240: The Week Before: Picking Rewards (Patreon)

Salisbury, Connecticut (Monday, Day 11 since Integration):

Not even two weeks since this mess started, by the official calendar, Roland thought as he took his seat at the head of a long table. Closer to six months for me. Freaking time compression is going to drive me nuts.

He glanced at the people arrayed on both sides of the table. They were the official Council of his Territory, the people he had decided to trust with protecting and serving the hundreds of thousands now living under him.

Hell of a promotion from someone who got an other-than-honorable discharge from the Army as an E-5, a plain Sergeant. He’d gone from running a 5-man fire team to ruling a small country. And he couldn’t do it alone.

To his right was Gorman Acosta, Viceroy of the Connecticut Refuge. The retired Marine, somewhat shady businessman and vocal libertarian and Roland’s uncle on his mother’s side was now the chief administrator of the Territory.

The next seat belonged to Gorman’s former business partner and fellow Marine, George Buford, who now had the rank of O-7, a two-star general, in charge of the Refuge Militia, which probably should be called something else, since it was organized and managed along the lines of the Marine Corps, with adjustments made due to the new realities of the System.

Inara Acosta sat to Roland’s left. Her official role was Administrator of Civilian Affairs, which was in charge of helping the citizens of the new country until the current state of emergency was over. Things were still very much in flux, and people still needed assistance in getting back to their feet. It was a position that would hopefully be made irrelevant in a few weeks or months, when something like a functioning economy was restored.

Inara was also Gorman’s wife. Half the council was made up of Acosta or Acosta affiliates. Including Roland. In an ideal world, he would have found the best people for the jobs, but this early in the game nobody knew who the best people were. Everyone was learning as they went and trust was more important than competency.

Competency mattered, though. Which was why Fred Acosta, Gorman’s brother, was not in the Council. He’d been quietly shuffled back to civilian life, where he running various businesses – under close supervision to keep shenanigans to a minimum.

Another Acosta – Mario, who had owned a construction business in Bristol and made it to Salisbury just before Integration – was the Administrator of Infrastructure. Roads, bridges, electrical power, the stuff that kept civilization going. Mario had adapted quickly to the new realities and was aggressively recruiting Classers with the skillsets necessary to convert power plants, machinery and even train engines to run on Monster Cores or other Mana sources.

Finally, the last seat on the Council belonged to Barton, the Refuge’s top nerd and resident expert on the System, not to mention Dungeon Master. He missed meetings whenever some project caught his attention, but he was there, bright and early, and with good reason.

Each Council member also had one to two deputies sitting further down the table, ready to take notes and help their bosses get things going. It didn’t seem like enough people to run the recently reunited state, but they were going with a federalist model – each Safe Zone or sub-Territory was expected to manage its own affairs for the most part, with the Council handling statewide matters.

“Okay, let’s get this started,” Roland said as soon as everyone was there.

As he always did to begin the meetings, he projected the System’s Territory stats for everyone to see.

Connecticut Refuge (Greater Territory)

Size: 5,544 square miles (3,100,800 land acres).

Population: 1,287,344 Citizens; 73,192 Non-Citizen Ascendants; 31,822 Non-Ascendants.

Territories: 16.

Safe Zones: 198.

Total Safe Zone Tokens: 52,693 (134,233 acres/209 square miles).

Essence Reserves: 1.2 million

Essence Income: 32,544 Territorial Essence per day.

Essence Expenditures: 27,345 Territorial Essence per day.

Human losses outside cities had been lower, partly because monster spawns had been tied to the local population (which was lower in rural areas) and also because people in the country had better survival skills overall. All in all, when you counted the seven hundred thousand children who had been Raptured, Connecticut’s survival rates were close to the world’s average.

“Before we turn to today’s main issue, is there anything that needs to be addressed right away?”

Gorman shook his head. “Things are going well enough. Those respite days we got after the Dullahan let us consolidate. We still have a handful of communities that won’t get with the program, but they can wait. And we could always use more Safe Zone Tokens, of course.”

“Yeah, we could,” Roland agreed.

