Adam was accompanied by his elation as he returned to the guild through the back as Paul returned the weapons to the wall. He stepped into the guild hall where he saw a number of adventurers about, a handful to his right where he finally saw a large board where hundreds of sheets were pinned. The wall was so talk there was a staircase and a balcony that led to another level, where there were fewer items but they had pictures of all manner of creatures.

Dragons.

He saw two large, what he assumed were, quests which had sketches of dragons that were lined with colour. One was emboldened, black as night, the other was blood-red.

"Adam?" called the voice of Emma.

Adam snapped to attention and then quickly sauntered his way over to her and then revealed the piece of paper.

"Here you are," he said, "Paul told me to give you this."

Emma took the sheet of paper and then smiled at him warmly, a genuine smile. "Congratulations, welcome to the guild," she said as she then placed the paper aside. She shuffled some things about and then finally walked around the counter. "Follow me."

Adam followed her, though she didn't go so far. "Here is the quest board. The bottom quests are those for the lowest ranks and they increase in difficulty and rank as they go higher and higher. These symbols on the wall," she motioned to the symbol on the top left of every sheet, "define the various ranks. You aren't to take a quest that's higher than your rank unless you are in a party. The rank system starts at copper, and then goes to iron, then bronze, steel, silver, mithril, and finally gold."

Seven ranks, that seemed rather magical, or at least it did to Adam. He wondered if that had any significance to the world or if it was just a lucky coincidence.

"Paul was a silver rank before he retired to become vice-master. There are a couple of steel ranked adventurers who are active within this branch too.”

Adam looked to the wall and then back at her. "Why are there so many quests above steel rank?" he asked as he pointed to the ceiling above where there were only silver, mithril and gold ranked quests.

Emma smiled at him. "Sometimes adventurers come from other towns and might want to take quests while they are here. We make sure to have most of the important quests from the main branches, but most of our quests are local."

Adam's cheeks burned red and he nodded. That made a lot of sense and he probably should have figured that out with basic sense if only he had spent a few seconds to think. His intelligence was pretty high, but he supposed he wasn’t wise enough to use it.

"We will need to make your tag and also confirm your ability to smith," Emma said as she led him back to the counter. "As an adventurer you will need to pay a fee to enter any town or city that is based on your rank. The first three ranks and you pay a copper each, the next two ranks from steel to silver, you pay a silver, and then mithril and gold you pay a gold. Sometimes villages will charge you as well, they are usually a copper regardless of rank, but we suggest keeping to the usual fee as they will take to it rather kindly."

Adam nodded his head as she explained it to him. He wondered if he had paid a fee to enter the city the night before, but he was certain he still had…

CURRENCY

20 GP

That's what he thought.

"I will introduce you to Thundersmith who runs a smithy nearby," she said as she stepped towards the doors. "He will make you your tag. He's the best smithy in the town, there are a couple more smith's within the town, but if you aren't aching on gold then Thundersmith is your best bet. He’s a dwarf.”

"I can see why with that beautiful hammer of his," Adam said, thinking of the hammer.

"Have you met him?" Emma asked as she continued to lead him to the sound of the striking of hot iron not so far away.

"Yes I did, we had quite a lovely conversation."

It hadn't taken long to get to Thundersmith's smithy, he was a stones throw away after all.

"Ay, it's tha lovely Emma, come ta request a tag fer Adam?"

"That's right Thundersmith, would you do so?"

"Ay, a'course, a'course ah would, as long as tha guild's still paying."

"Of course," Emma nodded her head, "and I heard you and Adam have had a chat before."

"Ay, he speaks tha good earthly tongue, he does. Just a quick chat, ah heard he was a smith and so said ta him he could use ma forge ta show me how good."

"You would be willing to do that then, master Thundersmith?"

"Ay, a'course, a'course, as long as tha guild is paying."

"We would never dream of not paying a dwarf," Emma said with a smile, "especially not one as noble as yourself."

Thundersmith reached up and began stroking his beard as the corners of his moustache pulled up into a smile. It seemed as though the compliment worked on the dwarf, who quickly threw a look to the half-elf.

"Ay, ah'll test him out good and right then. Today?" he asked Emma.

"Whenever is most beneficial to you," she said before turning to Adam, "is today alright with you as well?"

"Sounds good to me," Adam said with a nod of his head.

"Then perhaps he could make a tag as part of his confirmation?" Emma asked.

"Ay, we'll do that then."

