Chris woke up in a bed in a small room. The sounds of speech and others moving around could be heard through the wooden walls, and he surmised that he had spawned in an inn. Rising, he quickly checked to be sure that he was still dressed and accessed his inventory to re-equip his dagger. The system gave him the option of automatically equipping items, or, as he chose to do, he could take his time and actually buckle on the belt and sheathed knife.

He filled a nearby basin with water from a pitcher and hurriedly scrubbed his face. His morning ministrations complete, he opened the door, made his way into the hallway, and down the stairs into the main room of the inn. Several patrons already graced the various tables in the room - mostly dwarves, although there was a pair of humans seated off to themselves - and most were tucking into plates of steaming food and mugs of dark brown ale.

Chris stepped up to the beautifully carved wooden bar which graced one side of the inn/tavern and signaled to get the barkeeps attention. The middle aged dwarf made his way over to where Chris stood and looked him up and down.

"So our mysterious guest finally decides to make his appearance, eh? We wondered if you were alright after you appeared out of thin air and fell onto one of my tables, unconscious. Scared the daylights out of the gentleman who was in the midst of his dinner!" He grinned as he finished this last statement.

"My apologies, sir, for any inconvenience! Thank you for your care and understanding. Chris Duskheart, at your service." He proffered a hand to the dwarf who took it and shook it vigorously.

"Ergran Ironforged, at yours, lad!"

"I'm assuming I owe you something for the room?"

"Aye, rooms run five silver a night, but that does include a hearty breakfast, if'n you be hungry?"

“I definitely won’t object to some food.” Chris said as he placed six silver coins on the table. “An extra silver for your trouble, sir.”

“And for that, I thank you!”

“I know this may sound a bit odd, but can you tell me what city I’m in and where I’m at?”

Ergran paused for a second before answering. “I should have figured you might be a bit confused, what with the way you dropped in on us. This is the King’s Arms Inn located in the Dwarven Hold of Genfaldur - the King’s City. Argent Stonebane, Third of His Name currently sits on the Iron Throne, and long may he reign. Genfaldur is the trade hub for the Dwarven Mines and is one of the few places in Dwarfdom where other races are welcome.” He gave a quick nod in the general direction of the humans before turning to prepare a few drinks.

Chris wandered over to an empty table and sat down observing the room around him. A large fireplace took up the majority of the far wall, and a cheery fire pushed back the chill. Tables were scattered around the room and booths lined the walls, speaking to a larger evening patronage. It didn’t take long before a young dwarven maid brought him a large plate of a smoked sausage as well as eggs and toasted bread and shortly thereafter Ergran brought over a mug of ale. Chris tucked into the meal with a will and found himself mopping the remnants from the plate with the bread moments later. Ergran came over to take his mug and plate and Chris pulled his property deed from his inventory.

“I don’t suppose you could tell me a bit more about this document, if it’s not too much trouble?”

The barkeep took the proffered document and looked it over, his eyes widening in surprise. “Aye, lad, this is no small matter. Not many folk are granted land just outside the city walls, and this particular deed grants you enough to be a landed lord. Not royalty, per se, but nae a commoner either...” He handed the parchment back before continuing. “You may want to keep that safe until you can file it at the Keep. I’m assuming you’ll be wanting to head there directly?” Chris nodded an affirmative and Ergran continued. “Well, the keep is not that hard to find. Just head out the door and take a left. You’ll come to the main street and the Keep is at the end of it. Mention to the guards that you have business with the Record Keeper and they should direct you accordingly.”

“Thank you, Ergran. Your kindness is much appreciated. If I’m ever back in town, I’ll be sure to stop by and I’ll tell everyone where they can find a good bed and fine meal.”

Chris made his way up the main street of Genfaldur, avoiding other pedestrians as well as the plethora of carts and riders who passed him by. Stalls on either side of the street offered everything from food to weapons and armor. He resisted the urge to stop and browse the wares of the many vendors, but eventually found himself drawn to a shop on a corner near the keep. The sound of hammer striking anvil rang out clearly through the open door, and he quickly crossed the street to enter.

