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For this blog, I tried out some writing elements used by classical authors like Charles Dickens and Jules Verne. Let me know what you think.
Though there are many great cities in the overworld, Tresad is unique for a number of reasons. It is by no means the oldest in the world, but it is the oldest city still populated, and it invented many things without which the modern world would be a very different place. Things such as enchanting, explosives, and golem-making can all trace their origins to the ancient desert city, and though they did not invent it, the Tresadans made improvements to farming as well.
At the height of Tresad’s power, there lived a young man named Imhotep. Imhotep was quite poor, and he worked as a blacksmith to feed himself. His specialty was weapon smithing, and he could forge some of the highest quality swords, axes, and spears in all of Tresad. Unfortunately, weapons were not in high demand, so Imhotep spent his days crafting mundane tools like shovels and hoes. It was dull work, but it was work, and work kept Imhotep fed.
What Imhotep most wanted to do, was leave Tresad and use the weapons he crafted for something besides selling them. When Imhotep was a boy, his father had been friends with an adventurer who sometimes stopped by to trade. The adventurer, whose name was Hekanakht, had said that Imhotep could make a good adventurer one day. Much had changed since then, but still Imhotep hoped.
Traders and adventurers from outside the city told fantastic stories of adventure and excitement, about brave heroes and terrible monsters. Imhotep wanted to be part of one of these stories, but little did he know, his chance was on its way.
Most of Imhotep’s clients were villagers who needed to replace a worn out shovel or the like, but sometimes he would meet a warrior from outside the city who needed a new sword or chestplate. Imhotep’s last acquaintance of the day was a man barely older than he was, but clearly more experienced in combat. He carried a weapon Imhotep had never seen before, an enchanted prismarine trident. Imhotep knew by the trident that he was from the Islander Empire, a kingdom which occupied many islands and shorelines all over the ocean. The man approached Imhotep, who was repairing an iron shovel at his anvil. The man spoke up.
“My name is Aristarchus, and I have come from the city of Spartos in search of skilled weaponsmiths for hire. Would you be interested?”
“Interested?” asked Imhotep, “I’ve wanted to get out and see the world since I was a boy!”
“Excellent,” Aristarchus replied, “we will leave whenever you are ready. How about tomorrow?”
They agreed to depart the next day. They parted ways, and Imhotep began to pack. Once the sweltering sun rose the next day, our heroes were off for the seaside town of Merer. In Merer, they hired a ship, and sailed for Spartos, the capital city of the Islander empire. The captain of their ship was an old salt with a name none of them could pronounce, so they simply called him “captain”. Their ship was a large one of the Phoenixian variety, with a large sail, and eyes painted on the bow. It’s name was so long and confusing that even the captain had trouble with it.
The ship was fast, and it would have made the journey in no time were the voyage not interrupted. For the first two days of their journey, they had nothing but smooth sailing, but on the third day, the wind picked up, the sea grew wilder, and dark clouds were blowing in from the east. But a thunderstorm was hardly the worst of their problems. The real trouble started when a large green creature became visible in the water of the port side of the ship. It seemed that everyone aboard except Imhotep knew exactly what it was. Imhotep was curious, but he knew this was probably the wrong time to ask.
The monster continued to circle the ship. Monsters, Imhotep realised, there were at least three. By now, many of the sailors had drawn their tridents and begun to stab and jab any parts of the monsters they could reach. The tridents were enchanted so that they would fly back into their owner’s hand when thrown.
“Fascinating,” thought Imhotep, “I wouldn’t want to pick a fight with a warrior who has one of those…”
Imhotep’s train of thought was redirected when he heard a yell from one of the sailors. The cabin boy’s leg had been grabbed by the long, tentacle-like tongue of one of the monsters. As quick as thought, Imhotep raised his crescent shaped khopesh sword and sliced off the monster’s tongue, freeing the cabin boy from it’s grasp. Fortunately, the boy was not seriously wounded, so Imhotep returned to the fight.
The monsters’ most weak spots were their tongues, which were thin, fast, and meant to grip the monster’s prey tightly, which also made them extremely deadly. After the tongues, the most dangerous parts were the large, four jawed mouths they were stored in. Each of the four jaws were lined with sharp teeth, and filled with strong muscles. They could seriously damage the rudders and hulls of ships if given time.
