The Summer Breakdown

After getting in trouble for speaking on behalf of the triop and signing away the remainder of their summer without permission, I had been forced to sleep in the stables for a night. While uncomfortable, it was nothing compared to the nights spent in the caves beneath Tahvinstead or the short stint I experienced in the Fliant realm. So, after a proverbial night in the dog house, cuddled alongside Ruckus, it was off to work. 

The next day led into the next month, working alongside Tahvinstead's residents and the figures that slowly filtered in from Goodshore and Valenkamp. Slowly but surely, we made changes to the hamlet, removing what was unnecessary and building up what was needed. It was a dirty job, with most days ending in a coat of mud and exhaustion akin to any adventure.

With the aid of my companions, who would share the manor with me, we laid out the plans for our homestead. Since it would act as our future base of operations and we never wanted it too close to the action, we positioned the building away from the hamlet. Resting against Lake Tahvinstead, we gave ourselves a defensible position with the water at our back and the rest of the future city at our front. Then, with some careful calculations, we ensured it was nearly above the inoperable Fliant Garrison two miles below. The reason for this was my personal secret, something that I would reveal to everyone when the time was right.

Learning my lesson from speaking on behalf of my companions, I ensured that everyone had their moment to dictate what they wanted in the manor. This resulted in some strange choices, like libraries, multiple lounges, and towers, but also included things like a good kitchen for Sharzin, a laboratory for Rionriv, a training room for me, and a set of stables for Aesandoral. By the time we had completed our first draft and handed it in, we were met with some curious looks from our contractors. At a glance, it appeared to be more akin to a familiar mystery house owned by a particular American gunmaker than it did a medieval manor. But a confusing layout only mattered to those trying to infiltrate the house, so much to Venali's chagrin, we decided to keep it.

But the manor was only the start of my insane machinations taking shape. I also took the time spent on site to draw out a perimeter for the future City of Tahvinstead. This consisted of a circle, fifteen miles in diameter, with a roundabout at the center and our manor built immediately off of it. Calling upon the expertise of Rionriv and Sharzin, we strategically placed the main roads within this circle. 

Unlike any other city currently in the world, we designed a layout that didn't prioritize industry or military deployment. Drawing inspiration from a specific era of my story world, one long since forgotten, we employed a strategy used by the inner district of Illuhsan'Drayden, the First City of the Gods. As we placed each road, we made sure to account for the location of every other one connected to the system. More than that, we ensured that our strategy was plotted out over years of development, planning all future roads at once and how they would affect the system as a whole.

In the beginning, as we drew up the plans for the contractors, the design appeared haphazard. This caused Grydor and Venali to exchange confused glances as they very professionally held their tongues while their expertise failed to grasp what we were attempting to accomplish. Luckily, by the time it was done, the plan had taken literal shape and become obvious. With gasps of understanding, they stood from their seats and stared down at the image Sharzin had created. 

From up close, it appeared to be nothing more than a poorly designed collection of thoroughfares. But from above, the roads connected in a way that transformed this future city into a singular, giant sigil. And while I didn't understand the importance of how the different roads affected its ability to work, thanks to our resident genius and master sorceress, I did know that the amplification sigil created would help with a few other machinations I had in the works down the road.

Beyond the big projects, there were also plenty of in-between periods that we oversaw ourselves, like exploring the forests within Tahvinstead’s boundaries. After the return of the Thantossa clan and their carriage, the girls were picked up and carted home regularly to enjoy the comforts of their own beds. Over that time, thanks to some sweet-talking by Rionriv and Aesandoral to Mama Paethia—the Warden of the Densewood Thicket—our group was given the Emerald Oracle's blessing to use the forest as we saw fit. This, of course, came with a dire warning, specifically to me, against causing too much of a disturbance to the natural beauty.

Seeing as I was from a world of global overshoots, climate change, and selfish depletion of nature, it made sense for her to worry. But I had no intention to repeat that mistake here. After all, life was hard enough without adding overconsumption to the roster. Just the thought of Moal'aw getting any hotter, or a wildfire consuming the Denswood Thicket, sent me into cold sweats. So, with this warning taken to heart, I donned my best Victorian-era explorer's gear and headed into the surrounding woods in search of other resources available to us.

