Noah nearly gagged at the taste of the contents of the shot that Dempsey had just purchased them. He was not a huge drinker in the real world and quickly learned that he would not be a huge drinker in this game either. You would think that the creators of the game would be inclined to make the alcohol have a bit less bite to it, at least he would if he was in their shoes. Though, the bite is what made this game actually feel like a reality, that was the whole goal of it was it not? As he washed the bitter taste out of his mouth with some nearby ale, he looked around the room. Most of the people here were NPCs but there was the occasional player. While they were keeping to themselves Noah had to wonder how long had they been playing the game? He also had to wonder what each of their skill sets were. He was going to have to think long and hard about how he wanted to continue in the game. Was he going to stick with the rogue route? Or perhaps he would pick up a magic skill or two, only time could tell what skills he would need to pick up along the way. Who knew, by the time he got to a higher class in his masteries they might end up opening a sixth or even seventh mastery. This game was full of surprises after all. He turned his attention back to Dempsey who seemed to be enjoying herself. Noah gave her a smile s he popped a bite of food into his mouth. If this day was any indication of what the rest of the game was like, he could very well get in trouble for enjoying himself too much. He was a shut in as it is already, he did not need to add to that fire. “So tell me Dempsey, what has been the craziest thing you have done since coming here? Have you killed other players? Looted dungeons? Stole from the rich to give to the poor like some virtual Robin Hood? Or does most of your days end up like this one, drinking in a tavern in the middle of the woods?” He was hoping to get a bit more information about the world while keeping Dempsey happy. Most people enjoyed talking about themselves and giving Dempsey the chance to do just that might make her enjoy this afternoon even more. Of course this was all helped with another round of the burning, cheap liquor that the tavern was serving. Dempsey got the first round so he ordered the second. As the shots were placed in front of them, Noah lifted his glass in a cheers like manner hoping that Dempsey would return the action. @Dempsey Fabijain
She pondered the mans line of questioning, realizing that she hadn't stopped to consider the topic herself until just now. She had done the usual mishmash of content that most players enjoyed, but also spent a good deal of time simply exploring and experiencing all that this vibrant world had to offer. After a thoughtful silence, she reached for her mug and drank, then responded: "I guess a little of column A, and a little of column B. I don't think anyone here is strong enough to take on the super hardcore stuff, but as far as I know I've been keeping up with the best of them. Mostly just quests, grinding, fighting, drinking... I tried doing some burglary and petty theft for a while, but that just never really held my interest. No point in getting in trouble with the law when you can make just as much money the legal way. Nobody here has anything worth stealing. I guess all the really good stuff is tucked way in the endgame dungeons that we wont be able to get at for a few more months, so right now, I'm just focusing on progressing and waiting for... whatever." She shrugged dismissively, feeling that she'd answered his questions as she took another drink and peered around for her dove. "How about you? I know you just started, but what in the hell were you up to all the way out there? Were you just wandering around, or did you pick up a quest that sent you out that way? I'm curious as to what compelled you is all." As she spoke, the rain began to fall harder, and the constant rattle of heavy raindrops agasint the window all but drowned out her speech for a moment. She peered outside to see a sky that was far darker than it should be this early in the day, and sighed mentally. Tomorrow was going to be a muddy and humid mess for sure now. @Noah Krane
Some petty theft huh? He was curious on how the law enforcement worked in here. There was probably some sort of government after all. Was it a player crafted one or was there a king in some castle? I guess when he got to Stokbon he would get a better understanding up close and personal. Really he had not seen any guards lurking around the inn nor the roads but there very well could be, just not the ones that he was expecting. The rogue skill allowed for some sleight of hand and skills that would allow for burglary. Maybe whenever he trained on it a bit more he might give a go at this petty theft, break into some bank or shop and see if he could not make a quick cash. He doubted he would be able to steal anything too crazy expensive but the skill set could always prove useful in dungeons or other situations with locked doors. He would probably need a set of lock picking tools for that though...Perhaps in Stokbon he would find a shop that had some for sale. “Well you pretty much saw what I was doing. Acting a fool in the woods trying to stalk the poor local deer herd. Poorly I might add. I really just started an hour or so before we crossed paths. I spawned in the middle of the woods with only these simple items, an egg, and a small pocket of gold. Nothing more nothing less. Haven’t really came across any other players or NPCs yet to even obtain a quest of any sorts. Would love to go on one though, a nice bit of gold is always appreciated” As he finished up his statement the door to the end flew open allowing a few others to enter and escape the rain. Their clothing was drenched and their feet to their knees was caked in mud. Noah really had little desire to go outside for the rest of the day and possibly even tomorrow. He did not have much gold left, a hundred pieces or so. He hoped that would be enough to ride out this storm and eventually make it to Stokbon. Who knew though, perhaps he would come along a quest or two on the journey there. He was already blessed with Dempsey and her vast knowledge on the game so far, he might have luck strike twice and run into some well paying NPC that lost their kid in the woods or needed some wood chopped. @Dempsey Fabijain
