Congratulations, by reaching level 25 in Great Weapons you have learned the ability Pommel Strike. Delivering a devastating blow to the head of an opponent, stunning them for three seconds. Damage: 80. Cast time: 1 second. Cooldown: 15 seconds. Mana cost: 95.
Congratulations, by reaching level 35 in Great Weapons you have learned the ability Tremor Strike. You swing the blade into the ground and send a shock-wave through the earth, toppling all enemies within ten feet. Damage: 50. Cast time: 1 second. Cooldown: 60 seconds. Mana cost: 155.
“What the hell?” He nearly shouted, glaring at Boz. “Could you have done that the whole time?”
The dwarf grinned. “Admit it, learning how to fight was more fun than me handing it to you on a silver platter.”
“I thought I was doing it wrong. I‘ve been beating myself up for days.” Skree growled, pushing the dwarf‘s hand away angrily. “Why didn‘t you do it sooner?”
“Because any master that doesn’t teach you how to fight, is not a master at all.”
Chapter 45
The acrid smells of the Ironworks greeted Skree as they approached the Golemheart forge where Ruby was waiting. Atop the raised platform was a large object, covered in a dark gray cloth, hiding it from view.
“Captain Skree, your ram is complete.” Ruby said, patting the massive shape beside her. “It has been a thing of beauty, being able to work on the Golemheart forge. Being named the Forge Master was an unexpected bonus. For that you have my thanks.”
“You‘re welcome Ruby. I cannot wait to see what you have made.” Skree said. “I assume you wanted me here for the grand reveal?”
She nodded, staring at her creation with pride. “You took a risk and let me create this, my magnum opus, at great personal cost.”
Skree shrugged. “It wasn’t as expensive as you might think.”
“Regardless, you didn’t know me, and I asked you for the impossible. You got me access to the Golemheart forge, something I‘ve dreamed about for years. I wanted to thank you personally.” She grinned. “Are you ready to see it?”
“I walked all the way here didn’t I?” He clapped his hands together, rubbing them together excitedly. “The suspense is killing me!”
Ruby grabbed a handful of the sailcloth and yanked, revealing her stunning creation. Underneath the cloth was a ram unlike anything Skree could have imagined. It was the face of a half-orc like Ruby‘s, and two large, pointed fangs jutting from its lower jaw created two points of impact. Skree could easily imagine how much damage those fangs could cause to enemy ships.
Not only was the craftsmanship incredible, the White Chromium metal gave the ram the appearance of being made of solid chrome with rainbow hues like an oilslick on the water. As he stepped around it, the colors shimmered and changed with each step. He stepped close, placing a hand on the ram and a prompt appeared.
You have found Korm’s Fangs, Rarity: Unique, Quality: Masterwork, Damage: 4,100, Durability: 8,000/8,000. Description: Modeled after Korm, the greatest hero of half-orc legends, this ram provides fifty percent increased chance to pierce hulls for critical damage.
Skree stared at the half-orc with his jaw hanging open. “Ruby it’s…” he trailed off, running a hand along one fang.
“Incredible?” she asked, folding her arms over her chest.
“Incredible.” Skree said, shaking his head in agreement.
Mills stepped beside him, rapping him on the back. “See Captain, I told you Ruby was the right one to build this.”
“And you were right.” Skree said, still inspecting the detail on the face. It truly was a masterwork, the features so realistic he could imagine the ram coming to life to swallow him whole. He moved to stand before Ruby. “The Admiral was right to appoint you to be the forge master. Thank you for this.”
“It isn’t finished.” she said, gesturing at the face of Korm. “There are two things left to finish. The first is the Golemheart enchantment. I could have just picked what I thought was right, or best, but you deserve the honor. Despite the huge number of options available, I can use only a few on a ship's ram.” Her eyes unfocused and a prompt appeared in Skree‘s vision.
Golemheart Forge Enchantments available:
Impact Enchantment - Increases the base damage of this weapon by thirty percent.
