My first thought on waking, was that I was happy. Not so much because I was living the life of a king (although I wasn't complaining about that), but because I had a reason for living: a mission. It was such a different feeling, having a purpose in life, to waiting around for the COVID restrictions to end. While Greyland was starting in a very difficult situation, I believed I could turn it around.510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdHyuk9Grig
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMec3yxCHsy
For a start, I had to ramp up iron production and correct my earlier mistake. As my first action, I assigned the realm's three iron ingots to the Smithy for more steel pickaxes.510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUEeZWix3hV
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2SFr5iMQTR
Crucial to my success in this world would be my personal character progression. With some anxiety I called up my character sheet to see if I'd managed to improve it by my efforts of the previous day.510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvcR3TwGVkB
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyZHdWDedKC
Sean de Courcy, king of Greyland510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq3ClNKvH7H
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyoW5MoaWNM
Str 7510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX18T1IBgao
Dex 4510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKQqKAfqBYo
Con 8510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFMHVGnuMZ5
Int 16510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqCQX6Qximp
Wis 16510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM3GciQmFcN
Cha 4510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzABpF7Uq8m
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0SsKPk8QmX
Please choose a character archetype:510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ32zDDTGtB
Fighter; Wizard; Healer; Scout510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSsrEWYwHUb
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Of course, neither my Strength of Constitution had shifted. I sighed to myself. How many more days of exercise would it take to test whether those stats would rise? Should I give it a week and then give in and choose a Wizard or Healer path? The people who had summoned me here wanted a battlefield leader and my own desire led me to want to be a martial class of some sort. But it would be idiotic to aim for that if I was stuck with these stats.510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ8ekoWD5dk
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Then I noticed the final attribute, Charisma. It had gone from 3 to 4. Yes! Yes! And again Yes!510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV40zV230Lk
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmy0R4FhI1e
Stats could be worked on. A glow of pleasure rushed through me. Okay, so it wasn't a Fighter stat that had moved, but really, after one day, even if I had focused on Strength, I could hardly have expected to see progress. I had a hunch that the reason I'd seen Charisma move was that it was a lot easier to raise a 3 to a 4 than a 7 to an 8.510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrpjKRQ9mmv
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiNqHtcDMvs
Following that last thought, I had to admit to myself that it might take months to move Strength to something useful in battle, but even so I decided to take the risk and commit to Fighter. It was time to get going. I missed being the most bad-ass warrior in Storm Wars and couldn't even imagine what it would feel like to be on top of the game be like in a world where it really mattered? Still, it was pointless, counterproductive even, to daydream. There was a mountain to climb. And I hadn't even taken one step yet towards the summit.510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbGcss0BLNe
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH2xA3wwBIn
I selected Fighter and got a message:510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡygnqXE7Mjx
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRFdrpPXHOb
Welcome Sean de Courcy, to the path of the Fighter. You have chosen to stand toe to toe with your foes, dealing blows to them and evading their own attempts to harm you. It is a path for the brave and for the resolute. If you are fortunate and progress, in due course you will unlock specialisations within the Fighter class.510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlbTCff1dYB
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL40COEMVty
You will also unlock new skills by discovering them through action. For now, you have 10 skill points to assign among the following:510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1OFRizVfJH
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Bash: action, shield users only, additional attack with shield510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Pwr7jYGLE
Block: passive, shield users only, wards melee attacks if successful510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡajz2BaWFkc
Deflect: passive, shield users only, wards missile attacks if successful510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLWxBTYihJt
Defensive Stance: passive, reduces damage of hits received if successful510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDYaIaCCvyZ
Dodge: passive, avoid an opponent's attack510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEi9yFYnHzn
Grapple: action, unarmed attack that restricts opponent if successful510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxa8U5JGLhT
Lunge: action, pointed weapons only, additional attack at up to +1m range510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsFPxW4kfDu
Parry: passive, intercept your opponent's attack with your main hand weapon510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Xchr19ISo
