by Edward Brody
I looked down and scanned the price tags. Many of the items cost more than my entire purse, but there were still a few low-level items in the bunch. “Still browsing,” I replied.
“I might be able to patch up some of your gear if your money’s tight,” he said. “But that vest you’re wearing is done for.”
I rubbed my hand against the shredded leather at the bottom of my chestpiece. “How much for repair?” I asked.
“Depends on the item and how badly it’s beaten. The more damage, the higher the cost.”
We spent the next fifteen minutes browsing the shop, and eventually, I settled on three leather pieces:
Beaufort Leather Helmet. +5 Armor. Durability: 10/10. Quality: Great. Rarity: Common. Weight: 0.8 kg Price: 20 Gold
Scout's Leather Cuirass. +29 Armor. Durability: 10/10. Quality: Average. Rarity: Common. Weight: 2.3 kg Price: 150 Gold
Celtic Leather Bracers. +7 Armor. Durability: 10/10. Quality: Below Average. Rarity: Common. Weight: 0.6 kg Price: 18 Gold
I didn’t want to replace my gloves due to the strength and vitality bonus they offered, and I just couldn’t afford to upgrade my other armor, so I opted for repair instead.
The repairs only took the armorsmith fifteen minutes to complete, and when I questioned Aaron about the unusual speediness, he reminded me that Eden’s Gate didn’t operate by the same rules as Earth. Weapon and armor repair could be completed at a fraction of the time it would take on Earth by a high-level smith.
I hadn’t had much reason to pull up my equipment screen previously, but like my status menu, just focusing on getting an overview of my gear allowed me to have a quick look at everything I had on.
Oddly enough, I hadn’t seen any belts in the game. Either they weren’t common or they just weren’t popular—I wasn’t sure—but none of the vendors thus far had carried any, nor had I seen any drops.
After paying for the new equipment, trading in my old gear, and getting repairs, I was brought down to only 12 gold.
I pulled out one of the halberds that we looted when we were in Gramora and checked its stats again before sitting it on the armorsmith’s table.
Shimmering Halberd of Bloodletting. 10-35 Attack Damage. +5 Strength. +10% Critical Chance. +50% Chance to Cause Bleeding. Requires 20 Strength. Durability: 8/10. Quality: Average. Rarity: Rare. Weight: 5.7kg
“What would you give me for this?” I asked.
The armorsmith’s eyebrows rose, and he pursed his lips a little as he started to inspect the item. He pulled out a small, wooden stick with half-star top and touched it against the base of the halberd. “Nasty weapon you got here,” he cooed. “I reckon I could give you 350 gold for one of these.”
I tried not to act too excited. I just looked back to Aaron who threw me a cocky smirk. “Could you do 375?” I asked.
The armorsmith’s brow furrowed. “I’ll do 360, but that’s my final offer.”
I nodded slowly, pretending that I was thinking. I was certain that I was going to sell the item to him, but I didn’t want to come across as a loose negotiator.
Aaron leaned over and whispered into my ear, “Go ahead and sell him mine too… I doubt I’ll have 20 strength any time soon.”
I pulled the second, identical halberd out of my bag and sat it on the table. “720 for both sounds good.”
The shopkeeper picked the second halberd up and started inspecting it. “Oh, come on now. This one is just as good, but 720 for both would break my bank. I’ll go back to my original offer and give you 700 for both, or if you just want to part with one, I’ll give you 360.”
Aaron threw me a slight nod. He seemed okay with the proposal.
“Deal,” I reached into my bag and pulled out the emerald ring that I had looted from one of the sorceresses in Gramora. “Would you be interested in this as well?” I asked.
The shopkeeper gently plucked the ring from my hand and held it up to his eye, inspecting the gem closely. He turned it on each side and said, “I can give you 150 for it…” I was about to accept his offer before he took a deep breath and continued with, “but to be honest with you, I’ll just sell it to the general goods vendor. If you take it over there yourself, she’ll probably give you double if she’s got the cash.”
