Luxuriating in a – necessarily large – wooden bath, I got a good view of my enormous body. Well, at least as far as the vast stomach. From there, my lower half was completely out of view. Maybe Carlos felt at home like this and I wasn't judging him from the point of beauty or shame. My dismay at the body I was in was a practical one. As it was, I couldn't possibly help these people in battle. And I was so used to my own, fairly fit shape that for me, this was like being an imprisoning shell. I had an idea of who I was that was at odds with this person. It would take some serious work but I was determined to get in shape, not least for the sake of the battles to come. At least he was tall, taller than me, at about 6' 4" I'd guess. That was promising for the long term, if I could get the body into fighting condition.487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs2oDpa8cUb
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrMx8RqQ5qr
While I didn't want to make any important decisions about my character sheet until I had tested if I could improve my stats, I took some time to properly study the kingdom menus.487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ntuhiniin
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcqeU7TyVCU
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡslZxjVOpKH
Greyland487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSSXXvMlXMO
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz5jNACl5P3
Economy Military People487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNv4hIIbjx9
Currently building: granary level 2487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6r4bKUICow
Monthly trade income: 0487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡorg5koDAJf
Monthly tax income: 54 gold487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFM4nxseYg4
Daily food consumption: 13 units487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNFX2CjTtFG
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLDssJUOfqu
Grain yield: 0 due in 17 days487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmlpagLq00Y
Vegetable yield: 35 food units due in 21 days487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ2cxNuyn45
Wool yield: 3 bales due in 34 days487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIXK8F8dB53
Meat yield: 4 units daily487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA4KXOMIowp
Timber yield: 17 planks daily487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD8Ms0FRgVt
Iron yield: 2 ingots daily487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMcu4ADzwqK
Quarry yield: 6 blocks daily487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8vOZK4AFut
Smithy yield: no production set487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRsbuPcejqC
Weaving yield: 4 bolts daily487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsrKAVEFbne
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfqR71rmEub
Research: steel pickaxes487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXgBbEOmdLU
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIIM2lmXllQ
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDMtMTIBeqy
Resources:487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHf8UmScHqv
Wheat: 19 food units487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGqppDuP5wt
Vegetables: 32 food units487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGqngQ9ZeHj
Meat: 5 food units487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx7H2iE63kQ
Wool: 7 bales487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡup3xxOKRl7
Timber: 134 planks487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ964Uz5qHS
Iron: 11 ingots487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ06MhZm8vrY
Stone: 33 blocks487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRCMAGHmyAR
Cloth: 0 bolts
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAngVk5a2gs
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQYB5jwY5uF
All of these points of information could be opened for more detail, so I focused on the 'currently building' tab. There, I could see a graphic of a partly constructed wooden tower. The granary, presumably. In a timer that was counting down, there were two days and several hours left on a bar that was about half filled with green. I had other options, currently greyed out: farm buildings, level 2; hunting lodge, level 2; sawmill level 2; watermill; mine level 3; quarry level 2; smithy level 2; library level 2.487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTa4Bs7ApVd
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3EnpckT6Uw
There was an obvious contradiction between the fact the kingdom was working on a new granary and there was no grain yield. Presumably, this was a legacy of losing the recent battle and the farmland. I should almost certainly swap the construction project to something else. Long term, it was often a good idea in strategy games to invest in research, which might be what the library was good for. But I had a real worry about the food situation. So without making any changes, and after shifting my hulky figure to swirl some warm water around, I looked at the Military sub-menu.487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtbtFXjGddc
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEQhaOt9QQh
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2KdSptemZI
Military487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ08STljwkiW
Light infantry: 32487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡINQfPjN3Jm
Heavy infantry: 12487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtH7rTElQj9
Archers: 18487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFxIuanhkPj
Light cavalry: 24487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWGK9UIq1YO
Heavy cavalry: 3487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeBUCmiDo7f
Ballista: 1487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf1uYoCMzIb
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnaOGisOYv3
Hospital: 17487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpXQ8JOBzEe
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6mVeYKgHAh
Military upkeep cost: 42 gold, 5 silver487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡonPGs56Xej
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbngiuzTHGU
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCOv36spyez
Currently training: 2 heavy cavalry487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXmOAA5AQEB
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVir5103xQe
Buildings: keep level 2; curtain walls level 1; towers level 1; town walls level 1487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhfKkbcXFEM
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlsmRcOmJTq
Currently building: tower machicolations, 3 days
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlU3KaGI7uT
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv9w9y44JOW
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFY3mYE9y8Q
I had no idea how big the armies in this world were, but with just a hundred troops the situation here was certainly dire. I suddenly had a dark thought. What if we were overrun? Slaughtered. What would happen to me? Would I get home? Respawn? Or just die, forever?487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡChPH1LR3OK
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWEw1pHxF9p
Although they were fundamentally important questions, there was nothing I could do to find answers to them, so I returned my focus to the menus. Each of these entries had options to drill down into more specific information, such as about the stats on the troops, but I just skimmed through them, wanting to understand the big picture items first.487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1fVaN7Gnsa
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2zqYxAFYDo
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb3G3t5Fg2S
People487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS7Wh0Pv3C9
Citizens: 485487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8jfybNo0hS
Happiness: 14487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqZ0hrAqcmR
Tax Level: High487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy964RvZItr
Health: 89487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpB5dJ9YdRB
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbUyOaSy3mu
Specialist roles487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ64GOU2kUka
General: Lord Arval, Paladin Level 7487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr7apR5RzHe
Royal Wizard: Carlena, Sorceress Level 9487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvjVb0mE95l
Steward: Chancellor Parrin, Scout Level 9487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeZ5w1R4Ocb
Ambassador: Figus, Bard Level 3
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkFVAuHzIu7
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ54yJnmlufa
Looking at the Citizens menu I saw a more detailed breakdown: Soldiers 110; Farmers 38; Builders 40; Shepherds 34; Hunters 48; Miners 84; Clothmakers 23; Bakers 23; Brewers 16; Carpenters 21; Stonemasons 14; Smiths 4; Researchers 4; Idle 26. It was strange how few were the numbers here. Was this because I had found myself at an early stage of whatever game-like system this world was based on? Or was there some other explanation?487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCQ7vumGrty
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ29uallpoTb
This was interesting. For a start, the king had been lying to Chancellor Parrin for some reason. Far from being a Level 5 Scout, the thin man was 9. Then I found I could open up their character sheets and I did so for Lord Arval.487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡco8GQbzlUx
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXyvZHmdiZF
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡExcOYxPggc
Lord Arval: Paladin Level 7487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHejMgyUPrK
HP 64487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOP6zRiF917
AC 18487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvHKMSGPpV3
XP 19,663 (28,800)487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbJ596UX1sI
Str 17 (18), Dex 12, Con 15, Int 8, Wis 9, Cha 9.487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoV2ND8k9KQ
Shield of Defence +1, Trueblade +2, Ring of Strength +1, Potion of Haste, Potion of Healing.
