36 The Gunsmith
[Welcome to Guns and Gore, the Phoenix Server.]
Location: One Problem Guild Keep
Time: 0800 hours
Server Population: 31,211 Your current level is 21
[System Message] A Skill Book has been added to your inventory.
"A Skill Book? Mr. Soma didn't waste any time, but this doesn't look like a T-Rex."
[Engineering Skill]
Unique: Subdivision/Gunsmith
Description: Adds the Gunsmith
occupation to your character.
QJ whistled in appreciation. "Okay, that's really nice." QJ walked toward the Keep Main doors that stood wide open. The inside of the building looked immaculate; everything had been scrubbed clean, repainted, reupholstered, or replaced. Nodding to himself, he activated the skill book.
[System Message] The Gunsmith Occupation has been learned.
"Awesome." He walked through the double wood doors leading to the Guild Hall. It looked completely different than before. A sizeable horseshoe-shaped table faced a floor-to-ceiling wall hud currently displaying "One Problem."
Ringo was standing to one side, talking to Dessi. They both looked up when he walked in.
"Holy crap QJ, putting down Chained Lightening in Squares?" Dessi shook her head; she didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Every time she turned around, Ringo's freshman ace was doing something incredible.
"That's old news," QJ answered. "Who knew that she owned the cafe we were eating at? I thought she was our waitress."
Ringo laughed at the look on his face; she had seen the stream of the Squares competition. QJ had kicked her butt badly. "Amazing as hell, QJ."
"Why are you here this morning, Dessi?" He glanced around but didn't see any of the third-year students.
Dessi smiled at him pleasantly. "We have to practice our dancing for the Star Crossed Ball."
"....." QJ.
Ringo patted him on the back; she was still wearing the black vampire armor. "She's teasing; she came by to purchase some land."
QJ raised an eyebrow; the Guild Keep came with quite a bit of land. "Are we selling land?"
Ringo shrugged, "I'm going to leave those kinds of decisions up to you."
Dessi immediately looked downtrodden when she heard her friend. QJ seemed to enjoy saying no to the third-year class.
Surprisingly, QJ didn't immediately dismiss the idea. "Something to consider. I doubt you can afford it. There isn't even a land market yet, which drives the price way up."
Dessi sighed, "you're probably right."
QJ grinned at the third-year teacher. "Perhaps we can work something out. Does this mean you are going to start a guild?" He had shot down the third year's attempt to jump on board the freshmen guild.
Dessi nodded, "looking at it objectively, I see now that Ringo had the right idea."
Ringo smiled at her friend. One Problem was becoming stronger; her freshmen class was much more talented than the third year. Players like Breeze, Lotte, Leeta, and Sato were top-tier talent. But, of course, it didn't hurt that the four best marksmen in the Academy were all freshmen. And then there was QJ; she stole a quick glance at her ace.
Groomed by the legends of TAP, players and NPCs alike had carefully instructed and challenged him. The idea of creating a guild had come to her during the Doubler Canyon raid. She had realized then that her class was the Perfect Storm.
"Good Morning. I'm looking for the Guild Leader of One Problem." A quiet voice spoke from the back of the room.
From the long rifle, she had slung over one shoulder, she was definitely a Rider.
Ringo looked at the woman who spoke; she was dressed in beginner gear. "That would be me. I'm Ringo."
"I'm Unchained, level one Rider." She bowed slightly before facing QJ, "I must apologize for my actions during Squares. But, as promised, I'm at your service."
QJ approached her and offered his hand. "No worries, we'll need you to level up quickly. Once you reach level eight, I'll take you to the Cavern and power-level you to the current Guild standard.
"Please call me Chainy from now on." She had changed her avatar look; she nearly looked like one of the Freeborn.
Her hair was snow-colored, and her dark eyes seemed larger than they should be.
[System Message] Unchained has joined your Guild.
A few minutes later, the freshmen class had settled into their seats. Ringo was standing in front. She brought up the server leaderboard on the new Guild Hud. "No changes since the last time we were here, but this will refresh your memory."
