The North was the largest of the seven Kingdoms, was the poorest, scarcely populated, and the people very different from the rest, even their religion was different.
So, what was doing Izembaro a Bravosi born on Bravos and citizen of the Republic of Bravos in place so cold he felt his dick freezing and slowly falling to pieces, doing so far away from home?
Worst still, Izembaro was a mummer and a merchant, back in Bravos people loved his art, he was called Izembaro the Great and the King of mummers. What was doing a mummer a continent away from home, deep in the land of nowhere? This land was hard, its citizens even harder, piss poor, worshipers of pagan gods. For all the legends going of this wasteland, Izembaro and his troupe should be dead, eaten and the women taken away to breed more barbarians.
Moreover, Izembaro was not even in White Harbor the only proper city in the North, but in Winterfell the seat of House Stark.
The Lord of White Harbor had hired them as a gift to celebrate the namesake of his Lord daughter; the show has been a complete success, little Sansa Stark had enjoyed performances like "The Titan Dance." Which presents how his city was founded, and madly fall in love with "The Sun and Moon." About two lovers, while the rest of the people had enjoyed recreations like Theon the Hungry Wolf and his epics against the Andals, even the dour Lord Stark had enjoyed the show.
Izembaro was pleasantly surprised, the First Men were like their cousins Andals and Rhoynar, they like and enjoy entertainment
like any other man, and Winterfell was a magnificent castle.
The citizens of the north were poor in coins, they value food and drink than gold, and the little coin they had was not wasted, they had nothing to waste it but in drink and whores. They were more than happy to fat his pockets with gold if present with little true entertainment.
Izembaro was already planning on returning.
"Moon and stars! This place is cold!" shriek Phario Forel the playwright of his mummer's show.
Izembaro rolled his eyes. "Thank you Phario, I didn't notice that, so what should we do now? Is still too early in the day to go to bed and I don't want to walk around the damn castle anymore!" Impressive as it was Winterfell was not Bravos, not much to see here but endless snow.
Phario harrumphed. "Would you like to go to the whorehouse? I don't even have to get hard, my cock is frozen solid as it is!"
Izembaro shook his head, he had already tasted what north whores had to offer, it wasn't bad, but he already warmed his bed every day since arriving here. This Northmen lot needed to get some damn entertainment! He conceded that Winter is Coming and all that, but could it hurt to get some excitement? Aside from losing your life to the cold.
"Hey look." Phario pointed at a small shop at the edge of the town.
"Games and more?" Read Izemabaro, write in big fat red letters, it was a small shop, perhaps the smallest.
"I'm not surprised we didn't notice the shop is empty! The Northmen-only game is a constant of not being the first to drop dead to the cold! We should go and see. Whatever "games and more" I'm sure would be funnier than walking around in the snow."
Izemabaro shrug, Phario was right, he could use some fun and warm right now.
XXXXXX
It was funny how funny life sometimes was, one day you were a nerd watching anime, and then Poof* you are a shopkeeper in a fantasy doomed world where you can get a sword stuck between your guts if you look funny at the wrong people.
Truly funny was life, sometimes. She would be beaming if the prospect of horrific death was not so uncomfortable close.
Except here she was, in a lifetime opportunity, in a scary land filled to the brim with dread and despair, where a horse has more value than a person, and she could become the amusement of some degenerate at a moment's notice.
So, what was the only thing between her and her ultimate horrible future? Why of course her very curse and savior, this damnable shop!
She had arrived here, roughly a month ago, in Wintertown, with the very simple mission of introducing Gorge R.R. Martin's little grimdark world to the joys of the future!
It was really simple, introduce Westeros and beyond to modern culture.
Or would have been simple, if the Northmen were less superstitious!
They were calling her a witch!
It was a good thing the shoop shielded her, or she would be dragged out to appease the old gods in sacrifice.
Although she had to admit, though everything was indeed, certainly, undoubtedly, bad, this VR game set of ultra-realistic gaming was amazing. Even she as a modern girl had to admit it, the game looked even better than real life! She would never be able to return to normal gaming after playing Dark Souls - the only game her store had available - on the VR set of ultra-realistic gaming.
For god's sake! not only was amazing, but she could also feel getting better with a sword when she had never touched a real sword in her life!
Too bad she was most likely to die of starvation before meeting more benefits could bring this gaming system to her.
At that moment the door of her small shop cracked open. Two men made themselves know, they were short and covered in white furs.
She stared at them and they stare at her.
"Well well well, I think we just found the number ten of the wonders of the world. I'm sure it's an interesting tale on how did you get here, you don't very Northwoman." The woman in front of Phario had a dark skin color as if kissed by fire, and her hair was tall as a three and thick as a bush.
"Oh," she leaned forward, smirking, showing white perfect teeth. "You must be the intelligent one eh. What gave it away?" she bite back.
The two stare again and then laughed.
"You can't even imagine such a tale friend... You two don't look very Northmen either." The men in front of her were short with no beard when everyone here was tall and with a growing beard to shield themselves against the cold.
Phario laugh. "What gave it away?" He strode forward until he was a couple of feet away from her. "My handsome face?"
She smile, he was indeed very handsome, both of them.
"We are from Bravos my Lady, Phario Forel at your service." He bowed deeply, removing from his head an imaginary hat.
He had a thick Italian accent, if she remembered correctly Bravos was indeed Italian influenced.
"That is far away."
"Not as far away as you"
Spoke for the first time the older man, curious eyes watching at everything in the shop.
The man scoffed. "What games are here woman? I see no games."
"If you're looking for drunken games I advise the next tavern... But if you like something extraordinarily fun then stay." She would not describe in words anymore, since the first day she arrive in Martin's little fantasy world she had tried for people to play video games, she was greeted with nothing but scorn. She would change tactics now and use the old I dare you to try it.
