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Day 5: First impressions
“What, the goat-girl? Aye, Neeshka was a right pain in me behind! Thievin’ petulant child! Still, she got better when got to the Sunken Flagon and shared a few drinks. That lass could sling an insult wit’ the best of ‘em.”
Day 5: An embarrassing situation during an adventure
Khelgar and his aide make their way to the mage’s tower. Conferring with the Keep’s archmage, they collect divination reports to be reviewed later (and compared with the scouting reports) at the weekly strategy meeting. They also review the stocks of potions and other alchemical mixtures the wizards have been working on.
A few wizards have been doing some more mundane work to magically improve their basic tools, such as enchanting shovels to be less heavy and pickaxes to be slightly sharper. While some of the mages had previously grumbled about this being ‘drudgery for hedgemages and apprentices‘, their efforts had significantly improved the speed and effectiveness of the Keep’s construction projects. Projects that were essential to rebuilding Neverwinter in the aftermath of the Shadow War.
“Excuse me Knight-Captain!” A young bright-eyed mage called out to the duo as they were about to leave and spoke at excitedly rapid pace. “If I might have merely the briefest moment of your time, I have been working on a project that may be of great interest to the Keep. It may significantly improve the speed of the construction projects, far greater than the mundane efforts my colleagues have been assigned with the workers’ tools! If I may, I would love the opportunity to discuss it with you.”
Khelgar looks at his aide. She looks down to check her daily itinerary.
“We are slightly ahead of schedule sir. We can spare a moment here.”
Khelgar give a nod in thanks before turning his attention back to the mage.
“Alright, what have ye got?”
The mage grins widely before escorting the duo to their corner of the tower.
“This way, this way!” They say excitedly.
The trio arrive to see a mechanical amalgam of metal and wood, assembled into roughly the shape of a person. Standing slightly below Khelgar’s height, the figure stood motionless near a workbench cluttered with an array of tools.
“I was inspired by tales of modrons from a passing planeswalker. Fascinating creatures to be sure! Regardless, I started building an automaton. It’s still in the early stages, but I envision it can work with the laborers to help in several specialized functions. Due to the alchemical lubricant and several enchantments, this machine can dig faster than a laborer. Despite it’s diminutive size, it’s stronger than all but the greatest warriors so it can lift stone or rubble. And it’s highly durable!”
“It’s far too time-consuming and resource-intensive to make enough automatons to replace the entire labor force, but I can make a few of them. They can be used for particularly dangerous construction such as dealing with a decrepit and collapsing building, or digging in a dangerous mineshaft.”
The mage beams with an eager and excited pride.
“Well what do you think, Knight-Captain?”
Khelgar thought back to the last time an excitable person spoke at length about a magically mechanized construct.
“Don’t worry Khelgar! I’ll remember the command word soon!”
Khelgar chased the Construct around the Keep’s circular basement chamber, as Grobnar shouted and Kistrel looks on with a blank - but seemingly amused and bemused - expression.
Khelgar panted as he ran after the animated suit of armor.
“Ye tell that walking pile o’ scrap to give me back my trousers, or I’ll throw ye off the battlements, ye balmy bard!”
Khelgar abandoned the memory and examined the machine for a moment before turning back to the mage.
“Make sure ye work with the foreman an’ clear it with ‘em before ye do anythin’. And make sure ye have multiple ways to shut it off, in case of an emergency.”
“Start by tryin’ one out and see how it works. If it’s good, make a few more. If not, then it was a good try but get back to magically enchantin’ tools.”
Khelgar give a nod.
“Ye did good, spellslinger. Keep it up, an’ maybe one day ye can be an archmage yerself.”
Compliments to mages didn’t come naturally to the Knight-Captain, but he knew that sometime leaders need to encourage their followers. It was a lesson he learned from watching his predecessor during the Shadow War.
He gestures to his aide. “Come on, let’s get going. We’ve been running ‘round the Keep all day, and I could use some lunch at the Phoenix Tail Inn.
