Lesik handed her the contract and she read it over. It was honestly straight forward. She would kill a thousand goblins in thirty-five days, for two silver per left ear, failure is one silver per left ear. She would be given one gold per chief head dress, regardless if she fails. She will be given 1 gold to procure supplies, however failure to kill at least a hundred goblins will require her to pay that back. Finally she would be given a holding bag for the ears.
This is actually fair, and I can’t complain. The bag is likely a type of extra-dimensional space.
She took the quill he was offering and signed the name Cagen. Handing the contract over to him, he leaned down and signed his name. She was quick to dismiss the pop-up.
“Thank you Cagen. I wish you luck.”
“Thank you Mister Moors. I will be leaving tomorrow.”
“Yes, I figured as much,” he replied and got into his desk and pulled out a gold coin and a bag. About the size of a standard purse or fanny pack. Taking them she stood up and headed to the door. “I expect good things from you.”
She looked back over her shoulder at the elf and nodded her head at him. Leaving the office she looked at Fang. “Come.”
The clerk looked up when she walked around the desk. “Have a good day.” The man called.
“Thank you you too,” she replied. Exiting the building, she pulled up the screen.
:: Quest Complete! ::
:: The Goblin Menace Part 1 ::
:: Reward : 2 gold. ::
:: Collect? :: :: Yes / No ::
She selected yes and two gold appeared in her hand.
:: The Goblin Menace Part 2 ::
:: Lesik Moors wants you to decimate the Goblins in the Southren Forest in 35 days.::
:: Kill 1000 Goblins in 35 Days. ::
:: Progress : 00/1000 :: :: Time Remaining :: 839 : 57 ::
:: Type : Challenging :: :: Additional : Kill more than 1000, gain rewards ::
She blinked at the screen for a moment.
The quest is already challenging, however they add additional incentives if I go beyond? How am I suppose to kill a thousand let alone anything above that! UGH!
She rubbed her face and glared. “Sure why not.” she muttered in her orcish voice.
She stowed the coins away and started out on the road again. First things first, she needed better camping gear than what she had. A tent maybe, and some canvas tarps, that would be nice. Cookware would also be nice.
The city square was more lively now that there was a break in the rain. The sky was still over cast, and it was nice and cool. But that also meant the players were out and about now.
A group of three were looking over some wooden-wares. Carved bracelets and wooden beads, to statues. She looked at the table top as she walked past.
“Man, none of this shit is magical,” said the one in what looked like Jone’s armor. So that was likely a starter set.
“If you don’t like it please stop loitering so ot-” the stall owner started, but was grabbed by his caller. Janet stopped walking past.
“What, you sell shit old man, if you’re going to take up valuable space in a market, at least have something use- ow…”
Janet reached out, her hand on his wrist, squeezing. “That’s enough,” she said. “Let the man go, and you go somewhere else and make yourself productive.”
“What right does an NPC have in telling us what to do?” asked someone that was in leathers, likely a rogue.
“Don’t act like you’re special,” she said the tank had to let go of the human stall owner and he moved back. Guards started to appear. She looked and saw that chief from yesterday and she cursed mentally.
Damn it, why is he here? I’m going to be thrown into jail?
She really didn’t get a warning before the leather wearer, threw an ice dart at her. She saw a -4 appear in her vision. The ice spike sticking from her shoulder.
She just wanted to go shopping.
The tank asshole, who’s name was Charmingsentinel. Really was it so hard to actually pick names, they had to do something stupid? In the rule book it said you were allowed the same name as other players, because well people had the same names in real life.
The caster wasnt any better.
I am not sure what to thing of Wigglegig.
The last one who was in a type of chain armor was at least a bit more sensible. His name was Hoax.
Okay, thats more reasonable and sounds pretty cool.
Charmingsentinel moved to punch her. She let go of his wrist and backed up away from it.
You get the nickname of CS, because screw that name.
“Dumb NPC,” CS said.
