The Newt and Demon

A thin thread of willpower stretched between Theo and the [Lesser Mud Golem]. It was a strange mix between a foreign will and his own, not battling for dominance, but working together to make the thing functional. There wasn’t an attribute for willpower, though. The alchemist knew, through instinct or logical deduction, that the quantity and complexity of the constructs he commanded was limited by that factor. Sheer will.

“Great, you made a mud monster,” Bal said, edging away from the alchemist’s creation. The golem smacked its muddy lips in response, trying and failing to form words. But its intent flooded into Theo.

“He wants to help,” Theo said, patting the golem. “How long can you work for, little guy?”

The golem’s intent flooded into him again. A vague series of thoughts that was almost understandable. Theo got the general idea, and determined it would only last a few hours before expiring.

“Two hours, maybe,” Theo said, nodding. He locked that in his mind.

“Can I pet him?” Ral asked. Theo gestured, giving the man permission.

While the brothers took turns patting the golem’s wet head, Theo inspected the creature. Most monsters could be inspected, even if they gave little information. The screen that popped up was shocking in its content, far more than he could have hoped for.

[Lesser Mud Golem]

[Alchemy Construct]

Mud Golems are considered lesser golems. Their strengths lie in the abstract nature of mud, allowing them to move through spaces as small as their Containment Cores. They are friendly, playful helpers.

Containment Core: [Alchemically Treated Copper Cage]

Monster Core: [Ogre Snapper] (Level 5)

Medium: [Enriched Swamp Mud]

Alchemy Slates: None

Power System: None

Siphon System: None

Additional Modifications: None

Each component he used was present on the screen, from the copper cage to the mud he used. Theo took more mental notes on the matter, locking in the additional parts of the screen that read ‘none’. His first theory about the constructs was that nature would take care of everything, an idea he revised after seeing the Elven Guardian. Between the information Basic Drogramath Alchemy had, and the guardian, he had an excellent picture of how they worked. The [Monster Core] was the brain, while the cage contained the core. The mud was just the thing that made up their body, but there was more. He could improve the design, giving his creations to ability to operate for longer periods of time.

“You know what you’re looking at, guys?” Theo asked, slapping the top of the mud man. “The future defenders of Broken Tusk.”

“I could see it,” Bal said, scratching whiskers on his chin. “Big old army of mud guys. How strong are they?”

“What to find out?” Theo asked. He felt the golem’s eagerness to please him. “It’s only level 5, so go easy.”

Bal did not go easy. True to the description of the golem, though, unless the adventurer went for the core, the mud kept reforming. He would swipe the creature’s arm off, only to have it regrow after sucking in some mud from the surrounding swamp. But Bal was avoiding the core on purpose, intending not to break Theo’s new toy. Likewise, the alchemist urged the [Lesser Mud Golem] to restrict movement, not to attack outright. The display was interesting, making it easy to see the potential of this new skill.

Bal was out of breath and the golem backed off, sensing his opponent weakening. That much of Theo’s will bled into the core. “I yield,” Bal said.

The golem bowed with a sloppy flourish, gaining laughs from all the brothers.

Today held too much excitement for Theo. The looming celebration tonight hampered his spirit slightly, but his golems worked. He made his way to Throk’s blacksmith, 3 adventurers and a mud man close behind. The Marshling looked up from his anvil, bags under his eyes and let out a groan.

“You’re giving life to the swamp, now?” Throk asked. “Why am I not surprised? And you need something.”

“Have you worked with Drogramathi Iron yet?” Theo asked.

Throk rummaged through a pile of junk, producing a bar of gray-purple metal and smiling. “Can’t fault you for bringing me cool stuff,” he said, gesturing vaguely at his workshop.

It was filled with parts of the Elven Guardian. Pieces of artifice equipment and the strange Barrowsteel littered the workshop. The value of the metal and artifices would have been priceless. Theo didn’t notice when Fenian had left the town, but he was gone. If the trader stayed in the town, he would have more things to buy but it was better this way. The bill he owed the kingdom loomed over his head. He shook it off again.

