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Eternyte

Part 9: Hint Guide

copyright comidacomida 2021

When Eternyte had first come out Will had not really been into computer games. His parents got it for him as part of his therapy and when he did start playing the game had already been going strong as an MMO for over a year. In order to maximize Will's likelihood of getting into the game his dad also bought an accompanying hint guide so he could get started off on the right foot.

As a natural rule-follower and fan of study, his dad made sure that Will had at least skimmed the hint guide before he started so Will, for his very first foray into Mytholm, at least knew what he was supposed to expect. That was the plan, at least, but, in reality, the hint guide was less-than-spectacular for a number of reasons. Not the least of which, of course, was that the hint guide was released alongside the original version of the game, which had gone through more than six revisions by that point since launch.

The hint guide had been enough to give Will an idea of what he was dealing with and, as a pre-teen, he managed to acclimate quickly and picked up the tricks that really ruled the game. It had worked as a training manual in the same way as learning to ride on an old pony readied someone for riding a camel; there were similarities but they were only nominally better than going in blind. After the drop of a world event followed by an expansion the hint guide was practically worthless but it didn't matter since Will no longer needed it.

Will, by that point, had already started well down the road toward becoming an expert. He knew what profession skills produced what and certain skill levels, where to go for additional reagents, and how to combine different inventory items to better effect. He knew the level restrictions in the different zones, how best to fight the dozens upon dozens of enemy types, and the right way to handle group composition. He had just crossed over into his teenage years and that gave him a drive he'd lacked as a 'kid'. In fact, other than being able to forget his loneliness, the dropping of new content was probably his number one motivation for continuing the game. It quite literally became an obsession.

The new additions to Eternyte were all the rage with every player but, unlike most, who sought out all the content as quickly as they could, Will took his time to learn everything about each new component, every new enemy, the different zones, new items, and the expanded ingredients and recipes for all the professions-- even ones his character didn't practice. His dad's intense devotion to studying and understanding had rubbed off on him and, although Will didn't have a hint book for the expansion, he was able to do even more with experience.

That Christmas, his dad bought him a revised hint guide, specifically prepared for the expansion which included all main game changes up to that point, maps of new zones, important quest-givers, and power-user methods for quest stacking and powering up quickly. Will had thanked his dad for the gift, but it went entirely unread. From that point on Will dedicated himself to learning first-hand, and instruction manuals, hint guides, and second-hand experiences were set aside to gather dust. He didn't just WANT to figure things out himself-- he NEEDED to, and it became a compulsion.

Will had, in fact, become his own hint guide. He tested the game endless as a player, not only enjoying the game for its feedback loop of dopamine provided when he gained a level or improved one of his skills, but because every step he took into the expansion was something new-- things he hadn't experienced before. There were places he hadn't seen, NPCs he hadn't met, monsters he hadn't fought, and dungeons he hadn't yet overcome.

More than that, he did so with an unending hunger, leading him to be one of Eternyte's premier explorers, and one of the few people who bothered trying to complete all content regardless of awards, prizes, or XP boosts. There were filler quests the creators had included which less than 1% of 1% of players bothered taking but those were the meat and drink of Will's time in Eternyte, and he loved them.

Testing Eternyte and inhabiting Mytholm as both a player AND a critic meant that he was able to, in his mind, enjoy everything the game had to offer. More than that, it meant that he knew the game inside out. He probably could have written a hint guide; he could have made a webpage to show how much he knew; he could have had instructional YouTube videos and maybe even made some money off of them with a big enough following, but that wasn't his calling. Will wanted to learn for the sake of knowledge.

That wasn't to say that he didn't help other players. He did, in fact-- a lot, actually. The main difference was that Will focused more on offering direct help; he'd aid a new player on their initial quests, respond to zone chat when someone wanted to know where a quest giver was or where to find an item that had to be collected from some out-of-the-way place on the map. To those people, Will was a savior; he was a champion. Will enjoyed being able to help and, even if he never encountered the player again he felt good that he was able to make a difference for them and hopefully improve their enjoyment of the game.