“Drop it Sen,” Hoax said and started to pull the armored one back. “You don’t want us to be thrown into jail for another day do you? We’re already falling behind.”
Janet liked the name Sen, so she wasn’t going to give him that name. CS jerked out of Hoax’s hold and pointed at her threateningly. “If I see you outside the city I’ll kill you. Just for the exp.”
She was confident given what she had seen thus far.
“I leave tomorrow for the forest,” she said with a slight grin to her lips. Her deep voice got a tad lower in her challenge. She saw a pop up appear for the Tank. She couldn’t read it, but she saw in the upper corner near her health and mana a warning icon.
She looked to Hoax, and then turned away from CS and went on her way. She was joined shortly by the chief. What was his name again?
“I don’t think I got your name last night.”
“You didn’t. I am Guard Captain Otto Glen.”
“Captain. I’m Cagen,” she introduced herself. She wasn’t really getting use to the name yet, but she did like the way it sounded. “I am allowed to fight him outside the walls right?”
“Yes,” he answered. “Have a good day.”
“You too,” she waved him off as she stopped at a mundane looking general adventure supply warehouse shop. It was a larger building, taking up half of the section of road. The sign hanging from the outside had a circle with the head of someone inside it. Below it had a sign with the words: Adventure Shop.
Walking in she was greeted with shelves, barrels, and crates of adventure gear. She felt a little overwhelmed.
“What do you mean I have to get the items myself? Don’t you have a shop menu?”
“Neigh lass, I don’t be knowin what dattis. If ya want ta be buying stuff, ya got to get it.” said a deep voiced woman. She leaned over to look at the counter. A stout woman with broad shoulders and red frizzy hair could be seen behind the counter with a player tagged female; Gingerdragon.
Janet shook her head and then started to look around.
“You mean I have to … do it manually?” Janet heard Gingerdragon say.
“Yae lass, that what I be sayin.” That was the red haired dwarf behind the counter.
Janet was looking at backpacks and deemed it safe enough for her to pull up the alert.
:: Challenge :: Combat ::
:: You have Challenged Charmingsentinel to combat outside the city ::
:: Win :: :: Rewards :: Token : 1 ::
:: Loose :: :: Reward :: Death ::
She reread the screen a couple of times before dismissing it.
I am going to level before I deal with that.
Pausing at the backpacks she reached out to a nice looking one. A pop up appeared showing her the spaces and the weight reduction. The system was a bit strange to her. They had an inventory screen, but she was also to use the backpack as its intended purpose as well.
She looked at another one. It had more slots, but less weight reduction. She choose the first option. Then moved onto tents. The shelves had a few different kinds. All they way to ten people tents. She didn’t need one that large. so she selected a standard one which the pop-up said it was a two person. It was hefty and something she was going to use the inventory for. Then she grabbed a couple of canvas tarps, some rope and some pitons. She had a bedroll and a blanket. Looking at the shelves and gear she had forgotten about Gingerdragon.
“Hi,” said the female player. Janet stopped reaching for some matches. “I’m Ginger.”
“Hi,” Janet replied.
“Oh, you sound cute.”
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Okay that’s… disturbing, no don’t want, go away.
“So, I was wondering, if you’d be willing to help. See I need someone to carry this stuff, like what you got there, see I am an adventurer, and a hero, so I need you, because you look strong, and sound cute… but you know, just carry stuff.” the woman said.
“No.” Janet replied and grabbed her box of matches.
“Look, you’ll get paid,” she countered.
I have things I want to do, go away. Really why do people play a game that is ‘realistic’ if they don’t actually want the realistic part?
Turning away Janet heard the woman storm away, boots clomping on the wooden floor in anger.
She picked up a hammer on her way to the counter and sat her items down. The shop keep was a freckled female dwarf with red orange frizzy hair. She was as wide as Janet’s new body, and about half the size.
“Ae lad, this be all for ya?” she asked.
Truthfully Janet had no idea.
“For now,” she replied.
