Astral Threads, Ch 30: Gates of Runekeld (Patreon)

The gates to Runekeld were a hundred feet tall, carved from towering slabs of stone that merged into the mountainside. They were engraved with the image of two giant dwarves facing each other, one on either panel. Both were wearing full plate armor that was decorated with square bands of runes that looked archaic, especially along the brow of the helmet and along the surface of the breastplate and greaves.

Each of the dwarves was wearing a crown on their helmets and held a battle axe in their hands, but they were different enough to show they weren’t the same person. It was difficult to distinguish from the faces alone, since a long, braided beard engraved with beads covered half of their appearance and tumbled down their breastplate, leaving only the space from their eyes to nose visible beneath their helmets. On closer inspection, however, more details jumped out to distinguish them. The braids were slightly different, as was the placement and style of the beads, and the lines of the armor had different angles to them.

If the sky had been dark, the gates might have had a foreboding presence, but with the sun shining down on them, the engravings sparkled with a sense of warmth as the light reflected from the highly polished surface. It also looked like chips of quartz or another reflective stone had been worked into the images, which made them shine brighter than the gates they guarded.

Behind the gates, the side of the mountain rose higher in a sheer, towering cliff that had clearly been chiseled flat by magic or hammer. It was set at the end of a long and deep valley which also had sheer sides. Images were engraved along the walls, which also demanded attention, but they were not as ornate as the gates. They were scenes of dwarven life. One side of the valley was decorated with scenes of crafting, forges, and dwarves at work. The other held marching dwarven legions, heroes, and battles.

Although it wasn’t obvious from where Sam was standing, the entrance valley was no doubt fully protected with traps and magical barriers, or perhaps even golems where the carvings could come to life. He looked around, studying the area with curiosity and a surge of excitement as his old childhood desire to meet the dwarves returned. There were a few significant differences from how he had once imaged it going, however, including that he was currently standing in mid-air.

“Home,” Krana said with a contented smile from where she was standing on one side of Sam, supported by the same current of wind. “Those are the two earliest kings of the city who guard the gates. Their queens have similar engravings in the throne room, which are just as tall, for wisdom and fair judgment. The walls inside the caverns are higher than you would think, especially in the throne room.”

“I’ve never had the chance to visit your home before,” Ayala spoke up quietly from Sam’s other side. Her voice was tempered with “I didn’t think it would be after running away from my home and being attacked by bellisagi. But life has many surprises.”

“Ahh, it’ll be fine. You’ll see.” Krana leaned around Sam as she sent Ayala a grin. “Those assassins’ll never get into Runekeld. No one would let them through the gates. And the halls are lined with warriors. The legions and the battleguard aren’t just for show. Even if they were sneaking around, they’d trip over a couple.

“Let’s head in,” she added as she reached up to tap Sam on the shoulder and then pointed down to the gates. “There’s a greeting post just outside the gates. You should tell them you’re a High Councilor from the Moonlight Relic, near Highfold, and say you’ve come here as a diplomat. That’ll get you a good reception, especially since I’m here to speak for you, and the truth is always best with my people.

“You could say you’re the ruler of the relic, but that takes a different sort of welcoming party and we don’t have enough people with us to make that look right. Plus, with you being unidentifiable except for your title, it creates quite the mystery. Rulers should be straightforward and powerful, but High Councilors...those can be mysterious.” Krana grinned again as she continued with her advice.

“It’ll work out best this way. Also, we want to let everyone know that you’re an interesting and powerful sort of smith, which will give you quite a different reception among my people than a diplomat, and a better one, so you’ll get the best of both worlds. We’ll make sure to tell them your title as a High Council is the Architect.” She rubbed at her chin as she looked down to the entrance. “Actually, I’ll handle the introductions. It’ll be for the best. You just look all moonlight and star-shiny at the right time. ”

“All right.” Sam chuckled as he looked down at Krana and then back to where the horses were hanging from the slings carried by golems. They looked pathetic with their feet dangling in the breeze, but at least the poor fellows had been able to sleep on the way.

They had managed to reach Runekeld in three days of continuous flight, but they hadn’t stopped to make camp since he’d been worried about the bellisagi showing up again. Even with the golems watching more closely, Krana and Ayala weren’t safe in a confrontation like that and he’d pushed on for their sake rather than risk them.