The shop was much warmer than the chill of the outside mountain air, the noise increased exponentially. Chris glanced around the shop, noticing what appeared to be well-made suits of armor as well as chain mail shirts and weapons ranging from simple daggers and swords to embellished battleaxes and exotic polearms.

A large dwarf with arms like tree trunks paused in his hammering and turned to face Chris. “I’ll be with y’ in nae but a moment. Touch nothing, ‘less y’ plan on buyin’ it.”

Chris meandered around a bit more, carefully looking at items, trying to gauge their value or benefits. In the corner of his HUD, he could see the notification icon blinking, and he selected it.

Skill Gained:

Identify -

Allows you to gather more information about an item. As you progress in this ability, more information will be made available.

Current Progress: Novice (5%)

He looked once more at the items lining the walls of the smithy and overlays appeared describing some of the attributes of each piece of armor and weapon. Some information still remained hidden, as did the estimated value on some of the more expensive pieces. Mentally, he selected a basic chain mail shirt and iron short sword. The dwarf finished his hammering and lifted the piece of metal to inspect it, running a keen eye over both sides to check for imperfections or other defects. Then, as Chris continued to watch, he carefully quenched the blade in water, listening for the tell-tale sound of cracking due to the temperature difference. Finally, he laid the cooling sword on the anvil and stepped around to the counter.

“So, what can I do ya for?”

“I’m looking for a bit more protection than what I currently possess. Perhaps a chain mail shirt and an iron short sword?”

“I may be havin’ something that will fit the bill.” The dwarf walked over to one of the chain shirts Chris had been looking at and brought it to the counter. “As for a short sword, do y’know what kind you’re looking for? There’s your general short sword, which is a wee bit shorter than two feet long, and then there’s your long knives, which are a bit shorter than that but a bit more agile than a short sword. It really depends on your style of fightin’...”

“I’m really not certain... I’ve yet to venture outside the city walls.”

The smith’s eyes grew a little wider. “Ah, an adventurer! Well, between the two it’s almost a matter of preference. The short sword gives you a bit more reach at the cost of speed. The long knife gives you more agility at the cost of reach. Either way, you’ll most likely be wanting a buckler as well.” He pointed to the small round shield, made to be held in the off-hand. “Good for countering blows, as well as deliverin’ a painful knock, if your opponent d’not be payin’ attention.”

Chris examined each of the items closely. The overlay on the chain mail said that it automatically boosted his health points by fifty and also added one to his strength stat. The short-sword added three to his strength stat, while the long knife added two, but also added one to dexterity. He picked up each weapon in turn, feeling the weight and balance, before finally selecting the long knife. Lastly, he checked the buckler. It did not inherently boost any of his stats, but it did offer a fifteen percent chance to block blows, as well as access to a new skill - Shield Strike. He placed the buckler back on the counter and indicated his choices to the smith.

“Well, the grand total for the mail, seax, and buckler will come out to around three gold.”

Chris thought about the price for a moment, wondering if he could make a counter-offer. He decided there was no harm in trying and said “I’ll give you two gold for the lot.”

“I’m afraid I can’na do any less than two gold, fifty silver, lad. And that’s my rock bottom price.”

Chris figured he could probably haggle the dwarf lower, but didn’t want to risk losing any goodwill he might gain from from the transaction. “I’ll tell you what,” he replied after a moment, “If you’ll take three gold, fifty silver, I’ll take the lot.”

The dwarven smith’s eyes narrowed slightly as he considered the offer, but then he broke out in a grin and proffered his hand. “We have a deal, lad!”

Chris removed four gold coins from his inventory and passed them to the smith who pocketed them after seeing Chris motion for him to keep the change. The dwarf turned back to his anvil, but then paused, turning once again to the counter. “The name’s Tormorlin Greatforge, by the by. If’n you ever have need of any gear, stop in and see me.”

