My first thought on waking, was that I was happy. Not so much because I was living the life of a king (although I wasn't complaining about that), but because I had a reason for living: a mission. It was such a different feeling, having a purpose in life, to waiting around for the COVID restrictions to end. While Greyland was starting in a very difficult situation, I believed I could turn it around.565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm5HbO3CR5D
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ8au1mITyS
For a start, I had to ramp up iron production and correct my earlier mistake. As my first action, I assigned the realm's three iron ingots to the Smithy for more steel pickaxes.565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLowzaclqV8
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdNhQaydudi
Crucial to my success in this world would be my personal character progression. With some anxiety I called up my character sheet to see if I'd managed to improve it by my efforts of the previous day.565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqQsheEC3EU
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSCdFtHwZpv
Sean de Courcy, king of Greyland565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbRB32iuwkD
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvyTtMGgCE1
Str 7565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcGKQuoTIKU
Dex 4565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNKwnXNXRV1
Con 8565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpjAGLUkg5V
Int 16565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8X1SNogSy9
Wis 16565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0LMsfPn4q6
Cha 4565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDBo8LDV9EE
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZxNh3Uks1V
Please choose a character archetype:565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpKJTNUldGw
Fighter; Wizard; Healer; Scout565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUOVD1CAhAx
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYaJ9hkO9mm
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ3UGbfUeuR
Of course, neither my Strength of Constitution had shifted. I sighed to myself. How many more days of exercise would it take to test whether those stats would rise? Should I give it a week and then give in and choose a Wizard or Healer path? The people who had summoned me here wanted a battlefield leader and my own desire led me to want to be a martial class of some sort. But it would be idiotic to aim for that if I was stuck with these stats.565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ39t6VFxqo6
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYfyY1iEOdd
Then I noticed the final attribute, Charisma. It had gone from 3 to 4. Yes! Yes! And again Yes!565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJQRwLQpiuB
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqpI39ZUPgn
Stats could be worked on. A glow of pleasure rushed through me. Okay, so it wasn't a Fighter stat that had moved, but really, after one day, even if I had focused on Strength, I could hardly have expected to see progress. I had a hunch that the reason I'd seen Charisma move was that it was a lot easier to raise a 3 to a 4 than a 7 to an 8.565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8TX92vd3qp
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmVOx22oBEo
Following that last thought, I had to admit to myself that it might take months to move Strength to something useful in battle, but even so I decided to take the risk and commit to Fighter. It was time to get going. I missed being the most bad-ass warrior in Storm Wars and couldn't even imagine what it would feel like to be on top of the game be like in a world where it really mattered? Still, it was pointless, counterproductive even, to daydream. There was a mountain to climb. And I hadn't even taken one step yet towards the summit.565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVjWydstsaY
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa2OuwoHEqy
I selected Fighter and got a message:565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh9ZuabQ71V
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhpIOSWfqAo
Welcome Sean de Courcy, to the path of the Fighter. You have chosen to stand toe to toe with your foes, dealing blows to them and evading their own attempts to harm you. It is a path for the brave and for the resolute. If you are fortunate and progress, in due course you will unlock specialisations within the Fighter class.565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNqiIp9VqEd
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvmchQSDOib
You will also unlock new skills by discovering them through action. For now, you have 10 skill points to assign among the following:565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEnaANl5gv9
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0o4plIyXeB
Bash: action, shield users only, additional attack with shield565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQrPLKy8IVH
Block: passive, shield users only, wards melee attacks if successful565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA1WDXY9dOQ
Deflect: passive, shield users only, wards missile attacks if successful565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPYGQtrdHYu
Defensive Stance: passive, reduces damage of hits received if successful565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7QJCNG4XuP
Dodge: passive, avoid an opponent's attack565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPFSH9KzI89
Grapple: action, unarmed attack that restricts opponent if successful565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQBnDG9uewI
Lunge: action, pointed weapons only, additional attack at up to +1m range565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8T5DdouNNs
Parry: passive, intercept your opponent's attack with your main hand weapon565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV73gTh4Gc8
