[X] Continue studying in the library.
- [X] Adventurer advancement exams.
Find out what happens here first, then we sleep. Tomorrow we can train evasion a bit playing with Velvet (her running at us and us dodging like a bullfighter) to level the skill and hopefully level us. If we do level, see about taking the Advancement Exam, if we don't level take a quick quest for the EXP, I think Herb Gathering would be great for that, we got a good cash payout last time.
Been looking back to see if Levels/EXP are actually part of the world or not. Found some neat stuff.
Adventurers are essentially mercenaries, but instead of waging wars for Nobles or Land Owners we combat the endless problems the people of Eldast face from simple herb gathering requests to slaying Dragons and combating Fell Elf tribes. What requests an Adventurer can take are based on their Rank which starts at Wood and goes up to Venerated Hero, more difficult requests requiring higher ranks to take on in order to lower the chance of failure and limit deaths. In order the Guild's Ranks are: Wood, Porcelain, Copper, Bronze, Iron, Steel, Silver, Gold, Mithril, Master, Grandmaster, Hero Aspirant, Lesser Hero, Hero, Grand Hero, and Venerated Hero. As it stands the most wide spread Adventurer Rank is Iron with several hundred thousand members at that Rank while the Guild has over a thousand Lesser Heroes, three hundred Heroes, eighty-seven Grand Heroes, and a mere eight Venerated Heroes as of the time this was written
Alright, let's look at this. Combating an Elf tribe is listed as about as dangerous as slaying a dragon, so let's not piss off any elves with our squishy Wood Rank words.
Now let's look at Ranks. Given my intuition, the fact that I've played all of the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games, and how words are used, I'm going to try and analyze the Ranks and see how they fit together.
Clump 1: Wood and Porcelain: These are the noob ranks, and adventurers of this caliber should avoid all but the weakest forms of combat. Thee are the guys you have doing busy work like collecting herbs, doing paperwork, running letters, etc. The clue is in the name, wood and porcelain are used in household and utility objects much more often than in weapons, with wood being basic objects and porcelain being more expensive counterparts. Adventurers with this rank should just focus on completing easy missions to gain experience with how the guild works and how to interact with costumers. Pretty much your tutorial rankings, so the Rank Up assessmen shouldn't be to hard.
Further supported with this line:
For new adventurers I recommend taking requests that are closer to your original set of skills, a lot of the jobs for those of Porcelain or Wood Rank have to do with just assisting the common folk in their daily lives. These jobs are generally largely ignored, but are a more guaranteed method of progression even if it is somewhat slower than being hired to go kill some Vicious Rabbits or investigating a cave to find out if the Guild needs to dispatch higher ranked adventurers to clear it. Besides, you would be surprised what some of the simplest people can present you as a reward if you manage to do their request well.
Guild guide book explicitly says that Wood and Porcelain ranks are better off doing busywork that they have experience in than even trying to fight the lowest grade of monster.
And this here:
Vicious Rabbits are a species classified as Dangerous Beasts as their internal quantity of mana hasn't touched the requirement for Monster classification. Vicious Rabbits are slightly large than the typical rabbit with shiny white fur, blood red eyes, and razor sharp teeth that can tear through leather like it's paper. They originate from the arrival of Demons in the world when mana was thrown into chaos, suddenly some rabbits became infected with small traces of mana leading to mutations that led them down the path of carnivores. They have rather weak constitutions with one or two blows from the average man wielding a club more than enough to end them, but their bite should still be avoided due to resulting bleeding being likely. Wood Rank adventurers are more than capable of handling one or two such creatures, but teams are recommended to fight packs. If you find yourself without a team, running is recommended. Also blunt weapons are recommended when hunting to better preserve the hide, their appearance make them worth a bit of coin.
...
Giant Rats are a species classified as Monsters due to the high internal concentration of Mana. They grow to the size of large dogs, are capable of crushing stone with their bite, live in groups of at least ten, and are incredibly unclean creatures. Porcelain Rank Adventurers are allowed to hunt these creatures, but its recommended you either form a part of five or simply wait until you're a higher rank and thus more skilled before dealing with them. While their bites can deal significant damage the true risk brought on by Giant Rats is the heightened chance of infection brought about from the uncleanliness, detoxification products are recommended if you're incapable of slaying them without being injured. They are scared of fire, but beware driving them into a corner with such means as a berserk Giant Rat is a terrifying thing.