Chris placed the items in his inventory, turned, and left the shop. As he stepped outside, he paused and equipped his gear. Rather than manually putting things on, as he had in the inn, he chose to auto-equip his new items. The mail shirt resized to fit him like a second skin and the seax appeared belted to his hip with the buckler on a leather loop over the scabbard. Lastly, he checked the blinking notification icon and several pop-ups appeared.

Skill Gained:

Shield Strike -

Allows you to quickly strike out with your shield to attempt a surprise strike on your opponent. If successful, target is momentarily stunned and takes light damage.

Skill Cost: 20 Stamina

Skill Gained:

Haggling -

Congratulations! You’ve unlocked the ability to haggle with non-player character vendors to obtain a lower price. This skill is mainly dependent upon your Intelligence and Wisdom stats as well as slightly upon your Luck stat. This skill can also be modified by your influence/relationship.

Current Progress: Novice (10%)

Relationship Forged:

Thanks to your generosity, your relationship with Tormorlin Greatforge has increased from Neutral to Friendly.

Chris dismissed the notifications, resisting the urge to do a little victory dance in the street. The gain in skills and boost to his stats may not have been all that impressive, but for his first hour in game it wasn’t bad.His tasks completed, he made his way up the road and into the keep proper.

At the entrance to the keep, his new weapon was peace-bonded before he was allowed to proceed. The giant stone walls and multitude of guards seemed to be plenty of incentive to keep the peace, but he supposed an ounce of prevention was worth a pound of cure. Chris made his way into the keep, asking guards for directions, until he found his way to the Hall of Records - a rather lofty name for what amounted to a large room full of book cases and storage containers full of documents.

A large, ornate wooden desk, covered in scrolls, books, and other paraphernalia stood in the center of the room. Chris cleared his throat, heard a startled squeak, and heard the creak of a chair. The top of a young dwarven woman’s head appeared over a stack of papers, and he heard a muffled “Be with you shortly!”

He stepped a bit closer to the desk, catching a few stray pages as they fell from the woman’s movement. Shortly, she stepped from behind the desk, pushing her wire-rimmed spectacles up on her nose as she did so.

“Yes, sir, what can I help you with?”

She stood a few inches shorter than Chris and wore an ornate burgundy dress which, while not tight or revealing, did accentuate her figure. Her pale skin was set off by her fiery red hair which fell in a long braid almost to the floor.

“I apologize for the interruption, madam. My name is Chris Duskheart, and I was told that I would need to come here to file a property deed. Am I in the correct place?” As he spoke, he offered his hand, which she promptly took and he instinctively bowed over it as she curtsied.

“Madam Rubymane, at your service.”

Chris released her hand, and passed over the papers he had collected, which she promptly slid back into one of the many stacks on her desk. She held out her hand once more, palm up this time, obviously asking for the property deed. He retrieved it from his inventory and passed it to her, and she turned to walk towards one of the many shelves in the room.

“I’ll have to compare the deeds boundaries to a map of Genfaldur and it’s surrounding counties, in order to be sure that there are no prior claims or titles to the property.” That said, she found the map she desired and walked over to a nearby table. Unrolling the large map overtop of numerous other papers, she motioned for Chris to approach. He joined her at the table and began to pore over the map as she read over the deed. His mini-map flashed, alerting him that locations were being marked and that he could pull up his map and look at them later.

Madam Rubymane gasped slightly as she read over the deed, and she looked back and forth between it an the map. Her finger traced an outline, a bright blue light overlaying the area she drew around and it was Chris’ turn to gasp. The deed granted him an area that appeared to be almost two square miles! It was at least a couple miles outside of the city, however, Chris has never expected that much land. Maybe just enough to build a small house.

“You now own enough land to be a landed noble, Master Duskheart. I apologize for an rude...”

“There’s no apology necessary, I assure you, and please, call me Chris.”

