Name: Todd Longfellow, Race: Human

Height: 5’6”, Weight: 130, Sex: Male

Archetype: Fighter

HP: 18 / 18, Mana: 0 / 0

Stats:

Physical: 4, Moxie: 2, Spiritual: 2, Luck: 2

Agility: 2, Magic: 2, Mental: 2, Energy: 3.

Relevant Skills: Physical - Awareness, Physical - Melee Weapon Fist

_________________

Todd caught up to Mark and the caravan as it approached the gate. Setting the barrel on the back of the rear wagon, Todd smiled at Mark.

"Do I want to know?" Mark said, giving a raised eyebrow at the barrel.

"I have a plan," Todd said. "Jax wants to help the refugees, and I do too." Before Mark could interrupt, Todd held up a hand. "We can't go kill a goblin army, but we can abuse the game mechanics by skilling them up in melee weapons."

Mark nodded his head and scratched his chin as they walked alongside the wagon. When the wagon stopped, Mark hopped up into the back and looked into the barrel.

"Did you fail an appraisal check? These things are crap." Mark said.

"Na got a great deal. I also got some blacksmith tools; I figured we could quickly skill up blacksmithing and repair them." Todd smiled widely, showing teeth and nodding his head a little.

"Um… dude," Mark sighed.

"No, with the five of us, we could use your wall of force as an anvil, the fire spells for heat, and I bought some hammers." Todd pulled his purchase from the blacksmith.

"It's a great idea and would work normally, but…"

"Is professions too time-consuming? Does it take exp?" Todd's smile disappeared as he exhaled and shrank a few inches.

"Worse," Mark hopped down and rested a hand on Todd's shoulder. "They didn't include crafting or professions in the First edition because they thought people would be too focused on just killing stuff. Professions were in 2nd edition, which also had other improvements like multi-classing."

"God, motherfucking Jesus…." Todd punched the side of the wagon.

"Fuck!" Todd screamed as his fist connected with the side of the wagon. The wood cracked but held together. The glove on his hand absorbed most of the impact, preventing broken bones, but not the pain. "Ow." Shaking his hand and grimacing, Todd threw a glare at Mark.

"Hey, no one asked, and we didn't seem to have time for any profession. Besides, you've had lots of time to read through some of the handbook." Mark took a step backward with both hands up. His forehead scrunched like he was holding back a fart.

"I'm not gonna hit you, no need to gather mana," Todd said as he watched his friend. "I'm just upset I didn't double-check before I wasted the coin." As Mark's eyes widened, Todd added, "Thirty-five silver, not everything but still sizeable."

"Oh well, maybe one of the refugees is a blacksmith."

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"We can hope." Todd glanced up at the gate; the wagon was pulling through. One of the guards looked familiar. "Oh, fuck me."

"What?" Mark glanced around.

"This guard," Todd said, lowering his voice. "Can you fireball this one guard without anyone knowing it was us?"

"Why…" Mark was interrupted by a loud voice.

"Are you sure you want to leave again?" a guard said, looking directly at Todd.

"Good sir, I am grateful for your attention to detail. Truly this city is better off with such keen-eyed people protecting its citizens." Mark said, putting on a big smile. "My friend here was just telling me what a boon you are to the city." Mark elbowed Todd.

"I shall not return," Todd said, raising a hand, "I swear by the nine gods."

"Blasphemy, get out of my sight before I drag you to a priest." The guard spat at Todd's feet, hitting his boots. "No amount of coin will allow you back into my town again if I have any say about it."

Todd and Mark hurried through the gate, quickly catching up to the wagon.

"So what can we do about the refugees? The weapons are pretty crap quality. I'm worried I made a mistake," Todd said.

"Maybe we can set them up with bows, give them some coin to get a bunch of arrows." Mark shrugged.

"Any idea what would happen if we tried to do a craft skill without it being implemented into the game?"

"It is a thought; I'm not too sure how stringent the world is on the game rules."

