On the eigth day after starting the hell training, The fat Captain came to him.
"You have proven yourself worthy of being a Foot Soldier. congratulation."
[You have succeded in the Foot Soldier Training.]
[Do you wish to select Foot Soldier (Soldier Class - Rank 1) as your Job?]
"Yes."
[job Selected]
With a nod the captain left, soon replaced by Propheus trainer who had seen everything and came over.
"I knew you could do it! Now, listen well as this is important. A footsoldier, in times of war or durring an expedition, is on the front lines. He has to endure the arrows and bolts, the swords and axes, the stress and the fatigue until the very end of the battle. Neglect your daily training and you will fall long before that. Do you understant?"
"I think i do sir."
The tone was serious, the moment grave.
"The rest of the time a foot soldier stands guard or patrol in the village. So its quite a likable job!Hahaha!"
And the moment was broken. He was saying the truth though.
Many other players were either starting or completing the Foot Soldier Training. Propheus could see people running, working out or standing still in the same footsoldiers outfit he wore. The fat Captain was cirrently goung from player to player ranking them up.
Others were being led to the stables by several instructirs. Those had choosen to join the Cavalry.
"By the way, did he give you your plates?"
"Plates?"
"You are part of the village's army now, you should have plates."
"Oh, you mean tags?!"
Propheus opened the bag and found a leather string with a thin rectangular slice of shiny brown metal attached to it. It did look like a tag. Exept there was nothing written on them.
"What do i do with those?"
"First you visit the Master Instructor. She will tell you your stats. "Then?"
"Then you go to the General Smith. He will inscribe them on the plates."
"I see. What are the tags uses anyway?"
"Hum... it tells your commanding officer what to expect from you and is a proof and reminder of your duties and powers as a member of Last City's army."
"So only soldiers have them?"
"Mercenaries too, it helps them form parties based on the tags intel, Schollars and Darkling have a similar version bit i'm not sure exatly what they are used for. Craftmen and Artist generally put on on their shop as proof of their dedication to their art and Villagers and Adventurers... hum, i'm not sure. Maybe you should ask the general smith about this. He is bound to know more than i do."
"Sure"
The Master Instructor, like the name indicated, was the one in charge of all trainings, trainors and trainees. She lived in a separate Barack at the far side of the military compound.
"As a Soldier The first evaluation after each Rank up is free, after that its 25 silvers each time."
Plates upgrades were not a free service, a fee was asked. Because he worked for the city he had the chance of being provided with one free upgrade per Rank up but others such as mercenaries and scholars would have to pay every time.
She took a drop of my blood, and drew a Mgic circle with it. The circle glowed and the blood ink faded. Instead it was replaced by a long block of numbers.
"Go to any Carver or Engraver. they will now what to do with this."
"Thank you."
He took the perchment and went to Busy Bee Archie who was always seen carving wood in his down time.
"Hey Bussy Bee, can you do me a favor? I have a plate upgrade and i need your help to complete it. Can you help?"
"A Plate Upgrade? sure! give me that!"
Propheus handed the copper plate and the parchment to Archie and, using a small hammer and an engraving knife inscribed the information on it.
He did not know how Archie understood the writtings but it seemed to work.
After a few minutes Archie gave the plate back. Like the perchment, Propheus was incapable of reading it. When he said so he discovered that he had to learn how to read and count to do so.
Players would normally learn those at the Orphanages classes but for the ones that did not pay attention to their suroundings they would select their class and loose the access to the lessons. Now Propheus had to pay a tutor to teach him what he could have gotten for free. To do so he would have to go to the Academy and post a request on their quest Board.
"Common Language Tutor needed at the Barracks as soon as possible.
1 Silver Reward.
Propheus"
Once he was done dictating the request, a clerc posted on the board and he returned to the baracks.
Someone came less than ten minutes later. It was a red headed player of the name Worker-san.
Using skin rolls and coal she made him writte strange symbols over and over again while repeating letters of the alphabet. She told him that by saying it aloud it was faster.
