Day 7 A.F. (After Founding)
Darius woke up slowly. It was like he was having to drag his mind out of a deep, dark abyss all the while, giant apes pounded on his skull with enormous barrels. He lay on his sleeping pad for long moments as he struggled to remember the events of the night before. They’d survived the fight with the army of undead, had a meeting about what to do with their quest rewards, then… then… What happened after the meeting? I remember buying some drinks from the System Marketplace, then what? Darius paused in his musings when he heard a feminine groan and felt another body shift at his side.
“Ugh, what was in that stuff you bought?” Evelyn asked. “That shit hits harder than downing a margarita pitcher in Cancun.”
Darius looked down and the first thing that caught his eye was a nest of auburn hair spread across his bare chest. Looking further, he saw a bare, toned leg sticking out of the sleeping bag that covered the both of them. When he failed to answer, Evelyn brushed her hair out of her face and Darius met her piercing green eyes with his dark brown orbs. As their gazes were locked, bits and pieces of the previous night returned to him. He remembered passing out bottles of some strange green liquor. People were dancing to the music from improvised instruments, and he’d gone back to the Settlement Core twice to buy more booze at the demand of his citizens. He remembered seeing those green eyes, and dancing with wild abandon before they’d stumbled back to the Headman’s hut for an even wilder time.
“I, uh… I’m not sure. It’s Evelyn, right?”
“Call me Eve, sweety,” she said with a smile. “Thanks for the good time. That was one hell of a party. We should do it again sometime.” She then stood up and let out a languid stretch, showing off all of her toned curves, before she gathered up her clothes and getting dressed.
It had been quite a while since Darius had been in the dating game, and even then, he hadn’t really been the relationship type. He wasn’t sure what the protocol was for a hookup at a party after the end of the world.
Seeming to notice the conflict and confusion on his face, Eve settled matters herself. “Don’t worry yourself over this. We had a fun time, and I’m not looking to date or anything. It was a great stress reliever, that’s all. Don’t get me wrong, you’re a good-looking man and I might just call on you again later if you’re interested,” Eve said as she buttoned up her tight-fitting jeans, then she pulled on her button-up shirt, holding his eyes with her own as she meticulously secured each button going up.
“I- that sounds fine. So, I guess I will see you around then?” Darius asked.
“Sure thing, let me know if you need any help around here. It aint much, but this place is safer than where we were before.” Eve hesitated before continuing. Her mischievous grin had fallen, and she had a more sincere look on her face. “Thanks again for bring us in. Your people saved all of our lives, and I saw you out there yesterday, right in the thick of things.”
“Yeah, no problem. We all got to work together to survive all this,” Darius said with a vague wave of his hand. “Speaking of work, I have a lot to get done today.” With a groan, Darius pulled himself to his feet. He quickly found his boxers and other clothes and quickly pulled them on. He couldn’t help but notice that Eve had paused at the doorway and watched him as he dressed himself. He wasn’t sure if it was just in his imagination, but he could have sworn she had a look of appreciation that turned to disappointment after he pulled on his pants. By the time he had his shirt on, she had left the room and he was standing there by himself.
His head still pounded, so he made his way over to the city Core in the other room and laid his hands on it. He up the System Marketplace, and started searching for hangover cures. There were a lot of options available, but he settled on one of the cheapest varieties that could be purchased in bulk.
Revitalizing Draught
Revitalizing Draught is the ultimate hangover remedy, meticulously crafted by expert alchemists. This sparkling blue elixir, with its refreshing minty essence, provides rapid relief from headaches, nausea, and fatigue. Packed with natural ingredients like ginger root, honey, and milk thistle, it hydrates, soothes, and detoxifies your body, ensuring you bounce back with energy and vitality. Shake well, drink up, and feel rejuvenated in minutes—Revitalizing Draught is your key to conquering the day after the night before!