“I need some more cages,” Theo said.

Throk jabbed a finger to a dimensional storage crate. “Filled that one up recently. See, I’m getting good at anticipating your needs.”

“How much?”

“You own the metal,” Throk grumbled. “10 silver for my new apprentice’s time.”

Theo handed over the money and collected the goods. It was a mix of different containment cores in various styles. There were hundreds there, no doubt meant to test the skill of Throk’s apprentice. They came in square cages, spherical cages, even triangular cages of copper and iron. Theo was now interested in cages made of Drogramathi Iron. He gave Throk a look and the blacksmith groaned again.

“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” Throk said. “You just got your weird skill. Practice for a while, then use the advanced materials. Why do I have to tell you this?”

Theo nodded, giving thanks to the man that always came through for him. Broken Tusk would have been a worse place without such a good blacksmith, let alone his artificer's skills. The wreath hanging from the Marshling’s door, a tangled web of pipes and gears, let out a long farting sound. Perhaps he should have let Throk win the contest on sheer ingenuity.

Before leaving the workshop, Theo discussed the idea of creating their own [Power Cores]. Throk doubted he had the skill to make something so complex, but the alchemist pushed him. After examining the core from the Elven Guardian he grumbled his agreement, but argued that he didn’t have the time to work on a new project. They agreed to work on it at a later date.

Theo led his troupe back to the Newt and Demon, kneeling to his golem and issuing a series of mental instructions. He wanted to test how the creature would work on its own, moving far away from its creator and carrying out a single task. A grim part of himself knew the implications of sending a small, low-level creature out carrying a few of his bombs. It was a great tool for assassinations, but he had other plans.

The guards stayed downstairs while Theo checked on his latest essence, inspecting a sample.

[Refined Limited Foresight Essence]

[Essence]

Epic

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Excellent Quality

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Alignment Effects:

Resulting potions will be more effective.

Chance to consume half of required essence during brewing.

1 units (liquid)

Concentrated, refined essence of limited foresight.

Everything was in order, and he gained a higher grade than he expected. Essences never gave away much information. Theo’s intuition said it could brew a standard potion, or the base reagent could extract a modifier that mirrored this essence. The name alone made his heart beat faster. He set up a simple reaction, enchanting a handful of [Iron Shavings] with his Drogramathi mana, and dipping into his barrels of [Enchanted Water]. He poured the clear essence into a 2 unit, flat-bottomed vial then introduced the water and catalyst. It swirled in the vial, turning a spinning mix of gold and silver and putting off a scent like warm bread.

Theo leaned in, inspecting the unmodified potion.

[Potion of Limited Foresight]

[Potion]

Epic

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Perfect Quality

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

For 6 hours after drinking this potion, the next 4 attacks made against you will miss.

Effect:

For 6 hours, all attacks, magical or otherwise, will miss. This potion may be overcome by gross differences in levels.

Theo must have some bad luck coming his way. Between the golem and this, it was too good to be true. A potion with a 6 hour duration was absurd, but one that made an attack miss no matter what? That was too good to be true. Some potions had negative effects if someone drank them back-to-back, but the alchemist couldn’t get a good sense for this one. It required experimentation. He drank the potion, feeling a strange sensation spreading through his body. The potion tasted like bread, thankfully.

The brothers were chatting with Theo’s new shopkeeper, both striking up friendly conversation and showing off their muscles. The alchemist didn’t see their physiques as impressive, especially compared to the massive Half-Ogres, even if Salire seemed smitten.

“Hit me!” Theo shouted, pointing at Bal.

The brothers must have been annoyed with babysitting the alchemist all day because Bal struck out without further prompting. His fist came in with all the quickness of a seasoned adventurer rocketing at Theo’s face. It should have been a solid hit. Something changed, almost imperceptible. Theo couldn’t tell if it was Bal who changed positions or him, but he felt the wind from the strike blow past his cheek.

“What?” Ral asked, blinking. Bal looked equally shocked.

“I’m invincible,” Theo declared.

