The Newt and Demon

Ghostly ships pulled into the harbor at the Dreamwalk’s version of Broken Tusk. Theo sat on the harbor’s wall, watching as they came and went at his command. Spectral sails caught an imaginary wind, sending ripples across the water and pushing the gosling along. While this was a place for grinding experience, it also served as a point of quiet reflection. Tresk never saw it that way. Off battling with imaginary clones of the Zagmon assassins, she found herself at home amid combat.

“Just fighting through it, I suppose,” Theo said.

Alex chirped in response.

Theories about the Dreamwalk and Tero’gal were tossed between the pair and Xol’sa regularly. While the Elf was busy training up his new core, he begged Theo to bring him along to the infant realm. That was a literal Bridge the mortal couldn’t take. Not without invoking a Tara’hek of his own. Even then, Theo suspected a new realm would have been generated. Under the right circumstances. Things crafted for eons by people of immense power. A question lingered in the air. The same question that plagued the alchemist from the moment he arrived in town.

To what end?

But it wouldn’t do any good to sulk. Four phantom stills appeared from nowhere, along with beds of growing plants. Theo got to work on the same recipes he’d done before, whittling away the time he had in the realm and inspecting his attributes.

Belgar (Theo Spencer)

Drogramath Dronon

Level 19

Core Slots: 4

Stats:

Health: 105

Mana: 160

Stamina: 115

Strength: 20 (+11)

Dexterity: 16 (+8)

Vigor: 20 (+8)

Intelligence: 23 (+9)

Wisdom: 27 (+7)

Points: 0

His current build was truly diverse. The more time he spent looking over the book given to him by the god, the more he realized the importance of the [Wisdom] attribute. It did other things, he was sure about that, but the primary function seemed to be memory. How powerful his will was derived from that attribute, but documentation on the subject seemed scarce. What scholarly cults still existed on the continent seemed unwilling to share what they knew.

Looking forward to his build, Theo knew the most important thing was to find a selection of skills once he hit level 20 in all cores. Leveling was simple enough to understand, once a person got a few levels and paid attention. Attribute points were given at every personal level. Free skill points, points that could be spent on any skill, were given on multiples of five in the personal level. That was a function created by the system to allow a person to catch up with new cores. Core slots appeared on multiples of 10.

Cores gained a domain-specific skill every multiple of 10, often starting with at least one skill inside if the user got them naturally. Shoving a new core in your chest resulted in no free skills. Hitting level 20 meant that Theo would have a free-domain skill to pick, and he’d likely use it for his new mage core. Then he needed to select a skill from the endless list for his [Drogramath Alchemy Core], [Drogramath Herbalism Core], and his [Governance Core]. All of them were close enough to hitting the next domain. He was certain he knew the concepts to break through that barrier.

Some cores presented challenges every 10 levels. Things that a person needed to understand about their cores to advance. These were the training wheels of the system, ensuring that no one would get too powerful without understanding how not to blow themselves up. The alchemist doubted the practicality of that, owed to the rumors he’d heard. Those who advanced beyond level 30 often found themselves dead. How much of that was due to other people was beyond him.

The [Drogramath Alchemy Core] would get the [Reagent Deconstruction] skill. Theo inspected that one as he worked the stills.

[Reagent Deconstruction]

Alchemy and Herbalism Skill

Rare

Understanding the composition of reagents leads to their deconstruction.

Effect:

Increases the user’s ability to deconstruct reagents.

+1 Intelligence

Requires: Level 15 [Drogramath Herbalism] and Level 15 [Drogramath Alchemy] cores.

This would give him a massive advantage. Understanding reagents was a crucial skill for any alchemist, but this was something that went beyond that. A step into a greater world of alchemy. A new domain. But he hadn’t selected a skill for his herbalism core yet. There were attractive options, but Theo planned on holding off until he understood the deconstruction skill.

