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Book 5: Chapter 25 - Landfall (RAW)
🕑 Added 2025-02-10 10:46:57 +0000 UTCThe people of the sea employ a remarkable lightweight material in their tools of war, known as Coralith. This unique substance harvested from the ocean’s depths. According to the scholars of the Mer, Coralith grows stronger and more resilient the deeper it is found, with the most durable specimens originating from the dee[est, blackest, lightless abyssal depths of the sea.
The material’s rarity is signified by its coloration—common varieties range from pale blue to deep indigo, but the rarest and most prized Coralith is an inky black. However, obtaining such a treasure comes at great peril, for the deepest oceanic chasms are ruled by leviathans and eldritch creatures beyond mortal comprehension.
Workers of the Mer shape the material using creatures which release a special flash energy, similar to the power wielded by those blessed by the Withered Tree. This process takes place in specialized air chambers, as is common with much of the sea people’s craftsmanship, for such shaping cannot while the material is submerged. They call this giving the Coralith its soul.
What makes Coralith particularly unusual is its seemingly living nature once it is given its ‘soul.’ When removed from salt water, it begins to decay within two days, its surface corroding until it crumbles into a fine dust. It should be noted that exposure to salt winds of the sea is enough to stop this process. Alchemists have discovered that this substance is a crucial reagent in several potions, some of which are rumored to enhance a warrior’s strength or grant fleetness of foot. Another bizarre property of Coralith is that if submerged back into salt water before it completely disintegrates, it will gradually regrow, reshaping itself into its original form over time. For this reason, artifacts made of Coralith are always stored in brine-filled containers above land.
The greatest source of Coralith on land comes from the battlefields near the city-state of Al-Laza who has waged war with the people of the sea since time immemorial. Weapons, armor, and shattered relics of Coralith are often salvaged from these conflicts, repurposed by surface dwellers who seek to harness the material’s unique properties.
Beyond its rarity and regenerative nature, Coralith weapons are especially prized for their effectiveness against certain elemental beings and creatures attuned to fire. The material resists heat and can even extinguish or diminish flames upon contact, making it a favored weapon against fire elementals, volcanic beasts, and other flame-born adversaries.
- Monsters of the Mortal Realms by K. D. Fidditch.
Walking along the formidable walls of Al-Lazar was a lesson in the sheer possibilities of what could be wrought from stone. It was an engineering marvel, all the more impressive given that its builders had only the simplest of tools—and the occasional aid of magic—to rely on. An Earth Mage, I supposed, would have made certain tasks easy enough, sculpting rock with their elemental power. Every forty paces, an arcane glyph glowed with a dull luster, and looking at them was painful if you focused on them for too long. Even so, magic alone could not have accounted for everything. Much of this fortification stood as a testament to the skill and determination of the Giants who first raised these walls hundreds of years in ago in the city’s past. That they had endured for centuries, unbreached by any invader, said everything about their design and execution.
I tasted the salt in the air as Farzan, once Captain of the Guard and now newly promoted Minister of War, explained the city’s defenses. Catapults, ballistae, smaller mangonels, and trebuchets lined the ramparts like silent guardians in the morning light, ready to unleash destruction upon the enemies of Al-Lazar. Under the Vizier Idris’s usurpation of Sultana Aelayah’s power, Farzan had assumed authority over the city’s military resources. I had rejected the position, having little taste for such things. Farzan had proven adept at organizing and overseeing the defense of Al-Lazar, though now his challenges were no doubt multiplying.
Ominous ships, more like floating small towns, had gathered in the artificial bay—formerly part of the old harbor—just offshore. Their presence signaled the threat of imminent conflict. Along the beaches below, once-vibrant Dust farms lay abandoned. The farmers had fled, harvesting what seeds they could before retreating. Now the vines stood untended in the sand, and it was likely the Mer—the sea’s own children—would destroy them in the coming struggle.
Below the city walls, temporary camps had sprung up. Mercenaries, adventurers, or those were simply desperate, people who did not believe that this conflict would come to a siege with the city itself. They wanted to be as close as possible to an Trials that appeared in the Old City and reap any potential rewards.
Times had changed. Times were changing.
And what of the proud Sultana, Aelayah in these chaotic and frenzied times? She had been diminished to little more than a broodmare despire her noble lineage. Her true authority was well and truly gone. I wondered if I was still expected to continue my “duties,” or if someone else would be forced into that role. The idea of staying in Al-Lazar any longer than necessary soured my thoughts. My path lay elsewhere—specifically in the distant city of Quas, where, if supposition was true, I could find out where I might acquire the remaining ingredients for my elixir of immortality.
Once this war was over I vowed to make my way there, for I knew my destiny did not lie within them.
“Give me a moment, Farzan,” I requested, placing both of my hands on the stone of the parapet as I took a moment to review my Status. With the grand view before I thought it apt for some odd reason.
