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"Hugh!" Philip said as he opened his eyes, breathing rapidly
/Cough!/
Amidst a coughing fit, he tried to move his head but felt a throbbing pain pinning him to the ground.
"Uur… I feel sick… Everything's spinning and blurry."
'It's similar to my experiences in the trials but far tamer… Maybe I just got used to this feelings. It's how they say, the first time always hurts the most.'
'It could be due to my Trait in effect as well.'
He looked around as he took in the memories, finding himself in a completely different place.
"... Huh?..."
The smells, the looks, the feel… Everything was different, "This place… smells." He mumbled as his focus slowly returned
He was currently inside a room made mostly of wood. It looked vintage, with its simple wooden decorations and furniture, candle holders, simple tapestry, and more.
There was a single fireplace made of stone, lit with a warm fire that heated the room. The wood itself seemed to possess some aroma that spread faintly in the chilly wind.
The bed he was in differed from before, this time, it looked to be of a decent quality, almost luxurious as it seemed to be made of a combination of feathers and a brown material similar to cotton wrapped around the pelt of an animal he couldn't recognize.
He pushed himself ff the bed, almost stumbling forward due to his lacking balance, "Phew… damn."
'If I'm not back in my room, this can only mean…'
'That I'm in Nirn.'
The world beyond the prison cell!
"Well… better not assume things for now."
Philip took a deeper look, spotting several things. First, he went to the side where a mirror and a small bucket with water were located, and he immediately noticed a major detail.
"I'm… Blonde?"
'And my eyes are green now, great.'
Philip noticed that his appearance had changed; his hair had become blonde, his eyes green, his body had become frailer, and his complexion was slightly more ashen.
His face was still somewhat the same; if someone truly knew him, they would probably ask if he was cosplaying as some character... He found the change quite novel. Maybe he should try some changes in his outfit once he returned.
Philip took a last glance around the room, piecing together his situation.
"It's exactly like the memories… This means…"
"I became Eddy?"
'The son of the Merchant, and the main character of this background… If I pieced everything properly, it seems I've taken his place.'
He scratched the back of his head in wonder, 'But Eddy didn't look like me in the least. Is this some sort of conversion like last time?'
"Regardless…"
Philip turned around, going towards a small drawer next to the bed. In the memories, Eddy would constantly write in a diary before putting it beside his bed, creating something akin to a small biography and experiences.
No matter where he went, he always kept this habit… It was something he took from his mother before she passed away.
"Here it is." He said as he grabbed a small book with a red cover tucked away in the corner
'This should cover the gaps in the memories. Gamerverse is very minimalistic compared to the Complex when it comes to this.'
'But this is?…'
On top of the book was a small letter. It was open, and it seemed slightly beaten up, as if Eddy had folded it in anger before opening it again multiple times over.
"I don't remember this."
'My memories are akin to fragments, just enough for me to know what sort of life Eddy lived, not entirely how, or his personality…'
He frowned, "I would like to scout outside, but this comes first."
'Even if I took over Eddy's body, his grudges remain. Above all… did Eddy die or did I take over his life?'
He opened the letter, revealing its contents…
[Son… If you're reading this, it means I'm now with the All-Father…]
"A letter to his son?..."
Philip finished reading the first paragraph. It was mainly an apology for how he treated him and for how he left him with such responsibilities.
'According to his memories, his father died suddenly yet peacefully in his sleep after a week in bed, sick… But this letter suggests the father was expecting something to occur to him, and he ended up drawing the short end of the stick.'
'Poison? A curse? Or something else?… It seems like the father wasn't happy with this arrangement but was powerless to alter his fate.'
Philip continued to read the letter, and he soon understood what it was all about…
"I see… This letter is how Eddy's father taught him about the secrets he never shared, what made him so successful and the methods to succeed him."
"How to follow in his steps… and also… the price he had to pay to be the man he was."
'And now… The debt has fallen onto his son… me.'
[... I'm truly sorry to leave you with such a hurdle. I had planned ten years ahead, yet it was not this that killed me, but actions so far away in the past I can now barely even remember.
I never thought they would come back… not now.
…
]
Philip continued to read the letter, and with a small sigh, he threw it into the fireplace.
"The situation looks grim." He mumbled as he lay on the bed once more
'Pretty much, his father died because of a conflict whose origins predate his success, something he was completely unaware was even a thing anymore.'
'And when he realized it, it was already too late. People sure can hold on to their grudges... He believed himself able to alter the situation but failed.'
"As for the rest… I first need to understand his source of success."
'This was the very reason I put my hopes into this beginning.'
Philip closed his eyes, opening his new Status Screen…
"It looks the same... Not quite."
The classic menu he was so used to, appeared. However, it was slightly different.
Usually, there would be four options… Magic, Skills, Items, and Map. Selecting each would then open a new detailed menu with several more options.
