Legend of the Spellthief

Entering into a large open hall, Logan found himself within the adventurers' hall of Tinte. Unlike the villagers out on the streets, the people within the hall were much more burly, toned, as well as better clothed. Tall individuals suited in metal armour, well-off roguish types whose weapons shone with silver or golden hilts, all of which were either freshly cleaned or show little signs of tatter.

Logan looked a bit out of place, though his gear was what he had started with and the adventurers here were most likely veterans at their craft. Not many paid attention to Logan's entrance, and the ones that did just gave him a passing glimpse as he blocked some of the light in the doorway. While he didn't want too much attention, Logan couldn't help but feel a bit ignored. A smell of ale alongside a hint of blood and sweat gave the hall a brutish scent, accented by the aesthetic of the adventurers.

Walking across the dark-brown wooden floors, Logan approached a large counter at the far end of the hall, flanked on either side of which were staircases leading to the upper floors. Several bannister rails could be seen above, creating a watcher's perch for older adventurers to look down on the newcomers. The counter had 2 others standing at it, talking to another member of staff.

The closest gentleman was the shorter of the two, around 5'11", his leather clothes seemingly hanging off his body with tailcoats. A meld of blue and black shades painted the man as a unique individual amongst the darker forest shades of colours the other adventurers had designed on their clothes. A hood was hanging at the back of his neck, revealing his medium-length ebony hair, 2 pointed ears poking backwards through it. Logan couldn't see the man's face, so wasn't sure he was even human.

His compatriot was a slightly taller woman, around 6', her plate armour reflecting a bit of the sunlight bleeding in from the windows. Gold-coloured leather straps held it all together and covered the gaps of her defence. A large sword was strapped to her back, its hilt peeking over her shoulder. Her face was marked with scars but did little to draw attention away from her orange eyes and flowing fallow coloured hair.

Overhearing their discussion on his approach, Logan could pick out a few phrases, “Their hold is far north-east, icy bastards block off any that go inside. We ain't fool enough to take that on, don't even ask”, the pointy-eared man said, in a sort of raspy voice.

“It's bad enough the journey takes 10 days, but the pay barely covers the cost of our lives out there”, the woman continued. Logan jolted his head as he realised he was staring in their direction.

“It's about a quest, I shouldn't pry right now, I have other matters to deal with. 10 days is far out of my reach right now anyways’, Logan rationalised to himself.

“If my current quest is to just survive, I could settle down with a job here and not venture out. That reward gets me worried though, it's gearing me up, I doubt the quests will stay so ‘easy’ for me”, Logan debated with his thoughts as well as his plans, he wanted to be prepared for anything. Standing at the far left side of the counter, away from the 2 adventurers, Logan found himself in front of another staff member.

She was quite a bit shorter than Logan, only 5'4", almost a whole foot below Logan's stature. Her clothes were clean and reminded Logan of a mechanics outfit, dark-brown and dark-blue overalls with a blue shirt underneath, the front having a sort of apron design and several pieces of parchment sticking out from the multitude of pockets. A quill was set behind her ear, holding back her long dirty-blonde hair, revealing her freckled face and magenta eyes.

“Welcome to the Tinte Adventurers' Hall, do you have a hunter's signet?” the woman asked, a happy if a bit forced-hyper tone coming from her, she showed signs of overwork but was pushing through. Logan saw she was eyeing up his chest, looking for something that wasn't there.

“No I don't, I actually came here to sign up as an adventurer”, he corrected the woman, looking down at his chest to see if something was wrong.

“Alright, I can sort that out for you, let me get the papers and contract”, the woman replied, kneeling slightly as she brought out 3 pieces of parchment from under the counter. Moving the parchment to Logan, the woman also handed over a quill and inkwell. “We're having 2 assessments and a reassessment tomorrow, so we can fit you in around 10am if you're free? Your fee can be paid to your assessor”, she continued as Logan picked up the writing materials.

“Sorry, I wasn't told about a fee, how much is it?”

“Ah, that's alright, it is 1 silver piece during your assessment. It pays for the service and your signet”, she answered Logan, slightly annoyed at the question.