"Oh yeah? And what is that you offer that is so fun?"
"Videogames."
"Vieog-what?" The word sounded to foreigner for Izembaro to pronounce.
"Videogames, have you two ever read a novel?"
"But of course!" exclaimed Izembaro, he was the leader of a mummer's show, novels were his lifeblood, he had read no more than four novels just in his travel here.
Phario noded, he was the lead actor, he know of many novels just like his letter and numbers. "What about it?"
"Have you ever imagined being the actual protagonist of the story? How it would feel to be the hero in shining plate, wielding a legendary sword, rescuing the kingdom?"
Both men nodded, of course, both use to have childish fantasies, slaying the dragon lords of Valyria, saving the city, getting the beautiful girl.
"What if I tell you there is a way for you to become the protagonist, for only one silver coin, and one silver coin each hour you stay in, you can be a hero on an adventure."
Izembaro release a rich belly laugh.
Phario stared at her with polite skepticism. "But how is that possible?"
She shrugged. "Give it a try, why would I lie? Here is my shop, no? I'm not going anywhere, if you're not satisfied smash my shop if you like."
"You have a point there my lady, very well, if I'm not satisfied I'm going to smash your shop," said Izembaro, handing two silver coins.
She grinned, finally, her first customer! This Braavosi was going for a ride with Dark Souls.
Both follow the shop owner until they were in front of a weird-looking helmet thing, another thing made of crystal that seemed expensive, and a chair that looked very much comfortable to sit upon.
"Sit."
Izembaro did just that, he was not disappointed, he had always imagined himself sitting in a cloud, this was the closest to what sitting in a cloud might feel like.
"Okay, let me help you... Right, everything is ready," she said after helping the older Braavosi with the VR. "Just remember, nothing is truly real, is just a gam-novel."
[Welcome new user! to the super-advanced gaming virtual reality]
Izembaro recoiled back in shock at seeing those white letters appearing suddenly in front of him.
A slender hand touched him on the shoulder. "Easy pal, just select the option that reads: Dark Souls."
'Dark souls? Such ominous title for a novel.' It took Izembaro to get a hold of the little thing like an arrow that moved around at its beck and call, it was really funny to watch the thing, almost like seeing a mouse play around. Finally, Izembaro clicked on Dark Souls.
Izembaro mount was open, eyes wide staring at a person and various readable icons. But the person looked so alive yet not alive, like watching a truly realistic painting. Interested he began to twerk around, noticing that he could change the aspect of the person at his leisure! He could make the man thin as a feather, fat as a Magister, or with so many muscles that looked out of a legend! Hair, Color, even the background of the strange places he could choose. And for a time Izembaro was there enjoying very much personalizing his character until it resemble the closest to him.
Finally, he moved the mouse and finished the character creation.
[In the age of ancients, the world was unformed, shrouded by fog, a land of great crags arch threes, and everlasting dragons]
Izembaro looked right and left, his mind did not recall an old lady inside the shop, most weird, the lady sounded as if she was everywhere. And what was all this weird story of the ancients? Out of nowhere, the scenery changed, fog, and gigantic trees, and enormous crags, everything looked so real it would be impossible for him to create something this real for his plays.
[But then there was fire, and with fire came disparate, heat and cold, life and death, and of course... light and dark]
He dearly hold himself to the closest things his hands could reach, everything was moving so fast, so rapidly, he closed his eyes and a yelp escaped his mouth, a great fire was everywhere, only a comfortable hand landed on his shoulder and did not leave.
"Calm down old man, nothing is real, let go and enjoy."
[Then from the dark they came and found the Souls of Lords within the flame]
From the fire rose humans that looked like starved men.
[Nito the first of the death]
Another yelp left his mouth it was impossible not to, understanding the monstrous thing made out of the human skeleton, holding a bright flame in his hands.
[The witch of Izalith and her Daughters of Chaos]
Now it was a hooded woman, again, holding a flame, her hands burned, surrounded by more hooded women, Izembaro supposed they were the daughters of the witch.
[Gwyn the lord of sunlight and his faithful knights]
A Lord, no, a King mighty like the legends, surrounded by knights in silver plate.
[and the furtive Pygmy so easily forgoten]
Izembaro frown, another of the weird starving men, this Pygmy was not like the might rest of the Lords, he looked fragile, weak.
[With the strength of Lords they challenged the dragons, Gwyn mighty bolts peeled apart their stones scales]
Izembaro had never seen dragons before, but these looked invincible, and yet Gwyn throw at them lighting that was his to command, and the dragons anguish in pain.
[The witches weaved great firestorms]
The hooded women were making terrible storms of fire.
[Nito unleashed a great miasma of death and disease]
Then the many faces god rose, weapon high, rising the death on its foes.
[And Seath the Scaleless betrayed his own and the Dragons were no more]
Izembaro try to cover his ears and almost roared in his own, a pale dragon roaring in a mountain of its brethren.
[Thus began the age of fire, but soon the flames would fade and only dark would remain, even now there are only embers and man see no light but only endless nights And amongst the living are seen carriers of the accursed Darksing, yes indeed, the dark sing brand the undead, and in this land the undead are corralled and lead to the north where they are lock away to await the end of the world, this is your fate]
Izembaro watched the body fall on the cell, looking up he stare at a knight, staring back at him, before he could say anything the knight was gone. Finally, he could move, and that made him gape like a fish, he could move. Everything around him looked so real as if he was really here. If not for the hand on his shoulder Izembaro would be scared out his wits. Like a newborn fawn he took his first step around the cell, gods it looked horrible inside and outside of it, filled with rats and madmen. He was sure the famous drown cells in Braavosi were like this.
He had a broken sword on his right hand and a key to get out on his left, gods the place looked even worse opening the door, somehow.
Then he felt the ground shock, and Izembaro saw it.
