by Galen Wolf
'You won't be killing me. I'm the Green Knight, loyal to King Arthur.'
'That craven cur has fled long ago from these lands. You should have too, before you met me.'
Bernard mutters, 'He talks the talk, I'll give that to him.'
I don't like the way this guy is talking about my King, and I don't want to invest time in chatting when I could be killing him.
'What level do you think he is? Higher than you, I bet.'
I nod. 'But this game isn't about levels. It's about investment of skill points. You can be a Level 10 and be useless. I should know. Early on I put most of my skills into smithing and mining rather than into being a knight. That put me at a disadvantage then.'
'But a big advantage now. Look at your armor!'
I study the black knight. Maybe he'll win, maybe he won't. I shout, 'What's your name?'
'I am Reza the Cruel.'
'Standard evil name,' Bernard says.
I laugh. Bernard always makes me laugh.
'Prepare to die, Reza the Cruel. In the name of King Arthur.'
I see he's wearing the insignia of the Fangs of Koth guild. He's one of Maligon's henchmen. He must have been put on as wagon train guard because they thought he was a tough guy. Let's see.
I level my lance. 'Have at you.' And Spirit moves forward. Soon we're thundering toward each other, lances pointing. His has a black and red pennant, mine pure grass green. I switch my combat messages to VERBOSE because I want to see what damage I'm doing to him, if any.
I have my lance over to the left, over Spirit's neck. My shield is up. We're hurtling down the road like a goods train and then he thumps into me.
I want to cheer behind my visor. 20% chance to block and it worked out right now.
But I've hit him too. He tumbles from his horse.
Wow, that's some armor he's got. Still, I'm still confident. My added damage is getting through. The only advantage of him being higher level than me is he will have more health. If he's Level 20, he'll have 1200 health. Reza clambers to his feet, holding up his sword. I see him gulp down a health potion. I dismount to make the fight fairer.
I rush him, feinting left then jabbing under his guard. My sword clangs off his shield. He blocked me. I need to switch off VERBOSE, the wall of text is too distracting.
He slashes wildly, he's lost his composure, but he hits.
The fizz and crackle of elemental damage sends me reeling. He can't get through my heavy armor with his blade, but that blade was carrying a slew of extra damage, and that did penetrate.
I sip a Health 120 and block his next attack. Thank the Lord for Shieldwork.
'Catch,' Bernard chucks me a green potion. I unstopper it and sip it. It's increased my damage by 100 (untyped). Reza snarls, 'You little cheat!'
I wince at that. He's sort of right. If I'd put the damage potion on before our fight, that would be one thing, but to do it half way is questionable. I glance up to my HUD and switch off VERBOSE.
Still, I damage him for 600 with Bernard's untyped damage potion.
With a cry of fury, Reza shield rushes me. That's a higher level skill in the Shieldwork tree. It doesn't do any damage but it stuns and allows him to get the next attack in. I stand there dazed but instead of going for me while I stand dazed, he slices at Bernard. Bernard's still mounted on Henry but he's got too close as a spectator and he takes the sword slash right across his chest, stumbling back, hand up to stem the vermillion flow seeping through his alchemist's robe. Henry is enraged by this attack on his rider so he rears up and clatters his hoofs on Reza's shield.
The daze clears and I lunge forward and jab Reza for 600. He should sip a health potion but his anger at Bernard for aiding me in the battle gets the better of him and he lunges at Bernard. It's the killer blow and Bernard slumps off Henry, his ghost emerging from his body as he falls.
My health potion is off its cool-down now and I'm up to <490/700>
I slash at Reza and he blocks it. He turns and slashes me for 400 and then jabs again, but I block again. Henry rears up and rains blows on his back. Enraged, Reza slashes at Henry, injuring him and making the mule stumble.
He's going to finish Henry and turns his back on me. I raise my sword high and bring it down with all my strength. Reza's back is to me and I get an auto-crit, so I get three times my elemental damage for 1800.
