Aliases are alternative forms of a reference. They can include actual aliases for characters, nicknames, plural variations, gendered versions of some [Classes], and even typos.
“He is not being paid to hunt the Manticores. Indeed, he might take their hides and parts, but the meat he will leave behind after feeding his army. He offered to settle the matter for free. I hope he will have time to deal with a group of [Pillagers] as well—either way, he gets his attention, I rid myself of the Manticores, and the world’s eye is focused on Belchan for a moment. Did you hear about their…magic-vision network?”
The woman pulled at the thread hanging in the air. And it moved. Glistening red. Entrails, strung across a village. Bodies, unwound. But even this was just—artifice. A copy of a village she had seen long ago, struck by [Pillagers]. Someone had called it evil. Horrific.
“Listen. Do you have a truth stone? Tell me you do. You can use it on me, or a Skill. I don’t care. I’m an [Enforcement Raider]—not a [Pillager]. Not a [Ravager] or the classes you don’t want to see. You lot have been off the list of villages we regularly visit every few months for a while. We…sort of forgot you existed but someone found a map. Now we’re collecting. You’ll see us every six months. If you see someone who tries to rob you before that, it’s not us and we’ll probably have to hunt them down and make an example.”
Criminality? Well, that was such a refined word for them. [Bandits], [Raiders], [Pillagers], and [Rogues], oh my. Most people thought they were just disorganized thugs, and that was true for a lot of them.
“Ice Squirrel. That’s your nickname. Heard you ate food like a damn squirrel. You can call me Omusc. [Pillager]. Exactly the kinda thing you Gold-ranks hate, right?”
Omusc’s arm shot out and punched someone in the stomach. Ceria blinked. She could extend her arms? It wasn’t lightning quick but…the [Pillager] glared around.
The [Bandits] fell over each other laughing. Omusc strode around, swatting at them. She moved very fluidly, and Ceria suspected she wasn’t lying—[Pillager] was an advanced class. When she came back, more than a few were groaning and swearing at her.
Suddenly, Ceria had a thousand questions and she realized she was in a bandit-held city. But still a city. She turned to Omusc and the [Pillager] raised her hands.
What a blunder. The Siren was going to kill her—after Ceria. She saw the half-Elf scratch her head as the [Pillager] whirled to tell Teic to cut the spell. But then she saw something.