"I almost wish Furbag was here so we could work something out, but odds are he'd just twist it and pervert it." Todd stopped walking, allowing the wagon to pass them. "Do you know what the rules are for crafting in the Second Edition?"

"Na, I couldn't afford it," Mark put his hands in imaginary pocket, then pulled them out and shrugged.

Todd stopped and looked at the ground. Something mulled in the back of his mind as he tried to remember something.

"You alright?" Mark said.

"Hang on, feels like I forgot something." Todd scratched his head. "Fuck, we forgot to send a signal that the caravan left the town."

"Fuckity," Mark started running back toward the town gate before he finished his phrase. "Keep with the caravan," he yelled as he ran off.

Todd kept up with the caravan, scrutinizing every dark spot in the woods, a hand gripped tightly on his sword. After what seemed like hours, he heard some noises from behind. In the lead of a small cloud of dust, a running Jax and Charisse. Todd slowed down, allowing himself to leg behind the caravan.

"Sorry, Mark and I forgot…" Todd started.

"We have bigger issues," Charisse said. "Every refugee decided to come along, in hopes of training."

"Not all of them, but a good portion," Jax said after he caught his breath. Sweat poured from his face.

"How far behind?" Todd said, giving a glance behind his friends.

The little cloud of dust from Jax and Charisse dissipated some, allowing Todd to see the large group of people a few hundred feet down the road.

"F…" Todd's mouth hung open as he tried to count and figure out the logistics of teaching so many people. "I…"

"That was my initial response, I rough estimate a hundred people," Charisse said.

"I only got twenty crappy swords." Todd glanced back at the shrinking wagon as it rolled on.

"Charisse and I ran ahead to give Samson a heads up." Jax stretched a little before motioning forward. Jax and Charisse ran off toward the front of the caravan, leaving Todd alone.

Todd jogged back to the rear wagon, catching up with the slow-moving vehicle quickly. The people behind seemed to maintain the same distance. Racking his brain for ideas, he could only come up with two weapons they could make that'd outfit such a large group of people, spears, and slings.

Midday, the caravan kept moving instead of stopping for lunch. The mass of people following faded into the distance as the wagons rolled on. Todd lagged a bit, but stayed with the caravan, waiting for Jax and Charisse. His friends were waiting by the side of the road soon after.

"Good news and bad news," Charisse said once Todd was a few feet away.

"Bad news first, might as well get it over with," Todd said with a glance back in the distance.

"Samson isn't happy with the people following, feels it'll be more of a liability. He wants them to either turnaround or wait for the caravan to be far enough ahead, so they won't be in the way during an attack." Charisse said.

"Understandable, untrained people during a battle would just get in the way. What's the good news?"

"He is allowing us to consider our commitment complete with a slight proration if we wished to part ways," Jax said. An odd smile stretched across his face.

"I take it we are parting ways with the merchant then." Todd looked at Jax, then at Charisse. Charisse's eyes darted in Jax's direction a couple of times then looked back at Todd.

"So, a side quest it is." Todd sighed and shrugged. "When do we part ways with the Caravan?"

"When we stop for the night. The refugees can camp with them tonight; he is willing to sell food if they wish to purchase it." Charisse said.

"What about weapons and armor?" Todd looked at the slowly shrinking caravan.

"Their cargo is cloths and some various goods, no weapons or armor," Charisse said.

"Alright, who wants to tell Mark and Reggie?" Todd looked at Jax then Charisse.

"One, two, three, not it!" Charisse said.

"Not it!" Todd quickly followed.

"It is for the best; I can better explain the needs of the refugees." Jax nodded and started walking down the road.

"Let's start looking for long sticks to make spears out of as we walk," Todd said. "I have a feeling we're gonna need a lot of weapons to train with and for use in battle."

"Did I ever tell you about my spearwoman fighter I played a few years ago?" Charisse said.

"I don't need to hear about Brittany Spears," Todd groaned and shook his head. "Nor her cousin Brittany Axe, or their friend Paris Halberd."

"Ha, good times, good times." Charisse giggled and kept giggling for several minutes later.