It was a monster, a demon, tall as a tower, bloated like a wash ashore dead body, and carrying a hammer the size of a boat. Izembaro stood there, waiting for it to strike him down. But the strike never happened, the demon just keep trouting slowly around.
He felt another squeeze on his shoulder.
"Come on man! Even if the thing strikes you down a hundredth a thousandth time! You're not gonna die, this is a game, storytelling, keep moving!" That seemed to snap him out and he did that keep moving.
"Ma'am! please activate one of your storytelling devices for me too!" Said the younger man.
She beamed at him "but of course! follow me, don't forget to pay up!"
XXXXXXXXXX
Wintertown was a small city on its right: it had taverns, a market, smiths, and a great number of the northern population lived here.
One of the taverns, by name of "Surefoot" Legend says it was founded by an Umber bastard generations ago, the gigantic shoe of that Umber bastard was still hanging at the entrance of the tavern.
Inside the tavern, laughs and sounds of merry could be heard, also sounds of fighting and a general grunting, like any other night.
Ralof was seated on his favorite spot far in the corner of the tavern, he was enjoying a mug of good ale that refreshed his old bones, watching everything around him. It was amazing the number of gossiping one could be heard when listing in silence.
The Matriarch of the Sicklehands was pregnant, again, and nobody know who the father was.
A nobody claimed she was the real mother of the bastard of Winterfell, Jon Snow.
A hunter was planning on going hunting deep in the Wolfwood.
Some horrific things about the bastard of Lord Bolton.
Aye, Ralf knew many things, a few years ago two people approached offering him coin and favor in exchange for information and gossiping, one claiming to be coming in the name of the spider and the other of the mockingbird, of course, he had turned them down, after giving them a good beating. He hadn't gone to young Ned, the man didn't like playing with the south as his father did.
"Doubt my honor again barbarian and I would cut your tongue!"
Aye, those little Braavosi had balls as big as those pretty war galleys of them. They had chosen to stay on his tavern for the remainder of their stay here in Winterfell.
Tonight two of them had come, all excited and bragging about that new shop, "Games and more." The story they had was notable wild, in what only they could describe as "been inside a novel" ha! most of the people here couldn't even read. Moreover, they had told how they had fought against a gigantic demon that crushed them time and time again but they did not lose their lives.
It was all really strange.
"I would cut off your balls and use them as doorbells! My friends almost die because of that bitch!"
Exclaimed his son, he was hot-blooded with too much young in him but none wise or wits in him, with that giant ax of his, Ralof did not approve of those friends of his, the Sicklehands were anything but honorable.
Since that incident with the Sicklehands had happened some moons ago, nobody wanted to approach the shop. Ralf did not see anything but he had heard the gossiping. How the Sicklehands brothers had tried to mug the new shop only to be thrown away with lighting, conjure from inside the shop. Some claim the girl was a witch others a warlock from far away.
Ralof snorted.
He had traveled south with old Rickard Stark in the war of the Ninepenny Kings and had met a real witch who had read his fortune, then he traveled again south with young Ned to avenge the death of his friend and Lord.
The world goes beyond the north, beyond the wall and the neck, so many interesting things to do and learn beyond just traveling a couple of miles from where you were born.
He raised his hand, and bring it down with all the strength he could muster, the sound stopped everyone on its track including his son and the Braavosi about to draw steel, he did not want to explain himself in front of the Warden of the North how guest rights were broken inside the tavern.
"Shut the fuck up Ralf, why did you question our friends here? why would they lie to you?" Honestly, his son needed to go out and explore the world a bit before coming back and taking the tavern for himself.
"Father! these foreigners-"
"I say shut the fuck up before I do it for you." With his son sufficiently cowered he continue. "The bloody Sicklehands try to mug somebody if old Rickard was here, he would already take their heads, young Ned is too busy with his daughter's birthday to do so."
His soon grimaced and Ralof turned to the Braavosi.
"Aye I would go to this new shop, I hope is as good as you say. Something new to do before next winter before I have to go hunt"
His soon grimaced deepened.
The Braavosi bow. "I swear it on the honor of the city greybeard, you would not be disappointed."
Ralof noded, going back to his ale, and everyone else to his business.
XXXXXXXXXXX
There was something incredibly amusing about watching an old man screaming his lungs out like a child, playing Dark Souls
"Winterfell!"
"Have at you demon!"
"For Robert King of the seven kingdoms!"
More amusing still, those were honest to good actual battle cries.
Early in the morning, when she just opened the shop this old man had all but demanded to let him play, not even complaining about the money. The old man -unlike the Braavosi who had chosen both the wanderer as initial characters- had picked the barbarian.
He was a cool old man with all the screaming.
Not long after the old man, the two Braavosi had come again, eager to play again, boasting how they would defeat the demon this time.
However, she frown, they both were failing, miserable, just like the old man. Not even she when she began playing was this bad... This was their first game so she was not surprised.
She decided she would help a bit.
"You all are doing it wrong."
"The thing is a demon, my lady, I don't think it can be easily defeated," say Pharios still playing.
The old man only snorted in agreement.
She grunted. "Yeah, the weakest of all of the demonkind."
That brought up the three attention.
"What? you seriously thought the fat ass demon was special? Wait until you meet its brothers or their mommy."
The three men stare at her in wonder, excited that killing this demon was not the end of the story.
"Why are you trying to block the big ass powerful demon?" She asked, of course, she was being a hypocrite when she first began playing Dark Souls she to block every attack, her whole playthrough was nothing but have her cleric character always with a tower shield and the biggest armor she could find. These men didn't need to know that though.
The three of them look at each other, hoping for one of them to deliver her with an answer.
"You two are playing with the wanderer, which has nothing but a coat and uses a rapier with a tiny shield better use to parry attacks, you have not even tried to use the buckler shield to parry." She pointed out.
