by Adam Horne
“We better go buy some snacks,” said Kelath.
Througar glanced up from where he’d been watching the other two. “What for?”
Kelath gave him a dumbfounded look until realization hit that Througar hadn’t received the message because he wasn’t a member. “I invited all the members of our guild to come to a meeting. We’ll have a small party afterwards to get to know each other.”
Througar stood and Bandit ran to his side. They left the guild hall and wandered around the market. Kelath bought bread, cheese, and several kinds of fruit. Elora offered to pay for them, but he refused on the grounds that she’d already rented the room. He spent almost all his money on the food and had to ask Througar to purchase a keg of beer. He hoped it would be enough, but since they were both nearly broke, they would have to make do. From all the shopping they did, his skill in bargaining rose to level four.
While they were arranging for the grocer’s apprentice to help them carry the food back to the guild hall, Galahad logged into the game. Kelath sent him a tell explaining what was going on, and Galahad promised he would come as quickly as possible, although he wouldn’t make it by the time the meeting was supposed to start. They gathered up their purchases and headed back to their room, the apprentice following behind with the keg on a hand cart.
A number of people were already milling about when they arrived, and Elora set them to work distributing the food across the two tables. Kelath and Througar put the keg at the far end of the room, and Elora cast her spell to create flasks of water for anyone who didn’t drink beer. Guild members glanced at them while they worked but kept a respectful distance.
“What are you going to say?” asked Througar.
Kelath blew out a nervous breath. “I have no idea. I hadn’t really planned on leading a guild when I started playing this game.”
“You better think of something,” said Elora. “It’s almost time to start the meeting.”
Kelath looked around the room at the members of his guild. Nervousness settled in his stomach as he struggled to come up with the right words to say. Knowing he’d only become more scared the longer he waited, he stepped forward and held his hands up to signal for quiet. The conversations around him died out, and all eyes turned towards him.
Chapter 20
“Welcome, members,” said Kelath. “I’d like to thank you for coming to the first official meeting of our guild, Prosperity for All.”
Elora raised her hands in the air and screamed, “Woo!”
Everyone looked around, wondering if they should join in until Bandit padded up beside her, raised his head, and howled in unison. They laughed and yelled encouragement to the wolf. Some even joined in, raising their voices in imitation. When they quieted down, Kelath continued.
“Thanks to Elora and Bandit for kicking things off.” He paused while Elora bowed. “When I started playing Genesis Online I never suspected I would start a guild. Like the rest of you, I’m here because Itrix and his guild, Noblesse Oblige, have harassed me from the moment I left the beginners’ area.”
Angry shouts came from all corners of the room. Zafira, the dwarven woman who had urged him to create the guild, sat at one of the tables. Yorrick, the man who had defied Itrix by signing the guild registration paper and prompted so many other people to join, was leaning against the wall by the door. He’d hoped they would show up because he wanted to ask them to work as officers for the guild. He waited for the crowd to quiet before speaking again.
“Earlier today, I was questing with my friend when members of Noblesse Oblige ambushed us. We fought off the first aggressor, but we weren’t so lucky the second time.”
A woman sitting at the front of the table pointed at Througar. “He’s a member of Noblesse Oblige!” Several people stood and moved as if to grab him before Kelath blocked them.
“Yes, my friend Througar is a member of Noblesse Oblige, but like many in their guild, he was duped into joining without realizing just how bad of a deal it was. He’s tried to leave, but he can’t without paying back the money stipulated in their contract. Because he’s helped me, they’ve put a bounty on his head, and I would be surprised if they haven’t done the same for every other person in this room.”
Worried murmurs went through the crowd, and someone said they were going to leave. Before Kelath could respond, Zafira stood on the table and yelled over all of them.
“What he’s saying is true. A pair of players attacked me today, as soon as I was far enough from the city gate that the guards wouldn’t notice. I didn’t have a tabard on like Kelath, but they still knew to single me out. Even if you leave the guild, they might come after you anyway.”
Most of the dissenters didn’t seem convinced until Yorrick walked into the middle of the room. “Zafira’s right. There are already mods being put out that change the way the game works. One I saw this morning before signing in is called, ‘Hit List.’ It lets you enter the names of characters you don’t like. When you get close enough to someone on your list, they glow in a way similar to how the tracking skills draw your attention to crafting nodes. It integrates with the guild tools, meaning Itrix can create a list of people he wants to have killed, and any of his followers using the mod can immediately target you when they see you. It even reports back when a kill is confirmed so the player can claim their reward for bounties.”
Worried whispers ran through the crowd as Yorrick returned to his spot by the door. Kelath cleared his throat to get their attention again.
“This isn’t a situation that’s going to go away. Itrix is attempting to control as much of the game as he can, and so far he’s doing a pretty good job.”
“So how can we hope to stop him?” asked someone on the far side of the table. Many of the players traded dejected looks with each other.
