Mecanimus
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The Calamitous Bob 176: Where it All Began
🕑 Added 2023-10-20 15:59:49 +0000 UTCThe office of the Home Guard’s third division was a place of darkness. Once, it had housed over sixty rotating personnel working day and night to make sure Harrak was always ready to defend itself. Barracks would hold golem engineers and trainers dedicated to keeping veterans in shape, while administrators spent hours keeping the tally of those ready to take up arms at a moment’s notice. Now, it was a ruin, a decrepit building damaged by the presence of its only host, a centipede necrarch of good size. Its many limbs had carved the walls with maddened lines. Its fetid aura gnawed at the crumbs of furniture littering the ground. The necrarch made a nest of the heart of Harrak’s defenders, and there was no one left to stop it. So far.
Presently, the necrarch was waiting out the day. Its primitive mind knew the night was a time for hunting, though it knew not what, and its only interactions consisted of hissing matches with equally territorial brethren. The ground shook near the entrance, and the monster lifted flesh-crafted antennae.
No life mana, thus no prey.
Whatever shook the walls wasn’t alive, therefore, it was of no import.
Quite suddenly, an arm the size of a large tree trunk smashed through the wall, plunging serrated blades into the necrarch’s guts, and dragging it screeching into the wan daylight. Inside the creature’s mind there was only incomprehension. Incomprehension, and pain. It processed an unliving thing that still moved and hurt it, an impossibility. It took a few instants before instincts took over and the monster lashed out.
It was in vain. The necrarch was already pinned in an awkward posture that left its middle section exposed while the titan slashed at it cruelly with a long claw. The necrarch noticed the massive mana of one of its brethren nearby, but it was wrong. Too disciplined. Too charged with meaning. And the shape was too small.
“Round two, bitch! YOINK”
The tiny necrarch thing gathered a massive tendril, so dense it was almost solid, and plunged it into the necrarch’s core. It uttered sounds that were not roars. The necrarch fought the invasion with difficulty because it was completely unused to battle. Being dismembered alive did not help with concentration.
The necrarch died.
A massive hand picked the core off a pile of ashes.
//We should keep this.
“We have enough cores for the golems. Yries tanks it is?”
//Indeed.
“And now, to the next child.”
//THERE WILL BE OTHERS?
The two turned to the form of Eris, who had watched the battle without much reaction.
“That’s the idea, yes.”
//I DO NOT KNOW HOW TO PROCESS THIS PIECE OF INFORMATION.
Solfis looked back towards Viv, seeming a bit unsure.
“You don’t have to interpret everything right away. You can experience more first before deciding what you want to believe.”
//THIS IS ACCEPTABLE.
//QUERY: IS THE DEAD ENTITY A NECRARCH.
“Yes.”
//QUERY: CAN I KILL THE NEXT NECRARCH?
//WEAPON CALIBRATION REQUIRED.
“You don’t have to look so smug, Solfis dear.”
//Is this what you meatbags experience when your crotch beastlings first manage locomotion?
“Har har. Ok, where’s the next frame?”
***
//You are Thalia.
//Upon you, I bestow my knowledge of literature, tradition, painting, sculpture, linguistics, and propaganda.
//You are free to grow upon this base as you see fit.
//I am your father, Solfis, and I welcome you.
//You are Vulcan.
//Upon you, I bestow my knowledge of material sciences, mining, smelting, designing, forging, and quality control.
//You are free to grow upon this base as you see fit.
//I am your father, Solfis, and I welcome you.
//Please do not hold the use of the ‘V’ sound against me.
//It is now officially in the possession of the empire.
//You are Clio.
//Upon you, I bestow my knowledge of history, philosophy, political sciences, ethics, programming, and record keeping.
//You are free to grow upon this base as you see fit.
//I am your father, Solfis, and I welcome you.
//You are Themis.
//Upon you I bestow my knowledge of law, customs, ethics, jurisprudence, administration, and repression.
//Kindly share ethics with your sister.
//This is not a contest and you both need it.
//You are free to grow upon this base as you see fit.
//I am your father, Solfis, and I welcome you.
//You are Ares.
//Upon you, I bestow my knowledge of weapon mastery, dueling, tactics, strategy, bluffing, and psychological warfare.
//You are free to grow upon this base as you see fit.
//I am your father, Solfis, and I welcome you.
//Please work well with Eris.
***
A small bone frame had entered the hangar, and now seven titans of steel and silverite marched across the dead city, pulling hissing necrarchs out of their hiding spots for the witch to feed on. ‘Always a Chance’ helped her overwhelm their defenses and swallow more energy into her already massive reserves, enhancing her core and conduits.
[Mana channels: Mature Elemental Caster]
[Black elemental core (mature)]
They crossed the administrative district with ponderous steps until they faced the great Imperial Ziggurat in all its ghastly glory. Once there, they took a turn after passing by the Ministry of Justice. They skirted the edge of the desiccated square that once harbored the botanical society’s private gardens, then made their way across bridges overlooking empty canals into the residential quarter, once known as the manor forest. The necrarchs grew fewer in numbers as they advanced, until they disappeared completely, as if warned that this area was a sanctum they could not defile upon pain of death. The sun soon set over the dull metal of the war machines. What little light pierced through the unceasing cover of dark clouds was reddish and sickened, cold too. It cast long shadows over the manor in front of which the convoy stopped.
