Hello. I'm a fan of Overlord and Runescape and want to start my own story with them. This is a really niche story. For anyone expecting Ainz or Nazarick, they aren't here so you can click away if you wanted to see an Ainz story. With that out of the way, I was really interested in the new world and how it is like without Nazarick and what would happen if left to their own situation.
For anyone unfamiliar with Runescape and particularly Runescape Three, A skiller is someone who foregoes combat and focuses solely on life skills and non-combat skills like Woodcutting, Fishing, Mining, Smithing, Construction, Invention, Cooking, Crafting, Archeology, Agility, Farming, and Herblore among others.
Yes, this is an OC. Before you hit that X, The character is not an angsty teenage edgelord, brooding avenger, or some white knight hypocrite from Falador. He's a normal guy for the most part. I say for the most part because some of the quests in RuneScape are pretty strange.
With that out of the way, Let's go!
- Artisan's Workshop, Falador -
- Kevin Johnson -
The bright summer sun rose high in the sky above the castle city of Falador, It's rays penetrating through the many trees in the parks of Falador. Ducks and white swans relaxed and floated down the river that lazily flowed through half of Falador. The massive white castle fortress that stood high above the rest of the city shone brightly in the sun. It had many towers of brilliant white stone where flags stood above blowing in the summer wind proudly. The castle was on a massive cliff surrounded by the river on all sides.
A massive white drawbridge lined with white stone statues of knights and flags grossed the gap from the city surrounding it in the front. White knights and Falador guards patrolled the massive bridge that seemed to stretch on forever with constant disciplined movement. The knight's white plate armor and massive white swords that rested on their shoulders reflected the sun causing any visitor unused to such a sight to squint from the sight. The guards patrolling the city near the castle were not so majestic or imposing being equipped with iron chainmail that covered their upper body in sturdy riveted rings. Their legs were protected by plate mail that was segmented and connected by a hard leather. Their boots were of tough leather with reddish-brown bronze protecting plates at the shin front and toes.
They wielded iron spiked maces and Iron Short Swords well maintained and sharpened, with large iron and wood roundshields. Their faces were hidden by their Bronze full-face helmets as they patrolled. The houses and attractions near the castle were all of the same white stone with three to five stories each. The roads below a smooth cobblestone. Stalls of all sorts lined the streets, ranging from weaponsmiths selling their wares to farmers and loggers trying to sell their harvests.
Men and women in simple colored clothes from Varrock, Edgeville, Taverley, and even the faraway Port Sarim, Rimmington, and Lumbridge jostled about on the street in their daily routines. Adventurers meandered about, some dueling for fun and others running to their destinations down the many roads Falador offered to Travel. If one were to enter Falador from its northernmost gate, they would come to an open square with a massive forty-foot tall white stone statue of the God Saradomin in his long robes holding a large staff with one hand extended forwards the gate gazing to the sky. Around the square would be stalls and many people calling out to travelers to purchase their wares. Town criers in their long blue robes with golden bells would be informing any curious passerby of the many things and happenings going on in the lively city.
If one traveled further forward, the roads would thin out a little and the houses would come closer together, giving the roads a cool shade and a shadowy quiet. This was the academic sector of the city and it went on for twenty or so blocks. Bookstores and magical odds and ends shops were common in the sector. One would find blue, green, gray, and white-robed wizards walking quickly about with their younger apprentices and assistants lagging behind, usually carrying their master's works and shopping items.
Coming out of the quiet and shadowed streets of the academic district, one would be almost blinded by the light that would hit them. The street open to large highways where decorative carriages pulled by teams of large white unicorns zipped up and down the highways to large mansions with even larger yards that looked to be parks in and of themselves with fountains, shrubberies, lawn tables, chairs, and trees.
Men, Women, and children in fine clothes of silk and quality fabrics with slick and long hair lounged in the yards, drinking various beverages and conversing with each other as well trained and well-armed guards patrolled the perimeters ready to expel any ner-do well that entered without an invitation. These went on for a good mile before it came to the massive castle fort high up above the city shining white as a reminder to the people of Falador that they were safe and had a home.
However, this was just one of the many, many grand attractions Falador has to offer. Behind the castle for a good half-mile is a large section of Barracks and training fields where knights and guards vigorously trained and sparred. The clank of metal, be it the crossing of weapons to the gears and machinery of the large underground system of workshops and smithies rang loud. Songs of men and dwarves could be heard upon entering the main underground hall.
