Luxuriating in a – necessarily large – wooden bath, I got a good view of my enormous body. Well, at least as far as the vast stomach. From there, my lower half was completely out of view. Maybe Carlos felt at home like this and I wasn't judging him from the point of beauty or shame. My dismay at the body I was in was a practical one. As it was, I couldn't possibly help these people in battle. And I was so used to my own, fairly fit shape that for me, this was like being an imprisoning shell. I had an idea of who I was that was at odds with this person. It would take some serious work but I was determined to get in shape, not least for the sake of the battles to come. At least he was tall, taller than me, at about 6' 4" I'd guess. That was promising for the long term, if I could get the body into fighting condition.421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUh05olzIia
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYLMnIoDyy9
While I didn't want to make any important decisions about my character sheet until I had tested if I could improve my stats, I took some time to properly study the kingdom menus.421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjVYW1TRIaA
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7FQHDlZwtq
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRhKFEp8fOq
Greyland421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8UFybLbXQa
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4XLTm1bKTI
Economy Military People421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEI4pVzmsKO
Currently building: granary level 2421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOr4nq3qTxS
Monthly trade income: 0421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi3uOOZbszd
Monthly tax income: 54 gold421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjfUfX7h7TU
Daily food consumption: 13 units421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSV4Bp8v59U
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiuJac6r9OV
Grain yield: 0 due in 17 days421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHfRJRFbNIV
Vegetable yield: 35 food units due in 21 days421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡveER7hSS76
Wool yield: 3 bales due in 34 days421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkrq1S8f6qA
Meat yield: 4 units daily421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIL3SczGVNj
Timber yield: 17 planks daily421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqrZLKExwBh
Iron yield: 2 ingots daily421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuZm6R6fAM6
Quarry yield: 6 blocks daily421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX4ag7ULB7q
Smithy yield: no production set421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5IdtU9HZMG
Weaving yield: 4 bolts daily421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2fxNV0kPue
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpiZMdlgtlC
Research: steel pickaxes421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlJlljolJnf
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIIxmRvnSC1
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDdMH7ERwsO
Resources:421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7jiSsUV5zC
Wheat: 19 food units421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDPcXXeLfv8
Vegetables: 32 food units421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbUwlXnGgRf
Meat: 5 food units421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDoVsIMg0fg
Wool: 7 bales421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0yKtrU2jYH
Timber: 134 planks421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtJbIHqmS2R
Iron: 11 ingots421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjze0OvoBBy
Stone: 33 blocks421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpMLHirAUAz
Cloth: 0 bolts
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfZxji1pYwM
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpBtxS1nsWb
All of these points of information could be opened for more detail, so I focused on the 'currently building' tab. There, I could see a graphic of a partly constructed wooden tower. The granary, presumably. In a timer that was counting down, there were two days and several hours left on a bar that was about half filled with green. I had other options, currently greyed out: farm buildings, level 2; hunting lodge, level 2; sawmill level 2; watermill; mine level 3; quarry level 2; smithy level 2; library level 2.421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3bfZh0GQl4
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIUMAVq9piY
There was an obvious contradiction between the fact the kingdom was working on a new granary and there was no grain yield. Presumably, this was a legacy of losing the recent battle and the farmland. I should almost certainly swap the construction project to something else. Long term, it was often a good idea in strategy games to invest in research, which might be what the library was good for. But I had a real worry about the food situation. So without making any changes, and after shifting my hulky figure to swirl some warm water around, I looked at the Military sub-menu.421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn8p2p6K7Z4
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhOWYCDG5lC
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFo7mDAdc2H
Military421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWBNj0BC3Nt
Light infantry: 32421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKuH8YO652g
Heavy infantry: 12421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmc7bomYYNt
Archers: 18421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQ47UN6FFQ
Light cavalry: 24421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDGZUE22xxe
Heavy cavalry: 3421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMPNSDNqW4p
Ballista: 1421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb2q9pr69PG
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9WDqBktZmU
Hospital: 17421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQfOys1b4eE
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpx0gEkSylg
Military upkeep cost: 42 gold, 5 silver421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbarkHCkEvG
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRg5MXtXsBN
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡciAab1Yj9e
Currently training: 2 heavy cavalry421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9iA7eIm04u
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡltKvt0ROaZ
Buildings: keep level 2; curtain walls level 1; towers level 1; town walls level 1421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwMMDqd3pyb
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡckK2nG2JxC
Currently building: tower machicolations, 3 days
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlSij44UUpd
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1lHlND8s4w
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNFOZsIC6bU
I had no idea how big the armies in this world were, but with just a hundred troops the situation here was certainly dire. I suddenly had a dark thought. What if we were overrun? Slaughtered. What would happen to me? Would I get home? Respawn? Or just die, forever?421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOTH7ED5kNu
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwUlBAAwB3f
Although they were fundamentally important questions, there was nothing I could do to find answers to them, so I returned my focus to the menus. Each of these entries had options to drill down into more specific information, such as about the stats on the troops, but I just skimmed through them, wanting to understand the big picture items first.421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYgbNxvjOrT
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEeI5OCA60u
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCnMnbg0j4O
People421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd43skdvdc6
Citizens: 485421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGtlQKqRpkY
Happiness: 14421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbhsIuwjKsO
Tax Level: High421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlaMBwboJo7
Health: 89421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcWuG9yErPM
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMcmGmZ0q8U
Specialist roles421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkv2Agbq0ML
General: Lord Arval, Paladin Level 7421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4EgUlep0Au
Royal Wizard: Carlena, Sorceress Level 9421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9cwizC28Sj
Steward: Chancellor Parrin, Scout Level 9421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjrNUiIaJfz
Ambassador: Figus, Bard Level 3
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCEPlBarCgC
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo7woOEwcgA
Looking at the Citizens menu I saw a more detailed breakdown: Soldiers 110; Farmers 38; Builders 40; Shepherds 34; Hunters 48; Miners 84; Clothmakers 23; Bakers 23; Brewers 16; Carpenters 21; Stonemasons 14; Smiths 4; Researchers 4; Idle 26. It was strange how few were the numbers here. Was this because I had found myself at an early stage of whatever game-like system this world was based on? Or was there some other explanation?421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdOae20QI0Z
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdEThCZUINX
This was interesting. For a start, the king had been lying to Chancellor Parrin for some reason. Far from being a Level 5 Scout, the thin man was 9. Then I found I could open up their character sheets and I did so for Lord Arval.421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdjx9Mlxxrg
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkSjVHRyO7U
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZrbRQtj3hn
Lord Arval: Paladin Level 7421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTeL8KOxBqP
HP 64421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnO6aR2ykPr
AC 18421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡChYALWpkwn
XP 19,663 (28,800)421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLVmg8AzOMH
Str 17 (18), Dex 12, Con 15, Int 8, Wis 9, Cha 9.421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcgZ9ikvmf9
Shield of Defence +1, Trueblade +2, Ring of Strength +1, Potion of Haste, Potion of Healing.
