*** Main Server… Connection Successful. Enjoy! ***
I followed the bedjvain to the crest of the dune and saw laid out before me a sprawling encampment that was the size of a small city.
Deep in the center of the camp I could see several large stone buildings, but everything else seemed to be much more transient in nature.
Constructed from massive tents, wagons, and minimal wooden structures, most of the city looked like it could be packed up and wheeled off with little to no effort.
*** You have discovered Tael’va! Map Updated! You have gained 100xp! ***
Past the main city I could see several small encampments, each with their own flare, and figured that even with this pseudo-city, many of the tribal peoples found it safer to stay amongst themselves
Behind me I heard the bedjvain having a short conversation in their own tongue, followed by the sound of footsteps approaching.
I turned to see Kejaa heading my way as the rest of her kin began gathering the goods they had liberated and heading towards one of the campsites on the outskirts of the main camp.
“Here is where we part ways, Priest. Should you learn more of the slavers, our camp is marked by the black serpent devouring its own tail,” she said, gesturing towards the eastern camps.
“May the gods watch over you” she said and left, jogging to catch up to her kin.
I heard a grunt to my right and turned, glancing at Haegir and he wiped the sweat off of his brow. “Is it bad that the only thing I can think of upon seeing this place is where I can get a good drink?” he said and laughed before walking towards the encampment.
“Safe travels to you Priest! May your luck be much better than it has been!”
I had hoped that the tutorial NPC’s would have been some sort of link to the next chapter of things, but as soon as we’d arrived, they had all gone their own way. Ah well, c’est la vie.
I glanced back at the gathered freed men and women, each clutching their meager possessions and beckoned them forward as I started towards the city.
“Well, I guess this is it folks. Let’s see what Tael’va has to offer us” I said and led the way.
As we reached the gates of the city, I gave each of the former slaves a warm handshake and wished them luck as they went their separate ways into the town.
Some had family here, some were looking to start a new life, and sadly, I think some were bound to end up in chains again before the week was out.
*** You have gained reputation with the Ouroboros Tribe of the Bedjvain! Unfriendly → Neutral. ***
*** You have gained reputation with the Tel’vaar Dwarves! Unfriendly→ Neutral. ***
*** You have gained reputation with the Free People of Tael’va! Neutral → Friendly. ***
I glanced around and wondered how the hell I was going to find anything in this place when I noticed a small prompt at the periphery of my vision. I focused on it and a small mini map appeared, growing larger to take up my entire field of vision.
Most of it was obscured in a cloudy grey fog, but I could see a small area around where I was, as well as a trail leading back the to the gates. At least once I explored the place, I’d be able to find my way out. I focused on hiding the map and then walked into the sprawling trade city.
The tutorial was over so this city should be some sort of newbie zone with some low-level content and I wanted something more to eat than trail rations. Finding a way to bind myself at the new location would also be a good idea.
The streets, well, more like aisles between the makeshift buildings were full of all sorts of people. Looking around, I saw that the majority of the people in this city were human, but not of either of the three player races. They were just plain human.
These people made up the majority of the crowd. Mixed into the sea of humanity I spotted some Saa, a decent number of bedjvain, and even several moon and sun elves. I even saw a pair of Drahk’nari sporting gigantic falchions leading the way for a silk clad sun elf as he went about his business.
Ready to start with the interactive part of the game, I walked over to a street vender selling some form of meat on a stick.
“Good day”, I said to the vender, a small Saa man dressed in a drab brown robe, “could you tell me where I can find the…” I paused, not knowing what this game even had for bind stones. I decided to try anyhow, what’s the worst that could happen? “…bind stone for this city?”
The vender looked at me with a confused look on his face and said, “What is a bind stone, sirrah? I have never heard that term before…. Would you like to buy a kabob? The finest kabob in all Tael’va! Just two coppers!”
I see where this is going, I thought, fishing out two copper and buying myself a kabob. I took a bite of the kabob and marveled at the taste.
Damn it was good. Whoever programmed the food in this game had done an amazing job. Or at least had figured out a great way to fool us into thinking they had.
“Is there a location that travelers gather to…” I considered, “connect to the gods? Where their spirits may be renewed if they fall in battle?”
The man considered for a moment and said “I am unsure of what you are looking for, sirrah. If it is a spiritual thing you seek, you should make your way to the temple. If you are looking for drink, then there are many taverns and inns in the golden quarter.”
He glanced at my shield and spear hanging on my back and continued. “If you are looking for work, then the caravansary is always looking for good men.”
Three notifications popped up at the edge of my view, and when I selected them my map appeared with three new locations revealed and labeled.
Grinning to myself, I closed the map and thanked the man, and then headed towards the area marked as the golden district where inns could be found, savoring my kabob.
As I finished the tasty treat, a small icon appeared in my view, bringing an even bigger smile to my face.
*** Mystery Meat: +5% HP/MP/SP regeneration. Duration (8hrs). ***
Leaving the outskirts of the city behind, I entered a much more opulent neighborhood. Sprawling wooden buildings teeming with light and music.