The [Governance Core] was another matter entirely. Some options were locked behind invisible requirements. In the skills menu, they appeared as darkened boxes that revealed nothing of their contents. Neither the requirements nor the skill itself. His hope was for something that helped him rule over multiple towns.

Near the end of the night, with Theo’s cores pushing close to level 20, Tresk dragged the alchemist over to the road where they’d almost died. She ran through scenarios in which they could have won, but the margins were slim. Worse was the fact that they could only have won, according to the simulation, if the alchemist dropped his improvised explosive on everyone. The result was death for all gathered.

“I think we got lucky with that one,” Tresk said. “Talk about a no-win scenario.”

There was another way they could have won, but Theo didn’t want to mention it. Tresk hadn’t trained her newest core up very high, resulting in a weak core that couldn’t keep up with such a gap in power. Her new [Parantheir Duelist’s Core] had a skill to isolate enemies.

“No use worrying about it,” Theo said. “I’m hopeful about my new core. Perhaps some defensive options.”

“How would you know?” Tresk asked giggling. “You decided to take a core for a lady called the Queen of Mystery. It could just summon turtles for all you know.”

Xol’sa had created a guide for what he thought Toru’aun stood for. His unique ability to control planar magic gave him some insight on that, but it was his magical education that gave him the edge. He suspected she was a god that favored warding magic. Reactive magic that was based on complex triggers. How those wards manifested was a mystery, but if the alchemist knew Dronon gods it would have to do with writing a poem and hoping for the best.

For the rest of the Dreamwalk, Theo and Tresk played with Alex and created theories about the new core. The alchemist did it to avoid thinking about the task that lay before him. Upgrading the town into a kingdom was daunting. Even though it was something he wanted for a while now, the added responsibility was crushing. What was the point of building a decent administration staff if he didn’t intend to use them? He already assigned them lord and lady titles. Those seemed more like decorations than anything, but drove them women forward to work harder.

When the Dreamwalk finally ended, Theo remained in bed for some time. Tresk dragged him out, sensing the trepidation and flashing her ever-present devious grin. Out into the streets of Broken Tusk where citizens gathered around the dark monolith. They spotted him and the low drone of conversation descended into hushed whispers. Parting to either side, the group formed a path to the monolith. To the center of town and the heart of Broken Tusk.

Theo cleared his throat. “I don’t really have a speech prepared. We just got lucky.”

A few voices shouted over the crowd. Approving words praising the forming alliance. Theo jammed his [Kingdom Core] awkwardly into the monolith and prepared for the system’s message to pop up.

As expected, there were a bunch of civilization types to pick from. He selected the [Free City Alliance], then used the interface to enter the remaining information. After typing the titles in mentally, he was presented with a wide-area map. Selecting the only two towns in range, Rivers and Daub, and Gronro-dir, he pressed the button labeled ‘complete’. A rush of power flooded through the town, radiating outward in a circle. The ground shook for a moment, but no visible changes were made to the town. Another message popped into his sight.

Congratulations [Archduke Theo Spencer]!

You are the founder and leader of the [Southlands Alliance].

[Alran Cherman] in [Rivers and Daub] has been granted the title of [Duke].

[Grotgrog Stormfist] in [Gronro-Dir] has been granted the title of [Duke].

Every town or city within the sphere of influence will now draw power to maintain themselves from this [Kingdom Core].

Please consult with your kingdom interface for more options and statistics about your nation.

“And just like that, we’re traitors!” Tresk said, cheering.

That sent a ripple of cheers through the crowd. Independence was a thing longed for in Broken Tusk. A thing the citizens wanted far longer than the alchemist had been their mayor. But these strange circumstances had made that dream a reality. Something that wouldn’t have been possible without the intervention of Khahar. When he went to inspect the monolith, he was now given two options. He could inspect the town itself, or the alliance.

