The Drunken Duck

The transition from character creation to the actual game world left Cassidy momentarily disoriented. One second she was floating in that crystalline nexus, and the next she was standing on solid cobblestones in what was unmistakably a bustling frontier town. The sensory shift was incredible—she could smell woodsmoke and leather, hear the clatter of horse hooves on stone, and feel a cool evening breeze against her skin that carried the distant sound of a blacksmith's hammer. 

"Okay, that was seamless," she murmured, flexing her fingers and marveling at how natural the movement felt. "No wonder the beta testers were going crazy about the immersion levels." 

Around her, Hammerfall was exactly what she had expected from a frontier town designed to accommodate new players. The buildings were sturdy but not overly elaborate—functional architecture that suggested a community focused on practical needs rather than artistic flourishes. The town bustled with activity as merchants hawked their wares and guards patrolled the streets with practiced efficiency. 

The first thing she needed to do was get familiar with the interface system. In most VR games, accessing your character sheet required some kind of gesture or mental command, and she was curious to see how Aetherion handled it. 

"Status," she said aloud, and immediately a translucent panel materialized in front of her, floating at the perfect height and angle for comfortable reading. The interface was elegant and unobtrusive—clearly designed to provide comprehensive information without blocking her view of the game world. 

💠 Core Identity 

Name: Lunessa Class: Nightblade Level: 1 Guild: None Titles: None 

💥 Primary Stats 

Vitality: 12 (HP pool, resistances) Focus: 12 (Mana / magic energy / spell power reservoir) Might: 12 (affects melee damage and physical skill scaling) Finesse: 18 (accuracy, speed, evasion, and stealth) Will: 11 (resistance to fear, mind effects; affects skill cooldowns or channel stability) Insight: 15 (influences critical chance, puzzle-solving prompts, secret detection) 

🧬 Secondary Values 

HP: 120/120 Focus: 120/120 Loadout: Steel Dagger, Novice Leathers, Traveler's Pack Auras/Buffs: None 

📜 Traits & Skills 

Passive Traits: 

Darkvision: See clearly in darkness Shadow Affinity: 15% bonus to stealth and shadow magic effectiveness Keen Senses: Enhanced perception for detecting hidden objects and enemies 

Equipped Skills: 

Shadowstep: Instantly teleport up to 15 feet to any shadow within line of sight. 45-second cooldown. Fade: Slip partially into shadow, reducing detection radius and gaining bonus movement speed. Attacking breaks the effect. Umbra Dagger: Conjure a throwing blade formed of solidified shadow. Deals minor damage but marks the enemy for 6 seconds. Striking a marked enemy from stealth deals bonus critical damage. 

"This is really well organized," Cassidy said, studying the layout with approval. The interface gave her all the mechanical information she needed while still feeling intuitive. She was particularly pleased with her Finesse and Insight scores—at 18 and 15 respectively, they were clearly her strongest attributes, which made perfect sense for a Nightblade. 

The shadow-based abilities looked incredibly fun to experiment with. Shadowstep would be a powerful escape or positioning tool, though the 45-second cooldown meant she'd have to use it wisely. The Umbra Dagger's marking mechanic was especially interesting—it seemed designed to reward careful positioning and timing rather than just spamming attacks. 

"Darkvision is going to be so useful," she murmured, thinking about all the dungeons and caves she'd explored in other games where lighting had been a constant issue. "And that Shadow Affinity bonus should stack nicely with the stealth focus." 

She was about to start exploring the town more thoroughly when a soft chime indicated an incoming message. A small notification window appeared in the corner of her vision—unobtrusive but impossible to miss. 

[Message from: Ironstride] Hey Luna! Spud and I are already here at The Drunken Duck. Come find us when you're done gawking at your character sheet! Fair warning—Spud's eyeing that immortal duck they supposedly have here... 

Cassidy grinned and dismissed the message with a gesture. "Already causing trouble, I see. Better get over there before he gets us banned from the tavern on day one." 

