Chapter 6 – The Profession

If Daos had considered Fyr a bustling town, Lyr put it to shame. Once through the main gates via an archway easily double the width of Fyr’s, he saw streets crowded with people from all walks of life.

Vendors lined the sidewalks with kiosks in front of other shops housed in buildings that seemed to stretch on without break. Merchants shouted about their wares and sales to the throngs of people milling out.

“Look there,” Chopper said with a smirk as he nudged Daos, pointing to a frail looking girl in street-rat clothing as she picked the pocket of a well-to-do looking gentleman browsing at a nearby stall.

Neither of them said anything as they watched her pocket the coinpurse and disappear into the crowd.

I guess this is one way to tell the player they’ve left their small starter town behind and arrived in the big city.

“Don’t ya be worryin’ about yer money. It’s not until level twenty that yer coinpurse can be looted, ya? Anything else in the inventory is fair game at this point, though.”

“Thanks for the reminder,” Daos replied, double-checking his total of 7 Gold Coin anyway. He confirmed the Garnet was still there, as well.

“Imma be off then, was grand travelin’ with ya. I’m sure I’ll get some money when I turn in me fang quest, so take this,” Chopper said, opening a trade window.

Daos accepted and watched five more gold added to his total. Twelve gold, almost whole after what I lost to the PKers.

Nodding as Chopper turned away and took off into the crowd, Daos took in his surroundings with more attention. He guessed that most of the stalls on the sidewalks were player owned. They seemed placed haphazardly and crowded the walkways.

As he wound his way through the people, he noticed that stalls carried random things from one to the next without any logic to their placement.

I guess it doesn’t matter how realistic a game is – player marketplaces are always chaotic messes. I may have better luck with NPC shops in the buildings beyond, even if they never have as good a selection. Regardless, I need to change up my thinking. I can’t log out, so my priority is lodging. I can shop later.

“Excuse me,” Daos said, tapping one of the stall merchants on the shoulder to get her attention. “Where is the Academy?”

The brunette looked him up and down with an appraising eye, taking in his robe and the tome hanging from his side. She seemed to calculate his worth and by the time her eyes returned to his, she’d apparently decided he wasn’t worth her time.

“Head up High Lane, left on Brewer Street. It’s around that bend.” She turned back to the bustle of people, dismissing him.

“Thanks,” he said, even though she wasn’t paying him any further attention.

High Lane sloped upward and after a minute’s walk weaving through the throngs of shoppers, he came to Brewer Street. The crowd thinned considerably as he changed course toward the Academy and stepped off the main road, giving him more room to breathe.

Lots of earthy tones in the architecture here. Wood, stone, clay. No way I’m casting Vines without my orb in this place. I’ll need to experiment and make a list of spells I can cast in various environments before I adventure too much more.

“Coin? Spare a coin for an old man?” a voice sounded from the alley as he passed by.

Daos turned to find a thin man dressed in worn but clean clothing. That didn’t mesh with the idea of a homeless man asking for spare change. He also wasn’t particularly old, perhaps in his late forties, though Daos wasn’t sure what really constituted advanced age in VMO.

“You don’t seem particularly old,” he responded, having stopped at the entrance to the alley.

“Age is all a matter of perspective, young mage,” the man replied, smiling slightly, and offsetting the shadows cast on his gaunt cheeks. Sparkles of amusement danced in his eyes.

“Look, I don’t have a whole lot of coin, but I’ll remember you if I come into some,” Daos offered, hoping to end this encounter and get to the Academy.

“Fair enough. I’ll find you when you’re in a more… helpful mood,” the man smiled and gave a short bow.

He appeared genuinely happy with the exchange, causing Daos to furrow his brows and frown slightly in confusion as the man turned mid-bow and walked away, further down the alley.

“What’s your name?” Daos called after him, realizing at the last second that he may have missed some kind of quest trigger.

Fairy tales sometimes start quests and provide rewards based on charity to someone in the guise of a homeless person, right?

“Some call me Niccolo,” the man called back over his shoulder. Then he snapped his fingers and faded from view.

Niccolo. What did I miss out on, here? Daos wondered as he stared down the now-empty alleyway. A cat hopped up onto a set of boxes before launching itself further away to chase a mouse to chase.

