Dungeon’s Path

In the town Jim frowns. He kept his desk for official Adventurers Guild work clear of paperwork. Yet despite that, there was now a paper on it with official guild letterhead on it. Official official, with proper gilt and everything.

So with only the slightest of a sour face, Jim sits down to read it. Though his face relaxes as he gets to the core of the matter. It did however cause him to sigh and mutter about how the next boss might block them for a good bit longer.

Not long after he is in Ace’s office reporting on the paper. Ace of course isn’t the happiest camper as the visitors weren't going to be happy. The boss floor was still a stumbling block for anyone that wasn’t a core member of the town. So much so that the place up river was making noise.

This was going to make all their nonsense sound even more realistic. Ace can just imagine it now. ‘Oh look at that! They got through the boss with a raid and now suddenly no one else is allowed to raid? Suspicious isn't it?’

Of course no one in town can do anything about this. The Adventurers Guild is way above their heads. Not that anyone else in the world likely fully gets what that means at the moment. Ace looks up at Jim, “You realize you’re going to have to be the one to announce this, right?”

Jim recoils, “You’re the big cheese here. Why would I be announcing it?”

Ace snorts, “As if, we both know that you have more political power than I do at the moment. Besides, this is coming from your guild.”

Jim shakes his head, “Maybe once the world connects up to the rest of the universe. Right now people recognize you as being the top dog.”

Ace, “Avoiding that second bit? I’ll back you up, but you're the ringmaster of this circus.”

Jim sighs, “Do we have someone good at calligraphy?”

Ace blinks, “That is a bit of a random tangent?”

Jim shrugs, “I get it, I’m the one that gets to stand in front of the annoyed crowd and announce that no, you can’t just bum rush the boss with fifty people. However, we are going to need signs and stuff put up just about everywhere. The gates, the guild, and of course a couple times at the dungeon gate itself.”

Ace, “Oh, yeah, that makes sense. And yeah, we do have a lady in town with decent calligraphy. Jimmy can work with her to make some wood signs. Do you think we need multiple languages? Everyone I’ve met so far is speaking the same one, but there might be people coming from farther away.”

Jim shakes his head, “Nah, I’m sure we’ll eventually get people stopping by that speaks something else, but that is a matter for later. By the time we need to care we will probably have better options.”

Ace sighs, “Can’t the System do something about this?”

Jim laughs, “It could, but it won’t. After all, where should it stop? Signs automatically translating would be nice, so why not other text? Why even bother with multiple languages? Just have everyone speak the same thing! Hell, why bother with speaking? That can cause so many problems in communicating. Everyone can speak mind to mind so no one misunderstands.

“So nah, let people figure it out for themselves. Besides, there are many methods both mystical and technological that can do it for us. Though I’m going to guess our planet will skew towards the magical side of things for this one. We didn’t exactly have the best tech based methods before the System.”

After that they talk it over some more before getting a bunch of things ready. Then early next morning we find them on a stage Jimmy threw together for them at the last minute. In front of them is a crowd of people from the outer ring and out of town. Not too many, but there are a few more official sorts with the power to represent the closest settlements.

Jim claps his hands, “Okay, we have a few things to announce. I’m up first because more of you are going to hate what I have to say so we’re making a you know what sandwich. Anyway, to start I’m going to announce something that to those of you familiar with more recent fantasy novels will be a familiar concept. I’m happy to inform you all that the Adventurers Guild has come to town!

“Now, some of you might have known we had something of the sort in town, but until now we’ve kept things underwraps for one very important reason. I forgot to announce it till now! More seriously though, it is because when I say we have an adventurers guild. That doesn’t mean we decided to make one. This is THE Adventurers Guild. A universal organization.

“For those of you who want to find out more, don’t ask me. I’m the guild leader. Instead you can direct your questions to my lovely receptionist, Frink. Now for the middle of these announcements. So you know how I said this was a universal organization? Well part of what they do is determine some basic rules for those who belong to the guild and one of those is the max party size for a dungeon. Anyway, the Guild has decided that the max for this dungeon will be six.”

The crowd starts to get restive and shout, but Jim speaks over them. “Hold all your questions for the end! I’m now passing it off to Ace for more general announcements.”

Ace steps forward, “Okay, let me make my announcements before you get too angry. I’ve got a few more general things to go over. First up is the fact we are accepting more applications for citizenship. We’ve managed to house everyone and then some so joining us won’t mean sleeping in a tent.

