**Note: At times you may see pics that show me having iron. I am currently on stage three, and am having to take some pics that I missed earlier.**
Quest: Steak with your potatoes
Vegetables and bread are nice, but a fighting man need meat. There is no meat to be found in this little village though. But the teenage son of Widow Harmon, Edgar Harmon, confides his poverty stricken family is destitute and strikes a bargain. If you enclose the herds, he will care for them and you will have all the meat you can eat.
Completion: Fence in a pair of at least two types of animals next to a barn where they can be warm. Also, build a small herdmasters cottage with two bedrooms.
Reward: Can utilize animals under the herdmaster’s protection at will.
Day 17: I had dinner with Will and his family last night, and his nine year old son had a friend over. His name was Ben, a likely, sturdy boy who did justice to his meal. Afterwards, Will told me about him. Ben's father died a few months before I arrived, defending his family from night raiders. The attacking zombie had been badly injured by the man, and when his father fell Ben finished it off. Since then, the boy and his mother had struggled to get by. Ben spent much of his time in the villager farms, growing and harvesting, wheat, potatoes, and carrots for his mother to use in cooking. The family had no money except when Ben braved the swamp to gather mushrooms.
I admired the boy's nerve - I didn't know ANY of the villagers had enough nerve to go into the swamp, though it is very near. After dinner I walked Ben back to his home and spoke with him. His ambition was easy to see. I capitalized on it, and we agreed that I would build him pastures and a home, and gather a few stray cows and pigs into the pastures if he would care for them and keep me regularly supplied with pork chops and steak. I will begin that work tomorrow.
Day 22: The pastures and cabin are done. I made a small two bedroom cottage for the boy and his mother. I made it sturdy since it is outside the gates and near the pasture. Ben has been helping where he could, and doing a fine job of it. He did most of the herding, he has a soft touch with the beasts but they listen to him. His mother cried when she saw their new house, I even built a loft on top for storage.
Outside view of Herdmaster's Cottage
Inside view of Herdmaster's Cottage
Quest: A Worthy Citizen
The smith dies in a night raid, and you ask a renowned weaponsmith to come stay. He offers to come if a place for him to work is made.
Requirements: A forge must be built, with a smelting area, an incinerator, an anvil, and 100+ coal.
Reward: Another step towards your own empire! Can move to stage 3 if all other requirements are completed.
Day 25: I am numb with grief as I write this. I became careless, basking in the adoration of these simple villagers, and neglecting my duties. With the wall, it has been days since any concerted attack was made on the town. But last night as I slept, a horde of creatures gathered on the north side of the village and attacked. Several young men I have been working with, eager to be guardsmen and follow in my footsteps, ran to defend the half-built gate, while another ran to wake me. By the time I was awoken and armored up and out of the house, the horde had already burst through. Myself and several of the villagers fought them off, but not before we lost several of our own.
One of those was Will. My friend. Dead. His wife was kind to me, but if she does not accuse me, I accuse myself. The gates were weak. I knew that. But I went out and built pastures and a herder's cottage. Because I wanted steaks. I have my steaks now, but I have lost my friend, and the town has lost it's smith.
Will can never be replaced, but we must have a new smith. I would like one that specialized in armor and weapons. I asked around, and one name kept cropping up. A weaponsmith from a nearby town of Forest Glen.
This is the first time I have heard of Forest Glen, I had no idea there was another town near us. The villagers say it is much larger than Avalon, which they used to call Riverside. I sent a message to Forest Glen with a young man who knows the way. He says you can reach Forest Glen in a day if you hurry. He will overnight there and return tomorrow. Meanwhile, I must work on these gates.
Day 26: The messenger returned with an agreement. The smith will come live and Avalon, IF I build him a home and work place. It seems the small smithy Will worked at is not quite enough. Understandable - Will was a fine man and a decent smith, but he had no talent for weapons and armor. First I will build the home and new smithy, then I will see to the gates.
