Special Abilities
Analyze Monster, Evolve Monster, Greater Bond, Mana Channeling II, Node Mastery I (Node Recall), Stop Monster, Summon Monster, Tame Monster
Arcane Vocations
Blacksmith (Level One), Mining (Level One), Skinning (Level One), Steward (Level Two)
The new spells he had learned were nothing to sneeze at, either:
Dark Tendrils
Time to Cast: 5 seconds (Instant). Cooldown: 10(8) seconds. Cost: 10(7) Mana. Duration: 10 seconds. Range: 75 feet. Effect: Any enemies in a fifteen-foot radius are ensnared by gripping tentacles of Darkness. The tendrils inflict 2(3) points of damage per level of the caster upon releasing the spell, as well as every second the target is ensnared. Breaking free is possible, with a base chance of 5% for every point of Strength above 25. Large or giant creatures have a +15% and 30% bonus, respectively.
Shadow Transformation
Time to Cast: 8 seconds (Instant). Cooldown: 30(24) minutes. Cost: 25(19) Mana. Duration: 5 minutes. Range: Self. Effect: Become a Shadowling for the duration of the spell. During that time, your weapons and equipment will be absorbed into the Shadow Form and you will retain all their bonuses and defensive values. You will become invisible in any area not exposed to direct light, and be able to travel through any cracks or crevasses large enough to let light through. The Shadow Form can cast any spell that does not take time to cast, at double normal Mana cost before any modifiers are applied. It can attack physically, inflicting a maximum of 1 point of Darkness damage for every level of the caster’s Intelligence, Willpower and Spirit.
The Shadow Form takes half damage from Physical attacks and double damage from Light and Fire attacks. All other Elements and Forces work normally.
He was advancing on the Path to Power. The only question was whether he’d advanced enough to do everything he had to.
Three
A week ago:
“This is going to take some work,” Hawke said after his first look at the Town Interface.
The map hanging from the wall of the former Prefect’s office was far more than a tapestry; it was in fact a Mana construct, nearly indestructible for as long as the town of Orom stood. It gave the town’s Ruler (currently one Hawke Lightseeker) access to a lot of information on the town, as well as control over a lot of raw power and a lot of choices about what to do with said power.
Town of Orom (Level Two Township)
Current Population/Maximum Pop.: 1,738/5,000
Warning: If the Town’s population decreases below 1,000, the Township’s Level will be reduced to One.
Available Mana/Mana Pool:1,738/1,738
Mana Recharge/Day: 200 (100 for Keep, 100 for Temple of Shining Father)
Current Mana Expenditures: 150/day (Undead, Demonic and Fae Wards)
Town Enchantments Available: Arcane Appointment, Call to Arms, Demonic Ward, Empower Champions, Fae Ward, Undead Ward.
Current Morale: -10 (Discontent)
Ongoing Projects: 0
Resources: 236 gold, 20,000 Daily Rations (Private Stores), 12,000 Daily Rations (Town Stores).
Building Materials: Stone 65, Wood 400.
Income: 40-50 gold a month
Taxes: 31 gold/month, 900 Daily Rations/month (collected Seasonally; Next Harvest Season in 2 months)
Fees and Duties: 10-20 gold/month.
Expenses: 80 gold a month
Town Guard: Guardsmen (20): 18 gold/month, 600 Daily Rations/month. Sergeants (4): 8 gold/month, 240 Daily Rations/month, Captain (0): 0. Stables (8 mounts, 4 servants): 12 gold a month. Total: 38 gold a month
Upkeep: 24 gold a month
Civilian Salaries (8): 18 gold a month
Town Buildings and Projects:
Buildings: 5 Apartment Buildings, 1 Barracks I, 12 Homes, 3 Inns, 1 Keep I (1003/2500), 8 Manors, 218 Shoddy Homes, 8 Shops, 1 Smithy, 1 Temple I (983/1250), 3 Workshops.
Appointed Positions Vacant: Guard Captain, Magistrate, Master of Coin, Town Clerk.