Massive caverns supported by carved pillars were filled with the humming and thrumming of machinery and yelling. Long metal pipes snaked across the ceiling, walls, and floors, some as wide as a human being. The hiss of steam being released and the dull thudding of below could be heard equally to the clang of metallic ringing. Men and dwarves in aprons and sturdy clothes with sturdy gloves could be seen running around carrying things from hammers to boxes of parts and every tool you could imagine.
This was the Artisans workshop, the true home for blacksmiths, crafters, tinkers, carpenters, and any other odd job you could think of. All along the sides of the massive main hall that stretched as far as the eye could see were ladders going up to other floors and staircases downward.
Down one of those staircases with a plaque of brass above it that stated "Kevin's Wares, Goods and Metals" was a thirty-foot stone hallway with two doors lining each side across from each other and one at the very end, made of old Mahogany. At the end of the hall and through the door was a spacious office with a fireplace, a desk, and two soft cushioned chairs. On the walls were bookcases filled with files and folders of transactions and records.
The desk was a polished oak that was slightly scuffed and worn over years of use. At it sat a human man on a large desk chair made of Yew with red cushions. He was six foot four with short brown hair in a buzz cut. He looked to be in his early thirties with light ever so slightly tanned skin sharp turquoise eyes and a thin mouth. He wore a white fabric shirt that was buttoned up except for the three at the top, leaving a little bit of his toned chest exposed due to the heat of the office. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he put down the red leather-bound book he was reading.
"Well, If Leki doesn't come in ten minutes, I'm going to blow a gasket. I ordered a batch of masterwork rivets forty minutes ago. Never trust a dwarf to be on time" He grumbled to himself as he looked to the clock hanging above the entrance door. His average sounding voice was irritated but not malicious as he chastised the dwarf in his head.
Picking up a palm-sized black fabric pouch from the top of the desk and delicately pouring some of the contents onto his desk, he smiled. The glinting of gemstones in the lantern that was next to this desk was one of the things he enjoyed in his private time. He would search out the finest sapphires, Rubies, and Dragonstones to cut to the right size and shape. It was an arduous process that he had honed over the years, nearly unmatched in gem-cutting in his district of the workshop.
Right as he was about to pick up a particularly large emerald, a thudding came from the staircase door.
"About the time I'd reckon," He said as he walked out of his office and down the hall to the front door of the offices. opening the door, he was greeted by a short and stocky dwarf with light skin, a large red split end beard, and a bald head. He was carrying a foot tall by foot wide wooden crate filled with rivets the color of silver.
"Here's your rivets you ordered," The dwarf said as he passed the crate to Kevin who said "Took you long enough. What's the hold up?" while placing it on the ground next to him.
"Well, that's the thing, you know how things have been not so quiet lately with The Red Axe investing large amounts of gold all the way down here? Figured they'd stay up in Keldagrim with the other massive companies, but they've been sending scouts out to snoop around. I heard they set 'Old Devin' from Devin's hardware to defraud the Falador knights. Making promises and taking loans in his name that they'd never pay back in their lifetimes. The poor old dwarf was kicking, screaming, hooting, and hollering when the white knights came a-knocking to take him away. Suspicious folk with suspicious gold I tell you" The dwarf said to Kevin with righteous indignation at the Red Axe.
"That's interesting, but that still doesn't tell me why you're late unlike usual Leki" Kevin said, intrigued but still irritated.
"You're right, sorry about that. What I was saying was that the Red Axee have been tampering with packages and crates they see lying about. Got no evidence of it and anyone who tries accusing them of such is pestered and bullied out of business by a nasty dwarf named Vigir. He's had his eyes on me and the delivery company lately. I've had stolen packages and dwarves and humans alike come up and harass me. On the way to you, some shady dwarf, Didn't get a good look at him since he ran off and was wearing a hood and all, knocked the crate of rivets to the floor and I had to pick them up one by one. Then the Patrols came by asking me if I had counterfeit goods I was delivering. They searched the crate and me before they let me off with a warning. Could you believe that? Me delivering fake Goods? I'll be a bloody toilet cleaner before I give people fake goods" The dwarf said angrily before huffing out heavy breaths due to being winded.
"Anyways, do take care of yourself big guy. The Red Axe is a shady company you'd rather not be dealing with. Good day," The dwarf said before closing the door, turning, and leaving back up the stairs.
Taking the crate to a room on the right side of the hallway full of crates of Ingots, pipes, wires, hatchet heads, and various other metal projects illuminated by lanterns on stocks in the walls. He placed it down on the floor.
