Since they had the best view around at the moment, Aleksandr continued to give Chris the lay of the land. “I do not have a map of the whole world, but mine does cover north to the coast and south to the edge of this forest. Though I have not seen it on a map, farther to the northwest is a great range of mountains. We can see a few of their peaks in the distance on a clear day from the church’s bell tower.”
The older man paused and pointed a large-knuckled finger into the hazy distance. Chris thought he saw the mountains Brother Aleksandr was describing, but they could have just as easily been clouds on the northern horizon.
The old man started walking and talking again. “It seems these mountains come all the way out into the sea. That is the home of the dwarven Mountain Kingdom. Across the sea to the north beyond those mountains is the elvish Forest Kingdom. Its trees are taller than towers and thicker than castle walls.”
Brother Aleksandr jerked his thumb back over his shoulder. “Directly to the east of your three allied kingdoms lie the three enemy kingdoms. There are various other small kingdoms and sides scattered about between all these. In the center of it all is the Wasteland, but you won’t need to worry about that for awhile.”
As the old man had been explaining, they had walked past the church, along a stonewalled yard that connected it to the parsonage, and up to the sturdy wooden door. Aleksandr bowed a little and opened the door. “Welcome to my humble abode.”
Chris entered a cozy room with a table and four chairs. The decorations consisted of a hearth, fireplace, and a single tapestry depicting what Chris guessed was a Bible scene. Embarrassingly, he could not place the image with any of the stories he remembered.
Aleksandr indicated the table and chairs. “Why don’t you take a seat and read your introductory book while I check on how Nathaniel is coming along with breakfast?”
The idea of the young boy Chris had seen yesterday cooking on his own seemed a little ridiculous, but the paladin nodded politely and got his book out of his inventory pouch. The stretching of the pouch was unnerving and amazing at the same time.
You have acquired a Book of Experience. Do you want to read it? YES or NO. (Focus your mind on your answer and clearly express your choice as an act of your will.)
The instructions were weird, but Chris tried to do exactly what they said. He looked at YES and tried to will it. The text of YES flashed very briefly and the prompt suddenly disappeared.
Chris’s entire vision was suddenly filled with information. There were labels and arrows that looked like they were probably menus. A large character sheet filled the middle of his view. A hurricane of text bubbles and arrows covered the sheet. His head was swimming just trying to take any part of it in.
He spotted a little flower icon in the corner of his vision where he expected the help button to be. Chris willed it to be selected. Just like he hoped, it brought up a settings menu. He thought about the list of options scrolling, and it did. Down at the bottom of the list he saw two settings.
Detailed Combat Information [ON] OFF
Helpful Verbosity [ON] OFF
The numbers had been a little annoying during the fighting. But until he understood the rules of the Game a little better, he would leave the combat info setting alone. Hopefully, that would help him understand was was going on. Helpful Verbosity seemed anything but. Willing the setting to OFF, he closed the menu. A brief prompt floated over his character sheet for a moment.
For help with a specific term or value, just look at the item in question and think, “HELP!”
Name
Sir Christopher McKnight (untitled)
Health
16/16
Stamina
16/16
ATT (M/R)
+3/+2
Class Paladin
Level 1, 0%
Mana
6/6
Influence
1/1
DEF (B%, w/Shield)
+5 (5%, 45%)
Attributes
Skills
Abilities
STR
+2
Armor, N 0%
Heraldry, N 0%
Leadership, N 0%
Riding, N 0%
Shields, N 0%
Weapons, N 0%
Auras (Mana Cost)
Mighty Fortress, (4), N 0%
Healing Light, (4), N 0%
Soldier's, (4), N 0%
Martial Prowess
Gift of Tongues
Born Leader
Auras of Light
DEX
+1
CON
+0
INT
+2
WIS
+2
CHA
+1
Preferences
Help
Once he had dismissed this prompt, the information on the character sheet floating in his vision was much more comprehensible. The main body looked like this:
Everything on the top two lines made sense to Chris. He muttered out loud, completely absorbed in the stats. “The M/R has to be melee attack and ranged attack. Then, I bet the B% on the defense is probably block percentage.”
The first thing that had Chris thinking “HELP!” was the “N 0%” in the Skills area.
Skills have six levels of increasing mastery, Novice (N), Apprentice (A), Journeyman (J), Expert (E), Master (M), and Legendary (L). Each level makes new aspects and applications of a skill available. An apprentice alchemist not only produces stronger potions than a novice, but they also are capable of making a wider variety as well. Each skill advances differently. To see the progression, select a skill name and think, “PROGRESS!”
The percentage achieved toward advancement to the next level is displayed after the letter that indicates the current level of a skill. So, “A 53%” means that a skill is at “Apprentice” level and is 52% of the way toward advancing to “Journeyman” level. Advancement in many skills includes tasks and other requirements in addition to raising the advancement percentage to 100%. You can see these requirements on the progression table for a particular skill.