“Damn, the System said it was 10 copper to a silver? I have no money whatsoever, I wonder if I can pay later or give an item as trade”, Logan thought back to his perusal of the windows during his journey here, hitting a wall he wasn't anticipating.

“Sorry, I don't have the fee right now. Is it possible to pay later or could I hand over items in trade? I have 2 wolf fangs on me.”

“Hmm. You can hand those to our component trader, they're next door, they buy up any materials gathered from monsters or the land. 2 wolf fangs should cover it if they're common quality, could always ask the trader for an advance on your next hand in.”

“Thanks, I'll do that”, Logan said as he picked up the parchment and quill, taking them to a nearby table that was free to fill it all out.

Going through the parchments, Logan had to write out quite a biography. Asking his name, origin, skills, class, spellforce or slots, creatures hunted, the documents wanted a good overview of his capabilities. As the System had explained earlier, NPCs were restricted to certain classes and the papers didn't note any outside of those few.

“I guess the best pick would be a Wizard, since a Rogue can't cast spells”, Logan reasoned as he ticked the box of the class that closely resembled him. He left his origin blank, selecting a box set as “traveller”.

While Logan filled in his forms, his head was down as if studying for exams yet again, cutting off his awareness to most of the hall. Unbeknownst to him was an onlooker, dressed in dark grey robes with scattered stars and moons all across it. Under a drawn hood, glowing azure eyes could be seen lighting up a smile. The eyes dimmed as if a spell had ended, and the robed man became inconspicuous once more.

Minutes went by before Logan was finished with his essay, ending off with a signature on the contract portion. Standing up, he went to hand it back to the same woman he had spoken to earlier. “All done here, miss?” he said with a questioning tone as he didn't catch her name earlier.

“Rubené, most people call me Ru”, Ru answered to Logan, taking his filled-in forms. “Oh, a slotter, it may be a while before a party will accept you”, Ru continued with a small sadness to her smile.

“Why is that? Are spellcasters not overly wanted in parties?” Logan asked, puzzled at the occurrence.

“Spellcasters in games are normally a must in parties. Buffs, high damage spells, what isn't there to love?” he ruminated.

“Well, low-rank spellcasters are normally only good for a few kills a day, their spellforce or slots run out too quickly. Most parties only gather them for quests that require the death of a larger or more dangerous monster. You're lucky to be a slotter since you have more starting spells, but since you seem to be on the low end for the number of slots you might see a lack of application opportunities”, Ru acknowledged, sorting the papers and filing them under her desk with a paperweight of a staff.

“I better increase my rank quickly then”, Logan said quickly, angered slightly by the situation. “I guess there is truth to that, I only have 3 spells a day, parties probably go far afield, I won't be much help in long quests”, he considered, reconciling the facts laid to him.

“Well, the record for getting rank 2 is 27 days, if you think you can beat that you can try to. Slotters can often get a few kills a day on their own.”

“27 days?! But I got a third of my required XP with 1 wolf kill. Do NPCs not get as much XP as a PC, or is it because of them grouping up?” he thought, the rug pulled from under him. “I got tough competition then hey”, he returned, trying to hide his surprise. “Jrizan mentioned rank too, it seems to be this world's term for level.”

“We shall see you tomorrow at 10am then, Logan, please make sure you have your listed spells prepared”, Ru said, looking back down to his forms to find his name. Logan smiled, noticing his rudeness in not offering his name in return to Ru.

Saying his farewells, Logan moved away from the counter, again he overheard conversations from nearby adventurers.

“A new slotter? We don't need more layabouts”, said one.

“He could be good against that ogre down south, ya think?” retorted another.

“I don't like the idea of being used so, maybe I should pick my party slowly. Hopefully, there are some easy quests I can pick up to increase my level”, Logan considered.

Leaving the adventurers' hall, Logan quickly moved to the building on its right side, or rather his left. A much smaller complex, with only a ground floor, the establishment kept the length of the hall. The doorframe had a wooden sign of a fang and eye placed atop a fur hide. A few people were going in and out of the entranceway, both adventurers and normal townsfolk.

