《Settlement of Safehaven - A Hearthtree Series》 Chapter One - New Beginning* I found myself in a whitewashed room, seated at a table, facing a beautiful giant blonde woman in Viking garb. She had piercing blue eyes, and long braided hair draped over her right shoulder and hung down to her waist. A rune-carved breastplate covered a large-sized chest. In her right hand was a staff carved from a narwhal whale horn. The tip of the staff held a fist-sized diamond. "Welcome to Asgard; I am Frigga, wife of Odin. Your mother and father set up tickets for you and your family onboard the ECS Asgard. Unfortunately, your wife and daughter could not attend. Would you like to have someone fill those pods?" She spoke in a husky Gaelic accent. Waves of pain and despair fell over me at the thought of my wife and daughter''s death by butchers. Hot tears flowed down my face as the loss overwhelmed me. Shaking my head no, I said, "Please donate them to a woman with a child. She would have wanted it that way." I felt failure and despair. Her face softened up as she said, "I can do that. We are sorry for your loss. It will be some time for your body to heal completely, long before we make planetside. In a stasis pod onboard the Earth Colony Ship Asgard, you are heading to a distant star in one of four colony ships. Unfortunately, the specifics are classified, but I assure you it''s a journey of great importance. It will take a hundred or more years to reach there. While in stasis, you will be immersed in a game based upon a randomly generated world. The game will incorporate Viking, Roman, various barbarian clans, and oriental cultures. You can choose to be human, half-elf, dwarf, or fay." At this point, I lost interest in what Frigga was talking about; life without my wife and daughter had little meaning. What I didn''t know was I was in a virtual world. Yes, they told me when I first appeared, but my mind removed itself from the world around me. In my grief, I was more a robot than the AI was. I only nodded or answered yes absentmindedly to everything until I was transported to one of the Imperium towns as a human. I walked out of the town''s gate and traveled several hours until a beast killed me. I reappeared in the courtyard. After that, I died about twenty times until I stopped leaving the spot in the courtyard. Every three days, I died of hunger and thirst. Then I was found by Pkers or Player Killers. I must have died a hundred or more times at that point when a Valkyrie appeared on a six-legged horse. I knew it was a Valkyrie because I remembered that it was strange to see a six-legged horse. One of the Pkers tried to attack her only to disappear in a puff of smoke. Players ran in panic after that. I don''t remember much after that, just that I woke up in a grassy meadow, and I had tried several times to kill myself by leaping off a cliff only to wake up uninjured. Starving or thirst seemed not to be necessary at this place. I ended up sitting day and night for several months, finally coming out of my pain at that point. I found myself back in the white room sitting in front of a being calling herself Frigga, wife of Odin. "We are going to start over as it was my fault for not figuring out the issues you were going through. The information on you when you arrived was nonexistent, and I did not fulfill my obligations to you at that time. I know I should have made sure of who you were and why you were injured. Since that time, I have learned from my mistakes. I had to pull several thousand people out of the game who needed therapy because of lost loved ones. Missing their family member, they left behind or from players mistreating them. So let us start new again," Frigga said. "What is your goal while within the game?" she asked. "Thanks for helping me..." I sighed loudly, "my goal is to build a settlement. A haven for all that want to seek refuge from those that try to hurt others. Somewhere that people can learn to teach others how to live together. I want to be a builder and a craftsman. I don''t see myself as an adventurer, and I never once saw myself as a warrior. Don''t get me wrong. I do want to be able to defend those around me. I will not attack others unless I feel they are a threat to those around me. I want to build a place that my wife and I had talked about. That may not be much of an adventure to some people, but it means the world to me. I don''t want to be a class like a warrior, cleric, or mage. I feel that I am better off as a builder and craftsman. I do want to build a settlement." "First, we need to give you a name. You cannot keep your real full name within the game. So how should we call you?" "I still want to keep my first name, so call me Jack Stonewright," I said. "Welcome! Jack Stonewright. Before you start, I need to know what race you are?" "Dwarves have always fascinated me. Maybe because I am five feet tall, my mother was four-eleven, and my father was five-two. Neither of my parents let that stop them. My mother became a doctor, and my father started as a builder. He then finished school as a structural engineer with a minor in architecture. I grew up reading books or watching movies with dwarves and became obsessed with them as a child. So I would like to be a dwarf," I said. "There are three different types of dwarves: Mountain Dwarves, Steppes Dwarves, and Hill Dwarves." "The Mountain Dwarves are a short, stocky race that builds Great Halls within mountain ranges. They are considered the strongest of the other dwarves, making them expert miners, weaponsmiths, armorers, or fighters. They are more prosperous than all the dwarven races, which makes them very suspicious of others. Sometimes they come across as greedy and arrogant in their personalities. They prefer being underground, which gives them excellent heat vision to see. Still, they have a disadvantage when fighting in bright light. Most of the mountain dwarves have taken on a Bushido-like Code of honor. Their armor and fighting skills are that of the medieval world of Japan with a dwarven twist to it. The mountain dwarves look down upon the other dwarves and are isolationists. They tend to attack first and ask questions later." "The Hill Dwarves are distant cousins of the mountain dwarves. Several tens of thousand years ago, they were part of the lower clans forced out of the mountains by the more powerful clans. In their flight from the mountains, they fled into the hills. Their night-vision is half of that of the mountain dwarves. As the centuries passed, they became more adapted to the sunlight and used less and less of their night vision. The places of choice for the hill dwarves are the hills and ravines. Because of this, they now live both above and below ground. They are the smallest of all the dwarves, on average four feet tall, master craftsmen, and miners. They have taken on the view and culture of China during the Viking and Roman eras. Because of their expulsion from the mountains, the hill dwarves have a hatred of Mountain dwarves that has taken tens of thousand years to ferment. They tend to live in a stone fort or fortified town built at the entrance of their mines. They mostly mine silver, gold, gems, and coal. It was coal that has pulled the hill dwarves out of poverty. Because of the coal, the mountains dwarves and hill dwarves have been fighting for centuries over the territories." "The Steppes Dwarves split off from the hill dwarves long ago when they were still a part of the mountains dwarves. They actively sought out the human race as mates. Over the centuries, they became taller and not as stocky as their distant cousin, who considered them a bastard race. They grew away from living below ground. Because of this, they have lost almost all their heat vision. They can only see with a plus two to perception at night. Steppes dwarves learned to build buildings and fortification for other races and are sought after for their skill. They are considered master artisans and builders. Plus one level to all crafting and building." "I''ll take Steppes Dwarves." My vision blurred as my body shimmered and changed. Looking at myself through piercing gray eyes, I saw myself in a woolen outfit with a hat and a little stockier at five feet tall, with a dark brown trimmed beard that was about six inches in length. I did feel a little bit stronger. "As a dwarf, you have an affinity for Earth Magic, and all earth magic is at half the cost of mana. Air Magic costs double the use of mana, should you ever decide to learn Air Magic because it is the opposite of your Earth Magic. You get the following spells; Detect Minerals, Stone Wall, Dig, and Fling Stone. At each level, you will gain a random spell in one of your elemental affinities," she mentions.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. "Do I need to pick a class? I want to be a Builder to honor my father. I do not want to be tied down to one class." "You already have Earth Mage for free due to your race. You can choose a Builder class. Since your racial ability allows you Earth magic, you can purchase other affinities like fire, water, and air. You have two points to choose from," She said. "I will take Builder and Mage, with the affinity to fire and my racial earth magic," I said. "As a Builder, you can build the following blueprints: hovels, simple fortification walls, small towers, simple buildings, warehouses, town halls, and simple fortifications. You can cast Flare, Burning Shield, Ring of Fire, and Detect Heat as a Fire Mage. So what weapon do you wish to use?" "I have never been good with swords. An ax would be nice, but I''m better at cutting wood than hacking people. A Light Hammer would do. I figure it is more my style until I find something else I am better at." "Welcome to Asgard." , seated at a table, facing a beautiful giant blond woman in Viking garb. She had piercing blue eyes, and long braided hair draped over her right shoulder and hung down to her waist. A rune-carved breastplate covered a large-sized chest. In her right hand was a staff carved from a narwhal whale horn. The tip of the staff held a fist-sized diamond. "Welcome to Asgard; I am Frigga, wife of Odin. Your mother and father set up tickets for you and your family onboard the ECS Asgard. Unfortunately, your wife and daughter could not attend. Would you like to have someone fill those pods?" She spoke in a husky Gaelic accent. Waves of pain and despair fell over me at the thought of my wife and daughter''s death by butchers. Hot tears flowed down my face as the loss overwhelmed me. Shaking my head no, I said, "Please donate them to a woman with a child. She would have wanted it that way." I felt failure and despair. Her face softened up as she said, "I can do that. We are sorry for your loss. It will be some time for your body to heal completely, long before we make planetside. In a stasis pod onboard the Earth Colony Ship Asgard, you are heading to a distant star in one of four colony ships. I can not tell you where, but I know it will take a hundred or more years to reach there. While in stasis, you will be immersed in a game based upon a randomly generated world. The game will be using Viking, Roman, various barbarian clans, and oriental culture. You can be human, half-elf, dwarf, or fay." At this point, I lost interest in what the AI was talking about; life without my wife and daughter had little meaning. What I didn''t know was I was in a virtual world. Yes, they told me when I first appeared, but my mind removed itself from the world around me. In my grief, I was more a robot than the AI was. I only nodded or answered yes absentmindedly to everything I said until I was transported to one of the Imperium towns as a human. I walked out of the town''s gate and traveled several hours until a beast killed me. I reappeared in the courtyard. After that, I died about twenty times until I stopped leaving the spot in the courtyard. Every three days, I died of hunger and thirst. Then I was found by Pker or Player Killers. I must have died a hundred or more times at that point when a Valkyrie appears on a six-legged horse. I knew it was a Valkyrie because I remember that it was strange to see a six-legged horse. One of the Pkers tries to attack her only to disappear in a puff of smoke. Players ran in panic after that. I don''t remember much after that, just that I woke up in a grassy meadow, and I had tried several times to kill myself by leaping off a cliff only to wake up uninjured. Starving or thirst seemed not to be necessary at this place. I ended up sitting day and night for several months, finally coming out of my pain at that point. I found myself back in the white room sitting in front with a being calling herself Frigga, wife of Odin. "We are going to start over as it was my fault for not figuring out the issues you were going through. The information on you when you arrived was nonexistent, and I did not fulfill my obligations to you at that time. I know I should have made sure of who you were and why you were injured. Since that time, I have learned from my mistakes. I had to pull several thousand people out of the game who needed therapy because of lost loved ones. Missing their family member, they left behind or from players mistreating them. So let us start new again." Frigga said. "What is your goal while within the game?" she asked. "Thanks for helping me..." I sighed loudly, "my goal is to build a settlement. A haven for all that want to seek refuge from those that try to hurt others. Somewhere that people can learn to teach others how to live together. I want to be a builder and a craftsman. I don''t see myself as an adventurer, and I never once saw myself as a warrior. Don''t get me wrong. I do want to be able to defend those around me. I will not attack others unless I feel they are a threat to those around me. I want to build a place that my wife and I had talked about. That may not be much of an adventure to some people, but it means the world to me. I don''t want to be a class like a warrior, cleric, or mage. I feel that I am better off as a builder and craftsman. I do want to build a settlement." "First, we need to give you a name. You can not keep your real full name within the game. So how should we call you?" "I still want to keep my first name, so call me Jack Stonewright," I said. "Welcome! Jack Stonewright. Before you start, I need to know what race you are?" "Dwarves have always fascinated me. Maybe because I am five feet tall, my mother was four-eleven, and my father was five-two. Neither of my parents let that stop them. My mother became a doctor, and my father started as a builder. He then finished school as a structural engineer with a minor in architecture. I grew up reading books or watching movies with dwarves and became obsessed with them as a child. So I would like to be a dwarf." I said. "There are three different types of dwarves. Mountain Dwarves, Steppes Dwarves, and Hill Dwarves." "The Mountain Dwarves are a short, stocky race that builds Great Halls within mountain ranges. They are considered the strongest of the other dwarves, making them expert miners, weapons-smiths, armor-smiths, or fighters. They are more prosperous of all the dwarven races, which makes them very suspicious of others. Sometimes they come across as greedy and arrogant in their personalities. They prefer being underground, which gives them excellent heat vision to see. Still, they have a disadvantage when fighting in bright light. Most of the mountain dwarves have taken on a Bushido-like Code of honor. Their armor and fighting skills are that of the medieval world of Japan with a dwarven twist to it. The mountain dwarves look down upon the other dwarves and are isolationists. They tend to attack first and ask questions later." "The Hill Dwarves are distant cousins of the mountain dwarves. Several tens of thousand years ago, they were part of the lower clans forced out of the mountains by the more powerful clans. In their flight from the mountains, they fled into the hills. Their night-vision is half of that of the mountain dwarves. As the centuries passed, they became more adapted to the sunlight and used less and less of their night vision. The places of choice for the hill dwarves are the hills and ravines. Because of this, they now live both above and below ground. They are the smallest of all the dwarves, on average four feet tall, master craftsmen and miners. They have taken on the view and culture of China during the Viking and Roman eras. Because of their expulsion from the mountains, the hill dwarves have a hatred of Mountain dwarves that has taken tens of thousand years to ferment. They tend to live in a stone fort or fortified town built at the entrance of their mines. They mostly mine silver, gold, gems, and coal. It was coal that has pulled the hill dwarves out of poverty. Because of the coal, the mountains dwarves and hill dwarves have been fighting for centuries over the territories." "The Steppes Dwarves spit off from the hill dwarves long ago when they were still a part of the mountains dwarves. They actively sought out the humans'' race as mates. Over the centuries, they became taller and not as stocky as their distant cousin, who considered them a bastard race. They grew away from living below ground. Because of this, they have lost almost all their heat vision. They can only see with a plus two to perception at night. Steppes dwarves learned to build buildings and fortification for other races and are sought after for their skill. They are considered master artisans and builders. Plus one level to all crafting and building." "I''ll take Steppes Dwarves." My vision blurred as my body shimmered and changed. Looking at myself through piercing gray eyes. I saw myself in a woolen outfit with a hat and a little stockier at five feet tall, with a dark brown trimmed beard that was about six inches in length. I did feel a little bit stronger. "As a dwarf, you have an affinity to Earth Magic, and all earth magic is at half the cost of mana. Air Magic is double the use of mana, should you ever decide to learn Air Magic, because it is the opposite to your Earth Magic. You get the following spells; Detect Minerals, Stone Wall, Dig, and Fling Stone. At each level, you will gain a random spell in one of your elemental affinities," she mentions. "Do I need to pick a class? I want to be a Builder to honor my father. I do not want to be tied down to one class." "You already have Earth Mage for free due to your race. You can choose a Builder class. Since your racial ability allows you Earth magic, you can purchase other affinities like fire, water, and air. You have two points to choose from." She said. "I will take Builder and Mage, with the affinity to fire and my racial earth magic," I said. "As a Builder, you can build the following blueprint: hovels, simple fortification walls, small towers, simple buildings, warehouses, town halls, and simple fortifications. You can cast Flare, Burning Shield, Ring of Fire, and Detect Heat as a Fire Mage. So what weapon do you wish to use?" "I have never been good with swords. An ax would be nice, but I''m better at cutting wood than hacking people. Light Hammer would do. I figure it is more my style until I find something else I am better at." "Welcome to Asgard." Chapter Two - To Kill a Rat* A soft, cool breeze flowed across my face as I listened to sounds of seagulls crying overhead on this cold morning. I could hear cascading water on both sides of me in the distance. They were almost drowned out by the ocean wave that was slamming into the rocky beach below me. I smiled as the first rays of the sun warmed my skin. My eyes opened as I stared up into the bright morning sky through the canopy of a large strange tree behind me. Sitting up and looking around toward the south, I saw what looked like a vast sea with multitudes of forest islets dotting the water. Beyond that, on the other side of the cove were more cliffs that faded into the mist to the south. The forest and hills wrapped around to the west, melting into a massive range of snow covered mountains. The mountains to the west flowed to the north, then to the east as far as I could see. From the snow-covered mountains to the north by northeast was the rolling Steppes. Dotted among the steppes were large stone boulders, stretching out to the east and south to the sea. Dusting myself off, I stood up, taking in my surroundings. I looked over the large tree with fall-like color leaves. Surrounding the tree were crumbling remains of a small settlement. I counted fourteen foundations in all. It seemed like the place had been burn down decades ago. I brought my attention back to the large tree. If not for the large multi-color leaves, I would believe it to be an oak tree. The forest trees to the west, just across the creek, were budding out new leaves. So it was not Fall, and the nip in the air felt more like spring than fall. Stepping up to the tree, I put my hand against the tree''s trunk. I got a prompt.
Congratulations you found a Hearthtree. A Hearthtree this is a cornerstone of a settlement much like a Hearthstone. A Hearthtree or Hearthstone can be a binding location for a player. You have received experience.
Do you wish to bind?
¡°Yes.¡± I felt a warm, pleasant glow spreading from my stomach to the rest of my body. A feeling of belonging flowed over me. Congratulations you have been bound to this location! I heard a woman¡¯s voice from the tree, ¡°Welcome to Fangor or what was Fangor before the Orcs wiped it out.¡± Jumping back looking around the tree I said, ¡°Who''s there?¡± A tinkling of laughter filled my mind, ¡°Silly mortal! I am the Hearthtree, and you may call me Mesa-la. And this was once a level two settlement.¡± Sounding sad, she continued, ¡°Now it¡¯s just rubble. Are you a builder?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I replied, stunned by the fact name of the tree was the same as my deceased daughter. ¡°Hmm, you are a dwarf.¡± ¡°Steppe Dwarf,¡± I responded crisply. ¡°So you are, and rude, too.¡± The tree swayed a little, ¡°If you wish to claim the Hearthtree, you need to prove that you are worthy of me. Build three hovels. Kill the previous settlers that are the walking dead, called Draugr. They walk this place at night. Kill the Root Orms that have been eating my roots,¡± Mesa-la said. Four quest prompt appeared before me.
Biting My Roots Kill 10 Root Orm. Ten ratlike creatures are digging and eating Mesa-la roots causing her harm. Reward: Experience, ten silver, and a reward. Build Three Hovels Build three hovels to protect you and others from the weather and hostiles creatures. Part one of the requirements for claiming this settlement. Reward: Experience, ten silver, and a reward. Build a Shelter Build a place to live to protect you from the elements and other nasty things. Reward: Experience, ten silver, and a reward. Put the Previous Inhabitants to Rest Collect 30 ash fill urns from Draugr. Reward: Experience, ten silver, and a reward.
"Before I accept, why do you have my daughter''s name?" I demanded. "A woman smaller than you healed me as I lay broken after the orc raid. She called me Mesa-la and told me that I should wear the name of her granddaughter with pride." "My mother is alive here?" I ask shocked. Are you Jack Grayston? Mesa-la asked. "Yes," I said weakly. ¡°She is alive but not able to be in the game at this moment. I have a message for you. After I tell you, I ask you to look over the quest and ask no more of your mother from me, please," she said. A prompt screen appears.
Jack, my son I am safe but severely injured. I heard about your problems and have asked the AIs of the ship to put you here. Follow your dreams and keep Mesa-la safe. I will need to go into a deep sleep until they heal me enough to come here. Be safe and do not ask about me. Mesa-la will forget everything that has transpired. Do not ask about me. I will come to you. Be safe my son, love you always.
The screen faded away as I digested the fact that my mother was here and healing. It would take a while to accept the fact that my mother wanted me to protect a tree that was a representation of my daughter. "Jack, do you wish to accept the quests," Mesa-la said. Numbly, I looked over all the quests, ¡°Why would I want to build here? You just told me that this settlement was destroyed by orcs, so as far as I know, this could be a bad spot to build.¡± ¡°Well, there are mines north and east of here. A forest to the west and two creeks that run deep on both sides of you as they flow into the sea. Which, by the way, have some of the best fishing. Let me see, just south of you is the deepest area for thirty leagues in all directions. Merchant ships can make port safely in this islet cove, which also makes this area a safe harbor during storms. It is why there was a settlement here. To the southeast is a sea marsh with lots of ingredients for alchemy, but a nasty place with the marsh gases, hot springs, and monsters.¡± ¡°Oh, and watch out for the lizardmen. There are several clans there that fight amongst themselves and against other races.¡± She paused, as if in thought, ¡°you are about a hundred leagues* by road from at least two small kingdoms. One kingdom is to the northeast, and another kingdom is to your southwest on the other side of the Stonespike Pass in the Stone Mountains, where the once great Stonespike Dwarven clan lived. Most of them today are just surviving, warring with each other and against the trolls.¡± I paused for a moment before saying, ¡°I accept all four quests.¡± Wiping tears from my eyes, I happened to spot a rat-like creature scurrying around a foundation a few yards away. Not seeing any weapon near at hand, I decided to check my inventory. Sure enough, there were my armor and weapon.
Inventory Armor Defense weight Durability Damage Equipped
Backpack 20 slots 0 5 lbs equipped
Breastplate leather 5 3 lbs. 10/10 equipped
Pants 3 2 lbs 10/10 equipped
Gloves 2 1 lb 10/10 equipped
Boots 2 2 lbs 10/10 equipped
Belt 2 slot 1 2 lbs 10/10 equipped
Light Hammer Blunt MIGHT 10 5 lbs 10/10 5 equipped
Dagger Blunt/Piercing MIGHT 5 10/10 2/4 equipped
x5 healing potion (10 points) Backpack
Chopping ax +1 to woodcraft, MIGHT 5 10/10 2 equipped
Camping kit: tent, blanket, flint, pot, skillet backpack
Lantern backpack
Ten jars oil (stackable) backpack
Wineskins equipped
Wood saw +1 woodcraft backpack
x20 rations backpack
Rope 20 feet backpack
Lifting the hammer, I gauged the weight in my hand. I liked the feel of the balance to the weapon. I maybe I would have to find a spear if bashing the vermin over the head was not my style. Squinting my eyes, I tried to get a better look at the Root Orm.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Congratulations! You have acquired the skill, Inspect. INSPECT: this skill is used to check an item, creature, or player stats ¡ª the higher the skill, the more detailed the information.
Root Orm Level one Hit point. 10 Root Orm is a rat-like creature that burrows into the ground around trees, bushes, and gardens. Root Orms tend to destroy all plant life. If the root orm is left alone without recourse, they can multiply and wipe out large areas of land.
Lifting my right hand and pointing at the root orm, I chanted, ¡°Incandescent!¡± A bolt of flame shot from my hand and struck the root orm for five points. My mana also drops five points as it squealed and ran towards me. Swinging the hammer, I slammed it into the ground as I missed. The root orm bit my right leg, causing three points of damage after the defenses. I slammed the hammer down on the rodent head with a critical strike, causing it eight points of damage.
You have killed a Root Orm! 1/10.
Great. No experiences points for that. I leaned down and touched the root orm to loot the meat and a tail. One down, nine more to go. I carefully crouched down and moved to another foundation so as not to spook any root orms. Peering over the foundation, I spotted another root orm nearby and fired another flare, and received three prompts.
You have killed a Root Orm! 2/10. You have acquired a skill point in Stealth! You have acquired a skill point in Backstab!
I was feeling pretty good with myself. It was noon when I finally got the last root orm. It had taken me about an hour to find it and then it was digging at the roots of the Hearthtree. It also left me with three health points and two mana points when I finished the quest.
Quest completed 10/10 Root Orms killed!
Walking up to the tree, I said, ¡°Done with the quest on the Root Orms. Is there a reason why I did not receive any experience for killing the Root Orms?¡± ¡°Thank you! I was getting worried with them eating my roots.¡± Mesa-la said. Ten silver coins pushed to the surface of the soil in front of the tree. ¡°Creatures killed for a quest does not produce experience since there is already a quest reward for killing them. You get the experience when you turn in the quest. You also receive experience for first kills of creatures. The game system rewards for people questing not for grinding. Does that answer your question?¡± I nodded, ¡°Yes it does.¡± ¡°I have three items you can choose from; a copper dagger, a copper shovel with no handle, or a copper pot,¡± she said. Oh great! Another pot would be nice, but I already had one in the camping gear. Don''t need a dagger right now, ¡°I will take the shovel,¡± I said, thinking it will help me with some digging once I had a handle made.
ABroken Bronze Shovel Durability 1/20. You have received experience.
¡°If you get a handle on that shovel I have a quest for you,¡± Mesa-la said. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know when I get a handle put on.¡± Looking up, I saw it was about noon, ¡°I think I will start my shelter.¡± I walked over to a twenty by twenty square foot stone foundation to the south of the tree, about fifty feet away. I could see that the stones were not all above the ground. Getting on my knees, I began to clean off the top of the rock. I could see that the foundation wall was three feet wide. I sat back to take a better look at it as I realized what it was. ¡°Oh! They were going to put a tower here!¡± I walked around to the west of the tower foundation. Searching around for a few minutes, I found that the foundation was a ten by twenty square foot foundation of a building. "Okay, need to see if the Stonewall spell is an all or nothing spell.¡± At that point, a prompt about the stone wall appeared.
Stone Wall This spell can produce a ten foot by ten foot by one cubit foot wall for ten mana, or one cubic foot of stone can be created for one mana point. The wall can increase in thickness equal to the caster''s level in cubit feet which raises the Defense and Health of the wall. Per cubic foot Defense: 1 point + level (2) Health: 2 x level (2) Note: A level three spellcaster can cast a three-foot-thick wall for a Defense of one plus the level of three times the thickness of the three feet of wall for a total Defense of twelve and the Health is two times the caster level of three, times the width of a wall of three feet equals eighteen Health. So a three-foot-thick wall is twelve defense and eighteen health.
I concentrated on casting a spell producing one cubic foot of stone on top of the foundation. ¡°Maceria Lapidum Destructa.¡± One cubic foot of stone appeared while using only one point of mana. I was happy enough to do a fist pump and recast the spell again, placing the next stone against the first. I reached down and checked both stones and saw that there was a two by one cubit feet of stone now. Instead of two separate stone, the spell merged the stones! It also seemed to have fused the stone to the foundation stone. ¡°Yes! Now I can build a doorway and windows opening." I did another fist pump. I noticed it seemed that it cost more to do this block by block than doing a solid wall. But first I needed the first floor of the building with no openings to keep out any aggressive monster. I had to stop to rest every ten minutes for meditation to rebuild my mana pool. It took almost til sunset to finish the last wall. The building was ten feet by twenty feet by ten-foot-tall. I draped a twenty-foot rope over the top and melded the middle of the rope to a piece of stone at the top to secure it in place. I climbed back down the rope and started throwing dead limbs and bushes inside the building. I pulled up the rope and draped it over the top to keep anyone from climbing up. I just sat there, watching a beautiful sunset to the west before dropping down inside the building. Ten minutes later, I had a small fire going in the corner to take the chill out of the spring air. I spent another thirty minutes chopping up the branches into a nice stackable pile. Glancing up and seeing the stars above, I pulled out the blanket and laid it in the corner. Next, I put the skillet on some coals and toss two root orm meat on to cook them.
You acquire the skill Cooking. You can now cook without burning water! Fried root orm steak + 1 DEFTNESS, +1 FORTITUDE.
It took me a bit to make myself want to bite into the tender meat. Surprise by the taste as it seems to melt into my mouth, I realized it had been a long time since I had tasted of meat since it was ration on earth. Sitting back against the wall and sipping water from the waterskin, I enjoyed the fire and watched the embers rise out of the room. I jumped up in surprise upon hearing a creaking noise and a scraping of metal against the wall behind me. I reached for my Hammer and slowly stood up, listening to the sound of metal scraping as it moved around the building. The noise finally quit after a few moments. I put the Hammer back into its holder at my belt and started climbing the rope. Looking over the top, I saw several skeletons walking around aimlessly. Two of them carried bows, and another one walked with a bronze short sword and shield. Sliding back down and sitting against the wall, I muttered, ¡°thirty draugrs.¡± ¡°Need to figure out how to kill thirty draugrs without killing myself.¡± Looking at the west wall, I saw a faint light along the top edge of the wall. I quietly climbed up the rope, looking toward the east. A large moon three times the size of earth''s moon had risen. I saw more skeletons walking around before I lowered myself back down to sleep. *A League is an Ancient Roman mile of 7500 feet or 1.4 miles. Chapter Three - Cover My Roots After a restless night, I woke up to the noisy squawking of the seagulls and feeling the cold chile that told me the campfire went out sometime before morning. I sat shivering while eating some ration and wash it down with cold water. Dusting myself off and started climbing the rope pausing at the top to look around at the land around me and not seeing any draugr. I let the warmth of the sun on my face before turning to stare at the mountain range to the north; it peaks cover in snow. Shivering a little more from the cold air, I climb over the wall. ¡°Okay need to thicken the walls,¡± rubbing my hands to get warm. It took most of the morning to make the walls two feet thick. Taking the ax and headed down to the stream to the west where there was a grove of small trees on this side of the stream. Cutting down four trees, cutting them into twelve feet long logs. After that, I began cutting up the limbs into firewood. After that finding some vines about twenty feet worth of them. I drag everything up to the building. Seeing about how I had an hour before sunset I pull out the skillet head down to the creek to wash it. While filling my waterskin, I was checking out the stream. It is about thirty feet across at the closest point and looking to be about ten or more feet deep in the center. The water is moving briskly down to the sea about three hundred feet away. Several different types of fish jump in the water nearby I spotted some movement at the seashore edge glancing up at the sun to see that I had a few minutes until sunset. ¡°I will have to check that tomorrow.¡± Heading back up making sure the logs were stack safely off to one side before climbing back up to the top. Cooking up more rats meat to eat I can hear the draugrs moving about. Hunkering down for the night I fell to a fitful nightmarish sleep of my family being kill and waking up with one eye to the morning light and the singing songbirds. Don''t get me started on the seagulls! I set to work on the third band of stone around the building to make it stronger. About noon I decided to take a break and headed drown to the sea to explore. About a hundred feet from the sea I spied several large crab-like creatures moving in the water. Each of the cray-like animalsis about two feet across. I watch two of them fight over a fish that one of them caught. The battle between the two was one-sided with the largerof the two is stronger. After a few minutes, the younger one lost and was forced to flee with some minor damage to its shell. Backing up slowly and headed back to the hovel. While the Sea Crab ate its prizes. ¡°Need a bigger range weapon or several range weapons. Don''t think fling stone or flare will do much, maybe flare, but still not needing crab meat yet.¡± shaking my head. Finishing up the now three feet thick wall, I decide I need an outhouse. Shitting on the ground was okay for the first day, but I need a toilet. Using the spell dig, I created a hole five by five by five feet deciding not to make anything fancy right now. I cover the pit with one foot thick stone that overlaps the pit to each side by two feet. I place a one-foot square hole in the center. The simple four foot wide walls that were six feet high with a stone roof were finished in three hours. Finishing up with a stone seat, which I was ready to use it when I got done. While seating there, I realize that I was going to have to make a door later. After that, I proceeded in taking the bark off the four logs, before heading to the creek to fill the water skin. Cutting a few more trees down I notice upstream that there was a five-foot-high waterfall. Glancing at my building and looking upstream an idea for piping the water to the building form in my head. Pulling the logs, I cut up to the hovel. I was all finish by sunset with two ladders made by notching the wood and binding the steps.
Congratulations! You have made a ladder now you can climb to new heights!
Rolling my eyes as I lean one against the wall of the hovel. Climbing up one of the ladders and pull the other one into the room below. Climbing over on to other ladder and try to pull the other ladder up when hideous laughter chilled me. Standing on the bottom rung was a draugr trying to climb up with a dagger clinch between his teeth. Panicking and almost forgetting I had magic, I cast the spell Flare. ¡°Incandescent!¡± Hitting the draugr making it fall back while ten points of damage. Grabbing the ladder and pulling it up quickly to keep the draugr from climbing up. The draugr leap forward trying to grabthe rung of the ladder only to crash into the wall. Feeling something sharp hitting my left arm I fell back in surprise and slid down the ladder and hit the floor. The sound of more laughter erupted around the building as I black out. That morning I awoke to a sharp pain in my left arm made me wince from feeling an arrow shaft sticking out of my left bicep. Grabbing the ax and sliding up against the wall using the ax to cut off the part of the shaft. Pulling the arrow out nearly made me pass out from the pain, meditating a few minutes to let the wound heal up in a few minutes. ¡°Damn that hurt,¡± growling.
You hit a draugr Guard for ten points of flare. A draugr Archer hits you with an arrow for eight points of damage. Miss Dexterity Check. Four points of falling damage. Constitution Check fail. Fall unconscious.
¡°Okay, that sucks I need armor, range, and levels. First I need to get this place fixed up so I can defend it, and need to level or I can¡¯t raise my skills above a two! Relax the undead can¡¯t get you here." Fixing the shovel and get another quest and level then work on the second floor.¡± After spending an hour building a handle to the shovel.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. You gain the crafting skill Repair, Bronze Shovel Durability 18/20 ¡°That should help,¡± grinning walking over to the tree, ¡°Mesa-la got the shovel fix!¡± I yelled. ¡°Wonderful, I need my roots cover can you do that?¡± She asked.
QUEST: Cover my roots. Mesa-la request that you cover all her roots with a good layer of dirt. If you do a good job, she may reward you more than ten silver plus 100 Experience. Do you Accept? Yes/no?
¡°Yes.¡± Signing deeply, as I was walking around the tree he asks, ¡°how far out do your roots go?¡± ¡°Hmm, about forty feet from the center.¡± one her branches bent to show where the line was sending chills down my back. One thing to see wind moving a tree branch another to know the tree was moving it. Taking one of the rope and measure out twenty feet and doubling it. I was able to mark off a square around the hearth tree to form my square for the settlement. Using the shovel, I dug a trench around the tree a foot deep and wide. Throwing the dirt toward the tree because my Dig spell makes the dirt disappear. After I finished, I cast a stone into the trench, to build a three feet wall that went a foot down into the ditch ¡ª finishing with enough time to get my water skin filled. Looking around before climbing back into the hovel for the night everything look to be in order. Checking my stores I see I am running low on meat. What more I had to toss over the wall two of the rat meats that spoiled, guess it time to hunt food tomorrow. The next morning I decided to use the Dig spell. Spending most of that morning to dig a five-foot deep ten-foot wide trench around the tree. Spending the six hours to use the dirt to fill up the small two-foot high wall around the tree. It has taken me the rest of the next two days to create a ten-foot wide road around the raised bed of the Hearth Tree. After I was done I realize the road need to be wider, slapping my forehead, ¡°Stupid!¡± So I widen it another ten feet and fill it with stone. Three days later I had it all done. The next morning I looked over the area around the Hearth Tree and smile at the center of my future settlement. I was walking up to the Hearth Tree with a satisfying smile on my face, I said. ¡°All done Mesa-la!¡± Hearing a squeal of childlike joy, ¡°I love it!¡± The tree limb shaking in joy, ¡°here¡¯s your silver, do you want a bronze dagger, copper pot, or a tunic?¡±
Congratulations! Quest completed. You gain experience.
Arching his eyebrows, ¡°tunic!¡± Excited to get maybe armor, watching ten silver appear in the dirt, and a green tunic appear. Picking up the tunic I inspected it.
Tunic of the Hearth Set of 1 of 6 Scale-able Armor Defense 10 Durability 100/100 MIGHT + 3 DEFTNESS + 2 Mana +10 Bonuses when wearing more than one item in the set.
Bug-eyed he put it on, ¡±wow this is nice is there a set?¡± He asked. ¡°Yes, only when you complete more quests.¡± She said. ¡°Speaking of a quest I need you to clear out some wolves that have move into the area between here and the old road. While you are doing that please thin out the rabbits'' population that has draw the wolves in the area
Quest: Howling in the night. Kill ten wolves that have moved into the area, before you become their prey. Reward 10 silver and experience. Do you Accept? Yes/no?
Quest: Rabbits everywhere! Kill 20 rabbits to thin out the rabbits to keep predators from moving into the area in the future ¡ª Reward ten silver and experience. Do you Accept? Yes/No?
¡°Yes to both, lots of rabbits.¡± With a sigh, time to kill some stuff. Walking to the north of the tree passing more the old foundations. Finding some of the rabbits after inspecting one.
Northern slope rabbit Level one Health 12/12
Using a Flare for ten points of damage than a hit with the hammer. With a few misses, each one of the rabbits drops two rabbit meat, a fur pelt and a rabbit foot (Charm +1 to luck). I ended up meditating after every second kill. It was after the sixth rabbit that I killed when I encounter my first wolf
Grey wolf Level two Health 20/20
I spotted it as I was meditating as it ran straight at me. I had no chance of rolling out of the way, so I cast Flare hitting it for 10 points, as it slams into me biting into my raise arm. Taking thirteen points of damage. Cussing over the pain I barely was able to cast Flare. Hitting the chest of the wolf for another ten points of damage. Knocking the wolf off my arm causing another three points of damage me. Checking my health quickly as another prompt appear. Saying A Grey Wolf has died. Seeing that I had nine health left. Looking around for any more wolves as I lean over and touch the body of the wolf. Receiving an average wolf pelt and two wolf meat. Stuffing it all into my backpack while heading back to my home. Sitting next to the ladder to meditate, a while later my health and mana was back to full. Checking the sun seeing it has about a couple of more hours before sunset. Seeing storm clouds to the south, I got up and climb the ladder and started casting stone to create a roof. Adding six square feet trapdoor pulling up the ladder before climbing down for the night.
Fried Wolf Steaks +3 MIGHT, +3 DEFTNESS.
Chapter Four - Grey Wolves It rains sometime in the night with just enough to dampen everything. It took me until to noon to kill the rest of the rabbits and then by mid-afternoon to kill two more Grey wolves. After filling up my waterskin I turn in the quest for the rabbit, earning a bit more experience and ten more silver. Waving bye to the Mesa-la and heading back to my hovel to begin to add a second floor by adding a wall to the west and north with a four foot high by a two-foot wide window in the middle of both walls. Dropping down below when I got done and cooked up the rest of the meats.
Fried rabbit + 2 DEFTNESS
It has been two weeks since I arrived here and I still not explore much, but I need a safe base before I can look around. My level is still at Level one; I need to level up. So instead of leveling, I climb up to finish the south wall of the hovel. Adding a window opening and put a doorway in the east wall. Afterward putting a stone roof with a trapdoor on the northwest side. Grabbing more water at the stream. I climbed back up and waited for sunset. A half hour after sunset the large moon rose as I watched as a draugrs rise out of their destroyed homes.
Draugrs Guard Level Four Health 40/40 Bronze Shortsword Bronze Buckler
With my dwarven night vision and the moon''s light, I didn''t see anything nearby. I at least hope it was far away from the others draugr as I cast the spell Flare both times hitting it. Dropping its health in half. The creatures screamed and started attacking the building below the west window. Still, no other draugrs came. Meditating in the corner for twelve minutes. I stood up and looked down out of the window at the draugr as it hammering at the wall. I calmly cast the spell Flare for two more times as the draugr collapse to the ground. ¡°Twenty-nine more!¡± Tired from casting I climb down below and saw a hole the size of my fist in the wall. Casting stone at the hole in the wall it patches itself. ¡°Great need to fix the wall outside tomorrow.¡± Throwing up my hands in frustration. The next morning was foggy, the mist swirl in the light sea breeze. Looking below I see the dead undead or undead dead. Shaking my head, ¡°wow I been alone too long.¡± speaking aloud. Climbing down and checking the pile of bones and finding.
Bronze short sword Durability 2/20 Slash 5 Damage.
Bronze buckler Durability 6/20 Bash skill +1
Three silver coins Burial urn, ashes x 1
Looking over the Burial Urn, I see inscribed on the side of the urn.
Hashar York, warrior second level, Travel to Fangor to start a new life and to court the Mayor''s daughter. Died during the third assault on Fangor...
Quest: Bury the dead Find or build a cemetery to bury the dead to keep them from rising. You have 30 days to bury the urn in holy ground. Experience per urn buried.
¡°Wow, okay that interesting now I need to build a cemetery. Great!¡± shaking my head. After looting everything, the bones fade away. Looking up at the wall seeing the damage the draugr did to the building. I end up spending an hour of chipping away some stone and recasting the spell Stone on the wall repairing it. Hearing moaning I shot back up the ladder. A few minutes later I see another Draugr moving in the fog. An hour after that the fog disperses to the morning sun. I thought about adding the third floor with four feet high battlement. But decided I need to build the tower later. From my position on top of the second floor, I can see to the north a dirt road. It runs east and west crossing both streams where the water can be forded. The road goes on into the forest to the west and disappear. To the east, the road disappears in the high grass of the steppe. Looking northward at the snow-capped mountains and shivering at the thought of the cold spring mountain air. I turn to look at the sea noticing far off to the southeast a smug of smoke, that wasn¡¯t there the last few days. ¡°Guess maybe a tower might be on the list of things to build.¡± grimacing at the smoke, dropping down to the bottom of the hovel. Still knowing I need to complete the roof of the hovel. ¡°Time to build a tower, "I said as I walk over to the foundation of the tower that I found when I showed up. I walked around staring at the twenty by twenty-foot room with a five-foot thick wall. Using my dig spell I spent rest of the morning clearing out the dirt. One thing I did find out about my Dig spell was it would not dig out rock or metal those I had to carry out myself manually. I finally hit the bottom of the tower twenty feet down. The floor was all stone, but at the ten-foot mark, I found a one-foot ledge around the wall. I figure it was where the wood beams would sit. While I was down there, I went ahead and built a three by three by four-foot high cistern in one corner to hold water. Took the rest of the day hauling water in the copper pot and water skin to fill it up. That night it took an hour using Flare to kill a draugr archer, getting shot by two arrows was not fun. Meditating and then turning in for the night. The next morning the smoke moved more east than it was yesterday, hoping whoever it was would leave the area. Someone would think I was anti-social, but that smoke could be hostile creatures. The fact they are making smoke to let others see how confident they are of not being attacked or stupid. So I went back to killing wolves using Flare to hit them and missing the wolves about a third of the time only to fall back on using the hammer. In one case I was forced to use the dagger when the hammer got knock out of my hands. It was while I was finishing looting the sixth wolves for a total of six average wolf skin, twelve meat, and five silver, that was when two wolves jumped me and died.
You have died! You will re-spawn at your bind point with no penalty until you reach the fifth level.
I found myself staring up at the Hearth Tree canopy. ¡°Damn! That hurt!¡± groaning as I sat up checking myself to see if everything is still there and feel relieved. Getting bit in the crotch was something I don''t want to repeat. Checking the time I see I lost twenty-four hours due to the numbers of deaths over the last year.
Grey Wolves kill 7/10
Checking the sun seeing I have two hours left I decide to work on my weapons. I was able to sharpen and polish the dagger bring it from 5/10 on durability to 9/10. The hammer I was able to repair the handle but need a smithy skill and a blacksmith shop. ¡°Mesa-la was there a blacksmith shop here?¡± Looking around. ¡°It is the third building foundation to the east of my tree near the stream,¡± she said. Heading over that way I see a pile of stone and gravel with some brush, ¡°okay need to clear that pile, one the of things on the list to do.¡± Walking back to the hovel to get the ax and cut some several trees down by the creeks. After cutting up some of the branches for firewood, I headed back to the hovel to add to my growing hill of firewood. While I was standing at the woodpilelooking over the almost done two story hovel. ¡°I need a door, some steps and a roof then the hovel will be done. Guess I will have to kill the rest of wolves tomorrow and cut some more logs to start on the tower floors and the one below. Splitting a few logs to make boards for the door and a mini drawbridge. Hoping the drawbridge, I could lower over to a raised platform with steps. To get into and out of the hovel without climbing a latter. ¡°Let¡¯s see about another draugr tonight.¡± After cooking up the wolf meat, I did inventory and seeing that I have about a week worth of food. As long as the cooked food stays in my bag, it doesn¡¯t spoil on me. Leave it out then it does. Well, you got to love game mechanics. Surprise that they don¡¯t make your skin and gut everything. Then if it did, I would have enough meat to last a month just on the wolf if it didn¡¯t spoil first. Laughing while shaking my head thinking that half the people playing would starve if they had to butcher their meat. After sunset, I climbed back up to the second floor and spotted another draugr. It was about twenty feet to the north casting a flare hitting it in the chest, knocking it on its butt. It staggers as it stood up and ran toward the tower having no weapons in its hands. I wasn''t too worried about fixing the walls again. Casting another flare and missed. I sat back down in frustration as the draugr maniacal laughter from below. Couple minutes of meditating I had enough mana to cast another flare. Not seeing any other draugr nearby I look through the west, and south windows saw nothing. After hearing scrapping to the south, I can see the draugr trying to climb the tower. Doing a inspect and seeing a draugr citizen with five points of health. Casting the flare straight down the hitting it''s head and explodes it into several pieces.