Day 35: The weaponsmith just arrived today, and I just completed his home and smithy yesterday. The man was pleased with his new home - and well he should be. It is the best place in the village - better even than my old home where Will's widow and orphans now live at my cost - I have also granted her a pension that will enable Will's family to live in comfort, and guaranteed his sons good jobs when they grow older. It's the least I can do.
Outside view of Smith's House
2nd Floor of the Smith's Cottage
Attic of the Smith's House
New Forge Area
Quest: Night Watch
A young guard was killed in a night raid, and the surviving guard swore they had no warning, the attack came out of nowhere. A way must be found to receive advance warning of attacks.
Requirements: Build two watchtowers that enable a view of the area surrounding your village.
Reward: Another step towards your own empire! Can move to stage 3 if all other requirements are completed.
Day 36: I spent most of the day yesterday planning ways to prevent another attack like killed Will. I think the best place is to enlist some of the young men as town guards - they want to be anyway. I will work with the weaponsmith to equip them, and start training them. But when they are trained, they will need a place to guard from. Someplace high, where they can see if the creatures start massing. Right now we have four gates. I am going to close off two of them, and build tall gatehouses at the other two. One, the East Gate will exit in the direction of Forest Glen, my home, and the herdmaster's cottage. The other one, the South Gate, will exit in the direction of the sheep barn since the villagers commonly go there. Now I have my plans, and the work begins.
Day 49: That took longer than I thought, But it is a job well done. The young men are falling all over themselves to strut around in these gatehouses. There are two levels - one glassed in for when it rains or is very cold, another higher up and open.
The South Gatehouse
The East Gatehouse **I did this one second, and thought I did a MUCH better job**
The Herdmaster's Cottage from atop the East Gatehouse
Quest: Cave Adventure
What a nice base you have now. You are admiring your flourishing compound when a sobbing village baker approaches you. She tells you that her kitchen has been infested by tiny spiders! No matter how many she kills, more come. Her home is against the western wall, and she has noticed they are coming in through tiny holes in the cobble. She has asked you to fix the wall to stop the infestation.
Upon close inspection, you discover the spiders are coming from somewhere. And these are no normal spiders - they are literally eating through the wall. The infestation must be stopped at it's source, and all the spiders destroyed.
Requirements: You must explore nearby caves until you find a dungeon. Destroy the spider spawner and return all of that dungeon's loot to it's owner.
Reward: The villager turns out to be a clever cook and she teaches you her arts. You can now make pies, cakes, soups, and other food other than bread and meat.
**I tweaked this quest slightly to fit the type of spawner I found - a spider spawner**
Day 52: Widow Spalling came to me as I was patrolling the town, in tears. It took me a bit to whittle through the wailing and discover she was complaining about spiders in her kitchen. I was about to dismiss her - I have better things to do then worry about kitchen spiders - when she mentioned the wall needed repairs. THAT is a rather important problem, so I went to investigate.
I was troubled to find no normal baby spiders running rampant in an unkept kitchen. The widow Spalling's kitchen was spotless, and the spiders are literally EATING THROUGH THE WALL. Fortunately the damage is minimal right now, but I need to fix this fast or we have a serious problem on our hands. I followed the spiders across a small field to a hill, and watched them slip into cracks in the hillside. I started digging.
It took awhile before I stumbled into an abandoned mineshaft. After that the going was easier, I simply followed the spiders. I knew I was getting closer when the spiders started getting much bigger. I finally found the source - a magical box that spawned evil spider after evil spider. I destroyed the box - it succumbed easily enough to my pickaxe, killed the spiders, returned to Widow Spallings and patched up the wall. It took a few days, but it was a job well done.
Spiders!
Quest: Every Kingdom needs a Castle:
You aren’t quite a king yet, but you still need your own place. Everyone knows home ownership is essential to success.
Requirements: Build:- Your central compound. Must contain: your quarters (Bed, personal chest, and a painting), A storage room (At least 1 double chest), and a meeting room (Must have at least a 2x3 table and 2 chairs. It should also be impressive, to properly show your mighty warrior spirit).
