Dreamland

Before me lay the bustling marketplace, teeming with a kaleidoscope of people, each with their own unique features and mannerisms. Their movements, voices, scents, and behaviors were all distinct and varied, creating a cacophony of noise and smell. The air was thick with the scent of exotic spices, flowers, and sweat, while the colorful stalls and their wares dazzled my eyes.

Wow, this is what I call perfection!

So much work for a simple scene of one market in one of the many small towns! The attention to detail is astounding - every NPC has its own unique features, movements, sounds, and smells. From the vendors hawking their wares to the laborers carrying heavy loads, from the patrons leisurely chatting to the beggars pleading for coins, the scene is teeming with life. No other game even comes close to capturing such vibrant, immersive scenes.

I watched the activity with surprise and intrigue. Despite the lack of buyers in some areas, vendors were not just mindlessly repeating the same actions or phrases, as is typical in many games. Instead, they chatted and rearranged their wares in a natural and realistic manner without any obvious choreography. It was as if I was watching real people going about their daily business. This is one of Mephisto's World trademarks and a significant reason for their success.

OK, overview done, let's not forget why I am here: Shopping! Yeah, baby! Shopping with capital 'S'!

Yes, true, I like shopping. Maybe it is in our hunter-gatherer genes, the gatherer part of them, to love wandering around and collecting precious items.

The fact that I did not go out with my mates, Clara and Lola, for their shopping tour in real life does not mean that I do not like to go shopping. Clara is the problem. I do like shopping tours!

I made my way to the side of the marketplace where sorcerers were selling their magical items. It was a bit of a gray area, as they were technically only allowed to sell objects, not their sorcery itself. So their wares were displayed as simple rings or pieces of body armor, and it was up to the buyer to guess their true value.

In this kingdom, wizards and sorcerers were somewhat of an outcast, despised by many, and often accused of being the source of evil, even if only indirectly through their magic. Of course, this wasn't true, but it was the official position and was linked to intrigues and infighting at the court between various classes, guilds, and noble houses. There was also some religious background to it. Perhaps I should try to understand these local policies better. Was it something along the lines of "magic for me but not for thee"? It seemed that certain types of magic, like that of priests and paladins, were allowed while others were not.

I sighed, abandoning my thoughts about petty politics, and turned my attention to the market. A smile lit up my face as I browsed the various stalls. Spartacius was right; these items didn't have the magical attributes we were looking for, but that didn't diminish their appeal. I had an emerald that allowed me to see their magical properties, but I didn't even bother picking it up. My interest lay solely in their aesthetic value.

In my gaming history, I had spent hours upon hours trying on different clothes, amassing a nice collection in my item box, not to mention what I kept at the guild and bank. And yet, I was still discovering new and unique pieces—some that fit better, some more elegant—among the many wardrobe items on display here. There were so many options but so little time to check them all! And my available inventory slots were always so limited!

As I was wandering between sales counters, a young boy approached me hesitatingly.

“Are you lady Cala?”

As he asked, he was looking with his round brown eyes at me with fear, curiosity, and admiration. For him, I was one of those mythical strangers visiting the town. The high quality of my armor, the filigree embroiled satin work decorating my shirt, and the fine leather boots were visible even for a peasant's child from a provincial town. Everything screamed: 'elven armor' even if it wasn't actually elven armor... Well, elven armor was actually good-looking armor but not the best of the best; however very expensive. But explain that to the average peasant who will never be able to even touch one piece in his entire life, except maybe in a war when facing imminent death.

I nodded to the boy:

“Yes, I am.”

He grinned over his whole little face, happy that he found me:

“I have a message for you!”

I leaned down slightly to hear him better and asked, “What message?”

The boy showed me a small piece of parchment in his hand.

I watched him, surprised. Who would send me a message? I do not recall something like this when I played Act 2* before. It is strange, but I do have Cala's memory of everything that Cala did. I perfectly remember every quest, every good or bad deed, noble or barbaric act she did, including those that Cala did before me. This is one of the problems with picking up a character from somebody else, which is now forbidden, by the way. I should not have admitted to it… Oh well...

While the game has evolved and new situations have arisen, I've spent countless hours exploring various Act 2 areas and have never encountered a message in the market like this before. Perhaps there are now so many versions of Act 2 that I've simply lost track, or maybe it's a message from another player in a unique form.

I took the small parchment in my hand. It was not sealed up, just folded up in four. The message was short and impactful, written by hand with beautiful calligraphy:

'You are in great danger. Leave now! Meet me in the forest at the white tree.'

I chuckled at the idea of wandering through the forest searching for a white tree; it seemed like a simple, low-level quest. Should I be looking for a tree painted white or one that was simply brighter than the others? The message on the parchment was unsigned, with only the outline of a white flower painted beneath the text. I didn't recognize this quest. Who could have written this warning?

“Who gave it to you?” I asked.

“It was a lady dressed in white satin robes. She described you and promised I would get a penny if I delivered it to Lady Cala,” the young boy replied with a smile.

I glanced at his outstretched hand, realizing he was waiting for a tip. “Alice, can you give the boy a penny and see if you can find out who sent me this message? I need to go to the bank. We'll meet back here. And keep your eyes open,” I said to Alice before turning to leave.

Alice let out a sigh and replied with a wink,

"I'm sure that little bugger was paid to deliver the message..."

I couldn't help but chuckle as I watched her search through her purse for some spare change to tip the boy. It was amusing to hear her unscripted comments about the greedy NPC messenger, which were not typical of a game's dialogue. This always surprised me in Mephisto, but now it seemed to be even more than usual.

Despite the warning message, I didn't take it seriously. After all, nothing bad ever happened in town. I figured it must be some sort of minor quest or a way to make my visit to the forest more interesting.

I briefly checked my equipment but decided not to dress in full fighting gear just yet. After all, we were still in town, and it was generally safe. I'd wait until we were out of town to prepare for any potential dangers.