Non-story stuff you might want to read:
On Anasterian, the High Elves and the Current Political...
On Anasterian, the High Elves and the Current Political...
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Chapter 1: Unhelpful Tutorial
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Non-story stuff you might want to read:
On Anasterian, the High Elves and the Current Political Reality of the Eastern Kingdoms
AN: While I finish with the last and 1/2 chapters of Resonance, I thought I'd better post something.
Special note should be taken of the AU tag. Like those of you who might have read Resonance know, I don't follow stations of canon.
Also, Mage-builds are bullshit. Plz nerf.
Chapter 1: Unhelpful Tutorial
"Psst!"
The guard drew his sword in a flash, waving it from side to side uncertainly, as if fending off a pack of prowling wolves.
"By the barrels!" I said in what I judged was a hushed voice, just loud enough for the baffled guardsman to hear, but quiet enough that the other night sentries wouldn't.
He looked towards the corner of the stone tower where the water barrels were kept, the expression on his face shifting from surprise to relief to curiosity in the span of a half second. "Milord!"
Huh, sharp eyes on this one. Despite the dark, he managed to spot me in an instant. My small body was comfortably concealed among the wooden water holders. The task of spotting, never mind identifying, me was only made harder by the poor visibility that flickering torchlight provided.
"Sshhhhh! Not so loud, the others might hear." I inclined my head towards the direction of a sentryman further down the wall.
"Milord," he said again, matching my volume this time, "what are you doing here?"
"Thought I'd meet the new guard." I breathed in some of the cool, evening air. "That's you right?"
My answer, instead of sating his curiosity, fueled it. "Yes, milord." He shifted from one foot to the other, pieces of his chainmail jingling lightly.
"Good. Now, I'm about to come out and I'd appreciate it if you didn't stab me." I said jokingly, gesturing to his still drawn sword. He shakily sheathed his sword, nearly stabbing himself in his first attempt.
"Well, what's your name?"
"F-falric, milord." I looked at him expectantly. "From Brill," he added.
Frowning, I asked, "No family name?"
"My dad's a farmer," he murmured. It wasn't what Scholar Nort would call a non-sequitur for it was common knowledge that farmers never really adopted the practice of having a last name.
I took a closer look at him in the silence that followed. He had dark eyes and even darker hair, both which created a dichotomy with his skin. His muscled build spoke of the hardships he had growing up as a farmhand, and the way he stood vigil without even a cloak for warmth marked his as a true northerner.
"Are you really four and ten still?" I asked.
He shrugged. "I'll be five and ten in a few months."
"Even so, you'd be the youngest guardsman by a fair bit." Which was the truth. "No, the youngest guardsman in history!" He flushed under my praise. "Your dad must be proud."
Falric's face fell. "Not exactly. He wanted…he expected that I'd work the farm after 'im. He's happy for me; just not what he expected is all."
I could empathize, to a degree. My father loved me, I knew, but he certainly wouldn't be happy if I decided to abandon the Throne and be an adventurer or something.
"I best be on my way – mother will have if a fit if she finds me out of bed at this time of the night. Keep this between us, yeah?" I turned around, then remembering Scholar Nort's lesson from today, turned back to Falcric. "It was nice meeting you, Falric." I summoned the most charming smile I could muster.
"The pleasure was mine, milord."
I have, arguably, the worst luck in the world. The exact moment I took my first step down the flight of stairs, I heard a trumpet blast as if to herald a king, and something popped up. My entire range of vision was covered by this…thing. It was like looking through a glass window, if glass windows had writings on them.
Welcome Gamer! was all I managed to catch, before pain. Pain and nothingness.I had never been so happy to be rendered unconscious.
The moment I felt the sting, I knew I was still alive and that I was now awake.
The two words remained visible to me even with my eyes shut tight. Welcome Gamer!
Gamer, was that supposed to be me? But what game was I in and who else was playing? What was my objective? How do I win? How do I lose? About a dozen more questions were on my mind when more words appeared in answer to 'How does the game end?'
This Game ends with Death. Yes, Death with a capital 'D' for emphasis.
If the game wasn't lying to me, then that meant I would have to play. Encouraged by the answer, I continued to think more questions despite the fact that said answer filled me with equal parts dread and terror.
Instead of another answer though, I got a list.
Name: Arthas Menethil - That was me.
Class: The Gamer – That was apparently what I was.
Level: LV2
I paused, my pride bristling from the insult. I didn't know how significant these level thingies were, but a crown prince of Lordaeron is definitely was higher than a 2!
HP: 22/77 HP? What was that supposed to be?
HP stands for Health Points. The number on the left indicates your current health, while the one of the right is for your total health. When current health reaches 0, you die and this game ends.
It seemed this game didn't like me much. Whenever it answered me, it was always something to do with me dying. I frowned mentally, but didn't move physically. Movement, I could tell even without moving yet, was going to hurt. A lot.
MP: 78/78
Mana Points, I was guessing, for magecraft, sorcery and the arts of Dalaran. No new words appeared, so my guess was right. Probably. Then again, the 'this game hates me and won't respond unless it's to do with my death' theory could still be right.
STR: 7
AGI: 17
INT: 13
WIS: 6
VIT: 11
LUK: 6
These I had no idea what to make of.
These are your primary stats. They represent your current Strength, Agility, Intelligence, Wisdom, Vitality and Luck.
And that meant what exactly?
Increasing your primary stats has various effects, depending on which stat is raised. You also have secondary stats such as Health Points (HP), Mana Points (MP), Movement Speed (MS), Critical Strike Damage (CSD), Critical Strike Chance (CSC), and Perception (PER). To grow stronger, you must raise your stats, level and skill level!
How do I raise my stats? I waited a minute for the game, or perhaps the person behind the game to reply. None came.
You have gained a title!
Crown Prince of Lordaeron – As the Heir Apparent to one of the Eastern Kingdoms, there is a certain nobility in you that compels others to follow. Provides a bonus to your Battlefield Presence (locked).
You have gained the status effect Left Ankle Sprain! MS and AGI are reduced by 30%! Slowly, and suffering from a great deal of pain, I peeled back my eyelids, as if awakening from a long wintersleep. In a way, I was.
It was bright in the room I was in, sunlight flowing freely inward from the windows by my bed. My eyes took longer than usual to adjust to the brightness. Considering I had just fallen face first into stone from a height of maybe thirty steps, I was feeling surprisingly well. Bruised and battered, but not bleeding and with nothing broken.
"Welcome back," said an unfamiliar voice. "Can you tell me your name?"
That was silly. Why would he ask me that? I was a prince – very few wouldn't know my name, though perhaps the person didn't recognize me? There were other kingdoms after all.
My lips opened, but no words came out. My throat itched, reminding me how parched I was. "Some water first?" the man, for the voice was too deep to be a woman's, asked. He didn't wait for my reply as he gently brought a glass of water to my lips.
"Arthas Menethil," I answered at last. "What's yours?" I asked, just to be polite.
"I am Cleric Abenthy. Do you remember what happened?"
"Fell down the stairs."
Cleric Abenthy nodded, pleased for some reason and I stared at him. No, not because he seemed pleased, but because of what I saw.
The Healing Hand
Cleric Abenthy Darrowhall
LV ?
I may not have met many people, but I'm pretty sure normal people didn't see floating words. Was I still human, then? Or did the 'Game' turn me into something else?
You are a Gamer. Not. helpful. At all.
"You gave your parents quite a scare, Prince Arthas. They had me rushed here to attend to you. Thankfully, you are young and healthy, and I was already in the city doing some research. There'll be no lasting damage to you, except maybe a fear of heights or stairs."
I snorted reflexively.
"Not that either then," Cleric Abenthy said with a small smile. "Would you like anything to eat?"
At the mention of eating and drinking, I became acutely aware of the hunger lurking inside me.
"Yes, please."
The cleric turned away, taking with him the words that graced his head like a halo. "Tell the kitchens to prepare a meal for the Prince. Some bread and plenty of vegetables, lightly cooked." My expression soured, but he was a cleric. He would know best. "A glass of milk as well, for his bones and some chicken or fish. And an apple, for dessert."
The cleric's face returned into view. "Now Prince Arthas, no doubt you might be feeling a bit weaker these next few days. If at any point you feel the need to rest, do not hesitate to do so. Understand?"
I moved my head in a way that suggested I did.
"Your left ankle was also-"
"Sprained?" I interrupted. Making testing circles with it made me wince.
"Yes, I have healed it, but I suspect it remains weakened. That means avoid doing anything strenuous for the next few days. Do you have any questions?"
"I…can I make a confession, Cleric?"
Abenthy's brows drew together, creating a dichotomy with his lips, which drew apart. "If you believe that your fall was the Light's retribution on you, I can assure you that it isn't. Accidents happen."
It was my turn to look confused. "Have you ever met anyone who actually thought that?"
"Your sister raised the point." His shoulders rose and fell in a nonchalant gesture. "I thought you might be the same."
"No. My confession isn't a repentance of sins or anything. It's just I-" My words failed me. You think it's to express what I was experiencing? It's like trying to explain what color was to a blind man!
It was a good thing that the cleric was a patient man, or so I assumed, because he continued to wait expectantly as I gathered my thoughts.
"This isn't a confession." I said finally. "At least, not the type you're used to."
"I've heard plenty of crazy things, My Prince," he said.
"You're going to think I'm crazy too. I'm pretty sure."
"Try me." So I did.
"I've been seeing things recently. Very recently. As recent as just before my accident. In fact, it's why I fell, because of what I saw." I looked at him meaningfully. He nodded, face completely serious. That was a good sign. "I see…I see words, Cleric."
"Words?" he repeated, the concern evident in his voice. "What sort of words? Can you understand them?"
"I can understand them easily. They're…well, in human tongue." He relaxed visibly. "So it isn't a demonic corruption. Go on." "The words, they float on air though I'm the only who can see them. At least, I think I am. It's…beyond strange. Like my eyes are looking through a window with writings on them."
"And the words, what do they say?"
My eyes opened again (when had I closed them?). "I'm constantly referred to as 'The Gamer'."
"The Gamer? What are you playing?" he asked, echoing one of the many unanswered questions I had asked.
I would have shrugged, if I wasn't lying on a bed. "I don't know. Life, maybe? The words aren't very helpful."
"And you're certain these words caused your fall?"
"I'm not very clumsy by nature. You can ask anyone that." I put as much confidence as I could into my voice. "No, I fell because I was taken by surprise by these words. It's not normal."
"I see." He stroked his chin contemplatively. "Do you have any more information? I could scour the libraries of Dalaran for an answer. If your condition has been studied, the answers will be there."
"Two more things, Cleric. First, it recognized me as the Crown Prince, and that gives me more 'Battlefield Presence', whatever that is. It also gave told me of my ankle being sprained. The second is that it shows me these numbers to describe my health, mana and attributes."
One of his brows shot up. "Now that is interesting."
"I'm honestly surprised you haven't written me off as a crazy person," I said.
"The thought has occurred to me, but then again, I've experienced cases similar to yours. Not in terms of what you're describing, that I must admit is new. Rather, cases where I thought the person I was treating was crazy, but further research proved them right. It's taught me not to discount things right away. Plus, the fact that your ankle did turn out sprained lends you some validity, at least."
"Do you think there's a cure for what I have?" I tried not to let my voice crack. Tried and failed miserably.
"If there is one, we'll find it." His words made me feel a little better. "But what you have might not necessarily be an affliction, Prince Arthas. What you've said so far seems to be a minor nuisance at best and not really dangerous. It might even be helpful for self diagnosis. You've had, what, half an hour to study the effects?"
"But you'll help me, right?" By the Light, I sounded pathetic.
"It's my vocation to help who I can. You are not the first to bring me an odd case, you won't be the last."
"Ok, I-"
'Ping!' went the familiar sound.
Making an excellent choice has increased your WIS by 1!
"Something the matter, Prince Arthas?" Abenthy asked.
I blinked a few times until the words cleared. "Just more words showing up. My 'Wisdom' has increased by 1 for making an excellent choice, which I take it refers to telling you my problem."
Abenthy grinned. "I'm starting to like these words."
"Not too much, I hope. We're trying to get rid of them after all."
"Not to worry there. I'll send my answers to you by courier when I find them."
My food chose to arrive then and there, bringing our conversation to an end.
In four days, my health points recovered fully and my status effect disappeared. The day it did, I jumped around, and true enough, I was healed completely. Cleric Abenthy was right. This thing might have some uses after all.
Life continued normally for me, aside from this gamer thing popping up every once in awhile. By now, I was used to it and updates (the pinging sound I would hear along with the new messages) no longer gave me pause.