“By helping each other. And by fighting smart. The odds may seem insurmountable when you walk around the marketplace and see all the characters wearing the Noblesse Oblige tabard. But the fact is many of those people were duped into joining and aren’t happy with the deal they got. The ones who are following his orders are only a fraction of the number in his guild. They may be a higher level than us, but we can handle that by traveling in groups. Find other members and do quests with them. You’ll gain experience faster, and you can fight back better with each others’ help.”
Everyone began talking at once, discussing what he’d said. The looks of despair disappeared from players’ faces as they voiced strategies. Some still appeared upset, and a male elf wearing robes jumped to his feet.
“Why don’t we form a big group and hunt them?” asked the elf, and he received support from others around the room. “Let them see what it’s like to be killed as soon as they leave the city.”
“What do you think would happen after that?” asked Kelath. The elf stared at him but couldn’t come up with an answer. “They’d do the same thing, round up a bunch of people to come after us, and I guarantee they can rally a bigger army than we can. If we start killing the players that are only a part of Noblesse Oblige because they’re being forced to pay money, they’ll band together to crush us. Our best strategy is to play defense at this point. Only fight them if they attack first or to stop them picking on players who aren’t in their guild.”
The elf who had asked the question grumbled to himself but returned to his seat. At the same time, the door banged open and Galahad rushed into the room. He skidded to a halt and looked embarrassed when all eyes in the room focused on him. He muttered a low greeting and slid along the wall to stand next to Elora.
“I guess now would be as good a time as any to introduce my officers. Elora and Galahad were with me when I fought against Noblesse Oblige at the mines.” Kelath motioned for them to join him then realized he didn’t know what to say about them. Instead he focused on their duties. “They will be helping me organize the guild. If you have questions about guild activities or need help organizing a group to level with, they will assist you. We will need a f
ew more officers, so I will ask a couple of you to assume that role. I have one last announcement before we get the party started.”
This was met with an enthusiastic cheer from everyone.
“Elora was kind enough to donate the money to rent our guild hall for a month, and for that I’d like to thank her.” Several members clapped and Elora gave a bow. “There are plenty of refreshments here, so enjoy yourselves and get to know your guild mates.”
Everyone cheered and dug into the food. A line of people holding empty mugs formed at the keg where Througar was working the tap. Kelath had assumed they would grow to like him better if he was in charge of distributing the libations. From the number of fist bumps and slaps on the back he was receiving, that guess appeared correct.
Kelath walked around the room and chatted with the players who came up to him. Many of them thanked him for fighting the guards at the mine, saying they had been there when it happened. When he’d made a lap of the entire room and saw they were all getting to know each other, he approached Yorrick and Zafira and asked them to join him for a while in the officers’ room.
“What’s up, boss?” asked Yorrick as he shut the door behind them.
Kelath liked the way he’d cut to the chase and decided that was the best way to approach the subject. “I’ll get right to the point. I need more officers to help organize the guild, and I liked the way you stepped up, both when you confronted Itrix in the town square and tonight when people were wavering. I’d like to promote you to officer, Yorrick, if you’re interested.”
Yorrick thought it over, but only for a second, before nodding. “Fine with me. What’s involved?”
“No special duties for the moment…mainly answering any questions from members, organizing groups for quests or leveling, and tackling other tasks you may think of.”
“Simple enough.” Yorrick held his hand out and Kelath shook it.
Kelath turned his attention to Zafira. “I have the same offer for you, if you’re willing.”
“I don’t know.” She was having trouble looking him in the eye. “I never wanted to be an officer in a guild.”
“I never wanted to be the leader of a guild. As I recall, you encouraged me.”
Zafira laughed. “You have a point. Would I carry out the same responsibilities you asked of Yorrick?”
“That’s the whole job for now. I’m hoping once word gets out that we’re fighting back against Itrix, we’ll be able to recruit more people. If the guild grows, I may divide each officer’s duties into specific tasks. Right now, it’s important there are enough high ranking members that at least one of us is online most of the time during the day.”
With a little reluctance, Zafira said, “I guess I can do that.”
Kelath held out his hand and shook again. “Great, I’m glad you guys are both onboard. Give me a moment to make the promotions.”
He sat down at the desk and opened the list of members. He searched for their names and changed their ranks to Officer. Yorrick seemed pleased, and Zafira smiled although she clutched her hands in front of herself nervously. He motioned to the other empty desks in the room and told them to check out their options later. He opened the door and led them back into the main room.
“I have an announcement to make!” he yelled over the buzz of conversation. He motioned the two new officers to step forward. “I have promoted Yorrick and Zafira to be guild officers, so if you have any questions or concerns, you can talk to them in addition to myself, Elora, or Galahad. How about a big round of applause for all our officers?”
The room filled with the sounds of people cheering, clapping their hands, and banging their mugs against the table.
Kelath leaned in for one last word. “As officers, I’d like you to promote the guild. There’s a tailor in the marketplace who makes tabards. I would appreciate if you have one made and wear it to increase our visibility. It’s a little more expensive than usual due to the colors I chose, so I can pay you back if money is a problem.”
