Unfurling the linen wraps from the set, Ulgrin bit his lower lip as he stared at the damaged mess.

Captain Saltgrit had worn quite the set of armor; enchanted to the gills. Design-wise he believed it to have originated from the Skysworn Dynasty. The eastern country’s armor skewed more towards practicality rather than sleek designs. The chest piece was made of banded plate; rows of steel layered over the other to allow for maneuverability.

A skirt of plates extended downwards to cover the riveted leggings. The entire set was jet-black, an intimidating image to be faced on the battlefield. Now, however, it was pitted and covered in acid burns. Ulgrin peeked beneath the plates to see what would have been a masterwork of enchanting now pockmarked with scars.

It was a sophisticated design, each matrix designed to cover the rest and spread damage equally down the line. Of course, faced with a hellish acid on all fronts the design broke down quickly. That, and the defensive enchantments seemed to be more geared towards physical resistances, not exotic ones.

He hefted the helmet, staring at the rather fearsome looking face. A ‘kabuto helm’, or so he knew about the Skysworn. The lower half had been crudely hacked away to allow a beard to slip through and into the studded gorget below. Acid marks marred the helmet and made it appear to be some kind of demon or oni. A metal headdress covered the rear of it. Interestingly, it allowed for a basic proprioception. A third eye of sorts, always watching your back.

While he loved the alchemist for saving his life, he certainly wished she hadn’t been so destructive in her methods. At least it wasn’t a total write-off. He had no doubts that pieces could be salvaged and reused elsewhere; if weaker when not connected to the whole.

“This is kind of ruined. Sorry, Alyss.” He set aside the plates and turned to the others. “But it should be able to be salvaged.”

“Saezz believes that a dead enemy is worth more than a few extra coins.” The lizardfolk said, crossing his arms. “The rest?”

Looking at the mix-match of designs that the other elites had equipped, he found it a relative bounty. “Mostly Kegrusland and Rohl designs here.” He tapped an angular breastplate. “Pretty good enchantments. Most of it is still intact.” He ran an appraising glance across one. “Raelza, try this on. It’s close to your size.”

The drow blinked, before gingerly accepting the cuirass. She fumbled a bit with the straps, but eventually managed to don the piece. “It’s a bit heavy. Hard to bend over with this.” She grimaced. “Not enough padding for my chest, either.”

“We can get a smith to refit it to your specifications,” Ulgrin replied. “That one seems to have a standard bevy of kinetic dampening, but the interesting part is the repulsion field.” He was pretty sure that was what the runes meant. “Tap the right side of your chest three times and it’ll emit a wave of force to knock back foes. You can use it three or so times per day.”

“Huh. Interesting.” Raelza momentarily contemplated trying it before wisdom took over. We were in a cramped room. That wouldn’t be a fun experience.

Ulgrin hefted one of the shields, a diamond shaped piece that skewed towards the top. “These are just basic. Tougher than a normal shield, but not very exciting.” The elites had skimped out on this part, it seemed.

Alyss shrugged. “Breaking stuff is part and parcel of an alchemist’s life. So long as we’re all alive that’s all that matters.”

“It does mean our pockets are a bit emptier,” Raelza mused. “But then again, we’re not exactly starving. That’s what, three sets of armor, a longsword, a crow’s beak, and two shields are still intact. Not a bad haul. Plus we’ve got a few of those really powerful javelins.”

Ulgrin cast a glance towards them, and a chill went down his spine as he spied the bloodstained haft.

Gingerly and with shaky hands, he lifted the javelin and stared at the weapon. This had almost killed him. He supposed it was only just to claim it for their own, but… It had almost killed him, damn it! Ulgrin set it back down and grimaced. Let one of the others use it. He was already planning to upgrade his own armor.

The worried blue eyes of Alyss stared at him for a moment. “You alright, Ulgrin?”

“No.” He reluctantly admitted. “But I will be eventually. For now, Saezz should take the quiver.”

“He will humbly accept this.” The lizardfolk hefted the javelins which appeared to be more akin to throwing darts in his hands than a two meter long throwing spear.

Turning to the rest of the kit, he hefted an amulet that had been taken from Saltgrit. Quite intact, its design seemed to be focused around nautical survival. It lessened the weight of the wearer significantly while in water, let a person breath for up to eight hours, and let them see farther in the depths.

He held it out to any interested parties. “This is an amulet of waterbreathing, but it has a few extras. Weight dampening, depth vision. The works.”

“Perhaps it’s best if you keep that one, boss?” Alyss suggested. “You’re already planning on upgrading your armor. I don’t mean this in a bad way, but you’re damn heavy.” Ulgrin grunted. “Add on however many kilos of steel and you’ll be stuck on the bottom of the lake when we go there.”

“I suppose you’re right,” he said with a sigh. “I just want the loot to be split fairly.”