Day 55: With the walls secure and the spiders defeated, it is time to work on my own place. I have been working on it here and there, which was why I was able to put Will's family into my old home. But now I have some free time, and I need to really buckle down. This will not just be my home, it will also be the base of operations from which I will conquer this world and make it my own.
The Keep (I took this during stage three, and you can see a bridge off to the side that wasn't there during stage two )
Bedroom in the Keep
Meeting Room in the Keep
Keep Courtyard **Taken in Stage three where I added in Glowstone from the Nether**
Hmm I never thought of marking cave areas like that - thats a good idea. I always hated caving before because I would get disoriented, running around in circles, and then just end up mining my way to the surface.
Well, yes. But in caves I get disoriented and have to dig my way back to the surface and then trot over to my base. Is that what he does? I somehow think he has done this enough he never gets lost. Even temporarily. I get lost temporarily all the time lol
***I started playing minecraft over a year ago, then my computer went glitchy and refused to play it except with EXTREME lag. I recently replaced my computer so have joyfully began playing minecraft again. I returned to these forums to see what I had missed, and discovered the Mercenary Challenge, I was instantly fascinated, and took a day out to tweak the challenge into something I was very much looking forward to doing with a bunch of quests.
I ran to a distant area of my world from where I was digging a massive quarry, removed all my gear, made wooden tools and weapons and leather armor, and found a village. This adventure will be told in parts - I will show the "quest" my adventurer is on, and then write out his diary description of what happened, and then show pictures. This first post will be an accumulation of all the stage one quests.***
It seems ages ago when I sat at the campfire with my father – he a mighty warrior, me just a stripling lad. He told me wonderful stories of ancient warriors fighting for a land of truth and beauty and honor named Avalon. And then he paused, looked at me with that penetrating gaze of his, and spoke words of prophecy.
“One day, my son, you will find yourself alone. Without hearth or home. When this happens, remember a warrior is useless with no one to defend. When this happens, find someone to defend.”
The memory of those words is bitter ash on my tongue now. It has been months since I I have seen my home and family. I don’t remember how I got here in this strange world. I don’t remember anything from falling asleep in my bed to waking up here, alone. For what feels like months, I have journeyed alone. Trying to find SOMEONE and finding no one.
But now I am on the top of a cliff, overlooking the valley below and remembering the wise words of my father.
I have found to defend. To call home.
And I believe I have found it. After days of travelling in the wilderness, what do I see when I break from a forest line?
My future home.
I know not what they call it now. But I will one day rule this place, and my first rule is that it be named Avalon.
Quest: Night Watchman
Upon arrival at the village, you hear grumbling about night raiding zombies. Upon seeing your weapon and armor, the village council seeks to hire you as a security guard, offering you free lodging in one of the town’s empty homes.
Requirements: Remain awake for a night fighting invaders. Make periodic patrols around the village at night on other nights to ensure it remains safe.
Reward: Free lodging
As soon as I arrived in the village, my weapons and armor caught attention, poor as they may be. It seems this lovely town is the constant target of zombies, creepers, and killer skeletons. I am not surprised, these deadly creatures show up everywhere there are people. I was quickly hired on to secure the town against these creatures, and in return was given free lodging.
That first night was brutal. I have never seen an infestation as bad as this. Several times I was forced to retreat and recover before going back out again.
I have never been so glad to see the sweet, precious pink of dawn before.
There were several misplaced explosions from some creepers who gave me trouble, and most of the morning I assisted with repairs. I expected more anger over the damage from the villagers, but they were just happy that there were no deaths or break-ins that night.
The value these people place on their security was clear. I was given a good place, actually the nicest house in town.
I do not expect to need it for long, though. I will build my own home. But first, it seems the local smith has requested a meeting with me and the town council. I heard a rumor they have another project in mind for me.
**Man, fighting creepers with a wooden sword is tough! I always have Iron before I dare engage in combat. ***
Quest: Keeping out the riffraff
You just got off duty after a hard night of fighting when the village smithy approaches you. He tells you that the villagers have been increasingly threatened by the intruding creatures of the night, and that something must be done about the threat. Is this your first contract?
