My first thought on waking, was that I was happy. Not so much because I was living the life of a king (although I wasn't complaining about that), but because I had a reason for living: a mission. It was such a different feeling, having a purpose in life, to waiting around for the COVID restrictions to end. While Greyland was starting in a very difficult situation, I believed I could turn it around.528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHvID9PuqMa
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4zYfKY70Mh
For a start, I had to ramp up iron production and correct my earlier mistake. As my first action, I assigned the realm's three iron ingots to the Smithy for more steel pickaxes.528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPgzbmmxjjx
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡou1OWMtNdg
Crucial to my success in this world would be my personal character progression. With some anxiety I called up my character sheet to see if I'd managed to improve it by my efforts of the previous day.528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzFDjzw4gQK
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBjA3nunFq5
Sean de Courcy, king of Greyland528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSMVGD8EDpe
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJH8UZUIu85
Str 7528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKH5NOaiS7p
Dex 4528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡybDQjUDPaW
Con 8528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq0unoY9seK
Int 16528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWY9SKEteJV
Wis 16528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡff7Ma0tlSw
Cha 4528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR0rMTsme7P
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCy3oV5kaWX
Please choose a character archetype:528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDVFrsHBZop
Fighter; Wizard; Healer; Scout528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjlLubAPrVp
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdFFHbESJs8
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡky0s2WSXvK
Of course, neither my Strength of Constitution had shifted. I sighed to myself. How many more days of exercise would it take to test whether those stats would rise? Should I give it a week and then give in and choose a Wizard or Healer path? The people who had summoned me here wanted a battlefield leader and my own desire led me to want to be a martial class of some sort. But it would be idiotic to aim for that if I was stuck with these stats.528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡswmz0ffCln
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡenTbiX43Ib
Then I noticed the final attribute, Charisma. It had gone from 3 to 4. Yes! Yes! And again Yes!528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy3IWtSrO7C
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhkOKLp9KZB
Stats could be worked on. A glow of pleasure rushed through me. Okay, so it wasn't a Fighter stat that had moved, but really, after one day, even if I had focused on Strength, I could hardly have expected to see progress. I had a hunch that the reason I'd seen Charisma move was that it was a lot easier to raise a 3 to a 4 than a 7 to an 8.528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKzPMPxrhDP
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQmIebKwjbX
Following that last thought, I had to admit to myself that it might take months to move Strength to something useful in battle, but even so I decided to take the risk and commit to Fighter. It was time to get going. I missed being the most bad-ass warrior in Storm Wars and couldn't even imagine what it would feel like to be on top of the game be like in a world where it really mattered? Still, it was pointless, counterproductive even, to daydream. There was a mountain to climb. And I hadn't even taken one step yet towards the summit.528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyVtEdm2EUt
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkOJZXBjQaS
I selected Fighter and got a message:528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVD46GWHfyo
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhGveMY5MDF
Welcome Sean de Courcy, to the path of the Fighter. You have chosen to stand toe to toe with your foes, dealing blows to them and evading their own attempts to harm you. It is a path for the brave and for the resolute. If you are fortunate and progress, in due course you will unlock specialisations within the Fighter class.528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMxhCoy3R3V
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Uh7Q5tb1l
You will also unlock new skills by discovering them through action. For now, you have 10 skill points to assign among the following:528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQwIefgALA9
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuMttemNeRe
Bash: action, shield users only, additional attack with shield528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsRGxMssLdl
Block: passive, shield users only, wards melee attacks if successful528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZWHgPAZXhr
Deflect: passive, shield users only, wards missile attacks if successful528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPaleZxZjUJ
Defensive Stance: passive, reduces damage of hits received if successful528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3AqMDeUbLN
Dodge: passive, avoid an opponent's attack528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡInw260uCo4
Grapple: action, unarmed attack that restricts opponent if successful528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlMJlaRHrqe
Lunge: action, pointed weapons only, additional attack at up to +1m range528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn35wucIx0t
Parry: passive, intercept your opponent's attack with your main hand weapon528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB26IQdazTC
