I spotted Kaedric walking between the stalls toward me. “Greetings, my lord. Please accept my apologies for my absence; there was a small incident with a couple of travelers that required my attention.”
I frowned. “Did they cause any trouble?”
“No, my lord, they were complaining that the cave was not safe. It seems that a third member of their group was killed by the mastiffs that roam within.”
“How did you handle that?”
“I explained to them that the cave is only safe to members of the GreenPiece Clan. At which point they asked to join. I’m afraid I took liberty with your time, my lord. I have scheduled them a meeting with you for tomorrow morning.”
“That’s alright, Kaedric. As a matter of fact, I was already thinking along those lines. If we let the travelers into the clan, I think they’ll be more invested in helping us.”
“Very wise, my lord.”
“Anyway, I need your help with something else. We have to increase our wood production substantially. Please recruit two new lumberjacks and put them to work.”
“Shall I also increase them to level 3, my lord?”
I sighed. “I guess we ought to make it our standard for new recruits.”
“Yes, my lord, I shall see to this at once.”
Kaedric left just as Zuban appeared.
“You summoned me, Dread Totem?”
I didn’t answer, just grinned at my foreman and pointed at the neat stack of glass.
Zuban eyed the stack with delight. “Wonderful! We can begin constructing the Dark Temple immediately. However, I have a suggestion.”
“What do you have in mind?”
“It will be daylight soon, so we won’t make much progress on the temple today. Let’s continue working on the barracks instead a little longer. We can complete it by early tomorrow. The delay for the Dark Temple will be meaningless, and while we work on it, your warriors will have a proper barracks to use.”
I studied Zuban. The hobgoblin had come a long way from the mindless warrior drone I’d first met. He was an intelligent and invaluable member of my clan now. Any chief would be lucky to have such a person working for him. I was very fortunate. “Of course, that is an excellent idea, Zuban; good thinking,” I complimented him warmly.
He looked down in embarrassment, though I could still see him smiling. “It’s a simple matter of efficiency, Dread Totem.”
“Simple for you, yes,” I countered. “Not many would have your foresight. We are fortunate to have you.” I suddenly remembered he was ‘dating’ one of my scouts. “How are things between Ashlazaria and you?”
He coughed, embarrassed. “She … is a fierce woman. It can be challenging.”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
He actually blushed. “As a warrior, she can be demanding … physically. It is difficult to meet her … expectations.”
“Ah,” I said. “Females, eh?”
He looked down and didn’t reply.
I rubbed my chin. Zuban deserved some sort of a bonus. I could purchase him another level, but as he was level 7, it would cost over 300 energy. Besides, as a constructor, his main attribute was Social. A level-up wouldn’t make him physically stronger. I needed to give him something that would help him bring his ‘A Game.’
Then it hit me. “Zuban, give me your arm.”
“Dread Totem?”
“Don’t worry, it’s a gift.”
He extended his arm. I held it with both my hands and concentrated.
Would you like to grant the Mana Infusion skill to Zuban? Yes/No
Yes.
A glittering of small light surrounded us, and Zuban’s eyes opened wide.
I grinned, applauding my own cleverness. As a Social-centered build, Zuban actually had a fair amount of Mana. It would be more than enough to ‘fuel’ him physically for a rigorous bout of ‘pillow fighting.’
“There you go.” I winked at him. “Use it when you need a little extra edge. I’m sure Ash would approve.”
“I … I … I…” my foreman stuttered, then bowed deeply. “Thank you, Dread Totem.”
“You deserve it.” I patted his shoulder. “Now get to work!”
“Yes, Dread Totem!” He left with an extra bounce in his step.
The horizon was getting brighter. I’d had a late start, spending more time than I thought fighting Hoshisu and showing the new travelers around. There was still much to be done, but it could wait until tomorrow.
I could have probably done a little more, but I suddenly felt exhausted. Tika and Hoshisu both wore me down pretty hard, albeit for different reasons. I could do with some extra sleep.
I went home. Tika was still out. I crawled into my furs and fell asleep instantly.
***
I awoke the next evening feeling much more alert and refreshed. Tika was snuggled against me, as usual. I had a slight urge to wake her and recap yesterday’s playtime but decided against it. There was a lot to do today. We could always make up for lost time later.
I left the house. Vic flowed from the hanger to my shoulder as I passed through the door, and together we went to the mess hall.
Workers were flowing in and out of the structure, getting their daily food rations, parting to allow me entrance.
Zuban was sitting with his builders. I noted that each of the workers had a large pile of food in front of them and were all eating voraciously. Good old Ogre’s Gluttony was hard at work.
At a separate table sat the hob warriors, those that were not currently on guard duty; Yulli the scout, Kilpi the tank, Ryker the axe wielder, and Ashlazaria.
The female scout busied herself with her food, though she kept glancing toward Zuban every few seconds. I had a feeling my little gift had been appreciated.
Vrick was seated at a table and surrounded by female workers.
At least ten foblins were running around, causing a racket and snatching up discarded pieces of food.
Rhynorn, our ‘champion’, was sitting by himself, eating a whole pot of stew on his own. He growled at a foblin that got too close, and the little critter fell on his back in terror, then skittered away on his hands and feet.