After around fifty lines of writtings a message appeared.
[You have learned the Common Language]
He paid her the silver coin and thanked her before she left. After that he took the plate again and was finaly able to read it.
"(Front)
pholien, Propheus
Soldier, Rank 1
Free Man, 0, 0
<Constitution>
Agility: Low
Athletism: VeryHigh
Charisma: High
Dexterity: High.
Endurance: High
Intelligence: VeryLow
Luck: VeryLow
Mind: High
Personality: VeryHigh
Speed: Low
Stealth: VeryLow
Strength: VeryHigh
(Back)
<Affinity>
[ ]
<Spells>
[]
<Talents>
[No Armor][Short Sword Mastery][Spear/Pike Mastery]
<Skills>
[Maintain][Pierce][Slice][Throw]"
Propheus then took the perchment and read it. The only difference between the two were the stats description and the [Common Language] skill in the added <Knowledge> section and his Foot soldier job written between his Class and Rank.
"<Constitution>
Agility: H >18
Athletism: E >83
Charisma: F >12
Dexterity: F >34
Endurance: F >92
Intelligence: I >29
Luck: I >16
Mind: I >42
Personality: E >16
Speed: G >41
Stealth: I >0
Strength: E >57"
From the intel Propheus had gotten from an information site before, SS was the highest while I the lowest. In other Words his Stealth was his liwest stat while his Athletism his best. The problem was that he was not sure what the Athletism, Mind and Personality were.
"Better look it up but where... Library. I have to find a library."
He asked for directions from the first passer by he saw and found the stone building easily. once inside ehe didn't lose time and asked the clerk for books concerning the Status Plates and the information it described.
He ended up with a dozen books on the subject. He chose one called "my first status plate" and sat on a chair. He browsed through the book and only fully read the parts that interested him.
"What is a Status Plate?
A status plate is a tool crafted by forgers from copper on which a Carver Engraves informations about its owner. The informations are obtained through a complex Magic Circle that requires blood from the future plate owner."
"How do i get a new Status plate?
Simply by buying a blank plate at a general smith or forger and getting yourself appraised (the act of obtaining information about an item or person) and having an engraver work on your new plate. This is called plate Upgrade."
"A status plate for all!
Status plates come in different size and shape.
Soldiers Adventurers and mercenaries have tags like plates that are easy to transport and do not encumber during battle. They are used to determine the strength of possible companions and allies.
Artists, and Crafters have large plates the size of a book page that they install on their workshop window and walls (or working table for apprentices).
It allows clients to choose their crafter wisely.
Schollars use Plates as a Curiculum Vitae.
Darklings keep their plates use a secret, as usual, and refuse to show them.
Villagers have no use for plates but some like to have them to have an estimate of their constitution."
There was also a long paragraph abount the origin of the plates, something to do with Pholien, but it bored Propheus so he skipped it. Finally he found what he was looking for. A list of all stats, talents, and skills with their description.
"Constitution: the state of ones body and mind."
"Agility: influences the ability of moving and running without falling and tripping. Can be highered by doing exercices requiring equilibrium."
"Athletism: influences the ability of executing strenuous tasks for a long period of time without getting tired. Can be highered by doing exercices requiring stamina."
"Charisma: influences the ability to capture others attention and fidelity. Can be highered by doing exercices requiring leadership."
"Dexterity: influences the ability to attack from a distence or work on precise crafting. Can be highered by doing exercices requiring precision and delicacy."
"Endurance: influences the ability to absorb damage and pain. Can be highered by being regularly on the verge of death."
"Intelligence: influences the ability oto use technologies or high level spells. Can be highered by doing exercices requiring thinking wisdom and logic or gathering knowledge."
"Luck: influences the ability to win games of chance and random events. Increases by playing mini games."
"Mind: influences the ability oto resist Defuffs, Curses or Hexes. Incresesby being hit by Debuffs, Curses and Hexes."
"Personality: influences the ability to persuade and lie. Can be increased by following a unique goal for a long period of time."