Where Vicious rabbits are so weak they aren't even classified as Monsters, and Wood Ranks are cautioned to run if they find more than two. Or about how Porcelain rank adventurers are told to form a party of five to even go Rat Hunting. These are your tutorial ranks, with the people in them being equivalent to Lvl 1 Noobs. Actually, thinking on it, without the EXP we've gotten from deities and in thread discussion, we might have legitimately got through Wood and Porcelain Ranks without leveling at all.
Clump 2: Copper, Bronze, Iron, Steel, Silver, Gold. "The Metal Clump". Most weapons that adventurers use are gonna be made out of one of these metals. It's my guess that this is where adventurers are recommended to start doing combat missions, which are most likely variants of "Clear this area of Monsters", "Kill X number of Y monsters", "Scout X location". Additionally, I'm guessing that the Rank Up exam from Porcelain to Copper gets more difficult than the one from Wood to Porcelain, with this level of difficulty compared to an adventurer's projected ability kept throughout the Metal Ranks. We know that Iron Rank has the largest number of adventurers at any one time, so for some reason people tend to stall out there. Also, these rankings tell us steel is a common thing, so they're either using modern forging techniques or some kinda fantasy magic to make it.
Clump 3: Master and Grandmaster. I'm just gonna guess that there are two types of people in these ranks, those who earn it young as a stepping stone to Herodom, and those who earn it as the pinnacle of their careers. I'm guessing the second half settle down and are put in charging of running Guild Branches and teaching the next generation. Another jump in the difficulty of the Rank up exam from Gold to Master.
Clump 4: Hero Aspirant, Lesser Hero, Hero, Greater Hero, Venerated Hero. These are your top percenters, your best of the best, the "once in a generation" geniuses, your protagonist material. These are the guys you call if you need a Lich or Dragon slayed or some Elf villages subjugated or a MacGuffin found. Another Jump in the difficulty of the Rank Up exam from Grandmaster to Hero Aspirant. Also, isn't it interesting that the Blessing that the Gods hand down is called the Heroic Vessel/Spirit, and the highest ranks of adventuredom all have Hero in their names?
Looking up you find the dwarf glaring at you with a backpack raised up in his hand, wait what? How the hell did he manage to get that!? There's nothing anywhere in this store!
Before you can carry on down that line of thought the dwarf chucks the bag at you causing you to hurriedly catch the surprisingly heavy pack.
"Don't be so shocked newbie. It's just simple application of runic arrays, every Adventurer's Guild above at a township level or above is built to this kind of standard, they only really get more amazing as you go up though you're not ready for city work. The earliest you'd be able to find work at a city level Guild would be Copper rank, but I recommend you wait until Iron before upon that, large settlements tend to draw greater dangers and all.
Another quote, hereby reiterating that Runes are BS and we're only in a dinky podunk adventure's guild out in the boonies. Also, it looks like Copper Rank is the lowest cities are looking to hire adventurers at, so it seems my theory about wood and porcelain being tutorial ranks and a shift happening between porcelain and copper is correct.
When we first arrived here some months ago I expected this project to take decades to begin to bear fruit, but even as I write this I look out at fields of budding wheat and young saplings taking root in once useless soil. Already the village is well off enough for us clergymen of the Three Saviors to begin work on simple shrines devoted to them, just in time as well for word from Great Bastions tell that the Saviors and armies that safeguard this new land are hard pressed to push back the Demon Lords and their minions. Even the smallest amount of faith may yet give our Saviors... no, our Gods on earth, the strength to throw them back. Praise be to the Divine King Eldast Numeros, He Who Wields the Bloodied Blade, God of War, and Master of the Last Races.
Looks like the Three Saviors were mortal Heroes who received enough Faith to ascend. Also, they draw power from Faith. I can see this being important later, if one religion tries to overthrow the others to make their God the most powerful. Also also, we got the True Name of the War God right there, that's probably important. Also his titles fit the Blessings he offered us, Divine Crown+Master of the last Races for the crown and He Who Wields the Bloodied Blade+ God of War for the sword.
