Artemis frowns as well, "I would love some armor, but I am pretty sure I can't afford any armor at this time as well."
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"Yeah having armor in the truck was nice. Dying with the armor on and having it here was a fortunate turn of events if you can call dying fortunate. After I pay the others back any shares I get from here on can go into a collective to buy armor for everyone. Now we just need some jobs. Maybe caravan guards. That always seemed popular when I was starting new games out. How about it Roland how far south is a town that may have trade caravan coming and going from it?"
Frank then realizes he just spoke to another new dead guys without greeting him. He approaches and extends his hand.
"Yo. Frank Steel. So you died. Welcome to saving the world."
Artemis takes the extended hand, "If you didn't already hear, the names Artemis, Artemis Eule."
Roland responds to Franks question kinda out of his character and monotone, ”Quests can be found by everyone in this world. Each person will have a quest but most likely when done will not have another one for months. Roland is a special case like others that need something and will take all that you bring them.” He then shakes his head and looks around a little weird before going back to cleaning a mug.
Joe stares nonplussed at the innkeeper/weapons merchant. "Roland? You alright?"
Roland looks at you a bit weirded out and levels with you, ”Outsiders seem to make me say strange things. No thats not right.... When outsiders come around I say strange things. It likely is from my adventuring days, at least that is what the oracle said. I have a strange connection with Outsiders, supposedly helping them. Most of us living in the town of New Beginnings are that way.”
The dinner is made up with fresh loaves of bread, roasted boar, a stew with boar chunks in it, and boar spare ribs with a dlicious barbecue sauce over it all. The ale runs free as Roland is happy to have Outsiders under his roof again. He even offers you to spend the night in the stables if you don’t have a place to stay.
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As the group rests from the days excursions she leaves the tavern once her second mug is done. If asked before she leaves she simply says, ”I am going to look around.”
She eats with the group at Roland’s table enjoying each dish and steadily drinks an ale with each course.
The old man in white next to the dome opens his eyes once you lay the silver in his palm. He smiles at you and says, ”Come my dear, let me guide you into the Oracle’s Temple.” As you walk into the temple with the old man leading he drops the coin into a fountain near the entrance and introduces himself, ”I am Father Emry. I watch the flock of New Beginnings and guide any Outsiders such as yourself. With your generosity you may learn an orison, approach any of our three oracles for a blessing, gain a resurrection amulet, and if you should want to retrain in a divine spellcasting class we can assisst in the ritual.”
Many of the villagers will stop and speak with you especially the men. Knowledge of the town is easily collected, really not much to learn except what you know about Roland, Father Emry, and Zenli Sensuleti. Each villager does give a quest but the payout is in coppers and they are mostly collecting simple items for their work.
As Roland leaves the table, Joe leans in and whispers to the others. "Did you hear what Roland 'said'? If I didn't know better, I'd think yellow exclamation points and question marks float invisibly over everyone's head. My god, what if this isn't the afterlife, but one huge interactive video game!"
The sword exclaims, ”DO NOT PRESS CONTROL ALT DELETE!!!”
Joe looks over his shoulder to the hilt of Excalibur. "1. How do you know anything about computers, much less computer-based humor. And 2. Have you always had a sense of humor?"
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”Arthur was part of your world and I am too, I did not have wielders in the last 10 years or so but I was mounted in a boulder in an AFK Tavern and before that I was a decoration for some nerd for more than 30 more. Well I wouldn’t say I have a sense of humor but I know a lot abount ending things.” The blade simply says matter of factly.
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She continues to use diplomacy with the villagers and everyone she meets. Leaving most of the quests alone seeing that they won’t help right now.
She snickers at the groups banter but remains quiet eating the food. Once done she waves to the group and says, ”Thanks for the dinner Roland, catch you all in the morning!” She steps out to enjoy the quietness and the cold breeze. She walks down the main street smiling to herself. She shakes a little when goosebumps appear on her exposed skin. She gets to the villages fountain and sits on the lip a while.
