Martin is so bewildered from the sight that (s)he doesn’t even see the small group of watchmen passing him, until the
[PING]
Quest completed 40 XP gained
OK, where the hell am I?
Is that like land there in the sky? All around the sun and down to the horizon?
No, not exactly – It looks as if the sphere is a hollow world with the sun at its center and the lands being the insides of that “sphere”. And that shadow around the sun is probably what creates day and night, whatever it is.
I look around - at first sight it might look like a medieval or fantasy village or town, but there are a lot of tiny differences. The buildings don't look ordered - even on a multifloor building the windows aren't similiar, every floor has the windows in different positions - and why has none of the top floors windows at all? And what is that contraption installed in front of almost every window?
Mirrors? Why would anyone block half of each window with mirrors?
…
Wait a second - if the sun is the center of a sphere, then it will never move. That means it will always be up in the same position, and the mirror will always redirect the light into the window. That is why every window is in a different position on each building - so that no mirror blocks the light from reaching the windows below, because there is no lower window to any existing one. And the top floors can get their light through roof windows, so they don't need a side window with a mirror that would block the lower floor windows.
Someone never thinks about how our environment determines our lives unless one sees a completely different environment. I have to make sure not to assume anything as that might cause problems or misunderstandings.
…
What to do now? Let’s get to the healer first, 1/5 Health is never good.
I look at the map – it shows a rather small town. I touch the stamp that is for the healer, and suddenly an arrow appears before me – I have to turn around.
Great – the System even has its own GPS. Let’s hope that it works better than some of those that directed into the wrong lane on earth…
The town isn’t large – perhaps only a few thousand people – but it is a rather convoluted structure. Those streets were never planned out, and without that magic map-GPS I would never have found this small building. The sign above shows something similar to a Rod of Asclepius with a name “Orig” below it.
The lower part of the building seems to be a single room divided by blankets, and an old man in a monk-like robe looks up when I enter.
“Greetings my lady, I’m Healer Bertram Orig. What can I do for you?”
“Greetings. Sergeant Zeertan of the city watch send me here to have a wound checked and healed. Can you help me with this?”
“Of course – depending on the strength of the wound I can apply different skills or spells. The cost would start with 50 copper for a [Healing (limited)].”
“The sergeant said that this would be part of a reward with this stamp here.”
“Oh yes, that is also an option. One moment, this is quickly done.”
Bertram starts to gesture and speak, but I can’t really hear those words. Strange - I hear him speaking but somehow I hear nothing.
[Ding]
A [Healing (lim)] has been cast on you
4 HP restored
Health 5/5
So magic has its own rules when cast, like that hearing and not hearing the spell?
“That should do it. But if I may ask, my lady – how is that possible that you have such low health at your age? Do you have an Aura affecting you?”
“According to the sergeant I have been what he calls [Blank]ed. Is that one of those auras you’re talking about?”
“No, that is ...“
[Xenotic Conversion]
Translation Updated
Initiating [K*Ö’&%$]
…
“…But if I may ask, my lady – how is that possible that you have such low health at your age? Do you have an Illness affecting you?”
“According to the sergeant I have been what he calls [Blank]ed. Can you tell me something about that?”
“No, that has nothing to do with any health problem. I’m sorry my lady. However, I would like to give you some other advice: The city watch lock prevents people from identifying you, but it is still possible to smell or feel the blood itself. I suggest you should retire either to an inn or to the public baths to clean yourself up.”
“Thank you, I’ll see to it – you’re right. Goodbye.”
“Goodbye, my lady.”
I leave the healer's room and look around. The black crescent is now covering a bit more of the sun - it looks as if night is approaching. I think I'll really look for that inn. Sergeant Zeertan said that I would get a locked single room there - that would be best to check in detail on my loot and whatever else I can learn. I only have three hours paid at the archives - better not waste them on questions I can answer myself.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
I take out the map and activate that arrow to the inn. The stamp for the healer is now gone, I hope I don't need him again. I would probably be able to ask around to get here, but 50 copper for that spell shows that my loot won't get me far. I have a few hundred copper, but with 10 copper tax if I stay more than the week I've been given that is not much.
...
I look at the sign. "The courageous Watchmen" - the sergeant said that this inn was contracted by the city watch, and obviously it was renamed for them as well. It looks like a halfway prosperous inn, not really of the high classes but better than the one on the other side of the street. I go in and approach the barkeeper.
"Greetings. I was told by a citywatch sergeant to come here for a room, and I would like to get a bath if possible."
The barkeeper checks the stamps on the map before he answers. "Yes, that will get you three nights of room here as well as breakfast and supper. Each would be with one mug of water. Additional mugs would be one copper each filling, lunch would be five copper. One moment..."
He turns around and takes some sort of staff and a knife. He measures a part of the staff and then cuts through it before giving me the cutoff part and a key. "This is three hours of candle for the night, and the key to your room. If you want more candles, that's two copper per hour. Bath can be ready in 30 minutes, it would cost 10 copper including rented towels - you can keep the towels for the entire three days if you want. Anything else?"
"No, I don't think so - how do I find the bath when it's ready?"
The barkeeper eyes me strangely "The system will guide you of course..."
Damn - need to be more carefull, I don't really know how everything here works. And I don't want anyone to get suspicious.
"Thanks"
Now how to find the room - ah, again an arrow when I hold the key.
The room I'm guided to isn't really what I would call a room - barely two by two meters, with a bed taking up half the space. There is a tiny window with a mirror and a wide board that doubles as a desk anchored on the wall below. I'll have to sit on the bed to use it as there is no chair.
I have half an hour until the bath is ready - let's start by going through those other screens. [Status]
Equipment/ Inventory Infos/ Titles Skills/ Abilities Quests Gallery/ Knowledge History/ Log Status Race: [Locked] Primary Class: unchoosen Type: Unchoosen Secondary: Kissing [Lim] Xenotic: unchoosen Name N/A max Rank [Limited] Level (L) 1/10 Experience (XP) 40/100 free AttrPts 16/1 Body-Power (BP) 5/10 Endurance (EP) 6/6 Needs: Body-Density (BD) 4/10 Health (HP) 5/5 Food (FP) 50/100 Body-Flexibility (BF) 6/10 Physical Rank (PR) [Limited] Water (WP) 50/100 [Locked] - [Locked] - Rest (RP) 50/100 Body-Aura (BA) 8/10 Control Rank (CR) [Limited] [hidden] 100/100 Mind-Power (MP) 7/10 Astral (AP) 8/8 Mind-Density (MD) 6/10 Soul (SP) 7/7 Weights Mind-Flexibility (MF) 7/10 Mental Rank (MR) [Limited] Equipment 2/10 kg [Locked] - [Locked] - Storage 1/5 kg Mind-Aura (MA) 6/10 Awareness Rank (AR) [Limited] Astral 0/21 kg Regeneration and Gain Values EP (10% BP/hour) 0.5 AP (10% MP/hour) 0.7 [Locked] HP (10% BD/day) 0.4 SP (10% MD/day) 0.6 [Locked] Temporary Status Effects Name Effect