Quick draw: action, produce hidden or sheathed weapon528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtdDwhm1v69
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjkDFxyXd7V
Quite a lot to think about there. And I had to make my choice right away, as the screen couldn't be flicked away in the usual fashion. Generally, I preferred a min-max approach to RPG gaming. It was usually better to be really good at one skill and adapt your strategy to that skill than to have no particular specialism and be somewhat competent at everything. Ideally, I would have had a taste of fighting before make my choice, so as to get a feel for what would be the best skill to invest in. Here, though, there was going to be a lot of guesswork.528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIUrwjDLNyg
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6prqx4qIMG
On the assumption I'd have the support of the high level people who had summoned me, I decided I should focus on attack rather than defence. Back in Storm Wars defence was crucial but here, at the low levels at least, I felt it best to try to rack up experience fast through killing mobs. Lunge appealed most, surely an extra attack and a bit more range on an attack was going to prove useful? When I tried to put my ten points into the skill, however, I got a message.528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVSwQVizt2A
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtBZZhkHowK
Skills are capped at Level x 5528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ26qeJ93GCj
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGUU5gdnkho
Adding 5 points to Lunge worked. So for my other choice? Was I going to use a shield? Probably but not necessarily. I didn't know what weapons were going to be available to me here. Parry then. While Quick draw had its appeal, it was very situational. Whereas pretty much every fight I was in would involve the opportunity to parry.528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqDVXkXpeG5
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu1WVIMFsBG
My character sheet now had my class and skills, also, an EXP bar, showing that I needed 100 to get to Level 2 and HP. I had hit points! Not many though. And an armour class that at 0 probably reflected the fact that I had no armour on at all. Even if I did, that poor Dexterity score probably carried a penalty.528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkOQlooMH1o
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhgr2W1XMcu
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Sean de Courcy, king of Greyland528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6luJrQgLP5
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJSAqxzN9jf
Fighter, Level 1 HP 8 AC 0528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrb0eunLT1v
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzVER4kYNrm
Str 7528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW3Q2Mns5JU
Dex 4528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPWPxGb5V2e
Con 8528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡieuCyl5Lg0
Int 16528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ZjqMmZ7WA
Wis 16528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPCilpH3XTx
Cha 4528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZoYuA0kn62
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ02kQXPNSFy
Lunge 5528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5xdpHCSkFX
Parry 5528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ORzudWePF
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN2FvfhIhI0
Exp 5/100528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUN9Y1sk2OI
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528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡztshktryOY
With the help of the PCs in Greyland, I should be able to level up fast.528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS43a6CgEJG
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Yq3MYhlab
If it wasn't for my heavy body, I'd have leapt out of bed with a spring in my step and an eager desire to get going. As it was, I had to lever myself up and then struggle with every single garment before managing to get dressed. It didn't help that I ached all over from yesterday's marching around the barracks square. At last, I was presentable and down I went to breakfast.528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWXdW8OSyqu
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi6z8yU5a3I
Today, the castle servants were ready for me and along with a glass of apple juice was a bowl with more apples and a plate with two poached eggs. I felt desperately hungry and was tempted, when a new servant tentatively approached, to ask for more. But I had to get down to a size where armour could fit me and a horse could carry me. So I had to diet. End of. Back home, I had sometimes tried to cut out unhealthy snacks, and managed for a while, before invariably returning to them and sometimes bingeing while hooked up to Storm Wars. Here, I felt differently. Here, getting the king's body into shape was just as important as levelling up and sorting out Greyland's food supply. There was no 'Will I? Won't I?' discussion to be had with myself. It had to be done.528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9xJ3im7pM7
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyy7WIXqeDx
After breakfast, I left the keep and walked slowly in the direction of the barracks. The citizens of the town hurried away from me or redoubled their efforts if they were working. For the first time, I noticed that stored away in the shadowy corner of a large cobbled square was a gibbet and a chopping block. Had my predecessor really executed people by hanging and beheadings? It was not a question I could ask anyone except one of the three who had been there at the summoning.528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSu83h13Pys
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU3NethiNDK