Things were so very different for him however when he somehow came to occupy the same space as his character in Mytholm. No longer looking at things through his computer monitor, Will was suddenly there. He was actually part of an entirely new world. In some inexplicable way, the young man was living in his computer game. He wasn't William Becker, college dropout; he was Will Etherborn, Champion of Mytholm and Rightful Ruler of the Eternal Halls. With that realization, he thought back to just how useful having a hint guide could have been, and he sighed.

That night, after the festivities surrounding the gifting of powerful items to his followers, Will returned to his chambers and gave his companions the rest of the night off. Retreating to the place where no one else could join him without permission, Will sat down at the enormous oak desk gracing his spacious personal chambers and sat in the comfortable writing chair, staring down at a piece of parchment laid out before him. Reaching for a quill, Will did the best thing he could think of to help him collect his thoughts: he began writing a hint guide or, more specifically, a report of his findings up to that point.

Will could no longer deny that he was in Mytholm and, more specifically, that it seemed to be an odd, almost fun-house mirror version of the game. The 'rules' still seemed to apply, though not exactly in the same way they had in the computer game. Characters in Eternyte couldn't jump, but, just like the real world, Will had seen his companions do so, able to transition from one side of a fallen column to the other side by hefting up and over with the same kind of physics he knew and expected-- in the game such a pillar would be impossible to traverse.

There were far more differences, of course. He had awakened in Cragglecrawl, a monster town-- a spawn point for mobs designed to complicate a simple hunt quest. When he was there it wasn't just a quest destination; Cragglecrawl was a real town. Aside from the fact that its residents were Kobold rather than named NPC townsfolk, there was no discernible difference between the kobold warrens and any Celestial-protected player hub. That, of course, raised a whole other issue: Cragglecrawl WAS protected by the Celestials!

It bothered Will that he couldn't explain how a non-established monster encampment could make a change into a non-combat zone but, at the same time, it was a most tempting question that all but screamed to be answered. True, he knew that the mechanism behind it was somehow his in game player journal which had apparently created the reality of the Celestial protection, and yet knowing WHAT was reasonable brought him no closer to comprehending HOW... or, just as importantly: WHY.

According to everything he knew of Eternyte and the world Mytholm, he could only conclude that Cragglecrawl had become a player holding, not unlike his Eternal Halls. One large issue with that was that players were only supposed to have ONE Holding, not two. Of course, at that point he had to consider other monster zones he'd written about in the self-directed fan fics he'd written over more than a decade in his player journal. Were they all like Cragglecrawl? The resources his Holding had created regularly in the game was based on certain quests being completed that resulted in different income-producing 'fiefdoms' that provided to player wealth, but if that were the case, just how many other quest zones had been turned into Celestial-protected NPC cities? Was Cragglecrawl the only one? He got an unexpected answer.

Even as he considered his thoughts, Will reached into one of the desk drawers; it was a casual motion, as if by reflex, and he pulled out a collection of papers. In Eternyte, players could open a window identifying their Holdings' projected production for each income cycle; what he realized he was holding were book keeping records of that very same info. More than just seeing what he was expected to receive (and when), Will had one slip of paper for each source of resource production, presumably telling him what he needed to know.

Cragglecrawl was a monster spawning area and he was aware he controlled that having already visited; what was odd that it had never been a source for resources back when he was playing on his computer. Another source for resources was Blackfield, which WAS a standard contributor. There was also a lumber yard, a hunting camp, two small villages, the 'northern farmland' and a mine-- all of which were also quite standard. One resource center above all others caught his eye: Gurgrowl. The city didn't exist in Eternyte; it was a creation of his own as written in his journal as the origin city for Luna Bonebow, his Wolfwere Rogue.

Just like Cragglecrawl, Gurgrowl was listed as a resource production site which meant that it existed somewhere out in the world that closely mirrored Mytholm but was still significantly different than the computer game. There was no doubt in his mind by that point; his player journal was somehow a guide for some (perhaps many) of the differences between the Mytholm he somehow inhabited and the one from the Eternyte computer game. He didn't know much for certain but one thing he could definitely say was that there were differences, and that meant that he had to learn more about them.

Will had gained levels beyond the 125 cap for the game. Even if he was somehow in the expansion (which seemed unlikely since the entire world mirrored the vanilla launch version without any expansions whatsoever), no expansion had ever allowed a player character to gain more classes, and Will had somehow added Priest and Monk to his class sheet and skillsets. Rather than gaining additional levels, Will was gaining new classes! He honestly didn't know what it meant, and had a hard time compiling all of that information into usable data.