I went to sit with Vrick and the females.
“Dread Totem,” Vrick said, munching on a piece of bone.
“Good to see you again, Vrick.” My former lieutenant was giving off all sorts of interesting information streams. I could sense his Armorer skill had reached its cap at level 19. It was the highest worker skill in the entire clan. Having served as a soldier, Vrick had reached level 8, a relatively high level that he was now putting to good use. That was some food for thought. Maybe I should only recruit soldiers, have them fight and level up a bit, then set them to work? I mused.
“I see you have become quite skilled at your job.” I motioned at the armor he was wearing. It was spotless leather, made from a fine mesh and polished to a shine. Compared to that, the leather vest he’d made me when he was just learning his craft looked like garbage.
Vrick dragged a long nail over his chestpiece. “This? This is acceptable. I could create something so much better if I had the proper material and workplace. For now, Kaedric makes me craft simple armor for the stupid hobs.” His lips tightened. It looked like he was still carrying a grudge against our former enemies.
“That’s part of the reason I’m here.” I took out the oxsaurian hide from my inventory and put it on the table. The wood groaned from the weight. “Think you can make something better with this?”
Vrick inspected the hide, pressing his lips together. “This is large and thick. It would make a good heavy armor. There is enough material for two hobs or one Ogre.”
I considered it briefly. Rhynorn was one of my bigger guns and he was tamed now. Well, mostly. “Make armor for Rhynorn,” I decided.
“Yes, Dread Totem,” he said, somewhat mechanically.
“Come on Vrick, cheer up. Thanks to you, no other clan can field stronger warriors.”
H
is expression didn’t change.
“I have something else for you as well.” I took out a Pyrolith scale.
His eyes widened as he took the scale, examining it from all angles. “What is this? It’s as tough as steel, but light. It’s almost flexible, and the red sheen … This … this is amazing.”
“Think you can craft something suitable for me? I’m afraid I’ve outgrown the vest you made for me.”
He lowered his eyes and his tone became apologetic. “Forgive me, Dread Totem. I should have thought of that myself. I could make a light leather armor that won’t interfere with your spellcasting, then attach this scale to the chest. It should increase the defense value dramatically. Shame, if I only had a few more of these, I could have –”
I dumped the rest of the scales on the table. All 17 of them.
Vrick’s eyes looked like saucers. “This is amazing!” he repeated. “I will make you the envy of all Totems.” He was excited now, all traces of his previous gloom gone.
“Glad you like it. I am sorry for not supporting your craft more. The armor workshop is one of my highest priorities. You will soon be able to work in an environment that is more befitting of your talents.”
He lowered his head. “I thank you, Dread Totem.”
I got up. “Put the extra scales in the warehouse. We’ll think of what to do with them later.”
“Yes, Dread Totem.”
I went to my own table. A short moment later, Gandork himself brought me a steaming plate of seasoned meat. There were a few wriggling worms on top of the pile.
The goblin cook leaned in, close to to my ear. “I had a little extra left, Dread Totem.”
“I take it Guba was able to supply you with Fire Resist potions?”
“She did indeed. I cooked 60 portions of the exquisite food as you ordered. It came out quite nicely if I do say so myself. It has already been supplied to the Breeder’s Den. Enjoy your food, Dread Totem.”
Gandork walked away, giving the gorging Ogre a wide berth.
I ate my meal, savoring every bite. The squirming worms went well with the dish, adding a touch of spiciness and a pleasant sense of wriggling in my mouth.
When I finished my food, I lifted the plate and licked it clean. No one paid my action any heed. Plenty of other goblins were doing the same. The foblins were licking crumbs off the floor.
I stood and approached Rhynorn. He looked down at me, scowling. I folded my arms over my chest, holding his gaze.
The Ogre lowered his eyes. “Boss-man.”
“I have a gift for you, Rhyno.” I retrieved the Ring of Bound Soul. “This was once Barska’s ring. I no longer need it so I’m offering it to you. If you can withstand the pain, it will make you even more powerful.”
The Ogre literally snatched the ring from my hand, nearly taking off some of my fingers with it. “Pain not matter. The Champion is not afraid of pain.”
He put on the ring. The magic within expanded the metal band, making it fit onto his sausage-like finger. The ring then clamped down, its inner teeth biting into flesh. The Ogre didn’t even blink.
I didn’t bother to say goodbye and left him to admire his new toy.
I’d almost reached the door when a new message popped up.
New Building added to your settlement: Barracks
Using the new Ogre Gluttony trait to double the builders’ daily upkeep had paid off big time. Zuban wasn’t kidding when he said the building would be completed the next day.
I hurried outside, eager to check out the barracks.
An unfamiliar information trail came from my left, from the direction of the cabins. I frowned. The data told of time remaining and temporary riches. It felt like the information that vanquished foes gave off, indicating loot. It was not something I expected to encounter in the heart of my clan.
I followed the information trail. It led me past the cabins and into the woods. I passed a wide tree. Its trunk was hollowed from the other side. The sight of two unfamiliar goblin bodies welcomed me.
