stonecrandall Page 121
Page 121
Now we work according to the quotas set by the foremen. We get a fixed salary for meeting the quotas, and we get extra bonuses for exceeding the quotas or doing a good job. To be honest, compared to the labor we used to do, the workload in the factory is actually very easy. It's just that it's repetitive and boring, but it's already very good, isn't it?
We can now eat our fill every day, have our own houses and land, and are protected by armies composed of races such as kobolds, goblins, trolls, gray dwarves, and even dragons, which scholars call evil creatures. We no longer fear the invasion of pirates, monsters, or magical beasts.
I remember that five days after the tsunami, a group of pirates, taking advantage of Waterdeep's weakened state, sailed into the harbor in several fast ships, intending to plunder. Before, in times like these, we could only cower at home, praying that those murderous devils wouldn't come knocking.
But this time was different. Lord Dragon's half-dragon legion and those flying dragons descended from the sky, and before the pirate ships could even reach the shore, they were blasted to pieces by rows of lightning and dragon breath. Those pirates who managed to swim to the shore ran into the dragon vein kobold legion that had been lying in ambush in the harbor.
In less than half an hour, all the pirates were captured and knelt in the center of the harbor awaiting their fate. According to the laws of Dragon Territory, piracy is a serious crime and they should all be executed. But Lord Dragon simply stood on high and stared at the trembling bandits with his blue eyes for a while before announcing: "Send them to the mines for reformation. If they have no bad records after ten years, they can apply for citizenship."
Some people don't understand, saying that Lord Long is too merciful. These pirates are ruthless killers; letting them go is condoning evil. But I've figured it out: in Lord Long's eyes, these pirates are also a resource, a kind of wealth that can be utilized. Rather than killing them, it's better to transform them and use them for his own purposes.
This is the dragon's way of thinking; it is always scheming how to increase its wealth.
Fortunately, we ordinary people happen to be what it sees as "wealth".
My child—a lucky survivor of the demons' massacre, earthquakes, and tsunamis—no longer has to grow up like me, working in the filthy harbor just to earn enough copper coins to barely feed himself with black bread each day.
The school founded by Long took away all the children of similar age in Deepwater Territory and taught them all kinds of knowledge: farming, crafts, accounting, even the training methods of professional adventurers, and many other strange and wonderful things that I had no idea about at all... The key point is that the school provides meals!
When little Allen came home from school for the first time, he was like a completely different person. He could actually read! He didn't recognize many words, but he could spell his own name. He excitedly told me that his teacher said he had a "talent" and was suited to study "mechanical engineering".
I've never even heard of this thing before, but judging from how excited my son is, it must be a good thing.
That night, I saw for the first time a hard, white bread and a small piece of cheese in his bulging pocket. He carefully broke it in half and gave me half. It was the sweetest bread I had ever eaten, not because it was particularly delicious, but because it was the first time my son had brought me food instead of asking me for it.
I couldn't help but cry. For the first time in so many years, I felt that perhaps my son's future didn't have to be like mine, spending his life on the docks, only to be swept away by the waves or die in some dark corner.
4. The old farmer said
Today is a special day; my son, Allen, is enrolling at the city's higher vocational college. Just think, a dockworker like me who can barely read, actually has...
Chapter 379
A son getting into a prestigious college! Before the tsunami, that was practically a pipe dream.
So I got up early, fried the steak I usually couldn't afford, and even used my savings to buy a small piece of high-quality old-fashioned ham. In the past three years, under Dragon's rule, our lives have undergone a complete transformation. Waterdeep has been almost entirely rebuilt; the once narrow and dark streets are now spacious and bright, the formerly dilapidated dock area is now clean and orderly, and even the air is much fresher than before.
“Dad, you don’t need to make such a fuss,” Allen said with a smile. He had grown taller than me and his shoulders were broad; he was completely unrecognizable as the skinny little boy he used to be.
Since the devastating tsunami, the education system established by Lord Dragon completely changed Allen's destiny. The schools founded by Dragon were established over two years ago, shortly after Waterdeep City completed its basic reconstruction, with hundreds of primary schools built in various districts. All school-age children, regardless of rank or commoner, were required to attend. The noble lords were initially reluctant, feeling that their children shouldn't have to attend school with commoners, but who dared disobey Lord Dragon's orders?
