I will be sure to let you know when it is ‘game over’. I will be the last thing you hear.
Well, that’s comforting I guess, with you having grandad’s voice and that, but… What happens then?
You will no longer exist anywhere.
I’d best make sure I buy the right gear then. Hey, where’s my glasses?
You have no need for glasses here. Valda does not need them. You are now Valda.
Well that’s… An unexpected bonus and…wow! Look at these boots! And they fit! And what’s this? A leather tunic? I like it. The leggings are a bit daring but… Ellie chadders couldn’t have pulled this outfit off, but Valda certainly can. Is this how people here see me?
Yes. They are not people they are characters. Not all of them are human. Some are part human. From this point onwards you must be as one with Valda, not Ellie Chadders.
This might be fun. Can I fight, and everything?
It will not be fun. It will be difficult. Yes, you can fight but you will need to improve your skills to improve your scores. You will not win every fight. There will be those who are stronger than you. Pick your fights wisely. Think on your feet. Use your kit and spells when you need to and above all, try to survive. If you endure a lot of hits/damage, you will die.
How many points do I start out with?
50 damage points. You will lose points with every hit you sustain. Do not get hit.
Has anyone ever told you that you like to state the obvious?
I only state facts.
So I, Valda, have to go and buy stuff from the market?
Correct.
I’m gonna need weapons. Lots of weapons and…
You will need to carry your weapons. It will hinder your strength levels if you choose heavy weaponry. You only have two hands so also consider that carefully. You already have an axe and a shield.
This is getting complicated, and I’ve never been good at maths.
Just start. The rest will follow - till it ends. I cannot help you much. Do not ask me to intervene. I cannot. You have your skills, equipment and intelligence. If you choose badly that is your fault. If you fail, no one else can be blamed especially not me.
Great. I get it. I’m on my own. Luckily, I like my own company. Anyway, let’s get started. The quicker I find the scrolls, the quicker I can leave here and find out what the hell’s going on in the real world.
The game begins…
You have 760k in your purse to spend. You have one hour to make your purchases. Consider if you want to spend all the coin here.
You see a bustling marketplace at the bottom of a steep hill. You follow a meandering sandy path down to the market taking in the vibrant colours of the merchant stall awnings, strange wares and various pungent and tantalising smells as you get closer.
There is a heady music to this busy market which makes you feel homesick. The sounds of merchants getting attention for their wares, animals calling out, horses’ hooves and dragons’ scaled tails sliding along cobbles, inhabitants bidding for a bargain, carrying precious purchases home in overladen arms …
Your senses are heightened in this world, you notice every detail. Every sound. Every colour.
This is amazing! My Grandad Potts created this? It’s unbelievable, it’s like I’m really here.
That is because you, as Valda, really are here. But the clock is ticking. There will be other opportunities for you to be a tourist. Today you must spend your Kand before it is taken from you. You have one hour. Not everyone here can be trusted. Not everyone will be friendly.
Okay! Hey! Can I eat? I feel hungry, smelling all this food.
If you do not eat, you will die.
There’re so many ways to die here. I think I’ll start with food. I can’t shop on an empty stomach. What should I have? Roast boar? A meat pie? Fish? They all smell amazing. I wonder if I’ll be able to actually taste it?
You approach a line of spit roasts. A plump wild boar is being slowly turned above a fierce flame that drips onto the fire and agitates it.
You notice one of the spits has something cooking on it which you do not recognise. A woman is collecting a dark liquid which is bubbling out of the flesh. The vial fills quickly.
“Hey! What’s that?”
“It’s roast Dragon. The finest there is,” says a weary looking woman with a gap in her front teeth.
“And it’s edible?”
“It’s a local delicacy. You must not be from round here then?”
“Erm, no. I’m just passing through. What’s that liquid? Is that not edible?”
“Oh yes! This is Dragon Elixir. Some call it ‘Dragon’s Blood’.”
“So… do you eat it or, drink it?”
“Both. It’s very versatile. You can make Dragon’s mead with it, a nourishing soup, candles that burn much brighter than the tallow ones - if you mix a few drops with the beeswax and of course, it’s also a handy cure-all.”
“Cure all?”
“Whatever ailments you have, it’ll help heal you faster. Any infection you have, it’ll clear it. I can’t believe you’ve never heard of it.”
