by Sam Ferguson
“Can’t let the food go to waste,” he said. Brian went to the table and started collecting food items into his inventory. They weren’t as effective as health potions, but some would replenish stamina as well. Once he had everything he wanted, he took the silver plates, cups, forks, knives, and spoons too for good measure. There would be a fence somewhere in Fezhik, and Mike wasn’t the only person capable of using the five-finger discount to get ahead.
Speaking of getting ahead... It was time to investigate the assassin guild. Brian wouldn’t ever say it aloud, but he hated the idea of Barry getting ahead of him in the guild. Brian wanted to show the loudmouth up and make him eat his words. Not that Barry would admit defeat even if Brian succeeded, but Brian would know. After all, why keep score against Barry if there was no goal of beating the braggart?
Slipping out the front of the building, he started zigzagging through the streets, looking for any clues that would lead him to this game’s guild. It was possible, Brian knew, that the game had several assassin guilds at play. In theory, there could be one guild for each faction present on the continent. Or, if the game designers really liked the idea of creating chaos, they could have set up one of the more brutal guilds to work with all of the factions. That would certainly sew discord throughout the game.
Brian carefully watched vendors in the market as he emerged from an alleyway. Bright-colored canvas tents and faded flags waved in the gentle breeze. The smell of spices and soaps hit his nose. NPCs called out as he passed by them.
“You won’t find a better price!”
“Come taste my sweet rolls!”
“The finest blades anywhere this side of New Konnland!”
Brian ignored them all. A hundred gold would likely get him a decent set of starting gear, but if he could find the assassin guild and get in with them, he could likely get initiate gear for free.
A pair of town guards walked through the market. One held a halberd, the other a spear. They eyed him and greeted him nonchalantly as he passed by.
“Stay out of trouble.”
Brian barely registered the comment. He had half-expected one of the guards to say something about an arrow to the knee, but, in any case, they had nothing to offer him unless he was a few levels higher and got bored.
As he meandered through the north end of the market, he saw what he was looking for—a tall NPC with a gray set of leather trousers and jerkin. The cloak was gray as well, but the hood was a muted gold color with a thin ribbon of red embroidered along the front. The NPC didn’t have a name hovering above him either. He turned, revealing little except for a band of black face paint across his eyes.
“The Morr’Tai,” Brian said. He had read about them once and seen only one other game that had them. If they were in this version of Terramyr Online, then it was certainly going to be an interesting guild to join. He stayed several yards away, trying to follow as discreetly as possible whenever the assassin moved through the crowd. He knew he would have to remain at a distance to have any chance of success. If the assassin caught him staring, the chase would be over in an instant.
The assassin weaved through the crowd. Brian watched closely, turning his avatar to face a stall while trying to use just his eyeballs to keep the assassin in view.
The assassin then patted someone’s waist.
Pickpocketing?
Brian turned to watch more closely. The target NPC took a few steps and then stiffened. Suddenly, the male elf clutched at his chest and cried out.
A hit!
The elf fell to his knees. Onlookers gasped and started to back away.
The assassin was gone.
Brian ran through the crowd, his head turning this way and that, looking for any sign of the assassin. He couldn’t find any clues. Either the game had despawned the NPC, or he was long gone. Either way, Brian was left standing at the north end of the market with nothing to show for his search.
Turning around, he saw a pair of guards moving toward the now lifeless NPC on the ground. Time to go. Brian knew the guards would be programmed to lock onto any nearby players for questioning. Best not to have a run-in with guards—especially with stolen silverware on his person—before level ten. He turned down an alleyway and ran.
There was no time to take in the sights and enjoy the game. He leapt over the drunk in the alleyway instead of looting him, entirely ignored the two adolescents beating the daylights out of each other behind a tavern, and stepped on a small rat whose only crime was pulling a hunk of stale bread from the gutter and trying to drag it across the alley before Brian’s heavy foot snapped its spine.
[+2 XP]
Brian smirked, wondering to himself if Mike was out there somewhere jumping around to improve his acrobatics while trying to stomp rats for XP grinding.
He passed three cross streets and then turned north on the fourth. He hadn’t heard any shouting from the guards back in the market, so he felt confident that no one had seen him there. At least if they had he was far enough away the game wouldn’t target him.
He found himself admiring the mechanics of the game. The slight wind when he ran and the pounding of his feet along the dirt roads had felt real enough. Of course, he wasn’t nearly as winded as his character sounded. The stamina bar was drained and flashing, but as long as he walked it would regenerate quickly enough. Looking to his left, he saw a stunningly beautiful NPC. She had long dark hair, was about five and a half feet tall, and had smooth, radiant skin. Brian couldn’t help noticing her athletically trim build with the right kind of curves. Her body reminded him quite a bit of Rhonda in fact. Perhaps it was that reason, more than the fact that she was calling out with prices for her luck flowers, that compelled him to approach her.
“Golden luck blossoms, five gold each,” she said as she turned and saw him approaching.
Brian glanced down at the flowers. They had deep green stems with thick thorns and heavy, waxen leaves. The petals almost mimicked roses but were made of a shiny material that resembled thin sheets of gold woven together.