Alan was bright from a young age and excelled in elementary school, completing all his courses in less than two years. His mentor—a grey dwarf engineer from the Underdark—wrote a letter of recommendation for him, allowing him to skip secondary education and go directly to a higher vocational college to study mechanical engineering.
This was unimaginable in the past. In the era of aristocratic rule, families from the lower classes like ours rarely had the opportunity for even basic literacy, let alone higher education. Schools were exclusively for the children of nobles; children from ordinary families had to work alongside adults from a young age, either learning a trade or working as laborers at the docks.
Things are different now. Dragon Territory's education system treats all children equally, judging only by ability and not by background. Smart kids like Allen, regardless of their family's wealth or connections, can receive the best education as long as they have talent.
"A teacher from the academy will be picking you up today, right?" I asked, though I already knew it in my mind, as Allen had told me this repeatedly over the past few weeks.
“Yes, a ‘giant tortoise’ will pick us up at nine o’clock in the morning,” Allen replied excitedly.
The so-called "Giant Turtle Cart" is a new mode of transportation invented in Dragon Territory. It's mechanically powered, doesn't require horses, and can carry over a dozen people through the city. It's said to be technology brought back from Dragon Territory by Lord Dragon. I haven't been to Dragon Territory, but these novelties have certainly brought convenience to our lives.
After breakfast, Allen and I walked out of the tin shack. Three years ago, these container houses were just temporary shelters, but now they have developed into a sizable community with many new facilities. Each house has access to clean running water and sewage systems, and some even have magical lighting. The dirt road in front of our house has been transformed into a paved street lined with neat rows of saplings.
"Hey Mark, you're having a great day!" Tom, my neighbor across the street, called out to me. Tom is a few years younger than me. He used to be a lazy bum, but now he's a foreman at a lumber mill and is doing very well.
"That's right, my son went to register at the higher education institution today!" I couldn't help but boast.
"Wow, that's amazing!" Tom gave a thumbs up. "Won't you become the technical supervisor at the factory after you graduate? Don't forget to give your old man a hand then!"
We all laughed. Such a joke was unthinkable before. Back then, Deepwater City was strictly class-based; the lower class remained the lower class, and who would even glance at the high-ranking nobles and mages? Now, my son, the son of a dockworker, can become a factory supervisor as long as he has real talent—isn't that a huge change?
As I approached the community entrance, a number of children were already waiting; they were all heading to the higher academy today. They wore neat academy uniforms, carried backpacks full of books and tools, and their faces beamed with anticipation for the future. These children came from all walks of life—descendants of nobility and children of commoners—but under Dragon Territory's education system, they all had equal opportunities.
In the distance, a gigantic "turtle car" slowly approached. It truly resembled a turtle, its round "shell" concealing complex mechanical devices, and was driven by a short, dog-headed man. The car stopped in front of the children, the doors opened automatically, and a half-dragon teacher in an academy uniform stepped out.
"Please show your admission notice and board the bus in order." The teacher's voice was deep and powerful, but his tone was gentle.
Allen pulled a piece of parchment from his pocket; it was his admission notice, stamped with the emblem of Dragon Ridge Higher Vocational College—a dragon coiled around gears and books.
"Dad, I'm leaving." Allen turned to me, his eyes filled with both excitement and reluctance.
I patted him on the shoulder, my heart filled with mixed emotions: "Go, study hard. Don't forget, you're not only studying for yourself, but also for the future of our whole family."
Allen nodded, gave me a solemn hug, and then turned to join the line to board the bus. Looking at his tall, straight back, I suddenly felt a sense of unfamiliarity—was this confident and composed young man really my son? He had suddenly become so mature, so different from me.
The giant tortoise car started and slowly drove away from the community. I stood there, watching it disappear around the street corner, feeling both proud and melancholy.
On my way home, I passed the shipyard that was under expansion. Since Lord Long took over Deepwater City, the shipbuilding industry has developed like never before. Unlike the simple workshops that relied on experience and craftsmanship in the past, the shipyard now uses unified standards and advanced technology. The materials are no longer timber felled from the forest, but large blocks of steel plates produced by steel mills, which has increased efficiency several times over.
I've worked here for three years, rising from a regular worker to a team leader. Now I'm responsible for supervising and inspecting the new workers' painting of the ship's hull. The workload is much lighter than before at the dock, but the pay is several times higher, enough for Allen and me to live a decent life.