Th Bravossi look down on shame, they have chosen the wanderer for their type of weapon which is favored in the city, a buckler or a parrying dagger, and a rapier, the shop owner was right.
Ralof began to laugh uproariously.
"You are even worst old man, your character is a barbarian for god's sake, you forsake your shield altogether and began using your ax double-handed and you are trying to block using your ax!"
That quickly shot down the old man his already pink cheeks began to go even pinkier.
"Roll away or dodge! you're no knights in full plate, hit the thing and roll away!" She said and left to her favorite spot behind which had basically become the reception. The three men returned to their game, eager to use their newfound wisdom on the game.
At that moment something pop up that only she could see in front of her.
[Congratulations user! your first mission has been completed!]
[Mission: Have three people enjoy Dark Souls 1 in the ultra mega super realistic VR!]
[Reward: Basic commodities, shampoo, soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, and a shower with hot and cold water have been installed; commodities would replace each day as long as you have a customer enjoying in the shop.]
She let out a squeak of pleasure she had hadn't bathed or brush her teeth since arriving here, so she run up the stairs of her shop where she sleep, eager to take her first bath in weeks.
XXXXXXXXXXX
It was a lovely morning in the North, the sun was... well she could not see the sun, but she could see thick grey clouds in a sky full of rain and well it was raining, luckily for her, upstairs of her small abode, there was a very real hot shower fully equipped, so she was in a good mood, she didn't understand how it worked, she hasn't seen pipes or anything, but she did not question either, ignorance was bliss after all.
She was behind the reception drinking hot tea -she had got it from a nice and old lady- waiting for her new best friends. Those three had come to love Dark Souls, like any other fan back home, and it was good to have them here, after all, it was a good thing to have human interaction.
And human interaction is what she needed the most as of right now, she still remembers how utterly terrified she had been when she arrived here in Westeros and was tasked by whatever force brought her here to bring culture into this world armed only with a small shop, five VR sets and a newly remastered version of Dark Souls to play with.
Her brain couldn't even process what was going on when the local gang decided to visit her and mug her, and maybe just maybe do something worst to her, but luckily that never happen. Yes, she almost peed herself watching one of the men sick smile, yet nothing happen, to her, to them was all the contrary, they had been expelled out of the shop by some kind of blue lighting. The good thing was that the lightning bolt had only stunned them and not cocked them alive like real lighting would do and she was not dead because of a lynch mob, the bad thing was that people now call her witch and she was afraid of going out of the shop now
She turned around and read again the rules of the shop
Don't cause trouble inside the shop Only eight hours of play per day. If you cause trouble, you will never be able to play again.She loved those rules, easy to read, simple to follow, and she was exempted from the second rule, it was the third one that make her think, does that mean that the gang that came and caused trouble could no longer play? That was a shame, Dark Souls was not only an incredible game but the VR set was amazing, she had been playing with her character using the claymore, she had never wielded a claymore before, but now she was sure she could wield one as good as in the game, that indicates not only was fun to play but you're also learning from playing, hopefully, she could get a sword soon, she would feel far better outside her shop with something to defend herself, she feels confident of stabbing someone back without stabbing herself in the process... that actually happen to her inside the game trying to kill a hollow, it was amazing how much freedom did the game allowed.
That she was able to learn skills with nothing but playing the game and brain muscle, raised a question, could she learn or somebody else Dark Souls magic system?
It was an interesting question, one that she would find an answer to. But first, she wanted to finish her first playthrough with her strength/dex character, she wanted to make acquiesce with as many weapons as possible, time was on her side, she notice she was exempt from the second rule while her three loyal customers do not, a thing which has caused no amount of complaint on their part.
Speaking of customers, the door of her small shop opened, revealing a smirking Ralof.
She was about to greet the old man when he notice another man standing behind him, but it was not Izembaro or Phario, which was weird because the three always come together. It was a tall man, dressed all in grey, with a serious look on his face but a soft and approachable expression, she calculated that like her, he was at the beginning of his mid-twenties, and he was growing a full beard to shield his face against the cold, overall he was a handsome man, she gave him 9/10.
"Good morning lass, who you doing?" Asked the old man, letting first the other man inside the shop.
"Good morning my lady." Said the new man, in a quiet voice.
"Oh, good morning." She replied.
The greybeard was ready to say something, but the man spoke first.
"This is the shop you wanted to show me, Ralof?" Eddard "Ned" Stark asked the old man, Ned has been surprised when Ralof had come all the way from Wintertown to Winterfell -which is at least one hour and a half on foot from Wintertown- Ralof was the oldest man alive in the Stark lands, which means he was bitter, and as his son put it one time, so old the man pissed vinegar. So it was a surprise when he barged inside his solar, demanded to see him, and then proceeded to rant about how he had found the best thing that happen to the north since the glass gardens.
The man was all sense, he has been a friend to his Lord father, marched south to the Ninepenny Kings war, marched south again with him in the rebellion, and would march south again if the need arises at the head of the greybeards of Winterfell. So he was compelled to listen to the man and follow him into Wintertown to check on this shop.
Of course in the many things he had to do like Lord of Winterfell, he had been hearing constant complaints of his smallfolk, many of them had come to him about how a witch had opened a shop in Wintertown and was wreaking havoc, even as far a to hurt the poor sons of the Sicklehands, and the tales became more outlandish with every smallfolk that came to him, surrounding the newest witch of Wintertown. So before Ralof asked to come he was going to come here anyway.
And like all outlandish rumors, he found them not to be the truth.
What he found was a small shop at the very edge of Wintertown, managed by a small girl with soft features around his age. All rumors, tales, and legends have an ounce of truth on them. He did not believe in any of the outlandish rumors of the witch powers and curses, on the other hand, his smallfolk was scared the unknown was scary after all., not many people from the Summer Islands or perhaps she was from Shotoryos? Or maybe one of the Free cities? Those cities were cosmopolitan. Moreover how this girl had built this shop without somebody else noticing? By all accounts this place just pop up overnight, he was not a maester, mason, or engineer but this place was solidly built, made of wood and something else he did not know of.
