Chapter 1: Prologue: You’re Finally Awake

I have no idea what nonexistence feels like. Even now, when I exist in a strange, liminal state, I cannot really describe nonexistence in a meaningful way. The only thing that I know is that I exist, at least as far as I can tell, and that there is a strange text box in front of me. I am currently nowhere that I can identify and all that is in front of me is the weird text box I just mentioned. It completely fills whatever I have that passes for “Vision”, preventing me from seeing anything else.

The curious text box needs some “Input” from me, whatever that means. It is not a particularly verbose text box, thankfully.

[Alert: User Input Needed

Initiating greeting.

Hello new user! I am an ‘Evolving System’, and I exist to aid you, and to allow you to grow stronger. Your soul is currently being implanted within a [Nord] in [Skyrim], and during the implantation process I wish to facilitate the smoothest possible assimilation, for your safety.

To proceed with the implantation process please affirm, mentally, that you are ready. Once you do that I will begin the process of selecting and transmitting text boxes to you. These text boxes will ask you to make choices that will select what abilities, skills, and equipment you start out with but do not hamper your potential in any way. All you are doing is determining, to an extent, how you are going to start out.

Additionally, as a reward for possessing an ‘Evolving System’, you may select one of the following text boxes to be a natural born master of. Doing so grants you vast power over whatever you choose, and natural ownership of all of the origins in that text box. It will also automatically grant you an evolution over said area that gifts you otherworldly abilities related to the concept you choose.]

I “read” and then “reread” the text box. Once I’ve read the curious thing twice I do my best to “affirm that I am ready”, and the text box vanishes. A second later a new text box appears, one entitled “TES: Warriors”.

[TES: Warriors

Please select one of the following origins. You will attain all perks from said origin for free. You will also get [General Perks] that you can view when the implantation is complete by focusing on your stats.

Archer

Duelist

One-Handed

Spell Sword

Sword And Shield

Two-Handed

Unarmed

Blacksmith]

I study the list and note that the option entitled “Blacksmith” is a slightly different color than the rest of the options. It takes me a second to realize that the option is not actually an option but somehow already selected! I must be getting it for free? How strange. I try to reach out, mentally, to the system but I don’t get any sort of response from it…

I eventually refocus on the options before me, and spend some time thinking about each one. They all have benefits and drawbacks that are worth considering. For example, archery is a handy skill to have out in the woods but if an enemy sneaks up on you and all you are good at is archery, you’ll probably struggle to survive that encounter. An unarmed fighter takes special efforts to disarm but might be in for a rough fight against an armed opponent.

Truthfully, none of these are any better than the others at a glance, but after thinking about it I opt to select “Unarmed”. This choice gives me the most versatility and requires the most effort to meaningfully disarm me, which I somehow, on an instinctual level, know is a good thing. To be fair, I have no idea how I really “Know” anything. I’m just making the most of the cards I’ve been dealt. Regardless, that text box immediately vanishes and is replaced by another one. This time I’m looking at “TES: Magic”.

[TES: Magic

Once more, select one origin and you will receive all the perks associated with it for free. You will also get the [General Perks] for free.

Magic Generalist

Alteration

Conjuration

Destruction

Illusion

Mysticism

Restoration

Enchanting]

This time the words on the list feel more meaningful. And again that last option is a different color than the other words happen to be. I study the list, and I am able to more quickly make a choice this time than I did last time.

Instead of selecting a single area to excel at here, I ask the text box to make me a natural master of this generalized skillset. I am no fool, magic is unbelievably powerful, and while I may not know how I know that I know that magic can reshape reality. If there is any single area to choose to excel at from the jump, it is magic. The text box vanishes, and another one replaces it as soon as it disappears.

[Alert: Evolution Selected

You have chosen to be a natural master of magic. In this setting that is a wise choice, and it is one that grants you terrifying abilities from the start. As previously mentioned, you will be granted a natural evolution of your arcane talents. The evolution will manifest in the form of giving you access to Planetos’, a distant world in an even more distant universe, magic. In that world magic is very different from the magic of Nirn, but it remains powerful in skilled hands.

It will also give you access to eleven curious forms of magic derived from keychains in your inventory. Those forms of magic are all deeply unique and follow their own rules. Mastering them gives you great power, but in every case will require practice, resources, and a meaningful investment of time. Nevertheless, the power these magicks will give you are worth the effort it will take to master them.

Your enhanced arcane mastery will give you abilities unlike anything possible in Nirn. These magicks will be powerful, but if you use them properly you can leave a mark on this world, and perhaps go even further beyond, to shape and alter reality. Embrace the power you have chosen.]

As soon as I finish reading the text box it vanishes. It is replaced by a more normal one, all about stealth, charisma, and dexterity heavy careers.

