Manacoin {commerce}: manacoins are crystalized mana condensed from the local environment through the use of specially enchanted molds. The physical look of manacoins varies greatly, as each kingdom uses a unique mold to mint their coins. This is to identify coins minted in that kingdom and is often seen as a piece of national pride. However, because mana forms stable crystalline structures when solidified, and each stable mana structure reflects different wavelengths of light, the value of manacoins is universal throughout the civilized world.

  -Excerpt from “Quinoin’s Encyclopedia of The World”-

  The rain poured down on Joe's shoulders, soaking through his supposedly waterproof coat. It didn’t really bother him. Not much did. He was out on his walk, taking the same path every night since the funeral. “Four years, two months, and twenty seven days” he muttered to himself, squeezing his eyes shut until the stinging went away. He fumbled in his pocket for his cigarettes, knowing in his heart that if she were still here she would have hated that he’d picked up the bad habit again. “Sorry Love,” he said to the air around him, “they help too much. The worst they’ll do is just get me to you quicker.” He popped one in his mouth, lit it, and took a long drag.Holding his breath, Joe looked up at the rain soaked trees of the park. After a moment of quiet contemplation he breathed out and moved on along the path.

  It was the same path every night, rain or shine. He’d go through the park near his house, down along the waterfront and all its quaint little touristy shops and cafes she used to like. Then it was through the nearby shopping arcade, almost abandoned now that the bigger stores had shuttered their doors. Finally doubling back to go through the park again on his way back to his cheap little apartment. He could almost see the groove he’d worn into the sidewalk over the last few years. By this point, he probably could have walked it all the way with his eyes closed.

  Maybe it was that familiarity that caused his attention to catch on the odd detail more than anything. Anyone else who probably hadn’t walked this route and knew every bend and curve of it like he did would have just kept walking. They may have completely missed the glint of gold that poked out from under a rock to the side of the path. “Probably some garbage” Joe grumbled to himself as he stooped to take a look. He’d gotten into the habit of talking to himself. It kept his apartment from being too quiet. The glint seemed to have come from the corner of some sort of golden envelope. As Joe tugged on it, the whole rock shifted and allowed the rest of it to slide out from underneath. Despite the wetness of the evening and the dampness of the soil it had sat on, the rectangular envelope was completely dry. He turned it over and read the front.

  CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR NEW LIFE!

  +++

  Joe didn’t know why he had kept it. It probably was some junk mail or credit card offer someone had tossed out. But honestly, it was probably because he didn’t really have anything else planned for the evening, and the phrase on the front of the envelope had intrigued him. He’d peaked into it on the way home and found that the paper inside felt thick and expensive. When he got back to his apartment; he tossed it into the bowl with his keys and went to take a shower. He’d look at it later. If for no other reason than to prolong the mystery for as long as possible. Stripping down he looked at himself in the bathroom mirror. A man of thirty eight years stared blankly back at him. The messy brown hair that topped his head jutted out wildly because he usually kept it under a hat. His beard was only marginally better taken care of, at least trimmed and combed on a semi regular basis. Here and there he could see the odd gray hair starting to sneak in and remind him that he wasn’t getting any younger. Blue eyes that had looked tired for far too long and a once athletic body now gone to seed as he just stopped caring for it completed the picture of a man with nothing really keeping him going beyond simple stubborn inertia.

  Joe turned away and adjusted the knobs on the shower before stepping in. Unconsciously he’d adjusted the temperature too hot. A habit he’d gotten into to keep his wife from teasing that he was secretly a polar bear whenever they had showered together. He adjusted it down to where he liked it and went to work. A quick five minutes later and he was toweling off feeling, if not better than at least clean. He’d actually forgotten about the envelope in the short amount of time. Until he passed by the front door with his microwaved dinner in hand and caught the glint of it again. “Well, let’s see what’s inside this thing” he sighed, snagging it with his free hand. Throwing himself down into his computer chair, he set his food to the side and slid the folded paper out of the envelope. It turned out to actually be three pages stapled together in the corner with a gold colored staple. The letter head at the top of the first page stated that it was from Firmament Analytics Enterprise, but gave no address or contact information.

