Cat With a Raygun

Joe helped get the Blackfeather and Metalhand families settled into their new homes and showed the felinoid man, Ziko, to his own cabin, and let the others show their guests where they will be staying until the new homes are built. It was clear that they didn't have enough beds for everyone, but there were extra beds back in Kela's Landing, so Joe explained his plan to Ferric who wholeheartedly approved.

By the late evening Joe had gotten quite a bit closer to Kela's Landing, but still came back to Rust's Edge as he wanted to be part of the big introduction of the new townspeople. Everyone was gathered at The Rusty Cup, which was getting crowded.

Joe spotted Malcolm before he sat down, “Hey, Malcolm. Maybe after the new homes are finished you should work on an expansion here.”

Malcolm nodded at that suggestion. “I hear one of the new residents is a Lumberjack, so that will help. Oh, but could you make me miniature arcane saws for my workshop? I can work much faster if I don't have to saw by hand, plus using stamina to power the saws will be good Stamina Regrowth practice for me. Can't have too much Vitality,” Malcolm chuckled.

After everyone was seated Ferric greeted the gathered townspeople and began introductions, first with the current Rust's Edge residents. Everyone stood up in front of the crowd and gave their name, their profession, their class, and their role in town. The Kela's Landing group were conversing among themselves in hushed tones that sounded more and more confused as the introductions continued.

Finally Ferric stopped Joe before he got up. “I'm sorry, is there something bothering you?” he asked of the new move-ins.

Ziko stood up, “Yes, I apologize. We're just not used to so many people identifying themselves by their combat class. Is there some danger looming outside of this town we're not aware of?”

Ferric gave a light hearted chuckle. “No, nothing like that, but you remember the losses the war brought upon out towns. Like you we used to eschew our combat abilities, but then we got a few youngsters in town that reignited our desire to get stronger. They reminded us that if we had more like them when the war occurred we wouldn't have lost so many people. We train our classes so that if war ever comes to our kingdom again we will be able to survive it and not nearly lose our town again.

“Now, we're not going to force any of you to train your classes, don't worry about that, but if any of you want to train, we will be happy to assist you with that. Thanks to Joe's portal ability we can go to where the beasts and monsters are, train, then return home.”

Joe then got up to introduce himself, although they all already knew his name and his class. He was getting up for something different.

“You all know me, my name is Joe. I'm an Arcane Gadgeteer, meaning that I have learned how energy flows through my abilities as a mage and I can translate that into objects, giving them abilities that aren't magical enchantments, but still work like magic. And to demonstrate the kind of training we can do here in Rust's Edge, I think I should point out that I'm a level 12 Mage and I only turned 19 a couple of weeks ago. As for my role in town, I do just about anything and everything. I've mined for iron ore, smelted it into ingots, cut down trees, built furniture out of the wood, cut stones from the quarry, constructed buildings, I'm currently growing wheat, and I help tend to the livestock. Not to mention that I help connect us with other locations by traveling to them so I can then teleport back and forth.”

Ferric stood back up behind Joe. “If it wasn't obvious from the way Joe literally saved you all months of grueling travel, Joe is the one behind the revitalization of the town here. His magic has given us access to things we didn't have before, so we can now sell goods to far away locations and make more than just subsistence level profits.”

After that it was time to get to know the new residents. First up was the felinoid man Ziko.

“I'm Ziko Onepaw. I'm a Lumberjack. I hear you all have a new lumber mill, so I hope to be part of getting that in full operation. As for my class, I'm a Hunter. It's similar to Scouts, but more nature-related, with a high focus on Vitality and Agility. I never thought much of it, but Mayor Rustkeeper, what you said about getting strong enough in case war breaks out again isn't a bad idea. I'll consider it.”

Next was the eaglin family. “Hello, I'm Tyrik Blackfeather, this is my wife Slivka, and our daughter Kleo. I'm a Wagoneer. Back when we had a thriving lumber business I would be one of the ones transporting the lumber to Telknock. As for my class, I'm a fighter. My preferred weapon is a quarterstaff because of course wood was really easy for us to come by. I haven't fought anything since before the war. I wasn't drafted because I was needed to transport lumber for the war effort. As for what role I think I could provide here in town, I guess you guys don't have much need for a Wagoneer, but for the last decade I was farming anyway, so I'm happy to assist with the farming here.”

His wife Slivka got up next. “As Tyrik said, my name is Slivka Blackfeather. I'm a Baker. Mabel was the primary Cook in town, but I provided baked goods to go with her meals. I'd like to open my own bakery here, if I could. We didn't have the people who could construct new buildings in Kela's Landing, so I baked out of our home.” Slivka then looked to Malcolm and Kerras who had introduced themselves as builders earlier, “But I understand that's not something lacking here, so I'd like my own. As for my class, I'm a Scout who uses bows.”

Kleo didn't have much to say as she still had three months to go before she got her Guidebook. Next was the dwarf family, the Metalhands.

“I'm Thagro Metalhand. I'm a Fletcher. I make arrows out of the branches we remove from the trees we cut down. We haven't been able to afford metal arrowheads in many years, but I think I'll have good access here, so I'll be able to make high quality arrows once again. As for my class, I'm a Fighter and I'm trained with an axe. I'd like to be able to continue my work as a Fletcher, if I can.”

