Ah, yes. That scroll is very old and valuable my young pupil. Read its wisdom and heed its insight.

A Study on Experience and Aptitude Levels

As you unroll the ancient scroll, you notice some strange notes have been scribbled at the top:

Earn valuable cash back with the Experience Reward System!
Every dollar spent earns 10 experience points.
When you earn enough experience to reach the next level, you can Level Up your character account from the Checkout or My Chamber screens.
Along with receiving an in-store credit that can be immediately applied to your order, you will also earn a new Rank Title and gain Attribute Points.
Experience points apply only to product purchases. Taxes and shipping amounts are exempt.
The first level up is available at 500 points and rewards a $5.00 credit. Each level after the first requires 1000 points and rewards you with a $10.00 credit.
Experience points accumulate over multiple orders, it is not necessary to earn 500 or 1000 points on a single order.
Experience points can be earned through performing secret quests built into the Hobby Kingdom.


The scroll then begins:

In the year 722 of the fifth age, I, Fanwoth, scribe in the royal library for some 12 years, have taken it upon myself to record an explanation of life and it’s experience. The sources I draw from are scattered across many scrolls, some even dating before the 4th age. I admit some material is not clear to me, but I include its wisdom in the hope that future generations may learn and benefit from its true meaning.

Experience is the measurement used to gauge progression through time. As one becomes more familiar, or experienced, in a task, their capability to perform the task goes up. As a child learns to walk, the more experience the child has of walking, the greater the improvement of balance and agility. As a runner runs, the ability to run faster and longer increases.

Life is inherently interconnected, as a spider’s web, and not one of isolation. The phenomena of this truth are that no skill improves in isolation. The act of splitting wood improves both one’s accuracy with an axe and one’s strength of arm. Over time, larger logs may be split in less time.

The process of bartering, or purchasing, is valuable and necessary for any landowner. It is an entirely different matter purchasing one cart load of wood for the fire, or purchasing weapons & food to supply an army. The more one purchases the more experience one gains through the process of purchasing.

After a period of time, which appears to vary by person, it is possible for an individual to truly notice a change in their own abilities. It is truthful to recognize someone is twice as good at a task than they were before they started. This recognition of improvement is called a Level. The more experience one gains, the higher their apparent level.

A multitude of skills are necessary to reach a successful conclusion between two parties. The negotiation taking place draws on many talents, many of which improve over time. A successful negotiation can improve one’s public speaking ability as much as one’s owns intellect. It is for this reason that purchasing be the primary concern for all nobles.

In my research I have come across an ancient knowledge that sheds great light on the mysteries of life. The original author is not known, but its truth is assured. It is possible to measure one’s life experience in a series of notches along a continuum, or points on a line. If this is so, then it is possible to build mathematical equations to analyze one’s progression over time and to predict the time of one’s improvement. I have discovered the following two formulas, their implications are both vast and profound:
1. For every dollar one spends, 10 experience points are earned.
2. As a general rule, for every 1000 experience points earned, a person increases their Level.


I found an obscure red leather bound book addressing the issue of taxes and shipping. It appears there is no benefit to the paying of taxes, nor to the payment of shipping. I can only deduce from this that these are necessary evils which do not grow one’s aptitude for negotiation.

Finally, I have uncovered another great principle of increasing in level. At the time of increasing level, a person is able to negotiate a credit on their account. This is likely caused by becoming more persuasive through additional dealings.

I trust this unraveling and description of life’s secrets will prove valuable to those who come after me.