(Image)
But the map option had disappeared, and in its place was another individual screen, with the following information:
[Name: Philip Vinten
Class: Dragonborn
Level: 1
Race: Human/Nord
Health -> 100/100
Stamina -> 100/100
Magicka -> 100/100
Abilities:
Battle Cry Lv5
Trading Lv6
Skills:
Resist Frost Lv5
Haggle Lv8
Conjure Daedra Merchant Lv1
Dragon Tongue Lv0
Traits:
Dragon Soul
Dragon Blood
]
"I thought something like this would appear… My bet wasn't for nothing." Philip said with a small smile as he looked at the key ability
'There were many possibilities as to how this could've come out, and truthfully speaking, it wouldn't have mattered much even if I failed. The prospect of being a wealth merchant's son alone was enough to make up for it.'
'My other choices would've provided more, but few are those that provided something I couldn't acquire in a short term. Enough of the past though.'
'The reason his father had so much success, always having items and materials at hand, was thanks to this power. A pact within his blood, passed from father to son for generations.'
'At any moment, he could call upon a being from another dimension to trade. A Daedra. The equivalent of a demon from a dimension beyond.'
'While most Daedra were hostile to mortals of Nirn, others weren't, even if at best cynical. While trading with an otherworldly entity may prove difficult, it's all up to the Daedra's perspective. Some items were inexpensive, others were extremely expensive.'
'It was in this balance that Eddy's father found his wealth and those before him lived on… although even Eddy himself knew little about those that came before his father.'
'What was trash to him may be a treasure to the Daedra. And the contrary may also be the case… A pile of Void salts could cost little to nothing for the Daedra for it may come from a world brimming with its source, but for a Wizard, it could cost a small fortune.'
"That was how Eddy's father developed himself as a merchant… It was a risky venture and it cost him his life in the end. But saying it didn't work for a while would be a lie."
'He always had access to rare materials. So long as he had the minimum capabilities of a merchant, what else was there to fear?'
'As for the rest of this Status… Not entirely unexpected.'
'My name, followed by my race, my Level, my Skill Levels, and the information about my Health, Stamina, and Magicka can be found here. It's strange that Gamerverse compiled them all like this, but it makes things simpler to me in the end.'
He raised en eyebrow at his Skills, 'Aside from that, the system turned Battle Cry and Resist Frost into Skills?' He thought about his time playing the game, those seemingly distant memories flashing by… 'Previously, those two were intrinsic abilities of all Nords, being both a -Power- and a -Permanent Active Effect- respectively under the -Magic- category.'
'If so...'
He closed his Status and returned to the "main menu". Of the four options available for him to choosen, Magic, Skills, Items, and his Status, he opened the Magic section.
After scrolling through, as he expected, it had been overhauled as well. Now, there were only the categories for each School of Magic and one last category for his Shouts, which was promptly empty.
Active effects were still there, and he, in fact, had two:
[Well Rested -> All Skills Level up 10% faster for 8 hours]
[Blessing of Dibella -> +10 Speechcraft for 1 hour]
He went further and checked each sub-section, but they were all empty.
"Hum…"
'There's quite a bit missing from here. Wasn't I supposed to have at least one spell? Maybe things will change as I train and develop my abilities further.'
He shook his head, not like he would miss them much. He moved on, opening the Skill section, and a series of constellations filled his vision just as they did in-game.
His surroundings slowly darkened as eighteen constellations surrounded his head like colored mist. Philip felt difficulty maintaining his focus on the constellations, much less move his head around to check each.
Eighteen constellations contained within three distinct categories that took the appearance of nebulas in the sky, one Red, one Green, and one Blue.
After a few seconds, he was forced to close his eyes, and with that, the constellations dissipated. While he was fine, it was a bit nauseating... But it was something he could get used to.
Taking a deep breath, he activated them again.
'Huff… My head hurts… Maybe there's more to this than just imagery. These eighteen constellations do have a purpose, for they exist within the night sky. And they are connected to some pretty complicated things… but the details… are beyond me.'
'This is probably the world I know the most of all I've been to. But at the same time, it's also one of the largest with specific details exclusive to each instance of its long decade-spanning franchise… It's hard to cover it all unless you're wholly dedicated.'
He focused on the nebulae. They had names… The Warrior, The Thief, and The Mage respectively.
(Image)
'Everything's up to standard so far… Although the imagery is a little different from what I remember.'
'Back in the game, each of these constellations represented a Skill tree, starting at Level 1 and with a maximum of 100. You are a Novice at Skill Level 0, Apprentice starting at 25, Adept at 50, Expert at 75, and Master at 100.'
'How that reflects in reality is hard to say, but I'd assume most individuals in any given field would be between the stages of a Novice and an Adept. Finding Experts in any field should be difficult… Maybe in large settlements they'd be at their center point.'