He had turned monster hubs, quest centers, and imaginary villages into real cities, presumably with Celestial protection; he had gone beyond level 125 by adding additional classes; he was able to gift PC gear to his followers. There were more differences out there and he knew it-- he also had to find out what they were. Letting out a large yawn, however, Will also realized that he would need to get some rest. It had been a long day for him and another one would soon be upon him; the least he could do would be to be ready for the adventure, fresh and focused.

* * * * *

Although Will did indeed awaken refreshed, he was hardly focused. With so many thoughts running through his mind before bed he greeted the day with them no more organized than when he finally fell asleep. Despite that, he insisted to himself that progress be made on gaining a level of understanding of the world in which he found himself and figure out how best to proceed in gaining that comprehension. The key, he decided, was to put what resources he had available to him to use.

He called his followers together at the grant meeting hall, a room reserved within the Eternal Halls where, in the game of Eternyte he would be able to assign tasks to his followers. Plenty of players spent little-to-no time in their meeting rooms since few bothered with more than one or two followers. True, each class had the capacity to recruit at least one, but most players never focused on that since they were more interested in controlling their own character rather than issuing commands to an NPC-- truthfully, Will never understood that since the commands were essentially the same, except the CTRL key was held down when it was an NPC command.

Shaking the Eternyte game thoughts out of his head he instead focused on the collection of companions around him. The table had fifteen seats, which was exactly the same as it had been in the computer game. That number had always mystified him seeing as even the most npc-focused players rarely if ever had more than two or three followers-- even Will himself had only eleven, which meant that 3 seats went empty. Brain taking a detour, he wondered casually if perhaps the extra seats were saved for NPCs who themselves had companions, such as a Beastmaster Rogue like Luna. He remembered, however, that her animal companion didn't sit in a chair, and quickly dismissed that idea.

Durmel, who sat next to Will snapped him out of his musings. "Good morning, Will. Did you sleep well?"

Will knew it was a subtle way of the Ork asking if everything was alright. Finally extending his attention outward to his followers, the young man saw that they were all sitting expectantly, awaiting word from him. He ended their wait. "I did, Durmel. Thank you." He then raised his voice and addressed everyone present. "Good morning, everyone. I hope you are all ready to continue our great work today."

There was a murmur of excited expectancy from his followers, and Will realized why. Although Eternyte did have a grand, overarching storyline, the actual adventures undertaken by players were interwoven with world events which shaped the world of Mytholm. Most players never bothered to look too closely into the events, but Will, being the completions and lore master he was, designed his entire character persona and logged adventures with a specific theme: with everything going wrong in Mytholm, Will Etherborn came into being to protect it from the forces that meant to destroy it. The fact that his followers recognized his preferred phrase of "great work" was not lost to him.

Minotaur slammed his fist against his chest loudly and proudly. "We stand with you, Lord Etherborn!"

His other followers were just as rowdy and inspired, save for Proudmane who was undeniably the latter, but, as usual, remained subdued and mellow. He did, however, match Will's smile when the Human looked his way. Taking that as a good sign, Will made his next announcement. "Although Lok, Gral, Luna and Vlad aren't with us yet, I want more information before recalling them. I'll be staying here at the Eternal Halls to prepare for their summons and today you will be assigned your expeditions."

In game terms, Expeditions were special tasks that players could assign to followers. That game element was introduced in the 4th expansion, "Goldentide" and provided players some additional ways to gain rare items and some base management components. Not all players kept npcs in their party the way Will often did, meaning they found alternate uses, including daily activities to which followers could be assigned. The Expeditions were timed missions which could support up to two followers, and there was a certain set of rules and expectations when assigning npcs; it was based on classes and a follower's specific party role.

Considering how many followers Will had during play, he had become a master at that particular game element. As he sat at the table looking across the very-real faces of previously fantasy companions, he was ready to put that knowledge to the test. Unlike in the game, Will did not have an easy visual control interface with which to select tasks so, combining memory and positive thinking, he came up with his own. Knowing that, he focused on the fact that most northern-directional tasks were usually combat oriented. The twins, being a tank and a healer, were perfect candidates. "Matt and Pat, you will be heading north."

