On my way out of the village I see an old man with a scowl on his face sitting in the shadows of his front porch. As I walk over he seems to tense up. I say “Hello, I am new in town and I am looking for any quests you may have. Is there anything I can do for you?”

“Be on your way.”

“Really? I am happy to help, it’s no trouble at all.”

He now looks pissed as he leaps up and says. “I said be gone.”

“You know you are the first person here who hasn’t had a quest or indicated what the requirements are to get one. What is the deal here? I will be happy to leave after you explain.”

The old man seems to deflate as he collapses back into his chair. I hear him mutter. “Thrice asks and thrice heard.” He looks at me with a very depressed expression as he says. “You may as well have a seat.”

As I take a seat he continues. “I am Cal and I am a jeweler, though there is not much need of it here in the village. I will offer you the chance to learn jewelry, but you will have to bring me twenty amethysts. Amethysts can only be found in the Gnoll area. They are the toughest creature here in the starter area. To get an Amethyst you must mine copper ore and one in twenty copper nodes you mine will have an Amethyst. There are only 6 copper nodes in the area and it takes a day before they regenerate. Each time they regenerate in a different location.”

Become a Jeweler Quest

Bring twenty Amethysts to Cal the jeweler.

Reward for Completing: Jewelry skill.

Penalty for not completing: None.

Do you accept the quest? Yes or No?

I accept as I say. “That sounds like a very hard and long quest.”

Glumly he says. “Yes.”

“Good thing I have this then.” I reach into my inventory, pull out the geode and hold it out to him.

His shocked face is something to behold. He snatches the geode with more energy than I would have credited him with just a minute ago. He begins to laugh as I get an interesting new prompt.

Become a Jeweler Quest Update

Bring twenty Amethysts to Cal the jeweler. You have completed the quest and revealed a hidden quest. Cal the jeweler is under punishment, exiled to the Starter Area for ten years. Each person who accepts the quest “Become a Jeweler” but does not complete it will add one year to the jeweler’s sentence. Seven adventurers have taken this quest without completing it before leaving the Starter Area adding seven more years. On quest completion Cal’s exile will be reduced by a maximum of ten years. Then he will no longer be able to offer the quest.

Reward for Completing: Jewelry skill. Reduce Cal’s sentence by 10 years. Reputation increased with Cal to maximum.

Penalty for not completing: None. Add one year to Cal’s sentence.

You are the first person to complete this Quest, 250 XP awarded.

Fame increased by 50.

Congratulations

You have leveled up!!! You have four free stat point to allocate, choose wisely. For your actions during your level progression your reward is: +2 Intelligence, +1 to Wisdom, +1 to Constitution.

Fame increased by 5.

“How in the world did you find this geode?”

“I found it in the Starter Glade.”

“Incredible, well this is both our lucky day. Come on in and I will have something to teach you.”

I follow him into the house, which seems hardly lived in. He heads into a study and gestures for me to take a seat. The desk has magnifying glasses, small clamps, tools, and some powerful lamps that focus light on various parts of the desk. He places the two halves of the geode on a felt covered pedestal and focuses a light and magnifying glass on the two pieces in turn. These have a deep purple color under the light.

In a jovial voice he says. “You have 27 Amethysts here, 12 medium flawed, 5 medium cracked, and 10 flawless. I will remove and polish these. While I do that I have two books for you to read.”

He gets up and removes two thick books from his bookshelf. They are A Jeweler’s Craft and Gems of all Kinds.

“Well start reading.” He says as he moves back behind the desk and begins to set out various tools.

I focus on A Jeweler’s Craft and get a reading prompt while once again feeling like something is possessing my body as I begin to flip pages at a fast pace. I finish the book, look up and see the smaller of the two geode pieces is now empty of crystal. Cal is now working on removing the crystal from the other piece. I greet a new prompt as I realize why he is using the cushioned pliers on the outer crystal.

You have learned the skill Jeweler, 10 XP awarded. Basic 1. Lore increased to Basic 2.

I pick up the second book and once again start reading. When I finish the second book I know all about every type of gem, their characteristic, and where they are found. I look up again. It is now dark outside and Cal is putting a final polish on the gem stones. The geode is now empty and a piece of felt is now covered with over two dozen gems. Cal stands up and stretches. He says “It is getting late. I am going to need two more days to finish the stones, so come back then and I will teach you more about being a Jeweler.”

I yawn and say goodnight as I head over to the Tavern. The owner asks how my hunting went and I admit I never made it out of the village. He laughs and says. “No problem. That happens when you try to get all the quests at once. Let me get you some food.” After scarfing down another bowl of delicious stew and bread. After eating I am ready to pass out. I go to my room and fall right into bed after locking my door. I check out my Status Panel before allowing myself to drift off.

George Peterson Age: 16 Level: 5 XP to next Level: 1301/1500 Class: None Race: Harrow Titles: Reborn Fame: 115 Str: 14 Melee Damage Modifier: +4 Agi:

12

Range Damage Modifier: +2 Dodge: 2% Con: 10 Health / Stamina: 50 / 50 Health / Stamina Regen: 10% per min End: 22 Pain Threshold: 12% Int: 26 Mana Pool: 130 Wis: 21 Mana Regen Rate: 5 per min Cha: 10 Trade Modifier: 0% Per: 23 Favor: 0 Abilities: Night Vision, Shaper (Basic 1, 63%), Ritual Magic (Basic 8, 35%) Skills: Crafting (Basic 3, 0%), Herbalism (Basic 1, 0%), Inspect (Basic 7, 23%), Jeweler (Basic 1, 0%), Mana Manipulation (Novice 6, 53%), Numbness, Reading (Basic 2, 0%), Sense Stone (Basic 3, 0%), Shape Air (Basic 7, 34%), Shape Stone (Basic 3, 75%), Shape Water (Basic 6, 23%), Shape Wood (Basic 1, 0%), Skinning (Basic 2, 50%), Spears (Basic 2, 0%), Stealth (Basic 3, 25%), Unarmed Combat (Basic 1, 0%) Spells: Ritual Ward (Novice 6, 53%) Type: Raw Mana Protective Ward Equipment: * Unallocated Status Points: 4