"Aye my Lord, hey lass!" Ralof turned to the girl. "Have the Lord of Winterfell play the story of Dark Souls!"
The girl only raised an eyebrow at that statement, most likely she did not know what his title implied, she then proceed to tap at what appeared to be the rules of the place.
"How much is it?" Eddard asked.
"One silver coin."
She replied in perfect common, Eddard frowned, that was expensive for a game.
"My lord I promise you the coin is worth." Promise Ralof already taking his punch to pay for his game. "Better than the finest of wines or whore."
Ned sigh. "I didn't bring any coin with me Ralof, I pay you later, give me one." So eager was the old man to leave that he had forgotten to bring any coin with him.
The old man shrugged and hand him one silver coin, Eddard use it to pay the girl, she thanked him and proceeded to guide him to the nearest helmet thing.
"It's called VR, put it on, everything that you see inside is not real, nothing would be able to hurt you, enjoy your ride."
Ned did as she was told, once the thing was secured in his head he couldn't see anything, that soon changed, however.
[In the age of ancients, the world was unformed, shrouded by fog, a land of great crags arch threes, and everlasting dragons]
Ned was startled hearing the old voice, it was old, old like old Nan and was everywhere. Then his world exploded in fog, crags, threes, and a gigantic dragon, it was as big as Belarion the black dread, perhaps bigger, and it stood there, immobile completely ignoring him, He swallowed doing his best to remain ignored by the beast.
[But then there was fire, and with fire came disparate, heat and cold, life and death, and of course... light and dark]
Say the crone moving him underground where he stood on a massive inferno. He jerked away, desperately trying to get away from the flames, but the painful bite of the flame never came, not even a little heat.
[Then from the dark they came and found the Souls of Lords within the flame]
Horrible famished men rose from the dark and stood there looking more like corpses, perplexed and afraid?
[Nito the first of the death]
Death rise, an amalgamation of human bones and death covered in raven feathers, holding a flame. Ned stare and was ready to scream and beg, death is the oldest of the old gods, all men fear death, young, adults or greybeards, he was no exception.
[The witch of Izalith and her Daughters of Chaos]
But the death was no more, in its place, an inhumanly tall woman stood, pale as snow, both hands burned by the flame she was holding.
[Gwyn the lord of sunlight and his faithful knights]
It was a king, grim and tired yet shining like the sun, full of ash and grey holding the biggest of the flames, behind an army of knights in full plate stood ready to obey their liege.
[and the furtive Pygmy so easily forgoten]
Another fragile corpse holding a flame, hands surprisingly human, perhaps out of four, this furtive Pygmy was the most human.
[With the strength of Lords they challenged the dragons, Gwyn mighty bolts peeled apart their stones scales]
It was an all-out war, of course, it was war, not even gods like beings were exempt from that curse. The sun Lord created gold lighting from his hands and the Dragon's mewl.
[The witches weaved great firestorms]
Everything was a world of fire and flames, as the witches commanded fire.
[Nito unleashed a great miasma of death and disease]
Death raised its arms and everything die.
[And Seath the Scaleless betrayed his own and the Dragons were no more]
The kinslayer Dragon stod atop of a mountain of corpses, howling at the heavens for its betray. Ned shuddered, it was impossible for him not to compare, this heavenly war with the rebellion, only this war was about power and dominion, to topple the Dragons, the rebellion has been about bringing them to justice.
[Thus began the age of fire, but soon the flames would fade and only dark would remain, even now there are only embers and man see no light but only endless nights And amongst the living are seen carriers of the accursed Darksing, yes indeed, the dark sing brand the undead, and in this land the undead are corralled and lead to the north where they are lock away to await the end of the world, this is your fate]
Ned felt so many emotions, wonderment, bewilderment, fear, anxiety, excitement. It was a real tale like one of those old Nan used to bewitch them with, he, his brother and sister, and now Robb, Jon, Brand, Arya, Sansa, but this one was real, he felt like extending his hand and he would feel and interact with everything around.
It was a tale of epic proportions, of war and curses, even old Nan or any book he had read would pale in how imaginative it was.
The warrior he had chosen was trapped inside a cell, one that make him remember the black cell in the Red keep, then a man in full plate throw him something from a small gap in the cell roof, it was a corpse, another cursed inmate, Eddard thought.
And then nothing, the warrior just stood there. Perhaps he was afraid, he knew he would be in that situation, he had seen grown men freeze in a battle even when somebody was running at them screaming bloody murder.
After three minutes of the warrior not doing anything, Ned began to worry, again, he had seen cases like this one, men that smile and glare and their bodies began to shake seemingly without control but they do nothing.
A small hand landed on his shoulder.
"Lord Stark," called him the shop owner. "you have to move, it's your adventure."
Ned frowned, what did the shop owner mean by that? Yes, he could see as if he and the warrior shared a body, but, how could be possible to move if this was not his body? Yet again this whole affair was impossible, to begin with.
He was curious how all of this was possible, and he would ask the shop owner, but for now...
He tried to move as if his own body, to his shock, the hand actually raised to his face. He was holding a broken sword, the lord of snow looked back at the corpse and approached, fortunately for him his nose was not assaulted by the horrible odor of decay.
With the key firmly on his hands, Eddard proceeded to escape. The ground quivered when he exited the cell and he choked when he turned, a gigantic monster patroled around in circles, it was big, full of fat and green with a small face and horns, menacing some kind of mace only it could hold, it was a horrible horror straight out of the Others.
