As we walked, I ordered my minions to be on guard as I updated my stats, adding to my standard three, and then upped my core skills: Necromancy, Dissection, and Scavenger, with two points into Necromantic Bolt and three into Rot, bringing them up to max.
I had three points left to spend after that, and I considered raising Create Undead again, but I didn’t really have a need for any more minion points. Tracking more than four minions at a time didn’t appeal to me, so Bind Minion could stay where it was as well.
Dark blessing could allow for a better transmission of skills, but until I could rank it all the way to eleven, it wouldn’t help with my main goals.
So, with the core skills at max, I decided to start working on my secondary set. I added one point each into Dark Shield, Cripple, and Mend Bone.
We reached town with no further encounters. The local wildlife wanted nothing to do with my minions.
It was approaching dinner time, but I figured I had time to meet with the party and get my share of the loot before logging out.
I almost ran into some problems with the guards when we entered town, as I’d forgotten to dismiss my minions but quickly rectified that mistake.
[P] Cedric: Almost there guys.
[P] Leilani: Ales are waiting!
[P] Kelikk: Well, they will be if you get here before I finish mine!
The paladin led the way through the center of town and down one of the side streets, eventually approaching a stone building with a large wooden fish hanging from the awning. The silver paint on the fish was starting to chip, but there was no mistaking this place for any other.
We entered the common room and Cedric spotted his friends at a table near the bar. Since my head was below the table level, it was a bit hard for me to see anything.
I followed the human through the forest of tables and chairs, eventually ending up at the table where the elf and dwarf waited.
“Hey, guys,” Cedric began, “Let me introduce you to Kababala.”
I hopped up on one of the chairs and gave them my biggest grin. “Nice to meet you.” I said, watching the myriad of expressions pass over their faces.
“Hah!” Kelikk belted. “A kobold! I think you’re the first player who chose kobold that I’ve met. Thanks for the assist!”
Leilani gave me a smile and said, “Thanks for saving my little brother’s butt out there. It’s nice to meet you.”
“You’re welcome,” I replied. “I couldn’t just stand by and let the orcs win. Especially while he was holding his own vs five of them by himself when I arrived. It was quite a show.” I gestured to the cups on the table. “Which one of these is for me?”
Kelikk slid one of the tankards of ale across the table towards me, a small bit of the amber liquid sloshing over the top as I caught it in my hands. The tankard was almost the size of my head, which didn’t really mean all that much considering my avatar’s size, but from my perspective it was impressive.
Cedric took a seat next to the chair I was standing on and took his own cup, chugging it quickly. “Ahhh,” he said. “That’s what I needed.”
I took a drink of my own, somehow managing to get all the liquid into my mouth without spilling it. Thank you, game mechanics for not making me have to lap up my drink like a dog.
The ale was surprisingly decent. “Thank you,” I said, wiping the remnants of the drink from my lips. “Now for the loot!”
Clearing off the middle of the table, Cedric and I unloaded the loot from their party’s battle, splitting it up between them before unpacking the shared bag.
“This is what was on the five that were left after you guys died,” the paladin said, sifting through the various items.
“That’s all yours,” said Leilani. “We weren’t there, so I’d feel bad taking a share.”
Kelikk looked up, his hands already sorting through the loot. He sighed and slowly sat back, leaving the goods on the table. “Yeah, that’s fair,” he grumbled, taking a drink of his ale to cover his disappointment.
I shrugged and said, “I don’t mind if Cedric doesn’t. You guys need to gear up as well, and I’ve got a bunch of levels on you so you guys can split the loot.”
Cedric replied, “Are you sure? I’d feel bad if you got nothing for saving me.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that. I was hunting the orcs for a quest and got all the blood I needed,” I said and patted my satchel. “And a nice collection of future minions.”
“Future minions?” the elf asked.
I pulled out Slag’s skull from my bag and put it on the table, the soft purple glow from his eyes shining eerily. “Gang, meet Slag,” I said.
Kelikk poked the skull with a finger and grunted. “Pretty cool looking. What’s it do?”
“The skull’s basically a place holder for my minion for when it’s inactive. I can summon it back outside of town. The guards don’t appreciate undead within the walls.”
Leilani reached for the skull and paused. I nodded my permission, so she picked it up and examined it in her hands.
“I thought it would feel more…. evil, but all I’m getting is cold,” she said and put the skull back down. “I heard Necromancers were a pet class, but unlike the rest could have more than one pet. Is that right?”
“Yeah,” I responded. “Depending on what we spend our points on and what resources we have available, we can have a bunch of temporary minions, or permanent minions if we go that route. Making them permanent requires another skill and locks away a good chunk of mana to maintain them.”
Cedric grinned and spoke up, “You had four in the woods, was that all of the ones you could raise?”
“Those are the ones I bound. At my current rank I could raise another medium creature, or two small critters that would last for an hour or so, but controlling them all is a bit of a hassle if I want to do it efficiently. And I’m already down a pretty big chunk of mana due to keeping those four bound. But it lets me run solo pretty well, so I guess it balances out in the end.”
