Kael stepped into his square, his mind still tangled with the earlier confrontation with Rova. It was still a knot in Kael’s chest, an unspoken wound that had opened unexpectedly.
Rova had been hurt, betrayed by Avaris, but that didn’t excuse his actions. And Kael, for all his strategic mind, was still too inexperienced to understand the depths of resentment that could twist a person.
He was still thinking about it when he heard Lira’s voice in his head, calm and reassuring.
"Don’t take it to heart, Kael."
Her words were soothing but the hurt went deep.
"He was in Avaris’s square for too long," Lira continued.
Kael sighed deeply, pushing the frustration aside for a moment. “Exactly, that’s why we need to start a conclave. Get new Masters to join so they won’t get stuck with Masters like Avaris.”
He called out, his voice firm as he called for Skrindle.
"Skrindle!"
The imp appeared in an instant, his translucent form flickering into view, his sassy grin ever-present.
“Skrindle, where did you go?” Kael asked. “I tried to create a conclave in the Sunday meeting.”
"There’s been a change," Skrindle said. "Guides can’t appear in Sunday meetings anymore."
"What do you mean? Why?"
"Something changed in the rules. Not sure why yet, but I’m pretty sure it’s not just a coincidence. You can see the change notes from your orb."
Kael raised an eyebrow, feeling a tinge of frustration rising within him. He had always known the system was fickle, shifting like sand beneath his feet.
He reached for the orb. His hands brushed over its surface, and the words began to appear within it, shimmering like a living scroll.
Changelog
Guide Changes
All guides cannot appear in Sunday Meeting zones or any other public Master zones.
Kael’s eyes widened slightly. That was a big change, and something that might make his work even more difficult going forward. If he couldn’t rely on Skrindle to provide infomation, what then?
"I never seen this before," Kael muttered to himself. "Is this always here?"
"Most Masters skip the change notes anyway," Skrindle said. "Didn't think to bring it up earlier."
"Keep me updated if anything big changes. I can’t afford to miss anything."
"Of course, Master."
Skrindle gave an exaggerated bow, a little too theatrical for Kael’s liking, but then again, it was typical of the imp.
"Time to summon Boney, then," Kael muttered.
Skrindle stood by, his small form hovering nearby, the imp’s translucent wings shimmering slightly in the dim light. He had become more attuned to Kael's ways over time, his sarcasm masking a strange form of loyalty.
Kael raised his clawed hand and placed it on the orb, the familiar glow beginning to pulse beneath his fingers. Energy crackled in the air around him as he focused on the bones of the defeated.
The bones themselves seemed to respond, floating upwards with unnatural ease, pulled toward the orb. As they gathered, the bones twisted and reformed, the sharp ribs and jagged spines binding together with the green energy, coalescing into something terrifying.
The shape began to take form. Boney, as Kael had taken to calling his Ossuary, emerged from the swirling mass of bones, its body towering over him. It was as tall as Grymos, but its frame was far more elongated, its body wider, more massive. The bones were held together by a green energy, a constant, pulsing light that emanated from its core.
Its mouth was a jagged mess of teeth, an array of ribs sticking out at strange angles, forming the predator’s jaws. The creature’s eyes were empty sockets, but somehow, Kael knew it could see him. Its limbs were long, made of femurs and bones, moving with surprising agility for something so massive.
Kael took a step forward, meeting the creature’s curious gaze.
"Boney, welcome," Kael said, his voice filled with a strange mix of pride and apprehension.
Despite its appearance, there was something almost playful in the way Boney moved toward him. It was as if it were a puppy, eager and excited to meet its new Master.
Boney’s skeletal body wobbled a bit as it padded toward Kael, its ribbed mouth opening and closing in excitement, the sharp bones clicking together with a clacking sound.
Skrindle looked at the scene, his voice tinged with amusement. “You’ve got a giant skeleton puppy now. That’s really going to help with your conclave.”
