It still hadn't been a dream.
Waking up a bit after dawn, hair strewn across the bed and dangling off the side. Had hit level 1 last night right before leaving the clothing store and should be level 2 in a bit more than two hours. Gained a point of wisdom, nothing else, but the first rank of Runemancy had taken effect.
The extra point of wisdom had increased each tick to one fifty eight. Going to hold off on assigning any points until level 2 to see how far Runemancy can be scouted ahead. Well, maybe grab the second rank now to confirm if it can used or not. Okay, done. Don't feel any different, can only wait and see what happens on the tick.
Putting my new socks back on and heading to the bathroom to do my business Can't believe how good it feels to have new underwear and socks. Looking forward to those shoes most of all, feet were completely abused yesterday.
Washing my face. Hair's a bit tangled, going to be a constant battle, but it does look good. Glad that woman here talked me into not cutting it off, but need her brush again. She's probably awake, getting breakfast ready. Going to have to cause her trouble. No choice. It's the only way anything ever gets done.
The two women busy bustling about in the kitchen, one shaping dough into long baguettes and the other chopping vegetables, a large bowl next to her filled with beaten eggs.
At my entrance the one kneading dough giving me a smile. “Glad to see you made it back, I was worried about you yesterday.” Huh, not anticipating that. No fear and uncertainty. They're over it already? Shame. “Could you be a dear,” she says, “and help us start setting up for breakfast?”
Refusal and a flippant remark on the tip of my tongue, but then deflating. No one likes an ingrate. Have time to burn, anyway.
“Sure, what do you need?”
“There's quite a number of you still in the dorm. I need you to put plates and silverware out in the dining area.”
“These ones over here?”
“Yes,” the woman confirming, “and the utensils are over there.”
Trotting back and forth, setting everything up to mirror yesterday. First plates, then the trays for the silverware, and then filling those up. The smell of baking bread and something else filling the kitchen.
“Can you help with these pitchers now,” she says, “oh, and cups, too. And then after that some trays.”
Really making me earn it today. Oh well.
Cups out, pitchers of sweet tea on the table, and now trays of cold cuts and sliced cheeses. Some of the early birds in the dorm showing up in the dining area and milling around. A few giving me curious looks, but most chatting with each other or still blinking sleep out of their eyes.
“Hey, after this I need to borrow your brush again. Also, is that coffee in there?”
“Yes,” the woman beaming at me, “I'll get it for you in a bit. You've been such a big help today, thank you.”
Final items, first batch of bread, fresh from the oven, and trays of vegetable quiche. Getting a plate, breaking off a piece of bread, adding cold cuts, cheese and the quiche. Picking a spot right across the way from the food, and then heading back to the kitchen to get coffee. Still bitter - keep drinking, it's the good kind of bitter. Medicine. And a glass of sweet tea.
The other newbies in the room also getting food, and more trickling in. The woman coming over with the brush and starting on my hair. Two girls with plates looking at me and, after discussing something, both coming over and sitting on the other side of the table.
“Um, excuse me,” the brunette says, “I'm sorry to bother you, but were you in the town square yesterday?”
“Yeah, a couple times. Why?”
“Were you the one putting on that show? With the knives.”
One day in and tales of my exploits already spreading. It's a curse.
“Yeah, that was me.”
“You were really great,” says the blonde, then not sure how to continue for a moment. “Listen, we've all been here for more than a week now.”
“It's not really anything like what we were expecting,” adding the brunette.
“No, it's not,” says the blonde. “Not at all. I mean, it's amazing, but we weren't expecting it.”
“Yeah it's something, isn't it?” Taking a sip of coffee and considering them over the rim. If you're going to ask me a question, either get to it already or let me enjoy my breakfast in peace.
“So I was wondering,” she says, “if you had any advice.”
“You came over asking me for advice because I know how to juggle?”
