Eternal
As you walk through the halls of New Dessel with Klemto, you have to admit to being impressed with the place. The gnomes have once again succeeded in the face of adversity. This city inside a mountain not only has comfortable living arrangements and external defense measures, but is also self sufficient in food and other resources.
It helps that the mountain had a large system of natural caverns already inside which allowed the gnomes to take advantage of the layout. Edible fungus and an underground water source were definitely bonuses. Klemto remarks that they probably would not have put that much effort into making the mountain into a “city” had none of these things been available.
Now that you’ve gotten a good look at the inside of the place, it’s a very good thing you didn’t attack this place like Kivan suggested. You might’ve very well gotten fried on the spot. Besides their numerous cannons mounted in the rock to defend New Dessel, the gnomes have what can only be described as a giant metal lightning rod except they can shoot lightning from it AND direct its attack. It runs from the bottom of a water source, which has some sort of strange machine in it (It generates “electricity” as Klemto calls it) and the pole goes all the way up to the top of mountain peak where it can direct a blast of lightning powerful enough to probably destroy one of your airships.
Definitely very useful though Klemto says its really only good for nearby defense as they can’t hit something, as far away as say where the former City State Confederacy was located. This puts you at ease since you did wonder if such a weapon could hit your capital!
The gnomes have also managed to create something else you lack in the Empire. Lighting without any sort of fire.
“How do you produce light like that with no fire? It seems similar to the lightning that comes from the sky or from magic spells.” You ask.
“Oh yes. Electricity again. We were trying to harness that into something less destructive even during the last days of the Felkan War when we were using our lightning guns. In fact had the war not come about the Felkans might’ve had electrical lighting by now. Well, at least we solved the mystery I guess.” Klemto says.
“Hrm.” You answer.
“Erm, I suppose you probably would like your own engineers to implement such things in the Empire. We can certainly give the method on how to do it.”
“Eh. Perhaps in time. To be quite honest it isn’t a pressing concern, I’d rather they learn the methods on how to create those lightning guns of yours, and those things.” You say pointing at an automaton being fixed by a group of gnomes.
“Oh yes, I imagine your interests do place military matters first. Well of course we’ll be willing to oblige. As I said great Emperor, New Dessel is at your service.”
“Indeed.” You respond.
Just as you are about to bring up the subject of stationing Eyes in New Dessel to Klemto a young girl with red hair comes running up to him. She looks to be a teenager and is dressed in a slightly dirty work uniform.
“Uncle Klemto! Uncle Klemto! The lightning has gone out in section eight again! Can I go assist this time?” she says which causes Klemto to look very embarrassed.
“Zana! I told you not to disturb me today! This is the Emperor I’m speaking with right now and his time is very precious!”
“Oh. Well can I go help fix the lighting then? I’ll be out of your hair!” She says thinking nothing more of Klemto’s words causing him even more concern that you’re getting angry.
You aren’t really angry so much as you’re intrigued. To your knowledge only gnomes live in New Dessel, so you’re wondering how this human got here. And calling Klemto uncle no less.
“Zana! If you’re going to interrupt my important meeting the least you can do is show the proper respect for the Emperor. OUR Emperor. We’re part of the Empire now as I mentioned to you, remember?” Klemto says.
“Oh. Okay.” Zana turns to you and raises a dirty hand for you to shake. “Hello Mr. Emperor.”
Klemto is cringing the entire time, but you return her attempt at being friendly by shaking her hand.
“Zana, you can go help with fixing the lighting in section eight, just get out of here!” Klemto orders.
“Alright! Thank you uncle!” Zana beams and gives the old gnome a little peck on the cheek before running off.
At this point Klemto is as red as a tomato which is actually making you chuckle a bit at this point.
“Klemto, relax. I’m not the unreasonable head-chopping tyrant everyone thinks I am. I do have to ask though, how is it that a human came to be here and calls you uncle no less?”
Klemto does relax a little, but only a little.
