Chapter Summaries

Renato accepted a quest to investigate Red Iron’s smuggling network and went with Perly to Old Alley Street, where he tracked down the dwarf arms dealer. Kadra Copper admitted he understood Renato’s purpose but said the discussion would have to happen elsewhere and with someone else.

• Renato reached adventurer rank 3 and chose the quest to investigate Red Iron’s smuggling network.
• Renato and Perly visited Old Alley Street, where three men from the Iron Fist Gang warned them to stay out of trouble.
• Renato asked the gang members where he could find weapons for sale, and they directed him to Red Iron.
• Renato found the dwarf Red Iron selling overpriced pots and pans and asked about his equipment for sale.
• Red Iron introduced himself as Kadra Copper and told Renato the real discussion could not happen there or with him.

Renato proved his swordsmanship to Malik, the Iron Fist Gang boss, who hired him and Perly to intercept a Wolf Gang smuggling wagon. After accepting the job, Perly worried about the danger and asked Renato to lend her ten silver coins.

• Kadera introduced Renato and Perly to Malik at the Iron Wheat tavern, where Malik challenged Renato to prove his skill.
• Renato defeated three of Malik's men and then beat Malik in a wooden-sword bout, earning Malik's respect.
• Malik hired Renato to intercept a Wolf Gang wagon carrying two crates marked with a Wolf Claw and deliver them to the Adventurers' Guild for twenty gold coins and a magic item.
• Renato explained to Perly that Malik wanted outsiders to disrupt the Wolf Gang without confronting them directly, and reassured her that the job was safer than the Phantom Forest.
• Perly agreed to the job and asked Renato to lend her ten silver coins.

Renato and Perly prepared for a job by learning and planning around Perly’s new Snare spell. Before bed, Perly shared her ambition to become an archmage, and Renato promised he believed in her.

• Perly emerged from the Grand Library after learning Snare and explained that it could trap and suspend a creature that stepped inside its hidden five-foot radius.
• Renato and Perly prepared for their planned ambush, and Perly memorized two Snares and one Magic Missile despite Renato’s concern about magical backlash.
• Perly asked Renato what he would do with the job money, and he admitted he had no clear plans for his future.
• Perly told Renato she wanted to become an archmage and build her own Mage Tower, then asked whether her ambition was foolish.
• Renato praised Perly’s courage and told her he believed she would become an archmage, and she quietly wished him good night.

Renato and Perly ambushed a wagon carrying weapons, fought and killed its guards, then looted the wreckage. They secured the cargo and equipment, leaving the driver pinned beneath the horse as they prepared to finish stripping the bodies.

• Renato and Perly trapped the wagon, overturned it, and attacked its two guards.
• Renato fought the chainmail guard while Perly used spells to support him and hinder the half-elf archer.
• Renato killed the half-elf with the guard's chopping blade, and Perly froze the other guard to death with Ray of Frost.
• Renato and Perly removed two crates of weapons and several bundles of vegetables from the wrecked wagon.
• Renato looted the guards' armor, weapons, and other belongings while Perly took the half-elf's scimitars and leather armor.

Renato prepared for his meeting with Malik by testing his new armor and planning how to handle the smuggled weapons. That night, Perly reflected on how Renato had repeatedly saved and supported her, and he held her as she cried.

• Renato and Perly returned to the Silver Deer Inn, where Renato decided to wait until morning before meeting Malik and had Perly prepare Mage Armor, Burning Hands, and Magic Missile.
• Renato tried on his Chain Shirt and other new armor, practiced his sword techniques, and decided he could move and fight comfortably in the gear.
• Renato planned to visit the Adventurers' Guild before going to Iron Wheat and to turn over most of the smuggled weapons while keeping the best blades.
• Renato considered the danger of Malik's territory and planned to warn Perly not to eat anything at Iron Wheat.
• Perly recalled how Renato had helped and saved her during their adventures, then cried as she asked why he treated her so well; Renato held her in silence.

