The Butcher of Gadobhra

Chapter 411: A Chill Wind Blows

After the electrical storm of the day before, the skies over Gadobhra were clear and the air brisk. A strong wind out of the north brought the smell of snow and the temperature began to drop. The city cared little. Winter or summer was all the same to the creatures of the dungeons and the Beast Woods. Hungrytown had feared the coming winter, but the Baron's word had been good, and great supplies of boards, timbers, and cut stone had been supplied to the shanty town. Rather than rebuild, new wood was hammered over the old to fix drafts and repair roofs, keeping the rustic look of the area. It would have driven Woodrat to insanity to see good wood used that way, but it was how the denizens of Hungrytown had lived for generations and they saw no reason to change just because of some temporary prosperity. The brownies repaired the holes they missed late in the night, leaving the shanties snug and warm, by their inhabitant's normal standards.

In the Hamlets, the last of the vegetables and fruits were harvested and the cellar doors opened to invite in the cold, dry air. The Dryads prepared for the long winter but felt no chill. Pomeline had beseeched the unicorn herds for their aid so that no Dryad would suffer her fate. The unicorns shifted their play area to the trees happily. They were quite fond of the sweet grass and windblown apples from the apple orchard. The trees would not have to worry about the worst that winter could throw at them.

As the day wore on, the temperature dropped further, and dozens of people sought shelter in the tavern in Sedgewick. Suzette saw faces she hadn't seen before. Many people were traveling from Rowan Keep to Sedgewick and on to Gadobhra to see the city, but more and more were coming inside to warm up and sip beer or warm cider. Nothing like political drama and a flock of vultures to bring in new business. No matter why they were here, people needed to eat. The exception was the group in the far corner. They were keeping to themselves and had only asked for white wine and a pitcher of water. She might have thought about them further, but the group huddled near the fire called for warm, mulled wine, cheese, and soup.

It was only when she brought more water and wine for the group sitting furthest from the fire that she noticed the frosted glasses in their hands and the chill coming from them, and realized something was very wrong.

Delbert could feel the cold wind blowing through the town. That was going to make things uncomfortable in the barracks. He released some of his stored heat and sent it along a fast breeze to the vents in the basement, maintaining a comfortable temperature for the other workers who still lived there. The rebuilt tunnels under Sedgewick made it easy for him to maintain his storerooms and maintain an even temperature in the barracks.

His powers and perception had grown considerably in the last few weeks. He was an introvert by nature and had devoted his time almost exclusively to keeping the stored foodstuffs fresh. His abilities had slowly grown, but not expanded until his friends pried him out of his lair and took him on adventures.

First had been a long week in the forests, working eight hours a day with Jon and Cham stripping bark and shaping beams with an adze. Gaining his first point of strength had opened his eyes and stilled his grumbling. If he could lift the heavy barrels by himself, he wouldn't need to ask for help in his storerooms and could keep things perfectly arranged to his liking with less heat lost and less dirt tracked in. He fell into a routine, working by himself in the woods on the large stacks of logs the lumberjacks left for him.

Twice he'd been attacked by strange creatures made of bark and twigs. Both times he'd panicked and hacked them to splinters after he froze them into immobility. Cham had come running the first time, hearing his scream. By the time he got there, Chuckey Barksley was an icy smear on the ground and Delbert had earned two enhancement points. His fight with Smark, son of Bark was no less hectic, but at least he didn't scream that time. His unthinking reaction to freezing his opponent bought him time as his enemies slowed to a crawl. When he'd gained five points of STR and rank 5 in Adze, he'd been encouraged to move on to Butchering.

That had been terrifying. It was good he'd been accompanied by other workers, especially Ozzy. Walking through that haunted city at night hearing the screams of ghouls and hunting calls from the Beast Woods was terrifying to someone who liked an enclosed, controlled environment. Without people around him, he'd have run straight back to his storerooms and never come out again. And butchering was messy. He didn't like messes. They had no place in his orderly world. His initial reaction to the job of cutting up a horned rabbit had been to freeze the carcass solid. Ozzy had just nodded slowly, then brought his cleaver down, taking off the head. Looking at the perfect cut, he smiled his approval, "Nice thinking. Frozen meat gives more precise cuts. I bet you'll be able to make thinner slices than anyone else once you pick up some skills."