“No worries,” said Yorrick and returned to where he’d been sitting.
Zafira checked out his tabard, and she didn’t seem convinced. “Will it interfere with my sneaking?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. I haven’t tried it since I changed to the alchemist class, but I hope the game doesn’t penalize you for something like that. If it’s a problem, then take it off when you’re not representing the guild.”
“Okay, I’ll give it a try.”
“Thanks. Enjoy the party.”
Kelath grabbed a mug and wandered over to where Througar still stood by the keg. The dwarf had a drink in his hand, and he swayed back and forth slightly from the effects of alcohol. His cheeks were even a rosy color. With the level of detail put into the world, it was sometimes hard to remember they were playing a game.
“Looks like you’re enjoying your job.” Kelath put his mug under the tap and filled it.
“Yesh, and your guild mates sheem to like me for it.” Througar clinked his own mug against Kelath’s and took a long drink.
Kelath took a sip of beer. “I’m amazed at how much work they put into the small things in this game. It even applied a voice filter so you appear drunk. Unless…you haven’t been drinking in real life too, have you?”
“Nah, izz not even lunch yet.” Througar let out a loud hiccup.
Kelath checked the time and realized it was already noon. He’d forgotten to set an alarm, and several hours had passed in the game without his noticing. “I think Ill log out for a bit.”
“In the middle of the party?”
“I know, but I need to take a break. I’ll probably log in again tonight.”
“Sho long.”
The last thing Kelath saw as he logged out was Througar putting his mug under the tap to refill it again.
* * *
The next two weeks passed in a blur for Kevin. He spent a lot of his time playing Genesis Online, although he made it a point to take breaks periodically to handle things like eating and exercise. He met with Natalie two times a week, and over the first week he saw a marked improvement in his ability to perform various exercises with his hands. He became somewhat dejected when he plateaued during the second week, but she said that was normal and complimented him on how much progress he was making. She told him not to worry, and in fact he’d come a long way from where he’d been when they first started working together. Kevin blushed at her enthusiasm and made sure he didn’t skimp on the time spent performing the workout she’d designed for him.
His character reached tenth level, along with his friends and most of the people in his guild. He learned how to make elixirs, which provided him with buffs he could use on himself. Mostly he used the elixirs for healing. At level 5, he gained a passive power that let him throw elixirs just like bombs and buff everyone in his party. At level 10, he learned how to better target his bombs and elixirs so the effect only worked on the people he wanted to harm or heal. This meant he could throw his bombs and not be concerned that they would freeze the members of his party when they critically hit, although any environmental effects like frozen or burning ground couldn’t be negated for anyone.
He also had the option to add a point to one of his attributes at level 10, and he found it difficult to decide. Strength was a bit of a problem when he was attacked with powers that relied on it, especially when he became stunned for a long time. He wanted to put the point in dexterity to make his attacks better, but in the end, he decided defense was more important and raised his strength score to 4.
His plans to make money in the game were moving forward, although he wasn’t seeing as much coming in as he’d hoped. Regeneration potions were a consistent money maker, but he’d had to lower the price to 5 silver each, the same that was charged by NPCs in the alchemy shops, in order to hedge out the players who kept buying them to resell. Willow bark was easy to find, so he made a steady profit, and at the end of two weeks, he had almost fifty gold saved in the bank. It wasn’t as
much as he’d hoped, but from talking to other players, he learned that most people barely made enough money from killing mobs to cover their expenses for training and items to help level faster.
They continued to clash with members of Noblesse Oblige and suffered persistent attacks, but these became easier to deal with as they gained levels and learned new abilities. New members trickled in each day, mostly because his guild mates made an effort to help out anyone who was picked on by Itrix’s lackeys. As they became better at defending themselves, attacks were less frequent.
He logged into the game on Saturday morning, Kelath materializing in their room at the guild hall. It had become the unofficial meeting place for members looking to form a group, and there were already three people sitting at one of the tables. He was surprised to see Througar, who normally slept in on the weekends, pacing the floor at the far end of the room.
Zafira stood up from the table when she saw him enter the room. “Hey, Kelath. We’re about to do a quest I received yesterday. Care to join us?”
On hearing Kelath’s name, Througar looked at him and said, “I need to talk to you.”
“Sorry, Zafira,” said Kelath. “Maybe another time.”
“It’s cool.” Zafira headed to the door. “Come on you two. If we’re lucky, maybe some fool from Noblesse Oblige will think he can take us.”
The other players laughed and followed her into the hallway.
When they had gone, Kelath asked, “What’s going on?”
“I overheard Itrix talking about something.” Througar pulled at the braids of his beard like he was nervous. “Something big.”
Chapter 21
“You eavesdropped on Itrix?” asked Kelath. “How did you do that?”
“I went to the guild headquarters.”
Kelath’s mouth dropped. “I can’t believe they let you in.”