[STATUS] Calling: Gilgamesh lvl.24 Paladin/Reaver
Strength: 41
Dexterity: 41
Constitution: 61
Intelligence: 30
Wisdom: 35
Charisma: 24
Luck: 28
Entropic Mimic [Creature of Entropy - lvl.28]
Health: 784/784
Stamina: 82/82
Mana: 2/2
Adaptive Defense (lvl.5)
Shield Form (lvl.5)
Absorb (lvl.4)
Perception (lvl.3)
SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES
Improved Pain Nullification (lvl.1)
Improved Power Strike (lvl.5) 10
Improved Endure (lvl.3)
Stealth (lvl.3)
Advanced Rest (lvl.1)
Backstab (lvl.4)
Improved Dodge (lvl.3)
Advanced Polearms (lvl.2)
Improved Dual Wield (lvl.1)
Improved Critical Hit Mastery (lvl.4)
Advanced Unarmed Combat (lvl.4)
Improved Hammers (lvl.5)
Improved Flails (lvl.4)
Improved Maces (lvl.2)
Advanced Shields (lvl.1)
Improved Medium Armour (lvl.3)
Advanced Heavy Armour (lvl.1)
Improved Axes (lvl.4)
Improved Daggers (lvl.5)
Throwing Weapons (lvl.5)
Double Throw (lvl.4) 5
Improved Shield Bash (lvl.3) 10
Riding (lvl.4)
Improved Dash (lvl.4) 10
Advanced Swords (lvl.3)
Crossbows (lvl.5)
Blind-Fighting (lvl.4)
Improved Rush Strike (lvl.4) 20
Tracking (lvl.1)
Trap Detection (lvl.2)
Improved Frenzied Strikes (lvl.3) 30
Monster Taming (lvl.4)
Lotus Palm (lvl.1)
Manticore Claws (lvl.1)
SPELLS & MAGIC
Heal (lvl.5) 5
Rust (lvl.5) 2
Identify (lvl.5) 1
Silent Casting (lvl.4)
Improved Mana Regeneration (lvl.4)
Purify (lvl.4) 3
Greater Heal (lvl.5) 10
Holy Aura (lvl.4) 2
Decay (lvl.3) 1
Greater Drain (lvl.4) 2
Improved Entropic Aura (lvl.2) 2
Inferno Bolts (lvl.3) 2
Sage’s Sight (lvl.2) 2
Freezing Aura (lvl.3) 2
Holy Strike (lvl.2)
Entropic Strike (lvl.2)
Aura Manipulation (lvl.1)
GIFTS
Curse of Entropy: -20% to all starting attributes.
Mark of the Paladin: 10% resistance to Dark/Holy magic. 5% resistance to Physical.
Embrace of the Void: 15% reduced resistance to Holy/Fire magic, 35% resistance to Mental Effects, 25% immunity to Mental Effects.
Mark of the Adaptive Helix: 15% resistance to Physical, Regeneration.
Mark of the Mantis: 15% greater affinity with all weapons.
Entropic Gift: 10% lowered experience gain, 10% greater affinity with all Entropic spells.
Heavenly Gift: 5% extra experience gain, 10% greater affinity with all Holy & Divine spells.
Gift of the Mother: 5% extra experience gain, 5% resistance to all negative magical effects, 5 bonus to Constitution.
Experience to next level 1718/7949
Health: 978/978
Stamina: 102/102
Mana: 23/23
I reviewed my Skills and Attributes, pleased at how close I was to being practically invincible. With nearly a thousand Health points, it was unlikely anything could bring me down in a single strike. And even if something did manage to hurt me, I could simply rely on my Mark of the Adaptive Helix, Greater Drain, or my healing spells to regenerate the Health lost.
Of course, to deal any real damage in the first place, an attacker would have to pierce my Adamantine plate—a daunting task on its own. Adding all of this was my high-level Improved Mana Regeneration which made me feel as though I were constantly absorbing the ambient energy around me. And with my Mana being replenished at a higher rate, equivalent now at a rough guess to a low-level Mana potion, I could cast more often. Even the most basic Heal spell restored about twenty to thirty percent of my total Health with each cast, effectively more than quadrupling my survivability if I focused solely only defense. Altogether, I had solid, layered defense.
Some of my attribute gains—like Charisma—in truth seemed pointless. Why waste the time and effort persuading people when I could just kill them instead? It might sound harsh, but I found the direct approach both efficient and oddly satisfying. I had always loathed NPCs that hindered a player’s actions for no good reason, and here I could deal with them however I wanted. If I ever encountered a situation where Charisma was necessary, I could simply just let someone else pass the checks for me.
Was I losing my grip on reality by viewing this world in such gamelike terms? Possibly. But it had kept me grounded—and alive—so I saw no reason to change my way of thinking now.
Luck, on the other hand, remained a more mysterious attribute. I had no clear idea how it functioned, though I suspected it subtly affected everything. I did not see a need to invest heavily in it, since I liked to think I made my own “Luck.” Still, it was not as useless as Charisma, and at a guess, I believe that it directly affected such skills like Improved Critical Hit Mastery.
