“Indeed. Close-quarters swordplay notwithstanding, I should have ended up much as Preymaker did.”
“Lynus here,” Edrea said, putting her arm around him, “led us in an attack on the wurm’s master up on the knoll.”
“No I didn’t,” Lynus protested. He felt himself blushing. “Horgash led that attack.”
“I just happened to be in front,” said Horgash.
“Edrea, you said ‘the wurm’s master?’” Pendrake asked.
“I did.” Edrea poked Lynus and whispered, “I missed the last bit. You tell him.”
“Right,” said Lynus. “I . . . umm . . . okay, quick version. Northern fellow, Skirov probably, wrapped in runes. Edrea shot him twice, and Kinik almost cut him in half. His wounds kept disappearing, and the gorgandur screamed each time. I surmised he was using his bond with the creature to drive those injuries onto it.”
“Hah!” said Pendrake, slapping his knee and spattering filth. “That explains where my exit originated.”
Lynus pondered that for a moment and shuddered at the memory of the warlock’s wide-open arteries. “I suppose that’s so. He healed himself of all the wounds but the last one, which vanished, then reappeared after the wurm’s death howl.”
Pendrake grinned widely, his teeth shining white. “That piece of information is going to be referred to repeatedly.” He stood and turned to one of the young trollkin. “Give me that.” He upended the bucket over his head. It did about as much to the neutralized sludge as it might have to a thick layer of ’jack grease. He still looked like a tar-Pendrake.
“And it is the two of you I expect to repeat it. In classrooms. The university can allow me a sabbatical for a season or three, and you’re perfectly capable of taking over.”
Horgash guffawed. “The great Pendrake needs a rest?”
“Morrow help me, no!” Pendrake exclaimed. “I need to right a great wrong! Horgash, your people were left defenseless here. Your soldiers have been interposed between my own people and the skorne, an enemy we have all been completely ignorant of for as long as any record exists.”
He scraped a dollop of dark filth from his hair and flicked it to the ground. “I cannot fight that army, nor can I persuade King Leto to lend you more strength, but I can do a thing or two about the ignorance. Cygnar may again be gaining my services as a scout.”
He stepped forward, looked down at his blackened, greasy state, and pulled his assistants into a hug anyway. “No, you may not enlist in the army. You are to take over my classes, and get Kinik formally admitted. And in the short term, someone must oversee the transport and dissection of the first gorgandur killed in recorded history.”
“You’re not coming back to Corvis with us?” Edrea asked.
“Oh, I suppose I’ll have to. There are affairs to be set in order.” He scraped another handful of filth from his hair and stared at it. “And I suspect I am going to have to travel all the way back to Corvis in search of a suitable soap.”
Lynus looked at the gorgandur carcass and wondered if there was any place in the university where the reassembled scales might be displayed. Then he considered the expedition requirements for transporting it. He wondered absently if it might be less expensive simply to relocate the university.
Edrea sat in one of the trollkin huts, cleaning her rifle. She and the others had already cleaned themselves. And thanks to a mixture of saddle soap and trollkin spirits, even Pendrake was clean. He had, miraculously, applied enough of the horse ointments that he was going to get to keep all of his skin and most of the hair on his head.
Kinik had not kept her hand, however. They’d taken turns watching her during the night, and then Pendrake and Lynus had performed surgery that morning. Poor thing.
Edrea applied more oil to the brush and slid it down the barrel, searching for hidden patches of stuck powder that might foul future shots. Pendrake, she realized, was on a similar quest. Find all the nooks and crannies, root out the ignorance, shine light into the darkest places. He had been swallowed whole by an almost legendary creature just yesterday, an experience most people would choose to follow with a quiet retirement. But not Professor Viktor Pendrake. “Sabbatical” just meant “there are new things to learn,” his stated altruism toward the trollkin notwithstanding.
And that, she decided, had to be the key to his brilliance. He did go out of his way to help people using the things he learned, but his passion lay not in the helping. It was the learning. Research wasn’t a job. It wasn’t a calling. It was simply what he loved more than anything else, and so he did it better than anyone else.
The great houses of Ios could do with more of that love, she thought sadly.
