“they enchanted this room.” Priestess hissed angrily. “Your family uses magic on others without permission.”
Fenna held up her hands defensively. “Hey now, my father paid good money for that enchantment.”
He looked at Priestess, her scales appearing darker than before. “It is a great offense in the warrens to use magic on others without permission.”
Fenna shrugged, popping another piece of apple into her mouth. “One second.” Her eyes went distant as she scanned the menus in her mind. Priestess looked around, confused.
“You canceled the spell?” she asked.
“No way, I love this room. I excluded you from the enchantments effect.” Fenna said. “Father is free now, if you’re ready for that meeting.”
Another wave of trepidation filled him, but he pushed it aside. “Ready as we’ll ever be.”
Chapter 19
“Don’t worry, I told him all about you two.” She said with a smirk. She turned and lead them up the stairs and to a large oak door. She pushed her way inside with Skree and Priestess right behind her.
Skree looked around the room, at the many bookshelves that lined the space, each filled with books. Tools and components rested atop a large corner table, well lit by glowing orbs that looked like floating light bulbs. At the far end of the room was an ornate desk, large as most kitchen tables, and a man dressed in functional clothing. Nothing fancy or ostentatious, just a simple and utilitarian working man’s outfit. Not what he expected from a man everyone calls the Admiral.
The man marched around the desk and extended a hand. “Skree, Priestess, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am Admiral Langdon Lis. My daughter has told me much of your story though I look forward to hearing it from you in person.”
“It is a pleasure to meet you Admiral Lis.” Skree said, shaking his hand. The Admiral bent at the waist and shook hands with Priestess. “Young lady, welcome to my home.”
“Thank you for the welcome, Admiral Lis.” Priestess said.
“Well, I have to take care of a few things. Good luck!” Fenna said, bouncing out of the room without waiting for a response.
“Shall we have a chat?” he motioned to a set of chairs. They took a seat, adjusting their clothing before the Admiral asked his first question. They spent the better part of an hour sipping wine and discussing their time on the island, the catastrophe that led to their escape. They talked about their time at sea, Hawkin’s lessons on sailing, and the battle with the Golden Rose. Then, it was time for the dreaded topic of their current needs and what brought them to his home this day.
“That’s everything Admiral. We need a place to live, and Fenna says you are the man who can make that happen.” He said respectfully.
The Admiral nodded seriously. “I am. I spoke with Fenna and she told me much the same. She also told me how you saved her life, not once but twice.” The Admiral met his eyes. “You have my gratitude.”
“No need to thank me, I would have done it for anyone.” Skree said.
The Admiral looked to Priestess and back. “I can see you are a selfless man, and regardless of your dedication to saving lives, you have my thanks. Let us talk business then.” He moved to the table and pulled some rolled up parchments from a drawer. With practiced ease, he unfurled them and used small weights to hold the corners down. Skree and Priestess joined him at the table, looking down at the maps before them. As Skree glanced over them, prompts appeared in his vision describing each island with a series of ratings. He checked the first one and read the details.
Island Del Marina
Deed Level - Basic: Creates a small clearing for placing buildings. Allows the placement of fifty protected buildings and one cornerstone structure.
Island Del Marina Resource Ratings
Power: 2000 Base Mana
Metal: 1/5 Stars
Water: 5/5 Stars
Lumber: 5/5 Stars
Stone: 2/5 Stars
Special features:
Waterfall pool: a perfect place to relax for the day - Citizen Morale Increased
The detailed prompt blew his mind. It showed a detailed map of the island, along with the ratings for the resources on the island. Beside him, Priestess stared at the prompt with wide eyes, just as amazed as he was.
“Incredible aren’t they?” The Admiral asked, understanding his fascination.
Skree nodded. “What is a Deed Level?”
“Deeds tell you everything you need to know when you are buying a piece of land. Unfortunately, these are just the basic Deeds, not complete, so it only shows you the basics. Since these are wild islands where no one has lived, there is no more information available. As you build and explore the land, it will reveal points of interest and special features, like this waterfall.”
