A noob's first time playing H&H.

[Driftraze]

It’s the noob of noobs again. As I always wanted, I got back into the game and I haven't regretted it a single bit. This time I recite my success at finding a place to call my own, and thus it's proper closure to what was previously left off at a grisly death.

First and foremost, I did indeed have fun, sfbmod, and I continue to have fun. Striking it out on your own is only for the more hardened breeds of noob, of which I definitely am not. It's a better start when you're actively with other people. And I'm glad you liked it, rakninja. I imagine many people can relate at least the tiniest bit to the story, but probably with less cone cow -- which is damnation in itself.


I was invited back into the game by Bodolf, Lawspeaker of Vidarr’s Keep. He had assured me that he had a place for cone cow and I, where we could learn how things worked in the Hearthlands. I’d be offered a plot of land for my own desires in the fortified security of Vidarr’s Keep, and training that would turn a skittish nubalux like myself into a certified boarslayer.

It also helped there was nothing wrong with me hoarding cones for cone cows.

I received my official invitation in the form of a hearth secret, which brought me to the backwoods of the Keep’s land. My new name was simply "Wanderer" seeing that I couldn't name myself Wander again. In retrospect, I should have deleted my account and made a new one to retrieve the name, but it feels too late for that. The very first thing I did was fumble through fir trees for branches and a cone, then reunited with my one true friend. Afterwards, I saw aurochsen herds to the east, and I steered right out of their way. I’ve had bad experiences with anything larger than a rabbit. Around me were a few offline hearth fires, and assumably one had the hearth secret I used. It was still a bit early, so no one was around. I got a feel for the land in my spare time, aimless wandering if anything else. It had apple trees scattered around, rivers to the west, and a surefire sign of some semblance of civilized land in the form of a stone-paved road crossing through the forest.

A boathouse was at a nearby river, with cryptic messages on rune stones about a mysterious stranger being the harbinger of the new people’s last few minutes or some such nonsense. Wandering down the long paved road from the boat house, I’d later find some curiously unclaimed, empty homes and forts in the making, but they all paled in comparison to what I eventually found at the end of the road.

Vidarr’s Keep was a sight to behold for any noobling, the largest settlement I’d seen yet. It was built like a keep, faithful to the name, with double layered walling (and some bones between them eerily) spanning around an enormous plain of land. I tried to get glimpses of the inside, but my default client wouldn’t allow me to see that far. Nobody was on at the moment, but later in the day I’d find someone at the entrance.

Bodolf opened the gates, walked up to me, and greeted me. For a few horrible seconds, I thought he was going to cut me down with the blade in his hand; this is the 2nd person I ever met in H&H, and my first encounter wasn't exactly under peaceful conditions. Bodolf insisted I come in, which I’d been eager to agree on, to see what was out of my screen’s reach.

I was given a tour around, all of which was truly an established home. Crop fields (which were utterly lagtastic), cattle, forges, kilns, houses. It all made up the Keep’s status as an actual functioning village. There was even a graveyard, which Bodolf mentioned his first character was in. Murdered in his own camp, the cause of death was. I asked if he ever exacted revenge, but he’d long moved on by the time he had got his Ranger skills. Apparently his old campsite wasn’t too far away either, at least in perspective of the world map.

When the tour concluded, I was asked if I wanted to be part of Vidarr’s Keep. It seemed like a rather pointless question at the time, though. Where else was I supposed to go? Where else could I live? Definitely not alone out in the wilds again. I did not hesitate to say this is where I wanted to be, and then I was sworn in, an official resident of Vidarr’s Keep.

I knew this would be the beginning of a long stay.

I was then shown through another gate and into Bodolf’s home ground. If need be, I have no doubt in my mind he could have survived healthily right inside his own walled-off grounds forever. It had chicken coops, personal gardens, a storage cabin, a kiln, and one grand stone mansion (which I’d later learn even had a cellar). I was invited inside the stone mansion and offered a seat at the dining table. My hunger wasn’t too bad, so I wasn’t eager to start chomping down food just yet, but when I did I went from low Full to Overstuffed with one freaking sausage. This was quality food.

