The Land: Founding (Chaos Seeds Book 1)

CHAPTER 23

They followed Terrod’s directions to the western side of the city. They heard the Grand Market well before they saw it. Even this early in the day, a bustle of activity could be heard sounding like the drone of an enormous beehive, and evolving into the shouted voices of hundreds and then thousands of people. They turned a final corner and were confronted with a sea of tents and stands. The street they were walking on sloped down as it entered the Market and so they had a clear view of the countless vendors extending out in front of them. There was no uniformity to be seen! Pointed or flat topped, beige or a riotous collage of colors, the tents that comprised the bazaar did not follow any recognizable pattern. Some were as large as a house and others so small it didn’t seem that they could fit a person inside.

Terrod had told them that the building they were looking for was at the center of the Market. The two friends began walking and melded with the chaos of people squeezing down narrow corridors between the tents. It was an assault on the senses, almost overwhelming. It made Richter glad that no one else could access his valuables in his Bag of Holding, because this setting must be a pickpocket’s dream.

Many sights grabbed Richter’s attention from food, to weapons, to exotic animals in cages. Even the people were varied in their speech, skin color and style of dress. Richter had wondered why his darker skin color had not raised any eyebrows in the people he had met, but he saw plenty in the Market that could represent every race on Earth and even people who wouldn’t fit any category he was familiar with. There was even a fairly large amount of nonhumans. Every tent also had at least one human, but in the Market the nonhumans at least stood tall and made eye contact.

The one place Richter did linger was a book seller, but the “magic books” they offered were less than genuine. The prompt that appeared when Richter examined them showed they were only normal books. Merely traps to separate the gullible from their money. He decided to just press on, glancing back from time to time to make sure he hadn’t lost Sion. Somehow he didn’t think the sprite would appreciate a suggestion to hold his hand.

Two hours passed before they saw the columned building that Terrod had described. It wasn’t just that the Market was large enough to require that amount of time, even though it was massive. Their slow pace had more to do with the press of people and the arrangement of the tents. It was a maze! Several times they had walked into a dead end and had to back track. One time only a grim glare and hands firmly on their weapons had backed down a pair of men that had clearly meant them harm. They did see occasional pairs of soldiers walking, but they were few and far between. It didn’t escape Richter’s notice that most vendors had at least daggers at their belt, and the larger tents had burly men looking over anyone that came close. The only real benefit of walking through the Market was that Richter got ample opportunity to use Analyze, and his increased Wisdom made it easier to replenish his mana. Ultimately he grew impatient and Richter grabbed an urchin who agreed to lead them to the building for a few coppers. Half an hour later their destination was in sight. Their guide told them the building was an old converted temple, though no one remembered what deity it had been once dedicated to. The locals simply called it, the Hall.

With an abrupt transition the tents stopped, and a large arena of paved stones opened in front of them. Tents could be seen lining the edges of the rectangular area about the size of two football fields placed end to end. The small girl leading them pointed to one end of the open space and then disappeared back into the morass of tents. Richter wondered if her whole life had been spent inside of that canvas expanse. Dismissing it from his mind, they walked towards the Hall enjoying the relative freedom of personal space for the first time in what felt like a great while, though it had actually only been a few hours. Fountains and statues in various states of disrepair dotted the space as did small clusters of trees. Quartets of guards lounged at the edges periodically, presumably to be able to react to trouble quickly in any direction.

The density of people increased as they neared the Hall. There seemed to be some loose organization to the workers standing around. They walked up the steps and the relative quiet they had enjoyed at the center of the Market was replaced by the sound of many voices. Terrod had one contact that he trusted in the Hall, and they would just have to search for her. The inside of the Hall was setup in a series of small platforms that the “agents” stood upon. The potential employers spoke to the agents who then led them to the appropriate workers. Along the walls there were more agents. They apparently warranted small booths and desks.