"Thank you Thundersmith," Emma said as she turned to Adam. "Once you are done at the forge, come to the guild and we shall consider your first quest to be done."

Adam's brows raised in surprise. "Oh, that's great."

"I will speak with Paul to confirm the reward, but it's usually a gold piece to confirm your craft."

A gold piece for doing something like that? That sounded like a good deal to Adam, who nodded in affirmation.

"Well then, I'll be seeing you," Emma said as she bowed her head and then left back to the guild, moving as though a soldier would returning back to their station.

Adam looked to Thundersmith and smiled. Thundersmith returned a nod of his head and then marched into his smithy. Adam followed after, hoping he wasn’t overstepping his boundaries. The inside of the smithy was rather messy, but in the organised kind of way. Over one side was one type of thing that was loosely kept together, and over that way was another. It smelled of lots of fire, coal, liquid metal and hard work. The smell wasn’t overpowering or anything, it was just a small enough place where the smell clung about like a stain.

Thundersmith found a mould of some kind and then grabbed onto some copper chips and brought it over to Adam.

“We will be starting with something simple, the creation of your tag.”

Adam nodded and then geared up before he placed the copper chips into a pot of earth before then using the large prongs to heat it up into the forge. He decided to not make small talk since he wanted to successfully make the tag, he didn’t want to embarrass himself in front of the dwarf.

SMITHING

D20 (19) + TOUGH (2) + TRAINED (2) = 23

SUCCESS!

It was a simple enough affair. He melted the copper until it was a lovely pool and then poured it into the mould, making sure to not spill any of the liquid. Then he left it out to set and cool.

Thundersmith nodded his head and then led him around to a pile of red oak handles that had been left around the place. Thundersmith’s pudgy fingers and thumb were far more graceful than they appeared, as they rubbed around the smooth handle towards the top where there was an area to slot something into.

“Are you able to create an axe, oh noble smith?” Thundersmith asked.

“I am certain I am able to create such an item for yourself, oh good dwarf.”

“This humble dwarf wishes to see.”

SMITHING CONTEST

D20 (5) + SMART (4) + TRAINED (2) = 11

D20 (12) + TOUGH (2) + TRAINED (2) = 16

D20 (12) + MIGHT (4) + TRAINED (2) = 18

SUCCESS!

Adam made sure the fire was yellowish-red before then heating the metal until it was glowing and malleable. Then he brought it down to work on it, hammering it as his muscles tensed and flexed under the effort of it, until finally he had something in the general shape of an axe-head. He repeated the process a few times, each time placing down a sheet of metal that the dwarf offered him.

Eventually the shape was fairly well spot on and he had enough layers to work with before he then went on to harden the axe head by heading the axe up though with a much lower heat. Then he quenched the axe and pulled it up just to check on it, before then warming it up once again on an even lower heat still so that the axe wouldn’t be brittle.

“You have created a fine axe-head,” the dwarf said with a nod of his head. The corners of his moustache shaped upward into a smile. “You are indeed a fine smith.”

“Thank you kindly, the words of a dwarven smith mean so much more than perhaps if you were human.”

“It is only the truth, young smith,” the dwarf said as he went to grab the tag that had finally finished forming. He brought it over to Adam. “I would like to see how you engrave the tag.”

Adam frowned and then cleared his throat. “I would like to inform the good dwarf that this is not something I am well practised with,” he admitted, for that particular attribute was no good.

“I will assist the noble smith in the process,” Thundersmith reassured with a deep, low voice.

SMITHING

D20 (20) - QUICK (1) + TRAINED (2) = 21

SUCCESS!

Even though Thundersmith said he would help, Adam spent a long while on the engraving without any help from the dwarf, other than how the layout should go. He needed to warm up the metal a little before he could force a design onto it. After about two hours he had managed to work into the tag with how the guild had wanted the tags to look, a name at the centre, some design around the edges, but leaving about a thumb’s width between the name and the edge of the tag.

“You had said you were no good, and yet I see a wonderful design.”

“I suppose I didn’t want to embarrass myself in front of a goodly dwarf such as yourself?” Adam said and then he shrugged. He was relieved that he had managed to engrave the tag well enough.

“Ah, yer gonna make me blush, laddeh,” the dwarf laughed as he slipped back into basic.

Enough time had passed that he could finally finish up the axe, giving it some final touches before then sharpening the axe. He fit the axe together with some help from the dwarf as the red oak handle was cut in a different way than he was used to until finally there was a proper axe made and ready for use.