“Huh,” Kelikk said. “That sounds pretty damn useful. Especially for your tiny self. You should come adventuring with us some time. See what we can do when we aren’t quite so… dead.”
“That sounds great, but I don’t have a lot of free time. Adventuring is a secondary goal for me. But when I am available, I’d love to join you,” I said.
Leilani answered for the group, “Of course. We’ve got some catching up to do anyway, and it’s about time for us to log out for today. Family party in a bit.”
“Already?” Cedric said with a scowl. “You think Uncle Tim would forgive us if we were a little bit late?” he said pleadingly.
Leilani just glared at him and his shoulders fell a bit. “Fine,” he continued. “Good to meet you, Kababala. Thanks again for the save. See you around!”
With that his character faded from view. Leilani waved and faded as well, leaving me with the dwarf.
He shrugged and said, “Family is family after all.”
“You guys are all siblings?” I asked, and the dwarf almost spit out his ale.
“God no,” he said. “Leilani’s my wife. Cedric’s her little brother. He’s had a rough go at things lately with school so she took him under her wing here. Trying to get him motivated to do better in school. His grades improve and he gets to keep playing. If not, well, not so much.”
“Bribery. Got it,” I laughed. “Well, I’ll not keep you any longer. Have fun at the party.”
The dwarf gave me a short salute and then faded as well.
I finished my ale, took out the amulet I had scavenged from Kelikk’s body, and cast Psychometry on it.
Psychometry Check – Item Level 5 vs Psychometry Rank 1 – Bonuses/Penalties: Scavenged Item
Success! You have identified the
Once adorning a noble dwarven warrior, this amulet grants a measure of dwarven hardiness to the wearer, improving their Strength and Constitution.
Properties: +1 Strength, +1 Consti
tution Value: 4gp
Appropriate, I thought with a laugh and tucked it into my bag.
A quick glance at the clock showed I had just enough time for an errand or two, so I gathered my things and headed to the Auction House.
I handed the clerk my receipts and received a large sack of coins in return. All of my auctions had sold while I was out adventuring. Damn.
I counted out the cash. One hundred and fifty-two gold, four silver, and six copper pieces. Not bad for a night’s work.
The coins went into my bag, bringing my total wealth back up a bit and tempting me to go shopping once again.
I resisted and left the auction house, heading towards the Proper Potion to turn in my quest.
***
25
Mistress Valynwood was behind the counter when I arrived, working on another potion. Quietly, so as not to disturb her concentration, I set the orc blood on the counter and waited.
She bottled her latest creation; a bubbling, foul smelling concoction emitting fumes that made my eyes water until she sealed the bottle with wax. She seemed unperturbed by the scent, likely the result of years of practice with such foul things.
“I apologize, Master Kababala,” she said with an apologetic smile. “I was not expecting customers at this hour. Normally the townsfolk are busy partaking of their evening meal at this time.”
She picked up the vials from the table and examined them before tucking them away. “Ah, marvelous. And two extra as well. Very good. Very good.”
QUEST Complete – Blood and Sweat
You have gained 300xp!
“Here you are, good kobold. Thy potion and Herbalism Kit,” she said and handed me a vial and a small pack.
“Thank you, Mistress Valynwood. I will make good use of this,” I said and glanced at the contents of the pack. Inside was a Herbalism Primer, a small pruning knife, and a stack of twenty glass vials.
I turned to leave, pausing when the Alchemist spoke up behind me. “One moment, Master Kababala. I have finished analyzing those components you brought to me. Would you like to discuss them now?”
“Of course!” I replied, hoping my gamble would pay off. “What did you find?”
She set the concoction she’d just finished on the counter. “This was made using the myconids heartmeat. It has some very intriguing properties. When the humours are extracted and combined with an infusion of acid from a black drake and a pinch of powdered nightshade, it produces quite a volatile concoction. Smashing this vial would produce an explosive cloud of acid that would dissolve all organic material in its area of effect. Great for eradicating vermin infestations. Once a steady source for the materials is found, it will be quite popular.”
I nodded along, hoping that “popular with the local farmers” would mean a good payday for me.
Next, she took out a small, waxed packet of paper. “This is a dust I was able to create from the spores you provided. When inhaled it will cause hallucinations and renders the poor victim quite harmless for a short time. One spore sack was enough to make ten of these packets.”
“As promised, thy reward,” she said and put a small pile of gold coins onto the counter. It was a decent payoff for my little gamble.
I started to reach for the coins and had a thought. “Mistress Valynwood, might I ask a favor instead of the coin?”
She raised an eyebrow and answered, “A favor, hmm. And what favor, pray tell would thee ask of me, good kobold?”
I crossed my fingers and gave her my best smile. “Would you teach me the art of Alchemy? Seeing you turn base materials into marvelous wonders has ignited a small fire in my spirit.”
