Ding!
Welcome to New World Online!
Please select your character archetype.
Huxley turned away from the odd hologram floating in midair and scanned the dim room. Crates stacked from floor to ceiling, blocking sight lines and making him reach for a holster that wasn’t there. He froze.
The floor shifted, the wooden walls and crates groaned, and the only footsteps sounded like they came from the floor above. Incredible. Huxley looked down at his hands and clenched them, feeling his fingernails pressing into his palms. He took a deep breath, feeling his chest expand against the rough linen shirt he was wearing. The air smelled of tar, wood, and salt. This was a lot more than he expected and he spent a minute simply reveling in the sensations.
Huxley shifted his weight from one foot to another, pressing his thin boots into the damp splintery floor. He bent his knees and took a few careful steps, but there was no weakness, no instability. Just like riding a bike.
He eventually turned back to the floating message which had been following him around like some kind of informative airborne puppy.
Welcome to the New World!
Please select your character archetype.
Huxley rubbed his chin.
“Character archetype? What’s that supposed to be?”
To Huxley’s surprise, the text changed to answer his question.
Character Archetypes allow for players to specialize in different roles. They determine which equipment you start with and have a large impact on how your character and settlement will progress as you play. They include special skills and abilities unique to each archetype.
“Okay… What are my choices?”
The hologram split and multiplied, turning into hundreds of floating windows filled with pictures and information. He leaned in close to one, squinting.
“Why is the guy in this picture wearing a bath robe?” He wondered aloud, but the boxes didn’t answer him this time. They just kept floating there so Huxley scanned the information under the picture.
Archetype: Warlock
Starting Alignment: Evil
Starting Gear: Grimoire, Sacrificial Dagger, Bone Pendant, Cloth Armor
Unique Skill: Forbidden Magic - Novice Lv5
* Can identify evil-aligned creatures and items up to Lv5
* Evil monsters have a 50% chance of obeying you when summoned
* +25% potency and duration of curses you cast
Unique Ability: Sacrifice
* Sacrifice a living creature for a variety of effects
* Effects reduced by 50% when sacrificing one of your own citizens
Settlement Type: Cultist
* Can summon buildings for a blood price, ignoring the usual cost in raw materials
* +25% chance for a demon to take up residence within your domain each day
* -25% population growth rate within your domain
Huxley shrugged, unable to understand most of the information listed under the picture and went on to scan over the options, looking for one that wouldn’t kill him out of embarrassment alone.
There were all sorts of ridiculous costumes to pick from. There was the iconic knight in shining armor, way too shiny to ever work on a recon mission, and who wants to lug around all that weight anyways? There were endless varieties of men wearing ladies nightgowns and brandishing sticks or staves. Huxley would sooner go naked. There was even one wearing furry underwear, fur boots, and hefting comically oversized double bladed axes.
His eyes eventually landed on a picture of someone with at least a little sense. He crouched among a leafy background, his heavy green cloak making for decent camouflage. A broad axe head poked out from over one shoulder, but it didn’t look absurdly heavy. This should work nicely. Huxley scanned the information below the picture.
Archetype: Woodsman
Starting Alignment: Neutral
Starting Gear: Felling Axe, Skinning Knife, Short Bow, wooden arrow x5, cloth armor
Unique Skill: Woodcraft - Novice Lv5
* Can identify woodland plants and animals up to level 5
* Can preserve 50% of a plant’s effects when harvesting
* +25% Potency of any plants you cultivate
Unique Ability: Forest Walk
* Ignore movement penalty in forests
* +50% stealth modifier in forests
Settlement type: Rustic
* Can replace stone requirements for buildings with lumber
* +25% growth rate of plants and animals in your domain
* -25% speed of metalworking in your domain
“Yup, I still don’t understand most of this crap. It probably doesn’t matter.” He muttered.
Huxley pointed at the hologram with the Woodsman’s information.
“I’ll take this one.”
Would you like to become a Woodsman?
Warning: This decision is permanent.
Yes / No
“Sure.”
Congratulations! You have chosen your Archetype: Woodsman
Woodsman: This archetype is most at home in woodlands. They can hunt small game and know which plants are safe to eat. A woodsman will never go hungry when surrounded by nature. Pathfinders and experts of camouflage, woodsmen can move quickly through dense woodland while avoiding the attention of large predators and dangerous beasts. While not fighters by trade, woodsmen are still capable of dealing savage blows with their large felling axes at need.