“Hello, all. I'm Deena Metalhand. I'm a Leatherworker. Thagro and I met because he needed connections with someone who could make quivers for his arrows. I also make other leather goods, but it looks like you all have a good source of magical enchanting on leather goods.”

Joe interjected, “Oh, don't worry about that. Yes, I have a ton of mana to inject into my enchantments, but that doesn't replace the quality of a well-made item. I'm sure the two of us can brainstorm things you can make with my arcane patterns in them so you won't need to expend mana to make them, just follow a pattern. Unless you want to pursue something different, of course.”

“No, I'd like to continue to be a Leatherworker. I couldn't get good supplies in Kela's Landing, so I'm hoping that will change here. I'm also a Fighter, but I use dual longknives.”

Their daughter, Lenna, was around the same age as Gymmie, so it would be more than a year before she got her Guidebook. Their son, Bepo, was 11, the youngest of the group.

Ferric got back up to address the remaining teens. “I know the rest of you don't have your Guidebooks yet, but I understand you're not far off from that. I'd like you each to get up and introduce yourselves and let us know if you've given any thought to the class, profession, and role you'd like to move into. If you're not sure, or even if you have a good idea but still want to look into all of your options, Joe can take you all to libraries in Trenos where they have books about the various classes that are known to be available to your races. Even if you think you don't have the statistics to gain a class that appeals to you, let us know, because we have ways to help out with that.”

Kleo got up first, “I turn 18 in about three months, I'm the oldest of the seventeen-year-olds here. I already told Joe that I'd like to be able to fly, and he has a spell that can do that as a Mage, so I'd like that as my class.”

Joe asked her a question, “What if I could work with Deena or Melanie to make an armor that allows you to fly? Would you still want to be a Mage, or is there anything else that would appeal to you?”

Kleo looked embarrassed for a moment, “Well, I love the way my mom fires a bow when she goes hunting. If I could do that from the sky it would be pretty awesome. But I'd probably want something with an even better range.”

Joe nodded in understanding and jotted a few things down in is journal.

Ferric then asked, “And what about your profession, and what would you like to do here to contribute to the town?”

“If my mom is going to have a bakery business she's going to need a lot of wheat. I think I'll become a Farmer and help grow wheat and other crops.”

Next was the human boy. “I'm Barney Tanner. I turn 18 in 4 months. I don't know about killing things all the time, but I wouldn't mind being a guard for the town. If the town keeps growing you may need a force of guards. I could work on getting both a class and a profession that works for that. I'd need to focus on Toughness, obviously.”

The orc girl went next. “My name is Trila Snaggletooth. 6 months until I turn 18. I don't know about my class, but I helped Mabel a lot in the kitchen, cause she couldn't reach much as a halfling. I'd like to be a Cook. I can take over this tavern and let the mayor focus on being a mayor more. It's a little small, though.”

Malcolm spoke up, “We were already discussing expansion before this town meeting started, not to worry.”

“Good. As for my class, I don't know. The elf Kerras said that he plans to incorporate his levitation magic into his construction process. I bet I could cook faster if I could make the ingredients all add themselves to the pot or mixing bowl. I know it seems like a poor reason to pick a class, but I hear being a Mage is really rare, so if you guys can guarantee it and I'm not attached to any other choice, why not?”

The dog-like boy stood up next. Joe had heard someone else refer to him as a kobold, but he didn't look much like what Joe pictured when he heard of kobolds back on Earth. “Hello, hello, hello. I'm Jonny Browntail. I like animals. I want to be a Druid and a Shepherd. I'll raise your animals and keep them safe. I get my Guidebook in 9 months.”

Ferric looked Jonny in the eyes and calmly asked, “And would you be okay when we kill and butcher those animals you've raised for our food?”

Jonny nodded his head solemnly, “Mabel had rabbits for stew. I helped her with them. They were nice, but they tasted nice, too. I understand not to get too attached.”

Finally, the last resident, a human girl got up. “My name is Sylvia Featherstone. I turn 18 in 10 months. Like Trila I'm not really attached to any particular class choice, so I might as well take advantage of the benefit you all are offering and become a Mage. I don't really know what kind of profession I'd like, so if it's okay, I'll get some more skills under my belt first.”

Joe read a message in his CGS HUD and got up and moved towards the door. “There's one more town resident who you haven't met yet. Just don't freak out,” Joe said as he opened the door for the large wolf that was Belstak's current form to enter the crowded tavern.

“This is Belstak. He's a shapeshifter.”

“I can speak for myself, Joe. I'm getting better at Shifting,” Belstak said, still in wolf form, which was a new ability for the dragon. Normally he could only speak while in his natural form, or through the party text chat function of the HUD. Of course, Joe could always understand him even when he spoke like an animal.

There were shocked reactions from Kela's Landing people to this giant wolf in their midst.

“Oh, excuse me,” Belstak said and turned into a rooster. “Is this better?” Belstak asked somehow making normal speech come out of a rooster's beak. “Just don't be frightened when you see me around town in one of my animal forms or my natural form.”

“What's your natural form,” Barney asked.

“I'm a dragon.”