What else, what else…Scholar Nort was pleased I was taking a greater interest in Mathematics, something I had never showed any enthusiasm for. That had given me +1 INT for 'diligent studying'. Why was I attacking Mathematics with all of my youthful vigor? Truthfully, I was trying to figure out the math behind my stats. I knew that an increase in my primary stats also had an effect on my secondary ones.
Case in point, my MP had increased twice. After gaining a point in WIS, it jumped to 91 and the +1 INT made it go to 98. It made sense that my secondary stats increased when my primary ones did, because there didn't seem to be a way to raise them directly.
By how much they increased I didn't understand yet. I had hoped it would increase by the same amount, but as my MP had proven, it was a tad more complex than that.
Oh, how could I forget. My mother grilled me for hours to be more careful next time and to stop sneaking off in the night where poor lighting made stairs a health hazard. Calia just loved that.
"Arthas, are you paying attention!" squeaked Scholar Nort. While the phrasing made it out to be a question, his tone suggested it wasn't. It was hard to take Nort seriously when he was angry. His voice, you see, had a tendency to rise in pitch. Made him sound like a mouse.
He Who Breaks and Makes
Scholar Nort Whitby
LV 16
"Sorry Scholar," I said flatly, going through the motions of apologizing for my inattention. "I was just thinking about Math again."
Nort sighed. "I wish you'd apply that enthusiasm of yours to your other subjects as well."
I slumped into my chair and crossed my arms. "I just don't see the point in learning history, of all things. Sure, Math might be helpful for counting taxes and knowing how much gold I'd need to start a project, but what does learning about dead people who did things a long time ago help?"
"Because if you paid more attention, Prince Arthas, you'd also know not only how much tax to raise for something, but also how much tax the people will shoulder. The Arathor Empire was undone precisely because they kept taxes raised so high even after the Troll Wars ended!" He looked ready to pull off his hair.
I was half-tempted to see it happen, but no doubt mother would give me that 'I'm disappointed' look of hers that always made me feel incredibly guilty even if I hadn't done anything wrong. That, and his title sounded pretty impressive, though I had no idea what it meant.
"Yes Nort. I'm sorry." Father always said that a wise king knew when to fight and when to flee.
"My words don't seem to be getting through to you anymore." He sighed. "Let's call it a day."
I obliged happily, practically skipping out of the room.
The Quest 'Apologizing to Nort' has been created!
-Apologize to Nort within the given time.
Reward: 150 XP
Failure Penalty: Decreased Closeness with Nort.
Duration: 00:05:00
I stared at it for half a minute. "You've got to be kidding me. Are you my mother or something?"
A timer began ticking down. Duration: 00:04:23
"Fine, fine! I'm going!" I grumbled, doing a full one-eighty degree turn and marching dutifully back into the library.
"Prince Arthas? Is something the matter?" I heard Nort say. He was still by the table where I left him, looking through some history tomes, it seemed.
"About what I said, Scholar Nort. I'm sorry. I really am." I gave him the most earnest look I could muster and the hard lines on his aged face softened.
"It's fine, Prince Arthas. I can't blame you all that much. A lad of seven can only be expected to sit still for so long. Now go, I have work to do."
I was out of the room before he changed his mind, temporarily ignoring the update I received. Only when I was a safe distance away did I stop to check on it.
The Quest 'Apologizing to Nort' has been completed!
+150 XP!
As far as quests go, gaining 'XP' seemed lame. Couldn't it give me something cool, like a magic sword?
Shrugging, I went on my way outside to enjoy the hours of sunlight left.
Name: Arthas Menethil – The Crown Prince of Lordaeron
Class: Gamer
Level: LV 2
HP: 77/77
MP: 98/98
STR: 7
AGI: 17
INT: 14
WIS: 7
VIT: 11
LUK: 6
On Anasterian, the High Elves and the Current Political Reality of the Eastern Kingdoms
AN: While I finish with the last and 1/2 chapters of Resonance, I thought I'd better post something.
Special note should be taken of the AU tag. Like those of you who might have read Resonance know, I don't follow stations of canon.
Also, Mage-builds are bullshit. Plz nerf.
Chapter 1: Unhelpful Tutorial
"Psst!"
The guard drew his sword in a flash, waving it from side to side uncertainly, as if fending off a pack of prowling wolves.
"By the barrels!" I said in what I judged was a hushed voice, just loud enough for the baffled guardsman to hear, but quiet enough that the other night sentries wouldn't.
He looked towards the corner of the stone tower where the water barrels were kept, the expression on his face shifting from surprise to relief to curiosity in the span of a half second. "Milord!"
Huh, sharp eyes on this one. Despite the dark, he managed to spot me in an instant. My small body was comfortably concealed among the wooden water holders. The task of spotting, never mind identifying, me was only made harder by the poor visibility that flickering torchlight provided.
"Sshhhhh! Not so loud, the others might hear." I inclined my head towards the direction of a sentryman further down the wall.
"Milord," he said again, matching my volume this time, "what are you doing here?"
"Thought I'd meet the new guard." I breathed in some of the cool, evening air. "That's you right?"
My answer, instead of sating his curiosity, fueled it. "Yes, milord." He shifted from one foot to the other, pieces of his chainmail jingling lightly.
"Good. Now, I'm about to come out and I'd appreciate it if you didn't stab me." I said jokingly, gesturing to his still drawn sword. He shakily sheathed his sword, nearly stabbing himself in his first attempt.
"Well, what's your name?"
"F-falric, milord." I looked at him expectantly. "From Brill," he added.
Frowning, I asked, "No family name?"
"My dad's a farmer," he murmured. It wasn't what Scholar Nort would call a non-sequitur for it was common knowledge that farmers never really adopted the practice of having a last name.
I took a closer look at him in the silence that followed. He had dark eyes and even darker hair, both which created a dichotomy with his skin. His muscled build spoke of the hardships he had growing up as a farmhand, and the way he stood vigil without even a cloak for warmth marked his as a true northerner.
"Are you really four and ten still?" I asked.
He shrugged. "I'll be five and ten in a few months."
"Even so, you'd be the youngest guardsman by a fair bit." Which was the truth. "No, the youngest guardsman in history!" He flushed under my praise. "Your dad must be proud."
Falric's face fell. "Not exactly. He wanted…he expected that I'd work the farm after 'im. He's happy for me; just not what he expected is all."
I could empathize, to a degree. My father loved me, I knew, but he certainly wouldn't be happy if I decided to abandon the Throne and be an adventurer or something.
"I best be on my way – mother will have if a fit if she finds me out of bed at this time of the night. Keep this between us, yeah?" I turned around, then remembering Scholar Nort's lesson from today, turned back to Falcric. "It was nice meeting you, Falric." I summoned the most charming smile I could muster.
"The pleasure was mine, milord."
I have, arguably, the worst luck in the world. The exact moment I took my first step down the flight of stairs, I heard a trumpet blast as if to herald a king, and something popped up. My entire range of vision was covered by this…thing. It was like looking through a glass window, if glass windows had writings on them.
Welcome Gamer! was all I managed to catch, before pain. Pain and nothingness.I had never been so happy to be rendered unconscious.
-Gamecraft-
The moment I felt the sting, I knew I was still alive and that I was now awake.
The two words remained visible to me even with my eyes shut tight. Welcome Gamer!
Gamer, was that supposed to be me? But what game was I in and who else was playing? What was my objective? How do I win? How do I lose? About a dozen more questions were on my mind when more words appeared in answer to 'How does the game end?'
This Game ends with Death. Yes, Death with a capital 'D' for emphasis.
If the game wasn't lying to me, then that meant I would have to play. Encouraged by the answer, I continued to think more questions despite the fact that said answer filled me with equal parts dread and terror.
Instead of another answer though, I got a list.
Name: Arthas Menethil - That was me.
Class: The Gamer – That was apparently what I was.
Level: LV2
I paused, my pride bristling from the insult. I didn't know how significant these level thingies were, but a crown prince of Lordaeron is definitely was higher than a 2!
HP: 22/77 HP? What was that supposed to be?
HP stands for Health Points. The number on the left indicates your current health, while the one of the right is for your total health. When current health reaches 0, you die and this game ends.
It seemed this game didn't like me much. Whenever it answered me, it was always something to do with me dying. I frowned mentally, but didn't move physically. Movement, I could tell even without moving yet, was going to hurt. A lot.
MP: 78/78
Mana Points, I was guessing, for magecraft, sorcery and the arts of Dalaran. No new words appeared, so my guess was right. Probably. Then again, the 'this game hates me and won't respond unless it's to do with my death' theory could still be right.
STR: 7
AGI: 17
INT: 13
WIS: 6
VIT: 11
LUK: 6
These I had no idea what to make of.
These are your primary stats. They represent your current Strength, Agility, Intelligence, Wisdom, Vitality and Luck.
And that meant what exactly?
Increasing your primary stats has various effects, depending on which stat is raised. You also have secondary stats such as Health Points (HP), Mana Points (MP), Movement Speed (MS), Critical Strike Damage (CSD), Critical Strike Chance (CSC), and Perception (PER). To grow stronger, you must raise your stats, level and skill level!
How do I raise my stats? I waited a minute for the game, or perhaps the person behind the game to reply. None came.
You have gained a title!
Crown Prince of Lordaeron – As the Heir Apparent to one of the Eastern Kingdoms, there is a certain nobility in you that compels others to follow. Provides a bonus to your Battlefield Presence (locked).
You have gained the status effect Left Ankle Sprain! MS and AGI are reduced by 30%! Slowly, and suffering from a great deal of pain, I peeled back my eyelids, as if awakening from a long wintersleep. In a way, I was.
It was bright in the room I was in, sunlight flowing freely inward from the windows by my bed. My eyes took longer than usual to adjust to the brightness. Considering I had just fallen face first into stone from a height of maybe thirty steps, I was feeling surprisingly well. Bruised and battered, but not bleeding and with nothing broken.
"Welcome back," said an unfamiliar voice. "Can you tell me your name?"
That was silly. Why would he ask me that? I was a prince – very few wouldn't know my name, though perhaps the person didn't recognize me? There were other kingdoms after all.
My lips opened, but no words came out. My throat itched, reminding me how parched I was. "Some water first?" the man, for the voice was too deep to be a woman's, asked. He didn't wait for my reply as he gently brought a glass of water to my lips.
"Arthas Menethil," I answered at last. "What's yours?" I asked, just to be polite.
"I am Cleric Abenthy. Do you remember what happened?"
"Fell down the stairs."
Cleric Abenthy nodded, pleased for some reason and I stared at him. No, not because he seemed pleased, but because of what I saw.
The Healing Hand
Cleric Abenthy Darrowhall
LV ?
I may not have met many people, but I'm pretty sure normal people didn't see floating words. Was I still human, then? Or did the 'Game' turn me into something else?
You are a Gamer. Not. helpful. At all.
"You gave your parents quite a scare, Prince Arthas. They had me rushed here to attend to you. Thankfully, you are young and healthy, and I was already in the city doing some research. There'll be no lasting damage to you, except maybe a fear of heights or stairs."
I snorted reflexively.
"Not that either then," Cleric Abenthy said with a small smile. "Would you like anything to eat?"
At the mention of eating and drinking, I became acutely aware of the hunger lurking inside me.
"Yes, please."
The cleric turned away, taking with him the words that graced his head like a halo. "Tell the kitchens to prepare a meal for the Prince. Some bread and plenty of vegetables, lightly cooked." My expression soured, but he was a cleric. He would know best. "A glass of milk as well, for his bones and some chicken or fish. And an apple, for dessert."
The cleric's face returned into view. "Now Prince Arthas, no doubt you might be feeling a bit weaker these next few days. If at any point you feel the need to rest, do not hesitate to do so. Understand?"
I moved my head in a way that suggested I did.
"Your left ankle was also-"
"Sprained?" I interrupted. Making testing circles with it made me wince.
"Yes, I have healed it, but I suspect it remains weakened. That means avoid doing anything strenuous for the next few days. Do you have any questions?"
"I…can I make a confession, Cleric?"
Abenthy's brows drew together, creating a dichotomy with his lips, which drew apart. "If you believe that your fall was the Light's retribution on you, I can assure you that it isn't. Accidents happen."
It was my turn to look confused. "Have you ever met anyone who actually thought that?"
"Your sister raised the point." His shoulders rose and fell in a nonchalant gesture. "I thought you might be the same."
"No. My confession isn't a repentance of sins or anything. It's just I-" My words failed me. You think it's to express what I was experiencing? It's like trying to explain what color was to a blind man!