That made sense to Chris though he had never played a game with exactly that system. It seemed pretty similar to some others he had seen before. He read on, and one of his guesses was confirmed. Skill percentages increased based on usage, study, and as part of leveling. He told himself that he would look up his particular skills after he found out what the Abilities listed on his character sheet actually meant. Chris did not even notice the old man returning to the table with a ceramic pitcher and cup.
Chris looked at the brief descriptions for each of his Abilities.
Martial Prowess (Paladin Class Ability) - Instead of training the skill for each weapon, armor, and shield type separately, you only have three skills, Weapons, Armor, and Shields. Using any weapon will train the Weapons skill, and the same is true for armor and shields. This is a Hero only ability.
“Hero must mean player character or something. Hmmm, I’ll come back to that one.”
Gift of Tongues - You can understand any language spoken by intelligent creatures in the Divided Lands.
“Useful. Boring, but useful.”
Born Leader - You start with Leadership and Influence at Level 1 instead of waiting until Level 5. This is a Hero only skill.
Rolling his eyes, Chris snorted to himself. “Nice definition where I have to go look up other definitions to find out what the first definition actually meant.”
Auras of Light (Paladin Class Ability) - You have access to area of effect magical abilities that are centered on you but whose effects are shared with all allies within the specified radius. These cost mana to invoke and have limited duration.
Despite trying to do so silently, Brother Aleksandr made a little clinking sound with the cup and pitcher when he set them down on the table.
“Oh, thank you, that was awfully thoughtful of you,” said a startled Chris.
Chris took the cup and cautiously drank a little of the
contents. He had no idea what it might be. It turned out to be cool, clear water. He had not realized how thirsty being dead had made him until he started to drink. Draining the cup, Chris set it back down on the table, and Brother Aleksandr picked up the pitcher and refilled it.
The former monk informed him, “Breakfast is ready. If you’d like to put your book away, we will eat.”
“Absolutely!”
As Chris closed the book in his hands, he received an update.
You have read a Book of Experience. You gained 500 XP.
You have reached Level 2.
“WOOT!”
Nathaniel came through the door from the kitchen carrying a pan heaped with eggs. Chris did a double take. He had not gotten a good look at the boy on his first day in the Divided Lands, but he knew he had looked like a kid, eight or ten years old at the most. Now, Nathaniel was definitely twelve or thirteen, almost a teenager.
But, it was something else besides the rapid aging that really caught Chris by surprise. Nathaniel had the same light blue eyes that Jack had. This boy’s hair was darker and his face was wider than Chris’s dead brother’s had been. The eyes were identical. Chris’s mind raced.
What were the chances? There were billions of souls in Heaven. Could Jack have volunteered to come to the Divided Lands? Would he have been placed right here where Chris would land? How could Chris tell if it were really him? Would people who weren’t tutors even be able to remember or talk about their life on Earth? This boy had not given any indication of knowing Chris any more than from just the other day. Chris decided he would try to ask Aleksandr about it. It would not do to ask this Nathaniel directly if the Out of Character rules would just get him dismissed from the game. Then, he would lose his brother all over again, if this even was his brother.
Aleksandr set a plate in front of Chris and asked, “Is everything alright, Sir Paladin? You have a strange look on your face, like you have seen a ghost or are feeling ill...”
“No, I’m... I’m fine. I’ve got some questions for you a little later maybe is all.”
“Are you concerned about the young man’s appearance?” asked Brother Aleksandr. “Time is handled a little oddly in this Game. You should see the crops and fields!”
Trying to be friendly, Nathaniel looked up and smiled. It did not help Chris feel at ease. The boy’s lopsided smile reminded him of Jack.
Nathaniel tried to explain, “I look pretty different from yesterday because kids grow up really fast here. Moms are only pregnant for a day. They go to sleep with a big, full tummy, and wake up with a baby in their crib!”
“As it should be,” intoned Brother Aleksandr. “The curse of Eve should have no effect upon those who are of Heaven now.”
Nathaniel continued, “Kids are only little for a week. We age about three years a day until we get to be twenty one years old at the end of a week.”
Shocked, Chris exclaimed, “You’ll be older than me in a couple days!”
“Will I? I would have guessed you were older than that...”
“There is a mirror in the library,” offered Aleksandr. “You could check your appearance after breakfast if you wish. I would have guessed that you were twenty five if I were asked. How old are you on Earth?”
Embarrassed, Chris did not want to admit that he was only seventeen. What if he had to be in charge of either one of these two people at some point? Would they take orders from a seventeen year old when they had lived for decades and decades longer back on Earth?
Aleksandr understood Chris’s silence well enough. “It is a matter of no importance, Sir Christopher the Paladin. You are the player, and your role within the Game will be respected and honored no matter your age.”
Relieved a little, Chris nodded to the former monk. He wondered about others in the Game. Promising himself, he decided not mention his age on Earth to anyone else in the Divided Lands. Wanting to change the subject, he volunteered, “I leveled up from reading the Book of Experience. I’m trying to decide what to do with all the rewards, but I don’t think I really know enough about how the Game works.”