"Speed: influences the speed of reactions, attacks and movements. Can be increased by exercising footwork or sprinting."
"Stealth: influences the ability to hide and sneak up. Can be highered by camouflaging or being discreet."
"Strength: influences the damage in close quarters attack. Can be highered by working out."
After checking on the stats he looked at the rest of the plates informations.
"Affinity: the ratio between efficiency and poured magic while using the Elements. Can be hirered by better understanding the Elements."
"Spells: magic consuming constructions with a physical effect on the caster's surroundings@."
"Talents: abilities that allows you to properly use items."
"No Armor: the talent of being able to lessen damage even while not wearing armor."
"Short Sword Mastery: the talent of using a short sword while doing proper damage."
"Spear/Pike Mastery: the talent of using a spear or pike while doing proper damage.
"Skills: learned physical actions."
"Pierce: the action of plunging your weapon into your enemy while holding it perpendicular to his/her body."
"Slice: the action of causing a deep cut with your weapon into your enemy's body."
"Throw:the action of throwing your weapon into your enemy."
"Not bad for a first appraisal..."
What intrigued through was the two zeros and the Free Men appellation. After looking for a while he found that it was the number of known offenses and the bounty on his head that were displayed while Free Men referred to his civil status.
His curiosity satisfied Propheus put the books back on the shelves and went back to the barracks. There he did his usual training and added sprints to the program.
For two more days he did nothing but train, on the third the heat was so high he went to the river and swam ann day long under the envious eyes of others. he few players that tried to immitate him but drowned.
On the next day hewent into the forest and started hunting wolfs and deers on his own. His method was simple: stab and slash the wolves using the pike until one of them bypassed it thn use his short sword to finish them. it took between ten to fifteen minutes depending on the number of wolfs. In truth he could hve made it shorter if he threw, pierced of sliced at the beast but he was trying to develop the Skills Stab and Slash. Unknown to him such skills were reserved to Knife users and were therefore unavailable to a pike wielder.
The newt two days he teamed up with a duo of archers that had just become footsoldiers. They took on packs one ofter the others, clearing the forest little by little. At the end of the day they shared the spoils of the hunt and Propheus choosed to sell his share for twelve silvers and a few coppers.
On the following morning the Captain came to him as he was leaving the barracks.
"Hey, Soldier! Comme here, you have orders!"
Apparently it was his turn to guard the central place in the afternoon. He did his usual morning workout, ate at the barracks and left for the central place.
Wearing his footsoldier outfit he stood in between two houses doors, observing the crowd for any disputes or occurenses.
Since nothing was
Happening after more than an hour of standing still and patroling he naturally started to eavesdrop on the surounding players.
Since his first conenction Propheus had been isolated at the militzry compound so this was his first time being among so many players.
Apparently an adventurer had bought a map of a nearby dudgeon and had obtain founding from the guild to mount an expedition. Mercenaries and Darklings with the [Disable] skill were being hired by the dozen. Not only that but Cooks, Transporters and Schollars were needed. Large amount of consumables profuced by Crafters and sold at high prices by merchants.
Some were complaining because of the price, others were exited by the first ever exepedition and a few didn't think of it at all.
Another player was rumored to have already reached Rank 2 and was believed to be the stronguest player in Second Chance. His name was Jaffir. Since he was a Darkling not much was known about him. Even his Rank 2 job might have been exagerated or false.
Propheus also learned of a weapon shop that sold relatively good weapons at a cheap price. The way to reconise them was the engraving BC on the lower section ogf the blade.
Another topic was how using magic was out of reach until Rank 2 for schollars which made them the weakest Class after the Villagers.
Reconnecting with the rest of the players, Propheus felt good. He enjoyed the busy flow of the central place and the conversations between players.
When his guard duty was done he received two silvers from the captain.
Considering that 20 coppers a day were needed for food and lodgment, this was quite the sum. As a result he booked himself for the afternoon Guard for the next seven days.