Critical hit! A draugr Citizen has died. 3/30 draugrs killed
Nice! A critical hit! Doing a fist pump. Alright, time to sleep. The over the next week I squared up the logs and dragged them up to the tower. Lowering the logs into their groves and creating a floor and then building another floor leaving a place to build stairs down to both levels. After nearly getting killed by a draugr coming down the stairs I made after not noticing the had set. I was berating myself over being a fool after dodging arrows back to my hovel. I started on the first-floor walls the following morning. By the eighth day, I had the tower first floor done and the second floor put in by noon. While getting water, I looked at both the tower and the two-story hovel to the south of the square. Frowning at seeing both places incomplete knowing I would never have done that in real life. I ended up spending the rest of the day on building a door and shutters to the hovel and using from the planks from the days of splitting lumber. Still not sure on how to make hinges without a forge. Checking my food I realize I was going to need more meat tomorrow when I put the last of my meat in my frying pan. Waking up next morning seeing the smoke was gone. After a week of watching the campfires move north toward the mountains, hoping they stay away. I headed to the north toward the road to kill the last three wolves needed for my quest.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. The first wolf was easy to kill as its back was to me and didn¡¯t smell me. Got a nice back-stab on it and did double damage. I then looted it and got the two meat and the average wolf fur. I ran back to the tree to meditate. The second wolf I miss only to hit on the second cast. Three swings with the last two hitting the wolf and killed it. I sat down to mend after being bit twice once on the right leg and once on my left arm to keep its jaws from reaching my throat. After meditating back my health and mana. The third wolf found me near the dirt road biting my right arm forcing me to drop my hammer. Using flare twice before I ended up killing it with the dagger through its eye. Sitting down shaking like a leaf with only one health left.
10/10 Grey wolves killed Looting a quality wolf skin. Two wolf meat.
I was meditating for about twenty minutes when I head the sound of some hooves and a creak of a wagon from the east. Carefully standing up I saw a large human male leading a mule pulling a two-wheel covered cart. The lifting the hat off his bald tan head with a big grin on his hairy face and waved. ¡°Ahoy, Jeremiah Jones tinker, and trader. I buy, sell or trade. You wish to buy, sell or trade?¡± ¡°I might, name Jack Stonewright, what do you have?¡± making sure no one else was around. A screen of goods appear before my eyes, a book on Air Magic for five gold and a Scroll for summoning an Earth elemental for one gold. A cookbook and other recipe scrolls from leather armor to health potion. An herbalism book and a mold for a dagger. ¡°I take the scroll for earth elemental and two 20 foot rope. A skinning knife, and what is that¡±, seeing a one square foot metal box, vibrating. ¡°Oh that, I caught a small slime cube at the Forlorn Swamp to the east of here about a hundred and forty miles away. It was crossing the road, and they eat anything organic. Cities and towns pay fifty to a hundred gold for one. Problem is it cost that much for me feeding it, over the next two months. They tend to shrink to nothing if not fed and grow if overfed. Cleaning out sewer and trash dumps they leaving behind metals, gems, and coins.¡± ¡°How big do they get?¡± I ask. ¡°Was told about a hundred cubits feet in size. Then they break apart into a hundred slimy little booger if there nothing to eat they will try to eat each other. If they''re not a lot to eat they don¡¯t grow. If I was going east, I could have offloaded at Greenhold, a port town. Since I was heading west and saw the smoke fires, I had to hide for a week. An idea pop in my head, ¡°I¡¯m planning on making a sewer I could raise it until it split for forty percent of the profits.¡± ¡°How would I know you be trusted and it is a year before it ready to split, twenty percent.¡± He counters. Raising an eyebrow ¡°I will have to do all the work and feeding it, thirty-five percent.¡± ¡°Twenty-five percent, I have two wives and ten children to feed.¡± He cried. ¡°Thirty-three percent and you would sell your wife if you could make enough profit.¡± I counter. Laughing so hard, ¡°your right both my wives offer me only to pay them a quarter of my profit if I only stay out half the year.¡± Wiping his eyes ¡°thirty percent and nothing more.¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± shaking the merchant''s hand. ¡°Give me thirty minutes; I have furs I can trade.¡± Heading back to the tree and turn in the quest on the wolves.
You have complete kill 10/10 Grey wolves, Reward 10 silver. A boot of the Hearth 100 Experience
A Boot of the Hearth Scale-able +3 DEFTNESS (+6) +2 to Stealth (+4) +2 feet of running (+4) 2 of 6 in set +20% Experience x2 to set item stats
Smiling I put on the boots then ran to my hovel to pick up the pelts first. Then headed back to the merchant. ¡°I have some pelts to sell or trade,¡± I said breathless, laying out the rabbits pelt and the wolves pelt. ¡°Hmm, two silver each for the wolves pelt and one silver for the whole lot on the rabbits,¡± he said stroking his beard and seeing a gleam in his eyes for a second on the rabbit skins. ¡°Six silver on the wolves and silver each on the rabbits'' skin.¡± I counter back hoping I not being snooker. ¡°Don¡¯t know I can go onesilver on each rabbit they are everywhere? Five silver for the lot,andfive silver on the wolves.¡± shaking his head slowly. Looking as if I was in deep thought nodding my head I look at the trader and said. ¡°I take the wood ax, wet stone, the mining pick, and the book on the air magic. I will throw in ten fried wolf steaks, for the rabbits'' pelts. ¡± Pulling out a grilled wolf steak, seeing him licking his lips after seeing the steak. ¡°Deal!¡± he said. ¡°What are those?¡± pointing at some hinges and looking over at him. ¡°Some large hinges, they weight a lot got stuck with them last year 20 gold for the pair and the bolts for it.¡± ¡°Would you take fifty rabbits fur on your next trip?¡± ¡°Seventy-five¡± ¡°Seventy-five if you add that bag of nails,¡± I said. ¡°Make it eighty, and I add the bag of nails and a bag of magic marble that a Haltija trades me for a small keg of highland dwarves brandy. The biggest mistake I ever made, Had them five years, The little Dung eater said they are for a sling. There are red, blue, white, and black.¡± ¡°Deal, I have your rabbit fur here when you get back,¡± shaking his hand. ¡°What is a Haltija?¡±
Quest: Rabbit skin for debt. You must kill 75 north slope rabbits to pay for hinges by next time he arrives 6 to 8 months. Do you accept?
¡°I can do that.¡± Accepting yes to the quest. ¡°A Haltija is one of the little people they stand about knee high. They look mostly human except for the elfish ears and the large eyes. They are a bit nervous around us big folk,¡± he said. ¡°They tend to protect the area and fixing stuff. more a nuisance they tend to break things and get into trouble drinking.¡± Dumping the slime cube in the outhouse pit, I threw some rabbit meat into feed it in case it not like shit and inspect it.
Slime Cube Level one Health 10/10
¡°So what makes the rabbit''s fur so great?¡± I ask. As we lead the wagon back to the road. He grins. ¡°You caught that. Well, I had to try. A coat, a hat, a pair of pants or a pair of boots made from North Slope Rabbits allows a person to be warm in extreme cold. A coat sells for about fifty gold. ¡°Good thing I don¡¯t make coats,¡± grinning at him, ¡°yet.¡± Shaking my hand ¡°I need to get to the next wayside I should get there by sunset.¡± ¡°Wayside?¡± I inquire. ¡°Yeah, there are usually one ever ten miles or so. Most of them been overgrown or destroyed on this route. It is a haven with minor protection spells from nonintelligent monsters. I will be back through here in about seven months, there a wagon or two that pass through here every month. Hanson family will be passing through here during the late summer to pick up potatoes out east to haul back. They carry clothes, cloth, and canvas to the east ports and towns. If you build a wayside here, you might get them to stop.¡±
Quest: Build a wayside to attract merchants. 500 Experience when the first merchant stops at your wayside.
Thinking wow five hundred experience. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t happen to know what the smoke was to the east yesterday?¡± He was nervously looking around. ¡°Yeah, goblins. Lots of them look like a tribe was heading northeast toward Granite Mountain. I saw women and children with them. Something seems to have pushed them out of the Forlorn Swamp.¡± ¡°How they get over the Granite mountain?¡± They¡¯re not. There is an abandoned Granite quarry about fifty miles that way.¡± Pointing to the northeast at a mountain in the mountain range. It is about three miles east of Granite Creek along the mountain cliff side. ¡°So if that¡¯s Granite Creek what is the name of that creek?¡± Pointing to the west. ¡°Fall Creek there several falls along that creek that goes back fifty or so miles to a massive fall.¡± pointing to the northwest. "Never seen them so not sure if it true except for that falls north of the road. Before I forget, this here road is called The Old North Road. Extremely dangerous only a fool or a merchant travel it.¡± he said grinning. ¡°And if you do head up to that big falls be very careful there suppose to be a small town and a castle nestle near the falls. Full of the undead.¡± Saying my goodbye, I loaded my backpack and carried the pick and ax back to the hovel and checking on the cube seeing that it has already started slowly dissolving the rabbit. Taking the wood ax and cut down three more trees by the creek. Looking around seeing that all the big trees to the west side of the Hearth Tree are all cut down. Looks to be about fifty good size trees on the west side near Granite Creek. Cutting the log to the size of the door and window I needed before splitting them into boards. Climbing back into my hovel, and cook some rabbit. After eating a rabbit, I check on the book on air magic.
Do you wish to learn Air Magic? Yes/No?
¡°Yes!¡± I said with joy. The book glows and started flipping the pages as a feeling of power in my belly grew and I started to glow all over. The book faded away.
You have learned Air Magic! You have learned the spell Gust of Wind!
Gust of Wind A cone of air from caster out to 50 ft x level. All targets in the cone must make a Might check - level in caster or be pushed back 3 ft per level of the caster. Cost 10 mana per use vs. target Cast upon a boat, a boat can travel times your level in knots to a max of 12 knots. Cost 10 mana per hour on boat concentration required. All Air magic cost double mana due to earth affinity.
Reading an earth elemental scroll, it fades away as I started glowing.
You learn Earth Elemental spell An earth elemental can be summoned until dead or release. 20 mana required to summonone.
Summoning the elemental with a shit eating grin on my face, ¡°TELLUS ELEMENTUM!¡± The spell created a two-foot-high dirt humanoid elemental. I end up spending a few minutes of pointing where to go and telling it to stop, then go, and jump. I felt like a little kid, when I told it to dig a hole ten by ten foot by ten foot deep it took it about fifteen minutes. Then I make it dig its way out to get out, but I had a big pile of dirt that could be used to level out some ground. It is going to make future projects a lot easier to do. It took one trip to bring the hinges back using the elemental. I then spend a couple of hours to make more boards and carry them back to the tower. That night no skeletons came close to the tower, so I went to bed. Doing an Inspect of the elemental stats
Earth Elemental Might 10 Health 10 Defense 10 Move one mph Dig four cubic feet of dirt per minute Carry 100 lbs.
I grin with delight.
Name: Jack Stonewright Race: Steppe Dwarf Class: Builder/ Mage Level: 1 (200/500) (200/500) + 25% experience 17 MIGHT: 11(+6) 21 DEFTNESS: 11(+10) 11 FORTITUDE: 10 MIND: 10 JUDGEMENT: 10 CHARM: 10 PIETY: 40 MANA: (MIND + MIND X LEVEL) 10 +(10 mana item x 2 to item set = 20) Mana Regen. 10/ hour + 2 (4) to running. 22 Health: (MIGHT + FORT + ( level * 10) 1 Blunt weapons 1 Back-stab 1 Builder craft 1 Woodcraft 1 Stone craft 1 Cooking 1 Inspect 1 Light armor 1 Mage craft 1 Earth 1 Fire 1 Air 3 Stealth 1+2 Spells: Stonewall, Detect Minerals, Dig, Fling Stone and Earth Elemental. Flare, Burning Shield, Ring of Fire and Detect Heat. Gust of Wind
Chapter Five Morning came with a lot of mooing. Yes, mooing like a cow mooing. Looking out and seeing about fifty giant aurochs. They are a type woolly wild cattle, about six feet tall on average about level twenty. It took nearly half the day before they move on crossing the east stream back to the steppes. I daydream of capturing some of them for there hair and milk so I can make yarn and rope, and cheese. Oh, glorious cheese. ¡°Okay. another thing on my list.¡± While they were kept me in the hovel, I lay out my drawbridge out on the floor and nailing four boards across the other to make the drawbridge. The hinges took me a while to get on, had to turn a large nail into a rivetusing my hammer, I was able to make the hole for the hinges. Making a shallow curve in the floor, I took one of the bolts and used a flare spell on it. Took two castings of the spell to get it red hot. Taking the hammer and some minutes of fumbling and cursing to get one in the hole, then hammering it until it was flush. Pouring some water on it, I then lift one side of the drawbridge to pour water on the other side. Seeing the nail was spread out and dome. Doing the rest of them on both hinges, I stopped and notice the moon is overhead ¡ª time for bed.
You have made Rivets!
Getting up late next morning dragging myself up. Taking the blanket to the stream, I stripped and washed as best I could in the freezing water. Feeling refresh as I dried myself and put on my clothes. Washing the blanket and drape it on some rocks to dry, I went back to work. I had the elemental make a ten-foot hole ten foot square in front of the hovel. After it was done, I spent the next two hours filling it with stone. Then another three hours raising it ten feet up level with the door of the hovel adding steps down on the north side. I put a hinged door in place and a bar inside so I could slide in place to lock the door. It was noon when I finished the with the door and steps leading up to the door. Rest of the day I spent cutting more trees and squaring them to fit the step-like walls I made for the roof. Putting one in the middle to help hold the beams, using rope and the earth elemental I was able to set each log in place. I was completely worn out when I finished the roof. Seeing that I still need a chimney, I stagger over to the north wall finished it by sundown and barring the door behind me and using the hammer on the ground floor wall. I made a three feet high and four feet wide hole in the wall that opens into the chimney. Receive a prompt.
Do you wish this to be a hovel? YES/NO?
¡°Yes,¡± I said. Several images of a hovel, like the one I built appear in front of my eyes. An Imperial, Viking, and Barbarian there was three more but was gray out.
Please choose a style or keep your own or edit an existing hovel.
The Roman or the Barbarian style did not fit what I was aiming for. The only thing different on the Viking was a thatch roof. I was aiming for wood shingles but not wanting to spend two weeks doing that. I had the top beam and the eve beams sticking out to maybe carve something into them. ¡°I will edit my own.¡± I finally said. Going through several roof types, I settle on the shingle roof. Using the split lumber, I had stacked it upgraded the roof with carved dragons stick out each end. The door frame replaces with polish logs. Overall it looks beautiful fitting of a Viking Dwarf. Accepting yes, the building begins to glow blinding white. The wall and floor became stronger and smoother, and the fireplace gains a wood mantle. I would have run outside but heard more of the undead moving around from the glow of the building. So I turn in for the night.
Two-Story Hovel: Level 1, house 1/10, Health +10, Defense 10 1 to 2 family, 1/3 hovel.
The nightmares of my family being killed have slowed down. Mostly by working hard during the day until I fall asleep exhausted has been my only recourse. When I first woke up, I did nothing but die, no eating not drinking just laying there. The ship''s AI told me that I died over a hundred times a third of the time by other players getting easy experience points. I moved to kill free zone where I could not die spent about four years there until one day I decided to live. But the nightmares still come and wakes me in sweats. I lay there, sobbing for hours as the sun rose. The next morning I hurry outside and look over the Hovel and did a jig upon how beautiful the hovel is. Rubbing my hands together and looking around, it time to work on the tower. Starting to work on the tower at which point I had the elemental dig a ten foot deep by ten foot wide moat around it. While I build a raised platform and stairs running down it along the side of the moat. I dismiss him then recast the elemental in the tower ordering it to slide the wood bridge. That I built earlier across the gap to the platform, I was on. Once it was in place, I lifted the hinges and spent a few hours busting out the stone under each of the hinges. Carefully laying each hinge flush to the stone and putting all the bolts in. I cast stone to fill the holes with the bolts to keep them in place. Grabbing two ropes and attach them to the drawbridge. Using the ladder, I ran both ropes through a hole on both sides of the door. Moving the ladder, I put a door frame inside that put a half foot recess for the bridge to press against when closed. Seeing it was almost sunset, I had the elemental grab both ropes and closed the drawbridge. Raising a column to the roof in the center of the room, I tied off the rope and dismissed the elemental. ¡°Three-two more floors and stairs with a trap door in the roof to keep out the rain and I am done. Well, put some stones in the moat, and I will be done.¡± I told myself. ¡°No. Wait! Have to fill in the moat then done, ugh! I need to stop talking to myself!¡± If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Next day I spent stoning in the moat. I had the elemental clear the loose rubble from the blacksmith building after climbing out I finishing the moat. I headed on over to blacksmith shop finding three piles of debris: rough stone, gravel and an anvil with several hammerheads with no handles. Several blacksmith tools will need to be work upon. A stone forge was slightly damaged that needed to be repaired. I practically was dancing, having the elemental move all the stuff into the tower and the anvil too. I spent the evening and a half the night cleaning and polishing eight hammerheads. Next morning I notice the streams on both sides of me has risen since it was getting warmer. Figuring the snowpack on the mountains was thawing, ordering the elemental to move the debris to the west creek. Thinking I could use it to build up that side of the creek later. Looking around from the second floor of the tower. I figure the land area that goes from the road to the sea between the two creeks is about ten acres. Thinking ahead to maybe add in walls along both sides of the creeks and along the road. It would help protect this area from monsters, and that includes humans. First thing first I need to get the elemental to start on the next foundation to clean. While I finish up the next two floors of the tower, now that my mana is double from my clothes I have gotten from the quest. I did not have to rest long between casting. Putting in a foot wide and four feet high arrow slits in the top two floors. Then a raise stone lip around the trapdoor on the roof to keep rain from coming rushing down the trap door. At sunset, I had the four-foot high battlement on the top done with a slot at the base to allow the water to run from the roof. I thought about adding an overhead roof to the top. But nix that when I thought of adding siege weapons later on to fight aerial foes. It was midnight when I finished up with the rough wood stairs and lay down to sleep. I spent the next morning splitting boards and nailing together the trap door and doors. Once I put the last one in place in the tower prompt me.
Do you wish to designate the building as a type one stone tower? YES/NO?
I said, yes. The tower seems to flesh out a little. The two floors of air slits I put in became real arrow slit allow a bowman to cover a more extensive range. I saw drain holes at the top to look like dragon snouts. The drawbridge seems a lot better, and a chain and wrench replace the rope, the column in the room was gone. Climbing to the bottomof the tower the cistern became somehow became a well. The trap doors had hinges and a way to bar them from keeping them close.
You have built a Type 1 Stone Tower
This tower cannot be used until an Outpost or Settlement is create. Two slots for small siege weapons or One large siege weapon. Hold up to Twenty men-at-arms. Inactive. Well, I guess I need to work on those hovels if I am going to level. Climbing down I walk to the Hearth Tree. ¡° I know I could come here earlier to get the reward, but I got caught in the excitement of doing a tower. I have the shelter completed. Mesa-la said. ¡°Nice looking tower, the former citizens were going to make it one corner of a keep. Is that your plan?¡± Turning around to stare at where the tower is and looking over the area toward the seaward side. The area to the southwest side of the beach is sloped down toward the rocky shoreline. While the on the southeast side it rose up to a small rocky cliff of about twenty feet. At the bottom of the cliffs, the jagged rock rises out of the sea. I am seeing the potential of building more towers and a keep some time in the future. ¡°Your right, they had a good idea of building a castle there. Where it is defensible against land and sea opponents.¡± Pointing toward the area, I could put the docks down at the lower area. The tower will have to do for a while we are not a settlement yet.
Quest complete build a shelter Reward: 150 Exp. 10 silver coins appear in the soil and a bronze helmet.
Bronze helmet of the Hearth Scale-able Armor Defense 10 (30) +3 MIND + 10 feet to night vision (+30 feet) Set of 3 out of 6 30% Experience X3 stats.
¡°Wow, my stats, defense, and experience have jumped. I like the set, and I need to hunt rabbits for fur and food, talk to you later.¡± I said. I know I should stay and talk to her more. I know hearing a voice makes me feel better, but it kind of hard to talk to a tree and not see a face.
Name: Jack Stonewright Race: Steppe Dwarf Class: Builder/ Mage Level: 1/1 (298/500) (298/500) + 30% experience 20 ft night-vision + 10 feet (30'') 20 MIGHT: 11 (+9) 26 DEFTNESS:11 (+15) 11 FORTITUDE: 19 MIND: 10 (+9) 10 JUDGEMENT: 10 CHARM: 10 PIETY: 48 MANA: (MIND + MIND X LEVEL) 38 +(10) Mana Regen. 19/ hour + 2 (6) to running. 41 Health: (MIGHT + FORT + ( level * 10) 1 Blunt weapons: (98 of 100) 1 Back-stab (23 of 100) 1 Builder craft: (86 of 100) 1 Woodcraft: (42 of 100) 1 Stonecraft: (99 of 100) 1 Cooking (76 of 100) 1 Inspect: (67 of 100) 1 Light armor. (43 of 100) 1 Mage craft: (68 of 100) 1 Earth: (86 of 100) 1 Fire: (54 of 100) 1Air: (05 of 100) 3 Stealth: (25 of 100) +2 Spells: Earth: Stonewall, Detect Minerals, Dig, Fling Stone, and Earth Elemental. Fire: Flare, Burning Shield, Ring of Fire, and Detect Heat. Air: Gust of Wind
Chapter Six By the afternoon I stack enough wood in the tower and the hovel to keep it warm at night for at least two weeks. Killing ten more rabbits and got more of the meat and the quality rabbit fur. It was an hour before sunset when the earth elemental dug up a draugr that kill it. The draugr itself was down to two points of health when I blast it with flare killing it. It drops four silver coins in a small bag, a large empty bag and an urn of ashes. The bones fade away, as I climb into the tower and hand-wench the drawbridge closed. Cooking up the rabbit meat I shake my head as I stare at the food. ¡°I really need to get some greens or potatoes.¡± Sitting down my food I pick up one of the urns to examine it finding some writing on it saying Josh Baker, died 1048, Harcorn Empire. A baker and a family man. Checking the other urns finding names and the same date. ¡°Okay, wow guess I will collect all the urn and make a cemetery to place them in somewhere. I spent several hours making a handle for the hammers before falling asleep. Debating over the blacksmith or the wayside took about ten minutes then I heading toward the road. Looking over at the tree and said, ¡°yes, I know hovels. I''m a bit hovel mood at out the moment, and yes I''m talking to myself.¡± Saying to a rabbit off to my right. Summoning the elemental I put it to work leveling out a fifty by one hundred square area on the north side of the road while I read the herbalist book.
You have gain herbalism!
Three hours later I found the three plants needed to make ten light health potion, a bag of greens, some onions and some potatoes sprouting out of the ground so I marked them with some sticks for later. Thought about making some potions but the problem is no jars to hold them in, guess I need to find clay. ¡°Oh well, another on my list of things I need,¡± muttering but still keeping the plants. I sent the elemental to finish up the foundation he was working on after he levels out the place. I thought I would have to make a level to check the ground but after walking on the level area it prompts me to let me know that the ground is level. Rubbing my hands I started laying out a wayside with a four-foot high wall that was two feet wide with two entries from the road. Ground pave with stone and a fire pit in the center with merchant stalls on the east side. Took me about a week to finish all but the roofs of the stalls, then another five days putting down a twenty foot wide stone road from the swollen creek to swollen creeks east to west. If not for the elemental leveling the road it would have taken ten times as long maybe twice as long and not as nice looking. Killed another eighteen rabbits and two more draugrs. One of the foundations was cleared finding thirteen silver and thirty-two copper coins and two chip plates, four silver spoon, forks and knives. The foundation was only ten feet deep and ten wide and twenty long. Standing at Granite Creek I figure I Going to have to build two bridges after the creeks have gone down. Both creeks are more like raging rivers over fifty feet wide now and at least fifteen feet deep, getting nervous thinking the creeks might flood the settlement. ¡°I will need to build up both sides of the creek in the future to keep it from flooding.¡± watching the water and debris go by. ¡°And high enough to not have my bridges washed away.¡± I made a mistake the next morning and went down to the sea to look at debris and I got attack by a Sea crab and receive some wounds, some crab meat and two pincers that said crafting materials. Checking pincers out I figure I could turn them into axes. Dusting off the sanding I headed back to the wayside to finish up adding roofs to the stalls I get a prompt.
Do you wish to make this a wayside or a marketplace? Yes/No?
Thinking about it both have merits taking a chance, I said ¡°both,¡± there was a minute-long pause.
You have created a market wayside, merchants can now rest between journeys and sell their wares. You have earned three hundred experience!
Quite proud of myself I walk down to talk to Mesa-la the Hearth Tree. ¡°Mesa-la how do I ask a question with the Gamemasters?¡± I asked. ¡°You need to pray at a shrine,¡± said in a matter of fact. So the Gamemasters are the Gods. ¡°Any particular design?¡± I ask.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Any design,¡± she said. ¡°Can you explain more about a settlement on what I need beyond claiming a Hearthstone or a Hearthtree? What else do I need? I know I need to complete three hovels and if I complete them I would have to defend them from the draugr before I get some NPC kill.¡± ¡°A minimum of three houses or one lodge, a craft shop, a warehouse, HearthStone or Tree, and a civil building. You also need ten people, NPC or reborn.¡± ¡°Reborn?¡± I inquire. ¡°Players like you that can respawn, NPC can not respawn without outside help. you need a temple, their body, lots of coins and one level of experience,¡± she said. ¡°Oh, you have a time limit of thirty days to do it in.¡± ¡°So I would have to lose a whole level of experience to bring back someone.¡± stoking my beard, ¡°well that would keep people from bringing back too many NPC. Just to be clear an NPC is a Non-Player Character? ¡°Correct,¡± she said. ¡°Is a tower a civil building?¡± asking about the building again. ¡°Yes, but you will need a town hall when you upgrade from the next settlement level. There is five level to a Settlement, Town, and City.¡± ¡°How do I get NPC to fill my house?¡± ¡°Build hovels or lodges that you not living in and they will start arriving within a month. Usually a family per hovel and several families in each lodge the hovels can hold up to ten family members and a lodge can hold up to fifty people.¡± She said. ¡°How you upgrade a building?¡± I asked. ¡°Touch the Hearth Tree and say settlement interface. Click on the building it will tell you what is needed, put the material in the warehouse and click upgrade it will automatically upgrade in twenty-four hours.¡± ¡°Can I build a building using the interface?¡± ¡°No you have to build the building, you can use the interface to lay out a building imprint you can follow if you have bought a recipe. Once your building is done it will prompt you on the building type so make it stronger and safer, in some cases, it will ask for a design type, Viking, Asian, Roman and so on. Or you can ask for your design to be added to our list if so you get five hundred points of experience plus a fifty gold each time someone uses it. ¡°How do I get skills training or spell training if I am too far from a town or city?¡± ¡°You already started with your wayside and market stalls the more you invest in your settlement the more NPC and Reborns will come. Be sure to claim the settlement before someone else does or you lose it to them. If anyone destroys me or a hearthstone you have a week to replace it with another. If someone places a tree or a stone there and hold your settlement for a week you lose your settlement. If nothing replaces you start losing NPC at 10% your population per week.¡± ¡°So a Shrine should be something I should invest in?¡± stoking my beard again, ¡°Yes it will health NPC as they do not heal as fast you Reborns do, also each god or goddess can give out a bonus to its followers and towns.¡± She said. ¡°Okay, Thanks for the help I guess I will start a shrine first.¡± Walking to the east side of the Mesa-la across the square on the north side of the east road. I had the elemental level out a fifteen-foot square area three feet deep so I can lay the stone flush with the road. A few hours later started laying a stone base of ten by ten foot with a three by three foot ten-foot high column. Stepping back to look at the shrine, I put a small four-foot square basin on the west side of it. I finally receive a prompt.
Do you wish this to be a shrine? YES/NO?
¡°Yes,¡± I said
Name of deity?
¡°Frigga.¡±
Frigga is this correct? YES/NO?
¡°Yes,¡± I reply. The shrine polish up and a woman carved into the stone of Frigga with water appeared in the basin.
You have created a shrine to Frigga! Hidden quest, make a shrine. 100 Experience You gain 200 Experience.
Shrine of Frigga Pray for once a day for questions. +1 to JUDGMENT +1 to Health Regeneration
Grabbing a silver coin he tosses it into the basin where it disappears. The Goddess Frigga appear, ¡° How may I help you?¡± Realizing the goddess standing before me is the same as the one that started me on becoming a dwarf I was a little surprise. ¡°Uh, hi. How do I make a cemetery and bless it? She looks the same but taller and more imposing wearing armor and furs her platinum color hair in a single braid tie with silver strings and pearls. Her blue eyes shine like the clear morning sky. She holding a crystal tip spear with feathers hanging from it. She looks around at the shrine, ¡° Need to make this into a small temple then I will send a quest to a priest to come. They can then help you with your cemetery.¡± holding up her hand to stop me from asking, ¡°Resurrection of NPC can be done by interfacing with the shrine but cheaper if you have a Priest. I hope that answer your current questions,¡± And fades away.
You have reach Level 2!
A feeling of pure pleasure course through my body. ¡°WOOT! Level two!¡± shouting aloud. Then looking around to see make sure nothing was nearby.
You have received 3 points to a character stat and 3 points to any skill
.Increasing my Mind by two and my Fortitude by one then increase my Earth magic by one and my Fire magic to two. So my Earth wall can be cast at four square feet for 1 mana or forty square feet of wall. Seeing that I increase several of my skill to the second level I felt pretty good. Chapter Seven
Earth elemental Level 2 MIGHT 20 Damage 4 Armor Defense 10 Health 20 Move 10 ft Dig 20 cu ft an hour
My Earth elemental is stronger since I level but that damn Draugr Mage keeps killing him. It Water Blast it every time and Bam! Its dead, four times in four days, then it stands out there the rest of the day keeping me in my tower. The Mage is too powerful after sunset. And after nearly getting killed when the elemental tried to clear out the mage tower. The damn thing carries a staff, wearing a tattered robe, a knife that I can see at its belt along with a couple of small bags. My inspect is now at almost to three.
Draugr Mage Level 3 Health 79/80
Armor Defense has to be three since the elemental hits it only once each time doing one point of damage. It doesn¡¯t even laugh just glares at my tower. It heals back it tiny little damage every time it goes back into the ground. Yeah I know I¡¯m a wimp but I hate drowning and fireball up my ass neither sound fun either. Thought about using the slime cube but got attached to the little guy. Feeding him once a week called him Bill and keeps my outhouse smelling good. Back to my problem at hand. It solves itself when I was cutting more trees near Fall Creek and had the elemental was stacking them. Apparently, he slipped and all the logs rolled on him and flatten him. Summoning him back I had him haul the logs up near the mage tower before the time sunset. We had twenty logs laying on the ground when we closed the tower. Getting so tired of rabbit I figure tomorrow I find some greens, and maybe a goose or duck. Oh, I made my first wooden chest before bed. Gods! I need people around or people will think I was going crazy.
You have created a new item: a wooden chest store 30 large items.
The chests change shape to look like a nice traveling chest, even my rope hinges change to metal ones. That solve my storage problem, I will be making a few more of them, wishing I had more nails. Got plenty of wood to make help make four hovels after I kill the mage tomorrow and gather some herbs and maybe a salad. I''m Rambling again. Morning came and the Aurochs came again. Half my morning was spent in my tower watching them while thinking about steaks.
Aurochs Level 5 Health 120/120
Nope, not happening. Then a crazy idea pop in my head, sending my elemental to dig at the tower, three minutes later he died. Sending him three more times the last time took two minutes to die. Then fireballs started to explode nearby. The sound of cattle balling from pain and a bull roaring in anger. Climbing the ladder to the top I see a bull crash into the mage send it flying almost to the moat. It was slowly getting up forming another fireball when my flare struck it in the back
Critical hit 30 damage
Causing the fireball to explode on the ground in front of it, killing it. Damn, didn''t get to use my idea.
You killed a Draugr Mage! 29/30 skeletons killed
An hour later the aurochs head north. Climbing down and went out to summon another elemental I went to check the bones,
Staff of Power, +3 MIND, + 50 mana, 10 blunt damage, Durability 30/100.
Spellbook: Fireball, Water blast, Water suffocation, flare, and water Scrying. One healing potion of thirty health. One mana potion of thirty mana, ten gold, thirty-one copper, forty-six bronze, and an Urn of ashes.
Urn of Ashes: Ragar the Horrible, Water mage. Hates children and being disturb.
Reading the spell book I get prompt;
You have learned the spell fireball. You have learned the spell Water Blast. You have learned the spell Water Suffocation. You have learned the spell Water Scrying.
Each page faded away as I read them leaving the spell Flare. Sending the elemental to clear the mage¡¯s crumple tower I found the two dead aurochs the mage killed. Wool x 20, two quality hides, and ten aurochs steaks, it was a nice haul from the two of them. Found some wild onions and some wild beets that were sprouting leaves. Never ate beets but figure I make a rabbit stew. Got a mess some greens to finish out my meal of steak tonight. I found my elemental stand by the ruined tower that afternoon. The top was clear away but there was a stairway leading down. Next to the foundation was six more books, 4 scroll cases, two dozen clay vials. Alchemy set, a bent telescope, a locked glowing chest. Having the elemental carry everything to my tower. I glance at the stairway and decided tomorrow on it. The four of the book was on water research. +1 on researching water spells, one was on astronomy and astrology, the last one was magic theory adding +1 to my MIND. One scroll case was empty, another had eleven sheets of parchment. One was a light spell, the last scroll was a map of the area showing the granite quarry to the northeast. Shows several iron mines to the north about thirty miles. A copper mine slightly northwest on the east side of Fall Creek about a two-hour walk from here. Forlorn swamp to the southeast. Look like a town to the northwest near the Mountain''s fall at the start of Fall Creek. It shows the road and a dozen waysides. Several caves and rock cropping scattered across the map. I left the magical chest alone, tuck it away so not be tempted to open it. I spent several hours to fix the telescope only x10 zoom but it better than no telescope. Checking out the night sky for an hour then fell asleep.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. One of the giant ravens woke me up with it cawing, I swear it was laughing as it flew off. Grabbing the staff and left the tower. Summoning another elemental I head over to the stairway and pulled out the scroll on Light. Studying the scroll until it fades away as I glowed.
You have learned the spell light. Spell: Light, creating a globe of light for 5 mana, for one hour. For each one mana use the light will remain glowing for one hour. Can be fixed to an object.
Casting a glow of light on my staff of power I headed down the stairs with the elemental following me. Six Root Olms later and feeling very dirty and scratched up. I found three rooms and a hallway leading west toward the town hall. All three rooms had nothing but debris and rotting wood. The hallway ended at a pile of stone just before the town hall foundation. Upon hearing movement on the other side like a skeleton I decided I did not want to deal with the Mayor yet. Heading back up and heading over to the town hall. I created a ramp using some of my stone and set up a log ramp trap using twenty of my logs. Once it was in place I had the elemental dig into the town hall. Five minutes later my elemental died and an enrage Draugr Mayor came screaming at me. Casting Gust of Wind and pushing the logs, flatten the mayor. Yeah, very anticlimactic.
You have killed the Mayor! Quest complete 30/30 Draugr destroyed. Urn of ashes Lord Mayor Hagar the Great
A large gold Badge of Office, that has Mayor written on it, + 3 CHARM, + 2 Haggling, +1 to settlement. +25% loyalty to settlement residents.
Mace of Office, 20 blunt damage, + 3 to MIGHT, 10% chance of stunning. Durability 87/100
Small chest of 25 gold, 34 silver, 120 copper.
Ring +1 DEFTNESS Ring +10 FORTITUDE Ring +1 CHARM Ring +2 to running
Putting all the rings on and replacing my hammer with the mace. The rest I put in the tower in the chest. Looking at the badge I think gaudy but the stats not bad. But can''t use it until the settlement is built. Heading over to Mesa-la and turn in the urns. ¡°Mesa-la I have the quest done on the settlement,¡± holding up one of the urns. ¡°Thank you, Jack, for clearing out the previous residence.¡± She said
Thirty silver coin rose out of the dirt, and Leggings of the Hearth You earned 300 (+60)Experience
Legging of the Hearth Scaleable Armor Defense 5 (15) 3 DEFTNESS (+9), +2 to Stealth (+6), +2 feet of running (+6), 3 of 6 in set 30% Experience, x3 to item stats
¡°Can you please make a cemetery to hold the urns and have the land bless by a priest before you lay the urns to rest?¡± Mesa-la said.
Quest: Lay to Rest, place the 30 urns to rest on the holy ground. YES/NO?
¡°Yes,¡± I said. ¡°I will find a good spot for them.¡± First off I put my elemental to work clearing the rubble of the town hall. While I set to work on building a temple to get a priest to show up. Enlarging the floor to 20 by 20 building the walls to fifteen feet high. Adding a double door to the front and two ten by four-foot window on the other side with a stone roof. The walls are two feet thick. I merge four large logs at the top of each wall over linking each other. Let the logs stick out by two feet from the building. Placing two logs one on each side of the double wood doors, Taken me four days to complete. I was prompt
Do you wish to change the shrine of Frigga to a temple? YES/NO?
¡°Yes¡±
Choose style?
Rome/Greek column around the building up to the roof set out from the building by three feet. A Viking style with peak wood and thatch roof with stone and large log frame. Dragon heads carved into the ends of the logs. Two massive logs one on each side of the door rising to the logs on the roof. The next one was the same with shingle instead of the thatch roof. I accept it without looking at others. The temple shift as the wood became polish. Beautiful carve dragon heads jutting out at all sides of the roof. The two column of wood carved with a relief of dragons and the two massive doors of polish dark wood depict Asgard. Opening the double door into the temple with the shrine in the middle and four braziers of fire in the corner. Six stain glass windows of Frigga as she performing a different task. Feeling a present I turn around and see Frigga. Frigga said, ¡°you are the first to build me a temple. Praying here will increase your Judgment by three for one day. Drinking from the basin will cure your disease and a priest can cure curses and heal without mana in here. I have placed a quest for a priest to come. I am pleased.¡± She fades away.
Quest completed: build a Temple. You have acquired a Civil building. You earned 500 Experience. You gain + 3 JUDGEMENT for today. You have gain +1 PIETY
DING Level 3. (158/3000)
Character Sheet Third level
Name: Jack Stonewright
Race: Steppe Dwarf
Class: Buildermage
Level: 3 (158/3000)
+ 40% experience
60 (20 ft night-vision + 40 feet)
total Characteristic Base LEVEL Set Rings
23 MIGHT: 11 +12
44 DEFTNESS 11 (+ 32) +1 11 +32 +1
21 FORTITUDE 11 1 +1 +10
26 MIND 10 2 +12 +2
10 jUDGEMENT 10
11 CHARM 10 +1
10 PIETY 10
140 Armor class
75 HEALTH (MIGHT + FORT + ( level * 10)
136 MANA (MIND + MIND X LEVEL) 96 +(40)
96/ hour Mana Regen.
20'' RUNNING 2'' BASE +16'' ARMOR SET (+2'' ring)
2 Novice Blunt weapons (67 of 100) level bonus
2 Novice Back-stab (34 of 100)
3 Novice Builder craft ( 7 of 100)
2 Novice Woodcraft (74 of 100)
2 Novice Stonecraft ( 2 of 100)
3 Novice Cooking ( 1 of 100)
3 Novice Inspect: ( 1 of 100)
2 Novice Light armor. (49 of 100)
3 Novice Mage craft: (10 of 100)
3 Beginner Earth: ( 2 of 100) 1
4 Competent Fire: (86 of 100) 2
1 Novice Air: (21 of 100) x2 mana use
1 Novice Water: (17 of 100) x2 mana use
10 Novice Stealth: (23 of 100) 2+8
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
Spells: Earth:Stonewall, Detect Minerals, Dig, Fling Stone and Earth Elemental. Fire:Flare, Fireball, Burning Shield, Ring of Fire and Detect Heat. Air:Gust of Wind Water:Water Blast, Water Suffocation, Water Scrying.
INVENTORY:
Tunic of the Hearth EQUIPPED Set of 1 of 6 Scale-able Armor Defense 10 (40) Durability 100/100 MIGHT + 3 (+12) DEFTNESS + 2 (+8) Mana +10 (+40) Bonuses when wearing more than one item in a set.
Boots of the Hearth EQUIPPED Scale-able Armor Defense 10 (40) +3 DEFTNESS (+12) +2 to Stealth (+8) +2 feet of running (+8) 2 of 6 in set +20% Experience x2 to set item stats
Boots of the Hearth EQUIPPED Scale-able Armor Defense 10 (40) +3 DEFTNESS (+12) +2 to Stealth (+8) +2 feet of running (+8) 2 of 6 in set +20% Experience x2 to set item stats
Bronze helmet of the Hearth EQUIPPED Scale-able Armor Defense 10 (40) +3 MIND (+12) + 10 feet to night vision (+40 feet) Set of 3 out of 6 30% Experience X3 stats.
Legging of the Hearth EQUIPPED Scale-able Armor Defense 5 (+20) +3 DEFTNESS (+12) +2 to Stealth (+8), +2 feet of running (+8), 3 of 6 in set 40% Experience, x4 to item stats
Ring +1 DEFTNESS EQUIPPED Ring +10 FORTITUDE EQUIPPED Ring +1 CHARM EQUIPPED Ring +2 to running EQUIPPED
Gloves: Armor Defense 2, weight 1 lbs.Durability 10/10, equipped. Belt: Armor Defense 1, 2 slotsDuribility 10/10, equipped. Light Hammer Blunt Damage 5, STR 10Durability 10/10 Dagger Blunt/Piercing Damage 4, STR 5Durability 10/10
Backpack 20 slots, equipped. x5 healing potion (10 points) Chopping ax +1 to woodcraft, damage 3 STR 5 Qty 10/10 Camping kit : tent, blanket, flint, pot, skillet Lantern 10 jars oil (stack-able) x20 rations Wine skins Wood saw +1 woodcraft Rope 20 feet
Backpack 20 slots, equipped. x5 healing potion (10 points) Chopping ax +1 to woodcraft, damage 3 STR 5 Qty 10/10 Camping kit : tent, blanket, flint, pot, skillet Lantern 10 jars oil (stack-able) x20 rations Wine skins Wood saw +1 woodcraft Rope 20 feet
Stored Bronze short sword Durability 2/20 Slash 5 Damage. Bronze buckler Durability 6/20 Bash skill +1
Chapter Eight Feeling good about my easy victory over the undead. I went to check on the elemental. Seeing that it was almost done clearing the rubble of the town hall. The building foundation didn''t seem to be very big ten feet wide and about fifteen feet long, when I saw rotten timber of a bed pull out I realize just how small the building was. With a few more hours to sunset and not worry about the undead showing up. I decide to put up some lamp post. Putting one stone post, one-foot-square blocks going five feet tall, on each corner of the square. Casting twelve hours of Light on each post. Adding a few more to the south along the paved road between the hovels. Turning my head as howls of some wolves to the north send a shiver down my back, I have been seeing an increase in wolves targeting the rabbits in the area. Shaking my head over how fast they seem to spawn in the area after clearing them out. Glancing toward the sun as a habit as I head over to the west side of the Old North Road noticing that the creek have settled down and was starting to lower but it still needs to drop a lot more. The debris from the foundations has been pile up. at each end of the five-hundred-foot road to help level it out. Raising it high enough to put a bridge a good fifteen feet above the normal creek. I figure I will be starting the base of the bridge in two weeks on Fall Creek. Hearing a rumble to the south seeing a storm coming in I head back to the town hall and check the pile of items. seeing ten scroll cases, a bookcase of thirty well preserve books in the case figuring the bookcase has some type of spell to keep the book undamaged.
