Steel Haven part 3 - Alarming Discovery

King Alexander stood stone faced as he listened to the report regarding the mine. The mine would be unusable until an attacking force could be sent to clear the mine out of any creatures, then the mine would have to reinforced under the protection of soldiers and then the mining could only resume under the watchful guards. All of the miners survived because they stopped work and went home for the recent religious holiday. The one guard recovered and only two guards were missing. The only silver lining in the dark storm cloud of a situation is that almost no one died.

                        The King sent a group of soldiers, Joseph the engineer and Captain Brussles, to take back Steel Haven’s the iron mine. Captain Hurly Brussles was a decorated soldier who specialized in fighting in confined spaces, like a bustling city or a mine. Captain Brussles had black hair, olive skin, a short groomed beard and a long mustache that reached the edges of his face. Brussles carried a sturdy spear when he was on the battlefield and when in close quarters he carried two, single edged axes with him, with shortened handles. His body was mostly armored and had sharp hooked blades attached to the armor covering his forearms. These hooked blades could defend a sword strike, then hook around the blade and when pulled would disarm the opponent and break weaker swords. The hooked blades could also slash and cut anyone who tried to get the drop on Hurly.

            The group rode towards the mine, everyone stayed on high alert as Joseph watched for any signs of the Tirk creatures. The soldiers were all told of how the creatures fought and the magical gem that one of them had. Joseph had secured the fire gem from the previous battle and it was being stored somewhere safe within Steel Haven. It was Joseph’s job to look for more gems, advise the Captain on the Tirks and plan defenses once the mine was cleared.

            Captain Brussles dismounted at the mouth of the cave. He went in first and was followed by a group of his men. A second group was positioned outside the mine to guard the entrance. Joseph waited outside with the second group.

            Joseph was free to plan the defensive measures for the mine while his group of soldiers guarded the area. Joseph had to update his original plans for defense to guard against monkey goblins. The original defenses were planned with humans and humans on horseback in mind but Joseph was altering the plans to even include flying creatures just in case the world was even more dangerous than he originally thought.

            Captain Brussles moved swiftly through the mine with little trouble. As his group traveled deeper they were surprised by how empty the mine was. No trace of the missing guards, discarded weapons, signs of fighting or even Tirks alive or dead could be found.

            Time passed over the land and Joseph was making serious progress unhindered by attacks and Captain Brussles had been exploring the mine. A single man on horseback rode across the open field toward the iron mine. Joseph’s group all sprung into high alert but relaxed when they saw the Chalybs banner above his head. Some of the soldiers kept their weapons ready just in case it was a trick.

The rider and the horse looked exhausted. The rider wore light armor and the Kingdom’s colors. He carried a rolled up parchment in his hand and immediately handed the letter to Joseph. The message read, “Scouts from the Royal forest found small, shallow burrows dug in the forest. While the numbers of primitive dwellings were numerous the original inhabitants were not found. A scout found a lone Tirk creature living in a burrow and shouted ‘you wont take home’ before charging the scout and then was slain. After searching further we concluded that the Tirks used to live in the forest when it was still a Wildwood and before it was used for lumber. If the Tirks live in dark secluded areas then it is possible they moved to the area in or around the mine which is the closest location that is both secluded and dark”

            Joseph was startled at what he read. First that the creatures could talk and second that they weren’t invading the mine, they made it their home. Which meant there was a colony of Tirks somewhere very close.

            Meanwhile underground, Hurly Brussles and his soldiers found two large metal doors blocking their progress. The doors weren’t locked or sealed but Brussles hesitated to open them, as he knew that his kingdom didn’t build them. He slowly pushed open one of the large heavy doors. The mine rumbled as the door opened revealing a large room full of red fire crystals. Captain Brussles froze, he had been told what one crystal could do and was now standing in a stockpile of crystals. The crystals were growing from the walls, floor and ceiling, it wasn’t that the crystals were placed or stored here but that this was the source of the flame crystals. Anyone with knowledge on how to safely use these crystals would find such stockpile extremely helpful; the trick was to not die in a fiery explosion.

            Back on the surface, Joseph and his group began climbing the rocks leading to the top of the mine. The mine was in an open field but the mine entrance was a cave mouth and the cave was part of a rocky hillside that went across the grassy field for almost a mile and rose twenty feet above the ground. The rocky hills were like a sturdy island in a flat grassy sea. Anyone on the top of the hill could see around for miles and would be well protected by the difficult climb to the top.

            Joseph and his group reached the top, out of breath and still clinging to the edges of the cliff. Joseph’s head was barely visible as he peered over the hill’s peek. He could see mounds like the scout described in the forest and saw some movement. The Tirks became more active as the night approached.