Noticing a gap in the bypassers, Logan slipped into the shop. A wave of smells hit Logan, from oils and potions to blood and flesh. People were browsing over cleaned components of creatures including fangs, furs, and eyes. A small line had formed, leading up to the counter, grabbing his slot, Logan found he had 3 people ahead of him. With time at hand, Logan looked over the items around the shop, though without Identification he didn't see any details. Browsing his status and skill windows, he waited his turn.

Logan's research was cut off as a voice called out to him “next customer please”, a gruff tone drew the in-process adventurer to the counter.

“Hello, I just signed up with the adventurers' hall next door but I need a silver to pay for my assessment and fees. Ru at the counter said I could sell my wolf fangs here to get the money to pay for it?” Logan put forward to the man at the counter. The man, who's leaning over the table didn't help his height, peered up to Logan with beady grey eyes that matched his grey hair and beard.

“Ah, a youngin”, the older man's head jeered upwards, placing a hand on his glasses he rotated the lenses slightly. “Hurh, not that young in fact. You a late bloomer, sir? That face resembles a quarter-man and not a tyke”, he continued, showing his ability to discern the qualities of what he looked at.

“Yes, I am 26, my uh, my magic took a while to get the hang of.”

“Alright, well, you may pass the damn 1-week death timer of new sluggers. Hand over yer fangs then, let's see em”, rotating his glasses back, the man sat back into a chair behind him.

“Sure, but what did you mean about a 1-week death timer?” Logan inquired, wondering if the 7-day quest he was given was a normal thing for NPCs. Waiting on a reply, he placed his 2 wolf fangs on the table.

“That? Oh, just something folks noticed over time. A good 25-30% of all new adventurers die in their first week of signing up. Thinking their class can rule the world, they go off on a quest and get offed themselves in the process”, picking up the fangs, the man looked over them, using a small brush to clean the dirt off.

“So, it might be related, but probably just people being overconfident”, Logan surmised.

“Tha name's Osc'n, yer best be knowing it if you're bringing me goodies”, Osc'n spoke as he inspected the fangs, licking his finger as he flicked through a small book.

“Logan, nice to meet you, Osc'n”, the worried Spellthief returned. Osc'n looked over the two fangs for a minute or so before he put down his instruments.

“Well, Logan, these aren't the best I had my eyes look at, all I can offer is 8 copper total”, Osc'n presented to Logan. “2 copper off, damn”, the teased caster cursed.

“Any chance you could round it to a silver? I lost most of my stuff to the wolf I got these off.”

“Pah, no, I don't think you did. You're the umpteenth one to try that line on me. If you want an advance, I'll give you your silver, but you will owe me 5 copper down the line, deal?” Osc'n put forward, an arm raised to an offering of a shake.

“Can you make it 4 copper?”

“Hah. Pah hah hah! I like you, Logan, fine, 4 copper it is”, Osc'n accepted, clasping Logan's hand in agreement. As their hands locked a window appeared to the side of the inspector's face.

“The bargaining with my boss has paid off here, it seems, this skill will be useful to get better gear”, Logan praised himself, another skill unlocking in his status. From a combination of getting a copper off and a new skill, Logan smiled.

“Stop yer grinning, this is a one-off for ya. Bring me some great looking goodies you hear?” Osc'n continued as he flipped a silver coin over the table to Logan. Picking it up, Logan pocketed his first income, a small piece of text appearing saying he had gained 1 silver piece.

“Thanks for this, Osc'n, I'll make sure to bring you plenty of components from my quests”, Logan appreciated the inspector, heading to the door of the building. A shout from the back of the shop echoed to Logan.

“Next time bring tha wolf's hide!” Osc'n finished. “I didn't think of the wolf's fur, though I didn't really want to stick around that long”, Logan deliberated.