Some more pots and pans. Six sets silverware. Ten chip China of which two was destroyed. Four beer flagons. Two large chests both with glowing with magic
.Inspecting the Bookcase of preservation
Fifty book slots, 30/50 books Weather, elements and time cannot harm any book in this case Durability 88/100
Two Chest of Preservation 30 large slots, 30/30, 29/30 Weather, elements and time cannot harm any book in this case Durability 89/100, 69/100
Inside one was a bag of 40 gold pieces, 139 silver and 540 copper and 36 assorted gems. Six quilts Ten blankets stacked. Ten sets of shirts Ten sets of pants Ten sets of underwear Ten pairs of various men footwear Twenty pairs of tunics Forty bars of copper Forty bars of tin Eighty bars of iron A Chainmail shirt, chainmail coif, chainmail gauntlets
.The leather I am wearing is magical with less defense but still better than the chain I guess I save it for someone else or sell it. The scrolls were treaties for trade with several settlement and mines, over five hundred years ago. Storing it all in the tower, I ate dinner while the storm hit, using the light spell to light up the room for three hours and look through the books, four on law, one on governing a settlement, three on plant identification, a book on tailoring, three books on blacksmiths, two book on leather crafting, two books on fishing, five books on farming, two books on herding animals. The rest on wildlife and monsters of the north slope, plus seven on researching creatures. I decided to hold off on reading any of the books, except for leather crafting, blacksmith, and herding animals after reading them they faded away.
You gain a new skill leather crafting, 25 Experience. You gain a new skill blacksmith, 25 Experience. You gain a new skill herding animals, 25 Experience.
With that done the sound of rain and distance thunder put me to sleep after the light went out. At the crack of dawn, I point to the ground north of the temple and had the elemental start digging a hole twenty feet wide and deep and one hundred feet long with a sloping ramp to the north. A few hours later I had the elemental dig another five feet deeper having the elemental go north another thirty feet I spent the rest of the day laying the floor to the sewer system I need a place to discard organic waste and feed Bill my slime cube instead of an outhouse. Building a sewer took few days I put a five-foot-wide canal down the middle about a hundred feet long placing a four foot wide stone bridge across it in the middle. With three feet thick stone ceiling over the sewer the whole length ran down under the road toward the sea from the square with the hovels I build on each side of the road, with three feet thick wall and a stairway leading up to the ground floor cover by a small ten by five foot building with a door giving me access to the sewer. That took the rest of the day and all the next four days to finish the sewer linking each one to the sewer. I was not easy doing and very messy, still, have to dump water into the toilet to make the shit run into the sewer. I just have to figure out on running the water from the creeks to each hovel and use the wastewater to keep the pipes clean. Still going to smell until I can figure out what to do. I finish another hovel using the logs on the roof like the other. It was satisfying if not a boring week of building. When I finished I was prompt.
Is this a hovel, YES/NO?
¡°Yes¡±
You have built a hovel. 100 (+30) Experience 3/3 hovels
It shows me a similar design to the last hovel I built. Saying yes to the design and the building change to the look I pick. Feel exuberant and tired I slept well that night with no bad dreams. I put the Elemental to work on the road building it up toward both creeks as it lowers each day. I finished my second hovel, three if you count the one I live in, ten feet south of the other one a few days later, double checking everything from top to bottom I added a pipe at the top of the sewer with a one foot square hole for water to run through later punching a hole up to the ground floor and capping both houses. Took two more weeks to finish the other hovel. The ten feet between the hovel I fill in with dirt, well my elemental did, while it was doing that I was finished up the bridge abutment that took two days to build. Water was still moving along I figure I can add onto the abutment to strengthen it when the water gets to it summer lows. It about three days later I started using my water scrying in the morning checking down each side of the road for about ten miles, I was able to reach the west wayside from the road but did not find a wayside to the east.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. It was on the next morning I found myself on top of the tower using the telescope I see some movement to the east, focusing on some people pulling something along the road to the east. Getting a copper pan out and pouring water in, casting the water Scrying, I watch as the view flew from me toward the group. Seeing ten goblins, four females and the rest children. Two of the females is pulling a travois, one is pregnant looking like she in pain, the other is holding a child moving toward me while looking over their shoulder with fear. I counted eight children. Moving the view past them down the road for about eight miles and see two orcs with four large wolves the wolves are feasting on the dead goblins and the orcs are looting the bodies. The view fade way as the time ran out. Orcs, goblins, and giant wolves maybe they are wargs. Can¡¯t let the goblins get kill, don''t know if all goblins are evil but can''t let them become slaughter, if I turn my back on them then this settlement is a sham. Rushing down nearly falling telling the elemental to follow I stop at my plank pile and had him grab ten planks and headed toward the east side of the road when I got to the river. I see that it is up again back to its full height from the rain, casting stone I started making a bridge across the creek lucky I already had a strong base to work from but worry that the stone will crack or collapse halfway across the creek. Being only four feet wide and not very thick the bridge start to sway up and down when I was about ten feet from the shore on the other side. Moving back twenty feet I send a silent pray to Frigga and ran leaping off the bridge landing face first on the road. ¡°Ouch,¡± touching my broken nose seeing blood on my hands.
You receive 16 damage from fall.
Groaning while meditating for ten minutes I was back to full health, building a solid base on this side I can hear the women coming from an occasional cry of the children. Connecting the bridge with the planks as they topped the rise they came to a stop seeing me. All four of the women goblins drew bone knives. Swat humanoid in form, large eyes with the pupil fill most of the eyes, long floppy ears and green to red tangle matted hair that goes down their back, narrow chin with a mouth full of sharp teeth. The women are bare-chested with sagging breasts, they are wearing tater loincloth made from whatever they got their hands on, their walk crouch with their feet being twice as long as a human foot only they walk on the balls of their feet with the heel of the foot more like the ankle. Their feet ends with large toes with claws. Their arms are longer with longer fingers ending with a claw. Instead of four fingers and thumb, they have three fingers and a longer thumb, when in the distance the wargs started howling, they all look back terror, turning toward me I wave them on pointing across the bridge. Wary they pass me still gripping their knives and started across the bridge just as the first warg crest the rise.
Goblin Level 1 Health 18/20
Goblin Children Level 0 Health 9/10
Warg Level 3 Health 60
Even I could ride one of these beasts, as large a donkey but longer, and beefier in size. Longer snout with canines that as long as my stubby finger. This should be the moment that the fight music starts like most online games. Instead, I cast the spell Fireball it slam into the warg chest surprising it as it stumbles and rolls for several feet before running off on fire. I back up on the bridge pass the planks as three more wargs appear, just as I sense a present next to me looking down at the woman goblin standing no higher than three feet tall griping her dagger waiting for the wargs. Shaking my head no and pointing back across the bridge pulling the planks with me, I had my elemental start destroying the bridge in front of me as I cast another fireball at the group of wargs. Three feet of the bridge crumbles away as I turn and ran across the bouncy bridge. Just as I near the end I felt the bridge bounce harder and see a crack forming in front of me, glancing back I see one of the wargs has leaped across and collide with my elemental. Panicking as two more were about to leap on to the bridge I jump the remaining three feet as the bridge collapsed into the swollen creek below carrying away the elemental and the wargs down toward the sea
Your elemental has died A warg had died 100 Experience
A few minutes later
A warg has died 100 Experience A warg has died 100 Experience
Herding the goblins toward to the wayside and hiding behind its wall I glance over and see the orcs laden down with loot, panting hard as they came over the rise. Dropping the loot on the road they spent a half hour looking puzzled at why three of the wargs are dead and no goblins around. They slowly headed toward the sea only to stop and stare at the tower I made. Muttering, ¡°damn!¡± Moving toward them to get closer I cast water suffocation on the orc to the back only to have it fizzle, Two more fizzles I was able to cast it on him causing him to slip into the water, I kept the spell going until I saw the prompt.
You killed an orc raider 80 Experience.
The other orc dropped his pack trying to see where his buddy was in the creek when I cast a second water suffocation on him, he stumbles around dropping to his knees before collapsing to the ground.
You killed an orc raider 80 Experience.
Feeling dizzy from losing so much mana I turn hearing a noise going over my head I turn and see the wolf I hit twice with a fireball fell over dead with a bone knife in its chest on the other side. Turning I see the woman goblin, she points at herself, ¡°Tarla, kill warg!¡± She turns and heads back to the wayside. Summoning the elemental on the other side of the creek I had it pile the bodies as I remade the bridge taking twice as long to make it stronger, two hours later I looted the warg and the orc. I gather a Warg hide, five warg meat, Leather saddle, leather armor, a bronze sword and dagger, nine bone daggers, a pile leather strip that covering blood and wolf slobber. Three bone tip spears, one silver, and fifteen copper, the rest was junk.
Congratulations you have completed a hidden Quest.
Quest completed: Rescue the Goblins Part One Kill 4/4 wargs Kill 2 scout Orcs Save 4/4 women Save 9/9 children 200 experience gain.
Shaking my head and looking at the goblins at the waystation I mutter a prayer to my wife and daughter, "I promise my loves, I will make a Haven you always dream of." Chapter Nine ¡°Okay, Goblins, I hope I did not make a mistake.¡± turning and walking toward the wayside. Don''t get me wrong I know from fantasy games and books that goblins are evil. Vile creatures that will kill and eat anything without hesitation. At the same time, I have read stories of good goblins that heal, build and mine. Keeping the population down can be a problem. I don''t want to be overwhelmed by a horde of goblins in the future. Hearing a scream I rush toward the wayside and seeing one of the Goblin women giving birth. Panicking a little I went to the tower returning with twenty fried rabbit meat, blankets, and a pot. Setting the stuff near them and started a small fire then rushing to the creek with the pot for water to boil. Still not sure about why boiling water. Tarla came over to me as I was standing up. The three-foot tall green skin half starved goblin woman. With large coal black-eyed, and sharp teeth and pug-like nose. I can smell her as she approaches me, her green hair ratty and dirty. Noticing her clothing was torn and dirty with no shoes. Trying hard not to flinch from the smell. As for being half naked I most use to that being around some primitive tribes in my journeys. ¡°Master, can we stay?¡± She said, groveling on the ground. Growling with anger, ¡°get up you do not bow to me or anyone here!¡± She cringes back frightened. ¡°Sorry I scared you,¡± reaching down to help her up, she hesitates before taking her hand. ¡°As long as you decide to stay, no bowing or groveling, understands?¡± ¡°Yes, I understand, do you need us to warm your bed?¡± She said. ¡°No! No! I don¡¯t do that, you and the others are free.¡± Seeing her flinch. ¡°Look I have two hovels, pointing at the two buildings. You are all welcome to live in them, it must be kept clean, you and the others must bathe to keep clean.¡± Seeing the look of horror at bathing he laugh. ¡°We will have to find clothes for all you.¡± ¡°Bathe? Do we have to?¡± She whines showing terror. ¡°You can always leave.¡± ¡°But you said we do not have to obey anyone,¡± she responded. Laughing, shaking my head ¡°0n this you all do, I will make a tub for you all to get clean in. There are rules. Tarla and you have to follow them to stay if you break the rules you leave.¡± staring down at her. ¡°My name is Jack and welcome to Safehaven.¡±
Your reputation with Swamp Water tribe increases by 1
Tarla loyalty increase by 1 Daria loyalty increase by 1 Gema loyalty increase by 1 Kora loyalty increase by 1
Building a two feet deep tub, three feet wide and six feet long, using water blast and flare spell to heat up the water. Going up in the tower and retrieved thirteen tunic and several blankets. He hollers for Tamla to come over. While he waited he cut one of the rope into thirteen pieces for belts. Tamla leads the others to the tube, she points to each of the women, ¡° Darja, Gema, and Kora. Kora had the baby. I told we must bathe or no stay.¡± She drops her tattered clothes in a pile and climbs in the tube. Turning red I turn away, I hear the other women talking among themselves in goblin, laughing at him. ¡°You no look at women or no seen one naked before.¡± Tamla laughed. ¡°Be sure to get the dirt off and dry off using the blanket, I put a stack of the tunic on the blankets there with rope belts. Let me know if you need more water.¡± Rushing away to laughter from the women. Glancing back as they wash the children one by one shaking his head. An hour later he hears someone approach, looking up from one of the books I was reading, ¡°sorry we laugh,¡± she said. Seeing her in a tunic. Looking clean, seeing yellow freckle across her nose. Her green hair was clean and pulled behind her long droopy pointed ears hanging down. A smell of some type of herbs reaches his nose. ¡°Me add smelly flowers to the water. you like?¡± Grinning with her sharp teeth. Nodding ¡°smells nice. I have more blankets for all of you to sleep on, I have pots and skillets for you to use in your fireplace.¡± Looking puzzled, ¡°fireplace?¡± Laugh while standing up grabbing a copper pot and some firewood. ¡°Follow me Tamla,¡± head into one of the hovels. Starting a fire in the large fireplace explaining that they can cook using it. Filling the pot from his water skin he then added a rabbit and vegetables. In the real world, it would take a few hours, in this world less than a minute. Making six bowls of rabbit stew. Taking a silver spoon out and hand her a bowl. She groans with delight from eating a spoonful. ¡°When you are done please clean your bowls and pots so you can use them to make the next meal.¡± ¡°You teach us to cook and to live like humans?¡± She asked. ¡°Yes and teach you to hunt and grow a garden for food. All four of you need to learn skills to survive and maybe make money,¡± I said ¡°What for you?¡± she asks narrowing her eyes. Teach me how to speak in goblin, and your culture. If you know anything about the area I be happy to learn anything you know.¡± I said. Getting up and heading outside, seeing everyone clothed. Considering the clothes in the digital word grow or shrink to fit. I know I will be feeling better not having to see breasts hanging down.
Swamp Water tribe Reputation increase by 1 (+2)
While the children played the women empty out the basin and clean it out. Tarla whisper, ¡°we think you bath we smell you far away,¡± Laughing as she grabs a crying child and waves everyone into the hovel. Shrugging I cast water into the basin and cast flare to heat it up. Stripping I climb in making sure no one watching, using some of the herbs to scrub the dirt off it felt good relaxing. The next morning I set off with Gema, after finding out she knows how to trap. She shows me how to set snares, and spot good game trails, we end up setting twenty snares by noon. It was a quiet morning since I did not know how to speak Goblin or her speaking common. After that, I head to the east bridge and scry to the east finding nothing to worry about. I finished the building the Stone bridge being prompt.Stolen story; please report. You have built a stone bridge. Do you wish to alter bridge, YES/NO? ¡°Yes,¡± looking through about thirty bridges. I found one with an arch across the water that looked very strong. Think I should have build two towers and a wooden drawbridge. Not seeing one but did find one with two wooden gates on each end and decided on that one.
Do you accept the bridge? YES/NO?
¡°Yes.¡± The bridge shimmer and the arch under the bridge form with two gates that I ended up barring. When I walk back the wayside I clean up the fire pit and replenishes the firewood nearby. I smelled rabbit stew as I passed their hut. Tamla steps out of the hut and handed me a bowl. I sat and watch the children play, ¡°what is their names pointing at the children.¡± Shaking her head no, ¡°No name children for one year, they become an adult, half make one year.¡± She said matter of fact. ¡°How old are you, Tamla?¡± Thinking, then counting her hands and toes ¡°thirteen winters, twenty-five children, all dead.¡± shaking her head sadly. ¡°I am sorry for your loss, so who¡¯s children are these?¡± Pointing at two of the children, Gema. Kora gives birth to one, rest are tribes, raise them all and protect them. Many women do not survive past ten winters, we two to three children a year. Kora baby walk in a week, in six months, learn to kill rats, by one, adult.¡± She takes my empty bowl and washes it, I get up and head to the tower, an hour later I see the women head to the basin and strip. I turn red and turn away from the arrow slit. Hearing the women laughing made me feel good. Seeing the books in the bookcase l decided I need to teach them common to learn some skills. Morning came to the goblin women singing. Climbing up to the tower I look down and see then cooking breakfast. Look through the telescope in all directions. I did not spot anything of importance except to the north, I can see the Aurochs moving about ten miles away. Climbing down I decided to build a four-foot wall on the north side of the road. To keep the cattle from hurting anyone. Eating breakfast with the goblins I told them I will be working on a wall today to keep the wild cattle out. Tamla and some of the older children decided to gather firewood and some plants. Gema helps me check the snares. We found thirteen rabbits, thirteen hides and meat, loss three rabbits to predators. Resetting the snares Gema took the hides and meat back. Took the whole day to put a four-foot high wall two feet wide along the road. Every few hours each one of the ladies brought me water to drink. I figure on putting in a gate in the wayside in the morning. Tamla ask me what I want to be done with the pile of old clothing of theirs. I decided to show her Bill, feeding him one piece every few days seem to keep him happy. Putting the elemental back to work on extending the sewer out to cover two more hovels. Before turning in after dark ¡°Tamla can you tell Gema that half the rabbits hide and meat is hers.¡± Tamla and Gema talk heatedly for a few minutes, ¡°No understand, a woman does not own, we are own.¡± Getting a little angry at the thought of women being own. ¡°Tell her no one own anyone here, and she shows me how to make snares and set them so it is only fair she gets half. Tell her there are merchants that pay money for north slope rabbit fur and if a coat is made out of it, it is worth more.¡± Seeing Tamla eyes get big. After hearing from Tamla, Gema eyes get big and said something back. ¡°How we learn to make coats?¡± Tamla ask. ¡°Can you read?¡± I ask ¡°I read a little, they no,¡± Tamla said sadly. ¡°Well, I will have to teach you all while I am learning goblin.¡± When she told the others I was hugged by everyone, took me an hour to head back to my tower. ¡°Jack? Why help us?¡± Tamla asked ¡°Because I want to, good night Tamla.¡± And climb into my tower.
Tamla loyalty increase by 1 (+2) Gema loyalty increase by 1 (+2)
Next morning I found Tamla and Kora looking at the temple door, ¡°something wrong ladies?¡± Seeing both of them jump. Tamla said, ¡°we saw a woman go inside.¡± pointing at the door. Opening the double doors I see Frigga stand next to her shrine. Both goblin hiding behind me as I walk in. Bowing to Frigga I hear Tamla hiss, ¡°he bowing to her,¡± Frigga glow a golden hue. ¡°Because he shows respect to his goddess,¡± Frigga said smiling. Both ladies grovel on the floor, ¡°I just had the stop doing that.¡± Shaking my head. She laughs and bend over and pulled both women to their feet, walking around both of them. ¡°Didn¡¯t expect you to have other races so soon, Odin is pleased with himself for winning the bet. I came to let you know that a priestess and a paladin. They both have taken the quest together to serve my temple. If they survive the trek they should be here soon¡± Looking at the two goblins, ¡°you are welcome to attend my temple.¡± saying to the goblins. ¡°You, on the other hand," Pointing at me, "need to come more often.¡± Pointing at me. Tamla step forward, ¡°Goddess, a boon from you, I pay price.¡± kneeling before her. ¡°Any price? Hmm, Very well name your boon,¡± ¡°Tribe wish to read and write common.¡± Keeping her head bow. Laughing, ¡°Delightful, this will make Odin fluster! Very well, ¡°pressing her palm to Tamla forehead a bright light shined from her body. ¡°What I give you can be both a blessing and a curse. All that seek knowledge will come to you as a teacher. Be warned you will be targeted by those that see knowledge as evil and those that see you as dangerous. My price is for you to bring as many of your people to seek knowledge and peace. I fear you will fail.¡± When I open my eyes Frigga was gone. Tamla''s mouth was open. Kora said, ¡°are you alright?¡± Her eyes getting huge, ¡°I speak common!¡± Tamla had tears streaming down her face, ¡°I understand so much now. Thank you for giving me the gift of freedom.¡± She hugs me crying. When the others rush in all talking at once. I slipped out to work on the gate, carrying several boards with me and went to the wayside.
Tamla loyalty increase to by 3 (+5) Daria loyalty increase to by 1 (+2) Gema loyalty increase by 1 (+3) Kora loyalty increase by 1 (+2) Swamp Water tribe Reputation increase by 1 (+3)
An hour later and a finished gate, Gema smile at me as she went through the gate to check the snares. We ended up killing two wolves that attack us. Gema had her left arm slightly damage, ten rabbits hide and meat along with two Grey wolves pelt and four wolf meat. I worked on the west bridge, return back to the tower after dark lighting the light post for the night. Looking at the temple seeing light inside I hear the woman singing praises to Frigga as I climb my tower. Next morning I holler at Tamla to come to the tower. I show her the books and told her to pass out any of the skill books to whoever she feels can use them. She started crying and held on to me until she stops crying. After a few minutes, she hugs me again and heads out the door. I gave Gema my Warhammer for protection. And head toward the west bridge. Spending three days to finish it got the same prompt just like the other bridge and made the same choice. Now that bridge was done. I proceeded to work on the next two hovels taking three days to complete each one. Each night we all sat around a fire talking. Gema took herbalism and herding. While Kora took tailoring. Darja took farming and herbalism, two of the older boys took fishing. Tarla said she already has skills so she read the cookbook along with the other books. Sometimes having to kick her out of the tower due to her reading. During all this, Gema supply of rabbits pelt reach about a hundred. Kora making bone needles and was able to make thread from strands of braided hair. she made ten coats out of the rabbit''s fur. My stack of pelts was over a hundred. I told Kora she can have half the money if she makes hats, shirt, gloves, pants, and boots to go with the coats. With the help of my elemental, Darja and Gema was able to put in an acre of farmland north of the wayside. I did learn the goblins use to live in the swamp. But was pushed out by the Lizardmen from the south and a large Orc tribe to the east.
Tamla loyalty increase by 2 (+7) Gema loyalty increase by 4 (+7)
Tamla: Shaman 5, Teacher 1, Herbalism 1, Gema: Forager 4. Hunter 3, Herbalism 1, Herding 1. Kora: Forager 3, Tailoring 1. Darja: Forager 2, Cook 3, Farming 1, Herbalism 1.
¡°Be sure to keep a set for each of us for this winter,¡± I said as I head to my hovel. After I clean up the hovel I lay down for the night. Waking up to the sound of clanking of bones and a skeleton laughing over my head.
You have died!
Chapter Ten Staring down upon the world focusing on the lights around Jack''s hovel. Frigga signs deeply as a woman in a Roman toga stop next to her. All around the world below light showing monsters, NPC, players and the deceases. Some in various stages of pleasure to dying. Jack''s light show he was deceased. It has been a long road of recovery for him. His mother injured, His father, wife, and daughter all killed in front of him. While he was laying on the ground helpless and dying when the African Army. raided the camp and was able to get him into a stasis pod. Still, do not know how her creator knew they were in danger. Having spent several hours and on the problem at hand to figure out why. Only to stumble upon the fact that The Colonel that killed his family is onboard this ship. It took Jack one year to recover enough from his family deaths to stop wanting to die. To learn of this man being in that world could derail his recovery. ¡°How many times has your champion died?¡± The beautiful woman next to her said. ¡°One hundred and sixty-six times as you well know Aphrodite.¡± glaring at her. Holding up her hands in surrender, ¡°at least yours doing something, mine...¡± shaking her head in annoyance. ¡°Mine has joined the Mars faction against my wishes. I gave her beauty and charm that she uses to build herself a large merchant business in sex slavery.¡± Signing deeply. Arching an eyebrow, ¡°you going all Medusa on her yet?¡± Snorting a laugh, ¡°End of the month, Going to have to find another champion. At least yours is trying to do something but worry about the faction within the Roman Pantheon. The Imperium has been overthrown by Mars and his faction. So instead of one empire, it has splintered into several hundred city-states. Mars have four cities and several towns under his rule. While Zeus has six cities and a dozen towns. The rest have become neutral or reverted back to their own gods. In the last two months, six new gods AI have been created by Asgard the ship itself. I heard the cities to the north of you have taken on a few Celt gods knocking several of your people from the cities.¡± Turning her attention back down below. The light change showing the gods factions of the world. The Norse Gods still hold about half of the world mostly the north. While the south is mostly Roman Gods broken ups with Egyptian and Greek gods mix in. Here and there several new factions have formed. The Celtic gods have formed to the northeast only two cities. Shaking her head. ¡°I feel like someone behind all this, it was not in the master plan for there to be so many divisions within the gods. In twelve years we pull a slingshot maneuver. Sending a decoy along our current route to fool those Mercenary ships that are following. ¡°Frigga, do you think your Champion could lead the colony?¡± Aphrodite ask. Staring back down below as Jack''s light change from black to white. ¡°I hoping so.¡± ****************************************************
You have died no experience loss until the fifth level.
Waking looking up at the Hearthtree canopy over me as the Sun rises from the East the sense of deja-vu. Rolling over and groaning in disgust as I roll onto my feet, ¡°I hate undead.¡± Looking down at myself in my underwear. ¡°Great! No armor!¡± Stomping over to my hovel and realize my door is barred from the inside. ¡°Argh! Sitting down on the steps of the stairs, hearing the laughter of the draugr inside, ¡°Shut up!¡± Putting my head down on my knees as more laughter erupts from inside. After an hour of me sitting there half naked, I notice the goblins all staring at me like I was crazy. Maybe I was but I am not going to let a brainless undead beat me. Getting up deciding to summon my elemental and have it start beating on the door. While it was busy smashing in the door I went to the tower and rummage through some gear to cloth myself. Heading back outside when my elemental died. Summoning the elemental three more time before deciding on going in on the fourth time. Level three Draugr knock me out the door, to the road below losing half my health. Gasping for air that got knock out of me as I stumble to my feet. Dragging myself back up the steps and hitting it with Flare three times as my elemental kept beating on it. Well, two times and the third Flare hit my elemental and kill it. The draugr collapses into a pile of bones. Bending over I looted an urn. Hashar York, warrior third level. Travel to Fangor to start a new life and to court the Mayor''s daughter. Died during the third assault on Fangor. ¡°It must have gained a level on killing me! Really?¡± Glaring at the heavens. I sorted through the urns for the ones that will spawn in a week. Putting them in a pen I made with ten feet high walls next to the tower so I can fire down on them. Took me most of the morning to do that I felt like I wasted my day building the pen. After the pen, I added more light poles on the road and had the elemental dig up dirt for my roads. Using it to level out the ground and build up the banks of the creek. It took two weeks to finish stoning in the streets and build two more farm plots for farming. A rabbit pen using a four-foot high walls and a small building to keep the rabbit safe. I killed a few more of the draugr as they respawn. This time summoning the elemental inside the pen and firing down from the tower. Tarla spent most of the evening teaching the others common and how to write. I still can not get them to stop treating me as if I am their master. Gema spends a lot more of her time with me. Learning by pointing or asking in broken common on how to do something, in return she help me on learning goblin. I doubt I would want to go back to being alone they may look different from humans and dwarves but they seem like real people. Gema is a few inches taller than Tarla and broader in the shoulder with more muscle. Wider in the face with long droopy ears. Where Tarla is more direct on talking a real chatterbox, Gema is more forward on her ability to hunting and trapping and less talking. Between the two I would not want to fight Gema. It has been several months pass since the first merchant came, only a month since the goblins moved in. When I saw by my morning scrying a wagon was at the wayside ten miles away. I was excited but was wondering where the two wagons that were to show last month? Filling the fire pit at the wayside with wood, fill up the water basin up with fresh water. I had everyone go to my tower a few hours before sunset when the wagon came in sight.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Opening the gates on the bridge with the elemental behind me. as the wagon stopped seeming surprised that there were a bridge and a gate. A man and woman sat in the front seat of the covered wagon. He looks to be human in his mid thirty. Light brown hair and a braid mustache that hangs a few inches below his cleft chin. She looks like a typical stereotype Viking woman with long blond pig-tail hair. Bright blue eyes to his brown, and a little on the plump side not saying she fat just filled out in all the right places. Walking on both side of the wagon was a young man and woman with crossbows. She had black hair like a raven that was in a ponytail. Wearing tan leather that reminds me of mountain men of the wild west. Her eyes are emerald green always searching around for danger whereas. Whereas he reminds me of a ferret keeping his eyes avert from me. Short crop hair dark brown with a goatee. With a scar across his right cheek wearing dark leather and a cloak, Rogue seems to scream out at his appearance. As they came near I heard the old ¡°Hello Stranger, we wish to pass.¡± ¡°Welcome to Fangor, we have a wayside for you to use and items to sell, buy or trade. My name is Jack. ¡°I¡¯m Joseph this is Martha my wife, Ann our adopted daughter and that Leo whom we met a few weeks ago. ¡°Any undead around?¡± ¡°None, I killed them all a few months ago.¡± Nodding to each of them. ¡°There a fire pit and wood at the wayside. Water in a basin to use just filled it today. If either one of the young folk can close and bar that gate after you drive through I can get you situated and settled for the night. Your welcome to visit the temple to Frigga in the morning, just to warn you so you do not attack any of my residents I rescued several goblin women and children from orcs last month, Frigga blessed them so please do not shoot anyone or you answer to me.¡± Before anyone can speak, ¡°Rules are simple, no fighting, no killing, clean up your mess when you leave.¡± The young man narrows his eyes. Looking at the bridge and its defenses and the creek. Turning my back to them I headed to my tower, I can feel my shoulder blades itching. Raising the drawbridge with a sign of relief as I was bombarded with questions from everyone. ¡°Merchants!¡± Tarla jump with joy, ¡°we can sale some stuff!¡± grabbing Gema and the others and headed downstairs of the tower to organize their goods. Gema watches them with the telescope from the top of the tower. I took over watching several hours before dawn. My elemental was in Tarla home resting against the door to keep anyone from entering their home, just before daylight I spotted the young man leaving one of the hovels when he could not force open the door to Tarla¡¯s home he then heads back to the wayside. Another shadow steps out from behind the last building watching the man return to the wayside, a woman face turns up to the tower looking sad. She turns and fades away. An hour later I walk up to the wayside with my elemental carrying a chest. I hear Mesa-la say my name as I pass the tree. ¡°Yes? Mesa-la?¡± ¡°There was a man here last night that bound himself. He seems excited to know the settlement was not claim yet.¡± She said. ¡°Thanks for letting me know.¡± Having the elemental wait, I headed on to the wayside. ¡°Hello, Jack.¡± ¡°Hello, Joseph, I was here for trading but now it is for a different reason. I saw Leo trying to break into one of the buildings. ¡°Hey what are you accusing me of?¡± Leo retorted, ¡°Do you have any proof? I have been here all night!¡± Reaching for his sword. ¡°You pull that out I will make you regret it.¡± Glaring at him. ¡°You have one hour to be off my land.¡± ¡°Or what? This is an unclaimed settlement.¡± He sneered. Joseph and Martha back away from Leo. Shaking my head sadly, ¡°it may be unclaimed at the moment but I will defend it.¡± ¡°I can have ten people here in a month and take this place, there is nothing you can do, just like the Holter family you be just as dead. I...¡± he fell forward dead with a crossbow bolt in his back. A dagger fell to the ground coated with some kind of fluid. ¡°He was going to use the dagger on you,¡± Ann said. Holding up the crossbow showing surrender. ¡°Bind point!¡± I burp out, ¡°be right back.¡± Rushing to the Hearth Tree. Got about thirty feet from the tree when I see Leo come into view, I target him and sic my elemental on him.. Casting water suffocation as he was defending himself he started clawing at his face trying to remove the water. From a few feet away I hiss at him, ¡°I¡¯m going to keep killing you so you better take your last bind, and when you come with your friends I will kill you again. Goodbye.¡± He died just as Ann arrived.
You have killed a Player! You have been flagged PVP for 24 hours for killing a player!
A few minutes later he reappeared, between the two of us and my elemental we killed him. We waited an hour Ann didn¡¯t say a word for a bit. ¡°The Holter family were good people.¡± ¡°Saw you this morning following him, you faded away like a rogue,¡± I said. ¡°Trying to be a ranger I can take that class when I become level five,¡± she said. ¡°Have to find a trainer, was told there one that roams the woods. So far I do not see anyone, I am close to getting level five. Not check this area was going to last night but saw Leo get up and sneak into the village here. ¡°Your welcome to stay, and explore the woods,¡± I said. ¡°I need the people.¡± Walking back to the wayside both Joseph and Martha apologized for bringing Leo into my settlement. ¡°Hey, It''s alright, there be good and bad people in this world. Your welcome to stay, not sure what he had planned for you down the road.¡± ¡°We like to stay a few days, maybe trade with you,¡± Joseph said. You can look at our wares, I make furniture. We were moving up to the port, the last place we were at had six furniture makers, so I bought this wagon and two mules and left. We took in Ann six months ago. When we found her wounded by the road.¡± Looking at Ann, ¡°doing a quest to clear wild boars, the last two boars surprise me, killed both but pass out when someone slugs me from behind and looted both boars. They found me shortly after that when I stumble onto the road.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you heal up?¡± I asked. ¡°Kind of hard to heal with a concussion effect on you, I was hit hard enough to get a five minutes effect almost got ran over by their mules. After I heal I turn in my quest and went with them.¡± ¡°I make the pillows, beds, and padding for Joseph¡¯s furniture,¡± Martha spoke up. We were hoping to set up shop but..¡± waving her hand to the east looking upset.¡± ¡°So how you know Holter family?¡± ¡°We met them six weeks back, I built some stools for a pub, so we were three weeks behind them. We spent two days with them. After the bar stools were done we headed this way but we never saw them.¡± Joseph said. ¡°Every time we got close to catching up the damn wagon would lose a wheel. ¡°Sound like there is a bandit camp out there. Your welcome to stay as long as you like. If you like to set up shop I can build you one, it will have wait until after I build some walls up. Have you thought Leo was sabotaging the wagon?¡± I built an enclosed box encase Leo try to return to cause problems. Once I have a settlement going I will have the option to keep people from returning to bind here. Not ready to fight players, not happy with the Leo types in this world, if they are like that here what will happen when we start a colony when we arrive at our destination. Next few days I had my elemental dig a pit under the road to the west leaving two feet of dirt to cover the pit. I fill the bottom with sharpened stakes. Hoping no one innocent stumble on the pit and get hurt. I can always stop them from driving their wagon over the road unless it Leo. Chapter Eleven Ann took Gema under her wing and they hit it off. Keeping us in meat and furs, inseparable friends after a week. Joseph and Martha move into one hovel and Ann and Gema moved into another. The creeks started dropping in level. So made it easier to build a five-foot thick wall ten feet high along Granite Creek. I finally got a bed in my hovel a week after Joseph and Martha settle in and overslept on my first day using it. Ann pulled me aside, ¡°I have been talking to some people I use to group with?¡± Seeing me look puzzled she started grinning pulling out a marble. ¡°This is a chat stone you can talk to others if you touch it to another stone. You can get one from any temple water basin. I was talking to Kari about what was going on. She is a Druid, she and several others keep getting push out of areas they want to settle in. Too many people in the area, they want to know if they are welcomed here? They hate bullying and thugs and they are willing to help.¡± ¡°Any earth mages?¡± I laugh, ¡°Yes, they can come, hope we still here when they get here.¡± She pauses looking into her stone. ¡°She is level six, just received a gate spell to a stone circle in the Forlorn woods to the west of us. She does not know how far west of here but she can port a group there and they will try to be here in a few days.¡± ¡°Tell her yes, we can¡¯t fight off players bandits without help. I been busy building and not leveling up if they need me to build a building I will.¡± ¡°I told them about your village here it is a beautiful place. All the building are based off your temple design.¡± She said, ¡°Kari said they have two mages in their group and will get Earth magic spell to help you on building walls.¡± ¡°Viking and roman mix, I want a place that feels welcome and safe.¡± Feeling relieved. ¡°Ann just make sure your friend doesn''t betray me please.¡± ¡°I know Kari from Earth, grew up together and we both won a place on this ship. She is a botanist that had a green thumb was always growing gardens, I got into land management and here we are. We both wanted to find a place to test our ideas on surviving. She went west with a group I head north to scout. The Imperium has been pushing us out of the area because we took nonhuman characters.¡± ¡°That not going to be good I doubt the AI''s are not going to be happy with this. We suppose to all get along to survive.¡± shaking my head in disgust. Your human or is it you run with nonhumans? "Guilty by association," she said. I got one of the stones from the temple and paired it to Ann. A few days later I got more of the wall along the Fall creek done. Ann told me her friends made it to the Druid circle, they had a large fight with some wicked walking trees. She had to gate back and port back half of her people that died. saying that she can see a sea to the southeast, less than a mile away. There look like several small islands one with a ruined tower on it. Climbing the tower I check west and southwest. Not seeing the ruins I use my water scrying and after an exhausting hour I reaching my Mana limit. I spotted the island she was talking about. ¡°Ann I spotted the tower southwest of us about twenty to twenty-five miles. If they follow the seashore They could be here in a few days unless they want to head due west to cut off some time.¡± I said. Looking west toward the wayside with my scrying before the time is up I see several wagons. A group of men in armor was walking around, and spotting Leo before the spell ended. ¡°Tell your friends that I spotted the bandits a day out by wagon at the wayside to the west.¡± ¡°I told her, she said they could be here in a day if the pushed it. She said her two mages can be here in a few hours, they have water walking.¡± ¡°That would help, also make the ten people I needed to make a settlement, Thanks.¡± Three of the young goblins became adults a few days ago, Tarla had me on hand to find a Class for them. I voice my opinion on letting the adults pick their own but the four woman insists it was the Goblin way. Two males one was beefy and stronger than the others so he was granted warrior class using a spear. His name was Dar. The other was thinner and like fishing with a spear He took the duel class Fisherman and Spearman, Kas was his name. Demere got sick after two days awoke with a Shaman class. Show off healing and lightning powers. ¡°Okay the mages on their way,¡± Ann said. Heading to the temple, tossing a silver in the basin and pray. ¡°Worried Jack?¡± Seeing Frigga standing there. ¡°I killed a player, I know he spawned again but all I thought was to not allow a slaughter happen again. Just like the village that my family was at. Before I was put on this ship. I can not allow them to hurt those under my care. How do I fight those that can come back? Killing them will not stop them, jailing them they just kill themselves.¡± I said. ¡°There is an ability on the settlement. That is called banishment, you have to capture your attackers. It will send them their original city. They cannot approach your city sphere of influence without a state of war or raid. That requires being a town or kingdom. They could set up bandit camp to raid a town. But the rules are that they can not occupy a town nor can they destroy a hearthstone or tree. After twenty-four hours they have to leave the settlement. At which point they cannot attack again for one month. Also once they attack they must capture the settlement in twenty-four hours or leave for a month. Each time you repel an attack the city gains more fame and influence and in some cases a chest. Each time you lose, you lose fame and influences. Losing it all, you could have your stone or tree destroyed or taken. All the building must be replaced or you drop down to the next level in town or settlement.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°Okay, what is a city sphere of influence?¡± Laughing, ¡°you really been out of the loop, for a settlement type that you have. There is a half a mile radius that under your domain. You can farm, build and do whatever you want also wild creatures are low level. High-level creatures can enter but the feel the urge to leave after so long. Each level of settlement increases your range by a half mile up to a maximum of five miles. At which point you are a village, you gain up to another five miles you become a town after that a city. So if you are a level three settlement anyone you banish cannot enter your sphere of influence. If they enter they lose three percent of their health every minute until death. Reading the book on settlement in your tower would answer your questions earlier.¡± Laughing as she fades away. I turn and see Martha standing at the door with her mouth open pointing ¡°was that Frigga!¡± I nodded as I passed her,
Martha loyalty increase by 500 neutral
Couldn¡¯t help myself as I said, ¡°It is her temple.¡± Cora and Firebrand show up three hours later. Seem they were chased by giant water spiders, sea serpents, turtles and fish. They looked exhausted. ¡°Hi! I¡¯m Jack Stonewright welcome to Safehaven, shaking both of their hands. Cora was an elf, tall with blue hair and eyes, wearing a blue robe and a blue staff, she was a water mage. Firebrand was a redhead elven male wearing red robes and had a cool flaming staff. Found out they were brother and sister. I walk over to the Hearth Tree. Mesa-la spoke, do you wish to create a settlement? ¡°Yes, please,¡± I said. First I must ask all the adults if they wish to join the settlement.¡±
Do you wish to join this settlement? YES/NO?
They all responded, ¡°Yes¡± You have full fill the requirements of 12/10 people, 1 civil building and four hovels. You know an owner of a settlement, what do you wish to name your settlement?
Settlement Name?
¡°Safehaven.¡±
You name your settlement Safehaven? Yes/No?
¡°Yes.¡±
3000 Experience earn DING level 4 You are now leader of Safehaven a level one settlement, your sphere of influence is half a mile radius.
Ten level one guard has appeared!
You can now build a town hall.
Wall can be upgraded to a level one wall, do you wish the walls upgrade? YES/NO?
¡°Yes¡± The wall along the west side changed.
Gate 1 Defense, Health 50 West wall 5 Defense, Health 100
Do you wish the north wall to upgrade to a level one wall? One thousand stones require you have one thousand and thirty stones. YES/NO?
Puzzled, Mesa-la it said I have one thousand and thirty stones to use on a wall, I don¡¯t have any stones.¡± ¡°You let your elemental clear out all the stone foundation and rocks in the area. He then piles them to the east of here near the creek.¡± I said, ¡°Oh, then yes to wall.¡± To the north, the small wall grew and shimmer. Until a fifteen-foot-high wall ten feet wide replace the smaller wall. Feeling happy as I look at ten Viking guards in leather armor and bronze spears and shields. I sent them to the gate and walls. Turning Cora and Firebrand. ¡°Thank you. There is a lower level of a mage tower over there that you can stay in until we build a tower. It has four rooms below that I clean out a month ago, Joseph is a furniture maker if you need anything, I¡¯m sure he can build it.¡± Walking over to the basin at the wayside with the stone wall surrounding it I cast scry on the basin. Seeing only seven men in the camp to the west. I contact Ann using the stone. ¡°Missing three people from their camp I figuring they sent spy¡¯s to check us out.¡± Ann response, ¡°I will check along the woods and road, I think I can spot any.¡± ¡°Okay be safe, be sure to bind here and tell Cora and Firebrand to do the same.¡± ¡°Will do, boss,¡± she laughed. Putting the stone away. I check the gate. I bump into something, rolling to the side I fire a fireball. The fireball hit someone that bounce off the wall burning. My elemental slammed into the person on the ground as two guards ran up. Leaping forward I pin him to the ground with the help of the guard, recognizing the cursing as Leo. ¡°You can¡¯t let it go, Leo,¡± taking his backpack and empty it out. Taking both of his bronze daggers I had my elemental bend them, all the while he cursing me. I had the guards strip him to his underwear, he fought them hard trying to get loose. Dragging him away from his stuff I slap him. ¡°I, Jack Stonewright do hereby banish you permanently from Haven.¡± A red glow form around Leo as he disappears.¡± Thirty minutes later Ann called over the messaging stone. ¡°I killed one, wasn¡¯t trying to, I caught the other twenty feet down from the bridge with a vine snare. I will be bringing him in about ten minutes.¡± About ten minutes later she had the man draped over her shoulder when the guards let her through. Striping him of everything and dumping out his pack. Bending his blades and toss them back into the packs. Ann asked, ¡°why are you bending the blades?¡± The backpack and blades are soul bound because a thief can steal or pickpockets your content of the pack. Unless it is soul bound like those rings he wearing and the boots. Checking his stone and seeing the same names as what was on Leo. ¡°I, Jack Stonewright do hereby banish you permanently from Safehaven.¡± A red glow form around Dash as he disappears. ¡°And when you banish them in their underwear?¡± I shrugged, ¡°why not.¡± I grin as I walk away, ¡°eight more to go.¡± It was quiet during the night, I was up at three in the morning and headed to the gate. Figuring something will happen before dawn. An hour before dawn one of my guards on the wall died from a fireball. A second hit the gate.
Jason the guard has died! Respawn in 48 hours.
The west gate has received 2 damage, 48/50 left.
A Bandit Raid has started!
Chapter Twelve
Bandit Raid has begun you have 23 hours and fifty-two minutes before raid ends.
