Luxuriating in a – necessarily large – wooden bath, I got a good view of my enormous body. Well, at least as far as the vast stomach. From there, my lower half was completely out of view. Maybe Carlos felt at home like this and I wasn't judging him from the point of beauty or shame. My dismay at the body I was in was a practical one. As it was, I couldn't possibly help these people in battle. And I was so used to my own, fairly fit shape that for me, this was like being an imprisoning shell. I had an idea of who I was that was at odds with this person. It would take some serious work but I was determined to get in shape, not least for the sake of the battles to come. At least he was tall, taller than me, at about 6' 4" I'd guess. That was promising for the long term, if I could get the body into fighting condition.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYppKXMyKrS
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While I didn't want to make any important decisions about my character sheet until I had tested if I could improve my stats, I took some time to properly study the kingdom menus.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI7OOATW6Qz
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Greyland361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn1bOm13JU4
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Economy Military People361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqSE74jjfPb
Currently building: granary level 2361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzA0tu2Idk2
Monthly trade income: 0361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVQu7KLIFRh
Monthly tax income: 54 gold361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmT5dJxq8Bk
Daily food consumption: 13 units361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYhAbUzh3Yt
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Grain yield: 0 due in 17 days361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv6JNB8jgVZ
Vegetable yield: 35 food units due in 21 days361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhZHSmP9iid
Wool yield: 3 bales due in 34 days361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx2nMDanFMO
Meat yield: 4 units daily361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSqH3nZWwpr
Timber yield: 17 planks daily361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUQQKsVPGXN
Iron yield: 2 ingots daily361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrimyJxDefd
Quarry yield: 6 blocks daily361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOhAXGRUL8p
Smithy yield: no production set361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw7k43ysZzn
Weaving yield: 4 bolts daily361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAvPjNuJxqC
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Research: steel pickaxes361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvZYDXBQllD
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Resources:361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhC86osVCJ5
Wheat: 19 food units361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBZKhRdxHkX
Vegetables: 32 food units361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPUAKRxqol3
Meat: 5 food units361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡivv9K7T9AS
Wool: 7 bales361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvrLp6fkis9
Timber: 134 planks361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡndJ0KuH74L
Iron: 11 ingots361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXpSu2bWTzE
Stone: 33 blocks361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvAktJVAXOt
Cloth: 0 bolts
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All of these points of information could be opened for more detail, so I focused on the 'currently building' tab. There, I could see a graphic of a partly constructed wooden tower. The granary, presumably. In a timer that was counting down, there were two days and several hours left on a bar that was about half filled with green. I had other options, currently greyed out: farm buildings, level 2; hunting lodge, level 2; sawmill level 2; watermill; mine level 3; quarry level 2; smithy level 2; library level 2.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2SWCIQxMnk
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There was an obvious contradiction between the fact the kingdom was working on a new granary and there was no grain yield. Presumably, this was a legacy of losing the recent battle and the farmland. I should almost certainly swap the construction project to something else. Long term, it was often a good idea in strategy games to invest in research, which might be what the library was good for. But I had a real worry about the food situation. So without making any changes, and after shifting my hulky figure to swirl some warm water around, I looked at the Military sub-menu.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbL0nYVxKmf
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Military361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJluKdkPERC
Light infantry: 32361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE4hi4rAs2K
Heavy infantry: 12361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Ctk7BPmW7
Archers: 18361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHpF3BWLNht
Light cavalry: 24361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDVTTAjIdB8
Heavy cavalry: 3361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzhmxqtNxIz
Ballista: 1361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl5bBYcfQ00
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Hospital: 17361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSyZzdnNBIj
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Military upkeep cost: 42 gold, 5 silver361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGL2L61pAde
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Currently training: 2 heavy cavalry361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8sE8ZcVMUX
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Buildings: keep level 2; curtain walls level 1; towers level 1; town walls level 1361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRTwReYgRDa
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Currently building: tower machicolations, 3 days
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I had no idea how big the armies in this world were, but with just a hundred troops the situation here was certainly dire. I suddenly had a dark thought. What if we were overrun? Slaughtered. What would happen to me? Would I get home? Respawn? Or just die, forever?361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNgKT8ItnH0
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Although they were fundamentally important questions, there was nothing I could do to find answers to them, so I returned my focus to the menus. Each of these entries had options to drill down into more specific information, such as about the stats on the troops, but I just skimmed through them, wanting to understand the big picture items first.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM4Ych7FQt5
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People361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsNRyj0Nh2A
Citizens: 485361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6hCi9n7VyK
Happiness: 14361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjEXUVeyFlS
Tax Level: High361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl8AnOmMeKu
Health: 89361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKD1rJSWFLA
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Specialist roles361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqykP5KWdQF
General: Lord Arval, Paladin Level 7361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD31cXdX7lX
Royal Wizard: Carlena, Sorceress Level 9361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRnJbfOL8No
Steward: Chancellor Parrin, Scout Level 9361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRn8FdsMuPX
Ambassador: Figus, Bard Level 3
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Looking at the Citizens menu I saw a more detailed breakdown: Soldiers 110; Farmers 38; Builders 40; Shepherds 34; Hunters 48; Miners 84; Clothmakers 23; Bakers 23; Brewers 16; Carpenters 21; Stonemasons 14; Smiths 4; Researchers 4; Idle 26. It was strange how few were the numbers here. Was this because I had found myself at an early stage of whatever game-like system this world was based on? Or was there some other explanation?361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Xrg9NI0OE
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTl15NmmJzV
This was interesting. For a start, the king had been lying to Chancellor Parrin for some reason. Far from being a Level 5 Scout, the thin man was 9. Then I found I could open up their character sheets and I did so for Lord Arval.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsHMw7nPceQ
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Lord Arval: Paladin Level 7361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUSWRKLqIQw
HP 64361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHvityzs3Fz
AC 18361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7APumlqllQ
XP 19,663 (28,800)361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeFNJtyqztB
Str 17 (18), Dex 12, Con 15, Int 8, Wis 9, Cha 9.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpqWse4pymy
Shield of Defence +1, Trueblade +2, Ring of Strength +1, Potion of Haste, Potion of Healing.
