Jack walk over to Firebrand and ask him to wait for me on the bridge.

I pull the gag off both of bandits. The one on the right started cussing me. “ I whisper so both heard me. “If I find either one of you anywhere near here I will castrate you over and over. Feeding your body parts to my pet slime cube. Do you understand?” The one on the bandit on the right kept cursing me.

"But first you both going to give me information," I said.

I grab him by the collar and drag him pass the gate and close the gate behind us moving up to Firebrand. “Keep him here for a few minutes, Please, I will be back.

Going back into the settlement and walk pass the other prisoner. Heading over toward Gema at the Wayside. I know there is a safe escape for us players to keep from being tortured or rape. we are given an option to be ported to a safe random bind point several hundred miles from where you were at. Also at that time you can change or name or start over as another character. So my option to get information will have to be bluffing and hoping they did not read up on anything about torture.

"Gema you have a piece of raw meat on you," I asked.

She pulls out a raw steak. Looking puzzled, I took the meat and slice a long narrow strip. And put it in my pouch and grab the wood ax. “Thanks.”

Heading pass the bandit I pause staring between his legs. “I not take too long.”

Closing the gate behind me I walk up to Firebrand and whisper in his ear. “When he disappears start screaming with a high pitch voice.”

“Okay. Sure,” he said. Looking at me like I was crazy.

Walk over to the Bandit, I bend down taking his gag off. He started cursing me loudly. “I want to know everything or you are going to have a painful trip to bind.” Gagging him again. I whisper into his right ear. “I assume you have a large bounty on your head when you pop up at one of the three human Imperium starting points. I had one of the players contact the Imperium that there will be some bandits appearing.”

His eyes get wide. “Yeah, I heard you either have to pay five times your bounty to clear your name or get several years of hard times. I, Jack Stonewright hereby banish you from Safehaven.” I whisper as he fades away. Using the ax I slam it down on the bridge causing sparks to fly. And Firebrand screaming bloody murder and stop. Grinning at him I take out the steak and rub the blood on the blade and carrying it like I just chop off something. I walk over to the other bandit tossing the tube-like steak over his shoulder. Letting the blood meat roll in the dirt. Tossing the ax down I kneel.

The other guy just whimper.

After a few minutes pass, he flinches as I move the ax nearer to me.

“Please don’t hit me I tell you everything you want to know.”

Raising my left eyebrow, “well tell me.”

“Devon has two groups this one and another one run by his girlfriend. She was trying to become a necromancer, last I heard she reach the fifth level a month ago. Half of her crew deserted when she started her quest. Last I heard a week ago they found a crypt and she the others died, she woke up a necromancer. Four of the five of the crew choose to remain as undead. The other guys fled.”

“Nothing worth me not doing anything to you.” I frown. Actually, it was useful information figuring undead may be used in the future.

“Wait, wait!” He has a cave guarded by two half-ogres guards he bought from a merchant. Devon and his girlfriend summon them to guard the cave, it is where they keep his treasure. Five more wagons loaded with loot. I can draw you a map if you let me keep my stuff!” Checking through his pack finding nothing of value but fifty gold. I toss it to the guards and put ten gold back in the pack.

"Fining you forty gold," I said.

Untying him he drew a map on the ground. Seeing it was a few days to the west and north of some ruins about a half mile was the cave. Using the paper I drew the using crush berries as ink.

“What is at the ruins?” I ask.

“Full of undead, Devon's girlfriend want them.”

Quest Investigate the Ruins

See what is at the ruins.

Lay to rest ?? number of undead.

Do you accept? Yes?/No?

Waying the screen away to decide another time. Focus on the bandit.

“You have to delete your communication stone of all contacts,” I said, handing him the stone.

He shows me a blank list.

“If I ever found you near here I will feed you alive to my slime cube. If I ever hear of you harming another reborn I will send a bounty out using your head as proof of a kill.” Watching him gulp.

“I promise, in fact, I going to request a class transfer to cleric!” He said raising his right hand to swear.

I, Jack Trades do hereby banish you from Safehaven.” A red glow form around as he disappears.”

Sitting down on the ground I wiped my brow, looking up at everyone as they were looking at him. “Hope I didn’t scare ya?” Looking at all the shock faces, “what no one play cards?” Hearing laughter.

Turning as a shadow fell over him he looks up at a female dwarven cleric in robes. With blonde hair braid on both sides of her face hanging down to her knees. Shaking his head at how to endow most of the women avatars are. Next to her in chain mail is a red-headed dwarf with a braided beard that stops at his waist. On his back is a double blade two-handed ax. “You two must be the pair Frigga told me about.” Getting up while dusting my hands. Holding my hand out to the woman.