Gradually, I arrived at the city center. This area was originally called the Castle District, a place where nobles' mansions and high-end shops were located, and ordinary people were not allowed to set foot here. But after the tsunami, Lord Dragon replanned the city, building most of the public facilities in the central area so that all citizens could enjoy them.
The central square is now spacious and bright, paved with exquisite stone slabs, and stands in the center a huge gemstone statue—an iron dragon with outstretched wings, the word "Rebirth" inscribed on its base. Surrounding the square are various public buildings: council chambers, libraries, magic research institutes, commercial trading centers... These places are now open to all citizens and are no longer the exclusive domain of nobles.
I stopped in front of the library. It was a brand new building, said to house over a million books, many written by dragons, more than even Candlekeep. But any resident of Deepwater Territory could enter and read. I had never been to a place like this before; I never had the right to before. Now… well, even though I wasn't very literate, at least I didn't have to worry about being kicked out.
Just as I was hesitating whether to go in and take a look, I suddenly heard someone call out to me from behind: "Mark! What a coincidence, you're here too!"
Turning around, I saw it was Fargrim, the chief engineer of the shipyard, a grey dwarf. This grey dwarf had once been the technical director of a city in Dragonflight, but was later transferred to Waterdeep to assist with the reconstruction work. He was extremely skilled, yet remarkably good-natured. Apart from his greyish-white skin, reddish eyes, and bald head, he was nothing like the grey dwarfs the scholars described. He never looked down on us ordinary workers because of his status.
“Master Falgrim,” I bowed, “I was taking my son to the Higher Academy to register today and was just about to head back.”
"Ah, is it Allen?" The gray dwarf nodded. "I've heard of him. He has a high talent for mechanics and was personally recommended by Lord Edgeworth."
Edgeworth, that's the highest-ranking official in Dragon's Domain's technology department, and the entire Deepwater Territory's industrial system...
Chapter 380
Under his jurisdiction. It's said he's one of Lord Dragon's most trusted subordinates, and even the arrogant Black Staff Tower mages treat him with deference. I'm both surprised and proud that my son could receive such a recommendation from such a powerful figure.
“Yes, I never expected Allen to have such an opportunity.” I smiled sheepishly. “In the past, families like ours couldn’t even afford to send their children to a proper school.”
Falgrim's expression turned serious: "That's an old-fashioned custom. The Dragon Lord believes that talent has no social class, and everyone with ability should have the opportunity to develop. Only in this way can the strength of the entire city be maximized."
I nodded thoughtfully. What the gray dwarf said was one of the core principles of Dragonlord's rule—treating everyone as a valuable resource and allowing everyone to play their best role in their appropriate position. This way of thinking was completely different from the practices of the nobles in the past.
“Oh, right,” Fargrim suddenly remembered something, “the shipyard is expanding next month and needs more skilled workers. Would you be interested in being the training supervisor for the new workers? The salary would be double what you are now.”
I was stunned, unable to believe my ears: "Me? Training supervisor? But I'm just an ordinary worker, I can't even read properly..."
“You have the most experience in hull painting in the entire factory,” Fargrim said earnestly. “And you are very patient in teaching new workers. As for paperwork, we can arrange an assistant to help you with the paperwork.”
My heart raced, and I was momentarily speechless. The training supervisor was a formal management position, meaning a higher salary, better housing, and more opportunities for advancement. Previously, such positions were only for those with connections; ordinary workers could only dream of them.
“Thank you for your trust, Master Falgrim,” I said, trying to control my excitement. “I will consider it carefully.”
“Don’t think too long,” the grey dwarf said with a smile. “Opportunities are fleeting. Waterdeep needs capable people, no matter where they come from.”
After saying goodbye to Falgrim, I continued my walk home with mixed feelings. From dockworker to shipyard worker, and then to potential training supervisor, my life had undergone unimaginable changes in just a few years. All of this was because of the arrival of that iron dragon.
Around noon, we all gathered in the factory canteen for lunch—today was a big day for college admissions, and many factories were closed. But the canteen food was simple yet nutritious, with meat at every meal, and at least half the price of what you'd get outside, so even on our days off, everyone liked to come to the canteen. Today's dishes were stewed beef, roasted onions, and freshly baked bread. I was enjoying my meal when I suddenly overheard my coworkers talking about the latest news from the city.
“Have you heard? Archmage Kelburn of the Black Staff Tower has been invited by Lord Dragon to be an advisor,” a welder said. “My cousin works in the city defense team and saw it with his own eyes.”
