[Pig Iron Brazier] = 16 Pig Iron (Bar, 0.75-0.9m) + 4 Pig Iron (Bar, 0.2-0.25m) + Pig Iron (Ring, 0.9-1.1m) + Pig Iron (Ring, 1-1.2m) + Pig Iron (Bar, 0.8-0.9m) + 52 Pig Iron (Nail, 0.05-0.07kg)
----------------------------------------
What in the actual fuck!?
The night before had ended uneventfully. It turned out that Hyuk was on his second to last Poorly Rested stage before death, and had been too stoic to reveal as much. When he inevitably collapsed through a lack of sleep, the Beastfolk set up a camp to let him recover some of his lost fatigue while the remaining group stayed out of solidarity with him.
But that had been a poor decision, and as Jay stared into the Beastfolk’s true home, he could not help but see why. His mind would have been less blown had he come under the cover of darkness.
Nestled in a barren valley of an otherwise lush forest, a maze of trenches and wooden fortifications sprawled about. There were hundreds, if not thousands of them, all spanning in random directions while being deep enough to swallow Jay and his friends altogether. Metallic spikes lined their bottom, and their tips were caked with green ichor and ash. Only through a network of drawbridges could they cross to the center of this minefield, each one punctuated by braziers, still smoking.
And there, a giant fortress stood. Shaped like a medieval castle, mortared stone rose at least five stories tall, with towers running along its length, and crenellations interposed between. Arrow slits dotted these fortifications, and as the group drew closer, Jay could make out larger holes, presumably to drop boulders or burning pitch. More Beastfolk patrolled these walls, their shabby forms highlighted by the morning sun. Muskets and crossbows poked out from their backs.
Banners swayed in the gentle breeze, their edges dyed crimson, and a golden fang in the middle with a silver moon symbol behind. This was presumably the Beastfolks’ emblem.
A great drawbridge slowly fell in front, its oaken form held by gigantic metal chains. It slammed into the ground as they drew near, resting only a few feet above a moat. The surface had iced over, shrouding the opaque, muddy water even further, resonating age and experience for everything that had ever crossed over.
And not just that. Jay had first assumed the walls were these majestic stone bricks from a distance, but their proximity exposed a different story. Cracks snaked across their boundaries, grime was caked between, and the color varied wildly across these walls, as if entire sections had been renovated and replaced over the years.
They stepped across the threshold of the bridge, and Jay nearly lost his footing entirely after taking in this new sight.
Hundreds of houses lay clustered together. Dark wooden pillars were inlaid against white plaster walls, forming crosses and diagonal lines for support. Vines fell from above, glistening in a morning frost. They reminded Jay of the pictures he’d seen of those quaint European towns, though he had never visited any in person. Many varied in shape and size, but just about all of them had a second story larger than the first, making the cobblestone street below appear more cramped.
But nothing blew him away more than what lay in those streets. A swarm of Beastfolk buzzed about. They looked like Medieval peasants, with their grizzled facial hair and woven tunics. At first, Jay thought this was an all-male crowd, but as he studied them more intimately, he realized that many had softer feminine features between their sideburns, along with more pronounced breasts and wide hips. Closer still, he noticed that even the children had facial hair, boys and girls both.
All these strange people gawked at the approaching party as Ezghal led them all through, a troupe of his clansmen beside. Like a victory parade of a struggling nation, they simultaneously shoved their way to the front to catch sight of them while also making room so they could pass.
Ezghal turned around and waved his arm wide, revealing his city.
“Welcome to Dunheim!” he announced. “Our home.”
Jay swallowed the lump in his throat and stepped forth, struggling to process so much stimulation at once. After going through months of twisting his head to the slightest sound, marching through an actual Medieval town was quite the challenge. He tried to find sanctuary in the cover of the group, but so many eyes were on him, and their hoarse voices washed over like waves against the shore. He eventually narrowed on Sayid, who seemed the only bastion of stability in this otherwise chaotic chapter in this new world.
“Did your group know Annwyn had places like this?” Jay whispered.
Sayid exhaled. “Do you think we would be out there for so long if we knew we could be in somewhere like here instead?”
Jay paused in thought. That was… An exceedingly fair point.
“How’d you, like, find them?”