“Well,” answered Aleksandr, “when you are looking at the mirror in the library, you could look for helpful information there. As your tutor, I’ve been given many books that are about different aspects of the Game. I have not read all of them myself yet.”
Nathaniel piped up, “I’ve read a few of them. There is a good one about the different class skills. There is one about monsters that gives you a Monster Lore skill just for reading a little. I kind of wonder if I had more time if it would make the skill go up even higher. But, I lose a bunch of my skills that I’ve gained as a child anyway when I grow up in a couple days. Do you need a squire, Sir Christopher?”
“A squire?” responded a befuddled Chris.
“Yes, I could be your first Follower. I could help you while I’m still a child and then when I grow up, I’ll pick whatever class you want me to. Though, I’ve got a few in mind that would really work well with a paladin. That’s if you’re interested.”
The rapid fire speech, the excitement that lit up his eyes, this boy reminded Chris quite a bit of Jack. Even if he was not actually Jack come back from Heaven, Chris could see it being a great deal of fun to adventure around with this enthusiastic of a party member.
Chris asked, “Have you played RPGs before?”
Nathaniel’s face fell. “I can’t answer that. But, I’ll be a big help to you, I promise.”
Full of doubt, Brother Aleksandr leaned forward. “How exactly do you plan to help him?”
“Well, for starters, I’m here right now and I can join with him right away and start helping.”
Chris interrupted the younger boy, “Wait, why wouldn’t I want to have Brother Aleksandr as my first Follower? He’s got some sort of light laser blast thing that can slice a ghoul in half. That looks pretty awesome to have on my side.”
Teasingly, Nathaniel turned to Chris. “You know better than that, don’t you? What level do you think Brother Aleksandr is? He’s a Level 5 Mage of the Light. There’re three big problems with you partying up with him.”
The boy held up a hand with three slender fingers extended.
Chris could not help but smile as Nathaniel got rolling into his argument. He had always loved strategizing about games.
“First, you and he both use Light magic. That means you’ll both be susceptible to an enemy that is immune to that kind of attack. Next, You’ll be able to leech XP off of his kills for sure, but you split experience from combat based on how much you help. If he does most of the damage and healing, he’ll get most of the experience. There aren’t infinite monsters in the Game. You’ll have to travel farther and farther to find enemies and you’ll waste huge amounts of time. The designers had weird ideas about travel and distance compared to most modern games. Lastly, the actual total amount of experience will be higher if you’re the highest level member of your party. A Level 6 party killing a Level 2 monster will get a smaller reward than a Level 2 party doing the same.”
Chris nodded along to the argument. “You’ve played plenty of RPG’s haven’t you? You must have died recently.”
Innocence overflowing, Nathaniel replied, “I don’t know what you mean. You’re the only one here that I know of who has died recently.”
Shocked faced, Chris stared back at the boy.
“Ooooo, burn!” laughed Nathaniel.
Chris then realized that the boy had managed to answer his question in a way that clearly escaped the out of character penalty. Nathaniel was looking like a strong candidate for the role of clever ally.
Hurmphing a little as he sat back, Brother Aleksandr admitted, “All that Nathaniel says is true. Except for the burnt part. I am not sure what he meant with that. You seemed to understand him though, Sir Paladin. It is true that I would enjoy the adventure, but at this point, it would hurt you for me to join in. Perhaps later...”
“Plus,” added Nathaniel eagerly, “I’m great at play
ing support characters, and I’ll pick whatever hero class and style of play you want.”
“Ok, but my last objections is this. Won’t your parents miss you?” It was Chris’s last objection, and he actually was hoping the boy would swat it aside with a convincing argument.
“Not really. They are a huntsman and his wife who live in a hut in the forest about a mile further along the road. We can go and let them know what’s going on. They only knew they were going to have me a day before they did. Then, I was a baby for a day, and a toddler for a day, and then Brother Aleksandr asked for me to come here, help out around the place, and play my role in your arrival.”
“That sort of growth rate has got to wreck havoc on the population dynamics around here.”
Sagely nodding, Aleksandr agreed, “Surely it would, except that we only have children when certain conditions of surplus food and sufficient housing are met. Achieving those conditions will be your responsibility once you become a leader.”
“Ooo! How do I become a leader?”
“There are different ways: attract a large band of followers like Nathaniel, have a town pledge its allegiance to you, conquer a hostile settlement, or gather settlers and found a new settlement. Once you have done one of those, your scepter will activate and new menus will become available. You will also be able to claim your banner from the church here and declare a capital.”
“Did Jeremy do one of those things really quickly to be able to send that ghoul to me?”
“I would have thought so, but that seems impossible. Look at your Leader menu and see if you can trade already before you’ve become a leader. That seems more likely to me.”
Openings Page 6