Primrose: Yeah, old style games were like that. Back before graphics cards and stuff. Anyway, You should head to the bank first and deposit all of the gold except for 33,500 coins. After that, head to the Armour shop and the Weapon shop. Then you can enter the Forest and finally get some experience.
After Primrose relayed his instructions, I did as he suggested and visited the bank first. A polite clerk approached me and asked what they could help me with. I knew that was what happened because the words told me that was what happened. I opted to (D)eposit 1,077,500 Gold coins at the bank. That left me with the 33,500 gold that Primrose said to keep with me. I (R)eturned to town and then visited (A)bduls Armour. The streets were crowded, and it was difficult to push my way through the mob, at least, that was what the screen told me had occurred on my trip to the weapon shop. My body still could not be moved. Actually, my body could not even be seen. Everything was so dark. Just a place full of dimly lit letters. Abduls Armour shop was just a string of words and numbers too. Prices ranged from 200 gold for a simple Coat with 1 Defense, up to 400,000,000 gold for the Armor of Love with 1000 Defense.
Redmaw: I am at the armour shop now
Primrose: Excellent! This game requires Vitality, also known as Defensive Strength, to equip most armor. Since you don't have any Vitality yet, you're going to have to buy your way to better armor. Buy the Heavy Coat first, then the Leather Vest, and then the Iron Armor. Sell the first two back to the store when you buy the next armor. That'll cost you 32,000 gold. At the Weapon shop, get the Stick for 200 gold. Enter the Forest afterward.
The Heavy Coat cost 1000 gold, the Leather Vest was 3000 gold, and the Iron Armor was 30000 gold. All totaled, that was 34,000 gold coins. As it turned out, half of the purchase price was returned when the item was sold back to the shopkeeper. So the Heavy Coat cost 1000 and the Leather Vest cost 3000, but the return of the Heavy Coat refunded 500 gold. Similarly, when the Iron Armor was purchased for 30,000 gold, 1500 gold was refunded to me for the return of the Leather Vest. I took the 1500 gold that remained and headed to (K)ing Arthurs Weapons. Prices there ranged from 200 gold for a simple stick with 5 Strength, up to 400,000,000 gold for the Death Sword with 1,800 Strength. I spent 200 gold and purchased the Stick. With 1,300 gold coins left, I wondered why Primrose did not have me purchase the Dagger for 1,000 gold. I briefly thought about it, but opted not to buy it. Primrose knew everything about games, so there must have been a reason that he said to buy the stick and nothing else. I left the weapon shop and re-entered the Town Square. Somehow, it was still crowded and difficult to push through the mob, but I finally entered the (F)orest.
The murky forest stands before you – a giant maw of gloomy darkness ever beckoning. (L)ook for something to kill, (H)ealer's Hut, (R)eturn to town.
Redmaw: i do not want to harm anything
Primrose: You really don't trust me, huh? Didn't I say that I made this schedule just for you? Please try it out. NPC's aren't real and can't be hurt. They can't even be killed because they were never alive. You can't kill what was never alive to begin with. You can do it! I believe in you!
He believed in me. I really did not know where his confidence in me came from, but I was glad that he supported me whenever I struggled. After a quick glance at the violent option, I went to the (H)ealer's Hut. It was a place for healing. The healers just told me that I looked fine, though, so there was nothing to be done there at all. Which returned me to the (F)orest options and my previous dilemma of (L)ook for something to kill or (R)eturn to town. Violence was wrong. I firmly believed that there were better ways for disagreements to be handled without the use of violence. I had agreed to follow Primrose, and I wanted to trust him, but to kill something...It had not occurred to me that he would request violent acts from me. It all came down to if I trusted him or not. He did say that he designed this schedule just for me. Maybe it was like the situation with the shopkeeper in that last place, where he only looked disappointed and actually did not mind my business at all. Appearances were not necessarily real. Just because I looked for something to kill, did not mean that I would find something to kill, or that violence was needed at all. I thought positive thoughts as I chose to (L)ook inside the forest, and hoped that it was NOT something that was meant to be killed.
Event In The Forest – You come across an old man. He seems confused and asks if you would direct him to the Inn. You know that if you do, you will lose time for one fight today. Do you take the old man?
That was exactly what I had hoped would happen. Not that specifically, of course, but something that did not require violence. Anything that avoided it. Just an old man lost in the woods. Someone I could help and did not need to fight. Primrose was right, I should have trusted in him more. I happily agreed to direct the nice old man to the inn and thanked him for not being violent towards me.
You gladly take the old man to the Inn. He is pleased with you, and gives you 2,500 gold! **CHARM GOES UP BY 1**
The old man really did not need to give me money. I was happy that I helped him, but there was no option to decline the generous gift. I also did not know what charm did for me. Obviously, I knew what a charm was, a small ornament that was worn on the neck or wrist, but I had not expected the word to appear there. Actually, when I thought back about it, Charm was one of the words that had a 0 next to it when I arrived. Maybe it was up to 1 by now. Since I was back at the (F)orest menu, I once again chose to (L)ook in the forest and hoped not to find violence.
