The next day, Deran rolled onto his side. He expected a stiff neck and a pounding headache from last nights partying and his end destination. Which happened to be a somewhat dry spot next to the hearth in the inn's common room. Lyselle was nowhere to be seen but Deran was much more focused on himself.

"I guess having a high constitution is the secret to hangovers!" Deran grinned, wishing real life had been like this. Waking up instantly refreshed after a night of insane partying was an amazing perk.

"Well, it's about time you got up." A familiar voice jarred his thoughts and he looked over his shoulder, seeing Lyselle in the doorway of the inn, "If you'd like to survive, you should stop celebrating and start preparing. You're gonna be in trouble real soon, so we need you to get stronger."

"I still don't understand that," Deran spoke while standing, his thoughts whirling about without pain, "So because I got an unknown quest, I'm somehow a danger to the company that they put a bounty out on my head?"

Lyselle sighed, plopping down at a table nearby, "You don't understand at all." She paused long enough to ask for some eggs and bacon, sliding some copper coins across the table, "You got the earliest unknown. Sometimes people will find an alternate ending to some major quest that exists at the end of a chain." She began sketching out droplets of old mead across the table, arranging them in lines, "But you found the earliest. The first in a chain. Which means almost every quest this one is tied to can be affected by it. If they don't stop you, you stand to run up quite the bill for One Life."

"well shit." Deran cursed, sitting next to her and ordering food as well, "Hey, uh, how do these coins work?" Deran pulled out a handful of mixed coins, coppers of various sizes and a few silvers. One large silver coin was nestled in the group, the sight of it bringing a whistle from the dainty woman.

"I'll be damned. Well, these coppers are the cheapest," She pointed out the smaller copper pieces, jagged pieces. "These are chips. Every four chips gets you a bit," She nudged the larger copper coin, stamped with a worn horseshoe. "Now it takes five bits to get a feather, something about a folklore around here."

When she stopped talking to resume eating, Deran poured all the money back into his pouch aside from the large silver one, an image of a swam embossed on it proudly. "And this one?"

Lyselle chuckled wryly, "That one. I have no idea how you got one so early; I'm still lucky to see a feather. A swan will pay for a week at this restaurant, with meals, tips, and change besides. It's worth four feathers on its own. That is by far the most wealth I've seen the past day and a half. Starter towns."

"So, I can live here a good while then," Deran counted out his coins and did some mental math.

Coinpurse

Chips(ch): 16

Bits(B):12

Feathers(f): 4

Silver Swans(S): 1

Pheonix(Ph): 0

Royals(Ro): 0

"About a month," Lyselle estimated from behind a mouthful of eggs, not even looking near where the coins were. Deran grunted in surprise, though she went on, "Aye, you can survive here for a month on it. But you can't grow. With whatever they send coming after you, a basic starter town isn't the place you need to be. Just saying."

Deran nodded slowly, finishing up his generous breakfast. His stomach still rumbled, "Damn, I'm still hungry." He griped, contemplating ordering some more food. Lyselle snorted and rolled her eyes. "Typical connie."

"Typical what now?" Deran asked, distracted from his plight, "Did you just call me what I think you did?"

Lyselle chucked a piece of stale bread at him she picked up from a nearby table, "I called you a connie. It's what you are. You have a high constitution, which gives you the great benefits of longer life, less chance of disease or poison, and just overall regeneration."

"Seems like a great thing to invest in," Deran said smugly, proud of his choice. His pride was soon sullied by a far too innocent laugh, "Silly. It has a drawback as well. A high constitution also burns up your bodies resources far faster. Your hunger bar depletes quicker than normal and you are far more likely to succumb to exhaustion from starvation."

Deran finally noticed his food bar flashing, a little red icon of a stomach. It was currently about a fifth empty, making Deran finally decide, "Just a few more eggs to top me off." He put another copper chip on the counter and then looked at his purse. After a long moment, he put another chip, and then a bit, next to it. "No sense not helping them, as much as they've helped me." He grumbled.