'As for Masters… Even back in game, the College of Winterhold only had a few Master-level individuals for each discipline. And the standards of the College of Winterhold were said to be quite low as far as I remember…'
'While it isn't a proper way to measure reality given the limitations, the creators had with representing their vision of the world, it's still a good representation of the reality. Present time isn't fond of magic, so aside from a dozen Masters of magic, how many would there truly be?'
'I wager that aside from those old wizards in the College, any other you find would either be a thousand year old undead lich or a vampire… not anyone else would be capable of achieving such out there.'
"I could be trivializing things, but meh…"
'Things will sort themselves out over time.' He thought as he massaged his temples
"That said, it seems some information is missing from here as well…"
'Normally, my race, name, level, and a few other details would be displayed here, but it was all moved to that new page. So this is now just for me to inspect the Skill trees… I can live with that.'
There was a problem, however… 'But… why are my Skills so… obnoxiously low?
He spun in place, gazing at the values of each constellation under each nebula…
{Mage -> Illusion: 1; Conjuration: 1; Destruction: 1; Restoration: 1; Alteration: 1
In-Between: Enchanting: 1
Warrior -> Smithing: 6; Heavy Armor: 1; Block: 6; Two-Handed: 11; One-Handed: 6
In-Between: Archery: 1
Thief -> Light Armor: 6; Sneak: 1; Lockpicking: 1; Pickpocket: 1; Speech: 26(36)
In-Between: Alchemy: 1
}
"This is rigged…" He said out loud, depressed
'Back in the game you started with all Skills at a base minimum of fifteen! This is probably closer to reality but come on… The first Perk of each Skill Tree can only be unlocked at Level 20…'
'It seems the Nords basic stats have been somewhat preserved, albeit distorted.'
Philip was certainly distressed, after all, this was how things should've looked like:
+10 Two-Handed for a total of 25.
+5 Block for a total of 20.
+5 Light Armor for a total of 20.
+5 One-Handed for a total of 20.
+5 Smithing for a total of 20.
+5 Speech for a total of 20.
And all other Skills at least 15…
He stretched his arms as he dissipated the constellations, "Sigh… There's nothing I can do; this will only make my work harder and longer."
'It's just a little delay. I'll be fine regardless… I'm starting to understand my situation.'
"Next."
Philip then checked the item menu, and it was as he expected. He saw the clothes he was equipped with, but that was mostly it. Eddy had nothing else on his person.
He was bothered but understood the situation, "Shit… I refuse to believe this is all I have. What can I do with these pajamas?"
'It's not like Eddy could have anything stored in an inventory anyway… His things should be stored elsewhere. The wealth his father has amassed plus the wealth of the caravan.'
'Of course, that money is not completely his… According to some memories, and the teachings left behind in the letter, the caravan usually takes most of the profits, anyway. Keeping the appearances is one reason that allowed him to exist in the field for so many decades without being discovered.'
'I don't know if I'll keep the caravan, but that's for later. I'll check around once I'm done here.'
With a thoughfull gaze, Philip finished analyzing his Status.
"In summary… I am the son of a wealthy merchant with an interesting ability…"
'My stats are low, I don't have many Skills, no spells… but that is to be expected?'
'My current situation in itself is dubious, and my possessions are somewhere else.'
'I'm the Dragonborn… not THE one, just one of many, it seems. It doesn't seem I'm the last Dragonborn destined to take out the big baddy dragon since the dates on Eddy's diary don't correlate to the timeline… but my Fate remains to be seen regardless.'
He pondered deeply as he circled the room with his arms behind his back, "While I'm in no rush to return… I'm now pressed for time."
'The power to conjure a Daedra with my meager knowledge and proficiency has a cost. Just like bartering with the devil, it will take far more than you imagine.'
'Summoning creatures from other planes of existence usually falls under the Magic School of Conjuration. However, this Skill isn't a spell I can control. It is more akin to an intrinsic ability of mine.'
'It's an ancient ritual of some kind. And it has multiple conditions.'
'There Skill itself has no description, so I'll be going with what the letter says… There could be more to it or some conditions may not be applicable. After all, Daedras may lie or trick others to fulfill their own agendas… There is also human error.'
'It would be foolish to blindly trust these words… But its all I have right now.'
'The first condition… Every time I summon the Daedra, at least one thousand Septims worth of goods must pass through his hands, either in or out.'
'In other words, whenever I summon him, the total sum of things I buy and sell to him must totalize or surpass that amount. If it doesn't do so, he'll take something from me to make up for the odds.'
'It doesn't say what it will take, so I'll some it could be anything, even my flesh… and I would rather not figure that out at the time.'
