Chapter Eleven

Heroic Exchange

“There you are, clean and relatively bright eyed with tail erect.” Said Bahbrah, looking well-tended and neatly made up, as she walked to where Ogre and the otters stood. “I trust you all now understand the importance of good etiquette and meeting one’s commitments in a timely manner?”

She was not in the guild’s livery of dark blue and white blouse. Instead, she was dressed stylishly in a short red coat, over a flowing white shirt, with pale red, skirts that resembled loose-fitting trousers, save for a cinched waist, bound by a silvery belt. Her boots were as red as her coat, revealed to the ankle by white petticoats mostly hidden by shirt. Her silky white curls was pulled away from her slender face with a silver clasp, making her dark eyes seem more like a doe, than a sheep.

“You look like you’re ready for a night in the town.” Orda said, grinning mischievously. “Are we so important?”

“This is minor everyday wear for a gentlebeast, Mr. Orda.” Bahbrah said, with a small patient smile. “You will learn, that threadbare tunics is typically acceptable for inside one’s personal rooms, but not so much in public. I do not blame you all of course, I’m sure you do not have anything else. However, I am a font of information if you have any questions concerning anything please ask. However, not right now. Now, we will start the orientation…if you all are ready.”

“What of the other otter that came before us, Jeda?” Asked Ogre.

“He was able to complete his orientation in the morning, as he did not go drinking his first night in town.”

Ogre nodded. Feeling embarrassment make his nose flush. The others grinned guiltily amongst themselves, but said nothing in retort. The dog did not blame them. We deserved the respite, with all the things that happened to us, but Miss Bahbrah is a polite wolf. And she has powerful friends. Ogre thought, considering Orstrong. He was not sure if he could conquer the ram even without his special armour, despite knowing that he was physically stronger.

“Ah…Guardsbeast Byre and that rascal Coriander, wanted to wish you all well with your sore heads. They asked me to direct you all to the bathes, for faster recovery. But you all know that, now, firsthoof.” Said Bahbrah, before turning to the long desk just behind them, “Let us start here.”

She explained that there were many different forms of work in the Guild. The most common for newcomers were tasks that could be divided primarily into quests, errands, bounties, orders, and edicts. Lesser quests and errands are the only types of work given to inepts and novices. Quests and errands allow an adventurer to go out into the world and complete objectives asked for by a second party. The guild then acts as a relatively neutral third party, accepting full payment in advance from an employer and ensuring the quest is properly completed and that the adventurer is properly compensated. The quest itself is issued by the Adventurer’s Guild, by taking compensation and information and scribing it upon parchment to be placed on the board behind the Reception Desk. She gave short, perfunctory explanations for the other types of tasks associated with the guild but mentioned, when Vedana asked about jobs within the guild, that these were not all of them, only the work primarily available to new adventurers.

“You know of the Great Dining Hall, and of the new adventurer rooms located along it’s back wall of course. And of the bathing chambers.” Said Bahbrah, she nodded at the questions in the otter’s eyes, but cut them off before they could speak it. “Monster gems, carved by talented jewelers power the water that falls from the showers, and moves the great pool in the baths. In truth most of all of Cerulean’s conveniences is made possible via monster gems, special jules, soulweight, or monster parts. Hunting monsters, especially the elite and high rank ones can make a poor adventurer into the wealthiest beasts that have ever lived, not counting our illustrious Felidae overlords or the high nobility.”

Bahbrah also explained that everything affected the abilities and strengths of adventurers to a specific degree. Even eating and bathing had a powerful sway over status, stats and ability, by buffing strength, vitality, or durability or increasing one’s ability to absorb wisdom and experience. As she went into detail about how a specific seasoning, salt or spices could enhance certain beneficial effects with heroes who had Gourmand or a Cook’s vocation, Ogre swept his eyes over the hall. Visionary was not as useful here, when there were no direct enemies within ten paces of his form, so he simply observed without it. There still many groups of adventurers clad in armour of white, red, blue, green, and mauve. Most of the weapons that were on their person were adorned with glittering jewels or scroll-worked runes. One beast, a carcajou so replete with muscle that it was wider than it was tall, carried an axe on it’s back, as large as it was. Its head was as big as Ogre’s but the mammoth torso and limbs like tree trunks nearly dwarfed its head. The axe was blue and green, and glowed with a fire that made aquamarine mist rise from the blade like steam from hot flesh.

“Who is that wolverine?” Ogre asked gesturing towards the only beast, any creature who was a warrior would point out.