Terrod had told them that being an agent was a thriving business. Apparently everyone seeking employment had to register with an agent. The practice had been around so long now that it had been formalized by the Kingdom. Each agent was licensed and there was a finite amount of licenses at any one time. Anyone masquerading as an agent, or any worker trying to get employment without going through proper channels, would earn themselves a beating or imprisonment. The guards present in the building certainly seemed more alert than those outside. The limited number of agents worked in their favor as they quickly found the woman they were looking for, only needing to ask for directions twice. Terrod had referred to her as “Mama.”

Mama turned out to be a five foot nothing ball of fury. She gave directions like the crack of a whip, moving business along with the efficiency of a drummer on a Roman war galley. There was a clear protocol as the area in front of her booth lacked the milling chaos that characterized the rest of the building. Her customers had formed an orderly line with a person moving up, handing over a piece of paper, and saying what they needed. A short conversation about the specifics of the contract ensued. She would then gesture to one of her several aids that stood nearby. Coins would exchange hands, then the aide and customer would walk off, presumably to retrieve whatever help the customer had come to obtain.

Somewhat at a loss, but not wanting to rock the boat, Richter and Sion joined the line. In what seemed like no time they were at the front and her hand was out, while looking down and writing the details of the last transaction in an open book in front of her. When nothing landed in her hand, she looked up with complete and utter disdain, searching for and finding the moron who had brought disorder to her carefully cultivated universe. Richter could swear he heard the people behind him backing up to show they were not with him, but he didn’t dare look away from the woman before him.

“When my hand is out, I expect your reference to be placed in it. I do not work with people I do not know. I have found it to be a waste of my time. I do not like wasting my time. I do not like people that waste my time. Now you are just standing there looking indecisive. Indecision causes confusion. Confusion causes accidents. Accidents cause death! So before my mental anguish transforms into your physical anguish, why don’t you get out of my line!” Each word of her speech dripped venom, and rose in volume, until she was shouting at the end. This time Richter was sure everyone had moved away from him. And yes, he meant everyone. Out of the corner of his eye he caught Sion a good three feet away.

Blushing from the embarrassment of being dressed down like a child he said, “Terrod sent us. He told us you were the person we should trust.”

Her face twitched as she digested this information. Her mouth opened and she continued in the same tone, but with perhaps a touch less volume, “And why should I trust that? Why should I trust you??”

Richter’s mind searched frantically before latching onto Terrod’s last statement said over his shoulder as he walked away. Richter repeated it now. “He said to remember I should never lie to Mama.”

Her face twitched again, and this time the left corner of her mouth turned up right before she broke into a large smile, “And how is Mr. Tall, Dark and Brooding?”

“He told me to convey his regards and apologies that he has not seen you recently. He is helping me with certain arrangements, but he told me that in addition to his, ahem, unique resources, that you might be able to help me as well.”

“Well that’s likely true enough,” she said loudly. The smile left her face and her sharp business tone came out again, “but I won’t know until you stop standing there like idiots and tell me what you need.”

“I need good people to live in, work in and grow my village. I am willing to pay a fair wage, and any that can open and maintain a business can keep the fruits of the labor as long as they pay a tax and also contribute to the overall defense and productivity of the village. I have heard that many talented people are going to waste here. I am willing to give them a home.”

“Okay that’s the cream, now what’s the curdle? And don’t try to sell me a sky of sunshine and the promise of no rain. Listen to the advice you got, you don’t want to lie to Mama!”

This woman was tough. Taking a deep breath Richter replied, “It’s in the Forest of Nadria. It has many resources but no infrastructure yet. We would be building from the ground up. I also would need anyone that came, to agree to leave the Kingdom for at least one whole year. Security matters to me, but I promise that anyone who wants to leave after a year, I will see safely back to the town of Leaf’s Crossing.”

“You ask a lot,” she said, staring at him. “I need to think this over. If you can wait, you can rest over there while I conduct my business with the rest of these good people. We will talk when I’m done.”