“I saw you here yesterday,” raising her voice, “death warmed over, not even warmed over, and wearing rags. Now you're wearing new clothes. Don't even try and say you found that in the bin. And you've got them doting on you.” Gesturing at the woman brushing my hair. “You obviously figured something out, and you're probably going to be out of here today. So, while you're still here, I wanted to ask. That's all.”
Her little speech had gathered some attention from some of the surrounding newbies.
“You want to know. You've been here ten days, what level are you?”
“Zero,” says one. “Zero,” says the other, after a slight hesitation.
Zero. How is that even possible? Wandering around should get them to about two, well, unless they don't know where exactly they need to wander to. The guild found me like three days in. Didn't know where anything was or what the hell to do, but still hit level 4 by the second cycle. Oh, right, no guilds anymore. Their screw up managed to create all these unforeseen ripples, didn't it? At least Avery seemed to get it, and Paula said she was going to talk to Harold about it. She has to have meant Shaker. They're going to have to do something - can't leave these newbies twisting in the wind - it'll end up a complete catastrophe if they don't. But maybe that was actually by design, not only kicking us down, but also pulling up the ladders.
The two girls looking at me with concern. My teeth had been grinding.
“Stupid, greedy people did a stupid, short sighted thing and we have to pay the price.” Standing up and then standing on the bench. Addressing the whole room: “If anyone wants to know what to do to get on your way, I'm holding a two minute lecture right now. Take it or leave it. It's free.” Pacing back and forth on the bench. Level zero, two full cycles in. Disgusting.
“First, visit these places,” rattling them off, “colosseum, town square, town hall, bank, park, castle, temple, pawnshop, herbalist. You need to actually touch the buildings or get very close for it to count. You'll see what I mean when you do it. Next, deliver packages for the town hall. You can do that until 4. The experience isn't great but the money isn't terrible.” Unless it gets confiscated due to a debt.
“Then you have to start fighting. You're probably all still here because that's what's holding you back, but that's how it is.” Around twenty percent of the people who come here never hit level 5, so slice off that section of room right there, those people are never even going to leave the town gates.
“What do you fight? Easiest choices at that range are Tree Sprites out by the gates, or Lesser Crabs on the beach to the north. Or Giant Rats underground, but that's not for the faint of heart.” Dark and wet and it stinks, and sometimes worse things from the lower floors wander up. Usually safe on the first level but it's still prudent to keep an eye out.
“Those can all get you to 10 or 11, but they're pathetically easy. Once you have even half a clue you should be fighting something else, and by the time you do get up to 10 you'll need to go further afield. By then you should have enough real experience to know what you're doing and you'll be able to pull in more than enough money to live comfortably.”
Forty percent get past 5 but never make it past 10, so take that earlier section and double it. That would be those tables there, and there. Those people will never venture further out than the very nearby areas. The final forty percent tended to languish somewhere in the mid teens, which would be there, and there, the remainder of the tables in the room. They'd venture further out, they'd spread their wing a bit more, and then they'd get comfortable and decide that what they're doing is good enough. Maybe around five percent ever hit 25, but looking at this room, where would those five percent even be? The whole room's already been blocked out, their fates already assigned. Tapping my foot and then looking down at the two girls who'd come seeking my advice.
Maybe that'll end up being them, but probably not. Early monsters are easy and forgiving, the later ones deadly; they can literally tear people apart or eat them in a few bites. Suffering a horrible death and waking up at the temple tends to put a damper on all but the most adventurous, or crazy. Why deliberately seek out pain when the alternative is living comfortably? Why indeed.
The response from the room less than enthusiastic, and the looks directed my way somewhere between curious and uncomprehending. The newbies returning to their conversations and breakfast. Hopping off the bench and sitting down again. That was good, time tested advice. Guess they think it's worth what they paid for it.
“I don't know about all the rest,” says the brunette, carefully, “but you said we can get money by delivering packages for the town hall. Where is that?”
Hopeless and helpless, all of them. The two regarding me again with concern.
“It's a medium sized, brick building on the southeast side of the town square. What are your classes?”