Safe Zone Tokens couldn’t be purchased. They were gained as random loot drops, Dungeons, and quest rewards. So, despite controlling a territory that covered over five thousand square miles, only two hundred square miles were safe for noncombatants to live in. You could either live in crowded small townships and cities or take your chances in places monsters could and did spawn in at random.

“More Dungeon-clearing teams will bring us more Tokens,” he said. “Now that we can use the Quest System to reward their efforts, we should see some results.”

“A Quest-based economy, that’s what we’ve got,” Mario Acosta mused. “Whoever created the System must have been a gaming nerd.”

Barton nodded. “I’m positive. How he – I’m positive it was a he – managed to do it, that’s the mystery.”

A gaming nerd with godlike power, Roland thought. That seemed to be the only origin that made sense.

“And today’s decision will help more people become Dungeon crawlers or other useful professionals,” he said, opening the Legendary Building descriptions. They all had the chance to study them before, but it was good to have the options on display.

“We can pick one of these buildings. Then there are the Mythic ones, but let’s save the best for last.”

Archmagi Academy (Legendary Building, C-Grade)

Description: A marble structure with four towers, each dedicated to one of the four Classical Elements. Occupies 15 acres and counts as 15 Safe Zone Tokens when added to a Zone.

Capacity: Up to 1,500 students and 30 faculty members can be admitted to the Academy. The dormitory section contains 1,500 small rooms for students and 30 offices with attached bedrooms for faculty. Student bedrooms can be expanded at extra Essence cost.

Prerequisites for admission: Air, Earth, Fire or Water Affinity at 70% or higher and a Class or Dao linked to one of those Concepts.

Benefits: Students and faculty admitted to the Academy gain the following benefits:

* Attached Instructors: 10 Instructor Constructs can be selected from a pool of 100 candidates; they include Classers and Cultivators that can teach Skills and Techniques up to C-Grade. They do not count toward the 30-person faculty limit and do not take up space or require upkeep.

* Improved Daos and Techniques: Death-related Daos and Techniques developed at the Roost will gain one Quality Tier, to a maximum Quality of Mythic.

* Meditation Chambers: 20 Meditation Chambers with high-density elemental-attuned Mana.\

* Practice Grounds: A safe area where students can use their abilities to their full extent without risk of death or injury. Can accommodate up to 150 trainees at a time.

* Rapid Learning: Learning, developing and training elemental-related Daos, Skills and Techniques gain a 150% bonus to progress speed.

Zone Bonuses: The Safe Zone where the Archmagi Academy is located gains the following bonuses:

* Elemental Bonuses: +20% to all elemental-related effects, including, damage, range, and defensive values.

* Elemental Guardians: These E-Grade Elite Lieutenants can be called upon to defend the Zone where the Academy is located. 1 Elemental is available per 3 Tokens used in the Zone.

Crossworld Adventurer’s Guild (Legendary Building)

This building allows you to forge a link to a Crossworld Adventurer's Guild. There are nine Guilds from the System Agglomeration with permission to establish chapter houses on your planet. A Guild presence can be a valuable source of income, training assets, and fighting resources. Be aware that bringing in a Guild may involve your Territory in Crossworld politics, with unforeseen consequences.

Description: Varies, depending on the Guild’s preferred architecture. Will occupy 10-20 acres and count as the same number of Tokens. Will have at a minimum four buildings: a Guild House, an Inn-Tavern combination, a Training Hall and a Crafting Hall.

Capacity: Housing (for Guild members only) ranges from 50 to 250 bedrooms. A barracks can be attached at extra Essence cost, with higher capacity. Guild members are not guaranteed housing; most are expected to live elsewhere.

Prerequisites for admission: Signing a Guild Contract, Uncommon or better Class, Uncommon or better Pattern if Cultivation is part of the Guild’s repertoire.

Benefits: Guild members gain the following benefits:

* Class and Skill Library: Has a System Library detailing the advancement tree of all Classes the Guild has tracked and documented, usually to peak C-Grade. Information includes prerequisites for Class evolutions, Skill descriptions and methods to increase the chance the System will offer specific Skills.