“Speaking of conclave,” Kael said, "that is the next order of business."
The summoning had drained the orb’s light until only faint traces flickered in its surface, proof of Kael’s thinning mana reserves.
“Place both hands on the orb, Master Kael,” the imp instructed. Kael obeyed, fingers curling against the cool surface. Text shimmered in the dim glow:
Would you like to form a conclave? Cost 10,000 Gold.
“Yes.”
The world jerked as though the entire square had been upended. He felt himself pulled through the orb, dragged by an invisible force.
When the motion stopped, he stood in a stark cube of a room, its walls so white they seemed to reflect no shadow. There was no door, no latch or lock. There were only glass windows set high in each wall, gazing into a void of emptiness.
Kael approached one of the panes. Beyond the glass spread a realm of endless dark.
He pressed his palm against the glass. The emptiness swallowed most detail, but he could see other cubes bobbing in that vast darkness, some in close proximity and others barely visible. Some seemed immense, with intricate extensions or jutting platforms. Others shimmered with fleeting colors, their surfaces glowing like distant stars.
Kael heard a soft cough behind him. He turned and found a new imp hovering in the air. The imp’s size reminded him of Skrindle, though this one wore several hourglasses strapped to its thin arms. Each vessel spilled sand at a different pace.
“Greetings, Master,” the imp said. “I am Oriz, the conclave guide. I am here to explain how conclaves work.”
"Hello, Oriz. I am Kael."
Oriz did not seem to acknowledge Kael’s greeting. Instead, the imp continued speaking at a pace that bordered on frantic, its words tumbling over each other in its haste to explain.
“This is your conclave hall,” Oriz began, gesturing vaguely to the empty space around them.
“Only the conclave master and deputy conclave master can enter, usually. Here, you can change the settings of the conclave, create invitations, improve your conclave, and so on. Just touch your orb, and you can do all of those things. You can come to the conclave hall at any time, as long as you’re not invaded.”
Kael listened closely, his eyes narrowing as Oriz's words sunk in. The conclave hall. A place of power and control. It seemed empty now but Kael had plans for it.
His grip tightened around the orb, and in response, a series of lines appeared before him, hanging in the air like an open scroll.
Conclave Dashboard
Conclave Members
Conclave Upgrades
Conclave Shop
Conclave Expeditions
Oriz continued, his voice a constant hum in the quiet room. “The dashboard shows you general information about your conclave. It tracks its rank, resources, and achievements, among other things.”
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Kael’s fingers hovered over the glowing lines, the unfamiliar terms swirling in his thoughts. Without a word, he chose the dashboard, and the screen shifted, revealing more details.
Name: New Conclave 1
Conclave Brand: Empty
Rank: 7149
Resources: None
Upgrades: None
The numbers stood stark against the emptiness of the room.
New Conclave 1. The name was unremarkable, a placeholder for something that had yet to take shape.
Rank 7149. A low number, far from the top.
Resources—none. Upgrades—none. There was nothing here. For now.
Kael spoke aloud, the question lingering in his mind. "How do I change the name of the conclave, Oriz?"
The imp floated silently for a moment, then reached up and turned one of the hourglasses on its wrist, the sands shifting in the glass with a soft hiss. “First name change is free,” Oriz replied, his voice sharp and matter-of-fact. “Every time after that, it’ll cost you 1000 gold.”
Kael nodded slowly. A name was an identity, a first impression, and he needed his conclave’s name to reflect what he wanted to achieve with it—something that spoke of helping others rise, of breaking free from the confines of the square. But that was a decision for later.
For now, he would leave the name as it was. It could always be changed later, at least once for free.
He moved his attention to the next option: Conclave Members.
A new set of words flickered on his orb:
Members (1/4)
Kael (Conclave Master)
The only name listed was his own. The conclave had no members beyond himself. He would have to change that, eventually.
Conclave Master.
