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.316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpbCzIfLshT
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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.316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ72KDqZIY18
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Greyland316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ73ndUC9F0p
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Economy Military People316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡglqStC6S0T
Currently building: granary level 2316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7rU0K3KBtI
Monthly trade income: 0316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFg5X6F0lGt
Monthly tax income: 54 gold316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE0omdyiGWg
Daily food consumption: 13 units316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3YENpJIIo0
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Grain yield: 0 due in 17 days316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡysERegAO86
Vegetable yield: 35 food units due in 21 days316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE8z1LIkeBp
Wool yield: 3 bales due in 34 days316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIZTkXrzoef
Meat yield: 4 units daily316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhkwPmTz3WX
Timber yield: 17 planks daily316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBSPW6upgd3
Iron yield: 2 ingots daily316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7P3DFafmG2
Quarry yield: 6 blocks daily316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡziRbwHppXA
Smithy yield: no production set316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1r5bLzaekU
Weaving yield: 4 bolts daily316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVLjhw98zLy
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Research: steel pickaxes316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6T3QCvbipD
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Resources:316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGaVTWSaFEl
Wheat: 19 food units316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvqnEulGlX0
Vegetables: 32 food units316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpdbvFguAPx
Meat: 5 food units316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfUh5WqeueV
Wool: 7 bales316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8kAGccNHiy
Timber: 134 planks316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVAFDh0j6x8
Iron: 11 ingots316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSVZj7Y1qcE
Stone: 33 blocks316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdGsfILqT02
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 2.316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡblOsEVNFuy
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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.316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHmoff2edB0
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Military316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB07FeRtDdI
Light infantry: 32316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrqctqR7oDR
Heavy infantry: 12316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ96McbSDckG
Archers: 18316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg4D6dQ1hj6
Light cavalry: 24316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaHgCS9KDXV
Heavy cavalry: 3316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhpGrqM29zc
Ballista: 1316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8sK8ccWPWw
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Hospital: 17316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXEVplshIhy
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Military upkeep cost: 42 gold, 5 silver316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSXKML69UBV
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Currently training: 2 heavy cavalry316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡln9PYxWnJr
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Buildings: keep level 2; curtain walls level 1; towers level 1; town walls level 1316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjyvPhmAjUu
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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?316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ392iwGtjqf
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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.316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2lSI2s2Ow4
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People316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI8sEY55hpn
Citizens: 485316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj54a4uUul8
Happiness: 14316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8nNZmFnIbc
Tax Level: High316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgnVj2qRqSb
Health: 89316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡljhlOst8vg
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Specialist roles316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkQo1v8ksGy
General: Lord Arval, Paladin Level 7316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpT7kk1CZCF
Royal Wizard: Carlena, Sorceress Level 9316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLYyYDwCgKY
Steward: Chancellor Parrin, Scout Level 9316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX9euvczAH1
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?316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7q8AME1dSL
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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.316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqafvYyaJr9
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Lord Arval: Paladin Level 7316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡowPBvLe5n5
HP 64316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMaZNXHIaC0
AC 18316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡahpiBOHNx4
XP 19,663 (28,800)316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW0kLmwBqPI
Str 17 (18), Dex 12, Con 15, Int 8, Wis 9, Cha 9.316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBOTlRdZIX9
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.316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8p0MIqr6Ez
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Time to check the others.316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRr90PSl4nR
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Carlena, Sorceress Level 9316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlYzA4dZDot
HP 34316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvRZX03dKKK
AC 5316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqtJkKsFgsH
XP 72,102 (86,400)316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxm5caVGN1S
Str 5, Dex 11, Con 9, Int 17, Wis 7, Cha 8.316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbYTJVjiBhL
Broach of Protection from Magical Missiles; Wand of Channelling; Potion of Transformation.
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Chancellor Parrin, Scout Level 9316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTe7luqCuZj
HP 53316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9rmrjcZEwR
AC 12316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzbSn7l4tc5
XP 71,043 (86,400)316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkldHQsef7G
Str 9, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 6, Cha 9316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡofDHgNAT0q
Dagger +1; Leather Jerkin +1; Ring of Silent Movement.
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Figus, Bard Level 3316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGDj7WrrFGr
HP 17316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo25D9cC6xv
AC 14316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFQEdy7Qw0r
XP 684 (800)316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1WwBJhByDF
Str 13, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 9, Cha 15316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy47I53i6Zn
Scroll of Charm316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwA0cAVR1Lr
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.316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDrQRbj6ON6
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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.316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJmGxQLQd0E
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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.316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw1iidqaoo5
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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.316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN9U9QBIb6H
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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?316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmlGyMEOB03
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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.316Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgjDVkLUb6P
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My head filling again with images of the town planning interface, I was asleep before I knew it.
