Chris finally made it from the wooded path to the gates of Genfaldur. The city guard stopped him, asking his business, and he remembered that he needed to show the wolf pelts to the city guard in order to finish his quest. They gave him directions to the guardhouse and sent him on his way.

The city bustled around him as he passed through the streets, merchants hawking their wares, beggars asking alms, and criers calling out the latest news. Thankfully, travel to the guard house was easy and Chris arrived in short order. The guards stopped him once more, asking his business, and admitted him to speak to the guard captain.

“So, you managed to slay a few wolves, eh” the stocky dwarf behind the desk asked Chris. He was dressed in fine armor, but he could easily see that it was not only for show. Even though it was buffed and shiny, you could still see evidence of scratches and scrapes from combat.

“Yes sir, just barely. They were tougher to kill than I expected.”

Chris quickly told the guard captain his story before pulling out the pelts for inspection.

“Aye, being surprised by a pack of wolves is never any fun...” He cut off mid-sentence as Chris pulled out the alpha wolf pelt. Whistling appreciatively, he held up the pelt, admiring its size and coloring. “You’re a lucky man. Not many low-level adventurers survive an encounter with an alpha and his pack. The good news is, you’ll get a bonus for the alpha wolf pelt.”

He laid down the pelt and rummaged through a drawer in his desk. “The name’s Angus Leadborn, although most folks jus’ call me Cap’n Angus.” He finally pulled out a form, which he filled out and stamped with his seal. “You can take this to the treasury to claim your bounty. You’re also welcome to keep the hides. The wolf pelts are a bit mangled to be of much use other than trim, but the alpha wolf pelt is in good enough shape to be of use to a tailor.” He paused, putting a finger to his mustachioed lip in thought. “Come to think of it, let me see if I can help you.” He reached forward to touch Chris’ chest, and a notification popped up.

Angus Leadborn wishes to share knowledge with you. Do you accept?

Yes/No

Chris selected “yes” and another notification popped up.

New Skill: Skinning

You’ve unlocked a basic skill in skinning game and other bounty monsters. Once you complete the Novice rank, you will be eligible to learn Leatherworking from a craftsman. Requires a knife or dagger.

Current Progress: Novice (5%)

“Aye, that’ll help the next time you go to take the pelt off a creature.”

“Thank you!” Chris exclaimed as he read through the skill’s description. “I’m sure that will be a big help, as I was just guessing at how it was done. Skinning the alpha wolf was probably blind luck more than anything else.”

“You can use that skill and level it up until you learn a trade, if you’d like to. It’s definitely worth it, if only t’ preserve the integrity of the hides. Now, get yourself to the treasurer and pick up your money, They’ll close for the night soon and not be open until the morning.”

Chris shook the dwarf’s proffered hand, thanking him again for his kindness, then headed for the treasury as quickly as he could. The guards at the entrance to the castle peace-bonded his weapon once more, checking his receipt before pointing him in the right direction.

The treasurer was a mousy little man, definitely not a Dwarf. He stood a bit under Chris’ four and a half foot height and had graying hair pulled back into a ponytail. The oddest feature about the small-framed man was his long eyebrows, which were pulled back into his ponytail along with his hair. He took the receipt from Chris and quickly looked it over before stamping it with his seal and placing it into one of the myriad of folders lying on his desk.

“Two wolves and an alpha wolf... That’ll come to,” he hummed softly to himself as he tallied figures in his head, “1 gold 50 silver.” He turned, taking a ring of keys from his pocket and selecting one before stepping over to a wall covered in recessed locked boxes - much like safety deposit boxes in the real world. He ran his finger over the boxes before stopping at one marked “Bounties” and inserted the key. When he turned it, the “thunk” of the lock was deceptively loud for such a small box and he reached inside to withdraw a pouch of coins. He counted out the correct amount before putting the bag of coin back and locking the box.

Passing the coins off to Chris, the gnome - for that’s what he was, Chris finally realized as he remembered the character options from the start of the game - gave him a look as if to ask if there were anything else before huffing and turning back to his ledgers on the desk.

Quest Completed: Wolves

Rewards: Wolf Pelts, 100 XP,

By the time Chris has made it back outside the castle, the sun was sinking below the mountains outside the city walls. As always, the city guards were more than helpful in find Dokvarn Runewood’s alchemy shop, although they warned him that the alchemist may have already closed up for the night. As he turned the corner facing the alchemist’s shop, he saw an elderly elf standing outside the shop searching through a ring of keys.