I was told about Vidarr’s Keep, whose chieftain was a fellow named Grim. He ran the Industry side of the Keep, while Bodolf controlled the Nature side. The both of them were essentially an army of two for a while, though even to this day I still don’t know very much about Grim’s legacy. The long bordering brick wall that went around the Keep was built by a force of unnamed slave labor, but around halfway into its construction, Bodolf and Grim were left alone to build the wall – because I assume the rest of the labor decided to pull a “Screw you guys, I’m going home.”

I suppose that seemed like the easiest way out, when they were building the Great Wall of China, Brick & Palisade Edition.

I asked about the Keep’s name, not being familiar with mythology. Vidarr was a god of vengeance, son of Odin. He slew Fenris for killing his father. Cone cow was only idly amused by such a tale, but the name of the Keep did fit well into H&H’s mythical setting, as well as the fact that the Keep was home to rangers.

Later Bodolf started talking about an Enders Client for H&H. My dumbfounded response? “I use the default client from the site.” It was then at this point I realized what made him Lawspeaker. For the next 2-3 hours in the middle of the dreary night, he’d be relentlessly trying to help me get Ender’s Client running. There was problem after problem after problem, that wouldn’t let the client run on my computer. Bodolf never gave up, never called retarded noob on me (which I actually was), and never stopped helping to look for a solution. If it wasn’t for him, I would have long gave up trying to get Ender’s Client running, and consequently I would have more than once aggroed other noob-hungry boars. This probably sounds like ass-kissing, but I still stand by the firm belief that it’s because of that relentless desire to assist me, that I’m on the road to prosperity in the Hearthlands.

After arduous hours spent getting Enders Client to work, I was shown to the public tool cabin, where I was allowed a cupboard of my own to store any anomalies I happen to come across in my exploration, which currently weren’t many; some branches, apple cores, and a spindly taproot. Cone cow stayed in my possession. I was provided bough to make a sleeping place outside the shed, some curios to study in my slumber, and I called it a night.

The following days would be spent learning the Havian ways and meeting other Keep residents, including Chieftain Grim. I sought out a piece of land in the Keep to call my own, and received help from other residents to begin working on it. The game plan would be to first build a log cabin (which would serve as a personal shed), and give it a cellar to sleep in and store more hoarded crap in while I slowly but surely worked on my stone mansion. Later into the building, I grabbed an uncarved rune stone and placed it outside my plot’s border, and on it, I wrote:

“The Wanderer has found his home.”

When the shed was complete one night, a chair was made for me with excess lumber, which was apparently placed on my land when I wasn’t looking. I settled down into it, and then reflected on the past days. Everything was falling into place, and steadily my residence in Vidarr’s Keep became concrete. It was a peaceful growth, under the watchful eyes of my fellow kinsmen. But I looked in my inventory, at cone cow (who will always claim a slot in my inventory) and it reminded me of my more valiant goal; kLauE.

I will never forget, kLauE, no matter what you say about leaving the game. I am gearing up and growing, and I will not stop looking for you just because you say you quit. Maybe it will be next month or maybe it will be in the next World, but I will someday find you, and I will be ready to bring down upon you all the full-fledged fury one Punch to the face can bring.

Even if it kills me.

[SuchANerd]

Inbe4 "Larper".

Glad you stick with the game and found a home and base to work on your mission. I enjoyed reading every bit of your story

[DoctorBored]

*clap clap clap*

That is all.

[kLauE]

I don't quit, before i manage to steal your cone cow

[michiko]

*furious clapping*

Moar! -- When you're not too busy enjoying the climb to quest objective, give updates!

But for real, thank you. This was a fantastic read. I am also recently enthralled by this game.

[Dataslycer]

Your Quest Runestone has been updated:
Completed:
- You haved joined a Village.
- You have unlocked the power of the Ender Client.

Incomplete:
- You still do not know the whereabout of the dreaded Klaue.
- You have yet to kill a boar.

[theo1170]

Absolutely mind blowing story, never in my life have I seen better writing based on a game, such an adventures tale, please continue!

[michiko]

*sheepishly (selfishly) asks*

Could we query for a primary quest objective to be:

Write epic story about training and growth?

Plus, doesn't cone cow have aspirations? Or is he out for revenge just as much as you?

[Drakonar]

You have a talent, nice story. Make more xd

[Dataslycer]

So if Klaue is the end game boss? What is the optional bonus boss?