Quick draw: action, produce hidden or sheathed weapon565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJmjDnSjBcv
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjiSrUmcJEJ
Quite a lot to think about there. And I had to make my choice right away, as the screen couldn't be flicked away in the usual fashion. Generally, I preferred a min-max approach to RPG gaming. It was usually better to be really good at one skill and adapt your strategy to that skill than to have no particular specialism and be somewhat competent at everything. Ideally, I would have had a taste of fighting before make my choice, so as to get a feel for what would be the best skill to invest in. Here, though, there was going to be a lot of guesswork.565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7oLMRONHfO
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡONiUs6SSGY
On the assumption I'd have the support of the high level people who had summoned me, I decided I should focus on attack rather than defence. Back in Storm Wars defence was crucial but here, at the low levels at least, I felt it best to try to rack up experience fast through killing mobs. Lunge appealed most, surely an extra attack and a bit more range on an attack was going to prove useful? When I tried to put my ten points into the skill, however, I got a message.565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWL0pJqb6vO
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlAAhzUt0G3
Skills are capped at Level x 5565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvNCnMzxLGM
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBrfpP7WjEH
Adding 5 points to Lunge worked. So for my other choice? Was I going to use a shield? Probably but not necessarily. I didn't know what weapons were going to be available to me here. Parry then. While Quick draw had its appeal, it was very situational. Whereas pretty much every fight I was in would involve the opportunity to parry.565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVT90DrT4rc
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYvfnIhThjI
My character sheet now had my class and skills, also, an EXP bar, showing that I needed 100 to get to Level 2 and HP. I had hit points! Not many though. And an armour class that at 0 probably reflected the fact that I had no armour on at all. Even if I did, that poor Dexterity score probably carried a penalty.565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXSa2NbVvPK
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXKYPQnNjcJ
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7GUL0m8ZGI
Sean de Courcy, king of Greyland565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvfETy2rwXj
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNvB6CwE30A
Fighter, Level 1 HP 8 AC 0565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcLVMbyPdrV
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBrcRUhIP0S
Str 7565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrCCt94KAgW
Dex 4565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5sCIaCrZaI
Con 8565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5mRS8Kq519
Int 16565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYrwZcPtxle
Wis 16565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvAWSi7y34U
Cha 4565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ25peS8xRVh
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcT2iwK9nEB
Lunge 5565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPNOu5wyEiB
Parry 5565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG6tp4zC7BV
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnhrbfVy9Aj
Exp 5/100565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg0Qwui7qPX
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZLLKGvF2lF
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8T7TooqESJ
With the help of the PCs in Greyland, I should be able to level up fast.565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgjzoGIAXRK
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAfvdQvuEYx
If it wasn't for my heavy body, I'd have leapt out of bed with a spring in my step and an eager desire to get going. As it was, I had to lever myself up and then struggle with every single garment before managing to get dressed. It didn't help that I ached all over from yesterday's marching around the barracks square. At last, I was presentable and down I went to breakfast.565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRCxfXYxCdu
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4qVi6m3g3G
Today, the castle servants were ready for me and along with a glass of apple juice was a bowl with more apples and a plate with two poached eggs. I felt desperately hungry and was tempted, when a new servant tentatively approached, to ask for more. But I had to get down to a size where armour could fit me and a horse could carry me. So I had to diet. End of. Back home, I had sometimes tried to cut out unhealthy snacks, and managed for a while, before invariably returning to them and sometimes bingeing while hooked up to Storm Wars. Here, I felt differently. Here, getting the king's body into shape was just as important as levelling up and sorting out Greyland's food supply. There was no 'Will I? Won't I?' discussion to be had with myself. It had to be done.565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡahmQOoOIzm
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTYHc488UE1
After breakfast, I left the keep and walked slowly in the direction of the barracks. The citizens of the town hurried away from me or redoubled their efforts if they were working. For the first time, I noticed that stored away in the shadowy corner of a large cobbled square was a gibbet and a chopping block. Had my predecessor really executed people by hanging and beheadings? It was not a question I could ask anyone except one of the three who had been there at the summoning.565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZaAXRYlyso
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqXA6mevPJf
