Chapter 18

70 miles northwest of Crownspire, nearing the end of the second day since his escape, on the outskirts of a town called Ironmarch, William pushes himself forward.

I was hungry, thirsty, and tired. After 2 days of running and trudging. I finally spotted a town in the distance. Coming back to life after falling from the mountain left me feeling refreshed. I wasn't hurt, sore, tired, or anything. It didn't do anything for my hunger or thirst, but it was a night-and-day difference in how I felt before. The first day had been spent escaping the forest at the foot of the mountain and sleeping on the cold floor that night. The second day was a long walk under the hot sun in open grasslands, which was much more terrifying. I was constantly diving to the ground at the sight of birds, in case they were wyvern riders searching for me. I knew I was heading west, which made those mountains Ironspine, and the town at the foot of them was Ironmarch. Big on travel and trade. There were almost certainly guards there, as it was a necessary stop on the way to the war front in the north-east. Would they be looking for me?

I thought about skipping it and going straight to Wayfell, but I really needed supplies. I would try to lie low and find out what was known about me. Not to mention that I had never actually left Crownspire before and wanted to confirm where I was. I had seen maps of the country and this world, but those memories were my only reference point. I was pretty confident in my guess, since I hadn't crossed any roads yet, and the next nearest mountain range was the World Maw, which was supposed to be a wide range with 2 colossal peaks in the center. This didn't look like that.

As I got closer, I could see carriages going to and from the town. Most were on the roads between Crownspire and the Dornguard towards the war front. Not guards, though. Not all of them, at least. Most were merchants with carts full of pelts or grains. I couldn't see the road heading west. If people were heading that way, maybe I could catch a ride in exchange for... right. I was completely broke. I didn't even have anything I could trade.

The town was lively. The streets were full of people, and all along the road were vendors selling things like food, pelts, jewelry, weapons, clothing, all kinds of stuff. The first place I went was the well in the center of the town, and drank until my stomach couldn't hold anymore. Could I get away with grabbing some fruit and making a run for it? As I continued along the town towards the west end, I spotted a few people who sat next to wooden bowls with coins in them. Beggars. I absolutely didn't want to be caught and arrested for stealing, but begging might work. I just needed enough for something to eat. I found a spot in the square towards the west end. It was much less busy, but I wanted to avoid any guards or soldiers if I could.

I didn't have any fancy wooden bowls like the other beggars, so I just held out my hands. As soon as I did it, it felt humiliating. Looking up at people passing by as they did everything they could to ignore me. I couldn't even blame them since I had been the same way in my past world and even as recently as in Crownspire. I justified it as having my own problems to deal with and not wanting to deal with the problems of others on top of them. How many of them had just needed a small amount to get by for a day like me, and I had assumed it would've been wasted. I thought about it for a while until I saw one of the beggars from earlier wandering the street, drinking from a large bottle, and bothering people. Idiot. He was giving all of us honest, hardworking beggars a bad name!

*Plunk*

Something landed in my hand. I looked up to see an Elf dressed in brown leather armor and a bow on her back walking away, then jog to catch up to three other people. They all looked to be in their late 20s or early 30s except for the elf whose age was difficult to guess as they aged at half the speed of humans. Two humans, a man in white clothing and a plate mail chest piece, wooden buckler on his back, and a war hammer on his belt, and a woman in all dark clothing with daggers on her hips, on one leg, and one on her lower back. Last was an orc. He was huge and had two thick, 2 handed hammers on his back. Was one a radiant armament? Adventurers! I almost forgot Ironspine had a dungeon entrance, and it was near this town.

I looked into my hand. It wasn't a copper, it was a whole silver! Were there more adventurers in another area? They were heading to the north end of town, closer to the mountain. I decided to follow them. I stayed at a distance, but I think they knew I was tailing them and just ignored me. They entered a tavern called the magic bottle. I peeked inside. It wasn't quite full, but there were a number of people I could only assume were also adventurers. They had large packs of gear, exotic looking armors and clothing, and lots of different races. I planned to just stay outside and see if I had better luck here, but the women in dark clothing from the party I followed spotted me looking in.

"Ari, you been feeding strays again?" She said while pointing at me.

The elf women, who must’ve been Ari, looked away like she didn't know what the woman was talking about. The orc spoke up instead.

"You got a staring problem, kid?!"

The tavern was rowdy enough that the other people inside either didn't notice or didn't care. Despite his angry and aggressive tone, I didn't feel threatened at all.

"Are you adventurers?"

The man in the plate mail chest piece and white clothing looked at me. He had bags under his eyes and a grumpy look, but he seemed nice when he spoke.

"We are. If you're looking to post a quest or hire someone, go to the guild."

"No, sorry, I was just wondering, how do you become an adventurer?" I asked.

They looked at each other like I couldn't be serious until the women with the all the knifes responded.

"Listen, just because anyone can be one, doesn't mean anyone should."

The elf, Ari, followed up, "What she means is, It's a very dangerous occupation. You should try general requests on notice boards first to see if you like it."

"If the boy wants to die in battle, do not discourage him! It's an honorable way to go!" The orc bellowed completely serious at his teammates.

Did I really look that unqualified? Or maybe it was just that difficult. I looked down at myself. My shredded shirt barely held together, stained in blood in spots. I might have looked like I had been robbed and beaten if I had any injuries. Instead, I just looked like a dirty homeless teenager.

The man with the tired face answered me. "Come. Sit."

He pulled an empty chair to the table and gestured to it. The women in dark clothing didn't seem happy about it, the elf didn't seem to mind. The orc smiled happily. I wondered if I should actually run. The chair was between the woman with the knives and the man in white. I sat.

The man continued as he pulled a book from his belt and began flipping through it.