She was going to miss him. He was right outside, haggling with Jata for fresh supplies, but it felt like he was already gone.
There was rough-voiced singing outside as well, a mixture of mourning and triumph, reminding Edrea that she was going to miss Horgash, too. The old trollkin planned to winter here with the Mirkar kriel. By spring, “The Chronicle of the Grey Champions” might be carved into the krielstone here to be sung by voices less skilled but less scarred than his own.
“Friend Lynus,” Kinik said. “I have a request, and I want to say I am sorry.”
Edrea looked up. Kinik had approached the table where Lynus has spread his books and was inspecting them for damage. A sling supported her heavily bandaged arm, which ended in a stump just below her elbow.
“Sorry? Wait, request what?” asked Lynus.
“I request you for korune.”
“You . . . you want me for korune?” Lynus gasped. “No, that’s not right! You came to us so you could serve Professor Pendrake.”
“You have more glory ahead of you. Pendrake has glory mostly behind. And you have more need. You need a strong back and long blade at your side. You are worthy of service.”
Edrea nodded to herself. Lynus was worthy. She looked at the ogrun and her dear human friend, wondering how this would unfold.
Kinik’s face fell. “But I am sorry. I am not good enough to serve.” She held up her bandaged stump. “Cannot serve.”
Lynus was silent, his face grim. He stared at the floor.
“No, you can’t,” he said after a moment.
Edrea scowled. Lynus had been good to Kinik after those first rough days, and she’d thought that perhaps . . .
“I . . .” Kinik’s expression grew even sadder.
“But not because you’re now left-handed. No, it’s worse than that.” Lynus rubbed his knuckle up the bridge of his nose in a clear imitation of Pendrake pushing his glasses.
“No student of mine can be permitted to waste time serving as a sword-arm or a pack mule. No lover of books, bones, and biology can be sworn so young to a life of shedding blood and absorbing bullets.”
Edrea smiled, all the more as Kinik broke into a wide, tearful grin.
“No, you cannot serve me, because Edrea and I and Corvis University will be serving you.”
Lynus stepped forward, reached up, and clapped Kinik on the shoulder, another clear imitation of Pendrake.
“But once you’ve learned enough? Once you know which books to carry? Then I will be honored to have your strong left hand at my side.”
Kinik reached out with that left arm and pulled Lynus into an engulfing hug.
And Edrea considered that perhaps a love of more than just learning might be the driving force behind Corvis University’s Department of Extraordinary Zoology.
GLOSSARY
blackclad: The common name used to refer to a druid of the Circle Orboros, alluding to their propensity to wear black cloaks and robes. Blackclads are masters of elemental magic and are rumored to be affiliated with the Devourer Wurm.
bloodtrackers: Female Tharn warriors who prefer to employ weighted javelins to kill their enemies from a distance, although they are also capable melee combatants. They are most noted for their hunting prowess, as they can channel the supernatural power of the Devourer Wurm to augment the
ir predatory instincts.
bogrin: Larger, stronger, and less sociable cousins of the more common gobber race. Bogrin are more commonly found inhabiting wilderness areas and are rarer in the cities of western Immoren.
bokur: Literally, “unsworn.” Ogrun who seek to prove their value through combat and often by travelling the world prior to swearing themselves to a single korune. This is a transient status in ogrun culture that may last for years or even decades, but during which the ogrun is thought to be incapable of earning lasting respect or being a full member of the community.
Caen: The world containing the Iron Kingdoms, Immoren, Zu, etc. Sometimes contrasted as the material world as opposed to the spiritual world of Urcaen.
Caspia: The capital of Cygnar and the only human city not to fall to the Orgoth. Also called the “City of Walls.”
Circle Orboros: A secretive ancient order of druids that is the oldest continuous organization in human history. Although few in number, they wield great power. Capable of summoning the forces of storm, animating warriors of stone, and commanding the beasts of the wild, their will is rarely resisted.
cortex: The highly arcane mechanikal device that gives a steamjack its limited intelligence. Over time cortexes can learn from experience and develop personality quirks.
Corvis: The northeastern Cygnaran city occupying the conjunction of the Black River and the Dragon’s Tongue River. Also called the “City of Ghosts.”