Arcane Professional Slots Available: 12
Hawke mentally ‘clicked’ on different entries to learn what they meant beyond the simple descriptions. He soon figured out that buildings without a level were just that, simple structures that did the same their equivalents on Earth would. Then there were structures with levels, which went from I to X in fancy Roman numerals for 1 to 10. Clicking on them revealed their special abilities and possible upgrades:
Barracks (Level I)
Provides housing, an armory, and a training area for the settlement’s garrison. At Level I, the Barracks can house up to 50 guards, 5 officers and 5 servants. To raise a Barracks to the next level, you need to add three Upgrades.
Current Upgrades: 0/3
Available Upgrades: Advanced Training Grounds (250 Mana), Expanded Barracks (120 Mana), Magical Armory (350 Mana), Fortify (150 Mana), Garrison (150 Mana), Strongpoint (300 Mana).
Keep (Level I)
The seat of government of a village or town, the Keep is usually fortified to serve as a refuge of last resort. It also holds the Core of the settlement, which generates Mana at a rate determined by the Keep’s level. To raise the Keep to the next level, you need to add four Upgrades.
Current Upgrades: 0/4.
Available Upgrades: Fortify (150 Mana), Garrison (150 Mana), Mana Lens (350 Mana), Node Connection (300 Mana), Observatory (350 Mana), Expanded Prison (150 Mana), Ritual Circle (300 Mana), Strongpoint (300 Mana).
Temple of Shining Father (Level I)
A temple provides a link between mortals and the pantheons they worship. The gods gain the devotion of their worshippers, which they can return in the way of Mana and even miraculous gifts. At Level I, the Temple provides the settlement with 100 Mana per day. To raise the Temple to the next level, you need to add four Upgrades. Note: The Arcane Official in charge of the settlement must have no worse than a Neutral Reputation with the deity or pantheon in question.
Current Upgrades: 1/4 (Monument I).
Available Upgrades: Holy Grove (200 Mana), Monument II (200 Mana), Observatory (350 Mana), Priesthood School (200 Mana), Reliquary (150 Mana), Sacred Vessel (250 Mana).
As if that weren’t enough, there was a list of Available Projects as well: additional Temples, as well as Craft-specialized buildings: Arcane Alchemist Laboratory, Enchanting Emporium, Leatherworking Shop, Smithy. There was even a Mage’s Tower, which brought back to mind the giant structures he had seen in Akila. Unfortunately, building one cost 1,500 Mana or about the same amount of gold in labor and materials, with the latter also requiring four months of construction. Mana could substitute for both labor and materials, but unless he wanted to cancel the wards keeping most types of monsters out of the town, Orom only regained Mana at the rate of 50 points a day.
“I can’t use my own Mana on Town spells, can I?” he asked Saturnyx.
“That sucks.”
He decided to wait a few days before spending any power, except for 50 points he put into fixing the Keep; he would do that every day for now, repairing the damage while keeping the town’s energy pool at maximum.
“Having fun?” Nadia Morganna, level four Elven Sorceress and fellow Eternal from Earth. said behind him.
Nadia looked a lot surer of herself than she had when Hawke had first seen her. He had known her before being taken to the Realms, but only through her character and social media; in many ways, he hadn’t known her at all. Whatever she had looked like on Earth, Nadia now was a somewhat short Elf – five inches below their six-foot average – with pale skin and jet-black hair that made an exotic contrast with her pale blue eyes.
“I never got into resource management games,” Hawke admitted. “And doing it for real isn’t much better.”
“Just think about all the lives you will be affecting. Breathing, li
ving beings, human and otherwise. You took over the town, so now you have responsibilities to go along all the cool powers.”
“It was the only way to get rid of all the Undead in town.”
“I know. And I’m only teasing, really. I know you are trying to do the right thing. I knew it back in Akila, when you got on Desmond’s case about calling Realms people ‘NPCs’.”
That had set him off. NPCs – non-player characters – was what you called computer-controlled cartoons that existed only as decorations or to interact with players in assorted ways. In games. This world might have a set of rules overlaid on top of it, but the people who lived there weren’t game pieces.