The Ursurans both nodded and Pat confirmed her response verbally "We won't let you down, Lord Etherborn."

He then turned to regard Minotaurus since he was easier to focus on than Hunni Sugar. DPS was usually important to quests that required a southward trajectory and he could think of no better candidates than a Berserker and a Mage. "Minotaurus, I want you and Hunni Sugar to head south and find out what you can."

The Minotaur nodded his head. "It shall be done, my Lord."

From the other side of the table, the Succubus' words flowed like sweet molasses. "We'll return successfully to you, my dear Lord Etherborn... and I will await the moment of seeing you again fondly."

Clearing his throat, Will fought back his body's natural inclination to blush; he didn't think he had much luck but he powered forward regardless. "Durmel? Raphael?"

The Ork and the Ratkin provided them his attention without hesitation. The Priest spoke for them both. "What can we do to help, Will?"

Eastern aligned quests were usually designed for followers with utility spells and/or skills, thus a Priest and a Bard were the obvious combination. "I want the two of you to head eastward... see what you can find along the Easehorn Woods but stay on this side of the Worldspine."

The Worldspine Mountain Range separated the western side of the continent from the eastern; the eastern portion of the continent was restricted until the second expansion and was considered the hardest content in the game. Will realized that, at the time of the second expansion, that would put the threats at not even half his followers' levels, but he didn't want to take the chance. Besides, he reasoned, the Expeditions were just one more method for him to test the rules of the world in which he found himself; there was no reason to min-max his Expeditions for sake of resource management.

Raphael indicated that he understood. "That should be easy enough, my man. Nothing in the Easehorn should cause any problems. I bet we'll be the first back!"

Durmel was a little more reserved, but Will knew it had nothing to do with a lack of confidence. Instead, the Ork had a question. "Will you be alright here, Will?"

The Human nodded in response. "Of course. The Eternal Halls are safe, and the Lord of Greed doesn't attack so soon after an assault. Besides, I'll have Proudmane to help me."

The Lion inclined his head, murmuring in a soft, rumbling tone. "It is an honor to be your presence and serve you in any capacity, my Lord. I shall do my duty with pride."

Before anyone else could offer up objections (and before Hunni Sugar's googly-eyes could make him any more comfortable), Will concluded the planning stage with a slap of his hand on the table and a declaration "And now, before you all depart on your tasks, we will dine together on an Enchanted Feast."

No sooner were the words said than the spell's name reverberated around the meeting hall. The table which Will and his followers surrounded rose several inches, vibrating powerfully. In one quick movement the stone shifted a quarter turn and a powerful flash blocked all view of it for a split second. In that time, a veritable banquet of foodstuffs appeared, surrounded by little eddies of mist and fog, which faded away just as quickly. The room was immediately blessed with aromas delectable enough to make Will's stomach rumble with hunger; his wasn't the only one. Raphael immediately reached for a plate of sliced ham but Minotaurus slapped the paw away. "Lord Eternyte eats first... you know that."

Smiling, Will motioned to the food as he helped himself to a plate of sweet rice. "Have at it. This is for you as well as for me. Eat up-- you'll need your strength."

It wasn't exactly an eloquent speech, but Will was certain that it was far more than he could have accomplished without managing to channel his character and put on an act for his followers. Smiling, he began to eat his rice before helping himself to some bacon, eggs, and sweet rolls. The kinds of food in Eternyte could have filled a cook book and, in fact, they had; MIM published "A Taste of Mytholm: an Eternyte Collection of Recipes to Invigorate the Imagination and Give you a +5 to Strength". Will was not much of a cook so he hadn't even looked at it but, considering how much he found himself enjoying the sweet roll he was almost sorry he'd never entertained the idea.

The meal passed quickly, accompanied by an almost festival-like air to it. The young man's companions laughed and talked among one another, save for Proudmane, who spent most of his time eating quietly, taking frugal sips from his drinks, and watching Will. It would have been disconcerting if not for the Savanite's dedication to him. Even with the added leonine attention Will still managed to keep himself focused; while his followers celebrated, he was able to start formulating his plans on how best to assess the successes and failures of his hypothesis as to how the game mechanics made the transition into applicable knowledge about the world in which he found himself.