Wierd Event – You are heading into the forest, when you hear the voice of angels singing. You follow the sound for some time – when you are about to give up... You find...3 Gems!
Event In The Forest – You find a Hammer Stone! As is tradition, you break it in two with your Stick. Your weapon tingles! Attack Strength Raised.
**FIGHT** You have encountered Silent Death!! Your Hitpoints 488, Silent Death's Hitpoints 98. (A)ttack, (S)tats, (R)un?
Darn it. Three successful (L)ooks into the forest and not a single being wished violence upon me. There was not an option to talk with the npc either. Though, someone named “Silent Death” would probably be rather aggressive. (R)un seemed like the best option as I was not sure if the npc would attack me while I took time to read through whatever (S)tats were. Primrose would know what to do. I thought about sending him a tell, but in a way, he had already given me an answer for this situation. He told me that I should trust him and try the game out. That he believed in me and that I could do it. Since the schedule was created for me, then that meant that the game world was also chosen for me. Maybe, like the disappointed shopkeeper from before, (A)ttack was misleading me. I could not even move my body, so it was impossible for me to attack anyone else. That meant that it was also impossible for me to actually (R)un away too. Primrose said that I should trust him, and I wanted to. I shut my eyes tight, chose the (A)ttack option, and prayed that I had made the right choice. NPC's were not real, NPC's were not real, I chanted in my head as I hoped for the best.
You try to hit Silent Death, but miss!
** Silent Death misses you Completely! **
You try to hit Silent Death, but miss!
** Silent Death hits with its Pale Smoke for 85 damage! **
You try to hit Silent Death, but miss!
** Silent Death hits with its Pale Smoke for 44 damage! **
You try to hit Silent Death, but miss!
** Silent Death hits with its Pale Smoke for 76 damage! **
You try to hit Silent Death, but miss!
** Silent Death hits with its Pale Smoke for 88 damage! **
You hit Silent Death for 99 points of damage.
You have killed Silent Death! You receive 4,711 gold, and 230 experience!
You have become better at 1H Blunt! (1)
You have become better at Offense! (1)
When I finally collected enough courage to open up my eyes, I realized that I had succeeded in violence. I killed something. Something died due to my own actions. I was confused more than anything else, because I did not really feel much at all. There were no shouts or fear. Belts were not removed, dishes were not thrown, the floor did not shake with stomps, and there were no screams. So much noise that it seemed to shake the rafters up above. A tremor usually took hold of me at those times, but none of that happened. I did not even have to lift my hand or swing my fist in anger. The violence just happened without me doing anything at all. It was a somber thought to realize that violence occurred with or without my active participation. Even if I did not lift a finger, violence could still take place. Violent acts would still happen.
Redmaw: i did it killed something a silent death died because of me
Primrose: One kill an hour is certainly a record. Congratulations!
Redmaw: congratu..violence shouldnt be congratulated
Primrose: Something tells me you've lived a very fucked up life, so I was congratulating you on overcoming a huge obstacle. NPCs are just resources to further the player's growth. Just as you would eat food and drink water on Earth, here we defeat imaginary creatures to fill our bellies. The gold and experience you receive will fuel your growth. Please keep at it!
Redmaw: its just
Redmaw: a lot to take in at once
Primrose: Well, take all the time you want to think about it, but you should keep looking around the forest while you do. As a famous race car driver once said, “If you ain't first, you're last.”
Redmaw: okay i will
Event In The Forest – Fortune smiles, and you find a gem!
The first look around the forest awarded me a gem, but the search after that was less agreeable. A npc called Jabba showed up to fight me. I kept my eyes open this time and watched the words pass by. The words that informed me of my many missed attacks. The npcs usually hit me when they attacked, but I always seemed to miss them. Also, the window that showed my alias and the three lines appeared, and showed how short the red line was compared to the other two. I managed to kill Jabba eventually, after plenty of missed attacks, and earned 2,384 more gold and 137 experience. The (H)ealer's Hut was visited and gold was spent to heal my Hitpoints. The window with my name disappeared again after the red line filled back up to full. I returned to the (F)orest to search some more.
Forest Event – You stumble. Sure enough. Another dead bird with a scroll. The scroll reads: Dear Brave Heart, I am to wed one against my will. My father tells me I am selfish, because this political marriage will being peace. Get me out of here, a prisoner of war
(S)ave her or (I)gnore the girl?
Primrose was right about this game. It was very dark and required a lot of reading. No dragons had appeared yet, though, and I was thankful for that. There were so many different events that took place in the (F)orest too. Many of them did not even require violence. Obviously, I chose to help the imprisoned girl, the npc. Unfortunately, she had not revealed her location, so I was supposed to guess which of the five locations to save her from.