Fortunately, the demon has better things to do than smashing him, so he kept moving, avoiding the red eyes of maddened cell-mates. He finally made it the outside leaving the horrible cells below. He was greeted by some kind of sword stuck on the ground? A bonfire?
He got close and touched it, to his surprise it ignited, a parchment or parchments appeared out of thin air, only with one option.
Leave.
Ned selected it, and he immediately stood up, shrugging he moved to the double doors that undoubtedly would lead him to the main hall of the prison or the exit.
He opened the doors and walk on, the main hall was big, could easily hold a company, flanked by pillars, a side exit, and jars human-sized. Ned noticed something bright, red, and black on the ground, he kneeled and touched it.
Run!
He had time to frown when the ground shook. It was the Demon, most likely followed him to prevent him from escaping this Undead Asylum.
He froze and that has been a mistake, the demon use his mighty weapon to send him flying back to the double doors -which now were covered in a fog that he was unable to pass through.
Surprisingly that hit did not hurt, more surprisingly he was alive, but Ned did not have time to think about his luck because the demon was approaching, intending to end his life this time no doubt.
He barely avoided the second blow and run to the other end of the hall, intending to escape, he was only armed with a broken sword, speed was now his best ally. He frantically try to open the doors, but they did not give and the demon was upon him now. He jumped away from the blow that intend to transform him into a pool of gore and run for the second for the side exit. The gate closed behind him and the demon roar in frustration, Ned released the air he was holding and promptly removed the helmet thing.
"I almost die." He calmly stated to the shop owner.
The owner raised a brown. "Lord Eddard, did you feel any pain?"
Ned shook his head.
"That's because is only a game, you're the hero of the story, no matter how many times you die you would never die."
"The lass is right, Lord, no matter how many times you die, you only go back to the last bonfire you touched to try again." Intervened Ralof going back to his game.
Ned frowned but said nothing, he would try a little more of this game, but before that, he turned again. "My lady, what is your name?"
"Oh, is Alice, my Lord."
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Hidden Mission accomplished! Make one of the important players play in your store!
Reward: Ultra Super Mega Legendary Ticket; with this ticket, you would be able to enter in a gatcha system to obtain a broken ability or equipment with an equal broken drawback!
Warning this is the only Ticket of its kind, use it well.
Would you like to use it now: YES/NO
Without thinking, Alice pressed yes, relieved that she would be able to protect herself in this horrible medieval world with a broken ability.
The world around her was banished, and she was now surrounded and floating in a beautiful starry sky, a gigantic never-ending wheel appeared in front of her full of names like Time Dragon Physiology, Balance Manipulation, Gravity Manipulation, Energy Manipulation.
She could understand the concepts behind the broken powers, she has never been a particularly lucky or unlucky person, but she hoped she could get something good.
You have three chances to spin the Super Ultra Mega Legendary Wheel to get a powerful ability. Choose wisely.
Would you like to spin the Super Ultra Mega Legendary Wheel? Yes/No
She selected yes.
The wheel began to rapidly move, so fast that she was unable to follow up with anything, and just as fast as it began, it stopped.
Theurgy - My Name is Legion For We Are Many.
The ability to call upon gods, ancestors, or benevolent spirits to perform miracles. Magic variation of Mysticism and Divine Empowerment. The user can call upon gods and other divine forces to perform miracles and grant power. This allows the user to become more powerful than those who rely on their own abilities but are reliant on the beings that aid them.
Limitations - Spirits don't just give out power. They'll demand something in return. Perhaps your soul, service, personal energy, sacrifices, or a dozen other things. The entity may have a limited amount of power and still be bound by laws other magic is. They might not obey you.
Users - Doctor Fate, Persona 3 protagonist.
It sounded like a stupidly powerful ability with an equal stupid drawback. She could call for example Arceus and be all-powerful, but Arceus might ask for something difficult to give, or just completely ignore her and bring the poke-apocalypse on Westeros. It was the very definition of a wild card.
She giggled imagining Eddard Stark with a Lucario fighting against Balon Greyjoy Tentacruel.
Still, she would spin again the wheel and check what else she could get.
Would you like to spin the wheel again?
For the second time, she chose to spin the wheel.
Apotheosis Eldritch Conversion - Before there was time. Before there was anything... there was nothing. And before there was nothing... there were monsters.
User can permanently transform other beings into an eldritch abomination. A user with this ability either is or can transform into an eldritch abomination, a being whose very existence defies the rules of nature and/or existence and is defined by its disregard for the natural laws of the universe as we understand them. They wield godlike powers and are, for the most part, not bound by the laws of the universe.
Limitations - May not affect the victim's mind, allowing them to maintain individuality. One misstep and you are lost forever. Native deities and cosmic beings may seek to banish/destroy the user. Incredibly hard to master.
Users - God Hand. The Lich
This sounded like a psychopath wet dream and was a no for her. Of course, this ability was beyond powerful and she was no saint, she would not hesitate to turn somebody that deserve it, oh, there was plenty of people how deserved this, Armory Loch, Euron Greyjoy -thought he was already halfway there- Lysa Arryn, Walder Frey, Ramsay Bolton, Gregor Clegane which actually become one, one named Robert Strong.
Still turned them would be idiotic, they could keep their minds and seek vengeance or just destroy everything on their way, even the weakest of eldritch abomination was mighty. Yes, she could become powerful beyond imagining and might lose her mind in the process, and even if not, what would she do with all that power? Become some kind of tyrant? Nor she would like to be hunted down by other powerful eldritch creatures. Cthulhu can stay wherever it is thank you very much!
She spun the wheel for the third and last time.
Imaginative Technomagic - It's hard to say whether this is magical or mechanical. Or both.
User can create any technomagical device just by imagining them. The created devices are permanent and their existence irreversible. They are all under the users' complete control and maybe remolded or merged the same way they were created to fit a different purpose to create them, users must come up with a rough idea of the appearance, function, and effects, the power filling in the blanks from there. Users may also apply the power directly to themselves, enhancing themselves via techomagical remolding, or entirely turning into a technomagical shape-shifting amalgam with nigh-infinite possibilities.