[Top Guild Level]
1) One Problem 18.5
2) Old Skool-Lvl 18.4
3) Chupa Lupa 15.1
[Class Leaderboard]
Range Rider: Sexy Dexy-Lvl 19
Gunfighter: Oldman Crane-Lvl 23
Brave: Laffy Taffy-Lvl-19
Tracker: Carlotti Hottie-Lvl 18
Shaman: Dead Mimi-Lvl 18
Field Medic: Suga Pie-Lvl 20
Wrangler: Kingslayer QJ-Lvl 21
Scout: Cactus Flower Lvl 19
Commanchero: Breeze-Lvl 19
Cavalry: Iron Lou-Lvl 19
Raider: Devil Woman-Lvl 18
Gambler: Pinnacle-Lvl 19
[Top Five OverAll]
1) Oldman Crane
2) Kingslayer QJ
3) Suga Pie
4) Breeze
5) Ringo
Chainy had grabbed a seat next to Lotte; she found herself looking forward to playing with this Guild. The enthusiasm in the room was terrific. Unlike other top-end players, she had never put much effort into an alt. Instead, Chainy had focused on her Slinger until a few years ago when she stepped away to start her restaurant chain.
Occasionally she would compete at the gunfights in Bizarro's, but she hadn't done any raids or grouping in years.
She had faced Q seventeen years ago when she was eighteen. The loss had been devastating to her.
QJ moved to the front of the class when Ringo motioned him. "One last thing before everyone starts doing their own thing this morning. This Keep owns three private Instances." He brought them up on the Guild Hud.
[Ghost Dancer] Instance 5-10 People. Level Match [Difficulty: Routine, Arduous, Deadly]
[Defend the Keep] Instance 30+ People. Level Match [Difficulty: Routine, Arduous, Deadly]
[Lover's Embrace] Instance 2 People. Level Match [Difficulty: Unknown]
Robin chose this time to enter the room; she wore black armor with a Raven emblazoned on the chest. Her orange hair was pulled up in a ponytail, and two wicked-looking daggers hung from her belt.
She gave off the pressure of an endgame boss.
QJ smiled at the rogue and then continued. "The cellar door leading from the kitchen is the access point for all the instances. A hud will pop up, and you must choose which one you want. Then, a portal will activate and bring you to your destination."
"The Guild Keep has an instance?" It was Chainy who spoke; her dark eyes showed their surprise.
Ringo nodded from the side. "Have you ever heard of such a thing?"
"Never." Chainy smiled slightly, "Keep this a secret as long as possible. The vultures will come after word gets out."
QJ waved Robin to the front. "For those who haven't met her, this is Robin, the Keep Commandant. She will run the day-to-day activities and be in charge of Keep Defense."
Robin smiled pleasantly. "Good Morning, everyone. I'm Robin, level 184 TAP rogue." She let her words sink in, "My office is upstairs at the end of the hall; feel free to stop in and introduce yourself if you get the chance."
"Thanks, Robs," QJ looked at his guildmates, "let's pound those Keep instances and find out what we have. I want detailed maps and strategies on Ghost Dancer and Lover's Embrace. You can look at 'Defend the Keep,' but since it's a 30-person instance, we'll let it sit for now."
Robin handed him a large white box, "Angel dropped this off for you."
QJ's hands nearly went numb from the intense vibration coming from the container. Angel didn't waste any time sending him the drones.
Ringo dismissed everyone and walked over to QJ, "I'm going to help Dessi and the third years this morning. What are your plans?"
"Not sure yet; probably head over to Briar Rose and check it out." QJ decided not to mention the drones to Ringo while so many people were present.
Ringo and Dessi left with a wave. Then, very quickly, the Guild Hall emptied out, and almost everyone headed for the cellar.
QJ caught Robin's attention. "That room I asked for next to your office, please have it emptied for me. Also, if anything related to gunsmithing pops up, send it my way." QJ held tightly to the box and headed down to the cellar.