[TES: Rogues

For the last time, please select one origin. You will get the generalized perks for free, as you have with the other two lists.

Assassin

Bard

Merchant

Noble

Thief

Alchemist]

This time making the choice is harder than it was before. And, just like the last two times, the final option is a slightly different color than the rest of the choices are.

Really, all the choices here are at least somewhat interesting. I don’t particularly care for “Merchant” or “Noble”, but both have potential, if nothing else, whereas “Bard” would almost certainly give me a set of skills that guarantee that I can make money anywhere I go that has other people. “Assassin” and “Thief” both promise me lots of skills that mesh well with my original choice back when I was asked to select a choice for “TES: Warriors”.

I don’t know what, exactly, I’ll get if I select either origin but I can imagine a lot of ways that a “Thief” and an “Assassin” origin synergize with someone who elects to fight with their fists. I spend several moments thinking about what choice to make before I make my final decision. I select the “Assassin” origin, and watch the menu vanish. It is replaced by a new menu entitled “TES: Daedra”.

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This menu is a larger one that lists sixteen names. As I glance at them I feel information about them entering my mind, identifying them as “Daedric  Princes”, a gender-neutral term for them. I am given the chance to select one prince to be a champion of innately, and another to be an acolyte of, which will grant me all of their perks and items out the jump and some of their perks respectively.

The princes are god-like beings who can influence various aspects of reality. Each of them holds power over a few different domains, and the powers they can offer to their mortal servants is vast if someone serves them faithfully. I study the domains of the princes before ultimately deciding which princes to elect to be associated with out the jump.

I inform the system that I’d like to be a champion of Hermaeus Mora, and an acolyte of Mephala, the prince of knowledge and fate and the prince of murder and sex respectively. I sense the powers of the princes I have opted to be linked to flowing into me, and if I could I’d smile. The menu disappears and I wait for it to be replaced.

No new menu greets me this time, and instead I am met with darkness. Darkness surrounds me completely, and I am unable to do anything for several moments.

I am delighted to find that eventually I begin to feel… something, firm supporting the weight of my head and my folded arms. A few moments pass, before I begin to feel something hard gently touching what I instinctively know is my stomach. A split second later I feel my eyes opening without any mental input from me, and I find myself inside of a dimly lit inn. My head is atop a small backpack, which is itself atop a firm table.

A strange bipedal lizard-fellow dressed in a simple outfit is poking me with a broom and looking, with mild annoyance, at me. As I glance at him, I hear a soft voice in the back of my mind tell me he is an “Argonian”, a member of a species from a distant province of the “Empire” I am currently in. Upon seeing me look at him the lizard almost blanches and clears his throat softly before beginning to talk to me.

“You’re finally awake!” Says the paling lizard-man. I chuckle and shake my head, doing so as a pretext by which I can more carefully examine my surroundings. The lizard-humanoid lets out a raspy sound that I quickly realize is an awkward laugh before beginning to speak again.

“Sorry Hendall. You paid me a few septims last night to wake you up before nine today. It’s almost nine, so I wanted to keep my end of the bargain.” The sheepish Argonian tells me. I chuckle and push myself up, sitting up straight so I can more properly study my surroundings.

“Memories” that are not mine begin to flow into my mind, slowly but quite surely. I can recall the name of the Argonian, Talen-Jei, as well as information about this city. I can also remember that prior to now, “Hendall” was a simple traveler with a bit of luck when it came to scavenging and little else. “I” had wandered aimlessly throughout Skyrim for weeks before arriving here. If I try to “remember” anything before those twelve or so weeks, I just can’t, almost as though I just didn’t exist even three months ago…

As I focus on both my memories and the knowledge I possess of “Nirn”, the name of this world, Talen-Jei seems satisfied, and he turns his back to me. The knowledge that I focus on fills my mind, even as I ambiently find It subtly, and at times not-so-subtly, enhanced by both the origins I selected earlier, and things I did not select earlier.

Knowledge of both magic and other things, like how to use melee weapons of various sorts, and survivalist skills, fill my mind. As does an awareness that my fists are powerful weapons all on their own, more than capable of downright supernatural feats such as injuring ghosts and other spirits.

The inn I am in is almost empty. A handful of other patrons, presumably people who rent rooms here, sit at tables not far from my own. That said, this common floor of the inn is easily large enough to host a few dozen people, but only five or so are actually seated at the various tables, eating and dinking locally produced food and drink without much of a care in the world.

I take a second to familiarize myself with the not-small number of spells I already know and in doing so I gain some awareness of the concept of “Magicka”, which is this place’s term for arcane energy. I also memorize the decent number of spells I know that don’t cost magicka at all, spells known as “Cantrips”, which feel different from the other magic that I know, somehow.

