Celian

When they spoke in the bath Thokk thought Korgar understood that this would be some sort of ruse. Like, "I'll tell a little lie so you get what you want and can give me what I want". Apparently Korgar didn't get it, believed in the steam/smoke reading and Thokk had to improvise something that sounds great as prophecy. I don't think he's obtuse. But whether he's receptive or whether it's just playful teasing (referring to the little flashback moment in chapter 5) is hard to say at this moment. But the next chapter (should be the last) should give you an answer.

For that part I can give you a promise I honestly think Gash saw a lot of potential in Thokk, even in the political direction he actually took. How much deviousness he saw in him I can't say, but I don't think Thokk ever saw himself doing something like this and now that he did it, he seems to not be super comfortable with it. Leaving Thokk's motivations aside, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as Martin said. A small smith from some small town could gather so much knowledge and prestige to last his family for two more generations. But he needs to play his own cards right as well.

The chambers smelled faintly of damp stone and cleaning supplies. But the lichen scrubbed away would probably return just as quickly as the smell faded. Thokk sighed. At least he hadn’t done the scrubbing himself. With weary fingers, he rubbed his forehead, where a throbbing pain lingered, and sighed again, this time in exhaustion. He had underestimated how much guidance a ruby court needed, how much direction Korgar needed. “Are you tired or overwhelmed?” At the question, Thokk spun a

It was hot. It was so damn hot in Romy's room and Sam longed for the room where he had spent the first night with the other three in this huge manor house. It had been cool and although Henry had been working on Franz - or the other way around, Sam didn't want to know that so exactly - it had been relaxing to break out of the routine and spend time with the boys. But on the other hand, they were only in the manor house because Jocelyn would be holding her ritual in the castle in the next fe

I don't think Thokk ever thought he might one day do something like this. Thokk will be in a great position for a lot of things, that for sure.

With his face buried in his hands, Thokk sat in the library. The artificially dry air scratched in his throat; someone’s quill scratched across paper; and somewhere nearby, though out of sight, two people were whispering to each other. He couldn’t find a solution. His final exams were coming up in a few weeks, and he couldn’t estimate the likelihood that he’d remain under Gash’s authority for a few more years. It would be perfectly normal if that were the case, and then he’d be hardly

"If you want to rule a country, you must know it. Look at the map and tell me what you notice." "Hmm. Darkmoore is almost square." "Right. What else?" "Darkmoore is pretty big." "Right. I don't have the numbers in mind, but after Rockvalley, it's the largest of the Eastern Kingdoms." "Even bigger than Whitehill?" Surprised, Romy looked at Sam who nodded. They were standing in front of a huge map of the Eastern Kingdoms, painted on the wall of one of the libraries. "

I would say we're getting there. I didn't want it to be that much of a surprise, only for Thokk, who's a tad blind on that stuff Wait and see. I promise we see Korgar again. That's a truly interesting question, something we can't know as of now. We saw some sort of interest, but whether this is about the orcish things or just the unknown or indeed Thokk himself... we don't know.

Frustrated and annoyed, Thokk sat at the table, listlessly pushing the food on his plate back and forth. Thick, meaty mushrooms cooked in their own juices, purple bitter spinach, and fresh, salty water beans were actually quite a delicacy, and he didn’t want to seem ungrateful to Khartikk, who had brought the meal from the food stalls—obviously one of the better ones—but ever since Thokk had returned from his journey and spoken with Gash, Gash had been telling everyone about Thokk’s studies.

Let's hope they take his approach seriously first of all...

He's most of all curious. I guess he knew his grandmother was a rose, but never really thought about/realized what that implied. Absolutely this. ❤️ I spent so much time on research about genetics and radiation to put a proper "realistic" scientific background to this world's lore, it's insane 😅

Thokk hated the surface, and late summer was, in a way, even worse than spring. The dry heat was taking its toll on his skin, which had once again taken on that sickly gray-green hue and was constantly itchy and tight; his lips had become chapped and were constantly sticking to his tusks. Everywhere, there were suddenly insects buzzing about. And the humans—may the Old Mother have mercy—they stank. The stench of sour sweat, musty, damp clothing, and heated filth seemed to cling even to the small

Thank you, I hope you'll enjoy.

"Shields suck." "Shields can save your life." "With a two-handed, I've got a bigger range, so fuck you." "I quote: such a sword arm is faster off than you think. And you can also attach a shield to your arm stump." "Fuck you." "Shield up." "Sam's right, you know, Owen?" Franz interfered when Owen reluctantly lifted the shield because Sam at the same time put the heavy two-handed sword in attack position. "As if you were the most competent here to judge." Henry

"Do you know how to do a woman's hair?" Without opening his eyes, Sam frowned. "That's a pretty strange question." "No, it isn't," Romy gave back pointedly. "Why are you asking me anyway?" "Because Jonas has his day off and today witches traditionally don't use magic." "He has his day off just when you're completely helpless without your magic?" Sam opened his eyes just in time to see Romy take a bowl of cold water and pour it out over his head. "Wah!" He shook himself.