Long Ago

“We finally did it, Diana! It’s real!” Osrip’s grin lit his face as the enthusiastic CEO spread his arms wide. The man’s previous garments - a spotless black tailored suit - had been replaced with a silk and woolen white costume decorated with ornate silver curls and buttons. “Would you look at the place! Isn’t it just magnificent? Jan, make sure to tell Paul that the graphics team deserves that raise after all” Osrip said, turning to face his assistant who nodded as she pulled up her menu and began jotting down notes. In this world he bore a bright, fierce grin across his pale face, long blonde curled hair waving in the breeze. Their new game world had granted their eager leader’s avatar a broad chest and muscular arms complementing the profile for his chosen Class of Paladin. His team of high-ranking company members were each adorned in their own new attire and chosen Class specifications as they stood within the Tutorial Area, a large circle of crushed gravel at the hill’s peak. The team could see down a long and winding path that led to a glistening city of bright white stone at the end. Their guide to this world stood at the path’s head with a patient smile as he watched the newly-landed Players stumble through their first steps.

The team of twelve had just entered their game world, Riviana. Leading the way was their CEO, Osrip the gaming enthusiast and his personal assistant Jan Pouliy, along with the lead technical supervisor and a select group of hand-picked favorite staff. The wealthy and eccentric tech giant had led his group of favorites into his new game world mere hours ahead of the public launch. The heads of each major department within his personal game development company Jargen Co. were well represented, even the customer service representative was accounted for. Each had chosen a class and new avatar name in the realm Riviana bound to their new Time Retention Technology, enabling each Player to spend more time in-game easier than ever. The teams had worked long nights and even on holidays to get their quantum computer server to run the latest version of the game.

Stepping up to the Tutorial Instructor, Osrip took charge. The overdressed CEO met a calm smile with his scornful sneer as he regarded the Tutorial Instructor as a comparatively disheveled caretaker. The guide in question stood dressed in simple wool clothing and leather vest, with his shoulders wrapped in a fur cloak that dropped down to his feet. “Okay mister furs man, tell me how we start,'' he declared brusquely. “We’ve much to do, and can’t spend our valuable time wasting about here. Chop chop!”

The instructor’s heavily bearded face fell into a bored stare under a bristly brow as the pompous brat made himself known. “I’ll help you alright, so watch your tone. Welcome to the Tutorial Area, sometimes called the Welcoming Circle. Most folks call me Guide.” The shaggy man waved his arms around to gesture at the verdant hills and shining city. “Welcome to our world, travelers. Here at level one, you need instruction in the seven Basic Skills to survive here, and the grand city you see before you contains the secrets to your success.” Warming to his explanation, the guide gestured towards his home with a smile, and began to beckon the new residents down the hill.

“He calls that grand? I’ve seen bigger towns” muttered the tech department lead under his breath, “do we really have to bring civilization here?” The various Classes among the members of their group clustered together and left him behind as the previously Head Programmer turned Monk squinted at the bright stone and metal civilization. He waved his hand in a simple pattern and opened his character menu, before swiping through its options and following the group. His long hours spent pouring over the game’s code and server traffic had left the department head quite familiar with the game world’s scripts and led him to understand before taking a dozen steps that something had gone wrong.

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They had arrived in a large dirt circle surrounded by standing stones atop a small hillock, with a dirt pathway leading down towards civilization and climbed back up a switchback in the city proper. The lands surrounding their vantage point were rolling verdant hills decorated with groves of trees and wild animals scattered around the grasses. A tall, gleaming monument to human progress capped the hill before them, with tall white marble walls and silver inlay at every window. The city walls stood over a dozen stories high surrounding the organized chaos of the Tutorial City, where seven plazas in various colors decorated the switchback road at each turn. The purpose of the grand stony construct was made obvious by the clearings among the rooftops where the Skills in question would be imparted. The city proper rose on each side of the road in graceful arches and shining towers, each home with a bright roof colored in theme to their plaza along the patterned colors of a rainbow. At each tower colorful banners hung in the patterns of the skills to be learned in their plazas, showing blades and arrows alongside crops and coins. The result left a shimmering white city with a gradual rainbow of colored roofs leading up the hill to its peak, where a grand castle stood. Even from outside the city walls, the group could see the massive silver crown worked into the gatehouse, seeming to declare the castle itself the king of the city.

“I’ve decided Jan,” announced Osrip as they walked. “I want a castle like that someday. Gold would be a bit much, but silver looks fine indeed.” He gestured to the walls and dirt path before them, “One could do with paving around here though. They have heard of roads, yes?” His snarky comment was met with chuckles and shows of loyalty from his team, each eager to show their support for the affluent CEO.

Behind the group, the programmer was flipping through his menu and frowning, following a few steps behind the blue-robed generic Mages. He waved and prodded at the floating holographic display before him, flapping the wide sleeves of his Monk outfit as he moved screens around and pushed at holographic buttons. As the small crowd ambled down the path, he slowed to a near stop as more and more small windows flickered into life showing line after line of text. He looked up at the city with wide eyes, before dismissing the displays with a deep breath and running to catch up to the group.

The Guide stepped in front, holding up a hand to tell them to slow down. “Our great Tutorial City was founded in the year 894, and has been-”

“Oh yes, we get it” Osrip rudely interrupted. “We wrote your damn history, don’t try to tell us about it.” He brusquely pushed past the man, intent on climbing the road to the city before him. From behind, the trailing technician pushed forward and stepped into view.

“Sir? I don’t mean to interrupt,” began the tech. “But you see -”

“If you don’t mean to interrupt, Bartholomew Lindstworr, then don’t. I swear -”

“Sir! This is important!” He took a deep breath, “I can’t log out.”