Seeing Jellena get up from the table, Joe follows her and catches up with her outside the tavern.
"Mind some company?" the paladin asks.
Artemis would partake in the food provided by Roland, especially enjoying the roasted boar as he ate at the table silently, listening to the banter between Joe and Excalibur primarily. He would quickly eye Jellena's departure but wouldn't make a note of it as he returned his full attention to the banter at hand. Finishing up his food, Artemis would pipe up and accept Delman's offer and would go with Delman to the loft once he was finished.
"Nothing", the paladin said as he too gazed up into the alien sky.
"Coping like everyone else, I suppose", Joe continued. "How are you?"
Joe if you knew anything about the constellations before you would know they are all different, also you can see three moons, one white, one red, and one blue.
Still looking up, Joe breathes, "Well, right now, In awe seeing three different moons in the sky. But in general, I'm living the ultimate gamer dream: I wield one of the most famous swords in fantasy and I'm living the life of my favorite class. And all it cost me was my life, my wife, my family, friends", Joe sighs, "..indoor plumbing, etc., etc."
"But with time, I'm sure I'll acclimate. I understand you walked the town already. Find anything interesting?"
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”It sounds like you had a nice life before. I am sorry it ended. Yeah I know the feeling with living the dream life of a gamer.” She turns on her black lightsaber. Her eyes get a little bigger and a big grin is on her face looking at the photon emiting blade and squeals with delight. After she calms down she relays her findings obvoisly feeling safer with Joe, ”I talked with a lot of the villagers finding out each has their own unique quest but it only pays out a few coppers, how to make something like a basket, or a few of the apples you collected. Though I did give a coin to each of the beggers of town, soon found out one was a sorcerous and the other was the priest of the temple. You know the stone dome building. Each gave me a spell like ability and a few other bonuses. I guess I was being greedy not telling everybody but the sorcerous was so mad at our lack of charity. I dunno, well you know now and we can tell the others tomorrow. I was actually going to get a lesson, you want to come.”
"What? A lesson on learning some actual magic?! Yeah! Sure! I'll come!" The paladin sputters and follows Jellena with haste .
Zenli suggests mage hand, acid orb, or detect magic as the cantrip and for the 1st level spell mage armor or shield.
Father Emery suggests detect magic or detect poison as her orison. He also says she may ask the oracles each one question before selecting one and he can divuldge some knowledge that is evident first: the black oracle is the oracle of death, she sees death but can also give life back and take it away; the orange oracle is the oracle of fire, she can burn but can also light your way; the grey oracle is the oracle of luck, some have no luck, others great luck, but always good comes bad luck will eventually follow. Go with your gut which do you feel drawn to and ask that one last.
Once the questioning finishes she will take them both by teleportation to a dusty basement with pads on the floor. With a sweep of her hand and a few arcane words the torches on the walls come to life, revealing a practice room. She finishes teaching Jellena her lesson for the night of ‘mage armor’.
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Delman takes Artemis and any others to his hay loft. It seems abandoned and the hay is old. Only a few mice which he shoots a few of them with his rays before letting his cqt familiar hunt. Before putting some more hay under a blanket which is already there he grabs two more blankets off to the side and tosses them to those who followed him. Then he flops down on his mound of hay covered by a blanket.
He wakes up rather early and does some stretches before waking the others asking, ”You could earn some eggs or breakfast by lifting bales of hay up there, should I get the old farmer?”
Zenli appears and once introduced she asks Joe, ”What class are you exactly and why didn’t you give to the less fortunate?”
"I am a paladin, and have been a paladin long before I came to this world. As I was talking to my new friend here", Joe motions to Jellena, "I did not give of my wealth, for none came up to speak to us who were in need. Though I have not dispersed metal coins of monetary value in my first day to your world, what I have already given is beyond priceless. I have given up the comforts of a home and a wife who loves me, a family who cares for me. A life of peace to come to this world to help bring it that peace", Joe said as his blazing eyes of conviction fell upon the wizard.