It was then that something caught his attention. It was a paper-wrapped square parcel, no bigger than his hand placed on one of the crates. A small string with a note attached to it hung down from the edge of the parcel. walking over to the parcel, he read the note.
" To: Kevin Johnson of Johnson & Erikson Metallurgy
This is the prototype you requested. Do let us know if it is faulty.
From: Head Storage Keeper Grimley "
Kevin thought for a moment about any order he might have made. His company processed lots of items daily but he never spoke with anyone named Grimley. Maybe it was one of his employees that ordered it in his name. If they did that it would make sense that he didn't know who Grimley was. Walking back to his office and opening the top right drawer on his desk, He pulled out a small gray notebook and rifled through it. It was the petty gold purchase logs that the company held. There was no petty gold missing from the safe, he had checked it earlier. So this must have been a transaction where his employee had just used his name to expedite the process. If he found out who did it he would speak with them.
placing the logbook back in the desk and shutting the drawer quietly, he walked back to the room with the parcel. He would see what exactly was ordered.
Untying the strings that wrapped the parcel and tearing away the packaging, he was greeted with a fired clay tablet. Carved on the front and back of it was a large A. Whatever that meant was unknown to him.
Picking up the clay tablet he gripped it a bit too hard, causing a crack to break across it and it to break in half.
"NOO!" He screamed as he felt the very familiar feeling of the oppressive crushing force that came with breaking a teleportation tablet. His cries were soon silenced as he disappeared from the room and Geilinor completely.
-The Abyss-
- Kevin Johnson -
Kevin felt a cold slimy rock under his head as he came to. Opening his eyes, he was lying in a cold dark red corridor. Fleshy red growths extended from the floors, ceiling, and walls like grasping hands barely visible in the low light of fluorescent blue, red, and green plants. The air was thick with a cold, biting moisture that chilled anyone and anything there to the very core.
Getting up while suppressing a shiver, he looked around. The hall went on for miles either way. He was familiar with such a place. It was the abyss. A dimension that bridged the countless millions of other dimensions and worlds in the universe. He had entered here before through the help of the Abyssal gate stone to craft nature runes at the altar in the elemental plane of Nature.
However, unlike in his regular excursions, he could not feel the draw or magical power of the lodestone network. He had no way back. Since he had not trained his magical skill, he did not have my teleportation skills. Nor did he have any teleportation tablets on him at the moment.
"Fuck" He cursed as he felt the reality of the situation sink in. The abyss was an infinite maze of winding caverns, corridors, and caves. Beasts, demons, and other foul spawn that could tear him apart easier than breathing lurked and slithered through the endless tunnels of the abyss.
Deciding he would have to move if he wanted to stay alive, he started walking down the corridor. Blinking eyes embedded into the walls of the corridor stared at him as he passed, while the howls and hisses of unseen creatures filled the halls ahead and behind him.
Then he froze as he heard a skittering sound behind him. Turning ever so slowly around, he saw a massive red Centipede that looked to be over twenty feet long skitter slowly after him. Seeing it's prey look at it hissed and clacked its massive mandibles at him.
Turning and running, Kevin didn't even look at where he was going, just sprinting for his dear life. The clacking of mandibles and skittering was soon joined by the barking of some hideous beast and the slithering of something, he knew not what but dared not look back.
He ran and ran, jumping over clusters or rocks, fleshy growths, and razor-sharp plants that threatened to slash him if he did not dodge them.
Then, after what seemed like hours to him, he tripped and fell into a deep slimy pol of an unknown dark liquid.
"This is it? This is how it ends?" Kevin thought as he desperately flailed and tried to fight the sinking in the heavy water. Below him about forty feet down was a glowing red rift in the murky, rocky floor. He didn't know what it was, but he didn't like the look of it. As he got closer to it and his breath started to be squeezed out of it he let out a cry, but it was only a silent Glug Glug releasing some bubbles in the dark waters of the Abyss.
Then he hit the red rift and fell through what felt like a burning pool of lava and then the pressure of teleportation once again.
- E Rantel -
- Kevin Johnson -
Finding himself yet again on a stone floor, now soaking in a disgusting stinking liquid, Kevin lay sprawled in what looked to be a basement of some sort. The walls were gray stone and the floor was the same. Large four-foot wooden crates were stacked all around him. The light in the room was thanks to two long rectangular windows near the ceiling looking out onto a street if the bustling noise outside was anything to go by. At the far right of the room was a large water barrel with wet clothes hanging over the edge.