“Heh, oh that. Well during our…evacuation of the Felkan Kingdom, a group of us travelled through one of the many ruined Felkan towns. As we travelled through, I heard the mewling of a baby. I investigated and sure enough I found one. The house was in shambles and I had already passed the body of a man and woman in the room before I found the baby. I can only guess it was the baby’s mother and father. Several of my fellow gnomes told me I should just leave it as we had enough to worry about, without a baby possibly giving away our position, but I just didn’t feel right doing such a thing. So I took her, named her Zana and over the years I raised as if she was my own.”
“Hrm, that’s unusual.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well the Empire was fairly thorough about going through towns. Seems odd that a crying baby would’ve been missed. Oh and contrary to popular belief we didn’t always kill everything in sight if we razed a town. Sometimes children and infants were taken to be wards of the Empire. Still, if you were on the run, I imagine you had to at least be going through the area where General Alison Krozer was stationed with her army. One of the best I have ever known, as were those under her command. I mean I suppose its possible something like that was missed but…”
Klemto quickly interrupts you.
“Well uh, the gnolls were a problem on that side of the Felkan Kingdom too remember? Probably was gnolls.”
“Well that seems even less likely then.” You answer.
“Why?”
“Well for one thing Alison had pretty much taken care of the separate gnoll invaders by the time you lot start seeing that the Felkan Kingdom was dying and start abandoning it. I mean sure there were still some here and there, but they weren’t really focusing their attacks on Felkans anymore, they were focusing on Empire forts and our patrols. Besides, these are gnolls we’re talking about. Those savages used to steal everything they thought valuable and destroy the rest. A crying baby? They probably would’ve eaten such a thing while it was still in its crib! They’re worse than svelk when it comes to stuff like that.” You say.
“Yeah…uh well whoever it was I guess she was just…lucky?”
“I guess so. Well in any event you’re certainly to be commended on raising a child that learned the importance of serving the good of her community.” You answer though you feel like something about Klemto’s story doesn’t add up.
“Yes, well I thank you for your kind words my Emperor. Shall we get back to your proposal on your Eyes? As I said before, you can station as many as you feel are needed here!” Klemto says almost eager to stop discussing his adopted daughter.
“Sure, let’s get back to that.” You respond.
It helps that the mountain had a large system of natural caverns already inside which allowed the gnomes to take advantage of the layout. Edible fungus and an underground water source were definitely bonuses. Klemto remarks that they probably would not have put that much effort into making the mountain into a “city” had none of these things been available.
Now that you’ve gotten a good look at the inside of the place, it’s a very good thing you didn’t attack this place like Kivan suggested. You might’ve very well gotten fried on the spot. Besides their numerous cannons mounted in the rock to defend New Dessel, the gnomes have what can only be described as a giant metal lightning rod except they can shoot lightning from it AND direct its attack. It runs from the bottom of a water source, which has some sort of strange machine in it (It generates “electricity” as Klemto calls it) and the pole goes all the way up to the top of mountain peak where it can direct a blast of lightning powerful enough to probably destroy one of your airships.
Definitely very useful though Klemto says its really only good for nearby defense as they can’t hit something, as far away as say where the former City State Confederacy was located. This puts you at ease since you did wonder if such a weapon could hit your capital!
The gnomes have also managed to create something else you lack in the Empire. Lighting without any sort of fire.
“How do you produce light like that with no fire? It seems similar to the lightning that comes from the sky or from magic spells.” You ask.
“Oh yes. Electricity again. We were trying to harness that into something less destructive even during the last days of the Felkan War when we were using our lightning guns. In fact had the war not come about the Felkans might’ve had electrical lighting by now. Well, at least we solved the mystery I guess.” Klemto says.
“Hrm.” You answer.
“Erm, I suppose you probably would like your own engineers to implement such things in the Empire. We can certainly give the method on how to do it.”
“Eh. Perhaps in time. To be quite honest it isn’t a pressing concern, I’d rather they learn the methods on how to create those lightning guns of yours, and those things.” You say pointing at an automaton being fixed by a group of gnomes.