<500xp>
As Reza's ghost shimmers there next to Bernard's, I say, 'You should have left that mule alone.'
I see Bernard's ghost mouth, 'What about me?' Then he vanishes to transport miles away to the west coast where he's bound at Alauna. He's got to get through a lot of enemies to return home.
Reza's ghost vanishes with a sneer. I can't afford to wait around here for him to come back with reinforcements as he's sure to be bound in Carrionburg nearby. I step over to Henry and go down on one knee to stroke the mule who's breathing heavily. Spirit comes over and sniffs the stricken mule.
I unstopper my health potion.
'I'm done for, boss,' Henry says. 'I'm sorry I was a bad mule and answered you back all the time when I should have just done what I was told.'
'Be quiet a minute.' I drip the blue potion into his mouth. He perks up immediately.
'That's nice,' he says. 'Kinda lemony with a hint of honey?'
'Just drink it.'
He sips a full dose of potion and gets to his knees then his feet. I look at the two captured wagons. I don't have time to take them before Reza comes back as he surely will.
I mount Spirit and lead Henry by his bridle over the heather. I go the long way round so they can't track me easily to the Forgotten Chapel Dungeon.
16
The Fire Mage
I head back to the Forgotten Chapel Dungeon on the back of Spirit, leading Henry the mule, who says he feels pretty good now he's had the health potion. I can see the dungeon entrance nestling in the shadows below the crag when Blodeuwedd flutters in from nowhere and lands on my shoulder.
'Hey, Gorrow. Or should I say, "The Mysterious Green Knight"?'
'Gorrow will do.' I'm in a pretty bad mood since Bernard was killed. I know he'll be all right but I worry about him crossing enemy territory to get back to us.
'I was watching the fight.'
'Oh, yeah?' I'm not really interested in her chit chat right now.
'He nearly beat you. The big guy.'
'You think?'
'Sure. But he's Level 14, I think. So you did pretty well. If he hadn't gone for Bernard, he'd have killed you easy. So, you could say Bernard sacrificed his life for you.'
'Really. Tell me something I didn't know. But honestly, if this is intended to be a motivational speech, it isn't helping.' I turn my head and see her white wings on my shoulder. 'By the way, where do you go when you're not with me?'
'I've got other people to advise you know. Noobs.'
'Do you help evil characters?'
'Sure, if I'm assigned.'
'And who assigns you?'
'The Machine.'
'Sounds mysterious.'
'It is.'
I'm almost at the dungeon entrance.
'I'll be off now,' Blodeuwedd says.
'Fine.'
'I would add points into your Swordplay. Just saying.'
'Thanks for the advice
.'
And with that the bird flaps off into the sky and disappears. I dismount Spirit outside the entrance to my dungeon. I lead the horse and the mule in on foot. If there are adventurers there they can either run or face my wrath. I'm in that bad a mood.
I get through to the Silver Drift Mine without bumping into any adventurers. Fitheach sees me while I give the horse and mule to an NPC and ask him to take them through to the Secret Valley fields where they can graze in peace.
He frowns. 'Bernard?'
I grimace. 'Dead. He'll be walking back from the west coast I guess.'
'That might take a while.'
I get a sudden pang of guilt. I explain to Fitheach what happened and he shrugs. 'Bernard did it because he wanted to. His death isn't your fault. It's not like it's permanent anyway.'
I smile, feeling a bit better Fitheach is a saint. I guess he can forgive my sins.
'How's the building going.'
'Pretty well. I think they've got the brewery working. It coincided with the first crop of hops and barley from the fields, so Jason should start brewing soon. He says he's working on a new recipe of India Pale Ale with a secret ingredient.'
'Sounds cool. His previous brews were excellent. What about the armory?'
'It's dug out. I'm not sure it's built yet. But soon.'
'I need more miners. I think we can afford them, and if we're brewing soon, we can feed them too.'
'Asterix wanted to talk to you about that.'
As if on cue the green bearded dwarf enters. I narrow my eyes. 'You've been listening outside?'