The woman nodded and then started to go through the items. “Eighty-seven silver,” said the dwarf.
Janet didn’t have that much silver.
Experiment time!
She handed over a gold piece. The dwarf nodded her head and got into a metal box. The dwarf then handed back thirteen silver.
Okay, one gold is a hundred silver. I’m learning!
She was exited that she was learning. The dwarf put the tarps, rope, box of matches, pitons and the hammer into the bag. Janet took the tent and the backpack and headed out.
She really should break down and talk to someone about what she was going to need. Fang gave a bark and she looked at him.
“I know, I am hopeless.” She said to Fang. She started to head back to the Inn.
She straightened when she saw the captain again. He was talking with a couple of city guards. So she started to walk past him, but then stopped. Facing him she waited a bit. He seemed to notice her and looked.
“Yes?” he asked.
“Can I ask for advice?”
A couple of the guards he was with had to hide their amusement, but judging from the choking throat clearing, they were failing at it.
“Always willing to help a citizen. You two are free to go back to your posts,” the Captain dismissed the others and he followed her into the Inn.
The bar keep looked up saw them but he didnt say anything as they took a seat at one of the tables. The tavern was empty now of players.
“How can I help?” the captain asked.
“What does one need for a long stay in the wild, or for not being near a city for several weeks?” She asked.
The captain started to laugh heartedly. “And when I saw you yesterday I thought you were far more experienced and dangerous,” the man said. “Looks like you got the basics already. But consider better cooking equipment, also look into an herbalist or alchemist they may be willing to purchase or commission the gathering of plants. Buckets are useful, so are spades,” he said.
Janet pulled the hood just a little more down over her face. She didn’t want to seem like an inexperienced kid, but truthfully, thats what she was. She closed her eyes. A bucket, she knew she forgot that.
“If you’re going real far or staying out real long, consider getting a companion that can help you maintain base camp while you do the heavy-lifting. You can commission a mercenary, or take in an apprentice of sorts. That is if you are confident in your skills.”
She nodded her head. She wasn’t sure she was confident in her skills yet.
The captain stood up after that, his hand on the table. “The best way is too learn by experience, figure out what you might need to suit you, and then work from there. I can only offer suggestions of the basics. Keep notes. I even suggest a journal.”
He tapped the table a couple of times. “I think you’ll figure it out. I wager faster that the Expatriates.”
“There will be more,” she said. “Thousands more.”
“And when will that be?”
Judging from the time Phionex helped her figure out. “Twenty, twenty-one days roughly.”
The man didn’t look happy to hear that, but nodded his head anyway. “I would like to see you again in that time then, if you aren’t too busy with the work from Moors.”
“I have thirty-five days to kill a thousand goblins.”
He whistled, “rough. Well if you find time to spare.”
She stood up too and walked up the stairs carrying her things. Leaving the Captain behind.
He’s a nice fellow. Helpful too… but if I am wrong I think he might punch me. Ugh, why did I speak with such confidence? How the hell am I suppose to know that players will arrive in droves when the system gets launched on Monday…
She entered her room and sat the items on her bed and looked at it all. She then took everything out of her backpack and looked it over. She wanted to try and sell the herbs, and the fur. She opened the loot bag she got from the bandit she had killed.
It had the potions that Phionex told her about. Must have been from the players. She had six of each potion. There were also coins in the bag, and a small bag. Curious she had a better look at it.
A pop-up appeared.
:: Coin Pouch::
::Holds and separates your money into knowable amounts.::
“That’s VERY useful.” she said. Then dropped all of her coins into the pouch. She saw on her inventory screen the amount. 153 copper, 233 silver and 4 gold. It didn’t convert sadly.
She attached the pouch to her inner belt. She had no idea if there were a such thing as pick-pockets in the game, but with how realistic it seemed to be, she wouldnt be surprised.
She now also had twenty weight free inventory spaces.
Packing everything away she looked at the furs and the plants. She had too many plants to keep them solely in the extra pack. However she also noticed that she had an inventory screen for her old bag too.
