Sky Realms Online- Grayhold

by Troy Osgood

  When he had explained what Pike had seen, Leigh had told him that there had once been a village in the meadow. Hall had to wonder who would have thought to build there. The meadow was so isolated, hard to get to.

  Now it seemed like the ruined village was going to be the only sensible place to camp for the night. He just hoped they could get to it before whatever was in the Grove could see them. He felt exposed on top of the ridge and hustled the small group down the other side quickly.

  Something was in the Grove. He knew it.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  Hall pushed them, almost running down the meadow side of the ridge. He was tempted to go straight down it, not follow the path, but with the sun setting and the uneven and rocky ground, it was safer to follow the road. Not quicker, but safer. Once on the meadow itself, they sprinted across the open ground to the sunken village. He kept Pike circling high above, eyes alert for any kind of movement anywhere else in the meadow.

  At the bottom they found the remains of a wide road heading straight from the ridge to the village, leading right to a ramp that led down into the village proper, a full story below the ground. The trench was in shadows, the higher peaks and walls blocking the sun. The temperature dropped but they were protected from the wind.

  They moved cautiously down into the village, passing through one of the tunnels formed by the grass meadow above. Most of the wood that had formed the fronts was rotted away, the stone that made up the side walls remaining. The roofs of the buildings were intact, not much debris or collapse. It was too dark in the buildings' interiors for Hall to see what the roofs were made of. If it was wood, then the roots of the grass that covered the roofs had grown together to form a mesh that held it all up.

  He had never seen, or even heard, of a village built like this. It was an interesting design. The hard-packed road, evidence of cobblestones grown over, was wider than a wagon, fully circular so horses and wagon would have to make a complete circuit to exit. There was only one way for a wagon or horse to get down, the ramp on the eastern side. Between some of the buildings there appeared to be old staircases made of granite blocks, small roots and plants growing out of the cracks.

  It had been a long time since anyone had lived here. There was no evidence of the inhabitants fleeing because of disease or raiding. Everything that remained was organized, looking as it should after years of abandonment and no maintenance. It looked like whoever had lived here had just decided to move on.

  They followed the ring road about halfway around, stopping in front of the largest structure, the three-story building. It had to have been an Inn or a town hall, maybe both. But what was out front had Hall’s attention.

  It stood about four to five feet tall. A gray square stone obelisk tapered toward the top. About nine inches wide at the base and five or six at the top where the four sides came together in a point about six inches higher. It sat on a wide pedestal, about three inches off the ground. There were runes carved into one face of the obelisk. It appeared to have been carved all from one piece of granite, smoothed and shaped. There was no sign of erosion or cracking.

  “What is that?” Sabine asked from where she stood a couple feet away. She kept her voice quiet, all of them did, afraid the sounds would carry on the wind.

  “It’s a Settlement Stone,” Leigh answered, surprised the others didn’t recognize it. “All towns, villages, cities, and outposts have one.”

  “What does it do?” Hall asked, intrigued as he stepped closer.

  He could almost feel a power coming off the stone, like it was vibrating with energy.

  “The town leader governs from it,” Leigh said with a shrug. “I don’t know the particulars but basically the leader, or leaders, can see all the settlements stats from the stone and control various town functions.”

  “So, it basically lets someone create a town,” Roxhard asked, awed.

  “I guess,” Leigh replied, again shrugging. “The higher the population, the more the stone can do. The more productive a town, the more bonuses it bestows.

  “And all towns have this Stone?” Hall asked, fingers hovering an inch or so over the rocky surface.

  “Anywhere that has people permanently settled there has a stone.”

  “Why is the Stone here?” Sabine asked, spreading her arms to indicate the village around them. “No one has been settled her for a long time.”

  “No idea,” Leigh replied. “I just lived in a village. I didn’t govern one.”

  Hall couldn’t resist any longer. Not sure why, he reached out and touched the stone. Instantly a large prompt filled his vision. It was translucent like all the others, the village and the stone visible beyond, like looking through a stained window. Unlike the other Notifications and prompts, this one was square and bordered on what looked like stone.

  Skara Brae

  This settlement is dormant. Do you wish to reactivate it?

  Yes or No?

  As he removed his hand from the stone, the prompt did not disappear.

  “Do you guys see this?” he asked.

  “See what?” Roxhard replied, the others shaking their heads.

  “When I touched the Stone, I got a prompt asking me if I want to reactivate this settlement.”

  The other three exchanges surprised glances, especially Leigh. Roxhard smiled, fighting back the impulse to cheer loudly. Sabine had an odd expression, almost jealousy but not quite.

  “You get a town,” Roxhard exclaimed. “That is so awesome.”

  Hall stared at the prompt but there was no other information available. No timer, no help button. Nothing.

  “I’m not sure I want it,” he said taking a step back. The prompt did not disappear.

  “Why not?” Sabine asked and reached out to touch the stone. “Isn’t that the dream of every Player?”