She took a moment to orient herself, looking around for any signs or landmarks that might point her toward the tavern. Hammerfall wasn't particularly large, but it was densely packed with buildings and NPCs going about their business. The streets followed a somewhat logical pattern—the main thoroughfare ran roughly north-south through the center of town, with smaller side streets branching off at regular intervals. 

After a few minutes of wandering and asking directions from a helpful NPC blacksmith, she found herself standing in front of a building that could only be The Drunken Duck. The tavern was exactly what she'd expected from a frontier establishment—sturdy timber construction with a slate roof, warm yellow light spilling from the windows, and the sound of conversation and laughter drifting through the open door. A wooden sign hung above the entrance, featuring a duck wearing what appeared to be a tiny tricorn hat. 

"Well, that's definitely the right place," she said, pushing through the door and into the warm, bustling interior. 

The tavern was packed with players and NPCs alike, the air thick with the scents of roasted meat and ale. Tables were scattered throughout the main room, with a massive fireplace dominating one wall and a well-stocked bar running along another. It took her a moment to spot her friends, but she eventually found them at a corner table near the back. 

Ironstride was impossible to miss—he'd chosen an Emberforged Ironbound Sentinel, and the character was built like a walking fortress. Standing well over six feet tall, his once-human frame had been reforged by ancient fire into something far more durable. His skin held the dark metallic sheen of tempered steel, while veins of glowing ember-steel traced visible patterns beneath the surface, pulsing faintly with inner warmth. The transformation had left him with the organic movement and proportions of his human origins, but with the strength and resilience of living metal. His eyes held a warm amber glow that matched the ember veins, giving him an imposing but reassuring presence. A massive war hammer and a tower shield rested against the table beside him, both sized perfectly for his substantial frame. Even sitting down, he projected an aura of unshakeable reliability that made her feel safer just looking at him. 

Spudicus, on the other hand, had gone in a completely different direction. His Rookling Gadgeteer was small and wiry, with glossy black feathers covering his avian features and bright, intelligent eyes that held the kind of manic gleam that suggested he was always thinking about what he could take apart or blow up next. His beak was slightly curved, perfect for fine manipulation work, and various pouches, tools, and mechanical contraptions hung from his belt and bandolier. He had the restless energy of someone who couldn't sit still for more than five minutes. 

Following his gaze, Cassidy spotted what had captured his attention: a large white duck waddling among the tables, apparently unbothered by the chaos around it. The duck moved with the kind of casual confidence that suggested it owned the place, occasionally stopping to peck at dropped food or investigate interesting smells. Currently, Spud was leaning forward in his chair, his feathered head tilted at an angle that suggested intense concentration as he studied the bird. 

"Oh no," she muttered, recognizing the look on Spudicus's face. "He's planning something." 

She hurried over to their table just as Spud reached into one of his pouches and pulled out what looked like a small mechanical device with blinking lights. 

"Spud, no," she said firmly, sliding into the seat across from him. "Whatever you're thinking about doing to that duck, don't." 

"Luna!" Ironstride boomed, his voice carrying a slight metallic resonance that somehow managed to sound warm and welcoming. "Good to see you made it in one piece. How was character creation?" 

"Incredible," she said, still keeping one eye on Spudicus, who had reluctantly put away his mysterious device. "The level of customization was way beyond what I expected. I spent almost an hour just on the appearance options alone." 

"Come on, I was just going to see if it would respond to a minor sonic pulse," Spud protested, though he did put the device away. "It's for science! How else are we supposed to understand the immortality mechanics?" 

Before she could respond, two more figures approached their table. Serein had chosen a Sylvan Verdant Warden, and his character was a striking fusion of man and nature. His skin had the texture and color of rich oak bark, with small patches of moss growing along his shoulders and arms. Leaves and small twigs seemed to grow directly from his scalp instead of hair, creating a natural crown that rustled softly when he moved. His presence radiated the kind of deep, rooted calm that made everything around him feel more peaceful and stable. 