“We’ve all got our toys, Ulgrin. Getting just money isn’t a bad thing.” Raelza replied, waving her hand. “If you’re going to be taking more blows like that, you need an upgrade. Saezz is a tough bastard and has his new armor. You’re a bit squishy.” She raised a hand to her face and mimed squeezing an eyeball.

“Don’t I know it,” he grumbled back.

“And it’s still a haul, even if Seaweaver told us we’re giving up half of our share for the ex-slaves. It’s not a bad thing, but I would’ve appreciated you discussing it with us.” Alyss said with a shrug. “I would’ve agreed nonetheless.”

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“Speaking of ex-slaves…” Ulgrin mused. “I’ll need to work things out with my new apprentice. Was that everything?”

“Yep. We’ll wrap this stuff back up. Go on, boss.” Raelza gave him a thumbs up.

Nodding to his comrades, Ulgrin departed and began searching the cramped ship for his new hire. Alder wasn’t too hard to find, seemingly drawn to the topside deck. He couldn’t blame the man for wanting to be in an open space, given his history. The young human didn’t seem to notice him approaching.

Ulgrin cleared his throat.

The boy jerked, tension filling his body. As he spotted Ulgrin he calmed down. “Sorry. Just. Daydreaming, I suppose.”

“No worries, lad.” It felt odd calling the boy ‘lad’, but Ulgrin was at least seven years his senior. At this point he was trying to evoke the wisdom that Halik had bestowed upon him. His grandfather had always called him ‘lad’ during their lessons. So the moniker felt just right.

Alder quickly stood up. “So what is the first lesson going to be? Sword-fighting?”

“Reading.” Ulgrin quickly replied, much to the human’s chagrin.

“I know my letters… Well enough.” Literacy amongst commoners depended on the region you found yourself in. Dunvi had high rates amongst their kind. He’d read that some humans didn’t bother teaching their children how to read, for they’d never really live past their station. Alder grimaced.

“And ‘enough’ isn’t enough to get through magical tomes. Some of the reading is very dry. Spellcasting requires a lot of hard work, quite a bit of reading, and even more practice. We’ll first be seeing if you respond well to the basics, or if your affinities lie more towards martial capability.”

“Magic?” Alder paused, chewing over that thought. “So long as it helps me fight better I don’t care if I’m using a sword or a spell.”

“Aye. But first I’ll need to appraise your reading level and go from there.” Ulgrin beckoned for the boy to follow and lead him to a relatively calm section of the deck.

Setting up a warding field to damper any stray gusts of wind, he withdrew book after book and sheet after sheet. The two of them quickly got to work practicing how to write and read. Ulgrin was quite surprised to see the boy was indeed ‘well enough’ at it. His parents must have been diligent in their teachings.

Several hours passed as the two scrawled away in the morning. He had no doubt that he could get Alder up to snuff within a week at the maximum. Still, the boy was starting to get frustrated, so he quickly tucked away the sheets.

Nodding, “Enough of that. We’ve done enough today. Next, I’ll be guiding you into awakening your magic.”

“Really?” Alder’s eyes widened before he focused hard. “I’ll do my best.”

“The first step is to calm yourself. Relax. It is impossible for a neophyte to summon magic when stressed or full of emotions. The same can be said for our cousins, the practitioners of martial styles. We actually follow similar paths to achieve different results.”

“Martial styles?”

“The art of blades, fists, and focus. There are a million names and a million different methodologies. Typically they focus on specific weapons or patterns. Simply put, they gather mana and use it to enhance themselves. Swinging swords harder. Jumping incredible leaps. Bending metal with their bare hands. It’s magic viewed through a different lens.”

“Why not simply teach me that?” Alder asked, confused.

“Because I don’t follow my kinsmen in the normal Dunvi styles. I could go on for hours about the practitioners of the Mountain, the Anvil, or the Pick, but I never quite felt an affinity towards them. Instead, I practice magic.”

“I’m not smart, though. Why should I be a mage?”

“Because intelligence is secondary to hard work. You can always train yourself to be smarter. I’m not the cleanest book on the shelf, but I’ve learned a lot. The mind can hold much knowledge. Mind you, I’ve been given a boon by my Grandfather, but I’ve reached the level of Adept on my own accord.”

Alder furrowed his brows but seemed eager to continue. “Okay, show me.”

“Close your eyes. Breath slowly. Meditation is the most common way to begin.” Ulgrin closed his own eye and allowed his arcane senses to bloom. “Some cultures use methodical dances, others intense concentration. But I’ve found this is a simple and effective way for myself.”

“Alright.” Ulgrin could hear Alder’s breathing slow.

“Magic is all around us. The aether influences us all in tiny ways. Everyone uses magic in some form in their day to day lives. Cantrips are the easiest and most common thing people can use. But first you need to open your sixth sense. Imagine yourself in an empty void. Your very essence, your soul, is a beacon of light in the darkness. But look closer. It is not as empty as it seems.”