It was a good thing that the cleric was a patient man, or so I assumed, because he continued to wait expectantly as I gathered my thoughts.
"This isn't a confession." I said finally. "At least, not the type you're used to."
"I've heard plenty of crazy things, My Prince," he said.
"You're going to think I'm crazy too. I'm pretty sure."
"Try me." So I did.
"I've been seeing things recently. Very recently. As recent as just before my accident. In fact, it's why I fell, because of what I saw." I looked at him meaningfully. He nodded, face completely serious. That was a good sign. "I see…I see words, Cleric."
"Words?" he repeated, the concern evident in his voice. "What sort of words? Can you understand them?"
"I can understand them easily. They're…well, in human tongue." He relaxed visibly. "So it isn't a demonic corruption. Go on." "The words, they float on air though I'm the only who can see them. At least, I think I am. It's…beyond strange. Like my eyes are looking through a window with writings on them."
"And the words, what do they say?"
My eyes opened again (when had I closed them?). "I'm constantly referred to as 'The Gamer'."
"The Gamer? What are you playing?" he asked, echoing one of the many unanswered questions I had asked.
I would have shrugged, if I wasn't lying on a bed. "I don't know. Life, maybe? The words aren't very helpful."
"And you're certain these words caused your fall?"
"I'm not very clumsy by nature. You can ask anyone that." I put as much confidence as I could into my voice. "No, I fell because I was taken by surprise by these words. It's not normal."
"I see." He stroked his chin contemplatively. "Do you have any more information? I could scour the libraries of Dalaran for an answer. If your condition has been studied, the answers will be there."
"Two more things, Cleric. First, it recognized me as the Crown Prince, and that gives me more 'Battlefield Presence', whatever that is. It also gave told me of my ankle being sprained. The second is that it shows me these numbers to describe my health, mana and attributes."
One of his brows shot up. "Now that is interesting."
"I'm honestly surprised you haven't written me off as a crazy person," I said.
"The thought has occurred to me, but then again, I've experienced cases similar to yours. Not in terms of what you're describing, that I must admit is new. Rather, cases where I thought the person I was treating was crazy, but further research proved them right. It's taught me not to discount things right away. Plus, the fact that your ankle did turn out sprained lends you some validity, at least."
"Do you think there's a cure for what I have?" I tried not to let my voice crack. Tried and failed miserably.
"If there is one, we'll find it." His words made me feel a little better. "But what you have might not necessarily be an affliction, Prince Arthas. What you've said so far seems to be a minor nuisance at best and not really dangerous. It might even be helpful for self diagnosis. You've had, what, half an hour to study the effects?"
"But you'll help me, right?" By the Light, I sounded pathetic.
"It's my vocation to help who I can. You are not the first to bring me an odd case, you won't be the last."
"Ok, I-"
'Ping!' went the familiar sound.
Making an excellent choice has increased your WIS by 1!
"Something the matter, Prince Arthas?" Abenthy asked.
I blinked a few times until the words cleared. "Just more words showing up. My 'Wisdom' has increased by 1 for making an excellent choice, which I take it refers to telling you my problem."
Abenthy grinned. "I'm starting to like these words."
"Not too much, I hope. We're trying to get rid of them after all."
"Not to worry there. I'll send my answers to you by courier when I find them."
My food chose to arrive then and there, bringing our conversation to an end.
-Gamecraft-
In four days, my health points recovered fully and my status effect disappeared. The day it did, I jumped around, and true enough, I was healed completely. Cleric Abenthy was right. This thing might have some uses after all.
Life continued normally for me, aside from this gamer thing popping up every once in awhile. By now, I was used to it and updates (the pinging sound I would hear along with the new messages) no longer gave me pause.
What else, what else…Scholar Nort was pleased I was taking a greater interest in Mathematics, something I had never showed any enthusiasm for. That had given me +1 INT for 'diligent studying'. Why was I attacking Mathematics with all of my youthful vigor? Truthfully, I was trying to figure out the math behind my stats. I knew that an increase in my primary stats also had an effect on my secondary ones.
Case in point, my MP had increased twice. After gaining a point in WIS, it jumped to 91 and the +1 INT made it go to 98. It made sense that my secondary stats increased when my primary ones did, because there didn't seem to be a way to raise them directly.
By how much they increased I didn't understand yet. I had hoped it would increase by the same amount, but as my MP had proven, it was a tad more complex than that.
Oh, how could I forget. My mother grilled me for hours to be more careful next time and to stop sneaking off in the night where poor lighting made stairs a health hazard. Calia just loved that.
"Arthas, are you paying attention!" squeaked Scholar Nort. While the phrasing made it out to be a question, his tone suggested it wasn't. It was hard to take Nort seriously when he was angry. His voice, you see, had a tendency to rise in pitch. Made him sound like a mouse.
He Who Breaks and Makes
Scholar Nort Whitby
LV 16
"Sorry Scholar," I said flatly, going through the motions of apologizing for my inattention. "I was just thinking about Math again."
Nort sighed. "I wish you'd apply that enthusiasm of yours to your other subjects as well."
I slumped into my chair and crossed my arms. "I just don't see the point in learning history, of all things. Sure, Math might be helpful for counting taxes and knowing how much gold I'd need to start a project, but what does learning about dead people who did things a long time ago help?"
"Because if you paid more attention, Prince Arthas, you'd also know not only how much tax to raise for something, but also how much tax the people will shoulder. The Arathor Empire was undone precisely because they kept taxes raised so high even after the Troll Wars ended!" He looked ready to pull off his hair.
I was half-tempted to see it happen, but no doubt mother would give me that 'I'm disappointed' look of hers that always made me feel incredibly guilty even if I hadn't done anything wrong. That, and his title sounded pretty impressive, though I had no idea what it meant.
"Yes Nort. I'm sorry." Father always said that a wise king knew when to fight and when to flee.
"My words don't seem to be getting through to you anymore." He sighed. "Let's call it a day."
I obliged happily, practically skipping out of the room.
The Quest 'Apologizing to Nort' has been created!
-Apologize to Nort within the given time.
Reward: 150 XP
Failure Penalty: Decreased Closeness with Nort.
Duration: 00:05:00
I stared at it for half a minute. "You've got to be kidding me. Are you my mother or something?"
A timer began ticking down. Duration: 00:04:23
"Fine, fine! I'm going!" I grumbled, doing a full one-eighty degree turn and marching dutifully back into the library.
"Prince Arthas? Is something the matter?" I heard Nort say. He was still by the table where I left him, looking through some history tomes, it seemed.
"About what I said, Scholar Nort. I'm sorry. I really am." I gave him the most earnest look I could muster and the hard lines on his aged face softened.
"It's fine, Prince Arthas. I can't blame you all that much. A lad of seven can only be expected to sit still for so long. Now go, I have work to do."
I was out of the room before he changed his mind, temporarily ignoring the update I received. Only when I was a safe distance away did I stop to check on it.
The Quest 'Apologizing to Nort' has been completed!
+150 XP!
As far as quests go, gaining 'XP' seemed lame. Couldn't it give me something cool, like a magic sword?
Shrugging, I went on my way outside to enjoy the hours of sunlight left.
-Gamecraft-
Name: Arthas Menethil – The Crown Prince of Lordaeron
Class: Gamer
Level: LV 2
HP: 77/77
MP: 98/98
STR: 7
AGI: 17
INT: 14
WIS: 7
VIT: 11
LUK: 6
Last edited:
Chapter 2: Faction Quests
- Location
- Philippines
Chapter 2: Faction Quests
Being a Gamer is not as fun as it sounds. If anything, it's annoying.
Why? Well, let me put it this way. Don't you just hate it when your parents nag you? 'Go study', 'Go to bed', 'Eat your veggies' – well, being a Gamer meant you had like a third parent hovering over you, except this one never left you alone.
And I mean never. It was telling me what to do every waking moment of my life. Somehow, it had turned the most trivial of things into quests. 'Go take a bath, 30 XP', 'Go drink some water, 5 XP', 'Read a book, 65 XP'. The few times I ignored it, it kept ringing in my ears with constant reminders that the Quest was about to expire.
This was incredibly insulting. It was, essentially, calling me a dunce, unable to function without constant instruction and attention. I might have been able to tolerate this if the rewards were better, but it was just more XP points and pathetically small amounts of it at that, especially when I had to earn about 1000 more points to get to level 3. At this rate, it would take me weeks to get there.
And I would be damned if a prince of Lordaeron remained a lowly level 2. For Light's sake, even the children of the peasants who played outside were ranked higher than me (level 4!!!). This was an intolerable situation that had to be rectified at the earliest possible time and this game wasn't giving me anything harder to do than everyday chores.
So aside from being called stupid, it was also calling me incapable.
I heard a ping and sighed before I even realized I was sighing. It had become an ingrained response to the update sound. Could you blame me with how this game had been treating me?
The Quest 'Go to Lunch' has been creat-
"NO!" I screamed, shaking a fist at the screen. A nearby servant jumped, startled and looking at me like I was a deranged maniac. It must have seemed that way to her anyway. What else would you think if someone started shouting in the middle of the hallway at thin air?
I couldn't bring myself to care for what this person thought of me right now though. "I will not!" I crossed my arms in front of my chest and glared as hard as I could, channeling all of my pent-up frustration into it. "Give me an actual quest, you-you…" I trailed off, not quite sure what insult would be suitable. I settled for "you miserable excuse for entertainment!"
"Excuse me, milord," a servant, a different one from the one who thought I was crazy, said, "your mother asks that you join her in the Dining Hall."
So what if the game was right and that I would have to go to lunch? It didn't stop me from resenting its mockery. I glared at the screen even more. Unfortunately, this gave me the appearance of squinting. Doubly so, I was still facing the servant.
She looked at me with a puzzled expression, glancing around then behind her. "What are you looking for, milord?"
"It's nothing." I marched myself to the Dining Hall, sulking all the way. The thought of seeing my mother made me feel a tad better. I hadn't seen much of her these past few days. Come to think of it, my father was pretty scarce too, but then he was king and that was expected.
The moment I got to the Hall though…
The Quest 'Go to Lunch' has been completed!
+10 XP
ARGH!
My face painted a clear picture of what I felt, because the first words that left her lips were "Arthas, what's wrong?" Her voice, how do I describe it? It was like the trickling of fresh springwater on your skin during a scorching summer day, like the sound of gentle waves on the beach. It washed away whatever anger or pain or irritation it might reach. Her voice, I can only describe, as having a magical quality to it – not that she had ever admitted it.
I set free a breath I wasn't aware I was holding captive. "It's nothing mother. Just a Math project I'm working on getting the best of me." I flashed a reassuring smile. "Nothing to worry about."
Thank the Light she accepted the reason and patted the seat next to her. As I moved to sit, she turned to address the waiting maidservants. "We will serve ourselves. Thank you," she said. They bowed and left us in peace.
The Stormsoother
Queen Lianne Menethil
LV ?
Slender, high cheekbones and a cultivated pallor. Auburn hair that might as well have been silk and sky blue eyes the greatest explorers could lose themselves in. These were just some of the phrases you could use to describe Lianne Menethil.
My sister chose then to burst in. "Sorry I'm late, mother. Scholar Nort had me finish the chapter," she said, her cheeks flushed and her pant audible. She must have ran all the way here from the Library. As she sat next to mother, opposite of myself, I couldn't help but notice how closely she resembled mother. By this, I mean not just physically (though she was practically a clone if not for her sea green eyes), but also in the small actions we did without thought. It was clear who her mother was from the elegant way she glided (walking does not accurately describe what she does) across the floor to the small hair flip she did just before taking her seat.
A skill has been created through a special action! Continuous observation has created the skill 'Observe' to gather information on others by watching them.
"You'll be eight in less than a month's time, Arthas," Mother said and I refocused what little attention I had spent on the update.
I nodded vigorously. "Twenty six days," I corrected. Celebrating your nameday was great fun! It was one of the few times I'd be allowed to leave the castle and walk around the city. And then you got presents and had this huge feast held in your honor.
"And Calia, you'll be eleven in three months."
"That's right."
I munched on some buttered bread, wondering what her point was.
"In the next few days, all of us are going to be busy," she said. "Your father has called for a meeting between the Seven Kingdoms, Ironforge and Quel'Thalas to discuss urgent matters."
I sat a little straighter, not that my posture wasn't impeccable to begin with, mind you. It's just our parents didn't make it a habit to share important things with me on account of my age and I didn't want to give the impression that I wasn't taking this seriously.