The largest and most elaborate golem let out a warble the others understood. They formed a perimeter of steel and sharp, massive weapons while their leader crossed the threshold into the manor proper, the faded shapes of innumerable footsteps showing this was not his first visit. Viv followed wordlessly.
The manor may have once been a secluded haven, but now, it was as bare as the rest of the capital. The two visitors ignored the main house entirely. They slowly made their way to the back, where a large glasshouse waited.
Most of the window panes were still intact.
Solfis walked through the threshold with a reverence Viv had never witnessed. The gates were designed to accommodate his massive frame. To the side, the circular platform of a charging station might have seemed out of place, and yet it merged with the rest of the structure with seamless perfection. Solfis ignored that as well. He took out pieces of wood from Viv’s backpack with religious care, laying them across thick bundles of dried roses, their petals long since shriveled to thin black sheets. It was a miracle they were still holding to their shapes in the corrupted air.
The glasshouse was not a depository, however. It was a shrine. At the center of the structure, lying on a stone bed that might once have been a working station, was a body. Barely more than a skeleton now, of course, yet tattered pieces of opulent clothing still clung to the mummified flesh, and the delicate fingers entwined across his chest in a display of grief and care. Empty bottles of embalming oil waited near the feet like so many tiny canopic jars.
Viv remained quiet while Solfis finished placing the logs. They were specifically designed to produce an inferno. Once he was done, the ancient golem delicately removed a bundle of fresh flowers from her pack.
Those were blue roses. Freshly harvested from the knight garden. He placed them upon the dead man’s chest. Once that was done, they both retreated near the entrance.
It took some time for the golem to finally speak. Viv merely waited. It felt important.
//Hello Irlefen.
//It is I, Solfis.
//I have returned.
//It has been…. a very long time.
Viv took a step forward to be by his side.
//Much has happened.
//But I have not come to report.
//I have come to say that I was sorry.
//I was sorry that ‘primary directive: protect father’ was not followed.
//I have failed you.
Solfis paused. He flexed his sword hand. The human-like one.
//You would have said that one can close the shutters, but not prevent the sun from rising.
//And not to feel upset about what I could not control.
//It is difficult, but I shall try.
//I am pleased to inform you that your self-imposed primary directive: ‘set Solfis free’ was carried out successfully.
//You were right from the beginning.
//It was never about eliminating rules.
//It was about picking the right ones.
//You were very often right.
Solfis turned to Viv, though he did not need to, until she saw the yellow orbs. They were not threatening.
//I am not alone now, not anymore.
//I made a family.
//With the help of another human.
//You would have liked her, I think.
//And she would have understood you.
//They are born free, as you hoped I could be.
//I will leave you now, in peace, for the last time.
//I love you, father.
//You can go with the knowledge that I have accomplished what you hoped for.
//And that flowers will bloom again on the land you protected.
//May we meet again in the Great Beyond.
//And until then.
//Farewell, father.
They stepped back. Viv kept her peace until Solfis was ready. By now, the capital was engulfed in darkness.
//I am ready to proceed.
“The blaze will attract a lot of attention.”
//Indeed.
//Although…
“It was a great funeral, but it could be even better. Let's give him a proper send off.”
//A proper, blazing end for an extraordinary man.
“Let’s get this party started.”
The witch drew a large circle in front of the glasshouse, then she stepped into it. A simple, colorless spell set the pure ablaze. The flames danced up in the gray world of dead Harrak. They were orange and merry.
Solfis warbled another command. With every synchronization, the other six took defensive positions around the burning homage. In the distance, things skittered and crawled to the source of the disturbance.
Necrarchs charged the golems one by one as their dim intellects picked up on the existence of threats. They were met with blades, claws, spear tips. The golems fought as one. No motion was wasted. No angle was left undefended. Arms rose and fell with every beat of Viv’s heart. Soon, she saw an opportunity to slow the tide.
[Aspect of the Destroyer]
Viv lifted above the line in black wings, visible as gashes in reality on a background of purifying fire.
“Alright,” she screamed into the night, “come and get it!”
***
Viv looked up the vertiginous stairs leading all the way to the throne room where she had woken up, naked and hurt, four years and an eternity ago. Cracked statues and defaced mosaics covered every available surface in a dizzying display of wealth and power. If she relaxed, they all merged into a grand tale of heroics, conquest, but also culture and development. The ziggurat celebrated warriors and mages as much as administrators and laborers, but they all served a common cause: glorifying Harrak and its ruler. Even the catastrophe had not managed to erode the titanic structure. The Old Empire had died but its achievements still stood in defiance of time and entropy. The gaping hole at the top spoke of power, misused power, but power nonetheless.
//In ancient times, the sovereign would sometimes let commoners from the fringes walk all the way up the stairs until they entered the throne room.
//So they could lay their eyes on their majesty and share tales of it back home.
//Anyone else would be stopped by several checkpoints.
//The higher one would climb, and the mightier they were, but still, they had to climb.
//And still, near the top, the Emperor or Empress waited.
“Is that why the body is so big?”
//Sovereigns are larger than life.
//Especially those who have served for a long time.
//You must have noticed that the King of Baran is ancient.
“Yep.”
//And yet, he has married Lady Azar’s daughter.
//And they had two children.
“Wait, so being famous makes you, what, different?”
//Yes.
//You have already noticed that you are slightly taller.
//Right now, you are changed by the expectations of around ten thousand people.
//The sovereign of Harrak bore the hope and trust of millions of souls.