Robin watched him leave, a slight smile curving her lips. She had several vendors coming to the Keep daily; finding what he needed should be easy.
By the time QJ made it to the cellar, everyone had entered. Felicia handed him a fresh bun as he walked through the kitchen.
"Thanks, Felicia."
"That's Aunt Felicia!" Felicia looked sternly at him, "I'm seven years older than you!"
QJ stopped in front of the cellar door. He brought up the instance hud and selected Keep Defense. He already knew that if you died in this instance, you'd be returned to the holding area until it was complete.
[Defend the Keep] Instance 30+ People. Level Match [Difficulty: Routine, Arduous, Deadly]
He selected the 'Routine' difficulty choice and ported in. A moment later, he stood on the walls above Keep's portcullis.
He sat the box down for a moment and held out his hand.
"Come."
A moment later, Cleo appeared. She had changed drastically since QJ had last seen her. Her hair was black with gold highlights. Her skin was gold, with a few black stripes on her arms and legs. She hovered a few inches off the ground; iridescent wings beat so fast that you could barely see them. Besides that, she was entirely without clothes, and although slim, her petite body was perfect.
"I brought you something to wear. Since I recently required new gear, I saved my old stuff for you.
Chromium Carapace
Medium Armor
Chromium fabric blended
into a spider exoskeleton.
+10 Strength
Battle Rating 9.4
"It's beautiful, Master." She dipped her head slightly and immediately equipped the armor. Perhaps since she was a spider hybrid, the outfit looked entirely different on her. It was sleek and fit like a well-worn glove. In addition, it had black and white stripes that matched the patterns on her body.
"Going to inspect, Cleo." QJ moved closer and inspected.
[Cleo]
Spider-Bee (Royalty)
Level 28
HP 9,980/9,980
Strength 34
Agility 70
Stamina 40
BR:12
"Thank you for the armor.." She moved closer and placed a small hand on his shoulder. "I will protect you, Master."
"Wow... Okay, first thing. Just call me QJ." He stared at her; she had evolved entirely. Her dark gold eyes watched him. He could feel the overwhelming warmth coming from her.
"Okay." She stopped her wings and dropped lightly to the ground; her wings were doubled like a dragonfly.
"These are drones; there should be a thousand in here." QJ handed her the box. "Can you control them?"
Cleo nodded. "Yes, QJ."
"Take them through this instance over and over. I want them trained up." QJ watched as she summoned the two Incider Spiders.
"Leave everything to us, QJ. We will make them strong."
"Perfect, thank you, Cleo." QJ left the instance, his mind still on Cleo while he walked toward the stairs. QJ had to dodge to one side when he entered the hallway; several people were carrying out furniture from his room. "You guys work fast."
He stepped into the room and noticed a partial library in place. Robin was carefully stocking a shelf with books.
"How did you get this so fast?"
Robin smiled, "I put the word out that we were looking for Gunsmith texts, and a few vendors stepped forward."
QJ glanced through the books Robin was placing on the shelf. "How many vendors are visiting?"
"More than a dozen, three of them carried gunsmith books. I also told them we'd buy anything related to this topic in the future."
"Very nice, thank you, Robs." QJ smiled widely as he paged through the Beginner Gunsmith manual. Glancing around the room, he noted that two stools and a desk were the only furniture left; he didn't count the shelves since they were built-ins.
Robin quietly closed the door and pulled up a stool next to him. "I'll ensure you have all the necessary tools and supplies. I've already procured some components that may be useful.
"Thanks, Robs. I'll make a list." He noticed the closed door. "Did you want some privacy, Robs?"
Robin shook her head. "This is your workshop; it shouldn't have too many distractions."
QJ pointed to the wall that separated his workshop area from her office. "I want a door put there, please."
Robin raised an eyebrow. "A private entrance to my office?"
He grinned at her and nodded. "Are you against it?"
"No, not at all. I'll have someone in here today." Robin scooted her stool closer and rested a hand lightly on his shoulder.
QJ leaned forward and continued to read. "I wonder if you could shoot a gun in GnG."