Please claim your starting gear and proceed up the ladder.
Scanning the hold again, Huxley spotted a ladder that definitely wasn’t there before. He narrowed my eyes at it before turning to the sparkling crate which had slid out from among the others. It floated towards him and he took up a defensive posture, but the box stopped moving a few feet away.
The lid cracked open and brilliant white light spilled out from within. Hux threw himself to the deck and covered his head. A few seconds later, he picked himself up and inspected the box. The lid was fully open and an even light shone on its contents, though the hold itself was still dim.
Huxley reached in and pulled out a neatly folded cloak. The cloth was nice and thick, and when he wrapped it around his shoulders, fastening it with a clasp shaped like an acorn, another message appeared.
You have equipped: Rugged Cloak
Defense: 3
Durability: 60/60
Special Effect: +5 concealment in forest and jungle terrain
Next he took out the short bow and a pouch of strings. The small bow was easy to bend, and once Huxley strung it, another notification popped up.
You have equipped: Short Bow
Attack: 4-6
Durability: 20/20
Hux removed the string and slid the bow back into its place next to the quiver, slinging the small flat deerskin sleeve over his back.
You have equipped: Small Quiver
Capacity: 10 arrows
Durability: 25/25
Contains:
Wooden arrow x5
Attack: 1
Durability: 5
Next was a small steel blade with a wooden handle. It came with a leather sheath which Huxley tied to his belt, securing it behind his back so it would be out of the way but still easy to grab at a moment's notice.
You have equipped: Skinning Knife
Attack: 1-3
Durability: 25
Special Effect: Grants +5 effective levels to the Skinning skill
Skinning: Novice Lv-5(0%)
You can harvest the hide of creatures level 5 and below
You can preserve 50% of a hide’s durability when skinning
Lastly, Hux lifted a heavy axe from the bottom of the crate. It had heft to it, and while unwieldy, it had good reach. A leather loop extended from the back of the axehead and Huxley slid it up an arm and over a shoulder.
You have equipped: Felling Axe
Attack: 18-24
Durability: 140
Special Effect: Grants +5 effective levels to the Felling skill
Felling: Novice Lv-5
(0%)
You can harvest lumber from trees level 5 and below
You deal +50% damage against wooden targets
Ignoring the annoying notifications, Huxley made for the ladder. It went up through a hatch in the ceiling, and when he pushed that open, he found the deck of a large wooden ship already crowded with people wearing the ridiculous costumes he had seen among the archetype options.
“I challenge you to a duel!” shouted a nearby player, striking a pose with one hand on his hip and the other pointing right at Hux. He didn’t even wait for Hux to get fully out of the hatch. With a longsword sheathed across his back, a kiteshield strapped to one arm, and iron plates of armor covering him from head to toe, he was almost impressive, but the posturing was ruined when his voice cracked halfway through the challenge.
You have been challenged to a duel by Sir Lots-O-Lance!
This challenge was initiated using the Knight archetype’s ability: Duel of Honor
If you accept the duel, the victor will be awarded 50 fame points from the loser’s total
If you refuse the duel your fame will be reduced by 10 points
Huxley gave the armored brat a once over, then he grinned. It was time to give his new fake body a test drive.
“I accept.”
Challenge accepted!
Duel commencing in 5 seconds
A shimmering golden barrier expanded between them, pushing everyone else back until they stood in an open arena about ten meters across. The teen’s eyes widened, then he grinned back.
“Big mistake old man. I’m gonna take you apart.”
The barrier caught the attention of nearby players and the duelists had a pretty big crowd watching when the knight reached over his shoulder and tried to remove his longsword from its sheath.
Huxley let his axe drop off of his shoulder and caught it in one hand, giving the teen a well practiced look of disdain.
“Lesson one maggot.”
Hux raised his axe as the countdown reached zero.
“Never put your weapon out of reach.”
The kid was still struggling, one arm fully extended, trying to clear the tip of his longsword from the last few inches of its sheath when Hux stepped in to attack. The knight raised his shield to block a heavy overhand swing from Huxley’s axe, blocking his view at the same time, so Hux let go with one hand at the last minute, grabbed his skinning knife and rammed it into the knight’s unprotected armpit.
He yelped and leapt back, stumbling from the weight of his armor.
You strike Sir Lots-O-Lance for 2 damage!
Vulnerable area hit: x5 damage dealt!