Getting up and walking over to the water barrel, the water was warm with soapy suds floating on the surface. Near the barrel was a stack of dry clean men's clothes that he looked at. They were too small for him to wear, but that wasn't his purpose.
"Oh thank Icthlarin that this is here," Kevin said before stripping down naked and taking a shirt from the pile and dipping it in the soapy water, and washing himself with it. It took a few minutes to wash off the stench and some f it still lingered in his hair even after dunking his head in the barrel, but it would have to make do.
Now being naked would not do, so he looked into the many crates around him. They were filled with spools of fabric and various dresses, shirts, and pants. Taking time to look through them for some that might fit him, he was very disappointed. None were a good fit, so he settled for stealing a white tunic and blue underwear. His breeches were black and fit moderately well about a size too big. A crate full of socks and boots were quickly raided by him, finding the best fit he could, he took a pair of back medium quality walking boots that were a size too big and white high top socks. A box of belts nearby was quickly raided too.
"This will have to do," He said as he stacked two crates up to the open window, quickly climbing through to the world above. He had no qualms with stealing, being the co-master of the Lumbridge thieve's guild.
As he crawled out into the alleyway, he was hit with bright sunlight and the commotion of a busy street. All around him were three to four-story buildings, a mix of stucco, brick, and wood. Shingled and thatched roofs were aplenty. On the street near him, nobody even gave him a second glance as he got up and walked down the street, passing many vendors and stalls.
His first priority was to find out where he was. He had many options open to him, either find the local pickpockets or maybe look for a carpentry guild. He mulled over the various options before settling for putting his pickpocketing skills to the test. He was quite an expert at it, being able to stand right in front of someone, taking their gold with them being none the wiser.
Making his way down and up to various roads at his discretion, he finally came to a packed street that was full of hoots, hollers, and cheers. It seemed a streetfight had broken out and an audience had formed. Agile and nimble, he snatched a few coin purses and disappeared into the throng and down a side street.
The alley he had gone down was a quiet and thin alley, barely more than a cobblestone path between buildings. However, halfway down was an opening between buildings that was a small garden. A young birch sapling grew in the middle of it next to a small wooden table with two chairs around it. A shrubbery was obstructing the view of it, but Kevin quietly parted it slightly to see what was going on inside of it.
It seemed two government officials were talking in privacy about the looming threat of the Undead of the massive cemetery nearby. Kevin quietly listened as he crouched in the shrubbery, hidden.
What he heard was interesting. It seemed the city he was in was called E-Rantel and there was a massive cemetery inside the city where undead roamed freely. Adventurers were dispatched here and then but, not much progress was made into investigations on what was bolstering the undead's numbers.
This was an opportunity for him. From what the two men said, the adventurers operated on a system of ranking by different metals. It was interesting. He wasn't a fighter, at least not yet. If the undead were to flood into the city, he might just have to learn his way around a wand and sword, but for now, he would put his skills to good use.
Exiting the shrubbery, he made his way further down the alley before sitting down and looking through his pilfered purses. they were full of rough-cut gold, silver, and copper coins. Each with an unknown depiction of a wheel on them. Having come from Geilinor where everyone used various denominations of gold coins he figured he would have to learn the system of currency here. All in all, he had ten gold coins, forty silver, and twenty-two copper.
Walking out to the end of the alley and into another street, he was greeted with a long line of upscale houses, all with various decorated lawns and men and women in nice clothing walking around. Various men and women in armor wielding melee and magical weaponry walked and chatted with each other, plates on chains around their neck symboling their rank. it was a strange system to him, in Geilinor, one's armor, weapon, and proficiency in magic and melee told you all you needed about their combat capabilities.
He was sure he could pilfer a plaque from one of the poorer looking adventurers and wear it if he needed, but that would be for later.
Approaching one of the nicer houses with a large gate guarded by two men in full iron plate mail with swords insheathes at their wastes, Kevin greeted them.
"Good day fine sirs, Could you please point me in the location of the nearest Apothecary?" He asked with a slight bow.
The men looked him up and down, seeing his clean appearance, moderately expensive clothes, and no weapon, the man to the left side of the gate responded to him.
"The closest one I know of is The Bareare's, about ten blocks down and four up. It's a quality place with a big green sign at the door. Can't miss it" He said pointing further down the road.
"Thank you very much," Kevin said, taking off towards the shop. He would see if his skills in potion making and herb refinement would be of value.
And cut.
I hope you enjoyed the Pilot chapter. Leave your feedback in a review.