[Small Free City Alliance]

Name: Southlands Alliance

Leader: Archduke Theo Spencer

Level: 1

Core Towns:

Broken Tusk (Capital)

Rivers and Daub

Gronro-Dir

Current Energy:

50%

Upgrades:

None

Just like that, the Southlands were no longer allied with Qavell. They were independent, whatever that meant. Theo noticed the energy level of the town, and wondered how they’d replenish that. It was just another thing in town that ate money, which meant they needed to make more money. Out of reflex, the alchemist pulled his communication crystal from his inventory and squeezed it. As the crowds cheered around him, he felt disappointment flood through him. There was no answer.

“I hope Fenian is alright,” Theo said, jostled by the crowd.

“I’m sure he’s fine!” Tresk shouted. “Mister Archduke.”

Working their way through the crowd, Theo, Tresk, and Alex shoved into Xam’s tavern. Assuming their normal seat in the private booth, they waited for last nights’ leftovers to be served. While they waited, they enjoyed the delicious tea prepared by the cook. It was far better than anything Theo could make himself, despite having skills related directly to distilling things. Cooking and alchemy were just too different.

Aarok and Alise shoved their way into the booth before the food even came. The Half-Ogre had an excited look on his face, while the Human administrator seemed reserved.

“So, we did it?” Aarok asked.

Theo wanted to be modest about what just happened, but he couldn’t hide the smile on his face. “We did it. Independence.”

“Now we get to ruin your breakfast,” Alise said, offering a sheepish smile. “The alliance is formally a thing. Yay! Now we need to work on bolstering Gronro.”

Gronro-Dir was at the forefront of the undead defense. What reports Theo had read painted the situation as grim. There was now no travel between Qavell and the southlands possible. They didn’t know if the undead were limitless, but it seemed that way. The only saving grace was the defensibility of the Dwarven town. Another name for the town was Murder Passage. A single approach from the north led up a narrow stone pass. On either side were steep drops, allowing the defenders to toss potions from the comfort of the walls. Their current strategy was to keep the narrow pass covered in [Hallow Ground] potion, keeping the skeletal army at bay.

“Any ideas?” Theo asked.

Aarok chuckled. “Oh, I want you to take a guess. He’s slimy. He’s grumpy. A genius with artifices.”

“Throk has something?” Theo asked. The man was always a genius with building stuff.

“We have a winner,” Alise said. She withdrew sheets of paper from her satchel and laid them on the table. Just as food arrived.

Theo thanked the server, watching as Tresk gobbled her food up, before picking at his own. Each design seemed interesting, but the alchemist couldn’t understand what he was looking at. One seemed like a catapult and the other a water cannon. The inner-workings were absurdly detailed, but he got the idea.

“The sprayer thing might be a problem,” Theo said, jabbing his finger onto the first design. “The catapult would work, but what’s the point? Just toss the potion.”

“What’s the issue with the sprayer?” Aarok asked.

“Potions want to be used as whole-unit mixtures. Although, now that I think about it…”

Theo fell into thought, leaving everyone at the table hanging. Potions reacted in a standard way. Well, most of them did. There was the essence element, which held the properties, the catalyst which created the reaction, and the base. Enchanted water was the typical base, although regular purified water could be used. A reaction could take place in exact units—the amount of units needed for the final product—or in mass quantities. Technically, he could perform a mass reaction of [Hallow Ground Potions] in a large container, then attach that to the sprayer.

The issue was, Theo had never tried doing that before. Every time he made a potion, he portioned it out after a mass reaction. Potions that failed to react would create an inert potion, which was useless. But a sprayer mechanism seemed genius. He imagined adventurers running around with large tanks on their backs, spraying a fine mist of [Hallow Ground] like the flamethrowers of Earth.

“It might work,” Theo said, concluding his thoughts. “I need some time to work on this, though. Alise, can you field all the questions that are going to come in. From the other members of the Free City Alliance?”

Alise withdrew two communication crystals from her bag and smiled. “They’re already calling. Once you’re done here, you need to head to the harbor. Azrug and Gwyn are talking with the Khahari traders. They want your approval.”

