“Is that an Artefact?” O’Hogan blurted as he spotted Jonas entering the Four Elementals tavern. “I heard you were spotted wearing one, but I had a hard time believing it.”
Jonas shrugged half-apologetically. The robe he’d picked after Cowen and her team had dispatched the Legend in the secret zone they had discovered was very obviously an Artefact quality item and hard to dismiss. It made him feel slightly self-conscious, as he knew by now how hard getting that type of equipment was. Under-levelled Artefacts were not that rare, which meant Ira’s claymore and his own robe could pass for one such, but it was still well outside of their range.
The last one like those, an effective level 79 one, had sold to a company looking to boost their low tier lair exploitation teams for over forty pounds. That was dwarfed by the most under-levelled of artefacts, who had “none” as their requirements. There had been four found so far in British legendary treasure chests, and the lowest priced – a broad-brimmed hat with strange white light lines – had been over seven hundred pounds, as wealthy non-Professionals purchased those to improve themselves. Nobody was sure of how well they worked, as there was no descriptor to access for a non-Professional, but the fact that their mundane owners seemed to be healthier, stronger, and similarly improved seemed to rule in the favour of having an effect, just like Professional skills did somewhat affect mundanes.
To have an artefact was to have a lot of wealth. Thankfully, they were also distinctive enough that anyone who stole one would probably get questions. Like the one that were asked right now.
“Who gave you that?” the Irishman asked.
“It’s part of a deal with the Archivists and the Scouts,” Jonas found himself arguing.
He didn’t like dissembling people he met with regularly. Technically, that one assertion was true, as both companies were now involved in the secret operation in the trunk zone. Thankfully, O’Hogan didn’t imagine that Jonas and his team could even have been present for a legendary fight, which made the answer less awkward.
“I wish I could have such a deal. Heard your friend had a weapon as well,” he said.
“We were warned that such things would be useful only for a short time for us, though. We’re still levelling fast enough that a good heroic at the end of tier three zones might end being much better than those,” Jonas explained.
“That’s what… a year away? Or maybe less?”
“I haven’t done the math. We’re probably at least six to nine months from the 200s, that’s sure.”
“You’ve fought ancients yet?”
Another point to avoid. Explaining anything about a tier-one ancient was now out of the question. But there was also a good, technically accurate reply to that one.
“We discovered those in Markandon, when Cowen rescued us. Terrifying stuff, two of us nearly got instantly killed when the combat began. Thankfully, she dispatched it fast enough. But even now with more levels, I still wouldn’t want to fight that one.”
“They do guard good stuff,” O’Hogan said.
“Don’t I know it,” Laura injected in the conversation. “I’m still using the trousers that that one was guarding, and I probably will for some time.”
“You’ve got many of those heroic items?”
“Three, I think?” Jonas said.
“Three,” Laura confirmed. “And we have another one in the Bank. That long trip across the Great Line has set us up for some time.”
Jonas tried to steer the discussion back to a more innocuous territory.
“Faire’s grown up again?”
O’Hogan laughed at that.
“We’re finishing the plans for the outdoor version. It’s that, or move to a two-day format. There are so many teams coming already, that we’ve moved to a level-based split. We have quite a few tier-three coming, so we’re essentially three categories now. 1-50, 50-100, and 100+,” he replied.
“We actually have three items for the latter one,” Laura noted. “About half the stuff we collected was common and we’re starting to get better already.”
“Well, you’re probably not going to get many takers for it, but who knows. At the speed the Faire’s growing, you might end up with interested teams anyway…”
“That’s a decent pair of gloves,” the Calculating Barrier said.
“Got those when we were carried over the Great Line,” Jonas explained.
The defender was a middle-aged member of a small company that had jumped onto the medicinal plant market two years ago. There were a number of bush berries and flowers that were nominally spices for cooking but had acquired a reputation for remedies. As often for mundane effects, it was hard to be sure, but the products sold well to some apothecaries in London.
“Since we don’t delve into lairs often, as we don’t have a licence, it’s hard to get some decent gear.”
“If you’re focused on harvesting outdoor, you should be okay.”
“Thing is, Mundajoz where most of our plants come from regularly gets a veteran or two forty levels above the normal population that wanders in. So we can only use our main team, because everyone else needs to run away, wait until those things depart on their own, then come back,” he explained.
“Or get levels?” Jonas asked.
“Well, we do, but the business comes first.”