Bahbrah sighed, “I was talking about important things, Mr. Ogre. Your so-called subordinates, told me of your eating, and I heard from the cooks when I came to see why you did not come to Reception at the promised time.”

“We did not promise to come early in the morning, it was merely suggested.” Said Ogre, “Would you…please tell me about that beast?”

“Questions were supposed to be at the end of the orientation.” Bahbrah mumbled before speaking to Ogre, after a respectful glance at the adventurer indicated. “Gordfrey of the Red Axe. I believe he is a megaton hero, and he is likely one of the strongest beasts in the guild today. High Arts users typically take the top one through ten, but that beast is a walking legend, four hundred years old. It was said that he ate two World Tree fruits to attain such soulweight rank. Fruit of the Adventurer, and Fruit of the Hero. He is likely to participate in the Worldender Games if he can rank up fast enough.”

World Tree Fruit? Megaton hero? Worldender Games? Ogre’s thoughts buzzed in his head as he tried to focus on not being intimidated by the beast. He spoke almost absentmindedly, asking, “How much does he weigh?”

Ogre heard the giggle, which made his head snap towards Bahbrah, who gave him such a curious look, that he felt his nose flush once more, for mistaking the source of the mirth.

“I…do not…measure heroes, but by his dimensions alone he is at least as massive as a warrior boar.”

My size, my ability to grow is not unique…but the speed in which I grow throws beasts who should know these things off.

“He is worthy of emulation.” Said Ogre. “Not just the size but his accomplishments…I would like to…be like him…I will stop talking now.”

They looked at him oddly, the otters and sheep both. Was is so wrong to admire those with great power, power that you can see? For Ogre, the mustel’s size was different from a boar’s, the latter was natural, but the former purely outside the confines of normal beastly morphology. Boars had the ability to grow massive, whereas carcajou outside of adventurers or heroes, did not. Ogre tried to ignore their eyes, but he heard their words.

“I did not think, he would admire other beast so,” Whispered Aida, to Vedana.

“Neither did I.”

Xendaranan snorted. “Why shouldn’t he? The carcajou is strong and looks it.”

“He admired Glaeddra.” Said Orda, which promptly, made everyone save Bahbrah, quiet.

Bahbrah gave them a quick tour of the kitchen which was busy with preparation for lunch. The space was sprawling, easily as large as the dining hall, with it’s many larders, cold and dry storage, smaller pantries, cellars, and food preparation areas. There were cast iron stoves as long as the desk at reception; copper, aluminum, and titanium pots and pans, simmering on stoves, placed on a counter, or cooling on marble topped tables. Cast iron or stainless steel cauldrons large enough for half a dozen boars to soak in, bubbled on massive hooks, with a great handle and chain engineered for a smooth transfer to smaller cookware or even bowls. The smells were heavenly, a fog of mouth watering savor, sweet spice, fiery herbs, sour biting scents that intrigued him, and umami that made him wet the front of his tunic with drool.

A pink pig, in a tall white cylindrical hat with a puffy top, and a stained apron over a belly that made Borhelm seem svelte, waddled over to Ogre, his ladle thrown over a thick shoulder like a greatsword. He had dark expressive eyes, a short fleshy snout, and stopped when he was a stride away from the dog, before leaning in conspiratorially. “You’re a gourmand,”

“A…what?”

“Ah…I knew you must be new, a gourmand. A glutton for good gobbling. A seeker of ambrosial victuals. One who eats without limit.” Said the pig, “I’m Head Chef, Hamlet Son of Porker Son of Hamshire. And it’s your hidden stats that give you away. Your vocation should be cook, chef, purveyor of food, or some sort, right?”

“Uh…I don’t know I never really checked.” Ogre considered his ability to grow stronger by just eating. “I do get benefits from eating.”

“Every adventurer gets benefits from eating, uh…mr….?”

“…Ogre, just Ogre is fine.”

“Well, Ogre. I would guess that you can grow just by looking at food and it’s all in muscle, right? Did you know that you’re not getting half the benefits you could, unless you acquire a passive physicality skill? Here’s the secret, manual exercise. Not just swinging a sword, or walking, adnormal exercise like moving heavy stones or iron and battle charges work best. Swinging the sword usually just gives you swords skills.” Said Hamlet the Head Chef. “Anyhow, I’d like you to work for me when you get the chance. I know you’ll be interested in doing quests and whatnot but, I promise you you’ll get a major benefit, apprenticing to me.”