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxLw7spHEIM
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7F21m5GwXP
Very interesting. I had to close my eyes for a moment, ducking down to soak my hair, but the character sheet was still there when I came back up out of the water. Firstly, I noted that Lord Arval had an XP bar. He could level up. That was encouraging for me, because it suggested that stats might evolve too. Secondly: magic items. Everybody loves magic items, but again I was particularly excited to see they could be used to change stats, as in Lord Arval's Strength.421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuhYEpR2ar7
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsgBPcDge4i
Time to check the others.421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdgLx10dS7p
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq6HjQJ9rQr
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRg3QKqLtdX
Carlena, Sorceress Level 9421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX0iUMS59nx
HP 34421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzY4jEO2Byq
AC 5421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwCePyliNHY
XP 72,102 (86,400)421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpvFp0Ie8yj
Str 5, Dex 11, Con 9, Int 17, Wis 7, Cha 8.421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXDH5KMgIye
Broach of Protection from Magical Missiles; Wand of Channelling; Potion of Transformation.
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcyXZhAxTXh
Chancellor Parrin, Scout Level 9421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBrVyRCeIRc
HP 53421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9wZclJvJSP
AC 12421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡApq0mf0837
XP 71,043 (86,400)421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNQqB0rXIuh
Str 9, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 6, Cha 9421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTQ5gVRHrdk
Dagger +1; Leather Jerkin +1; Ring of Silent Movement.
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYtcwxBUHE6
Figus, Bard Level 3421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDJ6QwHuTFS
HP 17421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCRXcq3UasN
AC 14421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyIQEUvQb0L
XP 684 (800)421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh1kgxmgwFF
Str 13, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 9, Cha 15421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlij19Uoncx
Scroll of Charm421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMbW8yQWKjw
Ambassador feats: Speak Language; Swift Travel
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ4CQRkYbGU
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2lZlT5rMOS
Pretty decent, or so it seemed. But everything was relative. What special roles did our opponents have? Maybe Chancellor Parrin would know.421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzyEvBZfqfK
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXAtPcLMjBo
By this time my bath was only lukewarm and so, with some difficulty, I stood up. Water dripping from me, I took a towel and when as dry as I could manage, a robe that a servant had brought me that looked clean enough. Outside the door of the bathroom was a young servant, who ducked his head when I left rather than make eye contact. After I was past him, he ran into the bathroom, to tidy up perhaps.421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6vmGZksr0C
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnLiffHKnmi
Lying in a comfortable four-poster bed, in clean sheets, I considered that I was blessed. Almost certainly, there were gods in this world. And if one of them had played a role in bringing me here, well, fair dues to him, her, or it. I sent a silent prayer of gratitude. This is what I needed. Not the trappings of being a king but the challenge. A kingdom under threat and an RPG system to wield to the best of my ability. I really wanted to get stuck into my own character sheet, but most of my decisions would have to wait until I had more information. And I was too tired to explore the menus much further.421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJY60NygNZF
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYoT0pLwCI0
There were two tasks, however, that shouldn't wait until morning. I called up Greyland/Economy/Currently Building. There I switched the granary out and from the other options, dragged in hunting lodge, level 2. We were losing about 7 food units a day, with reserves of just 56. Obviously, I needed to resolve that, before planning on building something more strategic.421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRBJhwVBsBR
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ62tkDqbYBj
The other assignment I wanted to make was for the Smithy, which was not producing anything. The sub-menu, however, was complex, full of possible items like horse shoes, swords, shields and arrow heads that all looked extremely useful. There were tools I could create too, including hoes, which I was tempted by, as these would surely help my food output. Or were they limited to use in the kind of fields we had recently lost?421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9qHNAvrUaG
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMzDhmydEy9
Wondering why my predecessor had left such an important building idle, I had a thought and checked the research queue. There was only four hours left on the countdown for steel pickaxes. Maybe he had planned on completing that research and then getting the smith to work on producing them. If so, it wasn't a bad idea, all we really had going for us were the mountains around the town. If we could use sources of iron to build up tradeable reserves of iron and steel, that might be another way to solve the food crisis. So that decision could also wait until morning.421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtwzlYyuj5Y
421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpnwTSWDxxv
My head filling again with images of the town planning interface, I was asleep before I knew it.