That made him consider his limited abilities in a different light. A week of butchering every night earned him another point of strength and new abilities that let him precisely slice into a carcass and section the meat perfectly for cooking. While everyone else concentrated on speed and sending the meat into the dungeon, he took exactly the right amount of time to orderly reduce his animals to their component parts. Ozzy noticed and mentioned how much Betty and Granya would appreciate perfectly sliced frozen meat delivered to their kitchen. That had proved true and his reputation in the tavern, non-existent at that point, had increased considerably. Granya began dropping off dinner to him a few times a week. Thin sliced Terror-Ostrich in gravy with mixed vegetables was better than gnawing on a piece of salted, half-frozen sedgebeast. And strangely, he was learning to enjoy the company.

More enhancement points and Levels came his way from Butchering and hunting in the Beast Woods. Rolly and Squirmie took him into the overgrown jungle. It didn't bother him as much as he thought it would. Squirmie explained the difference between Predators and Prey Beasts, and it made sense. Prey led a frightened and disorderly existence while a Predator was in control. He liked being a predator better. He hunted with them after the nightly Butchering often after that talk. And then a week later, finally started hunting on his own. He enjoyed the long nights, quietly laying in wait, matching his temperature to his surroundings and waiting for a creature to come close enough for him to slow it with cold, and then slice it into small parts. He made offerings at the Shrine of the Hunter and completed as many quests as he could.

When he had done enough to move to the third tier the system forced him to spend his enhancement points. This disappointed him. He wanted to know exactly how things worked before he spent any. Everyone had opinions on what it was best to work toward, but Suzette had helped him the most. The barmaid had told him, "Decide who you want to be, and what will make you happy. I didn't always follow that rule, and it caused me a lot of stress."

Delbert knew what he wanted to be: He wanted to be a Wizard! He'd been thrilled to have even minor spells and an aspect and he wanted more! He spent his Enhancement Points on the Aspect of Fire and Aspect of Air. He imagined creating cold winds, throwing bolts of fire, and building castles of ice. Instead, he gained two simple cantrips: Hotfoot and Gentle Breeze. He'd told himself these were the building blocks of his mighty spells and began practicing. And spent a lot more nights in Gadobhra. He didn't mind the grind. If becoming a mighty wizard was easy, everyone would do it! The rest of his points went into anything that would increase his mana. All but one of his Tier Three choices were ignored. His path was clear.

Thermic Mage (+2 INT, +2 PER)

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

While others dabble in Fire or Ice, you have unlocked the secrets that control both.

Gain the following skills:

Endothermic Absorbtion (CON)

Exothermic Projection (INT)

Fire Resistance (CON)

Frost Resistance (CON)

Domain Control (PER)

Armed with his new abilities and strength, his storerooms had become his mighty fortress. No food rotted and no pest dared invade. He still went to Gadobhra some nights. Even mighty Thermic mages needed practice.

Delbert knew immediately when the newcomers entered his domain. He worked hard to maintain the perfect temperature and humidity in the labyrinth of storerooms beneath Sedgewick and could tell immediately if someone left a door open too long. His ability to sense a disturbance in his area of control had increased as he got stronger. When these men forced their way through a door, he felt the temperature of the room drop immediately.

The three strange visitors were dressed alike in travel-stained white robes, with frost on their breath and ice in their beards. One bore a small chest that oozed cold, the second held a spellbook, while the third was holding a staff carved from blue ice with glowing runes.

Delbert nodded to them, acknowledging their presence in his domain. "Greetings, fellow wizards."

They smiled, "Greetings, Brother in Ice. We bring gifts to welcome you to our Fellowship."

William, Baron of Gadobhra, the first of his name, was holding an official Baronial Court to reward those who pleased him and had labored long in his cause.

Before him were arrayed the Professors of the College of Practical Alchemy and Experimental Magic. Once a mighty learning institute with campuses in many cities, the breaking of the Wheel of Eight had forced many tenured Professors to hastily pack a carpet bag and get the hell out of town, one step ahead of the Inquisition. Their numbers had dwindled over time and only the unparalleled optimism of Johannes had kept some of them together. Today, they nervously awaited their greatest experiment: Trusting the Nobility to Keep a Promise. Damien had pointed out to them that doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result was the definition of insanity. They had all agreed with him, having left sanity sitting on a bench long ago. So it wasn't unexpected when the Baron spoke.

"I'm changing the deal, no college. And I don't want to hear any whining about it." He snapped his fingers.

