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.473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsCmDpjvuUz
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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.473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAzeZeK4Sod
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Greyland473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ701EujWgkC
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Economy Military People473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJE3PiSfE4x
Currently building: granary level 2473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnGYgZW7NB1
Monthly trade income: 0473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaT1wKMNFUT
Monthly tax income: 54 gold473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwKY1dqkEgC
Daily food consumption: 13 units473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfplODbv6nT
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Grain yield: 0 due in 17 days473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD3Ofc96Yxc
Vegetable yield: 35 food units due in 21 days473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAgbkvfyy2N
Wool yield: 3 bales due in 34 days473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjDgdHF47XG
Meat yield: 4 units daily473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAxW63Rw1l6
Timber yield: 17 planks daily473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjOlzQB8nMH
Iron yield: 2 ingots daily473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKxDE1dkFat
Quarry yield: 6 blocks daily473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTONtDWTbse
Smithy yield: no production set473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqf0CaJMkpK
Weaving yield: 4 bolts daily473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0sUSM7g55B
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Research: steel pickaxes473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ60gXwePaN7
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Resources:473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzh6R28dUWP
Wheat: 19 food units473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZzAbSlLB1I
Vegetables: 32 food units473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwWdZFzkWCs
Meat: 5 food units473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBqKf7GkU1P
Wool: 7 bales473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXMmlj5HGBU
Timber: 134 planks473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbAe8Ct0YsH
Iron: 11 ingots473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvJEuvQohci
Stone: 33 blocks473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcCx3pBphh8
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 2.473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxv5Jb61JLF
473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMviz5gUpzX
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.473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu225rTvgmI
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Military473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbhoGHu5cdY
Light infantry: 32473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2IhmELxulO
Heavy infantry: 12473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy7nzNrn6KE
Archers: 18473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ20eSfgJtp5
Light cavalry: 24473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ39znW4upPj
Heavy cavalry: 3473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrvfu6ZsUlM
Ballista: 1473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbJW1u81bb0
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Hospital: 17473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHUSqC3Q71i
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Military upkeep cost: 42 gold, 5 silver473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzQhkKW2dRl
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Currently training: 2 heavy cavalry473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXNEhU41kyj
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Buildings: keep level 2; curtain walls level 1; towers level 1; town walls level 1473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHqiwx0VxsQ
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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?473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWrfdLFoRWX
473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoWU57ty3qt
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.473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMYSADGl5lZ
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People473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEdLtIQSU1X
Citizens: 485473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqihnp9cePa
Happiness: 14473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡONISk5WDRv
Tax Level: High473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWIcWDeAcCc
Health: 89473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo5mVveL5fX
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Specialist roles473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx0irL5RvMp
General: Lord Arval, Paladin Level 7473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW0fs2gC3dF
Royal Wizard: Carlena, Sorceress Level 9473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLj2yg8t5dg
Steward: Chancellor Parrin, Scout Level 9473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqX1wR0bKBK
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?473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMJRIdZ09Kc
473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb1Hu8aFPNs
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.473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0a85BLRHj4
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Lord Arval: Paladin Level 7473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRYtpJoWVzE
HP 64473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4mIB4Btd6O
AC 18473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFrwE89RTD3
XP 19,663 (28,800)473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcUBRNpFdeM
Str 17 (18), Dex 12, Con 15, Int 8, Wis 9, Cha 9.473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQJpukpDbc0
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.473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpzSV5JQ0mt
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Time to check the others.473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT6MCU1m3vB
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Carlena, Sorceress Level 9473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpAxkWd92Ob
HP 34473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3S23ap2gcS
AC 5473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoHpNn2gM38
XP 72,102 (86,400)473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDSvJWrj9A7
Str 5, Dex 11, Con 9, Int 17, Wis 7, Cha 8.473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyROzM3JEgp
Broach of Protection from Magical Missiles; Wand of Channelling; Potion of Transformation.
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Chancellor Parrin, Scout Level 9473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7OwKDbxPFj
HP 53473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTtl6X0TVcR
AC 12473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwWaG1SO0Ta
XP 71,043 (86,400)473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWvZVG054yo
Str 9, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 6, Cha 9473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa7kXmKZQG5
Dagger +1; Leather Jerkin +1; Ring of Silent Movement.
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Figus, Bard Level 3473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO8xuQKFPVz
HP 17473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2owgdOHums
AC 14473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrCdJwPnWpF
XP 684 (800)473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0sldiFvRls
Str 13, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 9, Cha 15473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOlLVftf8VU
Scroll of Charm473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtxlfEDgb64
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.473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy7qPZNL0es
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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.473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxSWHtncRSb
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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.473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgSQltxhJxA
473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPpMgpJiDA6
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.473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlg0gqIi6X0
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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?473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡecMQcrkWg9
473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Eyms9wBHd
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.473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBzlFJGrF8Q
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My head filling again with images of the town planning interface, I was asleep before I knew it.
