and picked up a small ball. Clary kept the little ones there until daylight, then moved to another spot closer to the docks, hoping to hide from the slavers for another day.

Epilogue 5: Milo’s new Character Sheet

Our clever ratkin has reached the second Tier of the game, moving to Level 6 and the ability to gain more stats, more levels, and new enhancements. Follow his further adventures in Tunnel Rat Book 2.

Name: Milo/Tallsqueak
Class: Runic Engineer
Race: Ratkin
Level: 6
Experience Points: 21000
Enhancement Points Available: 0

Vitals:
Health: 1600
(100+100 per level=700, STR bonus=+120, CON bonus=+330, TOU bonus=+300, Extra Health 2:+150)
Stamina: 1605
(100+100 per level=700, STR Bonus=+240,CON bonus=+165, Were-rat bonus +500)
Mana: 2240
(200+200 per Level=1400, WIS+INT Bonus =+840)

Class Bonuses:
Were-Rat Scout: +2 PER, +2 AGI, +2 DEX
Runic Engineer: +2 INT, +2 CON, +2 WIS, +2 PER, +2 TOU, +1 Free point.

Stats:
STR: 8
DEX: 15
AGI: 15
CON: 11
INT: 17
WIS: 11
CHA: 0
PER: 14
TOU: 6

Racial Skills:
Spine of Volax-Repat (Tail Fighting) (DEX) Rank 5
Claws of Alta-Viator (Claw Fighting) (DEX) Rank 5

Primary Skills:
Magi-Tech for Beginners (INT) Rank 0
Deep Rock Dwarven Engineering (INT) Rank 5
Bone Casting (INT) Rank 5
Manipulate Bone (INT) Rank 5
Stealthy Skulking (WIS) Rank 5
Climbing (AGI) ) Rank 5
Dodge AGI) Rank 5
Acrobatics (AGI) Rank 5
Small Blades (DEX) Rank 5
Sense Danger (PER) Rank 5
Identify (PER) Rank 5
Weak Poison Resist (Con) Rank 5
Weak Disease Resist (Con) ) Rank 5
Basic Fire Resistance (CON) Rank 0.
Mycology (WIS) Rank 5

Secondary Skills:
Throw Sharp Things (DEX) ) Rank 5
Fleet of Foot (AGI) (Rank 3, 350 experience)
Manipulate Locks and Traps (DEX) Rank 5

Gathering Skills:
Mining (STR) Rank 5
Foraging (PER) Rank 5
Skinning (DEX) Rank 0

Crafting Skills:
Hydraulics (INT) Rank 5
Ore Processing (INT) Rank 5
Chemistry (INT) Rank 5
Physics (INT) Rank 5
Pulley Systems (INT) Rank 5
Metallurgy (INT) Rank 5
Tool Making (INT) Rank 5
Mechanic (INT) Rank 5
Trap Making (INT) Rank 5
Bone Carving (DEX) ) Rank 5
Rune Carving (DEX) ) Rank 5
Smithing (STR) ) Rank 5