“I don’t leave my village much. How much is a vial?”
“A freshly prepared vial is 10k.”
“That seems expensive.”
“Not for what you’re getting. It’s very concentrated. One bottle takes the place of dozens. A few drops of this goes a long way. If you’re travelling, you want to be travelling light.”
“You’re a very good saleswoman, I’ll say that. I’ll take one and I have some roast boar on bread, too.”
“Do you want dripping on your bread and bruised pear sauce adding?”
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“Why not?”
“That will be 12k.”
You pay the woman and start to walk through the market, eating the roast boar as you go. You have made your first purchases. Your wealth has decreased, but your health and strength has increased. The Dragon elixir was a wise purchase. It will reduce damage - if you need to use it.
This meat is the most tender I’ve ever tasted! It literally melts in your mouth. I thought the dripping would be fatty, but it somehow adds something… and the bruised pear sauce? It’s out of this world!
Correct.
Are you meant to have a sense of humour?
I cannot answer that.
Why don’t they have bread like this in the real world? I think I’m going to miss the food here when I leave. I might even nip back here for mealtimes.
You are getting ahead of yourself. You assume you will be able to leave - in order for you to return. Focus on the current task in hand. Remember, you are Valda here. Right now, you are standing out as a stranger, you are like a beacon. That makes you a target. Try not to show you are new to all this. You will be in peril if you stand out - even in this large crowd. Blend in. This is why most do not make it beyond the market.
Got you. Okay. Back to shopping it is, then.
You continue down the long lines of stalls selling a breath-taking array of wares. You stop at a stall selling camping equipment.
Right. I need lots of stuff - but must be able to carry it, too. Decisions, decisions…
50 minutes remaining…
“Hi, I need the basics for camping. What do you recommend? I err… was robbed last night so I need to replace what I had.”
“What did you have?”
“Stuff… Lots of stuff. But I’m in a rush and I can’t remember off the top of my head what it all was.”
“I sell starter bundles if that helps you?”
“Sounds good! What’s in them?”
“Tallow candles
Flints
Blanket
Basic fishing kit
Spoon
Knife
Wooden bowl
Length of rope
Lantern
…and a sturdy bag to carry it in.
“It’s not heavy, is it?”
“Not unless it gets wet.”
“Ah. Right. And how much is it?”
“50 Kand.”
“That’s a bit more than I was expecting to pay.”
“I’ll throw in a book. Something to read by the campfire.”
“Okay, sold.”
You hand over the coin and put the pack over your shoulder. You continue weaving through the assorted stalls.
It’s getting dark; it must be quite late here. Is there nowhere I can spend the night, so I don’t have to sleep under the stars? An actual building with a bed so I can get my bearings?
40 minutes left…
Yes, you can stay at a tavern, but they fill up quickly on market days. All travellers want a bed and a hot meal once trading ends.
I’ll go and pay for a room now then.
You go to the large tavern called The Broken Arrow, which is situated on the very edge of the market. It is already full of merchants and travellers who were all drinking and eating noisily listening to music.
You approach the tavern owner. He is drinking from a tankard of mead.
“Can I have a room for tonight? With an evening meal?”
“You can, if you can pay for it.”
“I can.”
“It’s 10 Kand for the room, 1 Kand if you want a fire lit and 2 Kand for each drink you have, and an evening meal is 4-8k. If you want breakfast that’s another 2 Kand and if you want a provisions pack to take with you when you leave in the morning, that will be another 4 Kand.”
“So that’s… at least 23 Kand?”
“Yes, if you can afford it.”
“I can.”
30 minutes remaining…
“I’ll take it. Can I pay now? I’ve got more stuff to buy yet. I’ll come back in about half an hour.”
You hand over the coin and you’re handed a heavy iron key.
“Do you want to see the menus?”
“Not yet. I’ll take a look when I get back.”
“And you need to fill in some forms.”
“Half an hour, I promise.”
You leave in a hurry. You have been noticed by those in the tavern. That is not a good thing.
Okay, what else can I buy? Bandages? Yes! We’ll have some of those.
“How much are these bandages?”
“I Kand per pack.”
“I’ll take two packs.”