I guess that in the worst of cases, I could always make a living as a professional gambler; I seemed able to “train” my Luck.
Overall, I was in a very good position. My build was wildly unbalanced, so wildly unbalanced that it teetered in the realm of the broken. Still, it was not enough. If I wanted to drag the Divines down from their lofty perches and destroy them, I would need more power. Far more. I would teach them the true meaning of mortal suffering. I would teach them all.
But how did one destroy a god? I mused.
Farzan’s voice cut through my private musings of conquest. “Why do you look so happy?” he asked, eyeing me with suspicion. “A lot of people are going to die. I can feel it. The seabirds are gone.”
I answered with a wry smile. “No one of note, my esteemed Lord Minister of War. No one important. These ships are not threats; they are opportunities—catalysts for change.”
“Not all change is good, Gilgamesh,” Farzan muttered. “Especially for those of us perched at the top. I rather enjoy the status quo.”
“Without change,” I shot back, “there’s only stagnation. And do you think the countless folk beneath you are not eyeing your position? There are always those hungry for power, waiting for a misstep. You must grow stronger or be dragged down.”
He raised a brow, amusement and curiosity mingling on his face. “You speak as if you’ve lived it yourself.”
“I have not, not personally,” I admitted. “But I have read enough to know it is true. History is crowded with examples: rise or fall, hunt or be hunted.” I shifted my gaze seaward, straining to see the mysterious vessels. The tide was due to recede soon; if it did, those ships would be stranded on the sands.
“Are we sending emissaries?” I asked. “Do we know who commands them?”
“They bear no sigil or banner anyone recognizes,” Farzan said, a mirthless chuckle escaping him. “For all we know, they could be the First Children from the old tales—the Warders of the Sacred Groves—come to reclaim what was once theirs.”
He leaned in, lowering his voice. “They appear to be a mixed company, but our scouts claim to have spotted a few knife-ears among them.”
“So, they might be true elves?”
He shrugged. “Old wives’ fancies, perhaps. But lately, strange things abound. Rumor has it they’re the ones who sent the Djinn to our city. The Divines are playing their games with us mortals.”
I laughed. “That rumor was Idris’s doing—he’s more cunning than he looks. It has given he people something to rally around.”
Farzan gave a sour sniff. “He may be clever, but the old man’s changed. He’s been hovering around that Elenora girl. Spending a lot of time with her, if you catch my meaning. She’s quite a prize; I wouldn’t let that slip away. Shall I have a word with him?”
I shook my head, smirking. “I doubt you understand what you are implying. Perhaps they are nothing more than friends. Besides, Idris is past his prime for such pursuits, and Elenora was never truly ‘mine.’ She’s like a wild cat—unclaimed and untamed, free to roam.”
Farzan merely raised an eyebrow. “I’m only telling you what I see. By the by, I saw that Elwin fellow—”
Before he could finish, a sharp cry rang out along the battlements. The floating islands had disgorged a swarm of sleek, sail-rigged longboats, each one cutting across the water like a poised arrow.
Farzan snapped into action. “Prepare the cavalry! I want Gryphon Riders at the ready! Lieutenant Zhouk—someone find him, now! Raise the signals!”
A flurry of activity followed, soldiers scrambling to enact his orders. I seized the moment. “Better train the war engines on those ships. We ought to meet them on the beaches, aggressively—this could be an invasion.”
“Maybe so,” Farzan conceded. “But we cannot act blindly. We need to learn at leastwhat these newcomers want. The Mer haven’t attacked them, which means there’s more at play here that meets the eye.”
I frowned. “What does it matter what they want?”
He tried to hide the exasperation in his voice. “Knowing an enemy’s desires is the key to controlling them. Having control is the first step to victory,” he recited from some old foreign treatise.
I inclined my head, acknowledging his point. “Send me. I will speak for the city. If negotiations are impossible, I will return a captive.”
Farzan’s eyes narrowed. “If our positions were reversed, would you trust yourself as the envoy? I am the Minister of War—I need to choose wisely.”
I studied him. The tension in his jaw, the tiny twitch beneath his left eye. Those ships would make landfall within the hour. Still, I persisted.
“Then allow me to join whoever you send,” I offered. “They should not see us as weak. I can ensure they don’t.”
He hesitated, then relented. “Fine. You’ll accompany Captain Tikirit. But he is in charge. Understand?”
We locked eyes. “I promise I will not undermine him. You have my word on this.”
“Good,” Farzan said, though his gaze remained stern. “I owe the men of this city at least a chance for peace. Let Tikirit lead. Listen to him.”
I snorted a laugh. “No need to nag like a fishwife. I will follow his lead.”
And with that, I turned my attention back to the horizon and those ominous longboats slicing across the waves, wondering what fate they carried—and relishing the chaos they would bring.