She looked at me for a minute and then nodded. “Normally I would set thee a task to test thy seriousness, but since thy assistance so far has been extraordinary, I see no need to do so.”
The dryad reached under the counter and pulled out another small pouch and handed it to me.
“Study well, Apprentice,” she said with a serious look. “The Alchemist’s path is not an easy one, but should thou persevere, the rewards shall more than meet thy dreams. Come see me when thou hast improved thy skill and I might have more to teach thee.”
I tried not to frown as she collected the coins and put them back into her pouch, but I was thinking long term and being able to make my own potions could be another potential moneymaker, or at least money saver.
I took out the Herbalism primer and used it to learn the skill.
You have learned the “Herbalism” skill.
Herbalism – This gathering skill is the art of identifying and harvesting herbal and plant-based components from the natural environment. This gathering skill includes two sub-skills: Forage and Harvest.
-Forage allows the herbalist to examine the plants and soil in an area and determine the potential locations where useful plants might be found in the surrounding area. This skill interacts with your map, indicating likely locations for useful materials.
-Harvest allows the herbalist to correctly gather the target components without damaging or tainting them.
Needed Item: Pruning Knife, Glass Vial.
Herbalism XP: 0/200
Next, I opened the Alchemy kit and examined the contents. An Alchemy Primer, Beginner’s Mortar and Pestle, Beginner’s Flask, and twenty glass vials.
I took out the primer and used it.
You have learned the “Alchemy” skill.
Alchemy – This crafting skill is the art of harnessing the essences present within the natural and unnatural worlds, filtering them down to their pure form and harnessing that energy to produce an effect. This crafting skill has two starting sub-skills: Prepare, and Brew.
-Prepare allows the alchemist to transform raw materials into those that can be used in alchemical recipes, as well as some spells.
Needed Item: Mortar and Pestle.
-Brew allows for the preparation and creation of alchemical solutions and products. Brew can be used to experiment with new and unknown compounds and may yield new recipes, but with great risk.
Needed Item: Flask.
Alchemy XP: 0/500
You have learned the “Salve of Healing” recipe!
Salve of Healing
A thick paste that can be applied to a wound. This paste will heal between 5 and 10 hit points.
Components: Aloe Stalk, Rendered Fat.
You have Learned the “Lesser Acid” recipe!
A minor acid that does 4-8 damage to organic targets.
Components: Goblin Bile, Water.
Eventually, I planned to pick up all the gathering and crafting skills so I could react to the demands of the market, and I was off to a good start. I looked through the materials available in the Proper Potion’s shop and picked up twenty Aloe Stalks, Goblin Biles, and Rendered Fat for a total of three silver.
My dinner alarm began to ring, so I made my way out of the building and then logged out.
***
26
I ate my reheated leftovers while talking with April as she put Diego to bed, reading his favorite book about a friendly red dragon named Kaeden who loved to bake.
Once Diego was asleep, I filled her in on my progress and hopes for the night. We discussed the pros and cons of staying with copper or moving on to tin and in the end decided that tin provided a more accurate test of the long-term potential of this as a source of income.
Tin was currently selling for about six silver a bar which was a decent step up from copper, and there was less competition as well. If nothing else, I could improve my reputation with the Mining trainer and get some better equipment.
“Are you sure this is something that you want to do?” April asked with a look of concern on her face. “I know the headset thingy lets your body rest, but you’ll still be essentially working a second job every day.”
I gave her a small smile. “It’s actually kind of Zen when I get into the groove. Plus, if it’ll let us keep the house, I’d be willing to do it for even longer.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I replied with a warm smile. “To be honest, the non-mining parts are pretty enjoyable. Brings me back to the olden days where sleep was optional, and a six pack of Mountain Dew was all I needed to function.”
She snorted. “Just don’t overdo it, okay?”
“I promise,” I said and then glanced at the time and sighed.
April looked up. “Time to go back to work?” she asked.
I nodded. “Yeah. Time to mine some metal. Glad there’s no black lung in the digital world.”
“That’s coal mining, silly,” she replied with a laugh.
“I know,” I said. “Now let me go before your eyes lure me into some other activities we shared during those olden times.”
She blushed. “Goodnight, my love.”
“Love you,” I said with a wink. “Good night.”
I headed back to the bedroom and changed into my pajamas for the night. I set my alarm for three, which would give me a good seven hours or so to set up and mine some tin before I’d have to log out to get some real sleep.
Slipping under the covers, I popped on the headset and logged in.
I appeared back in the game in front of the alchemist shop, blinking to re-acclimate my senses to the virtual world.
After a quick check of my map to get my bearings, I headed back towards the mine, summoning my minions once I crossed the town alone. A fresh application of Dark Shield to keep my crunchy self safe from any attacks, and I was on my way to Mine Shaft Four to start the next phase of my mining venture.
Shaft four had a different layout than I was used to. The entrance opened into a large circular room with a multitude of tunnels leading deeper into the earth. It looked like nine separate teams had all picked a random direction and just started digging.
Extra Credit Page 19