Renato collected his reward for investigating Red Iron’s smuggling and received two hundred Silver Crowns and the Crown of Intellect from Malik. After a lavish lunch, he gained a level and fell asleep at the inn.

• Renato showed Master Wolfram the smuggled weapons, answered his questions, and received the guild’s ten-gold reward and 500 experience points.
• Renato split the reward with Perly, who warned him to have Malik’s magic item identified before using or attuning to it.
• Renato and Perly collected two hundred Silver Crowns and the Crown of Intellect from Malik at Iron Wheat.
• Renato stored the circlet and money in his Bag of Holding, then renewed his business connection with Malik.
• Renato ate a roast suckling pig and drank Elf Beer at the Silver Deer Inn, then added 2,500 experience points and advanced to Champion Warrior level 6.
• Renato enjoyed his full stomach and new level, then fell asleep for an afternoon nap.

Renato reflected on his growing strength and the possibility of returning to Earth, then decided to keep adventuring and pursue power beyond the Adventurer's Guide. He planned to ask Perly to teach him magic while she prepared to identify his magical items the next day.

• Perly returned with the components for Identify, but told Renato she needed until tomorrow to study the spell before casting it.
• Renato inventoried his captured weapons and supplies, estimating their value and setting aside several items for Perly to identify.
• Renato counted his savings and considered how his experiences with the Adventurer's Guide and magic had changed his view of the world.
• Renato decided to continue adventuring, grow stronger, and explore ways to gain power beyond completing quests.
• Renato realized Perly could teach him magic and became confident that he could learn to cast spells.

Renato gave up on learning magic and had Perly identify the Crown of Intellect, which improved his thinking and unlocked an Equipment section in his [Adventurer's Guide]. After they identified a health potion, Renato invited Perly to lunch, and the half-elf server Lailas reacted coolly to their closeness.

• Renato stopped trying to learn the 'Light' cantrip and asked Perly to identify the Crown of Intellect.
• Perly found no curses or harmful spells on the crown and fitted it to Renato, whose thoughts immediately felt clearer.
• Renato discovered the new [Equipment] feature in the [Adventurer's Guide] and saw that the crown raised his Intelligence to 14.
• Perly identified the seized potion as an ordinary Potion of Health, and Renato invited her to lunch as thanks for helping with the quest.
• Renato drew Perly close and teased that her punishment was to join him for lunch, while Lailas watched them with a professionally cool expression.

Renato abandoned his attempt to learn magic and explored Fried City's Inner District, where he visited Crooked Scissors to order a custom gambeson. Welby described the garment's materials and construction, and Renato agreed to have it made from wool blended with shadow moss.

• Renato decided he was unsuited to learning spells and declined Perly's offer to resume their magic lessons.
• Renato left home and explored the shops and streets of Fried City's Inner District.
• Renato entered Crooked Scissors and asked its owner, Welby, to make him a gambeson.
• Welby measured Renato and showed him several fabric options, including water-resistant shadow-moss cloth.
• Renato chose the shadow-moss fabric and agreed to Welby's detailed design for a reinforced, lightweight gambeson outfit.

Renato upgraded his armor and spent the evening at a welcoming halfling tavern in Fried City's Inner District. A halfling child noticed his greatsword and wondered whether Renato had ever chased away a dragon.

• Renato bought steel plate arm guards from the armorsmith Edgar, trading in his old vambraces and helmet, and arranged a deposit for a gambeson and plate leg guards.
• Renato went to Hearth and Home, where the halfling waitress welcomed him and recommended the tavern's food and house beer.
• Renato ate among the cheerful halfling diners and briefly felt reminded of his old home on Earth.
• A halfling child pointed at Renato's greatsword and asked his mother whether he had ever chased away a dragon.

Renato learned that the Wolf Gang had declared war on Malik's Iron Fist Gang after discovering Renato's role in a recent job. He refused Malik's offer to join the gang and tried to reassure Perly that they were unlikely to be the Wolf Gang's main target, while planning to investigate the danger himself.