Ogre was stunned. The pig just offered him a job? Was that normal? It must have something to do with how my stats increase when I eat. “I…I will think about it. I think I would enjoy being in the kitchens, but only if you let me taste these delicious foods you prepare.”

Hamlet looked at the dog stiffly, “Work is work, if you want to be good at something you will pursue it with all you have. I don’t play act in my kitchens, you will work if you decide to work here, and eat only when the work is done!”

Then the pig smiled hugely, “I’ll let you eat your fill though, you’re pretty much all skin and bones, I’m sure we can fatten you up if you join our team!”

Ogre looked down at his thickened body, he was a quarter ton in mass, now, if not more. However, this pig might weigh twelve tons. The dog thought. The group was moving on, dodging, kitchen helpers, lesser chefs and cooks, as they went. As he followed a stoat that was shaped like a oversized raindrop stopped him by pulling on his tunic in a quick tug. She made sure the Head Chef was back to his rounds stirring pots, and tasting with his enormous ladle before she spoke to him. “It’s a terror here, leave while you can.”

She winked at him, and flashed sharp white teeth before going back to her duties. More confused than ever Ogre followed the group back out in the Great Dining Hall. Next they toured the shops within the Guild complex. The shops that lined the circle, centered on the pillar outside, where all connected to the building’s interior in a monstrous structure of wings, like the feathers of a bird. Each wing was massive enough to swallow a noblebeast’s mansion with room to spare. The shops had all the variety of a bazar where jules flowed freely and often. There were cobblers, dye shops, wine-sellers, herbalists, bookstores, ink shops, places for maps, traveling cookware, general stores, and dozens of others. Bahbrah explained that in addition to monster gems, that monster parts could also be profitable.

“For example, Goblins parts, primarily the glands that made them smell like stinking death is valuable to mid-tier and above adventurers. The smell attracts stronger monsters when properly mixed with other unguents by an awakened apothecary. I am told that it is messy and takes a bit of time to scavenge but it is potentially as valuable as the gems themselves.”

Three sections stood out to him, two of them were for the work they offered.

The smithy was the largest of the areas outside of the kitchens. Behind the newcomer rooms, in a square filled with quarried ore, stone, stripped logs that needed to be hewn in manageable pieces, and bars of iron and lesser steel, it was nevertheless orderly. The structure beyond the square was four stories tall, with the center point open to allow for massive beasts to walk without stooping. There were dozens of forges and at least two great furnaces large enough to produce weapons and plate for a giant that could step on a boar, without seeing him. A Grizzled silver badger pounded on an orange bar of metal. He chuckled at something one of the three beasts surrounding him said, before sticking the metal back into a forge for a bit, then bringing it to rest on a giant old anvil, to pound and tap once more. One of them was the largest beast Ogre had ever seen, easily as big to Orstrong, as the Ram was to Ogre. It had pillar like limbs, gray skin, sail-like ears, and a long snout like a heavily muscled, boneless arm. It’s initial glance at the group of otters, sheep and Ogre was dismissive. It’s eyes snapped back to the dog, after gazing distantly above Ogre’s head. He’s reading my status mirror. A boar with arms thicker than Borhelm’s legs, and another badger, nearly as heavily muscled with mullet of white fur capping it’s’ head, ignored the others and stared at Ogre the moment the group came within sight.

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Bahbrah explained that this smithy, was home to Weaponsmith Jeloski the thick badger with white fur on top and black fur everywhere else, Khanat the boar Armoursmith, Balanth, the grayskin giant who was an Ironmonger and Armoursmith, and the old badger blacksmith Laft. She went on the explain that there was also an gemsmith who had the ability to use the latent power within monster gems to make cabochons and gemstones that could be worn to increase stats or the rate in which one could gain insight. There was also an itemsmith, who ran a general store within the main build of the Adventurer Guild, a tanner, dye-master, craftsbeast, and apparel-maker whom many in the smithy used for various jobs. This made the Great Guild Forge a single go shop for all adventuring equipment needs. Ogre and the otters wasted no time in speaking to the four powerful looking beasts about their wares and services.

Ogre wanted to get new and better armour, including a gambeson that was not ruined by the blows he took with the gremlin’s black iron cleaver. The prices were steep, considering that none of them had jules on-paw. The dog knew that he would have to check if his inventory picked up any loot in the form of jules from fighting troglodyte or carcajou in the World Tower. I’m going to have to try to sell monster gems to get the jules I’ll need. For a full suite of black iron for himself and the otters, including the pieces that he did not have before, pauldrons and cannons it would cost them seventeen hundred gold jules. The sum made the dog blink. The otters were less reserved, their eyes grew round and white about the black iris, as mumbled about robbery, and being taken for a fool.