Lyselle beamed, laying a hand on his for a moment so quick it was gone before he realized, "When you're ready to learn how to survive beyond your stomach, come meet me in the courtyard. I feel like we got a lot of work ahead of us."

In the end, it took three eggs and another side of bacon before Deran's stomach let him find his way to the courtyard. Lyselle was stretching, wearing light leather armor. It too had been rubbed with fresh grass, giving it a mottled appearance, "Ah, there you are. I was starting to think I'd have to wait till lunch. And then we'd be right back where we started." She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Yeah, yeah. I was hungry. Sue me. What have you got for me, teach?"

She rolled her eyes dramatically, "Well, first things first. To level up the quickest is to go on adventures and quests. Really dumb to do that with no weapon skills. Show me what you've picked up since you logged on. I gotta know what I'm working with."

Deran awkwardly drew his sword and looked around. Seeing no enemies to fight, he just fumbled the sword through a series of what he desperately hoped looked like sword forms. To his utter dismay, they must have failed to convince the more experienced player, who fell to the ground laughing.

"Oh, my goodness, I haven't had that big a laugh in forever. Listen, for now, just hand over that sword for me to look at. Also, what fighting skills do you have, at what levels? Then you can show me some more of your sword tricks."

Deran blushed and handed her his sword. "My only combat skill is One-Handed. It's at level 2."

Lyselle's eyes narrowed, "What about primitive weapons. That should be at least level 3 or 4 by now." As she was musing, Gorgath pushed his way through the nearby street, emerging from the crowd into the courtyard. Immediately, her eyes flashed with understanding, "Ah. The unknown reward. You got something else instead." She nodded towards Gorgath, who blatantly ignored their talk of quests and rewards.

"So, you intend to show nofang here how to bear his teeth? I would watch, though getting through the crowd proved to be tough." Indeed, more people had gathered around the inn, guessing at the intent Lyselle had for her newbie companion.

Lyselle flashed a grin at the orc NPC and winked, "Well, your skills suck. But this sword more than makes up for it. I haven't seen a weapon with a durability over 20 before, nor does the town even have any masterwork weapons for sale. Not without completing some long feud questline that I haven't bothered to finish." She shrugged and handed him back the weapon, "So we should focus on swords. You want to dual wield, or use a shield?"

Deran rolled his shoulders, stretching out as well, "Seeing as we have a mage and a bard, I figure a shield would be the better choice. I should also pick up a set of armor from the blacksmith while I'm here."

Lyselle nodded, "You have enough coin for it. Though there is that tedious quest I mentioned. One of the factions grants you a suit of armor. I think that's the side I chose."

"What's the other side give, do you happen to know?"

"A horse, if you can call it that. Basically a half dead, ancient pony that can barely carry your weight. I'd take the armor myself, though a mount of any sort is nothing to sneeze at. They are expensive here and a luxury most can't ever afford."

"You can't just tame your own?" Deran finished stretching and got his sword back, giving it a few test swings.

"You can, though it takes a skill you can't get until your animal handling is at 50. And leveling that is a bitch, so good luck." She got her staff out and spun it lazily. The ensuing sparring match left most of the villagers laughing with tears streaming down their faces.

"So I obviously need more practice, " Deran panted, out of breath for the first time since logging in and covered with bruises. Lyselle grinned smugly, spinning her staff around again. Deran had to admit, however, her teaching had done wonders.

One-Handed skill increased to 8! (5xp) Block skill increased to 3! (5xp)

He also took a look at the new ability he got from reaching level 4 in One-Handed:

Parry! You can block with shield and sword alike! Lets you redirect a normal attack against you perfectly as long as you have a melee weapon in one hand. Cooldown 30 seconds.

Lyselle spun her staff lazily, calling out to the resting warrior, "You might as well make a run to the smithy before they close for the day. Since you have the money, it's better to get a set of armor now rather than later. Keep you alive a little bit longer." She smiled at him before making a shooing motion. "Now it's time to train the singer."

