That wasn't the case with most huge massively multiplayer games, of course. There, the only loading happened when you entered areas that were separate from the one you were currently in. You could walk around a massive city, but only the important doors could be walked through. Only the important houses had interiors modeled. The rest were boarded up and cut off to you.
Eldin didn't feel like that.
I watched someone throw a package from a second-floor window down to someone on the street. A child ran into a corner bakery in one door, disappeared into the back, and reappeared in an alleyway next to it.
Eldin was a real living, breathing city. Either Everdark Entertainment had decided that the fidelity of the world was of the utmost importance, or, everything in Crematoria was important.
The weight of the parcels I carried in my arms was just as important as the dynamic vectors that the wind followed. Water dripping down from a broken awning was just as important as the coat that I was wearing. It seemed as though the illusion of reality was the most important thing in Crematoria Online.
If the illusion was good enough, was it really an illusion?
"What's your name?" I asked.
"Hugo," he replied. "Hugo Marinelli."
The name fit. He looked like a Hugo.
"Nice to meet you, Hugo Marinelli. When you're not hauling boxes across the city, what do you do?"
"I do a lot of things." He was being evasive, and his tone told me plain that he wanted me to stop this line of questioning. He seemed like the kind of guy that could be involved with any number of shady dealings.
"I don't mean to pry," I said. "It's just that I'm new in Eldin, and I don't know if I'm going to be looking for some odd jobs down the track. You seem like a man who knows his way around the city, if you get my meaning."
"I get your meaning, and you might be right. But I don't know you from an Al Akani demon-worshiper. I don't trust you, and I only give jobs to people I trust."
"Understood."
This wasn't going to be like any other game I had ever played. Most of the time, if someone was complex enough to be given some context-sensitive dialogue options and a modicum of character development, they had some purpose to serve the player. They would have been involved with a quest chain somewhere. I wondered whether Hugo was part of a quest chain that I hadn't discovered yet, which might currently be closed to me, or could Crematoria Online truly be this complex and nuanced?
We continued in silence.
The streets and the people that occupied them were simultaneously beautiful in their design, and ugly in their stark realness. People huddled together outside closed doors to speak in hushed voices. They looked furtively at us as we passed, then went back to whatever discussion they were having before.
A horse-drawn carriage trundled past. An unlit lantern hung from the driver's perch, swinging with the motion over the uneven cobblestone street. The curtains of the carriage were drawn shut, hiding the occupants from view.
Hugo didn't want to talk to me, the people were talking in hushed whispers, and people were traveling in secret. What was going on in Eldin that made people so afraid?
That's when I saw them. Standing at the intersection ahead of us were a band of soldiers wearing ornate plate armor wrought in shades of black and red.
Hugo looked back at me and hissed. "Don't look at them, boy."
"Why?" I asked. It was obvious that they were dangerous, but I didn't expect that I would be slaughtered in the street just for looking at them.
"They're the Emperor's Elite Guard," Hugo said. "I've heard talk of what they do to dissenters and miscreants. I've also heard word that it's nigh impossible to hurt them. Whatever you do, you don't want to attract their attention."
The shades of red and black on their armor matched the colors of the heraldry hanging from the palace's parapets. The guards' faces were covered in impassive helmets. The eye slits were so narrow that no features were discernible behind them.
We were walking on the opposite side of the street to the Elite Imperial Guards, and I hoped that we could pass without incident. The crowds seemed to thin out around them. People gave them a wide berth. I knew all too well that sometimes a reputation and a uniform was enough to irrevocably color perceptions.
Some folks leaned into those perceptions, and others tried to deny them. I saw one of the Elite Guards begin to cross the street towards us.
"You there!" the Elite Guard called out to us. "You there with the packages! Stop!"
Hugo stopped in his tracks. There was actual fear on the big man's face. He looked like the kind of guy that could flatten out pretty much anyone who dared to stand against him, but the Elite Guard had turned him into a compliant little puppy.
He whispered something at me, barely audible. "Do what they say. No matter what, you do what they say."
I swallowed nervously.
Hugo stood up straight, then addressed the approaching guard. "Hail, my good man!"
"What's in those packages?" the guard asked, but I could tell it wasn't really a question. It was an accusation.
"Supplies for Eir's Apothecary. We're on our way to Banshee Cross to deliver them."
"Open them and prove it. Who are you? And who is this? Do you both have a merchant's license?" the guard motioned to me with the bottom of his faceplate.
"I'm going to place these packages on the ground, okay?" Hugo asked.
"Do it," the Elite Guard commanded.
Hugo knelt to place the packages on the ground, then rose to his full height again. "I don't have a merchant's license myself, because I'm just the delivery guy. These supplies were sold by my boss, one Missus Talitha Sharpe, proprietor of Sharpe's Emporium. And him," Hugo pressed his thumb backward at me. "I don't even know him. Just bumped into him on the street, and he offered to help me out with my delivery in exchange for directions."