Laft, the silver-furred badger ignored them, and spoke directly to Ogre. “Mine me some iron ore, ten great weights, and I’ll bump it down for you and your party. Chop up some wood, and I’ll cut it all the way to 50%.”

“You see that I have a talent for smithing?” Asked Ogre.

“No.” Said the old badger, “You have crap dexterity, but you have a worker’s stamina and endurance. Do the work and we will see.”

The others about him chimed in, with their requests. Ogre spoke closely with the giant grayskin creature which was called an Elephantine. He wanted to know what he could trade the Black Iron cleaver for.

“I might be willing to part with a half-ton greatsword, but the damage it’ll do will likely be inferior to the weapon you have. I do have ton and ton and a halfs, but only in steel. And that would cost more than double the plate you want. And that is only if you complete the work we ask you for, with the cleaver thrown in.”

Ogre thanked gigantic beast and moved on. The Monster Gem Broker had a spacious shop on the second floor of the guild, in the left wing of the building opposite the bathing chambers. The broker bought and sold monster gems to craft with. Unfortunately, the prices that he was offering for troglodyte gems was only copper jules, and even with the hundreds that Ogre had, it would only net them twenty or so silver. The group moved on, without exchanging anything. For Ogre, at those prices, the gems were more valuable as sources of insight.

The last shop was deceptively small. The chamber was dark, barely lit by a half-shuttered lantern in the center of the space. The entire back wall was a brocaded curtain of dark heavy velvet. Ogre only saw that there were rooms behind it when a fox slipped out and greeted them. Before they entered, Bahbrah took the time to explain details about monster gems.

“A caveat of insight accrual was that only one percent of a monster’s lifetime wisdom could be transferred via slaying, but the other ninety-nine percent was always crystallized into a monster gem.” She said, smiling as looked up from the corner of her eyes at something only she could see. “In order to unlock the full wisdom potential, one had to offer up soulweight at a rate of one to a hundred. However, soulweight is even more valuable than insight and the ability to absorb and hold soulweight, by far rarer than the ability to level up. Moreover, those that could gain soulweight could only get it rarely, and usually it is at amounts too low to unlock the full insight within in all but the lowest and shallowest of monster gems. And it is commonly thought that only fools would use their soulweight to gain wisdom from gems. However, the gems are still valuable. So, by taking them to a Heroic Exchange or auction, individuals who did not care to grow stronger or who had excess soulweight could unlock the gems and offer the power to level up without risk. The exchange rate depended on the monster’s wisdom, power, level, amount of soulweight, and race. Even common goblin gems at their worst fetched ten copper per wisdom. Still, only an Appraiser could give an accurate assessment of a gem’s value.”

So, monster gems can let any beast with the ability, increase their insight to level up without the danger of slaying monsters. Ogre thought. Looking at the fox, Ogre guessed that she was an appraiser. There is more to this. Sure the power you get from increasing your stats is invigorating, but the goodness of leveling up is the greatest thing I have ever felt in my life. Surely there are beasts who will capitalize on this? Ogre carefully observed the fox before him. What would he be willing to do if he wanted to attain that feeling of leveling up, but did not have the means to do it himself? What jules would he give up, monster gems? No…I will not be beholden to such a thirst…it’s too powerful.

She was small, barely as tall as the dog’s chest, with a brilliant white coat, a crown of black fur over liquid dark eyes, and a pair of huge black tipped ears. She was dressed in a tailored tunic of dark silk, with black leggings, embroidered slippers, and a pale silk shirt closed to the chin with pearl buttons.

“Greetings new adventurers, I am Mouflon, Apprentice Appraiser of the Blue Charter.” Muflon said, “Welcome to the Heroic Exchange. Greetings Guild Receptionist, Bahbrah.”

The ewe returned the greeting, but said nothing more as Ogre asked her about what they could get for the amount of monster gems that they had. The dog realized that this was the last place that was likely to pay the most for the gems. The only other shop that might take them besides the Guild and the Gem Broker, was a general store; the store would likely just sell them to an exchange or broker and would only pay jules with that in mind.