She spoke, “I am Frida and this is my husband Hans, Frigga told you we were coming?” Shaking my hand.

Hans looks to be the silent type, “follow me I show you to the temple.” Leading the way, Hans tense up seeing Tamla walk out of her hovel with a child in tow. I wave “hi Tamla this is Frida and Hans they are running the temple if any of you need a heal let her know.” Pointing at Frida.

“Oh, that great! I am the settlement school teacher, Blessed Frigga gave me the skill to teach.” putting her right hand to her heart.

“Frigga bless her?” Frida look shocked.

I just nodded as we came to the temple closed doors. Waving my hand toward the doors as they stop and stare at the beauty of the building and the carved double doors. They both open the door and gasp at the shrine inside and the stain glass windows.

“It is up to Frigga if she wants to share the temples with other gods there is a place to put three more,” I said.

“Sssh, don’t give them any ideas they can have their own temple.” Hearing a peal of female laughter to my right as Frigga appeared.

Hearing the two gasp I turn and see both Frida and Han kneeing. “That is respect, you could learn from these two.” She gave a slight laugh, “arise, my children,” she winked at me. “Your quest is completed.

“To Frida a Mace of Frigga.” handing her a mace.

Mace of Frigga.

15 Damage.

+2 MIGHT.

Heal 30 HEALTH 3/day.

“To Hans, a War Ax if Frigga.” handing him a double side two-handed ax.

War ax of Frigga.

+30 Damage.

+5 MIGHT

+5 vs undead

Two-handed.

“I will grant a holy quest each time you complete one. Frida I ask you to be my priestess here and to put shrines to me at four waysides beyond this settlement. When completed, I shall reward you with a Holy Chainmail Shirt of Frigga. Hans, I ask you to kill thirty undead at an abandoned mine north of the wayside here. Return with the urns of the dead, your reward will be a Holy Breastplate of Frigga. Jack here is a task with a resting place for the dead, isn’t that right, Jack.”

Quest Kill the Undead in IronStone Mine.

Kill 30 Draugr

“Yes, my lady, I found a spot to the east across the Granite Creek to build a cemetery. I was waiting for a cleric to bless the grounds,” I said.

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

“Frida, I task you and Hans with blessing the ground. Do you accept?”

Quest Bless the Ground. Do you accept? Yes?/NO?

Both kneel and said yes.

“Be sure to pray each day to get a blessing,” saying she fades away.

A mine! Oh, we need that! Try to keep the excitement from my eyes. “I’m going across the Granite Creek and fence in the ground so you both can bless it,” I said. Walking out. And seeing Kari standing there.

“How did you get Frigga to show up all the time.” She asks.

Large raven land and morph into an old one-eyed bearded man, “been asking that question a lot lately.” Winking at me.

Shaking my head to the gasps of both Frida and Hans behind me. Almost laughing at the open mouth of astonishment of Kari. Nobody knows the gods are the main AIs running the ship. “So what do I owe the divine pleasure of your presence oh great and mighty Odin,” kneeling before him.

"What you expecting Loki?" Snorting, “ungrateful whelp,” grinning. I am not here for you lad but the one behind you, Hans my boy,” stepping pass me. “I have a proposal for you. I need a man willing to get his hands dirty, able to roll in the muck and take the bulls by the horn. There in the swamp a shrine to me that a bunch of walking lizards is desecrating. I want you to bring back my shrine and teach those lizards a lesson. You do this for me boy I will give you Odin’s Gauntlets as a reward.” He glances back at the temple clearing afraid to piss off a goddess or a god.

I walk towards the east gate to leave them alone with Odin. waving at Cora and Firebrand as I pass them. I just crossed the bridge when Kari caught up to me. “You seem at ease with the gods being here.”

“Yep” waving at the guard as he opens the gate.

“Just yep,” she said surprised. “Do you not like me?”

Stopping and looking down at her. “I only just met you, so far you seem like a nice girl.” Holding up his hand, “please, talk to Ann if you want the whole story about me. As for the gods, I know what they are. “They have their own agenda, they are also questing givers here and they are will use us to fit their design.”

“They can’t harm us.” She said as he turns.

“No, they can’t hurt us,” he lied. “I was reminded I have a cemetery to build you can come if you want.”

An hour later and ten shambling mounds smoking in a field. If not for Hans and Frida showing up both me and Kari would have been reborn again. Gaining some experience and seeing Kari was excited over the herbs she got. Let’s just say I will be jumping at every bush that rustles in the wind for a while at least. Summoning my elemental we went to work on the wall. The elemental dug a four-foot

trench hundred feet long and two feet wide. Filling them up with stone as the elemental started on the next trench. By sunset, I had the foundation of a wall done, hundred by hundred feet square. I had the elemental level and clear the inside of the cemetery. Both Hans and Frida blessed the land and had Kari grow some grass. Sometime during the night, my elemental died.