The soldiers were already drilling when I got to the barracks and I was pleased to see archers firing at straw scarecrows. Thirteen, fourteen… yet fifteen. Those were my new recruits. It might have been a dumb move using up all my iron before the steel pickaxes were completed but I was glad to see the archers all the same.565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxXxeSuBeTa
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNU7EDNUH64
Carradock was there, marching some foot soldiers back and forth. He passed the duty to one of the men and came over at a brisk walk on seeing me.565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw3olQA3AOJ
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLeC57qV4n0
'How are you today sire? Able to continue?'565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWmPCb4C4Dt
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡedWydjVnmJ
'Stiff, but yes.'565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVNvU3ICsvr
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPANlMKFanb
'I suggest another march then. Sixty circuits.'565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzhJVbDhb39
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIJYU4Fof9W
'Right so. Before I set off, I've a question you might know the answer to.'565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsSvn3iFakC
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuHu8uy7saK
He looked at me expectantly.565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKdLvdTAKqh
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2tczBpmDfT
'I just learned the Lunge skill. Do you know how I utilise it?'565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZGYy4rmV5n
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡknwIsPjpJN
Surprise, then caution crossed the trainer's face. 'Not I sire. Skills like what you're talking about are special. You need to talk to someone like Lord Arval.'565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhqCI3WePer
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVa9WbzgZJw
'Good idea. Send someone to fetch him will you.' As was my nature, I almost added 'please', but no doubt that would be taking my change in character too far.565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlWNdWSnDdK
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX4nQMZlbhE
On lap six, Lord Arval fell in step. 'Sire?'565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWL9BMgxHYs
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqgBsvx2KvG
'Two questions.' I already felt the need to be economical with my breath. 'Active skills like Lunge, how do I use them? And what's the quickest way for me to level up? Got some giant bats I can kill?'565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT4DQbsmecb
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfZSt0A4VTK
'Skills? You'll see them as selectable icons when the right conditions are met. I mean when timers are ready; or the right weapon is in hand; or you've moved yourself into the right position. Skills are very experiential. You get to discover them and advance them mostly by practice.'565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZhAXJCAlEc
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXrRtOX23fl
I nodded, hands swinging like pendulum weights as I strode determinedly around the square.565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡesAX40yUXT
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8wDcND5GO4
Lord Arval kept pace effortlessly. 'For levelling up, I think quests. Without access to the menus I can't be exact, but I felt that just by performing chores for the townspeople I became significantly stronger. Perhaps reaching level three or four.' He gave me a sharp look. 'It helps with your reputation with them too.'565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ29MeuCaBhp
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxLVtq22CA3
'Good. I'll be done here by midday, come with me this afternoon and show me these quests.'565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdo2caEx9aU
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGkUTmTPtui
First checking no one was close enough to overhear us, Lord Arval leaned closer and dropped his voice. 'I'd never disagree with a command of yours, but I was intending to take the new archers down to Three-Ways Fort and check on our defences. I could ask Carlena to show you the easiest town quests?'565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbjS3B53IWX
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNY9vxiWsbg
I caught his – grey – eyes and gave the slightest of nods.565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBE56XKY1q9
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡChbgWS0Cdq
'Very good sire,' Lord Arval spoke loudly and deferentially. 'As you ask, so it will be.'565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDPWnoUQvX8
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWGMJtcpMDa
The laps today were a little easier and even a soft rain didn't deter me. Walking was good for studying the menus too and I drilled down into the kingdom's various options, reading up on descriptions of buildings and balancing their various benefits against the immediate need to solve our food problem and be able to resist an attack if Southway and Trolland continued their alliance.565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXuPt0BJghO
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiNiDSDrw2l
After I finally completed my sixty laps, I took a salute from Carradock and went back to the keep for a bath and change of clothes. Then I sat in the very large throne in the large hall on the second floor, the solar they called it. Outside, beyond the lead crosses that contained the window glass, the day was still grey. I could have rested there, alone, for some time, but Carlena arrived and waving away the servants who had brought her to me, came over.565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfLK43T8Fyo
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGE63IXK75o