'The letter does say the summoned merchant is impartial and fair… and I can believe that just as much as the contrary. Daedras can be brutal and malicious, but so can they be trustworthy if one knows where tod draw the line. Daedras can often be bound by their nature, unchanging for thousands of years.'
'If they decide to stick to a certain directive, then they will follow it for hundreds of years until the immensity of time slowly washes away and changes them.'
'Some Daedra species tend to think the same, to the point that if you see one, you can already infer how they'll act. Humans, on the other hand, tend to be more individualistic… Not to say Daedras aren't like that, but the way they act tends to be beyond simple mortal reasoning.'
'They do love to flaunt that aspect of themselves.'
"The second condition..."
'Each time this power is used, a value of one hundred Septims will be added to a pool. This pool can be paid anytime, small parts here and there… But the moment it is in its entirety, this power will be taken away from the user.'
'To pass it along their bloodline, they must pay an extra price and their debt… They've been doing this for at least two generations. Eddy's grandfather to his father… and this is where it gets interesting.'
'Obviously, Eddy's father never paid this debt… because he had another goal. He kept accumulating wealth for the sake of turning this power into something embedded in the family's bloodline. A perpetual contract devoid of such requirements.'
'Because of his unexpected and untimely death, his debt now belongs to Eddy. But that changes little for all I need to do is continue where he left off.'
'He was preparing to make Eddy the first holder of this perpetual power, meaning he'd lose it but his child would receive… a sacrifice he was all but willing to do. But things changed, and now the plans have been pushed forward.'
'If I can pay the debt and the contractual costs, then I can bind the Daedra to my bloodline and have it serve it for generations.'
"… And that's the issue… With his death, the deadline has been set and now I only have two weeks to pay it!"
'His sudden death was the trigger… I'm certain he was preparing for it, but money fluctuates… what if Eddy has no money now?… What happens if I don't pay such a high-cost contract?'
'A lifetime of debt plus whatever was put in line to make his dream a reality… I wouldn't be surprised if it were to take my Soul as payment instead!'
"Actually… That might've been the goal all along. There is a chance this was all orchestrated, and Eddy's father Soul was harvested… Now it's my turn."
Philip clenched his fists, 'Fucking Daedra! If I had my previous body, I would turn it into cosmic dust!… Albeit even then, it wouldn't make a dime of difference as Daedra are technically immortal.'
He calmed down with sigh, "Paying wouldn't be a problem… if I had time."
'My Skills are already low, so it'll take longer to raise them… And I don't even know how to raise them, much less what will happen once I do so. For all I know, raising them might change nothing. Breaking a contract like this might require extensive knowledge, speaking skills, or excessive brute force.'
'I probably don't have the time for the first one. I definitely don't have the ability for the second one… And the last one is also out of the realm of possibility.'
'Even if I take down the Daedra, so what? This Daedra merchant isn't unbound… If he's killed or the terms of the agreement are broken, then he'll just call upon the one that makes sure the agreement is upheld.'
'No matter how fast I grow, I wouldn't be able to keep up with it just going after its boss and calling it to murder me. Though I should be able to remain safe as long as they can't reach me.'
'The Daedra can't just walk into Nirn. Some can, but I doubt any of these little guys I'm associated with can… In any case, I'd rather solve this issue cleanly so I can make use of this power. It wouldn't be a beneficial ending for me if rather than a power I got a curse instead.'
'I must overcome this situation cleanly so I can come out on top… It'll be hard, but I suppose this is what I get for trying to take a shortcut. Only wizards of considerable power would be able to enter a covenant with a Daedra like this, and even then they'd be deeply on edge of retaliation.'
'Only individuals of immense will can force a Daedra into submission to do their bidding… and this is exactly what I'll get if I can turn the tables.'
"Now… I have two weeks to pay for this mess. Doing everything by hand… A total of sixty-seven thousand Septims…"
'In the first place, a Septim is but a measure of value. A single gold coin is a Septim, but that isn't the highest value there is… Gold is expensive and valuable. It can't be used to pay for everything from your daily groceries to your warhorses.'
'So how much is my debt to an ordinary citizen of the Empire? No… for the province of Skyrim?… According to what I know and my memories, the overwhelming majority of the population of the province have simple jobs.'
'The likes of farmers, woodcutters, fishers, and anything to keep a village going, living a rather humble but decent lifestyle similar to Earth's rural countries a hundred and more years ago when families had many children, married early, and didn't live long either.'
"Most Nords living in villages usually don't trade a lot since they live isolated. Rarely traveling and being self sufficient. So putting a price on their life is difficult…"
'It's easier to use metrics from bigger cities where Eddy made trades before… If I do that, the average yearly expenses of a household containing two parents, and around three to five children in one of the larger cities in the province would be around a few dozen Septims at best.'
'Most workers living around such cities would make a few at best.'