As the meal wound down to a close the various duos assigned by Will began to pack up their gear (which was already with them when they required it) and said their goodbyes. Matt and Pat were in great spirits and each gave him a fond farewell; Durmel gave him a firm hug while Raphael simply gloated about how well they'd do. Hunny Sugar was practically in tears, murmuring and blubbering that being separated from Will would be truly unbearable, but the knowledge that she'd be returning to him soon would see her through. Minotaurus, however, was far more personal in his farewell.

The large Minotaur stepped up to where Will sat, taking a knee as he bowed his head. "My Lord Etherborn, although we go now to do your will, know that I will not feel the distance between us. I know that you are there with me, providing me the guidance I will require. We go in your name, and, with that knowledge, I know that we will be successful in this task."

Will remained sitting there stunned as Minotaurus leaned forward and touched his muzzle to one side of the Human's cheek, then the other. Not really knowing what to say, the young man simply responded with. "Sure. I have faith in you."

Pulling away, Minotaurus got to his hooves and nodded. The bovine Berserker was not known for words, which made his farewell statement somewhat odd to Will's ears. "I waited what felt like eons for you to join us-- one Expedition will be nothing in comparison."

Once Minotaurus and Hunny Sugar had gone that left Will alone at the table with Proudmane. The emptiness of the room was tangible in the young man's mind and he felt the silence as a texture all its own. Looking down at the table, Will let out a sigh and lowered his fork; the food, place settings, and cutlery disappeared into the same mist that had brought it forth, identifying an end to the feast. If that had not been indication enough, Proudmane pushed his chair back and stood, turning before offering a bow. "I thank you for the fine meal, my Lord... presuming you have no immediate need of me, I believe it best for me to make myself more presentable than I am now."

The Savanite was, in Will's opinion, meticulous in his dress and demeanor. That raised quite a question. "You aren't already?"

Proudmane chuckled, his ears falling back in an indication of embarrassment. "I have not had a chance to bathe the grime of death off of me since my resurrection-- there has been far too much to do. If it were not to inconvenience your plans, my Lord, I would feel far complete if I were given the time to correct that oversight."

At first, Will came to the conclusion that Proudmane going to the bath house would be a great way to get some quiet time to himself without his followers. He would be able to make his plans in peace and be able to hear himself think. At the same time, however, it would also deprive Will of a chance to speak with Proudmane who was, based on his journal notes and gameplay, one of the easiest of his followers with whom to speak; Proudmane had taken a vow never to lie or perpetuate untruths, and Will desperately needed to know as much as he could without fear of inaccurate information. "Perhaps I'll join you?"

It was meant to come out as a statement but, despite himself, the most Will could manage was to pose it as a question. Proudmane didn't hesitate so much as a second, bowing deeply and sweeping his arm out with almost theatrical courtliness. "I would be honored, my Lord."

Having already braved the showers once, Will was confident that he'd be able to handle it again, especially since he only had one companion with him. What he hadn't expected was just how much more difficult that would make things. Slowly doffing his clothing, he took far more time than Proudmane, who quickly unequipped his armor, unbuckled the padding from beneath it, loosened his gambeson, and then dropped his britches. Unable to help himself, Will was transfixed by the pure masculine form and the golden fur that glimmered in the well-lit changing room.

Proudmane smiled down at him, at which point Will realized that he'd been staring. Despite his furiously blushing cheeks, the Human powered through. His companion fortunately made it easier, apparently misunderstanding the young man's stares. As naked as the day he was born, Proudmane turned slightly, brushing his fingers across a long, thin scar beneath his ribcage on his abdomen, just above his hipbone. "It is still visible, my Lord, but have no fear-- it does not hurt, and I wear it as a badge of honor. I regret only that I was unable to continue to aid you in that vile place, but it brings me joy to know that my death was meaningful."

As one of Will's premier tanks, Proudmane had died MANY times for him, and it didn't appear to dampen the Savanite's spirit in the least. Latching onto that and focusing on anything other than the naked body in front of him, Will stood up and turned around so he could also disrobe, telling himself time and time again in his head that Eternyte was NOT an 18+ rated game; if he was in the game then nudity wouldn't exist. Behind him, Proudmane's paws padded almost silently away toward the bathing stall.