"Lord Admiral Proudmoore has promised to attend, and with him will be his daughter Jaina. Prince Varian, well, I suppose he's King Varian now," –this struck me as odd. Why would he be King? I hadn't heard anything about his father dying and trust me when I say that the rumor mill would be abuzz if someone as important as the King of Azeroth passed away- "will be here as well. The point is that our city will soon be host not only to the Kings, but quite possibly some of their children too. It will be up to the two of you to host them during their stay."
The Quest 'The Ties that Bind' has been created!
-Befriend the Guardsman Falric
Reward: 1000 XP, Increased Relations with the Lordaeron Guard
Failure Penalty: Decreased Relations with the Lordaeron Guard
-Befriend the Crown Prince Varian Wrynn of Azeroth
Reward: 3000 XP, Increased Relations with the Azeroth Remnants
Failure Penalty: Decreased Relations with the Azeroth Remnants
-Befriend Lady Jaina Proudmoore of Kul Tiras
Reward: 3000 XP, Increased Relations with the Kul Tiras
Failure Penalty: Decreased Relations with the Kul Tiras
Duration: Until the end of the Alliance Meeting
The first one was a bit unexpected, but I didn't have any complaints. This was a huge improvement over the normal quests the game had been throwing at me. The 'Alliance' must be what the meeting will be about, whatever that was supposed to be.
"When are they getting here?" I said, excitedly. I had never seen, much less talked to another prince before. There were rather few of us in the world.
Mother seemed to approve of my enthusiasm for the task. "Prince Varian will be here the day after tomorrow. We shall meet him by the city gates and ride with him to the castle."
Meeting another prince and a chance to go into the city? This just kept getting better and better. This was a quest worthy of a prince and I would not fail. Arthas Menethil does not fail, the Light as my witness!
-Gamecraft-
"Psst!"The guard, instead of drawing his sword, just shook his head ruefully. "You'd think that falling off stone stairs would make one think twice 'bout visiting me in the night. After curfew," he added pointedly.
"Can't get rid of me that easily," I said. "I reckon it'll take a dozen more falls before I learn my lesson."
"You know you're going to get into trouble."
"Only if I get caught by mother."
Falric turned his head towards me momentarily. "Or the other guards."
"Shut up. I brought you something." I stood from my usual hiding spot and showed him the wooden jug I had smuggled from the kitchens. "Here," I said, shoving it into his hands.
He took the lid off gingerly and took a deep whiff of the steam that erupted. "Tea?"
"Thought you'd need some, given the foul weather we're having tonight." As if on cue, a strong gust blew past, threatening to kill our only source of light. The flames teetered for some seconds, before finding its figurative feet.
He reveled at the sudden source of warmth. He may be used to the cold, but everyone appreciated a warm drink to ward off the chilling wind, especially when on watch duty. "Thanking ye kindly, milord."
"So how's life been treating you?" I took a seat on the floor, my back to the wall while he stared out his 'window', if you could call an empty square in the midst of stone that.
"Good enough, I s'pose. Sarge Wycliffe says we'll be heading out to the city tomorrow along with half the Guard. Would you know why?"
"Prince Varian of Azeroth is arriving." I said, recalling mother's words from earlier in the day. "The entire family's going to greet him at the gates."
The lines on his face tightened. "Oh." His expression puzzled me for it was the exact opposite of mine.
"You look like someone died."
"No disrespect intended, but 'tis bad news all around if the Prince is coming here, milord."
Now I was curious. "Why?"
His glanced at me, honest surprise stamped on his face. "You mean you haven't heard of the troubles down south, milord?"
Well of course I had heard about that. Who hadn't? "The barbarian attacks?" Falric nodded. "What about it?"
"If Prince Varian is coming here, it means Azeroth might actually lose Stormwind. Why else would they send their crown prince away?"
"But they're barbarian attacks!" I protested. "They couldn't possibly beat Azeroth. They're like the strongest kingdom next to Stromgarde!"
"Aye, they are. Won't matter one bit to the barbarians I think." That was…unsettling to hear. It did make mother's offhand comment about Varian being king now more sensible though. If that were true, if the king really was dead and Varian was fleeing to Lordaeron, it could only mean Azeroth had lost and the Alliance Meeting, the one all the kings were coming for, would be about war against the invaders. "Eh, not something for a young 'un like you to worry about. We can't do much 'bout it for now, Prince Arthas."
That was true enough, but somehow it only made the stones in my stomach sink deeper.
"What's your hometown like?" I said before my straying thoughts put me in a mood.
"Dull," Falric answered immediately. "The most exciting thing you could expect from there was a passing merchant caravan or two. Forest-y too, with it being smack in the middle of Tirisfal. Brill itself wasn't much to speak of, just farms for miles around. We had nothing even close to the city hall, milord."
What he described was like a completely different world to me. I'd never even seen a farm. Sad, I know, but one of the major drawbacks of being a prince was the lack of freedom to move. "I think I'd like to see that one day," I said in a small voice, hugging my knees close.
Falric snorted. "No disrespect milord, but a restless lad like you in Brill? You'd go mad in minutes."
"Hey! I can be not restless when I try!"
"If you say so." We stayed in silence for some time. I took the opportunity to figure out how my new skill worked.
"Observe." I muttered while focusing on Falric and a scroll unfurled before my eyes.
The Sword's Edge
Guardsman Falric of Brill
LV 31
HP: 1132/1460
MP: 93/252
I frowned. Was that it? I had expected something more…detailed. I tried it again.
This unit is under the status effect 'Fatigued'. It will suffer a 33% stat penalty, a 50% MS and AS penalty and an 80% HP and MP regen penalty until it recovers.
That was disturbing. Not that fatigued part, but the way the game referred to Falric as 'it' and 'unit'. It's like it didn't even consider him a person. The second thing I noticed was how strong Falric was. He must've been the highest level I'd seen so far, aside from those with '???' on their level. Finally, the 'Fatigued' status effect was horrible. It placed crippling penalties on you!
It must've been planned how Falric chose then to say, "You should get to bed soon, Prince Arthas. Wouldn't want to be tired tomorrow of all days."
You better believe I ran.
-Gamecraft-
You have slept peacefully, recovering HP and MP!
I don't believe I'd ever woken up this early before. I wasn't actually aware of the exact time, but daybreak would be coming soon, based on the light grey sky. Outside my window, I could see the servants going about their morning tasks, which I usually never saw on account of still being asleep.
Mastery of the skill 'Observe' increases! Observe's level goes up by one!
So in addition to leveling myself up, I could also level up skills? This would be useful and, if nothing else, it'd give me something to work on.
I rubbed some salt into my teeth and headed down for an early breakfast. I was up anyways, might as well get a head start on the day. I strode into the Dining Hall, not a hint of sleepiness in my eyes, and grabbed a rather large apple to munch on. Halfway through it, I noticed the servants were staring at me like I was an ogre.
"What?"
Before anyone could answer, my father walked in, purple cape and everything.
The Shield of Man – That is such a cool title.
King Terenas Menethil II
LV ?
"Son? You're awake!" he said in a tone of delighted shock. It brought a frown to me nonetheless. Was it that surprising?
"It's a big day." I said in between bites of the sweet, red fruit. I dabbed a napkin at the juice smearing my face. "Why are you dressed already?" His fine clothes created a dichotomy with the simple grey tunic I wore to sleep.
"I'm meeting with Lord Warwick in an hour for a royal inspection." Warwick was Lord Commander of the Lordaeron Guard.
"Can I go too?" I said eagerly. Nothing better to occupy my time with really, and 'Observe' would get plenty of practice subjects at the inspection.
Father stroked his chin contemplatively. "Go hurry and dress. We'll meet by the South Gate."
My valet (yes, I have one) was waiting patiently in my room after I finished bathing. His ability to know exactly when he would be needed without being told was uncanny. It's also what made him a great valet. He greeted me with a smile that could blind armies.
Fashion Master
Valet Karth of Hillsbrad
LV 13
"Morning Karth," I answered back cordially. He held up an outfit for my approval, which I did after a cursory glance. I trusted his good sense when it came to clothing. He had never led me astray before and with a title like 'Fashion Master', I knew I was in good hands.
It was navy blue. It had to be, being the royal color of the kingdom. The two-headed eagle that was my family's crest was stitched onto front and back with golden thread. Dark pants made of some cool material that was easy on the skin. A quick observe revealed it as 'Velvet'. Finally, black shoes, polished 'til they were practically mirrors.
Karth held up a mirror (an actual mirror, not my shoes) for me to get a good look at myself.
I looked…well, princely. Dignified, not tacky and fitting for the occasion, what more could I ask for? "Excellent work, Karth."
He bowed, grinning like a cat that got the mouse, or several mice in this case.
Father was deep in conversation with Lord Warwick when I reached the South Gate. "And here comes my son now."
"Good day, Lord Commander Warwick." I smiled pleasantly at him, Scholar Nort's lessons kicking in.
The Guardlord
Lord Commander Glen Warwick
LV ?
"And to you, Prince Arthas," he replied in turn, inclining his head by a few degrees. Not a full bow, but no lord as important as him would really bow to a boy, even if he was a prince. The acknowledgement was all I would get for the foreseeable future. He turned to my father. "Shall we begin, sire?"
Chapter 3: Level Up
- Location
- Philippines
Chapter 3: Level Up
Inspections, you see, were divided into three parts. You had the mass drills, impressive and incredibly loud spectacles to demonstrate group discipline and unity.
"Left, Face!" In two counts, two thousand men turned to the left in synchrony, a motion both awe-inspiring and humbling to behold.
"About, Face!" One, two, and they were facing me once again.
Father gave Warwick a satisfied nod. "Open, Ranks!" The formation expanded to the rear and sides as the men spaced themselves. "Parade, Rest!" The sound of two thousand metal gauntlets crashing into armored thighs was thunder.
Next was the inspection proper, where we walked through the ranks, stopping here and there to check on the polish of armors, the sharpness of swords and the vigor of men.
"Do you wish to take the East Battalion, sire?" Warwick asked. Each unit was named after the gate they had primary responsibility for. In the years of my father's great grandfather, most of what would be Eastern Lordaeron was a series of warring city-states, I vaguely remember Nort mentioning. The constant sieges they faced then gave the current unit its position of prominence among the four, eventually becoming the battalion veterans would serve in.
"Yes."
Warwick shifted his head slightly, regarding my small frame. "What of you, My Prince?"
I blinked stupidly. "Huh?"
"Which unit shall you be looking over?" he explained without a hint of irritation. I didn't expect to have to inspect one of the units on my own! I thought I'd just be following Father around!
"Er, I'm not sure I'd be qualified to look the men over when I haven't even begun sword training yet, Lord Commander," I said, shifting my eyes from Father to Warwick and back again.
Warwick looked pleased with my answer and not in a malicious way either. "It takes wisdom and humility to admit that you may not be prepared for a task, Prince Arthas. Not to worry, I shall have one of my squires coach you throughout."
Making an excellent choice has increased your WIS by 1!
"In that case, I'll take the South." That's where Falric should be.
The Guardlord titled his head approvingly. "A fine choice," he said. "I shall be with the West then and the rest of my squires will handle the North." He glanced at Father to see if he objected. Father didn't. "Ashwood, attend to the Prince."
Secondborn Son
Squire Sebastian Ashwood
LV 9
"At once, Lord Commander!" he said. "This way, Your Highness!"
"Observe," I muttered as quietly as I could. Nothing in particular to note of aside from his status effect 'Anxious', because that wasn't obvious or anything.
Observe's level goes up by one!
A Lord Robert Clearwater was the Gatelord - sorry, the Commander of the South Battalion. He was short for a Lordaeron man at five feet and two inches, with a mustache in the carefully trimmed style of aristocracy. Not handsome, but not ugly; not fit, but not fat, he seemed to be the definition of mediocre.
"Prince Arthas," the Gatelord said, his voice so deep it took me a few seconds to decipher his words, "the South Battalion stands ready for your eyes!"
My head jerked awkwardly. Ashwood wasn't the only one whose nerves were getting to him. "Milord, you are to express your confidence," whispered Ashwood.
"I am sure they will exceed my expectation, G-Commander Clearwater." I said, catching myself before I blurted out the common slang for his position.
Clearwater beamed, chest puffed out and standing straighter, if that was even physically possible. His reaction had me stumped. If Ashwood was teaching me right, then he should have expected this kind of praise. As Clearwater strutted off like a peacock, proudly pointing to his veterans, Ashwood came up close and asked, "You know the Commander, Your Highness?"
Oh. So that was it. Clearwater might've been from a noble family, but they ranked low enough in the hierarchy that the Royal Family wasn't expected to take much note of them. By referring to him not just by his position, but by his family name, he must've assumed I had an interest in him.