“They found us,” Sayid said. “Ben was the first to detect the spriggs when they arrived, but they must have gotten to you first. We grouped up and planned the attack from there, but then Ezghal interrupted our plans. He explained his intentions and offered an alliance. If we agreed to assist them, he would shield us from the night. We did not believe him at first. Who would think an offer so significant was genuine? But when we saw them in action, we knew that it was worth the risk.
“The Beastfolk descend from Expatriates, you see. Natura attacks them each night as well, so there is nobody better to combat this threat than them. They have built those vast fortifications outside for this reason, and they do so at the start of each night. This ensures they can protect their children and infirm while the rest clear the horde.”
“Natura attacks here every single night?”
“Indeed. It appears that theirs is far less extreme, however.” Sayid ran his thumb on his chin. “I would guess that their actions influence the rise at less than one percent compared to what we do, though when you have thousands working together in this type of civilization, it adds up. Last night was a taste of what we’ve seen thrown nightly against Dunheim. I suspect this has to do with their inherent nature as both monsters and men. They can’t craft as effectively as we can. They can only replicate certain recipes, and only if they have been properly trained. Natura’s response is thus much smaller compared to us.”
Again, Jay studied these surroundings, still struggling to take it all in. He made eye contact with a baby. It gave him a thumbs up and grinned, made even weirder with the tuft of hair along its upper lip.
Jay turned away before his sanity could drop a few more points. “I just… How could we have missed this?”
“Runes, mate,” Desmond explained from behind. “I happened to catch a couple coming in, but the buggers have gotten stones all carved up throughout the rim of the whole valley. These runes create an aura that makes anyone who passes them suddenly disinterested in reaching the center, so you feel inclined to explore anywhere else but there. Of course, if you’re hell-bent on doing it or being led by one of their scouts, you’ll power through without ever noticing, but any wandering adventurer will just turn back.” He rubbed his beard, his blue eyes ecstatic. “The clever bastards. I knew there was something fishy about this part of the island.”
“We have no choice,” Ezghal said, his ear twitching at their conversation. “Not all Expatriates are willing to work with us, and many have sought my people harm over the generations.”
“Yes,” Jay considered. “There are plenty of mats to be gained, and much of it has already been processed. You could get a lot while doing very little just through raiding here.” He thought of Viktor, and how far he’d been able to rise without ever crafting himself.
“You are correct,” Ezghal continued. “And it is not just them, but many of the other sentient races of Annwyn. Spriggs, leprechauns, merrows, seraphs. We have made alliances with a few, but the Mad Sea is not an inviting place for those without the Wyrm taint, and most outsiders would prefer us all wiped out.”
Just as Jay was starting to get his footing, he’d been hit with another volley of foreign terms that made him underestimate the size and scope of this world.
“Mad Sea?” he asked, the only one that stood out. “Are you saying there are more oceans?”
“But of course. You didn’t think this world was this single cluster of islands, did you? I suppose it is not surprising. Most Expatriates end up in the Mad Sea because the islands’ cores are so much weaker. You would have faced instant death had you landed on any of the Central Continents.”
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“Continents?” He blinked. “Just how big is Annwyn?”
Ezghal chuckled. “Bigger than can be explained in a day. But for now, you can enjoy a taste of this wider world.”
They rounded another bend, entering a bazaar. Kiosks and crates pocketed the square, with plenty of other creatures perusing their wares. Though most were humanoid in shape, their similarities ended there. Some had blue skin. Others had horns. Some had tails, while others had wings.
He recognized a few after a moment. A minotaur haggled for some wares at one kiosk, its owner one of those strange mutated slug-creatures Jay had briefly seen in the Evershadow before hightailing it back home. A lizardfolk also wandered aimlessly nearby, though it seemed confused with its surroundings, just like him.
Only then did Jay remember his Guide. It buzzed with ferocity from so many new entries being created at once. Just looking at it gave him a headache, knowing he’d have to pool through all this data later.
An entire civilized world of civilized races… Jay considered. He’d been sheltered more than he first assumed, and seeing a glimpse of the wider world sent so many revelations to unpack.
Annwyn wasn’t just random islands filled with monsters, but whole communities spread about. He could have deduced as much from the way the spriggs operated, but their presence had been somewhat logical. Plant-based humanoids would surely protect their plant-like God. It wouldn’t be a stretch to imagine a group of them forming their own society in defense of this world.