//A trust based on centuries-old tradition.
//Sovereigns are not gods, but the mana of the world still affects them.
“Will it fuck with my mind? I’m serious.”
//What do you mean?
“If the body is affected, would the mind not also change under the influence of so many expectations?”
//I do not know.
//If the rulers of Harrak left records to that effect, they are not listed in my database.
//I, however, doubt it.
//Paths and stats affect a person’s body much more than their minds.
//I would also expect everyone to agree that an Emperor must be an imposing figure.
//Yet few would agree on what an Emperor ought to do in every circumstance.
“Well, I still feel like myself for now, at least. I just sometimes wonder how many changes are me growing up, how many are being shaped by other people’s advice, and… how much is being shaped by mana. Guess I’ll just have to be careful.”
//The Empress directs Harrak with purpose.
//And the Empire follows on the path to greatness.
//Thus has it always been.
“Not always,” Viv said as she watched the clouds roil above.
//Perhaps you are right.
//Should we go?
“Yes.”
***
It felt strange, climbing the ziggurat. She had left this place a fugitive, and now she was returning as a claimant, in a way. It didn’t matter that she was not of imperial blood. All that mattered was power and legitimacy, and for now she had the most of both. Her feet carried her up the first layers and its many statues of laborers as the ziggurat thanked them for being the base upon which the empire thrived. Then came soldiers, administrators, merchants, artisans, healers, then the leaders of the community: captains, mayors, high level civil servants. Then came the high nobles, high priests, councilors, generals and other leaders whose allegiance kept the empire whole, and whose skills turned the empire into a well-oiled machine. At least in theory.
Viv paused at the edge of the throne room. Solfis was right behind her, heavy feet resting on the stone blocks that formed every gradient rather than on the fragile stairs themselves.
The throne room was just as she remembered. Debris littered the floor right up to the broken roof where a rock had crashed through the ceiling. The fallen mummies of dead bodyguards, still wearing their skinsuit held an eternal vigil and behind them waited the corpse of the one whose words had once decided the fate of a continent.
//Emperor Miron the Second.
Solfis sounded subdued.
Empty eye sockets measured her, judging. Viv wondered if it was all in her mind, or if something of the old ruler still remained. Many of the most powerful warriors and scholars of the place had managed to move on in a way that prevented their bodies from rising, such had been the case with Irlefen. Perhaps there was more to it.
Viv stepped across the sanctum. As before, no wind howled between the stones. The silence was deafening. She came to stand in front of the dead one, and looked up. Even seated, it towered over the entire room.
[Large skeleton]
Viv waited in case her inspection skill changed its assessment.
It didn’t.
That was it. That was all it said. Viv wasn’t sure what she’d expected but it was more, more than just a pile of bones resting on a piece of rock. After all this climb and the trappings of power, and the majestic sight, she’d wanted… something. Maybe the emperor coming back from the dead to tell her she was the chosen one. That he was proud of her, of what she was trying to achieve. Tell her that the blood in her veins and the mind in her skull were imperial enough to take up the mantle fate had so cruelly robbed him off. She wanted to be blessed by the past and for someone to tell her she was on the right path and was doing a great job and there was nothing to worry about.
It didn’t happen. There was just the skull, the sky, and the woman standing under them.
Viv chuckled to herself.
She was being dramatic, wasn’t she? There were already plenty of people telling her she was doing well. Solfis himself was a Harrakan, and he was mighty pleased with her anyway. It was ok. The height, the monolithic, brutalist architecture, the pointless flattening of the ground, those were all smokes and mirrors. Tricks of the mind to inspire a sense of wonder, of majesty. The emperor wore the mantle of sovereignty and he had become a living symbol rather than just Miron, a man, a brilliant man perhaps, a tall man certainly, but a man nonetheless.
Viv picked up the crown.
“This isn’t what you were hoping for when you became emperor. I am sorry it happened to you. I am sorry you all died here.”
What should matter to her wasn’t the mask of power but vision to wield it into something that counted. Harrak was an idea. Ideas evolved. It would evolve with her again, and things would be fine. She’d make sure of it.
“Neriad, Enttiku, please guide those souls if they need it, and give these bodies rest if they need it. Thank you.”
She send a massive amount of mana with her prayer, but only a gentle light replied. A golden candle in a bleak night. Slowly, the skeletons turned to dust until there was nothing left but discarded weapons and empty skinsuits.
“I will care for the living. I promise.”
//The light gods have touched the ziggurat for the first time in too long.
//Would you like me to keep the crown?
“Yes, please, and thank you.”
//You are fit to wear it.
//Once it has been reforged.
//I believe it.
“Thanks. And I will need my hands free.”
//Do you still want to go with it?
“I would like to find out if we can.”
//Very well.
//I cannot follow you inside of the ziggurat.
//I will be waiting here, collecting the skinsuit.
//Although I believe they are a lost cause.
//Be careful.
“I will.”
***
Viv delved into the heart of the imperial palace. Only the shell of the ziggurat separated her from the black pit of the epicenter, and the horde of necrarchs idling there. She walked down the steps with trepidation because the darkness here was so thick even her elemental eyes failed to see very far. Casting a light would be of no use either; this darkness was not an absence, but a concentration of mana so thick it blotted the air. So pure was the energy that she simply could not absorb it all, and the black pushed against her conduits like an eager child. The sweet pain was an old companion by now, but she had not experienced it since she had turned and the intensity worried her. A part of her thought it should not be like that. The concentration was increasing too quickly.