Requirements: You must build a wall around your neighboring village. It must be able to keep out all hostile mobs except spiders, and you must light up the interior of said village to make it (almost) completely secure. Once it's finished, the smith will reward you.
Reward: The smith is extremely pleased with your work. In gratitude, he teaches you how to make armor and weapons out of stone!
Day 2: I have been hired to build a security perimeter around the village. I spent a few hours over planning and land surveying before I began. Right now, due to the intensity of the infestation around this town it is important to get SOMETHING up first. Then I will strengthen and refine it.
Day 6:
The wall is finally finished.
For starting materials, I used simple cobblestone. There was a massive pile of abandoned cobblestone behind the smith’s shop, and he was perfectly willing to give it up. For now, the village has three gated entries, but I have blocked off all but one, and that one I block at night. The first night after the wall was completed was a far more restful one than I had before, but I noticed some intruders still managed to slip over the wall, so the next day and night I set out what felt like hundreds of torches for lighting.
Tonight, for the first time, I heard children playing outside after dusk, and when I patrolled near the well a little before midnight I saw two old widows sitting there chatting.
It is nice to see how quickly I have managed to make a difference in these people’s lives, and there gratitude and affection in return is refreshing.
I stopped by the smithy to speak to him about the success off the wall and go over my plans for improving it. He thought the plans excellent, but says I will need better tools. He will teach me how to make stronger tools. That should make the work a LOT easier.
Quest: Community Agriculture
The town farms are open to all citizens who work in it. You are busy fighting, but the townspeople agree if you add to the farms, then you can make use of the community farms.
Requirements: Add a new fruit/vegetable to the town farms.
Reward: Can utilize the town farms.
Day 7: I was unpleasantly surprised to find I was out of dried meat and bread this morning. I have little time for hunting right now, so I went to the smith, who has become my friend. His name is Will Durant, and he has a lovely wife and two young children. I inquired about the local farming. He informed me they are community farms, and only villagers who assist in tending to them can use them. He mentioned he could probably get enough support so I can use them without tending them, but I don’t like to take advantage of people’s gratitude. At the same time, I do not have time to tend to the farms regularly.
Will and I arrived at an agreeable alternative. So I have went out and hunted down some pumpkins from the hills not too far from the town – but too far for the villagers to risk going. And I am building a new farm for the pumpkins. I am using a similar style to the other village farms, but this one will be larger and better.
Why pumpkins? I am hoping someone knows how to make pumpkin pie. I have a weakness for pumpkin pie…
Quest: Cold winter nights
The villagers know at the door of your domain. The nights are cold and they lack the strength to hunt the wild sheep that roam the wilderness. They plead to catch a few of them and raise a building to keep them in. So that the villagers can use their wool to make clothes and warmer blankets.
Requirements.
Build a barn and bring/raise 6 sheep inside. Add a chest full of wheat to feed the sheep and a pair of shears.
Reward:
Thanks to the heavy work of the villagers, they now have a regular supply of wool for you that you can use in the decoration/building of your home.
Day 14:
Several days ago Will approached me on behalf of the council. It seems this town used to be well known for their wool, but over the last year the night creatures killed all the sheep, and creepers destroyed their barn. It got so dangerous and expensive, the town simply stopped replacing the sheep. I had noticed a few stragglers in the nearby hills, but thought nothing of it. But Will is worried. The town’s supply of wool is exhausted, and things will get very cold next winter without any. The town council has asked if I am able to build a barn and help keep it safe.
I took a day to draw up some plans and rounded up some of the best sheep and get them into a hollow for now. Then I started working. Most of the time was spent in the nearby swamps and forests chopping wood, the barn is a strong one but requires a lot of oak wood. After the barn was completed, with some stalls for pregnant ewes and sickly sheep, I fenced off a good sized pasture and small lake around the barn. Yesterday I drove the sheep to the barn, and put them in the pasture. They seem quite contented. Last night I climbed on the wall and checked. Night creatures were all around, but couldn’t get at the sheep.
The town is absolutely delighted, and they take turns taking care of the sheep so I don’t have to bother with that. As a result of my work I have been promised all the wool I can use, and some good woolen blankets after shearing – all at no cost to me.