Major arteries severed: +5 bleeding damage per second for 10 seconds
Total Damage: 10 (+50)
Huxley tried to ignore the notification and taunted the teen to keep him from thinking straight.
“Or maybe lesson one was all war is based in deception. I can never remember. I am getting old after all.”
“The hell?” he whined “How does that little knife do more damage than my sword?”
“You don’t have to cut someone in half to kill them. A knife in the right place is more efficient, and armor doesn’t do you any good if I can get around it.”
Hux lunged at him again, knife angling for the slit in his iron visor. The knight lashed out with his shield which Hux easily avoided. Huxley continued prodding his defences, which were considerable now that he wasn’t exposing a big gap in his armor. That armor slowed him down however, and it would tire him out quickly. After Hux dropped his axe to lighten his load, it was easy to bait the knight into overreacting to his feints.
“Come on, you’ll never catch me like that Sir leadfoot. I’ve met nuns with more fight than you. No, don’t overextend like that, it will let me do this.”
The kid’s last swipe unbalanced him, making him spin around. Huxley kicked at the back of his knee and he went down like a sack of cowbells. His sword finally slid free of its sheath when he fell. He snatched it off the ground and struggled to his feet, huffing and winded already.
“You’re screwed now!” He crowed.
Huxley laughed and he charged. It was child's play to sidestep his telegraphed overhead chop, catching the kid by the wrist, twisting and guiding it with a light touch. Huxley stepped in close and executed an old standard takedown sequence pretty well for being so out of practice. The series of light taps unbalanced the teen and sent him to his knees while his sword clattered to the deck. Hux pressed down on his shoulder and pulled up on his captured wrist.
“Ahhh, ow ow ow. What are you doing?” The teen whined.
“I’m just finishing what you started.” He answered calmly before cinching the hold and sinking his knife into the knight’s exposed armpit a few times in rapid succession before throwing him to the ground with his hip.
The kid tried to struggle back to his feet, but the bloodloss beat him to it. He fell onto his face and then his body just blew away, dispersing like it was made from smoke all along.
Gong!
You have won your first duel!
You have earned the title: Undefeated Duelist
You can issue challenges to opponents at or above your character level
There is no penalty for refusing your challenges
You can ignore challenges from foes you have already defeated without penalty
Reputation gains from dueling are doubled
This title will be replaced with the “Duelist” title when you lose a duel
You have gained 100 Fame points!
You have advanced from Faceless (-99 to +99 fame) to Footnote (+100 to +499 fame)
The shimmering wall faded away and Hux looked out over the other players for a moment before they attacked all at once.
“How did you do that?”
“That was so boss!”
“Can you teach me that kung-fu-grip thing you did?”
“What kind of knife is that?”
The mob closed in with a hundred questions and Huxley wasn’t ready for all the attention after so long in isolation. Thankfully, he was saved from the swarm of ravenous gamers when one of the sailors shouted from high above.
“Land ho!” He cried before beating his bell for all it was worth. The players looked around, a buzz of excitement filling the air as they peered into the fog surrounding the huge ship. There were vague silhouettes, other ships, creeping silently along, but ahead, a wall loomed out of the mist and the ship veered to the side to avoid crashing into the cliffs. Huxley craned his neck back, looking up at the sheer wall that disappeared into the mist. The players’ muttering died down when an officious man in purple robes trimmed with gold stepped up to the stage at the back of the ship and cleared his throat. He had an impressive gut, wispy white hair, and gold rimmed spectacles.
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
“Brave pioneers,” He began, “we stand at the very frontier of the known world. I tip my hat to all of you who have gathered to face the unknown. These New Lands may become the finest jewel in the Empress's crown, but it will take time, dedication, sweat, and blood before they will be worthy of that place of pride. The future lies in your hands. Shape it as you will but be prepared to reap what you sow. I hereby grant each of you the right to claim and settle 10 acres of land and task you with developing this new frontier for the glory and the might of the empire!”
Everyone cheered at that, quickly forgetting the duel as the game was about to start in earnest. The ship passed through a break in the cliffs, into a wide valley with steep walls that turned to sheer cliffs further up. A man-made harbor lined the waterfront, though it was clearly abandoned.
Creeping vines liberally coated every building that was still standing. Only the massive stone blocks used in their construction let any of them survive at all. Tiers and tiers of buildings rose behind the waterfront until the homes became little more than carvings set into the cliff-face itself.