"Now in an effort to make my new life here a little more confortable, I wish to learn the cantrip prestidigitation. Do you know it and can you teach me this spell?"
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Jellena thanks father Emery once more before approaching the orange oracle of fire first and asks, ”Is the limit to the blessing based off of the oracle or the power she serves?”
Going to the grey oracle of luck she asks, ”Can I ask for a specific blessing?”
Lastly to the black oracle of death she asks, ”What oath must I say to make my blessing the most powerful to Death?”
With her questions being answered she then makes the oath the oracle suggests:
”Mistress of Death, empower me as your Chosen, make me part of your Familia, make me a priest of your children of the day and of the night, I will learn and serve you for the rest of my days here and after, I am yours eternally. Let it be by your will this blessing be laid upon me.”
With her blessing done she prays to the Mistress, stores her new items in her portable hole and waits for a time to study.
Once the training is over and the sorcerous leaves Jellena smiles at Joe before saying, ”Well that was quite a statement and I think worthy of being generous. Cheers to learning new skills, to getting better each day, and to new companions.” She then will look for any kind of blanket but if no luck perhaps pulling one of the mats up and using it for a blanket. Once set for bed she pulls out a massive book from her hankerchief and begins reading.
Joe wakes to finding her still reading.
She nods appreciately and after his request she offers, ”Interesting... a bit prideful, but that is a paladin... yeah I can see it especially with ‘That’ sword. So you may select two cantrips and one first level spell you can cast 3/day. Prestidigitation, that will be your first choice...” She talks you through what words to say, then the motions, and finally helping you visulize the spell in your mind. Lastly she says after an hour or so of practice, ”You have the spell for the most part, keep practicing. Talk with Jellena about your other choices and say my name at a town fountain when you are ready for more training. Sleep well, I know I will teaching is tiring work!” With that said she takes a few steps away, hits her heels together three times and a cloud of bubbles appears where she was standing. They pop rather quickly leaving only a little puddle of liquid behind that is gone in minutes.
Going to the grey oracle of luck she asks, ”Can I ask for a specific blessing?” Yes.
Lastly to the black oracle of death she asks, ”What oath must I say to make my blessing the most powerful to Death?” The oracle claps her hands to applaud Jellena’s use of her questions then says, ”Mistress of Death, empower me as your Chosen, make me part of your Familia, make me a priest of your children of the day and of the night, I will learn and serve you for the rest of my days here and after, I am yours eternally. Then ask your blessing or say, let it be by your will this blessing be laid upon me.”
A shroud of pure black and specks of light materializes and rests on her shoulders after she says the oath. She lifts off the ground and is infused with light and darkness. Now she is gestalt with cleric or oracle, blessed with additional abilities per level, a Book of Life and Death manuscript of the Mistresses’ faith, and a portable hole.
Artemis grabs one of the tossed blankets, giving thanks to Delman for it as he turns towards the hay, gathering a bit of loose hay into his own mound as he lays the blanket on top of it. After doing that, Artemis would take his rifle off his shoulder and set it beside him, before emptying his pockets of ammunition, and what else he had on him, setting it in clear view by the hay before flopping onto the hay and going to sleep.
In the morning, Artemis would grumble as he was woken up early, clearly not a morning person as he yawned and stretched for a bit. He would yawn again before squinting at Delman a little, "I'm probably not the best person for the job, but if it means a free breakfast, I'm willing to try my best."
Joe and Jellena walk back to the barn where the others are sleeping or readying for bed. Joe kept quiet, his mind feeling stretched and expanded in ways long sessions of mediation never could.
Holy crap! I can do magic!
As he finds a soft patch of hay to fall into, Joe says his good nights to the others and to Excalibur. Gazing up at the barn roof, the paladin quickly falls asleep.
At first, the big man wakes up disorientated.
Cyndy? Where's Cyndy!