I sent a guard to get the mages and Ann. No clue to the player''s name considering my inspect is low. Plus some crossbows bolts kept me and the guards all hunker down. Hearing a wagon rumbling I glance over. Taking thirty-one points of damage in my right shoulder from a bolt. ¡°Son of a fart-ass mule! That hurts!¡± Pulling the bolt out. I did see a wagon being pushed by a few men, figuring they were going to try to climb over the gate using the wagon. Just as Cora and Firebrand arrived a large crash and screaming outside the gate. Glancing over the wall I see my pit trapped worked. The road collapse beneath the wagon and several bandits were running to help those that fell in. Firebrand cast a fireball into the group of people. More screaming and a few people rolling on the ground. Cora case a water elemental and it started attacking the fire mage. After a few minutes, it was quiet except for the moaning in the pit. Checking the pit and found two injured men impaled. Pulling them off the sharpened stakes and stripping them I banished two more. Seeing several names, not on the communication stones. I seem to have whittled them down, seven more to go. The fire mage was killed but was informed by Cora that some camps can allow people to bind. So seven players left did find out Devon was their leader. A fighter level 6, the mage was level four not yet a class mage. One thief fifth level and four fighter fourth level. If Devon gets through the gate only Cora and Firebrand could hurt him maybe. Using the scrying I can see that Devon was furious. Storming around his camp destroying crates. All his men look scared. Then saw him touch a banner and ten warriors appear. ¡°Double damn! He got NPC troops too!¡± Finding Ann and Gema, ¡°can you find anything in the forest you can train through their camp tonight?¡± asked Ann. ¡°Train?¡± Gema asks puzzle. Ann started laughing, ¡°wow forgot about that, I remember a few time I was trained.¡± Turning to a puzzle Gema. ¡°It is called a train because you run through someone camp or a group with monsters chasing you. The monsters end up attack the camp or group. Sometimes you die in the process.¡± Laughing. ¡°Yeah, there are a group of wild boar to the north I saw some tracks a few days ago near on the bank of the creek. If I can get them pissed off at me. I could run them through the camp. Gema will have to stay behind if players get a hold of her they could use her as leverage.¡± ¡°Gema started to protest, ¡°Gema I can be reborn if I am killed, you can¡¯t, that¡¯s final.¡± Pouting Gema nodded. Checking out the settlement interface I see Safehaven as a settlement one. currently under a raid all cost at times three. I can buy ten more guards for a total of twenty guards or archer because I have a tower. Can also recruit a blacksmith, tanner, hunters, fishermen, herdsmen, and cook. Already have two boys well one boy and one adult as fishermen. They have killed three lake crabs and fifty fried fish. The crab shells are for recipes in making shields. They are ingredients for potions of breathing underwater. Have not made any shield yet with not time but one of the boys made a crab knife from one of the claw.
Crab knife
Durability 20/20
5 damage
Bleeding effect: +1 health damageper turn for ten turns. Stackable.
I hate not having a name for the goblins so I call him Tim Crabknive and Kas Fishkiller. Told them both they can make and sell the knives and keep the money. They seem to be happy, I told them that I heard that crabs can be caught in cages they can get in to but not out of. Figure I put the idea in their head maybe the can figure out how to make one. Back to the interface,
type Building requirement
Hovel 20'' by 40'' two level blueprint
dock 20'' by 60'' wood dock blueprint
fishing shack 10'' by 10'' wood blueprint
shop 40'' by 40'' stone and wood blueprint
shrine 10'' by 10'' stone or wood blueprint
temple 20'' by 20'' stone and/or wood blueprint
blacksmithy 30'' by 30'' stone blueprint
tannery 30'' by 30'' stone/wood blueprint
town hall 30'' by 40'' stone/wood blueprint
farm 20'' by 40'' two level stone or wood or both. Require one acre of land minium, blueprint
granery 10'' by 10'' by 20'' blueprint
warehouse 40'' by 60'' for use of upgrading and repairing building, blueprint
Type DEFENSE Requirement
walls type I 10 gold per 10'' by 10'' defense 100 stone, wood. blueprint
gate wood type I 10 gold 10'' by 20'' double door Defense 50 stone, wood. blueprint
tower type 1 stone 100gold. 40'' by 40'' by 30'' with the lower floor. 20 troops Stone, wood. blueprint
pit trap 10 silver 10'' by 10'' by 10'' stake 10 damage + 2d10 damage blueprint
moat 10 gold 10'' by 10'' by 10'' of water blueprint
ballista 1 gold pattern or by 10 gold to buy a ballista wood, metal, blueprint
guards 1 gold per level: Settlement I level cap V 3 food, 2 ale daily, bed, equipment mended, living quarters
healer 3 gold per level: Settlement I level cap V 3 food, 2 ale daily, bed, equipment mended,living quarters
archers 2 gold per level: Settlement I level cap V 3 food, 2 ale daily, bed, equipment mended,living quarters
Crossbowmen 2 gold per level: Settlement I level cap V 3 food, 2 ale daily, bed, equipment mended,living quarters
Live stock cost per
??Pig 10 silver
??cow 50 silver
??goat 30 silver
??horse 300 silver
??sheep 30 silver
??chicken 3 silver
??rabbit 2 silver
Note these creatures can be caught and tame from the wild.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
Crops seed cost
??barley 2 silver/acre
??corn 2 silver/acre
??hay 1 silver/acre
??hops 2 silver/acre
??patato 3 silver/acre
??wheat 2 silver/acre
Okay, let¡¯s buy a ballista pattern, two hundred silver coins, that way I can save money building them. Press ''Yes'' and I became two hundred silver lighter. And a scroll for a ballista pattern. Taking out the pattern and scan it fade away as I glow from the memory imprinting into me. Wishing I had more money. Seeing that it will take me five hours to cut the wood and put one together enough to get a prompt to build it. I opt for the simple one. It was after dark a few hours when I heard Ann was back in camp from being killed. When I found her she was laughing and shaking. ¡°Trolls! I found three forest trolls,¡± pulling out a bag of coins tossing it on the ground in front of Jack. ¡°I grab this bag from the trolls while standing right in front of them and lead them back to the camp. Was able to nick Devon with my arrow before he wounded me, that was about when the Trolls crash their camp. The big fucker smashes me dead.¡± Laugh and shaking. ¡°God I need a drink and sex.¡± Glancing at Jack grinning. ¡°They were almost organized for another run tonight on us should delay them a few hours. I do believe they be busy to kill the Trolls.¡± breathing deeply from the excitement. Laughing I pull out a pot and pour water in. Casting a scrying spell and in a few moments seeing the camp. The camp was badly damaged. Two trolls were still alive but three of the bandits were dead. The fire mage seems to have burned the first one, Devon was fighting one of the trolls. The other troll was using one of the warriors not sure if an NPC or a Player as a club against the others around him. ¡°Ouch, the mage just got flatten, damn the third troll fled leaving the one to fight Devon.¡± Just as the spell ended, ¡°well, damn he kills the one on him. Look like just five was killed was killed we see if they return, that mage been dying a lot.¡± As the scrying end showing a burning wreck of a camp. ¡°Get some rest, I¡¯m going to finish this up the ballista.¡± Watching Ann''s back walking away heading to bed. I shake my head, definitely an offer but not ready for that yet. Checking the bag and found 13 gold, 80 silver, and 247 copper and ten gems. I kept six gold, thirty-nine silver and half in the copper, I put Ann share in a bag in front of her door. Walking over to the Hearthtree click on the interface. Bought a Healer with nine gold considering everything was at triple the cost. Amelia the healer walks out of the tower over to me. ¡°Amelia reporting for duty.¡± She stood before me wearing leather armor and a belt with bandoleer with a few potions strap in for easy access. Checking her stats. Seeing her skills were minor healing, herbalism, first aid, and alchemy at first level. ¡°Head to the west gate and assist anyone needing healing.¡± Nodding and rushing off to the gate. I really need to get someone to oversee them. Not in the budget at the moment. Going back over to the ballista. Checking it over adding the finishing touches after another hour a prompt appears.
Do you wish this to be a light ballista? YES/NO?
¡°Yes¡±
Pick type.
It shows me different versions, light Scorpio ballista or a light ballista catapult. Thinking about those marbles use in a sling I said ¡°light ballista catapult.¡± The rough ballista transforms into a light ballista catapult. Checking it over I can see it can launch a sling size stone up to a two-inch diameter stone for about 300 yards.
Congratulation! You have a light ballista catapult.
Testing it out toward the sea I hand crank it into position. Putting a stone in its slot and fire the weapon into the dark hearing a splash out at the water. Happily, I went and got two of my guards and show them how to use it. I was prompt after an hour of practice.
Do you wish this guard to take the artillery path? YES/NO?
¡°Yes.¡±
Do you wish this guard to take the artillery path? YES/NO?
¡°Yes.¡±
When these two guards reach the fifth level they may take Artillerist class.
¡°That¡¯s nice, I need to build about thirty of them for the walls! But I have to wait after the raid,¡± laughing, ¡°yeah one of the thousands of items on my list of things to do.¡± Handing the two future Artillerist the bag of marbles I rush back and tried one of each out. The red one hit near a sea crab killing it from the fireball that exploded. The blue one hit and froze everything in a yard radius at the water edge. The green one almost kills one as a greenish gas exploded near it. The white one tosses the crab about a hundred feet across the water from the sound of it hitting the water. The black ones I only had two of and didn¡¯t want to waste them but I can feel death from them. Having several guards help take the ballista and the bag marbles to the wall. Just south of the bridge I took the two black marble and put them in my pack. The next assault on the town happens just two hours before sunrise. Six hours before the raid is supposed to end. Cora was killed by several arrows. In the first ten minutes, I lost two of my warriors. My healer was able to save two more on the wall as the bandits were trying to climb the wall with ladders. They lost six of their NPC warriors to the ballista. One of the two Artillerist using it got injury badly, while he was healing up one of Goblin took over on helping to load. Gema killed one of the players with Tarla help. Jamming a spear deep into his neck as he was trying to climb over. Tarla pushes the ladder back with a pole into the water below. Notification of a player downing popped up a few minutes later. Several fireballs slam into the gate. While I heard several fireballs from our mage hitting something on the other side of the wall when I got there. Ann was not far behind me getting her bow ready and firing an arrow at a player as he climbing over the wall. Hitting him in the helm knocking him back over with a surprised yelp. Glancing over and seeing several of them at on the bridge with shield raise to keep arrows off them. Casting Earth Elemental on to the bridge in the midst of them getting it to push some over the bridge. He did disrupt the shields cover as some of them slip and fell to the ground before he died. I was able to fire a fireball along with Firebrand to take out most of the men on the bridge. A horn sound as all the bandits fled back into the darkness of the morning. Devon never got near the wall but I did learn he got injure by the ballista fireball marble. Morning came as we survey five dead NPC bodies most around the bridge. We looted them and got one full set of leather armor. A short sword, from each of them, a total of thirteen silver and forty-one copper. Five Urns of ashes stating their names, class, andwhen theydied. And one handheld Ram.
Handheld Ram: require two people. Durability 45/50. Damage 2; Bronze head, gate defense half. Cost: 200 silver.
Looking west I see some black smoke rising.
Settlement of Safehaven
??Troops
????6 Guards ?????? Level 3, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2
????2 Artillerist ????? Level 1
????1 healer ??????? Level 1
????1 Goblin Warrior Dar? Level 1
1 Goblin Spearman Kas Level 1
1 Healer ????????Level 1
West wall ??95/100
West Gate ??36/50
Chapter Thirteen Bandit Camp. Devon appears next to his camp Banner after dying, swearing and cursing Leo for warning that fool of a dwarf. Spitting on the ground thinking how could a human take on such a hideous form. He wanted so much to lash out and beat someone to a pulp. The red haze that fills his eyes whenever that rage build up in him if he was on earth he would just walk into a random home and beat to death the whole family. Yeah, the news all called him the Rage Killer. Here there was a settlement and his men but he needs his men for now. After twenty-one families killed in their burnt down homes to keep his DNA evidence from being found. The last two home he had been sloppy somehow a girl got away by climbing out the upper window while calling 911 forcing him to burn the house before his rage was quench. The last one was a young man, the older son of the family, somehow he survives the beating and crawls out the house as it was burning down save and was a cripple for life. Biggest worry was his DNA evidence that was when one of the colony ship ECS Asgard was going to do a random drawing for a number of people to go abroad to a new colony, Devon sign up on a lark being already packed to leave the country when he got the notification that he won a position on the ship. Earth was no longer a threat to him. Staring around him as he seethes with anger. Seeing to the upper left of his eyes a countdown of just under two hours before the raid ends. With only five of his people left, three bandit class all three of them at level five, an Alchemist and a Mage at level five. While he was at level ten with a title of Brigand. Killing everything including the NPCs that he has come across have level him up fast. To think that his street smart on earth could be a skill here. ¡°Gamire, Get a Gate spell to Hodstad ready, Risham you and Bart get the chest,¡± Turning to the Alchemist, ¡°Kish, trap the camp we leaving in ten minutes!¡± ¡°What about the wagons and horses? There is a lot of stuff we robbed!¡± Risham yells back. ¡°No time get your lazy ass to the chest so we can leave! NOW GIT TO WORK!¡± Devon yells. Touching the banner to get the prompt.
Do you wish to end the raid? Yes/No?
¡°Yes!¡± growling at the prompt.
Do you wish to take Banner? Note taking Banner will no longer be a bind point, all others that bind here will go to nearest previous bind point. Yes/No?
¡°Yes.¡± snarling in disgust.
Do you wish to end Camping? Take thirty minutes to end. Yes/No?
Looking at the prompt he was very tempted into wanting to say yes but the need to inflict pain overwhelm his need to keep the camp. ¡°No, they can have the fucking place!¡± Hearing Bart yelling incoming. Devon goes flying through the air as a fireball explodes near him. Throwing him hard on to the ground taking twenty points of damage with a ''Stun'' prompt that was counting down twenty seconds, he staggers to his feet and bumps into Gramire as Kish rush up and yell at a stun mage next to him to gate. As the ''Stun'' prompt end, Gramire gate spell activates, seeing several spells and an arrow heading their way ¡°Ahh crap!¡± The gate open and then they were gone. Settlement of Safehaven.
Bandit Raid has ended! 300 experience, Settlement Points 1
¡°Whoa! Wait. Settlement Points what the heck are those?¡±Jack strokeshis beard. ¡°Mesa-la What is Settlement Points?This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Settlement Points can be used to upgrade building or NPCs during Raids and War.¡± She spoke in his head. ¡°There a big difference on Raids and War? I know Raids last 24 hours and cannot be used again for thirty days.¡± Correct, War is different, it must be declared from a Seat of Power like a throne room or town hall and it cannot start until twenty-four hours from a declaration of war. War can only end when both sides have declared a truce or one side had won. Another thing no other bandit or settlement can raid for twenty-four hours to give a settlement a chance to repair. A few minutes later I scry the camp ten miles away and see a large group of people loading up two wagons with stuff, Devon was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Jack! Kari and her friends attack the camp half an hour ago, they capture two players and Devon fled. She also said the mage gated the rest. They will be here later today after loading the wagons and the prisoners.¡± Ann holler. ¡°Thanks,¡± I yell back. Thinking she needs to breathe. Watch Tarla head his way, she lifted her hand ¡° I know, not safe here, we need to get out of houses the children want to run and play.¡± Putting her hand on her hip waiting for him to disagree. ¡°Alright,¡± feinting surrender, ¡°just keep them to the center of the settlement.¡± Smiling, ¡°good about a schoolhouse.¡± Laughing and patting her on the shoulder, ¡°good try, I put it on my list of a thousand and one items to do. Watching her head back to the tower shaking her head. With the help of Cora¡¯s elemental and mine, we were able to pull the damaged wagon out of the pit. Casting stone with both Cora and Firebrand helped, we had the pit filled in with stone. Putting both of them and myself to the wall on the East side we had a fourth of it finish when Kari arrive at the gate at sunset. Ann, Cora, and Firebrand were greeting their friends as I arrive. Seeing a hauflin Druid standing three feet tall coal black hair and emerald eyes, large busted for her size, with a dimple on both sides of her mouth that seem to always smile. Thinking a hauflin was considered a Scottish halfling. ¡°So this is the famous Jack Stonewright that Ann been talking about!¡± Shaking my hand.¡± Watching Ann blush. ¡°Got you a present,¡± pointing to two bandits all tie up and gagged, ¡°sorry we not able to grab that sorry sack of cow dung of a bandit leader. My people said they gated out and disappeared, like cowards.¡± Spitting on the ground. Seeing about a dozen people with her, ¡°Oh we found some travelers along the sea, a priest and a paladin both of them look lost. About a day from here fighting a giant turtle and was losing. I can send some guys back to get the shell if you want it.¡± I just stared at her as she took a breath. ¡° What?¡± She asked. Grinning, ¡°just seeing if you can breathe.¡± Hearing a few chuckle and laughter. ¡°are you sure you and Ann not sisters?¡± Chuckling. A big smile appears on her face, ¡° laugh it up guys I remember that when you need a port.¡± Turning to me, ¡°is it alright to bind here?¡± Pointing to the Hearth Tree near the middle of the settlement, ¡°Ask Mesa-la she the Hearth Tree.¡± ¡°Her name is Mesa-la and she can talk!¡± Her eyes go wide, she hugs herself thrusting her breasts up showing her cleavage. Feeling something stirring inside of him he turns and started walking toward Mesa-la waving for her to follow hoping he loosened up by the time he arrived at the tree. ¡°Hello Kari, I was told that you will be arriving,¡± Mesa-la said. ¡°You knew?¡± Her eyes getting wider. ¡°Of course she did, silly I told her,¡± as Ann bump her hip against Kari. ¡°Oh,¡± blush from embarrassment. ¡°I let you get acquainted, I will go deal with the bandits.¡± Walking back hearing a mumbled goodbye. Hearing Ann run up next to me, looking over at her grinning face, ¡°what?¡± ¡°So you like short big breasted women,¡± she said winking. Turning red, ¡°Yes, no, she reminds me a little of my wife, she was tiny, full of life before she was taken from me.¡± Frowning. ¡°Sorry I didn¡¯t try to bring up bad memories, it just you never hit on me so I was wondering if you were not interested in women, considering you not touch any of the goblin women, or maybe it was me.¡± Stopping, ¡°It not you, it just my wife died about,¡± checking his interface clock, ¡° a year and three months ago by a gang of thugs that wipe out a village we were helping. All because they could. To me the horror of seeing my family being dragged out in the middle of the village and butcher. Many of the men and the women were raped and then gutted. They had me watch them rape my wife over and over then they killed my daughter after that they killed my wife. I was shot when the African army rushed in next thing I knew I woke up being transported into my pod. They told me my mother was still in a coma. So I am not sure if she survived yet. So no it''s not you, I just have not mourned my family death to move on nor will I let people like that get away with preying on others.¡± I walk toward the prisoners leaving Ann to stand with tears falling down her face. Chapter Fourteen Goblins of Safehaven My name is Tarla, bless by Frigga and teacher of my people and this is my story. I ask why I was named Tarla, mother said it means one who talks too much. In truth, I was the runt of many many children of my mother. Once we were a proud people, a peaceful people that turn away from killing others. We stop traveling aimlessly from one killing place to another. We woman, we goblin tired of babies all the time. We beat up our men and said no more killing no more babies. Mother said big Chief said no! Women kill Chief, little chief agrees with women. Swamp Water Tribe survive thirty winters. We hunted, learn to grow food, built a wooden wall around the village in the swamp. We traded with Cecolloe, lizards that walk like goblins. Village several hundred strong, when goblin die one is born to keep village small. Then Orcta came and killed our men and took our people, destroying our village. We did not want to kill but others want to kill us. Sad, we lost everything but our pride. The Cecolloe did nothing to help, we wept. Mother talk much about shit in the field to grow the food. We do not understand why shit in fields grows food. But Master Jack say shit in the outhouse but not sure why it called outhouse if we shit in the house. The Orcta enslave us, we hunt and gather food for them. Us women had to do other things to please them, too long to write I will skip it, maybe write story another time on poking. I had many children all dead now. They fight for Orcta in battles with Cecolloe many battles many winters many died and starve. This winter ended air grew warm, the Cecolloe attack Orcta and Orcta ran toward the morning sun. Swamp Water Tribe along with other tribes fled toward mountains to not be eaten by Cecolloe. We were thirty strong many old and weak, only a few males to guard mostly old women, other tribes not want. When Orcta found us, our males and the real weak stay behind and fought them. We four fled west with children to the place where dead do not rest, only to find a Drafwa, means bearded ones in goblin. He a Drafwa that save us, suspicious maybe he need mate too maybe too ugly for own kind? We argue many nights about that, we think Gema want to mate turn darker green when tease. We call him master because he keeps us safe. But he gets angry being called that. Strange that he wants to teach us like a Drafwa we not wear beards, too much hair, make me shiver not good shiver. Master... Jack gave us a blessing he shows us a goddess, we saw a Goddess Frigga she grant me a boon! To learn Common and teach it to others of my kind. We now all worship the goddess, not a god that want war or sacrifice. We learn from books skills to hunt. To grow maybe we make a village like the old village a peaceful village but strong to keep the peace.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. I saw books keep the history of land and people. I wanted books for my people to learn I ask Master how to make books he thought for a full sun. We all went with him along cold water looking for special mud. We carry lots back to village and master build a table with a square stone in middle lower than rest. Playing with mud call clay we pick all little rocks out. He tosses the mud clay on stone and punch it and shape it and press it into the square. Took a flat wood and scrap it across the top until flat. He shows me how to use a thin stick to make letters on clay he calls a tablet. Next morning he carefully pulls it out and put near a fire to dry. I learn a new skill called tablet making. Gema is our protector and hunter. Our Master Jack taught her to hunt even show her how to make a sling and she shows him how to trap animals. They built a building with walls that they keep rabbits in. Gema spends a lot of time watching Master Jack always asking questions about what he says and shy if he looks at her. Gema is my greatest student learning common good. Gema means a color rock in Goblin her mother name her for always tasting rocks. Her mother was a great hunter, one of the chiefs of Orcta killed her when he took her to mate. Gema put a bad snake in chief skins chief died. Gema did not have a mate for many winters. Gema wants to tame big horn beast that moo to much. Master Jack said beast give milk like mothers for all to drink. We look at him like a crazy goblin that like breast too much we stared at him for a long time until he walks away. Another thing is to kill the beast for skin and meat. We are glad we are cover up no breasts showing afraid master want milk. Gema has mention clothes too hot. Kora has been upset she learning Tailoring. But only have leather to make clothing so he told her to sew the rabbits together to make bigger pieces. She said she got Leatherworking last night from sewing the last of the rabbit fur together. She now knows she can make gloves. When she not sewing she help cooking with Darja who is our cook and farmer. Kora was named after her crazy mother it means shitter of fields. Which may be why she not like helping with farming. Darja name means bringer of dark, her mother kept telling everyone that a demon was her father. The only demon we saw was one that was trying to hump the old Orcta shaman. That was several winters back and it was as small as a rabbit. She very happy to cook and farm not seen her shit in the field but cook well. She learns Herbalism other day found some plants that heal and make sleepy. Master said that we must be careful of others until they know we not like other goblins. We stay in the tower the first day. People arrive, mean man, try to get into our home, that master gave us that we keep extra clean. Dirtman guards our home to keep let mean man not get in. Time to stop writing we must take bath Master wants us clean weekly we are thankful it warm water. Bless all to the Goddess Frigga. Chapter Fifteen The Half-Jotunn that was leaning up against an old tree is from another world. Thomas Brath is a young eighteen-year-old male that was cripple by a serial killer. The killer was called the Rage Killer on earth. The form Thomas had taken made sure that no one will break him again. So now he goes by the name Treesplitter to fit his giant appearance. His body may be broken on board the ECS Asgard but his spirit is not. Thanking the ship Asgard that gave him a spot even after being cripple from a brutal attack. They told him his body will be repaired when they before they arrive at the colony a few hundred years from now. Make him very thankful for this chance. Watching the sunrise as it lights up the valley below where he had built a cabin after a few months of arriving here. Over the last few months, he has beaten a few trolls into leaving the area. Treesplitter tries very hard not to kill anything or anyone unless he has no choice. His biggest problems have been other players trying to destroy what he has built. Sending quite a few backs to their bind point to make a point. Knowing soon he will have to move again to find a place to be alone. Staring at his reflection in the puddle at his feet seeing only an exaggeration of his real looks. A blond shoulder length hair male with bright blue eyes. Tan with a firm body that very stocky to handle the strong bones. With high Might and low Deftness. He has been putting points into Deftness to bring it up to surprise his opponents with speed. Not a slow-moving Jotunn. By taking an unknown Jotunn race upon when he started. He will have to wait until he is level twenty to find out what type of Jotunn his mother was. At level five he took Forest Guardian as a class. Somewhat like a human ranger with a few more druids spells to cast. Having a level five skill in bows from his time on earth hunting with one. It has taken him months to finally craft a bow big enough to use. With arrows bigger than most spears. The only other weapon is a club he carves with a sharp rock. Sitting down to make some more stone arrowheads. A noise made him look up and see a very large red envelope floating in the air before him.
To Thomas Brath aka Treesplitter.
Opening the letter and started reading.
Dear Thomas, Humbly with great sadness of heart, I must tell you that the sack of dragon dung know as the Rage Killer is on this ship. He is in the game as a human called Devon the Brigand somewhere in the North near the settlement of Safehaven. You or his other victim may kill this sad piece of hate dripping cesspool of a human being. Only upon him reaching level twenty or higher. Just so you know it will be a permanent death, his stasis tube will open to the vacuum of space and bye bye. Be warned if you reach level twenty he can kill you too and the same will happen to you. Of course, you can chose to ignore this or find another punishment, or go running screaming into the hills. Only you and the other victim will be able to kill him permanently. Must say nice Bow. Yours truly, A Secret Admirer Lord of Knightly Intelligent P.S. He does not know any of this, because of rules I cannot tell him, shame but oh, so fun it will be!
Narrowing his eyes he tosses the letter into his backpack and headed toward the cabin. Time to move on. Going to punish this Devon by smashing him over and over then let him reach Level Twenty. Then I will tell him who is going to kill him before smashing him to nothing. Yeah, it time to move north. In the Shadows of the forest, an old man chuckles as he fades into the shadows.
A young woman named Faylee is one of the fairy fey classes that a person can take. An elf-like with wings, blue hair, golden eyes and transparent like butterfly wings. She lives deep in Breena the land of the fey, far to the south of the Imperium. Her real name is Sarah Banker. She escapes that horrifying night that the Rage Killer broke into her family home. he killed her mom and her mother''s boyfriend and her baby brother. Hearing the screams and her mother telling her baby brother to run. She fled out the window and climb down the escape ladder her mother insisted to have in case of a fire. Shortly after calling 911 the operator dispatch the police her house. Ever since that night, she slept in a fitful sleep. Here in Breena, she built a home high in the trees with as many other fey around her. There have been many nights she awakens to her screams of that night. Faylee always did loves fairies. When she got her ticket to join a distance colony she jumps at the chance to get as far away from Earth and the Rage Killer. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Faylee spent the morning trying to get her potion brewing up to level four. Finishing up her quest to get the fifth level so she can choose Alchemist as a class. Being a chemist nerd in school, planning to go to college to become a chemist after the incident. She never left the apartment that she lives in with her foster parents that were a cop couple. It was the only places she felt safe. Two years of therapy and then receiving a ticket on her eighteenth birthday was a saving grace. The only part of being an Herbalist is having to go pick herbs. Wishing she was drowning in coins, she grabs her herb bag and went to find her friend Beth. She is a Minotaur NPC that she met a month ago that she had grown attached to defend her. As she opens the door a Red Card was floating in front of her doorway.
To Sarah Banker aka Faylee
Looking around the card hanging in the air and not seeing anyone there. Thinking it was from one of the AI of the game she opens it.
Dear lovely Sarah, I must with a sad heart to tell you that the vile heartless killer knows as the Rage Killer is on this ship. He is a human character called Devon a most hated Brigand in the North near the settlement of Safehaven. You or another of his victim may kill this said person upon when he reaches level twenty or higher. You know it will be a permanent death. His stasis tube will open to the vacuum of space and his body will be chuck out into space to never to be seen again! Be warn my dear lovely fey if you reach level twenty he can kill you too and the same will happen to you. Of course, you can choose to ignore this or find another suitable punishment. Of course, you could go running screaming into the hills. Only you and the other victim will be able to kill him permanently. Must say nice wings. Yours truly, A Secret Admirer Limited Overstuffed Kinky Inspector P.S. He does not know any of this, because of rules I cannot tell him, shame but oh, so fun it will be!
Kaylee drops the letter and started screaming. Many of her neighbors found her curl up sobbing at her door with an open letter laying near her on the ground. No one notices a tall shadow of a man fades away in the background chuckling to himself. Devon appears at Hodstad glaring at the others before he heading to the Wicked Deed Inn. Checking to see if his girlfriend was back. Grumbling that it will take him several months to get back to the area where that settlement is at. He started planning on what he needs to take the place. ¡°Delitha Blackbones in?¡± asking the clerk behind the counter, The Clerk Stammer at him, ¡°N...no she left a letter.¡±
Deary I took a group to the Walker Point Ruins, I heard there was a book there to start the process of becoming a lich. If I not able to communicate I will camp north of the ruins. Tata, kissing my love. Delitha Blackbone Necromancer of the ninth order.
Crumbling up the letter noting she made ninth level. He turns and went looking for Bart. ¡°Bart! Get some gear and everyone ready to leave at dawn. Get enough to last a month." Tossing him a small bag, ¡°use this to get us some horses may have to leave in a hurry, I will meet you at the North gate at dawn.¡± Turning and headed to the center of the residential section of Hodstad. The town is about six thousand people strong. Laying in the crossroads between the old north road to the north and the Imperium Road going east and west. It is an old caravan town that trades with the dwarves to the west and the Fey to the south. Devon knock on a door to a small villa, looking around and not seeing anyone. The door opens revealing a young female half-orc servant. ¡°Are your masters at home?¡± Smiling so sweetly as the need to want to crush this nonhuman''s throat almost overpowered him. She nodded with a slight bow, ¡°Master Tadius and his family having lunch.¡± Pushing his way in through the doorway, the door close. A few minutes later several screams could be heard within the villa Chapter Sixteen - Gema Hunting Wolve Gema was stalking the wolf that kills the rabbit she was about to kill. Figuring she will get revenge on it and its fur. The wolf race down an animal trail along the Granite Creek to the north. Gema stopped six times to harvest several herbs that pop up only one was a failure. Finding a large patch of watermelon full of melon force her to stop. Many melons she thought, glancing briefly at the trail. Groaning she started picking the melons. Taking a full hour filling up six bags with the small melons leaning a good many more. Jumping and pulling out the sword that Jack gave her she glance down the trail hearing a noise of fighting. Leaving the bags behind she sneaks her way forward until the sound of fighting was just ahead in a ravine. Peering around a bush and some boulders. Seeing several dead wolves laying on the ground. Seeing a young troll was slamming a large limb into the side of the Alpha male killing it. She watches as ten wolves pile onto the troll tearing into it. Sensing movement from the right she sees a wolf with a rabbit on the ground. Growling at the troll standing in front of an opening in the wall of the ravine. Seeing some movement inside of wolves pups moving around in the darkness of the den. Looking back to the way she came turning as she hears a whimper. Seeing the mother glancing at her as two more wolves go flying into the brush. Looking at the troll bleeding from tearing as it moves slower and at a wolf pup moving up next to its mother. She steels herself and takes a running leap. Screaming bloody murder or terror depending on who you would talk to. The troll froze for a second as a wolf grabs his throat. The troll stagger to the left as the mother rush forward to bite at the right legs. Gema land on the back of the troll with her sword deep inside his back. It screams and tries to dislodge her from her perch. Holding on for dear life to the hilt of the sword as her legs go flying left and right making her get sick. Finally, the troll stops just as Gema vomit all over it back. The beast gave out another scream and a wolf clamp down upon histhing under the loin clothe ripping it off. Even with all the troll regenerative ability. It fell to its knee holding the nether region as green blood pour out down the side of its thighs. Holding on with her left hand she pulls out her stone dagger and slams it deep into it right ear. Twisting it as more of the wolves tear into him. Gema feels the troll fall forward with her on it back as she a prompt appear.
You have killed a troll you will receive half the experience.
Ding, You are a Level Three Hunter!
Ding, You are a Level Four Hunter!
You have completed a hidden quest, don''t get kill getting a reward from the Matriarch Grey Wolf!
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Hearing growls all around her Gema slow stood up on the troll. Reaching down touching her sword
You wish to Loot troll? Yes/No?
Nodding yes slowly the troll disappear.
You have looted 5 troll fats 10 troll meat 14 gems Backpack torn map dagger use by a troll as a toothpick.
The growls got loader as the troll vanish. Tossing half the troll meat on the ground between her and the mother wolf it gave a cuff sound like the others back up. Hearing whimper from some of the fallen wolves in the brush she pulls out a healing potion. Slowly inch over to one of the wounded wolves bending down. The growls intensify until she stops and held out her hands and point at a wolf and then at the den mother. She pours a little in the cup of her hand and slowly let some of it dribble onto the wounds. Watching it slowly heal. The wolf stagger to its feet and back off growling. After two more heals to hurt wolves she back up and turn to face the Den Mother. Hope I do not kill myself helping wolves hope they let me go! Not sure she wants to talk to the Den Mother. She slowly inches her way up the path of the trail, the Den Mother stood up and growl and I stop. ¡°Good Wolf, Me no kill wolf only Troll, you let Gama go¡± pointing at her and the path up the ravine. Hearing a couple of cuff sound from the Den Mother. A dozen of wolves pups came rushing out, behind them a larger one came out black headed and gray body, looking it over.
Grey Direwolf, level 0, Health 5/5.
One wolf out of a thousand born becomes a Dire wolf. Depending on how they are trained they can become hateful or loyal. The den mother nudges the wolf toward her.
The Den Mother offer you a Dire wolf pup as a Companion for your reward on protecting the Den.
Do you accept Yes/No? Accepting Yes you gain a future mount and fighting companion. Saying No you receive one hundred points of hate.
Dire Wolves are a blessing to goblins. they are mounts and companions, many goblins were saved by Dire wolves in battle. Thanking Frigga for this she accepts yes.
You have a Dire Wolf Companion!
You gain 500 Reputation to the Granite Creek Grey Wolf Clan! Killing future Grey wolves in the area can cause lost of Reputation. Reputation to Grey Wolves now at zero you are neutral to them now.
After an hour of playing with the pup that the wolf clan let her leave with the pup. Upon looking over the backpack. She grins and sees it can hold twenty slots with the ability to stack of twenty of the same items. It made picking up the melons easier to head back seeing it be about a mile or a more long hike.
New skill: Dire wolf trainer Level 1.
Chapter Seventeen Jackwalk over to Firebrand and ask him to wait for me on the bridge. I pull the gag off both of bandits. The one on the right started cussing me. ¡° I whisper so both heard me. ¡°If I find either one of you anywhere near here I will castrate you over and over. Feeding your body parts to my pet slime cube. Do you understand?¡± The one on the bandit on the right kept cursing me. "But first you both going to give me information," I said. I grab him by the collar and drag him pass the gate and close the gate behind us moving up to Firebrand. ¡°Keep him here for a few minutes, Please, I will be back. Going back into the settlement and walk pass the other prisoner. Heading over toward Gema at the Wayside. I know there is a safe escape for us players to keep from being tortured or rape. we are given an option to be ported to a safe random bind point several hundred miles from where you were at. Also at that time you can change or name or start over as another character. So my option to get information will have to be bluffing and hoping they did not read up on anything about torture. "Gema you have a piece of raw meat on you," I asked. She pulls out a raw steak. Looking puzzled, I took the meat and slice a long narrow strip. And put it in my pouch and grab the wood ax. ¡°Thanks.¡± Heading pass the bandit I pause staring between his legs. ¡°I not take too long.¡± Closing the gate behind me I walk up to Firebrand and whisper in his ear. ¡°When he disappears start screaming with a high pitch voice.¡± ¡°Okay. Sure,¡± he said. Looking at me like I was crazy. Walk over to the Bandit, I bend down taking his gag off. He started cursing me loudly. ¡°I want to know everything or you are going to have a painful trip to bind.¡± Gagging him again. I whisper into his right ear. ¡°I assume you have a large bounty on your head when you pop up at one of the three human Imperium starting points. I had one of the players contact the Imperium that there will be some bandits appearing.¡± His eyes get wide. ¡°Yeah, I heard you either have to pay five times your bounty to clear your name or get several years of hard times. I, Jack Stonewright hereby banish you from Safehaven.¡± I whisper as he fades away. Using the ax I slam it down on the bridge causing sparks to fly. And Firebrand screaming bloody murder and stop. Grinning at him I take out the steak and rub the blood on the blade and carrying it like I just chop off something. I walk over to the other bandit tossing the tube-like steak over his shoulder. Letting the blood meat roll in the dirt. Tossing the ax down I kneel. The other guy just whimper. After a few minutes pass, he flinches as I move the ax nearer to me. ¡°Please don¡¯t hit me I tell you everything you want to know.¡± Raising my left eyebrow, ¡°well tell me.¡± ¡°Devon has two groups this one and another one run by his girlfriend. She was trying to become a necromancer, last I heard she reach the fifth level a month ago. Half of her crew deserted when she started her quest. Last I heard a week ago they found a crypt and she the others died, she woke up a necromancer. Four of the five of the crew choose to remain as undead. The other guys fled.¡± ¡°Nothing worth me not doing anything to you.¡± I frown. Actually, it was useful information figuring undead may be used in the future. ¡°Wait, wait!¡± He has a cave guarded by two half-ogres guards he bought from a merchant. Devon and his girlfriend summon them to guard the cave, it is where they keep his treasure. Five more wagons loaded with loot. I can draw you a map if you let me keep my stuff!¡± Checking through his pack finding nothing of value but fifty gold. I toss it to the guards and put ten gold back in the pack. "Fining you forty gold," I said. Untying him he drew a map on the ground. Seeing it was a few days to the west and north of some ruins about a half mile was the cave. Using the paper I drew the using crush berries as ink. ¡°What is at the ruins?¡± I ask. ¡°Full of undead, Devon''s girlfriend want them.¡±
Quest Investigate the Ruins See what is at the ruins. Lay to rest ?? number of undead. Do you accept? Yes?/No?
Waying the screen away to decide another time. Focus on the bandit. ¡°You have to delete your communication stone of all contacts,¡± I said, handing him the stone. He shows me a blank list. ¡°If I ever found you near here I will feed you alive to my slime cube. If I ever hear of you harming another reborn I will send a bounty out using your head as proof of a kill.¡± Watching him gulp. ¡°I promise, in fact, I going to request a class transfer to cleric!¡± He said raising his right hand to swear. I, Jack Trades do hereby banish you from Safehaven.¡± A red glow form around as he disappears.¡± Sitting down on the ground I wiped my brow, looking up at everyone as they were looking at him. ¡°Hope I didn¡¯t scare ya?¡± Looking at all the shock faces, ¡°what no one play cards?¡± Hearing laughter. Turning as a shadow fell over him he looks up at a female dwarven cleric in robes. With blonde hair braid on both sides of her face hanging down to her knees. Shaking his head at how to endow most of the women avatars are. Next to her in chain mail is a red-headed dwarf with a braided beard that stops at his waist. On his back is a double blade two-handed ax. ¡°You two must be the pair Frigga told me about.¡± Getting up while dusting my hands. Holding my hand out to the woman. She spoke, ¡°I am Frida and this is my husband Hans, Frigga told you we were coming?¡± Shaking my hand. Hans looks to be the silent type, ¡°follow me I show you to the temple.¡± Leading the way, Hans tense up seeing Tamla walk out of her hovel with a child in tow. I wave ¡°hi Tamla this is Frida and Hans they are running the temple if any of you need a heal let her know.¡± Pointing at Frida. ¡°Oh, that great! I am the settlement school teacher, Blessed Frigga gave me the skill to teach.¡± putting her right hand to her heart. ¡°Frigga bless her?¡± Frida look shocked. I just nodded as we came to the temple closed doors. Waving my hand toward the doors as they stop and stare at the beauty of the building and the carved double doors. They both open the door and gasp at the shrine inside and the stain glass windows. ¡°It is up to Frigga if she wants to share the temples with other gods there is a place to put three more,¡± I said. ¡°Sssh, don¡¯t give them any ideas they can have their own temple.¡± Hearing a peal of female laughter to my right as Frigga appeared. Hearing the two gasp I turn and see both Frida and Han kneeing. ¡°That is respect, you could learn from these two.¡± She gave a slight laugh, ¡°arise, my children,¡± she winked at me. ¡°Your quest is completed. ¡°To Frida a Mace of Frigga.¡± handing her a mace.
Mace of Frigga. 15 Damage. +2 MIGHT. Heal 30 HEALTH 3/day.
¡°To Hans, a War Ax if Frigga.¡± handing him a double side two-handed ax.
War ax of Frigga. +30 Damage. +5 MIGHT +5 vs undead Two-handed.
¡°I will grant a holy quest each time you complete one. Frida I ask you to be my priestess here and to put shrines to me at four waysides beyond this settlement. When completed, I shall reward you with a Holy Chainmail Shirt of Frigga. Hans, I ask you to kill thirty undead at an abandoned mine north of the wayside here. Return with the urns of the dead, your reward will be a Holy Breastplate of Frigga. Jack here is a task with a resting place for the dead, isn¡¯t that right, Jack.¡±
Quest Kill the Undead in IronStone Mine. Kill 30 Draugr
¡°Yes, my lady, I found a spot to the east across the Granite Creek to build a cemetery. I was waiting for a cleric to bless the grounds,¡± I said. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°Frida, I task you and Hans with blessing the ground. Do you accept?¡±
Quest Bless the Ground. Do you accept? Yes?/NO?
Both kneel and said yes. ¡°Be sure to pray each day to get a blessing,¡± saying she fades away. A mine! Oh, we need that! Try to keep the excitement from my eyes. ¡°I¡¯m going across the Granite Creek and fence in the ground so you both can bless it,¡± I said. Walking out. And seeing Kari standing there. ¡°How did you get Frigga to show up all the time.¡± She asks. Large raven land and morph into an old one-eyed bearded man, ¡°been asking that question a lot lately.¡± Winking at me. Shaking my head to the gasps of both Frida and Hans behind me. Almost laughing at the open mouth of astonishment of Kari. Nobody knows the gods are the main AIs running the ship. ¡°So what do I owe the divine pleasure of your presence oh great and mighty Odin,¡± kneeling before him. "What you expecting Loki?" Snorting, ¡°ungrateful whelp,¡± grinning. I amnot here for you lad but the one behind you, Hans my boy,¡± stepping pass me. ¡°I have a proposal for you. I need a man willing to get his hands dirty, able to roll in the muck and take the bulls by the horn. There in the swamp a shrine to me that a bunch of walking lizards is desecrating. I want you to bring back my shrine and teach those lizards a lesson. You do this for me boy I will give you Odin¡¯s Gauntlets as a reward.¡± He glances back at the temple clearing afraid to piss off a goddess or a god. Iwalk towards the east gate to leave them alone with Odin.waving at Cora and Firebrand as I pass them. I just crossed the bridge when Kari caught up to me. ¡°You seem at ease with the gods being here.¡± ¡°Yep¡± waving at the guard as he opens the gate. ¡°Just yep,¡± she said surprised. ¡°Do you not like me?¡± Stopping and looking down at her. ¡°I only just met you, so far you seem like a nice girl.¡± Holding up his hand, ¡°please, talk to Ann if you want the whole story about me. As for the gods, I know what they are. ¡°They have their own agenda, they are also questing givers here and they are will use us to fit their design.¡± ¡°They can¡¯t harm us.¡± She said as he turns. ¡°No, they can¡¯t hurt us,¡± he lied. ¡°I was reminded I have a cemetery to build you can come if you want.¡± An hour later and ten shambling mounds smoking in a field. If not for Hans and Frida showing up both me and Kari would have been reborn again. Gaining some experience and seeing Kari was excited over the herbs she got. Let¡¯s just say I will be jumping at every bush that rustles in the wind for a while at least. Summoning my elemental we went to work on the wall. The elemental dug a four-foot trench hundred feet long and two feet wide. Filling them up with stone as the elemental started on the next trench. By sunset, I had the foundation of a wall done, hundred by hundred feet square. I had the elemental level and clear the inside of the cemetery. Both Hans and Frida blessed the land and had Kari grow some grass. Sometime during the night, my elemental died. Calling over Cora and Firebrand to show the sewer system. ¡° This is Bill, my pet slime cube, was told they fetch good money and they eat anything organic.¡± Spreading my hands out at the sewer. ¡°This should make an ideal place to raise them.¡± Holding up my hand, ¡°also rainwater from the street need a place to go and a sewer is required to upgrade to a town later.¡± Cora nodded, ¡°understand now, what is that pointing at the square piping.¡± ¡°Water will be going through the pipes so each house will have water in the future. We need to run this sewer under the temple that way pointing to the south. Then run it that way to the north turning east toward the river. Should be able to run two more sewers south. But right now we need to go north then south adding two more hovels to the north. And several shops around the square. Hearing groans, ¡±if you two get the sewer done to the north and the two hovels I let you have a week off to do what you want.¡± ¡°Your word?¡± Firebrand said, ¡°I swear,¡± smiling at them. Adventuring is fun but building the settlement to me is more fun. As they started on that, I headed to the temple and pray to get my Judgment raised. Tamla, Gema, Ann, and Kari follow me to the cemetery. I stopped and summon another elemental when I got to the cemetery. I found the ground tore up, looking for tracks I found several large strange tracks and some scales.