Cygnar: A southern kingdom ruled by King Leto Raelthorne and bearing the Cygnus on its flag. Generally considered the most prosperous and technologically advanced of the Iron Kingdoms.
Devourer Wurm: An ancient and terrifying primal god of natural chaos, hunger, and predation that is described as the great ancient enemy of Menoth. Also called the Beast of Many Shapes, the Devourer is said to exist in every beast that hunts other living things as well as natural destructive phenomena such as lightning, earthquakes, floods, and wildfires. In some myths, the Wurm is seen as the male embodiment of nature, while Dhunia is the female embodiment. Viewed by Dhunian races as their divine father.
Dhunia: The primal goddess of fertility, the seasons, and nature and thought by her adherents to be embodied by Caen itself. Her worshipers are primarily gobbers, ogrun, and trollkin but also include some wilderness races like the farrow. In some myths, Dhunia is seen as the female embodiment of nature, while the Devourer Wurm is the male embodiment. Viewed by Dhunian races as their divine mother.
dire troll: Massive trolls that stand up to eighteen feet tall, with oversized fists, huge claws, and jutting tusks nearly two feet long. They possess incredible strength and resilience as well as a nearly insatiable hunger that drives them to eat almost anything they can catch. The hunger and violence of the dire trolls is feared even by other troll species. Only in recent memory have trollkin begun to befriend dire trolls and employ them in battle.
dracodile: Vicious and powerful reptilian ambush predators that dwell in swamps and marshes.
dragon: Immortal, unnatural, intelligent, and supremely powerful supernatural creatures spawned by Lord Toruk, the first and greatest of their number. Dragons are solitary and hostile to their progenitor and rarely notice the affairs of lesser beings.
farrow: A boar-like race inhabiting the wild areas of Immoren, notable for high intelligence and sophisticated tool use as well as the capacity to learn the languages of other races. Scavenging and raiding are vital aspects of farrow culture, which has provoked frequent conflict with their neighbors.
fell caller: Paragons of trollkin culture and pride, these sons and daughters of Bragg (the legendary progenitor of their bloodline) raise their powerful voices in song to rally their allies toward heroic efforts or shatter flesh and bone through the force of their sonic attacks.
fog drake: A specific breed of drake, being large territorial reptiles unrelated to the dragons or dragonspawn they superficially resemble. Fog drakes dwell in swamps, lakes, and marshes and are reputed to be able to create fog to assist their hunts.
gatormen: A bipedal, intelligent reptilian race resembling their namesake. They are among the most formidable warriors in western Immoren, as few can rival their raw killing power; even unarmed gatormen are fearsome due to their strong jaws and flesh-ripping teeth. They dwell in a variety of remote swamps, marshes, and riverbanks.
gobber: A diminutive race of inquisitive, nimble, and entrepreneurial individuals that have adapted well to the cities of men. Most gobbers are around three feet tall. Gobbers are known to have undeniable aptitude for mechanikal devices and alchemy.
gorgandur: Enormous monstrous serpents that dwell in deep subterranean burrows, venturing aboveground so rarely they are thought by many to be mythical. Their appearances are connected with tremendous destruction and mayhem.
Immoren: The continent containing the Iron Kingdoms, Ios, Rhul, the Skorne Empire, and the lands between them. Much of Immoren remains unexplored, and its inhabitants have had limited contact with other continents.
Inquisition: A Cygnaran political organization originally created to stamp out sorcery and gather intelligence but which earned notoriety during the reign of Vinter Raelthorne IV for its role in eliminating the king’s political enemies and enforcing obedience through terror. After the Lion’s Coup the organization was disbanded and declared illegal, its members arrested, pardoned, or gone into hiding. It has since served as a subversive group loyal to the exiled Vinter.
Ios/Iosan: An isolationist nation east of Llael and north of the Bloodstone Marches, Ios was founded long before the nations of men by survivors of a destroyed empire called Lyoss. It is inhabited by a long-lived elven race that has suffered a long gradual decline and faces an imminent cosmological catastrophe.
kaelram: Massive, tough-skinned herbivores with long, curving tusks. These powerful pachyderms have sometimes been used as beasts of burden by the Idrians on the fringes of the Protectorate of Menoth.