I smiled and took the ring back. “Thank you.”
Aaron ended up selling the armorsmith his rusty chainmail coif, his fur armor, and his cheap robe for a measly 10 gold, but he ended up buying the cheapest set of leather gear that was on offer—a set very similar to the starting gear that I bought previously in Linden. He walked away only about 15 gold lighter.
The vendor counted out 700 gold for the halberds, and I passed 350 to Aaron right before we left the shop. I left with a total of 362 gold.
Aaron threw me a high five after we left the shop. We both looked a hundred times better—me without a million tiny slashes in my armor, a non-shredded vest, and Aaron no longer looking like an orc or a sheep herder.
Our next stop was the general goods store, which again was very similar to the one in Linden, only larger and run by a gray-haired, female shopkeeper. She greeted us with a wide smile and a “Welcome!” as soon as we entered the door. Her selection wasn’t nearly as robust as Gerard’s in Linden, but the store was immaculately clean and organized.
I immediately pulled out the ring and offered it to her.
The woman inspected the ring closely, similar to the way the armorsmith had. “This is a nice ring,” she said. “I suppose I could offer you 200 gold for it.”
I looked the woman in the eye as she waited for my response, and while she seemed like a generally kind lady, I could see her tongue swirling around ever-so slightly in her mouth. Not only had the armorsmith hinted that I could get 300 for the ring, but I got the vibe that she was being greedy.
“Come on now,” I said sternly, pretending like I was wise about such things. “That ring is worth at least 350.”
“Hmph,” the lady said and handed me back the ring. “I can’t offer you that much, I’m afraid. That’s way out of my range.”
Had I read her wrong? I wondered. I was expecting her to at least give a counter offer. “320 is as low as I can go,” I bluffed. I would’ve been more than happy to take 300 or maybe even a little less.
“200 is as high as I’ll go. That’s a great deal.”
I wasn’t sure if I believed her or not, but I figured I’d take my chances and hold on to the ring for a while. If another vendor didn’t offer closer to 300, I’d just bring it back to her and sell it later. “Okay, thanks,” I said. I turned to Aaron. “Anything you want to buy in here?” I asked.
“Potions and bandages for the most part,” Aaron replied.
“Ehhh… Wait,” the woman suddenly said. I turned and the lady was reaching under her counter, pulling out a tiny, wooden box. “Truth is, that emerald ring is worth about 300, but I’ve only got 200 for purchasing now. But you might be interested in this as a trade.”
I stepped forward, and the woman flipped open the box, revealing a small, sparkling, white key with a human skull design etched into the base. Even without touching it, I could feel that the key had some sort of magical properties.
“What is this?” I asked.
“A skeleton key,” the woman said. “They’re very rare but can open up any standard lock, so long as the lock isn’t magic.”
“Any lock?” I thought back to the chest that I had found in the Vale the same night that I had found Sora. No matter how hard I tried to break its lock open, it wouldn’t budge.
“I’ve also got lockpicks if you’d like to test your skill, but this…” She paused. “...will open any chest or door, no matter how difficult the lock.”
“How much?” I asked.
“Let’s say 200 for the key, or you can give me the ring, and I’ll give you 100 gold and the key in exchange.”
“What do you think?” I asked Aaron.
“Sounds awesome,” he said. “I didn’t deal much with locks and loc
kpicking, but I know chests can be some of the best sources of loot in the game.”
“Game?” the lady asked.
I glared at Aaron. “My friend is a little nutty sometimes. Ignore him.”
“Okay. But just be aware that it’s a single-use item only,” the lady warned. “You’ll have to find another skeleton key after you use this one.”
Fuck it, I thought. It seemed like a decent deal, and the temptation of opening the chest in the Vale or another that I might encounter was too great. If it turned out to be a bad deal, at least I’d know better next time. “100 gold and the key for the ring.”
The woman smiled, and we made the exchange.
