by Galen Wolf
In fact, I had spent many hours playing war games where I built up an economy and raised troops to fight my enemies. I liked to think that I was quite good at it. I knew that the Greenwood had this level of play as well as the role-playing and PVP that I normally engaged in, but as I hadn't really mastered my own character, I hadn't even thought about playing at this strategic level.
"We've even named it for you, Barcud," Ahn said. "We want to call it Pennred which is Celtic for 'chief ford'."
I was interested. It would be a challenge, but it could be fun. "So, when do we start building this village?"
Ahn fixed me with his dark eyes. "Soon. I want you to read up as much as you can about how to set up settlements to develop their economy and start to raise troops and fortifications. Then you and I will go to the site and under my tuition we will found the village." He cocked his head. "How long do you think you need to read up?"
I shrugged. "I've never played this level of strategic play in the Greenwood, but the mechanics of it sound like other games I’ve played. I don't know. A day? Two days? Then we can start out, trial and error."
"There hadn't better be any errors," muttered Astral Bob.
Parzifal smiled. "Let's make it a day." He checked with Ahn, who nodded.
"And in the meantime," Parzifal said. "We will watch and wait and get ready, and I will continue to tell my fellow ministers in Vinab of the dangers of Horrabia. Then when they threaten the little Rangers’ Guild, as they inevitably will, we will start to mobilize ourselves in your defense."
"And I," Astral Bob said, "will use my sources to find out as much as possible of the Horrabian plans."
Ahn stood. "Okay, let's get back to the party. I bet Rohan is still going strong."
I had a sudden thought. "And what about the druids? Won't they be in the way of the Horrabia forces if they decide to attack Vinab? Will the Horrabians let them be, being pacifists and all?"
Ajora looked at me. "Your gentle heart never ceases to amaze me."
"Really?"
"No. Of course they'll attack them. They don't give a shit about pacifism."
Parzifal nodded. "Horrabia will almost certainly strike at Avalon. There are too many resources here, and it isn't out of their way if they advance south-east to Vinab. But you're right. The problem is the druids will not fight. And that is their tragedy."
We strolled through the starlit woodlands until we came to the party glade where the fire show was still going on. As soon as I stepped into the clearing and saw the fireworks, and my XP bar started to slowly rise. I glanced around. There was still no sign of Elfhair but I had given up on her coming. Perhaps she hadn’t logged in tonight.
Achilles stood when he saw us enter the glade. There was a look of concern on his face. I could tell that there was something wrong.
"What's the matter?" Ajora said.
Achilles spoke to Ajora but was staring straight at me. "They've got Elfhair."
"What? Who's got Elfhair?" I said.
"Loki and Attila captured her near the Old Stone Cross when she was on her way here. They took her to Horrabia and they've stripped and killed her repeatedly. They've reduced all her levels so that she is now a Level 1 again."
"The bastards!" I spat the words. How I hated Loki. I'd hated him from the first time I met him when he stripped and killed me. And now he'd done this to Elfhair. I knew he harbored a particular dislike for Elfhair since she rebuffed his advances years ago. But to do this to anyone. To wipe off months if not years of gaming to get the XP and gear.
As if reading my thoughts, Ahn said. "Loki is quite capable of this on his own and he would be stung because of Elfhair's part in our raid on their Royal Palace, but I'm sure that Attila has egged him on. Don't forget, Loki will want to prove his loyalty to Attila and that he's equally as cruel as that evil son of a gun."
I grabbed Achilles by the arm. "How do you know this?"
He sighed. "She sent me a dove."
In the Greenwood, personal messages were delivered from player to player by fluttering white doves. "She says she's going to quit. She's had enough of this game and the wickedness of bastards like Loki and Attila."
I felt sick with anxiety and loss. She couldn't quit - not because of these pigs. I was devastated, heartbroken and angry at the same time.
Ajora said, "I know her well. Elfhair won't quit. She's got more backbone than that. She's bitter now but that will pass. And it doesn't matter they've taken all the stuff and driven her down the levels. We'll help her level up again. We'll provide her with new gear. And together we'll face Loki and Attila."