'The price may change depending on the province they live in, but that's the gist of it. Since each Province has its own laws and sanctions, the tax they apply to their citizens can also vary, being either lax or tyrannical, but that's another matter.'
'Compared to that, the price to use this power once almost seems too extreme. Most families in those larger cities might see at best a full pouch of gold coins at once, but to use this power, I must constantly work with chests worth of items.'
'Sixty-seven thousand… That's centuries of expenses. A value so high it's not even worth mentioning both in the same sentence. This is the kind of money that could be used to kick-start the development of whole districts in a city, armies, massive projects and the like… How am I supposed to make that much in two weeks?!'
He sat down on the bed with his eyes closed, "… Making money will be a pain in the ass…"
'That is one aspect of it all… What about myself?'
He walked to the mirror again, checking his body as he took off his clothes.
He pinched his skin and checked his muscles, only to be disappointed, 'My body isn't very fit. I have some defined muscles, probably from traveling around all the time and hauling goods here and there. But I'm no warrior.'
'My level of proficiency itself is undeniable. With a bow alone, I can probably cause some damage to most enemies… But I don't really want to risk myself fighting out there.'
'All it takes is one bad encounter to take me out. Without unique powers, the ability to make potions, enchantments, and good equipment… I'd rather not risk it at all.'
'This is even worse than my last Class, and there I was a swordsman in a world ruled by guns… I felt safer there than here.'
'I could use my knowledge to seek some worthwhile places and make some money, but even that doesn't entice me. Skyrim isn't a safe place, much less a real-world Skyrim. This is probably one of the most unforgiving provinces out there.'
'If it's not the extreme cold, then it's the unfriendly surroundings; if that's not enough then the beasts will take you out; if that's not enough either be prepared to be swarmed by ancient undead or machines crawling out of the ground…'
'Everywhere is dangerous here, the mountains especially… Between the ruins of the ancient Dwarves and the Nordic Dragon Cult, I'd rather fight an oversized Troll… If I'm unlucky enough I might even come across a slumbering Dragon.'
'While Dragons have been believed to be extinct, they're only hidden from sight, waiting for their leader to return. Most will be resurrected once Alduin returns. And even at the height of the Dragon crisis in the future, I believe the number of Dragons around is only a fraction of their true population.'
'I believe most dragons are so far away and hidden that the one year in which Skyrim takes place isn't enough to bring them all together… That though is unrelated to my issues.'
'It does point at one thing… This is reality. Incongruities between fiction and reality are bound to be fixed, monsters I've never seen before would fill the gaps in the ecosystem, and more dangers are bound to prowl these woods.'
'Multiple civilizations have existed in these lands, but only a few were part of that incredible adventure… and I'd rather not meet them here myself. I'm just your average Joe. I'd probably only serve as the main NPC of a side-quest…'
"There's just too much to do… I'll take care of this first, then."
Philip grabbed Eddy's journal, reading entry by entry so he could have a better grasp of his situation, his environment… this world.
'Also… where is that Goddess?!'
…
/Two and a half hours later…/
Line by line, paragraph by paragraph… Towards the end, he saw another note from Eddy's father:
[… this was my dream… your mother's dream. At first, that was all I wanted, but by the time I realized, she was gone, and my obsession was all that I had moving forward… It took me far too long to remember I had someone else too.
I am sorry, my son. Live on… and never forget those around you.
Live a life that is fully yours.
]
[DING]
The clear chime of the system rang in his ears. The notification he had been so eagerly waiting for arrived:
[A Class mission has been issued]
[Accomplish your father's dream of having a plentiful plot of land near Solitude while also paying for his debts so you can live a fulfilling and promising life]
"??"
[This quest has a time limit of two weeks!]
"What the… Curses!"
'Might as well ask me to marry someone as well! It was hard to pay what I owe, and now I have to buy a plot of land on top of that?... And in the most prestigious place in all of Skyrim?'
Solitude is the capital of the province where the Blue Palace is located, and where the High King of Skyrim rules…
If that holds much meaning, for each province is rather independent.
'The problem isn't the money itself but the influence I'd need to build. Land and territory aren't given so easily.'
'One thing is to build a village in the middle of nowhere. Most Holds wouldn't mind if the location wasn't somewhere important… But land directly around the city?…'
"This is giving me a headache…"
[Disclaimer, due to the nature of this Class mission, your basic abilities have been adapted to fit the scenario]
[Your body capabilities have been readjusted…]
[Some of your Main status skill effects have been nullified while some of your Traits have been suppressed]
Philip rolled his eyes, "Of course, thank you for reminding me of that…"
He reached for the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes, "Urg… The only good news would be the fact I don't have to deal with the Dragons."
'The continent is at war, but things are about to enter a momentary stalemate. From what I read in the Diary, it has been over a year since the battle of the Red Ring took place in Cyrodil and the White Gold Concordat was signed, banning the worship of Talos from Skyrim.'