It only cost twenty credits each and came in packs of thirty. Six hundred credits later, Darius had a crate of potion vials in his hands, with enough remedies that everyone who’d overindulged the night before would have one to help them through the day. After making his purchase, Darius checked his status screen to see how many credits he had left over.
“What the fuck? How much did I spend last night?” He’d seen that he only had a little over a thousand credits left, when he had twenty-one hundred the day before. After pulling up the transaction menu, he swore. “How the hell did I spend five hundred credits on booze? Motha Fucka, they had better all enjoyed it. Damn.” He shook his head and with the motion, the pounding resumed and he felt his stomach roil in protest.
Darius plucked one of the small bottles from the case and pulled the cork out with his teeth. Without further ado, he downed the potion. It had a surprising minty freshness and went down smoothly. Within seconds, his stomach settled and his head cleared. “Damn, that’s the best hangover cure I’ve ever tried. Money well spent.” Satisfied with his purchase, though he felt his metaphorical wallet still aching, he carried the case of potions outside and set it on the table next to the cooking station.
Darius saw around a dozen people passed out in uncomfortable looking positions all over their little courtyard. He even saw an arm dangling over the edge of a hut’s roof. Only a few people were up yet, but once he told them about the potions, they all staggered over and took one each. They all visibly perked up and promised to spread the word around as people woke up. With that task completed, he returned to the Headman’s Hut to take care of his administration duties.
“First things first,” He said to himself as he opened the Warfare store and navigated to the blueprint options. He clicked on the Reinforced Wall blueprint and purchased it for four hundred War Points. Once he got it, he saw that it was actually two blueprints. One was the reinforced wall blueprint that he could use to build it from scratch, while the other was an option to upgrade existing walls.
Reinforced Wall
Building Rank: 1
Base Material: Adobe, Stone, Steel
Dimensions: 3’ x 10’ x 10’
Construction Materials: 20 Units of Adobe Bricks, .25 Units of Stone Bricks, 1 Unit of Steel Plates.
Manual Build Point requirement: 47 BP
Essence Cost: 188e/564e (With Materials/Without Materials)
Manifestation time: 3min 8 sec/47 Min
Quality: Average
Defense: 35
Durability: 423/423
Hard points: 1
Reinforced Wall (Upgrade)
The Wall Reinforcement blueprint enhances your Settlement’s defenses by fortifying existing walls with additional layers of stone and metal, significantly boosting their resilience against breaches and siege attacks.
Description: Reinforce your Settlement’s walls with additional layers of stone and metal, making them more resistant to breaches and attacks.
Building Bonus: +30% Durability, -15% Damage from Siege Weapons.
Building Rank: 1
Base Material: Stone, Steel
Dimensions: 1’ x 10’ x 10’
Construction Materials: .25 Units of Stone Bricks, 1 Unit of Steel Plates.
Manual Build Point requirement: 7 BP
Essence Cost: 28e/84e (With Materials/Without Materials)
Manifestation time: 5 sec / 1 min 24 sec
Quality: Average
Defense: +10
Durability: +75
Hard points: +1
If I remember right, we get a discount on building huts and walls for being a hamlet. It might be cheaper to expand the walls with the simple version first then upgrade them. Darius pulled up the building interface and looked over the cost to build the Adobe walls. Using his pad and pencil, he did the basic math. I was right. The simple wall only costs one hundred fifty Essence per ten-foot section. If I expand the walls first, then use the upgrades, I’ll save over three hundred Essence per section.
Darius pulled up the wireframe representation of the Hamlet and looked over what he had to work with. The walls were currently one hundred sixty feet by eighty feet. He knew he had over fourteen thousand Essence to work with, so he decided to simply double the area covered by the walls. That would give them a square area that was one hundred sixty feet on each side, plenty of space for twenty-five people, with some extra room to grow.