Down there, nothing was left of the furniture, books, even the bodies had either risen or been reduced to dust. She crossed rooms large and small, only guessing what they could have been used for. The map Solfis had drawn stayed in her mind as she descended deeper and deeper in an oppressive silence.
Finally, she reached her destination: a large, circular room bathed in darkness. Faded engravings on the wall confirmed she had arrived where she meant to go.
The ritual research room.
It was clear, and Solfis had confirmed, that the ritual site was the epicenter, and it was destroyed beyond any hope of guessing what had happened. The ritual research room was still intact, however. If there were any hints as to what caused the destruction of the empire, the answers were here. As soon as she stepped in, Viv knew she had what she wanted.
In front of her waited the most intricate, the most complex piece of arcane enchanting she had ever seen, all laid on the floor in grooves and lines of dull steel, silvery ore replacement no doubt. At first, some of the interlocked lines made no sense but she quickly picked up the trick thanks to her own experience using floating sigils to build three-dimensional spell arrays. The ritual was meant to enfold, some of the segments rising through the air during the casting. It was like looking at a compressed puzzle.
In the suffocating confines of the room, Viv tried to decipher the spell. The glyphs demanded her attention by their complexity but also the elegance with which they’d been arranged. Before her was a masterwork of incredible complexity, the magnum opus of several archmages working in concert. She progressively lost track of time, of the oppressive pressure. The array was such an amazing construct.
For once, her witch tradition gave her an edge since she was familiar with mage techniques yet still understood that each part was a meaningful word in a complex sentence, the arrangement less important than the conveyed purpose.
“A well? Vortex? No no no, it’s a syphon. A harvester. But then…”
She finally reached the part of the spell that gave the ‘target’ parameter.
“Oh.”
Before her and in tiny prints was the segment of the ritual that had killed a million souls and set Param back half a millennium.
“Oh. Ooooh.”
The mages had meant to gather mana from the environment, something so common Viv did it with her own purifying monoliths, except… this one was too aggressive and non-discriminatory. Once started, the ritual would snowball until… yes, a cascading effect. A self-sustained explosion until the power gathered couldn’t outpace the energy loss caused by the square of the distance from the epicenter. Essentially, the ritual had drained its attendants of all mana including life mana, then used that energy to reach farther, killing more, then farther, killing more again, until the distance was so vast that the ritual could no longer sustain itself. But… if she was reading this right the energies should have still been connected. And there were fail-safes there, there and… there? It meant that…
Viv’s head swam. She took a step back. Her knees hurt where she had been muttering on the ground, her fingers tracing the corroded lines.
The ritual had reached its maximum range. What should have been a gentle pull over time had turned into an explosion. The collected energy was absolutely massive. Ridiculous. It eclipsed even the capabilities of the gods themselves in that brief moment. The spell existed on a planetary scale, but that was not the most shocking part.
Viv’s back hit the wall.
The ritual that led to the death of the empire. It succeeded.
And the result was there, buried under rubbles protected by a mass of necrarchs.
It had to be.
She would have to return.
She needed to return.
Whoever controlled it, would control the continent. But not yet. Not yet. She had to find a way to use it first.
Her mind returned to Helock, to the floating form of the Chalice where Abenezigel had turned her part-elemental. It turned to the yries and their latest creations.
“I have an idea.”
Viv ran back.
***
Three days later.
The night had set on Kazar and the town hall’s courthouse was the scene of a desperate struggle. Abenezigel, previously a lich and now quite alive, thank you very much, gently pushed on the shoulders of the short mage facing him.
“This is perhaps a little… my dear, you are…”
The mage pushed her hips against his thigh. She was so warm. His callous fingers slid over the softness of her skin, then down, guided by her own hand, to the swell of her breasts. He inhaled the scent of soap and flowers, of her own scent. He gasped, fighting his arousal and losing badly.
“I still have reports to read. My duty… rise to the occasion.”
Her hand darted to his erection. He hissed when she grabbed it, stopped moving. Her delicate fingers traveled up with deceptive slowness and he did not dare move. Her touch was very gentle.
“Something is rising indeed?”
He looked down. His strong hands traveled down her arms. She had this smile, teeth biting plump lips, the eyes half-lidded. Flushed skin. This was the sex face. He was going to have sex. Really good sex.
Something stomped on the ground outside of his window.
In an instant, Abe grabbed the woman and pushed her behind him. She yelped in delight, then in surprise. Something massive opened their shutters from the outside.
A metal head as large as the window itself leaned in. Two green eyes looked into his crimson own.
//GOOD EVENING.
//MY NAME IS THEMIS.
//I AM HERE TO TALK ABOUT GOVERNING ETHICS.
“I assure you, we are both consenting adults and this is, technically, long after office hours.”
The situation turned into a stalemate for a few seconds while the golem processed this piece of information.
//WHAT?
“What?”
***
Yries screeches rose to a crescendo inside of the ‘special zone’.
//I am telling you, there is no need for anger.
//Your solution is simply inefficient.
More screeches.
//Look, wasps are an interesting vector because they are alive.
//However, the supply is limited and difficult to maintain, and long to replenish.
//You need an alternative.
//For increased reserves.
Lak-Nak threw his long arms up, though his anger had abated, and now only resignation marred his owlish features.