“Oh yes, I imagine your interests do place military matters first. Well of course we’ll be willing to oblige. As I said great Emperor, New Dessel is at your service.”
“Indeed.” You respond.
Just as you are about to bring up the subject of stationing Eyes in New Dessel to Klemto a young girl with red hair comes running up to him. She looks to be a teenager and is dressed in a slightly dirty work uniform.
“Uncle Klemto! Uncle Klemto! The lightning has gone out in section eight again! Can I go assist this time?” she says which causes Klemto to look very embarrassed.
“Zana! I told you not to disturb me today! This is the Emperor I’m speaking with right now and his time is very precious!”
“Oh. Well can I go help fix the lighting then? I’ll be out of your hair!” She says thinking nothing more of Klemto’s words causing him even more concern that you’re getting angry.
You aren’t really angry so much as you’re intrigued. To your knowledge only gnomes live in New Dessel, so you’re wondering how this human got here. And calling Klemto uncle no less.
“Zana! If you’re going to interrupt my important meeting the least you can do is show the proper respect for the Emperor. OUR Emperor. We’re part of the Empire now as I mentioned to you, remember?” Klemto says.
“Oh. Okay.” Zana turns to you and raises a dirty hand for you to shake. “Hello Mr. Emperor.”
Klemto is cringing the entire time, but you return her attempt at being friendly by shaking her hand.
“Zana, you can go help with fixing the lighting in section eight, just get out of here!” Klemto orders.
“Alright! Thank you uncle!” Zana beams and gives the old gnome a little peck on the cheek before running off.
At this point Klemto is as red as a tomato which is actually making you chuckle a bit at this point.
“Klemto, relax. I’m not the unreasonable head-chopping tyrant everyone thinks I am. I do have to ask though, how is it that a human came to be here and calls you uncle no less?”
Klemto does relax a little, but only a little.
“Heh, oh that. Well during our…evacuation of the Felkan Kingdom, a group of us travelled through one of the many ruined Felkan towns. As we travelled through, I heard the mewling of a baby. I investigated and sure enough I found one. The house was in shambles and I had already passed the body of a man and woman in the room before I found the baby. I can only guess it was the baby’s mother and father. Several of my fellow gnomes told me I should just leave it as we had enough to worry about, without a baby possibly giving away our position, but I just didn’t feel right doing such a thing. So I took her, named her Zana and over the years I raised as if she was my own.”
“Hrm, that’s unusual.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well the Empire was fairly thorough about going through towns. Seems odd that a crying baby would’ve been missed. Oh and contrary to popular belief we didn’t always kill everything in sight if we razed a town. Sometimes children and infants were taken to be wards of the Empire. Still, if you were on the run, I imagine you had to at least be going through the area where General Alison Krozer was stationed with her army. One of the best I have ever known, as were those under her command. I mean I suppose its possible something like that was missed but…”
Klemto quickly interrupts you.
“Well uh, the gnolls were a problem on that side of the Felkan Kingdom too remember? Probably was gnolls.”
“Well that seems even less likely then.” You answer.
“Why?”
“Well for one thing Alison had pretty much taken care of the separate gnoll invaders by the time you lot start seeing that the Felkan Kingdom was dying and start abandoning it. I mean sure there were still some here and there, but they weren’t really focusing their attacks on Felkans anymore, they were focusing on Empire forts and our patrols. Besides, these are gnolls we’re talking about. Those savages used to steal everything they thought valuable and destroy the rest. A crying baby? They probably would’ve eaten such a thing while it was still in its crib! They’re worse than svelk when it comes to stuff like that.” You say.
“Yeah…uh well whoever it was I guess she was just…lucky?”
“I guess so. Well in any event you’re certainly to be commended on raising a child that learned the importance of serving the good of her community.” You answer though you feel like something about Klemto’s story doesn’t add up.
“Yes, well I thank you for your kind words my Emperor. Shall we get back to your proposal on your Eyes? As I said before, you can station as many as you feel are needed here!” Klemto says almost eager to stop discussing his adopted daughter.
“Sure, let’s get back to that.” You respond.