When Natalie came out the other side of the picture, she was the bird avatar. So far not to much different from last time, but then she notice this room had a robot standing behind a desk, with a scroll, an ink pot and a feather that had a gold cap, with a sharp point, on the end of it.
"Greatings Traveller," the robot said. "We must process a few things and then you will need to name yourself and choose a new starter Village."
"Ok what's first?" Natalie asked.
"First is your name, what do you wish to call yourself, it doesn't have to be special or different." The robot said. "But be warned vulgar or inappropriate names are not acceptable."
Natalie thought about it, the name she had used last time had been awkward, she had nearly forgotten to use it several times.
"Are there any rules saying I can't use my own name?" She asked.
"No Traveller," said the robot. "That option is now open, it was decided to drop the decision preventing that in the Beta."
"Ok then good, I will be know as Natalie." She told it.
She watched fascinated, as the robot picked up the feather and dipped the gold tipped end into the ink. It then carefully wiped the gold part, before turning to the scroll which was now unrolled and wrote Natalie across the top of it.
The robot continue to dip the feather into the ink periodically, and she realise it was now writing out her status below her name. After a bit the scroll was turned towards her.
"Please check that I have included everything appropriately related to yourself." The Robot said.
Natalie read the scroll, it had her name and stats, the title she had been given and her Sanctuary, with the level it had been when she revoked it. After the sanctuary, was a short list of tools, seed plants and her bow, all had account bound written down below it. Natalie looked again at her stats.
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Natalie
Species: Caldron Raptor (rare)
The species was thought extinct until you emerged from the tall trees
Strength: 10 Stamina: 10 Wisdom: 12 Intellect: 14 Mana: 60 Unassigned stat points: 20 Titles: Beta Achiever (hidden) 5% Experience gained on all activities. Sanctuary: Tier 1 Copper rank: 5/15
Sanctuary Skills
Farming: 0/20
Herbalist: 0/20
Alchemy: 0/20
Animal Husbandry: 0/20
Mining: 0/20
Fletcher: 0/20
Woodworker: 0/20
Leatherworker: 0/20
Blacksmith: 0/20
Tailor: 0/20
To level your Sanctuary to a higher Tier you may use five skill levels of the main skill set,
Farming which will be reset back by the five levels taken. To upgrade each of your skills and related buildings you will need to level your skills to the max of twenty, these can then be spent to improve your buildings and consequently the quality of items and harvest you produce.
Weapons skills
Bow: beginner
Available skill points
Points: 3
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It looked ok to Natalie, she couldn't see anything out of place, the only thing different was a stat for Wisdom. She guessed they must have added it, when they went live with the main game. There was also a few more unassigned points then she remembered, but she wasn't going to quibble about that.
"It looks fine," Natalie said. "Everything I remember is in it."
The Robot took the scroll, rolled it back up and placed it into an ornate wooden scroll box. It then came around the desk and gave the box to her, as soon as she had it in her hands, the box dissolved into her and she felt a warmth throughout her entire body.
"To see your status, just say status either in your mind or out loud." She was told. "When you are ready, please walk through the door to your right. May your Travels be fair and rewarding."
With that, the robot return behind the desk and became immobile. Natalie looked to her right and spotted the tall door, she walked to it, but stopped. The robot hadn't given her a choice of starter Villages or zones, Natalie turned back to the robot, to find it wasn't there anymore, she was presented with a white wall only a foot behind her.
Frowning she turned back to the door, she had no choice, it seemed, so she went through it, everything stopped and a message appeared.
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Welcome Traveller
please chose a starting Village from the list below.
Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
Rockwell
Meadows
Darkwood
Cornerstones
Newstead
Brightvale
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Natalie decided on Meadows, it sounded like the perfect place for a Farmer to be setting down.
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You have chosen the Village Meadows, set in the third continent in the untamed wilds of Zanmilian.
please confirm
Yes / No
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Natalie confirmed yes, even though she was feeling a little less confident in her choice, after reading that brief description. Next thing, she found herself in a small meadow, just outside of a large walled Village. The gates to the Village were open and four guards were standing just outside of them. They appeared to be checking everyone, as they came to the large gates leading into the Village.
The Village's wall stretched away to the right, a fairly large, cleared space, separating it from the densely packed forest. To the left the Village walls followed a wide and fast flowing river. On the other side of the river, long flowing Meadows stretched, but from here, Natalie could see no way to reach them.
She started to walk to the gates, perhaps on the other side there was a way across. Natalie joined the line of carts and farmers, there were even a few player's, she would need to check out the village anyway. She looked again at the farmers and wonder just where they were farming?
All she could see was trees, very large trees at that. The cart ahead of her had vegetables in it, and the one in front of that, had what looked like wheat and straw. Both of those needed space to grow. Natalie knew everyone had a sanctuary of one sort or another, even the NPC's, but she couldn't see any places big enough and it was puzzling her.
It wasn't long before her place in the que reached the soldiers, as she came up to them they stopped and stared at her.
"What are you?" One of them blurted out. "I don't think I have ever seen anything like you before."
"Don't you mean who? and aren't you supposed to be asking me, my reasons for entering this fine Village." She asked him, while staring back pointedly.
"Ahhum, yes who are you and what is your business in our Village." The soldier said while turning red and trying to ignore the sniggering of the other guards.
