"It was created by evil, it serves evil, and it was left by evil. And never again can it fall into the hands of evil." The old knight's tone was still just as soft.
Romuil chimed in, though he wasn't looking at or addressing anyone in particular. "A book like that probably has lots of spells from the dark side, with eighty or ninety percent of them for battle."
"Take it." Krolina held a fat tome out to the old knight. "If I have to, I'll answer to the clan council myself."
The book was thick and old, with red leather binding and bronze clasps. Master Hugo weighed it in his hands.
"That's strange," I said. "I thought I gave him a different book yesterday?"
"You did give him a different book." Von Shlippen-shtain looked at me. "I told you, witchers collect knowledge. They find magic books and other documents with spells, and then they perform a reunification ritual. The knowledge from all the different sources is gathered in their magic books."
"That makes sense." I nodded.
"This," Hugo said as he shook the tome in his hands, "is quintessential evil. There's only one thing to do with it."
He shook it one more time before sending it hurtling into the fireplace. The fire flared, hissed, turned green, and...the book was gone. Von Shlippenshtain thoughtfully looked on and sat down in his chair.
"Screw the book," Reineke, who was also looking at the fireplace, said. "There never was a book in the first place. Right, Romuil?"
"What?" Romuil was staring in the same direction.
"What are you talking about, Lis?"
"Nicely done!" Krolina clapped. "All's well that ends well."
"Of course," smiled Reineke. "So what about the rings?"
"Oh, come on!" Kro visibly deflated. "I was hoping you'd forget. They're nice. One's rare, for mages, with four attributes. The other... Lis, please, it's so cool, and it's for archers. Look!"
She pulled it out.
Ring of Wind and Sparks
+15 to agility
+10 to stamina
+11% to accuracy
+13% damage done by the Triple Strike ability
+9% chance of doing critical damage when using the Straight Through ability
Durability: 330/330
For class: archer
Minimum level for use: 65
"You'll turn it in to the clan storehouse," Reineke said sharply.
"But Lissie, please! It's even for the abilities I use. Please, please, please?"
Lis finally had enough. "Oh, stop it! You can keep it, but you're turning in the mage ring."
"Of course. You're the best!" Kro gave Lis a peck on the cheek.
Gunther frowned from the corner where he was sitting.
"Well," said von Shlippenshtain, who got up again from his chair, "now it's my turn to hand out some rewards. The witcher is dead!"
For completing the Kill the Witcher quest you get:
1500 experience
Other rewards: variable
I heard another ding. What a day!
You unlocked Level 31!
Points ready to be distributed: 5
Fantastic. Level 31 was much better than Level 22, where I'd been stuck for so long.
"I would also like to reward each of you individually. Although…there's one more reward I have for you all." Hugo waved his hand. "Forgive my presumption, but I consider friendship with the Tearful Goddess Order a reward as well."
"Of course, master," Reineke said with a nod. "This is an enormous honor for my friends and me."
Master Hugo looked at our whirling dervish, who was, for the moment, quiet. "Lady Krolina, I am pleased to give you a scroll that has been kept here in the Fladridge mission since time immemorial. It contains an ability called Through Walls that you will find useful as an archer."
"Thank you!" She did a small dance. "I've never heard of that!"
"As far as I know, it gives your arrows incredibly destructive power. I would also like to personally give you this katzbalger. I believe you took a liking to it."
"Thank you. Really, thank you!" Kro spun around to face us. "An ability, a gorgeous sword, and my own knight. How lucky am I?"
"An entire order," von Shlippenshtain said with a knowing smile partially concealed by his mustache. "When the young men in our order hear about you, they will certainly wish to take the place of von Richter in your heart. I suspect your smile will be the cause of many a duel."
Gunther frowned deeper in his corner and drifted off into his thoughts.
"And now, you, gentlemen." Hugo looked at Reineke and Romuil. "I give you swords. Both were bound for warriors of our order, and I am sure that in your hands they will serve only the cause of good."
"Wow," whistled Romuil. "Elite!"
"Yeah," Reineke said in confirmation. "Thank you, master. Know that our swords and those of the entire Thunderbirds clan will always be ready to serve the Tearful Goddess Order."
Von Shlippenshtain turned to me. "And for you, my friend, I would like to start by giving you this."
He pulled a shield off the wall and handed it to me.
"It belonged to a great knight, one of the founders of our order. The legends say it was the Goddess herself who gave it to him. She also gave him a sword, but, alas, it was lost. Derek von Lichtenshtain is a legendary figure in our order, as he left the common people, taught himself the ways of a knight, and was knighted by the crown for his deeds of valor and true greatness of spirit. He was a mighty man."
You received an additional reward for completing the Kill the Witcher quest.
Reward:
Shield of Derek von Lichtenshtain
A shield? They're always good.
Shield of Derek von Lichtenshtain
Belonged to one of the founders of the Tearful Goddess Order, and is said to have been given to him by the Goddess.