He nods sheepishly. 'I wanted to speak to you, Sir Gorrow. I've had an idea.'
'Go on.'
'You know about miners?'
'What about them?'
'If I hire them to you, I charge you, right? A monthly wage.'
'How could I forget. Still you've got to make a living.'
He tilts his head. 'Not really. I'm an NPC. I'm just a mechanism to recycle money so the game economy doesn't overheat.'
I purse my lips. It's true, but I like to think of them as people. They act like people.
'So,' he continues. 'You know that if NPCs get married they breed and increase the population.'
I did know that. That's how I'm going to grow my armies.
'So, my point is I could sell you wives for the miners, or...'
I scratch my head. I know how this works, but it just doesn't sound right. 'You can sell me wives for the miners? You sell wives?'
'Sure.'
'That's freaky.'
'Not really. I sell all sorts of people.'
I look to Fitheach who's still smiling. The saint says, 'Hear him out. There's more to come.'
'But I don't want to sell you wives.'
'I'm mildly relieved. What are you going to do — rent me them?'
The dwarf looks flustered; he shakes his head and plays with his beard nervously. 'I don't think I should sell you them at all. I want to give you them as a gift.'
I'm overcome by a mix of gratitude to the dwarf, a sense of his loyalty to me and also a faint disgust. He wants to give me wives as a gift? I know they're NPCs, but still.
He shrugs. 'I have ten wives that no one wanted. The deal fell through. It was ages ago in Camelot.'
I do need to build up the population. 'So when miners have children, do they automatically become miners?'
Asterix shakes his head. 'No. They can be what you train them to be. They could become soldiers, or farmers. Whatever.'
'If I understand you correctly, you are going to give me ten wives, and I'm going to get the miners to marry them — like an arranged marriage thing?'
'You make it sound bad.'
'And we are going to breed more miners with them?'
'Or farmers. Whatever.'
'How long does each generation of kids take to grow up so they can start to work?'
Fitheach's brow furrows. He begins to speak, 'You can't put children to work. It's immoral.'
'No, I want them to be grown. So how long?'
'A game week.'
I whistle. Not bad. 'And the girl kids can marry the boy kids?'
'Sure.'
'Not before they come of age,' Fitheach says. 'I won't allow that.'
'And have kids of their own in how long?'
The dwarf shrugs. 'Another week.'
I'm seeing my population expand exponentially in my mind's eye. Then I have a thought. 'So, I don't need to pay you wages for the NPCs born in Silver Drift?'
Asterix shakes his head. 'Just feed them.'
'With beer?'
'Yeah, that's what most of them prefer.'
Fitheach turns on the dwarf. 'I'm not letting you feed children with beer. Can't you get them Cheerios or something less alcoholic?'
I put up my hand to calm the saint down. 'We can give them oats. And when we get cows, oats and milk — porridge.'
The saint is mollified. 'I'd prefer that. Sorry, Gorrow, but we have to have standards.'
'There is only one thing...' Asterix is shifting from foot to foot like he's got to tell me something bad.
'Yes? What?'
'The wives are dwarf wives.'
That sets me back. I scratch my chin. 'But dwarf NPCs and human NPCs can have children right?'
Fitheach raises his eyebrows.
Asterix is reassuring. 'Sure, sure. They're just NPCs. They don't really, you know...'
I give a warning cough. 'I've heard enough. Dwarfs make better miners anyway. Sorry, but it's true.'
Asterix beams. 'I knew you'd approve of my plan, Sir Gorrow. Thank you.' He bows and leaves the room.
I turn to Fitheach. 'I want to start extending the dungeon. Did we have many adventurers?'
'Some. We're edging up to Level 3.'
'It's just too small as it stands.'
'I liked your wizard by the way.'
I'm pleased. I trust Fitheach’s judgement. But the dungeon's too small. We need to get to work.
He says, 'I think if he's going to be boss of the first level, he should have some input into its design. He went off adventuring, didn't he?'