• Renato bought nuts from a peddler being robbed by the City Guard and led a gang member following him into an alley.
• The gang member told Renato that Malik wanted to see him urgently, so Renato went to the Iron Wheat tavern.
• Malik showed Renato a box containing two of his men's ears and a war note from Benjamin's Wolf Gang, then urged Renato to join the Iron Fist Gang.
• Renato avoided committing to Malik's offer and said he would consult Perly, while promising to help Malik with future jobs.
• Renato told Perly about the threat, calmed her fears, and asked her to stay in the Inner District and prepare defensive spells while he investigated.

Renato encountered Lailas in the slums and agreed to investigate disappearances with her after learning she had information about the Wolf Gang. They planned to scout and infiltrate the Gilded Dice casino that night, leaving Renato increasingly suspicious of Lailas’s resources and connections.

• Renato found Lailas armed in the slums, and she claimed she was investigating missing people as a private detective.
• Renato accepted the Adventurer’s Guide quest with Lailas, which offered 4,000 experience points for uncovering the culprit behind the disappearances.
• Lailas told Renato that Benjamin led the Wolf Gang and described its lieutenants, including Fang Uta and Gold Tooth Solas.
• Lailas proposed secretly investigating the Wolf Gang by targeting Solas’s private lounge at the Gilded Dice casino.
• Lailas planned to disguise herself as a maid while Renato posed as a conspicuous gambler and distracted the guards.
• Renato agreed to scout the casino with Lailas at midnight, but questioned how she could afford her equipment and a Disguise Self scroll.

Renato accompanied Lailas to the Gilded Dice casino, where they posed as gamblers while she gathered information about the Wolf Gang’s premises. They left the casino’s layout recorded, but Renato still did not know Lailas’s true identity.

• Perly argued that Renato should not trust Lailas or go to the casino without her, but Renato left her behind.
• Lailas disguised herself as a flashy casino patron and teased Renato while they walked to the Gilded Dice.
• Renato followed Lailas’s whispered advice at a dice table and won several rounds before they went upstairs.
• Lailas took Renato to a private room, where she sketched the casino’s changed floor plan and explained that the dealer controlled the dice games.

Renato and Lailas continued their scheme to investigate the Wolf Gang while growing closer through teasing conversations and a planned sword match. After Lailas asked to leave work with Renato, her supervisor checked that she was going willingly, leaving the pair poised to go out together.

• Renato returned to the inn and explained to Perly that he had gone out with Lailas to gather information, and Perly urged him to keep himself safe.
• Renato traded in his damaged Basilisk-scale breastplate and bought new plate leg armor from Edgar.
• Lailas brought Renato roast pork, explained half-elf life and prejudice, and told him she had set aside the food to avoid waste.
• Renato and Lailas discussed waiting for the Wolf Gang and Iron Fist Gang to go to war before moving against the Gilded Dice.
• Renato challenged Lailas to a sword match and persuaded her to ask her supervisor for the afternoon off.
• The supervisor returned Renato's tip and asked Lailas whether she was willingly going out with him, and she said she was.

Renato sparred with Lailas, who defeated him after he relied on grappling and brute strength. She revealed her ranger magic and agreed to train him, beginning with meditation, while Renato hoped he might someday become a ranger.

• Renato challenged Lailas to a swordsmanship spar, and she deflected his attacks before he took her down and forced her to surrender with a chokehold.
• Lailas complained that Renato had repeatedly used wrestling instead of swordsmanship, and Renato argued that unarmed combat counted.
• Lailas showed Renato her ranger spell, Zephyr Strike, and explained that rangers drew magic from their bond with nature.
• Renato asked how to become a ranger, and Lailas explained that it required developing a deep connection with nature and finding inner balance.
• Lailas offered to train Renato in ranger skills in exchange for dinner and began by teaching him meditation to stay alert and relieve fatigue.

Perly gave Renato a Draconic book and demonstrated her new Magic Weapon spell, while they discussed which school of magic she should study. Later, Lailas coached Renato in meditation, and he quickly entered a meditative state before she returned to work.