The title was a reminder of the path he had chosen, the path of authority, of leadership. Kael was the captain of this ship and he had the means to actually give himself a purpose. To fulfil his dream.
Oriz hovered nearby, his translucent form shimmering.
"You can see the list of members here. Right now, it’s just you. But you can create invite cards to offer to other Masters.”
Invite cards.
Those gold cards that Avaris had given him. A way to expand, to bring others into the fold. He would need strong allies, companions who would share his vision. And Masters wishing to be helped.
"Is this the limit to the number of members?" Kael asked.
"Not forever. With upgrades, you can expand the number of members. But those will take time and resources."
Time. It always came down to time. And resources.
"Speaking of upgrades," Oriz continued, "you should look at the Conclave Upgrades."
With a simple command, the words on Kael's orb shifted again, a long scroll of potential upgrades unfurling before him. The options flashed past his eyes like the turning pages of a book, each more intricate and descriptive than the last. But none of them seemed within his reach at this moment.
"You’ll need Conclave Crystals for these upgrades. But..." The imp’s voice trailed off. "You do have some Conclave Crystals already. Five, to be precise.”
Kael’s gaze flickered to the floating crystals that emerged from his orb, their deep crimson glow pulsing in the otherwise empty room. The crystals were a gift from Vor, an extra reward for a job well done.
The words on the orb changed to reflect the new addition to the conclave hall.
Name: New Conclave 1
Conclave Brand: None
Rank: 7149
Resources: 5
Upgrades: None
Oriz floated closer. "And this," he said, with a flourish of his hands, "is the Conclave Shop."
The words appeared on Kael's orb, and a new list scrolled past, longer than the one for upgrades. Items for purchase, some mundane, some powerful. The list was full of potential, each item with its own price. But Kael’s eyes were drawn to a few in particular.
One caught his attention immediately: Wallbreaker Crystal (24 hours) for 100,000 gold. His fingers hovered over the words, a pull in his chest. The crystal that could break through walls.
His key to freedom? He remembered Avaris and Vor, those two Masters, using such crystals to escape their squares. It was a tantalizing offer but that price... It was steep.
There were smaller versions of the Wallbreaker Crystal too, a Wallbreaker Crystal (1 hour) for 25,000 gold. That was more attainable, but still far beyond his means.
But how badly do I want to escape? Leave my square?
The thought of the dragon egg he had struck a deal with Myke over flashed in his mind. Millions of gold, if things went according to plan.
He could feel the weight of the promise there, heavy in his chest. There were many moving parts, people to deal with, but the reward was real. That gold could change everything.
The temptation of the Wallbreaker Crystals lingered in his mind, but he quickly pushed the thought away. For now, he had to focus. Gold. Resources. Those things would come, if he played his cards right.
“The last part is Conclave Expeditions,” the imp explained. “Expeditions are journeys that Masters can send their summons into the void. They go to kill defenders, loot Conclave Crystals, and gather other treasures. It is a way to gain resources, but it is not without risk.”
“That is all I have for now, Master. But should you need me, call, and I will answer.” With a soft, almost imperceptible poof, Oriz disappeared, leaving the cube silent once more.
Kael’s eyes turned to the Conclave Expeditions section on his orb. Two expeditions were listed, both tempting in their own way.
Ancient Ruins of the Master
Difficulty: Easy
Reward: 1 Conclave Crystal, 100 Gold, One Common Artifact
The Sky Temple
Difficulty: Intermediate
Reward: 3 Conclave Crystals, 400 Gold, One Uncommon Enchantment
The rewards of the Sky Temple were much more enticing. But the difficulty was marked as intermediate. Kael’s eyes narrowed as he considered the choices.
The Ancient Ruins of the Master might be easier, but the loot of the Sky Temple called to him. He could feel the lure of more crystals and gold, more power to forge his path.