Durability Enchantment - Increase the base durability of this weapon by thirty percent
Lightweight Enchantment - Reduces the weight of this weapon by thirty percent
Piercing Enchantment - Increases the base pierce chance of this weapon by thirty percent
He read them quickly, weighing the options in his head. Impact seemed great, increasing the damage significantly. Still, the ram already had 4,100 base damage and the Sawbones barely had that much health to begin with. A salvo from Moultry‘s guns, followed up with a ramming attack should finish almost any ship. Durability seemed great, but the ram already had twice as much durability as the durability of his entire ship, so it seemed like a waste. Lightweight was interesting, reducing the weight of the ram should increase the top speed of the Sawbones.
The piercing enchantment would be a solid choice, but the ram already had a 50 percent chance to pierce, would an increase to 65 percent make that much of a difference? Probably, but based on the load-out he had chosen, the top speed was significantly lower than it’s max already and he knew they needed every bit of speed they could muster.
“Please use the Lightweight Enchantment.” Skree said confidently.
“As you wish Captain.” Ruby said. She placed a hand on the ram and concentrated. Skree watched in fascination as the cheeks hollowed out, jawbone becoming more pronounced. The fangs elongated, but grew thinner at the base.
“It’s done.” Ruby said, dusting off her hands.
“What’s left?” Skree asked.
She grinned. “My personal gift to you. I can inscribe the ram with runes that will give it a special ability.”
“Different from the Golemheart Forge?” He asked.
“As you probably guess, I am not human.” She said, pointing at her fangs.
“What? How dare you hide that from me!” Mills exclaimed, holding a hand to his head in mock surprise. Ruby shot him a venomous glare.
“Shut up Mills.” she snapped. “My race has access to a special form of weapon creation called Orcish Inscription. We carve special runes onto a weapon or armor that activate when the wielder channels mana into them. I have unlocked two Inscriptions at the master level. If you would allow me, I can inscribe the ram with the one of your choosing.”
Not only had she created a masterwork weapon for his ship and enchanted it with the power of the Golemheart forge, now she wanted to inscribe it with a racially restricted talent increasing its effectiveness even further? There was no way he could say no to her offer.
“That is very generous of you. What inscriptions can you add?”
“I have two inscriptions, the first is the Heart of Flame. It allows you to channel mana into the runes and engulf a weapon in flames. The second is Creeping Frost. It will cover a weapon in frost that will make armor or hulls brittle. Both would be great options for a ram of this make.”
“The Heart of Flame.” Skree blurted.
“That was quick.” Mills said, raising an eyebrow. Skree shot him a feral grin and looked at the tusks of the ram.
“Imagine this face bearing down on you, flaming tusks moments from impaling your ship.”
Mills stared at the tusks with a nod. “It would be pretty terrifying.”
Ruby grabbed a small hammer and a chisel; carving runes into the metal. She took the better part of an hour, but when she had finished, intricate runes ran the length of the tusks. She took a step back and nodded. “All done.”
Skree traced a finger along the runes, and they shimmered with hidden power. He glanced at Ruby. “How do I channel mana into the runes?”
She tossed him a small cube of metal, covered in matching runes. “Anyone can hold this and focus o
n the runes. As long as they channel mana into the block, the runes will activate.”
He stared at the runed piece of metal and focused his intent. He felt mana drain from his body and flames sputtered to life on the tusks, then erupted into a brilliant flare of light. Together they stood staring at the face of Korm, the heat from the blue flames shimmering the air and giving the ram an even more sinister appearance.
“Okay, that is way more terrifying than I thought.” Mills said, the heat forcing him to take a step back. Skree gasped, and collapsed to his knees, coughing. Mills rushed to his side. “You okay captain?”
“I’m fine.” he coughed. “That thing drains mana faster than I expected. I was so amazed that I forgot to stop channeling.”
Ruby nodded. “The bigger the weapon, the bigger the drain. You won’t be able to use it all the time, but it should work for you at least once in a fight.”