Levels determine your base amount of health (a number that isn't given a numerical value until certain skills are learned) and also allow you to obtain traits/abilities. Available traits and abilities at level up are largely determined by what contributed to your level up so lots of combat experience leads to combat oriented options.
we can see here that we actually do have a numerical value of health, it's just hidden until we stumble across the right skill to view it. We can see Velvet's HP as a number, so clearly Dominate is one of those. I wonder what would happen if we tried to Dominate ourselves?
Aside from that certain titles, rare abilities, and traits can also level up. They gain experience from correctly using them or acting in accordance with them. Titles, traits, and abilities with Levels rather than skill ranksr are considered stronger or more extensive in usage than normal ones.
we can see this clearly with They Who Seek the Crown and related stuff, it's more powerfull than other Traits.
Level and Experience have other functions that need to be discovered through the course of playing the Quest.
This is... ominous. I wonder if Levels and EXP were created by the Gods so that people would be able to range out from the Safe Zone thing they created. We know the Mana in demonland is chaotic and out of control, mutating whatever comes in contact with it. Leveling up gives options for bonuses based on whatever a person did, and EXP is kinda like a permanent record of everything that a person did. Could it be that gaining EXP and Levels reaffirms a persons individuality and makes it harder for outside forces like the demon mana to change that?
In the case of a crisis that could lead to large scale damage in a region such as the uprising of a beast horde, sudden invasion of those fucking Savage Elves, or similar instance will result in an Emergency Quest. When one of those arrives then the Adventurers' Guild in a region is guaranteed to take a massive hit for they are bound by Royal law to order all Adventurers (with the base rank determined by the crisis) to take action, those who refuse will be kicked out and charged with treason. Countless accounts have been recorded of such high-level crises that even Wood Rank Adventurers were forced to enter the field resulting in tens of thousands of casualties.
Whenever an Emergency Quest arrives the Guild Card will heat up and dimly glow red followed by a voice speaking in your head to tell of the mandatory Quest. Newbies be warned, follow the rules for a death in battling the darkness is less painful than a death from treason.
Just an everyday reminder that Emergency Quests are a thing that happens. Our first one is probably gonna be dealing with the Lich and his undead horde. So uh, we've gotta watch out for that.
Next, let us discuss the Guild Library, a place you're obviously visiting and one of vital importance to Adventurers everywhere due to the great vault of knowledge it provides for those who seek it. Every Guild Hall at a Township or higher level has a Guild Library (with the knowledge available being based on the Hall's size and prosperity) which provides the chance to learn about monsters, adventuring advice, common dungeon knowledge, and much more. However, what many Adventurers fail to realize is that this information has to come from somewhere and that somewhere is your fellow Adventurers!
What does this mean for you? Well, likely nothing for Newbies, but assuming you manage to acquire a sufficient amount of information you can actually compile it into a book and submit it to the Guild for review. If they find it to be of use to the Guild or it's Adventurers then you can earn Advancement Points, Guild Points, and many more benefits based on the usefulness of what you wrote. Remember, not every Adventurer has to be born from fire and sword, a pen can change the world just as much as a well used sword.
This is absolutely perfect for us, considering we're going down the path of LEARN EVERYTHING.
Finally, I shall impart what is perhaps the most important piece of advice I could ever give to an Adventurer. Visit a Temple before you leave for work that will likely involve combat, go and speak to a clergymen in order to obtain a blessing from them and the Gods. Our Gods are strong beyond imagining, and their Temples are capable of Miracles that would allow even weak Adventurers to fight toe-to-toe with an Orc.
Such a blessing will come with a price of course, but your life is better then money any day.
Hey. Hey guys. We can get Blessings to boost our combat. That's a thing here. I see one of two possibilities. One is that there are variable levels of Blessing, with the weaker ones being cheaper and easier to perform and the stronger ones requiring more ceremony and money. The second is that the Blessing is one size fits all and we won't be able to even think about buying it until much, much later. Sounds super potent though. But we can barely afford a room at the inn, so this is kinda moot. Still, something to remember for when we're stronger.