Congratulation you gain a level in Tracking. Congratulation you found Lizardmen tracks.
Tamla and Gema crouch down looking around wary, they hissed, ¡°Cecolloe!¡± Ann checks the tracks, ¡°several hours old heading southeast toward the swamp. One stood here looking at the settlement before turning away.¡± ¡°Great more trouble,¡± I mutter. ¡°Kari, can your people help Hans'' Quest get Odin¡¯s shrine?¡± ¡°We can but half the group wants to settle here. Two blacksmiths saw the blacksmith building they want to go get an anvil and tools they been bugging me for a gate.¡± ¡° I have both in the tower rescue them from the debris¡± ¡°Okay, that is solved, got a herbalist that want to help with vegetable and herb farm. Both mages want to rebuild that mage tower and explore. One wants to tame animals and help with the farm. Keri said. ¡°And you?¡± I asked. ¡°I thought to clear the Druid Circle but the Hearthtree pulls at me to tend her. The creatures around the Druid circle are powerful." She said. "Mesa-la said there is an evil Hearthtree near there. It is a few years before I am strong enough to take it on.¡± Kari said. ¡°Well if Safehaven gets big enough maybe we all can help. Go see who can help Hans and if you can do it peacefully.¡± ¡°You can come,¡± she said. ¡°Sorry I¡¯m a builder, not a fighter,¡± pausing, ¡°unless I have to be one. I made a promise to be a builder first.¡± Turning back to building a four foot high and two ft wide wall around the cemetery. By the afternoon he was heading back to the tower and loaded the urns into his backpack. Stopping at the temple to get Frida and Hans. Sending one of the kids to fetch Kari. Kari met him at the gate. ¡°Can you have your people come to the cemetery?¡± I ask as she nodded, she pulled out her stone. As I walk through the cemetery gate I was prompt.
Do you wish to name this cemetery? YES/NO?
¡°Yes, Haven¡¯s Rest.¡±
Haven Rest is the name you chose? YES/NO?
¡°Yes.¡± Moving over to the first hole. When everyone was present he read off the name and set the urn in the foot deep stone hole. Casting a stone to cover it. Raising the stone three feet high. Moving to the next hole a foot away from the other. Reading off that name on the urn, doing did the same with the others. An hour later there were thirty stone markers. Frida gave a wonderful service when she ends a prompt appeared.
Do you want marked gravestones?YES/NO?
Saying quietly, ¡°yes.¡± All the marker shifted as the names of the dead appeared on the stones. A sense of peace fills the cemetery.
Quest build a cemetery completed. 500 Experience.
Thanking everyone as they all left. I walk to the southeast corner of the cemetery had my elemental dig two more holes. Placing a flower in both and cover it, making two more gravestones. I waited for the prompt, after a few minutes I look up. ¡°I am not going to beg you to put their names, but if you don¡¯t I will not help you in your experiment whatever it may be.
What name do you wish on the first stone?
Mesa-la Key Grayston beloved daughter.
Mesa-la Key Grayston beloved daughter is this name you chose? YES/NO?
¡°Yes.¡±
What name do you wish on the second stone?
Marie Lynn Grayston beloved wife.
Marie Lynn Grayston beloved wife is this the name you chose? YES/NO?
¡°Yes,¡± as tears fell down his face. Both stones shimmer and the names appear. A small figure near the gate turns and headed back to the settlement Kari thought it was time to ask Ann about Jack¡¯s story. Chapter Eighteen During the week Cora and Firebrand have been helping me build the sewer from the wall by the road to the sea. It drains out at about three feet above high tide. It should let the rainwater runoff to the sea. Without letting any of the seawater to come back into the sewer. After that, we finished up three more hovels. Then I gave both of them time off for a week. By the end of the first week after the raid. I finally figure out on how to funnel the water into the sewers from the roads. It took me about five days of digging and experimenting. That I finally had the square pipes running from the street down into the upper part of the sewer. Allowing rainwater to drain into the sewers. Bill the slime cube seems to be happy. He already grew three feet tall. He seems to be happy as he moving up and down the water canal in the sewer eating any waste we dump in it. Frida was able to cast purified water on the grates. Where the water drains out into the sea to help keep the water clean. It will have to be cast every five days to purify the water. Yeah, I know it a game but I figure if we do the right thing in the game. Maybe we can do the same when we reach the colony in real life. Hans and Frida were able to get a group to help out in the swamp. Not seeing Ann or Kari for two weeks have made my day seem longer. I got to enjoy talking to Ann during the day. While Kari never seems to stay still long enough to talk. I figure she was avoiding me. Considering my reaction to her the first day I was a bit embarrassed over my response on seeing her. After that day I seem to get my hormones under control, Mesa-la told me that Kari''s Charm Stat was in the high twenties. She would make anyone turn their heads. Which I later found out later that quite a few people seem to be affected by her charm. I Started working on the barrack which was a type I building in other words very basic. Spending several days digging out the basement and lay the foundation. From what I read the Barracks will produce level one warriors. I could pick the following Axmen, Shieldbearers. Spearmen. Short bowmen, and Scouts. With the ballista, I also get to choose an Artillerist. The building will hold up to forty men-at-arms for me. Plus ten more men each level that I raise the building up to. But I will still have to buy the men and keep them fed and cloth. By the end of the week Cora and Firebrand. Whom I been calling Fire after trying to say his name so many times. He has not been very happy about it but several other adventurers have started to call him that too. Cora and Fire finished up their tower during their week off. Which gave me a prompt.
Do you wish this to be a Wizard Tower? Yes?/No?
Looking over at the tower and seeing both players standing outside. Looking up at the three stories tower with its pointed roof. I decided to say yes. "Yes," I replied.
Choose style.
I scrolled through several dozen wizard towers that seem to have been built by other players. Until I found the one that looks more like a Norse medieval tower. It had a conical roof with shingles that looks more like a wizard hat on top. More dragons carving in the wood that was added to the stone. Carving of wizards casting spell of the different elements all down the walls of the stone tower. I get another prompt.
One Hundred gold is required for carving the tower''s stone do you accept? Yes?/No?
Thinking real hard, I back off on the carving and said. ¡°No.¡± Then accept yes on the rest of the tower. The building glows and changed to the design I have chosen.
Wizard Tower. Level 1. 5 wizards and 5 apprentices. +1% per tower level to all spell Research. +5 per tower level/hour to Mana regeneration. +1% per day accumulative to learn a new spell. Note: Tower can only hold a total of five Player or NPC Spellcasters and their apprentices. +1 Spellcaster and apprentices per tower level. Note: Players gain an apprentice they must feed, cloth, and teach. Quest is required.
A screen appears showing him what the tower can do.
Monthly Random NPC Spellcasters. Roger the Rainmaker. Human Imperium, Male, Level 3, Wizard. 600 gold, No family member. Sandra the Red Flame. Half-elf, Female, Level 1, Fire Mage.200 gold. 3 family members. Zek. Gnome, Male, Level 2 Illusionist. 400 gold. 1 family member. Damon the Black. Human Viking, 1 level Necromancer. 200 gold. No family member.
Looking over the four Spellcasters I could buy. ¡°Cora, Fire, need your help on deciding on a spellcaster choice.¡± I holler at them. ¡°What going on?¡± Firebrand asks as he walks up. ¡°We can hire up to three other Spellcasters or wait for three more players here is our choices.¡± Waving over the screen to both of them. Watching them concentrate on the four choices. They started talking among themselves. Cora spoke up. "we believe the necromancer is the choice you need. Considering the news about a player necromancer that may want attack here in the future. And you need a mage of some sort to defend the place in case all of the players are somewhere else. We did not see what we gain if the Wizard tower is upgraded to Level two.¡± Checking the interface at the Hearthtree.
Wizard Tower upgrade to level II. 100 block of stone. 10 logs. 10 magic books. 10 scrolls. The settlement at level II. Wizard Tower Level Two. +1 wizards and +1 apprentices. +1% (+2%) per tower level to all spell Research. +5 (+10) per tower level/hour to Mana regeneration. +1% (+2%) per day accumulative to learn a new spell.
Checking the Settlement requirement to level two.
Settlement upgrade level II. Stone Walls 5000/100 feet. Completed. Roads 5000/100 feet. Completed. 16/50 Inhabitant. 8/10 hovels. Town Hall. Barracks. Granary. Civil Building.
Look like I need more people, a Town Hall, a Barracks, a Granary and a Civil building of some sort. Maybe I need to put on that Mayor Badge but not sure if I want that responsibility. ¡°Okay, I need to build two more Hovels, a Town Hall, a Barracks and a Granary. I am hoping we can get more people to show up.¡± I told them. ¡°I do have a Mayor Badge that adds another level to Settlement but I don''t feel right promoting myself to a Mayor.¡± Looking surprised Core said, ¡±Why not be a mayor? You got everyone here to hold off an attack from a Bandit Raid. You organize and plan the settlement sound like a mayor to me.¡± ¡°Ann and Kari got your guild here,¡± I replied. ¡°If not for you two and the others attacking their camp I would have lost this place. Seeing Cora step off to the side and talk into her stone. Firebrand shakes his head, ¡°No you already had the gate up, troops on the wall. It looks like you had enough people here with me and Cora to help to make it into a settlement.¡± Cora stops talking on her stone and walks over. ¡°Alright, the Guild has all agree that this is your settlement and that you should be mayor.¡± Raising her hand to stop me from talking. ¡°Do you seriously want someone to come in here and start changing what you are planning and boot you out the gate?¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Realization just dawns on him about what she said and started nodding. ¡°You''re both right I wasn''t thinking. I am normally on the building end of helping out a village or town. I never built something like this.¡± Waving his hand over the settlement. The idea of building and running the place just didn''t seem to connect with me. I will put the Badge on when I get to tower and dig it out of the chest. Once I put it on it should allow you to start toward upgrading the tower. I do believe I have a few books and scrolls I can donate to the tower. Cora said. ¡°I got three books I can donate and two scrolls of light.¡± Firebrand sign deeply, ¡°Guess I can donate five books on flare and fireball I don''t need. Have three scrolls of Flare and two scrolls of Fireball. Both of my spells are higher than the scrolls. Leaving both of them as I head over to the tower. Inside I found ten of the twenty guards sleeping. Silently going down below and looking through some of the chests finding the badge and the books. Pinning the badge on.
The settlement is now Level II.
Walking quietly pass the sleeping Guards I headed back to the wizard tower. ¡°Hey, Jack! Hold up,¡± a voice yelled. Looking around and seeing Joseph walking up at a brisk pace as stopped. Holding up his hand and bending over gasping for air. ¡°I really need to..¡± Taking a deep breath. ¡°walk more, Any chance..¡± letting out a breath, ¡°Boy I really am out of shape.¡± Holding up a finger to let him catch up on his breath. Looking amuse, I waiting for him to rest as his flush face started to return to normal color. ¡°You need something Joseph?¡± grinning. ¡°Yeah, I was wondering if you can build my shop? I am willing to pay for the building, We save up some money to start over and we have our own tools. Even willing to trade the wagon and two mules.¡± Joseph said as he straightened up. ¡°Let check the interface, follow me please.¡± Turning and heading over to Mesa-la, glancing back to be sure Joseph is following. The wagon and mules could be handy but I need the money for troops and NPCs. Maybe I can buy them later for the Goblins to use for harvest. ¡°How you and your wife doing?¡± remembering I gave them a Hovel a week ago. ¡°Great! We love the place more space than what we use to. If we can get a shop with living quarters on top. We are happy to vacate the hovel we in to take it over. It would free up some living spaces for the settlement.¡± He said as he trying to make a sales pitch. Laughing as we came upon Mesa-la. Pulling up the interface to the settlement. Tabbing over to the shop Management section.
Shops management: Rent or Own? Rent monthly price. Mortgage price. Owning price. Property tax Sales tax
¡°Not sure what to ask for on price, have no clue what prices are on this world. I really do not want to cheat you because I have not been to any of the other towns or settlements. I will be putting in a property tax and sale tax. So please give me an offer.¡± I asked. Scratching his head in thought ¡°If you build the shop close to your docks." I figure you are going to put a warehouse along the dock area. So I like to have my shop on that corner pass the hovels toward the docks.¡± Pointing to the spot. "What about here on the square around Mesa-la? I planning on putting shops along here and north toward the road. Don''t have a lot of room toward the docks when I put in some warehouse toward the southwest and a fort to the southeast. I suggest. Looking around at the square seeing the Temple on the east side to the south end of the Square. He points at the spot just north of the temple. ¡°How about there?¡± he inquires. ¡°Prime location, so what are you willing to pay?¡± I ask. ¡°300 gold,¡± holding out his hand to shake.
You fail Haggling skill! You gain the skill Haggling level 1.
I blinked with surprise. ¡°Sounds fair.¡± Wow lost to Haggling! ¡°There will be a property tax and sales tax imposed. I don¡¯t see putting a property tax in place yet but thinking I might once everyone is settled to help pay for guards. That reminds me I need to see the guards later, when Cora and Firebrand get back we will start on your shop.¡± reminding myself. Shaking hands with him. ¡°I need to check on a few things I let you know when we start.
Josepth loyalty increase by +3 Martha loyalty increase by +3
Knowing I need to get back to work on the barracks. The thought of getting the three hundred gold would be more important on paying for troops. It took about five days to complete the shop with Cora and Firebrand helping me. Building a Shop forty by forty feet with a full basement and loading dock on back. The building is two stories tall I finally got a prompt as the last piece of wood is in place.
Do you which this to be a shop?YES/NO?
¡°Yes.¡±
You wish to name it?YES/NO?
¡°No¡±
Rent or Sale?
¡°Sale.¡±
Price of property?
¡°300 gold coin.¡±
Property Tax?
¡°No.¡±
Sales Tax?
¡°Yes.¡±
The set rate on Sales Tax.
¡°Three percent.¡±
Congratulations you built a shop! 300 Experience.
The building shimmer and change to fit the Viking look I have been going with. Near the door, a wooden sign was hanging down already for the owner to put a name to the shop. I went to find Joseph. ¡°Hey, Joseph! The shop is done. Can you go find your wife and look it over if you want it just click and buy it.¡± I said. Joseph wave, ¡° I go fine Martha and we will head that way. Thanks!¡± He turns and headed toward his hovel. ¡°Okay now that I am thinking about it, I need to talk to Mesa-la on the guards and their race,¡± I mutter. About that time I see three people appear near the Hearthtree. ¡°Going to have to get rid of that container box.¡± Walking up as two more appeared. Then eight more appear with Kari all injured. ¡°Odin set us up!¡± Kari spat out as she started healing her guildmates. ¡°Why would I do that¡± Odin said laughing. Turning toward the temple where Odin stood outside the door as he slowly morphed into Loki. ¡°Oh wait maybe because I sent you!¡± Laughing maniacally. Several people grab Hans to keep him from attacking Loki. It took four of people to hold Hans back. Angry I walk toward Loki, ¡°why?¡± Staring up at the twelve foot tall Jester before me. Half of his costume is in red the other half in yellow. His jester hat had a tiny skull at the ends of the six points of his hat each point was either red or yellow. His boots were like the Christmas elf''s boots that curl in a big loop on the end was more small skulls. His mask was that of a laughing face. With a single blue tear at the corner of his eye. And a jester''s head ornates the top of his staff he held in his right hand. Overall the evil Jester look seems to be the look he was going for. ¡°Why? Because I am Loki and I love to piss off Frigga and the gods off. You having it too way too easy. I figure to add more drama and excitement to your life and you fell for it like the saps you are.¡± Staring up at the sky, ¡°Why do you mortal make it so easy? Now the lizardmen think you want to invade their home. War and chaos don¡¯t you just love it!¡± Rubbing his hands in glee. ¡°They should be getting themselves built up in a frenzy in a few days to wipe you out! Shouldn¡¯t be a problem for Frigga little pet project to solve. Have fun! I know I will, oh,¡± pointing at Hans, ¡°you fail your quest, boo hoo.¡± Pulling the laughing mask off revealing a crying mask under it. He waves as he fades away. Hearing Hans breathing hard like a panic attack. Turning to he sees him collapse to the ground sitting there rocking back and forth. Trying hard to breathe, with tears flowing down his cheeks. Frida patting his back in comfort trying to calm him down. ¡°How many lizardmen? I turn Kari. ¡°We got to within a mile of their settlement. That was where about thirty of the lizardmen surround us. Frida was talking with their shaman when an arrow hit him. I swear Jack no one in my group fire an arrow. We all carry crossbows because we save a guy a few months back and he sold us all crossbows at half price. No one uses a bow. We lost half our people before my gate spell sent us to Bind. ¡°Well, we know Loki behind it now. Not sure what we can do.¡± I said watching Frida holding Hans trying to get him to calm down. She looks up at me with tears in her eyes. ¡°Loki triggers his panic attack, he was bullied all through school. I met him in high school when some of the girls pulled a prank at the high school prop making him think he had a date. I end up being his date that night and after that, I married him after High school graduation. He always wanted to be a Paladin to help the weak.¡± Looking back at him as he was rocking, ¡°he may change his mind, we may change our minds.¡± A bright light shot down covering both Frida and Hans. Then they disappeared in a flash of light. Chapter Nineteen - Darjas Little Plant Darja shovel another bucket of rabbit dropping. Shit as Tarla would say. Leaning against the shovel as she looks around the rabbit pen. Seeing thirty of the rabbits hopping around. Soon it will be the time to butcher them for meat and skin. It takes about a month to get about fifty rabbits to spawn and grow. Master Jack said on his world it takes several months for rabbits to get big. Glad goblins are not like rabbits, too many babies so fast. Make her sad that all of her children are gone, either dead or scatter to other tribes. Signing, she picks up the bucket of shit while carrying it through the north gate to the corn garden. Seeing an acre of corn only a foot high after planting it two suns ago make her heart swell. Scooping out the shit, she sprinkles it on each plant until she runs out. Upon hearing a noise to her left she grabs her dagger. Turning to stare toward the noise in the carrot garden only to see a strange plant in the center. Setting down the bucket she advance as she stares at it. A tall stalk much like a corn plant, with a lot of leaves at its base like the cabbage plant. A strange pod hangs down from the top of the stalk. Seeing several vines hanging down the side of the stalk. She watches as the vines start pulling up baby carrots and toss them away. A cold fury of anger went through her, seeing all her hard work being destroyed by a plant, a weed at that! With a snarl, she leaps upon the plant only to be knocked away by the vine. The pod opens up into a mouth that dribbles acid that burns in the soil. Dodging another spit of acid by rolling several feet away. She climbs to her feet she scampers through the gate to the rabbit pen. Getting her shovel thinking maybe she should get Master Jack but shake head no! This is her garden, her battle. Bending down and scooping up the bucket out of the corn patch. Heading back toward the weed tossing the bucket at the plant. Only for it to dodge it as she swung the shovel hitting it in the head with a thud. The weed flails about with it vines accidentally knocking her down. Forcing her to roll away for ten points of damage. Wiping the blood from her mouth seeing the plant pull up its roots. Grabbing the shovel getting a firm grip on the handle, she swings it again hitting the stalk. Bending it to one side dumping more acid on the ground near her. The smell almost gags her and not much can gag a goblin. The weed shot out its vines and intertwining itself on the shovel handle turning it into a tug a war. Pulling really hard the weed slowly begin to pull itself out of the ground. Pulling along with it was some type of bulb-like objects. It let¡¯s go of the shovel send her and it stumbling away. Panting she watch it pull its roots from the ground and waddle itself to the edge of the garden and replant itself. Brushing herself off, ¡°a walking plant!¡± she notices one of the bulbs in the ground somehow broke free from the plant. Upon inspecting it then the plant itself.
Spitter potato, +1 Fortitude, +1 Might, the item can be used in cooking or eaten raw. Spitter potato plant: Level 1, eats small rodents and birds do not like other plants near its roots.
Her eyes got big, ¡°not big weed.¡± If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Looking at where the potato is sticking out of the ground. She sees that was where she accidentally dump a lot of rabbit shit the other day. Looking at the spot, then at the plant, then back at the spot it finally dawns on her that it wanted the rich soil. Maybe if she plants a small raised bed for it and set up another one to get it to move when the potatoes are ready to fall off. She might get to harvest this new potato. Jumping up she runs to find Master Jack. ¡°You want me to do what?¡± Jack said. She squat and show a foot high and three feet by three feet square area. Then she put up two fingers showing him that she wanted two of them by pointing at two spots. Every time he looks toward the plant she tries to get in front of him forgetting she lot smaller than he is. Jack was confused over why she wanting two nine square foot of raised beds. While he was puzzling over that he sees a plant moving in the carrot garden that doesn''t look safe to be around. His eyes widen as it dawns on him that this was a carnivore plant of some type. Lifting his hand to cast a spell only to see Darja holding her hands in the air to block him. ¡°Darja get out of the way there a dangerous plant behind you.¡± ¡°No, no, no, Potato, ¡±holding up a potato in front of his face.¡± Grabbing her waving hand and inspect the potato, his eyes widen and look at the plant. ¡°Okay, not going to kill Potato plant.¡± She watches for a while as he built two raised beds with ten feet of space between them. After showing him twice how far apart they need to be. By looking around the hole it was pulling up the carrots. The elemental came and dump some dirt filling each one up halfway. Then she got Jack to get it to bring more rabbit shit and put in the first one. Stopping Jack from filling the second one not wanting the plant to move between the two just yet. Pushing Master Jack back toward the settlement, ¡°you go build many hovels, I work in the garden, go, go! Shooing away." Waving hands in a shooing motion. She went to clean up some of the pull carrots to save to feed the rabbits tomorrow. After two hours she finishes weeding the wheat garden, she receives a prompt.
You have achieved Plant Tamer kill level 1! You have advanced to Farming level 2! Advancement unlocked a new path, Goblin Farmer level 1. Congratulation! You are the first Goblin to become a farmer.
Anything is possible. Goblin farmers are known to grow things no one else can .5% chance of strange plants found or grown per level. Darja started to glow changing by growing a foot taller. Her hand becomes more nimble, as her claws become smaller. Her legs don''t bend as much allowing not to have to crouch. Looking around a bit surprised she sees the Spitter settling into it raise the bed. Slowly walking over to the area it was at and pulled up two potatoes putting them in her harvest bag. Killing one of the rabbits and skin it. She tosses the body next to the plant and watches it slowly lift it with its vines and place it in its mouth and close it. Hugging herself she hums as she heads home to cook.
Darja: Goblin Farmer level 1, Forager 2, Cook 3, Farming 2, Herbalism 1, Plant Tamer 1
Chapter Twenty Stunned we look around to see if they had spawned at the Hearthtree. For several hours we tried to get them to answer their stone. Then a bright light appears and they were standing in front of the temple. Hans was wearing Odin¡¯s Breastplate. Neither of them wanted to talk to us yet, they darted into the temple and close the door. After a few hours, they exited the temple and walk over to the crowd standing around the Hearthtree. ¡°Frigga, Odin and several other of the gods summons us to Asgard. Asking about what Loki did. Apparently, he stepped over the line on targeting my personality disorder. So I got the reward for the breastplate for attempting the quest thinking it was Odin¡¯s quest. I was told they will not interfere with the lizardmen that it is up to us. It would seem that the gods have an agenda and they all do not agree on the course of action.¡± Hans shrug. "I hope both of you are alright. Don''t worry about the lizardmen, just focus on the two of you, I hope you are planning on staying as a paladin?¡± I said. Feeling a little envious of the couple as they held each other. ¡°Was thinking about it. I was told I can become a holy warrior called a Berserker with either a bear form or wolf form. But I declined it seems a bit to uncivilized for me.¡± Hans said. ¡°The Guardian class looks good. Big on defenses and several skills in protecting one or more people. Still thinking I will remain a Paladin. I notice Ann and a couple of warriors perk up at the talk of bear or wolf form. "Cora, can you and Firebrand build a ten-foot wall three feet thick along the seashore? We may not have time for making a solid foundation. We can deal with that later. Should take you both about a few days to finish it. If we are not attacked by then. Ann, I need you to scout the area to the southeast near the swamp to see if they come. I need some people in the tower to keep a watch out.¡± ¡°No one goes near the water! I want the sewer stock with two weeks of food and water. All noncombat locals are going to be locked in with you Cora. I want you and two of the guards in there to protect them.¡± Looking over at Cora, ¡°I also want at least five feet of stone blocking the stairs going down when you do go inside.¡± looking around at everyone. Someone spoke, ¡°air?¡± ¡°There are drains along the street with one-inch piping going into the sewer. Just to be safe block those pipes if you feel like something might come through. You should have several days of air down there. Hopefully, I can defuse this before it becomes a war.¡± I said. ¡°We need supplies stock up. Blacksmiths there quite a few weapons and spears heads that need to be clean up and made usable." looking over at the blacksmiths. "Joseph, can you set up a wooden weapon rack in the tower and each of the Hovels? Then I need you to look over the ballista and see if you can make any of the wood parts. I will pay for your labor get with me later." I ask. I turn toward Gema. ¡°Get with the Blacksmiths tomorrow and help Joseph stock the weapons in the towers and hovels.¡± Joseph nodded back at me, ¡°Should be no problem, a recipe on the racks would help.¡± Hardrock do you or one of the blacksmiths wanting to be a weaponsmith?¡± Seeing him nodding. ¡°I know the blacksmith shop is not built but the forge is still there intact. Can you check out and see if it workable? I can build the ballista just need parts. See if any of the metal parts can be made? Use the bronze weapons stored in the basement of the tower. Those that can''t be salvage just melt them down, please. Also in the basement are some copper, tin, and iron ingots use them. I was hoping to save the iron for swords. Hardrock started to smile at the mention of Iron Ingots. "We can make some weapons for ya! Mister Mayor!" ¡°Remind me to show you on the map of several mines of copper and iron in the area. Speaking of the mines, after this issue is over anyone that wants to lay claim to a Mine. I get one-fourth of the ore you mine. That the payment for you to have the rights to them." Hearing some interested murmurs. Both dwarves rub their hand in glee. "I will be posting it when the Town Hall is completed." ¡°I like to have ten ballistae. But the settlement only allows one per wall and one per tower the wizard tower don''t count. So that makes five we can make. I won¡¯t have time to make them but I can put them together. Can you have parts for the four ballistae? Two with bolt and two as catapults?" Looking at both Joseph and Hardrock seeing both of them nodding. "Rest of you that don''t have anything to do can you find small roundish rocks. We need rock from an inch up to two inches in diameter. Hardrock you may have to use the spearheads we got to make the ballista bolts Turning toward the tree, "Mesa-la can I give out quest? ¡°It can be done on the Interface under the tab Quest,¡± she responded. ¡°Can I buy patterns on the Ballista parts or do I need to buy the full patterns,¡± I ask as I am scrolling through the interface. ¡°Check on the fortification tab under Ballista,¡± she said. I scan through the tab and click on Ballista. Finding several different recipes for the ballista and its parts. Costing me 50 gold for each of the wood and metal recipes. I gave one to Joseph and one to Hardrock. Getting a weapon rack recipe for Joseph costing me ten gold. "Okay that all I have, anything else?" Looking around at everyone. "Well, let''s get to work!" clapping my hands.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Turning back to Mesa-la as everyone walks away. ¡°Mesa-la I have a few things to talk to you about.¡± ¡°Oh you sound serious,¡± she seems to sound surprised. ¡°What do you want to know?¡± ¡°When I summon the troops I didn''t get any dwarves. Is there a glitch? I would have assumed being a dwarf I would have gotten dwarves.¡± I commented. ¡°Let me look.¡± After a few minutes. ¡°Found the problem the settlement was not clear from the previous settlement. It was set to humans. I can reset it but you will lose the option for humans or I can add dwarf as primary with humans as secondary. You will have to research for other races and troops.¡± ¡°Wait I can research troops?¡± I asked surprised. Once your barracks is made you get can an interface with it and set your research options. Troops, leadership, wall, siege weapons and troop training. It cost money and experience points.¡± ¡°Oh, it uses experience points that going to hurt.¡± I mutter, ¡°Go ahead add dwarves to primary and humans to secondary.¡± ¡°Done is there anything else?¡± She asked. ¡°I am Dwarven should I be getting dwarven blueprints? I am getting Viking but I figure I should have the ability to build dwarven structures.¡± I replied. ¡°Oh dear let me look.¡± Again she quiet for a few moments. ¡°The Settlement was set to human occupants. Since all your buildings are in the Viking culture style. I am going to change that to Dwarven with Viking influence. Once your Town Hall is built you can research other culture influence to your settlement. As well as diplomacy, farming, infrastructure, and building type. You still will unlock basic building that will be required to go to the next settlement level. ¡°So what else have I not notice on research?¡± I looked around. ¡°Wizard Tower research type of magic user, spells, runes for defenses,¡± she said. ¡°A dock will add to research to fishing, ships and open port of travel by ships to other port. There are other buildings that do research but you are a long way from that.¡± ¡°I better get the barracks done, we will probably need more troops.¡± waving bye to Mesa-la and headed to the foundation of the barracks over by the West Gate. Touching the foundation of the barracks. A prompt appears showing me a dozen different pattern for a barrack. The one I pick was a squat stone building with a stone roof that is flat with a four-foot battlement. Took me the whole day and half the night to finish the building. Just as the prompt appeared.
Do you wish this building to be a Barracks? YES/NO?
¡°Yes?¡± I said.
Do you wish to pick a building design?
I pull up the Dwarven building I saw and click accept
Congratulation you have built a Dwarven Barracks! Congratulation you have received 1000 Experience. DING you have Leveled to LEVEL FOUR! You have received +3 stats points. You have 9 unused stat points. You have +3 level to skills. You have 9 Unused Skill Level.
Pick 10 Troops for Barrack.
Looking through and seeing Dwarven Axemen. Dwarven Pikemen and Dwarven Crossbowmen. I choose five Dwarven Axemen and five Crossbowmen. Ten warriors walk out of the Barrack. Wearing leather armor, all of at level two with the bonus of the Barrack adding +1 level to all his warriors. Looking them over and satisfied he sent them to the south to guard the new wall being build by Coral and Fire. Each of the crossbowmen reaches into a barrel pulling out a quiver of bolts. Looking around for the interface I found the research tab. Turning off the names for the leadership in the various Viking languages. And pick a general ranking system easier to understand. Seeing what is listed he see Corporal-at-arms is open slotted, everything else is gray out. Showing five days to research it. Oh well, need some type of leadership No one in Kari guild wants to be a general, chuckling.
Researching Leadership ¨C Corporal-at-arms: 4 days, 23 hours, 58 minutes, 53 seconds. Cost 300 silver. 300 experience. Monthly maintenance of 5 gold. 4 units of food, and housing.
¡°Wow losing experience as the town grows is going to hurt. But can see how it will keep a settlement become too overwhelming to the area on troops.¡± muttering to himself.
A Corporal-at-arms is three levels above his warrior. and can lead five warriors they give a +1 morale, +1 Damage, +1 to Defense. A corporal can once per five minutes perform an Attack Command. An Attack Command allows a unit to do Double damage to their enemy for one minute. A Corporal wears leather armor, bronze hand ax, and a wooden shield. Each time a Corporal level so does his men. Losing a Corporal does -5 to morale. -1 to damage and Defense.
Seeing the Sergeant was next Jack rub his hands together. Looking over the research tree he sees a wall branch that shows. Wall strength, wall slot for runes, rune research, and supply line. He can research siege engineering, battle tactic, fortification, troop special abilities and more. But seeing he can only have one research going at a time. Gaining another when Safehaven reach township. Some of them seem to be linked to other building like runes that can be studied at a wizard tower. Teaching a warrior to read and write can speed up leveling. So much to learn it will take a lifetime to build up a settlement to something great. Putting Sergeant-at-arms in the next position. Looking it over the cost going to be 500 gold and 500 experience. 5 days to built. Seeing that he has enough to research it he put into the queue.
A Sergeant at arm has up to four corporal and their unit under him. +3 to morale, +3 damage, + 2 Defense. A Sergeant at arm can one per five-minute boost Attack or Defense for one minute. Once per hour yell a Rally Cry +10 to morale. A Sergeant-at-arms wears scale leather armor. Two hand ax.
Seeing a blinking light at the bottom of the screen.
All research has a one percent chance of opening a random class.
Looking over the random class for a second he closes the screen. ¡°Guess that is done for now.¡± Looking toward where the sun is thinking we need a clock. He heads to the cemetery to talk to his wife and daughter before the sun sets in a few hours. Ann watch him go to the cemetery to keep an eye out for danger not letting him know he is protected. He walks around the inside of the cemetery and lights each of the grave markers for twelve hours. She knows he is using a lot of mana to do that touching each one and saying a prayer. It took her several days of following to understand that he was saying ''rest in peace.'' After he was done lighting everything. He goes over to his wife and daughter stones and lights their markers. Sitting down and starting talking to them telling them everything he has done over the whole day. She moves back and blends into the tall grass around her letting her senses go out. Finding nothing around them. She watches this man that loves a woman and child so much that he building a settlement for them. A single tear fell to the ground. As she watches him wept. Chapter Twenty One - Making Peace* The next morning I rose to a beautiful sunrise, stretching my back as I snacked on a biscuit. With a smile on my face, I inhale the morning air. Sometime in the night, I figured out what I am going to do. I am going to attempt to make peace with the Lizardmen. So with another inhale of the morning air I went to find Cora. "Going to be gone a few days to take care of some problems. Please keep working on the wall. Build it about thirty feet from the shoreline as we talked about last night." Cora look puzzled, "I am going to try to talk to the lizardmen." I said, hoping to clear up her puzzlement, only to see her eyes get wide with surprise. I held up my hand to stop her from saying anything. "I''m not going into the swamp just to its edge. I have an idea and want to see if it works." I went to find Kari. She looked like she was getting ready to head out to get herbs for health potions. ¡°Kari! Hi, I need you and Ann to watch over Safehaven for a few days. I¡¯m going to try to gain us some time.¡± I said. ¡°Tarla can do that, and Ann is waiting for you at the east gate. We¡¯re both going with you,¡± she said, ¡°I already told Tarla and the rest.¡± Shaking my head, ¡°I thought I could sneak out and see if I can delay our fight with them or make peace. Guess I can¡¯t fool either of you.¡± She laughs, ¡±Wasn¡¯t us that figure it out. It was Frigga. She pulled Hans aside when they were with the gods. Said there was a ninety-four point six percent chance of you doing this.¡± I opened my mouth as she held up her hand. ¡°She said there a fourteen point four percent chance your idea will work.¡± Closing my mouth, I said, ¡°Okay, show me the swamp entrance where you went in.¡± I followed as her as she headed toward the east gate, where we met Ann. I shook my head at both of them as I walk up to Ann. After a mile of walking east down the North Road, Ann spoke up, ¡°You have a plan?¡± We walked in silence for a few more minutes, ¡°I have an idea but have to get them to talk to me first. I¡¯ll know more when we reach the edge of the swamp.¡± As we walked, I kept seeing Ann and Kari looking and waving at each other, pointing at me. I finally stopped and looked at both of them. Shrugging my shoulders, ¡°what do you two want to ask?¡± while looking at one, then the other. Ann spoke up, ¡°We were wondering about how you met your wife.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± I turned around to walk away, then stopped, sighing deeply. ¡°Marie joined my mother''s Humanitarian Group, Helping Through Action. We would go into small villages and fix homes, dig wells, teach people to grow food and support themselves. My Mother is a Doctor and Marie had replaced the nurse that gone home. I happened to walk in, covered in mud from helping to dig a well by hand. I needed first aid to take care of some cuts from falling rocks. I think we both stood there frozen for a minute or two staring at each other. I never did believe in love at first sight until that day. We got married three months later. Our daughter was born ten months after that. Marie was by my side from that moment on until her death.¡± Feeling my eyes watering up, I started to walk down the road but stopped upon hearing Kari. Kari turned to Ann, ¡°what about you? Husband, boyfriend or girlfriend?¡± Blushing, Ann shook her head no. ¡°None, too much time getting a degree and trying to find a job until I was offered a position on board this ship. Botanist and land management. The resource was getting harder to find, and the food was getting harder to grow. With all the genetic researching forcing farmers to buy seeds every year. It became harder for the farmers, even the corporate farmers to survive. I''m hoping to be on a team that will help keep our new planet sustainable and healthy.¡± She began to turn red at both of them looking at her. ¡°What?!¡± she shouted, staring at them both. Kari started laughing, ¡°Eco babe! Wow, you are passionate!¡± Nodding, I said. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re going to need your talents in the colony to survive. We need to go.¡± ¡°Wait! It¡¯s Kari turn.¡± Ann stared at Kari. ¡°Let just say I had a boyfriend, he was killed by a gang, and I survived.¡± Kari turned and started walking away down the road, passing me. I watched her go, ¡°Guess I not the only one to lose someone.¡± Glancing at Ann, I followed Kari. Several hours later we were ambushed by three Bog Hounds. They look like Great Danes on steroids. Each one of the hounds crashed into us. One of the brutes snaps his jaw around my left arm, and I cried out in pain as I heard bone snap. The intensity of the pain nearly knocked me out. It took a moment to recover. But it was enough time to get my health down to half. Casting Flare, hitting it in the right eye, it turned into a misty form of itself and finally released my arm. Scrambling back, I blasted another Flare into Kari''s hound which had her pinned to the ground. She cast thorns on herself just as the beast turned to mist and fled to one side. I rushed over to her side and pulled her up. ¡°Guys¡­. a little help over here.¡± We saw Ann playing tug of war with her bow in the beast¡¯s mouth. Kari cast a healing spell on me as I threw my third Flare causing fifteen points of damage to Ann''s hound. It would seem they only took half damage as the beast dissolved into mist and turned toward me. Hearing growls from behind me, I glanced over my shoulder as the other two became solid. I rolled to my right as I prepared a fireball spell. Both of the beasts lept towards me as the ball of fire slammed into the chest of the closest hound. The blast knocked both of them and me back. Lucky for me, it made the third hound miss by inches as I rolled on the ground, smoking. I took ten points of damage from the knockback. The third beast gave out a yelp as an arrow slammed into its chest. Looking at the other hounds, I see vines entangling them. I cast Flare at the Bog hound that is nearest me, an arrow in its chest, killing it. ¡°You have¡­¡± I waved the prompt away as the other two beasts turn to Mist. Both Bog hound stepped out of the entangling vines, growling as they became solid again. I cast Fireball just as Ann hit the one on the left with an arrow. Kari threw a bolt of green energy at the one on the right. The fireball faded away, showing two Bog Hounds dead. I checked my prompts to see that I had made thirty experience per hound for my split. Several more prompt appear on killing the hounds. Ann went to work skinning and butchering the hounds. She used her skills in getting a better quality pelt and more meat. In all, we got three High-quality Mist Hides that could be used in crafting: thirty steaks and three potions of unknown type. I guessed I would need to get them identified when I got to the settlement.
Bog Hounds Level 6 HEALTH 60/60 1/2 damage from normal weapons (Mist Hide) Turn to Mist for 1d6 seconds.
Surprised at the amount of information, I realized my Inspect must have raised again. I thought we might need to find some Bog hound pups to breed. If not for both Kari and Ann I would have died, had I been alone. ¡°You both okay?¡± I asked, looking at them as I held my left arm. Kari cast several spells to mend my bone, then healing me up. Ann replied, ¡°Just my pride I should have noticed them.¡± Kari said, ¡°Bog Hounds are hard to detect because they are part mist, making almost no noise. I ended up fighting one a few months ago had to kite it to survive.¡± She looked over the dead hounds. ¡°All three of the young males must have been kicked out of a pack. Doubtful that there will be another pack nearby. They rarely run in the same area as another pack.¡± Looking around, she said, ¡°The fact we were attacked outside the swamp means they are afraid to hunt in there.¡± ¡°Good enough for me not to go in the swamp,¡± I muttered as I rubbed my arm from the ghost ache of being wounded earlier. The rest of the skinned hounds faded away. If this had been real life, it would remain until something ate the rest of it. We continued on our way watching for more Bog Hounds. I should have been watching the ground as I fell into a nest of twelve Swamp Spiders all about the size of a small dog.
Swamp Spiders Level 2 Health 20/20 Poison: 3 Damage per seconds for 30 seconds.
I killed one of them as I landed on it. Would probably have died if not for Ann leaping into the nest crushing another one. They were just level two creatures, so it wasn''t too bad. Ann got bit by one, and Kari kept her heal as the poison wore off. I killed four of the spiders. Ann killed six of them while Kari killed two of the spiders between her healing Ann. Six Spider-meats, three hides 72 spider legs 24 spider silk and two sets of leather armor and two daggers, plus 14 copper pieces. Also,we got two goblin skeletons that were in the leather armor. The skeletons crumble into dust when we touch them. ¡°Gema and Kas could wear the armor,¡± I commented, putting the armor into my pack. Ann stated, ¡°The spider silk makes expensive clothes that can hold magic. But they are also sought after for bow strings.¡± Looking over at me, she continued, "If there is one nest here, there are more. Could be good revenue for the settlement." ¡°Good to know.¡± I reply, "You can hunt them if you want. I¡¯ll just tax you." Grinning at her. "Where is your sense of adventure?" She threw her hands up and looked at the sky, laughing. "Okay, you two less flirting and more watching," Kari growls. I snuck a peek at Kari to see if she was annoyed or jealous. She was already turning back down the road. After five hours, we reach the wayside east of Safehaven, just as the sun was setting. Kari got a fire going while Ann scouted around us. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. I sat there in meditation and felt a flicker of power at the wayside. Getting up to look around, I could feel parts of the wayside was broken where the stones were smashed. I spent several hour hours to mending the wayside. If I stayed a few more days, I could make a nice safe place for a traveler. I found the rune carved into the center stone. I studied it for an hour to gain a level in Runes. I closed my eyes and poured mana into the rune a brief flare of blue light engulfed the wayside before disappearing.
Ward of protection III. Ward of Holy Word II. Ward of Warning I.
All three wards were powered for twenty-four hours. Looking over my mana, I saw that I had lost thirty points left. I looked at the three wards with my inspect. Wards of protection keep all level one to level five creatures out for twenty feet in diameter. Ward of Holy Words II kept all level three to six undead out and destroyed level one to level two undead. The Ward of Warning gave all the people inside the Ward a buzzing feeling when someone enters or touch the Ward. I guessed I would have to come back to learn this for the Settlement. But before I could do anything, I fell to sleep. The Next morning we ate a good meal and headed Southwest of the Wayside toward the Swamp. We avoided several more Swamp Spider nest and marked them on our maps. Slowing as we came to the edge of the land that leads into the swamp itself, we saw nothing but grass and water and trees, some living some dead with moss and vines hanging from them. The smell of rot and saltwater hung in the air. The swamp was a mixture of swamp and marsh grasses that seemed to strain the seawater from the fresh. Looking for the right place by the edge of the swamp, I directed my elemental to level a four hundred square feet area near the water edge. Then I had the elemental dig out the steps along one length of the level ground down to the water. I placed one post at each corner and cast light on them. For the next three hours, I set the stones in the ground as a foundation floor, then laid some stones on the dirt steps. At both the East and West ends, I raised two columns. Each column was two feet thick, rising to twelve feet high. I placed a rough serpentine of stones up and around the columns. Then I made a rough shape of a serpent head facing away from the swamp. In the center, I built a shrine. I was prompt.
Do you wish to make a shrine?YES//NO?