Quick draw: action, produce hidden or sheathed weapon510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi8J46nB1J9
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnDHB7LpHbb
Quite a lot to think about there. And I had to make my choice right away, as the screen couldn't be flicked away in the usual fashion. Generally, I preferred a min-max approach to RPG gaming. It was usually better to be really good at one skill and adapt your strategy to that skill than to have no particular specialism and be somewhat competent at everything. Ideally, I would have had a taste of fighting before make my choice, so as to get a feel for what would be the best skill to invest in. Here, though, there was going to be a lot of guesswork.510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF3SiqaG2rE
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlTEoEd0eWj
On the assumption I'd have the support of the high level people who had summoned me, I decided I should focus on attack rather than defence. Back in Storm Wars defence was crucial but here, at the low levels at least, I felt it best to try to rack up experience fast through killing mobs. Lunge appealed most, surely an extra attack and a bit more range on an attack was going to prove useful? When I tried to put my ten points into the skill, however, I got a message.510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyDrZKWDrhj
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlkOxuUwVj5
Skills are capped at Level x 5510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvArIwliOWc
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Adding 5 points to Lunge worked. So for my other choice? Was I going to use a shield? Probably but not necessarily. I didn't know what weapons were going to be available to me here. Parry then. While Quick draw had its appeal, it was very situational. Whereas pretty much every fight I was in would involve the opportunity to parry.510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBNBgJTus8L
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFH5up6YZz3
My character sheet now had my class and skills, also, an EXP bar, showing that I needed 100 to get to Level 2 and HP. I had hit points! Not many though. And an armour class that at 0 probably reflected the fact that I had no armour on at all. Even if I did, that poor Dexterity score probably carried a penalty.510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh17PUPewMD
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Sean de Courcy, king of Greyland510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNjNGtR81ba
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf9M5CK4Tt9
Fighter, Level 1 HP 8 AC 0510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡizp6RuuvDe
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxWAb8zwuWs
Str 7510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVRZBC644iF
Dex 4510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOKe4kpr1M3
Con 8510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwCpgDSjM4O
Int 16510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzhDC69R5F9
Wis 16510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡybGlJdUNhi
Cha 4510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAIHEgtsUuO
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0QuVkCqayH
Lunge 5510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPirDZUJ9In
Parry 5510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjLZzZARBjL
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNYudUEY7BP
Exp 5/100510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3O3zGgynPp
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With the help of the PCs in Greyland, I should be able to level up fast.510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFI1yOk5Mit
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuMrP9zc2qR
If it wasn't for my heavy body, I'd have leapt out of bed with a spring in my step and an eager desire to get going. As it was, I had to lever myself up and then struggle with every single garment before managing to get dressed. It didn't help that I ached all over from yesterday's marching around the barracks square. At last, I was presentable and down I went to breakfast.510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlzL7kb7FxZ
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIEp2khWCBS
Today, the castle servants were ready for me and along with a glass of apple juice was a bowl with more apples and a plate with two poached eggs. I felt desperately hungry and was tempted, when a new servant tentatively approached, to ask for more. But I had to get down to a size where armour could fit me and a horse could carry me. So I had to diet. End of. Back home, I had sometimes tried to cut out unhealthy snacks, and managed for a while, before invariably returning to them and sometimes bingeing while hooked up to Storm Wars. Here, I felt differently. Here, getting the king's body into shape was just as important as levelling up and sorting out Greyland's food supply. There was no 'Will I? Won't I?' discussion to be had with myself. It had to be done.510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCdEjijUr8C
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbE8Bl085Sd
After breakfast, I left the keep and walked slowly in the direction of the barracks. The citizens of the town hurried away from me or redoubled their efforts if they were working. For the first time, I noticed that stored away in the shadowy corner of a large cobbled square was a gibbet and a chopping block. Had my predecessor really executed people by hanging and beheadings? It was not a question I could ask anyone except one of the three who had been there at the summoning.510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFGpQCwGBpz
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYEQ9okx6VY
