So it wasn’t long before we were once again undertaking my new least favorite activity, travelling long distances on foot. In return for a chance to riffle through our perilous package’s contents and read the mysterious letter that had accompanied it while they walked, El had solved the potential problem of my fatigue impeding our arrival in the city with a pair of potions for me to sip on.

A [Potion of Greater Stamina] and a [Potion of Greater Mana], obviously the benefits of having a veteran player in the party who had the money to afford them and the experience to know the benefits were worth it.

That said I didn’t appreciate the slightly patronising way they instructed me to make sure I only sipped them as needed and not sculling them in one go which would be an utter waste with my ‘lowbie stats and incy wincy mana and stamina pools’.

I was this close, this close… Ok, I need you to imagine me holding the tips of my index finger and thumb less than a hair apart. This close to saying ‘Bottoms up!’ and downing both potions together in one go in response to their instructions.

My pride was literally waging a civil war upon itself deciding what would be more humiliating, taking their attitude versus collapsing again.

Well on a more positive note, the road was clear, not that it stopped me checking over my shoulder every so often expecting soldiers on horseback to ride us down or capture us.

El had finished their quick inspection of the package and its contents, by the time we stopped for lunch several hours later. Stopping for lunch is a bit of a stretch, we only stopped long enough to drink from our waterskins, unpack our rations, stretch and then readjust our packs until we were comfortable enough to move on. 

When El handed us back the package, we made to offer them a share of our water and rations, they declined. El might not have had a pack, but they were anything but unprepared having turned their inventory into what seemed to be the equivalent of a bug-out bag. 

Roxi and I took advantage of the warmer weather and unequipped our heavy cloaks and stowed them within our emptying packs.

Barely ten minutes after stopping we were on the open road again, just three travellers enjoying our lunch under a blue sky.

El didn’t waste much time between polishing off their lunch and launching into their latest monologue. I think they must have wanted to make up for the time they spent quiet pouring over the package’s contents, “So newbies, I’m guessing you don’t know what the civil war in this region is all about?”

Roxi and I shook our heads and glanced each other’s way. We were pretty much as clueless about the region, if not more so than any of the provincials back in Spot. 

At worst I guess we had an excuse to learn more via roleplaying.

“Well aren’t you two lucky to have magnificent me. Knowledge is power and once you understand the dynamics and sides of this civil war, you should be able to work it all out for yourself. What work pays best and what jobs are worth the hassle. You can play your own way, but I’m sure you don’t want to waste days of chasing meagre amounts of coin and experience,” they ever so slightly bragged, slowly letting their grandiose performance build. 

“Uh… Yes?” I voiced, not entirely sure where this was going. I mean they were probably right. If we hadn’t already wanted to travel to the capital, this delivery quest, the time it was taking, all the effort involved and danger it had put us through would have even worse of a deal. If that was possible.

El smiled at my answer or perhaps the chance to perform that my question promised, “The civil war in this region has its roots in several far larger games of power and politics. Each Duchy on this little island is ruled by families descended from the Royal family that used to rule the whole kingdom and each of them wants to inherit that throne. Now the Duchy of Parcosia, its capital was the royal capital and the location of that throne they all want.”

They paused to take a breath, or perhaps for performative emphasis. Maybe both, we’d known them less than a day, but one thing was certain they seemed to enjoy the performance almost as much as fame and adventure.

“Now a couple years ago, the Duke fell from his horse if you know what I mean, now the Duchess, she gave birth to a child, eight maybe ten months later, but when the Duke died he died without an heir. The Duchess is a foreigner and there are enough rumors going around that the kid is illegitimate, I don’t know or care either way. So the Duchy of Parcosia has a fancy, highly desired throne in it and no one with claim to it in a position to hold this crumbling shitshow together.”

Roxi’s face once again lit up with a familiar fascination as she listened to El’s explanation, a look of almost childish joy in her eyes. I could understand, since logging in I’d experienced so many things I had never thought I’d get to experience back home in the real world. 

It makes it hard to stay jaded.

El seemed to want to monologue more about the ‘shitshow’, but catching themselves they paused again before changing tack, “Anyway there are a dozen or so horses in this race, some with sponsors in other duchies, others paid for by the powers that be overseas. Now you can learn about most of the players on your own time, there are two relevant to us here.” 

“First is my employer and I’ve already said a bit about her. The Duchess of Parcosia, married to the late Duke, born the daughter of a Baron in a Kingdom across the sea to the west, aside from her husband and child she has no blood ties to any of the powers in this region. Honestly she comes across as a just and fair ruler, but unfortunately with this civil war raging her hands are pretty tied up trying to hold things together and protect the people of her city, Santarriral.” 

“I guess that makes me feel a little more confident about heading to the city,” I said, only now realising the anxieties I had been carrying about a repeat of the fort.

“Yeah it’s about as good as it gets round these parts. Real fine lady too, I might add. Nice to work for, doesn’t hurt that the Duchy’s treasury is in her possession. Great pay and she recognises talent!” El said, jerking a thumb up to point at their chest. 

Are they holding a candle for her?

“Second big player you should know is the Baron of Redwood, a western lord who controls a major town often called the second capital. His seat of power is a major trade port with strong lumber and shipbuilding industries. The Baron is a staunch patriot and nationalist, there are no strings tied to him. He believes that a strong and unified Duchy of Parcosia is needed to repel any Duchal power with eyes on the throne or foreign interloper seeking to profit from the chaos,” you could tell by El’s tone that they thought he was a total asshole. 

“While Parcosia had a Duke, he was just another Baron steadfastly loyal to his Liege and country,” our storyteller continued, “Now he’s developed a messiah complex and sees himself as a potential Lord Protector. That and he along with the various Barons and Baronets who have sworn themselves to him has become one of the most powerful factions in this civil war.” 

“Unfortunately he views my employer as one of those foreign interlopers and wants to seize the capital from her and place the potential heir under his protection,” they said almost solemnly. They really did have a thing for the Duchess, that’s kinda sweet. Well ignoring the fact she’s almost definitely an NPC.

“Now that brings us to the package you were hired to deliver to Fort Brightspring. The dirty Baronet there has switched allegiances and sworn himself to Baron Redwood, that package contained the plans for an attack on the capital, orders to pass onto other allies in the east and a list of various agents and allies in the capital.”

Shit, that was not good news. 

That said, maybe if she had all the package’s intel in her possession, she could stave off the attack.

Ding!

A notification went off and an icon in the corner of my UI began to strobe as it tried to gain my attention.

Hesitantly as if it was a venomous cobra, I slowly reached out and pressed it, praying it was not another cursed flag.

[Quest Update: A Mysterious Package.

Deliver the package to Fort Brightspring.

Escape Fort Brightspring.

Accompany Elixatmael to Santarriral. 

Deliver the package to the Duchess and warn her of the coming attack.

Rewards: ??? ]