As for his plans, he had two things to do in Runekeld before he moved on. First, he wanted to find out what the seers could tell him about the Harbinger of War in Highfold, and then he wanted to see what places of elemental power they knew about. Hopefully, they could direct him to a few and he could head there to gather auras for the relic.

Those places would make an excellent location for aura forging, as well as a good area to see what the bellisagi were made of. His connection to the elements was deeper than ever and in a place where they were so intense, he would be more powerful than usual. If the assassins thought they could hunt him, they’d find it was a good route to a shallow grave.

If the seers here were helpful, perhaps they could even find out who had set the bounty. Someone in the kingdom was causing trouble, either for him personally or for the relic, and that would be a good lead to track down.

“Let’s go,” Sam said as he began to descend. The sky blurred past them as they entered the heart of the valley. The farther they went down, the taller the carvings on the gate seemed.

It didn’t take them long to land, and as soon as they were on the ground again, Krana stepped up to a mithril plate that was set into the base of the doors as she drew her warhammer. With a high swing for force, she swung it into the plate.

A vibrant, bell-like ring echoed out across the valley.

“Who challenges the gate to the mountain home?” The voice thundered out from the stone as the ring faded, passing through the gate with a reverberation that felt capable of shaking the portals. It was easy to imagine the dwarven kings engraved on them speaking as they challenged visitors.

It was also an interesting enchantment, a variant of voice amplification that was linked to Earth in a way he hadn’t seen before, and Sam’s eyes followed the threads of mana that were woven through the portal as he studied it. Krana wanted to speak, so it left him free to occupy himself with more interesting things.

“A clan daughter and allies,” Krana replied firmly as she raised her warhammer again. “Ones worthy of honor!”

“You speak for them, clan daughter?” The voice was friendlier now, but still as loud as before. “Name yourself and speak your rite of belonging.”

Krana took a square stance as she straightened her back and set her hammer against her right shoulder. “I am Krana of the Silver Hammer, Earthen Prophet of War and Clan Daughter of Runekeld, daughter of Tolbrek and Esana of the Silver Hammer branch, ambassador to Osera and foreign lands. I have returned with honored guests.”

“Your voice echoes in the halls of Runekeld, Krana of the Silver Hammer Branch. Speak the names of your guests.”

“There are two guests. First is my good friend, Ayala Lirian of Osera, honored Priestess of the World Law and daughter of Helimar the World Knight. Welcome her with your full heart.” Krana held out her left hand to indicate Ayala and then she pointed at Sam.

“Then there is a guest who must be greatly honored, whose status is so important that his identity is protected by the World Law itself. He comes here as the chief representative of a power as old as stone.” Krana’s voice rose to a resounding boom that echoed with authority.

“Behold! The High Councilor of the Moonlight Relic, an ancient artifact from the early days of the world! He is called the Architect, the Chaos Smith, the Envoy of Silvas, the Starflame Forger, the Golden Titan...but his oldest title is the Horned Hunter of the Moons!”

Her words rumbled across the stone gates as she put the full force of her lungs behind them. It wasn’t as loud as the enchantment the guard was using, but it held conviction and the sound carried, echoing for almost a minute across the valley where the earth met the sky.

“Behind him is his honor guard from the Moonlight Relic, guardian constructs that show his skill in crafting and his status.” Krana pointed behind them to where the dozen Sky Guard had taken up a formation of two rows.

Their giant wings were furled, but there was no hiding the strength or majesty of their craftsmanship. They were towering golems and the black crystal glittered in the sunlight as silver flecks moved through it. One of the golems at the end was holding the reins to both horses, but it did nothing to detract from their appearance.

Sam had some difficulty keeping his expression straight as he looked at Krana. He wanted to grumble at her, but he had to assume she knew what she was doing. He just hadn’t expected her to be so dramatic about it.

Almost helplessly, he released his aura to accompany her words, and a flare of sapphire flames, moonlight, and astral light blazed out of him. The starlight from his eyes was bright as he nodded at the gate and when he spoke, his words rippled with heat.

“I greet the honored clans of Runekeld and their allies, and I look forward to a profitable relationship.” He inclined his head toward the gate with a polite nod. There was a flicker of messages from the World Core at the edge of Sam’s mind as he took up his role, but he ignored them as he focused on the gates.