Maybe some locals know about Niccolo.

Daos turned back to the road and continued on, contemplating what had just transpired. A short walk later he saw the Academy campus. Where the Academy in Fyr consisted of one large, main building, much like a medieval church in its layout, the campus here in Lyr was comprised of multiple buildings separated by paved walkways through well-trimmed grass lawns and shaped hedges.

There were at least seven buildings that he could see. Three on each side flanking the yard, and the most ornate of them centered at the far end.

That must be the main building, like a University’s main office. The others are probably segregated by topic or purpose. Or I’m completely wrong and have no idea what I’m walking into.

Each of the structures was built of a stone in similar red shades, offset with white pillars and trim. They carried a somewhat early American Colonial aesthetic. The sun would be setting soon, and shadows were already spreading over the yard.

A few robed individuals meandered across the grass, but most appeared intent on their respective destinations. Daos followed the path that was most direct to the building at the far end, failing to make eye contact with any of the other mages.

There’s a lot of red in the brick here. I could easily cast Rage or Danger Sense, but what else can I do with red? Fire would be oranges I’m sure, maybe with touches of blue or white. There’s not really an element associated with red, is there? Bromine is red, maybe I could make a choking gas? Give someone a headache?

Daos sighed, frustrated with the lack of ideas for the color.

The main entrance to what he hoped was the Academy offices opened into a marble floored interior the size of a grand ballroom. What looked like offices lined the sides, but what drew his attention most was the figure walking toward him.

“…Meister Oric?” Daos asked, hesitantly. Didn’t you die?

“Hmm?” the squat man asked, lifting his chin to look up at Daos.

“Are you Meister Oric?” he asked again.

“Hah! You must mean my brother. Twins we are, though he’s all the way over in Fyr these days. Did someone send you here looking for him? You’ve been taken for a ride if that’s the case, he transferred years ago,” the man responded. He had the same thinning gray hair and bulbous nose as Meister Oric. It was uncanny.

Brothers? Or an excuse to reuse character assets?

“Ah, no, I’ve actually just come here from Fyr. It’s just that, well – have you heard the latest news?” Daos asked, unsure how to handle the conversation and deciding that treating it like real life, given the depth of the conversation system he’d encountered thus far, would be the best option.

“It’s been some time since his last letter, but big news usually makes its way here every couple of days.”

“I see. Meister…”

“Atmos!”

“Meister Atmos. I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, but Meister Oric perished defending the city of Fyr from a barbarian attack.”

The color drained from the Meister’s face, though otherwise he maintained his composure.

“I see. Would you mind stepping into my office?” he motioned off to the side with one arm, his gaze distant.

Daos nodded and followed him into a carpeted room lined with shelves holding all manner of scrolls and tomes. It was a mess, the same kind of organized chaos he’d noticed in Meister Oric’s chambers.

“Please, please, sit. Tell me everything you know. Start from the beginning. How did you know my brother?”

Daos recounted for him how he’d come to meet the other Meister and of his early training, noticing Atmos smile occasionally, obviously recognizing his brother in the story. Then he told him of the barbarian attack on the town. He tried to ensure he put Meister Oric in a good light, walking the line between respectful and distasteful brown-nosing.

Meister Atmos sat silently for a few minutes when Daos was done.

“Thank you, Keeper Daos. I will need time with this knowledge, but I will handle that in private.”

[Hidden Quest Complete! You’ve informed a prominent figure of their sibling’s passing. 1,000 XP Awarded]

“Let me welcome you to the Academy at Lyr,” he continued, loss still evident in his voice. “Obviously, you’ve come here hoping to be set up in the dormitories and of course that can be arranged. However, I would like to extend to you an additional invitation. I run the Mage’s Guild offices here in Lyr in addition to the Academy itself. Your candor, recollection of and attention to detail, and composure today leave me satisfied that this invitation to the guild is merited, if you are interested.”

Wow, hidden quests? I wonder how frequent these are. XP and NPC guild invitation – did I really just stumble into this, or would I have received it anyway?

“May I ask a question regarding guilds, before I accept?” Daos asked.

The old Meister nodded.

“What are the rules regarding guild memberships? I’m new to this land, and I want to ensure I make informed decisions regarding things that affect me in the long-term.”