Fang looked up at her, and she had a thought.
Opening her level screen she moved over to Fang. He had a level as well. With three tokens to spend.
“Well look at you,” she said with a smile. Scratching at the scruff of her face. She needed a hygiene kit too. She placed a point in his Strength and Constitution, and then one into skills. Increasing his Hunting, his Listen, Spot, and Survival.
Fang wagged his tail as he sat there.
“We’ll get you big and strong yet.”
Gathering her bag again and then the extra one she headed back out of the room. Fang following along. Pulling her cloak hood up she headed down, and out into the rain again, as people were making their way inside.
Walking down the streets again, she watched as people went about their day even in the rain, while many of those with player-tags stood under awnings or sat inside Taverns.
She came to a building where the sign over it was a mortar and pestle. A bell chimed as she stepped inside and she looked up at the chime.
“Welcome,” called a man at the counter. The interior smelled like dry herbs, and incense. As she made her way to the counter she looked at the baskets on the shelves with paper packets. Curious she looked at the tag.
“Minor healing,” she read. “Cough suppressant…” she looked at more. “Minor mana recovery.”
“Are they like potions?” she asked coming to the counter.
The man smiled. He was an older fellow with salt and pepper hair and brown eyes. There were sun spots along his face and arms, and his wrinkles were deep. If she saw him in real life she would say that he had worked hard in his life.
“They are the non-magical alterative. Cheaper than potions and elixirs, but also a little less effective. But they don’t make you potion sick, and those with mana sickness can still use them.”
“Do you buy herbs?” she asked, adjusting her scarf up a little more to keep her face hidden.
“I do, always in need of either the mixes or the herbs.”
She took out some of the herbs she had gathered and laid them on the counter. He picked up some of them and looked them over. “Could be better harvested, just starting out?”
“Yes.”
“You have the three to make some minor healing tonics,” he said. “As they are I can give you … 3 copper a piece.”
“But I can get more if I process them myself,” she said.
“Yes, that would be the case. Do you know how to make the tonics?”
“I am afraid I don’t.”
“I also sell books that teach such things,” he said and motioned behind him. There was a shelf with many thin books lined up neatly. “I also sell the mortars and pestles, and even yagen mortars,” he explained. “I also have alchemy sets.”
“Can I sell the herbs?” she asked.
“Of course,” he smiled almost sadly. “Show me what you have, and you can take a look around while I count it all up.”
“Sure,” she said and placed all her gathered plants on the counter. She turned back to the shop and started to comb through the items on the shelves. She picked up one of the paper packets and turned it over where the instruction was written. Add to one ounce vial of water, shake, use within eight hours of mixing.
She looked at other shelves were there were baskets of nothing but vials. She would be able to do more in a day if she was able to prepare healing and mana potions, or tonics.
She looked at the prices of the items he was selling, when the bell chimed again. “Welcome.” the store owner called.
“That teleporter was much easier to use,” said a female voice she recognized. “What’s with all the plants?”
“I am buying them, I will be with you shortly if you need help.”
“We’ll be fine,” said the male that was with her. Looking at the two elves she didnt see Jones or Phionex with them.
Looking at the prices and ignoring the two elves she did some mental math. It was more effective, depending on how long it took to make, to do it herself. She was sure that the owner would buy from her too.
“I want to learn herbalism,” Lorali said. “Everyone knows it the most profitable profession in any game.”
Well that was half true, depending on the game. But strictly speaking, enchanting and potion making were the most profitable in just about all MMORPGs.
Janet took a scale off the shelf, she was going to need this, and at 50 silver, it was a nice one, a pop-up confirmed that it was suitable for adventurers. She also chose a yagen styled mortar, she liked the wheel and looked like it would be easier for her to use than a normal mortar and pestle.
She was actually having fun now, as she took thinner twine like rope. It was on a spool and added that to a wicker basket she had found a stack of. She was going to need vials for herself, so she grabbed a basket off the shelf for those. They were prefilled.