Redmaw: I am trying to save a girl prisoner an npc
Primrose: Ohh, you got that event, huh? Let's see.....Head to Gannon Keep. It changes every day, but today the correct location is Gannon Keep. Enjoy the rewards!
You set your jaw resolutely and journey to Gannon Keep. You reach the castle and fight your way up the tower! You blindly slash at any and all who stand in your path – screaming to find the prisoner you seek – and the jailer of your heart.
“You've come for me!” shouts an overjoyed (and darn good looking) girl. You breath a sigh of relief. This was the right place. The girl eyes you dreamily. “I can never replay you, and I...”
“Oh but you can. Is that your bed?” you interrupt.
1 minute later, you feel quite repaid.
YOU GET 400 EXPERIENCE AND 15 GEMS FOR YOUR TROUBLE.
I was not sure what exactly had happened at that event. One minute was not enough time to do much of anything in bed. It was almost impossible to even fall asleep in that short amount of time. Never mind waking up and getting out of bed too. There was not enough time to make a bed, but it was possible to unmake a bed in a minute. That other thing I read about, between a husband and a wife, that should not have been possible in such a short time either. To undress and dress again, it just was not possible to convey a couple's love so quickly. I set those thoughts aside and (L)ooked through the forest for more events, and at the same time, and hoped for fewer fights. Pandion Knight, Misfit the Ugly, and Bald Medusa wanted to fight me in succession though. I earned more gold and experience, visited the (H)ealer's Hut again to refill the little red bar, and (L)ooked some more.
EXTRA SPECIAL EVENT! - Your journey is interupted by the sound of many tiny voices squealing in delight. It seems you've come across a group of fairies bathing. YOU ARE NOTICED! The small things encircle you. A small wet female bangs your shin. “How dare you spy on us, human!” (A)sk for a blessing or (T)ry to catch one to show your friends?
I was the one who interrupted their bath time. There should have been an option to apologize to them and ask their forgiveness for the intrusion. Strange that the only choices were to abduct one of them or impose on them further. (R)un was not even an option. It would have been better to get away from them without antagonizing them more than they already were. After some thought, (A)sking them for a blessing was certainly less intrusive than (T)aking one of them by force.
“Bless me!” you implore the small figure. “Very well.” she agrees, “But we're still angry at you! Your blessing is....a companion for your travels!”
A pure white mare nudges your back! YOU FEEL THE DAY GROW LONGER.
Redmaw: I think I received a companion from the little fairies
Primrose: NICE! While inside the forest, you can (T)ake the horse to Dark Cloak Tavern, but there's not much for you to do there yet. It's a seedy place. Horse npcs have another benefit. Keep fighting in the forest to find out for yourself. Oh, and in an emergency, use the Red Potions to heal yourself. The Healer's Hut would be better though, since it just costs gold, and not items. You can visit the Healers between every fight, if you want.
Redmaw: okay I will go back to the forest to look some more
Forest Event – You stumble. Sure enough. Another dead bird with a scroll. The scroll reads: To whom it may concern, Geez am I bored. I've been locked in the highest peak of this castle for an ever so long time. Crikey, I would explain why, but I'm running out of ink. The note isn't signed.
Another event to (S)ave a girl from a castle. There could not be that many girls locked up in castles. The same five locations appeared as choices again. The options were (C)astle Coldrake, (F)ortress Liddux, (G)annon Keep, (P)enyon Manor, or (D)ema's Lair. I did not know what any of them meant or referenced, but Primrose already told me the answer today was (G)annon Keep. So, I went there to save another girl. At least, I hoped it was a different girl, and not the same one as before. As it turned out, it may have been the same girl after all. The sentences were the exact same, though. From the girl's dialogue, to how darn good looking she was, the scene with the bed, as well as the repayment exactly one minute later. I decided not to think too much about it, and continued to (L)ook through the forest. Primrose said the npcs were just resources for players. There was no need to dig too deeply into what had occurred during the one minute.
YOU GET 400 EXPERIENCE AND 15 GEMS FOR YOUR TROUBLE.
**FIGHT** You have encountered Bald Medusa!! Your Hitpoints 488, Bald Medusa's Hitpoints 120. (A)ttack, (S)tats, (R)un?
You try to hit Bald Medusa, but miss!
** Bald Medusa hits with its Glare Of Stone for 38 damage! **
You have become better at Defense! (2)
“Prepare to die, fool!” Bald Medusa screams.
He takes a Death Crystal from his cloak and throws it at you!
Your horse moves its huge body to intercept the crystal.
YOUR HORSE IS VAPORIZED!
Tears of anger flow down your cheeks. Your valiant steed must be avenged.
YOU PUMMEL BALD MEDUSA WITH BLOWS!
A few seconds later, your adversary is dead.
You bury your horse in a small clearing. The best friend you ever had.