The battle seemed hopeless until the cabin boy yelled to Aristarchus: “Sir, please come see this! It could save our lives!” The boy was holding up an enchanted book. Aristarchus ran to get it, and Imhotep wondered what enchantment could save them.
Thunder crashed and lightning flashed as Imhotep, the captain, and the crew fought the sea monsters. Then, a gleaming enchanted trident wooshed over their heads, and speared one of the monsters. As soon as the prismarine spearhead touched the monster’s skin, a bolt of lightning burst from the sky and struck the monster exactly where the trident had hit. Shocked and dazed, the enormous cephalopod sank back into the sea. The battle concluded swiftly after that, with all of the remaining sea monsters either dazed by the lightning bolts or scared away by them.
After the fight, Imhotep and Aristarchus talked with the cabin boy.
“If you don’t mind me asking,” asked aristarchus, “who are you, and where did you find that book?”
“My name is argus sir,” replied the boy, “and I got the book from the captain’s collection. I knew it would help, because I once read a book about enchanting.”
“Where are your parents?” asked Imhotep, and then immediately regretted it. “I’m sorry. It’s none of my business.”
“Don’t be sorry. I don’t know who my parents were. I was found in the streets of spartos and adopted by an orphanage until I grew old enough to work.” The boy said it with a vaguely spiteful tone, as if he couldn’t possibly care less who his parents were. This was a complicated child, Imhotep realised.
“How much does the captain of this ship pay you?” asked aristarchus.
“A meal a day sir,” replied the boy “and a place to sleep at night”
Aristarchus looked startled, and Imhotep grimaced. Aristarchus was a wealthy man, who likely knew little about the living conditions of the lower class.
“Very well, I believe that settles it.” said Aristarchus, resolute, “After saving our lives from that shoal of krakens, you deserve a better job.”
After several more days of sailing, the ship with the unpronounceable name arrived at spartos. It was entirely unlike Tresad, or anything else Imhotep had ever seen. The island was roughly cone shaped, about as tall as it was wide, with the enormous white royal palace shining at the top. All around the sides of the island were buildings large and small, but most impressive of all were the four tall watchtowers at the far north, south, east, and wast of the island. These towers could spot enemy ships hours before they arrived. Surrounding the island were many docks and piers, at which countless ships were moored.
The ship docked at one of the vacant ports, and after Aristarchus paid the captain, he, Imhotep, and Argus entered the hustle and bustle of the city. After walking for quite a way, the threesome came to a hidden alleyway near the palace. Aristarchus knocked three times on a hidden door in the wall. A peephole opened and a voice from inside asked,
“Password?”
“Waning crescent.” Aristarchus answered.
Behind the door and down a staircase behind it was a square stone brick chamber with a detailed table map of Spartos at its center. Stone benches lined the walls. It was a meeting room. But the part that interested Imhotep was down a hallway to the right of the map room. There was an enormous and elaborate blacksmith’s forge, with all kinds of tools and apparatuses. There were anvils and grindstones, blast furnaces and smithing tables and many things that Imhotep didn’t recognise.
“Welcome to the forges of the Upholders.” Aristarchus said proudly, “All of these will be at your disposal should you choose to work here.”
“With tools like this, I could craft anything!” Imhotep gasped.
“And you can craft anything.” Aristarchus replied, “anything we can use anyway…”
“What will I do?” asked Argus.
“If you like, you can become a security officer.” responded Aristarchus, “you would have several duties, including gatekeeper, watchman, and perhaps even spy. For Three gold Ingots per day of course.”
Argus was delighted. Any job that pays three gold ingots per day was a good one in his opinion.
They also met Aristarchus’ brother Copernicus, who was an astronomer. He explained that the Upholders were a secret Islander organization that specialized in trident forging, cartography, And study of the natural world.
Everything turned out for the better. Imhotep became a blacksmith again, and because of his skill and experience, rose through the ranks and eventually became the head smith. Argus went on to become head of security for the Upholders, Aristarchus, who was already high ranking became the chief strategist, and copernicus became the head astronomer and discovered many secrets of the universe. Everything was peaceful, for a while anyway...