It was during this exploratory period that we discovered another boon to the future of Tahvinstead. This one came in the form of a wetland rich with honeyheart trees at the edge of our proposed sigil. Much like the maples of World Eighty-Two, these towering deciduous beauties with heart-shaped leaves produced sap every spring. Unlike the maple syrup-producing alternative I had modelled this tree, the sap from the honeyheart could be cooked down into healing potions. And, just like that, Tahvinstead had a secondary source of income for the people. 

Beyond the financial gain that would benefit the hamlet, we also found plenty of game trails that traversed through the nearby woods. This was on top of the various fruit trees, bushes and edible plants that the hamlet's residents could harvest to reduce the cost of imported food. With new sources of edibles and opportunities for income beyond the mine, the future of Tahvinstead looked brighter with every day we explored its lands.

Helping the miners navigate the passages as they dove underground, we attempted to trace the networked veins of celestinium, only to find it increasingly frustrating. Every time we thought we reached an end, the vein disappeared behind a dense wall of impassable ore. While a blessing in some ways, it also meant that we truly didn't know just how much of the miracle metal we were dealing with. But, regardless of quantity, Grydor assured me that even he could tell the vein's quality was rich, meaning we would be able to sell it to Shatter for a good price. But it also meant that I would likely be able to properly construct the shelter Westerriton failed to create and much more.

Without needing to import it, I could build the structure where I mined it—constructing a celestinium bunker underground while sending the excess stone topside to be transformed into the buildings and roads for everything else. Whether or not the mine would be profitable in the long run didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered was building a city atop this wellspring of potential and ensuring enough room within the snaking bunker tunnels to protect everyone who inhabited it.

We also took the opportunity while prospecting our mine to return to the garrison. With the help of Elronda’kaltynik, our unlikely dragon ally from the Fliant Realm, and the pair of Luxtella Mari who followed us through, Ick’thras and Cal’hanuz, the once threatening Fusanütraken, had all but slipped backwards into dormancy. No longer fueled by Fliant energy, the once brightly lit space had greatly diminished. But this didn't seem to mind the trio, who spent most of their time going through the Fliant information that had been left behind in the dim light Elronda's cosmic jellyfish emitted.

Arriving on the scene, we were caught up on various goings on in the underground garrison. Firstly, just how close we had been to the invasion, according to the abandoned Fliant records. If we had arrived a day or two later, they would have had the pooled energy to begin the transportation of Fliant forces in full, dooming Esseria. 

Though where near tragedy resided came opportunity, and it was because of this excess energy that the alien residents informed me of their second discovery. With nowhere to expend the cosmic arcana, a thick ectoplasmic goo had begun to pour through the scar formed where the Fliant Realm had torn into ours, much like pus seeping out of a wound. Where it fell, it had created a viscous pool that the trio believed could be collected and distilled into a more usable form. 

While Elronda wasn’t sure what the distilled elixir's properties would yet be, she was certain she could make something useful with it. Not wanting to imagine eldritch pus any longer than I needed to, I gave the dragon permission to do with the liquid as she saw fit. 

Ultimately, after examining the space more thoroughly and chatting with our resident aliens, the triop and I expressed our trust in their judgment in fulfilling a request. I explained my dream of turning the Fliant garrison, which had nearly doomed the world, into the defensive brain of Tahvinstead. Using what had already been built, I wanted to expand upon it to protect the future city from both threats on our plane of existence and beyond. With no questions asked, the trio of cosmic refugees understood my loosely detailed goals, promising not to let me down.

—ooo—

The days came and went, and before we knew it, the last day of our summer in Tahvinstead had snuck up on us. Having grown used to sleeping in the lodge, we cleaned up the rooms we had been calling home for weeks, packing up our things to take down to the Royal Carriage that Paethia Thantossa had gifted our group. After several trips back and forth between Tahvinstead and Goodshore, the tired parent had finally given up on scheduling carriage time. As a more-than-generous 'manor warming' gift, Paethia instead decided to gift her daughters their own vehicle, which made the trip back to Goodshore and, ultimately, Dwindlefyre significantly easier for everyone involved. 

Making my way downstairs to the tavern portion of the inn, I was hit with the mixing smell of sawed wood and freshly cooked meals. The sound of people already hard at work joined with the cacophony of others eating breakfast and chatting about the day ahead. Since we had returned to Tahvinstead, over two hundred people had come from the neighbouring towns to assist, with more than a few even deciding to put their names in for homes being built within the walls of the up-and-coming hamlet. 