Behind the portal, the guard was silent, perhaps with shock, but then a web of yellow Earth mana flowed through the gates as they came to life.

“Runekeld welcomes the return of the Clan Daughter and her guests. A delegation approaches to welcome the Horned Hunter of the Moons, High Councilor of the Moonlight Relic.”

There was a small gate set at the base of the large ones, which Sam had thought they would use, but instead the ancient kings raised their battle axes, making it seem as if they were saluting each other, and the massive gates themselves began to pull apart. Between them, a slice of light appeared from the caverns beyond.

As the gates swung open, they revealed a long and ornately carved tunnel with fortifications layered into the walls. It was nearly eighty feet across and there was not just one set of gates, but several, as well as portcullises, deadfalls, holes for oil and spears, magical crystals, and bands of runic enchantments.

Among all those decorations, the walls were carved with scenes of dwarven battles from the past, with legions arranged in marching lines as they faced giant scarabs, serpents, and Outsiders of a dozen different forms.

“I told you I’d handle it,” Krana said with a grin as she looked inside and then up at Sam. “They should be sending a good meeting delegation now, which will help get things off the ground.”

“A nice list of titles,” Sam grumbled to her in exasperation. “I thought this was going to be a quiet meeting with the seers?”

“This is better,” she insisted, entirely unrepentant. “Otherwise, it would have taken days or even a month to round them all up, and I know you’re in a hurry. Now, we’ve shocked them and they’ll come to see what’s going on, which is what matters.

“Plus, it’s about time you took up some of the political trappings that go with what you’re trying to accomplish. You can’t go about all of the time as an unknown traveler or some adventurer. You need a name and some titles. That’s the only way you’ll be recognized by the right people.”
“It looks like you’ve taken care of that,” Sam said as he sensed the information from the messages that the World Core had just given him. As soon as he paid attention to them, the words rolled through his mind, even more loudly than the announcement from the dwarf at the gates.

Congratulations, Guardian of Aster Fall. You have been granted titles by a local authority who has recognized your innate characteristics. As your Charisma and your Abilities are adequately represented by these titles, they are now recognized as intrinsic to your being.

You have been granted the following titles:

High Councilor of the Moonlight Relic.

Architect.

Chaos Smith.

Envoy of Silvas.

Starflame Forger.

Golden Titan.

Each title functions as a minor Trait and provides an increased effect to your Charisma-based abilities, including Leadership and Diplomacy, when you are actively engaged in roles related to them. Only one may be active at a time.

You have gained the Skills: Leadership (Basic) and Diplomacy (Basic).

The World Core’s voice disappeared and Sam felt a tickle of energy sweep through him as the new skills were added. It took a few moments before it faded, but fortunately no dwarves had appeared yet to welcome them.

“You said your parents were ambassadors, but it seems you left out your own status here.” Sam’s tone was wry as he looked down at Krana, who was still grinning. “A local authority, is it?”

The last time he’d gained a title, it had been Siwasir who had granted him a title. His sylph friend had also counted as a local authority in the valley. These were titles he really already had, most of them at least, but Krana had just validated them somehow.

“I’m just the daughter of ambassadors,” Krana said cheerfully as she waved away his comment, “but Seers have a decent status here, especially Earthen Seers, and my clan branch is one of the main ones.”

She was clearly downplaying it, but he knew enough to read between the lines. She’d grown up with Ayala as a friend, and Ayala was like a princess in Osera. It seemed Krana had a similar status here. No wonder their parents had let them spend time together.

Either way, it was obvious that the World Core paid more attention to people in certain roles and granted them some official titles. It made him wonder what his family would be capable of within the relic.

“Most of those titles are true, but the Golden Titan and Starflame Forger?” he asked with a chuckle. “How long have you been planning that?”

“You were staring into space as we flew and wouldn’t talk, so I needed something to do. They fit, don’t you think?” Krana grinned, waiting for Sam’s reaction, but their attention was pulled back to the gates as the sound of marching dwarves approached. The tunnel seemed to shake under a rolling thunder of crashing boots and metal with a steady rhythm.

Perhaps she was right about the titles, Sam thought as he waited for the delegation. Humans and dwarves both responded more to what they believed was there than the reality of it, perhaps because they could not see the depth of aura in things.

