Equipment and the Adventurers' Guild

Being out of the tavern and free to do what you want for once is great. Being alone in an unfamiliar city, country and even universe is less great, but you try not to let it get to you. It's a nice early day with the sun shining and people going about their business. Your Sixth Sense becomes little more than an annoyance as people on the street occasionally watch you for a few seconds before moving on.

Your first destination is the shopping street that now features a selection of items displayed in front of the shops. There are only a few customers browsing wares, all the more for you. Looking through the equipment you decide that replacing your bow is probably a good idea. Also a cloak so you can hide your elven ears without having to cover them with your hair. Bending them out of shape for over a day is not good for them and you're starting to feel it.

You come across a store showing off bows of various sizes and wood types. Knowing very little about archery you feel lost. You pick up a long black bow and try to draw the string back, but it requires more strength than you can muster.

"Can I help you with something?" You turn to what must be the shop owner, an older man looking at you with a reserved smile. He wants to help find the right bow for you, but you don't know what your preferred draw strength and length are. When asked what the bow is for you tell him it's for big game hunting and defense against bandits. You don't want a bow that's only good for hunting rabbits, it has to deal some damage.

After trying out a few bows he finds one that seems good for you, difficult to draw but manageable. You realize that draw strength relates to arrow impact, so that seems perfect. Unfortunately, the bow costs 1 gold and 50 silver which is more than you have. You might be able to barter him down to 1 gold, but considering you don't need it yet and it's all your money you decide to wait. Seeing your intent to leave without buying he offers discounts and commissioning a bow that fits to you perfectly, but you decline. You almost promise to come back later before you catch yourself and change it to maybe coming back later. You don't need another oath tying you down.

In an armor store, you learn that plate armor can easily cost over 50 gold. Fortunately you're not a knight and leather armor is much cheaper. Some of it is available for under 1 gold making you hope you might get both a cheap bow and cheap armor for your money. But when you mention bandits the shop owner tells you that the cheap armors are only for the aesthetics. If you want to survive getting stabbed and shot you should invest more coin. It reminds you of the guard captain that thrust his sword right through your armor. You don't want that to happen again.

Asking someone experienced might help, so you walk in the direction of the adventurer's guild. If you could find someone to train you up you'd be all set. On the way, you buy food that looked like cake, but it's actually made from potatoes, eggs, and meat. It tastes like scrambled eggs which you didn't expect for cake, but it's not bad. It cost you 4 silver which makes you realize how little that one gold piece actually is.

You enter the guild; inside is a big hall with seats around tables like the tavern, but more spaced out. Groups of adventurers occupy some of them waiting or resting. There is a counter with a clerk sorting through papers and a board with what must be exciting quests. However, when checking them out they are rather mundane. Instead of killing sewer rats, clearing out a bandit camp, or at least bringing an important message to a besieged fort, it's just regular work. Fix a roof here, help out with the harvest there or services involving specific skills. The most exciting quests you find are to accompany traders or other groups traveling to Gilhardt or Feralon.

You go to the woman behind the counter to figure out how this all works. "Excuse me, this is the adventurer's guild, right? I'm new. Would you mind me asking you some questions?" She looks up from her paper sorting. "Of course. What can I do for you?"

"So, uhm, the quests ... do you have any that are more for adventurers?"

She looks at your dress and obvious lack of equipment. "Are you an adventurer?"

"Uhm... I think?" Realizing that this is not what a hero would say you correct yourself. "Yes I am! At least in the making."

"Right. What's your class?" You check your character sheet that says you are a Chosen Wood Elf Commoner. You shouldn't mention the elf part. "Chosen Commoner?"

"Right. The Commoner quests are over there." She points to the board you've already looked through.

"Can I see the quests for then non-Commoners?"

She gives you an annoyed look. "No. Those are for adventurers." Before you can ask she interrupts your next question. "To become an adventurer you need a recommendation and a class. Just get to level 10 for a class and then we'll see."

Well, this is disappointing. You want to ask more questions about adventuring, but the clerk already went back to sorting papers and you got your answer. It looks like you'll have to do quests until level 10.

"What's that?" you ask, pointing at a crystal ball standing nearby in the open. She looks up briefly and returns to her paperwork. "That was a present from the mages guild. You touch it and it glows in the color of your strongest school of magic. Try it, it's free." You walk over, excited to see what sort of magic you'll be able to do. You stare at the orb, regretting not having picked some magic to start with when you had the chance. Hesitantly you put your hand on the orb, then look closer to try to see any faint glow it might have, but you can't see any. "Hey, it doesn't work."

There is a sudden roar of laughter behind you. "Pay up!" You spin around to see a coin pouch slammed on a table in anger. A large brute snatches it up and puts it on his belt. "It's working just fine" you hear the clerk behind you. "Most people just don't have any magic talent." You look back to the group of adventurers where the large brute is still laughing and a woman is sulking and not looking at either of you. This could have been your ticket to greatness, pick a magic skill, make the orb glow and join an adventurer group. Or the mages guild as an apprentice. Instead you're standing there barefoot in a waitress dress, your dreams shattered. The clerk seems to notice. "Don't worry about it. Not everyone has what it takes to be an adventurer. And there are other talents besides magic." Like Exhibitionism. You nod to her and leave, ignoring the adventuring group and suppressing tears that try to **** their way out.

Author's note: For this chapter I tried out a grammar checker. If you think this chapter is better or worse than previous chapters consider sending me a message here or on Zurai's Discord.