'Hammerfell has been renounced as an Imperial Province, and Markarth has been retaken from the invaders… From what I remembered, Skyrim took place in the year 200... Or was it 202? Somewhere around there.'
'What this means for me is that there won't be any dragons for the next twenty-five years or so.'
Nevertheless, reality soon dawned upon Philip…
"But things are far from smooth sailing."
'Skyrim is full to the brim with bandits, assassins, and other sorts of dangers. I'm not strong enough to protect myself against those, and I'll never put my faith in these sellswords that protect the caravan.'
"This is a better issue to have than dragons though…"
'It's interesting to experience some of these events in person… If I'm not mistaken, the signs of the future Civil War will soon appear.'
In the past few decades, the Empire that covered most of the continent of Tamriel had weakened beyond compare. Wars after wars fueled by immense incompetence and corruption. After barely retaking their capital from the Elven Empire, the Aldmeri Dominion, they now saw themselves amidst a sea of troubles and the lacking strength to do anything about it.
Province after province were either separating themselves from it and declaring their independence… or being forcefully taken by others.
'The consequences of the war and the death of thousands of Nords, the lack of recognition from the Empire… and now the ban of Talos warship.'
'War means business… for those who can make good use of it. Eddy and his father made good use of it as they traveled, and now it's my turn to do the same.'
'Call me a demon but I won't be handing my Soul away without a fight.'
Philip closed his eyes in deep thought as he began to sort his future.
…
/A few minutes after…/
"Phew… I think this was all."
'I better get started. I've wasted enough time here… But before that…"
[Opening Beginner Nord Legend Package]
[You have received:
-Miniature Word Wall x1
-Book, Dragon Language: Myth no more x1
-Book, Children of the Sky x1
-Book, Nords of Skyrim x1
-Iron Sword x1
-Iron Armor x1
-Health Potion x5
-Vegetable Soup x5
-50 Septims
-Ale x10
-Sweet roll x10
]
"It's all… oddly simple."
'I expected a bit more, but this is already better than nothing…'
He opened his status screen, checking up on what he had…
"Basic potions… Food… Drinks… And a sizable amount of money."
'Three books, two focused on the Nords, and one being a kind of dictionary of the Dragon tongue, teaching how to translate it.'
'Finally, an iron sword and armor, true Nordic style… And uh… a miniature… Word Wall?'
As the name said, when he opened the inventory, he saw a small stone object within the Miscellaneous section. Upon closer inspection, it was just as he imagined it.
"I don't feel much coming from it… Something seems to be written on it but I don't understand."
'I also feel a little heavier… It seems the inventory isn't an entirely separate space. I can feel the weight of the items put inside it to some degree. So the limit of space is my own strength?'
"Well… If this were the game, I would be golden to venture outside…"
'But in here… My greatest fear remains any form of injury. How effective is a health potion? Do I just drink it and bam? It works magically? Potions are technically a form of magic, but even that has limits, so why would a potion be any better?'
'I only have 100 health points, probably an indication of my maximum physical condition. According to the description of the item, a potion heals 25, a quarter of my total health.'
'Does this mean that if I were to break a bone, it would heal it? If I were to lose an arm, it would pop right up?… Unlikely, and I have no intention of testing it out. I should be able to test that rather easily with some… willing volunteer…'
'That said, my situation and that of a normal person are different. Maybe a potion wouldn't work as intended on me.'
/Creak…/
Philip got out of bed for good this time.
"Alright, let's test this one out." He said as he took out the Miniature Word Wall from within his inventory
"... It's smaller than I thought."
(Image)
The Word Wall was extremely detailed, almost like a real life model of one, from its shape to the its texture… but it was about the size of a PC monitor.
/Whispers…/
As soon as he took it out, faint words echoed in his ears, calling him, wanting to tell him something…
"I can… feel something now… Maybe it was because the items inside the inventory are isolated?… Hum…"
He put it on the ground, and gazed at the object, and let the words flow into his mind…
Smoothly, with no pain, he started to understand them. It was something akin to a song, a mantra, a tale of a Nord, a Dragonborn of ages long past…
The memories lodged themselves inside his mind like feathers falling on the ground and ice melting on water.
[Dragon Tongue Lv0 -> Lv3]
With this message, this strange feeling disappeared, and the stone wall returned normal. Silent. Slumbering…
It became just like any other object, devoid of any special meaning to him.
"I guess this was the end of my beginner's help… If only every memory I received went this smoothly."
'Before I read those books, I'll clear this up and make a plan.' Philip thought as he looked around one more time
Bellow his bed, inside the wardrobes, kept inside tightly bound and locked chests, and hidden inside the wood of the room... Philip went over a series of hidden places where treasures were hidden, all in accordance to the diary.
