The Newt and Demon

4.26 - Goofin' Around

A crack-like boom echoed through Broken Tusk. Theo unplugged his ears, cheering with the other citizens. The crowd that gathered to see the artificers newest deathtrap had urged the Marshling to put on a display. He obliged, making rapid adjustments that created a supersonic launcher. A dumb fire rail gun. The weapon sent objects spinning off in random directions, breaking the sound barrier and deafening those that had gathered.

This is a noise ordinance violation, Aarok said, digging his elbow into Theos ribs.

The alchemist laughed. This went far behind a noise violation.

Yeah, but it's cool.

The shadows parted to Theos side, and Tresk emerged, wiping the muck from her face. I heard that in the dungeon, dude!

They heard it in Rivers and Daub, Aarok grumbled.

Throk loaded another random object onto the launcher. He hyped the crowd up, encouraging them to plug their ears before he set a chunk of marble into space. The artifice groaned. The rock was gone, and the sled was at its end position. Theo dug the wax out of his ears, trying to clear away the constant ringing. This couldnt have been healthy for anyone.

Tresk jumped up and down, pumping her fist in the air and screaming. Alex honked.

Lets wrap it up, Throk, Aarok said.

Just doing some test fires, Throk said. Just one more.

Aarok groaned. One more. Then were tearing this thing down.

The Half-Ogre walked away without waiting for confirmation. Theo followed, then Tresk and Alex.

Well have some airship killers soon, Aarok said. Theo noticed he raised his voice higher than normal, no doubt battling that same ringing.

Wanna have dinner? Theo asked.

Aarok gave him a flat look at first. Then his hand went to his stomach and he nodded. Yeah. Id like that.

Tresk, Theo, Alex, and Aarok assumed their seats at the private booth. With the sun flagging in the sky, dipping lower by the moment, the Marsh Wolf tavern was filling up. As the commander of Broken Tusks growing army, Aarok wanted to share his concerns. But the alchemist steered the conversation away from those heavy things.

Monorails were never really popular, Theo said, sipping his mead. Alex munched on a plate of bugs and worms. And no one really invested in maglev. Well, what Throk is doing isnt really maglev. Thats magic.

Dunno what that is. Aarok didnt sip his mead from Rivers. He guzzled it.

Magnets. They used magnets to levitate a train. Made it go extremely fast.

Imagine one of my dads trains that ran from here to Qavell, Tresk said, giggling. Youd get there in a day.

Maybe a shorter time, Theo said. Depends on how fast we can get it to go without tearing itself apart. The best use for the train is moving people, right?

Because of [Zorp]. Tresk nodded.

I dont see the value in a railed transport, Aarok said, folding his arms. Azrug is doing fine with his enchanted Karatan.

The entire maglev project had little to do with practicality. Theo wanted to pursue all technology. Especially since he found another use for the general principle. He wondered what other defensive weapons they could make from Throks inventions. There were practical reasons, too. The more the Marshling worked on artificing, the more experience he gained. That resulted in better artifices, which had become vital to the survival of Broken Tusk.

Throk had finally accepted that he should take apprentices. If not that, then at least workers. That had been a point of friction for some time, and the alchemist was glad they worked it out.

This is more about building things for the sake of building them, Theo said. Youve been abroad, Aarok. What kind of things have you seen?

Aarok shifted uncomfortably in his seat, leaning back and sighing. Been to Qavell. And Veosta. Both me and Luras thought we were some hot-shot sell swords.

Tell us about Qavell, Tresk said, bouncing excitedly.

Qavell is a ringed city. The closer you get to the middle, the heavier the defenses. Taking a walk from the outer wall to the inner one would take you a day. Not because of the distance, although that is considerable. The checkpoints. Gods, the checkpoints. Aarok beckoned a server over, gaining another mead for his efforts. Karasan was so paranoid about keeping his kingdom safe that everyone became paranoid. From the ground up, everyone thought someone was coming for them.