At one point I passed by a large maroon tent and caught a glimpse of something unexpected through the entrance.
An elven woman wearing only several strategically placed veils was displaying an extraordinary level of flexibility while a large crowd watched. The entrance was quickly closed as the doorman saw me watching, and I moved on before they could try and charge me admission to the show.
I continued deeper into what my map now showed as the Golden District, searching for something that looked like a safe place to rest.
I moved past the wealthier establishments, knowing they were well beyond my means, and eventually entered a less opulent part of the district. The tents here were made of canvas instead of silk, the signs were faded and cracked, and the smells wafting forth were a bit sharper and less perfumed.
As I was about to move on, I noticed an anomaly. There, underneath one of the canvas tents was a wall made of stone. Interesting, I thought, and examined the sign for the establishment. “The Stone Serpent,” I read aloud, “What a strange name.”
I shrugged and pushed the entrance flap aside and entered the inn. Looking around I could see that this place was a strange mixture of an actual brick and mortar building, with the gaps and holes covered over with canvas.
Behind the bar was a man of equally curious heritage. I blinked as my brain synced up with my characters memory database and revealed the innkeepers race.
He was djinden, a race distantly related to the mythological elemental spirits of the desert. They were a rare breed and tended to keep to their own small communities.
The djinden resembled their human ancestors in size and body shape but had one very distinct difference.
Instead of the white, iris, and pupil makeup of typical human eyes, the djinden had a pair of solid gemstone colored spheres.
From what I “knew” of thei
r people, each familial line was descended from a unique djinn, and the color of their eyes was linked to their bloodlines. They were a formidable people as their djinn ancestry gave them a hefty resistance to elemental damage, and they were very long lived.
He looked up as I entered, and his eyes narrowed slightly before being replaced by a pleasant mask. “How may I help you today, traveler? Are you looking for a drink? A meal? We do not have much, but I would be happy to direct you somewhere that could satisfy your needs?”
A lot of the tables and chairs showed signs of recent damage and quick repairs. This place didn’t seem to be doing too well, so I wondered why he was acting the way he was to a potential customer.
I glanced at him again and was rewarded by a small snippet from my game memory banks. Apparently the Saa Empire was responsible for most the shitty situations the djinden found themselves in.
Years of conflict and wars between the Saa and their djinn-touched cousins had resulted in the scattering of the djinden people to the outskirts of the empire.
Needless to say, they held a grudge. Another small bit of info informed me that as a Saa, I should view the djinden as a second-class citizen and treat them like so.
Nope. There was a limit to what I was willing to RP, and racism was right the fuck out. I knew it was a part of a lot of fantasy genre lore, but nope, not for me. I was not going to be party to that bullshit, so I decided that this was going to be my inn, and I was going to show this guy that at least one Saa wasn’t a racist fuck. Even if he did end up killing me. Minor victories.
I looked him directly in his gleaming emerald eyes and said “Actually, I am looking for a room, and this place seems to be the only thing with four solid walls in this city.”
His eyes narrowed again, the mask of civility abandoned as he opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted when a small form darted in through the entrance and ducked behind the bar.
A djinden child huddled against the man’s thigh, sobbing uncontrollably. I examined her closely and saw a large bruise beginning to show through on her cheek. The kid couldn’t have been more than nine or ten years old.
She glanced up at me and emerald eyes the same as the barkeep widened before she cringed even further against him.
From outside I head a shout, “She went in here!”, and then the entrance was ripped aside, admitting three shady looking men.
The one in the lead was a Saa, dressed in workman’s clothes that had definitely seen better days. Behind him came a woman, one of the krek, this game’s closest analog to orcs, and bringing up the rear was an equally poorly dressed member of the generic human people.
“There she is, the little thief!” the Saa shouted, and started towards the bar, his companions following behind.
I took a step to the side, putting myself between the child and the newcomers as I raised my hand and said, “Woah! What seems to be the problem here?”
I heard a whimper from behind the bar and looked over, seeing the little girl clinging still to the man’s legs.
*** Perception Check Successful! Discerning Eye Check Successful! ***
A faint glimmer in the corner my vision drew my eye to the djinden’s hands beneath the bar, showing the outline of a club of some sort held in his hand, ready to knock some sense into the newcomers, or me, or both.
I decided to keep my eye on him as well since I didn’t want to take a bat to the back of the head.
The thugs continued their advance across the room and the innkeeper began to shout back. “Get out! All of you! I have told you time and time again you are not welcome here! OUT!”
The lead thug cracked his knuckles and responded, “As soon as she gives back what she stole ye damn dix.”
The little girl had finally found some courage and shouted back, “I didn’t steal anything! You said you would pay me for the water! I took what you said you would pay!”
The lead man laughed, “As if I’d pay you for serving your masters, dix.”
There was still a bit of a delay in the knowledge retrieval, so it took me a minute to realize that “dix” was the equivalent N-work for the djinden.