Limitations - Users need a rough idea of the devices' appearance, function, and effects. Are you trying to assemble a chair? Congratulations! You just created a Mechanical Abomination capable of destroying the galaxy and is completely out of your control! Incredibly hard to master.
Users - SCP-001 - Bright's Proposal - The Factory. All Perfect Gods Index
This sounded like a more restricted imagination warping power, instead of only using your imagination to create things, you use technology and imagination to create things, it sounded powerful.
And yet the drawback...
You have no more spins to try your luck, please make a selection.
Theurgy - Apotheosis Eldritch Conversion - Imaginative Technomagic She felt cheated, each of the three was powerful, no doubt about it.
Theurgy was the most powerful of the three, it was like having the ultimate ability from an annoying kid that always has a counter for you. you can always call something more badass and powerful than what you were fighting against, or call on a smith god to create something, though good luck making them obey you.
Apotheosis Eldritch Conversion was a high risk, high reward, you could become omnipotent or beyond that. Does your friend not smile often? make them grow a tentacle and a gaping mouth in the chest, surely that would make them smile! If they don't lose their humanity...
Imaginative Technology could be very strong, you become the superior Macgyver, you can create anything with nothing but materials, hopes, and dreams. Perhaps right now this was the most convenient power to have in this world. She could become like one of those super-intelligent fanfiction characters that bring technology to the world.
With her mind made up, she turned around and choose her power touching Imaginative Technomagic.
The world around here became again her humbly gaming shop as if nothing had happened. Eddard Stark and Ralof were still playing, Ralof was traversing the Undead Burg and Eddard Stark, surprisingly, was doing better against the Asylum Demon.
She had gone for some time because outside she already could be heard other people living their everyday life.
She did not feel any different, she watched her hands and touched everything in her body, but found nothing out of the ordinary.
Nonetheless, she needed to prove the new powers she had an idea on how she would test them.
She looked for the nearest thing at hand, which was her now empty and fragile mug, with difficulty she was able to tear off the handler.
"It is well known that by tearing of the handler of a man-made wood mug that recently was holding tea and by uh... saving it in a reception desk, also made up of wood, for ten seconds it would become another mug." She closed the cabinet and counted to ten, then carefully, afraid, she slowly opened it back and grinned.
She had made a perfect mug with nothing but a handler, hopes, dreams, and quasi-science/magic. Well, it was not perfect, the shape was all off, the handler too. It was like the first try that something that you were trying to master. But to her, it looked like the most beautiful thing ever.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
He swallowed, hands full of sweat, he raised his shield and took a step forward holding his sword tight ready to strike. The Demon in front of him roared and leap forward. He could see it, a red bar almost depleted with the Demon name on it.
Asylum Demon.
How many times he had been crushed under the weight of that wicked mace or sent flying? Ned moved away from the Demon, barely avoiding being crushed again, even with his shield on the way of the blow he was unable to withstand such a powerful blow with all the Demon monstrous strength and weight behind.
Now it was his turn, one more blow.
The fat Demon seemed to feel this as well, its small wings carrying him to air, it was going to make that droop attack again, but Ned was ready, he recognized that attack. He raised high his shield, he gritted his teeth when he felt the hit and the ground shook under him, for a moment he thought the ground was gonna give up with both failing to their deaths. But that did not happen, Ned dropped his shield, holding his straight sword with both hands, with a grim face he bite deep into flesh, so deep that the guard of his sword was touching the demon.
The fat and green Demon screamed, but instead of just dropping dead it exploded in white fog which promptly ran to him, the exploding body also dropped a key, Ned supposed it was for the other door of the main hall.
He pick up the key, but there was something else there, something black and white dancing, Ned close his hand around it, trying to pick it up, perhaps he put too much force behind it because it got crushed instead.
He felt a rush of something, and when it look in a nearby puddle his skin was not crispy and red like a corpse, but healthy and smooth, he had regained his humanity.
He scratched his new beard but gave no thought about it, he was eager to open that door.
When Ned finally open the door he was surprised, it was a small cemetery on a hill? Slowly he began to climb up the ravaged stairs, they were on a mountainous zone that remember him too much of the Vale.
Then he lost control of his character, no longer watching through his eyes but lumbering like if a ghost.
Only, in ancient legends, it is stated,
The warrior slowly approached the Clift.
that one day an Undead shall be chosen,
A gigantic crow swept forward taking the warrior with it.
To leave the Undead Asylum in pilgrimage, to the land of the Ancient Lords... Lordran.
And the crow flew away losing itself in the distance, and everything went black for Ned.
The next thing Ned saw was a city that reminded him of Kings Landing, the crow released the warrior in a sweep of black feathers.
Firelink Shrine.
If this was a shrine, then it has been long ago, now it was a ruin, even a three had made home here and everywhere else nature was reclaiming its rightful place. A man was sitting nearby one Ned watched carefully, another bonfire in the middle and he made to ignite it.
Eddard "Ned" Stark your eight hours are up, if you wish to play again please come back again tomorrow, thank you very much for your patronage!
Everything again went black, Ned try to move to make anything, but only the same message keep showing. He then remembered one of the rules of the shop.
Ned removed his helmet, Ralof was already arguing with the shop owner.
"I have money lass, at least one extra hour, I was about to slay that bull Demon!"
Say the man, Ned thought about it, so there mas another Demon, one that resembled a bull.
"Is not about money Ralof, and you were not close to killing it, it was kicking your balls so hard, I would be surprised if you have any left."
She bite back at the big man, Eddard chuckled and Ralof's laughter resounded throughout the shop.
"So is really not possible to use it anymore but eight hours a day, Lady Alice?"