  Firmament Analytics Enterprises

  You’re in good hands

  Congratulations on Your New Life!

  If you have found this document then you have been selected as a firmament discharge specialist! (See FAQ section “What is the firmament?” for more details.) as such you are entitled to a one (1) one way transfer across the barriers to the world of your choosing! (some exclusions apply, see choice section for details.) Please read FAQ section “How to fill out this document” before continuing.

  “What the hell?” Joe's brow furrowed as he flipped to the next page, which was apparently the FAQ.

  FAQ: What is the firmament?

  The firmament (also known as “the barrier”) is the sudo-space that surrounds space time bubbles (hereafter referred to as “realities”). Cosmic friction caused by adjacent realities interacting with each other generates massive amounts of excess energy. Much like two tectonic plates rubbing up against each other, energy builds at the contact point until a threshold is reached and a cosmic ripple occurs. Ripples can seriously damage the two adjacent realities up to and including total reality collapse. To prevent this from happening, the excess power generated by cosmic friction is bled off via the use of strategic discharge points (that’s you!). This is accomplished by using said power to perform otherwise impossible feats of spacial-thaumatic magic only possible at a point of friction and is how your perk package is generated.

  “Is this some sort of movie prop or something?” Joe asked as he looked over the next section. Despite the oddity of the situation, he felt himself being drawn into whatever story this prop was supposed to be from. “I’m going to have to do some checking online to see if I can’t figure out where this is from.” His eyes moved back to the top of the next section and he read it again.

  FAQ: How to fill out this document

  Please use blue or black ink (no pencil or other colored ink or permanent marker) to completely fill in the box next to your option and proceed through the following pages. On the final page please sign your full legal name, fold and insert this document back into the original envelope it was found in and wait twenty four (24) hours for package delivery.

  FAQ: What if I change my mind or fill out the document incorrectly?

  If you have incorrectly marked the document, or wish to change your package prior to the twenty four (24) hour elapsed time, please remove the document from the envelope and allow twenty four (24) hours to pass for all markings to disappear. Documents must be filled out and submitted within one (1) week of receiving or offer will be considered null and void.

  “Ok” Joe said, rubbing his chin as he flipped back to the front page. “It looks pretty straight forward." Under the original heading there had been a set of multiple choice bullet points that he’d skipped over. He read over them now.

  I would like:

  () High tech (interstellar)

  () High tech (planetary)

  ()Low tech (steampunk)

  ()Low tech (survival)

  () High fantasy (adventure)

  () High fantasy (commercial)

  “What’s ‘High fantasy (commercial)’?” Joe wondered as he flipped back to the previous page.To his surprise it had changed. The previous entries in the FAQ were gone, and were now replaced with a new one.

  FAQ: High fantasy (commercial)

  For those souls interested in a fantasy world experience without all the nastiness of traveling and killing. Good for those with more sedentary desires. This option comes with the following base perks:

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  Fully owned shop building in town/city of choice with all tools/equipment for chosen profession(s).

  Included in-shop domestic space.

  Start up funds/stock to get your shop on its feet.

  Linguistics package

  Up to two (2) selectable starter professions

  Two (2) selectable perks.

  “That honestly doesn’t sound half bad,” Joe mused to himself. On a whim he went back to the kitchen and rummaged around in the junk drawer. Eventually he managed to find the only pen he owned; an advertisement pen from work. Testing it out on his arm he confirmed it was black ink and that it hadn’t dried up yet. Bringing it back to his desk, he marked the bubble next to “High fantasy (commercial)” and tried to turn to the third page to see if there was anything else on it. When he turned to the second page though, it had changed again.

  Thank you for choosing [High fantasy (commercial)] please select the location of your shop from the list provided:

  ()Queenshold: the capital city of Aermire. This buzzing metropolis plays home to the movers and shakers of the queendome. Expect customers willing to pay for, and expecting, the best.

  Pros: high profile clients, rich clients

  Cons: high material costs, high cost of living.

  ()Mistport: A major shipping port of Aermire, anything and everything available to an entrepreneur can be found along its winding streets and byways. While it may lack the clout of Queenshold, it makes up for it in sheer size and spending power.