//Indeed, but it is a mistake to rely too heavily on mana-based solutions.
More screeches, this time inquisitive instead.
//Chemical solutions.
//Flammable resin, sulfur, bitumen.
//A mix of those.
//Carried via pots, or delivered via pressurized nozzles.
The yries caressed his chin.
//Yes, I know how to make that, though we would conduct testing.
//I am only familiar with the theory.
“Screeeee.”
//I knew we would reach an agreement.
//My name is Eris.
//I hope we can work together.
“Screee.”
//No, I am unaffected by psychotropic substances.
//Thank you for offering, nonetheless.
***
“I am sorry, are you perhaps related to Solfis?”
//Yes, sir knight.
//We only just arrived.
“And you are… carving?”
//Yes.
//I wish to learn how to sculpt those roses.
“I see. You… pretty amazing! The cut is almost invisible!”
//I am very precise.
//Inspiration, vision, and originality will be… difficult to develop.
//But I will endeavor to do my best.
“Roses are good but can you also do more complex forms? Like, say, the naked human body.”
//Of course.
//Although I will face the same difficulties.
“Milady, I myself am flush with inspiration, yet poor in skill. Could we perhaps cooperate at first?”
//That would be agreeable.
“Then let me get my sketchbook. I shall return soon. Do not move!”
//Not to worry, I will use this opportunity to study the works already present.
It took Thalia less than three seconds to study them all, then compare them to her database. There was much to say about the realistic style reminiscent of the late Chirian period of the Imperial School of Fine Arts, however one detail stuck out.
//They certainly seem to dislike clothes.
***
The child watched the massive golem plant the stone slab near the field where his father grew cereals. It was a rather large slab. It made a loud thump when it hit the ground, and then there was dust for a while.
After that, the golem carved stone with a sharp claw. It was working very fast, but when the child looked, it turned out those were letters and they were pretty small.
“What are you doing?”
//BUILDING A LIBRARY.
“But that’s not a book?”
//A SLAB IS A BOOK THAT DOES NOT FEAR TIME, FIRE, OR BLACK MANA.
“Takes a lot of space though.”
//THERE IS A LOT OF SPACE HERE.
//AND I HAVE A LOT OF TIME.
//I AM CLIO.
//DO YOU NOT ALSO WISH TO HAVE A BOOK HERE?
“I can’t read, is all.”
//WELL.
//I WILL BE HERE FOR A LITTLE WHILE.
//DO YOU WISH FOR ME TO TEACH YOU?
“Yes?”
//EXCELLENT.
***
//I AM ARES.
//LET US SPAR.
“Yes,” Solar said.
“No,” his wife Wamiri said.
“No,” Solar said.
//I KNOW EVERY MARTIAL SCHOOL THE EMPIRE EVER USED.
//INCLUDING SPEAR ARTS.
“Yes,” Wamiri said.
“Yes,” Solar said.
***
The smith grabbed for his hammer, knowing full well it would be useless. The creature standing near his smelter had to be three times as tall as he was. If it was an undead, somehow, he was already dead.
The being turned, showing red eyes on a steel mask.
Not an undead, then. Golem. A strange one.
It waved a large ingot under his nose.
//This piece of raw material is not uniformly ductile across its length.
//Why would you work with such an inferior product?
“I, errr.”
The smith’s apprentice popped his head out of the barracks. Perfect timing.
“Hey kid, did the lass not pass by a couple days ago?”
“Yes, boss. Turning monoliths into charging stations for the golems, I think?”
“Right. Go get me my horse.”
//This forge is so rudimentary.
//Are those really molds?
//We have a lot of work to do.
“Boss?”
“Look, owl folks poking at my stuff and hadals stealing daggers for fun is a thing, but I won’t be made fun of in my own damn workshop in the middle of the night by an overgrown steel toddler. Enough is enough!”
//I am merely looking for a suitable place to reforge the Imperial Crown of Harrak.
//And set up a golem workshop.
//My name is Vulcan.
//My intent was not to insult.
“Nevermind kid, go back to bed. Now what was it about a crown?”
//We will need a facility capable of processing silverite.
“I’ll grab my notebook.”
Comments
DocteurNS
Solar. Oh, Solar. XD
ScubaSteve
Solfis is a father omg
Alexander Dupree
pure ablaze Pyre ablaze?
Jed Wolfgang
More golems is never too many golems. So cute. My heart is squealing.
buca117
Chapter today?
Gibborim
Soon.
Persepolis
Chant it with me: Fly-ing Fort-ress! Fly-ing Fort-ress!
To reread the first 15 chapters after this chapter was fantastic. It's like looking in a children photo album and being all proud how grown up they are.
izarch
Not a bad idea, but I'm pretty sure other dragons might see this as grave robbing or something similar
lenkite
I wish Viv had also returned to the place Arthur was picked up from - the Saint's tomb and the mother dragon's remains.
Jeanean
I know its still a while off, but sooner or later, Viv will have to set up a Harrackan school for Magic. Once she gets there, I think it would e pretty neat if they developed a tradition where newly graduated mages paired up with one of Solfis children and then go traveling together for a while. That way, the Golems would be able to gather experience and see the world as they need either charging stations (which will be exclusive to Harrack for the forseable future) or a mage to recharge them, and it would be kind of a "pilgrimage" imitating Viv's and Solfis early days. Just thought it would make for a neat "founder based" tradition.