Darius added the extra eighty-foot sections and the one hundred sixty-foot section to the southern part of the Hamlet, he had to add a new reinforced gate, since the original gate was right in front of the Headman’s hut’s front door. He was able to center the gate nicely, and selected the original southern wall to be refunded. Altogether, he spent forty-eight hundred Essence on the new wall, and got back twelve hundred. So, thirty-six hundred Essence doubled the safe area they had.
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While Darius waited for the manifestation time to complete, he pulled the Warfare store back up and made the other two purchases he’d agreed to the night before. The first thing he bought was the ten pack of communication devices for two hundred War Points.
E-Tech Military Communication Device
Description: Advanced communication devices that facilitate secure and efficient communication between your troops and command center. These devices are essential for coordinating strategies and relaying important information quickly.
Physical Description:
The Communication Devices are rugged, military-grade handheld units designed for the rigors of battlefield conditions. Each device is encased in a durable, shock-resistant shell, colored in matte black with textured grips for secure handling. The devices feature an integrated, retractable antenna for enhanced signal range and reliability, powered by Essence Technology (E-Tech) to ensure clear and secure communication, even in the most challenging environments.
Each device measures approximately 8 inches in height, 3 inches in width, and 1.5 inches in depth, making it compact enough to be easily carried but substantial enough to withstand rough handling. The front panel houses a high-resolution display screen, which provides real-time data and status updates, paired with a backlit keypad for easy use in low-light conditions. The screen also pairs seamlessly with the user’s personal Interface.
For enhanced functionality, these devices include programmable quick-access buttons, allowing for instant communication with key personnel or activation of preset commands. The built-in microphone and speaker are optimized for clear audio transmission, even in noisy environments. Additionally, each device comes equipped with an encryption module to secure all transmissions, preventing eavesdropping and ensuring the confidentiality of strategic information.
Each 10-pack includes a rugged carrying case with individual charging docks, ensuring the devices are always ready for action. The case also features a built-in E-tech signal booster, extending the communication range when deployed in remote or signal-compromised areas.
Key Features:
Durable, shock-resistant casing
Integrated retractable antenna
High-resolution display screen
Backlit keypad
Programmable quick-access buttons
Optimized microphone and speaker
Built-in encryption module
Rugged carrying case with charging docks
E-tech signal booster in carrying case
These Communication Devices are vital for maintaining effective coordination and communication across your troops and command center, ensuring that strategic decisions and important information are relayed quickly and securely.
A case the size of carry-on luggage appeared before Darius and he triggered his Identify skill.
Name: E-Tech M.C.D Storage Case
Quality: Average
Rarity: Uncommon
Durability: 50/50
Power Bank: 300/300
Device Recharge Rate: 1 P.P per minute
Device Charging Docks: 10/10
Case Recharge Rate: 15 P.P. per hour
Signal Booster Range: +30 Miles
Signal Power Cost: 5 P.P. per hour
The first thing Darius noticed was that it ran on the same Power system that his Power Armor did. It had less than half of the power storage his suit did, but he figured that since it was mostly just a recharging station, aside from the signal booster, it didn’t need high levels of power. Darius unclasped the case and opened it up. Inside, slotted in foam like docks, Darius saw the communication Devices. He pulled one out and it strongly reminded him of a modern tablet, but one with a heavy-duty protection case on it and a few physical buttons accompanying the touch screen.
Name: E-Tech Military Communication Device
Quality: Average
Rarity: Uncommon
Durability: 30/30
Power Bank: 25/25
Power Cost: 1 P.P. per hour of use.
Range: 5 miles
Weight: 1lb
“Damn, a five-mile range? I really need to upgrade the communication system for my Power Armor. it only reaches a single mile. I wonder if it can link to the signal booster?” After checking the manifestation timer and seeing he had a few minutes left, Darius triggered his Power Armor.
Greetings, Darius. How may I be of assistance to you today?
“Morning, Pax. I was wondering, can you connect our communication system to the Signal Booster in this case?”
One moment, please.
Yes, I can interface with the Signal Booster. Please place your hand on the case and I will begin.