  A new prompt appeared over the first, that one fading so the new was readable.

  This settlement has already been claimed by Hall. No other Player can attempt to claim Skara Brae until Hall chooses not to reactivate the settlement or ten days have passed.

  “Well, it was worth a try,” Sabine said, stepping back with a shrug. She had gotten a similar prompt.

  The new prompt faded and Hall was left with the first.

  “Do it,” Sabine told him.

  She had been right. Owing a town had been the dream for MMORPG Players since the genre had started. One of the first, Ultima Online, had allowed Players to own homes, and some had banded together to make Player-Towns, but had had no true town interface. Other games had tried but none had come close. Sky Realms Online had just Player housing but now it appeared to have taken things a step, or twenty, further.

  He wished there was more information available. This could be a game-altering, life-altering, decision. Was there a way to get more information?

  Mentally clicking on Yes, assuming he could always cancel at a later prompt, Hall saw a new screen appear. There was some more information now available. And a chance to back out.

  Congratulations!

  You have chosen to reactivate the settlement of Skara Brae.

  Note that ownership of one settlement does not prevent ownership of other settlements but there are restrictions. Skara Brae is a Rank II Settlement with a maximum population of 100 permanent settlers. Some Buildings will not be available to a Rank II Settlement.

  You may concurrently own a Rank II and a Rank I Settlement. Rank II Settlements cannot grow without owing Fealty to a Rank IV or above Settlement.

  Reactivation of Skara Brae will not alert neighboring Settlements of its reactivation. All previous Alliances have been dissolved.

  There are currently:

  Allies: 0

  Enemies: 0

  Trade Alliances: 0

  Skara Brae Town Stats:

  Population: 1

  Production: 0% (+0% bonus)

  Status: Ruins

  Faction: None

  Do you wish to continue with Skara Brae reactivation?<
br />
  Yes or No?

  Hall read through the mass of information quickly, trying to process it. There was a lot to take in. Settlements had Ranks, and it sounded like it was difficult for them to raise in Rank, if not impossible. It also sounded like there were some safeguards in place to prevent empire building. He assumed that only a Rank IV or higher Settlement could become the capitals of a kingdom or empire and that the smaller ranked Settlements owed Fealty to the bigger Settlements, which meant the larger had to keep them happy. There were ways around it, the system sounded much like any kingdom or empire.

  Looking around at the buildings, doing a quick estimate, he realized that the Settlements maximum population was greater than the buildings alone would support. That meant more could be built. Farms in the meadow, a blacksmith near the mountains? Already his mind was working through the logistics.

  He scanned the text again, stopping at the Stat for Population. There was a number where there should have been nothing. The town was abandoned, why was it showing a population of one?

  Unless the Grove was considered part of the Settlement?

  That meant there was someone at the Grove. A single person, or at least what the Stone thought of as a settler. A permanent settler. Someone living in the Settlement’s area.

  The person they needed to talk to, the one they had come to find.

  But first Hall knew he had a decision to make.

  The prompt was giving him his final chance to back out. He knew what he was going to do. Once had had started reading the information, starting thinking about population and structures and empires and kingdoms, he knew what his choice was going to be.

  He had never wanted a kingdom. Empire building, ruling thousands, was not something he wanted to deal with. A simple man. He wanted simple things. A place to call home was one of those. Hall had assumed he would build a home in the new Sky Realms, just like he had in the original. The idea of having a town had never crossed his mind.

  But why not? Why not take the leap? He could build a safe haven for his friends and himself, a place to come back to after adventuring. A place where they could repair and sell gear. A place to train and to just live.

  Hall mentally clicked on Yes.

  He didn’t know what to expect and was surprised, and a little disappointed, at the lack of anything happening. There was no sound, no flash of light, nothing to indicate he had just become the owner of a Settlement. The prompt disappeared, and he was left staring at the Settlement Stone.

  Hall looked at the others, his eyes asking if they had seen anything.

  “Did you do it?” Roxhard asked.

  Hall nodded, looking at the ruins of the town, his town, in the setting light of the sun. The shadows deepened, details being lost, but nothing looked different.

  He reached out to the Stone, and a new prompt filled his vision.

  Skara Brae

  Lord: Hall

  Status: Ruins

  Morale: Not Available

  Government: Not Chosen

  Appointed Officials: None

  Population: 2

  Production: Zero

  Faction: None

  Allies: None

  Trade Partners: None

  Enemies: None

  Next to each line was a Question Mark, indicating more information could be learned. A couple had a large Arrow, which meant there were submenus to review. There was a lot to take in.

  Hall dismissed the prompt. There was too much to get into now.

  “We need to find a safe place to rest,” he said to the others. “We head to the Grove tomorrow.”

  One look into the large building and Hall had decided it would not do. The first level was sunk down into the ground, a stone stair looked to be in decent shape but there was only the one way in or out. He confirmed the structure as the town’s Inn.