Aside from those “Free” spells I know a variety of magic. The most prominent forms of magic that I know are divvied up into “Schools” of magic and “Levels” of spells. The differences between the two are significant, as I can tell what each spell I know can do at a glance. I know spells like “Cure Wounds” which feels… odd somehow, as well as “Healing Hands” which I can tell is a spell that people in this place might be familiar with. All of the magic I can wield feels quite powerful, and I know that if I am given a chance to unleash it the results will be both horrifying and amazing.

I also know some meaningfully powerful odd magic. I know spells of up to “Fifth Level”, as well as dozens of more natural feeling spells that are almost certainly native to this place. I am keenly aware of the many perks I possess related to magic, all of which mix together to make me a powerful spellcaster right out the jump.

Aside from that, I also know how to conjure a spirit sword fashioned from my own soul, a shehai, which I know to be a skill that is most commonly associated with the descendants of those who fled Yokudan: the “Redguard”. I also have natural skill with the “Storm Voice”, the linguistic abilities of the dovah: known in the common tongue of Tamriel as “Dragons”. And of course I wield otherworldly magicks as well… If I can leverage all of that together, I should be able to figure out how to best make a living in this world.

“Hmm… Not bad.” I mutter, even as I note the very special spells I know, such as one that lets me teleport places I’ve been in the past, so long as I mark them with a rune.

Now armed with awareness, I get up and memorize my surroundings. As I stand I realize that I must be close to seven and a half feet tall, which is an absolutely gigantic height. I tower over the others in the inn, which must have been why Talen got so nervous when I first glanced at him.

I don’t make a big deal about my height or anything and I silently grab my backpack. I sling the thing over my back and I begin to head towards the door leading in and out of the inn. When I reach it I pause for a moment and wonder what awaits me on the other side of the thing… But only for a moment.

Opening the door reveals to me the marketplace of Riften which is a dinghy little town square where a number of stalls lie, currently unattended by anyone. Distant buildings surround everything, and I gain even more information when I take a quiet breath and sniff the air.

As the door swings out, I silently cast “Mark”, a spell from the “Mysticism” school of magic, to mark the inn as a place I can instantly teleport to, if I just cast “Recall” at any point during the future. Instantaneous teleportation is a heck of an ability, and it is one that I plan to take advantage of in the days to come.

I sense a small amount of my magicka, energy which I possess in abundance, spill out of me and seep onto the door in front of me. I notice the nearly imperceptible rune that etches itself onto the door, causing me to smirk in victory. As soon as the spell is cast I begin to feel my magicka stores working to regenerate the amount of the stuff I depleted.

Sensory information begins to flood my mind as I study the scene in front of me. I can tell my senses are enhanced beyond what is normal for a “Nord”. I can smell over a hundred and one different scents, and that’s all just within the town square! Scents from the murky waters of Lake Honrich fill my nose, as well as the variously clean scents of the townsfolk of Riften and the clothes they wear.  

I close the door leading into the Bee and Barb, the establishment I was just in, and as I do I feel a chilly breeze blow in my direction. I can see Mistveil Keep, where the Jarl and her court live and do business, directly ahead of me, across a small bridge. I begin to walk out of the way of the door leading into the inn I was just in, and as I do I feel the shadows cast by the building call out to me, whispering for me to use their power.

There is a power in darkness that I can detect and use somewhat freely, so long as I want to do so. If I will it, and I am steeped in shadows and darkness, I can call the darkness to cloak me and hide me from view. I can also do other things, to much lesser extents in my untrained and inexperienced state, but for now just that knowledge that I can make myself invisible is incredibly handy.

[Alert: Inventory Introduction

You possess an inventory. This inventory is a hyperdimensional space where you can store countless items of various sizes without it disrupting you or your ability to traverse your surroundings. To check your inventory, for now, simply open your backpack. In time, as you grow in power and mature, you’ll gain new ways to interface with the thing.]

I begin to walk towards the marketplace and as I do I open my backpack. I am surprised to see time freeze around me, and another text box appears in my mind’s eye. This time the thing lists out various items, all of which I assume are in my backpack.

I immediately notice a few special items, such as a deed to a farm in Whiterun Hold, and a forge that can’t possibly fit in my backpack. Or at least, it shouldn’t be possible for it to do so, and yet it ignores the rules of reality to do as it pleases and fit in my backpack. There is also a dog in my inventory, and that in and of itself seems strange to me but it appears that it is a summonable animal companion.

A variety of minorly enchanted gear fills the backpack, all of it being gear that belongs to distinct ethnic groups throughout Skyrim, or are accessories like amulets and rings. I can see a number of rings and amulets that all have various effects, ranging from improving my resistance to magic to giving me the ability to breathe underwater.