Parzifal looked at me. "The only way we will permanently get the upper hand on these people is to take our armies to their city walls and burn their city and all its resources to the ground. We will give them no place to hide. There will be no secure storerooms they can go hiding in because our armies will destroy them. We will root them out and finish them. And this begins with you, Barcud."
And I knew then, I had to do it. For my Guild, for Elfhair and so that people like the druids and Rohan could just come to this game and enjoy themselves and not be harassed by psychopath griefers like Loki.
I turned to Ahn. "Let's found the village tomorrow. Let's begin the war."
Level 10 Recap
Race: Elf
Profession: Ranger
Hp 135, 70 mana
Saves: Dodge 17, Toughness 12, Willpower 2.
STR - 9
DEX - 22
INT - 10
CON - 16
WIS - 8
CHA - 8
Skills
Poisons:
Clamb 1-10 health damage.
Toadflax - Hallucinogen. Willpower save. Lions Mane Cures.
Blacktip - death after 5 seconds. Toughness Saves. Athillias Cures.
Coech - causes Blindness: Toughness Saves. Athillias Cures.
Jara - causes amnesia. Willpower Saves. Liquorice Root cures.
Marath - reduces willpower save by 10.
Lallo - causes 300-500 health damage. Will reduce an enemy to zero but not kill.
Riddlewort - causes asthma—cannot smoke curing pipes—. Toughness saves. Athillias cures
Amal - reduces dodge save by 10.
Mandrax - causes sleep. Willpower saves.
Harlequin - makes victim dance. Willpower saves. Liquorice Root cures.
Moel - causes baldness. No save. Athillias cures
Stryk - breaks legs, first left then right. Toughness saves. Athillias cures.
Uckneen - reduces toughness save by 10
Reka - breaks arms, first let then right. Toughness saves. Athillias cures.
Quirro - victim obeys one order per dose. Willpower saves.
Xarax - causes dumbness. Toughness saves. Cinnamon cures.
Pan - causes weapon phobia. Willpower save. Lion's Mane cures.
Tinnis - causes deafness. Toughness saves. Cinnamon cures.
Aconite - causes shapeshifters to change back to human form. Willpower saves.
Slug - reduces Charisma by 10.
Death Cap - death in 5 seconds. Sky Balsam cures. Toughness save at -10 penalty
Double Venom: apply two poisons per stab or arrow.
Stealth:
Hide. Hide from an enemy while not moving. Calculated as Level + DEX bonus + 1d6—1-6 chance roll—+ miscellaneous bonuses from gear—. Currently 26 + 1-6
Spot—Level + WIS bonus + 1d6+ miscellaneous bonuses from gear, if any—Hide rolls against enemy Spot skill. Currently 15 + 1-6
Sneak - allows use of Hide skill while moving.
Blend - cause mobs and PCs to do a sudden spot check. If they fail they lose sight of the user. Broken on moving. Does not work in brightly lit surroundings
Improved Spot - + 5 to spot skill
Improved Hiding + 5 to hide skill
Trueblend - now use Blend in lit areas
Trackless - Impossible to track.
Flip - flip 10 feet away and become invisible for 1
second per level.
Light on Your Feet - take only half damage from a fall.
Roll - roll out of a pit trap, or net.
Squeeze - squeeze through a narrow opening.
Disguise - disguise oneself as an NPC.
Tree - disguise yourself as a tree
Vanish - Complete invisibility and soundlessness for 1 sec per level.
Stone - disguise yourself as stone
Water - disguise yourself as water
Cripple - attack from hiding to cripple an opponent's movement by half.
Air - disguise yourself as air, broken on movement.
Unmask - remove illusions such as invisibility or disguise from an opponent.
Ranger Skills:
Camouflage, which adds 2 per level to my Hide roll in wilderness areas, and
Blowpipe - blowpipe poisons without breaking stealth in forest areas. 0.5 sec cool down.
Climb Trees - climb marked ranger trees into the canopy.