As the ship drew closer to the weathered stone docks, a few players with scouting-focused archetypes exclaimed in disgust. When it got close enough so that even Huxley could make out the rats he agreed with them. They were everywhere. Every shadow, nook, and cranny seemed to be occupied with whiskers and wormy tails. The officious NPC got the players’ attention again.
“As expected, our landing site is inhospitable. Your first mission as pioneers will be to clear out this harbor and make it safe for all of the settlers and supplies which will soon arrive.”
He finished speaking just as the ship slid up to the dock. Dozens of other ships slid up to other slips along the waterfront at the same time.
You have received a quest!
Clear the ancient harbor of it’s rat infestation.
Rewards vary based on contribution.
“No thank you.” Hux muttered as gangplanks banged down onto the pier and players began charging down them. They could play rat catcher if they wanted, but he wasn’t interested.
Player: Pauline is attempting to contact you.
Accept / Ignore
After a few seconds Huxley decided to accept the call.
“Hiya!” an excruciatingly perky voice piped into his ear.
“Pauline Tory here. I hope you don’t mind but I got your contact information from Nurse Grace, such a wonderful woman. Anyhow, I was thinking that it might be nice if everyone who took Mr Bennet’s offer got together. It could be a lot more fun to play as a group. What do you say?”
“No.”
A tittering laugh came through the comms.
“Bless your heart. Gracie did say that you were as prickly as a cactus. If you ever change your mind, or just want someone to talk with, give me a call.”
Friend request from: Pauline
Accept / Ignore
“Friend request? Pauline, I don’t even know you.”
She tittered again.
“Where on earth did they dig up a fossil like you? A friend request in a game is basically the same thing as exchanging business cards back out in the real world.”
“Oh, alright then.”
Friend request accepted!
Player: Pauline
Archetype: Paladin-Lv1
Zone: The Ancient Harbor
Status: Online
“Ooh, a woodsman. Interesting choice. I’m going to try and contact the others now, but remember, you can call me anytime.”
Call ended
Huxley thought that she seemed pretty nice, and there was something about her southern twang and open manner that made him feel comfortable, like a good pair of socks. Maybe he would take her up on her offer, eventually, but for now all he wanted to do was stretch his legs. Hux headed down the gangplank to the stone pier where players were duking it out with swarms of rats.
They smashed swords into the stone ground, missing more often than not. They shattered arrows on stone walls and only rarely hit one of the little forms, though they were so tightly packed together that you couldn’t even see the ground in places.
Huxley jogged past, enjoying the feeling of each jarring impact starting in his heels, running up his shins and shaking his knees. The rats didn’t bother him so long as he kept to the relatively uninfested open area in the middle of the broad streets.
One warrior wearing chainmail and a horned helmet charged a closed door with his shoulder. The ancient wood disintegrated, turning into dust, and the warrior stumbled at the lack of expected resistance. He went to the ground and was immediately swarmed by rats. In seconds, he was completely covered and despite his best flailing, rolling, and screaming, he died quickly, puffing away as smoke.
This was supposed to be fun?
One of the people wearing robes stepped forward and raised a staff. A gout of flame burst from its tip like it was a flamethrower, roasting the clustered rats and filling the air with the nauseating smell of burnt hair. The place was quickly descending into pandemonium as people actually started fighting over who would get to play medieval exterminator, so Huxley just kept on jogging.
He made his way through the ancient streets, wending around piles of rubble that formed wherever the vines managed to pull a building apart. The rats were content to scamper out of his way so long as Hux didn’t chase them into a corner apparently, and that was just fine as far as he was concerned.
Huxley was starting to get into the rhythm when a trio of knives sank into him from chest to thigh. Another pair of knives skittered off of the stone pavers behind him. A quick spark of pain, almost like a static shock flared in time with three damage notifications.
You take 8 damage from SlayerX!
(-3 from armor)
You take 10 damage from PwnedUGood!
(-3 from armor)
You take 8 damage from BanditoBill!
(-3 from armor)
HP: 83/100
Huxley ignored the annoying messages and the insignificant pain, paying more attention to the five cowled figures who shimmered into view ahead of him, already preparing another volley of throwing knives. He only wasted an instant wondering how he managed to miss seeing them until now. There were two on the roof to the left, two more just inside the shadowy alley to the right, and one behind a pile of rubble a little further up the road.
You have been waylaid by PwnedUGood!
This is a special action of the Thief archetype
If you are killed by PwnedUGood or his party members in the next 10 minutes, you have a 50% chance to drop one equipped item at random.