There must have been good things. Theo shrugged. There was always a silver lining.

The food was great. The military was disciplined.

Tresk blew raspberries. Come on. There had to have been more.

Aarok drank his entire mead in one go, leaving a wet spot on his upper lip. He belched. Well, we could learn from their farming techniques.

Oh? What do they do differently? Theo asked.

They had few farms behind their walls. All the farmers were out there in the open, but thats where the military comes in. There was always someone on watch in the farms. There were little watchtowers spread through the farm, so if they saw something coming they rang bells.

Thats a cool idea, Tresk said with a nod. Assuming we have the adventurers to spare for it.

We do, Aarok said.

How about Veosta? Tresk asked.

Spread out like you wouldnt believe. Small walls, but a lot of highly skilled adventurers protecting the area. Aarok let out a sigh. Luras and I were ready to pledge our lives to those Elves.

No one wants to take a soldier with [Laborers Cores], Theo said, smiling. You know, Id love to get in contact with the Toora north of Qavell. Or those lizard-folk down south.

I dont even know what the lizard people are called. Do they have a [Kingdom Core]? Aarok asked.

Tresk shrugged. No idea. Dad never told me what they were called. Hes never been to the homeland.

He said he knew someone that took the Tarahek, right? Theo asked.

No. Hes a liar if he said that. Tresk cleared her hands off the table as the server came with their food. She mustered the self-control required to not eat the plate of cheesy Zee pasta to continue her story. We have stories about a Bantari Marshling taking the Tarahek, but thats a motherland story. A lizard-person and a Marshling took the bond, then eventually ascended to the heavens together.

Hey, we already did that, Theo said.

Not by a long shot, bud. Tresk took her plate, tilted her head back and dumped the entire thing inside. She swallowed it all. There isnt a name for what we do. All breaking the rules over here.

How do you know that other Tarahek bond didnt do it? Aarok seemed skeptical about the entire thing. But there was a tone of gravity to his voice.

Guess we dont. Maybe this is normal.

Theres nothing normal about you, Tresk, Theo said.

Damn right. Im unique.

I am unique, Alex said, then honked.

Aarok shared more tales about his time as a wandering adventurer. Theo knew little about it. Luras didnt enjoy talking about it, either. Both of them had dreams of joining one army or the other, finally settling for the Qavelli Irregulars. That group held soldiers from various backgrounds. Those that werent suitable for the standard army. They were fodder.

Not that the face of war in the past mattered anymore. Balkors undead created a ticking time bomb that had just gone off. Now there was no sense in waging war on the continent unless an army came with a [Hallow Ground] potion for every man. Or a priest powerful enough to banish the undead. Both options seemed rare enough to make the effort impractical.

Tresk shared the stories of her people from her homeland. The Bantari Marshlings lived alongside another race of lizard-folk in relative harmony. They were a shamanistic culture, believing more in the importance of ancestor spirits than anything else. A small group of the Bantari migrated to the swampy area around Broken Tusk when they met with the passing Ogre explorers. Theo never understood the motivations of the Ogres to settle in the swamp.

More than anything, both Theo and Tresk wanted to uncover the history of the region. It seemed so shrouded in mystery that no one had a consistent story. They were just two cultures smashed together, resulting in something unique.

I bet Azrug knows more than we do by now, Tresk said. If the poor boy wasnt busy all day. Every day. Maybe he could tell us.

Hes been leveling that [Loremasters Core] like crazy, Aarok said, shaking his head. The system gives him bits of information, but so far it hasnt been useful for anything but unlocking properties on gear.

The conversation went from here to there, never lingering on anything important. The more drinks Aarok had, the more he revealed how proud he was. Broken Tusk had transformed in a short time, revealing the true power of the Half-Ogre people. He forgot to include the Marshlings in his grand statement, and got a glare from Tresk.

Bath? Theo asked.

Not me. Gotta run the rounds, Aarok said, rising from his chair. He wobbled on the spot before getting his legs.