Well, that couldn't be all bad right?
Wait, Ashwood's still expecting an answer. "I've heard his name once or twice whilst talking to the guards," I said. It was enough to placate his curiosity.
We stopped by a giant of a guardsman. "Ask for his name, milord," said Ashwood.
"Your name, Guardsman?" I asked, even if I considered it to be useless. I already knew his name because of my skill.
"Yan of Andorhal, milord." He untied his still sheathed sword and handed it respectfully to Clearwater, who in turn passed it to me for perusal.
The blade, the squire told me, had to be oiled, sharpened and polished – no scratch marring its surface. Its handle, whether brass or copper, checked for signs of rust. The leather sheath was to be treated with a wax paste - but just a tad to keep it from looking shabby – and waterproofed.
While listening to him drone on about sword care, an idle thought passed me. Could I use Observe on objects? I tried it.
And it worked.
Guardsman Steel Plated Sword – This is the standard issue weapon of the Lordaeron Guard. It is a good sword made of tempered steel that a man may trust not to fail in battle. It is a normal weapon that deals normal attack, effective against medium armor but weak against fortified armor. It is under the status effect 'Well Maintained'. It suffers no penalties.
That was a good deal more information than I had hoped for. "A well cared for weapon," I noted, handing it back.
Yan looped the rope of his scabbard so that it hung next to his right hip, within easy reach should the need arise.
Next was his armor, which was to be oiled at the joints and inspected for dents and scratches.
Guardsman Steel Plated Armor – This is the standard issue armor of the Lordaeron Guard. It is good armor made of tempered steel that a man may trust not to fail in battle. It is a heavy armor that takes extra damage from magic attacks. It is under the status effect 'Well Maintained'. It suffers no penalties.
I would stop by a random Guardsman, look over his stuff, use Observe and repeat. This continued for quite a while, given how I had to walk past twenty lines twenty five men deep. For those of you too lazy to multiply, that meant there were an even five hundred men, exactly half of the South Battalion and a fourth of the force marching with us to meet Prince Varian. The rest of the guards would watch the city walls and protect the castle, while those going with us would keep order during the royal procession. At the end of inspection, I was pleased to discover 'Observe' was now at level 14 and vastly more helpful compared to its initial form.
Which brings me to the third and most important part of the inspection, choosing the bannermen. Under ideal conditions of good weather and clear roads, a fast horse could cross the city in an hour if it galloped all the way.
Reality was far from ideal, however. For something as monumental as this, the city folk would be sure to line the streets, making it impossible for our mounts to run. We'd be expected to make a show for them too, so it was more likely the horses would be going at a brisk walk. That would triple our travel time. On the way back we'd be at a cantering speed if we were to reach the castle for lunch.
All in all, it would take us about four or five hours to finish. Such a lengthy time period spent outside of the castle's stone walls was dangerous, or so my parents concluded. Personally, I didn't see the danger. The people of Lordaeron loved their king.
Getting back to the point, the bannermen served two functions. As the name implied, they were men who carried a member of the royal household's banner. In the exceptional case where we were separated, the banners would serve as an easy way of identifying our locations so the Guard could rally around us. Thus, the bannermen not only carried our standards, but were to stick close to our persons for the entirety of the event. In that sense, they were also our honor guards.
I needn't explain why it was a prestigious post.
Normally, my father would choose bannermen for the entire family, but since I was here in person, I could pick for myself. "My lord, do you need help with the choosing?" Clearwater looked like an overly eager puppy.
"Three of your best men ought to do nicely, Commander, along with Falric of Brill."
"Are you certain of Falric, Your Highness? He's new to the Guard and untested. Perhaps a more experienced man should take his place?"
"No, no, I'm quite sure." I waved away his concerns with my hand. "He seems quite handy with the sword."
The Commander remained unconvinced, not that he could be blamed. It was his job to advise, and, if he deemed my choices inadequate, to question. "One shouldn't judge by looks alone, Prince Arthas."
I'd never be able to satisfy him with words. A demonstration was in order. "Words to live by, Commander. Why not test their mettle? Seven of your finest swordsmen and my chosen man in a series of one-on-one spars. The victors shall win the privilege of being my guard for the day."
He considered it then assented. "Terms?"
"Well, it wouldn't to have them killing or otherwise grievously wounding each other. We can save that for our enemies."
"First to land a blow then?"
"That would be excellent."
"Very good, Your Highness." Clearwater barked out orders for his own aides, and it was organized with prompt efficiency.
Falric's opponent ended up being a Level 25.
It took all of four seconds. It was also the first of the four duels to finish, despite beginning simultaneously. Why? Well…
Sword Mastery: Level 48 – Continuous training with the sword increases attack damage with swords by 240% and attack speed with swords by 72%!
Sword Affinity – This unit has a natural affinity for swords and trains with them more efficiently. Increase skill mastery rate for 'Sword Mastery'.
Was it any wonder Falric won as easily as he did?
Even with my keen eyes, I found it hard to follow what exactly happened, though judging from the reactions of those watching, it was clearly impressive. Gatelord Clearwater's mouth was agape for a second even. All I managed to catch was a sudden flash of light reflecting from steel as it danced in the air, the very wind guiding its motions. Then, his opponent's blade went flying, blade-first, into the dirt a few feet away. He didn't stand a chance after that.
Thanks to my (relatively) high level 'Observe', I was also aware of a new status effect plaguing my chosen honor guard.
This unit is under the status effect 'Hungry'. It will suffer a 10% stat penalty, a 15% MS and AS penalty and 40% HP and MP regen penalty until it recovers.
Better than 'Fatigue', but still horrific penalties. This had to be dealt with quickly. What would people say if they found out my guards were going hungry? That the Crown was going poor? That we didn't have even enough gold to feed them properly? Unacceptable!
I marched up to the nearest servant I could find, my face one of grim determination and utter seriousness.
"Uhh, what can I do for you milord?" the servant asked, shifting his weight from one leg to the other.
"Food."
"Food?" He paused. "Would you like me to bring you something from the Dining Hall, milord?"
"No." I shook my head and his face became even more puzzled. "Not for me, for them." I pointed to the men fighting for the job of keeping my head attached to the rest of me. "They'll need something to eat after they're done whacking each other."
"I-are you feeling alright, milord?"
I scowled at him. "Of course I'm alright! Get to it!" He jumped and fled from sight to do my bidding. Really, was it so unusual for me to express some concern for the people keeping me safe? That was the least a decent human being could do.
"Prince Arthas." I turned around, perhaps unnecessarily as I knew who was speaking.
"Falric," I said with a cordial nod.
"Can I ask a question, milord?"
"Go ahead."
"Not that I'm ungrateful of your favor, milord, but why choose me out of all the men here to guard you?" He looked…perturbed? No, that wasn't the right word. Per…perplexed! Yes, he was perplexed.
"I…" I trailed off. Why did I insist on him? Was it because of the Quest? Not really. I mean, I could still befriend him without having him as my guard.
"It's because I trust you." And it was the truth. "I trust you, because you're my friend. And even if you don't think of me that way, it doesn't change the fact that you are one to me."
"We've spoken but twice, Prince Arthas. Hardly seems to be a solid foundation for friendship," he said, not unkindly.
"That may be so," I said, "but you're the first to ever tell me something about yourself. No one's ever done that before."
His lips curled, dragged down by an unseen force. "You're a Prince. I'm sure you have plenty of friends."
"You'd be surprised. Sure, plenty of people like me enough. Sure, plenty of people talk to me. Are they my friends though? Or do they want something from me? Too often they do. Would you call those friends?"
"No…I guess not. But, how are you so certain I don't have a hidden agenda too?"
Falric was a strange person. He's the only one I've met to try and place doubt on himself. "How could you? I approached you, not the other way around, remember?"
"Doesn't mean I'm not taking advantage of you," he pointed out.
"Are you?"
"Well, no, but that's just my word! You've got no proof that I'm telling the truth." Falric said.
I shrugged. "And I've got no proof that you're lying either. I trust you," I said, stressing the last part, "and that means I choose to believe you're not lying right now. If I needed proof, it wouldn't be trust now would it?" I could see the servant I sent off returning at a brisk jog, two paper bags in hand.
"You know, you're awfully deep for a seven year old."
I gave him an annoyed look. "I'm almost eight."
He grinned back. "You're awfully deep for an almost eight year old too. If you see me your friend, Prince Arthas, then I would be honored to count you as mine."
"Good, now here," I grabbed the bag from the servant and pushed it into Falric's arms. "have some food. I don't want you fainting on me halfway to the gate."
"I'm made of sterner stuff than that, Prince Arthas." He took the food nonetheless. "I'd only fall the way back."
-Gamecraft-
We were heading out the castle gates on horseback when I realized there was an update.
Quest Update! 'The Ties that Bind' 1/3 completed!
You have befriended the Guardsman Falric!
+1000 XP!
+Relations with the Capital Guard!
Remaining Tasks:
-Befriend the Crown Prince Varian Wrynn of Azeroth
-Befriend Lady Jaina Proudmoore of Kul Tiras
Your level has increased by one!
My status screen appeared without my consent, the abrupt change in my scenery threw me off-balance. If I was lucky, I might have managed to keep myself horsed. As I've said before, however, I have, arguably, the worst luck in the world.
I found my back to the paved ground, staring not into the blue sky (though it was visible in the background), but into my status window. While I could keep my balance if this happened on foot, being mounted was an entirely different experience.
Name: Arthas Menethil – The Crown Prince of Lordaeron
Class: Gamer
Level: LV 3
HP: 77/77
MP: 112/112
STR: 7
AGI: 17
INT: 14
WIS: 8
VIT: 11
LUK: 6
Points: 5
Congratulations Gamer! You have leveled up! Each additional level grants you 5 additional stat points to improve any of your primary stats!
Primary stats that, in turn, would improve my secondary one, I knew from what little the Game had told me.
Additional levels also unlock more skills, titles and areas for you to visit!
Hold up. More areas to visit? Did that mean I'd have better luck if I asked my parents' permission to leave the city?
I blinked a couple of times, now aware that the entire line was being held up by my accident. Falric, the first to react, held out a hand so I could pull myself up. I took it thankfully and brushed off some of the dirt on my clothes. It took awhile to assure everyone I was fine, especially since my previous accident was less than a month ago. I might be seeing Cleric Abenthy much sooner than I expected.
Originally, I had planned to use my initial points to conduct further experiments to derive how exactly my primary stats affected my secondary ones. However, I also knew that primary stats like INT and WIS could be increased through everyday actions; the first through studying diligently, the second through making good choices. It was reasonable to assume that the same could be said for the other stats like STR, VIT and AGI. I just had to figure out how.
LUK, though, was different. There didn't seem to be any way to raise it aside from using points. At least, this was the excuse I told myself.
In all honestly, I was just sick and tired of falling down.
I dumped all five of my hard earned points into LUK without a second thought. If all went well, I'd be getting five more soon enough once I finished with my first real quest.
Satisfied, I returned my full attention to the adoring crowd, waving, smiling and charming like I was taught to. It felt good to be cheered on and loved, but nothing really interesting happened.
When we reached the West Gate, it didn't take long for our guests to arrive. At the head of the party was not Varian, as I expected, but Sir Anduin Lothar. The people with them were not servants and scholars and ladies of the court, as I expected, but the tattered remnants of the Brotherhood of the Horse – Azeroth's feared cavalry and the finest mounted warriors among all the Human Kingdoms.
Varian Wrynn was not the proud, confident Prince, as I expected, but looked like a boy who had lost absolutely everything but his life.
"King Varian," my father hailed, riding up to the downcast boy one shy of being twice my seven years, "my condolences for your loss." Varian nodded mutely. "The atrocities that the vile greenskins have committed are intolerable. To kill a King through treachery," he shook his head vehemently, and it was perhaps the first time I was seeing my father well and truly angry, "There are no words for it!"
Then, in a voice loud and booming so that all those present might hear, he said, "Lordaeron stands with your people in this dark hour and for all the days to come, until every last barbarian is driven off! Until Stormwind returns to your hands! Until your people may call Azeroth home once more, Light as my witness!"
In that moment, my father wasn't human; he was the stuff of legends, the hero of the story we were taught to love and revere from our youngest years. It sparked something in the crowd for they went wild cheering, and the Guard was hard pressed to keep them from swallowing us up. Amidst the sea of people, we were a small island.
"You and your people are welcome here for as long as you wish, King Varian. And I promise you, I shall do everything in my power to drive back these orcs."
"How?" Varian finally asked, his voice utterly devoid of hope. "Their numbers are endless and their prowess in battle unmatched. Each of them is a berserker in their own right, able to match ten men in strength. How can we hope to prevail against such odds? They are relentless; they are a force of nature."