"My name is Natalie," she told him. "I'm a Farmer, among other things, my business, at the moment, is to see if I can find a good spot to put my Farming Sanctuary down."
"Very good then, Miss," the flustered soldier said. "You may enter."
He moved to the side so Natalie could go passed him.
"Thank you," Natalie said giving him a smile, then she continued into the Village, ignoring the laughing and jeers the poor soldier behind her was receiving.
This Village was very pretty, it had vines with light green leaves and a rainbow of coloured flowers blooming on it, growing up the side of just about every building she could see. What parts of the buildings that showed, were white washed and support timber, of a lovely dark brown wood, bracketed all the walls.
The building's, also had plenty of windows, some of them just appearing to be holes in the vines, while others were on walls that weren't covered. All of these building's were topped with a black wood, shingled roof, that sloped steeply down, Showing that this area must get snow and heavy rain, at least part of the year.
Near most of the buildings, was usually a small fenced off garden, or area, that held animals; like goats, pigs, sheep, even a cow here and there.
The Village smelled of animals and people, it was a busy place, even if it was in the middle of no where. She followed the road until it widened into a Village square, here she could see small stalls.
They held a large variety of things for sale, all jumbled together in an untidy sprawl. The noise of each stall owner, as they yelled out what they had for sale, was horrendous. Natalie loved it! This was living no painfully organised, overly structured planning.
Just people, somehow managing to make it work. Natalie stood for quite awhile just looking, she knew, she could stand here all day and not see everything. After a while, she notice some of the Farmers with empty carts, were leaving down a street on the left. Occasionally, she watched a laden cart coming up out of that street.
Natalie made her way around the outside of the market, until she reached that street and turned down into it. To her delight, she came to a broad stone bridge, that was spanning the river, this was the way to the Meadows. Eagerly, she started to cross it, just on the other side she could see more soldiers.
They seem to be only stopping people from entering the Meadows, those leaving it on foot or with carts, heading back into the Village, could pass freely. When it was her turn, she was surprised.
"Hold Miss," The solder blocking her way said, in a bored tone. "These Meadows and the use of the bridge, are for Farmers and such, if you are passing through to leave. It's a silver, for the use of the bridge, if you don't have a silver, then head back in and use one of the other gates,"
"I am a Farmer, looking for a place to set up my Sanctuary." Natalie told him.
"Placing a Sanctuary in the Meadows, will be 1 gold, and you still have to pay the bridge tax." She was told. "Pay or leave Miss, it's up to you, but make a decision you are holding up the line."
Natalie reluctantly opened her inventory, she had the 4 gold all player's were given at the start of the game. She pulled out a gold and wonder how she was going to change one of the others to silver, for the bridge tax, when she heard a clinking sound and looking at her hand, she found she was holding 1 gold 1silver.
A quick check of her inventory, showed 2 gold 1 large silver and 49 small silver. Oh that was handy, she hadn't known she could do that.
Smiling with relief, she handed the guard the coins and continued out into the meadows.
As she walked further out, she noticed that the sanctuaries she could see, were all different sizes, the smaller ones were the closest to the bridge. They consisted of a building, that looked like a shop front or storage warehouse, on the back of them, was a two or three bedroom cottage. Walking past one of these she watched a Farmer with his cart approach the building then cart, horse and Farmer disappeared.
Now why didn't they do that in the village, and avoid the bridge all together, she wonder. It didn't make sense. A snort of laughter near her, interrupted her line of thought.
"Oh excuse my rudeness," a man standing near her said. "You clearly are at a loss, as to how the guards and the villagers manage this set up, with the outside sanctuaries, it is simple, my dear, if they do not comply, by paying the tax, the Villagers shun them."
"Shun them?" Natalie repeated.
"Yes, it means that they won't buy, sell or assist, in anyway, the person or persons that are being shunned." Answered the man. "It is quite effective."
Natalie thought about that for a bit, that did sound like it would end badly for anyone who was shunned. She wonder if the man would answer another question and decided to try.
"Why are some of the Sanctuary's so small here? She asked. "My own sanctuary is much bigger then these."
"They are a higher Tier, than the ones further back." He replied with a smile. "Most here, by the bridge, are Tier 1 rank 8's and 9's, you can choose what parts of your Sanctuary show, after you reach Tier 1 rank 8."
"Oh, so I'm not to far off it then," Natalie murmured to herself. "Thank you for answering my questions."
"You are welcome Miss." he said. "Good bye, fair weather to you Miss."
"Good bye." Natalie said, and watched the man walk down the road. Then she turned her attention to the meadow, she needed to find a spot for her Sanctuary.
It took awhile, but eventually she found a good place, it was a bit further from the bridge then she wanted, but with the current size of her Sanctuary, it couldn't be helped.
Natalie took it out of her inventory, laid the Scroll down at her feet and spoke the power word. Seconds later she was in her two bedroom cottage. She looked around curiously, she hadn't looked at the cottage last time. It was bare, not much in it at all, the bedroom had a small cot in it, that was it.
When she walked out into the other room, it was a bit larger and was dominated by a large fireplace, on the same wall as the bedroom door. At the end of the room was a set of shelves that acted as a pantry. She was going to have to make herself some furniture.