* Guild Instructors: A combination of Guild trainers from other worlds and trainer constructs will be present, numbering 10-50 instructors..

* Training Hall: A safe area where students can use their abilities to their full extent without risk of death or injury. Can accommodate up to 250 trainees at a time.

Zone Bonuses: The Safe Zone where the Reaper’s Roost is located gains the following bonuses:

* Guild Presence: 25-100 Guild members from other worlds will operate out of the Guild House, undertaking quests, clearing Dungeons, and participating in the defense of the Zone when necessary.

* Tax Revenue: Guilds will normally agree to pay 10-15% of all income earned from Quests while operating out of the Territory the Zone is attached to.

House of Evolution (Legendary Building, C-Grade)

A structure designed originally by the Flesh Engineers of XXII-12, the House of Evolution allows humans to awaken Bloodlines and acquire Mutations or even Species Evolutions. The process for any of those is neither painless nor free of risk, however.

Description: A cube of black crystal with a single entrance. The inside looks like a modern medical facility, antiseptic and clean. Humanoid constructs made of plastic and metal will greet visitors warmly and describe available options.

Capacity: The House can treat 50 patients at a time. Treatment times range from 3 hours to several weeks. The inside of the House has a time compression rate of (Local x 50). When the House is at capacity, no new patients will be able to enter until someone is discharged. There is no housing and no visitors are allowed.

Prerequisites for admission: Must have the potential to Evolve, Mutate, or awaken a Bloodline. Most humans can gain 1-4 Mutations through treatment at the house. The potential for Species Evolution is 0.1% at F-Grade, increasing by an order of magnitude with each additional Grade or Rank. 32% of humans have one or more dormant or trace Bloodlines, which can be awakened.

Benefits: Patients may gain one or more of the following benefits.

* Bloodline Awakenings: Dormant Bloodlines will be made active. Benefits include level/stage Attribute bonuses, new Affinities, and access to Skills, Techniques, or Classes. Bloodline Awakening has the lowest risk of all procedures: 1% of patients may experience undesirable side effects, such as disturbing or traumatizing racial memories.

Strong Bloodlines will produce physical changes that some may find unseemly or hideous.

* Mutations: Mutations are additions to your genetic makeup. In nature, most are unnoticeable and many harmful or useless. The House of Evolution will randomly add one new Mutation per treatment. They include one-time or growing Attribute bonuses ranging from 1 to 10 points, a Perk such as hardened skin or increased healing, or even new Skills and Techniques unlocked by changes in physiology.

An initial diagnostic visit will reveal how many are available to a patient and their potential power. Mutations are often accompanied by visible physical changes, ranging from minor to fully transformative.

* Species Evolution: Humans have developed a number of Evolutions through technology or magic. Patients with the proper genetic potential can trigger the change to one of those forms. All Evolutions have significant Attribute bonuses and other benefits. Some significantly alter their forms, however. Once activated, an Evolution cannot be reversed, at least not by the House itself.

Zone Bonuses: None.

Immortal Workshop (Legendary Building, C-Grade)

A great crafting hall where those with the talent can create masterworks and develop their arts and crafts beyond mortal limits.

Description: A great domed structure that fills several city blocks. Its interior is divided into ‘pie slices,’ one for each craft: Alchemy, Enchanting, Engraving, Leatherworking, Smithing, Rune Carving, Weaving, and Woodworking.

Capacity: Each segment contains 60 workspaces that can be used for individual projects. The workshop has no living spaces. A barracks can be attached at extra Essence cost.

Prerequisites for admission: Any appropriate Crafting Skill at Apprentice 1 or better.

Benefits:

* Crafting Speed and Quality: Projects conducted within the Workshop progress 40% faster and have a chance to produce items one Quality tier above normal. This chance is proportional to the Skill level and Quality of the crafter.

* Skill Evolution: Crafting Skills have an increased chance to Evolve to a higher quality version.

* Skill Progression: All crafting Skills used in the Workshop gain a 25% bonus to advancement speed..

