Completion of the dungeon is a boon to our fledgling Settlement. The next week is spent running people through, gaining them much needed levels and Credits. Even non-combatants are power leveled, but due to their lack of participation their XP gain is far less.
Come to find out, dungeons give out drastically less experience the more you run them. Consulting a guide, I find each subsequent run gives a 20% cumulative reduction. After five runs there’s no further gains, though there are still loot drops. This applies to all dungeons, apparently.
We discuss what to do about the housing on the borders of the Control Zone. Their distance from the ranch house makes them difficult to defend, and spending Credits to upgrade utilities and defenses is wasteful. In the end we sell off the buildings, bringing in several thousand Credits to the Settlement wallet.
With the CZ clear of other structures, besides the huge barn, discussion is had about structure layout. Sight lines and thoroughfares are considered. System bonuses for building types can be further enhanced by grouping them into like areas. We’re lucky one survivor took some civil planning courses in college.
Economies are like a tumbling snow ball. They’re small and slow, but as they roll down a hill, they pick up more material and speed, eventually becoming massive. With the influx of Credits and crafting materials, people can buy Talents, blueprints, equipment, and even their own buildings.
Another week goes by as six Tier X Single Occupant Cottages and a standalone workshop are constructed. Donnie and Curtis, two of the main gaming group, set up their own workshop areas in the barn. With 30,000 square feet, there’s more than enough space to go around. I foot the bill for a communal storehouse and a well. Ramparts are a big-ticket item, but at 25,000 Credits it’s still a ways off.
Right now we’re eating what food we can scavenge and hunt. Soon we’ll need to produce our own, more so when we gain additional residents. Considering we’re surrounded by empty farmland, one Farmer takes it upon themselves to start up various crops. Seeds of all types are purchased from Chugg, and several plots are marked off. Combine System growth enhancements with a regional bonus from the Ohio river valley, and a bonus from the tilled land? We’ll be sitting pretty before too long.
Donnie, as an Artificer, builds what amounts to a very fancy blacksmith’s forge in the barn. Lucky for him, his runs through the Playground had two rare drops, providing a great deal of Credits. With a full set of Tier X Artificer tools, and plenty of scrap metal from the scouting teams, Donnie’s able to produce several useful items.
As an Alchemist, Curtis is probably the most useful of our crafters at the moment. Though his equipment is expensive, several of us chip in to buy him alembics, retorts, beakers, and other such equipment. Soon healing potions, antidotes, and even high-test alcohol are being produced.
During the two weeks of expansion, I go on several runs with Andy and his scouting team. We need work animals, so we ignore houses and search fields. My Speak with Animals and Befriend Animal abilities come in handy, allowing us to bring home a pair of eight-legged horses. Another benefit is the discovery of a small survivors' group hiding in a fortified church. One of our Scouts has a way with words, and after a few hours of discussion, convinces them to join us. Their classes include a Farmer, a Scout, a Carpenter, and a Quartermaster.
Carcosa has thirty-five residents.
What breed of horse they were before, I couldn’t guess, but System alterations have turned our two new animals into monstrous beasts. Easily twenty percent larger than a Clydesdale, it’s no wonder they need eight legs to stand. Funny enough, their breed is Sleipnir.
We have plenty of harnesses and saddles. Granted, they’re hilariously too small, but some simple modifications make them usable. We hook up a large flatbed trailer to one of the Sleipnirs and make a trip down to the warehouse. For whatever reason, the tires rotted away, so we fashion wooden wheels to the metal rims. It helps that the monstrous horses are strong enough to drag the carts across the ground without the wheels.
Now a large group with a clunking cart, we’re attacked by numerous monsters. These are easily dealt with, but it’s a constant affair. We load up whatever we can, since Chugg will buy everything, and head back. The six-hour trip provides us with valuable supplies for the crafters and nets 3,000 Credits for Carcosa.
Two days of this and I need a break. Heading into the barn, I stop at Curtis’ workshop. The large, tall man is sitting at a counter, carefully mixing two colored liquids. I notice he’s lost a bit of his fat and maybe grown taller? It makes me wonder if Curtis has been drinking his own stock.
I wait for him to finish. Knowing Curtis, those could be quite volatile. “Red and blue make purple. You truly are a talented chemist.”
I give Curtis a smirk when he turns around. He’s grown a full goatee.
“Har har.” Curtis swirls the purple liquid in the beaker. “Just trying out a new potion. The Shop sells a number of low-Tier recipes, but I figure I can improve on them once I understand what they’re doing.”
“Interesting. What’s the end product going to be?”