"Black Staff? That archmage who always has a stern face? Hasn't he always been against Lord Dragon?" another worker asked, puzzled.
"Yes, but the situation is different now. Waterdeep needs to strengthen its magical power, and Lord Black Staff is one of the city's strongest mages. It is said that Lord Dragon has promised him ample resources to research magic, as well as some scrolls, on the condition that he must use the research results to benefit the city."
As I chewed the beef in my mouth, I thought to myself, this was another example of the dragon's "greed." It didn't simply suppress those of high status, like mages and nobles; instead, it found ways to utilize their abilities to serve the city. This way, it wouldn't provoke too much resistance, yet it could accelerate construction by leveraging their power.
It is said that Elminster, the legendary archmage, was also invited by Lord Dragon to advise on the defenses of Waterdeep. Lord Dragon personally flew to Shadowvale to meet with one of the world's most powerful mages, and they reached some kind of agreement. The specifics are unknown, but the next day, Elminster arrived at Waterdeep with several assistants and began casting complex spells on the city walls.
However, Lord Dragon was not so lenient with those nobles who refused to cooperate. I heard that several stubborn old nobles resolutely opposed the Dragon's rule and even secretly contacted forces in other cities in an attempt to overthrow Lord Dragon. As a result, they were all wiped out by Lord Dragon's half-dragon guards and exiled directly to the distant north. Their mansions and property were all confiscated and used to resettle ordinary citizens who had lost their homes.
This incident sparked another movement among scholars, but few paid attention to those well-dressed intellectuals who remained in their towers, engaging in armchair theorizing and claiming that the dragon's rule was tyranny. In my view, however, the dragon has given us, the common people, unprecedented opportunities and dignity. It may not be a perfect ruler, and its methods are indeed harsh, but compared to the aristocratic lords of the past who viewed us as worthless, it at least genuinely cares about our lives and deaths.
Instead of getting involved in the scholars' messy affairs, why not go after work and have a few drinks with your coworkers, listen to the bards in the tavern tell stories about various parts of Faerûn, and if you have the chance, you can even touch the round, bouncy butt of a drow... hey, that's bouncy.
Speaking of taverns, this is a new development since the Dragonflight took over. Previously, the taverns in Waterdeep were hidden in dark corners, filthy, with diluted drinks, and brawls were commonplace. Now, the Dragonflight has built taverns of varying sizes in every district, clean and tidy, with fair prices, and most importantly, trolls guard them, so no one dares to cause trouble.
Even more astonishing is that there are now drow in the tavern! Yes, those dark-skinned, white-haired, legendary, and incredibly evil subterranean elves. They're said to have been brought from the Underdark by the Dragon Lord, and most of them are female. They sing and dance in the tavern, and sometimes offer "special services."
Initially, the city dwellers both feared and hated these drow, after all, their brethren had repeatedly attacked the surface world. But gradually, people discovered that these drow seemed quite different from the legends. They could laugh, cry, chat with customers in broken Common Tongue, and some were even quite friendly.
Unfortunately, my body can no longer withstand the allure of the drow, otherwise, working two extra hours each day would be enough for a few days' worth of fun. Those young, strong men are certainly lucky; I've heard that the drow's skills are as exquisite as their swordsmanship.
Back home, I sat at the tidy table, gazing at the portrait of Alan on the wall—a self-portrait he drew while studying art at school. The road ahead is long, but I believe that under the dragon's rule, our lives will only get better.
Perhaps one day, my son will really bring a drow maid home? Thinking this, I couldn't help but chuckle. This idea used to be utterly delusional, but in Waterdeep now, it doesn't seem so impossible.
5. Internal and external troubles (1)
Casalos had no idea that some "old farmer" in Waterdeep had come up with the outrageous idea of bringing a drow maid home; otherwise, he would have certainly asked out of curiosity, "Aren't you afraid of dying from exhaustion?"
After nearly three years of reconstruction and restoration, Waterdeep City had only just barely become a truly glorious new city under dragon rule. However, its rule was not as easy as the people of Waterdeep saw. Beneath the city's glamorous exterior lay a stagnant swamp comparable to a black dragon's lair, plagued by natural disasters, man-made calamities, and internal and external troubles. It often wondered if the real reason Waterdeep City had stood firm in the North was precisely because of this mess that no one could clean up.