Four more nearly identical notifications flashed through my view in the next instant, increasing the effects each time until:
You have been waylaid by ReapersScythe!
This is a special action of the Thief archetype.
If you are killed by ReapersScythe or his party members in the next 50 minutes, you are guaranteed to drop two equipped items at random and have a 50% chance to drop a third equipped item at random.
Amazingly, all of this happened in the span of a heartbeat. The notifications flashed by in an eyeblink but Huxley had no trouble internalizing the information. That didn’t mean he understood it all, but he got the gist that these thieves wanted to throw down.
Before they launched their next volley of sooty-black knives, his mind ran through a dozen possible responses, selected one, and committed fully to it.
Untrained enemies with a range advantage. No safe cover nearby. Close the distance, retake the initiative, intimidate, isolate, and overwhelm.
Huxley charged forward, howling a battle cry. This tactic would never work against a disciplined line of riflemen, but you fight the enemy in front of you, not the one you’re used to. The two thieves in the alley cocked their arms back, and when they snapped them down again Hux kicked off hard to his left, dodging right. The knives clattered off of the pavers behind him and he immediately dodged the other direction, avoiding the knife from the thief in the rubble. The two from the roof loosed a moment later and he ducked one but took the other in his shoulder.
You take 9 damage from ReapersScythe!
(-3 from armor)
HP: 77/100
Hux wished those damn things wouldn’t keep flashing in his eyes in the middle of a fight. The thieves hurriedly pulled another knife from their sheathes and Hux could see more in reserve.
Closing the distance also meant that it was much harder to dodge the next volley. Instead of trying, Hux barreled forward, resigned to take some hits as he built up momentum. Fortunately, the thieves were feeling the pressure and most of them threw wide. Only two managed to hit him when he was moving at full tilt.
You take 7 damage from PwnedUGood!
(-3 from armor)
You take 10 damage from BanditoBill
(-3 from armor)
HP: 66/100
Huxley was bristling with knives by the time he made it to the thieves in the alley, but they didn’t hamper his movements like real wounds would and they barely stung at all. Instead of punctured lungs and debilitating pain, he was still practically at peak combat effectiveness. Hux let a little of the crazy out through his eyes and the theives flinched.
To their credit, they drew larger serrated knives at the last second, but they stood like their feet were stuck in cement. They didn’t even try to split up or get out of the mouth of the alley.
Holding his axe sideways and not even using the blade, Huxley plowed straight through the thieves at the mouth of an alley with a classic cross-check, bowling them over, knocking them back into the alley, and separating them from their allies. They smashed through some rotten crates and rats immediately poured out of the rotten piles of wood, shrieking and biting. One of them did manage to get me with his knife though.
You take 13 damage from BanditoBill!
(-3 from armor)
Serrated knife inflicts bleed: -1 hp per second for 5 seconds
HP: 56/100
Hux repaid the favor by delivering one heavy overhead chop after another.
You strike BanditoBill for 16 base damage
BanditoBill is prone: x2 damage dealt!
Total Damage: 32
Hux alternated between them until they puffed away into smoke along with a few of the knives that were still sticking out of his chest. Even though it felt fine just seconds before, Huxley’s chest started burning and he doubled over, one hand against a wall, heaving for breath. His legs even started trembling. He couldn’t help but wonder if his real-life injuries interfering with the game after all.
The thief from the rubble finally managed to get past his cover to the entrance of the alley and pointless questions faded from Huxley’s mind. The thief immediately threw a knife and Hux hit the deck on instinct, collapsing to the ground in an undignified flop. The knife sailed over him and into the mob of rats, pinning one to the ground which died with a pitiful squeak. The rest turned on him as one, streaming over Hux in a furry mass without pausing for even one bite. That was pretty weird behavior for rats, but Huxley wasn’t about to complain.
The thief ran back into the street, drawing his serrated knife. The rats could only bite at his toes while he was on his feet and he did a respectable job of defending himself, backpedaling and keeping himself from getting surrounded.
Hux pulled a knife out of his shoulder, intending to return it to sender but it slipped from his fingers and clattered to the ground. The same thing happened with another knife so he abandoned that idea and peeked around the corner. The two on the roof hadn’t moved. They saw Hux and made rude gestures but didn’t waste any knives.
“Hey, guys! Get down here and help me!” The thief on the ground said.
