Throwing Spears & Talking Numbers

“Arm up a little more, my dearest love. There, good! Now throw!”

Krvavy’s right arm snaps forwards with her body, sending the homemade javelin flying through the cool air of the grotto.

“Ya sure do learn quickly.” Beryl idly states, watching the small throwing spear land in a bush slightly off to the side. “Once ya’ve got yer aim down, Ah reckon tha’ ya can try yer hand at throwin’ while movin’. Not right now, o’ course, but soon.”

The tomboyish wood elf is fairly familiar with throwing javelins, knowing the right way to hold onto them and what poses to use. But Beryl can do more than just explain how to do it right, as she is actually surprisingly good at throwing javelins herself, especially considering that she doesn’t have any thrown weapon skills. Guess that is what happens when someone has as much dexterity as Beryl does. That said, the elf is still far better with her bow.

“Do ya have a skill fer this yet? Or has yer thrown weapon proficiency at least levelled up?”

“No to both.” Krvavy replies after a quick check of her stat sheet.

“Shame.” Beryl clicks her tongue in disappointment. “Well, Ah think it is time fer a break then.”

Krvavy raises an eyebrow questioningly. “Really? I’m not even starting to get tired yet. I can keep going.”

“Aye, ya can. But we’ve been at this fer over an hour already, so it doesn’t hurt ta give ya a bit o’ a breather.” The elf replies, before her eyes twinkle teasingly. “After all, Ah don’t want ta tire ya out just yet~! At least not until we get ta practice wit’ yer other spear~!”

The barbarian just lightly shakes her head, trying to ignore the elf’s teasing taunt.

“Though, now tha’ we’ve got some time, how about ya ask another o’ those questions tha’ ya have?” Beryl suggests as she moves to sit on a nearby rock. “This’ll probably be yer last chance ta do so today. Unless ya want ta ask them when we’re eatin’ dinner...?”

“No, now is good.” Krvavy replies, settling down on the ground near her elf. After a few moments of thinking about what to ask, she opens her mouth and begins. “This is kind of about your worries earlier, I just didn’t want to interrupt you by bringing it up then. So... I don’t really have any context for levels and attributes. The numbers, I mean. What is ‘good’? What is ‘normal’? That kind of thing.”

“Hmm...” The tanned wood elf thinks for a moment. “Well, the answer ta tha’ is quite complicated... Especially fer attributes, as tha’ differs rather heavily per race... So Ah guess Ah’ll start wit’ the levels.”

Stretching her arms straight above her head, Beryl coyly smiles as she intentionally puts her petite breasts and toned belly on display, before continuing on as if she didn’t just tease Krvavy for no reason. “Hmm... How ta begin... Ah suppose tha’ Ah can try categorizing different ranges...? Yeah, tha’ll work. So, let’s say tha’ there are fiv– no six ranges.”

“The first would be anyone beneath level ten. Generally speakin’, bein’ less than level ten is pretty bad. At least fer an adult, tha’ is. People level up from learnin’ and doin’ things, so ya can see how reachin’ adulthood but still being a low level is a bit o’ a warnin’ sign.” The tanned elf explains, before bringing a hand up to her chin and thinking for a moment. “Ya know, tha’ is probably why yer little princess has such a complex about herself, as even wit’ her noble upbringing and the education she would’a had she was only, what, level six when ya found her? Not ta be rude, but tha’ is pretty pathetic. Even the peasantry tha’ she so detests is better than tha’.”

“As fer ya... Well, Ah ‘ave no idea how ya’re such a low level. Especially wit’ yer affiniteis bein’ what they are. Ah can only assume it has somethin’ ta do wit’ yer... unique situation?” Beryl pauses for a moment, waiting for Krvavy to confirm that.

The barbarian simply nods her head, as that is pretty much it. And its not like she can exactly explain it without sounding crazy.

“So, movin’ on... The second group would be those between level ten and twenty. If bein’ in the first group is bad, then bein’ in this one is alright. It isn’t anythin’ special, really. Kind o’ just the normal level fer normal people. Fer the most part. Age plays a factor too, o’ course. An older person bein’ in the lower end would’a spent most o’ their life in the first group and a younger person bein’ in the higher end will likely end up in the next group, so they’re not the most comparable...”

Beryl briefly pauses, seemingly considering something. “Yer puppy, Khalia, was level 17 when ya first ran inta her, right? Ah wonder how old she actually is... She is definitely an adult though, and a younger one at that. So she probably had a fair bit o’ potential. But then again, Ah believe Orcs only live fer around half a century, so she’d be more than a third o’ the way through her life by now...”