You’ve received: Skeleton Key. Durability: 1000/1000. Quality: Average. Rarity: Rare. Weight: 0.1 kg. This key can open any non-magical lock. It is destroyed upon use.
You’ve received: 100 Gold Pieces
“Wait…” I said. “How much are lockpicks?”
“10 gold per lockpick. I usually sell them in bundles of 5.”
“Okay, give me 5 lockpicks as well.” I wasn’t sure if lockpicking was a skill I’d really invest in, but it was worth experimenting with.
You’ve received: 5 Lockpicks. Durability: 10/10. Quality: Average. Rarity: Common. Weight: 0.1 kg. Used to open things that aren’t meant to be opened—at least not by a lockpick.
I still had three healing potions and couple of food rations in my bag, so the only other items I bought from the general goods store were three bandages. Aaron replenished his essentials, and we both left feeling quite good about how it all turned out. After all the trading, I had 397 gold and was ready for some action.
I pulled up my stats to get an overview of my progress.
“Did you see a magic shop of any sort around here?” I asked Aaron. I noticed several different stores, but none that had an insignia that indicated magic hanging over their door. There were a lot of tall, unmarked buildings, so I might have been missing something.
“I haven’t seen one,” he replied. “But I’m going to go search around for crafting gear. Let’s meet back here in ten minutes or so.”
I gave him a slight nod and continued walking around the town looking for signs of a magic shop. I wasn’t sure if I had enough gold to buy a new spell, but knowing what they had on offer would be nice.
“Excuse me,” I said to a passing man in plain, cloth clothes. He had in his hands in his pockets and was strolling along like he wasn’t on his way to anywhere in particular. “Is there a magic shop around here?”
He shook his head. “Afraid not. There’s an alchemist in the far corner, and sometimes the general goods store will have a few magic items in stock, but no magic specialty shop.”
“Thanks,” I said.
So much for that idea.
I walked back towards the inn and stopped at the bulletin board that was posted right by the inn’s door. It was just like the one in Linden, but there were far more postings pinned up. Everything from bounties to item requests to escort missions.
My eyes honed in on one bulletin in particular, primarily because I was at the level recommended in the description:
Help Wanted: Garden Trouble
Who would’ve thought that howlers eat vegetables? Well, they do, apparently. As soon as anything sprouts in my garden, howlers come out of the woodwork and tear it all up! There’s too many of them for an old hand like me to handle, but if someone can eliminate the threat, I will greatly reward them.
Reward: 150 Gold, 500XP
Quest Giver: Conrad Shorthand, Recommended Level: 10
To accept this quest, remove the posting.
At the bottom of the parchment was a crudely drawn map pointing to the location of the issue and numbers that appeared to be coordinates. I wasn’t sure how to use coordinates, but I had a vague idea of the location based solely on the map—a few minutes east of Thorpes.
I pulled the posting off the board and placed it in my pocket. 150 gold and 500 XP sounded like a good deal for a seemingly straightforward kill mission.
You have accepted the quest: Garden Trouble!
I looked up after pocketing the paper and notice that there was another parchment that had been stuck behind the first.
Wanted: Alexander Campbell
Alexander Campbell, a former resident of Thorpes, is a known member of the scoundrel group, the Sparrows. He is wanted for gambling scams, fraud, and stealing money from the Thorpes town inn. The first person to return Alexander to Thorpes for prosecution shall be rewarded.
Reward: 3000 Gold, 2000XP
Last Seen Location: Knuckle Bay
Quest Giver: Mayor Bryce Watson, Recommended Level: 14+
To accept this quest, remove the posting.
At the bottom, was a crude picture of a stubbly faced man with a mole below his right nostril and long hair pulled back into a ponytail.
The recommended level for the job was quite a bit above my own level, but the fact that the wanted individual was a Sparrow piqued my interest. I wasn’t sure if I could complete the bounty—or even if I wanted to—but if I could find this Alexander Campbell character, it might lead me to more information about the Sparrows and perhaps more information about Jax.
3,000 gold sounded nice too.