Gorgath began to back up, looking around desperately, "Uh, I don't need any further training. I'm sure I can make do." He had seen what she could do with that staff and was not looking forward to experiencing it himself.

"Nonsense," Lyselle smirked, "Come now, it shouldn't be too hard. You're a big scary orc and I'm just little old me."

"You may be little but that means nothing." He muttered, drawing his dagger with a sigh, "Alright, let's get this over with."

Lyselle cocked her head, "Is that the only weapon you have?"

Gorgath shrugged, "Aside from my voice, I haven't had much need for anything else. If you hadn't noticed, I'm not much like other orcs." He motioned down to his slight form with a grimace and another shrug, "Daggers work. Other orc weapons, not so much."

"Then this will be even easier." The dagger went flying from his hand before he could think to hold it tighter, the stick of wood becoming a blur in the tiny girl's hands. Gorgath sighed and shook his stinging hand, trudging off to retrieve his blade. It was going to be a long day.

"Excuse me, sir!" Deran yelled, trying to be heard over the din and noise the blacksmiths' apprentice was making outside, "I need a weapon!"

"Huh?" The bald, soot-covered man yelled back, pushing his glasses back up on his face, "Hold on there a second!!" He poked his head outside and roared louder than Deran thought possible, instantly being heard over the sound of clanging, "OY. IF YOU'RE MAKING THAT MUCH NOISE, YOU ARE DOING SOMETHING WRONG! IT'S A BLOODY HORSESHOE!"

The noise stopped instantly, "Sorry sir! I'm just trying to fix crucible!"

The man slowly withdrew his head back inside and gave Deran a deadpan expression, "Excuse me for just a moment, Sir. My apologies." Back outside his head went, "What is wrong with the crucible? It was fine when I cast my bars this morning!"

"Uh, I needed to remelt the metal for the tongs. Got it too hot though and it sorta warped.." came back the timid reply, obviously fearful, "I'll fix it, I swear!"

"Well, cut out the noise! I have a customer who needs to be able to hear!" With a huff, the blacksmith closed the door and turned back, "Ah. So, what brings you to my noisy smith? From your clothes, you look too poor to be here, though I was there in the main square when you brought the mayor's daughter so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt."

Deran grimaced as he looked down at the clothes he had spawned in: Once simple clothes that had been torn to shreds by spears and swords, slept in for nights in the wild, and only washed in rivers with stones. They had not held up all too well, Deran thought sourly. Time for an upgrade there as well.

"Yeah. I need to find a tailor next, once I finish up here. I'm looking for some gear and a few of the locals mentioned you." They had come at an odd time, it seemed. Most of the players had already left town before his arrival, off to do some world event. Aside from Lyselle, only two of the inhabitants left in the inn were actual players. The rest were NPC's; a mixture of villagers, traders, and a traveling tinker. "Figured I would see what you had in stock."

"Uh huh." The broad-shouldered man looked him up and down, scratching at his head and leaving soot marks, "What kind of gear were you thinking? I have a couple sets that would fit you."

"I'm thinking something medium. I'm gonna be the main focus but I want to be able to move around quickly. Mobility is more important than protection, though not by much." Deran ran a finger over a set of heavy rings, marveling at the simplicity of chainmail but unable to make heads or tails of it himself.

"Full chainmail and plate are out then. As would be plain leather." He slapped a leather vest playfully as he walked by. "Well, I got two sets of armor that would fit both you and your needs." He brought out a head and shoulders mannequin and settled it in a slightly clear space, "Names Aaron, by the way. The idiot outside is Luke. Hopeless lad, though he has moments where he turns out true artwork. Time should smooth out the kinks."

"I'm Deran. You probably knew that already, from all the talk that's been going on. But do go on, you have me intrigued." He motioned to the mannequin.

