SJ dropped the berries off at the kitchen for Floretta. She was quite pleased with them and said she could make a decent pie. When SJ asked her about side effects, Floretta confirmed that they no longer had the same laxative effect once they were stewed and cooked. It was mid-afternoon by the time she arrived back at the tailor shop. On walking inside, the bell tinkled, and SJ was met by two large, very hairy Bugbears standing in the shop.
She had never seen a bugbear in town before, and her immediate reaction was to equip her claws, barely resisting the urge. She started to browse as Fizzlewick served them.
“So or eremony is in our ays?” Fizzlewick asked.
“Yes,” a very bubbly and light lilted voice replied of a female.
SJ was shocked to hear the bugbear’s voice, expecting something completely different.
“At is ine. I ill ave em eady by hen.”
“That will be great. It is Clarissa’s big day. It is not every day you get the chance to marry.”
“O roblem.” The wizened old quarterling smiled.
The two large bugbears turned and left the shop. Fizzlewick walked to the door as soon as they had, flipped a sign saying closed for the day and locked up. SJ watched as he drew the shutters and transformed into his human form.
“Hello, SJ. It is lovely to see you again so soon, and I see that you are already at level 5. Congratulations.”
“Thanks,” SJ replied, grinning.
“I am guessing you would like to start learning about tailoring?”
“Definitely, and I have so many questions. Do you have the time?”
“I have all the time in the world. Shall we head downstairs,” Fizzlewick indicated.
SJ made her way through the shop and walked down to the cellar. This time, there was no need to wait for a lantern to be lit. The cellar was brightly lit as she opened the door, but not by a lantern. The light that bathed the cellar was artificial and clean white. It reminded SJ of the starting room she had woken in.
“Where do I start?” SJ asked after sitting in a soft, comfy chair that had just appeared by a fireplace. The fireplace crackling but not giving off heat.
Fizzlewick sat opposite her in a similar chair and smiled. “Well, professions are the backbone of Amathera. Everyone has one, though whether they succeed at becoming good at it is another matter. Take someone like Floretta as an example. She has been a cook now for nearly 3,000 years.”
SJ was amazed, having never even considered how old Floretta was.
“Once you select your primary profession, you will, at level 20, be able to choose a secondary. I am assuming Dave has explained this?”
“Yes. He explained the basics. I have no profession choice available. Dave says it is because the System has already decided I would become a tailor.”
Fizzlewick chuckled. “That is a good thing for me. What if you had decided to be a smith instead?”
“That was never going to happen. This dress is the most amazing item I have ever seen.”
“Ha. It is rather nice, and I see it is working well.”
“Working well?”
“Have you not checked its attributes since you levelled?”
“No. I had not given it a thought.” SJ said, feeling a little foolish.
She focused on the dress.
Haber’s Dress of the Tailor – Level 0
Grade – Astral
Quality – Perfection
Durability - Infinite
Enchantment Slots – Nil
Armour Class – 5
Attributes - Unknown
The god Haber himself made this dress. It is unmatched by any other and provides the wearer with unique skills that are available as levels are gained.
Self-repair
“I see it now has an armour class, and the enchantment slots are showing as Nil. It still shows no attributes.”
“As I mentioned, as your tailoring skill improves, so will your attributes and bonuses from the dress. Unfortunately, I could not give you an overpowered item at Level 5. You will have to work for it to reach its full potential.”
SJ already thought the dress was overpowered. The fact that it was always spotless and could not be damaged due to its self-repair was an amazing feat. “Where do I begin, and what do I need to do to become a tailor?”
SJ’s display triggered.
Fizzlewick Highwelder – Grand Master Tailor, has invited you to become his Apprentice Tailor.
Do you accept? Yes/No
This choice will become your Primary Profession, and if things do not go as planned, you will only have one opportunity to change it at level 20.
SJ hardly waited a second after reading the message to accept the invite.
Congratulations, you have chosen your Primary Profession.
Professions are not easy. You must spend time learning your craft to grow your abilities, skills and knowledge. Material requirements for professions will vary depending upon the levels of the recipes you are making.
SJ still found it strange to call a Tailor’s pattern a recipe, and her display triggered again.
Quest
Tailoring Apprentice – Level 1
Wool is the basic material many will begin working with as a Tailor. Fizzlewick would like you to source ten balls of wool.
Do you accept the quest? Yes/No
SJ again accepted yes immediately.
“There we go. You are all set and underway.”
“Is that it?”
“What do you mean?”
“I thought I would need to start learning to make things straight away?”
“Oh, I see. No, all professions start with material quests. You must gather materials before you can start learning recipes.”
“Oh.” SJ felt a little deflated, having wished to start straight away.
“You will soon understand,” Fizzlewick said.
“Concerning sourcing materials, are there any restrictions?”
“Such as?”
“Where do I source them from?”
“Sourcing materials is entirely up to you. You can collect or harvest them yourself, buy them from a market trader or shop, or steal them. You just need to acquire them to progress at each stage.”
“Do you have any wool here that I could buy?”
“I do indeed. How much would you like?” Fizzlewick smiled broadly.