“Ah suggest you give that in to the guild as part of yer task, they’ll take kindly to it they would.”

Adam noticed the common theme of doing a little bit more for the guild and the people, first with the fee to enter villages, and now this. He nodded his head though.

“Thank you for allowing me to use your forge, it was a great honour.”

The dwarf waved his hand as he went back to forging, sending him away.

“Get out before I’m even redder, and ya don’t need ta use tha good tongue of tha dwarves,” he chuckled. “Ah was just teasing ya.”

Adam laughed and then took the axe and the tag and made his way towards the guild, keeping the axe hoisted over his side pinned between the sword belt and himself, and the tag in his hand. It was still slightly warm. He walked with such a chipper step that one would have thought he was walking on sunshine.

He forced the doors open, but stopped to check if the little boy, James, was perhaps back to repeat the incident of the morning that Adam was keen to avoid. Seeing that the boy wasn’t around and the guild held far less people than the morning, Adam confidently walked in and then sauntered over to the desk. Emma was working on some sheets, but threw a look up to Adam.

“Good afternoon,” Adam said as he placed down the tag and then he placed down the axe. “Here are the items for the task, a tag for the guild and an axe.”

“Good afternoon,” Emma replied as she gave the tag a once over and then stared at the axe. “You made the axe?”

“Yes I did.”

“I see,” she said as she peered across the axe for a while longer. “Did Thundersmith ask for any payment in regards to these?”

“He didn’t inform me of it,” Adam shrugged.

Emma paused for a long moment as though she needed to chew on some thoughts for a while. Eventually she came to some sort of conclusion.

“Please take a seat and I will confirm some business with Paul, this is a normal step in the procedure,” she asked as she took the axe and the tag.

Adam sat nearby, a little ways away from the other adventurers as he leaned back and relaxed. He crossed his arms and just sat there, his eyes falling across the various adventurers before he finally looked down into his pack. He was feeling pretty thirsty and hungry right now, though he did notice there was a small bar off to one side with a menu that had been etched into the wall. There was also some wooden tags with prices that could be swapped out beside the food and he stared at all the options. He almost drooled with the types of food that were about, even the cheaper food such as bread and soup seemed to sound delightful, though he did notice most of the food was at least a few silvers and some even went to the gold territory.

He was quickly brought back to attention when he saw Paul and Emma appear, Paul motioning his head for Adam to follow him to the desk. Adam stood up with his pack over his shoulder and walked to Paul.

“We’re almost finished,” Paul said, “just need to explain the rank stamping system.” Paul grabbed onto a long bar that was basically a long cuboid which was slowly glowing blue with arcane power. He placed the tag between two blocks that secured the tag and then grabbed onto a hammer, which was also glowing blue, and then placed the cuboid onto the tag. He then slammed the hammer onto the end of the cuboid, which broke through the tag to create a hole.

“Each tag requires a different amount of stamps in order to rank up. The first tag, the copper tag that you have, needs at least twenty stamps to rank up. Each rank requires more stamps before you can continue on to the next, where there will be a promotional quest. Usually you can receive multiple stamps in the initial copper phase, like now.” Paul began to force into the tag a few more holes. “One for being so strong, another for knowing a trick, another for being able to smith, another for making the axe, and another for being well equipped, then for doing all of it so quickly, a last one. Six stamps out of twenty, not quite a record but close to it.”

Adam puffed up his chest and smiled. He was glad that Thundersmith had told him to make the axe now, he would need to thank the smith in some way. He wondered if he could go and order something to be delivered to Thundersmith. Then a thought flashed within his mind.

“I saw a red tag on the boy, James. Is that a rank or something else?”

Paul threw a look to Emma and then nodded back to Adam. “It’s a special rank from within the guild, usually we give them to guild workers or during emergencies.”

“Right?” Adam said as he raised his brow. The boy was just delivering something from what he remembered. He was rather young to be working at the guild.

“James is a special case, and we make sure that people know that he works for the guild.”

“Right…” Adam paused for a moment to think. “I suppose everyone has their circumstances.”

Paul nodded towards the sentiment. “We’d appreciate it if you’d leave James to his business, but offer him help if he seems stuck.”

“I’ll be sure to do that,” Adam replied earnestly. He could certainly respect that James was working so hard considering how young he was. He wondered if he had a sick family, or perhaps no family at all. The thought brought his lips to a frown.

“Welcome to the guild Adam, Emma will finish up the reward for your quest, though I guess I should first do this,” he said as he stamped a seventh stamp. “I’ll be seeing you,” he said with a chuckle before heading away.

