Andy, Arlene, and Kermit found their way into the tavern. It was a warm room with a large brick fireplace in the center of the wall to the right. On the other side was a large bar, stocked with all sorts of ales and spirits.

The rest of the room was covered with tables: two-tops, four-tops, and booths along the back. The place was empty besides the bartender and a couple of patrons in a booth.

I suppose that makes sense for a tavern before lunchtime, Andy thought.

The bartender was an adult male halfling, about three and a half feet tall, with a green corduroy jacket and burgundy pants. He had a massive brown mustache and a modestly brimmed hat. He took a step up to the bar and became more visible.

"Welcome to Tobo's!" he said in a light voice as he polished a glass and placed it on a shelf. "What can I do for you?"

"We're, uh…" Andy trailed off.

"We're new arrivals," said Arlene. "And we were told that there was a tutorial here, do I have that right?"

"Ah yes!" said the halfling.

He quickly got down and shuffled around the bar and toward the group.

"Welcome!" he said. "My name is Tobo and this is my Tavern and Inn… ah yes, so… are you level 0 then?"

"That's correct," said Andy, a bit more assertively, hoping to show Arlene that she didn't need to speak for him.

"Excellent," said Tobo, "We haven't had new spawns here in quite a while! Well forgive me for being slightly unprepared…" he fumbled around his pockets. "And what are your names?"

"Andy."

"Arlene."

"... Kermit …."

"Well an absolute pleasure to meet you Andy, Arlene, and Kermit. Tell me, are you hungry? Do you have a thirst for ale? Or perhaps a mid-morning desert, it's getting about the time for banana pudding."

They have banana pudding? And it's eaten on a daily schedule?

A group of three entered: a burly elephant humanoid with thick leather armor and a massive warhammer and a shield carried on a pack, a young woman in a concealing dark cloak, and a tiny girl, not more than 8 years old, wearing a pink, puffy dress.

"Pudding," the elephant-man growled.

"Ah yes, please have a seat anywhere you'd like and a server will be with you," said Tobo, gesturing toward the room.

The trio took a seat at a four-top, with the elephant-man moving a chair and sitting directly on the floor.

Tobo turned back to Andy, Arlene, and Kermit. "The pudding is very popular."

"They have elephants?" Kermit whisper-shouted.

"Ah yes," said Tobo with a whimsical finger lifted toward the ceiling. "Elepholk, they're called here. There are all manner of diverse creatures that inhabit the Infinite Plane!"

Another group, this time it looked like a group of elderly wizards in arcane robes and wide-brimmed hats.

"Erm, excuse me," one said meekly to Tobo, "A pudding table for three, please."

"Certainly!" said Tobo cheerfully. "Please sit anywhere you'd like."

"Thank you my good… good sir…" the wizard said absentmindedly, trailing off as he and his group found their seats.

"The pudding crowd is really rolling in," said Tobo. Even as he spoke, more regulars were entering the bar. At least, Andy presumed they were regulars because of the fact that they didn't ask where to be seated. Within a few minutes, the tavern was nearly full.

A large faun came from the back, presumably the kitchen, with a huge, multilayered tray of small dishes of banana pudding.

"Order up!" the faun said loudly.

The room broke out in applause and cheer as the faun passed out a dish of banana pudding to each customer. Each cup had a few vanilla cookies protruding from the edges and a heap of whipped cream in the center. A halfling followed behind the faun and poured coffee for the guests, a small gnome running back and forth to the kitchen to keep a full pot on hand.

Tobo went to the kitchen to retrieve a small tray of banana puddings and gestured for the group to follow him through a door behind the bar.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

It opened up to a private room with a long table.

"Please, have a seat," he said.

The group took their seats, Kermit stayed closer to the door. Andy and Arlene sat closer to the middle.

Tobo distributed banana pudding cups and poured coffee before seating himself at the furthest end of the table and silently eating his entire cup, making small mmms and aaahs. He ate, uninterrupted, for the better part of a minute.

"Just delightful," he whispered before taking a sip of coffee.

Andy took a bite. It was the most perfectly balanced banana pudding he had ever tasted, with extra vanilla cookies crumbled throughout to give the entire pudding some texture. The warm coffee complimented it perfectly.

"This is phenomenal," said Arlene. "They eat this every day?"

"Indeed," said Tobo. "It is something of a Cresthaven tradition! In fact, banana pudding, maybe along with zah, is my favorite contribution of otherworlders to our local cuisine."

"Oh, a player… erm I mean an otherworlder… introduced banana pudding into the world?" Andy asked.