Lore Skills:
Runic Lore (INT) Rank 5
Dwarven Rune Lore (INT) Rank 5

Perks and Special Abilities:
Shape Change to Human Form
Superior Low Light Vision
Dark Vision 20’
Enhanced Sense of Smell: Not as good as your lizard, but a lot better than a human.
Acrobatics: You are skilled at tumbling, walking a tightrope, or swinging from a trapeze. If you have an evasive defense skill, such as dodge, it gains a 20% bonus.
Alert: Others might pause at the start of trouble, but not you. A spell or weapon is immediately at hand and you will act before your enemies unless they have a similar skill or somehow surprised you.
Fast Casting: When you cast an attack spell at a single target, you may immediately repeat the spell for twice the mana.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Counter Attack: You recognize when someone else is about to cast a spell. Hand motions, shouting magic words, the smell of ozone, and that stupid smirk on their face give it away. You may counter their spell with an attack of your own. After all, it’s hard to cast a spell if someone just cut off your fingers or put a knife in your throat. If you did not use Fast Casting immediately before this attack, you may also cast a single spell instead of attacking. If you do damage, their spell is disrupted.
Juggling: You are adept at juggling items in the air. You may also catch items thrown at you, and return them to their owner. You are also skilled at Sleight of Hand and gain small bonuses for skills such as Pickpocket, or Gambling.
You have a +20% chance to hit with physical ranged attacks.
Fast Hands, Faster Brain!: Any task that involves assembly, disassembly, sorting, or manipulating multiple objects is trivial for you. You don’t have to think which part goes where you just know!
Uncanny Dodge: Any avoidance skill that you use to dodge incoming damage from a source you are aware of will gain a +20% increase in your chance to dodge. You must know the direction the damage is coming from.
Trifecta! Raising two stats to 10 is difficult, but raising three is simply amazing!
This Perk adds +50 to Health, Mana, and Stamina.
Quadratic!
For raising 4 stats to 10 or higher, you receive a special benefit:
Extra Rib of Magna-Stultas: +100 Mana Per Tier
Blessing of the Oracle of Oblivion: (+100 Mana per Level.)
Blessing of Regulus Tyborian: While bound to the Bone-Runed Cowl you gain +2 Int.
Speed-Runed Skin: For the cost of 100 stamina, you increase your swimming speed to twice that of your land speed. Duration 30 minutes, you leave the water, or you lose your skin.
Hard-Runed Bones: Your bones are hard. Falls and blunt trauma do far less damage to you. 50% of force damage and blunt weapon damage is mitigated. Mana will power the rune, costing you one mana for each 10-damage negated.
Sharp-Runed Talons: Your Talons are extensions of your bones. Use your sharp talons to hunt the eels wherever they are. Claw attacks will do +20 damage per Tier.
Stone Sense: Even in complete darkness you can feel the shape of natural stone and earth to a distance of 50′ and up to 10′ past the surface of the stone. This allows movement through caves and similar terrain even in complete darkness at a normal pace.
You know when creatures move around you if they are treading on stone or packed earth by the vibrations they make. Some stealth abilities may partially negate this, as will a very light tread.
Enhanced Sense of Smell: Not as good as your lizard, but a lot better than a human.
The Power of Cheese!: (Variable)

Enhancements:
Smugglers Stash 3: Storage Skill. Summons/Dispels a magical chest. Size increases with rank. Currently 27 cubic feet.
Invisible Tail: Even in bright light, everyone thinks you are a boring human. Stay away from mages who can see through illusions. And guards with high perception. And dogs!
Jumping Jack 1: You may leap twice as far as normal.
Slashing Tail 1: Your tail does increased damage and can slash at your foes like a whip. Damage is increased by +10 points
Weak Poison Resistance: Gain the Primary CON skill: Weak Poison Resistance.
Weak Disease Resistance: Gain the Primary CON skill: Weak Disease Resistance
Not-So-Fast Regeneration: Grants increased (x2), health recovery. Slowly regenerate scar tissue and missing body parts. A steady diet of cheese speeds up the process.
Breathless 2: You may hold your breath for 10x as long. (10 minutes.)
Abundance 3: Your gathering skills return +50% more resources than normally expected.
Skilled Provider 1: Your gathering skills have a significantly increased chance of finding better quality items and even rare items.
Extra Health 2: +150 Health
Fiendish Traps 2: Your traps and machinery almost always work, and in fiendish ways no one (sometimes even you!) suspected. Everyone gets a surprise. This core skill affects Mechanics, Trap-Maker, and other such skills.