Then it quickly dawns on Joe that yesterday was not one of his imaginative dreams. The paladin looks up at the barn ceiling and turns his head to let tears of frustration and loss drain from his eyes. Quickly drying his eyes, Joe looks around to see Jellena where he left her, reading a book. Joe rises to greet the others and Excalibur as the early morning light filters into the barn. With talk of breakfast chores, the paladin gets up and collects his things.
Time to test out the spell.
With concentration and a snap of his fingers, Joe casts prestidigitation on himself, magically cleaning his clothes, hair, teeth, and gear; leaving a pleasant spring valley smell.
"Well..it's not a shower but it will do", Joe whispers to himself.
Joe likely leaves the basement and finds his way to the tavern and spends the night in the stables with Sven and Frank. The three of you wake up scratchy and stinky.
Delman and Artemis are by themselves out of town.
Jellena is just out of town, Joe might be able to find hos way back.
Joe decides to walk the town, thinking about what other 0-level spells he'd like to learn.
Mending might be a good one..detect magic definitely helpful..
The paladin walks around town, offering coin to those who need it. All the while, Joe is talking to Excalibur about itself, asking questions like:
"Do you sleep?"
"Can you see at a distance? If you can, do you have a 'face', a point of vision or can you see in 360°?
"Have you ever spoken to any of your other wielders?"
"If somehow, we both went back to Earth, does that mean by wielding you, I have a legitimate claim for The King of England?"
At the farm Delman comes to the barn with an older man with salt and pepper colored hair and beard. He says in a gravelly voice, "I hear you want to earn breakfast too. Delman will be picking the eggs, you can either get some of the extra bales up into the loft or pick some ripe apples."
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The paladin walks around town, offering coin to those who need it. All the while, Joe is talking to Excalibur about itself, asking questions like:
"Do you sleep?"
"Can you see at a distance? If you can, do you have a 'face', a point of vision or can you see in 360°?
"Have you ever spoken to any of your other wielders?"
"If somehow, we both went back to Earth, does that mean by wielding you, I have a legitimate claim for The King of England?"
"Very good questions... some are interesting to answer. I don't sleep more like meditate, though I am still aware. I can see out to about 60 feet, everything gets really fuzzy or blurry. You might call it near sightedness. No I don't have a 'face', I can see all around just not at the same time. Oh yes I have spoken to all my weilders, it has been weird with all those dialects and learning other languages but it seems once I know the new one the old one fades. England, no but Avalon, a much better place but hard to get there as a typical human, but it is possible."
"Very good questions... some are interesting to answer. I don't sleep more like meditate, though I am still aware. I can see out to about 60 feet, everything gets really fuzzy or blurry. You might call it near sightedness. No I don't have a 'face', I can see all around just not at the same time. Oh yes I have spoken to all my weilders, it has been weird with all those dialects and learning other languages but it seems once I know the new one the old one fades. England, no but Avalon, a much better place but hard to get there as a typical human, but it is possible."The paladin walks around town, offering coin to those who need it. All the while, Joe is talking to Excalibur about itself, asking questions like:
"Do you sleep?"
"Can you see at a distance? If you can, do you have a 'face', a point of vision or can you see in 360°?
"Have you ever spoken to any of your other wielders?"
"If somehow, we both went back to Earth, does that mean by wielding you, I have a legitimate claim for The King of England?"
Joe listened intently to the legendary sword. "Wonderful! I was hoping some of your answers connected with my musings, as it were. I hope then you can be counted on to act as lookout while my frail human body gets rest. But if for some reason you can't, we'll depend on a watch schedule of sleep."
Also, I want your opinion on something", pressed the paladin. "I was originally thinking of asking Zenil to teach me the 1st-level spell, detect undead. Seeing how I can now detect evil, I still think being able to locate nearby ghost, zombies, banshees, and the like would still be an excellent skill to have. But you told me that you are The Bane of Undead. Does that mean you can also detect them? If so, I would choose another spell. If not, I choose that spell in hopes of making us even more efficient against the unliving."