Robin shrugged; she wasn't a gnome or an engineer, so every gun she touched in TAP was a paperweight. "They are so loud."
QJ pursed his lips while considering it. "Something small and quiet, like a hideout gun. We'll have to see if will even work."
Robin continued watching him, a small smile on her lips. "Okay QJ."
QJ had a half dozen rebuilt trigger housings in front of him. He had spent the morning filing down release catches and replacing the mid-grade springs with lighter ones. His gunsmith ability had been steadily climbing; by the time he was finished and switched to cutting barrel stock, it was already at 20.
A mason and a carpenter arrived while he was working and began creating a door between QJ's shop and Robin's office.
QJ headed outside to give them more space to work. His hud blinked, notifying him that Lotte was returning his call. "Hey, Slinger! You busy?"
Lotte favored him with a crooked smile. "Just finished a quest turn-in. Got something in mind?"
QJ nodded. "I thought I would check out Briar Rose before we log off."
"I'll come too; meet you in the courtyard." Lotte waved quickly and cut comm.
All guild members had a 'Return to Keep' option; the binding point was in the courtyard. QJ headed out of the Keep and summoned Scorch. The big red horse's feet anxiously danced, "Haven't run you much lately, sorry, chubs." He patted the big horse's shoulder.
A soft snort caused him to turn. "Don't listen to him, Scorch." Lotte had upgraded her armor; it was blood red.
QJ whistled in appreciation. "Nice armor, ready to go?"
Lotte nodded and summoned her horse. "How far is it?"
"Halfway between here and Maelstrom." QJ pushed Scorch into a light canter. It should only take twenty minutes or so."
The pair set out for Briar Rose, using QJ's hud map to guide them; they pushed the horses hard most of the way before slowing to a walk.
Lotte pushed back her flat-brimmed hat and patted her horse's shoulder. "I can't believe that red horse isn't winded."
"Chubs needed the run." QJ smiled at her. "Did you level up?"
Lotte nodded, "I see you did, too; how'd you manage that without going anywhere?"
"Crafting experience, I picked up the Gunsmith trade." QJ was stunned at how much experience was gained by crafting.
"Made any guns yet?" She gave him a sly look. "Can I put my order in?"
QJ laughed, "I am really just doing components at the moment. So anything I were to make right now wouldn't be something you'd want to carry around."
[System Message] You have entered the territory of Briar Rose. Owned by Baron QJ.
The two riders looked at each other; they had just entered a valley, and no buildings were in sight yet.
"Um... how much land do you have, QJ?" Lotte stood up in her stirrups, and there were only trees as far as she could see.
"No idea, but these trees are peach trees." QJ moved closer to one; Scorch immediately pulled a piece of fruit off a low-hanging branch.
Lotte nodded and reached for one. "This is an orchard, QJ. Maybe the estate's method of making credits."
"No idea; let's keep going."
They broke into a gallop again. A few minutes later, the valley opened up into a forested area. Both riders pulled up when they saw the house.
"That's way bigger than I'd imagined." QJ dismounted and walked toward the gate. The property was surrounded by a stone wall approximately eight feet high and two feet thick. Although it had seen better days, several wall sections had collapsed.
When QJ pushed the wrought iron gate, it collapsed onto the cobblestone with a loud crash. He glanced at Lotte, who was trying not to laugh. "Maybe I'm stronger than I thought?"
Lotte patted him on the back, "that's probably it."
There were several buildings besides the Main House on the property. QJ peeked inside the nearest; it was definitely a stable.
"Run down, but lots of potential," Lotte noted.
QJ pointed to a second smaller home. "That must be the caretaker's cottage. Let's see if anyone's around."
They carefully made their way through clinging vines and waist-high grass.
Lotte picked several flowers as they walked. "This must have been a garden."
They stepped onto a small cobblestone walkway leading to the cottage door. QJ grabbed Lotte's arm and stopped her from moving. A long rifle barrel extended from the doorway and pointed straight at them.