"That," Father said, "is why the Alliance must be formed. That is why I've called for a meeting between the Kings of the Humans, the Elves and the Dwarves. Our men cannot much their bloodlust; however, wars are won by disciplined men and wise heads. Will Azeroth stand with us?"
Varian glanced around nervously, as if looking for approval. Sir Lothar smiled at him, and urged him on. "We will."
Then, slowly, they trickled into the city. Rows upon rows of knights, their armor battered, their shields broken, their swords showing signs of battle. Behind them, ragged men and women walked on bare feet, carrying children and what little earthly possessions they had left.
How low a nation could be brought! How easily it could have been me, walking into Stormwind, my family slain and my people broken, if these orcs had attacked us first.
This was why men were trained to fight and kill, to stop this. I vow my people will never suffer this, not while I still breathed.
To defend them though, I'd need a weapon. And training. And practice. Who would be knowledgeable in such things?
Falric only knew his sword, but there was more to war then swords. Father would be ideal, but he would be busy. Lord Warwick as well, presumably, and he'd see a request like this from me as petty. Scholar Nort knew much, but he was no warrior.
The answer dawned on me. It was staring me right in the face in fact. Robert Clearwater, as a Commander of the South Battalion, would have to know all about weapons and warfare. He could help.
More importantly, he would help.
- Location
- Denmark
This actually doesn't fall into the category of things I didn't know I wanted, solely because I already thought that a Warcraft/Gamer crossover might be interesting. That, however, merely makes it all the better when a well-written example of such turns up!
Also, go Falric! Wonder when Marwyn'll show up.
Also, go Falric! Wonder when Marwyn'll show up.
Finagle007
[Verified Great Old One]
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
I swear I've read this before on FFN...
Ghostdevil
The Devil of Ghosts
- Location
- United States
Magic Swordsmen is more Arthas' style in my opinion
Z000
If this is trash, then find me in the dumpster
- Location
- Viet Nam
you can make a sword from magic
- Location
- US
I too am almost certain that this is either a crosspost from FFN or seriously inspired by that story.
Ghostdevil
The Devil of Ghosts
- Location
- United States
What story? linky?
Ghostdevil
The Devil of Ghosts
- Location
- United States
Its definitely a crosspost. 100% same author
Last edited:
- Location
- USA
Really great job this far, I will be waiting for the next update.
Ghostdevil
The Devil of Ghosts
- Location
- United States
Go to his fanfiction.net account, he has up to chapter 11 already published there. Wish he would update it past that, I actually liked the story.
- Location
- United Kingdom
Some of the dialogue is a bit gnarly, but otherwise its a cool idea.
Chapter 4: Options
- Location
- Philippines
Chapter 4: Options
My updates had no sense of timing. That or they'd unilaterally decided to bother me whenever it was inconvenient. What else was new?
A continuous stream of pinging ringed in my ears on the way back to the castle. It hadn't really stopped since I fell off my horse, but I couldn't very well check on all of them and hold up the procession, could I? As you can imagine, it was extremely distracting, especially when I was simultaneously trying to listen to my father's conversation with the Champion of Stormwind, Sir Anduin Lothar all the while attempting to form some rapport with Varian.
The last bit was far harder than you'd think. There wasn't much we could talk about that wouldn't eventually go back to the current state of his kingdom. Ever tried talking to a prince who just lost everything but his life? I thought so.
Ping! ARHH! This multitasking was getting me nowhere. I'd have to take these on one at a time. First by order of annoyingness – the updates.
By earning your first level, you have preemptively ended the Tutorial Phase of the Game. All features of the Game will now be unlocked provided you have met the prerequisites for them.
Ha! Wasn't much of a tutorial! I had to figure out most of the things on my own.
If you wish to continue receiving in-game advice, call up the 'Options' window and check the 'Tips and Tricks' box.
There was an 'Options' window?
Options:
[-] Tips and Tricks
[X] Update Notifications – Pinging 100%
[-] Minimap
[-] HP Bars Always Visible
I tapped the Update Notifications, extremely pleased when the 'X' turned into a '-'. Curiosity got the best of me though, and instead of talking to Varian like I should have, I enabled the other options.
You have disabled the Update Notifications! This can be detrimental to your gaming experience – right, because regularly attempting to inflict bodily harm on me and being a general nuisance wasn't detrimental – as you will have to periodically check to see if there are new developments! It is recommended you use at least one Update Notification.
The wording of the last bit caught my attention. 'At least one', it said, implying there were different ways of being updated? Hopefully one that didn't rob me of my hearing? That was worth looking into. I turned it back on.
[X] Update Notifications
[X] Pinging – 100%
[-] Vibrations – 100%
[-] Pop Ups - Screens
'Pinging' was obviously out. 'Vibrations' seemed weird. That left me with 'Pop Ups'. Tapping on 'Screens', I found out, made it change. There were a dozen choices, but I settled for the most promising one (and by that I mean the least obtrusive to everyday life), 'Corner Pop Ups'. From the name itself, I concluded it would be a small thing showing up at the edge of my eyes. That was vastly superior to any of the others.
Satisfied, I closed the window.
Save Changes to Options? Y/N
"Yes," I thought, because I didn't want to look like a lunatic talking to myself. I waited for a few seconds. No ringing.
A wide grin would have burst out on my face if I hadn't kept it in check. A yellow exclamation point floated at the very edge of my periphery, proving my suspicions about 'Corner Pop Ups' true. No more falling for me!
I also remained atop my horse throughout the entire time of sorting out my 'Options'. It seems throwing all those points into LUK was a great idea after all.
Not falling wasn't the only new things, however. There was a floating compass at the back of my head. At least, I assumed it was a compass, because it had the four cardinal directions. There were constantly shifting lines on it that I couldn't quite make sense of.
This is your Minimap. It shows a rough sketch of any obstacles in an area up to fifty meters around you. Use this to plan your path accordingly. Increasing your Perception increases the range and amount of detail accessible. Minimaps only work in areas you have previously visited otherwise it will be shrouded by Fog of War. Fog of War may be circumvented by acquiring 'Maps' to supplement your Minimap.
That sounded useful. On closer inspection, there was also a plus and minus sign near the compass as well as a number. If I had to guess, the number represented the range my minimap was currently covering, while the signs would adjust the range. Now I just had to figure out how this 'Perception' stat worked and I'd be set.
I waited for the Game to respond. It didn't.
It wouldn't help me too much I suppose, not when its twisted pleasure was based on making my life as difficult as possible.
I returned my attention to the real world and it was, well, green. Vividly so. Everywhere I looked were rectangles of green floating above the heads of people. That must be what the 'HP Bars Always Visible' did. I couldn't imagine it being too useful so I quickly shut it off, sighing in relief as my surrounding reverted to normal.
"So King Varian," I said, addressing him as my father had, "would you like to visit the city tomorrow? I could guide you." I offered him a genuinely warm smile. "If you're staying in Lordaeron for awhile, it'd be best if you became familiar with sooner rather than later."
"If it's no bother to you, Prince Arthas…" Varian said.
"Not at all! I'd be happy too!" And I really would be. It'd be as much a treat for me as it was for him. If I phrased things right, I might even get to skip my lessons tomorrow. "Let's meet in the Dining Hall at ten 'o clock."
-Gamecraft-
After lunch, my father and the leaders of the Azeroth Remnants were in deep discussion about dealing with the refugees. Nort, as one of father's primary advisors, was involved, which left me unoccupied. It was the perfect time to tackle the next thing on my agenda: Acquiring a Weapon.
It was simple enough to get a hold of Gatelord Clearwater. I merely had to show up at the Southern Drill Grounds. He appeared not three minutes later.
"Your Highness," he said, bowing a lot lower than Lord Warwick did this morning, "what brings you here?"
"I was looking for you actually, Lord Clearwater." My words, quite obviously, flattered him. "I'm in need of some aid, you see, and I thought to myself, who better to ask than the Robert Clearwater."
"I would be honored to help, Prince Arthas! How may I serve?"
"I was hoping you'd say that." I smiled. "First of all, I expect to be very busy these next few days with constant forays into the city. I'll need an escort." Father would insist on it anyway. Might as well get it out of the way now.
"That shouldn't be a problem, Your Highness. Will your bannermen earlier today suffice?" Clearwater asked.
"They'll do nicely."
"Then I shall place them on standby for you."
"Excellent," I said, nodding appreciatively to him. "That's not all I came for actually. This second part is," I glanced around, "sensitive in nature."
Clearwater lowered his voice. "You can count on my discretion, Prince Arthas."
"Have you heard about the fate of Azeroth?"
"Yes, yes. Horrible what happened to them," he said, shaking his head. "Not to worry, the Guard will ensure nothing of that sort happens here."
"That's good to hear, Lord Clearwater. I'm sure you'll do an admirable job at it." Clearwater beamed at me. "As the Prince of Lordaeron, I want to be able to help if the time comes. I want to be trained to fight."
"With the sword? My Prince," he shuffled nervously, "you're too young. You wouldn't have the stamina to fight with one." Clearwater gave me an apologetic smile.
I can't say I was too surprised by his answer. It was the same one my father had given me when I asked last month.
My answer was already forming on my lips before he had even finished. "Not necessarily with the sword. Any weapon will do really." Father had shot down that particular request too.
Thankfully, Clearwater wasn't my father. He gave it some consideration and began assessing my physical state. "Well, none of the melee weapons will do you much good. A knife maybe, but it's not what you'd want to bring to a straight up fight. Ahh, I know just the thing! Follow me, My Prince."
A skill has been created through a special action! Continuous persuasion had created the skill 'Persuade' to convince others with words.
We walked over to the Archery Range where he picked up an S-shaped bow from the rack. "A bow?" My brows furrowed. It wasn't what I was expecting. Clearwater handed me an armguard, which I slipped on. I'd seen plenty of overeager fools hurt themselves when the string hit their bare arms to know I needed one.
"A recurve bow, to be specific," he said, pulling at the string experimentally. "It requires less strength to use than a longbow, but isn't quite as inaccurate as the crossbow from a distance. It's also not as heavy." His arguments made sense. Plus, if Father ever asked, I could claim I was thinking of going hunting.
He handed it to me. "Try this out."
I drew back the string and found that it required far more force than I could muster. If you've ever used a bow before, you'd know the draw weight on these things could be immense. "Too much? Not to worry." Clearwater snatched it back and looked through the rack, picking out another one. "How about this?"
This time, I managed to pull it back all the way. "Good, good," Clearwater muttered. "Now, watch how I shoot." He stood at shoulder width and perpendicular to the target. Then, in one flowing motion, he drew, aimed and fired; his arrow hit the target dead center and shuddered from the force of impact.
Good to know that the man I was consulting knew what he was doing.
In my defense, my first attempt did hit a target…it just wasn't my target. The crossbowman next to me was surprised to find an arrow shaft mingling with his heavier bolts.
A skill has been created through a special action! Continuous training with the bow and arrow has created the skill 'Bow Mastery' to freely handle bow and arrow weapons!
After thirty minutes, numerous corrections to my stance, posture and actions, I managed to land a shot. No, it wasn't a bull's-eye, but it didn't miss the target completely either. Two hours after that, Clearwater had certified me as competent enough not to accidentally kill someone.
Bow Mastery's level goes up by one! Bow Mastery's level goes up by one!
Bow Mastery: Level 3 – Continuous training with the bow and arrow increases attack damage with bow and arrow by 15% and attack speed with bow and arrow by 4.5%.
My arms ached with every move, but it was a small price to pay. I endured the pain silently.
Repeated efforts caused your STR to increase by 1!
Repeated struggles caused your VIT to increase by 1!
-Gamecraft-
As it turns out, it didn't take much to convince Nort to let me go the following day. Or the day after that. In fact, let's just say my super-awesome persuasion skills and smooth talking got me out of the lessons for the entire duration of the Alliance Meeting.
A skill has been created through a special action! Continuous reinforcement of a lie has created the skill 'Self-delusion' to trick yourself into believing your own lies!
Ha bloody ha.
So it wasn't so much my words as much as his general business during the Alliance Meeting that swayed Nort. He was helping father with his arguments. So what? What's important was that I was free of lessons for the foreseeable future.
"I'm surprised you know how to get to the docks, Prince Arthas," Falric said. For all my efforts, I still couldn't get him to call me just by my name. Even friendship could not fully bridge the gap between our social standings so quickly.
"Obviously the docks have to be by Lordamere Lake."