Slimes. Slimes are without a doubt Monsters due to their nature as beings entirely held together by the mana of the core that makes up the heart of their body. They commonly take the form of small mostly transparent blue blobs with a red core in them about the size of a wash basin. Porcelain Rank is enough to hunt the most common of these creatures, but it is recommended that you at least reach Bronze before attempting to take on any quest regarding Slime Nests. They are considered extremely high threats and receive high rewards for extermination due to the speed of their reproduction, and the ease of mutation possible as time carries on. Bladed weapons and things like arrows are not recommended to combat them. Blunt weaponry is highly effective. Fire is a death sentence to normal Slimes as their blue, gelatinous body is highly flammable. Their slime is used by commoners as an easy fire starting material and their cores are frequently desired by mages.
Another thing about how you need to be in the Metal Ranks to start hunting monsters in earnest.
Monstrous Corn are a species classified as Monster plants and they seem to have derived from corn that had been planted long ago which underwent mutation from chaotic mana. They have the appearance of over-sized corn about the size of a young kid, their arms and legs formed from vines while their body consists of a jarded core covered in large corn kernels the size of fists. Commoners are rather found of using them as food due to the high level of nutrition found in the corn kernels while their green husks make good low grade magic paper after processing. They are monsters that Wood Rank Adventurers could easily hunt, but be wary of them near death as they take to self destructing and showering their killer in mana hardened kernels.
Whoa I actually found a monster that it's safe for Wood Ranks to fight! Helps that it'd pretty much be like beating up a kid.
Green-pelt Wolves are considered Dangerous Beasts as they are only slightly mutated from the chaotic mana of the Demon Army's arrival. Roughly the size of large dogs with pelts that take on leaf patterns allowing the animals to hide among the branches of trees with relative ease. They rarely form packs and are often only found in groups of two or alone meaning they are prime targets for aspiring Wood Rank Adventurers, though they can prove quite the challenge if you have relatively low skill in fighting. While their meat has little value outside of consumption, their pelts are rather well liked as materials in the production of clothing and armor for rangers or hunters in forested areas.
Another monster that Wood Ranks can fight, but only one or two at time and it's only recommended for those with a relatively high combat ability, i.e not us.
Forest Bears, a seemingly mundane name for a rather terrifying Monster in this region that is almost identical in appearance to the average brown bear. The one distinction that can be spotted is a very faint designs of a band of green thorns appearing on the fur on their head. One must be a Copper Rank Adventurer to take Quests involving these creatures and parties are heavily recommended when dealing with them due to their innate ability to use magic. Forest Bears can use the mana stored in their bodies to bend the forest to their will, causing roots to entangle targets or even cause plants to produce a sleep inducing pollen mist. Fire is recommended to be used to get rid of any nearby foliage before engaging them to lessen their advantage. Their corpses have little of value outside of the wind attributed magic core inside of their brains.
These things require teams of adventurers two ranks above us to put down. Let's
not try and poke whatever killed the one we saw.
Reading those words seems to trigger something in the memories left in your own mind as you suddenly come to understand a few simple rules.
- A Heroic Spirit's vessel must forever strive towards greater heights, a Hero is never created from nothing.
- If a Vessel achieves something of note, an act that would contribute to their legend, then the Spirit will grant them a chance for power.
- When a Vessel obtains a new level the Spirit will reward them with yet more potential power.
- A Vessel must never willingly reveal it's existence as one.
- A Vessel must hold no attachment to life, even death can forge a legacy.
Shortly after processing those rules the words in front of you quickly shift before taking on a new form.
- Gotta do stuff
- Get points for doing stuff
- Get points for going up in level
- Can't willingly reveal existence as a Heroic Spirit. Uncertain about coercion, blackmail, mind control
- This one's really vague and I don't get it. Does it mean we aren't allowed to try and survive things if we'd make more of an impact by dying. Watch out for this one.
You show the guard your Guild Card, the man pulling out a small dull-grey box to slot it into, before replying.
"Yeah, something like that. Why?"
A series of three beeps issues from the metal box, the guard's face relaxing as he pulls the Card out and hands it back to you.
This... this looks like a modern key card scanner. More ingredients for the anachronism stew!