“So… gloves for tunic?” he said.
“Deal,” the defender replied.
Jonas grabbed the agreed trade. Jonathan couldn’t use it yet, but he’d be able to in two levels, which would be coming relatively fast.
Dull Iron Ringmail Tunic
Torso
Quality equipment
Requires: Level 105
Provides: +78 defence, STA+11, +136 health
“About that sword?” the Barrier asked.
“We’re not selling it yet, don’t worry. If you can find anything of similar quality in the 100+ range for one of us, I’ll be happy to trade it,” Jonas replied.
The sword in question was an exceptional two-handed one of level 122, but now that Ira had an Artefact, it was a pale shadow in comparison, even if assuming he could have equipped it already. Three-fourth the damage, half the vital values and lower potentials meant it would never be used by the team.
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Cat-pommel Iron Blade
Two-handed
Exceptional equipment
Requires: Level 122
Provides: 54 damage (+15% STR), +73 defence, +97 health, STA+19, FOR+16
The common coif from the bank had interested none of the five tier-three Professional teams present. Jonas already suspected that most common-type gear would probably be headed straight to the broker. By the time you started getting 120-level equipment, it was hard to find a common better than what you had.
“Hello,” Luther Fullmore said as Jonas joined Guss and his cousin chatting to the side.
Laura was still managing their collection at one of the tables on the so-called “intermediate” category of 50-100. The team still had a significant pool of gear available in that range, and with new people coming in every week, there was often a trade occasion, even if it was straight common for a common. Those were usually useless for the team, but they kept bringing most of them anyway to keep the Faire going. Giving the explosive growth of it, they'd probably reduce that part soon, Jonas thought.
“Hello Luther,” he replied. “How are things going on your side?”
“Reasonably good on the levelling, not so much on the equipment side,” the Fullmore cousin noted, eyeing Jonas’ robe.
“I’m almost tempted to go back to my old robe given how much people comment on it, but if you’re handed such a piece of gear…”
“You don’t say no,” Luther completed.
Jonas shrugged in apology.
“Guss wouldn’t say what were the terms, though. Only that it’s kind of a deal between the Wellesley brothers.”
“Ira wishes to get us recruited by the Scouts later, but the Duke of Wellington wants to keep us around and expand his company.”
“So… no way you’d join Artefact Hunting? Especially now that you actually have some to justify the name,” Fullmore asked.
“Don’t think so, unfortunately.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll convince my cousin at one point. The rest of you will follow,” he said, half-laughing.
“Losing Guss from the team would hurt,” Jonas admitted.
“Get one, get all. So, the Duke wants to expand now? Well, he was doing it mostly for her Highness as a favour for the King, but now that he has actual regular Professionals… Or maybe not so regular.”
Jonas thought carefully about the explanation he could give. One that would be correct without giving anything sensitive away.
“He’s thinking about creating some kind of military Professional unit. I heard the Chinese were doing it.”
“Ah,” Luther snorted in disgust.
“Do they?”
“They do. In their way, they’re even worse than the guys at Laufrey’s who recruit any type of Professional for their mine harvesting, without bothering to help them grow in levels after. The Chinese recruit everyone they can, throw them through the Labyrinth until they reach high enough Milestones in tier three, then get them out of the Labyrinth and into their armies.”
“Does this work?”
“A bit too well. A level 150+ Professional team is extremely hard to fight with conventional weapons. You need large continuous fire to take them down. It’s a full company vs a four-man team, and the company may still lose. And they get resurrected afterwards if they won the battle.”
“The Americans have those kinds of Crystal-powered mobile armours with rotating guns,” Jonas remembered.
“That’s what you need if you don’t have high enough teams to put against those so-called ‘heroic teams’. But that’s the point of the Chinese. They have more Professionals than we do, and they keep pumping them out.”
“Why aren’t we fighting them with our own?”
“You’ll have to ask your boss at the War Office. My guess is logistics. The Chinese do not care if their armies don’t level again, there’s always more coming. The British Empire always needs more Professionals farming materials in the Labyrinth, however.”
“Because of the French.”
“Yes. We kind of mirror them, across the sea and now the skies whereas they dominate on the ground. But if we fall behind, like they wanted to with the Gate closure…”
“Then we get overwhelmed. Asia, we can lose, but if we lose England…”
“The Empire ends,” Luther concluded.