You purchase two packs of bandages. These will decrease your damage levels by one point. They are a wise choice, but they are low priced item. Remember, the pickpockets have you on their watch list.
20 minutes remaining…
Boy, this is stressful! Shopping is usually, but this is like a sinister version of ‘Supermarket sweep’ – but with next level stress!
Oh! A leather cloak. That will be useful.
“How much are the leather cloaks?”
“25 Kand.”
“That’s expensive, for a cloak.”
“They’re made from butter-soft leather and stitched with care by elves so you can’t even see the stitches.”
“I’ll take one.”
You pay for the cloak and set off at pace down the remaining line of stalls. It is getting noticeably darker.
15 minutes remaining…
You stop at the last stall on the line. The sign says, ‘Potions to go - we’ve done the hard work, so you don’t have to.’
* Licenced to sell Level 1 spells and potions. No sales of higher-level spells permitted without a valid licence.
“Do you sell spells by any chance?”
“We do, dearie. What did you have in mind?”
“Tell me what you’ve got - I’m afraid I don’t have much time.”
“How about a press pause spell? It stops time for up to ten minutes, then resets it back to normal?”
“How much?”
“50 Kand.”
“I’ll take it. What else do you have?”
“Well now, let me see… we sell upskill spells, survival skills?”
“I’m good on that front, thanks.”
“Camouflage? You’ll blend in with any environment? It’s a good stealth spell. 50 Kand.”
“I’ll take it.”
“What about a lie detector spell? Find out the truth in seconds? 50 Kand.”
“I’ll take it.”
5 minutes remaining…
“I’m running out of time! What else have you got that’s useful?”
“They’re all useful. Maybe not all at the same time, but they do come in when you need them. The trick is having what you need when you need it. It’s best not to rush these decisions. We have a price list, why not read that, and come back next market day when you’ve got a better idea of what you want?”
“I’ve not got time, but I’ll take a price list, thanks. What about making my basic fireball spell stronger?”
“An enhancement spell? 50 Kand. It can only be used once, though. It doubles the damage inflicted on your opponent - but it also drains your strength by one point.”
“I’ll take two.”
1 minute remaining…
“Do you have a spell to hide your own footprints or trail?”
“A wipe clean spell? Yes. 50 Kand.”
“I’ll take it.”
Time is up
You pay for your spells and leave the market immediately. You head back towards the welcoming lights of the tavern feeling glad you have a cosy, warm room for the night especially as a storm seems to be brewing.
You do not notice the two men weaving in and out of your shadow because you are trying to edge your way through the swell of people heading home - and they are all going in the opposite direction to you.
There is a lot of shoulder bumping and elbow angling involved as you shuffle slowly closer to the safety of the tavern. You do not notice the leather belt around your waist containing your purse and remaining coin has been cut. The men silently fade into the shadows with their prize.
You reach the entrance of The Broken Arrow tavern and reach down to check your purse is still there. You realise it has gone.
How did that happen? I had 355k left! How will I pay for food or anything else, now?
You have paid for your evening meal, your bed, your breakfast and a provisions pack. You will have to think of a way you can make some Kand.
Coin is not your prime concern right now or at least; it should not be. You have far more grave things to worry about.
Like what?
The men who stole your purse are part of the same gang who noticed you earlier on. They know you are a stranger here and no one will miss you if you go ‘missing’.
You are their favourite type of target, a tourist. And they plan to attack you.
They’ve taken my coin, what more can they take from me?
Your life. There are those here who will pay a handsome sum for a body like yours for medical research. They usually rummage in the dust for bodies, but nowadays they find it easier to ‘find’ bodies. Ones no one local will miss.
That’s grisly. Body snatchers? Nice one, Grandad Potts. Mum’s gonna have words with him about this, mark my words - if we both manage to survive, that is.
There is also your kit and spells you have just purchased. They watched you frantically spend Kand on the market. They will get a good price for it all.
So, I’m still in danger even in the tavern?
You are in constant danger here on Glamis. I will be surprised if you are still here in the morning.
Thanks for the vote of confidence.
You enter The Broken Arrow tavern, feeling every pair of eyes burning into you…
N.B - Character sheets, background info etc are available on my Patreon page –
https://www.patreon.com/LitRPGVanessaFletcher
See my other books etc on my website –
https://www.ashentapublishing.com/