I am Velian Shamien, Dragonblood Earl of the Principality of Freeland, a general, commander of the Dragonblood Legion, a story-guiding NPC in the large-scale online full-dive game The Ascending Path, and a Paladin class advancement instructor.
My mission is to guide the Chosen Ones, that is, the players, through the game world's lore in versions 1.0 through 1.4, explain what makes the "Chosen" special, encourage them to play amicably, and provide them with a way to advance into a powerful early-game class. Then, in version 4.0, I am to sacrifice myself in the expansion to fight off the Dark Abyss disaster, sounding the first clarion call of the holy war with my life and the lives of tens of thousands of paladins.
But just as I was preparing to begin the story by meeting the first group of players in the woods outside the city, I got logged over.
For no reason I became a new player. My elite NPC profile had turned into a player character sheet, and in the latest version PV on the player community, the Royal Paladin Order's commander had suddenly vanished in a black cloak while on a mission. The villain filter had been cranked up three meters thick, and the passage to the Dark Abyss had opened three major versions ahead of schedule.
I have to find the person in the PV who took over my identity, reclaim it, and fulfill my duties!
"I won't hold you accountable for what you've done. I still have a mission to fulfill. Now, whoever you are, get out of my body."
Theme: Justice and sacrifice