0
No one is a nobody. Do you, and share that, and someone out there will like it.
I just started my survival world and am building my farms now.
Best of luck on yours.
0
I started this challenge a couple weeks ago:) I tweaked it a lot, but here is my thread on it:
Birth of an Emperor
3
Stage 2: Can use stone weapons, tools, and armor
**Note: At times you may see pics that show me having iron. I am currently on stage three, and am having to take some pics that I missed earlier.**
Quest: Steak with your potatoes
Vegetables and bread are nice, but a fighting man need meat. There is no meat to be found in this little village though. But the teenage son of Widow Harmon, Edgar Harmon, confides his poverty stricken family is destitute and strikes a bargain. If you enclose the herds, he will care for them and you will have all the meat you can eat.
Completion: Fence in a pair of at least two types of animals next to a barn where they can be warm. Also, build a small herdmasters cottage with two bedrooms.
Reward: Can utilize animals under the herdmaster’s protection at will.
Day 17: I had dinner with Will and his family last night, and his nine year old son had a friend over. His name was Ben, a likely, sturdy boy who did justice to his meal. Afterwards, Will told me about him. Ben's father died a few months before I arrived, defending his family from night raiders. The attacking zombie had been badly injured by the man, and when his father fell Ben finished it off. Since then, the boy and his mother had struggled to get by. Ben spent much of his time in the villager farms, growing and harvesting, wheat, potatoes, and carrots for his mother to use in cooking. The family had no money except when Ben braved the swamp to gather mushrooms.
I admired the boy's nerve - I didn't know ANY of the villagers had enough nerve to go into the swamp, though it is very near. After dinner I walked Ben back to his home and spoke with him. His ambition was easy to see. I capitalized on it, and we agreed that I would build him pastures and a home, and gather a few stray cows and pigs into the pastures if he would care for them and keep me regularly supplied with pork chops and steak. I will begin that work tomorrow.
Day 22: The pastures and cabin are done. I made a small two bedroom cottage for the boy and his mother. I made it sturdy since it is outside the gates and near the pasture. Ben has been helping where he could, and doing a fine job of it. He did most of the herding, he has a soft touch with the beasts but they listen to him. His mother cried when she saw their new house, I even built a loft on top for storage.
Quest: A Worthy Citizen
The smith dies in a night raid, and you ask a renowned weaponsmith to come stay. He offers to come if a place for him to work is made.
Requirements: A forge must be built, with a smelting area, an incinerator, an anvil, and 100+ coal.
Reward: Another step towards your own empire! Can move to stage 3 if all other requirements are completed.
Day 25: I am numb with grief as I write this. I became careless, basking in the adoration of these simple villagers, and neglecting my duties. With the wall, it has been days since any concerted attack was made on the town. But last night as I slept, a horde of creatures gathered on the north side of the village and attacked. Several young men I have been working with, eager to be guardsmen and follow in my footsteps, ran to defend the half-built gate, while another ran to wake me. By the time I was awoken and armored up and out of the house, the horde had already burst through. Myself and several of the villagers fought them off, but not before we lost several of our own.
One of those was Will. My friend. Dead. His wife was kind to me, but if she does not accuse me, I accuse myself. The gates were weak. I knew that. But I went out and built pastures and a herder's cottage. Because I wanted steaks. I have my steaks now, but I have lost my friend, and the town has lost it's smith.
Will can never be replaced, but we must have a new smith. I would like one that specialized in armor and weapons. I asked around, and one name kept cropping up. A weaponsmith from a nearby town of Forest Glen.
This is the first time I have heard of Forest Glen, I had no idea there was another town near us. The villagers say it is much larger than Avalon, which they used to call Riverside. I sent a message to Forest Glen with a young man who knows the way. He says you can reach Forest Glen in a day if you hurry. He will overnight there and return tomorrow. Meanwhile, I must work on these gates.