"Anyone can go into caves, dungeons, and the underbelly. But those people are not referred to as adventurers. To become an adventurer, you need to pass an exam to join the adventurers' association and get a license. Even then, not just any adventurer can go just anywhere. For most crypts, tombs, certain dungeons such as chaos dungeons, moving freely across boarders, and accepting certain quests, you need to be a part of a large guild that can vouch for you and have your back. Those in a guild are considered professionals and are held to a higher standard."

I took in the information before asking, "How do I know which dungeons I can't go into?"

"Certain guilds own certain dungeon entrances, sometimes a town or city will restrict who can enter by charging a fee, and some places demand a level of professionalism that the caretaker wouldn't want just anyone going into. Like places where the dead rest, or where old artifacts are believed to be buried. In any case, it’s made very obvious. Also, adventures are often wary of those without a license when they come across others in a dungeon, as they could be thieves or murderers looking to ambush people or take advantage of a chaotic situation. I would recommend getting one, or you’ll have a pretty hard time finding a group and might even get attacked. I’m not saying that everyone with a license is a model adventurer, but it will reduce the chances of a nervous one attacking you. Just keep your eyes open."

So I can take publicly posted quests and go into dungeons. Guess I’ll need a license. Guilds seem to open up a lot more options, too.

"If I wanted to join a guild, which one is the best?"

The orc interrupted. "The brotherhood! Honor, power, and independence! Become the best you, you can be. Rise above your surroundings and reach for divinity! We stand strong for the weak and always aim to improve ourselves. Our ultimate goal is to be recognized by a monarch and gain their blessing, or even be chosen to become a monarch one day."

The man elaborated. "It's not just a guild about strong people fighting, though I won't deny that, that is the majority of it. The guild respects different strengths and encourages all of its members to try and be the best at what they choose to do."

The women in black scoffed at the orc before speaking. "The Keepers is best if you have realistic goals. They pay the most for their quests and buy magic creature parts at a premium. They also have a huge selection of magic items to rent and purchase. The Keepers want to make magic items a convenience for everyday life and not just combat. Hot baths on command, horseless carriages, that kinda thing. Their goal is to collect, archive, and research, to improve magic and science for the rest of the world “

Ari followed up, "The answer is whichever guild speaks to you. You can always change later, but it's best if you pick something you believe in. Symphony is about unity, inclusion, and guidance. We approach minor races and, if they are willing to be peaceful, we will help each other. There's a lot we can learn from them, and there are things we can't do that they can. Harpies are incredible scouts and have good fashion sense, if you're in a fight, a minotaur is the best ally you could ask for, and Oni are just as smart and even more powerful than any major race. Some can even use magic."

Minor races?

"I've heard the terms major and minor races, but what do they actually mean? If Oni are just as smart, but stronger in general, why are they not a major race? Is it their numbers?"

The man in white answered me. "A major race is any race with its own nation. They are able to hold these and assert themselves as a major race because of a power that the others fear. This is the human nation, Aurevale. They have summoned heroes, but they also have numerous powerful relics. The elves and sylvari have the 9 god seeds, The orcs have the Orc god himself, the fae have 4 fae lords, the dragonkin have The Dread, the beastkin have their Kitsune, Dwarves have mountain golems, and, more recently, the demons have entered the game board with their Demon Lord."

I had heard of some of these things, but I didn't know that was what determined a major race from a minor one. Basically, they can do as they please to anyone else, but they keep each other in check.

"Wait, so, you're not all in the same guild?"

A few of them chuckled before the knife women responded.

"No. There's no rule that says you have to all be in the same guild. In fact, it's better to have a party from different guilds so you can take advantage of multiple. Caldus and I are the only 2 in the same guild here, but we joined for different reasons."

The man in white, Caldus, followed up, "Kara is more of a treasure hunter type, I joined the keepers for the research and resources. However, I am interested in all the major guilds. I started in the Brotherhood before switching. And you don't need to join one of the big three. There are many smaller guilds that you might find fit you better, or maybe you want to start your own."

This was good information. I had a lot more questions still, but I didn't want to bother them too much more since they had already helped me. I wonder how much more I could get out of them, before they got annoyed.

I turned to the orc. "Mr. um, strong orc."

Ari helped me, "Warrex."

I continued. "Mr. Warrex, those huge hammers on your back, are they radiant arms? Aren't they heavy?"

He smiled. "Strong Orc is also acceptable, haha! They might be heavy for a weaker man. Not me though. And you have a good eye. One is a radiant armament."

He patted the head of the hammer sticking over his left shoulder before continuing, "Makes whatever I hit with it get sent flying way further than it should."

Kara followed up with a scoff before speaking. "He uses it to make himself look stronger than he actually is. Sends rocks and goblins into the sky instead of waiting for a real battle."

Warrex countered, "I don't need to use it for real battles! It is for entertainment! I would never use it as a crutch. At least mines made with Wyrmglass and not bronze. Hahaha!"

Kara sat up in her chair and leaned over the table to point at him. "It doesn't matter if mine are bronze! I have 6 of them! That's still more overall uses than yours, AND I actually use them to help the party and not just fool around!"

Warrex continued to laugh while speaking.

"Yes. You use them as a crutch! You do not rely on your own skill and strength. Hahaha!”

"Stupid! It takes skill and strength to use them! How can you justify using magic and not radiant arms!?"

"Magic is something that comes from within. It's a part of someone, therefor it is a part of their strength. Radiant arms are not. If you want, you can carry my hammer. I have no need for it."

Kara sat back down and crossed her arms in defeat. "I ain't carrying that stupid anchor around everywhere."

The others laughed. Kara lifted her cup and realized it was empty. She looked at me.

"Hey aspiring adventurer. How about a quest?"