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The first Dark Elves evolved from Gobs who lived in expanding underground world beneath us. They were brutal to others, but also themselves. When they learned of compassion, they scoffed at the idea for when would compassion every help you?

It was those who revoked those ideals that evolved into High Elves. And they became targets.

Humanity hated and were jealous of our magical prowess and beauty, most of the Gobs wanted to use us. Since we were threatened from all sides, the progenitors of our kind traveled and gained the alliance of the Elves that evolved past the cruelty of the Desert, Oceans, and the cold Arctic. They faced the same problems as we did, so we gathered together and created the World Tree.

Don't listen if someone tells you we named it that because of a false connection with nature that everyone thinks we have.

I was there, we did it to mock their myths they use when they refer to us. I was there.

Elves aren't some magical gods on earth, we just want to live, it isn't our fault that we can live for one thousand years while we train to gain another evolution.

-Exert from "What is an Elf?," by the Shandalor of the World Tree located in former Panama, 1406 FE.

*****************************************************

A Proto-Gob walked triumphantly to his abode. He wore nothing but a seaweed woven kilt that had a thin belt with shells strung through it for good measure. Tucked into that belt is two sharp wooden stakes with well made handles from his lover as well as a boot knife that he kept from his birth swinging in a seaweed sheath at his hip.

That mermaid really did a lot for him, but she ruined his pants in the first place and has magic, so Odd didn't figure it was that big of a deal.

Slung over his shoulder was the haunch of some kind of ungulate, readily prepared for one of the most important people in his life.

A good son is supposed to bring things home for his mother, after all.

Odd walked into the cave, only to hear a guttural, "Thanks runt," and felt the meat leave his shoulder. And that would be Roark.

With Roark is a meger number of four Goblins, but Odd ignores them and heads to his mother instead, chained to a wall.

The dutiful son moves to apologize, but is interrupted by a disproving glare from the red, glowing eyes of the Abyssal Elf, "Save it, we've been over this already, swallow your damn pride and don't complain. Complaining is the worst."

Odd eventually decided to take her advice and started to get excited again. The Got is as ready as ever to regale her with the tale of how he met the mermaid again, what perks he gained, and the new affinities were under his belt.

Until he heard a grumbling noise.

It was a familiar grumbling noise. Odd knew that it could only be one thing and his ears were good enough that he could pinpoint where it came from.

"Mother..." Odd said in a low voice.

Melisandra smirked, to be forced to constant reprimand the boy should piss her off, but he was slightly endearing after their nights together. "Quit being a pussy Odd, you know I'm strong enough that it doesn't bother me."

"But..." he petulantly raised his lower lip and sighs.

He then heard a noise, as the bones of the meat he brought back was thrown against the wall before Roark makes it over to one of the breeding vessels. The sea nymph.

The sea nymph that he is still unable to use his [Observe] on because something is blocking it. The sea nymph that refuses to let the brutish Greater Green Goblin win the battle of wills, despite how much he abuses her.

Odd looked upon the scene and felt his fingers piercing the skin of his palms. He ignores it as he usually tries, only to hear a short gasp, as the sea nymph was shoved into position.

He looked back at his mother, trying to focus on anything else, but kept being reminded of the fact of how hungry she must be. Alone in this cave all day, hungry, while he's out wasting time, enjoying himself.

He looks back at the scene and stares at the sea nymph, pushed down. The savage Goblin is removing his pants. Odd hates to even think of the actions, let alone be in the same room as it, but the Gob also wants to burn the image into his mind so he never forgets how weak the current him was.

[Unnatural Sponge] activated

[Observe] skill evolved into [Eyes of Providence]

[Eyes of Providence] activated

Name: Isonei Aenon

Titles: [946th Daughter of New Atlantis]

Race: Mersiren, T3

Race details: Following the 'music,' 'water,' and 'social' evolutionary paths, mersirens usually live among other Enlightened seafolk peacefully. They always have sound and water affinities as well as innate empathetic abilities towards other sea creatures. They appear as other sea nymphs do with green to blue skin tones, walk on two legs, and have various webbed features or fins. The only difference that sets them apart is their tendency to be some of the most peaceful of aquatic Enlightened of their type.

[Stats]

Body: High T2

Mind: Low T3

Soul: Mid T3

Sound Affinity: Mid T3

Water Affinity: Low T3

[Special Conditions]

Hidden from Sight. A ritual temporarily causes Isonei to be obscured from observation and scrying from techniques and equipment.

That wasn't what he wanted, so what if the woman was a siren and not a nymph like he first thought?! He couldn't give a shit about that skill and what it told him. It wouldn't help him be anything but a useless bystander!

He grit his teeth and tightened his fists, yin lighting started to quietly crackle at the edge of his fingertips.

"Son," he heard a voice behind him, but ignored it. He just wanted to watch and burn the image into his mind? What kind of stupid, self sacrificing thinking was that? He's Odd! He made the killing blow on a tier 3 and he's even stronger now, he can assassinate an asshole with his pants around his ankles!

The oversized Goblin fumbled with his member and started to stroke it.

"Odd," Melisandra said with a tone brokering no argument. She was in chains and should be broken, but her glowing eyes told the Proto-Gob that he should listen to her no matter what she says.

"I'm sorry mother, but I will do this," he said in return.

"You will die."

He knew this would kill him. He's weak. He's ugly. Other creatures think of him as an anomaly, something interesting to look at, just like the title that the Connection lists under his name.

"No. I won't die," he said anyway as yin lightning started from his hands and spread to the rest of his body. Instead of crackling with power, the yin lightning surrounding Odd's form absorbed the light around him. The sound, the air, his very presence was absorbed from the air and you couldn't see him unless you focused on the very idea of him.

[Yin Lighting Affinity] rose from 0.9 to 1.2

Conditions met, triggering early evolution...

Following the path of 'pride,' focus on external appearance and poise

Following the path of 'greed,' focus on taking power and knowledge

Following the path of 'empathy,' focus on learning why sentients are the way they are

Combined path found.

Evolving from Proto-Gob following the path of, 'human monster.'

[Proto-Gob] race lost

Due to conditions no longer being met, lose title, [Empathetic Anomaly].

Due to conditions no longer being met, lose perk [Unnatural Sponge].

Due to losing the perk [Unnatural Sponge] before your forced evolution, learn new perk based on lifestyle.

Match found.

[Sexsthetic Leaner] perk gained. People are supposed to have one or more approaches to learning; they utilize hands-on, visual, auditory, read/write, or kinisthetic approaches. You, you lucky bastard, learn best in between the sheets. Its like your old perk, but better even though its supposed to be worse.

[Forced evolution in 1d, 08h, 19m.]

[Body] rose from 0.8 to 1.8

[Mind] rose from 1.5 to 2.5

[Soul] rose from 0.8 to 1.8

[Mana] rose from 12/12 to 22/22

[Yin Lighting Affinity] rose from 1.2 to 2.2

learned form, Cloak Limb

[Water Affinity] rose from 0.2 to 1.2

learned form, Coalesce

[Speed Affinity] rose from 0.1 to 1.1

learned form, Total body

[Living Ghoul] race gained

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