            Joseph scrambled down the cliffs with his soldiers in quick pursuit. Captain Brussles was emerging from the cave just as Joseph was climbing down the rocky hill. The two leaders told the stories of what they had seen, they grew more alarmed with each breath. With the top of the mine covered in Tirks and the underground filled with explosive crystals the two men would have to make a plan, fast.

Steel Haven part 2 - Engineer Council

Steel Haven was a seat of power for King Alexander, and while the Chalybs Kingdom didn’t have military superiority it did have engineering superiority. King Alexander was a smart man who surrounded himself with the smartest men and women he could find. He had generals and war councils like other kings but he was one of the only kings in the land that had an engineering council. These medieval engineers were the humans that made Steel Haven possible. The engineers worked tirelessly on new projects every night to make sure their King had the strongest seat of power in the world. King Alexander didn’t ask to be the most powerful king in the world, he wanted to be the best protector in the world and in exchange his people saw this and did everything they could to make sure their noble protector had any advantage he could.

Joseph Hawk was the head of the Engineer Council, he had thick brown hair, hazel eyes and wore rough workers clothes. When he was outside the city walls he wore light armor made for him by command of the King. This armor was made so it wouldn’t restrict his movements but it would protect his chest, stomach, head and parts of his arms and legs. On the chest piece was the symbol of the Kingdom, which was a C and crossing it was a blacksmith hammer and a pickaxe. Joseph carried a short sword with him, which was so short it was almost a long dagger. He was so dedicated to his job that he personally requested a small sword so that he could carry more tools with him.

On a sunny afternoon Joseph was tasked to reinforce the defenses of the local iron mine. He traveled with a group of workers who would help construct barriers and gates for the mine. They rode their horses south and talked about the upcoming project during the whole trip. The cheerful mood turned sour when the group finally reached the mine. Normally a guard would greet any visitors who arrived but when Joseph and his group approached the mine they noticed it was completely unguarded.

The group was on high alert and worried something happened at the mine. Joseph drew his sword, which signaled everyone in the group to draw their weapons as well. The group of ten people dismounted and slowly approached the mine. Joseph’s mind raced with possibilities. If the guards were killed, there would have been bodies left. If a neighboring kingdom attacked there would have been horse tracks or foot prints leading up to the mine entrance.

Joseph and the group entered the large mouth of the iron mine. As they shuffled in the tunnels grew smaller and narrower. Joseph lit a torch and held it with one hand while holding his sword out with his other hand. As they went deeper into the tunnel they saw an armored body face down on the ground. Joseph handed off his torch and ran over to the fallen guard. Joseph shook the man and a the guard moved slightly in response.

The guard seemed barely alive but was still breathing. “We have to get him out of here” Joseph said. Everyone agreed. Four people grabbed hold of the guard and began to carry the injured man out of the narrow tunnel. Half of the group left for the exit while Joseph and the other half stayed behind to search for the other two guards.

The iron mine didn’t need many guards due to the peaceful state of the land, the openness of the field that surrounded the mine and the stable relationship King Alexander had with the neighboring kingdoms. Something had changed and someone attacked these guards.

Joseph and his group didn’t find any more guards and decided to turn back. Joseph worried that whatever attacked the guards might still be around to attack the now split group of workers. Joseph and his group made their way to the mine’s exit. While they walked Joseph’s mind kept bouncing between two thoughts “The guards escaped and are heading back the Steel Haven to report what they saw” and “The last two guards are alive deeper in the mine and giving up on them will cause their death”. Joseph knew he had to protect the men under his command but these two thoughts kept him distracted.

            The engineer group reached the light of day and they all sighed a breath of relief. Then one of the workers spotted the rest of the group up ahead fighting for their lives. Joseph and his men rushed to their aid.

            The one injured guard from the mine was placed on the grass as the five workers fought with axes and daggers to fend off strange monsters. The monsters were small and impish with wicked grins and beady black eyes. They had fur on their lower halves and tan leathery skin on their top halves. They wielded small spears and used daggers like swords. The creatures were the size of monkeys and looked like a cross between a money and a goblin. The creatures chattered and grunted out a strange battle cry “Trk trk trk” They grunted. These Tirks were slashing wildly and grabbing at any exposed skin they could find, they would stab their daggers into the unprotected spot.

            Joseph rushed headlong into battle and began hacking with his sword in one hand and used the torch in his other hand to burn the creatures. An axe flew passed Joseph and plunged into a Tirk’s torso, instantly killing the creature. A female worker with blonde hair tied into a ponytail had a deadly aim and a bag full of tools. She had thrown her only weapon but she had several hammers and chisels, which she used to throw and attack with. Many of the workers used their tools along side their basic weapons to fight the overwhelming group of imps.

            Among the chaos Joseph spotted a Tirk with an orange and gold colored gem tied to its back. The Tirk was more frantic than the others and its movements were like that of someone being burned or stabbed with needles. It jerked left and right as it made its way through the group. The gem began to glow and the other Tirks in the battle would abandon their fights to form a wide radius around this gem.