Let's go back to the time after the tsunami, to the beginning of the new Waterdeep.
Three days after the tsunami, the engineering team transferred from the Astral City had essentially completed the disaster relief work in Waterdeep. Casalos, seizing the opportunity, swiftly completed the trial and accountability process, making those who made wrong decisions in the Baal affair pay the "price," and establishing the strategic policy of taking over Baldur's Gate. This series of decisive actions aimed to undermine the power of Waterdeep from all sides.
Chapter 381
Before they could react, they had already firmly established their dominance over Waterdeep.
The Waterdeep Palace was temporarily converted into the City Hall. Casalos reorganized the administrative structure of Waterdeep, reviewed and retained qualified officials who were familiar with the situation in Waterdeep, and at the same time, introduced a large number of kobolds and male drow civil officials to replace the nobles who were all show and no substance. This filled the gaps in the personnel losses caused by the disaster and the huge gaps in the grassroots level, and quickly built a temporary administrative system that was effective and had smooth communication between the top and the bottom.
The handling of Flamefist mercenary prisoners of war is progressing smoothly, with the elite half-dragon kobolds having completed the reception of the surrendered Flamefist members. After losing the surveillance of Baal's Son, the Flamefist mercenary group rapidly fragmented. The incorporation of its main force is expected to be completed within two weeks. Charson's spies have infiltrated the group, closely monitoring the remnants who refuse to surrender; although they have escaped Baal's control, they may still become tools of Old Chewers and other forces. Therefore, accelerating the repair of Baldur's Gate infrastructure, especially the granaries and ports, is of paramount importance.
Inside Deepwater City, tens of thousands of refugees have found temporary shelter in container housing areas. The main streets of the commercial district have been cleared, maritime supply chains have resumed, and a few shops have begun to open. Throughout the city, patrols maintain order methodically.
On the surface, everything seems to be getting better after the disaster, but this is just the calm before the storm.
The various factions will not sit idly by and watch Yitiaolong take control of the Northern Crown; they are all secretly plotting a "conspiracy."
As expected, just two days later, Charleson's intelligence network reported the Harpists' Alliance's secret mobilization. A four-man team composed entirely of legendary adventurers had infiltrated Deepwater Territory; the Thousand-Faced Orb Demons lurking within the city had also planted chaotic agents throughout, threatening to trigger a large-scale riot at any moment; furthermore, the self-reorganization of Deepwater's former gangs was proceeding at an astonishing speed, clearly driven by powerful forces behind the scenes and facilitated by the stubborn factions within the city. There was ample evidence that the nobles and merchants closely connected to these gangs were acting under the orders of the Krypt Garden Forest.
Casalos ordered Charsson to send more people to monitor all suspicious activities in the city. At the same time, he arranged for more disguised half-dragon guards to replace the Deepwater Palace guards. On the surface, he maintained the routine of handling government affairs, but in reality, he had already laid out multiple defensive measures and counterattack methods.
Seven days after the tsunami, Piergaren led the Watchers and the City Guard out to inspect the disaster relief work in the villages and towns of Deepwater Ridge. Elminster "returned" to Shadow Valley, Kelburn the Black Staff and Lyra the Silver Hand remained indoors, and only the Iron Dragon remained in Deepwater Palace, opening up an excellent window for assassination.
While reviewing the latest reports in the makeshift command room, Casalos was informed of the discovery of several rats behaving abnormally, seemingly scouting around the Deepwater Palace. While magical detection revealed nothing unusual, tagging these "rats" and conducting group behavior analysis easily led to the conclusion that they were a controlled swarm.
The show was finally about to begin, and everyone acted according to the pre-arranged plan.
That afternoon, Casalos handled government affairs in the council chamber as usual.
In the underground sewers of Waterdeep, four legendary adventurers are finalizing their assassination plan. Meanwhile, in another corner of the city, the shape-shifting Thousand-Faced Orbs are delivering their final instructions.
The troublemakers couldn't comprehend the sheer scale and depth of the two intelligence networks, the Overt and Covert, operated by the Tidecallers and Charleson. It could be said that every living thing within Waterdeep was Casalos's eye; this wasn't control, but rather "big data"—the concept of big data, though born in the era of intelligent networks, had already begun its true application in early intelligence warfare.
