When Falco and I stepped out of the tavern the sun had mostly set, and its dying rays lit the underside of the sparse cloud cover. I didn’t pay much attention to the actual village, lost in my appreciation of the quality of the experience, and my own thoughts surrounding the situation I was in.
“Archon!” With a start, I realized that Falco had been calling my name for at least a minute as we walked. He was glaring at me as we trudged along. Or rather, I trudged along, while Falco was speed walking to keep up.
“Did you drag me away from commiseration with my men so we could walk? Sorry to disappoint you, but my tastes run shorter and curvier.”
“No, no, it's not like that!” I could feel my face flush. “I just. I have some things to think through, and I think you might have some valuable input. Plus, some of my decisions in the near future will directly influence what happens here.”
“Decisions like what? What to do with the flesh and hide you got from the Monarch? Whether to take Maeve’s offer? Nothing you have to decide has anything to do with me. We will be gone from this place by tomorrow night. Do what you will.” Falco turned to walk away and my temper got the better of me. I spun him around by his shoulder.
“I might be new here, but I know some things. The first of which is, you need to shut up and listen.”
“Don’t you talk to me like that! You don’t know anyth-ugk!”
Unwilling to try and reason with this asshole, I pulled the Idol from my Inventory and dropped it on him. Looking at it in person, it was roughly two feet tall, and about two and a half feet long. It looked like carved jade and was so detailed I could make out individual scales. It was only slightly smaller than Falco himself and significantly heavier. He dropped under the weight and struggled for just a moment before heaving it off of himself. He stared at it for a moment, and then looked at me, then back at the Idol, then back at me.
“Okay, Archon, I’m listening. Talk fast, before I steal this treasure from you and bring it to Maeve myself.”
“Okay, first off, that is a way aggressive tone. I’m looking to help you here. But I also don’t want to give that bitch Maeve anything I don’t have to. So, help me figure this out?” Falco gave a reluctant nod. “Okay, so. What exactly happens when Maeve repeals the ritual or whatever?”
“IF Maeve revokes the ritual, everything the magic provided will be taken away. The walls, the buildings, the well, the plowed fields. WE lose everything that we’ve built.”
“Okay, but what about the things you’ve actually built? Have any crops come in? If so, do those disappear to? What about your personal items, you keep those right?”
“Yes, we have had some crops come in, and they will most likely remain. The gods do not punish failure. Our personal things will remain also. What are you tinkering with?”
“Okay, so here’s my idea. We let Maeve revoke the ritual. After she has broken her side of the deal, all of the merchants and whatnot are freed from their obligations, right? She would no longer have a hold on them because the village she funded doesn’t exist anymore.”
“Yes, as will any home that they had.”
“Okay, but you still have all of your things. You obviously had gear that you used on the way out here, bedrolls, tents, whatever?”
“Yes, but- what, you are asking us to remain out here, camping? With no walls or other protection?”
“Temporarily. Please, let me explain. Your men say there are no other settlements out here right?” Another nod. “Well, I was given information when I arrived in this world. There is someone nearby who can teach me what I need to know to gain a class. So there is another group of people out there somewhere. I suggest you gather your men, and we go there, ask about materials or assistance in re-founding the settlement.”
“And if this hypothetical settlement does not exist? If we find some hermit in the woods that teaches you the mystical art of water finding or something equally useless? My people will be stranded out here with nothing.”
“Isn’t that better than just giving up? I’m sure you and your people did not come all the way out here for the fun of it. I am offering you the chance at an alternative.”
That gave Falco some pause. He turned away from me and the Idol and stared out at the village around us. I took the opportunity to put the Idol back in my inventory and looked out at the village with him. The area surrounding the village was a relatively flat plain, but the village was situated on a slight rise. Standing here, we could look down at the entire village and the plains outside the walls. There were about two dozen buildings, a few of them purely residential. There was one particularly large house which I could only guess was Maeves. Most of the other buildings were dual-purpose, small shops or businesses with apartments above. There was a central well, and everything else was arranged in two rings around that point. After another moment, Falco spoke.
