The next evening, he logged into Heaven’s Gate. By now people were so used to playing, 24-hours outside the game was like detox. People felt anxious, some people were in the middle of a quest. They wondered if they’d return to where they were excited, or if everyone would return to their pawn point. And the answer was back to their spawn point, which meant some people had long journeys ahead.
For Thaddeus that meant waking up in his b sleeping bag. He wondered why, he wasn’t sent back to Pine Grove, after all, he technically couldn’t set his spawn point here, Woodhaerth wasn’t technically a town.
“You are correct sir, but with the update settlement building is now permissible,” a voice explained reading his thoughts.
“Alfred, is that you? Why are you back?” Thaddeus said hearing the voice from his character creation screen,
“Players who found a settlement may appoint an A.I. as their Settlement Adviser, and in the future, City Administrator. Would you like to add me as your Settlement Adviser?” he asked.
“Of course!” Thaddeus said excitedly.
“Thank you, sir. Would you like to claim this territory as your settlement? Yes, or No?” Alfred asked replacing the system prompts he used to receive.
“Yes,” Thaddeus said clearly.
“Congratulations, sir. You are the first in the game to claim a settlement. What do you wish to name it?” She asked robotically.
“Woodhaerst,” said Thaddeus clearly.
Soon a new notification flashed in his inbox.
System Message: Word’s First Bonus
Congratulations you are the first person to found a settlement. Plus 10 gold, +5 fame, +1 specialty building.
Before he had time to celebrate, a global, regional, and local announcements were sent to every player across Heaven’s Gate informing them of his achievement.
Thaddeus wondered whether he should bury that gold or drive to Pine Grove and deposit it. He didn’t have much need for gold out here in the country.
“Sir, as your Settlement Adviser, I have access to your bank accounts. I can deposit your gold into your bank. I can also pay your imperial settlement tax, collect taxes, and pay your government salaries,” Alfred explained his abilities.
“Well, that’s helpful. Deposit the gold, and put the rest in savings,” Thaddeus ordered.
“I’m sorry sir, I can only move items in your bag of holding. You need to dig up the money and move it to your bag of holding. Your 10 gold has been deposited. You’re earned a dividend of 37 coppers from your investment account, would you like to reinvest or continue to receive dividends?” Alfred asked.
“Reinvest,” Thaddeus said while digging up the gold he hid under the barrel of tannins.
“Excellent decision,” he commented.
Thaddeus was sure he’d say that no matter what he chose. He walked over to the water wheel pieces, which he cut and bent before the system update. He started putting the water wheel together when a question came to mind.
Speaking to Alfred, he asked, “Can you explain how the settlement system works?”
“Woodhaerst is currently a Level 1 Hamlet. Your settlement has become a location added to the Heaven’s Gate map. However, your hamlet is too small to show up on the map of players or traders. Traders will only stop by if your territory runs through a major trading route. Woodhaerth will, on players’ maps if they are close enough to your hamlet.
Should you delete your character or your hamlet is claimed by another player, it will be downgraded and if not properly maintained eventually become a ruin. Also, players may only own one settlement, however, you may vassalize nearby settlements if permissible.
There are five settlement types: hamlet, village, town, city, and capital. Each type has five levels. You are the owner of a Level 1 Hamlet. To advance to a Level 2 Hamlet you need to build two buildings. Each settlement advancement awards your skills and skill points,” he explained.
“So, if I finish the sawmill and use the bonus prize, Woodhaerst will advance to Level 2?” Thaddeus said in surprise.
“You are correct, sir?” Alfred agreed.
“Besides building, are there any other requirements to level a settlement,” Thaddeus asked.
“Yes. To advance to a Level 3 Hamlet requires 10 residents. Each progressive level requires an additional 10 people to advance your hamlet. For your settlement to be promoted to Village Level 1 requires 50 residents and a specialty building. Each level afterward requires another 50 residents and the construction of a specialty building. Reach Town Level 1, your village must have 500 residents and a church. A Level 1 City requires 1,000 people, a Town Hall, and a wall.
Every 30 days, NPCs will move to your settlement. The number of NPCs depends on your character. Residents prefer, capable, even-tempered lords. Refugees escaping guild wars, monster attacks, or religious persecution may seek asylum in your settlement. You may choose to accept or deny them. As a warning, I should mention, an NPC seeking residency may also bring their families, and the allocation of residents entering your settlements is random. I cannot influence the likelihood of a baker, banker, or candlestick maker arriving. Neither you nor I will know the NPC’s skills until they arrive,” Alfred finished.
“Interesting,” Will said screwing the last water wheels’ spokes in place. The water wheel he built was over 6 feet in diameter and had a heavy iron wheel shaft that connected to the crown shaft inside the sawmill. Fifty floats would paddle the wheel, which spun the crown shaft, which turned the pit wheel, which cranked the pinion, which rotated the pulley, which rotated the drive pulley, which turned the crankshaft, which spun the flywheel, which moved the 4-foot band saw up and down slicing the timber into dimensional lumber.
