The Nagual Mystic

The Nagual Mystic
Location:	Out in the Desert
Unlocks:	Level 20

You climb a dusty and weed-cluttered walking trail until you reach the crest of a desolate and wind-swept butte. A short, deeply bronzed man of apparently Native American descent is sitting beside a small campfire. He nods as you approach but otherwise sits motionless. You approach the fire and take a seat across from him.

You are currently level X.

Before gaining enough infernal claws and fiendish skulls from the Fiendish Pit:

After you sit quietly for a few moments, the man says, "Call me Don Carlos. You are nearing readiness for the wisdom of the desert. Once you are ready, I can teach you more about this world if you wish. First, you must understand that this world is not always what it seems. The creatures in the place you call the 'Fiendish Pit' are more illusion than real. You think you fight their physical forms, but you truly fight within your mind. Spend time with them and bring me back what you believe to be 45 of their claws and 15 of their skulls, and I will demonstrate the illusion." After you have learned that lesson, if you are experienced enough, I will teach you more.

Without the needed number of claws and skulls

Currently you only have M infernal claws and N fiendish skulls.

Upon gaining the claws and skulls:

Currently you have M infernal claws and N fiendish skulls.

You produce the claws and skulls, and the old man says, "You have brought me enough claws and skulls from the 'Fiendish Pit.' Are you ready for your training?"

Hand over the Claws and Skulls

You hand over 45 infernal claws and 15 fiendish skulls. Don Carlos takes them all and lays them out on a blanket. He sits cross-legged in front of the blanket, and gestures for you to do the same. Then he begins to hum gutturally while slowly circling one hand, palm down, over the infernal remains. As you watch the skulls and claws begin to shimmer a little. Then, for one brief moment, you see something else that doesn't look like skulls or claws at all. They look more like, well, worms of some kind. Dead worms. Then the worms crumble to dust and a light breeze blows them away.

"Did you see?" Don Carlos asks.

You nod. "I ... I think so."

"Good. That is the beginning of the truth. Think on that, and when you are stronger I will show you more."

You have earned a bonus mettle point for your efforts.

When you've given the items and have not yet reached enough XP to gain a level:

You still need Y XP to go to the next level"

When you've given the items and have the XP to gain a level

You have enough experience to go up to level X+1. Training will cost Z chips.

Get Some Training

If you are level 50 or above:

Don Carlos smiles and shakes his head. He says, "You have learned as much as you can from this place. I cannot teach you any more."

(Training for higher levels occurs with Pentacron in the Aquasson Base on The Space Station).

Gaining a Level

You and the mystic stay up all night, sitting around a campfire and talking about the nature of reality. Late in the night you finally drift off to sleep. When you wake, the mystic is gone, but your watch says that almost no time has passed since you sat down. Weird. You do feel smarter, though.

or

Don Carlos has you sit and slowly scan the desert surroundings through slitted eyes, as an exercise in "recharging your spirit," as he called it. When you have completed your task, you feel more spirited than ever before. It felt like the process took hours, but your watch says only minutes have passed.

or

Don Carlos hands you a pipe full of some mysterious herbs, which the two of you share. Then you go for a walk in the darkness, exploring the strange shadowy world. When you return to camp, your watch says that almost no time has passed but you feel as if an age has passed.

You gain a level!

You gain x hit points. You gain x power points.

Your strength increases by x points.
Your intellect increases by x points.
Your reflexes increase by x points.

You get 2 skill points that you can invest into improving skills.

You get an adrenaline rush!

Bedtime +60 minutes.

This also restores your HP and PP to fullness.

Notes

• For experience points (XP) and chips needed to gain each level, see the table here.
• For attribute points gained at each level (HP, PP, Strength, Intelligence, and Reflexes), see the table here.
• Training twice without leaving the screen will not give you the Delayed Gratification Merit Badge; that can only be obtained at the Heroes' Guild.
• Turning in your claws and skulls here will earn a bonus mettle.

References

• In Mesoamerican folklore, a Nagual is a type of shaman. The name of the mystic possibly refers to Carlos Castaneda and his spiritual guide, Don Juan Matus.