From the Shield and Sword set
Set includes:
Shield of Derek von Lichtenshtain
Sword of Derek von Lichtenshtain
Protection: 880
+22 to strength
+30 to stamina
+32% to dodge ability
+14% to critical strike chance
+7% gold looted from dead enemies
+24% life energy restoration speed
+18% mana restoration speed
+12% experience received by killing enemies
Durability: 1160/1160
Minimum level for use: 45
For class: warrior
Cannot be stolen, lost, or broken.
The following bonuses are unlocked by using the complete set:
Flash of Light ability
Bloody Mark ability
Life-Giving Tree ability
+15% to your chances of getting items from dead enemies
+17% gold looted from dead enemies
"Oh wow," I said. "Legendary. Cool!"
Hugo raised his eyebrows, not understanding me. A second later, they dropped back down—the wise old man understood and understood correctly.
"Legendary?" Reineke said. "We all got lucky. Seriously. What level is it for?"
"Forty-five. And I'm not turning it in to the clan storehouse!"
"Of course not. Turning a fair reward in to the clan storehouse? Who do you take us for?"
Hugo coughed. We turned back toward him.
"But that's not all. Lord Leyton, I would like to officially invite you to join the Tearful Goddess Order."
You were invited to join the Tearful Goddess Order
If you agree, you will become a member of the order and earn the following bonuses:
+12 to strength
+6 to wisdom
+88 to health
+3% experience earned
+7% damage done by all weapon types
+5% chance of finding rare and hidden quests
Additional:
You will gain access to the order's hidden knowledge, and will most likely unlock chains of rare and hidden quests.
Note:
Only 75 players have ever been invited to join the Tearful Goddess Order. Of them, only one accepted.
Limitations: You will join the order on the side of good.
Committing evil deeds will cause your reputation within the order to fall, and you will be expelled from the order and declared its enemy if it falls too far.
Accept?
"That's crazy!" Reineke exchanged glances with his friends. "Join a non-player order? I've never heard of that…."
I stood there, lost in thought.
I wondered why everyone else had declined. I mean, I knew why I would turn down von Shlippenshtain's offer, but why did the rest? For the same reasons, I was about to or for different ones? And if they had different reasons, what were they? I was especially intrigued by the one person who had agreed to join. He was probably a veritable fount of information, and he was off walking around somewhere.
"Thank you, Master Hugo, but I have to decline. I have some pretty good reasons, and there are also some promises I have to keep that don't really line up with the order's mission. Two circumstances, in particular, are keeping me from joining your order. For the time being, at least."
The knight's face fell. "I'll be honest, your answer disappoints me. Our order would gain an excellent warrior and a good person if you joined. Let's do this: I'll leave the invitation open. If you decide you can join the order in the future, just come find me and tell me you're ready. Does that work for you?"
"Absolutely," I said. "That would be an honor, but is it a problem that I'm a member of the Thunder-birds?"
"Of course not." Hugo was firm on that point. "Your clan is your clan, and your order is your order. Besides, my order and your clan now enjoy a very friendly relationship, am I right?"
~ ~ ~
We assured von Shlippenshtain that yes, players and NPCs are friends forever, and we all meant every word.
Then we had another drink to toast our achievement and took our leave to attend to other matters. What point was there in sitting around? The job was done, everyone had their rewards, and it was time to go.
Out on the street, life in Fladridge was as ordinary as ever: children were playing, old ladies were carrying water in buckets, and players were rushing every which way. The only thing that stood out was the angry shouting coming from the pub next door.
"Seriously? Healing NPCs! Let's…let's…let's find some pandas who know kung fu and let them into the game, too. Why not? We'll give them their own continent! Got to be kidding me..."
"He's still at it." Reineke shook his head.
"Ah, he'll stuff his face and fall asleep," Kro said placidly. "All right, who's going where? I'm on my way to Hostig."
"I'm on my way to Gorrint. Some friends need me," answered Romuil.
"I have to go to the hotel first," Reineke said. "Leyton, want to come with me?"
"Of course," I said. "I'm going there, too."
"And then where?" Asked kro. "Fladridge doesn't really have anything else for you at your level."
"I'm not sure," I answered honestly. "Everyone's pushing me eastward."
"Who is 'everyone"?" asked Reineke.
"Well, all the NPCs." I twisted my hand around in the air as if screwing in an imaginary lightbulb. "The instructor, and Gunther, too—just go east."
"In that case, you need to go east," Reineke said as if pronouncing a verdict.
"Definitely?" Romuil seconded his opinion, and Kro nodded her crazy head in agreement.
"See, you always choose your own way and make your own decisions in the game." Reineke smiled humorlessly. "Where you go, how you go there, who you go with, and why. You're the only one who can decide if you want to be a dark elf or a thieving halfling. Just a minute ago, for example, you made a choice. Thousands and thousands of players would never even dream of joining a non-player order—they're way better than any clan. And you turned them down, which is your right. Neither the clan nor I will ever ask you why, though having you join would have been incredibly valuable for us: access to information, access to the order's storehouses, and an army of friendly warriors. But you turned them down, and you are perfectly within your rights to do so. The game is made up of choices like that, both big and small. You decide for yourself and bear the responsibility for your decisions."