“Exploring reveals those places, and discoveries upgrades the Deed level?” Priestess asked, looking at another map carefully.
“Exactly. Deeds can have one of three levels. Basic, Partial, and Complete. A complete Deed sells for a lot more than a basic Deed.” The Admiral explained. “It would show you every major resource and point of interest on the island. Once you create a settlement and your people explore the land, it will reveal more and more locations on your Deed map. If your settlement fails, your Deed could be worth substantially more than it is now. The more you grow your settlement and increase the Deed level, the more protected buildings you can erect.”
The Admiral pointed to a Deed on the wall, framed beautifully in a dark wood with protective glass. “That is Theseldora’s Deed. Feel free to inspect it.”
Skree and Priestess both walked over to it and focused on its details. The prompt appeared, and they took a few moments to read it thoroughly.
Theseldora Island
Deed Level - Complete: This completed Deed grants ownership of Theseldora Island, including all structures. Allows the placement of unlimited protected buildings.
Theseldora Island Resource Ratings
Power: 24,000 mana (Base 3600)
Metal: 4/5 Stars
Water: 5/5 Stars
Trees: 2/5 Stars
Stone: 1/5 Stars
Special features: Protected Bay - Surrounded by tall cliffs, they protect the bay from all but the harshest weather.
Points of interest discovered: 58/58
He read several points of interest, his heart beating faster with growing excitement. Owning an island would provide a lot of reasons to explore and grow stronger, increasing his personal level and the value of his Deed and settlement at the same time. One,in particular,stood out to him.
Ancient ruins: Level 35 Dungeon (cleared) - Ancient ruins are filled with monsters and traps.
“Islands can have dungeons?” Skree asked excitedly.
“They can. Not usually common though. Most the time, when they find a dungeon during a survey, they sell the locationsoon after. High level artisans can use the magical cores at their center to craft powerful enchantments, gear or if the deed level is high enough, construct an additional cornerstone building.” The Admiral explained. “Even if the survey doesn’t reveal a dungeon on the Deed, it doesn’t mean there isn’t one, or more, on an island. The more dungeons you clear, the more Cornerstones you can build.”
“A Cornerstone building. What is that, exactly?” he asked.
The Admiral stroked his goatee thoughtfully. “A Cornerstone building. It is something that defines your settlement. Any building can become a Cornerstone building, but you must think carefully. Every Cornerstone building provides unique bonuses and opportunities for profit. Consider the building I chose; Theseldora’s Ironworks. I used the Cornerstone upgrade to change the building type. Once a simple forge, now it is a marvel of industry. Blacksmiths from the world over come to work in its hallowed halls.”
Skree raised an eyebrow. “What makes it so special?”
“The power of the Iron Elemental Heart used in its creation. During the formation of any Cornerstone building, you must sacrifice something, but t
he returns are so much greater than the cost.” He explained, resting casually against the large desk. “Theseldora’s Ironworks increase the quality of any item created by one level automatically, granting more power, more durability and increases its value. If a weapon smith crafts a mighty sword with a quality of Superb, it will automatically upgrade one quality level to Masterwork. Masterwork to Legendary and so forth.”
“That sounds amazing.” Priestess said. “You could easily double the price of an item or maximize its enchantment possibility.”
“Exactly!” The Admiral exclaimed. “Have you seen Fenna’s sword Lady?” He shook his head admonishingly, “I know you have because she said you were an excellent sparring partner. We made Lady in Theseldora’s Ironworks with the help of our master weapon smith. Legendary Quality, forged from Silvery Adamantine. That gives it the unique color I'm sure you noticed.”
“Lady is a Legendary weapon?” Skree blurted out in disbelief. He thought about his own weapons. The Savage Steel hatchets were only Above Average, but his savage steel great sword was Superb, a full two quality levels lower than Legendary. “It must be worth a fortune!”