She nodded at the mans statement, and eyed the newcomers warily. She was always suspicious of strangers; Very seldom did they appear to offer good news or rewarding opportunities. Generally they were loud and disruptive, choosing to use the freedoms granted by this game world to act, for lack of better words, like raging douche bags. She was relieved to see that they were NPC characters, however. She turned her attention back to her drink, well aware that it was't going to drink itself, and that they needed an empty mug to play their improvised version of quarters. In response to Noah's ambition, she nodded and decided to offer a bit more information to him. "Quests are easy to get. Just talk to NPCs whenever you don't have anythig better to do, and pay attention to what they say for clues. If one is talking about goblins attacking a village, you can probably go to that village and pick up some quests that way. The group finder in your game menu is also a great way to get some easy exp, if you don't mind grouping with strangers. I know that even the more advanced players haven't even scratched the surface though, and there's new territories opening up all the time. It doesn't take any real effort to find more work than you'll ever know what to do with." She resumed her efforts to provide the pair with an empty drinking glass once again, this time emptying the mug of it's contents. She fished out a coin and snapped it down onto the table. "Let me get another round, and we can get this started. You can go first!" @Noah Krane
It seemed that it would be easy to find quests, the rogue trait would come in handy as well. While it would not make him an expert at eavesdropping, it would let him blend in with crowds a bit easier and possibly overhear more intimate conversations. It also seemed that there was a group finder feature. That was a good system to know about. Noah had played several games that would randomly lump you into raid groups, dungeons, and even simple quests with other players. This could be a pro and a con though depending on how it functioned, plus the community it was built around. Sometimes it could cause players to become lazy and not interested in actually exploring the world but just throw them right in the middle of a dungeon. They would lack the experience of getting to know the game’s story and the NPCs that made it up. These type of players were generally in it for the loot and the bit of experience points dungeons and raids come with. Noah enjoyed some of these ventures but also liked to actually get to see the world. Also many of the new places in games like this were not accessible until another player had already discovered it and beat it. Noah wanted to be one of these ground breaking players that was paving the way for the others. Noah watched Dempsey chug her drink, slamming the mug, along with a gold coin, onto the table before them. It seemed that the game was about to be underway. “Just so we’re clear, if you make the coin the other person takes a drink correct? At least that is how we used to play back in college. If you make three in a row the person has to chug their entire drink. First one to pass out has to get breakfast for the others in the morning.” He gave Dempsey a smile before trying his luck at the game. He remembered that Dempsey mentioned that you had to cheat a bit in the game in order to get the quarters to bounce. It might have been a bit of a mistake to offer to go first. He was bound to miss this first round until he saw what Dempsey meant by cheating. He picked up the gold coin, playing with it in his hand by allowing it to dance over his knuckle. Even though his rogue skill was not particularly high, it allowed him this extent of dexterity already. Noah could not imagine what mastering the skill would allow him. After a moment of playing with the coin and lining up his shot with his eye, he flicked the coin down and watched it halfway bounce. It got to right below the rim before clanking against the glass. Seemed that he would have to put more oomph in it next round. “Damn, looks like I might be losing this game.” He chuckled a bit and awaited Dempsey to have her turn at it. @Dempsey Fabijain
She shrugged at the mans suggested rule set and remarked evenly "Everyone learned how to play with some kind of variant to the basic rule set... that's how all drinking games work, isn't it?" She scooped the coin form the table and held it between two fingers, looking at it approvingly for a moment. The problem was that even though it weighed a lot more than the quarters that they both had learned the game with, the metal was soft, and didn't bounce as well as it's real world counterpart. She stood from her seat and raised her hand to about ear level, bringing the coin down forcefully this time. While she'd managed to achieve plenty of elevation with her throw, she still missed spectacularly, being forced to half dive under the table to catch the coin before it bounced and rolled it's way to freedom. "Still though This might end up being harder than I thought it would. Really gotta put some umf into it, and that's not what I'm used to at all with this game." She slid the coin across the rough table toward Noah, realizing that the uneven surface would make this game less about skill and more based on pure dumb luck. Honestly, she could care less about the game itself, and was more just happy to be warm, dry, and near a readily available source of cheap food and drink. She merely suggested the game as a means of advancing a conversation that showed signs of taking a turn toward awkward silences and tripe small talk. She felt somewhat responsible for Noah, seeing as how she was the one who drug the new player out of the woods and into civilization. Part of that sense of obligation extended to providing at least passable entertainment for the next few hours, lest the man wander off and get himself into trouble before she could even get him to the gates of Stokbon. She had her own intentions for the younger player, even if it was something as simple as social networking and building a collection of friends and allies that would become real asserts when she needed them someday. She broke her moment of reflection with a simple comment; "Your turn" @Noah Krane