“Of course,” he responded with another nod. “It’s quite straightforward. There are two types of guilds: Native Guilds, and Outsider Guilds. You can be a member of any number of Native Guilds, provided you remain in good standing with them, but you can only join one Outsider Guild. I don’t know why that is, it’s something your kind enforce,” he added with a shrug.

“Now,” he continued, adjusting himself in his seat to lean forward on the desk with his elbows. “Each guild has its own rules for both initial acceptance and maintaining membership. In the case of the Mage’s guild, I’m acting within my own power to extend the invitation to you. It will fall to you, however, to ensure you don’t break any of our rules, as that would be grounds for expulsion.”

He handed Daos a parchment. When Daos looked at it and considered using his Analyze skill, a pop-up appeared over the text that let him scroll through all of the rules that would otherwise have appeared hand-written and harder to read.

He found what he expected. The standards most games follow for guild memberships. There would be no intentional harming of other guild members, no stealing from other guild members of the guild vaults, etc. Most of the rules were designed to maintain the peace among members.

“I’m definitely interested,” Daos said, returning the parchment. “I accept your invitation.”

[Congratulations! You have joined the Mage’s Guild! Guild memberships provide you access to Unique Quests, Merchants, Companions, and Locations!]

Daos mentally swiped the notification away.

“Wonderful. I’ll have a writ delivered to you in the morning making clear your membership. In the meantime, please feel free to make use of our dormitories. Meister Droden will be waiting for you. It’s the building just to your left outside the front door here. Now if you wouldn’t mind, I need some time to myself,” he finished with a shooing motion very reminiscent of Meister Oric’s.

“Of course,” Daos said with a short bow before he left the man to his mourning.

In retrospect that hidden quest was quite straightforward. The way I completed it is interesting though. I wasn’t provided any kind of indication I can remember that sharing information would reward me. I think it’s safe to say I missed out on something with that Niccolo guy. I’ll need to keep my eyes open for opportunities like these. I think it’s also apparent that handling NPCs like real people, and not just saying “yo, your brother’s dead, can I join the guild?” may work better, perhaps even provide more experience for completing the quests.

Daos smiled slightly as he walked. He may be stuck in a game, but it was certainly unlike any he had ever played. His imagination stretched with the possibilities of a system that could track hidden quests and what that might entail for his own future.

As he made his way to the dormitories to crash for the night, he recalled that he’d bowed to Meister Atmos when saying his goodbyes.

This game world is starting to feel more and more real. I didn’t even think twice about bowing my head, and it’s so easy to interact with everybody naturally. What kind of ramifications will being stuck here long term, have? What kind of mental state is DeathLag likely to be in, after all these years living as a Lich?

**** **** ****

Daos woke to an unfamiliar ceiling.

Right. Still in VMO. Up and at ‘em, then.

He sat up in the bed and looked around him. No other students were present in the large room, and all the other beds were made. I overslept, I guess?

A wax-sealed envelope lay on the small table beside his bed. My guild welcome note, I bet.

Pocketing the letter and rising, he then walked out of the room and down the hall to the main entrance. It’s a bit freeing not having to worry about laundry, showers, and the like, I suppose.

Opening the doors he took in the large grass campus of Lyr’s Academy. Only a handful of robed individuals could be seen near the doors to other buildings.

Must all be studying. Alright, that admin Nilchi said I should focus on getting stronger while he’s working out next steps, whatever those are. I’m still here, so the life support must be working fine. He imagined the pod in Edict’s medical facilities, next to those of the Alpha testers, like DeathLag.

He shook off the image his mind showed him next, of his shiny new coffin, the only one a single flickering fluorescent bulb could reflect off, the others having collected a layer of dust after all these years.

Daos took to the paved path and made his way to the Brewer Street entrance. High Street seemed to be the player marketplace. I can probably get my bearings there. I’ll need to find some quests and figure out a profession as well. I’m nowhere near powerful enough to handle the mountains blocking my path to DeathLag, according to Haffel. What else is there to do, other than level, while I’m here?

He pondered his options as he walked to the marketplace.

“Excuse me, sir?” he asked the first passerby he came upon. “Can you point me to the craftsman district?” I hope cities here divide themselves into sectors the way they do in most games.