Artemis nods, "I'll try my luck with the hay bales," before giving a small smile as he begins hauling the hay bales up.
30 mins, 1 bale
30 mins, 1 bale
30 mins, 1 bale
Artemis, after struggling for a while to get the first bale upstairs, is able to slightly improve on his hay bale lifting skills, spending a full hour and 30 minutes to lift and move all 3 bales of hay to the loft. Sighing in relief as its finally done, Artemis leans against one of the wooden wall beside him, breathing heavily and sweating all over as his clothes and skin seem to be covered in loose bits of hay. He wipes his forehead of the sweat that had accumulated over the hour and 30 minutes, before mumbling something about picking the apples in the field as he rights himself back up and hobbles downstairs to the ground floor of the barn.
The old farmer was collecting potatoes and carrots among other vegetables as you can see with the basket full of them. He snickers at you as he walks by with mirth on his tongue he suggests, ”Go get yourself a bath and cleaned up, we have one setup in the back of the barn for Delman. Perhaps you would be better suited at picking apples tomorrow. Hirry now breakfast will be hot soon.” Then he continues on his way to the cabin, whistling as he walks.
The ‘bath’ in the back of the barn is cool soapy water filled half way up in a 5 foot wide trough. It is about 3 feet deep and two buckets sit beside it with a chair, a bar of soap, and a brush. A towel hangs from a peg on the wall and looks dry. Inside of the barn is an old horse and cow as well.
”Yes I will watch out for you, who knows what would happen to me if you were killed. Plus I can get you ready for battle! Yes I can detect undead, you can too using your detect evil. I am sure my detection is better than yours.” the sword relays rather prideful.
"Thanks, Excalibur", Joe agreed. "Very encouraging news."
The paladin looks around. "I don't see anyone else in our group. Well, to be honest, I've been too engrossed in our conversation." Scratching his eyebrow, Joe sighs, "Well, let's see a lady about a couple spells, then."Joe and Excalibur walk to the New Beginnings fountain.
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Frank awakes after sleeping in a bit. Still processing all the new things going on in this world.
Everyone must be up and out. Wonder why they didn't wake me.
He stands and stretches before heading back in to Roland's place expecting to see the others. Surprised to find it empty.
"Roland have you seen any of the others this morning. I though we were heading south today. I guess I will wait here for them."
Roland shakes his head and sleepily yawns out his answer, ”No, I have not seen any outsiders today. You are welcome to wait, would you like breakfast, only 5 copper for the basic meal or a silver for all you can eat.”
The fountain in the center of town is a simple stone built structure masoned together with a flat surface ontop that is about 4 inches wide. The well of the fountain is 3 feet wide with a floating metal fish above it which spouts water above it into the air. The well is likely 4 feet deep and has 3 feet of water in it.
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Jellena strolls up to Roland’s tavern in her new black robe it also has itsy bitsy specks of light. It clings to her curves still showing her feminine shape. In her left arm is a massive black leather bound book with a metal symbol on it of a spiraling comet. Seeing Frank she smiles and has a seat next to him. Cheerfully she says, ”I have a surprise for everyone, you finish your breakfast and I will look for the others to meet here.”
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”Frank, where did you spend the night and who else was sleeping there last night? Delman offered to show his sleeping spot, did you go with him? I suppose we should stick together then.” She relays her happiness taking a hit.
A bit coyly she asks with her silver tongue, ”Roland I will pay for my croisant and Frank’s, take it out of my credit and if you will, may I have the rest of my credit in coins please.”
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"I must of had too many drinks. I woke up in the stable. Don't remember much else. Ate a lot of boar and drank a lot of ale. Sure thing. I like you. You seem to be taking all this in stride. Playing the hand your dealt and all. Well lets go have a look around then."
He stands and awaits for Jellena to stand motioning to the door as to say. "After you."