“Ten thousand.”
“I’m sorry?”
“Ten thousand gold. That is the amount that Maeve supplied for the founding of the village. That, or half the value in raw materials, is what is needed to enact the ritual. That is what we will have to find in this mystery village of yours. I don’t see any group willingly giving that much to strangers who are setting up nearby. I know I wouldn’t. Do you really think you can convince them?”
“I don’t know. All I do know is that I have a very high luck stat, and the first thing to happen to me in this world is finding that Idol. I think that the gods sent me here for a reason, and I don’t think it was to give Maeve everything she wants. So give me a chance. Give all of this-” I gestured at the village, “a chance. Worst case, you’re a day or two behind Maeve’s people getting back to more civilized lands.”
“I will give you three days, Archon. After that, no matter what, my people and I will be heading back to the capitol, to face whatever repercussions there may be.”
“Thank you, Falco. I promise you this; I will do everything I can to ensure the success of this village.”
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
“We shall see, Outworlder. We shall see.”
You have learned the skill ‘Negotiation’.
You have convinced Falco deNiarthu to agree to your plan. This conditionally raises your reputation with the people of Kazmirath from ‘Neutral” to ‘Friendly’. Failure to follow through on your plan will decrease your reputation from “Friendly” to “Wary”.
For completing a negotiation and coming out on top, you are awarded 100 experience points, or ‘xp’.
So, I had three days to get to this mystery settlement, obtain materials for a village, and return.
“And will you and your men accompany me?”
“Myself, and two others. The others will stay here and assist the citizens in surviving until we return. I cannot speak for any of the others, but my men will remain. I only hope this village of yours can help us.”
“Alright, sounds like a solid plan. So, we’ll head out tomorrow?”
“Indeed. For now, we return to the inn and rest. Tomorrow will be a long day.”
When we got to the inn, Falco pointed up the stairs and I got the hint. I walked up the stairs-ducking my head because of the low ceilings-and I found a few doors leading off of a hallway. Only one was open, and since nobody had asked me for money, or given me any instructions, I assumed the room was available for me. I walked in and closed the door behind me.
The room was small and simple, with a bed, a small dresser, and a bedside table with a lamp on it. By lamp, I mean a small oil lamp with a wick and everything. The lamp was lit, and there was a small amount of oil left in it. I sat on the bed, and my armor made a clanking sound. Right. I should probably take that off.
I unequipped my armor, my sword, and the orb that I hadn’t even thought to use since the fight with the Monarch. It all fit back into my inventory, though it was a tight fit with the Idol in there as well. Then I lay back on the bed, only just realizing how tired I was. I opened my menu to check one last time on the logout option. It was still greyed out.
I should probably worry about that more.
That was my last thought before I drifted off into sleep.
***
I was kicked awake the next morning by one of Falco's men. One of the ones who had dug into me yesterday. When he saw I was awake, he nodded at me and then towards the door.
“Boss says we’re heading out. Looks like you’re the guide, so pitter-patter.”
I blearily nodded and sat up. My stomach also made a rumble and I realized I was hungry. In a video game. They may have taken this whole immersion thing a little too far. The as-yet-unidentified gnome chuckled as he headed out.
As my head cleared I looked out the window. The sky was just barely starting to lighten. It must have been five am at the latest. These gnomes weren’t slacking, that’s for sure.
I equipped all my gear again and headed down to the common room. As I entered, the smell of cooking assaulted me, and my stomach made an even louder grumble. So loud that it seemed to attract some attention, and the other of the two hard cases decided to speak up.
“That your stomach there or you part bear?” his comment earned him a smack from Falco, and a subtle knuckle bump from the other.
“Archon, glad you could join us. In all the excitement yesterday, you didn’t get properly introduced to these buffoons. This here is Waylin,” he indicated the one who had woken me up. He had short brown hair, and his eyes were a sharp blue. “And this one is Darrit.” This was the one who made the comment, he had slightly longer and darker hair that was halfway between curly and wavy. His eyes were brown. “They’ll be accompanying us on this fool's errand.”