"State your business." A rough sounding voice shouted from behind the door. QJ tried not to smile, it sounded exactly like Pops.
"I'm the new owner of this property. My name is QJ."
The barrel was retracted, and a moment later, a small man dressed entirely in black stepped out of the home. His hair was black and combed neatly back. His clothes were pressed, and his shoes freshly shined. He looked exactly like someone's butler. "My name is Oliphant. Do you have a deed, sir?"
QJ handed him the deed to Briar Rose. The deed glowed brightly for a moment and then disappeared.
[System Message] You have officially claimed the property of Briar Rose. The deed has been placed in your safe, and a copy of your deed has been sent to the Maelstrom Housing and Development Office.
"Oliphant, was it? Whose man are you? Did you work for the King's Uncle?"
Oliphant nodded, "yes, my master was Prince Waylo Maelstrom."
"What is your position here? How many staff members do you have?" QJ asked.
"I'm the estate's Majordomo. My two daughters are the housemaids; there is no other staff."
Lotte's face showed that she didn't believe him. "Why is this place in such disrepair? Show us the books, with all transactions since the last master's death."
QJ glanced at her in surprise; in the past, she always stood back a bit. "We'll wait in the Main house."
QJ walked toward the back entrance of the home; he stepped into a kitchen that had been recently cleaned, although it looked like it hadn't been used in years.
They entered a set of double doors leading to a formal dining room; although there were water stains on the walls, and the woodwork was faded in many places, the room had also been recently cleaned.
Lotte looked up the grand staircase that overlooked the dining room, it looked like it might collapse at any moment. "Everything is falling apart, but at least it is clean."
A noise from the kitchen grabbed their attention as two women dressed in traditional black and white maid uniforms walked in. They both curtsied.
"I'm Rae, and this is my sister Lou."
Lotte couldn't help but smile at the two maids. They were identical twins and probably close in age to her and QJ.
They reminded her of Suzi and Taylor.
"I'm QJ, and this is Lotte." QJ sized the two of them up, they obviously worked hard keeping the house clean. "How many bedrooms are there?"
Rae bowed slightly and spoke in a quiet voice. "Sixteen in all, sir. Four of those are suites with their own kitchens and entrances. There are two Master bedrooms, one Grand Master bedroom, and nine standard bedrooms."
Lotte whistled. "Okay, QJ, we're sharing, right? How many bathrooms?"
This time Lou answered. "Eighteen bathrooms in all."
QJ stared at the two sisters. Lou had a small scar over her left eye, and Raye was lefthanded and favored her right leg slightly. "Are you injured, Rae?"
Raye shook her head, "no sir, I lost a toe chopping wood last summer."
Lotte winced involuntarily. "Goodness."
QJ clasped his hands behind his back; Oliphant was taking his time. "Tell me about the rest of the house, Rae."
"There are two dining rooms, the formal one and a smaller one for informal occasions. In addition, there is a living room, a library, three offices, a workshop, and a gaming room."
QJ grinned at his companion. "What sort of gaming room?"
"Like a gambling hall, sir, the Prince loved to spend time at casinos."
"I see... and the workshop?"
"The Prince was an avid Gunsmith, sir, one of the best in Maelstrom."
QJ rubbed his hands together. "Show me." QJ followed Raye as she led him out of the formal dining area. Felix Soma must have known that the previous Briar Rose owner was a gunsmith; QJ didn't believe the gunsmith skill book was a coincidence.
QJ stepped inside a large room at the back of the house; there were racks of component materials, tools, and an entire wall full of books. Like the rest of the home, it was clean and dust-free.
He glanced toward Rae, "I'm going to repurpose this room for something else. Everything in this room will be transferred to another location." QJ brought up his hud, and a moment later, Robin's face smiled at him.
"Hey, QJ."
"Hey Robs, I have a lathe for my shop, along with a bunch of stuff. I need you to send someone to Briar Rose with a wagon. I've scored big."
Rob's pretty face lit up. "A big score? What did you find?"