Your reply causes the guard to tap a few places on the grey box he inserted your Card into, it's surface lighting up in the process as faint bands of blue light pulse across the surface periodically before disappearing when the box dings. A metal plate the size of your Guild Card pops out shortly after and the guard hands it to you,
"Well, there you go Mr. Stitch. The Lord's Office charged the funds on your card, processed it, and then gave permission to create a Grade D Companion License which is what you have now. With that you are permitted to bring all creatures at Level Four or lower within the premises of the town, up to a maximum of four monster companions that is.
In order to upgrade to a Grade C License and gain the right for Level Eight and lower monsters as well as a group of to ten in size you will need to directly visit the Lord's Office and pass a test. A fee of 75 Silver will need to be paid for every attempt at the test as well, so make sure you're prepared if you don't wish to waste money.
Yeah that's really looking like some kind of modern card reader. Also, looks like Levels are a thing in this world, there's ways to tell what Level a being is, and Levels don't really go up that high. Level four is seen as the highest Joe Schmoe monster tamer can hold something before they actually need to be certified, and then that only goes up to level eight. I imagine B rank is certified up to Level 12, A rank up to 16, and S-rank up to 20. If the EXP requirements to Level Double each time I can see why that'd be the case. Lemmee plot out some EXP requirements real quick.
Here's what it is if the requirements double every level.
Velvet:
- Level 1: 20 EXP to next level
- Level 2: 40 EXP to next level
- Level 3: 80 EXP to next level
- Level 4: 160 EXP to next level
- Level 5: 320 EXP to next level
- Level 6: 640 EXP to next level
- Level 7: 1,280 EXP to next level
- Level 8: 2,560 EXP to next level
- Level 9: 5,120 EXP to next level
- Level 10: 10,240 EXP to next level
John Stitch:
- Level 1: 100 EXP to next level
- Level 2: 200 EXP to next level
- Level 3: 400 EXP to next level
- Level 4: 800 EXP to next level
- Level 5: 1,600 EXP to next level
- Level 6: 3,200 EXP to next level
- Level 7: 6,400 EXP to next level
- Level 8: 12,800 EXP to next level
- Level 9: 25,600 EXP to next level
- Level 10: 51,200 EXP to next level
Here's what it is if the next level is current + original EXP requirements:
Velvet:
- Level 1: 20 EXP to next level
- Level 2: 40 EXP to next level
- Level 3: 60 EXP to next level
- Level 4: 80 EXP to next level
- Level 5: 100 EXP to next level
- Level 6: 120 EXP to next level
- Level 7: 140 EXP to next level
- Level 8: 160 EXP to next level
- Level 9: 180 EXP to next level
- Level 10: 200 EXP to next level
John Stitch:
- Level 1: 100 EXP to next level
- Level 2: 200 EXP to next level
- Level 3: 300 EXP to next level
- Level 4: 400 EXP to next level
- Level 5: 500 EXP to next level
- Level 6: 600 EXP to next level
- Level 7: 700 EXP to next level
- Level 8: 800 EXP to next level
- Level 9: 900 EXP to next level
- Level 10: 1,000 EXP to next level
The second set is way more manageable than the first, but given just how scarce EXP is we can expect a soft level cap for most people to be around 10 or 20, depending on which model the system uses/leans towards and how much EXP higher level/more dangerous stuff is worth. Given my previous guess about how monster tamer certification ranks shake out, I'mma guess the system leans more towards the second model and the level cap is 20. I dunno though, it's just a guess that a level cap even exists, and it's a further guess about where that might take place. For all i know the acceptable levels might double every monster tamer rank so that we get B rank up to 16, A rank up to 32, and S-rank 64+.
"Ah, I see. Four barely usable Golden leaf, forty coppers. Three passable ones, fifty coppers. Two utterly perfect specimens, astounding work honestly. Most people wouldn't be able to avoid causing unnoticeable damage to the roots, but I'm betting your little pet there helped with that. A silver a piece for those. Total of two silvers, ninety coppers. Go get your reward from the Guild, I have experiments."
if the gathering Herbs Quest is still available it looks like it might be a good money maker, considering we've gotta pay for our room and somehow save up for the C-Rank monster tamer exam so that we can keep Velvet if she keeps leveling up.