It was a risky move to take the job. I knew that there would be consequences if I didn’t finish a quest, so I could piss off whoever Mayor Bryce Watson was. And by finishing the quest, other Sparrows might place a target on my back.
Another hard decision. Damnit, Eden’s gate.
I pulled the posting off and shoved the parchment in my pocket. I really wanted to find out more information about Jax. And whether it was Jax who killed me or not, it was a Sparrow who killed me in cold blood, for sure, so I was willing to risk becoming a target.
You have accepted the bounty quest: Alexander Campbell!
There was a loud sigh and a moan behind me, and I turned to see Aaron approaching.
“Dude, the tools aren’t too expensive,” he said, “but I was quoted a thousand gold just for a forge and anvil.”
“I’ll help you come up with the gold.”
“Yeah?” Aaron asked, raising an eyebrow high.
“Of course,” I said with a smile. “We’re going to be guildies, right?”
Aaron patted me on the arm and grinned. “You sure you’re that same pissy guy I met at the orc camp?” He glanced over my shoulder at the bulletin board before I had a chance to reply. “Anything good?”
“I picked up a couple quests, but I’ll worry about them after we meet up with Donovan and the elves.”
“Cool, cool,” Aaron said. He weaved his fingers together and bent them backwards, causing his knuckles to let out a loud crack. “Let’s get going then. I’m anxious to see how our new homes are coming along.”
I nodded. “And I’m anxious to meet our new neighbors.”
Chapter Four
01/08/0001
Donovan held our building rights up in his hand for all to see. “This order comes direct from Queen Faranni. Spread the world that the humans here now have building rights in Edgewood.”
“This is unacceptable!” a large dark elf with hulking shoulders and thick leather armor spat. He snapped his head from side to side, looking at the other twenty or so elves who were gathered around an unlit fire pit. The hilt of a long mace jutted up behind his silver-gray hair. “You will have these humans living amongst us? Humans that will likely muck up this forest the way humans muck up everything else?”
The other dark elves, a mix of men and women of various ages all started mumbling to each other, some looking more distraught than others, but none of them looking particularly accepting of the idea.
“Only two for now,” Donovan corrected. He pointed towards Aaron and I. “These two are now residents of Edgewood, and the High Elves have already started building their homes.”
“But,” I jumped in, “we’d appreciate if any friends of ours are able to visit us in Edgewood with
out fear of attack from the dark elves.”
“You expect us to give freedom of passage to random people as well?!” the large elf huffed.
The mumbling from the other elves grew louder.
I scanned the lot of the dark elves, noticing that they weren’t dressed in the same finery that the High Elves in Mist Vale sported. With the exception of Donovan’s strange, shiny armor, most of the other dark elves were covered in a combination of leather and cloth that had clearly seen a lot of wear. Many wore battered boots, and the ones who weren’t wearing armor had visible stains and tears in their linens.
There was no organized, large town like Mist Vale for the dark elves in Edgewood, no palaces or beautiful marble homes. Instead, there was just a circle of small, wooden shacks built around a large fire site, which seemed to be their only ordered living space. Spreading out from the circle of homes were additional shacks dotting the forest sporadically.
“We shouldn’t have humans living or traveling freely in Edgewood,” the large elf stressed.
“It’s the Queen’s orders, Garrik,” Donovan insisted.
“Oh, forget the Queen!” Garrik spat.
The surrounding elves gasped at Garrik’s remarks, and all mumbling went silent. A female elf stepped closer to him and placed her hand lightly on his elbow.
Garrik jerked his arm, knocking the woman’s hand away. His head panned to the other elves as he spoke. “The Queen sits on her marble throne being pampered by her servants and guards. She could care less what happens in Edgewood.”
“We are still the Queen’s children, Garrik,” Donovan said softly.
Garrik crossed his arms and chuckled. “The Queen’s children? The Queen’s children, yet we are no longer treated as if we are elves? If we’re The Queen’s children, why are we not welcome in the Vale? Why do no royals come to Edgewood?”