The Elite Guard switched his focus from Hugo to me. I could almost feel his gaze boring into me, and I wanted to shrink away. Make myself small. This guard could destroy me if he wanted to. I would probably respawn somewhere close by, but I had grown somewhat fond of Hugo despite his gruff manner.
"That's right," I confirmed. "I was in Hugo's way, and he bumped into me. I offered to help carry his packages because we're going the same way."
"Where were you headed?" the guard asked.
"To Banshee Cross."
"On what business?"
"Might I put these down?" I asked.
The guard nodded.
I placed the packages onto the sidewalk and reached into my pocket for the letter from Edwin E. Langdon.
"Hold there!" The guard had drawn his silver sword from its scabbard. "What are you reaching for?"
I stopped moving entirely, keeping my hand completely stationary in my pocket. I lived in a world where it was not just possible, but likely, to be shot by a police officer while minding your own business. It was stupid of me to just reach into my pocket. I needed to start applying the same real-world logic to Crematoria Online.
"I have a letter from Edwin E. Langdon inviting me to join his agency. It's in my pocket. But you should know, and before I say this, I want you to know that I am not threatening you. I am just stating a fact, so there is no misunderstanding. I am armed. My holster is strapped to my right hip. These are dangerous times, after all. What fool would not carry something to defend himself in a world like this? Please, disarm me if you wish."
The guard took a step forward and thrust a hand into my coat. He grabbed the handle of my gun and pulled it out of the holster. He held it up in front of his black and red-filigreed helmet and let forth a derisive chuckle.
"This little pea shooter couldn't shoot through a wet blanket," the Elite Guard said. "All right, then. Let us see the letter."
I slowly took my hand out of my pocket and held the envelope out to the Elite Guard. He took the letter out and unfolded it. I couldn't see his eyes within the helmet, but he was taking enough time with it that I c
ould only assume that he was reading it. After a few moments, he folded the letter up and stuffed it roughly back into the envelope. He turned it over one last time and matched the two sides of the broken seal together. He grunted, then handed the letter back to me.
"Story checks out," the guard said. "Now you're new in Eldin, but you're clearly from the Empire. Things are a little different here in the capital than they are out in the provinces. War is brewing, and we're on alert. You would do well to make sure you're serving the Empire's best interests. Those who do not support Emperor Erodwulf will soon find their heads removed from their shoulders."
I saw the color drain out of Hugo's face. He was clearly up to something that was on the wrong side of the law.
"May I ask a question?" I asked.
I figured this was the best chance I would have to get some information, and potentially find some more quests.
"You may," the guard replied.
"I have heard tales of Eldin. All of them are varied and terrible. Along with the invitation to Langdon's Specialist Investigations, I came here to do some good. Is there anything I can help the Empire with?"
The Elite Guard laughed.
"You hear the balls on this kid?" the guard said back to the other two guards flanking him. "The Imperial Guard have the streets of Eldin under control. You don't need to worry yourself about helping us." The Elite Guard considered for a moment. "However, in saying that, there are always people who are looking for help. We in the guard are busy looking after the safety of our people, so we can't always get involved with the matters we are petitioned with. If you're looking for work, you might want to report to the Imperial Garrison on the outskirts of the city."
The Elite Guard handed me back my flintlock pistol.
Text appeared at the bottom of my view.
Quest Available
Imperial Assistance
See the Garrison Master at the Eldin Garrison for work.
Then, it was followed by another two messages.
Your Negotiation skill has increased!
Your Interrogation skill has increased!
Well, that was great. I had been completely flying by the seat of my pants during the conversation, and I guess I had tried to negotiate with the guard. I also used that skill to find out more information than he had been initially willing to give. I hadn't even intended to try to increase my skills, but the game had kept a track of what I had done and applied it to my character development.
Awesome.
The more I used my skills, the better they would get.
"Thank you," I said. "I will, if time permits."
"Very well. Go about your business." The Elite Guard turned and headed back to the other side of the street.
Hugo and I picked up our packages and continued walking in direction of Banshee Cross.
I could tell that Hugo was bursting to say something, but I got the feeling that he didn't want to speak while the Elite Guards were still in earshot. We rounded a corner, and the street started to slant downward. Horse-drawn carts traveled along the street, overtaking us as we headed down in the valley of Banshee Cross.
Hugo walked very close to me. He spoke, but his voice was barely above a whisper.
"That was really smart, kid."
"What was?" I asked.
"Trying to get the Empire on side. I wouldn't have even thought of doing that with those ruttin' warmongers. You might have saved our hides back there."
"Well, I'm just trying to get by. As I said, I don't know anyone here in Eldin. I need to understand the landscape of the city if I'm going to make myself a new home here."
"Why did you move to Eldin? And don't say it's just because of the job. I can tell that ain't all."
"I'm looking for a new beginning. I've got a past that I'm not particularly fond of. That's all I'm willing to say about it right now."
"You've got a bit of a hidden dark side there, don't you?"
"I suppose that might be true," I said. I didn't want to give away too much, but I also didn't really want to lie to Hugo. He was beginning to open up to me.