“Tier X strength enhancement. Lasts twenty minutes and gives a five point buff.” Curtis adds a single drop of a clear liquid. “I can make three per batch for fifty Credits.”
“That sounds pretty good.” I take a seat at another table. It’s covered in labeled jars filled with all sorts of random substances. “How are the healing potions coming along?”
Curtis points to a box in the corner. “Got all the necessary ingredients there. Once I finish the strength potions, I’ll start on another batch.”
“Good. Now that people have some decent levels, they’re not getting as badly injured. That means we’ll be able to stockpile.”
Letting out a long sigh, Curtis nods his head. “That’ll be nice. I’ve been wanting to experiment more, but mass production takes up too much time.”
I look around the space. The barn, with its many stables and storage areas, was easily converted into various workspaces. Curtis’ workshop takes up a little more than a 1,000 square feet, but with all the equipment crammed in here, it feels small.
“Please, tell me you’re keeping your hooch levels to a minimum. I’m tired of having to deal with drunkards.”
Curtis laughs heartily and nods over to a copper still in one corner. “Don’t worry, I’m only making one gallon a week. How are people reacting to your restriction on Shop alcohol?”
“They’re not happy about it, but they understand.”
Chugg’s alcohol list is varied, going from beer all the way to distilled liquor. After a slew of drunken fights, I restricted alcohol sales to one bottle of spirits (100 proof or less), and twenty bottles of beer (8% alcohol or less) per person per week. That sounds like a lot, but with System alterations making people healthier, everyone’s liver can process alcohol at a breakneck pace. Staying drunk isn’t as easy as you’d think.
After catching up some more with Curtis, I bid him farewell and make my way to Donnie’s workshop. On the other end of the barn, he’s up against the short side. Needing far more space than the Alchemist, Donnie’s space is about 3,000 square feet. His forge is burning hot, and he’s clanking away at a piece of metal on the anvil.
Though a little shorter than I am, Donnie’s built. System effects have taken his constant exercise and shaped him into a mass of muscle. His shaved head and thick, red beard give him a tough appearance. It’s rather funny since he’s such a jovial person.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
Donnie finishes his pounding and sticks the long, thin piece of metal into the forge coals. He sets his tools down and takes a beer from a nearby ice chest. One good thing about having access to magic? Elemental spells.
“Hey hey, how’s it going there, mister boss man?”
I purse my lips and stare blankly at the Artificer.
“Ha, just kidding. What’s up?”
“Just checking in. Been out and about and haven’t really had time to visit with the crew.”
Donnie tosses me a beer and points to a few wooden logs. We sit on them and enjoy the cold brews.
“Gotcha. Nothing terribly exciting with me. I’ve been hammering away, trying to get some clockwork made.”
Unlike a Blacksmith, Artificers deal with small, complicated metal parts like gears, springs, and other such things. Donnie, once he got access to the Shop, looked into all the crazy machinery he’d be able to make. Having gone to school for mechanical engineering, and being a pretty clever guy, he didn’t need blueprints to recreate certain machines. Granted, this was causing him to do a lot of trial and error. So far Donnie built a clock, very simple elevators up to the rooftop lookouts, and a handful of toys for the children. Most of the toys are drawings from his daughter, Harper.
“What sort of machines are you working on now?”
“The washing machine is dying. Got the basic design laid out for a larger, more robust one. Just need to fabricate the parts and see if it’ll actually work.”
Not being near a source of water, and having three dozen people with always dirty clothing, the washer and dryer are in a constant state of use.
“Nice. I assume you’re making a dryer next?”
Donnie shrugs and he takes a long pull on the beer. “There’s clothes lines and the wind. I’ve got better things to work on.”
“Fair enough.”
“How goes the Settlement overall?”
I let out a sigh. “It goes. Finding those two horses is helping. We can bring in scrap, but the ROI is a little rough. Once we clear out the warehouse, junk yard, Love’s, and the antique shop, we’re going to have to head into the industrial park across I70.”
Raising his eyebrows, Donnie blinks several times. “Andy mentioned that starts to get into a rather dangerous area.”
“The fairgrounds have turned into a level twenty-five dungeon called The Grand Carnivale. The industrial park is level thirty on average, and we’re all much too low level to go in there.” I take one of the hand axes off my belt and look at it. “Not only are we not tough enough, our gear is too low Tier as well. Just not enough money to go around.”
“Ain’t that the truth?” Donnie looks around his workshop. “For 8,000 Credits, this is all I have. Barely enough to make the most basic Tier X machinery. It’s going to take me many tens of thousands more to get to where I want.”