Only once he heard the Savanite begin to draw water did Will move, quickly stowing his garments before jogging into the watering area and taking a seat on a stool, back to the Warden. Memories of his time in the cleaning area with Minotaurus returned tenfold to his memory of their exchange. Even as he set his towel aside and quickly slid onto a stool he heard Proudmane speak up behind him. "If you desire, Lord Etherborn, I would be honored to help clean your back before we head to the baths."

Not trusting his voice to answer, Will simply nodded, leaning forward with his elbows on his thighs. A moment later he felt a warm, rough cloth press against his back. Minotaurus had made quick work of him seeing as the minotaur's hand was almost the size of his torso, but Proudmane's was not, and it to the Savenite longer to get the job done, all the while Will found the experience awkward, but still somehow pleasant. Once Proudmane finally pulled away the young man responded with a simple, direct "Thank you."

He heard the sound of Proudmane turning away. "You are most welcome, my Lord. You may proceed to the bath-- I'll tend to myself and then join you."

Even though Will thanked his lucky stars as to how well that would work out and how easily he'd be able to avoid any further awkwardness, he shook his head; no, he wasn't selfish or thankless. Taking a scrub cloth off of a hook on the wall, Will wrapped his towel around his waist and took a seat behind the Savenite. "No... you cleaned my back; it's only right that I tend to yours, Proudmane."

The way the lion's posture changed and ears jumped up at Will's touch was somehow a combination of comical and reassuring; apparently he wasn't the one who wasn't completely at-ease being washed. It took the human a few minutes to do a decent job of cleaning the slightly oily, musky-smelling fur but before he was even half-way through he was able to detect a change in Proudmane's posture and attitude. Not only was the Savestinian more relaxed, but Will was certain that he felt a gentle vibration coming from the Warden's torso; was Proudmane purring? He felt his cheeks flush yet again.

The task was, after a time, finally accomplished, at which point Will set the cloth aside. "Okay-- I think we're done."

Proudmane nodded, still facing away from him, and reached for a full bucket of water. Standing up, back to Will, the Warden upended the container over his head. He paused before glancing over his shoulder. "I plan to shake, my Lord... perhaps you would care to get out of the way of the AoE."

Somthing about the MMORPG term being spoken by one of his companions made it hard for Will to avoid laughing but he did so, and did indeed back away. A flurry of tiny water droplets exploded off of the Savanite as Proudmane made good on his threat and vigorously shook his body. Once he was done, the lion man moved to his towel, back still to Will. Something about the very careful movements caused the human to pause. "Is everything alright, Proudmane?"

The Savenite wrapped a towel around his waist then turned to regard Will. "Of course, my Lord. I shall accompany you to the baths, at your leisure."

A number of thoughts ran through Will's mind as he and Proudmane made their way outside to the hot springs. The Warden had kept his back to the Human for the duration of their cleaning of one another; was it possible that the Savenite was just as body-shy as Will? No, he rationalized; Proudmane had no problem showing his body off when they were both getting undressed. Perhaps something ha happened between then and when they had finished getting clean? The only real difference was that they'd been a little closer to one another, and the lion man had seemed to enjoy the-- Will's brain froze when he realized why the Savenite might have been embarrassed; he found his cheeks flushing.

The internal embarrassment ratcheted up in severity and bled over into outward as Proudmane turned and embraced Will at the edge of the baths. He felt the lion man's purring through his chest, and the Warden's hot breath brushed across his ear as the Savenite spoke softly "We've been waiting for you so long, my Lord... I cannot tell you what it means to me that you have finally come to us."

Slowly disengaging before he died of embarrassment, Will slid into the water, wading further away from his suddenly very intense companion. "It's been awhile, I know... but I hadn't realized that you could feel the passage of time between death and resurre--"

His words came to a halt as Proudmane slipped into the water, and the Savenite said something that caused everything Will thought he knew to turn upside down. "I mean you. I've waited for you ever since Will Etherborn took me as his follower. I knew then that I would one day meet you, William Becker. We all have."