            Joseph saw this and assumed it was some magical gem that the creatures barely understood but knew enough to realize it was dangerous. Fearing that it would harm his workers he charged, dropped his torch and pulled a hammer from his backpack. When Joseph was close enough he struck the Tirk with the gem as hard as he could. The small Imp went flying several feet and was expelled from the clustered battle of workers and imps. One second later the gem unleashed a burst of flames in a two-foot radius. The Tirk carrying the gem was turned to ash from the powerful blast of fire. This explosive release of energy scared the remaining Tirks causing them to flee the fight.

            The battle had been won but Joseph had the unpleasant job of telling the King about these new creatures and about the mine now being unguarded.

Steel Haven part 1 - Origin of a Great City

The walls of Steel Haven rose high above the land. The humans had achieved great feats with their discovery of steel. The stone castles of kings and lords were impressive but most people could only rely on the protection of wooden homes. The lower class needed to be protected from the harsh world of deadly animals and roaming bandits, and so King Alexander Chalybs decided it was his burden to protect as many people as he could.

King Alexander had a grand vision for a new city surrounded by steel walls as tall as any castle and thicker than a stonewall. The city would be a welcoming place to those friendly to the King and his people but would be a threatening fortress to those who sought to do harm.

The city fortress of Steel Haven did not spring up overnight, it took years of dedication and vision. King Chalybs, who became known as the King of Steel, led his own Kingdom to this goal. Many villagers and lower class left their own kingdoms and traveled for months just for the chance to be allowed access into the city. People were arriving to Steel Haven even before the city was complete.

King Chalybs was inspired by the work and the devotion of the people. He saw the new arrivals as a testament that his vision was pure and good. Any family that wished to live in the city had to contribute in some way. Men and women could choose which profession was best suited for their talents and so, Steel Haven had an enormous labor force of workers, builders, black smiths, metal workers, cooks, hunters, cleaners and any other job that needed to be done.

A giant forge was built first before anything else. The forge was a large source of heat surrounded by every kind of metal working tool available in those times. Everything was housed in an open-air structure and the best metal workers worked tirelessly around this scorching hot forge. The great forge was put to use just as it was finished and from that moment it was considered the heart of Steel Haven. 

Not everything in Steel Haven was made of steel or metal, most of the homes and buildings were built with stone and wood with steel used to reinforce the structures. The great walls of Steel haven were made from steel, as was most of the Steel Haven Keep that the king lived in. The Great forge was almost completely sheltered in steel. 

As time passed and the city grew, the citizens were restricted from going to the forge unless authorized to do so. Six foot high walls were build around the forge and guards were placed at the small gate door in the front. This didn’t seem unreasonable to the citizens of Steel Haven, as they all knew how important the Forge was.

After only a year the city was completed. The wall had not been finished yet but every important building was built as was enough homes for every family who helped in some way. The King left his own castle and moved into Steel Haven Keep. The Kings old castle was converted into a military structure, which housed his best and most loyal soldiers and his top general.

Steel Haven finally had fully built walls by the second year, completely made from steel with battlements atop the walls, walkways, guard towers and every other security measure a castle wall could have. The large gates were well protected by a draw bridge that went over a deep moat, a solid steel gate and a second gate used to trap intruders. Steel forge keep also had a smaller but still formidable wall that separated it from the rest of the city.

This newly finished city of Steel Haven would force to reckon with and the news of its creation spread throughout the land. The more the news spread, the more people wanted to move there. The more people that moved into the city the larger the city grew. After several years the city was twice the size of the original Steel Haven with Steel Haven Keep and the first part of the city known as the “Steel Core” and every new structure and home was built outside of the Core’s walls. Only the citizens and their families that helped with the original construction were allowed to live in the Core of the city behind its sturdy walls. 

Eventually the outer city grew so much that new walls were made to protect that section as well. Any attacker who wished to assault the Steel Keep would have to make their way through the Steel Haven outer wall, through New Steel city, then passed the Core’s giant walls, through Steel Core city, then breach the Steel Keep’s walls and then breach the keep itself. No one ever invaded Steel Haven.

The forested area around Steel Haven was maintained by the city but was greatly thinned. The forest was once dense and filled with wild animals. Wood was needed for the city and much of the woods were clear cut, when the King saw his people clearing the local forest his ordered them to only thin it out but to leave the forest standing as a whole. 

Twenty miles north of Steel haven was the coast, where the King’s men would barter with sea fairing merchants for goods. To the south of Steel Haven was an enormous iron mine, this mine was one of many sources of steel for the Kingdom and each mine was well guarded.

The Kingdom of Chalybs and the fortress city of Steel Haven were the envy of the surrounding Kingdoms and while many of the neighboring lands wanted peace and friendship with King Chalybs, there were those who only wanted Steel Haven for themselves.