Firm: Opal’s Story

Chapter 34



Everyone is discussing the options for what should be built, and we’ve decided that both (Well) and (Pig Pen) are must haves. Everyone who isn’t me needs to eat and drink, so even if we have a stream close by, and probably enough animals for hunting in the forest, it’s just safer to have a source inside the camp that we can control. Sue points out that if we get attacked and have to defend the camp, we won’t be able to leave to get water or food. The next most important thing to build is decided to be the (Armory) once Sapphire suggests being able to produce guard uniforms means we’d have a source of clothing. I kind of forgot clothing was a thing if I’m completely honest, but everyone else almost immediately agrees to add the (Armory), some even suggesting it should be given priority over the (Well) and (Pig Pen).

Tasha steps into the conversation by saying at her last camp the (Quest Board) was one of the only ways to get experience and level up the Land. She admits that the (Dungeon) was theorized by most people there to do the same thing, so since we have enough credits, it would be interesting to see what it does. I’m mostly quiet during the conversation, since I’m only interested in the (Well) and (Pig Pen), since they should both make Credits for me. Maybe. They have such similar wording it’s hard not to assume they will be listed as income sources in the Taxes menu once built. The other women finally decide on the (Dungeon) over the (Quest Board), since it says it can be farmed for resources, and everyone is curious what it means.

Everyone is excited to see what happens when I build the structures. I tell them that last time the structures rose up from beneath me, so be careful. We all walk to the center of the camp, since I decided to start with the (Well) first, and having water in a central location is important apparently. I focus on the option and select it, only to be surprised when a circular stone well grows in front of me, not under me. So I guess it’s just stuff you normally stand on that grows under you? Maybe. I look in the hole and see it slowly get deeper, its stone extending further down. It stops pretty far down, but I don’t see any water in it, there is a bucket tied to a spinning winch type of system, hanging it over the well. It has a rope dangling it down from a pole, with the pole being held up by two bars. The side of the pole is connected to the winch thing, and Sue demonstrates how it’s used. When you touch the stones of the well, you get an option to spend stamina to make water, kind of like with the fish at my dock. So I spend 100 stamina and hear the sound of rushing water. I look down into the well and sure enough, it has some water down there now.

A few other women walk up and feed it some stamina to make sure it works, but then we move on to the (Pig Pen). Sue suggests we put it near the wall that’s furthest away from where we plan on making a place to sleep, since pigs smell bad. Knowing the orcs, I can imagine it pretty well. I walk to near the wall and focus on the option. Around me a large half-circle of stone walls grow out of the ground to about the height of my belly button. It’s a half-circle since the small walls, or I guess fence, reaches to the camp wall and stops there. While I’m looking around me to see if there is anything else different, there is suddenly a big pig next to me, and I reflexively punch it in the head. It dies, sounding a lot like an orc.

“Ah, so that’s how it works.” Ruby says, partly hiding behind Tasha. I laugh at myself for being surprised by the pig, but toss it at Ruby anyways. Tasha dodges, which catches Ruby off guard, and she’s hit with an adult pig in the face. I laugh even harder as she pushes it off of herself, having been knocked over by it. If only she were heavy like me she’d be fine. She huffs and brushes herself off “How rude.” she says, before joining me in laughing. “It looks like we’ll be eating well tonight.” Sue adds and then asks “How much did that pig cost by the way?” Ruby responds with “It was 200 stamina for that pig, I wonder if putting in less would make a smaller pig.” So of course I get out of the pen and we test it out.

Spending less stamina does make a smaller pig, down even to a small piglet for 20 stamina, but no one wants to eat it since its cute. Spending more over 200 gets you bigger pigs until you spend 400 stamina and anything after that makes an additional pig as if you had spent 400 once, and then the additional amount a second time. So 420 stamina gave us a huge pig, and a small piglet. A lot of the women then spend 20 stamina in order to have a piglet to carry with them as we walk to where the armory is going to be built. Tasha suggested that it be close to the gate so we can respond faster if we need a new uniform or weapon, so that’s where we head.