I nod.
'What kind of mage was he?'
I remember the spells I saw him use. 'He's a fire mage.'
'Oh, excellent. He'll really make things go with a bang. The adventurers have been getting too cocky. It's the same ones come back and loot time and again. They're finding it too easy. I'm looking forward to seeing them get fried.'
I shake my head. As if reading my mind, he raises a finger. 'I only want to fry the evil ones.'
'That's okay then. I guess.'
I summon a dove, compose a message and watch as it flutters its way out of my chamber, passing through walls and ceiling and winging its way to Tye to summon him back so he can help us with the design of his level.
17
I Bring You Fire
I go down into the bowels of the earth and the stone is ringing to the sound of miners' picks. I see the sweating NPCs in the glaring light of flickering torches. The stone is damp and glimmers in the light. Standing by the NPC miners are a series of dwarf women who watch admiringly as their new husbands dig.
Thorvald is there.
'What are you digging now?' I ask.
'We've done the brewery and the armory, they're up the tunnel off the branch to the left. Jason and Geraint are already installed and working away.' He seems almost apologetic. 'So we're digging houses for our guys. Now they're married and all...'
If he expects me to reprimand him for building homes for his own miners, he's wrong. It's just what I want. 'That's sounds like a great plan.' I stop. 'Are they happy to live underground?'
Thorvald smiles. 'Miners and dwarfs? Of course!'
'Good. But when you've finished digging out these houses, I need you to begin extending Level 1 of the dungeon. I'm bringing the fire mage in to set up base there. I'm also going to speak to Bernard when he gets back...'
'Yeah, where is he?'
> I give a sour look. 'Walking back from the west coast. I hope he'll be back soon.' I turn to go and the miners begin digging again, they'd stopped during my conversation with Thorvald so as not to drown us out with their banging and chipping away at the rock. I turn, 'Can you come to a meeting up in the dungeon when I let you know Tye is back?'
He smiles broadly. 'Of course, boss. You're the boss.'
My next task is to allocate the hundred skill points I got from achieving Level 12. I stand in my chambers wondering what I should do. That dumb owl said I needed to up my Swordplay. I know that as well as increasing my to-hit chance, swordplay provides other bonuses. It can increase my chance to critical hit as I've seen already. I have currently committed 150 points into swordplay which gives me 500 to hit and a base crit chance of 20%. The next bonuses I will get are 25% critical chance, and a skill called Doublestrike which gives me a base 5% chance to strike twice for each blow I land on an enemy. If they both crit then bingo! Major damage is done, often killing an enemy outright.
Trouble is I don't know how many skill points that's going to take and I also have other things I could spend them on. For instance, Shieldwork. I now have 20% block chance with my shield which is invaluable. No matter how big or bad the enemy is, I have a one in five chance to block each of their blows. That's not to be sniffed at. And if I could improve that...
Then there's Management. The dullest of the skills, but it really helps when you are trying to run a settlement. It reduces my wage bill and any building costs.
What about Haggle? I've already got 12% haggle rating, giving me discount on what I buy and a bonus on what I sell. I don't sell much personally at the moment, or buy it, so I don't think I'm going to go with haggle.
Divinity increases the value of the saintly bonuses on my weapons. I've already seen that with enemies I can't hit because my to-hit is too low, or whose armor I can't penetrate because, I'm still getting the saintly bonuses. Sure, if they have resistance to that kind of damage, my enemies can mitigate what I'm doing to them, but increasing the value of the damage has got to be a good thing.
What about Smithing? I know that somewhere up there in the Smithing tree, there's a skill called Enhance, which gives 4x the base material bonus to armor or damage on a weapon. In addition I will get the ability to work with Crystal from putting more points into this tree. If I can upgrade my weapons and armor to crystal, with a based value of a thousand, then enhance that to four thousand, I feel I'm going to be almost unstoppable. But it will take a lot of points, and this hundred I have now probably won't get me anything, just put me on the way to these better skills later.