SJ laughed. “I would like to purchase ten balls of wool, please.”
“That will be ten coppers.”
SJ counted out ten coppers and handed them to Fizzlewick. As soon as she did, ten small balls of wool appeared beside her on a table that had suddenly appeared.
Congratulations, you have acquired ten balls of wool.
Return to your Master for your next quest.
Tailoring Apprentice – Level 2
Craft your first socks. Woollen socks keep your feet warm on those cold winter nights. Craft your first pairs.
Do you accept the quest? Yes/No
Without hesitating SJ immediately accepted the second quest.
Basic recipe received - Woollen Socks.
SJ checked her inventory and withdrew the recipe. It was not what she had expected. Having played various games which used recipes, she was expecting a scroll she could just read, and she would know how to make them. That was not the case.
The recipe explained, with pictures, how to knit and make the socks by referring to the pattern and instructions. Her grandmother had always knitted, and she had as a child, but she had not picked up knitting needles in over fifteen years.
“I will be honest. This was not what I expected.”
“Oh. What did you expect?”
“I expected to read the recipe and know how to make them immediately. I was not expecting to have to work through actually learning how to make them. I know it may sound strange.” SJ muttered, knowing it sounded bizarre that you could just know something.
“You are not wrong. It is just that you must learn all the basics of tailoring and confirm your application of techniques. You always start with knitting, then sewing, etc. Each of the main techniques has a sub-skill that you can also level. Once you know the basics, producing more advanced items becomes much easier to complete as long as you have the necessary materials to hand.”
“Oh. I see.”
“Then, depending upon your sub-skills will confirm what real-level recipes you can begin to make. It is quite a complicated and long process.”
“I need to get equipment.”
“You are in the right place,” Fizzlewick smiled.
“Before we continue, could you advise me on what I may need?”
“I can. I would suggest you purchase an apprentice basket.”
“A basket?”
“Yes. It is not quite what it sounds. It contains all the basic apprentice items that you will need. Scissors, needles for both sewing and knitting, tape, chalk, and pins. Everything is common grade.”
“Are there better kits?”
“There are, and they all have better equipment. Here, I will show you.”
Fizzlewick flicked his hand, and a small basket appeared between them on the floor. It was woven but had a threaded pattern sewn into its structure. “This here is a Legendary set, as an example.” He leaned forward and opened the lid to the basket.
SJ peered inside and was amazed at what she saw. The basket itself looked small, similar in size to a bag she used to take on nights out back on Earth, just enough to fit her phone, purse, and makeup in. The basket seemed to contain much more than it should have been able to and was full of all sorts of bobbins and other equipment, for which SJ had no idea how to use them.
Fizzlewick put his hand over the top, and scissors suddenly appeared on his palm. “They act similar to your inventory.”
“Oh. I see. Are they specific to professions, then?”
“Yes. An enchanter, for example, may have a pouch. A smithy may have a tin box. We, as tailors, get these rather quaint little baskets. The patterns on the outside determine which level of rarity the equipment is. You can also find and purchase items to put in your tailoring sets, so if you ever find any, do not assume that because it is a common set, it contains common items. Over my years, I have known many tailors hide their best equipment inside lesser baskets.”
“How much is it for the sets?”
“Common – 15 Coppers, Good – 10 Silver, Rare – 1 Gold, Epic – 50 Gold, Mythic – 500 Gold and Legendary – 250 Platinum”
SJ sat with her mouth open, eventually closing it and speaking. “That is expensive.”
“Very. Professions are not cheap or easy to maintain. That is why many do not progress very well in them.”
“And this basket here is Legendary?”
“Yes. It can hold up to 300 tailoring items.”
“Wow. You mentioned inventory. I am struggling with mine as I am restricted to what I can carry. How long will it take me to get where I can start making bags of holding?”
“You may start crafting them from Journeyman level 5.”
“So, what are all the differing ranks and levels?”
“If you check your details, you should now have a tab that gives you a list of all the requirements and expectations.”
SJ looked at her display, and there was indeed a new tab for professions; she selected it and started looking at the details. It was an extensive list showing ranking, grading, specialisations and a list of known recipes. The woollen socks recipe was currently the only one showing, and next to it was a small counter showing 0 of 5.
“I see the recipe listed and 0 of 5. I assume I must make five pairs of woollen socks to complete the quest?”
“Yes, that is correct. Each progression stage requires a certain number or type of items to be crafted, and as you progress, you will have more options to specialise and alter your path as a Tailor.”
The display contained comprehensive information, and SJ knew she would have to spend time going through it all. There was even a small journal section that appeared showing her costs associated with the profession and the ten coppers she had just spent. It was a lot to take in.
“Looking at the recipe details, I need to use the ten balls of wool to make the five pairs of socks to complete the first quest.” SJ sighed. “I was hoping this would be easier.”
“Easier, how?”
SJ remembered from games where you just had to select items, and they would just craft themselves. Looking at this, though, it was not so simple. Having to learn the skills and develop them fully.
“Oh. It doesn’t matter. It seems I need to get some knitting done.”
“You do indeed. Did you wish to purchase a starter set?”