“Empath,” says the brunette. “Cleric,” says the blonde.
Empath. Easy street. And Cleric. Not as effortlessly in demand, but Lane had certainly done well enough for himself. Probably watched a number of their friends move on already or, given the reaction of the rest of the room, they were getting annoyed they weren't. They can probably feel it, only one cycle left and time running out. Want to get out of here before they get put on their shift. And they may not necessarily be hopeless, they did take the initiative to approach me.
“You don't know a tenth, a hundredth, of what you're capable of. You said this place wasn't what you expected? Embrace the opportunity. You're going to be here for the rest of your lives.” Looking a little uncomfortable at that. “So, like I said, go to those places I mentioned and deliver packages for the town hall. What are you planning on using the money for?”
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“The gala is in four days,” says the blonde, “we need to get something to wear.”
“Not even the gala,” says the brunette, “sick of wearing a potato sack from the homeless bin.”
For some irrelevant party? Of course, they've been here no time at all, different priorities. Still, after yesterday, can understand the feeling. Wearing hand-me-downs that don't fit is miserable.
“Okay, but make sure to put your orders in for shoes soon, they're really backed up. Other than that, are you good? I have to get going.”
“Wait,” says the brunette, “you're going to be back here tonight, right? I'm Kate, and this is Evie.”
“Nice to meet you, I'm Lucy Macarthy.” No reaction. Good. “Yeah, I'll be back tonight.”
“Where you heading off to now?” says Evie.
“I'm going underground to hunt rats. Wish me luck.”
***
The pants, dark grey and slim, made of material that feels a little slick, with an adjustable strap at the ankle to prevent water from going up. The shirt, lighter grey, a button down with long sleeves. The measurements from last night had been mostly correct, but there had been a few adjustments. Gained a touch more meat on my bones. Yesterday had been sloppy and loose. Today, tight and focused and together. Unfortunately, a cloak had been out of reach, for now, but the woman at the store had thrown in a pair of gloves and a simple belt with the rest of the outfit. Fifty silver, all told, and absolutely worth it.
Walking out of the clothing store and the tick hitting. Eight o'clock. There, Runic Shield, can see it. A pentagon inside a circle inside a pentagon, inner point down, outer point up, with lines connecting the points of the two pentagons. Or wait, a sphere inside a dodecahedron. Back to two dimensions, now three. What does it even mean? Maybe trace the shape in the air. Nothing. Maybe try again? No. Feeling like an idiot waving my arms around. Going to have to head over to Matheson's master to get anywhere. Time to see what's further ahead in Runemancy.
Third rank.
Rune of Accuracy: Enhances a weapon, increasing AS by up to 20. Duration is 20 minutes per Runemancy rank.
Enhancement magic. Really? Been gypped. Technically a spellcaster but this is not, not at all, what was in mind. Seems like it'd be useful, certainly, but not terribly exciting. Not throwing fire.
Fourth rank.
Rune of Deflection: Enhances armor, increasing DS to melee, bolt and ranged attacks by up to 20. Duration is 20 minutes per Runemancy rank.
Counterpart to the last one. Totally expected. Next one is going to be Rune of Snoozing.
Fifth rank.
Disjunction: Breaks down organic matter, crystallizing the energy. At 5 ranks of Arcane Lore, Decomposition, Disjunction may be used offensively as a warding spell. Effectiveness is further increased with more ranks in Arcane Lore, Decomposition.
Never been so happy to be wrong. Don't pigeonhole the class because of a couple of seemingly boring, but useful, spells. Hopefully similar to what Owens used on that worm. If so, fantastic. Crystallizing the energy, though? Guess wait and see.
Going to still be using weapons for the moment, so stick with the current build. Managed to accrue a couple extra points so add in Arcane Lore, Decomposition in addition to Shaping. Oh dang, they're additive with each other, along with Arcane Lore, Transference. Two trainings available per level, but the second rank each level costs double. Just barely enough for it. Hold off for the moment then, stick with just three in Shaping for now and reassess at 5. And then a bunch of stats increased at level 2.