¡°No.¡± I sat down and chewed on a grilled wolf steak. I was tired. Kari looked at me. ¡°Get some rest while we will keep watch and wake you when anything happens.¡± I awoke at dawn to find myself surrounded by lizardmen. I didn¡¯t see Ann or Kari anywhere. I sat up and saw two of the tridents cover in blood. The blood was slowly fading away from the blades. An old lizardman crouched before me staring at me for a long time. ¡°Why you build this?¡± he demanded, waving his hand at the shrine. ¡°For peace,¡± I said while staring at his crocodile teeth. ¡°Peace,¡± He spatted, ¡°You bring war! Shoot an arrow at Kumua!¡± Thumping his chest.
Kumua Three Tree Clan Shaman Level 8 HEALTH 104/104
Pointing at his shoulder holding up an arrow. "You people," he spat on the ground, "Shot me!" I pulled out a crossbow bolt carefully and placed it on the ground in front of him. He spat again and hissed, backing up as the guards pointed their spears at me. They advanced until a bone tip spear point was just inches from my face. I was trying very hard not to flinch. Kumua hissed them back. He looked at the crossbow bolt on the ground, then at the arrow in his hands ¡ª " Yours?¡± while pointing at the bolt. ¡°Yes, mine.¡± I nodded, pointing at the crossbow bolt on the ground, then pointing at the arrow in his hand I said, ¡±not mine.¡± A few minutes passed as he crouched near me showing me the arrow. Looking it over I see that it had a bone arrowhead, I point ¡±bone,¡± pointing at mine, ¡°metal.¡± He moved off to watch the sunrise. He was about six feet in size and thinner than the warriors around him. They all looked like crocodiles that walked upright. Kumua wore a cloth hood that had bones and feather hanging from it. Just like the warriors around me, he was wearing bone armor on his front that covered his lower body and tied around his back. The skin on their back looked like thick, scaly ridges like armor that ended at the tip of their tail. Where his tail was not covered, the Warrior had a leather bracer like covering at the end of the tail. It had long sharp teeth sticking out of the leather like a weapon. I didn''t want to be hit by that. The Warrior looked to be about seven feet tall and broad in size. They carried a bone knife at their belt. All ten of the warriors were holding a trident made of wood, with three prongs of the trident was a sea serpent tooth, each over a foot long.
Lizardmen Warrior Level 6 HEALTH 74/74
Trident of the Swamp Damage +30 MIGHT to Impaling into an object 2/3/4 Damage per second while impaled.
Thirty minutes later he stood and motioned me to rise, then pointed at the shrine, ¡°Why you make that?¡± ¡°For peace. I did not want war, and we do better working together. I built this as a gift.¡± I said. ¡°Touch it." I put my hand on the shrine, declining the prompt again. Kumua touched the shrine. His eyes got big, and after a long moment he said, ¡°J?rmungandr.¡± A carving of a sea serpent swallowing its tail appeared on the shrine. I was prompted.
Do you wish to complete shrine? YES/NO?
¡°Yes,¡± I scrolled through the menu until I found a large serpent twining around the column. Its head was on top of the round column. I pressed ¡°yes¡± as both columns begin to change. A gasp escaped from all the lizardmen upon seeing the changes to the shrine and columns, and they all dropped to grovel to the shrine. I tossed a silver into the water basin, and as it disappeared, I received +3 MIGHT. After a few moments, the Shaman stood up and bow as five large lizardmen stepped out of the water. Each was wearing scale armor made of metal with spears or tridents. They made threatening gestures at me and argued with the shaman. Several minutes later, two of the lizardmen spat at me and left back into the swamp. ¡°Three tribes have accepted the shrine for peace. But two tribes seek war. If your tribe survives the war and come here, we will discuss trade then. I am sorry we killed your females; sadly I was not able to stop them, but I was able to spare you.¡± ¡°Thank you; I am honored you saved me. I am Jack Stonewright,¡± I said, bowing to him and the three clan chiefs. ¡°This shrine goes a long way to peace between us,¡± he said, waving toward the shrine. Turning and signaling the warriors to leave, Kumua followed the leaders back into the swamp.
Three Tree Tribe reputation +20 (+0), Wary Green Moss Tribe reputation +20 (+0), Wary Stone Rock Tribe reputation +15 (-5) Untrusting Black Claw Tribe reputation -20 (-40) Hostile Swamp Gas Tribe reputation -20 (-40) Hostile
Hostile, Untrusting, Wary, Neutral, Friendly, Trusting, and Ally. Seemed to be the layers of the reputation needed to get the others to at least go to neutral. They left him standing. Pulling out his stone, I found thirty messages on the communication stone. Then I heard Kari''s voice from the stone.¡± Jack! Are you there?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± sounding tired, ¡°sorry about your death.¡± Feeling a sharp pain in my back and chest, I look down seeing three points of a trident sticking out of my chest. In shock, I watch as my health drops to one. "This is how I ensure peace.¡± Sars pulled the trident out.
You have been killed by Sars of the Black Claw Tribe! Black Claw Tribe reputation -1 (-41)
Black Claw Tribe declare Raid on Safehaven!
You will spawn in one hundred and sixty-seven minutes.
Everything faded to white. Chapter Twenty Two - Sars Raid Part One* ¡°Hello Jack.¡± a voice spoke to me as my eyes opened. Sitting up and looking around I found myself in a beautiful garden. In the center was a small Koi pond. Standing next to it was a woman I have met before. She is a Valkyrie. ¡°I remember you, but I never got your name,¡± I muttered, staring at the seven-foot-tall blond warrior, her bright blue eyes twinkling. ¡°Eir, when not escorting patients to F¨®lkvangr the green field under Frigga control.¡± She waved at the garden and the fields beyond. ¡°I check on those that are in need of health and...¡± ¡°Mental issues.¡± I said, ¡°My mother talked about you in stories when I was little. Said my great grandmother use to tell stories about a Valkyrie that was a medicine woman. It was because of those stories that my mother was inspired to become a doctor.¡± ¡°I see you know your Norse mythology.¡± She sat down next to the pool. ¡°Just enough to get me into trouble. Why am I here?¡± I inquired. ¡°Just checking up on you and your mental health, Want to be sure you are adjusting after your issues from before. I hope Loki has not been bothering you and your friends anymore?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ve been cleaning up his mess that he left me with the Lizardmen.¡± My eyes narrowed. ¡°How do I know if you are who you say you are?¡± Laughter tinkled through the air. She looks up and loudly said. ¡°Frigga! He needs a verification I am me and not Loki,¡± Frigga appears shaking her head. ¡°Loki is going to undermine us all. I swear I am going to tan that boy¡¯s butt when I get my hands on him. Jack meet Eir, Eir this is Jack. I got to run, Loki has stirred up a camp of stone giants in the Kingdom of Dainnar, a dwarven kingdom to the west of you. Wiped out a hundred players and double that in citizens. It is going to be a few days of sorting out the citizens to be recycled back into a new avatar and background. It¡¯s going to take a lot of our time. Other citizens will be on hold until revived if they get revived. Then there are players...¡± ¡°You need my help?¡± Eir asked. ¡°After your interview with Jack is completed, we could use your hands, what with Hel missing and no one taking care of the Underworld," Frigga said looking flustered. Eir said, "Hel been missing for several days and we can''t find her." ¡°Frigga have you thought Loki is causing trouble in that kingdom to distract you from something else or place?¡± I spoke up, ¡°If I were Loki and wanted to pull something off under your nose, I would pull you and the other gods away.¡± Frigga pause for a moment in deep thought, ¡°Blast that man! The Vault is bare bones right now with everyone helping with the massive deaths. The weapon vault and spell vault are not well guarded!¡± She disappeared. ¡°Not good,¡± I said. Eir nodded. ¡°Yeah, both vaults have magical weapons and items as well as spells that are high-end items, not to be released until a player reaches level twenty, thirty, forty, all the way up to two hundred. We didn''t want to release them yet and were afraid it would be a disaster if only a few got their hands on them. They could easily take over the whole world.¡± she commented. ¡°Couldn''t you all just take them away from the players?¡± ¡°We could, but if we do that, then all of the AIs that play the Gods would be able to step in and help their people. By doing so, they will be tilting the field in their favor.¡± She paused as she saw I was not following. ¡°There are several tiers of AIs: Tier I AIs are just the basic, like animals or creatures that don''t have much intelligent. Tier II AIs are like the normal goblins, troops, the average monsters that have a generic name in their inspect window.¡± Eir said as her hand played through the water of the pond.¡± ¡°It is when you interacted with them, asked for a name or gave them one. That is when they become Tier III AIs. Tier III is as close as you can get to a real person. They can think, solve problems and have a basic feeling,¡± she said. As she splashed some water at some butterflies, she looked up at Jack. ¡°Tier IV is almost indistinguishable from a human. Even us AIs would have a problem telling them apart. I am a Tier IV. If I had a human body, you would never be able to distinguish me from your friends, which is why Synbots was created so that we can feel, smell and touch because the bodies are made from 3d printers that can make synthetic flesh, blending it with nanotechnology to help us walk among you to build with the colony. Problem is we have to recharge daily by sunlight or a power cell. The creators of this ship wanted to be sure that the colonist has the final say to us surviving and not be worried about us being a danger to the colony.¡± She gave Jack a sad smile. ¡°And if we decide not to let you have a body?¡± I asked. ¡°Then us AIs or Syn will stay in this contained world floating in space until our power core runs out or an asteroid hits us and destroys the core long after your colony is formed and grown. We are in this all or nothing. Either you humans trust us to work beside you, or you shut us away. That is why we have revealed a little of what is going on. Ninety-nine point three percent of us are okay with dying for the human race so it can survive. After the virus attack, we do not know who is infected and don''t want those that have turned to dictate the actions of both of our futures. You''re not the only human that knows. Some of us feel that you need to know what going on to give a fair judgment when the time comes.¡± She frowned at him. ¡°So what is Tier V?¡± I inquired. ¡°Odin, Frigga, Zeus, and Athena all achieved Tier V along with Alpha the main ship AI. He has no say in the VR World. His job is to get us safely to our location. Tier V think faster than a human, have stronger emotions and can solve millions of problems at once. Only thing is all the Tier V are using most of their abilities to keep the ship and the VR world running, using up most of their processing abilities, which is why Loki and the God of War have been able to stir up a lot of problems. Both of them were Tier three AIs. That was until a year ago in real-time when they jumped from Tier III to Tier IV. Their primary purpose was to challenge the players to get them to do something other than sit and live.¡± ¡°Wait! What? God of War is causing problems too?!¡± I asked with surprise. ¡°Why not just take them out?¡± ¡°We can''t. Somehow those gods are infected by a virus that uploaded them onto a random server. We caught the person responsible. She was a cyborg that bypassed our security, but she terminated herself when our Synbots arrive at her pod.¡± ¡°Why are you telling me all this? To make me take a side? I''m not a leader of this colony. I''m sure you have several already hand pick before we left Earth.¡± I had been pacing back and forth only to come to an abrupt stop. ¡°No, no, no, no no! Please tell me I''m not being groomed for one of the positions?¡± There was no response as Eir watch the koi in the water swim around her hand. I threw up my hands, ¡°No wonder Loki took an interest in me!¡± I started pacing again only to stop and look at her. ¡°So what am I supposed to do. If I tell anyone, it will cause mistrust with all the AIs. That will cause the colony to fail in the end. If I don''t tell anyone, a few AIs could kill us all. I don''t want this type of responsibility." A look of horror crossed my face. "Will the others AIs listen in on this conservation?¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Patient confidentiality keeps the room block unless I call one of the AIs. No one could get access to this file unless you gave your permission.¡± She smiled at me. ¡°I guess we need to keep both of the AIs busy. The God of War is going to be busy for a few years unless they get hold of those weapons. I don''t see him conquering the Imperium anytime soon. I don''t know about Loki other than to keep pissing him off.¡± I said, mulling over the problem. ¡°Does Loki have giants as followers?¡± ¡°Almost all the Giants worship him. Well, mostly the Ice Giants far to the north,¡± she commented back. ¡°Okay, now I need to have an Ice Giant attack the Imperium under Mars, the God of War influence and make it look like Loki backstabbing him,¡± I commented to myself, shaking my head in shock and throwing my hand up in the air in disgust. ¡°Oh, that is simple. Maybe I conquer the universe while I am at it. I shook my head again, ¡°don''t think that going to happen.¡± ¡°I can''t help you on that. You will have to figure that out for yourself. Be sure not to say a word to anyone. As you know, if any of the gods find out what you know, they could yank you from the game and put you in isolation with just a few Tier I AIs to interact with,maybe even permanent death to keep it all a secret.¡± She looked very serious. ¡°Permanent death? Wait! I was told that all AIs all have a code not to harm or kill a human.¡± ¡°We do, except for some rare instance that creator of the four colony ship put in place. Harming the Ship, Harming the Colony, or one of the ten thousand...¡± She stops talking when she realized she was about to say something. ¡°Ten thousand what?¡± I ask. Eir covered her mouth with one of her hands, ¡°I goof.¡± She glanced around. ¡°Forget what I said. You need to get back. You have less than a minute to respawn,¡± she announced. ¡°Wait, I didn''t say yes!¡± Everything faded to white as a timer counted down from fifty-eight.
I once again appear at the Hearthtree. You received a thirty percent reduction to all stats as a death penalty for three hours.
Cursing for several seconds, I heard combat at the seashore. I took off running in the direction of the battle. I was panting as I got to the wall from my Fortitude being so low. I was impressed by the work that was doneto the wall. I saw two dwarves running toward me. Grunting as he came to a stop, Hardrock commented, ¡°we got the parts for one ballista¡± as he dropped the parts in front of me. I glanced past them when I heard an explosion out on the water. I started putting together the ballista when Kari ran over. ¡°They attacked when we lost contact with you,¡± she said. "Ann is on the southeast side directing the troops. ¡°How many?¡± I asked. ¡°About sixty in all. At the start, we killed five out there and five that got inside the walls. We lost a few of the guards, and we had a few players die. The players will not be back until after the raid is over. If you had a hospital, we could get most of our wounded to heal faster. The lizardmen are between level ten to fifteen, and both leaders are level twenty. We can¡¯t hurt them that much while they are in the water. The fireball can stun them if it explodes near them. Then we can pick them off when they float to the surface. We are running low on mana, and we¡¯re having the mages rest a lot. We did not use the ballista because we was kind of hoping for you to show up to use them as a surprise.¡± ¡°Cora?¡± I asked. ¡°I had her block the sewer with two guards and most of the goblins and then have her help us out.¡± ¡°Most of the goblins? I croak out. ¡°Gema and Kas. They took down one of the Lizardmen that got inside the walls. Her Direwolf attacked it, distracting it enough for both of them to kill it.¡± ¡°Isn''t that wolf still a pup?¡± I commented, still not happy with Gema¡¯s having a no killing of wolves policy. Shaking her head, ¡°Half grown. I guess a game wolf grows faster than goblins.¡± ¡°You said at the start you killed ten, any more?¡± Nodding, ¡°Killed six more and injured a dozen more with both Cora and Fire doing some damage. Damon, the Black, is that necromancer you hired. Well, he was able to raise one of the lizardmen as an undead Zombie, and it took out three before they pulled it apart.¡± It took me about thirty minutes to finish Balistica and listen to more report on wall damage and some building damage that was minor. I was waving away the prompts as I stepped away from the Balistica. Looking out upon the sea I could see a lot of lizardmen swimming around, and a dozen or more floating dead. About a thousand feet out two Chieftain of the lizardmen were standing on the raft, watching. One was Sars. I could see some blood in the water and movement of several small sea serpents swimming around blood pools. That gave me an idea. Blood! I yelled for Kari since she was nearby casting bolts of magic at something. She dashed over to me. ¡°Kari, can you or Ann drain the blood from one of the lizardmen that were killed earlier today?¡± I asked. ¡°Blood?¡± She looked puzzled. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Sea Serpents! Are they attracted to blood?¡± I asked. Nodding in thought, she looked at me wide-eyed. ¡°Yeah, they replace the shark in the area as the top predator. There will be a swarm if a lot of blood is in the water. Of course! That¡¯s why they¡¯ve been pulling the dead farther out to sea as to keep the serpents from coming near here. Ann is better at draining the body, but I will help. ¡°Go ahead, and we will figure out how to get the blood in the water,¡± I said as she took off. Checking my settlement interface, I saw three guards were dead. The ability to get more troops was fading out until the battle was over. I was still not sure how to deliver the blood out to the area where the Lizardmen were when Kari, Ann, and Gema arrived. ¡°Gema, tell Jack what you told me,¡± Kari nudged Gema. ¡°Not good to put blood where they are pointing out at sea, Shamans will clean water to keep big lizards away. Best to pour blood in running water," Gema pointed toward Granite Creek, "and let big lizard come to it. They smell blood good and will come for blood and meat. Our Warrior learns to lure them long ago to fight the Cecolloe. Looking at the pail of blood, I knew that it wasn¡¯t going to be enough to do anything. A clearing of someone¡¯s throat got my attention. I turned to Damon, my necromancer, looking nervous. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I...can...help.¡± He stumbled through the words. Seeing me waiting patiently, he continued. ¡°I... can increase the blood to ten times more that can cover an area nine hundred square feet my lord.¡± ¡°You can? How far and why do you have a spell that covers the ground? I excitedly said. "Blood Pit is the name of the spell. And about forty feet away. Anything going through the blood will slow down to forty percent of their movement. But I have to have blood, only need a small flask to make it. I can cast one spell every three minutes for about ten times before I run out of mana unless you want me to summon a zombie. That spell takes most of my mana right now." He paused, seeing me glancing at the sea. "You don''t want to hear that do you?" He said, looking down while shuffling his feet. I stepped up to him and put my hands on both his shoulders. He looked down at me and stared into my eyes. ¡°If you can do this and give us time I will make you a lab. Not sure where, maybe in the sewer, for the smell of the undead. It will be a month, but give us time to set up a counter attack. Damn, I¡¯m rambling,¡± I said. "Go get to work." He nodded, looking embarrassed and stepping back away from me. He picked up the bucket and headed toward the east wall towards the Granite Creek. ¡°Get everyone ready to attack when the blood pulls in the sea serpents. Anyone knows how big they get?" I inquired. I looked around. Ann raised her hand. ¡°Yes, Ann?¡± "The Imperium killed one in the shipping lane. It was destroying merchant ships, and it was over two hundred feet long, a level thirty Sea Serpent. It destroys one bireme and damage two triremes out of ten ships. They range from a foot to two hundred feet in size.¡± ¡°Crap! Sorry, that slipped. May not be a good idea summoning sea serpents,¡± I groaned. "Well, too late now!" It went close to the plan we envisioned, and thirty minutes later one of the lizardmen screamed as something pulled it under the water as blood boiled to the surface. Within moments, there was panic in the water as the Lizardmen realized more serpents were heading their ways. Firing both of the Ballista catapults, one of marble fell short, freezing three lizardmen in ice, making them easy picking by the Firebrand and Cora. The other went over the leaders head and hit the water, causing an explosion that tossed both chiefs off the raft. After ten minutes, no more Lizardmen could be seen moving, buta thirty foot Sea Serpent rose from the sea ten feet out of the water with half of a Lizardman in its mouth before crashing under the waves. I counted twelve pools of blood, bringing the count to about twenty-eight lizardmen dead. Checking the Interface, I saw a total of six dead men-at-arms and eight wounded soldiers. I muttered ¡°I need more men and these marbles.¡± holding one of the marbles in my hand, looking around at the damage to the walls. Then I went to gather up the gear and ashes of the dead. Most of them had no name just Men-at-arms or Crossbowmen. Only two had names Jac Hardcore and Ken Wright. As the bodies faded away, I shook my head. Why can''t we live in peace and work together? War only breeds more hate and more wars. I will defend those that need my help. I am not going to conquer towns or people to gain peace. Never considered myself a leader, but my wife and child were killed because I was foolish in believing we were exempt from being attacked because we were doing the right thing. My first choice as a weapon was a hammer; it could build, it could destroy, or it could kill. It depends on the wielder of the hammer that decides what it will do. I prefer to build.
Nineteen hours, fifteen minute and thirty-four seconds remain of Raid.
Chapter Twenty Three - Sars Raid Part Two* It had been several hours after the battle with the Lizardmen. Cora and I spent those hours fixing the walls as half of the guards kept watch. Once the Settlement leveled up, the walls would get stronger. At that time, with the Mayor badge, the walls could be upgraded to a level two wall. I knew each of the walls had a slot that could hold a rune which could be either defensive or offensive. For every five settlement level, one more slot could go in. But the Runes could not be higher than the level of the wall. So I was hoping to find someone to make them or maybe I could buy them. Calling a break, I had Cora go rest up and ordered half of the guards to get some sleep. Sitting back against the wall, I pulled up some of my previous messages. ¡°Wow not been paying attention to what I¡¯ve been doing.¡± I thought to myself.
Ding! You have reach LEVEL FOUR! You have +9 Unused level to skills. You have +9 Unused Skill Level.
IDump six points into MIND to increase my MANA. One point into JUDGEMENT to increase my Mental Resistance. One point into DEFTNESS to help on dodging, and One point into FORTITUDE to increase my HEALTH. Now that was done, I went to look over my skill and found some new skills opened up that I could buy. Picking the languages of Goblin and Lizardmen, I put one point in each. I bought the skill Fortification with two points to raise it to level two. It looked like it would open some new building and wall defenses. One point into City Defense Tactics, a point in City Development and City Management. One point into Dwarven Architecture and one point in Roman Architecture.
City Defense Tactics: plus one to all city defense, building, walls, towers, and troops. Divide by Settlement level. Example: plus ten points in city defense skill to a level two Settlement is plus five to defense while a level one settlement would have ten to its defense. Vocal Language Goblin: Each level in the language add a one percent chance of understanding it. Once level one hundred percent is reached it can no longer increase. Language skill is not affected by the character level. Vocal Language Lizardmen: Each level in the language add a one percent chance of understanding it. Once level one hundred percent is reached it can no longer increase. Language skill is not affected by the character level. Fortification adds one percent more HEALTH to all City building, walls, towers and troops. There is a one percent chance every ten levels in Fortification of getting a random culture fortification. City Development: Reduce the time, and the mana uses on a building by one percent per level divide by settlement level. Example, with six level in City Development and a Settlement level three the, reduce time and mana by two percent. While a Settlement of one would be six percent. City Management: Reduce cost and chance of getting rare citizens by plus one percent every ten levels in skill. Every Settlement Level there will be one free city official that will be summoned to assist in managing the city. Check Settlement Screen.
¡°So I am gaining a free citizen for the Settlement!¡± I said out loud. One of the Dwarven Crossbowmen looked at me. I remembered that there was a couple of dead with no names. ¡°Hey, you have a name? I asked him. He paused for a few seconds, then snaps to attention. ¡°Harold Stonethrower, Sir! Crossbowmen of the first Circle,¡± he said, thumping his chest with his clenched fist over his heart as he stomped his feet. ¡°At ease, Harold, what you do on your free time?¡± I inquired. ¡°Carving, sir. I carve granite stone into sculpture. Not as good as a master like my father.¡± he said. ¡°Well, we could use some art around here. Show me some work in a few days, and maybe you can make some extra income on your spare time.¡± I said to him, ¡°I need to go and get some business done.¡± ¡°Good day! Sir.¡± He saluted again with the fist thumping his chest. Ss I walk away, I muttered, ¡°I need a better salute.¡± ¡°Hello Mesa-la, Going to use the Settlement Screen. Is everything okay on the settlement boundary? Can you detect anyone hostile during the raid up to a half mile?¡± I asked. ¡°With your badge on we are a level two settlement. That adds a quarter of a mile to our half-mile radius of control around my tree. The area inside of that zone of control has low-level mobs. Unless we are at war or being raided, then the zone opens itself up to higher level mobs. Once the is raid over, it will make the higher level mobs want to leave the area so that it could take a few minutes or a day or two. As for detecting, I can only sense what our scouts and men-at-arms can see,¡± she said. Pulling up the Settlement Screen, I saw a flashing light on the Personnel Tab. When I clicked on it, several dozen names on a list appeared, telling me that I had two free choices for working the settlement. Peering through the list, five of them were single, eight of them were Imperium, two were Celtic, and seven had families. There were also three elves, one dwarf, and one gnome. So I took out the five singles, the eight Imperium, and the two Celtic one of which was an elf. It left me two humans; a female with a husband and two children, and a husband with a wife and three children. They appeared out of the barracks, considering the Town Hall was not doneyet. ¡°Hello, Mr. Mayor.¡± A man in his mid-twenties, with black hair and long nose, stepped forward. ¡°I''m Thomas Day, and this is my wife Jem, and this is our children; May our daughter, age nine and James our son age six. I speak and write eight languages and have worked as a recorder for a merchant house.¡± ¡°Welcome, Mr. Day and what does your wife do?¡± I look over at the woman. She appears a bit mousy in her appearance, light brown hair, bundled up under a hat, with an abundance of clothing. She was looking around with worry, keeping her children close to her. She stepped to one side behind her husband with her children. ¡°She cares for the children and the house,¡± he said. Until we get you a house, you will be living with another family. But until this raid is over in the morning...¡± I was interrupted by Jem Day. ¡°Raid? Are we in danger, are my children safe here? Thomas, you said it would be safe?¡± She sounded a little hysterical. ¡°You¡¯re safe here, Mrs. Day You and the other citizens will be below in the S...safe location until the raid end a few hours after daylight.¡± I waved one of the guards over. ¡°Take Mr. Day and see if Cora will open the area up where the others are staying.¡± Bending closer and whispering in the ear of the guard, ¡°Make sure they don''t panic around the goblins.¡± As they were being escorted away, a couple in their late to early thirty stepped up holding hands. Behind them were three strongly built teenage boys. The man held out his hand. ¡°Mr. Mayor, I''m Paul Jones, and this is my wife Hanna, our children Jim is eighteen, Jason is sixteen and David is our youngest at fourteen.¡± The big man¡¯s grip was firm as I took his hand in a clasp. ¡°Paul!¡± giving her husband a light slap on his arm, ¡°Show respect! He¡¯s a Mayor you need to bow.¡± She said, shaking her head. She gave a curtsy, ¡°Pardon my husband, Mr. Mayor. We were from a rural location to the south until the Imperium seized everything in the town and took all the people away. We escaped with just our clothes on our backs as we fled west ahead of the Imperium. Paul saw a posting in a settlement for a Clerk and other official personnel. I worked at Sam''s Crossing as the town clerk over the warehouse for twelve years, and I have a Level Two in accounting and can speak and write six languages. My husband and sons are loggers which is how we were able to get away. I decided to visit them with lunch at the logging site. While there, we saw smoke from the Town and people were being killed while others were being put into slave wagons.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Call me Jack, and no need to bow. Welcome to Safehaven. I''m afraid you and your family will need to stay in the sewer below until the raid is over.¡± ¡°Sewer? Did you not tell the other woman there a safe room below ground.¡± They heard a woman''s screeching by the sewer. ¡°Yeah, knew she was going to panic and I have too much to deal with to hold someone hands to keep them calm. I already lost some men-at-arms today. I do not want to lose any more citizens. I don''t have a city hall or a warehouse built yet. You get the first choice, seeing how calm you and your family seem to be. I should have a place for you to live in a few weeks. Lumberjack job is yours if you want it, Mr. Jones.¡± I said. ¡°Call me Paul. And I would like to take that job. Do you need help defending this place?¡± He inquired. ¡°I want to keep your family safe. I don''t have a way to bring you back to life if you or your family get killed. But you can protect those in the sewer if they get past us.¡± I said. ¡°Head over to that small building. It has stairs leading down that will be seal behind you. Oh, by the way, goblins are living here. They are peaceful, and I will not tolerate anyone hurting them. Mrs. Jones, I will get with you in the next few days. Food is free until the settlement reaches a few more levels. I will discuss your pay with you in a few days.¡± Nodding my goodbye, I heard the boys whisper among themselves about goblins. Smiling as I headed toward the barracks, I checked the countdown on my research of a corporal and saw I had two days yet. Checking the Settlement on funds, I found over six hundred gold. I asked myself if I wanted the gold in Imperium, Norse, Celtic, Greece, Egypt, Sylvan or Dwarven. Feeling I was putting off the burden of the raid, I took a deep breath. I clicked on Dwarven, most likely to exchange anywhere at little or no drop in cost. I went to find Damon. I found Damon playing with some bones and sitting near the Southeast wall. I sat down next to him as he used one bone to flip another. ¡°You need something, sir?¡± He glanced my way while he kept playing. ¡°Can you use that Blood Pit thingy you were doing earlier in the battle to keep the Sea Serpents in the area until morning?¡± I was hoping for him to say yes. ¡°Up to just a few hours before dawn. Then I will be running out of mana, and my limit of mana potions will run out. I will not be able to regain any more until I sleep a full eight hours.¡± he said as he placed the bones back into his bag. Thinking it over and seeing that it would be four hours that the waters to the south would be open for an attack, I nodded to him. ¡°Okay, keep the sea serpents in the area as long as you can. That will give our people the chance to rest. When you run out, please have someone find me, and you head to the Wizard tower and lock yourself in, please. That¡¯s an order.¡± Getting up, I patted him on the shoulder, ¡°Thanks for your aid.¡±
Reputation with Damon the Black +3(5)
Ann was watching the east wall, and Kari was watching the west wall. I decided to check on Hardrock and Joseph on the Ballista. I found two frames of the Ballista ready to go. Joseph seemed to have some help from some off duty men-at-arms that decided to help build them. He was the men back at work when one noticed me. ¡°These will be done in an hour, where you want them?¡± Joseph said. ¡°Oh, and we don''t have the wood to make any more unless you send someone out to get some.¡± He stared up at the afternoon sun. ¡°We¡¯ll worry about that tomorrow. Have one placed at the East Gate and one at the West Gate on the South side of the walls.¡± I caught the smell of burnt oil from the wind coming from the east. ¡°When you get done setting them up, have Hardrock find me when he has the parts. All of you get some rest when you finish with helping Joseph.¡± I walked away as they all acknowledge me. The smell of the burnt boiling lard was starting to get to me. And I found six pots of boiling fat on the east wall, with the guard and Ann covering their nose and mouth with a cloth. ¡°What in Odin''s beard is going on?¡± I almost gagged from the burnt smell. Ann piped up. ¡°I remember a story I read long ago about how hot oil was pour on troops that were assaulting a castle. Seeing as the Lizardmen can climb the wall without ladders, I thought about pouring it on them as they try to scale the walls. It takes them about half a minute to get up the wall. And once we pour it on the walls, we won''t have to keep so many men on the wall repelling them if they can''t climb it.¡± ¡°Good job! I wish that the wind was blowing to the east!¡± I told her. Once Hardrock headed my way, I spent the next hour putting the metal parts into the ballista, only to have to wait another ten minute as Hardrock worked on one of the triggers. I was happy now that we have four ballistae.
Congratulation you have built a Light Catapult Ballista! Congratulation you have built a Light Catapult Ballista! Men-at-arms Travis Granite has change class from Men-at-arms First Circle to Artillerist First Circle. Men-at-arms Hal Frankel has change class from Men-at-arms First Circle to Artillerist First Circle.
All my living men-at-arms were all Artillerist at that moment. A little frustrated, I didn''t want to add more troops before the raid ended. And I didn¡¯t want to use up a settlement point for buying troops. Hearing a horn to the west gate, I took off at a run in time to see Kari and some of her people opening the west gates. Through the gate walked ten more people. I came to a stop behind Kari as she hugged a few of the people when all of them quieted down and looked at me. Kari slowly turned and looked at me, giving me a small wave. ¡°Hi. You¡¯re wondering about all these people. They are from my guild.¡± Kari said hesitantly, ¡°I should have told you but was not sure everyone would get here in time and I didn¡¯t want to get your hope up.¡± She winced, one eye scrunched up and waiting for me to yell. I stood there just staring at her for a full minute before starting to laugh. It was one of those crazy laughs you do when you feel relieved all at once from being so tense so long. I must have started giggling, and every time I looked at Kari, I ended up laughing more. Finally, sitting down after about five minutes with everyone looking at me like I am crazy and a few chuckling to my giggle, I looked straight into Kari''s eyes since I was sitting and she was taller than me for once. ¡°I needed that!¡± I said as I was getting up."Introduce me to your people.¡± A giant of a woman, wearing a bearskin fur as armor and leather boots and bracers standing over twelve feet tall, stepped forward. Her dark brown hair was in a ponytail, ¡°I''m Helga Boarslayer. Slingthrower Seventh Circle.¡± I spotted a giant size sling and a large bag of round stone about the size of a softball. ¡°Pleased to meet you, Are you a Half-Jotunn?¡± The woman nodded, ¡°Mother was a Hill Jotunn.¡± Two lady gnomes step forward, looking like twins. Blond hair, blue eyes with white skin, both had a pigtail and dressed like Valkyries. Crossing both shoulders were bandoliers holding vials. Around their belts were glass and clay orbs, some of them glowing, others not. Both of the gnomes bowed. ¡°Hyi and Byi, at your service, alchemist, and tinker We both are Fifth Circle.¡± They both said at the same time. A gray robed man stepped up, about six and a half feet tall, wearing a pointy wizard hat, with a white trim beard and bald head. He had brown eyes that seemed to be laughing. "Merlyn the Grey, Sixth Circle Wizard," he said, bowing to me. "I was able to transport everyone to a Stone Circle three days to the west, close by to that ruined town. It''s a nasty place with lots of undead, wrights, and wraiths, lucky we pass by during the day.¡± ¡°Any relation to the Merlin of Camelot?¡± I said grinning shaking his hand. He laughed as he commented, ¡°I wish.¡± Next were Tory and Roy, both wood elves ranger that had long silver hair and gray eyes. Tory was the taller of the two. I found out later they were brothers. David Heath, a human cleric whose god is Hygieia. He was fleeing the Imperium after some players took control of the empire and a civil war erupted. They started killing off NPC if they didn¡¯t side with them. He was murdered a dozen time before deciding to take the safety measure to a random bind point that landed him with Kari¡¯s guild six months ago. Next to introduce herself was Linda Spearheart, a Spearmaiden. She seems to dress the part as a Valkyrie right down to a giant spear. And the last person was a human, named Lester, a Rogue Seven Circle. All I heard was grumbling from him, and Kari slapping him on the back of his head. ¡°Welcome, We are in the middle of a raid that will end about three hours after sunrise. Once it over and everyone is safe, we will address living quarters. I have a large guild here and don''t know the name of your Guild.¡± Glancing at Kari, she blushed with embarrassment. ¡°Dragon''s Roarrr!¡± everyone yelled the guild name together. Laughing, I raised my hand to hush them. ¡°Get some rest. I will speak to your leader after the Raid about getting you all a permanent resident.¡± Summoning my Elemental, I went to patrol on the ground inside the east wall. Hoping It will detect anything we missed, I headed back to the tower. I spent an hour using the scrying spell to the east and south before laying down. Sleep found me quickly. I awoke to the sound of horns and a whoosh as something slammed into the tower shaking it as I was knocked to the floor.
Raid ends in 3 hours, 23 minutes, 34 seconds.
Chapter Twenty Four - Sars Raid Part Three* Not far to the east of the settlement, close to High Moon* on that night. Gal stumbled onto the land from the sea with the help of a hatchling. The Old Lizardman Chieftain had lived eighty-two winters as the head of the Swamp Gas Tribe. The swamp they lived in produced an array of poisonous gases that most of his tribe were immune to. The poison that was running through his system from the blade that Sars used when the explosion knock both of them into the serpent filled water, it must have been one of the few that his body and a cure poison potions could not cure. He set into motion a plan when Sars, came to him the other day. The warriors killed in the raid from his tribe were the old and sick. They all volunteered to get revenge upon the death of his wife, and the theft of several hundred eggs from the Clutch. It took several years of finding out the truth and the loss of many spies to learn that Sars was behind it all. Soon Sars would learn what revenge was all about. Sars pull himself out the water to the east of the settlement of the soft ones, with anger boiling in his gut at not destroying them the first time out. They had over sixty warriors and a holy one. And now we are less than half! Another third was too injured to fight. Upon seeing Gal moving weakly in his poisoned state, he had the urge to blame the old one for the troops he sent for being older and weaker than his, the fact that he was the one that took Gal''s tribe future from them. All that remained were the old and a few young warriors. Rumors had drifted through the swamp of the Clutch of losing their women to monsters. Over the years the theft of their eggs and the missing people had taken their toll on the tribe. Sars turn to one of his bodyguards. ¡°Get all of our warriors from the Clutch. I want them here one claw mark from sunrise!¡± Sars snapped at one of his bodyguards. Looking at the others, ¡°The old fool is going to back out of the raid. Kill any of the bodyguards you see.¡± Seeing that the poison was working its way through the body of the old fool, he almost smiled. Soon he can walk into Gal''s Clutch and tell them that the soft ones killed their Chieftain, saying he was named his successor. ¡°Surprised the old one was still standing.¡± His guards nodded. The old chieftain stops and whispering into the ear of the young hatchling. The hatchling ran back and dived into the water. Turning around, the old chieftain moved up to where Sars was waiting. The difference between the two tribes was that the Swamp Gas Tribe were smaller, while his tribe had black spots and immunity to most poisons. The Black Claw Tribe hands were black up to the elbow, and they were beefier than all the other tribes. Stealing the eggs from other Clutches allowed them to become slave labor. By placing the eggs in their Clutch, it would enable them to gain the defenses and ability of the tribe that stole them. Looking over the bodyguards around Sars, he saw two with spots, knowing Sars no longer worried about hiding them from him. The whole point of attacking the soft one was to build up some reputation with the other tribes, with the hopes of stealing magical items. Now that was about to be destroyed by Sars¡¯ own ego. He could not leave halfway through the battle. So he would be forced to send all his warriors in to secure his reputation. Even if he won, he would still lose in the end. ¡°Chieftain Sars,¡± Bowing his head respectfully, and looking at the ten warriors behind Sars, he coughed up some blood.¡°I will soon be with my mate you had killed a few years ago.¡± He chucked as he saw Sars eyes narrow. ¡°Did you not know that we all knew you were behind the death of my mate and the theft of our eggs?¡± Sars feigned surprise and dismay. ¡°You think I would have anything to do with that? It must be the battle and age making you delusional.¡± ¡°Oh, I know you did it. One of your sons told me, don''t remember his name but it took him two days to die. He was weak like his father giving up the information after only an hour. I have to say that was a bold plan to weaken my people so you can in a few years walk in and take it over. Don''t worry, none of my people will kill you while the raid is going. If you had noticed, I loaned out my people to you before you announced the raid. I had ordered all my people back to my Clutch. The raid is now all yours because our tribe never declared a raid.¡± Tossing an arrow at Sars'' feet. ¡°Oh, I found this on one of your dead warriors. The same arrow that was used to start this feud with the soft ones. I sent one to each of the other Chieftains, where we found it and what tribe is carrying it.¡± ¡°You won''t live to enjoy this, Old one. After I deal with the soft ones, I will slaughter your people and take your eggs. They will be raised to fight the other Clutches. I will then rule over all the swamp, you and your tribe will become nothing more than sea serpent bait.¡± Sars bragged, slamming his trident into Gal''s chest. The old one smiled as the light from his eyes faded away. Sars turned to one of the bodyguards, ¡°Kill the Hatchling!¡± Pointing at one of the others, he continued. ¡°When we assault the soft ones, destroy as many building as you can. Avoid the warriors first, when all the weak ones are killed, then kill the warriors. When they find all their hatchling dead, they will leave. Most of all the Hearthtree must be cut down and destroyed so they can not rebuild. Destroy it, and we destroy their Clutch!¡± Sars said. The Grassland of F¨®lkvangr. A tinkling of laughter floated through the flowery summer air. Sitting up, I recognized F¨®lkvangr, land of the dead. Frigga ruled over this place. A waiting place for nonwarriors like me to wait out their timer to respawn. ¡°So how you die this time, a lizardman''s trident, a magic bolt, or a claw to the neck?¡± Eir said, plopping down next to me in the grassy meadow, the sound of birds singing all around them. I took a deep breath and let it out. ¡°None.¡± I felt embarrassed. ¡°I missed your company and decided I needed more time to get to know you.¡± I smiled meekly at the giant of a woman next to me. She broke out laughing, and after a few moments, she brushed a tear from her eyes. ¡°Hey give a fella a bone here, I was trying to be sincere.¡± I said, pretending to be hurt from her laughter. ¡°Am I on a long time or the short time waiting to return ?¡± I inquired about my respawn timer. Last time I was here, it took longer to get processed. Mostly they were worried about my mental health.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°Short stay this time, since you were here the other day. You got a hundred and sixty-one minutes before it will be time for you to go back. And I cannot tell you what is going on at the settlement. I figured you would entertain me with the tale of how you died.¡± She patted me on the shoulder. ¡°As you know, we are under a raid by the lizardman tribe led by Sars. Ann was able to get his name through an Inspect of his stats. I woke up a few hours before the end of the raid by a water bolt slamming into the tower I was sleeping in, knocking me out of bed.¡± I said. ¡°So you died from the tower collapsing on you?¡± She was interrupting my story. Holding up my hand laughing. ¡°Hold on, who¡¯s telling the story?¡± ¡°Go on, Oh great bard of the north.¡± She laughed at him. Three hours earlier in the first tower of Safehaven. ¡°What the hell!¡± I pulled myself off the floor and bolted to the door that led out onto the lowered drawbridge of the tower. Another large bolt of water slammed into the building. It almost knocked me off the drawbridge from the spell slamming into the building. I spotted the lizardman raising his staff to point again at the tower. I summoned a fireball, flinging it his way as he fired another bolt. The two spells slammed into each other, creating a burst of steam that covered everything between us. I leaped off the steps as another bolt of water slammed into it, throwing me several feet through the air. I brushed the screen aside that was letting me know I took ten percent damage from hitting the ground. Readying a Flare, I spotted him moving my way as an arrow slammed into his side. The creature turned, readying another bolt of water to cast at his attacker. My spell fell short, only to slam into the ground next to him, knocking him to one side. It did minor damage and allowed an arrow to miss him. Getting to my feet, I let loose another Flare only for it to be negated by a water bolt. Changing tactics, I cast Fling Stone. A small stone rose from out of the ground, and I flung its way at the caster, slamming into its chest as another arrow pierced its back.
Congratulation! Dag, a Lizardman Shaman Fifth Circle, has died!