“Monster gems come in five basic sizes. Lesser, Small, Middling, Large, and Greater. They also have letter classifications just like Monsters. Starting from lowest, ‘G’ to ‘A’, there are some that go higher but gems like that come from monsters that are Ton Rank or higher, which is death to new adventurers.” Said the fox. “The type of monster also affects the gems. So, there can be quite a scale in terms of gem value. A true appraisal, can take some time but a good appraiser can get you a range in an pawful of minutes.”

Ogre and the otters presented their monster gems, though the dog did leave the gems from the mustels and the gremlin in his inventory. The white fox selected different gems from the collection, taking her time and peering at them with a small quicksilver lens before dumping the ones she chose in a velvet pouch that she pulled from an invisible pocket from her tunic.

“You are the party leader?” Mouflon asked Ogre, barely waiting for him to respond with his name in the affirmative before speaking again, “Your inventory should have a list of the gems I have taken to informally appraise.”

A thought brought a parchment like list up for Ogre as she called out the gems.

Joint-Inventory [Party Leader Access]

Lesser Slime Gems (410) -1

Small Slime Gems (319) -1

Low Slime Gems (178) -1

Middling Slime Gems (63) -1

Large Slime Gems (11) -1

Lesser Troglodyte Gems (640) -1

Small Troglodyte Gems (412) -1

Low Troglodyte Gems (328) -1

Middling Troglodyte Gems (91) -1

Large Troglodyte Gems (77) -1

Very Large Troglodyte Gems (33) -1

Great Troglodyte Gems (5) -1

Greater Troglodyte Gems (50) -1

Lesser Goblin Gems (70) -1

Small Goblin Gems (126) -1

Low Goblin Gems (86) -1

Middling Goblin Gems (50) -1

High Goblin Gems (2) -2

Slime Monster Gems: Lesser, Small, Low, Middling, and Large. Troglodyte Monster Gems: Lesser, Small, Low, Middling, Large, Very Large, Great, and Greater. Goblin Monster Gems: Lesser, Small, Low, Middling, and High. I took one specimen from each category save for the High Goblin Monster Gem, the rarity alone requires extra study. Guild Receptionist Bahbrah stand witness, do you agree that this is the sum of the Monster Gems that I have taken into my custody for the sole purpose of an informal appraisal, Party Leader Ogre?”

“Yes.” Said Ogre, glancing at Bahbrah, who nodded at him.

The small fox spun on her slippered toes and vanished behind the curtain, “I’ll return shortly.”

The wait was longer than the dog assumed it would be, Ogre started to go back where the brocaded curtains were to demand his gems back, when they opened and two foxes came out. Mouflon walked a respectful half pace behind the new creature who was as tall as Ogre but half as thin as Lam had been. Chipped blue eyes stared from a red, gray and speckled white fur face, so lean that the dog could see the bones of its skull through flesh and fur.

“You are Ogre, yes?” Asked the fox, the voice sounded older than he looked by decades, “I am Ovis, Senior Appraiser. You do have the look of a beast who would do well here. When did you first use the skill?”

Ogre blinked, “What do you mean?”

“Your hidden stats show that you have breeched the threshold of being able to summon forth the full wisdom from a monster gem. When did this occur, was it during a fight or a time of easement?” Ovis asked, “It will determine your full ability in the skill.”

Ogre startled, feeling a flash of anger run through him. Will I be able to keep any secrets? That flash of emotion made his voice rough as he spoke, “How do you know this?”

The fox blinked at Ogre, “You are yet uncouth…a warrior’s temperament it would seem. Still, being an Appraiser is very profitable, and not taking a gift when it is offered is not. I pray I was not too blunt. May I peer at your Status Archaia?”

The dog snorted. “You already have.”

“Ah…uncouth.” Ovis looked to Bahbrah, who studiously ignored him; the sheep did not have a fondness for foxes. “Your stats are…well…I will not comment on the physical, but your perception stats will aid in hiding your ability. Increase it to a level equal to the other Mental stats and you will not be so easily read. At your low level most will be able to read you like a book unless you do as I say.”

Once again, my frustration comes from having unbalanced stats. Thought Ogre. And I still cannot read another’s status unless they openly reveal it to me, no matter what my status level says.

“Can we get back to the value of the Monster Gems? We are still in Adventurer’s Guild Orientation, and I would like some rest before my shift tonight, Appraiser Ovis, Mouflon.”

“We will offer 200 gold jules for the High Goblin Gems, and ten more gold if you are willing to explain how you came to possess these.”