"Yeah, but there's no straight path towards it." Which really was unfortunate, now that I thought about it. It slowed travel significantly. The merchants were none too happy about that, I reckon.
I shrugged my shoulders. "What can I say? I have an impeccable sense of direction." And a mental map that showed me how the streets were interwoven between buildings. What they didn't share with me was the terrible state the roads were in and how cramped it would feel. Beggars, prostitutes, merchants and vendors filled it to the point where at any moment you might expect the area to explode from the sheer volume of human bodies.
I turned to Varian. "So was there any reason in particular you wanted to come here, King Varian-"
"King of what exactly?" he said bitterly. How rude.
My smile faltered. "I'm sorry?"
"King of what exactly?" he repeated, stopping to dismount. Confused, I followed his lead, while my guards looked away and formed a perimeter. They knew something that I never learned, never needed to learn – sensing when a noble was in a mood.
I tilted my head at him. "King of Azeroth, of course."
"Ha! Azeroth!" his voice was louder now, drawing attention to ourselves. As if our fine clothes weren't doing that already. "What is Azeroth now? Our lands are gone, our armies shattered, our treasures pillaged by the vile orcs!" Mutterings rose from the crowd. He deflated. "Just call me Varian."
"If you let me call you Varian, then I insist you call me Arthas," I said after a pause.
His look of surprise indicated this was not the reaction he was expecting. "Wha-"
"I mean it's only fair," I said before he could get in another word, "common courtesy and all that among those of equal rank." Technically, he outranked me.
"I'm not a-"
"King?" I finished for him. "Perhaps you aren't, if you think its land or armies or gold that make you one."
Varian kept quiet, so I continued. "I don't know what you've been taught, but my father has always told me it's the people that make a king." That came out in a tone far harsher than I intended. Oh well, too late now. I inclined my head towards the crowd that gathered around us. Their shabby clothes and foreign faces marked them as refugees.
"See your people, King Varian. Are you abandoning them now? Are you forswearing your crown - the crown your father and his father and his father's father wore; the crown which has been with House Wrynn for a thousand years. Does it end with you, without a fight? What would your father say?"
"You know," he began slowly, "you're awfully smart for a boy of seven."
"Nearly eight," I muttered and was ignored. Typical.
He straightened up, face set suddenly in grim determination. The transformation was abrupt and if I hadn't seen it happen, I would've thought it was a completely different person.
"People of Azeroth, I have failed you once!" he said. The stunned masses looked on as their king appeared to crack. "But never again, on my life it be! This shall be my vow to you, that I shall be the first to starve and the first to sleep without a roof!" He drew his sword - a real one, not a ceremonial trinket – and stabbed it, somehow, into the cobblestone. I'm pretty sure that the act defied the laws of the natural world.
The entire thing looked very dramatic. Naturally, the people loved it. They cheered with surprising enthusiasm, especially if you considered they had recently been evicted from their lands.
Strangest of all, a title flickered to life above Varian. 'The Lion Prince of Stormwind' appeared where once was empty space.
"Thank you Arthas, I needed that." he said. Then, in a louder voice that was the catalyst for even louder approval, he continued. "I am proud to count you as one of my friends!"
No updates came.
That was…strange. With Falric, the mere mention of being my friend was enough, but perhaps the Game not only considered action but also intention. If so, the Game was a lot more complex than I gave it credit for.
In the end, we were stuck in place for close to an hour as the loving crowds swarmed Varian, making a hasty retreat impossible. Someone had to summon reinforcements from the Guard so we could get out.
I nudged my horse closer to Varian, hoping to have a word in private. "About what I said earlier, I'm sure your father would be proud to see you carrying on."
He burst into tears. For the second time, we were forced to stop.
"What kind of host reduces his guest to tears on the second day!" I could practically hear mother screech. Excellent job, Arthas. Befriend Varian by making him cry. Truly an act of inspired genius.
As if being unpredictable on purpose, Varian hugged me. I squirmed in his grasp, but he was older and far stronger so I had no hope of breaking free. One should he was larger than me by a fair margin and that was, of course, ignoring the fact that we were boys and boys didn't hug each other, especially when one of them was crying.
"I saw him die," he managed in between sobs. "Stabbed through the heart by that bastard half-orc!" Quite literally a bastard, I couldn't help but think. "That no good orc, we counted her among our friends!" Varian wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "I used to think some of these greenskins might be decent, but I was wrong. There's not a lick of honor in any of their tribes."
"There's nothing you could have done about that," I said, "but you could do something now." Like stop crying and let go of me.
He did, Praise the Light.
"You're right." Sniffling, his grips tightened on the reins of his horse that the gentle beast neighed in protest. "Every last one of those damn orcs will die. If I have to hunt them down to the last, so be it!"
"And the House of Menethil will stand with you," I echoed my father's words, finding some truth as they escaped from me. "What they did to you…" I trailed off, settling for shaking my head. That half-orc had been trusted by the king's family when all others had turned him away. To betray such sacred trust was the greatest of sins. "You have been wronged and we would see justice done."
"At least there is one family I can still count on as friends," he said, sounding genuine now. This wasn't merely a theatric, like before.
Quest Update! 'The Ties that Bind' 2/3 completed!
You have befriended the Crown Prince Varian Wrynn of Azeroth!
+3000 XP!
+Relations with the Azeroth Remnants!
Remaining Tasks:
-Befriend Lady Jaina Proudmoore of Kul Tiras
Were we friends? Whatever we had was definitely different from the relationship Falric and I had. Not the most normal of examples, but really the only one I had to draw on. Still, I expected it to take longer.
"The others kingdoms will help." I said.
"They won't, at least, not all of them."
"What? How can you say that?"
He looked me right in the eye. "The reality of the situation is that there is no gain in helping me. When we were still a kingdom, maybe they would've, but Azeroth is now a people in flight. There is little hope we will return to our lands within the generation, and our children raised here might not be so eager to leave their new homes for an old one."
He squinted as a burst of midday sun hit his eyes. "It's almost time for lunch, we best head back."
-Gamecraft-
In the days that followed, I worked rigorously.
I'd spend three hours every morning on the bow. In the afternoons, I'd show more of the city to Varian, exploring it inch by inch as we went. There were no more spectacles like our first day.
Repeated efforts caused your STR to increase by 1!
Repeated struggles caused your VIT to increase by 1!
I was giddy from the message. This was the fifth time my STR and the third time my VIT had gone up, bringing them to a grand sum 12 and 14 respectively, while also dragging my HP to 168 so I was sure that HP depended on STR and VIT much like MP depended on INT and WIS. Now if only I could figure out how to boost my AGI…
"Your shots are getting closer to the center, Prince Arthas," Falric stated. The fact that it wasn't empty praise made it even better. I was improving, if slowly.
"Thanks Falric." I said. He returned his full focus to his fight against three men. He was winning easily too. I pulled up my skill window and checked up on 'Bow Mastery'.
Frustratingly, it remained at level 6. This only proved one of my recent suspicions however. The experience and practice required to achieve higher levels of skill mastery rose with each level. Likely the same was true for raising my stats via practice and I already knew that more XP points were needed for higher levels.
I notched an arrow, aimed and fired, marveling at how natural the action had become to me. The moment I set it loose, I knew it would be a perfect shot. I couldn't tell you how I knew, I just did.
It landed dead center.
The sound of clapping broke my concentration. I glanced around and saw Father standing nearby. "Father!" When had he gotten here?
"I haven't seen much of you lately. I was wondering if you were still alive."
"I was just busy," I said, frowning. Had I been that scarce?
"With practice I see," he noted, nodding to my centered arrow. "A good shot. Practicing for what though?"
"Hunting," I said, lying easily. I had seen this conversation in my head a dozen times, refining my words with each instance until I knew them by heart.
"Your bow will be a fine addition on Thursday, no doubt."
"Thursday?" I repeated. What was happening Thursday?
"The Kings' Hunt," he said. "You will be coming, if you can take time out of your busy schedule?" I flushed.
"But the Proudmoores haven't arrived!" They couldn't hold the Hunt without them. That would be an intolerable insult.
"They will in a few hours," Father said, voice filled with wry humor, "it's part of the reason I'm here, to remind you to get dressed."
"Yes, Father."
-Gamecraft-
"Lord Admiral Daelin!" Father held out a hand to his Kul Tiras counterpart, a gesture of respect among equals. It was formal and cold compared to the warm embrace he shared with King Thoras of Stromgarde which spoke of their childhood friendship or the grand procession we held for Varian's arrival.
"King Terenas," the Lord Admiral said. He was the picture of a navy captain, complete with hat and cutlass, except his uniform was adorned with more stripes and markings and medals.
"So who've you chosen for the fostering?"
"My daughter, Jaina." The Admiral held out a hand to the side. A girl stepped forward and curtseyed gracefully. Her eyes were a startling blue that had the unquenchable spark of curiosity. Peering into them was like delving into the watery depths…layers upon layers of blue 'til you were utterly lost and surrounded.
Daughter of the Lake
Lady Jaina Proudmoore
LV. 6
The fact made me pause. She was what? Seven? Eight?
"Observe," I murmured.
Six! She was six! Younger than me even, yet three levels higher than mine, the Gamer's! How was that possible? The youngest '6' I'd seen was a ten year old. It really was fortunate I had trained 'Observe' up, because I could access more information.
HP: 60/60
MP: 235/330
STR: 5
AGI: 9
INT: 15
WIS: 22
VIT: 12
LUK: 17
The only daughter and youngest child of Lord Admiral Daelin Proudmoore and First Lady Arnona, Jaina is the baby of Kul Tiras' ruling family. She possesses a prodigious affinity for magic and the element of water, having already bonded with a lake spirit at the tender age of six.
What was a lake spir- oh. I saw the…spirit floating lazily around her right knee with its fish tail swishing with the wind. It was a thing of mist, mostly air and partly water. Instead of ears, it had gills. Instead of scales, it had skin. If mermaids were real, it would probably look like this strange cross between woman and fish.
The spirit caught me staring and giggled, tugging at the tight fitting garment that covered only the lower half of Jaina's body. She glanced down at the ethereal being then caught my eye.
"So you can see her too," she said without saying.
"I can." was my own wordless reply.
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Legend Of Desu
Frustrated easily by Rudeness and Stupidity
- Location
- Brazil
Indeed, that's some quality work.
Chapter 4 was a bit weaker, especially Varian's parts, but still solid.
Chapter 4 was a bit weaker, especially Varian's parts, but still solid.
Chapter 5: Elemental Encounters
- Location
- Philippines
Chapter 5: Elemental Encounters
"So you can see her too," she said without saying.
"I can." was my own wordless reply.
"How is the young King?" The sound of the elder Proudmoore's voice put a stop to our staring contest.
"He's coping," Father said. "Nonetheless, Sir Lothar assures me that the remnants of their army will stand with us whatever happens."
Proudmoore nodded. "And with that ancient Arathi bloodline Anduin's family loved to boast of, the elves will have to back us, or lose their honor."
"Anasterian will make a show of support, but I doubt it will be whole-hearted," Father said.
"Nonetheless, Azeroth, Lordaeron, Kul Tiras, Stromgarde…with four of the seven kingdoms we stand a good chance."
"Dalaran too. Archmage Antonidas has announced his intention to attend."
Jaina's ears perked up. "Does that mean Magna Aegwynn is coming?" she asked. It served as a reminder to them that we were, in fact, still present.
My father and her father shared a look that meant they'd continue the conversation later. "She might," the Lord Admiral answered.
She squealed, practically jumping. Sensing her patron bristle with excitement, the lake spirit's circling sped up to the point where it could finish several laps in a second.
Lord Daelin gave father an apologetic shrug. "My daughter's been a fan ever since I told her the tales of Guardian Aegwynn."
"Let's head inside," Father said before giving me a meaningful look. "Arthas, why don't you show Lady Jaina the castle?"
"Yes Father," I said, recognizing that the grownups wanted to be left alone. "Lady Jaina?" I offered my arm the way Nort had taught me. She took it without hesitation, having been trained for as long as I have in the ways of the court.
"You know," she said once our parents were out of earshot, "you might be the first person I've met who could see Aelin." The mermaid-like thing now rested on her head, tired from its exertion earlier on perhaps? Could spirits even get tired?
"You named your spirit?"
"I couldn't very well keep calling it as 'spirit'," she said. "That would be rude."
"How did it happen? I don't think bonding with a spirit happens on a whim."
"That," she drawled out, "would be telling." I could practically hear the smirk in her tone. "You know, you're being awfully forward for someone I've just met."
I flushed. Perhaps I was. My questions were rather personal, now that I thought about it. "Sorry, it's just…not every day you meet a Princess that's also a sorceress-in-training, never mind our age."