Nodding agreement, Richter walked to the area she indicated on the side of her booth. He sat down on the floor, and Sion sat next to him. “Oh so now you don’t mind being near me? That was a dick move man,” he said to the sprite. Sion simply gave a shrug and sat in the lotus position with his bow across his legs. Richter was pretty sure the little man had fallen asleep, and fought an irrational urge to give him a wet Willie. Instead he leaned his back against the wall and waited. And waited. And waited. It was well past noon when the line of employers dwindled off. Richter had wanted to leave several times, but had stayed out of a mixture of respect for Terrod’s opinion, desire to have the best for his village, and honestly having nothing better to do.

When she finished with her last client, Mama placed a placard with a red “X” on her desk facing out and stood up. She motioned for Richter to follow her outside, and he nudged Sion, who annoyingly had been snoring softly for the past couple hours.

When they were outside on a terrace that ran around the three quarters of the building not facing the promenade, she started talking. “I didn’t expect you to wait. It takes a lot for someone to sit on a stone floor with no real promise of obtaining what they desire. It normally takes either desperation or dedication. You don’t seem overly desperate to me.” They kept walking around looking at the masses of people on the ground to the sides of the building.

“Did Terrod tell you why they call me Mama? I’m guessing no, as he didn’t give you a written referral, despite knowing that is how I do things. Tell him he’ll get a slap in the head for that down the line by the way. So, they call me Mama, because I care about the people I represent. Every man or woman that gets a contract through me is paid and treated fairly. If there is ever an issue I make sure my people are taken care of, and then I deal with anyone that would cheat me and mine.” She looked meaningfully at Richter. He nodded back, not speaking but with a serious expression. Satisfied, she continued, “Now because of this my workers apply themselves and work harder than others which makes the employers happy. Both the employers and the workers know that I only deal with solid and dependable people. That is why Terrod sent you to me. Now while I am not able to do as much as I would like for many people, I also do not make a practice of placing the wellbeing of my charges in the hands of someone I don’t know.”

Richter’s expression must have fallen a bit because she sharply said, “Pay attention! I said normally! You may be a special case. There are a few things in your favor. One,” and she held up her closed fist, extending her forefinger, “You showed patience this morning. Two,” another finger went up, “Terrod sent you. If that old warhorse vouches for you it means a lot. Three, there is something about you that makes me want to trust you. That doesn’t often happen. Now, while those three things might make me want to buy you an ale and see how firm that toosh is, they wouldn’t bring me to entrust the wellbeing of any of my workers with you. While you were waiting though, I had some people ask about you. There is a rumor that a particularly loathsome gang by the docks was attacked, and had a good portion of their members wiped out. During this bloodbath, some nonhuman captives were freed. No one is quite sure who did it, but a close friend of mine confided that his brother’s friend’s girlfriend’s long lost schoolmate, or some such rubbish, had been part of the raid, and that there was a curious late addition of a man and a sprite. Now you wouldn’t know anything about that would you?” By the time she related the last points, they had walked to a secluded part of the terrace where there was no one to eavesdrop.

Richter looked at her. He was somewhat alarmed that she had made the connection so easily. Not for any direct concern that she meant him ill, but that it raised the real possibility that the remaining gang members could find him and the others. True, she apparently knew Terrod well and he had said he trusted her implicitly, so it would be easier for her to connect the dots than someone outside of Terrod’s immediate circle, but it was disquieting nonetheless. It made him anxious to conclude his business in the city and get back to the Forest. Despite his discomfort though, Richter still needed help, and Terrod had vouched for this woman. How could Richter ask her to trust him if he was not willing to do the same?

“I am sure that you understand the dangers of your question, for me, Terrod or anyone else involved. I am equally sure that it’s not necessary for me to stress how important it is to be discreet, but I will anyway. That being said, yes, I was a part of the raid to free the nonhumans. We succeeded, but unfortunately lost some men along the way. We also did not free all them as some had been sold as slaves to various nobles. We don’t know who yet, but Terrod has a ledger that we were told can point us to those that were involved. The ledger was coded so he is working now to figure it out. When he does, we are going to help him get the missing back. Specifically, Isabel.”