Two men, unknown to the Professors stepped out from the crowd. Both wore grease-stained coveralls, heavy boots, and battered top hats. Goggles and thick grey beards obscured their faces, leaving only their prominent noses sticking out above their bushy mustaches.

The Baron motioned them forward. "I am pleased to recognize two esteemed Engineers who just today emigrated from the far south. Welcome Senior Engineer Bisanimo and his spunky assistant Filius-bat. I've seen how useful it was to have members of the Guild of Engineers here to help with projects, and while I couldn't convince Senior Engineer Milo to relocate to our lovely city, I'm sure that these two gentlemen can do the job of opening the Gadobhra School of Engineering, Science!, and Mathematical Studies."

The Baron snapped his fingers, and Ben carried in a scale model of the center of the city, complete with crumbling ruins. The central courtyard with the ACME building in the center was one of the few standing and the only one fit for use. Behind the ACME building, in one corner of the courtyard was the location of the College, prior to the destruction of Gadobhra. Johannes had hoped to rebuild there, despite the lower levels still being held by rogue professors and their lab experiments. Billy pointed to an adjacent corner, also behind the ACME building. "I think this is a good spot for the College of Engineering." He looked at the Professors as Ben put a model building down on the map, taking up the whole block, "Any thoughts?"

Voluminous had his hand over Titania's mouth, trying to muzzle her and not lose a finger. No one looked happy. Johannes tried to look at the bright side, "Ah, yes, that does look like a good spot. Would the...ah, new college...would it have sufficient room to possibly supply space to practitioners of other academic subjects?"

The two Engineers giggled, and the apprentice started choking he was laughing so hard. The other engineer saved him by pounding on his back with a wrench.

"Ah, thank you, Senior Engineer."

"Think nothing of it. But do get yourself under control, youngster. Hedge Mages say the darndest things. We can't laugh every time they open their mouths."

The Baron nodded in agreement with them. "I think that illustrates why we need to keep some separation between the two groups. As I was saying, I'm changing the deal." He looked at all of the professors, holding their gaze with his. Ben added a building to the site of the old college and lower buildings in between, surrounded by trees and green spaces.

"This is Gadobrha, we don't do things half-assed. I want a full University. The Arcane University of Gadobhra. Engineering on one end, and crazy magic on the other. Johannes, the position of Dean is yours if you want it. It's a hard job with long hours, no sleep, and little thanks."

The tall, misshapen Professor had a tear in his eye, this was all of his dreams come true. "I would be honored."

"Great. Ben will coordinate with the two groups. Get to work and get a plan worked out. I've got Building Points burning a hole in my pocket. And to make sure you understand how much the Baroness and I value your help, I'm happy to make another announcement."

Baron William and Baroness Layla would like to express their gratitude to the Contract Workers, Engineers, and Professors who recently aided them in the reconstruction of Rowan Keep and the creation of a new Teleportation stone.

All those involved are awarded 20 Enhancement points as a heartfelt reward.

"Now shoo, you were my first appointment of the day, but I've got others." The Professors and Engineers filed out, talking excitedly.

"Who else do we have today?"

His courier pulled out a list and handed it to the Baron. "The Order of Heracles has decided to relocate to the city and they wish to discuss the purchase of one or more of the decaying mansions. The Gnomish Bank of Sedgewick wishes to discuss business opportunities with you, as do the Kallvek family, and a group of emissaries from the far north, who say they represent the Maple Priests and come bearing gold, incense, and maple syrup."

"Gold talks. Send in the last group next."

The last group was composed of an elderly knight in ornate silver plate and chain, his silver hair and beard gleaming and trimmed. Next to him on either side were what had to be priests or mages, bearing small, ornate wooden boxes. Behind came an ogre-like creature over twelve feet tall bearing a huge chest. The gifts were set down, and the chest opened. Inside, thousands of gold coins gleamed. They matched the gleam in Billy's eyes.

They all bowed, except for the knight, who nodded politely. "Greetings from the far North, your Excellency. We bring you wealth and opportunity. Also, an army awaiting your command and rewards beyond any you've seen before."

Winter has come, bearing gifts and a generous offer to join forces. One you shouldn't refuse.

The Hordes of Winter and their esteemed allies The Priests of the Sacred Maple offer The City of Gadobhra an alliance consisting of consolidating our mutual forces for the coming war. When the warm lands are forced to surrender you will replace Duke Carl as ruler of all the lands of the Northern Province of Grultain and take the title, Duke of the North.