When I tap one of the rings, mentally, I am asked if I would like to fuse them into one ring that has all their powers. I tell the system that I’d love to do that, and I watch them all come together to form one mighty item and then the thing automatically appears on one of my ring fingers, causing me to chuckle as I feel the power of the unique artifact wash over me.

I spot more amulets and when I touch one of them I am asked the same thing that I was earlier about rings, only with amulets in their place. I again answer in the affirmative and I watch all of the amulets fuse into one, beautiful accessory that promptly places itself on my chest. It is at this point that I elect to leave the menu.

I also spot the keychains that my system mentioned. I can only identify them because when I mentally touch an object in the inventory a short description appears of the item. The eleven of them all have different designs, and they radiate power even in the abstract inventory they are stuck in. After I glance at them I feel a new text box worm its way into my field of view. It is partially transparent, but not enough for it to not annoy me at least.

[Alert: Evolving Introduction

As a possessor of an ‘Evolving System’ you possess one very powerful secret ability: the ability to absorb the powerful key traits and abilities of your foes, if you feed on them in some substantial way. This can range from devouring them in a physical sense to absorbing the essence of their souls, by trapping their souls in a gem and then destroying the gem itself, or otherwise becoming them in a meaningful way.

At the moment you are merely a Nord, and a werewolf. If you feed on enough Altmer, for example, you can begin to gain their unique abilities and partway through this process you can attain an Altmer [Alt-Form], an Altmer body you can shapeshift into at will. After this you can continue to consume the identities of more Altmer, until you have gained all the unique abilities of their kind.

You can do this for every major mortal race in Tamriel, whether it is one of the major humanoid civilizations such as the Orcs or the Imperials, as well as for certain types of undead, daedra, dragons, and werebeasts.

Additionally, by behaving in methods that align with the origins you know of you can and will gain the perks you don’t yet have. Whether it’s by behaving as a prominent merchant, or by behaving as a powerful master of dual-wielding melee weapons, you can and will earn perks you don’t have yet.

At some point you may evolve even further still and acquire the ability to make use of new origins from other places. For example, if you reach the apex of swordplay as Nirn defines it, you may attain the ability to use the swordplay of another world, even before you get to visit that world yourself.

Beginning the process of mastering your unique magicks will also cause you to evolve. There are perks within each keychain that can only be gained by gaining greater skill with the magic of the keychain in question. The key to growing in power is to make use of your skills, and to push them to their very limits. Only by doing so will you master the powers lurking within you, and within this world and the worlds linked to it.]

This information causes me to chuckle. It appears that this is the beginning of a journey, not some final destination. I don’t know how to leave this place just yet, but my knowledge of this world and the connected cosmology here, which I know a great deal about thanks to perks I possess, suggests that there are truly so many wonders for me to gain here.

I exit the inventory menu by pulling my hand out of my backpack and when I do I find that I can see brilliant auras surrounding every living thing around me, up to a range of about six hundred feet, thanks to the fact that one of my amulets enhances a perk I possess that would have allowed me to see auras anyway. It is taking some of my perks a second to activate themselves, thanks to the hefty number of them I possess in the first place.

This is a powerful, handy ability that even penetrates solid ground, allowing me to investigate the floor beneath me and see what lurks there. I can see many different auras waiting underneath the marketplace, and in various buildings not far from me. Some of the auras are slightly different colors, which is curious but I instinctually sense that maybe approaching the auras that are different colors will elicit different reactions from those who possess the auras.

I eventually pull my gaze away from the floor underneath me and I look up in the direction of Mistveil Keep. The elegant castle looms large over the rest of the city, and my powerful senses allow me to observe much even hundreds of feet from the place.

I can faintly hear conversations occurring inside of the keep. I can also see auras in the castle, though undoubtedly only ones stationed right inside of the place.

As I gaze in the direction of the keep I feel my vision suddenly blur for a second. When my vision clears I can distinctly see small spirits in and on all sorts of objects around me. The spirits are all cute things that look like humanoids fashioned from whatever materials make up the objects they are spirits of, such as a spirit of a glass bottle looking like a small person made of glass. Many of the spirits are asleep, though some play atop the objects they are affiliated with.

This is a manifestation of one of the keychain magicks that I can use, specifically the magic of “Spirit Bonds”. It is a form of magick that revolves around making connections to the spirits that inhabit objects and natural phenomena and drawing on their strengths. If I wish to, I can speak to the spirits I can see and interact with them to form bonds that allow me to draw on some of the metaphysical and conceptual traits of the objects or phenomena that I have befriended.

The various magicks that fill me with power are truly great. With them I can figure out many different ways to manipulate my surroundings, if I am willing to be creative and methodical. I chuckle and begin to march towards Mistveil Keep, an eager smile on my face as I begin to imagine the opportunities before me.

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