But that presented other questions that were only now answered. Logically, if the spriggs believed Expatriates could destroy their world, then they should be scouring all islands constantly to neutralize that threat. That they hadn’t seen much evidence either suggested that the world was large, or their “Empire” was small.
Clearly, the answer was a mix of both. It would not be realistic for them to track Expatriates so effectively if they had their own security concerns, and from what he could tell, there could be plenty of rival nations for them to combat. That created an opportunity for people like Jay to power up within untamed, uninhabited islands.
This also made him wonder about the actual size and scope of Annwyn. The Guide had explained that it is an archipelago, but that only implied a group of small isolated islands, no more than what he encountered before. Nothing said they couldn’t be the size of Eurasia, if not larger. Hearing that their location was the “Mad Sea” meant there were others, though he wondered where this name came from. Was madness more pronounced here than elsewhere?
And with this newfound knowledge and the presence of these other races, all haggling with the Beastfolk for their wares, Jay was left with another unfortunate truth.
He had no idea what to make of any of this.
They cleared the bazaar and entered another quarter of Dunheim, this one sloping upwards. It was about here where Jay noticed something strange. For whatever reason, no grass or trees grew in the city. Instead, every inch of the ground was covered with cobblestone, from the street to the yards to the parks as well. Vines and moss clung to the buildings every so often, and gardens appeared on the second floor of many, but nothing grew on the ground itself.
“It is to keep Natura out,” Ezghal explained after Jay asked. “Her spawn cannot manifest anywhere where there is worked stone. By lining the base of Dunheim with these bricks, we can always ensure that the fight occurs beyond these walls.”
Jay considered the information, wondering what he could do to replicate that success in the future. I’ve been going about this all wrong. These guys had their shit together way more than he ever could.
They reached the top, where another castle soared high. Though the outer rim was the rough height of the walls behind, the abrupt shift from houses to stone barriers made it feel more imposing than before. More of the Beastfolks’ banners hung here, tapestries dedicated to their collective honor.
His eyes fell to the park in the front, and the air caught in his throat. A fountain sat in the middle, but the water was stained red and had a coppery, putrid scent, and the figure in the middle was anything but human. A rattlesnake tail split in five different directions to form the base, but the stone body coiled a dozen times like a spring before splitting off, its “head” instead creating a giant outstretched hand. A giant skull sat atop this palm, its granite eyes sunken like empty chasms, even as its humanoid teeth grinned wide.
Jay shivered at the sight.
“This is Liu’Kah,” Ezghal said, “the patron Wyrm for our clan.”
Of course it was a Wyrm. Why wouldn’t it be? Expatriates seldom got powers for free, so it wasn’t surprising that one such of these gods would bestow the Beastfolk with strength and shapeshifting in exchange for bearing their patronage. Seeing a monument to one of these monsters was expected, and Jay could only be glad that he wouldn’t face a sanity drop like a real Wyrm.
They approached the castle, and Jay kept a wide berth from the Wyrm statue. If not for the appearance, then the pungent smell that radiated out.
The castle gates swung open, and they stepped inside.
And immediately, Jay was brought back to a comfortable ease he did not know he lacked. The air was warm here and had the scent of incense. The entire antechamber had been lit by sconces, providing an even flow that was easy on the eyes.
A burgundy carpet ran across the floor of this room, climbing up the circular stairwells to either side. Pillars split into vaulted archways. Their footsteps echoed off these peaks. Artwork lined the walls, with edges that were framed in pine.
Jay was half-expecting these paintings to be some grotesque image from the Nightrealm like in Tül’Rah’s manor, but this was the opposite. Pictures of Dunheim under a light snow, Beastfolk children playing in a stream, a beautiful sunset on the horizon. Plenty resembled Ezghal or Beastfolk who looked like him, staring proudly forth.
Only one stood out from the others as disconcerting. This mosaic showcased a group in their beast forms, bowed on their knees, with their arms in a T-shape and palms pointed down. The crimson world glowed above, as if to honor them.
Jay winced at this one. He’d made that same gesture before when first subjected to [Forbidden Knowledge]…
The group split apart from there, with everyone finding their own separate chambers. Jay was brought to his own, with Ezghal leading the way.