The Admiral nodded. “Honestly, I thought she was crazy, using a very rare metal during its creation but after seeing Lady roll off the Anvil, I couldn’t argue with her choice.”
Skree nodded. “It is a work of art.” He said, thinking about the first time he had seen it during their sparring. At no point was it obvious it was a Legendary weapon and Fenna had not mentioned in during their travels. “Do you think I could visit the Ironworks? I could always use a new weapon.”
“The Ironworks are open to everyone.” He smiled warmly, “But you might have trouble finding an available smith. Most of the crafters need weeks or months to plan their work, and most will work on projects ahead of yours. Like I said, people from all over Raiya come to Theseldora to use the Ironworks. If you can find someone to do the work, I hope you have high end materials that would make the cost worth it. Sure, a higher quality weapon goes a long way, but getting something trulyspecial created is worth the extra cost, every time.”
“The Ironworks must be as impressive as you’ve said. I will definitely give it more thought.” Skree said, nodding his agreement. He turned back to the table and flipped through the Deeds one at a time, taking in their various names and resource ratings. None really stood outand he was feeling a little overwhelmed by the number of availableoptions. All of them seemed fine for their needs, but he knew how much he was in over his head. An excited gasp from Priestess drew his attention, and he moved closer to see the deed she was inspecting.
“Something good?” he asked.
She bounced excitedly, pointing at the deed. “This one!” He focused on the deed and a detailed map appeared.
Carver’s Bay
Deed Level - Basic: Creates a small clearing for placing buildings. Allows the placement of 50 protected buildings and one cornerstone structure.
Carver’s Bay Resource Ratings
Power: 1800 Base Mana
Metal: 3/5 Stars
Water: 5/5 Stars
Trees: 5/5 Stars
Stone: 4/5 Stars
Special features: Cavernous Depths: A complex cave system sprawls beneath the surface. - Increased chance of finding hidden resources or points of interest.
He could almost feel the gleam in his own eyes. Carver’s Bay had an underground area that would be perfect for the kobolds and provided an opportunity to find a multitude of hidden locations and resources. “It’s perfect.” Skree said, smiling at his bouncy friend.
“It's like they made it just for us. And it has Carver’s name, a fitting name for an island if there ever was one.” Priestess said.
“Carver’s Bay, eh?” The Admiral asked. “It is a nice piece of land, and the Cavernous Depths are an interesting feature. You can never know what you might find down there, good or bad.”
“Good or bad?” Skree asked. “Can it be dangerous?” Priestess also looked at the Admiral with concern.
The Admiral sighed and frowned. “It can be very dangerous, especially cavernous depths. These things go deep and monsters have had a long time to grow and flourish deep below ground.”
Skree considered his explanation and a wicked grin split his features. A wave of anticipation washed over him. “By that explanation then it should make for an optimal hunting ground?”
The Admiral bobbed his head back and forth in consideration. “Without question, but I cannot speak to the level of danger you might face in the depths. It could be low level cave rats, or it could be ancient creatures long hidden from the world, no way to know without going in.” He crossed his arms, staring intently at Skree. “Listen, I want to make this clear; You could deal with deadly enemies and honestly, this island makes me a little nervous.”
Skree ran his fingers through his hair, unable to look away from the map while considering his options. The danger posed by the caverns concerned the Admiral, and Skree could understand why. He wouldn’t feel safe having the Kobolds take up residence in cavernous depths if the danger was too great. On the contrary, the challenge and riches available in the cavernous depths were also something he wasn’t ready to pass up so easily. Having a complex network of caves and possible hidden resources was just too valuable to let go without serious consideration. The name was Carver's Bay and the special feature was too perfect. Skree knew it would be a great home for their settlement.
“Priestess?” he asked. “What do you think?”
Her tail stopped, no longer swaying back and forth happily as she considered the new information. Skree watched as the diminutive kobold met the Admiral's gaze, her gold-rimmed eyes taking in the tall man. “What else can you tell us about depths? You seem to have a lot of knowledge about this feature.”
