by N H Paxton
“Is complicated dungeon. Also, will need thirty minutes of uninterrupted silence.” I looked at some of the alchemy apprentices nearby who were staring at the two of us talking. Their mouths hung open like visitors to Russia who had never seen the Kremlin before.
“Alright, I assume you’ll need these potions gathered and dispersed by then as well?” Shindla looked at the Ebenguard, who had stayed near the door.
They all milled about, talking to various workers or amongst themselves.
“Would be good, yes.” I nodded to her and stepped aside.
Shindla got to work immediately, calling out orders to the Alchemist apprentices who had gathered about. She slapped the pencil she held against the clipboard, and the apprentices took off in several directions.
Concentrate for Concentrate
THE SOUNDS OF THE WORKSHOP threatened to create a new headache inside my brain, but I closed my eyes hard and focused on breathing. I needed to make sure I took care of this project quickly and efficiently. There was no time for mistakes.
I stepped through the controlled chaos of the workshop, narrowly avoiding an overflowing decoction that smelled like mustard and methane. The sounds and noise and voices and heat of the workshop washed over me, threatening to take me to my knees.
Once I finished with this guild quest, I would need to change the layout of this place if I could. There was very little organization, and it drove me to frustration.
“Ugh, noise is like children in summer with no curfew.” I shook my head, pushing out the noise of the place.
I placed my alchemy kit on the workstation, followed by the ingredients for the poison I wanted to create. The Scorponet Royal Jelly was the first item I needed, but if I wanted to aerosolize it, I would have to render it down to a fine powder or a suspendible agent of some kind.
“Cannot triturate gel. But can boil down to unguent.” I pulled a magic Bunsen burner from the drawer of my workstation and set it up to the side.
Above the Bunsen burner went a ring stand. I poured the Jelly into a round-bottom boiling flask, then clamped it firmly into the ring stand. I turned the Bunsen burner on, and the flame bloomed into life. I adjusted the knob on the side of the burner to ensure optimal boiling temp, then set a timer to check on it in five minutes.
I pulled my FoxFen Essence from the shelf where I kept all of my truly rare ingredients and gently set it on the countertop. I smiled as it flowed about the inside of the jar of its own accord. I imagined that it was happy. Perhaps not truly happy, but at least it wasn’t running for its life in the wild again.
I set to work creating several batches of nitre for the Alchemic Grenades. The entire process took less than three minutes and produced about a hundred grams of material, enough for thirty grenades.
A tray of grenade shells was the next item I pulled out from underneath my workstation.
I triturated some Valley Cassias, a potent healing herb, with my mortar and pestle. It took only a moment for it to render down into a fine dust. I made five batches of the herbal powder before the alarm in my head went off.
I dismissed it with a thought and looked over to the boiling Royal Jelly. It appeared to be mostly still intact. I reset the timer for ten minutes and returned to my grenades.
“Healing wind,” I muttered to myself as I enchanted the dust, nitre, and FoxFen Essences.
I performed the usual ritual, my fingers going through the process almost automatically. The first grenade sealed itself shut with a snap and the smell of molten glass, and an idea struck.
“Can make batches?” I set the healing wind grenade aside, then pulled out another four shells, placing them all side by side.
I added the components quickly, then added the FoxFen Essence. I began the incantation to create the grenades, but my mind struggled and my fingers trembled. There was considerably greater effort involved when making four grenades at once.
Sweat broke out on my brow as I fought against the magic, the alchemic energies threatening to implode and cause, in great irony, an explosion. My brain struggled to sort the data. Was it due to the debuffs I was suffering?
There was a tense moment when I thought for sure I would lose the casting. My fingers shifted incorrectly during an alchemical movement, and the shells glowed deep blue before closing themselves and sealing, producing the familiar scent of molten glass.
The exertion unexpected, I leaned hard against the workstation. I wiped my forehead with a nearby rag and vowed to do a single grenade at a time until my debuff was cleared.