“I feel ya. Even the basic-ass Settlement improvements are so damn expensive.” I finish my beer and decline another. “But that’s the way of things.”
Nodding his head in understanding, Donnie takes my empty bottle and places it in a wooden crate. “Brian was talking to me about making a trip out to Harmony soon?”
“Yep. We’re hoping it’ll have some survivors we can bring back, plus there’s got to be some good loot at those antique mall places.”
“Smart. Good luck.”
Donnie goes back to work and I make my way to Chugg. Good ‘ole Chugg. The wisp of a man, with his straw hat and tanned, leathery skin, sits on a wooden box behind his counter. His Shop is located across from Curtis, about halfway to Donnie. It’s a mystery as to if Chugg is a person, alien, or some kind of System NPC, but we know he eats, drinks, and sleeps. His hammock, struck between two sturdy shelves, is where he spends his evenings. Otherwise, the man sits and whittles a seemingly endless hunk of wood.
“Afternoon there. What can I do ya for?”
“Howdy, Chugg.” The man tips his hat to me. “Everything going well?”
“Of course! That scrap y'all keep bringin’ me is a nice profit.”
I smile. “It’s brought in some nice funds for the Settlement.”
Selling massive amounts of scrap metal to Chugg is an interesting process. Since his Shop is some kind of dimensional space, any large items we sell vanish before our eyes. Granted, we have to bring it into a specially marked area, but the process is simple. Drop it off, Chugg somehow knows its weight and value, and voilà, he makes the transaction and the items vanish. This also works for bulk quantities of items, not just large ones.
“Absolutely. Ya know, y’all are doin’ pretty well, considerin’.”
I frown. “Considering?”
“Yep, considerin’.”
Waiting to see if Chugg will elaborate, I’m met by more whittling. I shake my head and let out a heavy breath.
“Anyway. I need to purchase a Talent. Any recommendations?”
Chugg perks up. “Hmm, yer goin’ for a tank build?”
I nod.
“Always good to be able to deal more damage, especially if yer takin’ just as much.”
“Valid point.”
“You like usin’ them double axes?”
I take them out of their frogs. “I do. Very useful for blocking and attacking.”
“Probably could do with a dual wieldin’ Talent, or maybe an axe specialization.”
Chugg sends descriptions of each Talent to me.
Dual Wield (Basic Talent)
Prerequisites - None
Effect - Reduces the penalty from dual wielding weapons. Note: does not need to be two of the same weapon.
Weapon Specialization - Axe (Basic Talent)
Prerequisites - None
Effect - Adds 5% bonus damage when using axe weapons.
Both are good. Damn.
“Chugg, what other Talents can I take to better modify either one of those two?”
“Well…” The merchant strokes the white stubble on his chin. “Instead of Weapons Specialization, you could take Weapon Focus. Similar, but instead of more damage, it gives ya a bonus to hit. With all three you’d be sittin’ pretty, but then again, you’ll pigeon hole yerself into using axes.”
I look at my axes again. Swords were never really my thing, and using a single, larger axe is slower than two. Bows are ok, though useless in melee. And boy do I like melee.
“I’ll take the specialization first.” I now do 5% increased damage! “You know what? Might as well get some better weapons while I’m at it.”
Looking through what’s available, I notice some of the weapons have Earth specific naming schemes: parashu, ono, dane.
“Chugg, how do you have weapons specific to this planet?”
“You don’t think I’d show up without bringin’ stuff I think you’d buy, would ya?”
I blink at that statement. “Well, no, but where are these coming from? Is it just a name, or are these items actually from their respective countries?”
“I got distributors, like any good Shop owner. They get ‘em wholesale and I sell ‘em to ya.”
Realizing I’m probably not going to get the answer I want, I continue to browse through the selection. A floating 3D model of each weapon is nice. Aesthetics are important, after all. I almost buy a pair of finely adorned Viking hand axes, but knowing I’ll just out level them before too long makes me reconsider. I opt for a rather plain pair.
Hand Axe (Tier IX)
Damage (Slashing) - 15
Damage (Blunt) - 5
These are three more damage than my last ones. Not great, but more is better.
Before I go, I browse through some of the Settlement improvements. The ramparts are still too expensive, and any of the military buildings seem rather useless. Why do we need an archery range when we can just fire arrows at some bales of hay?
With a measly 12,356 Credits in Carcosa’s wallet, I bid Chugg farewell and head to the ranch house. Six people perk up as I approach, obviously wanting to speak to me.
Being the leader is fun.