Homestead Survival

<06 September 2024, WHITE SANDS OF ARD ANDOREN, S>
[Theo and Julia]
With a wave of his hand, the creature opened a window in front of Theo and Julia that looked like some kind of inventory management system. Across the top were five tabs, labeled Items, Skills, Perks, Other, ????.

"As you can see, the System has made much available to you." The creature said, "Each item has been given a point value. You may make any combination of items with one exception. The final tab labeled..."

The creature's voice seemed to become garbled in static before it continued. "...has only a single Item on it, this item is unnamed, and you will be unable to use Identify on it. It will cost all your points. Whether or not you will ever be able to use it, or if it would be beneficial to you, is questionable at most. So make that purchase at your own risk. You have the remainder of your time plus thirty minutes to complete your purchases, and lastly, your points cannot be carried over to another time, person, or place."

"Can we ask you a couple of questions?" Julia inquired.

The creature nodded, and Julia continued. "Firstly, where did this point system come from? We have only seen coinage and System notices. But this points system feels... older?"

Theo nodded, "I am curious as well."

The creature froze for a moment, and then a pulse of power washed through the area, and he started again. "I have been instructed to tell you that the best way you will understand this is that your world has been inducted into the System while it is in the equivalent of version seven. This place..."

The creature gestured broadly around, "... as well as myself are based on an area and a people who were inducted when the system was still under development."

The creature got a funny look on its blurred face, "I do not know what context you have for this, but the impression that the System gave me makes this feel like a rather apt explanation. Now then, what other questions do you have?"

Theo spoke next. "So what would you recommend that we take with the points that we have?"

"I do not know your situation, what you need, or what would benefit you. So my recommendation is something you find enjoyable." The creature said, "Do you have any other questions?"

"Can we ask you about the things in this point shop?" Julia asked.

"No, but Identify will work on the entries and may or may not provide you with more information." The creature said.

Theo nodded, and he and Julia started going through the entries available.

Almost an hour later, they had whittled it down to their final list. "Alright, so we have it down to three items: a skill each, a perk, and one thing from the other. That leaves us with fifteen points left over."

Julia nodded. "Right, we got the Deepwell Array and the Sigil Lexicons for Lift and Lighten from the Items section, each at five hundred points, bringing our total to four thousand six hundred and thirty. Then you got the Message skill for nine hundred points, and I picked Table of Names for eleven hundred, leaving us with two thousand six hundred and thirty. Then we both decided that the Bloodline Perk: Longsettled Root for two thousand points was the best option. That left us with six hundred and thirty points."

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"And that brings us to the Other category," Theo said. When they had first looked at the Other tab, they had been shocked to see that it was subdivided by People, Places, Animals, and Monsters. They had unanimously decided that they would not be buying a person or a place. The animals and monsters had been tempting, but they had held off on getting any herd animals, as many of them were strange. What they had found was a breeding pair of something called Cliffhounds.

The System gave them a description that simply read, 'a dog for cliffs.' Theo and Julia had immediately Identified the animals.

They had decided to get the pair and see how they liked the Overlook. Julia nodded, continuing her recounting of their expenditures. "Yep, and they cost us six hundred and fifteen points. Leaving us with fifteen points."

Theo nodded, "Anything else that we should try and get instead. Or Anything that costs fifteen points?"

Julia thought for a moment, then searched the Items section. "I found more Runestone Bricks. One point buys one hundred of them."

"Okay, so we also get one thousand five hundred more Runestone Bricks," Theo said. Julia nodded, and they turned together to the creature that sat under the tent.

"You have completed your reward selection?" The creature asked.

"We have," Julia said.

"Good. You have moments to spare. You will find the things that you selected waiting for you. Lord and Lady Sorrin, I must say that I hope you meet the real me. Goodbye."

With a wave of his hand, Theo and Julia found themselves back on the Overlook.

<06 September 2024, GRAND MESA OF SUMMER, A+>
[Theo and Julia]
Theo and Julia looked around. At their feet were three boxes and two Skill Crystals. To their left were two large kennels that had a very dog-like sound coming from inside. Behind them were three rows of neatly stacked bricks. On top of the nearest pile of bricks was a large black crystal pyramid.

They looked at each other and were about to start going through everything when they received a notification and a blue box.