The second figure was clearly agitated about something, her movements sharp and frustrated as she navigated between tables. Nira had gone with a Tiefling Pyromancer, and her character's infernal heritage was immediately apparent. Small horns curved back from her forehead, and her skin had a subtle reddish tint that seemed to glow faintly from within. Her hair was a cascade of deep crimson that literally smoldered at the tips, occasionally sending up tiny wisps of smoke. Her tail swished behind her with agitated movements that matched her emotional state, and even from a distance, Cassidy could see the faint shimmer of heat distortion around her hands. 

"I swear to god, if one more NPC tells me that my 'fiery temperament needs tempering,'" Nira was saying as she approached, "I'm going to burn down the entire—" She stopped mid-sentence as she spotted their group, her expression immediately brightening. "Luna!" 

Without warning, she rushed forward and wrapped Cassidy in an enthusiastic hug that was surprisingly warm—literally. Being near Nira felt like standing next to a cozy fireplace. 

"Okay, that's actually really cool," Cassidy said, returning the hug. "Your character runs warmer than normal. That's such a nice touch." 

"Right?" Nira said, finally releasing her and taking a seat at their table. "Though apparently it also means NPCs keep making comments about cooling down and thinking before I act. Very original, developers." 

Serein settled into the remaining chair with an amused smile. "She's been getting increasingly frustrated with the tutorial quests. Something about having to help an NPC's garden grow instead of burning down the bandit camp that's been threatening the town." 

"The bandits are literally right there!" Nira gestured emphatically toward the tavern's front window. "We could solve that problem in about ten minutes, but nooo, we have to water tomatoes instead." 

Ironstride chuckled, a sound like distant machinery that somehow managed to be comforting. "Welcome to the wonderful world of MMO quest progression. You've got to prove you can handle the vegetables before they trust you with the villains." 

"Speaking of which," Cassidy said, "what's our plan here? I'm assuming we need to find some starter quests and begin the grand tradition of killing ten rats or collecting twenty mushrooms?" 

"Pretty much," Spud said, finally dragging his attention away from the duck, which had wandered closer to their table. "There's a quest board by the front door with the usual selection of 'help me find my lost whatever' and 'clear out the local pest problem' missions. Nothing too exciting, but it should get us enough experience to hit level five or six." 

"After that, we can start looking into the more interesting content," Serein added. "I heard there are some ruins about a day's travel from here that are supposed to have actual dungeon content instead of just fetch quests." 

Cassidy nodded, already feeling the familiar excitement that came with starting a new character in a fresh game world. "Sounds like a plan. Should we grab a few quests and head out? I'm eager to see how the combat system actually works in practice." 

"Absolutely," Ironstride said, starting to rise from his chair. "But first, someone needs to stop Spud from trying to engineer some kind of contraption involving that duck." 

They all turned to look at Spudicus, who had indeed pulled out his mechanical device again and was studying the duck with the intense focus of someone planning a very elaborate prank. 

"It's an immortal duck," he said defensively. "I'm just curious about the implementation. What if I could figure out how the immortality works? Think of the applications!" 

"Think of getting us kicked out of the starting town," Nira countered. "Save the mad science for later, when we've at least gotten past level ten." 

Spudicus sighed dramatically but put away his device once again. "Fine, but I'm definitely coming back to investigate this later. Immortal animals are serious business." 

As they gathered their starting equipment and prepared to leave the tavern, Cassidy felt a warm sense of anticipation building in her chest. This was exactly what she had hoped for—good friends, an incredibly immersive game world, and the promise of adventures that would keep them entertained for months or even years to come. 

She had no idea that somewhere out there in the vast expanse of Aetherion Realms Online, a mysterious stone archway waited to be discovered, leading to encounters that would challenge everything she thought she knew about how virtual worlds were supposed to work.