As I select it, a stone building grows out of the ground. It takes about a minute, but once it’s done, it’s about 10 ft x 10 ft and about twice my height, with a roof that slants up towards the back of the building until it hits the wall of the camp behind it. I go into it and use my light skill on one of the walls. A few women join me, but it’s not very big so they’ll have to take turns. On the far wall are an armor stand and a weapon rack, which I move to. I place my hand on the armor stand and get a flatbox telling me…

*Only Guards may access this armor stand*

*Can be upgraded*

Which is really rude since I’m the one who just built it. I look over at the weapon rack and see Amber pulling a large two headed ax from it with a big grin on her face. “How much did that cost?” I ask my cute daughter to which she replies “1000 Credits, so everything I’ve gotten from quests so far, but it’s worth it.” I nod but then remember “How are you going to get a uniform then? Oh and it won’t let me get one since I’m not a guard.” she looks at the armor stand and then down at her naked body, then shrugs and lets someone else enter the building. I leave with her and ask Tasha about it since she was a guard before but she answers “The camp I was staying at didn’t have an armory when I was there, so I couldn’t say. Maybe you could give someone else Credits who is about your size and build and they could get one for you.” I ask her the obvious question “You can give people Credits?” and she tells me “Of course, just walk up to someone and focus on sending them the Credits. Here I’ll show you.”

Ding!

Tasha Folman has sent you 1 Credit

“Thank you.” I tell her and then focus on sending it back, and she tells me it worked and she got it. That should give me a way to get a uniform for myself then, I’m not really interested in a weapon yet since I have such heavy fists. I see women walking out of the (Armory) wearing some pretty basic white clothing, but around their wrists is a strap with a single beautiful white stone. I walk up to them and ask to see it, and they gladly show it off. It’s mostly white and smooth with flecks of many different colors that seem to reflect in the sunlight. I decide I want a uniform, but I wait until everyone else has gotten one, even Amber, since they are only 200 Credits I send enough for her. Then I spot Ruby who is probably the closest to me in size and shape and give her 200 Credits to go get me one too.

After that we are all standing around and chatting about how nice we all look in the simple uniforms, I might have bragged a couple times myself. Tina comes up to me and shows me the stone in her wrist band. “Do you know what this is?” she asks me with a really big smile, but I don’t so I tell her as much. She then tells me in an excited voice “It’s a white opal, just like you.” then I give the obvious response “So that’s why it’s so pretty, I’m bigger though.” she laughs at my response and then we both go around telling everyone what it is, I get to Amber and she says “So that’s why it’s so pretty.” See it’s the obvious response, so I look over at Tina smugly, but she just rolls her eyes at me.

After a lot of chatting

It’s finally time to do the most expensive and least important structure, the (Dungeon). None of us know what it’s going to be like and Tasha says her last camp didn’t have it either since it’s so expensive. It’s kind of weird seeing everyone in cloths now and with many of them carrying weapons. I’m told the options are limited, the cheapest option being a pretty simple spear for 100 Credits. Amber’s double headed ax is the most expensive option, and Sapphire says there aren’t any bows or arrows available, so if people want them they’ll have to use her skill. I remember she wanted to show off her shooting skills, so I pat her on the head and tell her we’ll do it after building the dungeon.

We decide to put the (Dungeon) near the well in the center of camp, if it can be farmed then it might need water is our logic.

As I select the option, a stairway leading down into the ground starts to form. It’s about 8 ft wide, so I head down the stairs next to Tasha and Ruby, the stone stairs didn’t go very far down, only about… 20 ft or so. In front of us is a stone double door which I walk up to and try to open, but hear a chime when I touch it instead.

Ding!

Welcome to the Liberation Dungeon!

Floors 10 *Can be upgraded*

Enter with your Party? Y/N

That’s interesting, but I don’t answer it and pull my hand off the door, causing the message to disappear. I have Ruby and Tasha touch it too and ask them what it tells them. They see everything I do, except the part about it being upgraded, which must be since I’m the (Landowner). I tell them they can all enter it later, but only after I’ve checked it out. “While I check the Dungeon to make sure it’s safe, you all should go with Sapphire, she want’s to show you all some bows and arrows that her new skill can make for us, and see if anyone else want’s some.” I have my body at the camp gate open it up for them, so they can go get some trees for Sapphire. Then I walk up to the Dungeon door, leaving the party I was still in so they don’t get pulled with me, and then select Yes.


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