To the north, the first sawmill had already been constructed at the far end of the Tahvinstead Sigil Road, and was hard at work processing locally harvested trees. To the west, the mine was also in production, though only gathering stone at this point. With nothing but mundane mining tools available, the wear and tear on the materials made collecting unrefined Celestinium not worth the cost. This meant that until better tools were acquired, it was a stone mine. 

Luckily, I had an idea of where to get my hands on a machine that would fill that niche. But that would have to wait until after the current semester.

“Aye, Ishara.” Grydor beckoned me as I came down the stairs. “Before ye’ go, lad. Question for ya. Yuh sure yuh want ye’ bedroom on the other side of the Manor from the rest of ye’ lasses.”

“For the last time, Grydor, they’re not my lasses.” I sighed, looking over my shoulder to ensure Rionriv hadn't heard him, seeing as the last time she did, I caught the blame for it. “And yeah, that’s fine. Just remember to connect—”

“The lower level of the manor to the training area." He repeated, waving his hands before plugging a stogy into his mouth. "Done and done, lad. Well, been great working with yuh. We’ll be seeing yuh in what? A few months?”

“We’ll be back around Solstice to check on everything.”

“Looking forward to it, lad. By then, everything’ll be done. Yuh won’t even recognize’r. Guarantee it!”

“Can’t wait,” I replied, giving Grydor one of those tough-guy forearm handshakes. "And if you need us sooner, just send someone through the Magosdromes and ask any of Phyllis's employees to call me."

"Still can't believe you work for that lich."

"Eh, could be worse." I shrugged, patting him on the shoulder. "Tell Venali I say goodbye."

Stepping outside, I caught sight of the triop already milling about the outside of the carriage. Atop the vehicle, Sharmin's huge form rested comfortably while the remaining animals prepared for the upcoming sprint.

"Bout time!" Rionriv sighed, looking up at the sky. "You're late!"

"There's, like, a four-hour difference between here and Dwindlefyre," I said, waving off her comment. "You'll have plenty of time to check into your dorms."

"That's not the point!"

With a roll of my eyes, I approached the front of the vehicle where Aesandoral and Alcade were conversing. Stepping up to the archer, I gave her a gentle hip bump with the side of my thigh. At this, she looked over with a smile.

"Iz, perfect," She replied excitedly before looking back to Alcade. "Al-Alcade has questions. I don't know what to do."

"Yeah, okay," I responded, looking to the Burgermeister, who, after months of better living conditions, appeared significantly healthier than at the beginning of the summer. "What's up, Alcade?"

"We're just about out of the materials you gave us," He asked, waving over at the recently built storehouse. "And I was wondering what we should do when we run out?"

"Materials? Oooh—!"

Earlier in the summer, our party had emptied our bags of all the mundane supplies we had looted from Bully the Kid's dungeon level. With enough tools, boards, nails, and everything needed to play city builder, it was the perfect time to share the wealth. In fact, it had cut down on a lot of the start-up costs, making the first thirty-five thousand gold go farther than anticipated.

"Don't you worry, Alcade!" I reassured him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Let Venali handle all of it. If your people need anything, ask him. And remind him that we'll pay back anything spent. Just make sure he starts his offers low, okay? One point five percent interest, and then move it up to three only if they insist on walking away. But don't let anyone bully Tahvinstead into a five percent interest rate. That's obscene. Just tell them you'll get the materials elsewhere. That's what magosdromes are for afterall."

"Okay," The Burgermeister nodded weakly. "See you soon?"

"We'll be back around the solstice. Hold down the hamlet until then?"

"We will all be eagerly awaiting the return of the Ruby Oracle and his Gemstone Vanguard."

"Iz!" Rionriv growled from the carriage. "Aes! Come on!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming," I growled, throwing a final smirk Alcade's way before marching with Aesandoral back to the carriage and muttering. "You don't have to be rude, Ri."

"You don't have to be late!"

And as the door slammed shut behind me and the carriage lurched forward, I glanced at the waving folk of Tahvinstead as they bid us farewell. We were officially on the road back to Goodshore, and then to Dwindlefyre, for another semester of school.