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Very interesting. I had to close my eyes for a moment, ducking down to soak my hair, but the character sheet was still there when I came back up out of the water. Firstly, I noted that Lord Arval had an XP bar. He could level up. That was encouraging for me, because it suggested that stats might evolve too. Secondly: magic items. Everybody loves magic items, but again I was particularly excited to see they could be used to change stats, as in Lord Arval's Strength.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFWp8gTvKuc
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Time to check the others.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz7AoxRg0hB
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Carlena, Sorceress Level 9361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl49ip5jDpD
HP 34361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ2kCd6Cr2V
AC 5361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdaZ1mEptVy
XP 72,102 (86,400)361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFVytupUbEk
Str 5, Dex 11, Con 9, Int 17, Wis 7, Cha 8.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ08Va9SEHyF
Broach of Protection from Magical Missiles; Wand of Channelling; Potion of Transformation.
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Chancellor Parrin, Scout Level 9361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWJAke2xIk0
HP 53361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNWjpDCjasv
AC 12361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSTFKf3hYLA
XP 71,043 (86,400)361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNFGsZAVtMT
Str 9, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 6, Cha 9361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Zao60amtT
Dagger +1; Leather Jerkin +1; Ring of Silent Movement.
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Figus, Bard Level 3361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡShqAeew8xf
HP 17361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF5Ex5JFfGw
AC 14361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkaIJBcZQE4
XP 684 (800)361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkHWVKM0Okk
Str 13, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 9, Cha 15361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlgs9TTDKTq
Scroll of Charm361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB40qtJs29f
Ambassador feats: Speak Language; Swift Travel
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Pretty decent, or so it seemed. But everything was relative. What special roles did our opponents have? Maybe Chancellor Parrin would know.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWkTzHLwwrH
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By this time my bath was only lukewarm and so, with some difficulty, I stood up. Water dripping from me, I took a towel and when as dry as I could manage, a robe that a servant had brought me that looked clean enough. Outside the door of the bathroom was a young servant, who ducked his head when I left rather than make eye contact. After I was past him, he ran into the bathroom, to tidy up perhaps.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKnhRSkYf9K
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Lying in a comfortable four-poster bed, in clean sheets, I considered that I was blessed. Almost certainly, there were gods in this world. And if one of them had played a role in bringing me here, well, fair dues to him, her, or it. I sent a silent prayer of gratitude. This is what I needed. Not the trappings of being a king but the challenge. A kingdom under threat and an RPG system to wield to the best of my ability. I really wanted to get stuck into my own character sheet, but most of my decisions would have to wait until I had more information. And I was too tired to explore the menus much further.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3SXAM4S464
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There were two tasks, however, that shouldn't wait until morning. I called up Greyland/Economy/Currently Building. There I switched the granary out and from the other options, dragged in hunting lodge, level 2. We were losing about 7 food units a day, with reserves of just 56. Obviously, I needed to resolve that, before planning on building something more strategic.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNAbPQP2e4M
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The other assignment I wanted to make was for the Smithy, which was not producing anything. The sub-menu, however, was complex, full of possible items like horse shoes, swords, shields and arrow heads that all looked extremely useful. There were tools I could create too, including hoes, which I was tempted by, as these would surely help my food output. Or were they limited to use in the kind of fields we had recently lost?361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5FGOS4d3s9
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Wondering why my predecessor had left such an important building idle, I had a thought and checked the research queue. There was only four hours left on the countdown for steel pickaxes. Maybe he had planned on completing that research and then getting the smith to work on producing them. If so, it wasn't a bad idea, all we really had going for us were the mountains around the town. If we could use sources of iron to build up tradeable reserves of iron and steel, that might be another way to solve the food crisis. So that decision could also wait until morning.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYlW3dctkZc
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My head filling again with images of the town planning interface, I was asleep before I knew it.