Items:
Ring of the Swiss Army.
Made by the Archmagi Elsener and given to each member of the mage corps of Swissleland. This ring can cast the following spells without the need for mana. Each spell may be cast 1 time each day.
Darn Socks (2 pairs)
Water Breathing (self, 1 Hour)
Summon Nut Cracker (Lasts until no more nuts present in 10′.)
Protection from biting and stinging insects (Keeps them at bay for 1 hour.)
Heat Fondue (Creates a small flame that will heat oil or other things in a fondue pot. Duration 4 hours.)
Sharpen Tool. (4 sharpening per day.)
Karl’s Handy Tent Helper (Sets up a large tent or packs it up. Usable twice a day.)
Summon Guard Lizard (Bring a Guard Lizard from the Feenokioki swamp to guard your camp for 8 hours.)
Deflect Minor Blame (Something bad happened, can’t be your fault, must be someone else! ).
Dog Bite Fixer (Takes the edge off of nasty hangovers.)
Summon Wine (1 Quart, quality varies.)

Rune Boned Cowl
Created by Cichol and linked to his Arcane Library. The wearer of this shabby orange hoody gains knowledge of the are of bone manipulation and several Bonecasting spells.

Shadow Blight (Legendary Ratkin Spikeystick)
This ancient spikeystick has been used by generations of ratkin champions to slay their foes and instill fear in their enemies. The carvings on the bone spikes will weaken your foes, robbing their attacks of damage as Shadowblight curses them.
Foes will do -10 damage against you with melee weapons for each wound that you inflict upon them. The weakness stacks and will last for one minute. As they weaken, your strikes find the weak points in their armor. For each curse applied, your foes armor will be decreased by 10, increasing your damage.
Base chance to hit: 40% +5xDex%.
Base damage: 40 + 5xDex.
Slay more foes to reveal more of Shadowblight’s powers.

…and a few things in his chest, forgotten in the haste of looking for cheese.

Spells:
Exploding Skull: Charge a skull with your mana and hurl it at your enemies, damaging anyone within 20 feet of its impact point. Cost: 50 mana. If a prepared rune-carved skull is used, the normal damage of 50 is increased to 75 points and the area to 30 feet in radius.

Bone Spike: A small bone dart erupts from your body and shoots towards an enemy. Cost 50 mana. Range: 100 feet, damage 50 points. Special darts made from rune-carved bones may be used with this spell, increasing damage to 150 points.

Mend Bones: A healing spell that affects only bones. Heal fractures and breaks. Particularly bad breaks will need additional mana. Normal Cost: 50 mana per bone.

The Curse of Brittle Bones: Your enemy’s bones break easily, and attacks with a physical impact will do additional damage. The curse has a cost of 100 mana, a duration of one hour, and a range of 20 ft.

Extra-Rib: Gain power by adding a rib bone from a sentient, spell-casting race to your ribcage. Effects will vary.

Combat Calculations: Chances to hit do not take into account an opponent’s avoidance %. Opponents’ armor mitigation will be subtracted from damage.

Weapon Block: 20%+DEXx5+Rankx5 is subtracted from the opponent’s chance to hit. =120%. You will take Weapon Damage -100.

Claws of Alta Viator:
Chance to Hit:60%+5%xRank to hit = 135%
Damage: 60+5xSTR+5xRank + 40(20 per tier) = 150

The Spine of Volax-Repat:
Chance to hit: 30%+5%xDEX+5%xRank = 130%
Damage: 30+5xDEX+5xRank+20(Enhancement Points) = 150

Shadowblight:
Base chance to hit: 40% +5xDex% + Rank (Small Blades) x5%=140%
Base damage: 40 + 5xDex + 5xRank=140
Foes will do -10 damage against you with melee weapons for each wound that you inflict upon them. The weakness stacks and will last for one minute. As they weaken, your strikes find the weak points in their armor. For each curse applied, your foes armor will be decreased by 10, increasing your damage.

Small Blades:
Chance to hit: 30%+5%xDEX+5%xRank = 130%
Damage: 30+rankx5 = 55

Throw Sharp Things:
Chance to hit: 20%+5%xDEX+5%xRank = 95%
Damage: 20+rankx5 = 20