Following his AI’s direction, he placed his hand on the case and saw a rapid string of numbers and characters stream across his screen for a couple minutes.
I am afraid I was only able to integrate with the system boosting capabilities of the case. You will be unable to interact with the encrypted channels until the Power Armor's communication system is upgraded. We will still be able to communicate over open channels with any linked communication devices within that thirty-mile range, including your companions who also possess their own Power Armor.
“Thanks, Pax. That will still be very useful. That was all I need for now; I’ll catch you later.” Darius then focused on retracting his Power Armor and it disappeared into its own storage space.
“What chu up to, Darius?”
Startled, Darius spun around and saw his uncle standing in the doorway, leaning on his crutch. “Oh, uncle. Hey, how’s it goin?”
“It’s goin' fine. What’s that you got there?”
“Oh, it’s those comm things from the Warfare store we talked about last night…” Darius trailed off as he noticed how disheveled his uncle was. “Where did you spend last night?”
“Oh, I found other… accommodations. You seemed rather preoccupied last night, and I didn’t want to disturb you,” Marcus replied.
Darius stared at his uncle for a few seconds before deciding that he really didn’t want to know what his uncle had been up to and let it drop. He then spent the next few minutes showing his uncle the case and its functions.
“That’ll do nicely. I will say, I worry every time you head out there. At least now we can keep in touch,” Marcus said. “What else do you have on the docket?”
“Well, I need to upgrade the walls once they are done building themselves. I still need to buy the Recon drone. we need some kind of storage space, and we need more housing for everyone.”
“What’s your plan for all that?”
“Well,” Darius said. “there’s a blueprint for a storage shed. It’s supposed to keep things good for longer. I was also going to just duplicate the huts we have out there, doing another batch of ten rooms for people. Should be enough that most people can have their own place if they want.”
“With all that space we have now, that sounds good to me. Do we have enough to cover everything?”
“I think so. If not, we should be close to having enough. It looks like there’s still a few minutes on the walls. Let me get this Drone then we can go over what we have and how much we’ll need.”
At his uncle’s nod, Darius re-opened the Warfare Store and selected the Recon Drone.
Recon Drone (Magical) - 300 WP
Description: Enchanted drones that provide aerial reconnaissance and surveillance. These drones can be used to gather intelligence on enemy movements, identify weak points, and scout the terrain.
Physical Description:
The Recon Drone (Magical) is a sophisticated, enchanted device designed to perform high-level aerial reconnaissance and surveillance. Each drone is compact yet robust, with a sleek, aerodynamic frame crafted from lightweight, reinforced materials that ensure durability and stability in flight. The drone is equipped with a unique magical propulsion system, allowing it to fly in any direction at high speed and hover with precision.
Key Components:
Control Unit:
The Recon Drone comes with a portable control unit, featuring a high-definition display screen for real-time video feed and data analysis. The control unit is encased in a rugged, weather-resistant shell to protect against environmental conditions. It includes intuitive controls for manual operation and a comfortable strap for easy transport.
The display screen provides crystal-clear visuals, allowing operators to monitor the drone's footage and sensor readings effectively. The control unit also features a suite of customizable settings, enabling operators to adjust the drone's flight parameters and sensor sensitivities as needed.
Limited Onboard AI:
The drone is equipped with a limited onboard artificial intelligence system that allows for autonomous flight operations. This AI can navigate the drone without direct human control, performing complex reconnaissance missions with high efficiency. The AI is programmed with advanced algorithms that enable the drone to avoid obstacles, optimize flight paths, and conduct thorough surveillance sweeps.
The AI system can process data from the drone's sensor suite in real-time, assigning threat levels to detected targets based on their movement patterns, energy signatures, and other critical factors.
Magical Propulsion System:
The drone utilizes an advanced magical propulsion system, generating a continuous flow of arcane energy that propels it in any direction with exceptional speed and maneuverability. This propulsion system allows the drone to hover silently and move with precise control, making it ideal for stealth missions and detailed surveillance tasks.