The soldiers were already drilling when I got to the barracks and I was pleased to see archers firing at straw scarecrows. Thirteen, fourteen… yet fifteen. Those were my new recruits. It might have been a dumb move using up all my iron before the steel pickaxes were completed but I was glad to see the archers all the same.528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVbga2bDYeY
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUV2raQV4XZ
Carradock was there, marching some foot soldiers back and forth. He passed the duty to one of the men and came over at a brisk walk on seeing me.528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5eNynCG9k6
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcSi2ydEzAv
'How are you today sire? Able to continue?'528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYX0XBe5P1C
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ81rKdw9Eo5
'Stiff, but yes.'528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPNCcE9M8Xv
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB3lnXzYeIX
'I suggest another march then. Sixty circuits.'528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcqC18taduB
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuuAi4Bq1Sp
'Right so. Before I set off, I've a question you might know the answer to.'528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq4FsFV2rB0
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgkeLzHyLWr
He looked at me expectantly.528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi7nZhq8Tlr
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc1AAyd26EK
'I just learned the Lunge skill. Do you know how I utilise it?'528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWzCiNyqlWB
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJIlibrHvFD
Surprise, then caution crossed the trainer's face. 'Not I sire. Skills like what you're talking about are special. You need to talk to someone like Lord Arval.'528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEz1zoudCXs
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡls3yO1HYb3
'Good idea. Send someone to fetch him will you.' As was my nature, I almost added 'please', but no doubt that would be taking my change in character too far.528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV8cStu4Ttt
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFEpEIX71Nt
On lap six, Lord Arval fell in step. 'Sire?'528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN7SD6ZQ0rX
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNjE9hcSFwY
'Two questions.' I already felt the need to be economical with my breath. 'Active skills like Lunge, how do I use them? And what's the quickest way for me to level up? Got some giant bats I can kill?'528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb6KlT6k3YU
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcFh2lFJCDt
'Skills? You'll see them as selectable icons when the right conditions are met. I mean when timers are ready; or the right weapon is in hand; or you've moved yourself into the right position. Skills are very experiential. You get to discover them and advance them mostly by practice.'528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvtNfFK65xX
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDTqm78kJ3p
I nodded, hands swinging like pendulum weights as I strode determinedly around the square.528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQiVk02rA5d
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbOcNeaMgqH
Lord Arval kept pace effortlessly. 'For levelling up, I think quests. Without access to the menus I can't be exact, but I felt that just by performing chores for the townspeople I became significantly stronger. Perhaps reaching level three or four.' He gave me a sharp look. 'It helps with your reputation with them too.'528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF5Av28La1o
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRaHNEkgX6W
'Good. I'll be done here by midday, come with me this afternoon and show me these quests.'528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9GVPXznJvN
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeatMj1BgJ8
First checking no one was close enough to overhear us, Lord Arval leaned closer and dropped his voice. 'I'd never disagree with a command of yours, but I was intending to take the new archers down to Three-Ways Fort and check on our defences. I could ask Carlena to show you the easiest town quests?'528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcQyAyQNnbL
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ3UAlN1oFk
I caught his – grey – eyes and gave the slightest of nods.528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡudnGVzkFCI
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdoi0FlNaI9
'Very good sire,' Lord Arval spoke loudly and deferentially. 'As you ask, so it will be.'528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJQIgbI9nSw
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDJsEsWPGZy
The laps today were a little easier and even a soft rain didn't deter me. Walking was good for studying the menus too and I drilled down into the kingdom's various options, reading up on descriptions of buildings and balancing their various benefits against the immediate need to solve our food problem and be able to resist an attack if Southway and Trolland continued their alliance.528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXOaN2iB6iq
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡizdKDu38Ht
After I finally completed my sixty laps, I took a salute from Carradock and went back to the keep for a bath and change of clothes. Then I sat in the very large throne in the large hall on the second floor, the solar they called it. Outside, beyond the lead crosses that contained the window glass, the day was still grey. I could have rested there, alone, for some time, but Carlena arrived and waving away the servants who had brought her to me, came over.528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0d4LlaCtjZ
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9YP1skNLAK