“If age plays a bit part in these ‘groups’,” Krvavy interjects, “does that mean they’re different for each race? Or is it more of a proportion through life kind of thing?”

“Both.” The elf quickly responds. “Ah did say it was complicated, yes? Ah’m making these groups based on what Ah know and my experiences. They’re not somethin’ well-defined and widely agreed upon. Just the observations o’ an Elf woman who has travelled far and wide.”

“So, while thing’s are different fer different races, there is still a degree o’ similarity between them. Fer instance, Ah can confidently say tha’ this second group is where the average person ends up, regardless o’ race. It is just tha’ a lot o’ factors go inta it. Humans, in my experience, tend ta be on the lower end. But tha’ is mostly because so many o’ them are little more than peasants toiling away and barely makin’ a living. Elves tend ta take a bit longer ta mature, we’ve got twenty ta thirty years until bein’ considered an adult, but the ones who are content wit’ their lives still tend ta be on the mid ta high end. Orcs, on the other hand, tend ta have shorter, more rugged, lives wit’ a lot o’ fightin’ so... what Ah’m sayin’ is ya don’t see weaker Orcs ‘cause they tend ta die.”

“Tha’ help? Good.” Beryl rolls her shoulders and takes a deep breath. “Okay, the next group would be those in their twenties and thirties, so roughly from level twenty ta fourty. Ah suppose tha’ this is where it gets a bit mucky, as tha’ is a pretty big range o’ levels. But the individual levels aren’t as significant as the previous groups, and tha’ll only get worse from here on out...”

“Anyway, the people in this third group would be, well, those wit’ some promise and potential. Bein’ in this group is respectable, as they’ll have a lot o’ opportunities in life, but they don’t exactly stand out and aren’t somethin’ ta write home about. Fer an example, think o’ some well-trained soldiers or professional mercenaries. They’re good, especially when compared ta normal people, but not outrageously so.” Beryl pauses, looking like she has something else to say, but instead she simply shakes her head and moves on.

“As fer the fourth group, tha’d be those from the forties ta low sixties, so probably up ta level sixty-five or so. Ah feel like this’s the last group wit’ a reasonable number o’ people in it, as the next two could probably just be seen as extraordinary outliers. Tha’ said, if ya loosed an arrow inta a crowd ya probably wouldn’t hit anyone from this group.” The elf shrugs out. “People here tend ta be somethin’ like the most elite soldiers or those from really good renowned bloodlines who actually put effort inta improvin’ themselves. There isn’t really much fer me ta say, just tha’ they’re strong.”

“And Ah have even less ta say about the fifth group, which would go up ta level ninty-nine. This penultimate group would generally be seen as the best o’ the best, outside o’ legends or rare exceptions. An example would be... Hmm...” Beryl thinks for a moment. “A royal guard fer someone who is incredibly, extremely, important? A single one, maybe? Ya’d be lucky ta get a handful o’ people this strong in one place, as they tend ta go off and do their own thing.”

“Alright, so tha’ leaves the sixth and final group, which Ah would say is anyone who’s level is in the hundreds. Ah suppose tha’ beyond figures from legends, this group’d mostly be the mages who’ve extended their lives through magic so they can continue to obsess over their research. Not particularly common, mind you, but there’re more people like tha’ then ya’d think...” The tanned elf trails off, before intensely staring into Krvavy’s eyes. “Ya had best live long enough ta make it inta this last group.”

Krvavy raises her hands in mock surrender. “I’ll try, but we have already been over this.”

“Ah know, Ah know...” The elf sighs and shakes her head. “Guess it’s time fer me ta talk about the attributes. They’re even more complicated wit’ a lot more factors in play... So... How do Ah put this...? Havin’ a base o’ ten is pretty good fer an attribute tha’ ya don’t need. Especially if ten is the lowest one ya have, like in yer case.”

“An example would be...” Beryl thinks for a moment, before snapping her fingers together, “yer girl, Thea. If all o’ her Physical attributes were at least ten, then tha’ would be great. After all, she’s a noble girl who never really needs ta lift a finger o’ her own. But she does need her Social attributes ta do noble socialite things, so if those were only ten, well, tha’d be pretty bad. Ya get wha’ Ah’m trying ta say?”

“Yeah,” Krvavy quickly nods, “but I assume that isn’t exactly the case when you get to higher levels?”