  Pros: diverse customer base, easy access to exotic materials

  Cons: high taxes, high cost of living

  ()Gatetown: The literal gateway to Aermire, Gatetown sits along the major overland trade route coming in from the east. With a constant stream of adventurers and caravans the savvy shopkeep need never want for the strange and unique to sell.

  Pros: low material costs, adventurers loot bag

  Cons: high taxes, high competition.

  ()Academyway: This small town sprung up around the Greatfalls Academy for Magical Arts and services both staff and students with their needs. While not on any of the major trade routes, the abundance of adventures passing through the halls of Greatfalls means there’s never a shortage of supplies to a good haggler.

  Pros: adventurers loot bag, low cost of living.

  Cons: high shipping costs, mail order necessity.

  Joe unconsciously chewed on the tip of the pen as he thought. Despite himself, and the fact he might be marking up some valuable bit of memorabilia, he was getting sucked into the process of picking and choosing. “Hmm, Queenshold or Mistport sounds fun,” he said to the room at large. He read through the ‘pros’ section of Queenshold. “High profile clients, rich clients.”He thought back to some of the ‘high profile’ clients he’d had to work with at the bank. All entitled children that felt that having money was the same as being right, no matter how wrong they were. “Hell no, if I had the chance to start again, I’d get as far away from that sort of person as I could.” He marked the box next to Academyway. “A nice quiet college town sounds relaxing.” Flipping to the next page he found that just like before, it had failed to be the last one in the packet.

  Thank you for choosing [Academyway]. Please select up to two (2) starter professions. Note: Selecting one (1) instead of two (2) will entitle you to more specialized equipment for chosen profession, as well as an additional one (1) perk in the following section.

  () Pawn: The backbone of the prudent adventurer, pawn shops specialize in taking in less than ideal items, refurbishing them, then selling them at a discount when compared to brand new versions of the same item. Prices are lower than a smithy and stock is dependent on what comes in. However costs are also lower and turnaround time for sales is lower compared to smithy.

  () Smithy: A selection for the creative types who like getting their hands dirty. Smithys take in raw material mined by the smith themselves, or purchased from others, and converts them into needed commodities for their clientele. More flexible than a pawn shop, with a higher profit margin, but with slower turn around times for getting items out the door.

  () Enchanter: much like with the pawn profession, enchanters take items in from others and make them better. The difference lies in how they go about it. While pawn profession focus on taking subpar mundane items and fixing issues, enchanters take items in good condition and improve them further with the use of manacoins and reagents.

  () Chemist: Physician for the adventurer on the go, chemist shops mix potions for everything from expedited regeneration, to cures for common (and uncommon) ailments. Many chemists keep a garden around the back of their shop where they grow more uncommon or exotic reagents for use in medicines.

  () General Goods: The all important general goods store should not be overlooked. Expanding clientele to include customers beyond adventurers, the prudent general good shop tries to order a selection of everyday and exotic items to serve the widest share of customers. Not as reliant on adventure loot for stock, general stores in rural areas tend to order more domestic stock from catalogs.

  ( ) Tailor: The flexibility and creativity of the smithy combined with the upgrading and repair power of a pawn shop, Taylors focus instead on clothes and lighter armor. Taylors may also sell their services to alter existing items, which is much appreciated for customers of a more atypical body type.

  ( ) Carpenter: A profession given over entirely to the domestic market, carpenters focus primarily on furniture and domestic vehicles such as carts and small boats. Unlike others that rely (at least partly) on adventures for the more exotic items in their shops, a good carpenter can do a lot with a little if need be.

  Joe got up and moved to his living room couch. Flopping down on it he put his feet on the coffee table as he read through the options. “There’s no way in hell I’d go to a land of magic and pass up the clearly magical option.” He marked the ‘enchanter’ option. “Now do I want another profession, or should I just stick with enchanter?” His pen found its way into his mouth as he ruminated on his choices. “Don’t feel like carpenter or tailor if I’m honest. Pawn and smithy might go well with enchanter.” Looking up at the ceiling for a moment Joe flopped back and forth between the idea of making and enchanting his own items, and the visual of a cluttered magical pawn shop. “Didn’t most smiths go deaf back in the old days?” Joe tried his best to think back to the few times he’d seen blacksmiths at work. If he remembered right, they’d all wore ear protection. “ No idea if a fantasy blacksmith had ear protection, and honestly as much fun as blacksmithing sounds in theory I doubt I’d enjoy it much in practice.”