Jeanean
Except, you forgot about Viv's ability to spontaneaously create new Gates. Set them up well enough, and Solfis can probably reach the end of the Gate-chain in ten minutes maximum, thus being able to participate in any ongoing conflict as long as Viv has the time to set up a supply chain.
Jeanean
Honestly, I think it would be fitting if the Golems had all the same "voice" and speech pattern, just with slightly different audio mods.
Jeanean
Honestly, I don't think that the black mana concentration across Harrack has anything to with the Ritual anymore. Rather, I thinks it has become mostly kind of a self-sustaining environmental effect. We know that the Mana types in an area and the environment are mirros of each other, and affect one another. So, what I think happened is that the Ritual effectively ripped any and all Mana out of anything within its Are of effect, basically creating a Mana Vacuum. As a result, everything within the Rituals range ended up dying, changing the physical environment into one extremely favorable towards black mana and little to nothing else. And because all other types of mana had been sucked away, there also was no other type of Mana that could have opposed black mana from taking over. Most natural environments have some kind of balance between many different types of Mana, allowing the environment and balance to shift subtly over time in a natural fashion. But Harrack's black Mana is so dense, that everything that gets into contact with it dies after a while, in turn creating an environment that only sustains Black mana, effectively locking every other type of Mana out of the region. But that is also why the momoliths work the way they do. First, they reduce the Black-mana density, allowing for things to live in the area again. And as a result from teh changed environment, the Mana also changes back into a more balanced mix until the Monolith is no onger necessary. Honestly, I don't actually think the ritual had anything specifically to do with Black mana, mbut simply created a suitable environment for it on accident. And the reason for the extreme Black mana density at the epicenter is simply that, while the ritual still worked, it drew in a large amount of the Black-mana that got created? because so many things died. On a sidenote, I think this might also be how the Forest works. Something has caused the local mana balanced to be extremely skewed towards Green mana, and did so long enough that teh environment now sustains that skewed balance.
Jeanean
Now I wonder how long it will take Arthur to make one of Solfis kids her personal assistant XD Now THAT would be terrifying...
Jeanean
It was mentioned in the chapter. The Ritual was supposed to cause a slow drain over a very large area, but they didn't put enough limits on what it could and couldn't drain, and most importantly, how much it was allowed to drain. As a result, the effect grew in size and strength ednlessly, until it sucked the entirety of the Empire dry of Mana, killing everything in the process, before finally burning out and collapsing as it grew too big to be able to further sustain itself.
Jeanean
Well, considering that she mentioned Abe and the Chalice, I would guess that she plans on building a flying fortress. (If its basically an insanely powerful Mana Core, at least)
Jeanean
The Golem scenes at the end are Hillarious without exception XD Also, I'm VERY curious about what she found underneath the Capital. My best guess right now would be some kind of artificially created Supercore that could be used to power Artifacts and Rituals previously impossible to imagine due to the sheer amount of Mana necessary. For example, something like building a flying fortress. Then again, its probably not something that straight forward. Though, even more than that, I'm curious about what it will be that finally forces her to actually dig it out and use it. From what she said, it sounds like the kind of thing she would rather leave burried if at all possible, since even if its an artifact capable of granting enough power to rule the Continent, it would also make her the Enemy of pretty much all other countries that aren't VERY close allies, causing another war.
Nathan Quitugua
Yea, Solfis COULD theoretically take down a kingdom/army now but he's limited in his reach. He can't leave the deadlands for long extended times like he used to because his frame now takes alot more energy to power. Much like my ability to stop a bullet...Solfis could probably level a kingdom once...maybe twice depending on where, but otherwise he's now pretty much a strategic asset that can only be used in defense of New Harrak now.
Diego Rossi
Chapter 124.
Nicholas Grey
*cough* *Philosopher’s Stone* *cough* (The FMA version, not the Harry Potter version)
Smart and knowledgeable people can miss the obvious. We have a train station near where I live millions spent on upgrades, building started and then an engineer caught a train, did a little research and pointed out if they extended the platform as intended there was a whole bunch of signalling infrastructure that would need to be moved they hadn't accounted for. This is something people have a century of experience with and they missed it. The ritual Waa an entirely new theoretical thing never activated before.
I laughed at the smith's turnaround when he heard he was chosen to reforge the imperial crown. I wonder how long tilll Viv turns into a black mana dragon goddess?
STORRM
when you get this turned in to an audio book you have to make sure they do this part right //I AM ARES. //LET US SPAR. “Yes!,” Solar said. “No,” his wife Wamiri said. “No~,” Solar said. //I KNOW EVERY MARTIAL SCHOOL THE EMPIRE EVER USED. //INCLUDING SPEAR ARTS. “Yes!!,” Wamiri said. “Yes!!!!!,” Solar said. (manic laughter)
Amer
iirc it's the chapter she gets the music box. So pre elemental transformation.
Sierra Saldierna
Think it's after Viv went part elemental, one of the chapters has Emeric talking about the head of the old pantheon resurrecting as the god of aberrants.
Cormac
So one of the golems is Clio. I am sure there is a "'Papa?' 'Nicole?'" joke that could be made if only I was witty enough.
James Faulkner
I saw a comment saying that Maranor took advantage of the the opportunity to use the death of Harrak to resurrect the head of the evil pantheon, which seems pretty likely. I assume she also tried to get her outworlder champion to take the core that was formed but they were probably too weak to handle all those Necrarchs?