'Why, why?' Just because. Of course, it would be great, but not with the limitations I had. Anything I did in the "minus" column would have hurt my reputation. That category includes lies, and I was a constant and willing liar. After all, that was my profession. Executioners cut off heads, beekeepers kept bees, florists grew flowers, and I lied. Okay, fine, not all the time, but I never really told the truth.
I was a journalist, and journalists never speak the whole truth. It's always better or worse than it really is because nobody cares about reality. We live there already. And who knows what I'd end up doing in the game? Maybe I'd beat someone up or kill them. My reputation would suffer, seeing as how I wouldn't be evaluated by a person—they might miss things or not take emotion into account. No, it would have been a machine that simply records what happens. Sooner or later, and almost certainly sooner, my rating would drop below the threshold. I'd be kicked out of the order, declared its enemy, and hounded through all of Elysium. And they have missions in every city! Anyway, I didn't need that. The benefits were outweighed by the drawbacks. Besides, I wouldn't be getting most of the benefits; my clan would.
"Still, the game reserves the right to give you friendly advice," Reineke continued. "Once you've done everything you need to do in your current location, it uses NPCs to give you hints and push you in the direction that will be best and most interesting for you...from its point of view."
"But how does it know what's best for me?" I was pretty sure I knew the answer to my question.
"Big brother is always watching!" Kro opened her eyes wide.
"Basically, yes," agreed Lis. "It's true. The game analyses all of us constantly, checks to see which quests we'd like, looks for adventures we'd find fun—at our level—and then it decides which way is best. But you decide if you want to go that way or not. I'd have to agree that the east is the best place for you right now."
"Why?" I was intrigued.
"Your level, for starters. Most locations there are levels 32 to 45. I mean, sure, they have high-level locations, too, and even a raid boss. But on the way to Selgar—"
"Selgar?" I asked, putting the emphasis on the second syllable.
"No, it's Selgar," said Krolina helpfully. Romuil nodded.
"The biggest city on the eastern side of Ratter-mark. Well, like Brad here. Lots of traders, an auction, herds of players, a few major clans, tons of quests. You should go there regardless, but besides that, the only people who don't want to visit an entire section of the continent like that are ridiculously noobish or lazy. The question is how to get there."
"Exactly, that's what I'm talking about." Reineke pulled out his map. "Look, there are two ways you can go. The best option is to follow the Crisna River, or, as it's normally called, the Great River. It flows across half the continent, starting in the Sumak Mountains and ending in The Nameless Sea. All you have to do is follow it, and you won't get lost. That way is longer, of course, but you go from town to town doing quests along the way. All in all, you should be in Selgar a month or a month and a half from now. There are lots of towns along the way, and it takes a day or less to go from one to the other. You always have something to do."
"Just make sure you go around Snakeville." Krolina poked her finger at a spot on the map. "Right here."
"Why?"
"It's a bad place," Romuil said. "There used to be a village there called Snakeville. Then, three years ago, two clans went to war. Someone didn't do something—someone's toes got stepped on or whatever. Any-way, they really went at it."
"So what happened?"
"Then," continued Reineke, "one of the clans started losing. Their mage, apparently an incredibly powerful one, cast Universal Flood. It's a spell that starts water pouring out of the sky like, I don't know...like from a bucket. No, more like from a hose—a ton of water for a long time. But he must have missed something because the whole flood swept right through Snakeville."
"And?"
"And washed it into the river. The whole village. With its roofs, well, cows, and NPC villagers. Everyone drowned. All that was left were the chimneys. Well, and picturesque ruins of houses."
Kro jumped in. "The admins were furious. They added a rule saying you can't touch NPCs unless it's part of the script, and also another rule against large-scale combat in cities, villages, and really anywhere people live. And the penalties they added...damn."
"The admins also disbanded those clans, holding them responsible for catastrophic losses and casualties in the game world even though it's all just a bunch of code," Romuil said in closing. "And they left Snakeville as a warning. It's a bad place. They say it's terrible there at night."
"What do you mean?" I still didn't understand what was bad about it.
Reineke rejoined the conversation. "You always know you're playing a game, right? And no matter what you're going through, it's never really all that scary, no?"
"Of course."
"Well, when you're there, you have a hard time distinguishing the game from reality. You think that if you die, it won't just be the game. At least, that's what people who have been there say."
"But they don't tell you what's actually there," confirmed Kro. "All they say is that it's "terrible?' I wanted to go check it out, but I haven't yet."
"Long story short, just go around," said Reineke to sum up.
"Why are you sending him along the river?" Romuil interrupted and pointed at a different spot on the map Reineke was still holding. "He could go through Foim Plateau."
"Right, the plateau, where the yetis live?" Reineke snorted.
"It's twice as fast. And Amadze crossed it alone two years ago, and his level wasn't that high either."
"What is Amadze?"
"A scout."
"Exactly. And Leyton is a warrior. The yetis will be all over him, and they respawn every five minutes. Plus, Gruskat Plain is after the plateau. He'd have to deal with hordes of ores and wolves."
"It's up to him." Romuil stretched and continued.
"Anyway, see you all later. I'm off."
~ ~ ~
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