Exiting the inspector's shop, Logan thought it best to get some rest, the sun starting to fall on the horizon, colouring the village shades of orange and light-brown. “This place is quite big, probably a couple of hundred people. After these 7 days have passed it may be best to move to the capital, more chances of finding a PC there. Though how am I meant to find them? It's not as if I can just ask”, Logan contemplated, his legs taking him to the house Jrizan mentioned earlier in the day.

Arriving at his home for the night, Logan noticed Jrizan's cart sat aside a fenced-in house. While the fence added to the fanciness, the house was a mix of wood and thatch, a few open wooden windows letting the waning light inside. Pushing open the waist-high gate, Logan was approached by a black bulldog-like dog, around its neck was a collar of red leather. Dangling on the collar was a nametag “Spike”, “At least dog names are the same here”, Logan thanked the world. Bowing down a bit, Logan offered the back of his hand to the dog who sniffed at it with interest. Seeing no sign of aggression, Logan rotated his hand to pet the dog's head.

The sweeping of a tail on grass allowed Logan some peace of mind, the now sitting dog being petted by the otherworlder. “Good boy, Spike”, Logan said to the dog who panted in delight. Closing the gate, Logan approached the front door, Spike in tow. Giving a solid knock at the door a voice bellowed from inside.

“Come in, the door's open!” a familiar voice called, Logan identifying it as Jrizan. Opening the door, Spike rushed inside, jumping to the legs of a sitting Jrizan who quickly ruffled the cheeks of the dog.

“Ho, Logan. Welcome to your resting spot. I take it the day fared you well?” Jrizan spoke over to Logan, who was shutting the door behind him.

“Yes, long day, but I got all my tasks done. Your directions were spot on, though the size of this place made it less easy, I have my assessment tomorrow at 10”, Logan replied, moving over to the table to sit beside Jrizan. The house was small, the entrance combined with an open plan living, dining, and kitchen area, some stairs leading to attic-like bedrooms.

“Good, they like to do assessments in bulk so we came at a good time”, Jrizan continued, pushing a plate to Logan. Placed on the plate was some cut bread with a golden spread across it, though it did not hide the colour of the bread, dark as night, as if it were burnt. “Darkbread, drives kids wild, but us adults can still appreciate it, eat up”, Jrizan offered, sending Spike off to the nearby cloth pet bed.

“Thanks”, Logan replied, picking up the bread and taking a reserved bite. A crispy exterior combined with a fluffy middle, melted butter-like spread, a wonderful mix of textures and flavours. “Oh man, that is good”, Logan exclaimed in delight.

“You do me a kindness there, sir, some find it too bitter.”

“The fools”, Logan paid in kind, praising the bread more. Looking around, Logan couldn't help but notice the lack of inhabitants in the house.

“Are the owners not in?”

“Nah, they're normally travelling to the capital this time of year, we kinda trade the house off between each other. After us is a couple from the east forest, it's why you can only spend the night here.”

“That's fine, Jrizan, you've done more than enough for me. I am sorry I have nothing to give in return.”

“No mind, kindness pays in kind, one day you'll find someone in need and I hope you help them out, and if it just so happens to be me, well I can always do with a silver or two”, Jrizan lectured, a laugh erupting towards the end of his speech

The two friends talked, evening turning to night as Logan learnt more about the world as well as the immediate vicinity he found himself within. Treated to a hearty stew of vegetables alongside more baked goods, Logan had his fill of food and headed to bed. Climbing the rickety stairs he found the spare bedroom, a straw mattress on the floor with a lantern a foot or so away from it.

Setting his clothing to the side, he laid on the bed in his underwear, his legs thanking him for the final rest. “A lot to do tomorrow, the assessment, then searching for a possible party and if not, looking over possible quests. If they want to see my spells I won't be left with many to hunt the same day, unless I find something easy to deal with, then I could use my knife. So many options, I just have to take it as I am given it I suppose”, Logan planned ahead to the next day, the first in his adventuring life and just one more to tick off of his first main quest.

Spending some time before sleeping, Logan looked over the skills menu to find something that would give him some form of immediate assistance. Owls of the night, nighttime drunkards, the night was full of sounds that Logan wasn't overly used to but it was rather calming. His eyes heavy, sleep overtook him.

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