'You wanted me to help with quests?'565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxU8CAcbDzh
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡycy0zF7x3Q
'Yes please. I've started as a Fighter but, honestly, I'm not in the shape to hit things yet. So quests are perfect. And Lord Arval said they would level me fast.'565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqhCZccHlE0
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMCdejdSQ0w
'Yes, they will. At least, they got me to my third spell. After that, you'll need to battle monsters. Also, your combat skills won't increase unless you do.'565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsb4lOT4OcF
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWQI02F8mWd
'Right so, let's go and do some quests.' It was painful, moving again after being seated for a while. But pain meant gain, right? And I had the incentive of levelling up to encourage me.565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh2vYLfAe0J
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqDhAuqPg5s
'It's been a while since I did these…' She looked thoughtful, long, silver hair tied back so I could see her severe face clearly. 'And try to be more like King Carlos. Everyone is talking about you. About how you've changed.'565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOw2t7rCMAh
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡagve48izGK
'He was a thug, right?'565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQxXkLlA4oS
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvb3Pmp90aT
'More of a sly creature, like a fox. Watching and waiting … then punishing. Never trusting anyone. You didn't know where you were with him. Not even me, who – forgive the lack of modesty – is the most important person in the kingdom. There was a time when I thought he was going to hang me for treason. Even though that would mean no sorcerer for our battles.'565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVQcqEdOvxU
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjCbacFyd4I
Having reached the large, double doors Carlena went silent and waited for me to lead her out. From just behind my right shoulder, she muttered directions as we walked down narrow cobbled streets until we came to a bakery.565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZINho3t7sQ
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxW4YMuE85t
'In there is a female baker who needs a large rat killed.'565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnVVTPYhvzD
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIPP626dEfS
I barged in, under the swinging sign of a loaf of bread. My bulky body made a small room feel even smaller: counter with several loaves; bare planks for floors; whitewashed walls; back room with an aroma of newly baked bread that made my mouth water.565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ49Bw8lsLEE
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuyBEuf1W5A
A boy, about ten years old, was sweeping dust. His mouth dropped open. A thin woman behind the counter looked at me with pure horror, then said quietly, 'Miya bless me!'565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUpvLibpU9Z
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOpQbTm29gJ
'I believe you have a problem with a rat?'565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDAvgFFNplV
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCRb1SvWUEd
No one moved or spoke, until the boy dropped his brush and ran. Then the woman did the same.565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfsaa2l7OWZ
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCPrJ43Ds1j
'Guards!' yelled Carlena. When two soldiers came running, she instructed them to bring the baker back.565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCyF6oD3CIx
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe9tv2CiQFj
Feeling impatient, I tried to strum my thick fingers on the wooden counter top, but couldn't, they just thumped down in a group. My crappy Dexterity? Or simply lack of practice with this body?565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDcyoVZIBMQ
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrfMtZWZRAb
At last the guards returned, holding the woman between them. She was clearly terrified and I would have said something comforting, except that Carlena wanted me to stay in character.565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4zOr73CZYl
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrI41K2Yiqu
'You have a task?' I asked.565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFmG6lYrfQr
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkvbmVSTtEa
'But…' she was looking at the floor. 'But… you've already done it.'565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRj6SsqDjb3
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ78Lq46i4Hn
I shot a glance of alarm at Carlena who remained perfectly impassive. No doubt for the benefit of the guards.565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFiJEoGPW0y
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOxEUassrLK
'Give it to me again.'565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbTipXQMfVg
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡldtTZMoYOP
'I can't sire, I really can't. Please don't kill me, I have three children.'565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn1DsY3LmGj
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkA85OxLBxb
'Just try. Just say the words. I'm sure it will work. Go ahead!'565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfsuYX5YlJP
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3WsdMX1YYP
But she couldn't. Her mouth opened and closed without a sound coming out. Tears ran down her face.565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjh2LjhUxmb
565Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMt6cvW72u0
Exasperated and not wanting to cause the baker to suffer any further, I strode back outside, took a second to orientate myself, and set off back toward the keep. Levelling up was going to require a rethink.