Ogre looked at the rest of the group before speaking, their eyes were wide. The dog guessed that they had a better appreciation for the value of the currency than he did. I will have to split it, seven ways, after everybeast is trained and geared up. Two shares, Lam and Jeda will come before we spend jules on the party. I will be fair, I will not be like that fat pig Borhelm. Thinking of the chef in the Great Dining Hall, made the dog feel bad. No, pigs are fine, Borhelm is a greedy monster, a cat in a boar’s hide. The irony rolled over the dog, leaving a small voice that mocked him. Which is it, a fat pig, a greedy monster, or the most heinous a cat? The dog growled at himself before looking around the room, feeling his nose flush.

“We will take the 200 gold jules and keep our secrets. What about the rest what will you pay us for the other Monster Gems?”

“Apprentice Appraiser Mouflon can tell you that, Ogre.” Said Ovis, stiffly. “Be careful, dog, we are of a kind, so I can give you a warning. The exchange offers more than jules and luxury to those who would be apart of us. We cater to a clientele of specific power, and only members have our protection. Please think on your response to my job offer, very carefully.”

Ogre bristled at the fox’s flat tone, but the beast glided away before he could retort. The small white and black fox, waited patiently for the dog to stop glaring after her senior before addressing them.

“Slime Monster Gems: 0.1 copper jules per gem for Lesser, 0.5 for Small, 2.5 for Low, 12.5 for Middling, and 62.5 for Large. Troglodyte Monster Gems: Lesser may be worth 0.2 copper, Small 1, Low 5, Middling 25, Large 125, Very Large 6 silver and 25 copper, Great 31 silver and 25 copper, and Greater 1 gold, 56 silver, and 25 copper jules. Goblin Monster Gems: 5 copper for Lesser, 50 for Small, 5 silver jules for Low, and 50 for Middling.”

“How much is that total?” Asked Aida,

“113 gold, 33 silver, 50 copper,” Ogre said absentmindedly, he frowned at Mouflon, ignoring the shocked expressions of the beasts around him. “The High Gems should fetch more than what you are offering if the sums of the gems are accurately appraised.”

301 gold, 85 silver, and 71 copper per beast. Ogre thought even as he spoke.

The fox smiled, the gesture seemed both sly and impressed at the same time. “I was allowed to inflate the numbers, if you sell those High Goblin Gems to us, as a kind of package deal.”

“I don’t trust that…” said Ogre bluntly. he felt a familiar warmth on his tongue. “20,000 gold for the High gems.”

“I do not lie about the fact that I inflated the numbers in your favor for the other monster gems, and even if I had not, if what you said was true, 20,000 gold is what we may acquire from selling such gems.”

“You do not sell them though, do you?” Said Ogre, “At least not primarily, your power and your money comes from drawing wisdom from them to your so-called specific clientele.”

Mouflon’s eyes hardened, though the smile stayed on her lips, fangs bared. “You are intelligent, your disproportionate mental stats show that well enough. However, you are naïve yet, to speak so candidly about things that are better left known and unsaid. 2000 gold take it or sell your Monster Gems in another town. You have overplayed your paw.”

Have I? I did not truly know that the High Monster Gems were valued higher than what that old fox said. Plus, I assumed that the exchange was giving us a package deal. Ogre tilted his head down, in mock apology. “We will take your generous offer.”

Mouflon narrowed her eyes and was silent for a long moment. Ogre held his breath, abruptly thinking. Perhaps she was right? Did I really say too much?

“Agreed, the deal is done.” Said the fox, slowly, “I’m sure you won’t mind if we throw in the half copper to the Exchange’s benefit, do you?”

“Not at all.” Said Ogre with a huge smile.

The otters looked ready to leap for joy. Aida was already pouncing on her foot paws, eyes bright, silly smile plastered on her muzzle. Even Bahbrah seemed impressed, though she did hurry them out the door after the Monster Gems were exchanged and the jules flowed into Ogre’s inventory. The sheep showed them the General Shop, which held quest related paraphernalia, like traveling cookware, lesser elixirs, draughts, and panacea, as well as rope, hooks, fishing, trapping, and hunting gear. That and more filled the shelves, but Ogre did not pay much attention to the wares. Noticing where the party’s interests were at, Bahbrah sent them off to the smithy to outfit themselves in the armour and weapons they wanted and concluded her part in the orientation.

“You all will need to fill out your official class, job, and vocation and party position at the Reception Desk, and acquire your Guild Rank before you can start completing quests. If you want to receive training you can set it up with a Master-at-arms, there, as well. Farewell for now, and make sure you prepare well before your party goes adventuring!”