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfLKgKVfogG
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeDlQ6IbSLF
Very interesting. I had to close my eyes for a moment, ducking down to soak my hair, but the character sheet was still there when I came back up out of the water. Firstly, I noted that Lord Arval had an XP bar. He could level up. That was encouraging for me, because it suggested that stats might evolve too. Secondly: magic items. Everybody loves magic items, but again I was particularly excited to see they could be used to change stats, as in Lord Arval's Strength.487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvOpA37xRUZ
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJCY78U5FYF
Time to check the others.487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGP9rEQxYPD
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ73jErgN1Cr
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡleNePoZiR9
Carlena, Sorceress Level 9487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbfTqVd9djJ
HP 34487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDTZC7uiU1G
AC 5487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbpPzB6RFuo
XP 72,102 (86,400)487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLuR8uGof1r
Str 5, Dex 11, Con 9, Int 17, Wis 7, Cha 8.487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0xx1LJ40MI
Broach of Protection from Magical Missiles; Wand of Channelling; Potion of Transformation.
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSLPeoSJGG9
Chancellor Parrin, Scout Level 9487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJmtdf5sHSY
HP 53487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpDX1xiVuYG
AC 12487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiRF6btFfQM
XP 71,043 (86,400)487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡydQrKY0gCd
Str 9, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 6, Cha 9487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy7xHgs5tNP
Dagger +1; Leather Jerkin +1; Ring of Silent Movement.
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBKSYvqzBfQ
Figus, Bard Level 3487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJo7BuRxtYx
HP 17487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrSGd86xZaq
AC 14487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX9TZkRPU5J
XP 684 (800)487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoeGXkYSE82
Str 13, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 9, Cha 15487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrr3KaAsz6k
Scroll of Charm487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPSz08mKs9Z
Ambassador feats: Speak Language; Swift Travel
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhD7ESGC0ax
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgy6Cu2v4Ry
Pretty decent, or so it seemed. But everything was relative. What special roles did our opponents have? Maybe Chancellor Parrin would know.487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzo1nuJJpBG
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfuZmz3FKEE
By this time my bath was only lukewarm and so, with some difficulty, I stood up. Water dripping from me, I took a towel and when as dry as I could manage, a robe that a servant had brought me that looked clean enough. Outside the door of the bathroom was a young servant, who ducked his head when I left rather than make eye contact. After I was past him, he ran into the bathroom, to tidy up perhaps.487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6wXm5lLD38
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCk6FoAhcA6
Lying in a comfortable four-poster bed, in clean sheets, I considered that I was blessed. Almost certainly, there were gods in this world. And if one of them had played a role in bringing me here, well, fair dues to him, her, or it. I sent a silent prayer of gratitude. This is what I needed. Not the trappings of being a king but the challenge. A kingdom under threat and an RPG system to wield to the best of my ability. I really wanted to get stuck into my own character sheet, but most of my decisions would have to wait until I had more information. And I was too tired to explore the menus much further.487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIBxbCf7ce7
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7xJMoI09ym
There were two tasks, however, that shouldn't wait until morning. I called up Greyland/Economy/Currently Building. There I switched the granary out and from the other options, dragged in hunting lodge, level 2. We were losing about 7 food units a day, with reserves of just 56. Obviously, I needed to resolve that, before planning on building something more strategic.487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmJgPna5Eij
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTdMDAxoIh2
The other assignment I wanted to make was for the Smithy, which was not producing anything. The sub-menu, however, was complex, full of possible items like horse shoes, swords, shields and arrow heads that all looked extremely useful. There were tools I could create too, including hoes, which I was tempted by, as these would surely help my food output. Or were they limited to use in the kind of fields we had recently lost?487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKsLmBvFp2p
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6nWMUKf7BA
Wondering why my predecessor had left such an important building idle, I had a thought and checked the research queue. There was only four hours left on the countdown for steel pickaxes. Maybe he had planned on completing that research and then getting the smith to work on producing them. If so, it wasn't a bad idea, all we really had going for us were the mountains around the town. If we could use sources of iron to build up tradeable reserves of iron and steel, that might be another way to solve the food crisis. So that decision could also wait until morning.487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJw4PZxpxhF
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9wQ9kvndmS
My head filling again with images of the town planning interface, I was asleep before I knew it.