“Well, if you’re certain, my lor...” She caught herself and then continued. “Chris, I am pleased to inform you that you now hold the title of ‘Baron’ within the dwarven lands. Your property includes a good measure of farmland, as well as the manor house which is located here.” She pointed to a location on the map and Chris’ mini-map flashed once more. “I’m afraid the manor house may be in need of some work, since the Barony of Arnveld has not been held in some time - at least a couple decades. Still, a generous holding for an adventurer.”

“I don’t remember mentioning I was an adventurer...”

“It’s a bit obvious when you come in with a deed such as yours with no mention at all from the king or any of his council. I’m usually made aware of any title or land grants long before the recipients.” She smiled at him before continuing. “And I’m sure you’ll be receiving a summons from the king sometime within the next fortnight.”

“Well, that’s not ominous at all.”

“It’s nothing major, so long as you display the proper courtesy. There’s a few things we have to do before your ownership is official.” She pulled out a form and filled out several details with a quill before passing it to him. “You’ll need to sign here,” she motioned to the space provided, “And I’ll also need your thumbprint here.” She motioned to a square outlined in ink on the form. She produced no inkpad, but rather a large pin. “I’m afraid it has to blood, not ink.”

Chris signed the form and then held out his right thumb. She stuck it, and he grimaced slightly, but held still. The blood began to pool on his finger and she squeezed his thumb, spreading it over the surface with the body of the pin. “Ok, it’s ready,” she said, laying the form flat on the one bare spot on the desk.

He pressed his thumb to the paper and a flash of blue light lit up under his finger. He removed his thumb when she let go and she then proceeded to press a signet ring that had been on her finger into the space next to his thumbprint. Another blue flash and the document was rolled up and tied with a ribbon. “And that does it. You are now official Chris Duskheart, Baron of Arnveld. Welcome to the nobility, my lord...” She curtsied once more, and Chris caught a bit of a grin on her face as she said his title in a half teasing manner.

“Thank you, Madam Rubymane. Do I owe you anything for your work?”

“Normally, you would owe a sum of one hundred gold in order to register a title and such a large plot of land, however, the deed stated that the fees and taxes have been paid in advance - at least for this year.”

“Well then, I thank you once again, and with your permission I’ll be off.”

With that, Chris offered another short bow and turned to leave the Hall of Records. Madame Rubyman took her seat behind the desk once more, still slightly stunned at the day’s occurrences. "To think, a new adventurer being gifted a barony... what are the odds?" With that, she resumed her work and was soon lost once more in the pile of paperwork before her.

As Chris left the keep, the guards reversed the peace bonding on his weapon and he took a moment to check his notifications.

Title Gain:

Congratulations! You have gained the title “Baron of Arnveld”.

This title grants you lordship of the Barony of Arnveld - a parcel of land approximately two square miles in size -a short journey outside the city of Genfaldur. You are also now the holder of the manor house. Madame Rubymane has mentioned that it may require some work before it is habitable.

Influence Gain:

Congratulations! You have gained 1,000 Influence in the Dwarven Kingdom, as well as 250 General Influence. While your name is not known in every household, rumors have spread that a new Baron of Arnveld has been named.

Quest:

Madame Rubymane mentioned that the manor house of the Barony of Arnveld may need some work before it is habitable. Visit the property and manor house and get a sense of what will be needed to make a house a home.

Rewards: ??? XP, 50 Dwarven Kingdom Influence, Manor House

Failure: You die before completing the quest.

Do you accept?

The guards behind him continued their conversation. Something about a low-level adventurer named Jaffa Something-or-other being arrested after popping out of a sewer grate inside the castle grounds with his sword drawn and ready for a fight. Apparently the man thought he had found a secret passage into an enemy fortress and challenged every guard within earshot. After a sound thumping the man had learned the error of his ways and had been locked in the dungeon for a few days to cool down. Both guards were laughing, and Chris chuckled to himself as he walked away. It was time to visit his holdings and see what he could do about his very first quest...