“Yes. I will do.”
The beautiful Legendary set was replaced with a very plain, small basket. SJ counted out 15 coppers and handed them to Fizzlewick.
“Thank you.” He replied. “Do you have any other questions?”
“I think I have enough to get on with for now. I need to spend time going through all the details.”
“I understand. It can be a little overwhelming at first, and as I say, many do not do very well at progressing, but I believe you may be an exception to that rule.”
“While I am here, I do not suppose you have anything that could help with my inventory issue?”
Fizzlewick smiled. “Let me see. This has never worked for someone at your level, but there is a first for everything.” Fizzlewick closed his eyes and started to mutter under his breath. SJ watched as a bead of sweat appeared on his forehead.
Whatever he was doing was not straightforward. His face changed as he focused, and eventually, he opened his eyes again and looked at her. “Well, that was unexpected but a pleasant surprise.”
“What?”
“Check your inventory.”
SJ opened up her display. Her mouth dropped open in amazement. Her inventory had increased from 10 slots to 20. “How?”
“Magic, my dear. Although the ten additional slots may only carry tailoring materials, nothing else can be placed in them.”
SJ saw the spider web silk in one of the new inventory slots. They had a different colour to them, making them easy to identify.
“That’s impossible?” Dave’s voice cried out. “You are level 5. You have had a profession for under 15 minutes and have been given a profession trait only available to seasoned crafters.”
“It’s a trait?” SJ said in response to Dave.
“Yes,” Fizzlewick replied. “It can be improved in time. I was surprised it worked as it would normally not happen until you are at a much higher level in the profession.”
“I can’t thank you enough.”
“There is no need to thank me. As I said before, the more you practice and improve in the profession, the more I gain.”
SJ had completely forgotten that she was even talking to a god. Chatting with Fizzlewick the way she did reminded her of talking to her Grandpops before he passed away. The thought of that weighed heavy on her heart. She spent hours chatting to him about the most useless things, and he always had a story to tell. Grandmother would always bring in a cup of tea and the biscuit tin while they did. She missed those days as a child. Having spent hours around there after school.
SJ picked up the small basket opening it. Inside was a common set of all the basic equipment she would need to start her profession. She was buzzing with the opportunities this may lead to, although she understood it would take time. The bonus was that she had time; she could have at least 7,000 years to excel after all.
“I think I have used up enough of your time for today. I am going to head back to the inn and start crafting.”
“That sounds like an excellent idea.”
“SJ?” Dave asked.
“Yes, Dave.”
Fizzlewick smiled as she spoke to her AI.
“Could you ask Fizzlewick a question for me?”
“What question?”
“Could you ask him if it is true that he made the Emperor of Jutina believe he was wearing an amazing suit while he was naked?”
“What?” SJ knew the story about the Emperor’s New Clothes from her childhood.
“Sorry. Dave has asked if I can ask you whether you did actually do what is rumoured to the Emperor of Jutina.”
Fizzlewick burst out laughing. “Oh, my. I had completely forgotten about that. Yes, I did. He was an obnoxious orc who always treated his citizens terribly.”
“He was an orc?” SJ frowned as she realized this, and she had a mental image of a naked orc dancing down the streets of a capital city.
“Yes. He was horrid and deserved what he got.”
“What did he get?”
“Oh, he was assassinated not long afterwards.”
SJ’s eyes grew wide. “Assassinated?”
“Yes. Empress Courtney was so embarrassed by his escapade that she paid the assassin guild to take him out. She was a much more lenient ruler, reduced taxes and everything.”
SJ shook her head in amazement at the tale.
“I knew it,” Dave shouted.
SJ winced. “I think you made Dave happy.”
“I am glad to hear.”
“Thank you again, and I will return as soon as I can.”
“The quest chain will continue to progress now you have started it. If you need any materials and can’t source them, then please come and see me. I have most things here somewhere, at least.” Fizzlewick waved his hand, and the cellar turned into a scene that resembled Warehouse 13. There were rows and rows of shelves stacked high with various items. She could see almost every colour of fabric imaginable.
“I do have to charge, though. Unfortunately, the payment system is quite strict, even for us gods. I have already given you more than I would normally get away with.”
“Can I ask you one final question?”
“Please do.”
“Are you just here?”
“Ahhhhh. No.”
SJ stood waiting for more details, but they were not coming, and after a few moments of silence, she felt awkward.
“Ok. I will go now.” SJ said, feeling embarrassed. She stood and made her way to the stairs.
“Don’t forget your wool.”
SJ turned, smiled meekly, and returned to the table. She added the wool to her inventory before heading back upstairs.
Fizzlewick did not join her straight away, and as she approached the door, she saw the sign flip by itself and the key in the lock turned. She looked around, seeing no one, shrugged, walked outside, and closed the door behind her.
“Well, that was amazing,” she whispered.
“Amazing! Amazing! It was unbelievable. I have just won a bet that has been outstanding for the past 4,000 years.”
“A bet?”
“Yes. I always thought Fizzlewick had caused the Emperor to be naked.”
SJ sighed at Dave as she headed back to the inn, excited about starting her training.