Calling over Cora and Firebrand to show the sewer system. “ This is Bill, my pet slime cube, was told they fetch good money and they eat anything organic.” Spreading my hands out at the sewer. “This should make an ideal place to raise them.” Holding up my hand, “also rainwater from the street need a place to go and a sewer is required to upgrade to a town later.”

Cora nodded, “understand now, what is that pointing at the square piping.”

“Water will be going through the pipes so each house will have water in the future. We need to run this sewer under the temple that way pointing to the south. Then run it that way to the north turning east toward the river. Should be able to run two more sewers south. But right now we need to go north then south adding two more hovels to the north. And several shops around the square.

Hearing groans, ”if you two get the sewer done to the north and the two hovels I let you have a week off to do what you want.”

“Your word?” Firebrand said,

“I swear,” smiling at them. Adventuring is fun but building the settlement to me is more fun. As they started on that, I headed to the temple and pray to get my Judgment raised.

Tamla, Gema, Ann, and Kari follow me to the cemetery. I stopped and summon another elemental when I got to the cemetery. I found the ground tore up, looking for tracks I found several large strange tracks and some scales.

 Congratulation you gain a level in Tracking.

Congratulation you found Lizardmen tracks.

Tamla and Gema crouch down looking around wary, they hissed, “Cecolloe!”

Ann checks the tracks, “several hours old heading southeast toward the swamp. One stood here looking at the settlement before turning away.”

“Great more trouble,” I mutter. “Kari, can your people help Hans' Quest get Odin’s shrine?”

“We can but half the group wants to settle here. Two blacksmiths saw the blacksmith building they want to go get an anvil and tools they been bugging me for a gate.”

“ I have both in the tower rescue them from the debris”

“Okay, that is solved, got a herbalist that want to help with vegetable and herb farm. Both mages want to rebuild that mage tower and explore. One wants to tame animals and help with the farm. Keri said.

“And you?” I asked.

“I thought to clear the Druid Circle but the Hearthtree pulls at me to tend her. The creatures around the Druid circle are powerful." She said. "Mesa-la said there is an evil Hearthtree near there. It is a few years before I am strong enough to take it on.” Kari said.

“Well if Safehaven gets big enough maybe we all can help. Go see who can help Hans and if you can do it peacefully.”

“You can come,” she said.

“Sorry I’m a builder, not a fighter,” pausing, “unless I have to be one. I made a promise to be a builder first.” Turning back to building a four foot high and two ft wide wall around the cemetery. By the afternoon he was heading back to the tower and loaded the urns into his backpack. Stopping at the temple to get Frida and Hans. Sending one of the kids to fetch Kari. Kari met him at the gate.

“Can you have your people come to the cemetery?” I ask as she nodded, she pulled out her stone. As I walk through the cemetery gate I was prompt.

Do you wish to name this cemetery? YES/NO?

“Yes, Haven’s Rest.”

Haven Rest is the name you chose? YES/NO?

“Yes.”

Moving over to the first hole. When everyone was present he read off the name and set the urn in the foot deep stone hole. Casting a stone to cover it. Raising the stone three feet high. Moving to the next hole a foot away from the other. Reading off that name on the urn, doing did the same with the others. An hour later there were thirty stone markers. Frida gave a wonderful service when she ends a prompt appeared.

Do you want marked gravestones?YES/NO?

Saying quietly, “yes.”

All the marker shifted as the names of the dead appeared on the stones. A sense of peace fills the cemetery.

Quest build a cemetery completed.

500 Experience.

Thanking everyone as they all left. I walk to the southeast corner of the cemetery had my elemental dig two more holes. Placing a flower in both and cover it, making two more gravestones. I waited for the prompt, after a few minutes I look up. “I am not going to beg you to put their names, but if you don’t I will not help you in your experiment whatever it may be.

What name do you wish on the first stone?

Mesa-la Key Grayston beloved daughter.

Mesa-la Key Grayston beloved daughter is this name you chose? YES/NO?

“Yes.”

What name do you wish on the second stone?

Marie Lynn Grayston beloved wife.

Marie Lynn Grayston beloved wife is this the name you chose? YES/NO?

“Yes,” as tears fell down his face.

Both stones shimmer and the names appear. A small figure near the gate turns and headed back to the settlement Kari thought it was time to ask Ann about Jack’s story.