Experienced druids might be able to understand the behavioral patterns of animal groups through their interactions with nature, but they would never imagine that a specific set of behaviors from a particular animal could be used to deduce the movement patterns of an intruder.
Of course, besides the data collection by the two intelligence networks, the deduction of Casalos's pseudo-Laplace's demon is the core of everything.
A series of traps and countermeasures have been set up, just waiting for these self-proclaimed clever enemies to walk right into the trap.
A week after the tsunami, the Harpists' Alliance's meticulously planned "Dragon Slayer" operation officially commenced. Under the cover of druid nature magic, four legendary figures disguised themselves as rats and infiltrated the swarms of rats that were ubiquitous after the disaster, sneaking into the Deepwater Palace to launch a surprise attack while Casalos was attending to state affairs.
The barbarian warrior's battle axe cleaved behind Casalos's head, the ranger's poisoned arrow pierced the air from afar, and the druid's summoned elemental bindings blocked its retreat. The precision of their coordination demonstrated the thoroughness of their prior rehearsal—they even knew Casalos's possible reactions in human form, completely blocking its escape routes.
But instead of humanoid warriors, they were met with battleaxes whose power was not yet fully unleashed, which crashed into the transparent wall. The illusion barrier shattered, and the waiting Casalos revealed his dragon form, unleashing a burst of fiery flames carrying both disintegration and intense heat, incinerating the two barbarians who were closest to him. The druid, sensing danger, tried to shapeshift, but was bound by a pre-placed runic trap and subsequently turned into a pile of charred remains sparking with electricity. The ranger fled in panic, but was eventually surrounded by the half-dragon guards and died from multiple dragon breaths.
The harpist's ashes drifted slowly through the council chamber, filling the air with a burnt smell. Casalos shook off imaginary dust, the half-dragon captain cleaned the scene, and then notified the remaining city guards to prepare for any chaos.
Multiple fires suddenly broke out in the commercial district, dozens of containers exploded in the container housing area, and gang members took to the streets with weapons, causing riots. The remaining city guards and the visible half-dragon guards had to disperse their forces to deal with the various crises.
The pre-arranged mind field suddenly activated. This secret weapon, constructed over several days by the Grey Dwarf psionic masters, instantly locked onto the disguised Thousand-Faced Sphere within its range. Guided by the Grey Dwarf psionicists, the Steel Dragons and half-dragons of the Hundred Rivers Convergence swiftly attacked, eradicating the Thousand-Faced Sphere lurking in Waterdeep.
Meanwhile, seventeen marked gangs within the city instigated a riot involving thousands of refugees, who vandalized disaster relief facilities, looted aid supplies, blocked the astral portal, and confronted the construction team.
The pirates controlled by "Old Roar" also joined the feast at the opportune moment. They invited the six pirate kings of Moonshadow Island to form an unprecedentedly large fleet. Hundreds of sailing warships sailed straight in, crossed the dikes damaged by the tsunami, and rushed into the still-ruined port area of Deepwater City to seize territory and rule.
For this reason, Casalos officially declared Waterdeep under a state of emergency military order. The long-awaited Astral Expeditionary Force set off, piloting thousands of magical ships of all sizes to Waterdeep, annihilating the pirate coalition with overwhelming firepower and suppressing the rioting gangs and mobs.
From this moment forward, Waterdeep City is under full wartime control. Any behavior suspected of disrupting stability or endangering public safety will be severely punished. The Astral Expeditionary Force then formed a coalition with the Steel Dragon Brothers and the Guardian Dragons, launching an unprecedented purge under the guise of screening the Thousand-Faced Sphere Demon.
Any organization or individual connected to the Thousand-Faced Demon and the underground gangs was to be killed without exception, leaving no survivors. This purge lasted for two full weeks, covering every corner of Deepwater City.
The efficiency and ruthlessness displayed by the Astral Expeditionary Force truly showed the Waterdeep City elites what an "evil order" army should look like.
The heavily armored half-dragons, equipped with magical/psychic weapons, could easily penetrate any defense. Piloting astral constructs and steel golems, they swept across the ruins of Waterdeep like a steel torrent, crushing any force that dared to resist into dust, a truly terrifying sight.
The lightly armored patrols, carrying unusual repeating muskets, searched house to house along a predetermined route, and any suspicious persons were immediately executed.
Casalos deliberately avoided the Black Staff Tower's sphere of influence, giving the three harp masters in the city ample respect.
Ilminster did not leave at all