In the afternoon, after he finished the wheel, he walked east toward the mountains. Large white clouds filled the sunny afternoon sky. He watched the clouds slowly drift along. As he walked, he saw deer and rabbits, and a large herd of water buffalo across the river. He enjoyed the scenery, and the nature, it was refreshing. A part of him craved the serenity of nature. As he strolled, he looked up dam designs online. He didn’t waste his time looking at intricate designs, he just needed a simple dam that could keep the water and debris from damaging the water wheel.
When he was about 15 miles upstream from his settlement, he spotted a waterfall. From the best he could tell, the river was the result of melting snow and ice from the mountain range. The water traveled down the mountainside until it reached the river below. Looking at his yurt off in the distance, he could tell the terrain here was higher.
He walked up the hill to the crest of the waterfall and looked towards the mountains. The foot of the mountains, he guessed, was another 5 miles westward. Thanks to the weather, he could just make out a giant cave in the clearance. He wondered what beast would live in such a large cave. But he did have the time or a high enough level to find out now.
At the crest of the waterfall, he activated his architectural skill. Instead of a system prompt like before, Alfred as him, “Sir, would you build a gravity dam?”
When he answered yes, another green light appeared, and he designated the location as the waterfall. However, this time instead of showing construction materials like wood and iron, only magic was needed. He cast an 800-foot [Stone Wall] across the river.
Even with the elemental boost from Lich King’s ring, pushing back against the river’s resistance felt like fighting against overpowered dungeon boss. When he finished the first stone wall his MP dropped to zero. He had to wait 30 mins for his MP to refill enough to cast a second. He cast twelve more, smaller [Stone Walls] until the dam looked like a right-angle trapezoid. The river started to overflow and caused the water behind the dam to slowly form into a lake behind the cliff.
He used [Erosion] to make a downward vertical 3-foot-wide incision for the sluiceway. When he finished water jettisoned out from the dam and into the river below. The crest of the dam rose four feet above the lake and at the midpoint be built a spillway increased there was a flood and the lake rose quickly. The spillway would ease the water pressure against the dam. When the dam was finished the river became less rapid, shallower, and more navigable.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
By the time he walked back to the sawmill, it was already dusk. The sun was setting behind the mountains. But he was determined to finish the sawmill, today no matter what. He picked up the water wheel and slowly walked into the river. Thanks to the dam, he was able to see where he was walking on the muddy riverbank. But he still needed to wade into the water to hook the wheel shaft to the crown shaft and then hook the water wheel onto the wheel shaft, and both weighed nearly half a ton.
When he finished, he received two notifications. The first notification read:
System Message:
Congratulations on building a water-powered sawmill, you are the first person in-game to construct a building by hand. +1 WILL, +500 EXP, + 1 uncommon building.
“Congratulations, sir,” Alfred said to Thaddeus who was celebrating by splashing in the river.
“Oh, it feels so good! That was so difficult but enjoyable,” Thaddeus exclaimed as he floated on his back in the river. As he relaxed, he checked the second notification.
System Message:
Congratulations, Woodhaerst has advanced to Hamlet Level 2. +1 WILL, +100 EXP, + 1 common building.
“Yeah!” Thaddeus cheered, getting out of the river. He was excited to see the lists of buildings he could choose.
“Alfred, show me a list of the system buildings I can choose,” Thaddeus said to his new Settlement Adviser.
“Very well sir, here is a list of common buildings:
Basic Farmhouse Basic House Bakery Butchery Small Farm Small Barn Weavershop Hunter's Lodge Blacksmith Shop Carpentry Shop Tannery Bunkhouse
The farmhouse, blacksmith, carpentry, and tannery caught his eye. But he wanted to build his house, barn, and farm with his own hands, which narrowed his choices down to crafter shops. The shop he was used to the least right now was the tannery, which meant it was between the blacksmith and carpentry shop. He decided to the carpentry shop because he already built the forge and what he needed now was a woodshop to build what he needed for his house.
“Excellent choice, sir. Where would you like to put it?” Alfred asked.
“Next to the forge,” Thaddeus said, as he watched the building slowly phase into existence.
Thaddeus walked to the building and looked inside, and to his surprise, the two-story building resembled Josh’s. Everything looked the same, down the same kitchen table where he ate with Josh and Michelle. If he built this ground up, it would have taken him probably two weeks.
“Thank you, Alfred, can you display the list of uncommon buildings,” Thaddeus asked.
“You’re welcome, sir. Here is the list you requested,” Alfred replied.
Masonry Shop Inn Tavern Grist Mill Granary Graveyard General Store Mine Quarry
Looking at the list, he wished he got a second chance at choosing a common building. Since it was only him, getting an inn, tavern, or the general store didn’t make sense. Also, there was no way in hell, he was going to select the graveyard. That narrowed his choices to the masonry shop, grist mill, and granary. Of those, the grist mill would be the most important in the future and the most difficult to build.