Why was everything hidden? Because Eddy's condition wasn't good.
Philip pulled a small pouch of gold from a hidden space on the wall, "Eddy's father was the main pillar of this caravan, and according to the diary, after his death, people started to have greedy eyes over his things."
'Ever since he died a few days ago, Eddy tried his best to secure his situation. He wasn't stupid, but this situation had been so sudden he had had no time to prepare at all.'
'Not only that, he grew paranoid of thieves and even assassins being contracted by his peers. He hid most of his money all around and had the caravan guards protect his room constantly, which led to the caravan's schedule being delayed.'
'Eddy wasn't ready to take over his father's position. He was too young, and his death was sudden. It shook him up mentally to the point of extreme paranoia, causing even the few who supported him to take a step back.'
'And with the caravan being too big for him to handle, something that was his by right wasn't taken very well by the other leaders.'
"We are currently within Falkreath, one of the nine Holds in the southern region of Skyrim."
'Eddy's father died in Cyrodil during their last trip to supply the city after the war, not long before they started moving to Skyrim. It was a dangerous trip, and amidst the chaos of the imperial forces trying to take control of the region again, he was struck by something and became bedridden.'
'Eddy tried to take control of the caravan, forcing everyone to move on and leave Cyrodil before it was too late. Originally, the plan was to move from hold to hold, finally stopping at Windhelm before boarding a boat to Morrowind to make more trades.'
'After that, Eddy didn't know. Maybe at that point his father would've gathered enough to complete his dream or would've made more plans.'
Philip opened his inventory section and started to count...
'I already took all of Eddy's personal wealth he hid inside his room. Due to his paranoia, he also took his father's money, which was rightfully his.'
[2 Thousand Septims]
"There are also more pure Gold, Silver, and other gems scattered around."
'There's also the twenty thousand Septims worth of Bank Notes. Gold is a heavy currency to carry around all the time. There are less valuable coins used by the common people, but what about higher ones? The Banks do issue letters and notes to cover that.'
'It all adds up to roughly twenty-two thousand Septims. If I convert the bars and gems, then maybe I can reach twenty-five or more… Unfortunately, to turn these notes into actual currency, I'll have to reach Solitude. There may be branches within Whiterun and Windhelm, but I doubt I'd be able to request twenty thousand coins right then and there.'
'It's a good start nonetheless, albeit not even close to the amount I need for the debt, much less for the plot of land. There should be more, but I doubt the caravan leaders will let me take it all without a fight.'
'There is one thing to be happy about. This amount of gold doesn't weigh me much at all. The inventory function does seem to retain that property at the very least. Otherwise, almost two dozen thousand golden coins would've made me collapse from its weight alone.'
He summoned one of the coins, 'Each coin seems to weigh about thirty grams. Twenty-two thousand would be around… six hundred and a half kilograms? Six hundred and sixty, to be precise.'
(Image)
'Even then, two thousand coins would've weighed sixty kilograms. That's almost the same as carrying a person with me everywhere.'
"This is probably the end of the hand-holding…"
'Can I make the rest on my own?… That seems unlikely… I'll probably have to do the same thing as him. Eddy's father made use of the war and the many conflicts everywhere to trade things like medicine, weapons, and other provisions throughout the land.'
'Thanks to his unique power, he excelled and profited greatly, making everyone, including the sellswords, profit.'
'It wasn't without risk. Many died, many retired due to injuries, and even more left to pursue their own things… Even so, few blamed him. Everyone seemed to either respect or fear Eddy's father.'
"This is my situation..." Philip said as he scratched his chin
His eyes sharpened, "Change of plans."
'It seems I only have two choices here… The first one is to tie myself to the caravan and make use of it to earn a lot as we move through the province… But that alone won't be enough.'
'To make up for it, I'll have to work on my own...'
'The second one is to grab this money and move out. I'll use the money to improve myself and seek out more wealth in unconventional ways. It is dangerous but one of the most reliable ones out there. All it would take is a few treasures and the right buyers to solve my issue.'
'Then again, I already have a buyer, don't I?'
"The problem is, both options are heavily reliant on time."
'Traveling between the Holds may take days if not weeks to months on an old caravan like this. And with my location, even if I were to leave now, I might even fail to reach Solitude on time!'
"I'm leaning towards the first option. Getting things in order will take some time, but it's far better than risking myself out there."
"In the end, it'll be up to that." Philip said as he cracked his knuckles
He looked at the door of his room. He felt gloomy simply thinking about the outside... Shaking his head, he sat down on the bed and took out three books, the ones he received from his Beginner Package as he started to read them.
...
/Time passed... Six hours later…/
/Munch.../
"… This soup is rather decent."
With a pot of vegetable soup beside him and a book in hand, he read the final few paragraphs with a focused gaze…
/Poof.../
Philip closed his book gently, setting it aside.