Tracking - track individuals who have passed by a location - sensitivity is one minute per level.
Bow Finesse - adds DEX bonus to damage with bows
Slings - improvise a sling from woodland materials. Blunt damage with +1 to hit and damage every other level + DEX bonus = 16 + 1-6 to hit and damage.
Rapid Shot - Fire three arrows instead of one. Uses 5 mana.
Swing – Use the forest vines to swing rapidly from one woodland to another.
Net Wielding - throw a leather net with great accuracy to entangle opponents
Dual Wielding - use a weapon in both hands with no off-hand penalties.
Focused Arrow - use 5 mana points to deliver a focused shot with a 30% chance of a critical hit, normal crit chance with a bow is 5%.
Pit Trap - in woodland areas create a pit trap for your enemies to fall into if they fail a spot check. Causes 1-10hp damage per creator's level—
Returning Dagger - A thrown dagger will return to the user.
Sustenance - cure ongoing damage over time hunger effects, only useable in forests.
Call Ally - summon an ally NPC from anywhere in the Greenwood.
Wolf Companion - Summon a Wolf that has the same level and class as the summoner
Forest Teleport - Return to a set forest location.
Brown Owl Companion - Summon a brown owl for scouting.
Fletch Arrows - unlimited arrows +1 to hit and damage every 2 levels—so for me that would be +5 to hit and damage—
Tend Herbs/Poisons - no longer limited to finding poisons and herbs in the wild, tend them in a garden.
Survival:
Swimming in the rivers and lakes.
Smoking - smoking healing herbs from pipes.
calling steed from anywhere in the land
Skinning - producing leather resource.
Woodcutting - producing timber resources
Firemaking - create a source of fire in woodland areas.
Spitting - poisons—or herbs—at an enemy—or friend—1 sec cool down.
Sea swimming - swim in salt water.
Rearsight - Sense enemies approaching from behind. Uses mana.
Truesight - see through disguises and illusions. Uses mana.
Horse riding - Ride Horses
Immunizing - Immunize against one poison. Used up when hit by that poison.
Locating - Locate a friend anywhere in the Greenwood
Fish-riding - Ride the giant fish like a horse
Underwater breathing - permanent underwater breathing
Animal Empathy - Calm aggressive animals. 10 mana per use.
Skin Breathing - breath through skin when being choked.
Appraise - know the mana and health and level of an enemy, friend, or NPC.
Ore mining gain the ability to prospect for and mine metal ores, such as iron, nickel, and copper
Call and Ride the Great Eagles.
Cheat Death - once per life, ignore a death effect. One hour cool-down.
Herbs:
Dandelion - restores 1-5 health.
Comfrey - removes Itch.
Crabapple - doubles player size making running or fitting through doors impossible. Used on self-stops shoving or dragging. Dodge save.
Curly Waterweed - freshwater herb. Gives 10 protection from cold damage. Lasts two minutes per level.
Athillias—all heal, cures Blacktip poison also—
Burdock—restores sight—
Borage—underwater breathing 1 minute per level—
Hale Fruit—restores 5-100 Hp—
Liquorice Root—cures many mental afflictions—
Fool's Cherry—Anti Spitting Aura—
Lotus—mimics the Cheat Death Skill. Useable once per life—
Celandine—levitation 6 inches above the ground—
Catnip—hastens movement and attacks by 20%—
Chamomile—cures many afflictions—
Milk Thistle—cures deafness—
Lion's Mane—smoke to cure mental afflictions such as Pan poisoning—
Sky Balsam—cures Death Cap poisoning—
Kumquat—restores 200-300 Hp—
Hylas - creates empathy. Someone blessed by Hylas cannot fight for 1 second per level of bestower. Willpower save roll every 3 seconds
Jacaranda: Restores 200-400 mana
Gear:
Biter - Minor Acid Dagger 1-4 pierce damage, plus 1-3 acid damage
The Weakener - STR damaging dagger.1-6 pierce damage 5% chance to remove 1-4 Strength Points
Goggles of the Darkest Night—gives dark-vision, no matter how dark it is—
Mournblade 5% Critical Chance—nerfed from 20%—On crit, removes 1 level—nerfed from 1-4—
Bracers of Constitution +2
Figurine of the Forlorn Tiger—Calls Level 10 Warrior Tiger - scales with owner's level—
+ 2 Studded Leather Armor with +1 STRENGTH
Bow of Flame 1-8 pierce damage + DEX bonus + 1-6 fire damage. 5% crit chance.