I worked through ten of the remaining grenades, all of which were Fireball or a permutation thereof with a wicked explosion, before the alarm in my head started screaming again.
I looked over to the Royal Jelly to see the progress and panicked.
“Oh no. No, no, no.” I quickly turned the flow of the Bunsen burner off and, with a quilted glove, removed the boiling flask.
The entire contents within were pitch-black and scorched beyond recognition. I sighed as I set the glassware down on the countertop. I had just completely ruined a very rare component. What were you thinking, Vlad!?
It’s not wasted or ruined, just changed. Gamma’s voice made me jump, the unexpected voice in my head pulling me from my melancholy.
“Perhaps.” I grabbed the flask again and looked hard at it, my Alchemy ability kicking in.
<<<>>>
Ichor of Scorponet Essence
The molten result of Alchemy meeting broken natural efforts, the Ichor of Scorponet Essence is a potent poison that can completely immobilize and paralyze an opponent.
Item Type/Class: Alchemy Component/Legendary
Effect 1: Complete Paralysis
Effect 2: Complete Immobilization
Not everyone gets a second chance at their life’s goals.
<<<>>>
It was exactly what I was looking for in a poison. I narrowed my eyes and looked at the flask carefully. There were only a few flakes of the black mess that moved inside the jar, but maybe that was enough. I took a thin metal rod and carefully scraped the edges of the flask, flaking off the black ichor.
I placed the large chunks of ichor into a small jar, then promptly discarded the glassware. It was scorched and ruined beyond belief.
I had a new idea I wanted to try with this particular item, and it would cost me a few minutes at the least.
I took the ichor and made an Alchemic Grenade like I had done so many times before, but this time, at the end I added a timer. It worked like a standard grenade fuse, but used an affixed amount of alchemical and Aetheric energy, which dissipated into the air after the timer was activated. When it reached a specific threshold of energy, in this case none, it would explode.
Five minutes. Gamma reminded me of my quickly decreasing, promised solitude.
For the final step of the Ichor grenade, I added double-sided adhesive to one entire half of the grenade. I covered the adhesive in a thin layer of cloth. During battle, it could easily be ripped off and the grenade stuck to whatever surface was desired.
There was one more project I wanted to accomplish before wrapping up all of my preparation for the upcoming battle. I needed to weaponize the Light poison dart.
I pulled the dart from my inventory, carefully unwrapping the cloth I had rolled it in. I didn’t want to accidentally stick myself with the dart and end up wasting the potent poison it was coated with.
I unloaded the wrist crossbow that was still securely secreted within my glove, then placed the dart and the bolt side by side. The dart wasn’t even a full tenth the length of the bolt. I considered the opportunity before me. If I could fit the dart as the bolt head, maybe it wouldn’t lose any of the useful properties of the bolt itself.
I pried the bolt head off and looked at the shaft. It was one of the bolts with the glass vial of poison inside, specifically concussive poison. I wondered if the two would interact, or if there would be some kind of poison override. I had never personally experienced two p
oisons at the same time, and I wondered if it were possible.
I shrugged and took the dart, carefully, between my index and middle fingers and gently slid it into the small bore hole in the end of the bolt. It fit snugly and took some work to slide fully into place.
Pleased with the outcome of the project, I shifted my focus back to the grenades. I looked at my character sheet before continuing the project. My XP gains were reduced by fifty percent for the duration of the debuff, but I wanted to ensure that I was still gaining reasonable XP for my efforts.
<<<>>>
<<<>>>
GOOD, THE NUMBER WAS crawling forward.
I collected the necessary materials for more Mudslide grenades, then had a sudden spark of inspiration.
“Lightning grenades.” I snapped my fingers as the idea solidified within my mind.
I could make electrical grenades if I knew what kind of components would cause an electrical resonance.