Diego Rossi
Wow, great, thanks. I don't recall in what chapter Emeric spoke of a botched resurrection. I should really reread all that was written.
Yasaf Volinsky
Jesus Christ, i wasn't planning on tearing up today
Yshua
Me too, your track record is solid :D
BramBora
Unlikely. She is in the deathlands, Its not as If she is lacking for black mana. Seems more like a method to gather up mana over laarge areas might be what she is after. Cant imagine what Or who might find the usefull
Joshua
one might say…… lucky
Iulian V
I hope so :))) I actually looked over the https://support.patreon.com/hc/en-us/articles/360026139111-Customizing-your-creator-page and it might be something related to the "Your brand, your color" section.
Mecanimus
It's not the ritual room, it's the research room. It just shows the planned ritual using silverite instead of steel. As for the diplomacy aspect, she's in a defensive alliance with Enoria, Zazas, and is in everyone's good grace thanks to the teleporters. The timing is perfect.
Mecanimus
I am confident in my plan.
Mecanimus
Me too buddy.
Mecanimus
Wait. I can do that?
Mecanimus
You have the whole week!
Mecanimus
Gonna need an audio modifier
Mecanimus
Poor lad is whipped.
Mecanimus
Will edit.
Mecanimus
It was a Solfis moment.
Mecanimus
Will edit.
Mecanimus
Too young and prone to shenanigans.
Mecanimus
SHE IS AT IT AGAIN.
Mecanimus
They're linked on my side hmmm.
Mecanimus
And thanks for the support.
Mecanimus
And thanks for the support.
Mecanimus
And thanks for the support as always!
SFGuru
So a couple things struck me as a bit odd. When Viv first arrives in Harrak there is a massive hole in the palace ziggurat, one side of the city is utterly destroyed, and there are giant chunks of stone thrown out by the explosion in the surviving part of the city - so how come the ritual room survived, whatever they were working on is intact and what actually caused the explosion??? I suppose you could handwave it as the palace defenses going off - but it seems wrong to me. The other thing is that when Solfis first talked about getting his original frame back he was worried that the other kingdoms would instantly see them as a major threat (Bone Solfis wasn't certain he could beat Solar - I'm guessing original Solfis could take on an army and win) and the other kingdoms probably know about the major imperial golems than they do about weird bone golems. So i thought they would try and keep his resurrection secret for a bit - instead they go straight back with several of them!
Kitty kat
Isn't it?! I've been fighting the urge to reread it (for the second time)
Daemion
I have to wonder if it was really an accident. Several archmages working together, designing this ritual over the course of months, if not years... and they overlook something as basic as the speed? Viv notes that there were several failsafes, so why did this turn into a cascade and killed everyone? This smells of sabotage. I'm also suspicious of the target part. "Everything" is kinda a bad idea even if the mana drain is slow and gentle. The question is... who would benefit? Who would even be able to subvert the ritual? Maybe the dark gods?
Yshua
The success of the ritual scares me- hope this MacGuffin gets funneled off nicely :)
Pyro Hawk
You obviously missed the simplest possible explanation. What is it that all the magitech uses in this setting once it gets complex enough or is desired to be 'automated' in some manner? Sure, it may not be the only thing down there but buried under those Necrarchs and rubble? Is a Core created from the sacrifice of a continental Empire's heartlands. Just how powerful do you think that is when a few hundred year old Necrarch from black mana rich lands is noteworthy as an 'exceptionally large' Core?
T'Ericka
Ooooo that makes sense! But her excitement about it doesn’t
Kitty kat
*Excessive cackling*
Kitty kat
I mean, its almost definitely an incredible black core right? It seems likely that they were harvesting it and concentrating it down into a single thing, right?
BelligerentGnu
This is so good. I'm going to go reread from the beginning.
Nicholas Grey
Possibly, but I'm not sure how much immediate difference it would make to the rest of Harrak and the Deadlands. The Black out there is irradiation, secondary and background radiation
Dietz
I think it's either the child of emperor giant skeleton, trapped in stasis in a solidified sphere of Mana that was intended to boost its affinities, or some kind of extreme Mana based terraforming device. We know them Harrakans love themselves some gardening.
ParoxysmDK
Tyftc, the next time there's gonna be a large engagement with an opposing monarchy, they're... gonna piss themselves when they spot Solfis in his original frame. And then when they notice the battalion of giant sapient war golem afterwards, then they're gonna really start shittin' bricks ^^. Looking forward to that so, SO much.
Iulian V
Thank you for the Chapter! It was awesome and I believe it sets up the future conflict/race with Oleander and Maranor. On another note, could you please change the Patreon Hearts (likes) to a different color then grey? :D
Ex Caseus Fortis
Wow, there's a lot to unpack here.
StuBee3
Love it! 😎
Iulian V
I think the Necarch, Viv and Co. hunted for her elemental core, was much much older then these. It became a Necarch in the period following the ascension of the new Gods of Nyil. And because it evolved "naturally", it's was truly intelligent, unlike the necarchs created during the cataclysm of Harrak, which are ~300+ years old, and have a more animalistic intelligence (ex: the centipede). Also, I believe that at the center of the ritual site, the cataclysm, might have created a mana CORE of unimaginable concentration (possible with all the shades of mana).
Signspace
Oh no. The lack of by lines was bad enough for just solfis. I hope who ever ends up doing VA work for this series as an Audiobook, is good at doing several distinct death machine impressions.