Khador: The northernmost of the Iron Kingdoms, once a kingdom and now an empire. The Khadoran Empire is ruled by Empress Ayn Vanar.
kith: A trollkin extended-family group within a larger kriel. Members of a kith are typically closely related by blood.
kithkar: A war leader of the trollkin, occupying a role similar to that of an officer in a human army.
korune: A lord who accepts the permanent service of an ogrun warrior. While korunes were originally themselves also ogrun, the concept has been extended to anyone to whom an ogrun has sworn, most commonly Rhulfolk.
kriel: The most important divisions of trollkin culture and the equivalent of a trollkin tribe or clan, varying greatly in size but always comprising several affiliated kith. Members of the same kriel share the same quitari pattern on their clothing.
Lancer: A rugged yet agile Cygnaran warjack developed with an emphasis on defense and survivability. Each is equipped with an arc node, a vital piece of technology that allows its warcaster to cast spells at a greater distance.
Lion’s Coup: The Cygnaran coup in 594 AR led by Leto Raelthorne, who ousted his tyrannical brother Vinter IV to begin his reign. The coup was facilitated by Leto’s position as warmaster general of the Cygnaran Army, which allowed him to organize his loyal officers to assist in the palace revolt and to minimize the involvement of Vinter’s loyalists.
Llael: Once the smallest and easternmost Iron Kingdom but largely conquered during the recent Llaelese War. Llael is presently divided between Khador, the Protectorate of Menoth, and the Llaelese Resistance.
Madrak Ironhide: The foremost chieftain of the displaced trollkin kriels of the Thornwood Forest. Madrak eventually rises to become one of the key leaders of the “United Kriels.”
Menite/Menoth: A worshiper of Menoth, the primal god credited by his worshipers with the creation of aspects of the world itself, including the division of the water from the land, the ordering of the seasons, and most importantly, the creation of humanity. Menoth’s gifts to humanity included fire, agriculture, masonry, and the written word
in the form of the True Law, his divine commandments. The largest number of Menites are found in Khador and the Protectorate of Menoth; most humans consider Menoth their creator but are not necessarily Menites. Menite worship declined with the rise of the faith of Morrow.
Merywyn: The former capital of Llael, presently the most important industrial city held in the Khadoran-occupied territory.
Molgur-Og: The native language of ogrun across western Immoren, derived from the ancient Molgur tongue. Generally only spoken between ogrun.
Molgur-Trul: The native language of the trollkin, derived from the ancient Molgur tongue.
Morrow: One of the Twins, brother to Thamar, and a god who was once mortal but who ascended to divinity by achieving enlightenment. Also known as the Prophet, Morrow is a benevolent god who emphasizes self-sacrifice, good works, and honorable behavior. The organized religion of Morrow is the largest and most widespread faith in the Iron Kingdoms, the majority faith in Cygnar, Khador, Llael, and Ord. The Church of Morrow has considerable wealth and influence. See also Thamar.
ogrun: A large and physically powerful race renowned for their great strength and honor. Most ogrun are citizens of Rhul, though they can be found throughout the Iron Kingdoms and are also present in the Scharde Isles serving Cryx.
Ord: The kingdom on the western coast between Khador and Cygnar, largely neutral in the recent wars and seen as a haven for mercenary companies.
Orgoth: A fearsome race of men from an unknown continent west across the Meredius who invaded and enslaved western Immoren for centuries. The Orgoth were driven out just over four hundred years ago.
quitari: Traditional tartan patterns worn by each trollkin that usually represents the wearer’s home kriel. In recent times, some trollkin have created new patterns or adopted the quitari of the chieftain or war leader they serve, even if not originally from the same kriel.
Radcliffe carbine: A long-range military rifle that utilizes a five-chambered ammo wheel.
Raelthorne, Vinter IV: The deposed king of Cygnar. Vinter’s skill and ferocity in battle were exceeded only by his cruelty and paranoia. He is considered a tyrant but is also arguably the best swordsman in the history of Immoren.
Extraordinary Zoology Page 13