"My estate has a gunsmith workshop. I want everything here transferred to my shop in the Keep." QJ moved to the bookshelves, removing books and placing them in his inventory. "There's a lot of stuff, so maybe two wagons."
"Okay, hun, anything else?" Robin had a notebook in her hands and was writing everything down.
"Yes... I'm transferring two maids and a Majordomo to the Keep. Can you make proper use of them?" QJ ignored the sudden gasps of surprise from the twins.
"What? Yes! Of course, as long as they are experienced. Anything else?"
QJ shook his head, "Cya later, Robs." He cut comm just as Oliphant entered the room; he had a thick black book in his hands.
QJ and Lotte took a seat and started paging through. The stipend that the Prince left in his will needed to be more for the upkeep of such a large estate. It barely covered the wages of the three remaining workers. "You've done well with what you were left with, Mr. Oliphant."
"Thank you, sir; please call me Oli."
QJ nodded, "I'm transferring you and your daughters to my Guild Keep. You can pack your things and leave at your leisure." QJ brought up the estate interface and found the payroll ledger. He transferred twenty thousand credits into each of their accounts. "Report to Robin at the One Problem Guild Keep anytime in the next two weeks."
"Of course, sir." Oli bowed slightly and left the room; both maids followed him out.
Lotte watched them leave, waiting until she heard their footsteps walking away."Why not keep them on staff QJ?"
"They seem friendly, but at this point, I can't be sure whose people they are. Rival factions are always looking to plant spies. Robin is a shadow operative; nothing gets by her." He activated his hud again, and a beautiful Darkelf stared back at him a moment later.
"My day is complete; my beautiful grandson has called me." Serli Jol smiled at him; outside of his dad, she held the most power in all of TAP.
QJ bowed formally. "Greetings, Mother." In the Jol Clan, Serli was referred to as Mother.
"Not so formal, QJ; call me Grams."
QJ nodded, "I need people I can trust, Grams. I've been given a title and an estate. It's quite large."
"A title? What rank?"
"Baron."
Serli nodded in approval. "Leave everything to me, QJ. I will send someone to examine the estate and develop a staffing plan."
"Thanks, Grams. The estate is in complete disrepair. Nearly everything is either collapsing or wholly destroyed.
Serli nodded her head. "So, lots to rebuild and repair?"
"Afraid so. I also stepped into a major faction war. At this point, the people I can trust are few.
"Trust the Jol Clan. I'll send our craftsmen to start on repairs."
Serli leaned back in her chair. "I'm very proud of you, QJ."
"Love you, Grams."
Serli's face lit up, her smile radiant. "Such a thing. It's very heartwarming. Take care, QJ."
QJ closed his hud. He could feel Lotte staring at him. "Something on my face?"
Lotte shook her head and followed him as he walked toward the kitchen exit.
"QJ I..." She hesitated as if trying to pick the right words.
"I've never given LAIs their proper due. I'm not used to NPCs like Robin and Leah. Serli really cares about you; I can see it in her eyes."
"Most of the GnG and Exodus NPCs aren't LAIs, so your reaction is normal." QJ grabbed her hand and squeezed in gently. "It takes some getting used to."
They walked hand in hand to their horses. Lotte leaned against him, a smile on her pretty face. "You're very understanding, QJ."
"That's me, Mr. Understanding." QJ checked his hud; they had nearly half an hour before lunch. "I want to check out the other end of the valley."
Lotte mounted her horse and followed QJ as they sped toward the other end of the valley. The other end of the valley was relatively flat and lightly forested, with a stream running down one side. There was a sizeable rock Quarry followed by a few dozen acres of farmland. At the end of the valley was a road leading to Maelstrom. QJ and Lotte rode out to the middle of the cobblestone road.
[System Message] You have left the Briar Rose Estate.
QJ grinned at Lotte. "This gives me an idea."
"What kind of idea?"
"Let's head back to the Keep first," QJ replied.
"Can you come over at lunch again today?"
QJ nodded. "In the pool again?"
"Yep."
QJ activated his [Return to Base] icon, and they both vanished from the road a moment later.