The man looked him up and down, confusion writ upon his face.

“I’m looking to take up a profession, but am new to town,” Daos explained.

“What need does a mage have for a profession? Doesn’t the Academy take care of you lot?” the man asked, something like envy fueling his words.

Great, the robe stereotypes me. Hmm, I wonder…

“I am a mage, but I’m also an Outsider. My priorities are a bit different than your average mage,” Daos offered. “I’m not spending all my days cooped up within the Academy walls like you may be familiar with.”

“Oh, an Outsider! Huh, first I’ve met. You don’t seem like much,” the man said, looking him up and down once more.

“I suppose I’m not much,” Daos conceded, trying to hide the irritation from his voice. “Yet. That’s part of why I’m looking for the craftsman district,” He added, trying to bring the conversation back around.

The man looked at him again but shrugged. “Just keep headin’ this way, back to High Street. Take a left, it’ll lead you to Frilor Square. Most of our crafters set up there.”

“Left on High, to Frilor Square. Got it, thank you.” Daos left the man and began his trek back to High Street, following directions until he arrived at the square.

Hammers clanged, metal whined against grindstones, and people crowded around crafting stations. It’s almost as crowded as the marketplace. Lyr must be a pretty major hub here in VMO.

Daos took a moment to scan the square, taking it all in. Blacskmiths, armorsmiths, weaponsmiths, tailors, leatherworkers, woodworkers. What looks like alchemy labs, jewelers, miners, and just about anything you’d want to do has a workstation here.

The traditional stations common to most games were also the most crowded. Players, or at least I assume they’re mostly players, nudged one another in their efforts to access the various anvils, forges, and carpentry benches to the left where Daos had entered the square.

To the right was less crowded, but still full of people ambling from one lab station to another for alchemical experiments.

Between those and the metalworkers to his left, Daos was surprised at how many sat at jewel crafting benches, setting stones into rings and bracers.

Well, I’m going to be using wands, or maybe staves, so lets look at the woodworking station.

Daos shoved his way forward, trying to maintain his footing. He made it through and approached a woodworking bench with a hammer laying upon it.

“Excuse me,” he half-shouted over the cacophony of conversation around him. “Who is the trainer around here?”

“That would be Brookson, over there,” a girl to his left said, pointing behind the table before returning her focus to a menu only she could see.

“Hey, Brookson! What does it take to learn woodworking?” Daos shouted, trying to get his attention.

“Eh? What does a mage with stringy arms want to do woodworking for?” replied the stout, brown-bearded man in the a leather apron. He picked up a saw before turning away from Daos.

He’s not short enough to be a fantasy dwarf, but he’s got the attitude of one.

“Wand crafting, perhaps?”

“I don’t have time for idle conversation, or to help you find your way, mage,” the man replied over his shoulder.

Wow, what a curmudgeon.

“If you want to learn the profession, just say it, I’ll issue you your starting gear.”

“Maybe I’ll be back,” Daos muttered. He couldn’t tell if Brookson had heard him or not, as the man kept sawing away, his back turned.

Daos shoved his way back to the open air of the square.

Jewelcrafting probably holds quite a lot of potential for any class, if they can be enchanted like in other games. That may be worth looking into. Although…

Daos wove his way through the throngs of people toward the back of the square. Leatherworkers stripped hides and stretched them out to dry in the sun. Carts of various ores that miners hauled in to the forges gave way to vats for dyeing leather and cloth.

Eventually he found what he was looking for. Not many people at this station, he observed, looking at the tailor’s workbench. I wonder why?

“If you’re looking for a clothier’s shop in order to purchase a new robe, you’re in the wrong place, Acolyte.”

The voice was gruff, and sounded bored but not unkind.

“It’s Keeper, actually,” Daos replied, looking up to see a gray-haired gentleman with a moustache that twirled up at the tips gazing back at him.

“My apologies, oh great and wonderous Keeper,” the man returned, rolling his eyes.

Alright, not impressed by mages, got it.

“My point still stands. I train tailors, but I don’t sell ready made products. You’ll find those back in the market district.”

“A real charmer, aren’t you?” Daos asked, looking at the variety of fabrics and tools laid out at the workstation before him.