The soldiers were already drilling when I got to the barracks and I was pleased to see archers firing at straw scarecrows. Thirteen, fourteen… yet fifteen. Those were my new recruits. It might have been a dumb move using up all my iron before the steel pickaxes were completed but I was glad to see the archers all the same.510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa9icZpRVDQ
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMv3bP1hKNi
Carradock was there, marching some foot soldiers back and forth. He passed the duty to one of the men and came over at a brisk walk on seeing me.510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0bjKK2h63O
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsR4G6D1M1e
'How are you today sire? Able to continue?'510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2hUkK0pXQm
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKdBi42S8Ff
'Stiff, but yes.'510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpwMLV48Fgo
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ823km6UjEh
'I suggest another march then. Sixty circuits.'510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtA7ehDB4g2
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcFBzZDbknz
'Right so. Before I set off, I've a question you might know the answer to.'510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcYL3fdzvtR
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiakBjJRPTK
He looked at me expectantly.510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3DXSX4Sfk4
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9VIJDZqOLQ
'I just learned the Lunge skill. Do you know how I utilise it?'510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvX35URyuYt
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJj5ZFG5Zn3
Surprise, then caution crossed the trainer's face. 'Not I sire. Skills like what you're talking about are special. You need to talk to someone like Lord Arval.'510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyoxxOJR1Jj
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWKck7u1u5n
'Good idea. Send someone to fetch him will you.' As was my nature, I almost added 'please', but no doubt that would be taking my change in character too far.510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXTEuZ41mid
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUIcTZZppVP
On lap six, Lord Arval fell in step. 'Sire?'510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ANYisQdPH
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1eknWuvFgg
'Two questions.' I already felt the need to be economical with my breath. 'Active skills like Lunge, how do I use them? And what's the quickest way for me to level up? Got some giant bats I can kill?'510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNcyFQ0CyYQ
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdmTMOSWm1h
'Skills? You'll see them as selectable icons when the right conditions are met. I mean when timers are ready; or the right weapon is in hand; or you've moved yourself into the right position. Skills are very experiential. You get to discover them and advance them mostly by practice.'510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2KRjrnBzCa
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSvA2ktKyq8
I nodded, hands swinging like pendulum weights as I strode determinedly around the square.510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDZcqcayrJS
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ZGAs5l2qo
Lord Arval kept pace effortlessly. 'For levelling up, I think quests. Without access to the menus I can't be exact, but I felt that just by performing chores for the townspeople I became significantly stronger. Perhaps reaching level three or four.' He gave me a sharp look. 'It helps with your reputation with them too.'510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSZxxxqzjOG
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTB54hiAYYq
'Good. I'll be done here by midday, come with me this afternoon and show me these quests.'510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0YtipBxzVH
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfBKOT1G6Xt
First checking no one was close enough to overhear us, Lord Arval leaned closer and dropped his voice. 'I'd never disagree with a command of yours, but I was intending to take the new archers down to Three-Ways Fort and check on our defences. I could ask Carlena to show you the easiest town quests?'510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgzCUhz8oZO
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwvL4EcW6gF
I caught his – grey – eyes and gave the slightest of nods.510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEkLOp9HJt7
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9CI1nFx68B
'Very good sire,' Lord Arval spoke loudly and deferentially. 'As you ask, so it will be.'510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ5C6jEvaRG
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmBe76twNDD
The laps today were a little easier and even a soft rain didn't deter me. Walking was good for studying the menus too and I drilled down into the kingdom's various options, reading up on descriptions of buildings and balancing their various benefits against the immediate need to solve our food problem and be able to resist an attack if Southway and Trolland continued their alliance.510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡchzetcdYUO
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9qwqZ51yvJ
After I finally completed my sixty laps, I took a salute from Carradock and went back to the keep for a bath and change of clothes. Then I sat in the very large throne in the large hall on the second floor, the solar they called it. Outside, beyond the lead crosses that contained the window glass, the day was still grey. I could have rested there, alone, for some time, but Carlena arrived and waving away the servants who had brought her to me, came over.510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnCJv2FflWN
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDlFP2ZxAb2