“You as well, thank you,” Adam almost winced at how many times he has thanked people today. He couldn’t help himself, he supposed that was his British sensibilities. Now he was conscious of it.

“For your quest completion we were going to offer you one gold, but since you also brought an axe, we will be willing to buy it for four gold pieces for a total of five gold pieces.”

Five gold? He had increased his wealth by a full quarter!

“That sounds great,” Adam said as Emma then placed out a tray and counted the five coins before handing them over to him.

CURRENCY

25 Gold

“You may take any quest from the copper rank, they’re near the bottom as I said, and since you’re a new adventurer we will put up your food and board for a full week starting from today. There’s a meal around dawn and then a meal around dusk.”

Adam nodded his head and thanked her as she then handed him a key, as well as his tag which now had a string over it. “The key has your room number, we will expect for it to be returned on the dawn of the eighth day since you received it unless you wish to start paying for the room and board. Please keep the tag around your neck and have it visible at all times, it is useful for strangers to identify you and will set them at ease.”

Adam thanked her once again, slipping on the tag. It felt rather light, but the weight of having something around his neck when he usually didn’t have anything around it did pull some of his attention to it.

QUEST COMPLETE

Becoming an Adventurer

RANK GAINED

Copper

EXP GAINED

QUEST (20) + OTHERWORLDER BONUS (20) = 40

EXP

40

Oh. He didn’t realise that this would have given him a rank. He supposed it made sense, a quest completion did usually give some experience.

Then he trekked his way up the stairs to come along a hallway that spread out a long ways. He went to check what his new room would look like.

It was fairly small, and was almost identical to the room at the other inn that he had stayed at. He was unsure of the name of the inn, it had slipped his mind to check, but he roughly recalled where it had been. He dropped down the pack into the chest and then locked it. He supposed he should probably head down to eat. His items should be safe in the room so he stripped out of his armour and then made his way down, keeping with him his die, his sword and his shield.

The adventurer’s guild was becoming lively once more as evening approached. There were a large number of adventurers, about three distinct groups as well as a few handfuls of those that were outside those groups.

Adam sat down at a table near the front desk, mostly just relaxing. He waited until a bell rang as the person at the bar, a human woman who was quite thick with muscle and curves, then brought over a huge pot. One adventurer from each group got up first to grab a tray and a large number of bowls and bread for their companions and then one by one the solo adventurers stood, awaiting for their turn like ants ready to get to the honey. Adam stood all the way around back, standing in the queue behind a young man a little under his age. He turned back to see Adam, glancing down at the tag.

“Oh hey, seven stamps?” the young man said beside stepping aside and motioning with a hand. He was tall and strongly built, wearing heavy fur that was white and grey, contrasting with his own dark hair and eyes. He also carried with him an axe and shield, with no pack to be seen at the moment.

Adam looked at him a little confused. “Sorry, did you need something?”

“Just letting you up front,” he said as he raised his own tag. It was copper too but with only six stamps.

Adam nodded and then stepped forward. “That’s how that works?”

“We need to respect rank, there’s a process to these kinds of things, makes it go smoothly. You’re new?”

“Yeah, I just became an adventurer today.”

“How did you get so many stamps?”

Adam shrugged. “I was taught a lot of skills and got lucky.”

The young man nodded. “I joined about a week ago,” the young man said as he raised a hand to shake Adam’s. “I’m Jurot of the Iyr.”

HISTORY

D20 (10) + SMART (4) + TRAINED (2) = 16

SUCCESS!

The Iyr was a region near red oak filled with barbarians of old with queer customs in comparison to the civilised lands. The tribe of the Iyr were often recruits as soldiers in the formative years of the Kingdom, though now their numbers wane and they take to becoming adventurers.

“I’m Adam,” he replied as he shook Jurot’s hand. “I like your armour, what is it?”

Jurot smiled and then showed off his long cloak, running a rough hand all along the side of it. “Vulfaire, from the far Northlands. I travelled with my father and we slew one together, ah, how you say… Snow Wolf?”

NATURE

D20 (18) + SMART (4) = 22

SUCCESS!

A Vulfaire, sometimes known as a Snow Wolf, though not to be confused with a snow wolf, is a creature born within a pack of snow wolves but develops beyond through the way of the arcane, feeding on creatures filled with magic. They are powerful creatures that can cross the icy caverns of the north with a single bound.