Alise excused herself from the table, leaving Aarok to stifle a laugh. Theo ran his hand through his hair, tracing the swoop of his horns. A few eager flicks of his tail and he was over it. Having the [Tero’gal Dreampassage] ability meant that he could retreat and relax any time he wanted. His own personal little break area.

“What’s your take on everything?” Theo asked.

“Me? I’m loving it,” Aarok said. “Been looking forward to this day for a long time.”

“We all have,” Tresk said, dangling a noodle for Alex to swallow.

“What fuel does the [Kingdom Core] take?” Theo asked.

“Don’t look at me,” Aarok said. “I do not know.”

Theo accepted the response and busied himself with his meal. Picking through to find chunks of the cheese, he sipped on his tea as the conversation shifted. Aarok and Tresk shared stories about the old days. From when they were kids and the town was little more than a collection of shacks. The Marshling made fun of him for trying to join the Qavelli army, and he made fun of her for trying to be an adventurer.

“Yeah, well I’m the number one adventurer in town,” Tresk said, puffing out her chest. “Chief stabber. Hey! Why don’t I have a lady title?”

“Do you want a title?” Theo asked.

“No. Just seems like you would have given me one by now,” Tresk said.

“Well, you should check out the dungeons, Tresk,” Aarok said. “Xol’sa has been experimenting on the [River Dungeon]. He’s got some interesting results.”

“Welp. Guess that’s what I’m doing today. Your turn to watch the kid, Theo,” Tresk said, vanishing from the spot.

Theo set his bag on the ground, clicking his tongue until the gosling jumped inside. He sat there awkwardly for a few moments before he realized Aarok wanted to accompany him to the harbor. Rising from the table he let out a breath.

“It’s within the walls,” Theo said. “You don’t need to babysit me.”

Aarok shrugged. “Whatever you say, boss.”

“But you’re still going to follow me?”

“Yeah.”

“Tresk?”

“Yep.”

Theo departed from the tavern and made his way east, towards the harbor. He stopped by the ranch and tried to force himself to love the Pozwa and Karatan. It didn’t work. Even as they came over with chitters and bleat-like crows, he wasn’t sold. Both creatures were horrible and he wouldn’t care for them himself. Looking down at Alex in his bag, he realized how much he missed Earth creatures. What few were left when he was there, anyway. But there were still images of them he could have viewed. Genetic replicas stored away.

The harbor was coming along. The single boat that rested in her massive embrace was manned by a few Khahari. Most imposing among them was the cat-person standing on shore, talking heatedly with Azrug and Gwyn. Theo took his time approaching, keeping his eyes on his new shipwright for a while.

Laedria Wavecrest reminded Theo more of a Marshling or Half-Ogre than an Elf. She was hard to work with, only getting to it once she was taunted. But her work spoke for itself. Between her and the new Starbristle industry, she had created a mostly finished boat. It was small, about a quarter the size of the Khahari vessel with a single mast. But the blue fiber used to weave [Starbristle Cloth] was beautiful. It floated in the harbor now, although the Elf’s team still worked on it. Leaks seemed common with her version of the pitch, but this was the first one. It was a big deal.

“Fancy archduke title over here,” Azrug said, jabbing a finger at Theo. “Could’ve just called yourself Theo Spencer, Master of the Universe.”

“That’s too long,” Theo said.

“But you have to admit the absurdity of it,” Gwyn said. “Been a mayor for a season. Now you’re running an alliance of towns.”

“They’re small towns,” Theo said.

“System says we’re a massive town,” Azrug said.

Theo took a moment to study the young Half-Ogre. He could say the same thing about Azrug. Going from not having cores to functioning as their chief merchant in a season. But civilizations weren’t built in this world over eons. Certainly Qavell had enough hardship gaining a foothold on the continent, but with magic there was nothing to stop the alchemist from expanding as quickly as he’d like. Including the trade deal with the Khahari.

“So, shall we talk terms?” Theo asked, turning to regard the trader.

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