Day 26: The messenger returned with an agreement. The smith will come live and Avalon, IF I build him a home and work place. It seems the small smithy Will worked at is not quite enough. Understandable - Will was a fine man and a decent smith, but he had no talent for weapons and armor. First I will build the home and new smithy, then I will see to the gates.
Day 35: The weaponsmith just arrived today, and I just completed his home and smithy yesterday. The man was pleased with his new home - and well he should be. It is the best place in the village - better even than my old home where Will's widow and orphans now live at my cost - I have also granted her a pension that will enable Will's family to live in comfort, and guaranteed his sons good jobs when they grow older. It's the least I can do.
Quest: Night Watch
A young guard was killed in a night raid, and the surviving guard swore they had no warning, the attack came out of nowhere. A way must be found to receive advance warning of attacks.
Requirements: Build two watchtowers that enable a view of the area surrounding your village.
Reward: Another step towards your own empire! Can move to stage 3 if all other requirements are completed.
Day 36: I spent most of the day yesterday planning ways to prevent another attack like killed Will. I think the best place is to enlist some of the young men as town guards - they want to be anyway. I will work with the weaponsmith to equip them, and start training them. But when they are trained, they will need a place to guard from. Someplace high, where they can see if the creatures start massing. Right now we have four gates. I am going to close off two of them, and build tall gatehouses at the other two. One, the East Gate will exit in the direction of Forest Glen, my home, and the herdmaster's cottage. The other one, the South Gate, will exit in the direction of the sheep barn since the villagers commonly go there. Now I have my plans, and the work begins.
Day 49: That took longer than I thought, But it is a job well done. The young men are falling all over themselves to strut around in these gatehouses. There are two levels - one glassed in for when it rains or is very cold, another higher up and open.
Quest: Cave Adventure
What a nice base you have now. You are admiring your flourishing compound when a sobbing village baker approaches you. She tells you that her kitchen has been infested by tiny spiders! No matter how many she kills, more come. Her home is against the western wall, and she has noticed they are coming in through tiny holes in the cobble. She has asked you to fix the wall to stop the infestation.
Upon close inspection, you discover the spiders are coming from somewhere. And these are no normal spiders - they are literally eating through the wall. The infestation must be stopped at it's source, and all the spiders destroyed.
Requirements: You must explore nearby caves until you find a dungeon. Destroy the spider spawner and return all of that dungeon's loot to it's owner.
Reward: The villager turns out to be a clever cook and she teaches you her arts. You can now make pies, cakes, soups, and other food other than bread and meat.
**I tweaked this quest slightly to fit the type of spawner I found - a spider spawner**
Day 52: Widow Spalling came to me as I was patrolling the town, in tears. It took me a bit to whittle through the wailing and discover she was complaining about spiders in her kitchen. I was about to dismiss her - I have better things to do then worry about kitchen spiders - when she mentioned the wall needed repairs. THAT is a rather important problem, so I went to investigate.
I was troubled to find no normal baby spiders running rampant in an unkept kitchen. The widow Spalling's kitchen was spotless, and the spiders are literally EATING THROUGH THE WALL. Fortunately the damage is minimal right now, but I need to fix this fast or we have a serious problem on our hands. I followed the spiders across a small field to a hill, and watched them slip into cracks in the hillside. I started digging.
It took awhile before I stumbled into an abandoned mineshaft. After that the going was easier, I simply followed the spiders. I knew I was getting closer when the spiders started getting much bigger. I finally found the source - a magical box that spawned evil spider after evil spider. I destroyed the box - it succumbed easily enough to my pickaxe, killed the spiders, returned to Widow Spallings and patched up the wall. It took a few days, but it was a job well done.
Quest: Every Kingdom needs a Castle:
You aren’t quite a king yet, but you still need your own place. Everyone knows home ownership is essential to success.
Requirements: Build:- Your central compound. Must contain: your quarters (Bed, personal chest, and a painting), A storage room (At least 1 double chest), and a meeting room (Must have at least a 2x3 table and 2 chairs. It should also be impressive, to properly show your mighty warrior spirit).