Bal took another shot, missing again. Then another, and another. Only when Theo held up his hands, asking him to stop, did the adventurer stop. He was out of charges on the potion, and would have been clocked in the face if he let Bal continue.

“How?” Bal asked. He had a look on his face as though Theo had just ruined his entire world. He looked down at his hands, stammering something else.

“New potion,” Theo said, rushing up the stairs again. The brothers followed. “I have a job for you boys.”

“Uh, does it mean we get some of those potions?”

“Yes.”

There were a few options for modifiers on this one. Dodging 4 attacks was good, but he could use the [Solidify] modifier to create pills, likely reducing the amount of charges to 1 or 2. [Anti-Mage] was an obvious one, likely adding some feedback for missed attacks with magic. There was also another experiment he hadn’t had the time to work with, the [Suffuse Potion], but that wouldn’t be useful for now. He settled on the modifier that worked more often than not, withdrawing a flask of [Refined Anti-Mage] from his inventory. He brewed another [Potion of Limited Foresight], introducing the anti-mage modifier and watching as a hint of blue was added to the swirl of silver and gold.

Theo inspected the result, giggling with excitement at the result.

[Potion of Limited Foresight]

[Anti-Mage]

[Potion] [Modified Potion]

Epic

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Perfect Quality

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

For 6 hours after drinking this potion, the next 4 attacks made against you will miss.

All magical attacks made against you will be reflected to the caster, consuming a charge.

Effect:

For 6 hours, all attacks, magical or otherwise, will miss. This potion may be overcome by gross differences in levels.

Reflects all magical attacks as long as charges exist.

The refined modifiers often produced excellent results. Instead of changing the way the potions worked, they added another effect. The brothers whistled in amazement as they inspected the potion. Even Salire came upstairs, abandoning the shop to see what all the fuss was about.

“How much do you think that is worth?” Theo asked, grinning at her.

Salire squinted her eyes, clearly using a skill. After a moment, she let out a breath. “I can’t get a read on it. No one has sold a potion like this in the area recently.”

“Alright,” Theo said. “I’ll brew the rest of the batch, but we’re not stocking these.”

“What?” Bal asked, scoffing. “You can’t tease me like that. Come on!”

Theo had to explain the dangers of potions to the brothers, giving the only example he knew of. If someone used [Potions of Growth] repeatedly, their heart would suffer permanent damage. Since there was no documentation on the [Potion of Limited Foresight], he wanted to take it slow before distributing it to the town. Then he would consult with Fenian and ask his opinion on wider distribution. With perfect timing, the bell downstairs rang. A pair of heavy boots stomped up the stairs and the door swung open.

Aarok stood, drenched in mud, followed closely by a golem.

“Is this your idea of a joke,” Aarok said, gesturing to the amalgam of mud following him.

Theo moved over, clapping his hand over the Half-Ogre’s shoulder and dumping some [Cleansing Scrub] over his head. “I was testing my new golem.”

“Well, good for you!” Aarok said. “Why are there so many people in your lab?”

Theo thrust a [Potion of Limited Foresight] into his hand and grinned. Aarok’s mouth dropped open. He looked between he potion and Theo for a while before finally finding words to speak.

“How much?” Aarok asked.

“It requires testing,” Theo said, waving him off. “The mud attack was another test. Sorry about that.”

The golem seemed to laugh at that, but no sound came out. Just that squelching noise.

“I volunteer,” Aarok said.

Theo laid out the bounds of the test to everyone who wanted to take part. They each needed to visit Zarali after consuming the potion, and couldn’t take more than one every 6 hours. He wanted them to expend the charges on the potion, only after having a day where they only took 1, then take another and report to the Priestess of Drogramath. She’d be able to tell if there was anything wrong with them, and only with her approval would he distribute the potion. Each man agreed to the terms without hesitation.

“Imagine,” Bal said. “This is going to make bosses easy.”

“Maybe,” Theo said. “But that is the future of Broken Tusk.”