Jewelcrafting has its merits, but if I’m going to wear robes the rest of my life, maybe it would be better to look into tailoring? After all, didn’t Sir Donnan say that the camel accents he provided could be enchanted? Then again, there is my wand to consider as well. Maybe I should just go back to that grumpy dwarf-like carpenter?

“What need have I for charm? I train very few people these days, and never mages. Everybody wants to craft a weapon or stone worthy of a bard’s epic tale. Ever since Outsiders appeared, those teachers have had nothing but business.”

The moustached mouth twitched in annoyance, causing its curls to bounce. “I have students here and there, mind you, but I still live in the same house as before the Outsiders came, while they’ve all moved to better quarters.”

“Did you say you never teach mages? Is that a rule, or do my kind simply never aspire to be tailors?” Daos asked, amused at the melancholy perspective of the man.

“I haven’t had a mage as a student in, oh, five or six years. I usually have a smattering of folk from all walks of life, but lately the mages have stuck to wand and staff making, jewelcrafting, and enchanting. There are just enough Outsiders making quality robes that mages simply buy them now, and focus their attentions elsewhere.”

So, there are Outsider clothiers, but none of them are mages – at least here in Lyr? That may be an opening worth exploring.

“Teach me,” Daos said plainly.

The man stared at him for a moment, before snorting. “If you’re serious, I’ll take the business, but I still don’t train just anyone.”

“Maybe that’s why you still live in the same house.”

“I’m going to ignore that remark this time, mage. If training everybody who came along got me into better living quarters I’d do it, but there still aren’t enough comers to make it worth my while. Now,” he continued, “there is the matter of determining your worth.”

Alright A.I., will this be another introductory fetch quest for learning purposes? Impress me, give me something complex, or interesting.

Daos exhaled in surprise as he thought he heard a familiar yet unplaceable voice whisper “if you say so,” in his mind.

“First off, the name’s Erick, though ‘Master’ will do fine from you.” Master Erick laid out five bolts of cloth in varying degrees on the red spectrum. “You have a client enter your shop, asking for a dress that will offset her eyes. They are a vibrant green.”

He stopped and put his hands behind his back, staring at Daos expectantly.

“Where is she attending to unveil the dress? What kind of environment?” Daos asked.

He noticed the corner of Erick’s mouth threaten to curve upward in a smile. “A ball to be hosted at Duke Cartagon’s estate,” he replied.

“And what is the dominant color of the carpets and fabrics in this estate? I’m not from Lyr.”

“Red.”

Just ‘red’? You lay out fabrics of subtle shades and you provide me with ‘red’ and ‘green’. I see what you’re doing here. He kept his own smile from forming as his blood quickened with interest.

“The cayenne and the mulberry,” Daos answered immediately, nodding to the respective fabrics.

Surprise shown in Erick’s eyes. “Explain your decision, please.”

Aha! Didn’t expect that, did you moustache? “First of all, thank you for providing these differing fabrics to choose from. Green is complimentary to red, but only when it has a stage upon which to shine. Cayenne and mulberry are analogous to red. They’re different enough to separate her from the background, while still highlighting the intensity of her green eyes which will pop out over the shades of red and demand recognition.”

This time, the man really did smile. “What is your name, mage?”

“Daos. Keeper Daos, that is.”

“Well Daos,” the man said, ignoring his title. “Welcome to the tailoring profession!”

[Congratulations! You have signed up for the profession of Tailor! Professions allow players an alternate course of progression within the world of Velli Machia. In addition to adventuring, you can now gain skill in the manipulation of cloth. Higher level tailors are even capable of creating robes, cloaks, and other cloth items that can hold enchantments. Players can explore up to three Professions. Edict Corporation thanks you for playing and wishes you a wonderful immersion!]

Do all professions have a social combat style mechanic like this, in order to become an apprentice? I’ll have to ask around. That was refreshing, very different from any other game I’ve played, but I’m curious how it would have gone with someone who knows nothing about color.

Daos remembered the whispered voice in his ear, seemingly accepting his challenge to make it interesting. Was I hallucinating? I knew that voice from somewhere…

“Well then! Lets get started.” Master Erick began rubbing his hands together, looking at the crafting table between them with more energy in his stance than Daos had seen up to that point.