{Smithing 15 -> 20}
{Two-handed 20 -> 25}
{One handed 15 -> 20}
{Light armor 15 -> 20}
{Block 15 -> 20}
{Speech 26 -> 36}
{Uh... HA!}
{Level up}
Memories clogged his mind, filling every corner of his being with experiences he never had. As the memory stream calmed down, Philip took a deep breath to sort his thoughts, "Phew… Huh? So I finally leveled up."
'I had wondered if things would function as they did in-game, and it seems I was right. You don't level up by killing creatures, but by leveling up Skills. The higher their level, the more experience they give.'
'It sure took some time… Almost made me think something had changed.'
'Was it because my Skills were below the minimum line? Maybe now things can flow as they should.'
{Uh... HA!}
{Level up}
'Oh? Did I level up multiple times? I don't quite remember how it was calculated, but considering my initial high Speech value, I should've been at least Level 2...'
{Uh... HA!}
{Level up}
"..."
The repetitive echoes of a mainly man shouting echoed inside his mind, annoying him beyond belief. What was once a notification that brought him joy as a child now disturbed his thoughts.
'Now then… Everything seems to be back in line. Maybe that was why those books were needed… It seems they were all Skill books meant to bring me up to par with a Nord's basic skill set.'
'I doubt most Nords have this much proficiency in these fields, but it doesn't matter.'
Philip opened his Stat menu without delay:
[Name: Philip Vinten
Class: Dragonborn
Level: 4(1)
Race: Human/Nord
Health -> 100/100
Stamina -> 100/100
Magicka -> 100/100
Abilities:
Battle Cry Lv7
Trading Lv6
Skills:
Resist Frost Lv5
Haggle Lv8
Conjure Daedra Merchant Lv1
Dragon Tongue Lv5
Traits:
Dragon Soul
Dragon Blood
]
'Let's see, reading the book on the Dragon language increased it from Lv3 to Lv5, and so did Battle Cry when I read the books about the Nords.'
'Still… reading it does not equate comprehension… There is still a lot I can understand from the book on the Dragon language, but this will do for now.'
He smiled as he opened his Skill screen, "Regardless... It seems there was indeed some light at the end of the tunnel."
{Mage -> Illusion: 15; Conjuration: 15; Destruction: 15; Restoration: 15; Alteration: 15
In-Between: Enchanting: 15
Warrior -> Smithing: 20; Heavy Armor: 20; Block: 20; Two-Handed: 25; One-Handed: 20
In-Between: Archery: 15
Thief -> Light Armor: 20; Sneak: 15; Lockpicking: 15; Pickpocket: 15; Speech: 36(46)
In-Between: Alchemy: 15}
'While all of my Skills seem high, this is just the starting values at the beginning of the game. Only my Speech is above that, and it's the reason my level is this high.'
'It's due to my start as a merchant. A mix of Eddy's memories and the books he had on him.'
'Now the game can start.'
Philip took out his sword from his inventory. It was an ordinary iron sword, very rough looking with clear signs of hammering here and there, classic Nord design, but it was sharp and durable enough.
(Image)
"Every time one of my Skills leveled up, I receive a bit of knowledge, akin to an enlightenment of sorts."
'It's no different from what I'm used to, just far more bearable… And while little, with this, I now have a certain understanding of how to smith, enchant, and do some alchemy work with available materials.'
'It's not like I was oblivious to how those worked, I'd even say I was skilled with it… And while Smithing is self-explanatory, Alchemy and Enchanting are far from that.'
"I can't say if the speed of Skill growth is the same yet, as I received a lot of experience from reading those books. But my situation improved a little.'
'If I can keep up Skill growth like this, maybe I can consider adventuring to pay my debts.'
He cracked his neck, pleased, "Anyway, now it's time to spend those Stat and Skill points."
...
.
.
.
Notes
For the economy, I changed things so they're more grounded. Gold is scarce and valuable, so most people would end up using other forms of smaller currency, maybe even local currency.
There are some lore bits that say how much someone makes in Skyrim, so based on that I stipulated things a bit.
It's not meant to be precise anyway, just a little more grounded and real compared to the values I gave last time.
Now, so far we haven't seen much change from the original. I've at best fleshed things out more. But we'll be seeing changes in the following chapters as I have plans to extend this arc quite a bit.
This one was the largest Class arc of them all in the original story. And while I have more than doubled other arcs in this rewrite, I often kept them all within the same chapters so it looks like they're still the same size.
I plan to add new chapters large enough to be self-contained. In the original, I had to cut some of these ideas because we were stuck in this arc "entering the city of freedom" for too long. And since now things have been more dynamic with the frequent chapters. I'm a little more comfortable extending things.
That was one of the reasons why in the original story I limited Philip's time to two weeks.
Thank you for reading, peace!