Zone Bonuses: None beyond the benefits the crafters themselves generate.

Reaper’s Roost (Legendary Building, C-Grade)

An institution dedicated to helping those who wish to delve into the mysteries of Death, be they Classers or Cultivators.

Description: A great tower built with macabre flourishes, dedicated to the Arts and Sciences of Death, surrounded by dormitories, classroom and training arena buildings. Occupies 12 acres and counts as 12 Safe Zone Tokens when added to a Zone.

Capacity: Up to 1,000 students and 50 faculty members can be admitted to the Roost. The dormitory section contains 1,000 small rooms for students and 50 offices with attached bedrooms for faculty. Student bedrooms can be expanded at extra Essence cost.

Prerequisites for admission: Death Affinity at 70% or higher and a Class or Dao linked to the Concept of Death.

Benefits: Students and faculty admitted to the Roost gain the following benefits:

* Attached Instructors: 5 Instructor Constructs can be selected from a pool of 100 candidates; they include Classers and Cultivators had can teach Skills and Techniques up to C-Grade. They do not count toward the 50-person faculty limit and do not take up space or require upkeep.

* Improved Daos and Techniques: Death-related Daos and Techniques developed at the Roost will gain one Quality Tier, to a maximum Quality of Mythic.

* Meditation Chambers: 20 Meditation Chambers with high-density Death-attuned Mana.

* Practice Grounds: A safe area where students can use their abilities to their full extent without risk of death or injury. Can accommodate up to 150 trainees at a time.

* Rapid Learning: Learning, developing and training Death-related Daos, Skills and Techniques gain a 150% bonus to progress speed.

Zone Bonuses: The Safe Zone where the Reaper’s Roost is located gains the following bonuses:

* Death Bonus: +15% to all Death-related effects, including, damage, range, and defensive values. Also applies a 15% penalty to all Death effects used by hostile entities within the Zone.

* Lesser Reaper Spirits: These E-Grade Elite Lieutenants will guard the Safe Zone, under the command of the Zone Leader. 1 Spirit will appear per 5 Tokens used in the Zone.

Sect Pavilion (Legendary Building, Bronze Rank)

This building allows you to invite a Crossworld Sect to your Territory. Sects are associations of Cultivators that focus on self-improvement, although they are often involved in trade, crafting or even politics. Six Sects have permission to operate in XXI-993 and can be approached. Be aware that inviting a Sect may have political repercussions beyond your world.

Description: Varies, depending on the Sects’ preferred architecture. Will occupy 10-20 acres and count as the same number of Tokens. Will have at a minimum of five buildings: Sect Residence, Cultivation Hall, Library, Training Center and Arena.

Capacity: Housing (for Sect members only) ranges from 50 to 250 bedrooms. A barracks can be attached at extra Essence cost, with higher capacity. Sect members are not guaranteed housing; most are expected to live elsewhere.

Prerequisites for admission: A Cultivation Pattern of Uncommon or better Quality. Some Sects may accept students before requiring Sect membership, but the treatment of those students varies widely.

Benefits: Sect members or students gain the following benefits:

* Dao and Technique Library: All Sects will bring a library with Technique and Dao Scrolls and Books. Access to non-members must be negotiated. Members usually gain access via a merit system, which may include earning research points or tokens to purchase research time or consumable documents.

* Sect Instructors: A combination of Sect trainers from other worlds and trainer constructs will be present, numbering 10-50 instructors..

* Training Center: A safe area where students can use their abilities to their full extent without risk of death or injury. Can accommodate up to 250 trainees at a time.

Zone Bonuses: The Safe Zone where the Reaper’s Roost is located gains the following bonuses:

* Sect Presence: 15-80 Sect members from other worlds will operate out of the Guild House, undertaking quests, clearing Dungeons, and participating in the defense of the Zone when necessary.

* Tax Revenue: Sects will normally agree to pay 10-15% of all income earned from Quests while operating out of the Greater Territory the Zone is attached to.

“And those are just the Legendaries,” Barton noted. “The Mythics are even crazier.”