“Good to know.” Skree said, still struggling to stand. His mana bar was slowly recovering, but burning through hundreds of mana in a few seconds had his head burning with pain. Mills got an arm under him and hoisted him to his feet. Skree steadied himself. “How long before you can get it mounted on the ship?”
Mills sized up the ram, the tips of the tusks still glowing hot. “We can get it down there today, and it should be ready to go by tomorrow evening.”
Skree nodded. “Get it done. We set sail in a few days.”
Chapter 46
“The dock teams have finished loading the provisions onto the ship.” Elaina said, flipping through the papers on a clipboard. “Forty days of rations for a crew of two hundred. Cannonballs, gunpowder and maintenance gear for the guns is in place. Moultry has the Boom Crew on standby. Once you give the word, we can board.” She turned to face Mills. “Mister Jefferies, what is the status of the Ram?”
Mills grinned. “It’s gorgeous and mounted as of two hours ago.” He nodded to Skree. “When you are ready, we can begin our journey to the Great Rift.”
“Excellent. I appreciate all the hard work you have done Elaina. I am promoting you to First Mate.” He looked around the group. “Any objections?”
No one spoke up or raised their hand. It had worried Skree that Mills might take it as a slight, but from the look of relief on the man’s face, he had overestimated his friends desire to be the number two.
Elaina glanced at Priestess nervously. “Captain, I assumed that Priestess would assume the role.”
“No way.” Priestess said, waving the notion away. “I already have a ton of responsibilities. Two dozen younglings will keep my hands full.”
“You are the one for this job Elaina.
“The little tykes aren‘t coming aboard for this trip are they?” Old Greg asked.
“No. The other adults in the group will keep them occupied while we are away.” She explained.
“I have already spoken with Maybelle, and she has agreed to an extension. We have two months to return or Maybelle will kill me.” Skree said with a chuckle.
“Be careful Captain, if she said she would kill you, she just might.” Moultry said.
“I believe it Master Guns. Will the crew be ready to leave in the morning?” Skree asked.
“Should be doable. I’ll send runners out, get the crew to load up their belongings.”
“Great, we will embark shortly after dawn.” He met the faces of each member of his crew. “I know I am asking a lot from you, and the crew. Our journey takes us into dangerous waters and the Rift only makes it worse.”
“Aye, captain. I hope you have a good reason for dragging us to the ass end of Raiya.” Moultry barked.
“I do. Once I have seen the rift, I will have more information to share. But I have to see it with my own eyes.”
“So you‘re keeping something from us?” Elaina asked flatly. She was earnest and never beat around the bush.
“I am. Something important. But I am not ready to share it with you yet.”
“Secrets don’t work well on a ship captain.” Mills said.
“Understandably so. But the answers I need are at the rift, and without them, trying to explain the purpose of this journey would be useless. I honestly don‘t know if this trip will answer my questions, but regardless of what we find, I will tell you everything once I have seen the Rift.”
Moultry leaned back in his chair, crossing his hands behind his head. “Good enough for me. As long as we get to smash something while we’re out there. Been too long already since we last got to fire the guns.”
“You might have a problem Master Guns.” Mills said. “You sound like a teenager missing his best gal.”
The dwarf leaned forward, raising an eyebrow. “A woman could never compare to the love I feel for my guns.”
Mills rolled his eyes. “You need to get out more.”
Skree cleared his throat. “This is your last opportunity to change your mind and leave the crew. If you aren’t at the dock in the morning, I will cancel your contract and you will be free to pursue other options.”
Elaina nodded. “Thank you for your honesty captain. I will see you in the morning.”
“Aye, I’ll be there.” Old Greg said.
Mills grinned. “I doubt Captain Lis would take me back, so unfortunately, you‘re stuck with me.”
Skree knew Priestess wanted to go as bad as he did and Jury, bless him, already said he would never go back on his word to join the crew. Skree wondered if Jury had made a similar promise to Fenna, but it didn‘t matter now.