Looking around she wasn’t sure what else she was going to need so choose to wait.
“Alright miss, how can I help you?” said the store clerk.
“I would like to learn herbalism,” Lorali said.
“Alright, I have a beginner book here, it will teach you the skill. 1 gold please.”
“A gold?! for a skill? Arent profession skills suppose to be cheap?”
“Skills are highly prized if you find the right ones, and since herbalism has a hand in alchemy, cooking, potion crafting and scroll crafting, its considered prized. So to learn it is more expensive.”
“Still a gold is insane!” she said however she handed a gold over, looking annoyed. She took the offered book and opened it.
Ellik watched her hands crossed leaning against the wall by the door. “Well?”
Lorali closed the book. “Is this a scam?” she asked.
“Pardon?” the store clerk asked.
“I didn’t learn the skill.”
“You didn’t read the book,” the clerk replied.
“I have to read it?”
Janet rubbed her eyes. Oh boy.
“Yes ma’am you have to read it,” the clerk said.
“Fine, thank you.” Lorali said and the bell chimed on their way out of the shop.
“Kids these days,” he said and looked at Janet as she walked back to the counter and sat the baskets down. “Ah, going to learn some alchemy?”
“Some of the very basics I think. I will need the skill book if you have it,” she said.
“I have it, here,” he said and took the book off the shelf behind him. “It’s also a gold.”
“I thought as much,” she replied.
“Your total came out to be 741 copper, or 7 silver and 41 copper, I can subtract that from what you have here.”
“Please do.”
He nodded his head. Then looked up at her. “You know most folks lower their hoods when they come into a shop. Because you are acting respectable I will assume you dont have a bounty on your head.”
“Ah, no sir,” she replied mumbled by her scarf around her lower face.
“Well I assume you want to do business with me seeing all this, so how about you show me your face this once, and I wont ask again in the future.” he was doing some math work in his ledger as he spoke.
She lowered her hood and the scarf as he looked back up at her. His quill stopped scratching the paper as he blinked at her. “You’re not as big as a full blooded orc,” he said and then went back to writing. “Half blood?”
“Yes.”
“I heard that orcs kill their male half blood offspring because they don’t want the blood diluted,” he said conversationally.
“I don’t know. All I know is that I have sisters, and my mother is an elf, and my father is the orc,” she replied. “I can’t even remember where the tribe is.”
“Well that’s an odd combination. As long as you don’t get yourself in a rage and destroy my store, I think we can be alright. Your total is 2 gold 22 silver and 9 copper.”
Janet handed over the coins, and took her items. The man placed his hand on hers.
“Hold on,” he said and then from under the counter pulled out several bundles of the small packets that the herb mixtures were in. “This is enough for five hundred doses.”
“How much?” she asked.
“A silver for all of it.”
She handed over the coin, and added them to her basket. “I’m Cagen.”
The man gave her a warn smile. “I am Jon Teal.”
“Pleasure to meet you mister Teal, have a good day,” she said and then left the shop. Under the awning she quickly stored everything into her inventory to go over later. Fang barked at her, and she leaned over and scratched him behind the ear. Her hood and scarf were back on.
The rest of the shopping was pretty mundane and uneventful. She went back to the general stores, and had to go into two of them to get herself a cooking set with spit, and a spade and bucket. Then it was to the clothing store. While she knew most medieval clothing was hand sewn and didnt have sizes, this was a bit more modern in those terms. Shelves with tunics in various sizes and between long sleeve and short sleeved. The colors were neutral tans, browns, creams and natural white. The pants were basically the same except not in white.
So she grabbed mostly shirts, since that was the thing that seemed to get destroyed the most.
Over all her clothing and the rest of her supplies cost her another gold and some change.
Back at the Tavern she flopped on the bed. “That was tiring,” she muttered into the pillow. But hey, she got herself a grooming and hygiene kit!