Everyone gave him a flat look after he pointed at the golem. But the test he gave it was proof of that. The only thing he told the golem to do was to find Aarok, and splatter him with mud. It was a simple task, but proved that it could go off and perform a simple, two step task. Find a target, and engage. With upgrades, better materials, and stronger monster cores, these golems could revolutionize the defense of a city. The others weren’t convinced, but that didn’t matter.

Theo chatted with Aarok for a bit, discussing the defense of the city. Xol’sa informed him they were expecting a small monster wave soon, but nothing like they’d experienced in the past. Salire went back downstairs to work the shop, as someone had just entered. After an appropriate amount of friendly chatter, the alchemist excused himself with his bodyguards. The golem came as well.

Zarali was working in her enchanting building, and Theo couldn’t resist showing off his creation. She wanted him to take another skill at level 15, but was still excited to see a working Golem.

“Belgar never took that skill,” Zarali said, patting the creature on the head. “Said it was useless.”

That seemed to hurt the little guy’s feelings.

“We’ll see,” Theo said.

Zarali had a few insights on the creation of a [Power Core], and offered her expertise in the matter. Working with enchanting meant that she was often using a [Power Siphon], and understood their operation well. So a project that would have been just the alchemist and Throk, now included the enchanter.

“Imagine tireless guardians,” Theo said, letting out a wistful sigh. “Just like the Elven Guardian.”

“You’re a dreamer,” Zarali said, a smile playing across her face. “You always see the best way to help the town with your creations. So you’re on a different path than Belgar. Different motives.”

Theo nodded, engaging in some more small talk before departing with his guards. They made the rounds once more. The alchemist watched with interest as the golem deteriorated. It began by walking sideways, then its legs crumbled to dirt, then the core expired. When he inspected the remnants of the construct, the copper cage was useless and the [Monster Core] had spent itself. He felt no sadness watching the thing die, as it wasn’t really ever alive. Just an echo of an Ogre Snapper and some mana.

The afternoon wore on and Theo caught several glimpses of what Tresk was doing. They were more of vague feelings than anything, but he felt her triumph as she cleared some dungeon. She was heading back to town early as he made his way to the town’s center, prepared to host the festivities. If Xam was true to her word, the feast would start soon and Perg would take a place of honor as the winner of the festival.

Theo and his group went off course before heading to the festival. They were back out through the western gate, digging in the mud to create a few [Lesser Mud Golems]. The alchemist had to drink a few [Mana Potions] to get the job done, finding a sense of exhaustion washing over him by the fourth golem. His willpower was also stretched thinner than he expected, a problem he’d have to remedy later.

The four golems went off to hide behind the Marsh Wolf Tavern. Theo planned for them to emerge after Perg arrived, hoisting her up and carrying her around to celebrate her victory. It was mostly meant as a punishment for her cheating, but he knew she’d take it in stride.

Tresk arrived, giggling as she joined everyone at the rows of tables. Something of Theo’s plan leaked out to her. She just gave him a sidelong glance, nodding her approval. When enough people were gathered, Theo started things off with a short speech.

“We’re here to celebrate the end of the season!” he shouted, gaining a raucous response from the crowd. “We partake of the bounty, provided by the swamp, and celebrate. While the winner of the festival receives no prize for their participation, they can stand tall, knowing that they didn’t cheat and hide it from me for the entire time the festival happened.”

Theo glared at Perg. He wasn’t actually angry at her and knew she thought this was good fun. Half-Ogres were hard to offend.

“I’m proud to announce that Perg Grott had the longest-living, and most beautiful wreath this year!” Theo shouted. The crowd went wild, many people coming over to slap her on the back or give her words of encouragement. “Breaking from tradition, I’d like to celebrate her win with a temporary gift.”

The golems emerged from behind the tavern at a thought from Theo, waddling over to Perg. She looked fearful at first.

“Enjoy your time with the Mud Crew!” Theo shouted.

Perg’s words of objection and shrieks of anguish were drowned out by the laughter of the crowd. The golems hoisted her above their heads, working as a collective to parade her around the tables. They squelched their joy for the task the entire time.

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