“We can’t let that sort of attitude spread around,” he said. “I saw it with Kaiser Wrecker and the Nerf Herders. They won’t even accept non-Eternals in their ranks. They figure they’re better than anyone else because they have a handful of extra lives.”
“And that’s why following you here was the right thing. You don’t think like that.”
“I try not to. And now I have to figure out how to run the town. Or at least, how to leave people alone to run their own affairs as much as I can. I want to keep them safe and maybe improve the general quality of life, but that’s about it.”
“Which is why I’m here. Patros is setting up in the meeting room.”
“All right, let’s get that done and over with.”
Hawke hated meetings, but he had a feeling he would come to hate them a lot more with all the extra practice.
Four
Still the week before:
Hawke turned to the basics:
“Okay, it looks like there is enough money and food to keep things running for a bit,” he said after going over the numbers. “And there is money coming in through taxes and other extortion rackets, just not enough to pay for everything, and the Prefect didn’t leave a lot of gold in the treasury, either.”
“Some of that money may be in his mansion,” Patros said.
“Yeah, we found a vault there, but it will only open for the rightful heir of the family. Trying to find whoever that is. We need a Magistrate, a Master or Coin, and assorted other town officials. More money to pay up, I guess. Although the Prefect doesn’t get a salary, which is funny.”
“It is an unpaid position,” said Patros, Priest of Shining Father and the closest thing Hawke had to a town clerk so far. “The expectation is that a Prefect must be a person of means, and that he or she will use their position to improve their fortunes.”
Hawke frowned. “By skimming a little off the top, taking bribes, unofficial protection rackets, and so on. Is that right?”
“That’s how premodern societies worked,” said Nadia.
Hawke had drafted her since she had been a store manager before diabetes-induced illnesses had forced her to work from home as a telemarketer, and also because her 21st-century perspective and gaming experience would give her a leg up in understanding the ins and outs of running a town in a fantasy universe.
“In Ancient Rome, for example, most public positions had no salary. And this place was founded by Ancient Romans. The names alone are a dead giveaway.”
“Ancient Romans with magic, cultural influences from Dwarves, Elves, Orcs and a whole bunch of other nonhuman civilizations, and a class/level game overlay,” Hawke said.
“And polygamy and polyandry,” Nadia added with a smile. He smiled back at her; after the meeting was over, they were going to be addressing that particular social institution.
“Anyway. Money is a little short, but once everybody is paying their fees and duties, things should balance out. Food production looks good.”
The farmlands around Orom were worked by about two hundred extended families, adding up to fifteen hundred people; a few lived in the city but most of them stayed in farmhouses next to their fields. At first, Hawke had been surprised that so few people produced enough surplus food to supply a town of almost two thousand, but magic played a big role in the process. For example, he had learned that the local wheat fields produced around fifty bushels per acre, which according to Nadia, who had taken some history courses, was a lot higher than in premodern times on Earth. The local Alchemist and Priest helped with crops, but there were also some fifty Arcane Farmers who had spells that sped growth, added nutrients to the soil, and influenced the weather to minimize losses due to unseasonal rains or harsh winters. Despite being surrounded on three sides by mountains, the weather around Orom was fairly warm, similar to California or Spain. It rarely snowed in the valley proper, allowing for subtropical crops like olives to flourish. Nadia had also noted that a lot of crops the Romans never had were in use here: everything from corn to tomatoes and potatoes. As long as there was enough peace to plant and harvest crops, people didn’t go hungry there. His job was to keep that peace.
“Anyway, I guess the most important thing now is to fill the town vacancies and put the new city officials to work. Delegate,” Hawke concluded, leaning back on his chair and putting his feet on the new table he’d purchased for the meeting room.
“I volunteer for nothing,” Nadia said. “I’m going to be too busy learning magic, herbalism, and alchemy. And I’m supposed to join the Lair-cleaning party.” Her smile wavered after thinking about the prospect of violence. Unlike Hawke, she found no joy whatsoever in fighting, although when the chips were down she had done what she needed to do without flinching.