“A Vulfaire, huh? That’s amazing.”

“I managed to strike it a few times, but my father wouldn’t allow me to remain too close for too long. One day I’ll manage it by myself, when I’m steel.”

“Then I wish you the best of luck,” Adam said as he finally arrived at the front where the keep ladled some soup for him. He threw a glance back to see the solo adventurers with two bread a piece and so he grabbed two. She had also poured him an ale and he thanked her before walking back. He sat down and then Jurot appeared moments later with three pieces of bread and two mugs of ale.

Jurot sat down opposite him and then began to devour his food. Adam looked over towards the barbaric young man before getting to start on his own soup. He sipped a little of it, tasting the heavy saltiness. The soup was filled with slices of smooth onion, soggy carrots, and thick chunks of potatoes. The ale was smooth, though it was quite a weak flavour.

HP increased to 13.

Well that was nice. It seemed as though the damage he had received from Paul had been temporary damage that needed just a little rest to deal with.

Adam continued to eat his food as Jurot finished. The dark haired youth sprawled against his chair once he was.

“Where are you from?” Jurot asked.

“From a small village quite a ways away,” Adam replied. “It’s a place that prefers to keep to itself.”

Jurot nodded as he drank at his ale and then started to chew into his fluffy bread beside him that still half remained, though seemed to be an after dinner snack.

He could hear the chattering from the various adventurers as he ate.

HP increased to 14.

One adventurer caught his attention. He was a human with short brown hair and brown eyes that called out to him with a nod.

“Oi, elf-boy,” the man said, “you’re the new adventurer?”

Adam replied with a nod.

“What? Can’t you speak basic?”

“I can,” Adam replied dryly.

The adventurer laughed. He wore a bronze tag around his neck that had quite the number of stamps. He also wore a different set of heavy armour, more resembling a mass of scales like a dragon or a fish, Adam wasn’t quite sure which one the adventurer was closer to resembling at the moment.

“Well then, here’s to you elf-boy!” he roared with laughter as he raised his mug. The adventurers beside him were a manner of many different roles, he could spy a holier warrior and a pair of ranged folks, all human. They too raised their glasses as a toast and soon the others joined in to welcome the newcomer.

“Drinks are on the newbie,” the adventurer laughed.

“Why don’t you pay for it you stingy bastard?” Paul said as he appeared, heading to the barkeep and then leaned against the counter as she poured him a drink. “You just got back from slaying a pair of giant boars, didn’t you?”

“That we did!” the adventurer raised his mug. “To us!”

The adventurers in his group raised their mugs. “To Peron’s free drinks!”

Paul laughed as everyone else started to drink to such a toast.

Peron reached down and then slapped down a gold coin. “Go ahead and get to drinking!”

Adam didn’t get swept into it as he decided to excuse himself, watching as Jurot placed his tray near the keep off to one side and then grabbed himself a drink. Adam placed his tray aside and thanked the keeper for the food before excusing himself to his room. He could see a few adventurers coming out from at the end of the hallway wearing only some towels as they then disappeared into their rooms.

A bath?

Adam stripped out of his armour and locked it in the chest before he walked over to check. Indeed there was a standing bath behind the various doors. There was a lock that revealed which were in use and so he chose one that wasn’t. Then he looked around to find a towel before he saw that there was none around…

Where could he find a towel?

He was too embarrassed to ask so he checked the ends of the hallway before he returned to his room. He checked the dresser beside the bed and indeed there was a towel there. He smiled and then went to the bathroom, seeing Paul nearby too.

Paul threw a nod his way. “Bath?”

“That’s right,” Adam replied awkwardly.

“Alright. Make sure you rinse off your clothes. You can let them dry over the window during the night.”

Adam nodded a thanks and then the pair went about their way. Adam stepped into the small bath and saw a single lever that seemed to have a temperature level from cold to hot. He locked the bath, stripped down and placed his clothes aside before he then placed the lever slightly towards the hot side. Then he pulled the lever.

The pipes gurgled like a choking child before warm water splashed all across him. Thank god there was a bath here. He sighed and relaxed, letting the day float away. He would sleep well tonight. The aches of his body began to soak away.

HP increased to 20.

He smiled. There was a bar of soap that was almost entirely diminished which he applied liberally before he was done with the bath, unplugging it and then he rinsed off his clothes before he returned to his room. He placed the clothed over the window to allow it to dry. Then he dropped onto his bed and sighed. He began to think of the day but then the blackness of slumber swallowed him.