Tresk, Theo, and Alex went to take their bath. Their conversation never left the lizard-people to the south. There were a few trade-worthy ships that would be done within days. Once they had enough sailors to use the boats, theyd head straight for those islands to make contact.

Theyll be happy to see their long lost kin, Tresk said. Especially since we still speak the language. You dont want that kind of barrier.

Hey, maybe we should sail down there. Might be fun, Theo said.

Tresk spit water across the hot bath, hitting Alex in the side. The goose honked, spreading her wings to shoot a fireball at the Marshling. She went underwater before the fireball hit.

No fireballs inside, Theo scolded.

Might be fun, Tresk said, tapping her chin. But we always seem to come under attack when we leave the town.

That was true.

Well think about it.

The bath was pleasant. Something more than just his busy life forced Theo to slow down. The progress on his cores had slowed to a crawl. His [Toruaun Mages Core] edged closer to level 6 by the day, but everything else had stagnated. Everything except his [Governance Core]. His highest core was his [Tarahek Core] at 29, followed by the [Governance Core] at 26. His alchemy and herbalism cores had been at level 22 for a while. His personal level was also at level 22.

Tresk had experienced a similar slow-down in her progression. She had to contend with leveling a new core just like him. Her [Parantheir Duelists Core] was more difficult for her to level than she expected. Neither of them seemed too concerned to rush to higher levels, though.

We have a unique advantage, though, Theo said, removing himself from the bath to dry off.

People get weird when they go past level 30, Tresk said, taking their conversation to their private [Tarahek Communication] ability.

But we have Terogal. I cant get my mind off the Tarahek you mentioned.

Search our real, Alex said.

Terogal is limited to adjacent realms. People who are as weak as us.

Disappointed.

The group finished up their bath, drying off and heading for home. Theo let out a wistful sigh as he looked at their building. It was a wonderful place and he didnt mind the cramped space. But he couldnt help but think about what a larger manor would do for his comfort. A place to come and relax. To write his thoughts by a fire, even if it was horribly hot outside. They entered the Dreamwalk without delay, settling into bed for the night.

Theo found himself on an empty street in the slums of Rivers and Daub. Tresk was standing nearby, nodding with approval. She must have brought them here, but the alchemist didnt know why. It was a depressing reminder of the towns situation.

We have a frame of reference, Tresk said with a shrug. I want to go back and make sure that Alran is doing his job.

That would be easy enough to do with Tresks [Shadowdancer] class.

Tomorrow, when we wake up, I want to go to Terogal and brew some of my new potions, Theo said. They have the long brew time of the suffuse potions, so I can leave them there and pick them up the next day.

Tresk summoned one of the new potions from nowhere, holding a bottle of [Flame of Dual Sleeping Gods] in her hands. You need to make more of these.

Theo nodded, although he wasnt eager to perform more experimentation. There were endless combinations of primal essences that he could use, and some were flat-out bad. The good news about that was he could now do it in the Dreamwalk, so long as he could wrap his will around it. He walked the streets of Rivers and Daub with Tresk as he thought out loud.

I feel more at home when were in Terogal, Theo said.

And I feel better here. I mean, where is here? What is this place? Physically.

That was a metaphysical question Theo wasnt prepared to answer. He had ways of thinking about the Dreamwalk, but no solid idea of what it actually was.

Were two halves, right? Theo asked. Thats what were becoming, anyway. Two pieces that make a whole. What if thats what the Dreamwalk and Terogal are?

Makes enough sense to me. But then you run into another problem, Tresk said, tilting her head with her hands on her hips. Is the Terogal we visit even real?

Theo shrugged. Benton visits. He seems real.

Unless he isnt.

Theos brows knit tightly. He stared off into a hovel of a home. Trash was strewn everywhere. He could even smell the filth of the town. He felt a trickle of Tresks thoughts enter his mind. It wasnt the same was she could read his mind, but it was more than hed ever felt before. The alchemist knelt, pressing their foreheads together. He felt more of a rush this time, as though concrete ideas were passing between their minds.