"Good. I can use that. It's true what I said back there, you know. I do work for Talitha Sharpe, at Sharpe's Emporium. There ain't a thing in Crematoria that she can't get her hands on for the right price. She offers goods and services of the most exotic varieties. If you're really looking for a little side action, come to us. Missus Sharpe could use a man of your talents. Don't go to the Empire. You don't want to tangle with them. The Empire's about to fall, anyway. They just don't know it yet."
Quest Available
A Sharpe Invitation
See Hugo Marinelli at Sharpe's Emporium for a job.
"What makes you say that?" I asked.
"I know all kinds of people from all walks of life, and those who know what's really going on behind the seat of the Empire knows that it's just about ready to crumble."
Empires, Kings, and Lords were often stationary points of reference in massively multiplayer online games. They were fixed points that you either needed to make happy or needed to kill. Grand storylines often revolved around the rise and fall of empires, but they often brought times of great upheaval and unrest. They were the resolution, and cause of, great conflicts.
I didn't really know enough about the Empire here to know whether they were a force for good or a force for evil. I sure didn't appreciate being grilled in the street for walking down the sidewalk, but were overbearing enforcers enough to truly judge something as evil?
Did I really want to get involved with overthrowing an emperor on my first day in the game?
No.
"For now, the only thing I'm interested in is speaking with Mr. Langdon," I said.
"A wise choice," Hugo said. "But be warned, life in Eldin is expensive, and the type of work that you'll be doing isn't the kind that pays all that well. I know you'll be around to see me sooner than you probably think."
"Thank you for the offer," I said. "I'm sorry for bumping into your earlier. And sorry for getting off on the wrong foot. Thank you for being so kind to me."
Hugo snorted out of his nose. "I'm not being kind to you, kid. I look at you and I see a naive little lamb stepping onto the slaughterhouse floor and thinking it's an open field. You've got skills that I can use, and enough brains in your head to keep yourself alive. I want to use you for my own ends. That's all."
"Sounds like that's just about as kind as Eldin gets," I said.
"Now you're starting to understand. Oh, and remember not to stay out after dark unless you can stay hidden. The Emperor has a curfew, what with all the people going missing lately. Walking the streets at night is a sure way of getting tangled up with folks you should probably stay away from."
"People like you?" I asked. My tone was friendly.
Hugo smiled. "Right you are, kid. People like me."
The street began to flatten out. Tiered terrace houses seemed to rise around us on all sides. I hadn't been paying enough attention to just how far we'd descended into the valley. We had to be close to Banshee Cross.
"We're almost there, kid. This is my stop," Hugo said as we reached an intersection. He pointed off down the road to the right, which was lined with dilapidated buildings that looked like they were barely holding together. Ramshackle structures had been tied and nailed to the buildings. They stretched across the road, blocking all carriage traffic. It looked like the kind of neighborhood that I didn't want to be in at all.
"Where do I go from here?" I asked.
It was really messing with my head that I didn't have access to any kind of mini-map or a map screen that I could open. Every massively multiplayer game I had ever played had the facility to see maps of where you were, but no such function existed in Crematoria Online. I was stumbling forwards, relying on my own memory to navigate the world.
I needed help from a local, and Hugo would know where I needed to go.
"Where exactly was it that you had to go? Corner of..." he asked.
"Corner of... Um, let me check," I couldn't remember. I pulled the letter out of my pocket and unfolded it. "Corner of Constance and Barghest. It says I should look out for something called the Corrupted Ancient?"
"Oh, that's easy. You're already on Constance. Just keep heading that way." Hugo pointed straight ahead. "You'll see the Corrupted Ancient when you get closer. Barghest is one street beyond it."
"Thank you. Just one more question."
"Shoot."
"What is a Corrupted Ancient?"
Hugo laughed right in my face. "Kid, you're going to have to tell me where you're from one of these days. Yours is a story I need to hear."
"Maybe one day. But please, I don't know what a Corrupted Ancient is."
"All right. Back before there was anyone else on Crematoria, there were the Ancients. They were trees that could walk and talk, and it's said that the forests across our world are their children. This Ancient was brought into Eldin to bring the blessing of the forest into our walls. But instead, the Ancient was used for an ill purpose. It became corrupted by dark magic, and darker magic was used to burn it to ash. Its husk still sits there in the same place."
"Wow. Thank you."
"You're welcome. Now, I really must be going. I'm already late as it is. Eir will be waiting for this. I'm sure we'll meet again."
"I'm sure we will too," I said.
I handed Hugo back the packages that I had been carrying for him. He could have managed by himself this whole time, but I had a feeling that his ulterior motive was to test me out. To see if he could use me.
He headed down towards the shanty town. I turned away and headed further down Constance.
As I continued down on, I approached the edge of an alleyway. The subdued sounds of a terse conversation reached me, just in tone but not in content.
"No! Get away from me!" a feminine voice yelled.
Chapter Nine
Rise of the Crimson Order: A Crematoria Online LitRPG Novel Page 6