“You have a notice at your headquarters, Sims,” the Boar’s innkeeper said as the three entered the main room, looking to join their teammates already there.
“Uh? We do have a headquarters?” Jonas asked.
“I assume so, had someone from the town hall come by to notify you,” he replied.
“Then I think I’ll check there,” Jonas replied, before excusing himself to the team.
“Yes, the High Office has a room that is used by her Highness when she’s around in Gatepost. That’s what serves as her company’s headquarters,” the town hall clerk said.
“How do I get in?”
“I’ll check. Please wait here,” she replied immediately.
“Sir Sims. Here’s your key to the High Labyrinth Office room. I haven’t seen her Highness for a while, so you should have one, I think,” the mayor said.
The Careful Commander had been expecting him. Jonas had been surprised to see a mere tier three being head for the borough. As she was always involved in the running of Gatepost, she rarely adventured into the Labyrinth, so that made sense. Personal power - ranks - didn't always translate into responsibilities and vice-versa.
The room was unchanged from when the team had been there, months ago as they finally arrived. A huge room, fit for her Highness. Finding himself alone in that expanse was slightly intimidating.
There was a folded paper on the desk, which Jonas guessed was the note intended for him. He picked it, and found a second one just beneath, this one with a wax seal. He unwrapped the first missive.
Solid Aethershaper Jonas Sims,
My team’s headed back to the bovine slaughter after I finish this.
We will kill three guardians, then move on, so do not expect too many guardians to be up until lair regeneration. Based on normal patterns, a bit under a week, if you’re looking for them.
We will also check the special guardian below at one point. Babbage wants to see if something “different” happens if you complete multiple ones. And, for once, that’s something we can do that you can’t.
I have no idea how fast others are going to move toward the zone, and who will. Try not to spook the crows, thank you.
Yours sincerely,
Imposing Knight Augusta Cowen.
The British Scout had taken pains not to mention specific zones or the existence of an ancient in tier one, in case anyone would read her missive. One could even assume she was talking about a specific lair rather than a zone.
The notice about regeneration of guardians was a useful one, though. They would almost certainly do at least another round in the zone, to make sure they were fully validated for the use of all of its Gates. If too many of the guardians were killed, that wasn’t going to happen until at least the next week or later.
Picking the second letter, he hesitated before breaking the seal. But there was a “six-A” handwritten under it, so he assumed it was intended for his Adapted team.
Knight Commander Jonas Sims,
I have yet to select additional members for the Labyrinth High Office. For the moment, I will make use of some trusted elements of my brother’s company.
Given the need for discretion about the endeavour, it will take time to balance proper teams. I will direct them to you for instruction as necessary. You should take time to write a number of guides and maps for their use once they’re at their destination.
I will send a regular update regarding the ledgers of the Office so that you know who is working for me.
The Empire counts on us,
Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington.
“Oh, great. I have to manage the new teams?” Jonas almost swore.
Then he realized he was asked to merely manage how people accessed the trunk zone. Or more specifically, the trunk shortcut to the French zone of Brocarres. Getting them access to there was the goal.
He then realized he had zero ideas on how the Gate was emplaced on that French side. Did Cowen’s team scout that zone? Did his team need to?
He rummaged into the desk, pulling out a piece of paper and a quill, and started writing a reply.
Duke of Wellington,
I have taken notice of the need to prepare a comprehensive plan for the use of Othary and beyond. The limiting factor will be the rare outdoor lair, which means you can only enable six people every seventeen to eighteen days, according to the British Scouts. It would be better if the teams were staggered based on this.
Regarding the backdoor, do we need to scout its location? Based on how easy it is, teams could acquire it directly for faster travel, or alternatively, use the Gate from tier two leading there.
I will have guides written shortly and will handle the copying in-team. Please direct any new recruits to pick one at the main office if my team is away, and they should return them once they’ve acquired their destination and no longer need them.
I am your humble servant,
Jonas Sims.
He wrapped the missive, closed and relocked the door of the – his, now? – office and went down to give the reply to the mayor, Careful Commander Arch Welter.
Careful Commander
(tier 3)
Required: 45 PRE, 20 FOC
Provides:
+3 health/+7 endurance/+12 mind/+5 aether per level
+1 Milestone/13 levels
Careful Commander Milestone: +7 PRE, +4 STA, +3 DEX, +2 AGI, +1 INT, 1% endurance economy
Skill set: Physical / Control