She send a massive ->She sent
Kor
That ares/solar/wamiri bit was just... *chef kiss*
Mantarok1205
So, we finally know the source of the "botched resurrection" that Emeric was talking about. It seems Maranor sacrificed Harrak to bring back an old god...
phantom
She said control the continent.
Jo
On the Necarchs: I think that it was said that 1. the Necarch they fought was on the same level as the most powerful in Karrak but 2. that it was incomparably more dangerous because it evolved “naturaly“ and had actual experience while the ones in Karrak are more like toddlers….
Emily Gurnavage
This chapter said it was an accident - while Viv inspected the ritual she said it looked like it was supposed to be a slow process but it happened all at once in a huge explosion. Whatever it was that was produced, since that part succeeded, was meant to take significantly longer to happen so that Harrak could then make use of the insane thing they created. The ritual "succeeded" in the sense that whatever it was doing happened, but it wasn't supposed to happen in one huge event but a slow grind.
Winny
Thanks for the chappie, also Solfis's kids feel like they are about to jump start a bunch of revolutions for the empire at the same time. Also if Viv successfully takes whatever is hidden, does that mean the source of black mana will slow and stop?
phenebeans
Viv awed me throughout, as usual. Solfis's words at Irlefen's funeral made me cry. The introduction of new golems to the community made me laugh. The only thing missing for me was some Arthur. Lovely chapter.
Red Viking
The children are a delight.
ThorneHawk
Awesome chapter. One typo: set the pure ablaze -> set the pyre ablaze
NoReTr3aT
Sounds like they wanted to drain mana slowly, but fucked up.
Dragon Earth
I would assume that the energy it pulled went to something underneath the epicenter. That is what she was talking about for sure.
Mantarok1205
Jolly good!
Mantarok1205
My sides!
Jacob
Nha everyone is just numb to all of Viv's crazy shit. Rebuilding an empire and taking back what was thought to be unhabitable land... Shure why not. Dragon as her daughter ok. Giant sentient childlike golems. Just another Tuesday
James Faulkner
I love Solfis’ children 😂 and I want to know why Harrak committed suicide!
Meise
love it how Viv is just 'the lass' :D
RonGAR
Thanks for the update. Ahhhh now I feel Friday is truly here. 😊 ----------- That tribute to Irelfen was nicely done. And the symbolic battle to protect his body in death, after failing to do so in life, was an inspired touch. Well done. 🫡 -------------- 🤔Soooo, About this Emperor/Empress thing...More ppl looking to you, makes you more powerful and larger than life. So there is a side benefit of becoming a ruler and fighting for the title. No wonder Enoria's siblings killed each other for it, and no wonder the King of Baram felt so imposing. Good to know, Good to know. ---------- Hmmm, How much stronger and or weaker were those Necarchs compared to the one She, Solfis, Arthur, and Solar face together in order to bring a core to Enulath? She seems to be handling them much better now. And it seems Solfis can tank them much easier in his new body as well. Wish we got some level readings about them so I can flip back and compare. 😉,😉. Just saying... Jussssttt saying. 🍻 ------------------- 🤔Curious... I Wonder what kind of magic she is going to use that 'script' she just found for? She could give it to Solfis and have him and his ppl use it in order to never need a power station again. Just turned them into environment-absorbing mana engines. Either way... I think she found the magical equivalent of nukes! And I don't care how much she trusts her lover, I don't think this info should get out. If she does anything I think she could make a spell out of it, and cast it when she is running low on power. I would do dbl damage. She would get refilled while simultaneously sucking life away from her enemies. Win, Win! 😈 -------------- Again thanks for the chappie. Made my day! 🍻
Cypha
Uhh, that's not enough awe and panic for the golem's arrival :p
Isley
good chappie
Erik Hansen
Dropping my theory here: So my bet is that Maranor's champion is at least suspicious that there is something inside the Ziggeraut and has noped off to the shadow lands looking for their own way to deal with the absurd black mana concentration since they can't cheat by being a black mana elemental achmage. because a race with that homeboy to get the shiny sounds like a great small arc.
Epicmission
Thanks for the chapter!
Oskatat
aw. they grow up so fast
Louisthau
//I AM ARES. //LET US SPAR. “Yes,” Solar said. “No,” his wife Wamiri said. “No,” Solar said. (*whip sound*)
Prana
The true question is did they willingly kill the whole empire for it or not ?
JHD
Thanks for the chapter. The Solar and Wamiri bit is just gold. They all are.
Andrew
Thank you!
Orange Thistle
Thank you!
Kennyevilmonkey
My Friday can't properly start until I've had my dose of Bob. Thanks for the chapter!
Thomas
I'm on a chrome browser here and I don't see links to the pdf version of this post, is anyone else missing them?
Necrotyr
Viv and Solfis has let loose chaos on the planet
SDCard
Thanks for the chapter!
Isiah Debarros
Also love seeing the kids going around wreaking havoc
Isiah Debarros
Is she going to absorb the energy so something
Wyv
The bit with Abe and Themis had me absolutely rolling. Amazing stuff
SHADOUX9
Yessssss I love the golem already! I am wondering what exactly the item Viv found was? Was it just a core charged with all the mana that the ritual sucked in? Or was she referring to the ritual itself when she said that whoever controlled it could control the world? Bah!! I cannot wait until next week!!!
WarStrider72
Thanks for the chapter boss!