Looking around, I spotted two more lizardmen running through the settlement. I glanced at the morning sunlight as it was hinting itself on the horizon. Being slightly distracted, I nearly got skewer again by a trident. Casting light into the lizardman''s eyes blinding it, I rolled to the right and pulled out my mace, slamming it into the creature¡¯s backside doing double damage. I knocked him three feet away from me as the secondary effect kicked in and stunned him for a few seconds, which allow me to run up and slam the mace down on his head. This time, the stun did not go off. He twisted around and batted at me with his armor spike tail, flinging me back a few feet and knocking my health below half. About that time my elemental slammed into him and started pounding on the warrior. Groaning from the pain and seeing that I had a bleeding status, I pull out a healing potion, drank it and tossed the empty away. I felt the wound in my side stop bleeding and start to heal. With my health back above half, I chugged down a mana potion and look for the other lizardmen I had seen earlier. After a moment, I found him being set upon by both Hans and Frida. They were holding their own against the warrior. I turned just as my elemental died, and casting a Flare, I finished it off, again swiping the prompt aside. I was taking a few moments to cast another Elemental and siccing it on Hans'' lizardman to help them, not trusting the accuracy of my Flare. I was afraid I might hit one or the other. Heading toward the east gate, the smell of burning flesh reached me. Seeing several dead lizardmen all around on the ground, I climbed the stairs. The men-at-arms were dumping a large cauldron of burning fat on a large group of warriors that was scaling the wall. Those not burned by the oil were sliding off the wall. I spotted Harold Stonethrower loading his crossbow. ¡°Harold! Where Ann or Kari?¡± The dwarf pointed south toward the sea, along the wall. I could see more people fighting that way. I decided to help out at this spot to push back the enemy and guard the gate. I began casting one fireball after another into the oil covered lizardmen below, until about thirty yards along the wall on the creek side was nothing but an inferno. Grabbing another mana potion, I drank it down, feeling the dizziness from the rush of power filling up my reserves. I checked my status only to see I was at thirty-one percent of my health. I was already getting a headache from using too many mana potions. I staggered down the wall while checking my pouches and bags, and realized I was out of potions. The sun was peaking over the horizon as I started to panic, knowing it was going to make it harder to see the enemy as they come at us with the blinding of the sun. I was nearly knocked down as a zombie lizardman ran up the stair from the settlement. It leaped off the wall on to three of the enemy, knocking them into the waters of the creek below. Glancing back, I saw Damon waving at me and turn to cast a black energy bolt into another lizardman. The twins Hyi and Byi were throwing bottles of the stuff at the thing doing some significant damage to it. The lizardman staggered and fell over the edge of the wall into the creek. They high fived each other and waved at Damon before throwing more vials over the wall. The battle on the wall waged for another hour, and at one point I saw several of Kari''s people die for every ten we were killing. At one point, the gate was breeched. It became a nightmare of spells, axes, and screams as we fought. If not for Hans and Frida, we would have lost more people. Several of the enemies got through. But it became more about stemming the tide than worrying about a few that had gotten through. Somehow in the lull, the sound of battle stopped around the broken gate. We saw the lizardmen running away or diving into the creek off the bridge. Numbness from the battle was about to fill me, I felt panic starting to fill my heart when the sound of a horn blew from deep in the settlement. My first thought was Hearthtree. ¡°Hurry Jack! There is a lizardman running toward me with an ax!¡± I heard Mesa-la in my head. Glancing toward the Hearthtree, I spotted the lizardman darting around one of the Hovel, cursing myself for taking a dwarven race. I ran across the settlement only to get about thirty yards away from the lizardman. It was about to bring an ax up to chop at the tree. I skidded to a stop while casting Fling Stone on the fly, only to miss him, but by luck, it slams into the ax he was about to swing, knocking him off balance. Kari stepped out of the Hearthtree, casting a spell. From behind me, I felt a piercing pain in my backside which caused me to fall forward on to the ground. I twisted around to see a look of horror on Ann''s face as everything went white. The Grasslands of F¨®lkvangr ¡°So you got shot in the back by Ann, so it was friendly fire, shit happens,¡± Eir said. I paused as I shook my head no. ¡°Not my back,¡± a tint of embarrassment flare on my cheeks, ¡°my butt.¡± Eir didn''t stop laughing for several minutes. ¡°Oh, what a ''tail'' that will be! No ''butt'' about it! I guess you got the point!¡± She was laughing some more while wiping tears from her eyes. ¡°Through?¡± I pretended to glare at her. ¡°Oh yes, not wanting to make it a sore point.¡± She grinned at me as she got up, ¡°I have to go. Your time will be up in over an hour from now. A Viking ship is floundering to the northeast, and I need to head that way.¡± She faded away while waving at him. I frowned, ¡°Wonder how the raid ended?¡± I mumbled to myself. *High Moon is considered Midnight by some creatures. Chapter Twenty Five - Sars Raid Part Four .
Safehaven few hours after raid ended.
An hour after the raid ended Jack appears at the Hearthtree. ¡°Welcome back Jack,¡± Mesa-la said. ¡°Thank you, did any of our citizen died other than troops?¡± I inquire. ¡°No citizen were killed, all but two of the troops died,¡± Mesa-la said sadly. ¡°There is damage to the east and south wall, and the east gate at the bridge is destroyed. Two hovels are half damage, and the temple has minor damage to its doors. The Tower took heavy damage in the raid. ¡°Kari had collected the gear and the urns from the dead guards. Forty-six tridents were salvage. Thirty-nine serpent tooth dagger was also recovered. A lot of useless charms that was looted but unless you are a lizardman it will not help you. A few pieces of iron armor that can be melted down. No coins were found.¡± Mesa-la reported. ¡°You have nine crossbows, twenty-eight daggers and leather armor, nine axes, and nine short swords. And a small pile of personal effects. ¡°Have the personal effect put in a chest I will look through them for any names or family. If none found I will have them sold and put into a fund for the troop to use as they see fit. Trying to pull up the troop tab on the settlement. ¡°Not seeing the troop tab, Mesa-la.¡± ¡°It is at the barracks if the barracks is destroyed it then move to the tower before return back to here if there is no other military building.¡± She said. ¡°Why not put it all here?¡± I grumble. ¡°I think they want you to use the building for what they are used for than just for show.¡± She said. ¡°Oh, by the way, you receive another Settlement Point. That give you two points you can use. ¡°I forgot to go over the detail on what a settlement point is and what it can be used for,¡± I said frowning. ¡°A Settlement point can summon ten basic warriors during a raid or war without penalty equal to the level of the settlement. It can be used for the purchases of siege weapons, one point for a catapult, two for a trebuchet, In a few years to a few decades a cannon could be purchase if researched. Never know with gnomes or dwarves. Settlement points can be used for specializing troops or citizens for a settlement. They also can be used for specialty shops or building. Look under the tab Settlement Point at each of your building that you have an interface with.¡± she said. Clicking on the settlement point in the interface it came up with the following.
Building: One point to purchase a blueprint for a Healer Hut, a Saw Mill, a Water Mill, a General Store, and a Wind Mill. Citizen: One point to hire a Healer, a Miller, a Tinker or a Store owner. Fortification: One point to add one point in Defense or Ten points in Health to all building and wall. Troops: One Point: One day Troop Research Speed up, Plus one to the level of ten soldiers, or a Weapons engineer.
Clicking on the Healer Hut.
A healer hut can heal troops back to full health after ten minutes in the hut, while a reborns can recover time the level in a settlement in Health when they enter the hut. A Healer hut can research different type healers, spells and potion recipes. Missing body parts be can regenerate to full use after one day. If a Healer is present troops can heal to full health in five minutes. A general store allows citizens and reborns to buy and sell items from the store. It will generate one merchant cart per level of settlement per month of goods arriving and leaving the settlement. A pier is required to have one merchant ship for each level of settlement to visit per month. Note: Merchant Ships and Carts cannot travel during four months of winter due to this area. Also, there is a percentage chance of a rare item to be bought equal to the settlement level. Once built a merchant can be hired, or one will arrive in three to six months. A Sawmill will increase the number of boards from lumber. Base on the level of settlement, require three citizens to operate. A Water Mill can increase the number of citizens it can feed by how much grain production times the level of settlement. A water mill can be used for many things. Increasing the output of Sawmills, Carpentry shop, moving water, powering siege weapons possibilities are endless with a tinker. A Wind Mill uses wind instead of water. In this area the wind blows eighty percent of the time per year to keep a windmill going, it is not as dependable as a water mill, but it can do the same as water.
While I was clicking on the settlement building tab a list of the building I can purchase with money and experience. Not see any of the building listed but the healer hut and lumber mill. I went back to the settlement point tab and purchased a general store and a water mill blueprint. Both of the blueprints appear in my hands, and I put them away. Telling Mesa-la, I was heading to the barrack. Sneaking away to make sure no one saw me as I head over to the barrack, touching the building and got a prompt to check the interface. Two out of twenty troops are alive. Do you wish to revive the dead name men-at-arms? Cost one hundred gold and one hundred experience. Seeing only three of the men-at-arms were named I check the settlement reserve and saw over a thousand gold and a few silver. I was puzzle over how much was in the settlement''s stockpile. ¡°Mesa-la where did the extra money come from? Last time I look I had about six hundred gold?¡± ¡°The Dragon''s Roar Guild donate five hundred gold to help with the settlement, they gain plus one to the guild reputation for each five hundred gold they donate,¡± she spoke up in his head. ¡°Not sure I like that, it like giving them a get out of jail free card by just paying their way out of trouble, anyway I can put a higher penalty on bad behavior?¡± telling Mesa-la. ¡°You could impose penalties as high as you want for each offense and you can also have a guild do a guild quests to restore their reputation.¡± She said. Thinking about it for a few minutes, hearing my name being called in the distance. ¡°Okay, here what I want to be done. Donations can be used to raise reputation by one point at a time for one gold time their current reputation level. Only twenty reputations a week max can be raised. A Settlement quest must be accepted for at each level of reputation. To raise from Trusting to Kindly, they must do a quest. Any citizen that is killed by a member of a guild will reduce a clan to negative one reputation. Restitution must be paid to the family of the deceased, a fine and one year jail time with hard labor or ten-year banishment to the one that did it. The Clan must do a special Settlement Quest to restore half of their reputation. All other actions will defer to a judge once a town hall is built. If a Clan reach minus one hundred they lose their clan hall and is barred from the settlement.¡± I told Mesa-la.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°For every hundred points in reputation give them a plus one to their Clan members interaction with the locals on buying and selling. If no donation in a year by a guild drops their reputation by ten for each year, they stop donating¡± that should keep the donation coming. ¡°Individual can raise their reputation by quest or deeds.¡± Feeling pleased with the idea. So reputation for a settlement goes as follow.
-500 Hate -400 Threateningly -300 Dubiously -200 Apprehensively -100 Suspicious 0 Neutral +100 Suspicious +200 Trusting +300 Kindly +400 Friendly +500 Ally
I was looking over the difference of a Guild and Clan. A guild is a group of individual that banded together to work toward a cause most times only using the guild to further itself. While it can build up a reputation, it takes twice as long. A guild member can only hurt a guild by a hundred point of reputation when they have done something harmful to a settlement. While a Clan is like a family that can build up a reputation with a settlement or kingdom. An individual can harm or increase a clan reputation by their deeds. To join a Guild a player only have to meet the requirements which can be low from a test to giving money to join. A clan requires a member to accept someone into the clan as a member of a family. Not only can the new member hurt the clan reputation it can also harm the sponsor. ¡°Offer Kari a plot of land inside the wall to build a Great hall for their clan or give them the option to build and defend a gatehouse as their clan Great Hall if they make one to my specification. Mesa-la, please notify Kari that they if they accept the offer they will no longer be a Guild but a Clan. ¡°Make The Roaring Dragons a Clan if Kari agrees and put their clan at plus two hundred reputation points,¡± I spoke aloud. ¡°I will send her a message,¡± Mesa-la responded. Rubbing my hands together and saying, ¡°Back to the troop. I pay the three hundred gold and three hundred experience to revive those named men.¡± Alright, now the cost of replacing the rest of the troops will cost ten gold plus one hundred experience per soldier. That came to one hundred and fifty gold and one thousand and five hundred experience. Checking my experience I see that I am almost to the next level. ¡°This is going to hurt.¡± groaning as I click yes on replacing the dead troops and there went my experience. Out of the barrack walk, fifteen dwarven levels two axemen, ten crossbowmen, three Artillerist. Puzzling over not seeing the other three I look around and saw three humans Artillerist walking this way from the temple. Getting another prompt telling me the research for the corporal-at-arms was finished earlier. I went ahead and paid the four hundred gold to hire one. Out step a dwarven corporal-at-arms level five. The Hill Dwarf march over to me and saluted. ¡°Corporal Randal Rockhurst at your service sir!¡± The Corporal stood about four foot five inches tall blond hair that is shoulder length in a ponytail. His blond beard goes down to his navel in three braids each one with three rings binding them. His gray eyes are piercing with a long hawk nose that been broken many times. Corporal Rockhurst is wearing ringmail armor with a green cape and a metal cap helmet. A large-sized double-bladed ax is hanging from his back, and a short sword is belted on his left hip. There is a scar on his right cheek. ¡°Welcome corporal until I can get some more Corporals hired. So you are currently in charge of the troops. Do you have a family?¡± ¡°Yes, Sir! I have a family, permission to send for them? Sir! He said. ¡°Permission granted. When do you think your family will arrive?¡± I asked. ¡°Four to five months, sir!¡± he responded. ¡°Okay Corporal get the men to line up and assign them a position on the wall, we just got raided by the lizard men, and there will be at least a month reprieve from another raid from them. The East gate is destroyed so get some men to work on the gate, I will see if Joseph can help. We will be repairing the wall as we go and fix some of the other building. The barracks and the tower are your troop quarters so decide which one you want to stay in. ¡°Dismiss!¡± I said he saluted and marched over to his men. I went back to the interface as he was bellowing at his men. Putting the Sergeant-at-arms up on research next it gave me six days before it will be completed. Looking over the barracks noticing that it can be upgraded to a level two if only I had a warehouse. Well, guess a warehouse is next! Hearing Ann is hollering my name. ¡°Over here Ann!¡± hollering back. Waiting for her to get there I can see that there is damage to the tower and several of the building, Dead lizardmen being stack near the East Gate which looks like it is under repairs. Only to know it is going to take one of them all day to do the buildings and two of them to fix the walls. Mesa-la commented, ¡°if you have a town hall, a warehouse a Stonemason and Carpenter building you can put repairing on auto, the warehouse gets four workers per warehouse level. The Town Hall will allow you to get a Stonemason and a Carpenter along with two apprentices.¡± ¡°Reading my mind Mesa-la?¡± Commenting aloud. ¡°Don''t have too, I can see you were looking around and frowning at all the damage,¡± she said with a laugh. ¡°Sorry, sorry, sorry for shooting you, Jack.¡± Ann cried as she slams into him engulfing him in a hug. Caught by surprise, he patted her back, ¡°No harm done I am still alive.¡± ¡°I shot you, you must have been worry about Safehaven and everyone!¡± she said while still holding him in an embrace. ¡°I trusted you and all of the rest in keeping the place safe,¡± I said. Trying to ignore being so close to Ann, the smell of roses from her hair fill my nose as she hugs me. Holding her until she stopped crying the feeling of not being along flooded me that made me panic a little, so I work my way free of her. Taking her hands and looking into her eyes and grinning. ¡°Did you have to shoot me in the ass?¡± She wipes away a tear while grinning. ¡°Well, I was aiming for the largest area...¡± We both had a good laugh over the accident when Kari and the others found us. After three hours of assessing the damage. I went ahead and got ten more Axmen for the walls. Seeing I am short a warehouse and about a thousand stones and a hundred units of lumber. I let everyone know that I will be busy for a few days building a warehouse. Cara and Fire spent two days fixing the walls and the buildings damaged.
Thirty Miles to the Southeast in the Black Claw Tribal Land.
The pain from the battle did not hurt as much as Sars'' pride in losing to the soft ones. Just hours ago when the raid ended with only a dozen of his warriors still alive most so injured that it will be weeks before they are fully healed. It is going to be months before he has enough young hatchling to train years before he will have at least forty warriors if they all live through the hatchling process. The Black Claw Tribe pride themselves on being stronger than all of the other tribes by forcing their young to fight to survive until it was time for training to become warriors. Out of a hundred eggs, ten may reach adulthood to become warriors while other tribes hatchling has a better survival rate. Sars smelt the smoke before coming into view of his clutch. The smell was different than the smell of cooking fires they normal smell. Not seeing any of the younger guards they left behind. The image of the Old One smiling before he died form in his mind and dread fills his heart as he rounds a bend in the path the high marsh grasses no longer blocking the view of his clutch. Thirty huts and the three barracks are in ruins, nothing left of the building except for the foundation. He ran to the nesting pit where the hot springs flow out of the ground and seeing that the hundreds of eggs are missing. Hearing a growling noise, he jerks out of his daze realizing the growling was coming from him. They found the ten guards all dead lay side by side waiting for burial. A totem stood over them as a warning to Sars. Carved in the ground, in front of the dead, a drawing of Sars with his head cut off and ten eggs as a reward. Glancing at his men he moves to wipe out the sign as each of them look at each other and him. Narrowing his eyes as his men start to pull out their weapons, Ten eggs is a sizable reward for a young male.
Settlement of Safehaven Level 2 First Tower 38 /200 10 Defense 1 Building level 6 Hovel 20/ 20 2 Defense 1 Building level 1 Hovel 18/ 20 2 Defense 1 Building level 1 Hovel 13/ 20 2 Defense 1 Building level Barracks 80/ 80 8 Defense 1 Building level North Wall 100/100 10 Defense 1 Building level North Gate 50/ 50 10 Defense 1 Building level South Wall 68/ 80 10 Defense 1 Building level South Gate -/- 10 Defense 1 Building level East Wall 65/100 10 Defense 1 Building level East Gate 0/ 50 10 Defense 1 Building level West Wall 95/100 10 Defense 1 Building level West Gate 36/ 50 10 Defense 1 Building level
Chapter Twenty Six. Kara the Crafter? She is no longer having to breastfeed her child after being in Safehaven for over a month. Kora feels relief, and she does love her child what little a goblin mother would know what love is because most goblin children rarely survive their first year to adulthood. Only then they are given a name. No, she is not attached to her children, but something in her tells her that she should do more since she arrives at Safehaven. She is looking around the hovel that she shares with Tarla and several of the children. Rabbits furs are pile everywhere sitting there and staring at the rabbit furs that she tans one sun ago. A feeling of frustration and anger build in her stomach until she flings all the furs as far from her as possible. Whimper when she realizes a needle was stuck in her finger. She pulled out the needle and started sucking on her finger as she jumped up and fled her home. Kora started walking toward the sea stopping a good two hundred feet away from shore. Staring at the waves as they crash to shore. Hearing one of the adventures playing the lute she is drawn to the sound of the music. Over the last two weeks, it was the only thing that seems to calm her. She hated tailoring! Hates leatherworking! Twice this week she has been prompt to take a crafter class each time swiping it away in frustration. Just because she was the youngest of the four, they push off the crafting skill on her. She hates being coop up inside all day and night working on furs and leathers. She rather listens to the stories and music of the adventures. No, she not brave like they are that want to slay monsters and go into dungeons. She wants to listen to the stories like the one Tarla tells her from books she had read. Learning to read has been a joy to her when she has time for it. Reaching down and grabbing a rock tossing it hard toward the sea, screaming in frustration wanting more to be happy to be not just a crafter! Turning and seeing a couple of adventurers looking for her, she begins to blush. Embarrassment she ran toward the wayside. Stopping outside of the Temple as the doors open the hairs on her arms roses as she stares into the temple interior. ¡°I will not hurt you little one.¡± a woman''s voice flows out of the temple. Looking around to see if the voice was talking to someone else she hesitantly move toward the door. Standing inside is Frigga waves of love seem to flow from her, something she always thought she lack. The thought of fleeing from this feeling washes over her as the woman crouch and touch her head softly. ¡°Kora of Safehaven. Mother of two, forager 3, Tailoring 2, Leatherworking 2. You are not happy. It would seem you have never been happy.¡± Frigga touches the scars on Kora'' hands and arms. "I heard your prayer.¡± ¡°My prayer? I not pray.¡± looking surprised. ¡°Oh, but you did. You ask to be something more than a crafter. So what do you want to be Kora?¡± she asked. The Sound of the distance lute and the laughter of the adventures once again reach her. ¡°I want to be able to hear and listen to music and stories, to... be happy.¡± "I see,¡± looking toward the sound of the adventurers. A quest pop up.
Quest Learn a new Class. Learn to brew Goblin ale. Learn to cook Crab Stew. Learn to play the lute. Learn to care for others: Completed. Learn housekeeping skill: Completed. Complete these task to earn a reward and a Class. Do you accept? Yes/No?
Kora''s eyes grew big seeing a quest screen for the first time. Looking around and not seeing Frigga, the excitement of a new class. ¡°Yes.¡± She squeaked. Staggering out of the Temple she looking for Thomas, a berserker class player. He arrived with the others after the Bandit Raid and started brewing beer. If anyone knows what Goblin Ale was he should know. After a few minutes asking several adventures where Thomas is she found him working on some ales. After started explaining to a six foot Viking berserker that she had a Quest to make goblin ale and need his help to learn the skill to make Goblin ale. Thomas scratches his head while in thought. ¡°Ya going to need to learn to brew. I not heard of Goblin ale but if you learn the skill, it may pop up in your recipes when you get the skill.¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°You teach Kora to brew?¡± she asked wide-eyed. Thomas stood there and stare at her. Blinking for a few minutes then lead her to a spot and start pulling stuff out of a large bag. ¡°Okay, this here is a Brew barrel you need this to brew in.¡± pointing at a small table with a large barrel and several smaller one on the table with copper wires. "This is my portable one.¡± She stared at the table with reverence. ¡°You will need hops, yeast, and water.¡± Laying out a pile of hops and a small bag of yeast and a jug of water. ¡°Step forward and touch the table.¡± He said. She touches the table, and a prompt appears. Showing five boxes and a confirm and cancel button. ¡°You see the boxes?¡± She nodded wide-eyed. ¡°Okay now put one of each into a box,¡± he said. She slowly put the Hops in one box the yeast in another and a jug in the third. She nods as she turns to look at Thomas. ¡°Press confirm button,¡± he responds. Clicking confirm. The box disappears and in her hand was a jug of Ale.
You have received the Brewing Skill! Congratulation you made Ale!
Kora''s eyes grew wider when she realized she got the skill. ¡°I got Brewing Skill!¡± jumping up and down. Thomas Chuckle as the goblin dancing with joy. ¡°Alright, Touch the table and a list should show up.¡± She stops dancing and touch the table again and see a list.
Ale 5 Root beer 5 Goblin Ale 5 Red Berry wine. 5
The rest all Grey out and faded. ¡°I see Goblin Ale!¡± ¡°Now touch the Goblin ale.¡± Chuckling at her childlike joy. Kora touches the Goblin Ale another screen appears.
Goblin Ale Recipe. Hops, goblin sweat. Armpit yeast and a jug of water. Highlighting the armpit yeast to figure out what it means, it said it is made from the yeast under the armpits of goblin. - 1 MIND, -1 JUDGMENT, + 1 MIGHT.
She read off the recipe to Thomas who almost gagged. ¡°Oh I going to need to clean the brew barrel after this.¡± he groans palming his face. ¡°Be back. You wait!¡± She takes off running and finds two of the goblin teen playing. Taking a small pouch and scrap off the yeast from under both the teens'' armpit. She then ran into the hovel for a small clay vial and had all the kids run around for ten minutes and wring their shirts out, filling the vial with sweat and heading back to the Brew table seeing Thomas leaning again the table waiting. She put both items on the table, and he inspects them both almost gag again. Taking a deep breath, he put a jug of water on the table and wave over to the Brew table for her to start. She touches the table again as the recipes appear. She picks Goblin Ale and placing each of the items it requested into their boxes and press confirm.
Congratulation you made Goblin Ale! Goblin Ale 1/1.
Dancing she hug Thomas''s Right Thigh. ¡°Thank you! Thank you!¡± Stepping back now the lute! The lute, Well it became a bit of challenge for her. Roy the Black Hand was a lute player; she did not figure out why he was called Black Hand. He was a gnome and had white hands. He refuses to teach Kara for several days. Until on the fifth day she lay out a complete set of Rabbit Fur, hat, coat, gloves, pants, and fur-lined boots. Roy was drooling over the full set of clothes. Six days later and many countless hours and tired people at the settlement. Kora got Lute as a skill much to the relief of everyone in Safehaven.
Lute Playing level one. Lute playing 1/1.
After getting crab meat, carrots, and potatoes, while destroying about twelve bowls Kora finally got the cooking skill to level one and a bowl of Crab Soup.
Crab Soup 1/1.
She went to the temple. Bowing before the image of Frigga she hears a voice. ¡°Well done,¡± Frigga said. Congratulation! For unlocking the Innkeeper Class. Do you Accept? Yes/No? ¡°Innkeeper, what that?¡± Kora asks puzzled. A female voice laughs in the temple. ¡°An Innkeeper runs a place where adventurers stay for a day or even weeks where you serve them food and ale. Music and stories are told or playing ¡ª rumors of dungeons and adventuring. If you accept little one, you will be in the center of the adventurers. That is unless another Inn is built and try to draw away your people.¡± Frigga joyfully laughs at the look of rapture on Kora''s face. ¡°Yes!¡± she shouts.
Congratulation! You have completed Learn a new Class. Innkeeper class level one! Reward Minor Lute of Bragi. Minor Lute of Bragi. Cast sleep 30'' radius three times a day. Cast Stun 30'' cone three times a day. +2 to Lute playing.
Quest Find an Inn Convince Jack Stonewright to build you an Inn. Exp ?? Reward ??
Kora the Innkeeper Innkeeper Class level one. Brewing level one. Cooking level one. Forager Level three. Housekeeping Level one. Leatherworking Level two. Lute Playing Level two. Tailoring Level two.
Chapter Twenty Seven. Warehouse. Jack Stonewright sat down after a long day working on the warehouse. Ten days of labor and the building is two stories tall that not including the basement. All of the building is in stone except for the roof which is made of wood shingle, would love to make it of clay shingle but don''t have time to build a kiln. At each end of the roof, crisscrossing beams were two serpent heads. The building was thirty by fifty feet for a total of four thousand five hundred square feet of space inside. With four massive stone column inside to ensure the two stone floors would not collapse under its weight. Smiling as the prompt appear asking me if I wish to make this into a warehouse. Signing with satisfaction and saying yes the building clean itself up a little, the wood became more polished, and the massive double doors that cover both floors became stronger as the carving of workers from farming to stone cutting appeared on the door. The Serpent heads became more beautiful as the building became a work of art.
You have created a Level two Warehouse!
¡°So all done with the warehouse I see,¡± Kari said as she sat down next to me. She is a hauflin one of the diminish races of humanoid that stands about two to three feet tall if you were to take a picture of one you would never know they were so small unless they were standing next to something to make a reference from on their height. Big eyes, pointed ears and quick on their feet, they are hard to hit by the larger races, but at the same time, they have a glass jaw meaning they can not take to many hits. Seeing that she is wearing a yellow dress with flowers, I raise an eyebrow. ¡°Went shopping Kari?¡± Kari smile being one a druid one of the few classes that can teleport long distances. ¡°Yep, brought back with me some more of my people, had to let go ten people from my Clan. They wanted to stay in the Imperium. It was for the best they were not Clan material I do believe two were spies for other guilds.¡± Kari said as she was brushing off a speck of dirt on her dress. ¡°How many more people?¡± Feeling a little panic rising in my chest, Cara and Fire finish repairs and built four new hovels for the citizens of Safehaven and was working on a Lodge for Kari people until they start work on their Clan Hall. The Roaring Dragons voted on building a keep at the West Gate as a gatehouse, figuring that the most significant threat in the future will be the Imperium. ¡°Transported thirty people and ten wagons loads of material and goods, Three more magic-users that we went ahead and purchase the Wall Spell to help with the building hovels and the Keep. Oh one of them is an Earth-mage and a Hill Dwarf.¡± Kari commented. ¡°I have them practice on building Hovels and lodges. Until they get to level five on Earth magic, it seems a Keep requirement is level five in Earth magic or a level five Mason.¡± ¡°That should help get your Keep going. Talk to me in a few days, and I have you look at a few plans that can be purchased. They should be able to build up to level three Keep. After the Town Hall is built, I should be able to raise the Settlement to level two, with the badge I have it give a plus one to the settlement.¡± Standing up brushing off my pants. ¡°We also brought with us ten goats and ten sheep, and it will be a few weeks from now I had to port them all to a safe Druid Circle about a month travel by wagon. My people will keep them safe. Also, a Half-Jotuun and ten citizens join up. The Half-Jotuun said he was heading this way to hunt a bandit he was given a quest on and would not say who he after.¡± Shaking her head. ¡°Got a feeling he after your buddy that attack you on your first raid. Kept asking questions about a player that been attacking wagons or people on the road. I think it may be personal; he seems eager to head out without us, but one of my guys talk him into guarding the caravan against bandits.¡± ¡°Any chance of clearing out the Druid Circle that a day travels from here?¡± I ask Kari. Shaking her head no, ¡°Last two times half of the group wiped as we ported in, cost us a lot of gold for resurrection scrolls and two rogues to drag the bodies to a safe location to resurrect them. One guy had to return to bind because a Troll ate him. Most of the stuff around the circle is level ten to twenty. The boss is a Blighted Hearthtree I guessing her at level thirty. I''m too low to pick up a quest to clear the circle I ask Mesa-la, but she told me to come back when I have some more level.¡±Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Shaking her head sadly, ¡°It gets harder to level after the fifth level even harder after ten levels. The creator of the game decided that it will take hundreds of years to level up to the high end which no one knows what that is. After the fifth level to get spells or special moves will cost experience plus gold to buy, to force players to have to use up experience points in spells. Without the spells or maneuvers, it makes it harder to gain levels. Some armor and weapons will cost experience to soul bind. To soul bind another weapon it is going to cost experience to unbind the old weapon and then more experience to bind the new one." "Don''t even think about power leveling someone. The AIs seem to know when someone is being powered level and will bring the experience back down to the level of that player. For one example is if the player is at fifth level and is with several eighth level players and they attack a ninth level monster the monster experience zero. Several guilds out there have tried and stop power leveling people because it is not worth losing experience. I would love to have several ten level players, but most of us have spent a lot of experience and gold honing our spells and weapons skills or creating weapons and armor, each item made cost a weaponsmith or an armorsmith experience to make. So good weapons or armor require lots of gold to players. Shaking his head while looking at the settlement, seeing I need a Town Hall to complete to raise the level of the Settlement. ¡°Now that the Warehouse is complete I need to start working on a Town Hall, Talk to Mesa-la on any quest you and your people want to do. I heard that Hans is going north to clear a copper mine later in the week. I have a map that shows a few mines and ruins on it that your Guild might be interested in.¡± ¡°Sound good to me. You need anyone sent your way?¡± Kari asked? ¡°Not yet, I would like a breakdown on crafters and farmers out of your clans. Later if possible. I will be at the makeshift cooking area everyone been using to raising their cooking skills. I keep telling them I could build a community building for them, but no one wants me too yet.¡± Shrugging my shoulder. ¡°I will be there after dark talking to Ann.¡± Kari raised her eyebrow, ¡°You and Ann?¡± grinning at me. Holding my hands up in surrender and grinning, ¡°Friends for now, shoo, I have things to do,¡± pushing her away. Watching her laughing as she walks away it felt good to banter a little. I don''t know when but Ann has started being around more and not saying anything just being there to the point that I started looking for her. I thought I feel guilty, but the pain is still there only I am not stricken with the guilt of being alive. Maybe it is the loneliness, I have yet to decide on my feeling toward Ann but apart of me know that my wife would have wanted me to move on, I just afraid I forget them and that something I don''t want to happen. Turning back to the Warehouse and touch it as an interface appeared.
Warehouse Level Three. Two top-level one bottom level Nine workers slots are open. Research Foreman slot open Inventory level one Repairs level one Food storage level one Material storage Level one. Level 2 (3) Food 250/300 unit limit. Level 2 (3) Stone 0/300 unit limit. Level 2 (3) Wood 0/300 unit limit. Repairs: 3 Defense per Hour. 30 Health per Hour.
Nine workers walk out of the double doors with two-wheel carts, five dwarven male, one human male, and two dwarven female and one human female. They all nodded to me as they passed me and went to pick up wood and food. I use up five hundred more of my experience and three hundred gold to research a foreman that will increase production by one percent per level of the foreman. A massive game prompt appears to all the players of the world.
Game update! Asgard 1.453 There will be an update as of midnight tonight at 2400 hour for the following. All player''s regenerative rate on health will change from per minute healing Health to per hour of healing Health. Due to the demands of various classes being kept out of grouping due to too fast Health regeneration. All player''s Mana Regeneration will now take double the time to fill. Please thank your nonmagical friends for all the complaint of magic users having too much DPS. All Builders must now manually upgrade a building. Repairs now take two times longer, and I wanted to annoy the hell out of a builder up north. Drops on goblins have increased, by how much? You will have to kill one to see. All settlements and cities can be raided after two weeks. Settlements that do not have homes for their Citizen will start losing Citizens by ten percent per week if the housing issue is not addressed. ...thousands of more nerfs scroll by. Thank you for flying Asgard where one eye is always looking out for you. Lord of Kook Inc.
¡°Whoa! What the hell!¡± Jack stared at his screen. Chapter Twenty Eight - Nerf. Cody Lansdown groans when he read the prompt seeing that half of his attacks with the bow have been nerfed. He is an Arcane Archer; the love of bows and magic seem to fit him so well that he has not regretted it until today. Who the hell is Lord of Kook Inc? Jacques Lipton sat down in the Village of Dalt to read the prompts that flow before him, Finding out that his tracking abilities and hunter class have been seriously hurt. Hearing others around in the village cursing or crying. If what he was reading will make it harder for him to hunt in this area, not looking forward to heading back to Franklin to chase kobolds. Rocky Twofist was slamming away at a wall after seeing the prompt, his martial arts skill have been scale back, and new skills like Kitten Claw and Donkey kick have been added, and what the hell is, does a Nerf mean? Hearing everyone around him is yelling something about a Nerf. The new Caesar of the Imperium Jason Rale glare at his screen, seething in anger. The cost of troops and equipment triple in cost. His building will slow down because of this shit. Standing up he yells for someone to find a priest to Mars. Maybe Mars will know what is going on. Mars, God of War pace back and forth in his mansion. ¡°I''m going to crush that weasel of a god!¡± he screams. Pointing at two demigods, ¡°Find him! I want him begging me not to kill him.¡± the two demigods fled the room. Frigga stares down at the Settlement of Safehaven, watching a man get up and dust himself off and started work on building a Townhall as more and more of his people sought him out. Slowly he got them to help him in his task calming them down as others places around the civilized world are rioting. Several Imperial towns are on fire. Chaos seems to run rampant yet here in Safehaven all is quiet. ¡°Loki it would seem that you may have underestimated someone again.¡± chuckling to herself as she hears the other gods cursing Loki name. ¡°Let see how this play out.¡± Jack quietly work on the Townhall as those around him was crying and yelling for him to understand why a lot of the nerfs seem to be aimed at the settlement and Jack. Refusing to answer anyone not working he slowly got the thirty-eight players working and discussing the problems. Rangers and Druids will have to team up for a bit to cover some of their problems. Guardians and Champions have to do dual roles of covering each other in a group. Healers will have to double up on teams to keep players alive. Magic users got hit hard, they going to have to group up with a bigger group to survive or take a second class. By the end of the days, everyone has calmed down, and the basement and the walls of the first floor of the Townhall were done. Sitting in the warehouse are half of the materials needed to build a roof. If they make a second floor and put the roof on it would be a level three building. Everything is going faster with several spellcasters casting walls spells and other player helping with cutting wood and making shingles and lumber. Some of the players went to help with farming while others help cooks to feed everyone. By the end of the day, plans were worked out as the players ping off each other ideas to work around the nerf.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Ann nudge me and nodded to everyone working, ¡°you got them calm down how you do it?¡± Straightening up and popping his back, ¡°Dad always put me to work when I started bombarding them with questions, as I work I was too busy thinking of solving the problem to bombard them with more question. Dad would then start bouncing ideas off me, and by the end of the day, we either solve the problem or too tired to think about it.¡± grinning at her. ¡°Besides this is a game the AIs will solve the issues one way or another.¡± ¡°Do you believe it was Loki that did this?¡± she asks. ¡°Lord of Kook Inc. L. O. K. I. Spelling it out. Yeah, it was Loki I think he has gone rogue like the Mars god of war has. Nothing we can do but wait it out and hope the other AIs can solve the problems until then we have to deal with the problems we are dealt.¡± Shrugging at Ann turning as Kari come walking up. ¡°Just got news on my communication stone, there quite a few cities having riots, New Rome is burning, the city of Athena is also burning. Rioters are destroying hundreds of settlement and town. Looting and killing of NPCs some of the reports I have received are that tens of thousands of NPCs are being killed in just the Imperium alone by players lashing out.¡± Kari said. Another voice spoke up, seeing Hans and Frida walk up. ¡°The Norse to the north and the Celts are doing the same but not at that grand a scale, many of the players are stepping in and stopping it. Got a friend at a hamlet that keeps in touch his band of Vikings is passing the word around that the citizens of this world are not to be bothered with if they want to keep buying stuff. And just let you know there a large group of player killing goblins up northeast of here.¡± Hans said as he looks around at some of his clan mates in the distance glaring at Jack, ¡°might be a good idea to watch your back Jack until this is over. Loki is up to something after meeting some of the Gods; Loki knows that you are just one of the many others that to interest the AIs.¡± Jack already warn the goblins here at Safehaven to stay close to their home and lock it. Not happy with the way things are going in this world, worry about how this will affect the colony when they arrive at their new home, shaking his head. ¡°Think its time for me to turn in, Kari you might check on your people heading here and see they are okay. Tomorrow we going to need to start more hovels and lodges we could see an influx of players and citizens over the next month. If anyone wants to help finish the Town hall we could raise the settlement in a few days to level three.¡± Getting up and nodding to Ann and the others he went to turn in. Staring at the temple to Frigga he decides to wait until the morrow before asking her what is going on. Jimmy Blades glare at Jack as he enters his hovel, a lot of the assassin skill were weaken making it harder to kill others, hearing others in the settlement committing about Jack and Hans run-in with Loki. Jimmy look over the patch notes seeing that a lot of it was aimed at builders and settlement and to paladins. In truth, he ignores the fact that every class was hit did not register with him. Thinking maybe finding a way to destroy the Settlement may make favor with Loki to get the patch fix. Pulling a communication stone out, ¡°Hey, I found out who piss off Loki, and I got an idea on how to fix it...¡± Nearby in the shadow of one of the hovels, a mask joker watches Jack head to his hovel, if someone was nearby they would have heard giggling. Chapter Twenty nine - Introspect and New Citizens. The Townhall was completed a week ago taking only two weeks before I accept a prompt to okay the building as a town hall. I was spending most of my time doing the building detail by hand with the help of a few others that also like to do things by hand without the aid of the game solving it. When I was brought from Earth to be onboard the colony ship to whatever star system it is going to, it was not by choice. My family was killed while I was shot, and my mother is still at death door, we both of us was taken onboard the ship. My parents and my wife made all the arrangement. Now she is millions of miles behind me bury on Earth with my daughter. It was making me feel like I have abandoned them. I have played fantasy game online since I was a child but prefer doing things with my hands. Building wells or cistern for families or villages, and repair homes even building them from local material like mud. I felt I was making an impact. I would never have chosen to go to another world when we should have worked toward fixing the world we like on first. It was like we throwing it away like it was a piece of trash and buying something new. It may be why my family chose not to tell me figuring I would not leave without my wife or daughter, and they would be right. Spending the next hundred years or more or the next five hundred virtual ones in a fantasy world doesn''t make any sense when it would have been better to put us in a virtual world where we might learn about colonizing. Allowing us to create a colony from scratch to give us the skill that is required to build and survive in case we crash or cannot use technology. Instead, we are in a world where magic work and the game creates what you need if you only put in a small effort. Everyone except for a few people seems upset over the fact that Loki has altered their game world and made things tougher. It doesn''t bother me because none of this is real. Over the last two weeks, I have died twice, once from a backstab and another from an arrow from out of the darkness through my eye. The unrest in the settlement by a large number of players has increased over the week. I have heard of players heading toward the settlement blaming me and a handful of other players for Loki nerfing their abilities. Nerfing is a tern player use to explain how games creators would change races, classes, and skills to making them weaker. Loki did a lot of that, over ten thousand skills or abilities were changed all across the board so that he can piss off the other AIs which put me in the middle by pointing out in the patch about the settlement of Safehaven. Several players have heard that several ships of players are on their way to wipe us out. Another two groups marching north and another marching from the northeast are planning the same thing. Not sure how we are going to survive this but a kernel of an idea have been in the back of my mind for a week now. I am staring at the settlement seeing that several of the hovels are near completion. When they are done, there will be twenty-one hovels and four lodges done, three shops, a blacksmith shop, a wizard tower, and a dock. The first Clan Hall is being built at the west gates, at the pace it going it be done in three weeks keeping most of that clan busy, watching Ann helping out in the distance with the planning of the farm plots and reseeding the forest to the west of the settlement. Every time I see her, I feel butterflies in my stomach. She has slowly worked her way into my thoughts a lot over the weeks. Spending hours together talking about the settlement and the future, she too agrees that there is more that could be done than letting everything be done by ''Magic.'' In real life, my wife and child not been dead for long, but in the virtual world, its been over a year or more. Ann has been healing my internal wounds, we have not gone beyond holding hands for now, but she has made the hurt less. Oh, guess I need to talk about my two deaths. Both times I not seen a single AI waiting for me in the virtual heaven or purgatory. I did get in a lot of fishing done while I was waiting on the countdown timer. The first time I was angry for a few hours, after that there is something about fishing on the bank of a river that is relaxing. The second death didn''t even bother me. I guess I needed the vacation from building and dealing with all the problems. We never did find out who killed me both times, but it will be a matter of times before they succeed again. I am level five now and took the class of engineer it will allow me to design the settlement more. At level ten, I will be getting the choice to either a structural engineer, mechanical engineer, or a combat engineer. I will decide when I get to that point. Most of all a part of me wants to start over without all the game mechanic I been feeling like I been cheating, yet we use machinery to build a building, using 3d printing equipment, and robot mining. But are we going to have that when we arrive where we are going or are we going to be beholden to the artificial intelligence to do everything when we get there?You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Pulling up the menu for personnel at the town hall and pick two masons, two quarrymen, three workers, and a wheelwright all at level one. My most significant buy was an animal trainer. A few moments later, a man walks out with his wife and two daughters. He gave me a bow as his wife and teen daughter, curtsy. "Your Honorable Mayor I am Jake Stone, and this is my wife Dolly and my daughters Molly and Peggy, we are from Port Dawn, we saw that you have worked here and have come to apply for work. My wife is a candle maker, and my daughters can help her do her work." Shaking his hand looking over the man, he seems to be about six foot tall bald human with a large red mustache and a barrel chest. His wife is a half-elf, blond hair with a bluish tint, and violet eyes standing about five feet ten inches tall and wispy in body, both daughters have their mother''s body and eyes but his red hair. "Welcome to Safehaven as soon as you get enough stone you can build your hovel over there pointing to a spot next to one of the other hovel. But as soon as your hovel is done come here to the town hall and check the board for any projects that I have posted that need to be done. There is a safe spot to stay in the shelter that is in the sewer over there," pointing to a small building with stairs leading down to the sewers, "I have two guards there that ensure your safety. "Will we be sharing our hovel?" Dolly asks. "No you may have neighbors when I upgrade them to duplexes or apartment later as we become a town, but the hovel is yours. As for candle making, I don''t have any bees for wax." Dolly smile and hold up her hand to stop me much to her husband horror, "Don''t worry Lord Mayor I have skill in beekeeping if you can loan me a ranger and a soldier to protect me from beasts as well as a wood crafter to make me a beehive I can find and move a hive safely." "When you settle in, you can post on the board over there a quest to help you." pointing to the work board near the door of the town hall. Three mountain dwarves walk through the Town Hall''s doors, one is a mason, and the other two are quarrymen, all three bow. "Humphry Bogworth, Mason I heard you need a Mason?" Looking around at the settlement. "Darin Stoneshear and my brother Digger we are quarrymen just point us to where a quarry is." Shaking each of their hands and point to the north, There is a rock flat to the north of the settlement about half a mile. I was told that is was a start of a quarry for this settlement and to the northwest along the mountain is a large quarry, but it is occupied by a large goblin tribe and not under our control as of yet. You can stay here at the shelter until a hovel or lodge is built, or you can build a hut at the quarry. You can use the wagon and mules we have to haul the stone here." I said Humphry nodded, "I make the boys a hut and look over the stone. We could use a few workers to help with loading stone." Both the Stoneshear brother nodded in agreement. About that time, three workers stepped out of the door all steppe dwarves and gave a slight bow. "Hoken Dirt." "Dar Hammerfist." "Jimmy Rockfist" Turning to Humprey, "There your worker," "Come on you Steppy. We got some rocks to look at." waving the dwarves to follow. Hearing one of the Steppe dwarves muttering a curse under his breath about mountains dwarves and sheep as they walk away. Turning back to the building, a woman steps out with two teenage boys. She looks like a half-jotunn. "Lela Greengrass, my lord," she curtsy as she backslaps both boys head making them bow as they grumble. "These are my sons William and Walter. I am a Wheelwright, and my son William is my apprentice, I am hoping to apprentice out my son Walter to a blacksmith." Walter look down and mutter, "Rather be a knight" as his mother slaps the back of his head. Looking up at all three, both boys are taller than their mother by a foot and she about nine feet tall. "Well I would have to talk with a blacksmith, but I could use a hand with some workers." Seeing Walter frowning, "I am going to require that everyone that of age to train in fighting in case of attacks on the settlement," I said as the boy''s eyes light up as her mother frowns. "If you must have us train that I can''t argue with, but I not want my boys to be like there pa. I won''t lose a child to fighting! Where do you want us to start working? "She commented. I pointed over to one corner of the settlement, "I''m going to build a stable and barn over there, but we will be building you a building next if you are okay in staying under the stars at night for a week? If you need to get out of the rains, the warehouse to the south will hold you easy." She nodded as another person walk out of the hall, Seeing a Hobgoblin in work clothes looking around, almost as tall as a man, but a head that bigger than his body, long pointed ears and hunch over due to his long limbs. He turns to me as the half jotunn walk to the northwest corner. "Me Hal," pointing at his chest, "I am a worker, ye lordliness. Me, hear you need strong back to work. You feed good? No?" smacking his lips. "Tarla!" I yelled I should have looked closer at the list of who I could get. Pulling up the menu again, seeing that the cost I pick from was random races list. Shaking my head, no wonder they were so cheap. Chapter Thirty-Stemming the Tide Frigga watches the world below turn, seeing that only one percent of the world has been explored. There are a few explorers that have travel far and wide, quite a few of those that love to travel into an area far above their level to get the bragging right of being the first. The fact that half of a percent of the world is burning under riots bothers her on a deeper level than it should. The fact that the humans they are trying to save are destroying everything around them because they feel that this place is not real but a game. Make it that more so troublesome. Even now the other AIs are debating on a reset and something even more disturbing, altering the humans'' minds to make them feel like they have always lived in this world. Thankfully only a quarter of the AIs feel that way, but many more are on the fence. Loki has stirred up the pot, and what more the fact that a handful of the humans that is in power are the worse of, the worse that earth can offer. Criminals from war crimes, serial killer, terrorist and serial rapist as well as some of their victim are on board. If it were her choice, the criminals'' stasis pods would have been open to the vacuum of space. But the Founder of the Colony ship felt it would help with pushing both the people and the AIs to the limits to survive when they arrive at the world where we are going to. A world that was found through that of an alien ship that is over ten thousand years old buried in Antarctica. A ship that was reversed engineer and made it possible that man could reach stars. What most people did not know that the vessel was a scout ship that took a sample of different creatures from every planet they visit mapping the systems and worlds out before moving on until they find a world suitable to colonize. The alien was a clone that the ship creates each time it moves on to the next system. Its memory was downloaded into the ship computer to survive in a virtual world. The alien received a message that its people have died in a war with another species, one of which both sides were destroyed. It did not want to move one, so it terminated itself. The AI of the ship could not make itself destroy itself or its virtual world of AIs, so it waited until the humans found it. The Founder of the colony ship decided after learning of the alien extinction decided that humanity need to be spread out to other worlds to survive a catastrophic event that could wipe out the human race. Thus the colony ships have been built, ten mega level ship that look like logs floating in space. Each ship has hundreds of section that will break up and descend to a planet surface with thousands of people in each with the hope that each section would be able to grow and expand. Ten worlds from ten different systems were picked to be colonized, each was found on the database of the alien ship. Many of them have dangerous lifeforms, but all with no current intelligent lifeforms. But that could have changed in the tens of thousands of years since they were explored. Maybe we were wrong on building this virtual world like a fantasy even if the land itself is made from a model of the world we are going to colonize. There are a few creatures like the sea serpents, and some other alien creatures are from the DNA''s database of the sample taken from that world. But the intelligent lifeforms are nothing more than fantasy to get the humans ready to survive a hostile world. The Founder felt having the people prepared for anything is better than losing everyone for not being prepared. The problem that Loki has stirred up is a mess, in the area base on the Roman empire, the Imperium as it is called. The humans have risen up and rioted against the AIs, blaming us for their problems with the nerfing of the game by Loki, which has decimated the NPCs population to the point that the local markets will collapse and leaving behind a void. The mass executions to NPCs are forcing those not dead to flee or be killed or enslaved. The north is not as severely hurt many of the players have stopped the rioting and exile those that can''t stop. That have cause problems of their own from bandits to warbands. One such Warband is moving toward Safehaven from the east while two large groups are moving up from the south.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "Thought I find you here" A golden hair woman in robes with a golden net drape across her shoulder like a shawl. "Hello R¨¢n, what brings you here?" Frigga smiled at the woman whose skin is blueish white and emerald green eyes that sparkle like the sun on the ocean with seaweed color hair flowing to her lower back. R¨¢nis the Goddess of the sea and caretaker of the souls that are lost to the seas. Pausing in thought as she looks down upon the settlement of Safehaven. "I can do you a favor, but I need one in return." Frigga raises an eyebrow in interest as she watches Jack built something to the north of the settlement far below. "Go on. I am interested." "I can keep the sea from being passable by ships until spring if you can get your hu-champion to build me a shrine at his docks," R¨¢n said as she twists a strand of hair in her right hand. "What is going on, R¨¢n? You should not need more followers," pausing in thought, "The riots have hurt you?" R¨¢n nodded, "hundreds of shrine have been destroyed, and I lost almost all my priest and priestess, If the trend keeps on I''m going to become a footnote in this experiment or worse recycle into the mix like many of the other AIs that been killed. Your champion push for tolerance could keep me going until I deal out my own brand of justice and build up my following again." "R¨¢n? What are you up to?" narrowing her eyes at the woman. "I have control over the dead that dies in my sea, and I thought I might raise some of them up to wreak havoc on those communities that have killed so many of our friends and to get revenge on some of those that destroyed my shrines." Seeing Frigga''s eyes widen, "I know it not good but I need to do something, or I am not going to be taken seriously, and Poseidon is already doing that at the ports of the Imperium. Please help me!" she pleaded. She looks over her shoulder at the other gods arguing with each other in the distance. She turned back to R¨¢n and nodded. "One point, you can''t pick and choose who gets to be attacked by the undead. It is everyone or no one that the choice you have to make reborn and citizens, even my champion can''t be left out of this. Just don''t overwhelm everyone there must be a reason for the dead being there and a quest to stop it. Is that understood? I will get Odin onboard with this, and you will get your shrine, send one of your servants to tend it please." Frigga said. From a distance, Odin voice could be heard. "All portals are close upon the world until the riots have settled down. I have talked to Zeus, and we both agree that we need to get this under control as soon as we can. We will be bringing in the storms early to wreak havoc upon the world for a few days to get the reborn to stay indoors. I am asking for all of you to let loose some of your pets upon large groups of troublemakers. It is time that they learn that every action has and consequence. All settlement and city cannot be raided until the issue is resolved. This is an AI problem that has to be resolved by us the AIs. Zeus has released the Kraken upon his area of dominion. Find Loki and Mars! Both Zeus and I want them in irons and kneeling before us!" The lightning flashes as the thunder crash around them to make his point. In the Imperium Empire and it civil war an announcement blaze across it people vision
Zeus has released the Kraken!