She listened closely while he related his story, when he mentioned Isabel though, her face broke with shock. “Isabel is missing? He tried to smuggle her out of the city? The fool! I told him not to trust those shifty Night Blades!” She stared out over the promenade for several minutes. “Okay. I understand why Terrod trusts you now. I have decided to help you. Now have you given thought to the type of people you need?”

“I was thinking masons, carpenters, farmers for crops and livestock, and guards.”

“That’s it? That’s all you think is required to grow a village? How will you feed them while you wait for crops to grow? You will need hunters and fishermen. How will you clothe them when the seasons grow cold? You need weavers to make those clothes. How will you help those who get ill or injured? You will need a healer! There is more to a community than just buildings and defense!”

A host of responses went through Richter’s head, but he ultimately decided on, “Will you help me?”

A smile replaced her stern expression, “That’s what Mama is for!”

They went over the specifics for several more hours. Afterwards, she promised to speak to her workers and find out who would be interested. When she told him the weekly wages most lived on, he was shocked. These people were just being blatantly taken advantage of. She agreed it was well below what each was worth, but seemed resigned that this was now the way of the world. Richter told her that anyone that he decided to take with him would be paid the basic wage of four silvers per fortnight, and he would cover room and board for the first year. This brought another smile to her face and she assured him it would make it easier to convince people to leave Law. They moved onto other topics.

The first was that the workers had families, and she needed to know if they could come as well. Since Richter was planning to grow his community it seemed well in line with his goals and he readily agreed. The next topic was how to get people there. Trekking a large amount of people through rugged terrain with the possibility of animal or monster attack was daunting. He would have to hire a large amount of guards. The other option though was to use the river ways. Now buying several boats was not feasible, but renting a few river craft while expensive was manageable. It would also let him transport needed items like anvils and the core components for a smelter to his village. Even though he was getting excited about the increased possibilities, the costs he had not foreseen were becoming daunting. He was relieved again that he had found the chest of jewels. Without their capital, reviving his new home might have been an insurmountable task.

The conversation continued to evolve to topics ranging from hiring a ship wright, and needing shovels and other tools, to investing in a new stationary buzz saw that could be powered by the river to greatly increase productivity (he hedged off the last one, what were Mist Workers for if not hard labor). At the end of their conversation, Mama had a list of items that should be obtained and categorized them as necessary, beneficial, or simply desired. Richter had told her that he had worked with Hafiz before. She said she knew him and agreed he was a good choice for obtaining what was needed. She also said that by tomorrow there would be a strong list of candidates to join him. With a final thank you, Richter and Sion left, and made their way back to the Laughing Imp.

There were several men lounging out in front of the inn. It didn’t look like anything special to the untrained eye, but one casually got up to meet them and the other three tensed. “Inn is closed today, friend.”

“I’m here for a meeting. I helped Terrod secure the precious cargo inside. Get him.”

The man still stood in front of Richter, but sent one of his fellows inside. Terrod came out soon after and waved him inside. The mood of the former captives was much improved as they sat in small groups and talked smiling. It was amazing what being clean, warm and fed could do for your attitude. He followed Terrod to a back table that had five older nonhumans present, two dwarves, two elves and a small humanoid that Richter couldn’t identify. He then used Analyze on all of them and found they were sub races: a mountain dwarf, hill dwarf, wood elf, high elf, and arcane gnome. More importantly though was the prompt that he was awarded.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 5 in Analyze! In addition to the information you already received you will also be provided with basic information of the target’s race, the target’s name and the target’s disposition towards you.

Curious he quickly used his ability again on everyone present.

