EFate: An MMO Story

The militia barracks were located at the far end of the village. A tall, three story building, the barracks stood out from their surrounding buildings by virtue of its construction. Made of stone, the barracks gave off an imposing look, especially when compared to the slightly rickety, wooden buildings around it.

While they looked impressive from afar, the nearer Eric got, the more obvious it became that maintenance of the barracks had been long neglected. Large strands of ivy hung from the eaves of the barracks, dangling down over the entrance and crawling through cracks in the stone walls, and pieces of stone were missing from parts of the wall, likely having fallen to the street below where small dents in the cobblestones could be observed.

In front of the barracks, an old man wearing chainmail was talking to a small handful of players.

"Just go kill monsters in the forest. If I need you the badge will alert you to the fact."

"But surely there's something we can help you with," one of the players protested.

The old man regarded him disbelievingly.

"You're weaker than anyone else in this village and you think you can help me? You wouldn't last ten seconds against a goblin, let alone an orc or a wolf lord. The only way you can help me is by getting stronger yourself. Now go."

Unwillingly, the players began to disperse, leaving room for Eric to approach the man.

"Excuse me, Tom said I should come speak with the militia captain, Alistair. That's you, right?"

"Who's askin? Another otherworlder?"

Eric nodded. Seeing this, the old man fished inside his pocket for a moment before taking out a badge which he then handed to Eric.

"That's your militia badge. It will glow if I need your help as a member of the Tonbura village militia. For now, get out of my sight and go become stronger. You otherworlders are useless to us at your current level of strength."

Having seen what happened before, Eric didn't bother to argue, heading for the village gate and leaving the rude militia captain behind.

As he left Tonbura Village through the north gate, Eric began to investigate his user interface. He'd ignored it while in town so that he could try to get a lead on other players, but now that he had time to kill as he headed for the nearby forest, it was a good time for him to familiarize himself with the UI.

With a few mental commands, Eric summoned the UI, a set of transparent menus appearing in front of him as he walked. Looking at the first one, Eric opened it with a thought, watching as a list of quests appeared in front of him.

[Join the Militia]

You've talked with militia captain Alistair and been granted entry into the militia, but you're still too weak to really be considered a part of the militia. Become stronger and prove your worth to the captain.

Reward: Militia Quests will open up.

[Investigate the Area]

You've arrived in Nasvencia, but you have no idea where you really are. Discover the specifics of your surroundings and find yourself a place to call home.

Reward: Knowledge, ???

[Practice Combat]

You've learned how to fight from Firin and Calyn, and you've obtained a weapon from the village blacksmith, but you still need to put your skills to practice. Level up a skill to Beginner 5.

Reward: ???

Follow the letter's hints and find Filoketh Academy. This could be an opportunity for you, but it could also be a curse. Choose carefully.

Reward: Acceptance to Filoketh Academy.

Closing the quest list, Eric opened his stats page next. If he wanted to fight monsters, then he should at least understand what his stats looked like.

[Status]

Erick Kystfyr - Level 1

Health: 100/100

Mana: 100/100

Strength: 10

Agility: 10

Magic Power: 10

Title: None

Weapon: Rough Maple Short Bow (20 Rough Goose-feathered Stone Arrows)

Rough Bronze Dagger

Armour: Reinforced Wool Doublet

Skills:

Basic Magic (Arcane, Fire) - Beginner 1

Militia Spearmanship - Beginner 1

Militia Swordsmanship - Beginner 1

Basic Herbalism - Beginner 1

Basic Speechcraft - Beginner 1

Active Skills:

Sword Technique - Guard - Beginner 1

Arcane Strike - Beginner 1

Flame Strike - Beginner 1

Multi-linked Flame Strike - ???

Fairly standard stats, Eric thought to himself, checking the skill list with interest before closing the window. It seemed that his stats were perfectly average. There were no bonuses or negatives for having chosen to play as a half-elf, nor had he been given any bonuses for performing well in the tutorial.

Now that he'd checked out his stats, there was only one thing left to check before he was ready to fight. Approaching the forest, Eric gripped his bow tightly, bringing up the status window for his weapons as he neared the tree line.

Requirements for proficient use: Basic Archery - Beginner 1

Attack: 1-3

Range: 20m

Description: The creation of Craig, fletcher of Tonbura village. This is a somewhat shoddy bow made of maple, made hastily to deal with the increased need for militia in the village. It is not up to the usual standards that Craig holds himself to but it will shoot straight enough.

[Rough Goose-feathered Stone Arrow]

Attack: 1-2

Description: A basic stone tipped arrow fletched with goose feathers. It will fly relatively straight. Village fletchers have taken to tipping arrows with stone due to a recent metal shortage in the kingdom.

Looking at the descriptions, Eric brought up the notification for the Rough Bronze Dagger that he'd ignored before.

[Rough Bronze Dagger]

Description: A normal bronze dagger forged by Tom, the Tonbura village blacksmith. The workmanship is fine but the materials are slightly below average.

Ugh, beginner weapons, Eric thought with distaste as he closed the windows. While he'd expected as much, he'd been hoping that perhaps he'd been given a better weapon for being one of the first to the blacksmith's shop. Unfortunately, it seemed that this wasn't the case. Readying his bow, Eric entered the forest, ready to begin his first hunt.