His arms crossed and his eyes went distant for a moment. “I lost someone very special years ago on an expedition into a Cavernous Depth on a different island. It started off simple enough, clear each cavern, move down a level and repeat. We found a hidden tunnel and pushed through some challenging fights until we came face to face with a deadly creature none of us had even heard of, let alone seen. It was thirty levels higher than us and nearly killed us all. My friend sacrificed himself so we could escape.” His eyes darkened and glistened as he recalled the terrible memory. “We pushed too far and paid the price. Everything had gone so smoothly to that point. Encountering that… thing wasn’t something we even thought possible.”
Skree watched as the man’s shoulders bunched, fists clenched in subtle rage. “To this day, I have not heard of any other beings like it. Even the Monster Hunters guild said it was a mystery.” With a long sigh, he relaxed and uncrossed his arms, studying each of them. “Depths are not for the faint of heart, but can hold treasures and secrets beyond measure. Greed and hubris cost the life of my friend, so I beg of you not to make the same mistake.”
Priestess and Skree exchanged glances. “I am sorry for your loss.” Priestess said, bowing her head, “But I think this island is where we need to be. Skree?”
He nodded to the Admiral. “I have to agree. Now we know the danger we face, we can exercise extreme caution. Can we discuss the price?”
The Admiral gave a small smile, hoping he had not just sentenced this young man to his death and nodded. “If you are certain.”
“We are Admiral.” Skree said.
“Carver’s Bay is not that far from Theseldora, meaning you will have ample trade opportunities for any goods you find or craft yourselves. You should be able to find more than a few souls willing to leave Theseldora behind and strike up a new life on a new island.”
“Wait…” Skree said, interrupting him. “I was not trying to take anyone away from your city. I need a home for us, not hundreds. Maybe in the futureI might start looking for residents, but I don’t think I can handle more responsibilities right now.”
The Admiral smirked and Skree could easily see the resemblance to his daughters consta
ntly grinning face. “My boy, how are you going to build buildings? How are you going to clear the beach and surrounding areas without allies? You going to chop down all the trees, plane all the lumber, and erect it all yourself?” he slapped him on the shoulder. “No, my boy, you will need people, skilled people willing to risk it all to follow an unknown man to a wild piece of land all for the chance it all works out.”
Skree felt his excitement bottom out, replaced by a feeling of intense dread that made him nauseous. The Admiral laughed out loud, slapping his own leg in his joy at watching the young man’s sudden discomfort. Feeling offended beyond measure, he shot an angry look at the Admiral who held his hands up in a placating gesture.
“Relax Skree, I know exactly what you’re feeling. I felt the same way thirty years ago. It’s not as bad as it sounds, and based on what Fenna and Hawkins told me, you will make a fine leader.” The Admiral wiped a joyous tear from his cheek. “Be selfless, care for your people and you will build a place to rival Theseldora, of that I have no doubt.”
The words soothed the raging fire of uncertainty burning his chest. He nodded and pointed at the Deed for Carver’s Bay. “So, what's the price?”
Tapping his lips with a thoughtful expression, the Admiral glanced at the map and back, considering what he should charge him. “Well, because fewer people would be interested in buying an island with a Cavernous Depths feature, I think I can let it go for 2,100 gold.”
Priestess and Skree nearly spat at the staggering price. They knew an island would be expensive but 2,100 gold was every bit of currency they had and then some. At their shocked expressions, the Admiral smiled. “Too costly?”
They both nodded, exchanging a nervous glance. “Admiral, I know that you own this land and are free to charge whatever you wish.” Skree began, “But even a man with amnesia knows that is far too expensive.”
“Too expensive? You have a powerful need of my property and I have the desire to make money from my investments.” The Admiral said, somewhat playfully. “Tell you what, I can as low as 2,000 gold.”
Raiya- Early Game Page 14