"Aye. The first set is this." He lugged out a chain shirt with a patch of black leather sewn into the links across the front and back. The leather was unadorned yet durable, Deran noticed, nodding in appreciation.

Chainshirt

Damage Threshold: 4

Damage Reduction: 2

Durability: 16/16

Quality: Masterwork

Value: 5 Swans

"And the other?" He questioned. Aaron didn't speak, just nodding to a glass display. Behind the glass was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. It was a breastplate, though it was smaller and much lighter than a full plate would be. It looked like steel, though there was some other metal mixed in on the surface, making swirling designs that gleamed in the light. "The boy did it." Aaron spoke softly, almost reverently, "I still don't know how he did it. Somehow used a few gold coins in the last stages to draw out the frillery. Said the symbols just came to him. It shouldn't have worked, from all I know as a smith, yet there it is."

Deran whistled, noticing the detail and attention that went into the metal, "Well, I highly doubt that I can afford that, though you must convey my compliments to the young master. For that, he is truly no less. How much is this set? I feel it will be more in my price range."

"Aye," The smith chuckled openly, still admiring it, "I doubt I'll ever sell it, not for what it's worth, at least. Maybe if I travel somewhere else... But anyways. To reality." He reached out and fingered the individual rings of the hanging chain, "This is a good piece. Will serve you through fights and won't hamper your movement. Sneaking wouldn't be as easy. Though, and you were right about this, the stories about you don't mention sneaking at all."

"Not planning on it," Deran grinned wryly, "It looks perfect for what I need. What were you asking for it?"

The smith sucked at his teeth and pushed his glasses back up, "Well, normally, I would ask for five swans. This isn't run of the mill but you won't find any better. However, I feel bad for the trouble earlier and I like you. So I can let it go for no less than three swans."

He looked at Deran expectantly, who was busy doing mental math. Shit. That would be pretty much everything he had. "Well, I was also wondering. I found these swords on my travels and thought you might be able to make use of them." He gestured to the four bandits' swords he had brought with him and left at the doorway. Aaron nodded and wandered over, "Hm. Not great quality work. But the metal is decent and can be reforged if need be. For scrap value... I'll knock a swan off the price."

You have unlocked the skill: Bartering (5xp)

Deran didn't hesitate to pull out his only swan and all four of his feathers. Wincing internally, he placed them on the counter and looked at his new armor. "Can I wear it out the store?" Not knowing the customs of the stores in this game, he didn't want to overstep. The blacksmith, however, looked at him as if he were daft.

"Well, of course, you can. How else would we be sure that it could fit you?" He hoisted it off the mannequin easily and motioned with his head. Tossing it over Deran's shoulders, he centered it roughly, "How's it feel?"

Deran flexed his sore muscles and tested the feel. A little heavy, though even just a point in strength would offset that by a good bit. It was a reassuring weight, leaving him feeling much more protected, "It feels excellent. Perfect, master smith."

"Were you wanting a weapon to go with it, my lord? Can't have a second-rate weapon with a suit like this."

"Oh, I have that taken care of already, thank you." Deran retrieved the other bundle from the doorway, strapping his newest sword to his side. It fit around the base of his new chain shirt and secured it snugly. Aaron did a double take, "That is quite the sword. I recognize the design. I didn't think those rumors were true, yet here I see they were. The mayor's blade. Quite the blade, that. Been in the town for too many generations. May I see it? The mayor never carried it."

Deran drew the sword and handed it over to the man hilt first, "Go right ahead. Maybe you can tell me something about it." The so-called beacon was a dark gray metal, seeming to be an anathema to its name.

"Oh, no that is a pretty blade," he stroked the metal lovingly, "It's made out of Tes'kelu. Something similar to steel but harder and sharper. Supposedly the metal has other properties, though no one has ever found them. Not too many of those things lying around. Worth a pretty penny."

Deran looked closer at the sword, realizing he had never paid attention to value, not knowing the difference. Seeing what it was worth made his jaw drop. 15 swans! That was enough for at least four months, easy! Deran swore as he realized how he had trivialized the mayor's gift to him. "Yeah, I gotta thank him more properly. I was tired and half dead."

