It felt like an eternity, this dream, like I was asleep for almost a year. While I can't tell how much time passed, it feels real. But I think I really needed that rest to sort out my thoughts on what to do from now on. Let's recount what to do for now.
First- My mental list immediately took precedence. Companions. Finding them would be the hardest part, far trickier than acquiring knowledge or gear. I'd spent too long as a lone wolf, relying on instinct and the sheer unpredictability of the Unknown Style—a style that only worked precisely because it was unpredictable. A true partner needed to be more than just muscle; they needed to be someone who could cover my weaknesses, and crucially, someone I could actually trust.
Second- But I couldn't just walk out the door. The second point: basicsandcountermeasures. My reliance on the Unknown Style was a weakness masked as a strength. In the dream, I'd faced an adversary who had adapted to my erratic movements, predicting the flow of chaos. The memory of that crushing defeat still stung.
I walked outside, breathing in the crisp morning air. The sun was just beginning to cut through the canopy. I drew my sword, its familiar weight a comfort. For the next hour, I didn't practice the bizarre, twisting forms of my signature style. I simply practiced the fundamentals: the clean thrust, the disciplined parry, the swift block. If the Unknown Style was an improvisational jazz solo, I needed to re-learn the sheet music. And the countermeasure? I needed to develop a specific, simple, and blindingly fast defaultsequence—something so basic it was impossible to predict because it was too obvious. A mental tool to smash my way out when my cleverness failed me.
Third I paused, wiping sweat from my brow, the third objective looming large: smelting and gear. The idea was daunting. My current gear was worn, patched, and utterly mundane. To craft something truly strong, I'd need a forge, bellows, a proper hammer, and most importantly, ore. The hut had an ancient, crumbling stone fireplace, but it was useless for high heat.
The only place I knew of within a week's travel that had both decent iron deposits and the remnants of a proper smithy was the abandoned mines near the city.
Well that's enough thinking Let's Move.