“Thank you everyone. If there is nothing else, please enjoy the rest of your day. We leave just after dawn.”
Everyone left to make their final preparations and say goodbye to friends and family, leaving Skree and Priestess standing alone in the Boardinghouse.
“This is it.” Skree said, glancing at his oldest friend.
Priestess bounced excitedly, smiling from ear to ear. “I am so excited! I cannot wait to see this Great Rift. Sounds fascinating.”
“Are you sure the Grelo and the other adults can handle things while we are away?”
“I have no doubts. Seema has become the head of the younglings and they follow her lead. I trust her, and the others.”
“Even Grelo?” Skree asked. He wasn’t sure if he trusted the angry and bitter kobold.
“He had a rough life in the warrens, before you came. Sawbones might have been the only one treated worse by Gertrude and her clan. They killed his brood mate, his younglings and tortured him endlessly.” She explained, sadness tinging her words. “Anyone else might have broken, but Grelo always stood up to them. Not from any sense of duty. More a way to spite Gertrude.”
Skree recalled his fight with Gertrude, the monstrous kobold chieftain. She had been a cruel leader, hurting the weak and taking everything from the Blue Stone Clan members. He was glad to have been the one to strike her down. Even their fight had shown how arrogant she was. But he had been victorious and Sawbones became their leader, lifting them from the dirt and elevated them to a shadow of their former selves.
“I am glad to have you at my side. What would I have done with the younglings without you? I don‘t know how to raise kobolds.”
“You would have done everything in your power to keep them safe.” She said, grabbing his hand. “King Sawbones knew what kind of man you were, and he was right to believe in you. In a few months, we will have a permanent home, and we can establish a new way of life for them. They will be the first children, free to choose a life that suits them.”
“What do you mean?”
“For centuries, the kobolds have lived in caverns, eking out a meager existence. Now I, and they, have seen how the world is outside those tunnels. For the kobolds to thrive once again, we need to integrate ourselves back into the fabric of Raiya. Join the other races in unity and friendship. We must spread to the far corners of the world so that no one attack will destroy us ever again.”
A pang of sadness shot through him. “I will end Abrenacht, and his servants.�
�� He sat on a couch, inviting Priestess to join him. He took a deep calming breath before speaking. “Priestess, I need to tell you something.”
She tilted her head quizzically. “Does it have to do with our trip to the Great Rift?”
He nodded. “It‘s more than that. I need to tell you who and what I am.” He settled into the cushions, taking a moment to compose his thoughts. “I am not from Raiya.”
“What do you mean?”
“My home is a place called Earth. It is so different from Raiya that trying to explain would take a lifetime. But a few months ago, a being I know as Sharktooth brought me here from across the stars. Raiya knows him as the Archon Hakora. He tasked me with completing a quest and saving the world, but could not tell my why or how.”
Skree gritted his teeth, remembering just how infuriating the shark headed god was. “He brought me directly to the Blue Stone Island, leaving me to survive on my own. He gifted me with some abilities that appear to be unique. For example, when I learned the detect magic skill from you, that was because of that ability. I can learn and speak any language immediately, even languages I shouldn‘t be able to speak.”
“It explains your mastery of our language, something my mother always considered suspicious.” Priestess said.
“The day I found the Heart of the Island, the stone of destiny, I tore it free from a being known as Abrenacht.” His expression hardened at the memory of his fight with the evil being. “It had taken the stone, corrupted it and killed a majority of the ancient kobolds. It is a creature of pure evil. A physical manifestation of darkness. I believe Hakora brought me here to challenge Abrenacht.”
“For what purpose? If Hakora had the power to bring you here, couldn‘t he do it himself?”
Skree shrugged. “Another question I do not have an answer for, but I think I will find them at the Rift. If a giant wall of nothing is consuming the world, it must be the reason I am here. I have to stop it and I think Abrenacht is responsible.”
“A fair assumption.” Priestess said, rubbing her chin. “Do you think seeing it will give you the answers you need?”
Raiya- Early Game Page 32