“No way Slayer. Why don’t you show us some of those leet skills you were bragging about? You pulled those rats, so you can deal with them.”
Huxley listened to them laugh at their teammate while he caught my breath again. That sudden bout of weakness was odd and it stopped his momentum dead, but it went away as quickly as it came on and he felt fine once again, even those little pinches that were supposed to simulate knife wounds faded after about ten seconds.
This distraction might be a chance to slip away though. Hux looked down the alley for an escape route. That collapsed wall looked promising. As he approached however, several rats scampered out of the rubble at its base, retreating inside the building which suddenly rustled with the scratching of a hundred tiny little feet.
Screw that, Hux thought. This is supposed to be a game right? I’m not about to spend it slogging through some filthy rat's nest. If these punks want to play, I’ll play.
Just as Slayer was finishing off the last of his rats, Huxley dashed into his blindspot. Slayer mistook his friends' warnings for more jeering and didn’t notice Hux until he took the thief's knife hand and deftly disarmed him. Like the throwing knives, the larger combat knife slipped through his fingers like it was covered in engine oil, but nothing stopped Hux from putting the thief in a chokehold that kept his body between Hux and the last two thieves as he backed up the street. He didn’t pass out like he was supposed to, but he couldn’t break free either.
Now the thieves on the roof would have to choose between letting Hux get away, or abandoning their defensive position to keep fighting. They didn’t seem to care about his hostage’s survival, but they didn’t throw any knives either. They also didn’t seem all that eager to follow Hux now that they were the only ones left, in fact, they only seemed interested in hurling insults at Slayer for getting captured so easily.
It was just starting to look like Hux would get away when a cluster of about 30 players rounded a corner. A woman in chainmail and an open faced helm stepped forward.
“Line up!” She commanded and a dozen archers formed a line at the front of the group.
“Loose!” she shouted, pointing at the rooftop where the thieves were just noticing the new group’s arrival. Bows twanged and arrows blurred, burying themselves in the theives, hitting with enough force to send one stumbling over the edge. He puffed into smoke when he hit the ground, the other one didn’t survive the next volley.
Teams of warriors began methodically breaching the buildings on either side of the street, showing much more coordination than Hux saw with any of the other players so far. This group seemed to know what they were doing.
Huxley grinned and waved to the newcomers, about to thank them for their help when the archers shifted their aim to him.
“For fucks sake.” Hux grumbled as a wave of arrows streaked towards him and he tightened his grip on his human shield.
Three of the arrows missed entirely at this distance and Slayer blocked the first six that hit, but then he puffed away into smoke that did nothing to stop the next three.
You take 12 damage from KillShot!
(-3 from armor)
You take 13 damage from EagleEye!
(-3 from armor)
You take 12 damage from Lego-Lass!
(-3 from armor)
HP: 23/100
“Shit” Huxley grunted, dashing towards the line of archers. They were too far away to reach, and he didn’t have any illusions about his chances against 30 to 1 odds, but he was just able to slide behind the pile of rubble between him and the archers before the next volley of arrows arrived, clattering against the stones almost like a burst of gunfire.
“Hold your fire!” he shouted. “I’m not with those thieves!”
“You are trespassing in the territory of the Golden Gryffon guild. Pay the toll or pay the price!”
“Pay with what?” he shouted back. They answered by sending a volley of arrows arcing high into the air so they rained down all around him. One caught Hux in the chest.
You take 12 damage from KillShot
(-3 from armor)
HP: 14/100
What the hell is wrong with kids these days? At least the arrows barely hurt. What should have been a deadly set of wounds only inconvenienced him. Still, Hux didn’t want to stick around and become a pin cushion. Not that he had much of a choice. The narrow alleys and decrepit buildings in this part of the harbor were crawling with rats and if he ran down this straight open street, the archers would just shoot him in the back.
“I want to leave. Stop shooting at me and I will!”
“Hand over all your loot and we might let you!” They shouted back.
“Loot? What are you, pirates or something?”
Their answer consisted of another volley and one of the arrows found his leg.
You take 13 damage from Lego-Lass
(-3 from armor)
HP: 4/100
Considering that his HP decreased each time I got hit, Huxley could guess what would happen if it got down to zero. Still, he wasn’t about to let himself go out cowering in the rubble.
Just as he was about to stand up and stare down his firing squad in an act of futile defiance, a roar and a crash broke out. Huxley peeked up from his arrow-strewn hidey-hole. Another large group had beset the Golden Gryphons from behind, using their focus on Hux as a distraction to get into position.