Wait a second... Did that person just summon a fireball? And the other is swinging a whip of lightning. Okay, the Guild is apparently far more prominent that I expected. Even the township's Lord only has two magicians in his retinue while the Guild has two just practicing here, hard telling how many are out on work.'
Mages are a thing here, and we might want to see if we can learn magic. I wouldn't be surprised if using Dominate Writing on a scroll of a spell gave us the temporary ability to cast it as if we were a mage. Regardless, the Sage Learning Buffs that we have available would probably help us learn magic.
She is dressed in weirdly tight black leather clothing that might be armor, or just made to look like it while her hands fiddle with a plain looking dagger. You join four other waiting adventurers standing across from her and the puppets, the woman giving you a glance that causes your brain to start screaming at you about needing to run.
A shudder goes through you before an intense heat bursts forth from your chest and your brow, your vision slightly blurring as golden specks appear alongside multi-colored flickers of light. They fade away almost immediately, but your possible instructor is now giving you a stare usually reserved for street-side doomsayers or other disreputable people from what you've seen.
Our Heroic Spirit protects us from killing intent, so that's nice.
Minion #1 earned 4 Experience for learning a racial skill.
Earned 3 Experience due to correctly guessing the reason of your Minion's skill growth.
Seems you get bonuses for learning things in your race/archetype, so that's something.
Be fair in your judgement since merchants also need to make a living, don't expect to get things at production value or sell at the highest possible price unless you've managed to establish an excellent friendship or partnership. After all, contacts are more valuable than almost every Adventurer expects, few understand this even well into the higher ranks...
...Guys? I think Guild Lady giving us her name and generally being chummy with us is more important than we realize. We might want to only take quests for a specific few people so that we can build up connections with them.
Identification. Most people will live their entire lives without knowing what exactly it is, but understanding that high class Identifiers can receive stipends that would bankrupt small towns and receive recognition on par with some of the top Noble Houses. Identification is a facet of the System we all have, but rather than an automatic aid it is more akin to a form of magic utilizing the System. As most know the System is a creation of the Three Saviors who severed much of their connection to the mortal realm in order to grant the Free Realm the power to resist against the Demonic Incursion.
Identification is the act of obtaining an item or object's information in a format fitting for the System through manipulation of the inherent divine power inside of you which runs the System itself. It allows the user to understand the inherent traits of magical items, weapons, etc. on a level that formerly only craftsmen and great scholars could as well as in a much more effective/speedy manner.
In order to utilize Identification a wielder of the System has to first learn to sense the energy unique to the System and then propel it out of their body, into the item needing identification, and then back into their body...
We should try and learn this. We most likely have a higher amount of Divine Energy inside of us than others, thanks to everything that's happened, and we've got some Traits that could bind us more closely with the Divine, not to mention the fact that we've felt our Divine Energy do stuff thanks to the Heroic Spirit. Considering all that, we might have a shot at learning Identify. It'd certainly fit in our wheelhouse, an information gathering skill for a scholar.
You close the cover of the second book as a hand goes to rub your temples, your head hurting at the sheer oddity of this weird power called Identification. You of course know about the System, it is a gift from the Gods that lets one observe their own growth and more efficiently strengthen themselves as they grow in a manner that doesn't conflict with the Laws of the world. Of course, the reason your head hurts isn't the information about the System, but rather the potentially hidden features within if Identification also stems from it.
What else could the System be hiding, and why would the Gods keep it obscured from view?
Alright, definite proof EXP and Leveling is part of the setting. We should start looking into hidden skills and stuff in the system like Identify, something tells me we can find some good stuff in there. maybe a way to discern the Hp and traits/skills/abilities of others?
'Many Adventurers will fail to notice, or discovery some of the most fascinating and useful aspects of the Guild Card we were given when we enrolled even well into past Iron Rank. Of course, I am only here to describe one aspect of the Card in particular, the Guild Trade Adviser. Simply put if an Adventurer holds their Card in hand and says "Trade Menu" an interface similar to the Guild Stores and many other facilities will appear in front of them.
This menu plays host to two very important functions. The first of them is the Market Value Listings which shows the current market values of a variety of items, materials, herbs, and the like for your region (if a Town Level Guild is functioning there) allowing you to get an accurate judgement of the pricing in your area.