Someone had murdered two members of my clan.
22 – Mobilizing
My blood boiled at the sight of the two bodies.
Someone had dared to hurt members of my clan. Rage surged within me. My goblin instincts thirsted for vengeance.
Taking deep, steadying breaths, I calmed myself and tried to think it through rationally. Gotta check the bodies first, I surmised and dragged both corpses out into the open.
Goblin worker [Dead]
Level: 3
HP: 0/28
Attributes: P: 3, M: 0, S: -1
Skills: Lumberjack 1
Traits: Noncombatant
The goblins were clones of each other, the two new lumberjacks I had asked Kaedric to summon. Someone had lured them here, exploiting their ignorance of the clan.
Deep gashes tore through their bodies; they had been attacked by slashing weapons. That ruled out Rhynorn, my first suspect. Though knowing the Ogre, if he was the culprit, he wouldn’t have bothered hiding the bodies. None of my other clanfolk were capable of such an attack. The only conclusion was, one of the new players did it.
His purple cloak-like body broke off into many thick tendrils that shot out and disappeared into one of the dead goblins through its mouth and nostrils. In my anger, I forgot about my companion’s ability to invade dead bodies and review their recent logs.
The body jerked once, then Vic oozed out again and reformed into his purple goblin shape.
“Well, who did it?” I urged.
Vic spread his hands defeatedly. “It’s no good, Boss, all the log says is, ‘Stealthed attacker sneak-attacked goblin worker.’ Looks like the stealth skill extends to the logs as well. I can tell you though that it definitely was one of the players.”
I scowled. They just arrived and are already causing trouble. At least I had a piece of a clue: everyone with the stealth skill was a suspect. I would find them and make them pay.
The goblins’ deaths were costly. I’d spent food and over 200 energy on their summoning. Someone is going to pay for that, I seethed.
“Kaedric!” I bellowed.
My seneschal appeared almost as if by magic. “My lord?”
“Someone murdered two of our clan members,” I hissed, pointing at the bodies. “One of the newcomers did it. I want that person found. Now!”
Kaedric gazed at the bodies, his face unreadable. “There are currently eight travelers in the clan, my lord. A group of four left the valley less than an hour ago. The culprit must be one of the 12. How shall we proceed?”
I pondered that question. Finding a player with the stealth skill was not enough to incriminate them. “Get Tempest over here.”
Kaedric looked in the direction of my house. A moment later, Tempest came galloping toward us. I put my hand on his fur, petting him as he brushed against me. “Tempest, can you get the scent of the one who killed these two?”
The intelligent demon wolf lowered his head and sniffed at the corpses then turned to me and nodded.
“Good. Let’s go find them.”
I followed Tempest as he put his nose to the ground and walked slowly toward the center of the village. Vic settled around my shoulders once more. Once we arrived at the pond, the wolf placed his nose into the water, then sneezed. He looked around uncertainty, then promptly sat down.
“Shadow-crap,” I cursed. Cobie, our senior fisherman, was nearby. “Did you see someone swim through the pond?” I demanded.
The goblin stared at me stupidly.
I sighed. “Did someone go into the water?”
“Fish swim in water,” he offered helpfully.
Vic snickered.
I tried again. “Besides the fish.”
“If I may, my lord,” Kaedric said, “both fishermen were in the mess hall not long ago; they could not have witnessed anyone coming here at the time of the
incident.
Shadow-crap!
Shut up, Vic.
I jumped on Tempest’s back. “Kaedric, find all the adventurers and bring them to see me in the barracks.”
“Yes, my lord.”
I rode Tempest past the mess hall toward the barracks, finally seeing the completed building for the first time.
It was a large, flat, circular structure with a wooden walkway circumventing it. A two-door gateway offered entry into a sizeable inner courtyard, making the entire edifice resemble a large bagel.
The building itself was essentially a long, circular hallway. There were many doors along it, each opening into a room; small, private rooms for officers and large, communal rooms housing dozens of soldiers. The inner courtyard was about 30 meters in diameter. At its center, a low fence bordered an area with dummies and archery targets. A training ground for my warriors.
“Hey, dude, are you that Totem guy?” One of the weird half-snake people came toward me. “I got a quest from that other lean dude with the mouth to come talk to you.”
I climbed off Tempest’s back and leered at the player. A quick Analyze showed me he did not have the Stealth skill. “We will wait for the others to arrive.”
He seemed to feel my hostility, and he raised his arms. “Chill, dude. No problem, I’ll wait.”
One by one, the other players arrived. I had Tempest sniff each of them as they came in. However, a few minutes later, all eight players stood facing me and Tempest hadn’t given any indication that he smelled our murderer, although three of them had the Stealth skill.
I addressed the small crowd. “We haven’t met yet. I’m the chief and Totem of this clan.”
I could hear some of the players whispering among themselves.
“Why are we here again?”
“That ant face dude gave us a chain quest to come here. This Totem dude is about to explain the next step.”
I raised my voice. “You are all here as guests. And as guests, you are expected to follow our rules.”
Life Reset_EvP_Environment vs. Player Page 34