The magical propulsion system is not only silent but also emits a faint glow, allowing for night operations without the need for additional lighting.
Sensor Suite:
Visual Sensors: High-resolution cameras provide clear, detailed imagery for identifying enemy positions, structural weaknesses, and terrain features.
Audio Sensors: Advanced microphones capture sounds from the environment, including enemy communications and movements.
Biological Sensors: Detect the presence of living organisms, distinguishing between different types of biological signatures (e.g., human, animal).
Energy Sensors: Identify and analyze energy signatures, including magical and technological sources.
Radar Sensors: Map out the terrain and detect hidden objects or structures, providing comprehensive situational awareness.
Power System:
Onboard Power Bank: The drone has an onboard power bank that can hold up to 200 Power Points (P.P.). It can operate for up to 10 hours at moderate power output. High-intensity operations, such as maximum speed flight and evasive maneuvers, will drain power at a faster rate.
Recharge Dock: The Recon Drone comes with a Recharge Dock that draws in ambient Essence to convert to Power. The dock can store up to 400 Power Points and recharge the drone to full capacity in only 2 hours. The dock is compact and portable, making it easy to deploy in various locations.
Stealth Mode:
The drone is equipped with a stealth mode that renders it nearly invisible by bending light around its frame and dampening its energy signature. This mode allows the drone to conduct reconnaissance without being detected, perfect for covert operations. Activating stealth mode costs 5 P.P. per minute.
Key Features:
Silent operation for stealth missions
High maneuverability for navigating complex environments
Autonomous flight capabilities via onboard AI
Real-time data processing and threat assessment
Rugged, weather-resistant control unit with HD display
Comprehensive sensor suite for multi-dimensional intelligence gathering
Magical propulsion system for high-speed, omnidirectional flight and hovering
Efficient power management with onboard power bank and recharge dock
Stealth mode for near invisibility and energy signature dampening
Operational Benefits:
The Recon Drone (Magical) provides unparalleled reconnaissance capabilities, enabling your settlement to gather critical intelligence on enemy movements, identify weak points in defenses, and scout the terrain with precision. Its advanced sensors and onboard AI ensure that you can make informed strategic decisions based on accurate, real-time data. The magical propulsion system, efficient power management, and stealth mode make this drone an indispensable asset for maintaining a strategic advantage in any conflict.
Specifications:
Dimensions: 2 feet in length, 1.5 feet in width, and 0.5 feet in height
Weight: 15 pounds
Controller Range: 20 Miles.
Power Bank Capacity: 200 Power Points (P.P.)
Recharge Dock Capacity: 400 Power Points (P.P.)
Operational Time: 10 hours at moderate power output
Recharge Time: 2 hours to full capacity via Recharge Dock
Stealth Mode Cost: 5 P.P. per minute
“Damn, no wonder just one of these things costs three hundred war points,” Darius said as he shared the information screen with his uncle.
“No shit. If this can’t get us the information we need about what’s in that damn fog, nothin will.”
The drone itself had some kind of crystal orb peeking out of its top. The metal body was ovoid with sharp looking edges and came to a point in the back. Looking at it, Darius thought it resembled a slightly flattened tear drop. The dock it was nestled in was square and was three feet to a side and was about two feet tall. Attached to one side was what looked like a Game station controller, but stretched out with a hi-rez screen nestled between the controls. It had several buttons on its face, a pair of joysticks and four trigger buttons on the top, within easy reach of someone holding it. Darius picked it up and fiddled with the controller for a moment. It was comfortable in his hand and reminded him of playing video games once upon a time. He had a feeling some of the younger citizens might be better at trying to fly the drone than he would. Deciding to let Chad deal with it, he returned the controller and glanced outside.
“Looks like the walls are done. I need to go ahead and upgrade them. Give me just a minute.”