I scavenged around for the skin of an electric eel I had lying about in a jar somewhere. I checked the shelves, then checked the small drawer, before finally finding it underneath the workstation, in a box I had labeled “Eventually.”
I placed the glass jar on the workstation top, preparing to involve myself deeply in the crafting of this grenade, but my mind was pulled away by a sudden ding.
<<<>>>
Personal Message – AA Missive 09
Vlad,
You have failed to report on the numbers we requested in our previous message. We are beginning to doubt your loyalty for the cause.
Perhaps some prodding needs to be provided before there is a complication you cannot undo.
You have until midnight before we will provide said prodding.
Consider this your only warning.
-Be Strong, Be Vigilant, Be Superior.
Almaz-Antev Weaponeers
<<<>>>
“Derr’mo.” I put my hand on my forehead as I read the message.
I had completely forgotten about that situation. Though I wasn’t doubtful of their methods, having worked for them for years on Earth, I was curious to know exactly what kind of prodding they had in mind.
The most effective techniques on Earth had been psychological torture, usually involving the death of a family member or the ransom of a child. I had neither here in Eldgard, though the Ebenguard was beginning to feel like family.
I dismissed the notification and continued my projects apace before I was reminded by Gamma that I had a mere thirty seconds of solitude remaining.
“Time is going too fast.” I pulled the second tray of grenade shells out from under the workstation, placing them down too hard.
One of the shells wobbled and rolled off the ledge of the workstation. I clenched my teeth as it fell.
A gauntleted hand caught it before it shattered on the floor.
“You about ready?” Garret handed me the grenade shell and stared at the mess that was my workbench.
“Almost finished, need to make last grenades.” I nodded to Garret as he smiled.
“Got our potions stocked and ready. We shouldn’t have an issue with those running out this time, thanks to your connections.” He tapped a finger on the workstation top, then stood upright.
“Is good, will be done shortly.” I stuck up a pair of fingers, a quick salute telling him goodbye.
“Right, we’ll be outside. It’s damned hot in here.” Garret turned quickly and walked through the workshop, avoiding several apprentices that were running about with expensive-looking items in their arms.
“Now only need to concentrate.” I smirked as I looked at the small army of grenades in front of me, then down to the one in my hand. “Need more explosions.”
Fourteen minutes, three interruptions, and a face full of caustic smoke later, I had completed the grenades. Ten of them glowed with a blazing fire, while the remaining four flickered pale blue like lightning. I had powdered the electric eel skin and created lightning grenades, which I also added the adhesive backing to. I was excited to test them out.
I tucked all of the grenades into my inventory and slung my bandolier over my chest. It had ten slots, which I filled with a few potions, a pair of explosive grenades, a pair of lightning grenades, and a healing wind grenade.
Thinking better of having those grenades out in the open, I undid the fasteners on my robe, pulled the sides of it over the bandolier, then refastened it. The robe covered the lumps from the grenades and potions seamlessly. It looked totally normal.
“Heading out?” a stout voice called from behind me. I turned to see the head of the Enchanters standing there, tossing a small black metallic orb up and down in his hand.
“Vlad was just leaving, something is needed?” I watched the orb roll through the air. It looked explosive and dangerous.
“Here.” He tossed it through the air to me.
I fumbled it and almost dropped it on the floor. It was heavier than I’d expected and had a small pin on the top. I examined it, and a stat sheet came up for it.
<<<>>>
Fragmentation Grenade (Simple)
Weapon Type: Thrown, Consumable
Weapon Class: Rare
Effect: Pulling the pin that holds the fuse together on the top of this grenade will begin a 3-second timer. Once the timer expires, the grenade will explode, peppering everything within a 5-meter radius with shrapnel. The shrapnel may cause additional bleeding damage over time, and the initial explosion causes concussive damage.
Drop the pin, throw the grenade. It’s simple, right?
<<<>>>
“Earth-style grenade?” I raised an eyebrow at him and he chuckled.