“Aye. It’s a bit arbitrary, ta be honest, but at a certain point having just ten in an attribute could be a bit o’ a vulnerability. Fer example, someone puttin’ everythin’ inta their Physical attributes would be quite the **** ta be reckoned with, but they might gloss over somethin’ important if their Insight and Perception aren’t high enough, or they might be too easily tricked if they don’t ‘ave enough Rationality and Guile, or they could be manipulated and controlled by emotional magic if their Willpower and Composure are too low, or people might think they’re nothing but a slobberin’ brute if they don’t ‘ave more Charisma and Allure.”

“But,” the elf emphasizes, “tha’ doesn’t mean ya have ta keep all attributes equal. Bein’ well-rounded is good, but it also has its drawbacks: if ya were in a fight wit’ someone more specialized then the odds wouldn’t be in yer favour.”

“Hmm... Ah suppose tha’ Ah can use myself as an example fer this.” Beryl muses. “See, there are some attributes tha’ Ah haven’t bothered ta increase since Ah was a young child. Rationality, fer instance, isn’t all tha’ useful ta me as Ah don’t rely on magic, so Ah don’t need the greater amount o’ mana, and Ah’m already smart enough. Ah’m no scholar, Ah don’t need ta work my way through word or number problems. My Social attributes are also all pretty low, as Ah never really liked dealin’ wit’ people. Composure and Guile have some use in helpin’ me keep my nerves and in pickin’ things up a little quicker, but Ah don’t need them ta be very high. And then there is Charisma and Allure, which are... a little more complicated. Fer my case, at least.”

“Those two attributes are the only ones tha’ Ah have less than ten points in. Not only were they the most useless in my life, at least until Ah met ya,” the tomboyish wood elf adds on with a gentle smile, “but Ah feel like they are the most subjective. Both attributes are purely social, and as Ah said Ah never liked dealin’ wit’ people. Charisma is generally seen as the **** o’ ones character and how well ya can communicate, which means a different thing to everyone. Ya, fer instance, can understand the intent behind my words pretty well, so why would Ah need any more? And then fer Allure, well, ya find me attractive, yes?”

“Of course.” Krvavy replies without a moments hesitation. “I think you’re ridiculously hot, and have since I first saw you covered in soot and fully clothed. It’s why I couldn’t keep myself from impulsively claiming you.”

Beryl’s face flushes at that bold statement. “W-well...” The elf embarrassingly brushes some hair behind her long pointed ear and fails to hold back a smile as she tries to regain her composure. “Ya see... Allure isn’t what makes someone ‘attractive’ ta others, though it does help. It lies more in the mannerisms and small details, but it doesn’t change other peoples’ attractions. Fer example, if Ah had hundreds o’ points in Allure, Ah still wouldn’t be able ta seduce a women who is inta men. Oh, she’d definitely acknowledge tha’ Ah’d be attractive, and tha’ might change how she thinks about me, but Ah wouldn’t ‘ave any better luck gettin’ inta her bed than Ah would now.”

“Tha’ said, Ah am tempted ta increase my Allure fer ya. Ya see– No, no, let me explain.” Beryl wags her finger at Krvavy, not letting the barbarian interrupt her. “Ya see, Ah am a bit clumsy in my attempts ta arouse ya. Not literally, as my Dexterity is too high fer tha’, but in a metaphorical sense. Just look at yer girl, Thea. She has 20 Allure, correct? Tha’ is more than double mine, and Ah see the effect it has on ya, even if ya don’t. Ah can say, fer a fact, tha’ if she had my Charisma and Allure ya would’a made her inta yer rapebait instead o’ whatever she is ta ya now. But ya didn’t, because there is somethin’ about tha’ girl ya just find alluring.”

Krvavy would like to think that her elf isn’t right, as it makes the barbarian feel rather shallow, but a part of her knows that Beryl is right. She would still find Thea attractive, but if she found the girl’s personality to be repulsive and the way she carries herself to be arrogant or annoying, then Krvavy wouldn’t feel particularly bad about **** her all the time...

“Oh, don’t feel guilty about it, my dearest love!” Beryl almost begs, snapping Krvavy out of her thoughts. “Ah think about ‘er in a much worse way! Or at least Ah did until she started acting a little bit better behaved...” The tomboyish elf then shakes her head. “Anyway... My point is tha’ those attributes are so subjective: you enjoy how Thea acts, while I do not. So if ya find me attractive as Ah am, then just imagine how irresistible Ah’d be ta ya if Ah raised up my Allure!”