Day 55: With the walls secure and the spiders defeated, it is time to work on my own place. I have been working on it here and there, which was why I was able to put Will's family into my old home. But now I have some free time, and I need to really buckle down. This will not just be my home, it will also be the base of operations from which I will conquer this world and make it my own.
0
Hmm I never thought of marking cave areas like that - thats a good idea. I always hated caving before because I would get disoriented, running around in circles, and then just end up mining my way to the surface.
0
Well, yes. But in caves I get disoriented and have to dig my way back to the surface and then trot over to my base. Is that what he does? I somehow think he has done this enough he never gets lost. Even temporarily. I get lost temporarily all the time lol
0
From a noob - how do you not get lost?
4
***I started playing minecraft over a year ago, then my computer went glitchy and refused to play it except with EXTREME lag. I recently replaced my computer so have joyfully began playing minecraft again. I returned to these forums to see what I had missed, and discovered the Mercenary Challenge, I was instantly fascinated, and took a day out to tweak the challenge into something I was very much looking forward to doing with a bunch of quests.
I ran to a distant area of my world from where I was digging a massive quarry, removed all my gear, made wooden tools and weapons and leather armor, and found a village. This adventure will be told in parts - I will show the "quest" my adventurer is on, and then write out his diary description of what happened, and then show pictures. This first post will be an accumulation of all the stage one quests.***
___________________________________________________________________________________
Day 1:
It seems ages ago when I sat at the campfire with my father – he a mighty warrior, me just a stripling lad. He told me wonderful stories of ancient warriors fighting for a land of truth and beauty and honor named Avalon. And then he paused, looked at me with that penetrating gaze of his, and spoke words of prophecy.
“One day, my son, you will find yourself alone. Without hearth or home. When this happens, remember a warrior is useless with no one to defend. When this happens, find someone to defend.”
The memory of those words is bitter ash on my tongue now. It has been months since I I have seen my home and family. I don’t remember how I got here in this strange world. I don’t remember anything from falling asleep in my bed to waking up here, alone. For what feels like months, I have journeyed alone. Trying to find SOMEONE and finding no one.
But now I am on the top of a cliff, overlooking the valley below and remembering the wise words of my father.
I have found to defend. To call home.
And I believe I have found it. After days of travelling in the wilderness, what do I see when I break from a forest line?
My future home.
I know not what they call it now. But I will one day rule this place, and my first rule is that it be named Avalon.
Quest: Night Watchman
Upon arrival at the village, you hear grumbling about night raiding zombies. Upon seeing your weapon and armor, the village council seeks to hire you as a security guard, offering you free lodging in one of the town’s empty homes.
Requirements: Remain awake for a night fighting invaders. Make periodic patrols around the village at night on other nights to ensure it remains safe.
Reward: Free lodging
As soon as I arrived in the village, my weapons and armor caught attention, poor as they may be. It seems this lovely town is the constant target of zombies, creepers, and killer skeletons. I am not surprised, these deadly creatures show up everywhere there are people. I was quickly hired on to secure the town against these creatures, and in return was given free lodging.
That first night was brutal. I have never seen an infestation as bad as this. Several times I was forced to retreat and recover before going back out again.
I have never been so glad to see the sweet, precious pink of dawn before.
There were several misplaced explosions from some creepers who gave me trouble, and most of the morning I assisted with repairs. I expected more anger over the damage from the villagers, but they were just happy that there were no deaths or break-ins that night.
The value these people place on their security was clear. I was given a good place, actually the nicest house in town.
I do not expect to need it for long, though. I will build my own home. But first, it seems the local smith has requested a meeting with me and the town council. I heard a rumor they have another project in mind for me.
**Man, fighting creepers with a wooden sword is tough! I always have Iron before I dare engage in combat. ***
Quest: Keeping out the riffraff
You just got off duty after a hard night of fighting when the village smithy approaches you. He tells you that the villagers have been increasingly threatened by the intruding creatures of the night, and that something must be done about the threat. Is this your first contract?
Requirements: You must build a wall around your neighboring village. It must be able to keep out all hostile mobs except spiders, and you must light up the interior of said village to make it (almost) completely secure. Once it's finished, the smith will reward you.