He considered the companions he had at his disposal. Jello, his faithful slime, had served him well. Blue, the wisp that had proven effective in battle. And Gerry and Three Arms, his golems, always eager to fight. They had been his first companions, and their loyalty was unquestioned.
But Kael hesitated. They had performed admirably, but he needed to give his newer companions a chance to prove themselves as well.
His latest summon, Boney, was a hulking figure of bone and strength. Then there were Xal and Grymos, the Skara brothers, one massive and one small. Sludge, his poison slime, was still finding a place among his team but its potential cannot be denied.
And Kael had more than a few green and ice slimes that could provide extra support. They were his growing army, and this would be their test.
A soft glow wrapped the floating script as he selected the harder expedition and a timer for twelve hours appeared next to the expedition's name. The Ancient Ruins options dissipated, consumed by the light. He could feel his companions already leaving, venturing into the void, drawn toward the unknown.
He nodded to himself. May my companions find success on their expedition.
Then, turning his focus back to the task at hand, Kael spoke aloud, his voice carrying in the still air of the conclave hall.
“I need to create a few invite cards,” he said. “Lira and Nexi... I’ll need some for them.”
As soon as he spoke, his orb glowed with the words:
Draw a brand for the conclave.
Kael’s fingers twitched, and a shudder passed through him at the memory. He remembered the pain, the burning mark that had seared into his arm when he joined Avaris. It had been a cruel branding, a constant reminder of submission and control.
Kael knew he didn’t want that for his own conclave members. Not if he could avoid it.
A brand would be necessary to mark his conclave. Something to identify them, to bind them together. But what kind of brand would it be?
Kael pressed a single clawed finger onto the orb. The words shifted beneath his touch, and with it, the decision was made.
A small, simple dot.
It would be discreet, almost hidden, but still functional. And his conclave members can be branded without causing them unnecessary suffering.
Kael exhaled slowly as three gold-edged invite cards materialized before him. He took them in his hands, the smooth edges cool to the touch. These cards would be for Lira and Nexi. And for the third card, Kael had a plan on who he would invite.
Keeping the cards away, Kael turned his thoughts to the Upgrades.
The list was endless. From Mana Regeneration Crystals, which could boost mana for all conclave members to a Combat Arena where summons could fight to gain experience or a Spy Network to keep watch on other Masters.
Each would serve him in some way, but two in particular stood out. The first was Orb Connection, a way to communicate directly with his conclave members through their orbs. Kael’s fingers hovered over the words, tempted.
The second was the Dimensional Gate, a powerful tool that would allow his conclave members to travel to another member’s square once a week. The ability to move freely between squares, to strike or retreat as needed, that power could change everything.
As Kael considered the two upgrades, he paused. The Orb Connection would let him speak with his members at any time, but wisps could be a budget alternative until he gets more Conclave Crystals.
The Dimensional Gate. That was more valuable, more strategic. The ability to transport his members in and out of squares, to plan a defense or make a sudden assault. It was a rare advantage.
But it only worked once a week. And both upgrades required 5 Conclave Crystals. He had to be patient. The gold from the egg would come soon enough, and with it, the opportunity to make more decisive choices. He would have time. For now, he would not rush.
Kael touched the orb lightly, the soft hum of energy surrounding him. The conclave hall was gone, replaced by the familiar sights of his square.
He had made no purchases, made no new decisions. But in his mind, the road ahead was already clear.
Work had only just begun.
******
Square: Unknown
Master: Kael
Difficulty: Bronze
Conclave: New Conclave 1
Treasure: 699 Gold
Residents: 8 Ice Slimes Lvl 1
20 Green Slimes Lvl 1
2 Green Slimes Lvl 2
3 Green Slime Lvl 3
1 Poison Slime Lvl 1
24 Will-o-wisp Lvl 1
1 Steel Golem (Strength Specialization) Lvl 3
1 Steel Golem (Complexity Specialization) Lvl 3
1 Skara Lvl 1
Mount: Shadow Mount
Kills: 64