Maybe the Dreamwalk is the idealized version of Terogal, and what weve been visiting is the practical version, Theo said, keeping his eyes closed.

Tresk pulled away. Maybe. Something like that. She turned her back on him, lost in thought. Her mode shifted in an instant. Im gonna kill that dragon tonight. Gonna drink dragon blood!

Then she vanished.

Theo let out a sigh, wandering off from the spot to mount the battlements of the slums. He summoned rows of alchemy equipment. Stills, fermentation barrels, and a table filled with glassware. Today felt like a decent enough day to discover some more legendary potions. Mostly, he was interested to see what weird names the system would give them. But it was an arduous process that would take all night.

Even with the advantages of the Dreamwalk, Theo spent the entire night fiddling with suffuse potions. He combined every primal ingredient he could think of, making potions that did many things. The alchemist performed side-experiments while he worked, inspired by his visit to the smelter. Tresk informed him it was an hour before dawn by the time he was done. They inspected his creations together.

That is so adorable, Tresk said. She held the vial of semi-viscous liquid up, smiling. You were thinking about Nira when you brewed this.

[Freeze Solution]

[Solidify]

[Cooling Agent] [Modified Cooling Agent]

Rare

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Perfect Quality

Apply to dramatically lower the temperature of anything.

Effect:

Apply enough solution to freeze an object, person, monster, etc.

This gel will evaporate over time, delivering a continuous dose of cooling to an object, person, monster, etc.

There was a time where I couldnt have performed a new reaction in the Dreamwalk, Theo said. But Tresk was right, he was thinking about Nira in the smelter for that one. Those conditions were horrible, and no amount of air conditioning would solve that. But a gel the smelters could rub on their skin would work perfectly.

Theo moved on to his next potions. While the [Solidify] modified [Freeze Solution] was a second tier potion, these were all third tier. Hed already destroyed the one he was most worried about, although Tresk had sensed what he was doing. They both vowed not to speak about it and moved on.

So, we have some interesting ones here. I brewed a bunch of useless ones, but these are the winners, Theo said, retrieving the first potion. This one has variations for all the attributes.

[Glantheirs Restore Wisdom]

[Potion]

Legendary

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Good Quality

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Imbibing this potion removes all permanent status effects that reduce [Wisdom].

See, thats not a condition I was aware I could get, Tresk said, inspecting the vial of faintly glowing blue liquid.

Yeah, that one made me worried. Anyway, this one is messed up. The Dreamwalk really didnt want to fast-forward on it. It takes something like a year to brew, but it finally relented. Pretty sure we shouldnt have this.

[Wisdom of the Soul]

[Potion]

Legendary

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Good Quality

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Removes the meta barrier between your soul and your [Wisdom] attribute. This potion may only be consumed once during your lifetime. You may only drink one soul elixir, including those for other attributes.

What the hell is a meta barrier? Tresk asked.

No clue. Should be powerful, though, Theo held the vial of glittering liquid up to the light. Flecks of color danced inside a murky liquid, as though it contained an entire galaxy within. Next up. I combined [Carapace] with [Limited Foresight].

[Perfect Block]

[Potion]

Legendary

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Good Quality

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Imbibing this potion allows the user to absorb 100% damage from a single attack. This potion may only be consumed once per month.

Theo considered this to be the best potion hed ever crafted. Not because it was a potion with practical uses, but that it absorbed all damage from a single attack. It didnt matter how powerful the attacker was, their damage would simply be negated. Someone at level 1 could absorb a blow from a god. That idea sent shivers down his spine.

Maybe I can finally beat the dragon, Tresk said.

The brew time is horrible on that one, too.

While there were more potions with uninteresting effects, most of the reactions Theo tried that night failed. When a primal essence rejected its counterpart in a suffuse reaction, the response was violent.

With thoughts of defeating a dragon in real life, Tresk led Theo into the real world.