The sylphs were better about it, more in tune with the deeper levels of reality. No one needed to tell a sylph which tree was older or which elder had more power. They felt the truth of things more keenly, like sunlight and the wind on their faces.

As for him, he had no trouble picking out which of the approaching dwarves were the true powers. Even without Analyze, which he refrained from out of courtesy, it was obvious. There were two dozen dwarves marching down the tunnel in a square formation and another five at the center who were being escorted. He had plenty of time to study them with Crystal Focus as they approached, even before they came around a curve in the tunnel.

Most of the dwarves were in full plate armor with rounded pauldrons and helmets engraved with runes that bore some resemblance to the kings on the gates. They carried tower shields in one hand and a polished spear in the other. The armor and weapons all had a bright silver shine and the base metal appeared to be an alloy of steel and mithril, which would make it strong and durable.

Contrary to the common perception of dwarves, their helmets had no spikes or horns, but rather a reinforced band across the top with its own line of engraved runes. Their shields had a flat surface, but there was a circular enchantment at the center that appeared to be for force projection and summoning a metal spike, which made them a formidable weapon in their own right.

About half of the dwarves were female and the other half were male, but there was little visible difference with the armor over them except that the females didn’t have beards. Instead, they had a gorget and a mesh coif that rested around their chins, which protected their neck. Seeing that made Sam look at the male dwarves, and for the first time he realized that the mithril beads and wire wrapped through their beards were as dense as one of those coifs.

They’d turned their beards into armor.

The five dwarves in the center were wearing robes instead of armor, but they had heavily embroidered panels down the front, along the hems, and on the sleeves and cuffs that were no doubt almost as durable. The glow of enchantments rose from them.

Of the five, there were three women and two men, and one of the women in particular bore a striking resemblance to Krana, as if they were the same person, but this version was a century or so older. There was also a thread of aura that was similar enough from her for Sam to be sure she was a close blood relation. Most likely, it was Krana’s mother.

There were still a few moments before they arrived, so he let his aura play across the area to announce his presence as he spent the rest of the time studying the runes on the robes and the armor. Only part of the enchantments was visible, but it was enough to give him an idea about what had been done.

The dwarves came to a sharp halt with a last stop of their boots on the stone tunnel and their shields thudded as they slammed them down in salute. There was a silent moment as they looked upward, and then upward again, to take in Sam’s height. At eight feet and more in his standard form, he towered over them, but it didn’t seem to disturb them in the slightest.

There was no trace of an Analyze ability being used, probably so as not to offend him, but with a flicker of a mental command, he shared his titles with the group, allowing them to see what Krana had announced. Her efforts a moment before had ensured there were plenty of them for the dwarves to read.

There was a moment of consideration and then the shields slammed down against the stone again as the dwarves parted. The escort separated into two armored lines as it revealed the five robed dwarves at the center. The one who resembled Krana was at the front and there was a bright smile on her face. The other four looked less certain, but their expressions were pleasant.

“Welcome home, Clan Daughter of the Silver Hammers.” The dwarf woman stepped forward as she held out her arms. Her voice was a rich rumble, even more elegant and cultured than Krana’s. Her robes were heavy with ornate mithril embroidery, especially around the cuffs, which were threaded so heavily that they looked like pure metal. They moved with her, undisturbed by the wind.

“Mother!” Krana shouted as she ran forward, her voice holding a cheerful note that Sam had never heard. She was normally a serious companion, sometimes joking and sometimes dour, but always sensible. It was the first time she’d ever betrayed a trace of the young woman that she still was.

“Krana!” The woman laughed back as she wrapped her arms around her daughter in a hug. The sleeves of her robe chimed as they struck one another. “Welcome home,” she said again, even more warmly than before. “It seems you’ve come back with a story this time.”

After a moment she released Krana with a pat on the shoulder. The smile was still there, even as a trace of curiosity and puzzlement entered her eyes as she looked at Sam. “Will you make the introductions, so there’s no offense here?”

Sam knew that Krana had written home, but clearly she hadn’t revealed much about him, and he had to thank her for that. She’d held his secrets in confidence until the time was right. She must have been looking forward to this moment, which explained why she’d given him so many titles. She was waiting for him to make her time away seem worthwhile.

In that case, he would have to make her look good.