Ulgrin watched as Alder slowly began to reach a point where his sensitivity grew. Humanoids subconsciously affected the aether around them, usually in minute ways. But now he could see ripples in the weave.

Continuing, “The void isn’t as dark as it seems. It’s not a vacuum, but an ocean. Focus. Breathe in. Breathe out. There. Grasp onto that. Imagine light. Say the following words,” Ulgrin paused before saying ‘Light’ in the dwarven language. The specific words were unnecessary, but it served as a guideline.

A flickering light formed as Ulgrin opened his eyes. Tiny, wavering, but still there.

“Open your eyes, lad.”

Alder did so and they quickly widened as he spotted the floating candle-light. A look of awe filled the boy’s face. Ulgrin imagined that Halik had seen this very emotion oh so long ago. Once again he thanked his Grandfather for the gifts he was free to share to this day.

Grinning, Ulgrin reached out and clapped the boy on the shoulder, quickly ruining his concentration. “Good job! Now, I didn’t do that to piss you off. Your mana reserves are as weak as a freshly born lamb, Alder. Any longer and you would’ve ended up with a killer headache.”

“Oh. Right.” The boy blushed. “Still, that was amazing. I’ve seen my pare-” he paused, grimacing in pain. “They moved objects, made light to comfort me when the storms came. I miss them.”

“I’m sorry, Alder.” Ulgrin sighed, unsure of how to comfort him. “When my Grandfather passed, I felt the world was punishing me. I can’t imagine how much worse it is for you. But stay strong, lad. We’ll find your sister one day. You need to focus on gaining the strength to do such a task.”

Alder sucked in a breath before gathering himself again. “Okay. Yeah. We will.”

“Now, let’s go get something to eat. Using magic is hell on an empty stomach, and we’d best see what rations the ship has to offer.” He guided the boy back below decks, eager to stray away from dark thoughts.

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Three days had passed since the fateful battle against pirates.

It was three days filled with recovery, training, and a seasick Raelza. Alyss had run out of reagents for her sickness cure and the poor Drow had immediately succumbed to painful bouts of vomiting.

But now they could see the shores of Andire just across the horizon. It was an awe-inspiring sight. Trees stretched across their field of vision for miles, the rich temperate forests filled to the brim with towering oaks and dense underbrush. As they grew nearer, it was obvious the northern coast was quite wild.

A few hours passed before they saw the city of Eastpassage in view. Ulgrin was immediately taken aback by the marble walls stretching from river to shore. A branch of the river forked away from the main tributary and branched yet again to form an truly impressive island.

With a moat stretching several hundred feet across, the isle was already a powerful fortification. Add in high walls, fortified bridges, and rocky bulwark creating quite the cove, he had no doubt a siege would buckle against this city.

Their ship began to pull into harbor and he got a glimpse at the two sides of the river. It seemed the main islet was dedicated towards a towering castle and noble district. Industry seemed to cover the north side while farms and residential districts sprawled out to the south.

Ships of all sorts filled the harbor, from the sleek Argentum trading vessels to the heavily armored Lhorn warship escorts. Captain Seaweaver quickly sorted out a deal with the local harbormaster and they quickly pulled into dock.

He and his allies gathered, waiting for the crew to finish mooring and unloading supplies. It wouldn’t do them well to get in their way, what with all the heavy crates and barrels being moved around. Ulgrin took the opportunity to relax and read, but was surprised to hear a choked squeal from nearby.

Everyone stared at Alyss as she cut off the strangled noise coming from her throat.

“What is wrong?” Saezz asked, cocking his head. “Did you swallow a piece of jerky wrong?”

“No.” She had gone white as a sheet, and was staring out at the docks. Ulgrin followed her gaze and saw a carriage sitting in the middle of the boulevard. Annoyed workers moved around it, but it stood out like a sore thumb.

“What is it? Is that a noble of some kind? Why would they be here?”

“I know who it is.” Alyss closed her eyes and sighed. “That’s my mother’s carriage. Shit.”

And so the party finally arrives in Andire, and to quite the surprise, too. I'm trying to properly showcase the different cultures of the Shattered Realm more as I progress in writing this.

Here is a picture of the armor that Captain Saltgrit wore, or at least a close enough doppleganger. The Skysworn Dynasty takes a lot of cues from Asian culture. Of course, it's not an exact 1:1 ratio, but I do steal my favorite aspects. Samurai armor is also cool as hell and nobody can tell me otherwise. Places like Kegrusland are similar to Eastern Europe, the Andiran Monarchy is fairly obviously UK-inspired. I hope it's not too on the nose their inspirations, as I'd like each nation to feel unique in its own way.

image [https://i.pinimg.com/474x/cb/6d/97/cb6d975be46f9ef32e3edf37bc890a0f.jpg]