Second, and perhaps most important, is the Guild Trade Hall menu where Adventurers can put items, materials, and more up for sale and other members of the Guild can then purchase them. Any purchases will be shipped to the nearest Guild Hall from where you order the item, and any sells will require you to give the item to the Guild until it is sold or your listing runs out.
So, these are interesting and useful. We'll want to remember that they exist. Also, this means that all Guild Cards have a fantasy-internet connection that can be used to browse markets and access fantasy-ebay. It'd probably be a good idea to sit down with Guild Lady some time and ask her what all these guild cards can actually do.
[X] Go to a shop!
- [X] Gunnerson's Smithy
- [X] Berry Bush General Store
- [X] Gerald's Apothecary
Things cost multiple Silver and we can barely hold on to one. I have absolutely no idea how we'll save up enough for that C-rank monster tamer exam.
Fourth and final among them is: An utterly plain, simplistic pillar made of obsidian with no other defining features upon it. On top of it is a single femur, the origin unknown to you for all your lacking knowledge, but you are certain of one thing - a bone should not be purple and flecked with black spots forming strange patterns. Standing before it you feel your heart slow down, cold sweat drenches your body, and the looming threat of death encompasses you only fought back by the flame inside of you.
You take a moment to quickly read the plaque before retreating away from the pedestal, it reads 'That Which Longs for Rest' followed by "Sealed Transcendent, Cataclysm, Twenty thousand and Fifty Three Legacy Points."
Who wants to bet that this is the Lich we saw in the Interlude.
"Oh, forgive my failure, sir. To make a wounded patient open the door themselves, my master would chastise me for sure if you did that. Come inside, let's see how we can help."
Elf-lady is or was apprenticed under a better healer, and she continues to hold them in exceptionally high regard.
He gives you a small nod before taking the Guild Card from your hand without a word, a similar device to the one you saw when the gate guards stopped you over your pet quickly appearing from his pocket. He pushes the card into the prearranged slot and waits for a second before the device lets out a quiet beep which causes the guard to completely relax. He hands the card back to you before ordering you up the stairs, the place you are to do your work apparently being the third door on the left.
The card scanners seem pretty ubiquitous. We might want to ask just what's up with those as well.
Failing the Exam will halve your current Advancement Points as that would reveal you have need of more experience in the field.
Judging by this I can conclude that the Advancement Exam is going to be similar to or draw heavily from the Wood rank Quests that we've seen on offer.
The number of attempts is of course reset each rank, so I wouldn't be too worried about it. Besides, you've done well so far, I expect the Exam would be rather simple for you!"
Guild lady thinks that we've got a pretty good shot at passing the Rank Up exam as we are. I say we train a bit, get any skill that's close to leveling done, level up, and then attempt the exam.
"From that which saw the Dawn gracing its birth, from the Tree that grows upon the horizon itself I draw strength. May it's boundless strength restore your body to what it once was. Let there be [Life in the Dawn]."
Suddenly the light shifts and turns brighter, so bright that you should be blinded and yet somehow you witness it. Behind Valencia a withered tree forms, it's branches broken and it's trunk riddled with holes. Immediately you know that you've witnessed something you were not meant to, as if your soul was screaming at you to look away.
I wonder if the Dawn Tree is like the Giving Tree? That is, it's literally giving it's follower's so much that it's hurting itself. Could that be why elf-lay was crying? She was taught to pray and draw strength from the Dawn Tree, and when we showed her it's form she realized that she had been hurting it and weakening it her entire life?
"It is simple really, child. Not something I can fully explain to you, but you came to this space as It tried to tear Us from your soul along with the mark left behind by your people's God of War. It... it does not approve of my existence, but it took a step back when confronted by Our True Form.
Whatever the frack the Heroic Arbiter is, it's an existence beyond the three gods and the various other deities of the other cultures. That's... something. The fact that it says "your people's God of War" tells me that it's in regular contact with other culture's pantheons and holds no special feelings for our specific Gods.
And finally, Swift Growth, the very trait you've been waiting for this entire time and the key to quickly reaching higher levels. If you can gain power quickly enough then just maybe you'll have the strength to deal with all these incidents you've been encountering...
Looks like John can be influenced by in-thread opinions and desires.
Thanks, fixed.