"Yes, a man who came through the Dawnspring millenia ago. He called himself Bosshard, and he became one of the most powerful culinary minds on the Infinite Plane. He introduced cold zah as a breakfast food and also suggested the now-customary 11:15AM banana pudding break."

"Oh yeah," said Kermit, "we've had zah. It was pretty awesome."

"Oh Good!" said Tobo. "I am glad the scholars at the cottage are keeping our traditions alive for new arrivals.

Yes, Bosshard Nandor was a glorious mind… a skilled chef. No single scholar has had so much impact on food culture in our history.

Legend has it nearly 2,000 years ago, he wandered to the West in search of new flavors and dishes. He has never been seen since…"

Tobo hung his head, almost saddened by the tale.

"So is that the tutorial quest?" Arlene asked.

"I'm sorry, is what the tutorial quest?" Tobo responded with a puzzled look.

"Finding Bosshard Nandor," Arlene said.

"Oh heavens no!" Tobo said with a polite scoff. "Many players at much higher levels have tried and none have yet succeeded! No, your quest is something much more manageable."

Tobo collected the now-empty pudding bowls and placed them on a serving tray.

"I suppose we can get right down to business, then," Tobo said.

He reached under the table and produced a small, poorly drawn map. He pointed to it.

There was a big line at the top that read "Tutorial Quest #757a," and a line that began at "Tobo's Tavern," which then connected to a dot labeled "Temple of Initiation," and then finally to a dot labeled "Arena."

"This is your tutorial quest," he said. "First, you must go to the Temple of Initiation. After you pass your initiation, you will receive your level 0 feats, which are a few free but nonetheless powerful feats that you can use right away."

"What kind of initiation?" Andy asked.

"Well, now that would ruin the surprise," said Tobo. "In all seriousness, though, you must go in without any knowledge of the situation. The initiation will test your resolve."

Andy nodded.

"You will then go to the Arena, where you will receive your feats. Then, you will exhibit your skills in combat and problem-solving before an audience."

"Wait, we're gladiators for entertainment is what you mean," said Arlene. "I don't know about that."

"Well no, not for entertainment. For evaluation," said Tobo. "There is a general audience, sure. But many in the crowd are guild scouts who like to recruit new arrivals right away. If you exhibit a high level of skill, your performance in the arena could open doors for you and perhaps even accelerate your advancement."

"That's slightly more acceptable," said Arlene.

"When do we leave?" Andy asked.

"Well, how about this: I'll escort you to the Temple of Initiation tomorrow. That will leave you some time to explore Cresthaven together today and review the literature on level zero feats. That way, you can enjoy yourself a bit, see the world, and make an informed decision tomorrow."

"You have literature on the feats?" Andy asked. "I thought we had to seek out a scholar for that stuff."

"I like to give our arrivals a bit of an advantage," said Tobo. "This is a set of papers put together by our scholar's guild here in Cresthaven," he disappeared below the table again and came back up with three small envelopes, which he passed to each party member.

Andy opened his envelope and briefly skimmed the papers. They were feats with long descriptions. He would need some time to digest them.

"Make sure you give it a skim," said Tobo. "Now, as far as the remaining day: as I'm sure you've heard, Cresthaven is a spawn city, which means that as level zero heroes, you do not have to pay for amenities, and you don't need to worry about violence against you within city walls. If anyone attacks you, you'll be immune. You can relax and enjoy yourselves. Get to know some of the locals… get around to some of the shops… see what our world has to offer! When you return, you'll have your own rooms ready for you upstairs."

"So we get free food?" Kermit said.

"Yes!" Tobo responded enthusiastically.

"That pudding made me hungry for more food," said Andy, standing up. "Well is that all we need to get started?"

"Yes," said Tobo. "One last note, initiations begin at 5AM sharp, so you'll need to be ready to go in the morning by about 4AM. We'll meet out front."

"Four in the morning?" Andy said in disbelief.

"That's right," said Tobo. "We'll have to get an early start!"

Andy groaned a bit, but he wasn't unhappy. He was looking forward to seeing the town, and he was interested in learning more about the feats.

As much as he was not excited about the early morning, he couldn't wait to get some powers. The game had a long, drawn-out tutorial phase, it seemed, but even still, he was interested to see more of Cresthaven.

Perhaps he could find a cafe somewhere to have some lunch and select the feats he wanted to take.

"Ah, one last thing," said Tobo. "You must accept the quest officially so that you can see the details on your display. If you accept Tutorial Quest number 757a, please say 'I accept this quest.''"

The group said, in sloppy unison:

"I accept this quest."