“I must also decline any such appointments,” Patros said. “I am still needed to provide healing as well as spiritual succor to the townsfolk. And find a new Novice.” Patros’ last student had died in the zombie mini-apocalypse that had struck Orom.
“Of course,” Hawke told them. “Patros, I was hoping you could help me find worthy candidates. And Nadia, I just want you for your expertise and math skills. You know I need a calculator to double check my guesstimations, and they don’t have calculators around here.”
“Well, they do have abacuses, but I haven’t figured out how they work,” Nadia admitted. “But I can balance a checkbook. I’ll help any way I can.”
“Good. Okay, for Guard Captain, I want Markos. He stood by the town, he is a good fighter, and he now belongs to an Elite Class.”
“All true,” Patros conceded. “But the man is something of a brawler. He will take bribes and even squeeze outsiders for a bit of extra coin. And… well, it takes one to know one. He is a drunk. Much as I am.”
“I appreciate your candor,” Hawke said, feeling disappointed. Admitting that he had a problem couldn’t be easy for the Priest, although it wasn’t exactly a secret to anybody familiar with the local gossip. “Crap. Sucks about Marko, though. I really figured he was the man for the job.”
“He is a good Sergeant. But he needs an officer to rein him in,” the Priest said. “Brunes mostly let him do what he wanted, much to his detriment. But Brunes was a bully and cared not a whit about the town’s welfare.”
“Yeah. Nobody seems to miss that guy.”
Hawke had dealt with the Guard Captain the old-fashioned way, by teleporting behind him and stabbing him with his paired magical swords. Not sporting, but fights weren’t tennis matches or any kind of sport. The dead Captain’s Enchanted-Quality plate mail armor was currently being worn by Desmond, the other Eternal in town, along with his Masterwork two-handed sword.
“Do you have any suggestions?”
“I believe Kinto would do an admirable job. He served as a military scout in Akila, many years ago, which makes him familiar with military discipline. And he is not only well-regarded by most, after he helped save the town, but he is your future father-in-law. His family connection will add more weight to his position.”
The locals didn’t see anything wrong with nepotism. In fact, they saw it as the best way to find people you could depend on. You mostly trusted your relatives and put their welfare ahead of everyone else. Hawke hadn’t even considered the Hunter, but it seemed like a perfect fit. Kinto wouldn’t take crap from anybody and ha
d seen enough in his decades as an Adventurer to know when someone was trying to B.S. him.
“I’ll talk to him first, but assuming he says yes, the job is his. I still want to do something for Marko, though.”
The sergeant had saved his life. That was another fact of life around here: you always paid your debts.
“Make him First Sergeant, under Kinto,” the Priest suggested. “It will garner him a pay raise, and he is likely to feel both honored by the promotion and obligated not to let you down.”
“Maybe you should be running this town,” Hawke said.
“I would make a poor Prefect, I’m afraid. I am keenly aware of my many faults.”
“You kept most of the townspeople alive, your holiness. You did far better than most would have under those circumstances.”
“At times of crisis, sometimes one finds the strength to do what’s needed. But from one day to the next, in the drudgery of normal times? I fear I would stumble and likely fall.”
“I think you’re selling yourself short, but okay. Moving on…”
Patros suggested a few names for the other positions. Two were merchants in the town: Antana Setes and Markello Dometes. The other was a retired guardsman known as Oras Pertinos; instead of a surname, his second name simply meant ‘Stubborn.’ Hawke agreed to hold interviews in the following days and to have the vacancies filled before he went off to clear the Lair. With that, the meeting was officially over and Patros left.
The Elf smiled at him, with just a hint of nervousness. “Alone at last,” she said.
He smiled back.
Five
They sat there in silence for a few awkward moments.
Hawke spoke first: “I like you, Nadia.”
There was a lot more than that, but he wasn’t good with words. There were her Elven features, impossibly beautiful, with eyes slightly too large for a human being and a body that seemed both soft and almost fragile but which he knew was shockingly strong. His Half-Elven side found her irresistible in a primal way. He wanted her.
Lord of the Dead: A LitRPG Saga (The Eternal Journey Book 2) Page 3