• Perly gave Renato a copy of Voice of the Dragon and showed him how her second-circle Magic Weapon spell temporarily strengthened Silent Lady.
• Renato encouraged Perly to choose the school of magic that suited her, and she settled against him despite his advice not helping her decide.
• Renato read his gift while Lailas asked about it, then he invited her to spar, but she said she could not skip her waitress job again because she needed the pay.
• Lailas teased Renato about his noble upbringing and age before guiding him through meditation.
• Renato entered a meditative state after an hour of practice, impressing Lailas, who left to return to work.

Renato accepted a quest to clear Animated Armor from an old mansion after learning about the failed attempts and the constructs' defenses. He and Perly planned their spells for the job, which they would undertake the next morning.

• Renato reviewed the quest records and learned that earlier adventurers had failed to enter the mansion or had been injured by its traps and Animated Armor.
• Renato accepted the quest and arranged to meet the client at 7 Oak Street the next day.
• Renato discussed the Animated Armor with Perly, who recommended Magic Missile and Mage Armor.
• Renato planned Perly's spell preparations, and Perly explained how she could use Upcasting to strengthen Magic Missile.
• Perly looked forward to earning money from future quests, while Renato found himself imagining a more settled life with her.

Renato and Perly entered Number Seven Oak Street to clear out the animated armor and discovered that the creatures were made of living flesh rather than being ordinary constructs. Renato also found a Harpers danger mark, but he set aside his fear and defeated all four enemies, leaving the house cleared.

• Evan Hopewell showed Renato and Perly the neglected property and explained that his aunt Gnessa had disappeared seven years earlier, leaving animated armor inside.
• Renato inspected the inheritance documents and entered the house with Perly to hunt the armor.
• Renato spotted a Harpers danger mark on the hall wall and feared the spies had tracked him, but he decided to focus on the mission.
• Renato and Perly encountered an animated suit of armor in the study and killed it, discovering that putrid flesh filled its armor.
• Three more armor suits descended the stairs, and Renato and Perly killed them in the hall with sword strikes and Magic Missiles.

Renato and Perly searched Gnessa’s house, where Renato found a forbidden book bound in human skin and took it despite recognizing its danger. After completing the guild’s paperwork and collecting his reward, Renato received a rare potion that triggered a terrifying memory of the entity Dakoul and left him shaken.

• Renato and Perly searched the house, gathered valuables, and found a book bound in human skin in Gnessa’s bedroom.
• Renato read the book’s name, “Skin of the Nameless One,” and placed it in the Bag of Holding, choosing power despite the risks.
• Renato and Perly returned to the Adventurers’ Guild, where Renato completed the quest paperwork and received twenty silver coins, 1,000 experience points, and a rare potion.
• Renato recognized the potion as one used by Dakoul Cultists and recalled briefly perceiving Dakoul during a sacrificial ritual.
• Renato cut off the memory as it overwhelmed him and resolved to be cautious about reading the forbidden book.

Renato learned the Shadow Shield spell from the Skin of the Nameless One, then bought and drank a rare potion that reduced his psychic vulnerability but left him emotionally detached. He also drank Primordial Soup Extract in a secluded garden, survived a brief bodily mutation, and saw his hit points rise by six.

• Renato deciphered the Skin of the Nameless One and mastered the Shadow Shield spell, then decided to stop reading the book for a week to watch for harmful effects.
• Renato and Perly sold novels and other goods, restoring Renato's funds to 150 silver coins.
• At Reliable Enchanting, Renato examined magic items and bought Mind Flayer Cerebrospinal Fluid despite Dodge's warnings about its risks.
• After drinking the potion, Renato endured visions and a headache, then noticed that his fear and emotional reactions had weakened.
• Renato drank Primordial Soup Extract in a secluded garden, underwent a brief flesh mutation, and checked the [Adventurer's Guide] to find that his hit points had increased by six.