A Technological Displacement

by Tenebris Lucifer

Chapter 1

I open my eyes expecting the usual sight of my bedroom ceiling, but instead I find myself looking at a clear blue sky. I laid there for what seemed to be eternity until eventually the memories of what happened flooded back, but for some reason I didn’t panic. Instead I was calm, too calm but I would ponder that later. Getting up I see I’m in a rocky area, next I looked over myself, I have my steel toed boots on, with my old jeans, a black short sleeve shirt, and my Bleach hoodie. It comforted me seeing my usual outfit but it also brought confusion as I wasn’t wearing any of this before I was knocked out. But I did find something in my pocket, a letter that might help me understand the situation I’m in. I started to read it. “Greeting Mr. Morningstar, I would like to congratulate you upon your successful displacement into the land of Equus, now I’m sure you're very confused so let me get to the point. You participated in an omniversal experiment known as the power lottery challenge. You chose the experimental tier, which has a fatality rate of 70%, as most people are unable to handle the power of it, should they get an omnipower or something of the like but I digress, the powers you rolled are as follows 1. Eldritch being manipulation: this ability allows you to easily form contracts with eldritch beings along with using their powers and knowledge, side effects such as insanity will still affect you, this even extends to slaying them and so on, 2. Intelligence Infinitum: this skill gives you the potential to develop an IQ of infinity though as I said it’s only the potential to so you must train it by learning things, 3. Transcendent science: this ability allows you to make technologies that would allow you to do the impossible, though you will need to increase your intelligence in order for you to use it to its fullest potential. Because you have these powers here’s a word of advice DON’T interfere with our operations as it can and will lead to your death” –The Scientist

This letter answered plenty of my questions but also raised just as many if not more. Such as, “why was I chosen?” And “where the hell am I?” but all these questions wouldn’t help me in the short term. Looking up at the sun I determined that it was about midday and from the colors of the forest below it was sometime in late spring/early summer. Going back to the area I woke up I searched for anything that I may have missed, A backpack or maybe some food. I didn’t but I did find something even more valuable, my machete, my chances of survival increased drastically, attaching it to my belt I started making my way down the Cliff side which in itself was a feat from how steep it was.

After getting down from the cliff I was completely exhausted from the climb down but I needed to find shelter so I forged on into the nearby woods. It was only a couple of hours of walking before I found a suitable place to set up camp, an old tower not unlike the ones depicted in old fairy tales and D&D campaigns. What confused me was why I didn’t see this place from the cliff. Shrugging it off as me simply missing it I knocked on the door and waited, only for no one to answer so I knocked on the door again and again and again, to no avail. So I attempted to open the door and to my surprise it was unlocked but once I did, I could understand why no one answered the door seeing as there was a skeleton pinned to the wall with a rotting spear. This brought up the question of what the dominant species of this planet was as the equine in question did have a cloak and wizards hat on, but that was a question for later as I started climbing up the spiral stairs passing a couple floors one of which looked suspiciously like a ritualistic sacrifice room, but what I found on the top floor was something even better a workshop, possibly for magic as there were cauldrons and beakers everywhere as well as a dusty workbench with tools. Picking one of them up I could tell it was untouched by time perhaps because of the strange symbols engraved into the head and handle. Deciding to study them later I went ahead and put it down and started to explore more of the tower.

The tower was quite impressive so far I have discovered a personal study with plenty of books, what seemed to be an overgrown garden, An exquisite bedroom albeit slightly dusty, and as I suspected a ritual chamber it goes even farther down but I don’t trust the lower floors at least not until I can protect myself. Going back up to the study I take down one of the books and unsurprisingly I can’t read it but flipping through the pages I do come upon something that I can somewhat understand, a pictogram of a magic circle by the looks of it, though I don’t know what it does I do recognize one of the symbols though

It was I sign for eldritch magic, I had recognized it because I had been enamored by the otherworldly for a while, though what the magic did I did not know but I might be able to figure it out after some studying but I was tired from today so I went ahead and headed off to bed because after all there was always tomorrow right?