“Nice to meet you both.”
“Now then, let's get you fed and see about planning this expedition of yours.”
A gnomish woman came out of a swinging door that I assumed hid the kitchen. I felt confident in that assumption because she was carrying a large wooden platter loaded with what I would call cinnamon rolls. They were large buns with some kind of glaze on them, and nubs of some darker substance dotted throughout them. Oh, and they smelled like Thanksgiving dinner.
“You’re in luck, Falco,” said the girl, “Coco mixed up some gracco this morning.”
“Ah, lucky indeed! This is a real treat Archon, you should be grateful.”
The girl laid the platter on the table, and each of the gnomes snatched a bun-apparently they were called gracco-and started cramming them into their faces. I reached out tentatively and took one in one hand, while touching my Seer’s Orb with the other, so I could scan it.
Gracco
Item Type: Food
Quality: Good
Gracco is a hearty gnomish roll created from hard-tack flour and various bits of vegetables and meats. Gracco is typically served for the morning meal and covered with a sourberry glaze.
Effects: +25% health regen, +25% stamina regen
Duration: 4 hours
Decent bonuses and it did smell pretty good. I hesitantly bit into the bun, and I let out a moan as flavor flooded into my mouth. It tasted like pancakes and turkey, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce, all mixed together with a little bit of God's tears. Maybe that’s a bit of an overreaction, but it was the first thing I had eaten in maybe 20 hours. I was hungry, and it was just shy of divine in my mind.
As I was licking the last of the glaze from my fingers, Falco and his men were also clearing their plates. As they finished up their breakfasts, they all turned to me expectantly.
“Umm, what?”
“We are waiting for you to share with us exactly what it is we are doing, and where we are going.” All three of them continued to stare at me.
“Um. Well. Give me a moment to think about it.”
“Think about it. What have you been doing this whole time?” Waylin was immediately agitated.
“Sleeping? And then eating? I just woke up, give me five minutes to process!”
Falco put a hand on Waylin’s shoulder as he began to stand up angrily.
“Please understand, Archon,” he said in a calming voice, “we have a very small window in which to operate. Without a clear plan of attack, we are simply fumbling around in the dark. You are the only hope we have. Please, tell me you have some sense of what we need to do. At least a direction we can go? You said last night you were given some kind of information. What can you tell us?”
He was right, besides, I had talked him into this plan. I needed to step up.
“I understand. Please, just give me a few moments to think.”
Falco nodded, and I pulled up my interface. I selected the map, and on it was the blinking arrow that represented me, the path I had walked from my spawn point to settlement, and the small glowing dot that was what I assumed to be my class trainer. What surprised me was that the entire town of Kazmirath was also represented. I know I didn’t explore the whole settlement, so it must have been a mechanic that made it show up on the map. Probably because I was considered ‘Friendly’. I considered the distance I had walked yesterday, the size of the settlement, and the distance between here and the dot.
“I think....it should take us most of a day to get to where we’re going. I don’t know how long it will take once we’re there, and I can’t promise we will get what we need. But it’s a chance.”
“That’s all we ask.”
“Okay, it looks like we need to go....that way.” I oriented myself on the map and pointed in the direction of the dot. Falco’s face immediately changed.
“I see.”
“What’s wrong with that way?”
“That way’, lies the foothills of the Twins Mountain range. Many powerful beasts live in the foothills, and even more, live on the mountain range’s cliffs and slopes. A day's travel will lead us deep into very dangerous territory.”
“I didn’t know that. But if there is a settlement there, they have to be strong enough to survive, right? And if there really are powerful beasts. Maybe there’s something else that could give us a foci for the ritual?” As I said this, my eyes shot from Falco to Waylin and Derrit.
“No worries Archon, I’ve told them everything and sworn them to secrecy. But what you say has merit. We never ventured far enough into the area, because the things were too strong for us to hunt reliably. But if there are people there, they will be formidable indeed. Although I am worried about venturing into such dangerous territory, this actually gives me more hope of our success, not less.”
With that, we stood up and headed outside and toward the gates of the settlement.