'You wanted me to help with quests?'510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr4vcHClOMQ
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhVuCGR0IaV
'Yes please. I've started as a Fighter but, honestly, I'm not in the shape to hit things yet. So quests are perfect. And Lord Arval said they would level me fast.'510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxI1YfJBNe1
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuxobxGSOXX
'Yes, they will. At least, they got me to my third spell. After that, you'll need to battle monsters. Also, your combat skills won't increase unless you do.'510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVro8csEj4u
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc0GqiE4YUJ
'Right so, let's go and do some quests.' It was painful, moving again after being seated for a while. But pain meant gain, right? And I had the incentive of levelling up to encourage me.510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVgkAk8ZTPK
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwa67SydWh1
'It's been a while since I did these…' She looked thoughtful, long, silver hair tied back so I could see her severe face clearly. 'And try to be more like King Carlos. Everyone is talking about you. About how you've changed.'510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtJ4v7FEYAk
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'He was a thug, right?'510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOiJ0xmduV0
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'More of a sly creature, like a fox. Watching and waiting … then punishing. Never trusting anyone. You didn't know where you were with him. Not even me, who – forgive the lack of modesty – is the most important person in the kingdom. There was a time when I thought he was going to hang me for treason. Even though that would mean no sorcerer for our battles.'510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcRtCV6tn2A
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2SYvMn9OaD
Having reached the large, double doors Carlena went silent and waited for me to lead her out. From just behind my right shoulder, she muttered directions as we walked down narrow cobbled streets until we came to a bakery.510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIZ5ak7FsHT
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq645Cbby1t
'In there is a female baker who needs a large rat killed.'510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD4moKLiXaN
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMxjtuTPxhg
I barged in, under the swinging sign of a loaf of bread. My bulky body made a small room feel even smaller: counter with several loaves; bare planks for floors; whitewashed walls; back room with an aroma of newly baked bread that made my mouth water.510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcqBlTEAenj
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSeeIYowCo5
A boy, about ten years old, was sweeping dust. His mouth dropped open. A thin woman behind the counter looked at me with pure horror, then said quietly, 'Miya bless me!'510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWHiq0Re1St
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'I believe you have a problem with a rat?'510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiqTXWkuUak
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No one moved or spoke, until the boy dropped his brush and ran. Then the woman did the same.510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1uSGSnwr7N
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'Guards!' yelled Carlena. When two soldiers came running, she instructed them to bring the baker back.510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8RhlrOIaca
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Feeling impatient, I tried to strum my thick fingers on the wooden counter top, but couldn't, they just thumped down in a group. My crappy Dexterity? Or simply lack of practice with this body?510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLOWuYEG1pE
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUGYAAt7Ye3
At last the guards returned, holding the woman between them. She was clearly terrified and I would have said something comforting, except that Carlena wanted me to stay in character.510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSgEm0YzZkx
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'You have a task?' I asked.510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡno1QvkD3UQ
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'But…' she was looking at the floor. 'But… you've already done it.'510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo57MrtpH5O
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I shot a glance of alarm at Carlena who remained perfectly impassive. No doubt for the benefit of the guards.510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzJOzrl7SJW
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'Give it to me again.'510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3huoSmev77
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'I can't sire, I really can't. Please don't kill me, I have three children.'510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZWfCGcR3ZN
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtQLJd9a8qA
'Just try. Just say the words. I'm sure it will work. Go ahead!'510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNJpzxISs23
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnNpVIuNJcq
But she couldn't. Her mouth opened and closed without a sound coming out. Tears ran down her face.510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRrxANfjBqF
510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpj5OXrq10y
Exasperated and not wanting to cause the baker to suffer any further, I strode back outside, took a second to orientate myself, and set off back toward the keep. Levelling up was going to require a rethink.