And his jaw dropped when he entered here too. Natural light spilled in from glass windows. White curtains hung freely beside. A giant bear pelt sat as a rug in the center, and a fireplace burned nearby. The bed took his attention most. Clean linens… Multiple blankets… More pillows than he could count.
Jay poked it with his finger, and nearly cried when it didn’t disappear into dust.
“These are your chambers,” Ezghal said.
“You’re seriously letting me have this?” He didn’t know what else to say. When was the last time he slept in a real bed?
“It is yours so long as you are under our protection.” The fireplace flickered, and a shadow cast along his wrinkled brow. “But, we will require some assistance for the battle to come. It is a small tax, I assure you.”
He gestured to the corner of the room, where a research bench had been erected.
Of course there would be a catch to this generosity. Just as Sayid explained, there were limits to the type of crafting they could perform. That mitigated how much Natura affected them, and it also gave them an incentive to work with Expatriates. He wondered how much of this city had been built off the backs of others passing through. That would explain why the walls are such a hodgepodge.
Jay nodded. “I understand.”
“Rest for now,” Ezghal said before closing the door. “You have earned as much, Jay Reis.”
He plopped onto the bed. At once, the strength left his body, the mountain of pillows enveloping him like a cloud made of happiness. He wanted to cry. It had been so long since he’d gotten real rest.
As his eyes grew heavy and the world blurred, Jay had but one thought left.
Regardless of what came next, he was ready to embrace this new age.
Name: Jay Reis (Copper Age)
Vitality – 84/84
Hunger – 68/72
Thirst – 21/24
Fatigue – 13/16 (Poorly Rested+3)
Sanity – 88/110
Main Crafts: Alchemy 2, Armor Crafting 2, Base Building 3, Cooking 2, Jewelry 2, Medicine 2, Tailoring 2, Tool Crafting 3, Tinkering 1, Vehicles 1, Weapon Crafting 2.
Weapon Crafts: Axes 5, Bows 9, Clubs 5, Daggers 5, Spears 5, Swords 11.
Armor Crafts: Heavy Armor 5, Light Armor 5, Medium Armor 8, Shields 6.
Sub-Crafts: Curved Swords 5.
Character Skills:
[Forbidden Knowledge]
Armor Skills:
Heavy Armor: [Push], [Stampede]
Medium Armor: [Recover], [Leap], [Waterform], [Quickstep]
Light Armor: [Dash], [Feather Fall]
Shield: [Brace], [Track], [Break]
Weapon Skills:
Axes: [Chop], [Whirlwind]
Bows: [Sharpshooter], [Longshot], [Scattershot Arrow]
Clubs: [Bash], [Paralyze]
Daggers: [Slice], [Flourish]
Spears: [Thrust], [Sweep]
Swords: [Power Attack], [Slash], [Rend], [Shirk], [Violent Storm]
Cursed Items:
[Vitaberry Bush]
Armor:
[Copperplated Hat+3] (Nightmarish+4), (Buttressed+3), (Hardened+2), (Reinforced+2)
[Copperplated Leggings+3] (Nightmarish+3), (Buttressed+3), (Hardened+2), (Reinforced+3)
[Copperplated Shoes+2] (Nightmarish+3), (Buttressed+3), (Hardened+1), (Reinforced+2)
[Silver Amulet]: Socketed with [Chipped Tourmaline] (Tempus)
[Silver Ring]: Socketed with [Chipped Beryl] (Frigus)
[Silver Ring]: Socketed with [Chipped Beryl] (Frigus)
Weapons:
[Pig Iron Scimitar+5] (Affinity+8), (Hardened+6), (Reinforced+6), (Stable+2)
[Treated Bow+2] (Hardened+2): Socketed with [Chipped Beryl] (Frigus)
[Iron Geargun+4] (Heavy+6), (Quick+2), (Thermal+4), (Expanded+1)
Tools:
[Copper Knife+3]
[Copper Axe+3]
[Copper Hammer+3]
[Copper Pickaxe+3]
[Copper Shovel+3]
[Basic Grappling Hook]
Boons:
[Minor (Speed)] (x3), [Minor (Sanity)]