“Master Runewood,” he asked as he approached the elf.

“Yes,” the elf said, turning to face him, “I am he. Can I help you, young dwarf?”

“I have some arthest plants for you, and I would like to give them to you before they lose their potency.”

At this, the elf almost dropped his keys. “Yes, yes! I’ve been needing some arthest for the last several days, however it’s such a low-level request that few take it on. Come in, come in, lad!” He pushed the door open, waving Chris inside.

As Chris stepped inside, lamps flickered to life. The elf walked past him, reaching for bottles of regents and empty vials, muttering quietly to himself. He snapped his fingers, lighting the flame beneath an evaporator and, without turning to face Chris, held out his hand. “The plants, m’boy!”

Chris dug in his pack, removing the ten arthest plants and carefully handing them to the elf. He leaned around, trying to see as much as he could as the elf worked. Dokvarn quickly placed the arthest plants in the mortar and pestle, grinding them to a pulp. To this he added a drop of a glowing liquid from a small vial he had gathered earlier. Smoke arose from the well, and he poured the liquefied plants into the evaporator, adding multiple other regents as he worked. After a few more moments, he sighed and stopped. Turning from the workbench, the elf jumped at seeing Chris still standing behind him.

“Ah! I’m sorry, young dwarf. I didn’t even ask your name.”

“My name is Chris. Duskheart, Master Runewood.”

“Please, dispense with the ‘master’. One is only a master when he has learned everything there is to know, a task which I - nor anyone else I have ever met - have failed to accomplish. Dokvarn will suffice, assuming that I may call you Chris.”

“Perfectly acceptable, Dokvarn. Might I ask what kind of potion you are brewing?”

“Just a simple healing potion. The lower level potions are the best sellers in terms of volume, although, as I mentioned before, my supply of ingredients is normally scarce. Arthest can be cultivated, under the right conditions, but no-one in their right mind would consider planting such a ‘worthless’ crop.”

“Interesting...” Chris rubbed at his beard in thought. “I do happen to have a small plot of land just a couple miles outside the city gates. There looked to be a fair bit of shady ground similar to where I found the arthest plants in the forest. Perhaps we could come to an arrangement?”

Dokvarn looked shocked for a moment before letting out a very un-elf-like guffaw. “Are you serious? That would be a great boon to the beginner economy here in Genfaldur.” His eyebrows lowered, “And what would you ask in return?”

“A fair price and some alchemy lessons,” Chris answered instantly.

The elf looked as if he were ready to haggle, but stopped with his mouth open. “Really, that’s all? I was expecting extortionary pricing or an exclusive deal. I’d gladly help you learn alchemy for a pittance, so that’s of no consequence at all. A fair price on the arthest would only be fair, and I’ll throw in a small discount on any regents or other materials you might need for your studies.”

“That is more than generous,” Chris said, bowing slightly. “Let me know what I would need to begin growing the arthest and I’ll begin right away!”

Dokvarn turned, striding over to a large bookshelf behind the counter. He slid his finger over the spines of the volumes until he stopped at one thick tome. “Ah, The Basics of Alchemy by Festus. Definitely an excellent resource for the beginning alchemist.” He laid the tome on the counter and gathered tools and regents from the shelves. “You’ll also need this, and these, and a few of these...” The old alchemist had selected a varied assortment of items by the time he stopped, and Chris wondered if he even had enough to pay for it all. Lastly, he added a package of seeds.

“There... Everything a beginning alchemist will need, as well as the arthest seeds.”

“I’m not sure I’ll be able to...” Chris started.

“I’ll charge you only 4 gold for the lot, assuming you bring me the first crop of arthest plants.”

Christ thought the deal over before holding out his hand for the elf to shake. “Works for me! Anything special I should know about cultivating the arthest plants?”

“Not that I can think of... Just grow them somewhere that’s a little shady and make sure they get plenty of water. They’re rather hardy as long as they’re in the ground, it’s once you pull them up that they get finnicky. Don’t forget your two minor HP potions.” Dokvarn walked over to a cabinet and added two potions from it to the stack of items on the counter.

Chris handed over the gold and packed the items into his bag, thanking the elf once again before leaving.

Quest Completed: Arthest Plants

Rewards: 2 Minor HP Potions, 50 XP

Level Up!

Congratulation, you have reached Level 5! You now have 10 stat points to distribute. Your health and mana have also been restored.