Isaiah was proud that he had two magical items. He was hoping that he’d get some better armor sometime and find other useful things this world had to offer. Incremental improvement was the path to power after all. The ‘limbs’ command revealed that he had many places on his body where he could equip things. It listed:

Head:

Neck:

Torso: leather armor

Waist:

Left leg:

Right leg:

Left foot:

Right foot:

Left hand:

Right hand:

That was how many limbs? It looks like 10 things can be equipped. If he could get even a +1 item on everything that would be as good as full plate mail. He was assuming plate mail was AC10. He also wished he was small. Those goblin boots might give a better armor class as well. Well the downside would be wearing sinky goblin boots though. Oh well, one can’t have everything. He had yet to see a goblin player online and figured there was likely a good reason for that. There had to be some enchanted armor or clothes in the realm somewhere he just had to find them.

A thought occurred to Isaiah’s player. Maybe some of the stuff sold by that sketchy mystical wares merchant was actually magical gear. Isaiah headed back and bought one of those golden rings for 24 gold. He eyed it and it just had a vague description of a golden ring. He gritted his teeth as he cast identification on it to see if it was cursed. Casting identify was not a painful experience but the fact that he was using up his precious components was painful. The golden ring didn’t appear to be a +1 ring of protection. Was it just a cosmetic item? It had no + to it. He equipped it and nothing happened at first. But after a few second.

Golden ring flashes.

Then a few seconds after that.

Golden ring flashes.

It did this a few more times then until the text appeared.

Golden ring flashes then vanishes.

So, someone can equip it, it starts flashing then eventually vanishes after a couple minutes. Isaiah’s player had no idea what in the world this was. Did it actually do anything at all or was it just some silly thing someone put in the game just for grins? It was only 24 gold so Isaiah decided to pick up another ring and not equip it. Maybe it might come in handy some time if he could figure out what it did or was even useful in some way.

Isaiah decided he was too poor to experiment with the keys. Maybe some other time he would come back and see if he could figure out what they did. For now he walked a few more laps around the streets because with how directionally challenged he was he was sure to have missed a few things in this slightly arabic town.

Eventually Isaiah found a tavern. It was called the Celestial Emperor Tavern. It was named after an ancient ruler of the Tsarvani Empire. Also it was a place of gambling which was outlawed in the empire. Such revelry is tolerated in the tavern though apparently (it even is written in the room description) There was a barkeep serving:

Purple Stuff 15 gold

Flame Strike 30 gold

Water 1 gold

One gold for water? That’s highway robbery as they say.

Isaiah looked at the barkeerp. He was a middle aged man who apparently spent a few decade in the army and was gifted a plot of land to farmstead. Instead of farming though he sold it and used the money to open this tavern. Again, how someone could tell this by looking at him was a bit of a mystery to Isaiah’s player.

There was another NPC in this in, some guy named Al-Radin. Isaiah looked him over. . .

“Excuse me, Isaiah, I think you were looking at me. . .

I wonder why . . .

I hope you weren’t planning to kill me.

I think I’ll just make sure by KILLING YOU!!”

Al-Radin wields Dagger of the Assassins.

You see Al-Radin reach into a small bag, from which he pulls out a handful of powder and throws it it in the air!

The cloud of dust formed by the powder billows towards you and your eyes are blinded by the irritants!

Al-Radin stabs you in the back!

HP: -15/45

You are at death’s door, your body is slipping from you.

HP -27/45

You are at death’s door, your body is slipping from you.

You die.

The grim reaper cackles happily as he receives Isaiah’s soul.

Your world spins and you find yourself standing on an outcropping in a barren hellscape. In the distance there is a red and black wall with many faces on it wailing in pain.

A black male figure appears from nowhere.

Bane says: “Ah another soul for the wall.”

A female figure with a divine radiance surrounding her appears next to him.

Ventri says: “No so fast, this one is new. We should give him another chance.”

Vetri says: “You have died 4 time.”

“Hello again death, my over-often visitor” Isaiah’s player said to himself from behind the keyboard.

Deaths

You have been brought low by:

Goblin King

Goblin Gate Guard

Nightfall

Al-Radin

Apparently the game still considered Isaiah a newbie. He needed to level up and try to not die so easily. After the cutscent Isaiah almost went back through the exit into shadow. He luckily caught himself before having to walk all the way back south to Tharis and along the west road to Azha. His ghost wailed a few times as he typed blocked commands. Then he went through the exit to Azha and found himself in a mosque. Isaiah prayed at the mosque and got his body back. He quickly headed back to the tavern and making careful not to look at Al-Radin again he got all of his things from his corpse and left the establishment. They really had some unfriendly customers that liked that place.