  He could picture how it would look when reconstructed.

  A large and open space, there would be a great round stone lined fire pit in the middle of the room set down a couple of steps onto the hard-packed dirt floor. Tables and chairs would fill the space around the pit, a bar along the back wall and double doors that led out into the kitchen area. The walls would be stone blocks with wood paneling, and the front half would be open to the high roof with four large posts, that still existed and would need reinforcing, those would hold up the sloping roof above. Even in the dark, thanks to his Limited Night Vision, Hall could see steps in the roof that indicated hidden smoke holes. A set of stairs on the side wall would lead upstairs to the sleeping rooms in the back half of the building, the upper two stories.

  Functional, a gathering place. Homey. The smoke would drift out but still fill the room with its scent.

  He had to shake his head, clear away the thoughts. Already he was planning for the future and there was still much to do. The future was a long way away, and in the present, the Inn would not do for the night.

  One way in, sunk down a floor, it would be too easy to be trapped in the space.

  Instead they choose one of the inner ring buildings. A two-story structure, a shop with living quarters above and store room in the back half. Most of the upper floor had fallen in, but they could clear enough space for them all to spread out their bedrolls.

  It would be a cold night. No fire and watches throughout. Like usual, Hall took the last watch.

  Sabine had first watch and stood near the front wall, looking out into the village. Hall could tell she was disappointed in how the Settlement had ended up. She had obviously wanted it while he had been unsure. He hoped it wouldn’t be a problem.

  Roxhard was snoring, and Leigh was curled up next to Angus, Pike asleep on the cow as well. Hall lay on his back, staring at the wooden ceiling above. Planks laid over thick beams. He was tempted to start exploring the Settlement menus. He had mentally opened the prompt, curious if he had to be touching the Stone. Now that he knew he didn’t need to be touching it, curiosity was eating away at him.

  But there was going to be a fight tomorrow. A big one. He just knew it. Whatever was living in the Grove was not going to be friendly. That wasn’t the way these quests worked. It would be a Boss fight, a higher level and higher difficulty enemy.

  They were still only level threes and twos. Not strong. And not even a full party. Only four and not the typical five. They had the basics, though. A Tank, DPS, Debuffing, and Healing. The fifth slot was for more Debuffs or more DPS.

  He needed his rest. They needed to be at full strength, which they weren’t. The trip, as well as the Trow fight, had sapped some of their Vitality. None of them would be full up.

  Learning more of what it would mean to be the Lord of Skara Brae would have to wait.

  Closing his eyes, turning onto his side, and tucking the blanket up closer, Hall tried to sleep.

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  They ate a cold breakfast.

  Which did not help their Vitality to raise.

  The morning was chill, the newly risen sun not getting down into the shadows where they were camped. Hall got them moving quickly, not wanting to waste any time.

  Retracing their steps, Hall looking at the Settlement Stone before they turned the corner and entered the tunnel, they were happy to get back to the meadow and the warmth of the sun. The wind hit them full force, Pike digging his talons tighter into Hall’s shoulder. He thought he should give some kind of pep talk, go over strategy, talk plans. But he had nothing to offer.

  The mountain was two or three miles of open ground away from the edge of the town. It was a nerve-wracking hike over the relatively flat, knee-high grass. There were several small clusters of trees scattered throughout the meadow, a couple small streams that were easy to jump across. Far to the south, the edges of a forest were visible, the mountain creeping north and sheltering the trees and coming within a mile of the town itself.

  Hall hoped to get a better view of the plateau and standing stones as they got closer, but the angle was wrong. The flat land was too high up and tu
rned away from their approach. He could see the tops of the stones, and that was it. The higher plateau was closer to them, but so high up the side of the mountain that nothing was visible.

  A good place for a lookout tower, Hall thought. He cursed himself for letting his thoughts drift back to town planning. He forced himself to focus on the upcoming confrontation.

  Only about a hundred feet from the meadow, the plateau was accessed by a wide path. Two large pillars, carved stone totems, sat on either side of the path, which had been carved out of the mountain itself.

  The totems were about five feet tall, two feet in diameter, and worn down by wind and rain. They looked to have once been stone trees, representatives of the World Tree itself. Now they were just cracked and broken. The path was smooth, hard-packed dirt, about five feet wide. It ran up the steep side of the mountain, switchbacking in a couple of places. The mountain had been carved and cut to make the path but it still looked natural and part of the mountain itself. The tight turns and steepness would prevent any mounts from climbing.

  Spreading the party out, putting distance between them, Hall led the group up the side of the mountain. He kept Pike out of the sky. The dragonhawk could have scouted ahead but could also have warned anyone that they were coming. The bird was not natural to this area and would look out of place. There had been no animals, birds, or chipmunks, or anything, that they had seen. The entire meadow was quiet. Another reason not to have Pike in the air.