“One o’ our adventurers found an old recipe out east, et some place called Wyrdtide. ’E brought it back here, turns oot it’s a hell o’ an explosive. Jist watch the fragmentation.” He winked as he handed me a small satchel that felt like it was loaded with rocks.
“Entire bag...” I whispered.
“Yeah, there’s twenty in there.” He nodded to the bag, then turned on his heels.
“Oh, and Vlady, dun blow yerself up.” As quickly as he had appeared, he disappeared into the crowd of bodies moving at double time.
The morning lull was over, and the early noon-time business of the workshop was beginning to kick in. I slid the satchel of grenades into my own bag, then left the madness of the workshop.
Anya, Ken, Zeno, Garret, and Eberand were all waiting for me just outside the entrance. Zeno was kicking his staff around, spinning it in the air and catching it like it was a simple stick.
“Hey boss, you mind upgrading this?” He caught the staff in mid spin, twirled it quickly, then handed it to me.
“Oh, have not had upgrade from Darkshard mines.” I took the staff from his hands and stared at it hard.
“It’s not going to bite you.” Ken chuckled as he stood from his seat on the ground, dusting his pants off.
“Yes, will attend immediately.” I leaned the staff against one of the exterior walls of the workshop and dug through my inventory for an ingot of smelted Darkshard.
I found one, fished it out, and held it aloft, making a soft shwing sound, as though it were a great treasure from a chest in a dungeon. The entire Ebenguard just stared at me. I sighed as I reached out and took the staff from the wall, shaking my head.
“Okay, staff. What is secret?” I set both the staff and the ingot of metal down on the ground, then held my hands out.
I touched each of the items with a separate hand, then triggered Reconstruction. The metal and the staff fused together as the ability took its toll of Spirit. A quick flash obscured the entire process, then was gone. What remained was a staff with a black-bladed edge, covered in pulsing deep blue runes with purple knobs in random places.
<<<>>>
Bladed Longstaff of the Broken Cleric (Augmented)
Weapon Type: Bladed; Staff (Augmented)
Class: Epic
Base Damage: 33
Primary Effec
ts: +25 Intelligence
+15 Spirit
15 points shadow damage
Secondary Effects: Increases all Cleric skills by 1 level while equipped
5% chance for Cleric skills to cost no Spirit
5% chance to proc Living Mana
— Living Mana: Increases Spirit regeneration rate by 100% for 10 seconds. Cannot occur more than once every 2 minutes.
<<<>>>
I looked over my work, pleased with the outcome. With a smile, I handed it back to Zeno, who stared at the item in earnest.
“This is amazing.” Zeno swung the staff through the air, the blade whistling slightly as he did so.
He spun it a couple times before smacking the butt of the staff on the ground, a dark miasma snaking out from around the impact site.
“Good, good. Glad Zeno is pleased. Now, are ready to be going?” All of the Ebenguard had gathered around me, their eyes expectant.
“Let’s stomp this dungeon.” Eberand slammed his fist into the palm of his other hand, his face stern and unreadable.
“It’s a long way there, right? Garret gave me the coordinates.” Anya’s eyes glazed over as she looked, I assumed, at her map.
“Have better idea.” I pulled open my own map and marked the entrance to The Dearth as my teleport location.
“Stand close.” I closed my map and waited for the Ebenguard to move closer to me.
Pleased with their proximity, I activated Keeper’s Last Rest. Unexpectedly, an interface came up asking me who was in my entourage. I selected the entirety of the Ebenguard, their figures lighting up green when I chose their names. There was an option at the bottom to accept the current list and begin transport.
A slight vibration shook the air around me. A wall of white shot up around us in a large circle, completely obscuring everything outside of our radius. A second later, it snapped down, disappearing into the ground. A cooldown timer began ticking in the corner of my vision.
I stumbled as the ground shifted and changed, our surroundings becoming that of the entrance to The Dearth. There were shocked looks all around the party as people fought to keep their balance.