'You wanted me to help with quests?'528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjApbHp80aU
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH1LePjQCWw
'Yes please. I've started as a Fighter but, honestly, I'm not in the shape to hit things yet. So quests are perfect. And Lord Arval said they would level me fast.'528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡojE6NZklTJ
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe0UJ4qRROz
'Yes, they will. At least, they got me to my third spell. After that, you'll need to battle monsters. Also, your combat skills won't increase unless you do.'528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdViHnzy24X
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf5VhBLigPI
'Right so, let's go and do some quests.' It was painful, moving again after being seated for a while. But pain meant gain, right? And I had the incentive of levelling up to encourage me.528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡylivzY70dg
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ2eP8vwqfW
'It's been a while since I did these…' She looked thoughtful, long, silver hair tied back so I could see her severe face clearly. 'And try to be more like King Carlos. Everyone is talking about you. About how you've changed.'528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEbVjFMNcSF
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjQOv58fC9B
'He was a thug, right?'528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFaEYctC3nQ
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnW8nNY7n9W
'More of a sly creature, like a fox. Watching and waiting … then punishing. Never trusting anyone. You didn't know where you were with him. Not even me, who – forgive the lack of modesty – is the most important person in the kingdom. There was a time when I thought he was going to hang me for treason. Even though that would mean no sorcerer for our battles.'528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQtfJMHAWbr
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCHt5ePLWSx
Having reached the large, double doors Carlena went silent and waited for me to lead her out. From just behind my right shoulder, she muttered directions as we walked down narrow cobbled streets until we came to a bakery.528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVpYm56djLE
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfJ6pNd4JqD
'In there is a female baker who needs a large rat killed.'528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Zgt2OWDNm
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmDmfd287ej
I barged in, under the swinging sign of a loaf of bread. My bulky body made a small room feel even smaller: counter with several loaves; bare planks for floors; whitewashed walls; back room with an aroma of newly baked bread that made my mouth water.528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqNL6hcthgh
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH2OdxefWZU
A boy, about ten years old, was sweeping dust. His mouth dropped open. A thin woman behind the counter looked at me with pure horror, then said quietly, 'Miya bless me!'528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡki1diCoG3J
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVqg6bv5idN
'I believe you have a problem with a rat?'528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt79m2NiKGK
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZLL7Q4Fdlk
No one moved or spoke, until the boy dropped his brush and ran. Then the woman did the same.528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNzvnCGC4G9
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeRCcnx4EKD
'Guards!' yelled Carlena. When two soldiers came running, she instructed them to bring the baker back.528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEOIrJlzw8h
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFf8FfJuU9Z
Feeling impatient, I tried to strum my thick fingers on the wooden counter top, but couldn't, they just thumped down in a group. My crappy Dexterity? Or simply lack of practice with this body?528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlPn4ztJVNi
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEFejo0AqgY
At last the guards returned, holding the woman between them. She was clearly terrified and I would have said something comforting, except that Carlena wanted me to stay in character.528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxg6O6pEILD
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'You have a task?' I asked.528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2KlL9tPuwE
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'But…' she was looking at the floor. 'But… you've already done it.'528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgKhtnq77xi
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpuVXFm8rSU
I shot a glance of alarm at Carlena who remained perfectly impassive. No doubt for the benefit of the guards.528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3X8ssE9vqz
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'Give it to me again.'528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡasuHIbCZmU
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtzXK2kCyL1
'I can't sire, I really can't. Please don't kill me, I have three children.'528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6zqBWt8Lg9
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV0ntsYgsAh
'Just try. Just say the words. I'm sure it will work. Go ahead!'528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaNBucXDQF4
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFYGUkNx2MB
But she couldn't. Her mouth opened and closed without a sound coming out. Tears ran down her face.528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9NQ5qmqo6L
528Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm4bwAmulkk
Exasperated and not wanting to cause the baker to suffer any further, I strode back outside, took a second to orientate myself, and set off back toward the keep. Levelling up was going to require a rethink.