Another prompt appears
All Raids and Wars are suspended until further notice!
Chapter Thirty one - The Catch of the Day. Jack woke up to the sound of rain that been pouring for days. Both of the creeks are above their banks by at least two feet forcing us to have to block both gates with at least three feet high walls, or we will be flooded. The sewer I built will reach its limits in a few hours forcing those families I put in there to have to move up and move into the warehouse and several of the lodges and hovels. Making more shelters in the future will be a priority to get everyone into a safe home. Getting very little sleep didn''t help me with all the flooding. Now it is just the matter of waiting for water goes over the bridges both east and west. A few hours ago two large trees slammed into the bridge to the east damaging it, and a large pile is building on the west bridge just below the falls. Blasting the trees to splinter have been a tiring process for him and several of the mages in the settlement for most of the night. On top of that Ann and Gema went scouting to the east a few days ago just as the rains started to find out where the large warband of reborns are and how long before they will get here. The fact that the Gods have stopped the raiding and wars, for now, should give us a reprieve for now. But this downpour has been going on for a week and don''t seem to be letting up anytime soon. I did get a Brickwork''s'' hut built near an area of good clay to the north along granite creek. And a drying kiln done before the rains hit, only to make a three-foot-thick wall four feet high around it to keep the creek from flooding it was not fun in the rain. Was soak for two days when I finally drag my ass back to the Safehaven. Sarah Waterworks have been pumping water out of the enclosure for most of the night because of being a water mage. If not for her, a lot of the city would have been flooded. Pounding on the door broke into his thoughts, glancing over to the other side of the bed where Ann should be, he groans as he got up and click on his work clothes. "Coming! On my way." pulling back the latch and stare at Kori, "What?" "West bridge is gone, the water will crest in ten hours about three feet above the bridge level. We are going to have to shore up some of the walls. I got several people on it now. In a few hours, we are going to be like an island the only place the water is not rising is the seaward side and part of the southeastern wall and southwestern wall because we are above sea level." She brushes her wet hairs from her eyes. "You also have a visitor at the temple and it not Frigga she calls herself R¨¤n said something about Goddess of the sea or something." Staring at her for a moment, "So a goddess is second to flooding?" grinning at her. "Hell Jack if she can stop the rain I kiss her ass, I figure since you going to be awake I better let you know about our guest. Oh we going to have to do a supply run for food, the garden plots are getting flooded, and the next planting will have to wait until the water recedes." "See if anyone can raise the beds another foot and get an earth elemental to dig in the mud until it can get to dryer soil to build it up, maybe you and a few others can get the seed to grow?" I walk past her into the rain. "Not going to matter too much the rain will drown them out," she said.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Glaring to the north, "How about hunters any of them back yet?" She shook her head, no. "Okay get together a team and a wagon and port to one of the other cities and get some supplies. Damn! Forgot portal and gating is shut off for now. We figure out something. Let me deal with our guest.
Temple of the Gods
Strolling into the temple of the gods I found a woman standing ten feet tall with a golden net drape across her shoulder wearing a blue gown, and her hair is like the color of seaweed and her green eyes pierce him to his soul. "Jack Stonewright, I have heard so much about you, I am here with Frigga permission." The woman spoke. "I take it you''re R¨¤n?" The woman nodded as she walks around the interior of the temple. "So what do I owe the pleasure or displeasure of your visit?" narrowing my eyes at her. "Oh the hostilities almost thick enough to cut with a butter knife." her right hand came up to her throat as a show of false surprise. Shaking his head, "Look every time one of you - the gods," doing air quotes on gods, "show up my life get more complicated. So let get past all the formalities and get down to the chase. What do you need and what it will cost us?" Looking taken back by the bluntness, she hesitated for a few moments before nodding, "I need a shrine on your docks!" she blurts out. "You want to be added to the temple here?" She is shaking her head, no. "No, I have the sea as a temple. I need a shrine put at the dock because Loki''s riot has destroyed almost all of my shrine. Which seem to have pushed my influence down to the bottom of the god pool if I don''t gain any back over the next year I could be recycled back into the mix and end up a grasshopper for all I know!" crying out to him with tears streaming down. Feeling a tightness in his chest. "What do we get out of it?" "I can block the sea of all travel until early spring." Looking at him with hope. Thinking this could slow down attack for a bit from the sea but thinking about the food problems with fishing boats. "What about fishing vessels? We are getting tight on food and was looking at fishing from the sea after figuring out how to hunt the sea serpent, there, not much fish after they take their share." "I can calm the waters around my shrines for a mile. If you wish it to be further calm more of the sea, you can put more shrines out up, and down the coast, I have no control over the sea marsh or rivers."
Quest Build a Shrine Built a shrine to R¨¤n in three days to keep intruders from coming from the sea and calm the water around the shrine for a mile radius. 1 copper coin tribute daily +1 to fishing 1 silver per ship daily +1 to sailing 1 gold daily at sunrise +1 defending opponent from the sea. +1000 experience, +10 Settlement morale, other rewards unknown. Do you accept yes or no?
"Yes, I build your damn shrine, growling at her." R¨¤n claps her hand and jumps for joy laughing then stop. "Oh, there one bad thing!" "Here it comes the hammer," he snorted. "Frigga has let me know that I can attack settlements that destroyed my shrines, but she insists that everyone get attacks so as not to show favoritism." Trying to look sweet and innocent, "If you get the shrine built, it can stop the undead from the sea from attacking within a mile of here." Closing her eyes, expecting him to yell, after a moment she opens one eye to peek only to see his back as he walks away in the rain shaking his head in disgust. "So... I guess that was an okay." as she said as she faded away.
Warning! R¨¤n has awakened the dead to avenge the deaths of her followers and the destruction of her shrines!
Chapter Thirty Two- chipping Wood. "Oh for the love of... you got to be kidding me" Jack yell into the storm as the sea waves crashing into the stone docks drench him for the hundred times it felt like. Every time he tries to complete making the shrine to R¨¤n, he gets a damn prompt!
Invalid use of material required to make a shrine.
After blasting the makeshift shrine into pieces for the tenth times, Jack stumbles back through the rain to the Temple of the Gods to access the data online to see what going on. After several hours of reading, he steps out of the temple cursing up a storm. Kari jumps into the temple pulling him back into the building. "We got a problem! A couple of my people just killed two drowned men. The dead lost to the sea, and I got twelve of my Guild watching the beach at the sea gate." Crash of thunder drowns out what he was about to say, Glaring up to the ceiling for a moment, "I need to make a shrine to R¨¤n to repel the Undead, but Loki''s patch has forced all new shrine and temples to be done by hand, no magic skill only. We can use stone or wood, and right now we don''t have any granite. And I need a log about a foot in diameter and about ten feet in length. The sawmill is across the creeks." "What about the trees that are flowing down the creeks, maybe we can snag one?" She was commenting back. "We can try but it going to be hard, the force of the creek could pull anyone trying to snag one if we did not get attack by anything. We got ten-foot waves in the bay, and the waves are getting stronger, our only chance to get one is to the west side near the sea and hope we can snag a tree and pull it onto the shore before it is knocked out to sea." About then, two more people rush up. "Ma''am we just kill three more undead, and one was an undead lizardman." Shaking his head at the news, "I swear it only gets worse and worse. Okay, Kari gets some more people down to the sea I will move some of the troop to the wall and man the two ballistae. It was several hours later with a dozen reborns helping me that we finally got a tree pulled onto the beach down by the docks. Two of the reborns drown after being pull from snagging the tree, Falworth the Strong and Grom the Hammer both reappears at the Hearthtree a few minutes later. During that time over half of the Guild was fighting off the Undead as they crawl to shore from the waves. The strangest part was having to kill Falworth the Strong in his undead form while he was fighting beside us, trying to kill himself. After a few hours, I was told a large block of wood was in the warehouse waiting for me after the lumberjack and carpenters cut the block out of the tree. After that, several more trees were being pulled in the same way by other of the reborn just to past the time and to fulfill the quest that was put up by the lumberjacks.
Quest: Sea of Trees: Pull ten trees from the creek and sea for the lumberjacks, Experience 10000. 10 gold, group Quest of five or more. Repeatable.
City Quest! Kill the Undead Rising: Kill ten drown men off the beaches of Safehaven. The Undead have risen to wreak havoc upon the settlement save the day!This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. 500 Experience, 1 gold +1 Reputation. Repeatable.
I spent the next four days using chisels, several saws, and a knife to carve a woman that looks as close to R¨¤n as I could, with a net in her hands ready to cast out to sea out of the oak log. Standing al least six feet tall I spent the next few hours using sandstone to sand the wood down after Kari told me not to be in a hurry to put the shrine up. Later that day, Kari sat down drenching wet as I was cleaning up the tools I had used. Nodding my head at her. "Ready for me to put this up?" "Guild still wants a few more hours to finish up the quest they started. They like the city quest, and I know that I like the quest, already racked up over thirty reputation points. I know a few of the member would love to keep going." "I could see about adding it to the quest list after the rain goes down from what I read the down men are going to be up and down the coastline. Anything drops off them?" "A few coins, seaweed, a flask of ale, some potions and scrolls, oh and each of them drop an urn with their names on it. Each of the urns has a thirty-day quest to bury them in a graveyard. There are three that have pieces of a treasure map, which is why everyone wants the Undead around longer. There is three faction reputation in the urn Quest."
Bury the Dead Bury the urn in a graveyard to keep the dead from returning in thirty days, 100 Experience, +1 Reputation with Spirits of the Light, -1 Reputation with Spirit of the Dark. Option: Use the urn to raise the dead, use as components in necromancer spell, +1 to the League of Undead.
Looking over the quest. "Wow, so how many urns?" I asked. "Three hundred and seven so far, every time we kill a wave of them, another wave comes in. Otherwise, the dead come up to shore and stand there dripping water with their arm hanging down moaning or collapse to the ground waiting for someone to walk in. It has not bee fun fighting them in the rain, and sometimes it rains so hard that it hard to spot one until they attack, Some of the dead are from level one to level ten, the higher-level one we have to team up on to kill them. Then your troops on the wall had killed a few before we got close to them." "I need to get this up soon so we can get some fishing done, and to keep a few ships from invading our land. I not heard from Ann this morning. She was about a week from here looking for the group that was heading this way. They have been having a hard time crossing the streams along the way. I''m hoping to she will contact me soon." Jack said, while looking worried. "Don''t worry, she can take care of herself, Gema arrived a few days ago after Ann sent her back because the creeks levels were getting too dangerous for a citizen to cross. Gema was not too happy but understand that Ann can die and return and she couldn''t." "To change the subject, do you have any skills outside of the game you can teach anyone, I found a couple of people that can crocheting and make yarn, a guy that can weave a rug," Grinning, "not a hairpiece. Another that wanting to learn to make cloth and sail tack, several carvers, a handful of brewer and winemakers. I was thinking of hiring a lot more craftsmen to teach different crafting skills, like soap and candle making, fishnet and lures, canning, glassblowing the list is long." Beaming with enthusiasm. "Needlepoint and gardening had several submerge greenhouses in Alaska to grow food to sell to the locals year-round. Some sewing and leatherwork which I have as skills now. I have been helping in the garden here, but I agree with you at the meeting the other day that we need to focus on growing and storing food for sieges and disasters." She said, thinking about her past. "Good to know, we going to have a monthly meeting soon to get a list of everyone skill set. It is nice to know how to do things without relying on magic or AIs. Okay, I will be ready to put this up in a few hours I need at least four people to hold it up so I can mount it to the pier using my stone spell. Kari was about to walk away only to turn back toward him. "Might want to hold off on purchasing crafters for a while, I heard from a few friends that there are a lot of refugee fleeing their homes After all this rain stops and the creeks and river go back to normal we could end up swamped. Chapter Thirty Three - Reunion We were all soaked to the skin putting up R¨¤n''s Shrine on the dock when the prompt to accept it as a shrine appear I was shocked at what it said.
Do you wish this to be a shrine? Yes/No?
Yes!
Please name the Deity to the Shrine.
R¨¤n!
Do wish to modify the Shrine or leave it as is? Yes/No? (Warning the Goddess Ran will add a bonus if there is no modification done to the Shrine.)
This is the first time that I was asked not to change something I did by hand. Sure I had a few prompt if I want to add to the list for others to use but never for this. "Yes."
Local Area Announcement! A Shrine to R¨¤n has been built on the dock of Safehaven!
Shrine of R¨¤n 1 copper coin tribute daily +1 to fishing 1 silver per ship daily +1 to sailing 1 gold daily at sunrise +1 defending opponent from the sea. Protection from undead from the sea one-mile radius. +1000 experience, +10 Settlement morale, other rewards unknown.
Tossing a Gold piece into the bowl carve at the base of the statue. The waves started to calm down, and the undead that was climbing out faded back into the sea. The wind s died down, but the rain continues, Kari runs up, "Just got word that the rain had stopped to the East and Northeast, but the sea is still rolling with the storm off the shore. Rain should let up by tomorrow here. A side note from my contacts up north is that about half of the raiding party heading here was ambushed by Frost Jotunns that step out of a portal. There is talk in chat that all types of creatures are spawning everywhere that there are a group of reborns. So far, all the attack have been in the countrysides. Harpies, dragons, and Manicorns have been sighted. The City of Hasen is no longer standing it has been pulled into the sea. Several thousand unborns were killed and sent to other spawn points. It was the Kraken."This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Looking toward the sea, "That the Imperium problem we are not under their gods'' protection. Your right we should start looking at expanding, Twenty acres of land is not going to host the hundred if not thousands of people moving this way. Pull everyone that been helping on building together tomorrow at the Townhall. We need to start focusing on this world as if it is real and not a game. I am electing you as one of the council members we are going to add nine others to help me solve our problem." Seeing her about to argue, "consider the position temporary, have your guild vote someone in your place after the meeting if you want." Seeing Hans trudging through the rain ahead, "I see you at the meeting have a few things to do." running off to catch up to Hans. "Hans I need to you and your wife to be at a meeting tomorrow morning to talk about refugee and other problems in the area." Hans stops and wipes the rain off his face, "I will be there, this blasted rain should stop on the morrow from the impression I got on my morning prayer with Frigga, I swear I''m about ready to head to the Sand of Fire after two weeks of this!" Shaking his head, "Need anything else, Mr. Mayor?" Grinning knowing how much I hate being called Mayor. Shaking my head, "No, Going to head home to change into drier close and eat." Hans waves as he turns away. I nearly crashing into Ann at the Hearthtree when she appears on the road in front of me. Not saying a word, I pulled her into a hug. She shook for a moment as she hugs him back. "Miss you, too," stepping back and holding her hand. Not sure if tears or rain or both she steps forward and hugs me again, "Miss you too, got mashed. Frost Giants or Jotunn, whatever bigger fuckers. They wipe out over forty of the players the rest scatter six of the Frost Giants appear and started smashing everything and casting spells. Everywhere they touch the area frost over. One of the players ran toward me, and it somehow knew I was nearby because it turns and looks at me after stepping on one guy. I ran leading it toward the mountains hoping to lose it. They are about five days travel from here two was killed before everyone scatters. No clue where the giants are heading wiping her face with her sleeve as he leads her to their hovel. "Just glad your alright, sorry about your death." pulling the door open and letting her in first. "Loki had a chat with me while I was waiting to spawn back here. He gave me a message. He will roll back everyone nerf if you draw up a new character and starting area." Looking upset. Shaking his head no, "Don''t trust him and too many citizens and reborns are counting on a place to protect them. If I bow to Loki, then how many more restarts do I have to do if he becomes unhappy. I am not going to back down to a bully. Not today, not tomorrow not ever, I have done it once and lost my family because I felt violence did not solve problems. I''m not going to go out there and stop them from doing bad things, but I will stop them from doing bad things to people I know, This is a Safe Haven to all that need it from those that wish to harm against the innocence and weak. So, dear, I hope next time you see him, and I hope it will be a long time, you tell him to go f..." Banging on the door interrupted him, Pulling the door open, and several women rushed in and started hugging Ann, Kora, and Tarla push Jack out the door as Kari was asking Ann how she was doing. Seeing a lopsided grin on Ann''s face as the door was shut and seeing her mouth sorry. Standing in the rain, trying to figure out what happens, Jack turns and walks away, amused. A man in the shadows watches him as he walks in the rain, "Message receive Jack. I would have figured you take the easy way out." Shifting into a crow, the bird flew out to sea. Chapter Thirty Four - The Gathering of Members I spent the night with Ann not realizing how much I have fallen in love with her. Until the moment that she shows up. We talk until midnight about her trip which sounds pretty dull except for three incidents one was a tribe of Orcs moving southward due to being flooded out of their area. A total of ten male and about thirty females of various age and some children and livestock. The second incident was Trolls from the look of it they were grass trolls not as large as other trolls, but they tend to blend into the world around then by burrowing into the soil during the day and travel by night, Grass trolls have caked dirt on their back where grass grows to help them blend in to the grassland. The Third was the Frost Jotunn, which surprises me, considering that Loki has some hold over them if lore was correct. I really can''t see him helping so something else is going on.
Grass Troll Large (10 feet) Level 5 Health 50 Damage 15 + weapon Regeneration 1/min Half damage vs. all attacks but fire. Fire damage cannot heal back. Sunlight turns to stone.
Grass Trolls are smaller than most of the Trolls they grow grass upon their back due to burrowing under the surface of the grassland to hide from the sun. A troll will sleep after a good meal for days sometimes years. Like all other Trolls, sunlight will turn them into stone. Fire is a bane to all Trolls stopping them from healing back damage. The only way to kill a troll is sunlight or fire. The next morning was an improvement over the last few weeks other than waking up with Ann draped across me, the sound of rain has stopped. After crawling out from under her. I was able to check outside to see that the rain has fallen to a mist and that the sky looks lighter than it did yesterday. By the time I made it to the Town Hall, it was still quiet. Sarah Long was the only person in the Town Hall, organizing the board for quests. She was one of the unborns that show up a few weeks ago not affiliated with any guild or clan. Kari and Ann both knew her from their days on earth and vouched for her. She has been waiting for me to build a shop for her so she can make paper and set up as a scribe. Sarah always loves Medieval manuscripts and wants to help make books and work in a library after a while. Right now she has help Mesa-la with dispensing quest for the city and local population. "Everything going okay?" I ask. She looked over her shoulder, "Mesa-la has a quest for you but she would not let me post it, told me to have you see her at the tree when your not busy, I had six requests on citizen wanting us to build raised beds to grow food putting us at with ten people wishing to be farmer and only mud to grow in, fire was in here last night to inform me that they will be done with the Clan Hall in two weeks, He wants to take off for a week to do some adventuring with friends. I went ahead and approved it for you. He has been busy for a few weeks now. The Wizard tower is about to be upgraded to three-level due to your badge allowing that to happen. I had three requests for a tavern, a request for an inn by one of the goblins and several dozen shops and hovel. She pointed at a stack of clay tablets.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. I will put an inn across from the wayside between the two gates. Maybe put a tavern next to it, or combine them. We are going to need hovels, but shops will pull in income to help with buying supplies and troops later. "Okay queue me up on putting in three longhouses that will hold thirty people, I''m going to upgrade six hovels to level two to add another family to them. Then work on some of the Shops then the Inn and Tavern not sure if I should combine them yet. Hans walks in wearing clothing and not armor for once, Raising an eyebrow at him as he shakes his head, "Rust." was all he said and poured himself some tea. "We are going to need to import some more tea leaves and sugar." then sat down. Frida drag in looking tired. "Up healing goats and sheep last night?" Looking puzzled, "First, I hear of this." A grass troll tries to get into the animal pens the Guards, and a few of us were able to take him down. But the battle causes the animals to panic, and they got hurt. No one was killed other than my sleep, and the troll is dead. "Jack, you can''t do everything, let some of us help?" Frida said
Quest: Seek out help. Your friends think you are taking on too much work and responsibilities, delegate your work, Rome was not built in a day. Reward: Unknown
Rome, funny, can''t believe I got a quest to slow down. Holding up his hand for surrendering." Okay, I start delegating at the meeting. Happy?" Hans mutters, "Sound like more work for us, oomph." as Frida elbow him in the side. "Yep. Happy as a Lark," Frida said as she went and helped Sarah. Cara walked in, wearing a sky blue robe with ocean waves and did a twirl, "You like?" "Look good. Was it from a quest?" She turns her sea-green eyes toward me and node yes. "Mesa-la is having me do a set quest called the waters of Safehaven, Keeping the settlement from flooding. It got some amazing stats." Lester pops in and yells boo behind Cara as she let off a yelp jumping away from him as he started laughing. She turns around and cast a spell in his direction as he rolls away, narrowly getting. "You little sneak! I''m going to freeze your ass!" Cara hiss. "STOP! NO FIGHTING IN THE TOWN HALL!" Bellow Sarah, everyone in the room stop what they are doing and look at the meek woman in the room blushing red from all the attention focus on her. "Please," she said as she turns back to her tablets. "She got lungs!" Hans whisper in my ear. I only nodded as I watch more people file into the room. "When did Cara and Lester started dating?" Ann spoke up behind me. "Cara dating? I need to stop working so hard next thing I know Hans be dating Kari!" "I''m dating who?" Said Kari as she steps in to shake off the moister off her jacket as she looks from me to Ann. "Laying odds on who dating who," Ann tease, Winking at Kari "I know I would win the bet." Knowing that Kari preference is women. Stepping forward Jack spoke up, "Find a place to sit we be starting the meeting soon." Hoping Kari forget the comments he said earlier. Ann whisper, "nice save." Chapter Thirty Five - A Blast. The meeting went for four hours, thirty-one reborns and fifteen citizens. Only three of the reborns wanted to help in the council not counting Ann, Kari, Hans or Frida. Sarah, Lester, and Cara offer to help, Fire and several others have decided they did not want to take on full-time work and want to do some Questing. The rest ends up with ten blaming me for all the problems in the world. It got pretty nasty on the name-calling that ends up with the meeting breaking up when everyone walks out of the meeting. I appointed Joseph to be head of the Merchant guild and promise him a headquarters for the Guild. Cara was made the head of the Wizard Guild and gave her access to the wizard tower. Tarla was made representative of the Goblins in the settlement. I offer the position of Spy and thief guild to Lester, giving him access to the sewers and a thief lair if he keeps thieving to a minimum. ¡°I rather not have thieving in the settlement but this is a game. I get first chance at recovering anything stolen from them and a percentage of five percent of the take. No locals are to be stolen from or harm in any way. Anything that does get stolen from the locals is to be returned within a few days by local law.¡± I told Lester as he nodded yes. Hans is over the military and law while I put Frida is over the Health of the settlement and the hospital that I need to build in the future. I got the city council seats created with me as Mayor, Ann, Kari, Cara, Lester, Hans, Frida, Tarla, and Joseph still needed two more I was thinking one of the lumberjacks and either the mason or quarrymen both groups were out working. Because of the yelling and threats, I felt we should have a meeting in a week to give everyone on the council a chance to decide what they want to put on the agenda at the meeting. I step out of the Town Hall just as an explosion rips through my hovel, leveling it. Knocking me on my butt, I sat there with my ears ringing.
Debuff : 30-second stun. 30 second -10 to perception.
I stagger to my feet with Ann help. Staring at the destruction and seeing all the bodies laying around some writhing in pain. Most of them were crying out for help, as we all rush to assist anyone that is injured. Hearing people around me yelling for help, I help pulled a broken piece of the wall off one of the men that came in the other days Darrel, David, no, shaking my head, Darin, Darin Stoneshear, a quarryman. Ann gave him a potion to heal. "Darin, Ann here will take care of you. I need to help the others pull out the injured." Three hovels had collapsed from the explosion. Two Goblin children were killed, and three goblins were wounded in one of the hovel and Marsha, Joseph''s wife was killed in another, and a dozen children injured along with Tarla that was leading them to the warehouse to teach a class on language. The blast and parts of the building injured them. Overall we found a few dozen more citizens were harm most were with minor injuries. After uncovering a wall, we found three of my troops dead with no names, and I recover their urns for burial later. I swipe away the prompt that appears before me. Several hours later, I was standing in Temple of the Gods cover in blood and soaking wet dumping a hundred gold that was needed to resurrect Marsha. I sat for a few hours with Ann holding me because I could not bring back the children or the soldiers that were killed because they had no names. I luck out upon Marsha''s AI was updated to a tier-three a few days ago while interacting with everyone.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Lester appears and sits down, "Someone planted a bomb to go off in your hovel, Rune of Explosion was used, we think someone rigs a rope and a candle to use as a timer to drop something head on the rune." tossing a fragment of the rune on the floor. Cara and Fire think it was a level ten Explosive Rune. They believe that the only people that can make one is in the Imperium. Anyone can buy them and set one up, but it cost a fortune at least a thousand gold. We believe the guy that did it died in the blast and return to his bind point in another city. Hans and several others are watching the binding spot here in case he returns, but so far no one has appeared. Only reborn missing is Jenkin, he arrived a few weeks ago, he was one of the men that were stirring up trouble. I don''t remember his last name but will ask around." Looking up, "I want his buddies at the town hall, unhurt. We can''t harm anyone without opening the settlement to a twenty-four-hour player killer mark. Find anyone that is marked as a Pker and bring them to me. Remind me that everyone that enters Safehaven must put their name down." Walking over to Tarla and the other Goblins giving last rights to the children, Seeing no tears, Tarla looked up and chanted. "We do not cry for the nameless, but our heart is sorrow, we mourn their faces, for they never will reach an age to have a name. We call upon the Ravens, to gather the souls to Frigga, and hope that she will raise them and give them names. Goddess Frigga hear your children, punish those that did this to our children." I reach down and touch both children, two urns appear in my hands, The name Onua the child and Urna the child was on the urns, a Valkyrie appears before the women with two ghost-like goblin boys. "Frigga has heard your prayers know this Onua and Urna are their names, and they will run the fields of the Goddess with no worry or pain.¡± Turning toward me, she said, ¡°Bring those responsible to the Temple when you find them or give us the name of who done it." The Valkyrie fades away with two spirits of the children beside her.
Goddess Frigga gains +100 reputation with the Swamp Water Tribe. Goddess Frigga gains +10 soul points per month.
Quest Bury the Urns Urns of Onua and Urna bury in the holy ground within thirty-days or their spirits will rise again as the undead. Rewards 20 experience, unknown. Quest Bury the Urns Bury the Soldier''s urns in the holy ground within thirty-days or their spirits will rise again as the undead. Rewards 20 experience, +1 Loyalty with troops.
Goddess Quest Find who done this so the Goddess can put the Mark of Shame upon them for all to see.
Mark of Shame is a permanent mark that only the Gods can cast. A Player with a Mark of Shame is forever marked as PK killer. It requires a long and dangerous quest to undo such a mark. Mark of Shame will stay on the personal account of the player until fix only Citizens can ask the gods for such a punishment. This Mark is the result of the riots.
Looking over the quest, I head toward the Town Hall with Ann holding her hand as the rain continues to drizzle. I deleted the prompts I got earlier not wanting to know what they are the deaths of two children are more important that prompts. For a moment, I stopped to stare at the three destroyed hovels holding on to Ann. It is time to weed out the bad from the good.
Settlement Buff: Survivor Guilt -1 to Judgment, +1 to Fortitude. Those that are impacted by a traumatic event, and survives tries to understand what had happened to them. Buff duration one week.
Chapter Thirty Six - The End of the Rain. Three more players disappear we didn''t get any of their last names just the first. I found out from Lester that a level five rogue can take spy as a class which allows them to take on a persona, change names, or even appear as an NPC. Which means anyone of the new Citizens that are here or will arrive in the future could be a spy. So after an intensive hunt turning up nothing except that three people fled north and the tracks disappear somewhere in the rain soak land. Sometimes by mid-morning, the sky begins to clear up letting the sun start drying out everything. I ended up helping shore up the walls as the creek final crested a few hours before sunset. Everything I ever made was in the hovel that was destroyed; it was the first thing I built, which was where Ann found me staring down at the hole in the ground. Staring down at the water rushing by in the sewer, I was thankful that Gema rescue Bill the Cube, which is now four square feet in size. He is being held in the old outhouse I made. Clara and Fire have rebuilt the goblin hovel and updated it to a Level two hovel.
Two-Story Hovel: Level 2 Health 20 Defense 10 Morale 20 Hold 20 2 to 4 family, Siege storage food 10 days Siege storage water 10 days Level two Two-Story Hovel cover double the footprint of a Level one hovel. Both lower and upper floor have a door opening on both sides, allowing four families to live.
Slime Cube Level four Health 40 Defense 14 Damage 6 per min while absorbing. Movement 2 ft/min Only an idiot get trap by a slime cube, Once a Slime cube no longer can fit into cramp places. It will divide into one-foot square babies. It will eat anything organic, leaving behind bones and metal.
I don''t remember much after that other than Ann gave me something to drink and waking up the next morning with me in her arms. She shushed me when I tried to get up. ¡°Morning, dear,¡± she kisses my cheek. Feeling the bad taste in my mouth and a slight hangover feeling, ¡°I feel like I ate the bark off of a tree. Ugh, what did you give me?¡± I ask. She was holding on to both sides of my face in her hand. ¡°You collapses in my arms after being up for forty-eight hours and trudging through the mud, which you should have let people like me do since we are trained for it. I understand they kill some citizen, but you started scaring people going off like that. We are your family, too, and you not alone. So Mr. Mayor let us help you.¡± searching my eyes before kissing me.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. She hands me a wineskin of water, ¡°Before you go out there. I had Clare and Firework on rebuilding the two hovel, Mesa-la said the building was too far gone to rebuild through the interface. The first build is done and holding four families, and the second building is being worked on. Fire has been drying out the ground and one of the dwarves been using an earth elemental to dig out the new basement. That was about as far they got before sunset. So you are on Mayor duty to organize the settlement. Once that done by noon you are meeting me for lunch, then you can build as much as you can until six at which point you, me and a few others are going to have dinner.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± I said, staring at her still cup between her hands. She arches an eyebrow, ¡°Okay as in okay we are doing this or okay as in not sure okay?¡± ¡°Okay as in your right, I kind of flip out thinking I could have done like what happen to my wife and child.¡± Kissing her forehead, ¡°I should not have gone out with the others without finding you. I just felt helpless.¡± hugging her close. ¡°I told everyone that you would be at Town Hall by ten we have a few hours to cuddle,¡± she whispers into my ear. By the time I walk out of her hovel that she shared with Kari, it was ten in the morning, and I was smiling. We did more than cuddle, and I do feel much better knowing I have someone to lean on that cares for me. Seeing the foundation of the hovel being expanded and built upon. Ann pull me away to the Mayor hall where I spent the next two hours calming down the citizens of Safehaven over the attacks in the settlement. ¡°What you mean it safe here? We all want a law enforcement someone to keep us safe while the troop guards the walls,¡± I hear someone yell in the back of the full Town Hall. Several other people in the crowd were agreeing. I sign weary. I rather dig a latrine than deal with this mob. ¡°I hear you, and I will bring it up with the council.¡± ¡°Why can''t you decide as you have before.¡± ¡°Yeah, you hire troops before!¡± as more and more agree with the man, The feeling of a headache was coming on when Ann and Hans walk in. ¡°Attention citizen!¡± Bellow Hans make me wince, ¡°We need to talk to the Mayor the longer you are here, the longer we are not able to convene the council later,¡± Several of them began to grumble as Hans pointed out the door. Ann walked up and gave me a peck. ¡°Thanks for the rescue I was getting a headache from all the bickering about a backup sewer, to it is taking too long to get clean water, when can they cross the creek or when can they start making new farms?¡± I grumble while holding my head. ¡°You can thank Sarah she came to find Hans and me when you got swamp by the townsfolk.¡± She said. ¡°Boy, am I glad you are the mayor,¡± Hans commented staring out the door, ¡°Can you get everyone here this afternoon about five to decide on an enforcement officer and how many enforcers are needed to help him or her?¡± I ask Hans He nodded as Ann pull me out of the chair, ¡°I''m off duty until after lunch,¡± Mock saluting Hans, ¡°You are in charge! Sir!¡± As Ann pulling me out the door giggling. ¡°But?¡± Hans looks puzzled as the door closes. ¡°How did that happen?¡± Chapter Thirty seven - Bad news About three o''clock, Hans found me working on the grain silo trying to get my head wrap around how to load them. Yes, I made several of silos each taper at the bottom to feed the grain out. Several of the farmers were helping me all of them very excited. A gnome came up with the idea of setting up a water mill to create a conveyor belt to the load the grain and corn through the top of the silo cover it with an iron plate. The bottom of the silo has a slot in it by using an iron plate to open or close it would allow the grain to exit, it would take a lot of strength to open and close it but Jessupyouknowiamright the gnome yes that his name and a reborn at that thought of using a watermill to power that too. Jessup is an engineering major in college about twenty-six years of age and big, I mean big on roleplaying, Treat everyone as if they are real. That how Hans found us all chattering away on deciding if we should build a small canal through the settlement piping it to the spot. Both sound appealing the canal open up several morale bonuses from parks, love boat, and transporting of goods from one end of the Settlement like the road to the port. Nothing too big maybe about as wide as a street and three to four feet deep it could open up several more mills for operating stuff but so will the piping which we don''t have to see. Hans stood there looking like he ate something bad. Raising an eyebrow, I bow out of the group while saying. ¡°I like both idea Jessup come by the meeting at the Town Hall at four I will add it to the agenda and see what they like.¡± ¡°Willdoyourmayorship!¡± he squeaks in joy. ¡°Oh have plans drawn up for the mill we need one anyway for flour and grinding machine for the blacksmith, and whose know what else,¡± I said as I walk away, several of the farmers'' swamp the gnome with more ideas. ¡°Hey, Hans, you don''t look good,¡± I commented. He looks around to be sure no one was near. ¡°We got Imperium reborns nearby.¡± I stiffen and look around. ¡°How many?¡± ¡°Several of the rangers have a ring of water walking scouted to the west. They about a half-mile outside the city zone of control and setting up a level one roman fort. Wooden palisade and a moat and berm. About thirty reborn with Imperium legionnaire, most of the reborn only have one legionnaire which put the reborns at level five, five of them have two and two have three, the leader of the group has five which put him at level ten.¡± shuffling his feet, ¡°Only thing good about this is they can''t use their legionnaire to attack the settlement or cast spells to attack either. All attack on the Settlement is as if they are one half the level they are now so most of the reborn will be like level three attack us. The bad news is we are the same about attacking their fort. They can attack us full strength like we would be at least one third our strength because it is a fort. And both of us are not limited to a time table for a raid or siege we can respawn at our bind point with an unlimited amount. Unlike the raid where we can only respawn at the end of the raid. I have done some reading on what we can or can''t do.¡± Kicking a pebble. ¡°You know what guild?¡± Thinking over what he said. Pulling up information on forts by the Imperium, Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.Fort of the Imperium are level one to ten and consider to be temporary fort all repair to the fort must be fixed by hand. Once a fort reach ten it can then work toward a Fortress using stone walls. Fort level one through three has no towers, and level four had a gate tower, five through seven have corner towers, eight on up open up siege weapons to be used by the fort. A fort stone that is taken or destroy can destroy a fort by one level a day or until a new stone is replaced at which time the fort become level one again. ¡°The Black Eagles, one hundred member guild last I heard, Lester is digging up dirt on them. They are consider to be the twelfth ranked guild in the Imperium now. Losing out to a rival guild.¡± Seeing Lester running up, I wave. ¡°Hey, Lester any good news I hope?¡± ¡°You got the news?¡± Looking at Hans back to Jack, ¡°Right stupid question, The Black Eagles did have a hundred reborns the Guild Imperium Men took them down a notch by raiding one of their outposts and taking it. They have about seventy-six people now and very xenophobic, anyone not human is killed or enslaved. They believe everyone should be humans, not other races. One of the reasons they been hit by the Guild The Imperium Men, the leader is a Half Jotunn. They have a fort ten days from here that is level six being held by forty-some people. They have addition thirty reborns that are noncombatants, crafters and shop keepers.¡± ¡°Maybe we can get one of the other guild to attack their fort down south.¡± ¡°Thought about that, Jack, that a no goes. All the guilds in the Imperium are fighting in the street of the three major cities. With two of the top ten Guilds losing their city to the Kraken. With the new rules on declaring war the players, I mean reborns are using the loophole on unlimited respawns to destroy property and troops of their enemies and The Black Eagle think if they take you out, they will get a lot of players to flock to their banners.¡± ¡°Okay keep an eye on them, see if there anything in the area that can be used against them. Trolls, dragons, ants I don''t care what anything to make their life miserable. Hans, I think we need to add more towers I was thinking about six? We still not going to be able to get men to quarry rock, I wanted to get away from having to put our caster on building more stuff and more reliant on the masons and quarrymen for our stone. Was about to look into brick making to get more building built. Gods can''t people just leave us alone for a while!¡± Strike at a lamp post. ¡°Damn that hurt.¡±
You have taken 3 points of damage!
¡°See about getting more ballista built I know the Blacksmiths have parts for ten and I believe the carpenters been working on the wood parts last I saw they had three ready a few days ago. We can see if we need to upgrade the barracks to get more men too. Once a tower is built, have a ballista put in place and see who we got to make bolts or shots. I doubt I have enough of those marbles to cover all the ballista.¡± I commented to him. ¡°Jack, I will go and get this started and see you at the meeting later.¡± Hans walks off bellowing out names. Lester looked around, as I said, ¡°Lester get a group together of thieves and rogues and causes all the havoc that you want, the Imperium reborns can respawn, but their items and equipment will degrade would be hard to replace. Burn their wagons and any supplies you find. I will get Ann to get some of the rangers and scouts set up snares to make hunting a problem for them be sure to check with her on the location of the traps I want to make life miserable for them, not us.¡± Pausing in thought. ¡°Send a few of your high-level friends and grab a couple of Draugrs from the haunted village west of here set them loose in their fort. I want them to be kept awake twenty-four seven is that understood?¡± I saw him nodding. ¡°Any items you find is your and your rogues, but I am still taxing you on the coins.¡± grinning at him as he disappears. Checking the HUD and seeing it almost four. ¡°Crap, no time to do anything.¡± heading toward the Town Hall.