Though there are many great cities in the overworld, Tresad is unique for a number of reasons. It is by no means the oldest in the world, but it is the oldest city still populated, and it invented many things without which the modern world would be a very different place. Things such as enchanting, explosives, and golem-making can all trace their origins to the ancient desert city, and though they did not invent it, the Tresadans made improvements to farming as well.
At the height of Tresad’s power, there lived a young man named Imhotep. Imhotep was quite poor, and he worked as a blacksmith to feed himself. His specialty was weapon smithing, and he could forge some of the highest quality swords, axes, and spears in all of Tresad. Unfortunately, weapons were not in high demand, so Imhotep spent his days crafting mundane tools like shovels and hoes. It was dull work, but it was work, and work kept Imhotep fed.
What Imhotep most wanted to do, was leave Tresad and use the weapons he crafted for something besides selling them. When Imhotep was a boy, his father had been friends with an adventurer who sometimes stopped by to trade. The adventurer, whose name was Hekanakht, had said that Imhotep could make a good adventurer one day. Much had changed since then, but still Imhotep hoped.
Traders and adventurers from outside the city told fantastic stories of adventure and excitement, about brave heroes and terrible monsters. Imhotep wanted to be part of one of these stories, but little did he know, his chance was on its way.
Most of Imhotep’s clients were villagers who needed to replace a worn out shovel or the like, but sometimes he would meet a warrior from outside the city who needed a new sword or chestplate. Imhotep’s last acquaintance of the day was a man barely older than he was, but clearly more experienced in combat. He carried a weapon Imhotep had never seen before, an enchanted prismarine trident. Imhotep knew by the trident that he was from the Islander Empire, a kingdom which occupied many islands and shorelines all over the ocean. The man approached Imhotep, who was repairing an iron shovel at his anvil. The man spoke up.
“My name is Aristarchus, and I have come from the city of Spartos in search of skilled weaponsmiths for hire. Would you be interested?”
“Interested?” asked Imhotep, “I’ve wanted to get out and see the world since I was a boy!”
“Excellent,” Aristarchus replied, “we will leave whenever you are ready. How about tomorrow?”
They agreed to depart the next day. They parted ways, and Imhotep began to pack. Once the sweltering sun rose the next day, our heroes were off for the seaside town of Merer. In Merer, they hired a ship, and sailed for Spartos, the capital city of the Islander empire. The captain of their ship was an old salt with a name none of them could pronounce, so they simply called him “captain”. Their ship was a large one of the Phoenixian variety, with a large sail, and eyes painted on the bow. It’s name was so long and confusing that even the captain had trouble with it.
The ship was fast, and it would have made the journey in no time were the voyage not interrupted. For the first two days of their journey, they had nothing but smooth sailing, but on the third day, the wind picked up, the sea grew wilder, and dark clouds were blowing in from the east. But a thunderstorm was hardly the worst of their problems. The real trouble started when a large green creature became visible in the water of the port side of the ship. It seemed that everyone aboard except Imhotep knew exactly what it was. Imhotep was curious, but he knew this was probably the wrong time to ask.
The monster continued to circle the ship. Monsters, Imhotep realised, there were at least three. By now, many of the sailors had drawn their tridents and begun to stab and jab any parts of the monsters they could reach. The tridents were enchanted so that they would fly back into their owner’s hand when thrown.
“Fascinating,” thought Imhotep, “I wouldn’t want to pick a fight with a warrior who has one of those…”
Imhotep’s train of thought was redirected when he heard a yell from one of the sailors. The cabin boy’s leg had been grabbed by the long, tentacle-like tongue of one of the monsters. As quick as thought, Imhotep raised his crescent shaped khopesh sword and sliced off the monster’s tongue, freeing the cabin boy from it’s grasp. Fortunately, the boy was not seriously wounded, so Imhotep returned to the fight.
The monsters’ most weak spots were their tongues, which were thin, fast, and meant to grip the monster’s prey tightly, which also made them extremely deadly. After the tongues, the most dangerous parts were the large, four jawed mouths they were stored in. Each of the four jaws were lined with sharp teeth, and filled with strong muscles. They could seriously damage the rudders and hulls of ships if given time.