  His eyes wandered down to the last option. “Chemist,” it was more of a statement than a thought or a question, like an ‘um’ in a sentence. “I imagine adventurers would want potions on their quests, and if they’re already coming to me for their potions, why not sell their gear to me as well?” Although not specifically stated in the prompt, he was pretty sure that buying stuff of the adventurers that were themselves buying his wears didn’t quite count as the ‘pawn’ profession. Unless he strayed into trying to refurbish them himself that was. “Just buy them good and make them better then. Works for me.” He marked ‘Chemist’ and flipped the page, once again coming up to the second to last page. “There’s no way in hell this is normal. Honestly though, if I get my ass isekai’d out of here I think I’d be ok with that.” Joe read the next prompt.

  You have selected [Enchanter] and [Chemist]. Please pick two (2) perks from the following list. NOTE: selecting less than two (2) perks does not entitle you to any additional compensation and unused perks will be lost.

  () Take it with you: liquidate all assets and take cash equivalent with you. Adds to shops’ starter funds.

  () Shop security: displays and front door will be replaced with mimic entities. Display mimics sound alarm if items are removed after hours while door mimic is resistant to lock picks and will attempt to hamper shoplifters.

  () Improved basic stock: starter stock will include a wider selection of basic items as well as several uncommon items and one rare item (randomized between professions)

  () Improved profession equipment: starter equipment for one profession will be replaced with more sophisticated versions of the basic equipment (randomized between professions)

  () Bigger on the inside: shop floor will be increased by 20%

  ()Silver tongued salesman: customers are less likely to haggle prices and are more willing to accept higher prices.

  () Improved utilities: shop utility systems operate at a more efficient rate, lowering overhead costs.

  () Friend in me: creates one (1) automaton worker to perform simple tasks like cleaning or watering.

  () Extra leg room: domestic space increased by 20%

  () Monthly subscription box: receive a small parcel of randomized basic items tailored to your profession for free each month.

  Joe blew smoke out his nose as he looked the options over. Without even realizing he’d done it, he’d lit a cigarette. “Hm, ‘Take it with you’ sounds like a good idea. If I were leaving all my stuff behind I might as well get something out of it. But it’s got the same problem as ‘Improved basic stock’. They’re both one time bonuses that wont help out in the long run.” He took another drag from his cigarette as he thought. “ ‘Bigger on the inside’ and ‘Extra leg room’ don’t really interest me all that much, neither does ‘Improved utilities’. I don’t even know what kind of overhead a magic shop would have.” Leaning forward Joe set the papers down on the coffee table and read through the remaining options again. “ ‘Friend in me’ is a bit too vague for my liking. I don’t need a magic roomba. I’m really leaning towards ‘shop security’, that sounds useful. ‘Monthly subscription’ would be handy as well, who doesn’t like freebies.”

  He waffled back and forth for a bit before eventually selecting ‘Monthly subscription’ and ‘Improved professional equipment’. “I could always get a security system later if it became necessary.” Flipping to the next page Joe was honestly surprised to find he finally made it to the last page of the packet.

  You have chosen a [High fantasy: commercial] adventure where you will become a(n) [Enchanter]/[Chemist] in [Academyway] with the following perks: [Monthly subscription] and [Improved professional equipment]. If this is correct please sign your full legal name below, fold and return this document to the enclosed envelope and wait twenty four (24) hours for package delivery. If you have made a mistake, or wish to change your selection, simply remove this document from the envelop and wait twenty four (24) for all marks to disappear. Please note; you have one (1) week to complete this document or the offer will be considered rejected and become null and void.

  Below it was a line with space for his full legal name and date. Joe gave a sad smile, it had been fun imagining what the life of a fantasy shop keeper would have been like. He was honestly sad that there hadn’t been more options to fill out. Just for fun he wrote his full legal name and the date.

  Joseph Alder Bright.