“Along with that is the fact we have completed three hotels. Now, I’m sure we aren’t past our tent city times, but those of you starting to make some decent money can at least pay to have a proper room and a real bed. Also, I’m happy to announce that our town is now fully based on System currency. No more wondering how much a pre-system currency is worth compared to a settlement backed currency or a chunk of gold. All official business and taxes will be in System coins.

“On top of all that, my final announcement is that we are going to be setting up a town guard. I know a bunch of you have been playing fast and loose with the rules and to be honest? For the most part we don’t care as long as you don’t actually cross the line. Well, some of you have. I know, I know, we suddenly have a bunch of supernatural powers and it can make you feel invincible. After all, what can a jail do when you can just walk through the wall?

“A lot. See, as a System recognized town we can have a System recognized town guard and a System recognized jail. Guards and Jail that can keep you in place even if the guards just have handcuffs made of rope and the jail a wooden shack. Of course there is an upper limit on who can be contained that way, I just doubt any of you have a level in the high triple digits. Now, are there any questions?”

A bunch of people start to yell questions while one guy at the back raises his hand. Ace ignores the yellers and points at the guy in back, “So, what's your question?”

The guy is shocked at being called on, “Ah, uh, what are the requirements to be a guard?”

Everyone else boos him, but quickly quiets down when they realize Ace was going to wait till they did to answer the guy. Once everything is quiet Ace coughs, “Okay, that is an easy enough question to answer. To be honest the requirements aren’t too heavy to start. While higher level individuals will be preferred just because they can respond to problems faster, but that isn’t strictly required.

“The main requirement is that you are a citizen, an obvious enough one. All the others are less requirements and more us trying to have some variety. We aren’t going to have a town guard full of just melee fighters. We want mages, rangers, and so on. Right now though we are small enough that it will probably mean only a few of any specific archetype is going to be hired. Next question.”

This time everyone raises their hand and Ace points to someone in the middle. The lady asks the question on everyone’s mind, “Why aren’t we allowed to go dungeon diving with more than six people in a team?”

Ace shrugs, “Jim didn’t say you couldn’t. He said that this would be the limit for those who belong to the Adventurers Guild or want to do business with them. Now I’m only going to answer one more question for the moment as I’m sure basically everything can be answered by the Guild’s receptionist.”

Ace points out the next person who asks, “So you aren’t going to limit the amount of people going in?”

Ace laughs, “We already do that. When a team enters we make sure you aren’t going to be interrupting other teams already. If you’re asking if we are going to stop you from going in with a ton of people to try and conquer the boss? Yes and no. Obviously because of how the instancing works we can’t just let you roll up with 50 people and all run in. You’d end up in other people’s instances.

“If you want to try and raid the dungeon boss, you’ll have to apply ahead of time or be willing to wait as your team slowly filters in six at a time. Because if it isn’t clear enough already by the instances, the dungeon wants six to a floor.”

With that Ace and Jim leave the stage. Of course a bunch of people still had questions and wanted to surround them to ask them. Jim looks over at Ace who rolls his eyes and tells the crowd, “Like I said, no more questions.”

Then both of them jump over the heads of the crowd, landing for a moment on the side of the building behind the stage before bouncing over the roof. Ace yells back as he disappears, “Oh, and only town officials are allowed to do this! I know it looks incredibly fun, but keep to the roads!”

The stunned crowd is left behind with one person asking into the silence, “Where is the guild?”

Ace heard the question and for a moment felt a little guilty as that was an important question. Then he remembered how they tried to bum rush the stage to get their questions answered and decided to not mind it.

Once back in his office Ace asks Jim, “So, how do you feel we did there?”

Jim shrugs, “Next time if we have the guards set up we won’t have to parkour over a house.”

Ace laughs, “But then where would the fun be? We even got permission to do it!”

Jim snorts, “We both know everyone made their roofs so people could run on them and not damage the building. Even if they didn’t plan to do that, everyone knows nothing we do will stop people from doing so. It is a classic chase scene and now people can actually do it safely.”

Ace rolls his eyes, “And we just made it against the law unless you’re an official.”

Jim nods, “And wouldn’t you know it, all the core members of the town at this point count as officials.”

Ace shrugs, “If we’re going to be some kind of pseudo-nobility, might as well make it fun. Besides, after a certain point running on a roof just won’t be worth it. Sure, we made the roofs strong, but that will only go so far.”