The battle seemed hopeless until the cabin boy yelled to Aristarchus: “Sir, please come see this! It could save our lives!” The boy was holding up an enchanted book. Aristarchus ran to get it, and Imhotep wondered what enchantment could save them.
Thunder crashed and lightning flashed as Imhotep, the captain, and the crew fought the sea monsters. Then, a gleaming enchanted trident wooshed over their heads, and speared one of the monsters. As soon as the prismarine spearhead touched the monster’s skin, a bolt of lightning burst from the sky and struck the monster exactly where the trident had hit. Shocked and dazed, the enormous cephalopod sank back into the sea. The battle concluded swiftly after that, with all of the remaining sea monsters either dazed by the lightning bolts or scared away by them.
After the fight, Imhotep and Aristarchus talked with the cabin boy.
“If you don’t mind me asking,” asked aristarchus, “who are you, and where did you find that book?”
“My name is argus sir,” replied the boy, “and I got the book from the captain’s collection. I knew it would help, because I once read a book about enchanting.”
“Where are your parents?” asked Imhotep, and then immediately regretted it. “I’m sorry. It’s none of my business.”
“Don’t be sorry. I don’t know who my parents were. I was found in the streets of spartos and adopted by an orphanage until I grew old enough to work.” The boy said it with a vaguely spiteful tone, as if he couldn’t possibly care less who his parents were. This was a complicated child, Imhotep realised.
“How much does the captain of this ship pay you?” asked aristarchus.
“A meal a day sir,” replied the boy “and a place to sleep at night”
Aristarchus looked startled, and Imhotep grimaced. Aristarchus was a wealthy man, who likely knew little about the living conditions of the lower class.
“Very well, I believe that settles it.” said Aristarchus, resolute, “After saving our lives from that shoal of krakens, you deserve a better job.”
After several more days of sailing, the ship with the unpronounceable name arrived at spartos. It was entirely unlike Tresad, or anything else Imhotep had ever seen. The island was roughly cone shaped, about as tall as it was wide, with the enormous white royal palace shining at the top. All around the sides of the island were buildings large and small, but most impressive of all were the four tall watchtowers at the far north, south, east, and wast of the island. These towers could spot enemy ships hours before they arrived. Surrounding the island were many docks and piers, at which countless ships were moored.
The ship docked at one of the vacant ports, and after Aristarchus paid the captain, he, Imhotep, and Argus entered the hustle and bustle of the city. After walking for quite a way, the threesome came to a hidden alleyway near the palace. Aristarchus knocked three times on a hidden door in the wall. A peephole opened and a voice from inside asked,
“Password?”
“Waning crescent.” Aristarchus answered.
Behind the door and down a staircase behind it was a square stone brick chamber with a detailed table map of Spartos at its center. Stone benches lined the walls. It was a meeting room. But the part that interested Imhotep was down a hallway to the right of the map room. There was an enormous and elaborate blacksmith’s forge, with all kinds of tools and apparatuses. There were anvils and grindstones, blast furnaces and smithing tables and many things that Imhotep didn’t recognise.
“Welcome to the forges of the Upholders.” Aristarchus said proudly, “All of these will be at your disposal should you choose to work here.”
“With tools like this, I could craft anything!” Imhotep gasped.
“And you can craft anything.” Aristarchus replied, “anything we can use anyway…”
“What will I do?” asked Argus.
“If you like, you can become a security officer.” responded Aristarchus, “you would have several duties, including gatekeeper, watchman, and perhaps even spy. For Three gold Ingots per day of course.”
Argus was delighted. Any job that pays three gold ingots per day was a good one in his opinion.
They also met Aristarchus’ brother Copernicus, who was an astronomer. He explained that the Upholders were a secret Islander organization that specialized in trident forging, cartography, And study of the natural world.
Everything turned out for the better. Imhotep became a blacksmith again, and because of his skill and experience, rose through the ranks and eventually became the head smith. Argus went on to become head of security for the Upholders, Aristarchus, who was already high ranking became the chief strategist, and copernicus became the head astronomer and discovered many secrets of the universe. Everything was peaceful, for a while anyway...
| Credit | Image credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8_RMBkYR3M |
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