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.485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUVw9PuSpp5
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW8robARu2W
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.485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm7bPxNGj4N
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwRrowKnXf7
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.485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9nbPRUoDmE
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXoNGx6T1XK
Sean de Courcy, king of Greyland485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOEb9Jy4vkm
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLpQiZZ8Vd9
Str 7485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqQ8FY8qTKr
Dex 4485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSIXIa2aAxj
Con 8485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTXpgBHnj6d
Int 16485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYr0Gwb20Hv
Wis 16485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd1vR3H3OVY
Cha 4485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqTmobCFwMK
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLP5dcZwnJr
Please choose a character archetype:485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhMDJY5f2z2
Fighter; Wizard; Healer; Scout485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUiJJwm6u2t
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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.485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoqUVzNwswI
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Then I noticed the final attribute, Charisma. It had gone from 3 to 4. Yes! Yes! And again Yes!485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl2OXB8VeTg
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP4gVT420ON
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 8.485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbp46IvwAD0
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvvdM6bUyUD
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.485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq9GvDCHtfG
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡClFjbMWjmI
I selected Fighter and got a message:485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡayoKBUIaOi
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7woJaLrzHu
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.485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXzRBr7449A
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You will also unlock new skills by discovering them through action. For now, you have 10 skill points to assign among the following:485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7fKUGPGsir
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Bash: action, shield users only, additional attack with shield485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD94W8OVJAk
Block: passive, shield users only, wards melee attacks if successful485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuPalav4fvX
Deflect: passive, shield users only, wards missile attacks if successful485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEDVGVph6IZ
Defensive Stance: passive, reduces damage of hits received if successful485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjoKJPBz7hS
Dodge: passive, avoid an opponent's attack485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOkHteoecQl
Grapple: action, unarmed attack that restricts opponent if successful485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzbVTvpxlIj
Lunge: action, pointed weapons only, additional attack at up to +1m range485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡltmCPJpSfA
Parry: passive, intercept your opponent's attack with your main hand weapon485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5gLqPgiyCu
Quick draw: action, produce hidden or sheathed weapon485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuty3FeDfXg
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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.485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiCFW3JDk8W
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjAm3Mklaob
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.485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3paX4dLL7h
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhnsbVDGEYs
Skills are capped at Level x 5485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2p9t5DdGTF
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPOpj7wboy9
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.485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWWr2ChEMaE
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsvL88jIxKb
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.485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡncxJ9NG0ig
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyhionDx1XC
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Sean de Courcy, king of Greyland485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnXCRiRbHcK
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnu7qTfUUBK
Fighter, Level 1 HP 8 AC 0485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡliY15Bfppz
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgpVXTyViVh
Str 7485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGemzSuOoSf
Dex 4485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbMkWv6XVaw
Con 8485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVq4msU3wQQ
Int 16485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡngE5vf8zuA
Wis 16485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi5nmLPSB0P
Cha 4485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgluXTwx6qs
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ZgtylcPem
Lunge 5485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRkMQBGR4jk
Parry 5485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyHsGxlL7GG
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0UEVDzPG3M
Exp 5/100485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu4nZLddELQ
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With the help of the PCs in Greyland, I should be able to level up fast.485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9pt5PV4o7x
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzwtKtOzKqL
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.485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ08vGlDsSYk
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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.485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbGW2TPa4V7
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXqksUDqTQ9
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.485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkhBOOmbHo1
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVAZ8zfERvQ
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.485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw6m0wNcwmf
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2YEpa82U1E
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.485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDg5KkNyzVW
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'How are you today sire? Able to continue?'485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMAzoIfvT9F
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'Stiff, but yes.'485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkJmEeCayB4
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWL1iZvyjfj
'I suggest another march then. Sixty circuits.'485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuzwFC19VOX
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL1LXNDHcgM
'Right so. Before I set off, I've a question you might know the answer to.'485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW5V5gJxUX3
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNv6gVdV9dq
He looked at me expectantly.485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7zX4y4RPoC
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo5ad4cOMuO
'I just learned the Lunge skill. Do you know how I utilise it?'485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwJq9MnaaLC
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBAoqLmbTIP
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.'485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOy41iI6kwu
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnEknXfdW8q
'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.485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiVBXvrfsjL
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmgtesGTPmx
On lap six, Lord Arval fell in step. 'Sire?'485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfUT71diGQ1
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'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?'485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrcI5193yVy
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRj5e6iLDSV
'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.'485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrwgVDEUEvE
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I nodded, hands swinging like pendulum weights as I strode determinedly around the square.485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs4XZ7j0XsL
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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.'485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWK0aK7eNaY
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7K7BQAyYE7
'Good. I'll be done here by midday, come with me this afternoon and show me these quests.'485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvIp7s2wuMc
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLW5vSX6WrL
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?'485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrrBCovT2i4
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I caught his – grey – eyes and gave the slightest of nods.485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ANkv0swfJ
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0RYTFcFDxm
'Very good sire,' Lord Arval spoke loudly and deferentially. 'As you ask, so it will be.'485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWUmPLWdKLs
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPg7xmMYZro
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.485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbix9Sa43EM
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfTf8KizUqj
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.485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkdQKUtK9ib
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡND9giYTpHR
'You wanted me to help with quests?'485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbkz5OBgq96
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡANr8L0K1dy
'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.'485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv1xI6TfMBf
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu5TWt6sntY
'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.'485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHjOY1gf3r4
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmawCqkyXsL
'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.485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa27wdKUVgA
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'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.'485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6J7StZyNYE
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'He was a thug, right?'485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGkNoZ12QKb
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'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.'485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrcAX9102Wt
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFl1uWtMGEP
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.485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOnefN9b7hK
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3JPF0sccri
'In there is a female baker who needs a large rat killed.'485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlDpzQJLRs6
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtcASImEaIy
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.485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqx7OsDrOdS
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYFoQKuowyr
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!'485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7HUuH3mAtd
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'I believe you have a problem with a rat?'485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFFXowYP0ou
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No one moved or spoke, until the boy dropped his brush and ran. Then the woman did the same.485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgNIOFckKgS
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'Guards!' yelled Carlena. When two soldiers came running, she instructed them to bring the baker back.485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZeucN6Yo53
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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?485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwDzhsULFbs
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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.485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ611ZsAeqai
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'You have a task?' I asked.485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGX4kcBg4GY
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'But…' she was looking at the floor. 'But… you've already done it.'485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrotflqO8gG
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I shot a glance of alarm at Carlena who remained perfectly impassive. No doubt for the benefit of the guards.485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkea3XYqQhJ
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'Give it to me again.'485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbscl0INvFf
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'I can't sire, I really can't. Please don't kill me, I have three children.'485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNKCLxEFyzk
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'Just try. Just say the words. I'm sure it will work. Go ahead!'485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4tq5WHTWRN
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But she couldn't. Her mouth opened and closed without a sound coming out. Tears ran down her face.485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsFejqglGLG
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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.
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