Reward: The smith is extremely pleased with your work. In gratitude, he teaches you how to make armor and weapons out of stone!
Day 2: I have been hired to build a security perimeter around the village. I spent a few hours over planning and land surveying before I began. Right now, due to the intensity of the infestation around this town it is important to get SOMETHING up first. Then I will strengthen and refine it.
Day 6:
The wall is finally finished.
For starting materials, I used simple cobblestone. There was a massive pile of abandoned cobblestone behind the smith’s shop, and he was perfectly willing to give it up. For now, the village has three gated entries, but I have blocked off all but one, and that one I block at night. The first night after the wall was completed was a far more restful one than I had before, but I noticed some intruders still managed to slip over the wall, so the next day and night I set out what felt like hundreds of torches for lighting.
Tonight, for the first time, I heard children playing outside after dusk, and when I patrolled near the well a little before midnight I saw two old widows sitting there chatting.
It is nice to see how quickly I have managed to make a difference in these people’s lives, and there gratitude and affection in return is refreshing.
I stopped by the smithy to speak to him about the success off the wall and go over my plans for improving it. He thought the plans excellent, but says I will need better tools. He will teach me how to make stronger tools. That should make the work a LOT easier.
Quest: Community Agriculture
The town farms are open to all citizens who work in it. You are busy fighting, but the townspeople agree if you add to the farms, then you can make use of the community farms.
Requirements: Add a new fruit/vegetable to the town farms.
Reward: Can utilize the town farms.
Day 7: I was unpleasantly surprised to find I was out of dried meat and bread this morning. I have little time for hunting right now, so I went to the smith, who has become my friend. His name is Will Durant, and he has a lovely wife and two young children. I inquired about the local farming. He informed me they are community farms, and only villagers who assist in tending to them can use them. He mentioned he could probably get enough support so I can use them without tending them, but I don’t like to take advantage of people’s gratitude. At the same time, I do not have time to tend to the farms regularly.
Will and I arrived at an agreeable alternative. So I have went out and hunted down some pumpkins from the hills not too far from the town – but too far for the villagers to risk going. And I am building a new farm for the pumpkins. I am using a similar style to the other village farms, but this one will be larger and better.
Why pumpkins? I am hoping someone knows how to make pumpkin pie. I have a weakness for pumpkin pie…
Quest: Cold winter nights
The villagers know at the door of your domain. The nights are cold and they lack the strength to hunt the wild sheep that roam the wilderness. They plead to catch a few of them and raise a building to keep them in. So that the villagers can use their wool to make clothes and warmer blankets.
Requirements.
Build a barn and bring/raise 6 sheep inside. Add a chest full of wheat to feed the sheep and a pair of shears.
Reward:
Thanks to the heavy work of the villagers, they now have a regular supply of wool for you that you can use in the decoration/building of your home.
Day 14:
Several days ago Will approached me on behalf of the council. It seems this town used to be well known for their wool, but over the last year the night creatures killed all the sheep, and creepers destroyed their barn. It got so dangerous and expensive, the town simply stopped replacing the sheep. I had noticed a few stragglers in the nearby hills, but thought nothing of it. But Will is worried. The town’s supply of wool is exhausted, and things will get very cold next winter without any. The town council has asked if I am able to build a barn and help keep it safe.
I took a day to draw up some plans and rounded up some of the best sheep and get them into a hollow for now. Then I started working. Most of the time was spent in the nearby swamps and forests chopping wood, the barn is a strong one but requires a lot of oak wood. After the barn was completed, with some stalls for pregnant ewes and sickly sheep, I fenced off a good sized pasture and small lake around the barn. Yesterday I drove the sheep to the barn, and put them in the pasture. They seem quite contented. Last night I climbed on the wall and checked. Night creatures were all around, but couldn’t get at the sheep.
The town is absolutely delighted, and they take turns taking care of the sheep so I don’t have to bother with that. As a result of my work I have been promised all the wool I can use, and some good woolen blankets after shearing – all at no cost to me.