Name: Terrod. Human: Lvl 6. Health 170. Mana 120. Stamina 160. Disposition: Friendly. Humans are one of the shortest lived, but most prolific breeders in the Land. Humans have a broader affinity for skills than other races. No special bonuses to race. Humans get four points to distribute per level.

Name: Sion. Wood Sprite Lvl 9. Health 210. Mana 190. Stamina 120. Disposition: Ally. Sprites have several subclasses which determine their specific powers. Wood Sprites are naturally gifted in tracking and woodcraft. They have a skill of imbuing their strikes with mana greatly increasing damage. Sprites get three points to distribute per level, and each level gives +2 to Dexterity.

Name: Hilda. Mountain Dwarf Level 10. Health 240. Mana 120. Stamina 260. Disposition: Friendly. Dwarves have several subclasses that determine their specific powers. Mountain dwarves are a hardy folk that get bonuses to Constitution and Endurance each level. They have keen eyesight that gives them excellent night vision. Natural miners, it is said mountain dwarves can “smell” veins of precious metals. Increased resistance to negative physical effects. Increased affinity and resistance to Earth Magic. Mountain Dwarves get three points to distribute per level, and each level give +1 to Constitution and +1 to Endurance.

Name: Poltan. Hill Dwarf Level 8. Health 250. Mana 130. Stamina 210. Disposition: Friendly. Dwarves have several subclasses that determine their specific powers. Hill dwarves are the most social of the dwarven races. Highly skilled in crafting. One of the few dwarf races known to be skilled in ranged combat. Increased resistance to negative physical effects. Increased affinity and resistance to Earth Magic. Hill Dwarves get three points to distribute per level, and each level give +1 to Constitution and +1 to Endurance.

Name: Ulin. Wood Elf Level 10. Health 170. Mana 260. Stamina 110. Disposition: Friendly. Elves have several subclasses that determine their specific powers. Wood elves are gifted in archery, woodcraft, and healing. Increased accuracy and damage when using ranged weapons. Bonus to dodge. Wood Elves get three points to distribute per level, and each level give +1 to Dexterity and +1 to Intelligence.

Name: Wisteria. High Elf Level 12. Health 130. Mana 300. Stamina 110. Disposition: Friendly. Elves have several subclasses that determine their specific powers. High elves are gifted in archery and most magical arts. They have increased resistance to magical attack. Bonus to Intelligence and Wisdom each level. High Elves get three points to distribute per level, and each level give +1 to Intelligence and +1 to Wisdom.

Name: Berin. Builder Gnome Level 9. Health 140. Mana 190. Stamina 210. Disposition: Friendly. Gnomes have several subclasses that determine their specific powers. Builder gnomes are obsessed with the application of knowledge. Known to make amazing devices and build fantastic structures. Gifted in magical crafting. Builder Gnome get three points to distribute per level, and each level give +1 to Intelligence and +1 to Endurance.

It was pleasant to see how they all viewed him. Not overly surprising though, considering the role he had played in freeing their people. Well no reason not to grease the wheels. Looking at each in turn, he willed himself to speak their native languages. All had surprised looks that only grew as they observed his apparent mastery of multiple tongues.

Terrod and Sion sat, but Richter remained standing. He had given some thought to how he would address them. He decided to maintain his customary tack of honesty and strength. Switching to the common tongue, “I am Master of a Village and a Place of Power. I need help to grow the village into something good, something to be proud of. When I came to this Kingdom I thought that only meant getting people with skills to grow the physical village, raise crops, and erect walls. I don’t believe that any longer.”

“I can give you many reasons why coming to my village is the smart thing to do, but only you can truly answer that. Only you have lived through the past years of oppression in this kingdom. Only you know how it has affected your lives, your livelihoods, you families. Only you can make a simple decision. Do you continue to live here being forced to kneel, or do you take a chance to come with me and stand on the merits of your own skills and hard work? I make no promises for the future, but I do promise that if you come with me, we will meet it together.”