Name: Lucilia Macarthy Profession: Runemage Level: 2 Sex: Female Experience: 4,244 (1,456) Age: 20 Until Next: 2,056 Health 29 Mana 24 Stamina 18 Spirit 8 Strength (STR) 53 (1) Constitution (CON) 60 (5) Dexterity (DEX) 65 (12) Agility (AGI) 85 (17) Discipline (DIS) 73 (11) Aura (AUR) 77 (13) Logic (LOG) 68 (14) Intuition (INT) 71 (15) Wisdom (WIS) 41 (-5) Influence (INF) 73 (11)
Name Trainings Bonus Armor Use 3 15 Physical Fitness 3 15 Simple Weapons 3 15 Arcane Symbols 8 37 Magic Item Use 3 15 Harness Power 3 15 Mana Control 3 15 Runemancy 3 15 Arcane Lore, Shaping 3 15 Perception 3 15 Climbing 3 15 Swimming 3 15 First Aid 3 15 Trading 3 15 Stalking and Hiding 3 15
Bit early for the shoes, take a detour and stop at the general store. Several torches, two little boxes of matches, a canteen, bandanna, pouch, several of those pressed leaves, oof, not cheap, maybe only a couple - probably cheaper at the herbalist, but that's out of the way. Now to the weapon shop for a backup dagger and a torso sheath for this one. Great, almost broke again, less than five silver. But, cloak aside, mostly equipped. And no armor either. Hmm.
Quarter till, the shoes should hopefully be ready. Yes, there they are. Dark brown and up to mid calf with no gaps in the leather. Decent treads. Buckling the straps to tighten them down, taking a few practice steps and, what a joy, wonderfully comfortable. New shoes make all the difference.
Now what'd Matheson say about her master? Older man, salt-n-pepper hair, short beard, thin, at least half a foot taller than me, no surprise, and hanging out at the city library. He likes pastries and tea. Open with a bribe and, if that doesn't work, beg and, if that doesn't work, abandon all pride and start blubbering. One of those is bound to work.
Cafe here. A couple muffins, blueberry and banana, tea goes in the canteen. Mugs. Pointing. What can you tell me about this thing here in the case? No, this one down here. Oh, that sounds good, but maybe another time. Just the tea and muffins, thanks. Okay, got mugs, Five would be proud.
There's the library, single story, flat roof, made of an off white stone. Seems vaguely familiar, but this isn't exactly the section of town with anything worth stealing. Out of the way, nice and peaceful, southwest part of the merchant district near the outer wall. Otherwise not much else around here at all, an abandoned warehouse over there by a vacant lot. And, as far as people, a couple of them here and there, and a group of Solstice probably heading out to the gate a bit back, but nobody else.
Opening the door and a hush descending. A woman sitting at a counter, reading a book. At my approach, looking up and then narrowing her eyes, not just in distrust, but in real, palpable anger. Angry at me? Join the club. Too close now, not going to put up with it.
“Excuse me, ma'am, I'm looking for someone.” Not answering. “He's an older gentleman, about this tall, beard. Works here.” Still staring, with a pronounced scowl. “I get the feeling you know who I'm talking about. Where is he?”
Putting the book down and steepling her hands on the counter. “He's here,” she says. “Go ahead and look around, I'm sure you'll find him without my help.” Picking up the book again and continuing to read, ignoring me completely.
Walking into the reading area. Deserted. Wandering through the stacks. Up and down, up and down. There, on the other side, a man pushing a cart. Walking over, him seeing me out of the corner of his eye and turning. Definitely him. Mixture of emotion on his face, surprise giving way to anger and sadness. Looking me up and down.
“I suppose it's not every day,” he says, “that I'm given the honor of a visit from someone so illustrious. Maybe today will end better than the last time. What can I help you with, Black Hand?”