Aaron burst out laughing, handing the sword back, "You gave him back his daughter, boy. That was thanks enough. Now get going, you mentioned needing new clothes. Tailors close soon. Go see old Lieker, he's a fair man with good taste. He'll do right by you."

"Did you know anything else about the metal? What the name means or anything?" Deran asked hopefully, already knowing the answer.

"No, not much. Just know that little bit from legends around the forge. Sorry I don't know more."

Deran thanked the man and walked back outside. The apprentice was nowhere in sight, "Darn. I was hoping to talk to him about that armor he made. Ah well, maybe next time." Turning back to head back to the inn, Daren sighed. No new clothes, with so little coin. With only copper left, Deran figured food and lodging would be more important until he found the next bit of cash.

As Deran walked, he heard the blacksmith start to yell at his apprentice again, "AND WHY THE BLOODY HELL WERE YOU REMELTING MY TONGS? WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY TONGS!"

By the time he managed to find his way back to the inn, the crowd outside had long dispersed. A very grouchy looking Gorgath glared at him from against the wall. He was sitting splayed out, "Curse you. Leaving me here with that demon woman. I can't move my arms. I can't feel them anymore. Leave me here to die."

"Oh, stow the drama," Deran snorted, kicking dirt, "She is a bit rough though. Someone has to be, I suppose. Let's get inside, I'll buy you a beer to make up for it."

The bard's arms seemed to begin to work again, as he sprang to his feet, "Why, a drink would be just the thing to set me right. Though I may need more than one.." He looked at Deran sideways, one eyebrow lifted.

"Aye, you insatiable rogue. You can have a couple of rounds. We will need them if Lyselle plans on running rampant over us every day." Gorgath groaned along with his, both shouldering their way into the inn. Lyselle grinned at them from a table and waved them over.

"Well, I'm glad someone could manage to get the brute up. He sat down halfway through our training and refused to stand. The nerve." She tried to keep her face serious but broke apart giggling as he chucked a pebble at her. Searching for any others he might have carried in, he growled, "If that was only halfway through, then I was wrong. She isn't a demon. She's something far, far worse."

"Hey!" She pouted, crossing her arms, "Just trying to help. Meanie. I don't know why, it's not like you gain levels or skills." The orc froze mid-animation while she talked about game mechanics, then resumed his motion, "Hey! Three beers over here, the fancy man is paying!"

Deran groaned while Lyselle thanked him for his generosity, "Wow, you really do look good though. I can't imagine that armor came cheap. You are far better outfitted than I at this point."

"Oh, about that!" He remembered to mention, "I found out some more about the sword. It's made out of some special material with lost properties. Might be worth looking into at some point."

Lyselle pursed her lips in thought, "Normally, I'd say it would lead to nothing. But that's a reward to the first quest in an unknown line... really, who knows what it can lead to. It's a lead, for sure. For now, however, we do the tried and true. Tomorrow, we will head over to the guildhall and start that quest. Getting you a mount will speed up a lot of things."

"What about you? Will you be getting the mount or the armor?"

She grimaced, "The horse. I thought having a mount would be great. Until I found out I can just call one with a skill in a few levels. Temporary and can't carry much, though neither can the pony, really. If I had gotten the armor, at the least I could sell it." She shrugged, "Too late now. But we can go over the options in the morning and get you the quest started. Until then, relax. I've already ordered. Maybe our singer friend can grace us with a song?"

Gorgath blushed, looking around at the crowd, "Not tonight. Maybe some other time, if time allows." She shrugged back, taking a long drink from her glass, "I heard the innkeeper mention having someone coming in in a few minutes to play. I suppose I can wait."

Deran grinned at the two of them and settled back, listening to the friendly bickering. You almost couldn't tell that one of them was an NPC. He grinned at his change in circumstances, fervently wishing his new life to never end.