Warriors swarmed the archers, and the Golden Gryphons in the buildings had a hard time disengaging with the rats to respond to this new threat. In fact, the new group dedicated warriors in heavy armor to each entrance, trapping the gryphons inside while their bathrobe-wearing members poured napalm through the windows.
Huxley never thought he’d be grateful to be bait, but the clash had the archer’s focus for the time being and he high-tailed it up the road.
Hux quickly left the sounds of battle behind, and he had no intention of getting drawn into more combat. If he could just get out of the harbor he could probably leave most of these crazy players behind.
He advanced more carefully from then on, and while he didn’t meet any more thieves, Huxley did have to skirt around a few more of those large groups waging open battle in the streets. While they were more disciplined in general, they tended to focus completely on the fight at hand, devoting no scouts to watch their flanks or rear in most cases.
Huxley did his best to avoid them, and it wasn’t all that hard. With so many people walking around in heavy armor they might as well have been constantly ringing alarm bells even when they weren’t in combat. When he eventually made it to a collapsed gatehouse at the entrance to the canyon housing the harbor, he clambered over the large stones, finally saw the outside world, and breathed a sigh of relief.
The greyscale of stone and dusty vines gave way to a vibrant field of flowers stretching for miles. The field encircled an enormous lake, glittering in the morning sun. It was fed by five separate tributaries which wound lazily around the verdant rolling hills on the far side of the lake. To the south, the hills flattened out, giving way to amber plains. Directly ahead, an old-growth forest dominated the rising hills. To the north, more forest and hills dominated the middle-distance, but hazy mountains seemed to almost float over the horizon in that direction as well. Huxley’s view was broken by a notification. he crouched and whipped his head around, expecting another attack, but it was good news this time.
Congratulations!
You are the first Pioneer to venture beyond the Ancient Harbor!
You have been granted the title: Explorer I
(+1% movement speed, +1 perception)
Discover more locations to advance your Explorer title
+100 Fame points
(current reputation: Footnote: +200)
Would you like to name this region?
Naming the region will generate a server-wide message crediting you with the discovery.
“Hell no!” Huxley shouted. Judging from what he’d seen of the other players so far, the last thing he wanted was to announce his presence. Even so, a blare of trumpets burst out as a new notification popped up.
An anonymous pioneer has discovered “The Empress’ Eye”
This lake, like the wisdom of the empress, has depths yet unfathomed by mere mortal minds. Ideally situated, this region on the doorstep of the new land is sure to become a prosperous trading hub in the future. Build docks and warehouses. Prepare to receive the bounty that will flow through this lake, and prepare to defend it from brigands. The Empress is watching, do her proud.
Huxley smirked. Give a bureaucrat a chance to speak publicly and they kiss up to their boss. This game really was realistic. Several cheers broke out from the dark streets behind him after the notification appeared and Huxley decided to keep moving. He charted a course from the top of the pile of rubble before climbing down and setting off at an easy jog.
Meanwhile, back on the ships, a very upset Knight respawned, his one hour lockout period finally expiring. Sir Lots-O-Lance climbed out of the hold and was immediately berated by his brothers for not even making it to the rendevous point. They kicked him out of their guild, telling him that they didn’t have room for people who didn’t take it seriously.
Embarrassed and angry, he reread his notification, a slow smile curling his lips. He’d show his brothers what he was made of, and he’d make them regret kicking him out of their guild.
You have lost a duel without dealing any damage!
Fame loss is doubled: -100 Fame points
You have fallen from Faceless (-99 to +99) to Disreputable (-499 to -100)
You have unlocked the hidden archetype: Dark Knight
Alignment: Evil
Unique skill: Vengeance
+50% damage against mortal enemies
(You can select an additional mortal enemy every 5 character levels)
You can sense the direction and distance of mortal enemies once per day
Unique ability: Intimidation Aura
Decrease all attributes of nearby enemies by 1% of your infamy
(this value cannot exceed your character level)
Slaying neutral or good Pioneers or Settlers grants +50% infamy
Settlement type: Outlaw
You can capture slaves when raiding settlements
+25% infamy when raiding settlements
(doubled when raiding the settlements of mortal enemies)
-25% to hygiene, agriculture, and industry in your settlement
First mortal enemy
Hux
Level-0
Woodsman
Would you like to change your archetype to Dark Knight?