Why not? Brian moved forward and opened a dialogue with her.
The woman’s face turned so that her emerald eyes locked with his. They were far too unnatural a green for the real world, but Brian appreciated the appearance anyway. She was a dark-haired woman with green eyes, high cheekbones, and a tight jawline that supported a pair of soft lips that curled upwards in a delicate smile. Yet, for all her beauty, there was something rugged lurking below the surface. Her arms and shoulders had good muscle tone, good enough to make most of the grad students he knew jealous. On her left arm was a beaded bracelet with two small blue feathers dangling from it. It didn’t appear to be there simply for decoration.
Furthermore, while her right arm was holding the basket of flowers by the handle, he could see two long, jagged scars across the underside of her forearm. Judging from the size and width, Brian guessed either an animal attack or possibly a brawl with some sort of improvised weapon like a broken bottle, or perhaps a spear made from a broken branch. It was hard to tell for sure, but there was definitely more to this woman than simply a face to match the flowers.
“Care to improve your luck?” the woman asked.
“I suppose I could always use a bit more luck,” Brian said. He purchased a flower.
[+1 luck blossom]
[+5 luck]
[-5 GP]
The woman made a show of selecting one of the three flowers for him and then handing it to him as the petals glowed. Brian opened his inventory and highlighted the flower. As he did so, the item enlarged to occupy most of what he could see. It spun around on its axis slowly, allowing him to view it from all angles.
The luck blossom, or Golden Rose as it is known to the nobles back home who seek after it, is a rare cousin to the Hist Rose. While the Hist Rose is used to injure or kill unsuspecting burglar, and is occasionally employed during assassinations, the Golden Rose infuses the owner with a permanent boost of luck for as long as the rose is kept near the b
ody. If the Golden Rose is used in a potion, it can dramatically increase a person’s luck for five minutes, after which point the luck boost disappears.
Brian closed his inventory and resumed his chat with the woman.
“Thank you,” she said. “Your purchase will help me send funds to my mother, who is ailing back home.”
“What’s wrong with your mother?” Brian asked.
The woman smiled and shook her head slightly. “Just a family matter, nothing to discuss with strangers.”
Brian realized his error as soon as she started her reply. Too familiar, too soon. You have to start out simpler. Build trust. Perhaps it was the idea of a source of luck flowers, or maybe it was simply how intriguing he found this character, but he decided to try and make his first friend. NPCs could be useful for all sorts of information or side quests. More than that, sometimes an in-game relationship could lead to additional advantages, like sharing in a shop’s profits or getting free food. Why not try and see where this could lead?
“My name is—” he almost said Brian, but realized he would need to use his in-game name. “Bob. What’s yours?”
The woman gave a polite nod. “I am Freya.” After she introduced herself, her name appeared over her head.
Interesting that some NPCs have their name visible right away, and others apparently need introduction. “How long have you been selling flowers?” Brian said.
The woman smiled wider. “I only sell luck blossoms a few times a year. Most of the time I can be found in my shop, the Finer Points.”
Aha! So she did have a bigger shop. “What do you sell?”
“Oh a little of this and a little of that, but mostly I deal with armor and weapons.” She paused for a moment and shifted the flower basket to her left hand. “I can also offer sword training, for the right price.”
Brian arched a brow. Now this was interesting. A shop owner and a trainer! The luck flower was already working its magic, or so it seemed. “I would like some sword training,” he said.
Freya shook her head. “I must sell these other two luck blossoms, but meet me in my shop sometime and then we can train.”
[FINER POINTS LOCATION ADDED TO MAP]
Brian, being on a tight schedule, purchased the last two remaining luck flowers.
[+2 luck blossom]
[+10 luck]
[-10 GP]
“My, my, a bit down on our luck lately I see,” Freya said.
“I just thought if I bought the other flowers, then we could hurry to your shop and train,” Brian replied.
Freya looked at her basket and then said, “Meet me in my shop tomorrow,” before disengaging from the conversation.
“Tomorrow?” Brian protested.
Freya walked down the street away from him.
Was there even a mechanism to advance time in this game? Could he wait or sleep until tomorrow? He cycled through the menus quickly but didn’t find any options like that. Probably have to operate within the normal flow of time since this is supposed to be rolled out to a wide audience playing simultaneously. Brian then glanced at the map and saw Freya was headed in the opposite direction from her shop anyhow. Wherever she was going, he wouldn’t be training with her yet.
Well, I still have some assassins to find. Let’s see if my increased luck does any good.
4
Friends
Brian knew the likelihood of seeing another Morr’Tai in public was extremely rare, but he didn’t let that deter him. He knew from the books that all he needed to do was find the right kind of building that the guild would use as a front—a homeless shelter, or perhaps an orphanage.
He walked up to a man walking down the street.
“Have you ever been to Kelsendale?” the man asked. “It’s beautiful this time of year.”
“No,” Brian said.
The NPC stopped and eyed Brian from head to toe and then scoffed. “No, who am I kidding. Of course you haven’t.”
Brian tried to engage the man in further conversation, but the NPC continued walking.