I closed my eyes briefly, trying to both calm myself and harden my resolve. This was probably going to be painful but well, pain is the currency heros deal in right?… right.
I stepped in front of the intruder and held up my hand once again. “Excuse me. There is no need for that sort of language. Can’t you see you’ve scared the girl enough? I think you should probably leave now before things get out of hand.”
The krek and human man looked at each other behind the Saa’s back and raised eyebrows as the Saa got in my face. “What’s it to you? You must be new around here if you’re trying to start shit with me.”
“I don’t really care who you are. You’re scaring the kid and being an asshole. Just get the fuck out,” I replied.
Somehow, I was completely calm. The fear I expected was somehow transformed into a cold fire smoldering in my stomach.
The Saa stepped back and began to turn away but I knew what was coming, and as he was turning back, I reached behind me and brought my shield around just in time to catch his bare knuckled sucker punch right on hard wooden edge.
The thug stepped back holding his mangled hand and yelled for his friends to get me. The human looked around wildly but the krek barely hesitated before drawing a dagger from her belt and lunging.
I sidestepped the blow and bashed my shield into her face, sending her stumbling back into the human.
*** You strike Krek Thug with your shield, inflicting a glancing wound! ***
The human and Saa drew their own short knives and moved to flank me. I was in deep shit. I analyzed each in turn and saw they were all first level, so maybe I wasn’t completely fucked. I wasn’t too hopeful about my spear’s usefulness inside the common room, so it was going to be a challenge… oh wait. Magic.
I shuffled towards the corner trying to put myself in a little better position and focused on the three thugs.
*** Krek Thug, Level 1 ***
*** HP: 90%, MP: 0, SP: 80% ***
*** Karillian Thug, Level 1 ***
*** HP: 100%, MP: 0, SP: 90% ***
*** Saa Thug, Level 1 ***
*** HP: 80%, MP: 0, SP: 90% ***
The human seemed to be the most timid of the three so I focused on the others first. The krek seemed to be the biggest threat, as her people were naturally suited to beating the piss out of the less beefy races.
As she approached, I raised my hand towards her and began to form the Sunstrike glyph construct in my mind.
I smiled as she rounded the table between us and channeled my mana into the form, pushing as much as I could into it without really thinking about it.
*** Supercharging Sunstrike… ***
*** You cast Sunstrike+ on Krek Thug! Sunstrike+ critically burns your target with Holy Fire! ***
*** Krek Thug is stunned! ***
*** Krek Thug is Critically Wounded! ***
*** You have exceeded your current spellcasting limits! ***
*** You suffer massive Stamina damage from Mana Burn. ***
*** You are Exhausted. ***
Oh, the pain! My brain felt like I had snorted drain-o and then gargled with lemon juice. Mana Burn? What the hell was that! I blinked past the paragraph of text that accompanied that question and tried to focus on the fight at hand.
The human was looking back and forth between me and the charred form of the krek lying on the ground, and after a minute he came to some sort of decision and ran for the door.
Their Saa ringleader was not so easily cowed. I took a step towards my spear, but my legs turned to jelly. I tripped and sprawled out in front of the bar, barely getting my shield up in time to block the thugs first stab.
My head began to pulse in pain as the Saa ringleader pushed my shield aside and raised his dagger.
I figured I was finished. I glanced at my health gauge, seeing my hit points were fine but my mana was
almost empty, and my stamina was completely gone. Whatever I had done to supercharge that spell had been a huge mistake.
The Saa tensed in preparation, his blade poised to end my life and all I could do was spit at him in defiance.
He flashed a malicious grin and began to strike but was interrupted as the innkeeper’s club lashed out, smacking him across the back of his skull and dropping him unconscious on top of me.
Looking up I saw the barkeep peer over the bar at the both of us, his emerald eyes showing no emotion at all as he looked between us.
I laughed a bit and then a new icon appeared next to my gauges as my world went black.
I could see my health gauges, icons, and could even look through my character sheet and skills, but the game world was a blank to me.
I assessed my character's status, seeing that my mana and stamina gauges were both sitting at zero, with several blinking icons hovering nearby. I focused on each in turn.
*** Incapacitated: You have lost consciousness! While incapacitated in Sosaku online, all game input and output will be muted. Time Remaining: 4:32. ***
*** Mana Burn: You have forced too much mana through your mental channels causing serious damage to your mind and spirit. All regeneration levels at -100%. Time Remaining: 2:32 .***
*** Exhausted: You have depleted your physical reserves and require rest to recover. Time Remaining: 30s. ***
I focused on the Mana Burn effect again and this time read through the description.
*** Mana Burn: You have pushed more mana through your mental and spiritual channels than your mind and body can handle. While the ability to enhance your spell casting with additional mana is possible, doing so without sufficient training and experience can be quite detrimental to your health. ***
If I'd had access to my physical body right then, I would have been laughing my ass off. What a way to discover that ability. Good job James, fry your own brain. Now let’s just hope that the djinden doesn’t decide to slit your throat and toss you in the nearest river.
Crimson Sands Page 9