“My lady,” Sam said with a smile as he took a step forward, “and councilors of Runekeld. I thank you for these many months of critical assistance that your clan daughter has offered me in rebuilding my home.” His aura and the astral energy in his voice were more than enough to draw attention, so he didn’t push his Charisma to persuade them of anything. That would have been too heavy handed, especially since he could tell their levels weren’t low. Their auras said the guards were in the middle of the First Evolution and the dignitaries were in their Second.

“As an Earthen Seer, Krana saw a great disaster looming in the future, an act that has perhaps saved us all, and she warned me of it. Many miles and events have passed since we first met, and in following this path with me, your clan daughter has reached the First Evolution. The World Core blesses her steps.”

Krana’s mother sent a surprised glance at her daughter, her widened eyes making it obvious that she hadn’t Analyzed her yet, although probably only because the ability might have seemed rude to Sam before they were introduced. Sam nodded, his horns moving in a graceful arc before he continued.

“I wish there were time for us to meet with only the slow heartbeat of the stone to measure our speech, but what I have come to say is this: Aster Fall faces a grave challenge, one that has not been seen for a hundred thousand years. The World Seal that has long protected us is crumbling, the holes in it growing greater by the day.”

His words were a wash of heat that rolled through the tunnel like a summer night, flames flickering comfortably against the stones, but the warning was clear.

“My current home, an ancient relic of the past that was designed to do something similar to the World Seal, offers a hope of slowing that decline, a return to the purpose it was once intended to fulfill. With your clan daughter’s encouragement, I have come here to request your assistance in locating materials that may help me to restore it, as well as to discover other challenges we may face.

“Whatever aid I may offer you in return will be given with my full effort. I am skilled with ancient enchantments, elemental powers, and rune forging.”

When his speech came to a close, he found the dwarves staring at him with intense fascination, although he could tell it was due as much to the aura that infused his words as to what he had said. He waited for their response as he gave them a moment to gather themselves.

There was a murmur of shocked discussion between the dignitaries. The guards tried to hide their surprise behind stoicism and only tightened their grip on their spears. After a few moments, the murmurs came to an end, but he could hear the disbelief and worry in their tone. For his first attempt at persuading someone about what was going on, that was better than he’d expected. Krana’s mother looked at her daughter, and was clearly Analyzing her this time, before she turned to Sam.

“Honored High Councilor, we have been expecting you,” she said slowly as she looked at his horns and then at his eyes. Few people did that these days, since the starlight there was intense, but it didn’t seem to disturb her. “I am one of our seers as well, and I knew that you would come, although not in what way or what you would ask. My daughter has told me of her travels, but she was always careful not to reveal your full history. Now, I understand why. Your words leave us in need of strong counsel. We will need to speak of this at length. Until we have decided how we can aid you, however....”

She turned to look at the guards and the other councilors around her, and then she nodded as she turned back to Sam. Her hand rose into the air as a sigil formed on it like liquid silver and hung in the air, and her words became formal as she shaped a proclamation.

“For aiding my daughter, a future Seer of Runekeld, and protecting her life many times, I name you Friend and Honored Guest of Runekeld. Let this sigil bear witness to your deeds and let none here question your right to it. You may come and go from our realm as you wish, announced or unannounced. A home will be carved for you among our caverns where you may stay, and you will always find bread and ale at our tables.”

She stepped forward and held out her hand in front of him, allowing him to examine the sigil, and when he nodded she took his right hand in her left and drew his arm forward. Her palm came down atop his forearm, where he felt the sigil on her palm try to burn.

Analyzing threat level, the Guardian Star’s voice announced bluntly as he felt its energies twist along his skin and examine the sigil. It sounded annoyed, perhaps at the idea of another mark trying to edge into its territory. No threat detected. Honorary marking identified and logged. It can be removed later. Do you wish to accept it?

Yes, let it do what it’s trying to do, Sam agreed. A moment later, the sigil settled on his arm and glowed there, like a badge of honor, and he heard the World Core’s announcement in his mind.

Friend and Honorary Guest Status Achieved with the Dwarves of Runekeld. Honor Mark integrated into your status.

“I am Esana of the Silver Hammer branch,” Krana’s mother said warmly. She was disturbed by his news, but not enough to interrupt her welcome of him. “Please, follow me into the city. Let us welcome you while we consider this news.”