My words seemed to please her, because I could sense the warmth of her smile without looking. "That's nice of you to say, but I can't do anything with my mana, other than having Aelin here."
"Having it around you requires mana?" I asked, not aware of how these things worked. There were many subjects I was taught; the intricacies of magic, however, was not one of them. I was as clueless as the baker about this. That would explain why a part of her MP was gone.
"Aelin is a her," -so spirits could be girls- "and yes, it does. She's a constant drain, yet it's the only way to keep her around when we're so far away from home."
"The city's just by Lordamere Lake," I said hoping it would help. Aelin, according to 'Observe', was a lake spirit so it would make sense if she'd be more comfortable in freshwater.
"That's perfect! She can go there when I run out of mana." Aelin chose then to perch on my hand, the one connected to my occupied arm, as if in thanks for the information. "I think she likes you."
That made me smile for some reason. "She's nothing like the elementals you hear about in the stories." The creations of the Dalaran mages were oft described as flowing water given form, faceless and featureless. They fought with their bodies in a very literal sense, the propelled water coming from the liquid that made them up.
Jaina didn't reply right away. "Aelin says when spirits take up their elemental form, they prefer unidentifiable ones. It makes it harder for their enemies to know who they're dealing with."
"Arthas!" I heard a familiar voice as we rounded the corner. "There you are!" Calia looked down on me, for she was taller by a fair margin despite being only two years my senior. "Oh, who's this?"
"This is Lady Jaina Proudmoore, daughter of Lord Daelin Proudmoore from Kul Tiras," I said.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Jaina," Sister said with a pleasant smile. "Arthas, mother's looking for you."
I couldn't hide the frown that overtook my face. "What for?" I didn't want to leave Jaina, not now with our conversation so engaging.
"She didn't say. You best be off," Calia said.
I sighed, reluctantly unlatching my arm from Jaina's. "We'll have to continue this the next time we meet," I told her in no uncertain terms.
"I look forward to it," she said.
If I had known next time would be so far away, I'd have ignored mother to keep talking to her then and there.
It wasn't for lack of trying either. During the next few days, I sought her out relentlessly, but she was always with Sister or comfortably nestled among a swarm of girls. It only got worse as the days crept past too, with more and more of the Alliance delegates arriving, each with their own entourage. Privacy in the castle halls quickly became what merchants would call a rare commodity.
Before I knew it, Thursday had arrived, dragging the Kings' Hunt with it.
"Everblooms! How charming!" I heard Jaina's voice amidst the cacophony of noise our party generated, which frankly made hunting anything a challenge. A deaf bat would've heard us coming.
"You don't have them in your kingdom?" Calia asked.
"Unfortunately, Kul Tiras doesn't have the right weather for them to thrive. It's a shame too otherwise Kul Tiras would be the perfect place to live in." A few other ladies, presumably those who had been to the island kingdom, tittered their agreements.
An idea sparked in my head and I seized it, allowing it to guide my actions. In one flowing motion, I notched an arrow and released, watching its feathered tail fly through a vine that held the blossoming, crimson flower. The metal tip split it cleanly, allowing the Everbloom rose to fall into my waiting hand. My fingers curled around the rose like a protective dome.
A few of the lesser lords nearby clapped appreciatively of my shot, which brought me some measure of pride. My skill with the bow was born from hours of recent practice, as my 'Bow Mastery's' level would attest to.
"Lady Jaina," I called out, nudging my horse closer to her, which was to the rear of our group. That was where most women chose to be during a hunt, usually not having much of an interest in killing for sport. Instead, they'd busy themselves with gossip and small talk. Gossip and small talk which would no doubt be about my 'intentions' after what I did.
You'd think being nearly eight and not at all of age for marrying would stave off the rumors. It really wouldn't. I've lived in court long enough to know that, which was why mother always stressed that every action I took should reflect kindly on the family.
I extended my hand to Jaina, before revealing the Everbloom in all its glory. "I couldn't help but overhear your love for our native flora. Please, take this, as a token of Lordaeron's hospitality." One nice thing about being a Prince was that I was, since birth, a representative of my kingdom. Thus, I was entitled to make fancy statements like this.
Predictably enough, it didn't take much longer for hushed conversations to begin behind silk fans. Topic of the day? Prince Arthas and Lady Jaina's love affair. Yes, the two prepubescent children were romantically involved, because that was so realistic. Honestly, it was as if these women had to fulfill their dreams and desires vicariously through others, the way they exaggerated every detail. If some street child did what I did, they'd heap scorn instead of adoration.
Jaina cradled the gift in her hands. "That's kind of you, Prince Arthas."
I opened my mouth for a moment, as if to say something else, but it wasn't time or place to pick up on our previous conversation, not while there were so many people around. What was I even thinking coming here? My actions served no purpose, the logical part of me screamed.
Instead, I jerked my head awkwardly and turned my mount around to catch up with the other hunters.
"He never gave me a flower," I heard Calia grumble to Jaina, which elicited a melodic laugh from the blue-eyes blonde. Hearing it soothed my rattled nerves.
It sounded familiar.
-Gamecraft-
"See, I don't rightly understand why you can't just talk to her with others around, milord," Falric said.
"The topic, in question, is…sensitive," I replied. "It's something she'd rather keep private."
"Did she tell you this?" Falric asked.
"Well, no."
"Then how do you know what she's thinking?"
I fired off another arrow, which went completely off target. That had become frustratingly more common these days, just when I thought I had it. "I just do."
"Right," he drawled out. "If this is about you two being a couple, I'm 'fraid to tell you the whole city knows by now." The Hunt was barely two days ago!
I scowled. "We're not a couple! And it's not that!"
"Fine, fine. Don't get your undergarments in a twist," Falric said. "If you really need to talk to her, do it during your nameday."
"My nameday?"
"Yes, your nameday. It's coming up soon, ain't it?"
I nodded slowly. "In two days," I said. After that, the Alliance Meeting would begin in earnest. His point seemed counterintuitive to me though. How would I hope to get a private word on such a busy day, with people lining up to wish me well?
"And there'll be a tourney, no doubt, in your honor?"
Again, I nodded slowly. There usually was. "And," he continued, now smirking, "you have a stand for your family and the other kings?" He didn't bother waiting for my confirmation this time. "Just ask Lady Proudmoore to sit next to you. She can hardly refuse on your nameday of all days. Not very private, to be sure, but it's the best you'll get for now. Plus, with everyone's attention on the jousting and swordplay, nobody 'ill notice two young lovebirds whispering sweet nothings to each other."
"That's genius!" I said, promptly ignoring the last part of his statement.
"Course it is. Ain't that why you've kept me around for so long?"
"Actually it was because you're so fancy with that sword of yours."
"Ha! Go back to practicing with your bow, Prince Arthas. Your shots are getting lousy." He jabbed a finger at my last shot, sticking into the ground nowhere close its intended recipient.
None of my other shots missed that day.
-Gamecraft-
"Are you sure?" Mother asked after I'd pitched the idea of having Jaina sit next to me. "Wouldn't you rather have King Varian with you? I heard you two are friends now."
"I talk to him every day," I said dismissively, "it's high time I made more friends, don't you think?"
"If you're sure, I won't stop you." She nodded to her lady-in-waiting, who curtseyed perfunctorily before heading off to deliver my request to the Proudmoores. "Now, have you given any thought of what you're going to say for your nameday speech?"
I knew I was forgetting something! Mother must've seen the answer on my face, because she sighed. "I'll think of something," I promised. These things tended follow the same general gist anyways. 'Thanks for coming, hope everyone enjoys, commence the festivities' and similar sentiments.
How hard could it be?
As it turns out, extremely difficult would be a mild way of putting it. I'd done speeches before this, but each time I had the benefit of weeks of preparation and drilling and memorization that by the time I opened my mouth, I was merely going through the motions.
Today, all I had was an idea. The tricky part was how to phrase it to the people. That and dealing with nerves.
"You look like you've just seen a ghost," Jaina said matter-of factly as she next to me. "And if you grip the chair any stronger, it'll break apart."
I looked down at my hands, which had the arms of the chair in a constrictor's hold. "Just, nerves. I think."
She nodded sympathetically. "Don't like speaking to the public much?"
"It's not that. I…I just, I'm usually more prepared than this." Even my voice was falling apart!
"Father always said the trick to nerves was to lie to yourself." Jaina said.
What? I stared at her dumbly and uncomprehending.
"See, what makes it so scary is the fact that there are so many people, right?"
"Yeah," I agreed.
"Otherwise, it's just like talking to someone else," she continued. "So, you've got to make your head think you're talking to a friend instead of a crowd of strangers."
Okay, it was a sound theory, but… "How exactly do I go about doing that?" Then, I remembered. I was the Gamer. I had 'Self-delusion', didn't I?
"It's something father calls anchoring." Jaina said. The term was fitting for the admiral. "You pick out a face or two in the sea of people and pretend you're really only talking to them. That way you won't be as scared."
Just then, a servant scurried over and handed me a speaking horn so my voice would be amplified. The fact that I'd need one only meant there the crowd was massive in size and scope. That only made me feel worse.
I stood up and looked to the people. The world quieted in anticipation and the anxiety I felt tripled. I felt I might choke on my own words. What if they didn't like what I had to say? Light preserve me! Father would be so disappointed and I-
"Breathe," Jaina suggested under her own breath. My treacherous thoughts ceased their discouragements. "You can do this." I felt the ethereal touch of Aelin as she perched on my ear in a show of support.
I lifted the horn to my lips. "My-" my what? People? That sounded cold and there were others here that weren't of Lordaeron. I spotted Falric down below grinning at me. "friends," -I ended up using- "I thank you for coming out today to celebrate this joyous occasion with me!" My voice grew in volume and conviction as I said each word.
"It means the world to me that all of you have gathered today. You honor me with your presence! I am proud to know such fine men and women, such gallant lords and graceful ladies! I am proud to be a Prince of Lordaeron! I am proud to call you my people!" The crowd roared in approval. "And I hope to honor you by serving you as well as you have served me! Let the tourney commence!"
Not my best speech, but it would do.
Mastery of the skill 'Self-delusion' increases! Self-delusion's level goes up by one!
A skill has been created through a special action! Continuous public speaking has created the skill 'Oration' to inspire people with words! This was one skill I wasn't eager to train up anytime soon. Dealing with nerves was horrible!
"Thank you, Jaina." I said after sitting.
She smiled. "I'm happy to help a friend in need."
"And you too, Aelin." The spirit twittered happily from my shoulder. "How have you been?" I asked Jaina, not Aelin.
"I've been well, thank you. Your sister was a delight to be with." I buried the twinge of jealous that sprung up inside me.
"So…" I was only now realizing that our previous conversation hadn't left anything hanging. Why did I pursue her all these days then?
"So," she mimicked me. "What? Did you spend all your words on the crowd?" There was no malice in her tone.
I smiled at the jibe. "Something to that effect." Completely off topic, I asked, "do you want to be a sorceress when you grow up?"
Jaina gave me a surprised look. "I did. How did you know?"
"I put two and two together. I mean, you seem to idolize Magna Aegwynn, one of the greatest magicians in all the kingdoms, and you have a spirit bond already. Plus, you know an awful lot about magic and elementals."
"I don't know that much," she protested.
I scoffed. "Please, compared to me? If I was a book on magic, you'd be a library."
She smiled. "You're really too easy with your praise. You should make people work harder for it. Part of the reason father picked me to foster here is because I pestered him about it really. I was hoping to learn more."
"I can help you there." I said.
"Really? You don't have to."
"It's the least I could do for a friend." We settled into comfortable silence as the clanging of steel sounded.
Quest Update! 'The Ties that Bind' 3/3 completed!
You have befriended Lady Jaina Proudmoore of Kul Tiras!
+3000 XP
+Relations with Kul Tiras
The Quest 'The Ties that Bind' has been completed!
Your level has increased by one! Finally done! I have to admit I enjoyed doing this quest. Jaina, Falric, Varian…I might've never befriended such interesting people if not for the Game.
After discarding the update windows, I found the King of Alterac staring at me intently. The hair on my back became ramrod straight and I was suddenly very self-conscious. "Is there something I can do for you, King Perenolde?" I asked politely.
"Oh no, don't mind me." Perenolde smiled a wolf's smile. It lasted far too long to be genuine and benign. "Go, enjoy your nameday. Don't let an old thing like me ruin this festive occasion for you." He made a shooing gesture with his hands.
I didn't need further encouragement and returned my attention to the sparring knights.
I swear I heard him muttering to himself. "Things just got more interesting."
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