“Sorry, places to be and people to see,” the man said dismissively as he sauntered away.
I guess I should have said yes.
Brian found an older man sitting on a bench reading a book. “Excuse me, but is there a homeless shelter around here?”
The older man frowned. “If you need a place to stay, you should see Middair.” He then looked down to his book.
Brian shook his head. “No, that isn’t what I need. How about an orphanage, is there an orphanage around here?”
The older man frowned. “If you need a place to stay, you should see Middair.” He then looked down at his book again. Brian sighed. This NPC seemed very limited: he wasn’t going to get anything out of him.
Brian walked down the street, heading closer to the main castle which rose above the other buildings before him. Scanning the crowds, he looked for any clues that might help him, but he only passed by what appeared to be average-sized houses and shops.
A pair of young children ran down the street, whacking a hoop of metal with sticks and laughing as they passed by. A scruffy dog followed after them.
Up ahead there was a group of men standing together and discussing something. Brian moved close enough to hear them, but not so close as to disrupt them.
“I’m telling you, if we find the shipwreck we’ll be rich!”
“You’re daft!” a second NPC said. “The fire kraken destroyed everything.”
“Not everything!” said the first. “If we get some potions of water breathing, then we’ll be able to dive down and claim some of the gold for ourselves.”
“The ship wasn’t a gold transport, it was bringing new recruits,” the third man said.
“You don’t understand!” The first NPC leaned in close and put his hands on the shoulders of the second and third NPCs. “How do you pay new recruits? I’ll tell you. You have to send the wages they’re expected to earn during their contract. That means, for each person aboard that ship, the noble families that support the Greencaps would have figured out the average life expectancy for each recruit and then sent enough gold to cover it.” The first NPC glanced over his shoulder and then pulled the others in even closer. “And, the nobility would need to send additional payment for those of us that are still serving, exceeding those life expectancy calculations. That’s how it works. We get that loot, and we can charter a ship off this disconsolate rock and go start peaceful lives.”
[QUEST ADDED: SALVAGE CREW]
The trio dispersed and walked their separate ways as if they hadn’t just been running some sort of conspiratorial meeting.
Brian opened up his quest log and examined the new quest. He frowned when he saw it required him to be a level twenty before he could attempt it. Worse than that, it recommended a minimum party of five. “Salvage Crew” was not going to be an easy quest. He couldn’t be sure if this chance encounter was a byproduct of the increased luck, but he’d have to remember this quest in case he ended up having a bit more time on his hands, which seemed like at least a fifty-fifty chance depending on what Meredith’s computer algorithm turned up after analyzing the scans of the carvings he had unearthed.
For a moment he had a nagging pang of guilt for still playing the game. The in-game clock told him it was a little after 9pm. He shrugged it off. He could go a few more hours before he’d really need sleep. Better to get to a good stopping point—preferably after locating the assassin guild. The idea of Barry out there somewhere gaining an edge was starting to get under Brian’s skin.
He wandered the streets a bit more, but came up empty after another ten minutes of searching. Fezhik was quite large for simply being labeled as an outpost. This was far more like a mainland capitol, complete with fountains, statues, shops and houses, barracks, and full training yards. He circumnavigated a main square, which eerily featured a gallows and three sets of stockades, then spied an old man in rags sitting up against a large stone building.
Turning to cut a straight line toward the man, Brian made haste and threw down five gold pieces.
[-5 GP]
“Thank you, kind sir,” the homeless man said.
[Nagé’s blessing added]
Brian didn’t need to open the message to understand that the goddess Nagé, in reward for Brian’s kindness, would reward him with a plus one to all defense buffs for twenty-four hours. It was a standard blessing from the very first Terramyr Online game he had played, and honestly he wasn’t really after that particular benefit. He needed information, and the quickest way to get it was to gift a beggar with a bit of coin.
“Is there a homeless shelter nearby?” Brian asked.
The old man looked up at him with a weathered, weary face. The smile faded and the expression grew sober. “If you seek living quarters, you should speak with Middair.”
Brian thought for a moment. He would have to phrase his question correctly if he wanted to pry the information loose that he needed. He couldn’t likely outright say he was looking for the assassins; that would shut the old man’s mouth faster than any spell could. Worse still, he’d likely lose reputation with the Morr’Tai and get himself put on their crap list.
He sighed. Barry had probably already found them and was likely working on his first quest. What good is gold if you don’t spend it? Brian tossed the beggar ten more gold pieces and watched the man smile so wide that his gap-toothed grin was almost obnoxiously large.
[-10 GP]
“I am looking for friends that asked me to meet them at the homeless shelter,” Brian said.
“Friends?” the homeless man repeated. He narrowed his icy blue eyes on Brian and then nodded. “Aye, everyone needs friends, especially when we’re down and have our backs against the wall.” The old man stood up and gathered his tattered mat. He couldn’t fully erect his spine and remained hunched over from the shoulder blade up, giving him a nearly hunch-back appearance. His left leg was also only half as thick as his right, the toe turned inward, causing him to limp terribly when he walked. “I’ll take you to my friends.”