3
Founding Pennred
Ahn and I stood looking over into enemy territory. The elegant bridge made of light grey stone arched over the Great River. Moss grew on its stones, suggesting it was older than it really was. Behind us was the Old Forest, lush and green and Ranger territory, but ahead of us over the bridge, was the Forest of Nightmares. The trees huddled there as if whispering together, hung with rank cobwebs. We could not see into the forest because of the gloom that gathered there.
What with the druid party, then my concerns about Elfhair, the story of my encounter with Elrick in the Forest of Nightmares had been driven out of my mind. I told Ahn of the two figures I'd seen meeting there. "I was on a poison picking run. Because the Forest of Nightmares frightens people, I thought I'd find good stocks of herbs and poisons that no one else had picked."
Ahn shrugged. "That might be true, but don't forget that the Thieves’ Guild based in Horrabia are also poison pickers. This," he gestured with his hand to the web hung trees," is their country."
Ahn turned and grew attentive. "But tell me more about these two characters. Who do you think they were?"
"As I said, the first of them I recognized as Elrick. I saw him that time we were in Horrabia when he sent his demons into the sally port after us. But the other guy was totally in shadow. I couldn't make out who it was."
"What were they doing?" He seemed interested, more than he should be, as if he knew something I didn't.
"Elrick handed an object to the other guy. I couldn't see what it was. It just looked suspicious." I paused. "I wondered whether the other was this Attila you've been talking about."
Ahn shook his head. "As I remember him, Attila is around six foot five inches tall with white blonde hair." He smiled grimly. "He's not the type to hide in the shadows."
"Who was it then?"
Ahn shrugged. "It could've been just two Horrabians out on a jolly in the Forest of Nightmares. Who knows what those guys get up to?"
Then he changed the subject. Deli
berately, I felt. He was definitely more interested in talking about founding the village of Pennred. Ahn turned to look back into the Old Forest. Ermine Street led away cut in a straight line between tall pine trees as far as we could see. The road itself surfaced with the same grey limestone the bridge was made of. Ruts ran along it, indicating the heavy cart traffic that traded from Horrabia, Vinab and places in between. I took in the forest scene. The blue sky overhead, the chirruping and calling of birds from the trees and the rushing of the river nearby; it was truly a beautiful place. The old Ford of Dreams lay to the left of the stone bridge, wadable, if you were brave enough to venture through the cold green water. I glanced to where our eagles waited patiently nearby on a sward of grass between the river and the road.
"This is a good place for the village, I think." Ahn pulled at his thick black beard. He nodded in the direction of Horrabia, out of sight further along Ermine Street as it wound through the twisted boles of the Forest of Nightmares. "War will come down that road to the bridge, but if we build this village right and we have enough time, it will provide a defense against Horrabia. For a while."
He gestured at the trees clustering thickly over the river. "But unless they want to cut a new road, they're going to have to come down Ermine Street if they plan to attack Vinab so we'll be right in their path."
"Okay," I said. "So how do we start – and when?"
"Check your HUD", he said.
I glanced up with my inner eye to see the HUD commands.
He said, "Select the Guild tab."
The Guild tab had a garland of oak leaves around a longbow. I hadn't really explored any of the commands within the Guild tab; I'd been too busy learning to fight and honing my personal skills.
I selected the Guild tab now and the settlement commands became available. Some of them higher up the building tree were grayed out because I was still only an apprentice Ranger. Ahn and Ajora had confirmed my probation after the raid on Horrabia, but apprentice was still the lowest rank that a full member could hold.