“Alfred, can the buildings be modified? Can I change the grist mill to a water-powered grist mill?” he asked. Betsy was a grist mill horse and he dislike the thought of tying her to a millstone and making her walk in circles for the rest of her life.
“One moment,” he said disappearing from Thaddeus’ thoughts and returning a few minutes later with the answer. “It can, but you’ll need to pay for the upgrade, which is 3-silvers.”
The upgrade cost 300 hundred coppers?” Thaddeus said in surprise. “Fine do it. Put it just east of the sawmill.”
“Right away, sir. Would you like to see the list of specialty buildings?” Alfred asked.
Will nodded and a new list appeared before his eyes. For the first time, his eyes filled with greed. He wanted everything on this. These were the buildings players coveted in every game.
Church Battle Arena Mage Tower Town Hall Barracks Airport
The first to catch his eye was the battle arena. He had so many fond memories of fighting and gambling in a battle arena, but those arenas were nothing compared to what Heaven’s Gate realism could offer. He desperately wanted to own the battle arena, but he knew it wasn’t practical. At least for now. The second building that grabbed his attention was the airport. The airport had five docks and once constructed airships would fly in and out. As much as he wanted to travel in an airship, he wanted to be cautious about which people were visiting his territory. Ultimately, he decided to go with the church to finish his quest.
“Where would you like to put the church, sir?” Alfred asked.
“Across from the forge, on the other side of the dirt road,” Thaddeus described. Since he arrived, he and his animals created a dirt road that led from the main road to the yurt, and from the yurt to the sawmill.
“For another 82 silvers, I can convert the church into the basilica,” Alfred offered.
“No, just the normal church is fine,” Thaddeus explained, as a bright glow appeared, blinding him, and forcing him to shield his eyes to see. In the dusk evening, it was as bright as the morning. He winced as a white marble church constructed itself across the road. After the church was built, he got a notification.
System Message:
The gods are pleased by your devotion. Every devout is favored by the gods. You must choose a patron deity to whom to consecrate this church.
When he finished reading the prompt another message appeared.
System Message:
The gods Hephaestus, Hestia, Demeter, and Thanatos are interested in having you as a follower. Your crafting class and skills impress Hephaestus. If you consecrate the church to Hephaestus, he’s offered to grant you a crafting boon.
Hestia is impressed by your dedication to forging your own path. If you consecrate church to her, she’ll promote you to Deacon. Deacons are the lowest-ranking clergy in the Church of Light and serve no church administrative function but collect a salary of 10 gold monthly.
Demeter is impressed by your desire to seek out nature. If you consecrate the church in her name, she’s offered to bless your farmstead, as well as promote you to Deacon. Deacons are the lowest-ranking clergy in the Church of Earth and serve an administrative function as a Church Administrator.
Thanatos is impressed by nothing. You have merely piqued his interest. If you chose to become a follower of Hestia, his follower will become your enemies. If you consecrate the church to him, he’s offered to grant you one necromancy skill.
“I chose Demeter,” Thaddeus announced.
“You’re being summoned to the church, sir,” Thaddeus announced.
Thaddeus walked into the church; his clothes dripping water onto the floor, from splashing in the river. When he walked inside, he noticed the church looked the same as the one in White Pines. Everything looked the same except the statue of Demeter was in the center.
“Don’t drip in my church,” Demeter said pointing to Thaddeus and casting a spell. Soon his clothes were dry and smelled like flowers.
Quest Complete: Church of Earth
You have built a Church of Earth on your homestead. Reward: +50 to Nature Affinity, +10 Authority in the Church of Earth. This church serves as a beacon to Church of Earth followers. Church of Earth followers will be attracted to settle in your territory.
Seeing that quest completed he was thrilled. He was glad to have that not hanging over his head anymore.
“My priest is on the way. She should be here within the month. She’ll arrive with your first group of settlers. And here is my boon,” Demeter said nicely.
System Message:
Demeter is the god of nature and fertility. She has the power of the earth and land. She has blessed your farmstead. Crops growth is double the speed of normal crop growth, crop yield is double the normal crop yield, and your farm is protected from pests, drought, and flooding. Animal growth and animal breeding are doubled. Residents’ fertility is also doubled. Finally, while on your territory your health regeneration is tripled.
Thaddeus was blown away by the blessing he received. The blessing was enormous and would help him tremendously in the future. Except for the resident fertility bonus. That one seemed a little troubling. He quickly thanked the goddess for the blessing, but also expressed his concerns.
“Thank you for the blessing, but I respectfully decline to be made a deacon of your church?”
“Don’t worry, I only offered it because Hestia did. People see that 10 gold and run right towards her,” Demeter said jealously. “Before I go, I’m prepared to offer you a second quest.”
Quest Received: Followers of Demeter
Priestess Thera will arrive with a group of settlers next month. Provide basic homes for 10 families. Reward: Bakery.
Thaddeus accepted, and inwardly groaned. Thanks to the quest, he would have to delay working on his house and instead focus on constructing the basic houses.
When he left the church, it was already late evening. He quickly brought the animals inside the yurt and logged out.