Considering how difficult it is for Krvavy to stop herself from bending Beryl over and taking the elf right now, that is a bit of a scary thought... She wouldn’t be able to keep her hands off of her elf, and she’d never get anything done... “I wouldn’t want you to waste your points on that...”

Beryl smirks, almost predatorily, as she sees the flimsiness of that excuse. She opens her mouth to say something, but pauses as her eyes go wide. “Oh. OH! Ah’m sorry! Ah got a bit carried away there! Ah still have ta answer yer question! Okay, okay, so... Where was Ah...?”

Taking a deep breath, the elf collects herself. “Ah, yes. Ah said tha’ some o’ my attributes are low because they’re useless ta me. Well, my key attributes are Dexterity and Perception, as Ah’m a hunter, a Ranger, so Ah need ta be agile and notice my prey. It also helps tha’ Ah’m a Wood Elf and those two naturally increase as Ah level up, but tha’ is a whole other thing. Anyway, the rest o’ my attributes are useful ta me, in some way, but not ones tha’ Ah rely on. As such, Ah brought them up ta at least 25 so tha’ Ah could get the milestone traits.”

“And that is what Ah recommend tha’ ya do!” Beryl forcibly states, pointing at Krvavy. “Those traits are very good and Ah would love ta have one fer each attribute. But tha’ is quite the investment. Fer someone like me, that is. Not fer ya though, as yer high affinities mean tha’ ya’ll just keep levelling up ferever. So Ah really think ya should make sure ta have at least 25 in each attribute. Tha’ said, Ah’m not sure if ya should do tha’ right now. Yer current attributes are pretty good, so ya should focus on increasin’ the ones tha’ll benefit ya the most first.”

“Okay.” Krvavy easily agrees. She wanted to get all of the attribute traits anyway, but Beryl does have a point... If Krvavy wants to get **** on the Duke and his damn wizard then she needs to get stronger, and wasting points on some of her less useful stats just to get a small bonus from a trait isn’t exactly the smartest thing to do... She should still get willpower and insight up, as her earth and blood magic depends on those, but her main focus should be on might and toughness...

“Sorry ta interrupt yer thinkin’.” Beryl apologetically speaks up. “But Ah just have one last thing ta add, before we’ll have ta get back ta trainin’. Ah’ve talked a lot more than Ah intended ta, and this has drawn out a bit... Sorry.” The elf nervously laughs out.

“Ahem. Anyway... My last point is in what a ‘good’ amount o’ an attribute ta have differs dependin’ on yer race. Simply put, whatever increases naturally on its own each time ya level up is expected ta be higher than the others. This is a pretty obvious point, but people tend ta overlook it.” Beryl shrugs out. “Fer example, fer myself those’d be Dexterity and Perception, as Ah said before. So at my level if Ah only had, say, only 25 o’ each... Well, Ah would be a laughingstock and a failure o’ an Elf. Though tha’ isn’t exactly possible, as Ah get two o’ each whenever Ah level up, so Ah’d have a bare minimum o’... what... Uh... 54 right now...? Not includin’ the base amount Ah would’a gotten growin’ up...”

“Actually, come ta think o’ it, Ah ‘ave a pretty low amount o’ Dexterity and Perception fer a Ranger... Have Ah ever even put any points inta them...?” The elf mutters out with a sigh, looking down at the ground. “Guess Ah really ‘ave wasted most o’ my life so far... Ah never really knew what Ah wanted ta do wit’ myself...”

Before Krvavy can reassure the elf, Beryl claps her hands together. “Well, tha’ is all Ah have ta say. Hope tha’ answered yer question?”

“Yes, that was... more than enough. Thank you.” Krvavy replies. Even though most of Beryl’s answers pretty much just boiled down to it depends, they still helped to give Krvavy a bit of perspective. Kind of sad that she is pretty under-levelled, though that isn’t much of a surprise. But then again, that extra stat point she gets each level probably balances that out...

“Good, Ah’m glad ta help, my dearest love. Now, we really need ta get back ta throwin’ yer sharp sticks! So get to it! Up, up!” Beryl barks out her orders.

While Krvavy doesn’t like being bossed around one bit, there is something endearing about her elf unwittingly acting like a drill sergeant. It is kind of cute, to be honest. Especially with how Beryl is smiling and clearly enjoying herself.

“Don’t just stand there! Get movin’! And don’t ya forget the ones ya threw! Go get them first!”