"I'm sorry Lord Stark, but is not possible, even if the King and Prince come here to play they would need to abide by the rules."
"You would refuse the King?" Asked Ralof incredulously.
"All men must abide rules Ralof, especially Kings." The man flustered red but say nothing. "My Lady, I am beyond enchanted with your... Machine? Magic? But what is that?" Ned pointed at the helmet-like thing that allowed him to experience another different life. "Is real? Or an illusion? How does it work? I have never seen nor heard of something like this."
The head of House Stark had many questions, she was not surprised at all if she had lived in a Feudal society all her life, and the most advanced technology she know was the rake she would have many questions as well... She was of course exaggerating, but she wanted to make a point.
Yet, Alice wouldn't be able to explain how video games work, she could not even explain how electricity worked. She was an aspirant Artist nor an Engineer. Still, maybe with her new powers, she could give a half-truth that was believable. While the boys were playing she had experimented with her newfound powers, with... no less success than when she tried to recreate the mug, still enough for proof.
"That is a complicated question my Lord, but I believe the simple answer to that would be is an Illusion but not quite at the same time." and she wasn't lying when she told him that, how could she even begin to describe what a videogame was.
The wolf Lord raised a brow at her, clearly not convinced to leave it just like that.
"Let me ask you a question, my Lord, what is a tourney?" She asked, concluding that examples were the best way to explain herself.
"A competition? Mock fighting? Game? That is also a hard question my Lady." He had been raised in the south, the Vale was the cream of chivalry in the Seven Kingdoms, so he had attended various Tournaments during his fostering with Robert and Jon, and he had participated in all of them. Here in the North, those were not popular, simply because there were not that many knights, the only that had been celebrated recently have been on White Harbor, to celebrate the knighting of Lord Manderly heir, Wylis Madarly.
"Exactly a game! Archery, melee, and the joust, your wits, and skills tested against others. At their very core both, are games." She said with a smile, "my games are just trying to tell you a story, but you are using your wits, your skills to overcome a challenge."
The wolf Lord did seem to think a little about her explanation, same as Ralof.
"That makes sense to me, alright, lass. But how do you make it work, how is possible for me to not feel pain when struck, how is possible to fight monsters and more in your games." Said Ralof.
"That is even a harder question Ralof," she said, most likely they already believe this was magic, could not blame them, she would believe in magic too. "back in my homeland there is a law, any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Or something like that.
"Your kingdom must be very advanced in technology if they are capable of constructing something like this. Are you from Shotoryos?" Asked Ned.
"No my Lord, the Technocracy of Wakanda is deep in what you call Ulthos." Yes, it would be more believable to just go ahead and say Shotoryos which was the equivalent to Africa in this world, but if she was going to maintain a lie for a long time and invent half-crazy shit, better be for her from a place that was very far away and nothing was known of. People were not even sure if Ulthos really existed.
Ned's eyes widened like plates.
"Thc-what?" Ralof try many times to pronounce Technocracy but no exist whatsoever.
"Technocracy is not a kingdom, we don't have a king, since the foundation of our nation we have been governed by a group of the equivalent of what you call Masters." She lied through her teeth.
"You let Maesters govern you?" Replied Ned. "No wonder your nation is advanced if that is the case, but why did you come here my Lady?"
"What is the reason men, women, and children move to another land, my Lord, but war, currently the Technocracy is burning in the flames of a terrible civil war and I escaped from it."
"I'm terribly sorry for bringing those memories, my Lady." Replied Lord Stark knowing fully well how terrible is war.
She was glad Lord Stark was willing to drop off the interrogation, Alice was beginning to get nervous.
"Lass, I'm not understanding much about what is going on on Dark Souls, why is people going nuts on the land-"
"Foolish Ralof, don't you know that no spoilers are allowed until you finished the game!"
XXXXXXXXXXXX
He woke up and immediately went to check outside, he was already fully dressed he keep even his boots on as to not lose too much time getting his cloak ready for the biting clock. Carefully to not wake anybody, especially his father, he made his way outside.
The old gods favored him today, today he would find out how that witch had bewitched his dad those foreigners, and even Lord Stark himself that now just like his father came down from Winterfell every day.
He would save them soon, all of them.
With fame and glory on his mind, Ralf made his way to the end far end of Wintertown.
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
The two knocks on the door wake him up shortly.
"My Lord." A tired voice followed. "you requested to be wake up as early as possible."
Ned was already on his feet, washing his face. "The boys?" He asked the guard.
"Grooming wake as we speak, we should be ready to depart at your command."
Ned was about to bark more orders but was interrupted by a very irritated voice.
"Are you going to that witch again."
It wasn't a question but a statement.
"I commanded to stop labeling that girl as a witch, to the smallfolk and you alike Cat, she is not a witch, but a girl."
"Then why do you have to go every day! is not only me that reason you are in some sort of spell! Or are you planning to dishonor me again?! The boy is alr-"
The boiling fish did not have more time to struggle and rant when the quiet wolf showed his teeth.
"I invited you to come with me every day, so I invite the smallfolk to go to the shop themselves. I will take Robb and Jon and the others with me. If everything is okay maybe I will take Bran, Arya, and maybe Sansa, perhaps you would join us then, wife."
Eager to get out of the Fish reach, the wolf marched silently to the small party waiting for him at the gates.
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I hope you liked the first chapter, I enjoyed writing it, I was inspired by a novel I read some years ago, but I don't remember its name, It's about a guy stranded in a fantasy land bringing modern culture on the fantasy land and of course in The Gamer.
English is not my native language, I'm sorry for the bad grammar, if you have a tip for me to get better at writing, please don't hesitate to let me know in the comments, it would be greatly appreciated.
Robb and Jon would play next and we would be able to read their point of view hahaha.
Till Nexxt Time...