Richter sat down. No one spoke for a moment, and they simply watched each other. He was pleased with what he saw. No doubt there would be more work to fully convince them, but from the nods and speculative looks on their faces, he was confident the Mist Village was about to have dozens more residents. It was good to be the king of Charisma!

They all agreed to come with him in the end, and had already spoken to their people. Richter now had dwarven smiths and crafters, elvish hunters and healers, and gnomish builders and farmers. There was even an elvish shipwright and her apprentices. Each race had a smattering of fighters and casters of various types as well. All told including families, wives, husbands and children, one hundred and eighty-two souls agreed to come with him. The topic of wages came up and he interrupted them in the middle of their proposal. He refused to pay the wage they would have made in the Kingdom, and instead promised to pay the wage their human counterparts would have made for the same work. Richter had already resolved he would not sow the seeds of discord and disharmony in the early days of his new community. He made it clear that all would be treated equally. Tears welled in several eyes at that, and the gnome freely shed a few tears and reached out to shake his hand. Richter merely nodded in response, and further told them that for the first year as they built the village he would also provide free room and board. They in turn would help to grow the village, protect it as needed and respect his position as Master of the village. He was also firm on the point that all would help each other advance their skills. Richter planned to have a skilled population that was versatile. There was no dissension.

That only left the problem of getting them out of the Kingdom. Thankfully this was not the insurmountable problem that Richter had feared it to be. Terrod had the solution. The original plan had been to smuggle the nonhumans into the Kingdom of Rione, which did not distinguish between the races in how they treated their citizens. Terrod had hired the thieves to shelter the nonhumans so they could slowly move small groups them through Rald’s Pass, the only well-traveled and safe passage through the Serrated Mountains. It was the only direct way into Rione, as no rivers large enough to carry ships connected the two Kingdoms. Incidentally this was also why Rione had not been annexed by the Kingdom of Yves long ago.

Now that the ultimate destination was the Forest of Nadria, different possibilities were open to them. The Undine River, the apparent name of the major waterway that ran behind Law, connected to the Forest of Nadria as Richter well knew though. They could hide the nonhumans on river barges taking them past Leaf’s and into the forest. From there, Richter could guide them among the forest’s many tributaries until they were only a few miles from the village. He and several others would guide them through the mists and then guide them back out. The basic location of the village might be known by a few ship captains, but nothing specific would get back to anyone in the Kingdom.

Richter was acutely aware that the greatest defense of his village was its obscure location. Taking the ships to the village was the only option though. Despite his need for caution, he had not forgotten the dangers of the forest or his encounter with the troll on the way out. Taking a host of defenseless children and non-fighters over hundreds of miles of wooded terrain would be inviting slaughter. It was these very dangers that had led Terrod and the others to reject the Forest of Nadria, or any of the other neighboring lands initially. The Silent Hills, the Whisper Woods, the Plains of Gold, all of them could be reached by river. They were all populated with monsters or hostile tribes though. It was only because Richter had found and created a safe haven that the forest was now a viable option.

It would take several days to arrange the transport, collect the families, and bribe the ship captains, but Terrod was confident he could do it. In the meantime, each of the five leaders worked with Richter to make a list of the materials they would be needing for their various professions. Some of it was minor such as seeds for planting. Other items could be made once there, like nails, boards, shovels, and plows. Some would be brought with them like jewelers’ tools. Some had to be bought however, like the smelter components for the blacksmiths. Many of the requests were already covered during his talk with Mama. Also if he wanted livestock he would have to arrange for that to be bought. Ideally everything would be waiting to be picked up in Leaf’s Crossing. He had several hundred gold in cold currency, and the jewels he had obtained from the thieves plus the lion’s share of the jewels from the treasury. It was time to see Hafiz again. He had only gotten a few hours of sleep in the last two days though, and just the thought of all the money he was about to spend was exhausting. He said goodnight and walked up to his room, falling into a dreamless sleep.