The Legacy of Hildwulf Grant

[pTxing]

THE COG

That small important piece.
The one that makes the whole thing work!
AH! On its own what use does it have?
but intrinsically designed into a more complex structure, we bear witness to the great engineering feats GOD Decus has pleased us with. Praised be HIM! AhAhAhAhAAAH!...the old man used to say and then laugh. And in the end of it he would repeat a series of indescribable noises such as BAAAMMMM BAAAAM, TXUUK TXUUUUUK and FIUUU FIIIIIUU, and swiftly for his age, would get up from his chair and jump happily around the house, almost like a maniac to Grant's young blue eyes.

His grandfather persistently continued on his designs late into the night, and Grant, while in bed, would wish he was older to work already! ...

*young Grant sneakily leaves his bed without making any noise, out from his room straight the long hall and down the first three steps to the basement, looking down to this grandfather Hildwulf*

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FALLING OUT WITH HORSES...

Grant truly enjoyed the great experience of joining the party of sir Vance, Avi, Barnabas and Logan. Although not fond of fighting, he discovered that life in the First Province was not as ... comfortable ... as he had been used to in the East Baronies growing up at his grandfather's, and so he needed to urgently adapt.

The Fort was a place of well intentioned folks - Grant would always say the name of Arthur Gibbs when referring to the good people of the Craft Hall -, BUT at the same time there was a foul stench of danger lurking about in the shadows of the Fort, deep within the mines, beyond the East bridge... , and probably much more he did not know of.

Anyone could tell immediately that Grant was not used to these adventures, let alone riding a horse!!! Luckily he was given a set of leather armour and a shield. Moments after paying for a steed at the Fort South gate, with the copper sir Vance handed him, controlling the creature seemed an almost impossible task for the young engineer and - please contain your laughter here - indeed it took only a few seconds for the horse itself to apparently grin at Grant's inability and throw him off onto the dirt and run away free, leaving Grant obviously embarrassed... Everyone was waiting by the Foundry headquarters while Grant ran the long road to meet them.

It was precisely 'running' what Grant would do best! Running from witchcraft foes to avoid death, or baiting brainless walking corpses closer to Vance's halberd reach.

Grant, You did a great job in there running! It is a skill you know?! Vance said to Grant, with no hint of sarcasm, and the others nodded and so he took it seriously.

Back at the Fort Grant was somewhat heavy from all the resources gathered, and considerably richer than a night ago - the copper had been equally shared amongst all the party members, regardless of who fought who and who ran away from what, - so he went to deposit the copper in the Bank. As he approached he noticed a steed with a pack. The memory of hitting the floor after attempting to ride earlier was still fresh, nevertheless he wished to make peace with the strong and yet gentle creature, so he started petting softly with his left hand...

Hello you creature.. Soft fur you have! Grant whispered while patting the steed.

HEY! Looks like we have a situation here, said the guard to his colleague, looking at what seemed to be Grant stealing from the horse pack.

WAIT! Wait!!...., Grant replied confused, but with no avail.

With little effort from the guards, Hildwulf Grant was, once again on account of dealing with horses, put to the floor and subsequently jailed...



I...
It was a mistake!!!Grant screamed from inside his cell.. and there he stayed for a considerable long period of time.

[pTxing]

THE DARK CELL

The most kind soul in the first two weeks was Arthur Gibbs helping Grant with the best quality wares conferring enhanced engineering, geology and blacksmith skills, essential to the engineer's initial burst of progress and development at the Crafter's Hall in Fort Praesidium. Now......, only in the memory of Grant. Arthur Gibbs last words, when discussing design projects for the benefit of all, popped like fireworks inside Grant's brain, echoing each day forth, continually feeding and nurturing his long desired dream:

THINK ABOUT WATER PURIFICATION! I BELIEVE IN YOU GRANT! he shouted while running out the Crafter's Hall, most likely on an errand for he was certainly a very requested figure, both for his high intellect and true heart.

Ever since those words were spoken, Grant had taken the habit of filling his waterskin with water from behind the jeweller store, where it was harnessed in a wooden inverted conoid open 12 feet tall vessel, connected through copper pipes to a copper pear shaped closed receptacle and to another tin and glass cylindrical container, both smaller around 6 feet, also connected to what looked like a tin taller chimney.

The purpose of this engineering apparatus was to treat the contaminated water, by means not totally understood, purifying it, for the sake of every person in the First Provinces, (everyone!) but apparently not working to its full potential! Only Arthur could have had such beautiful, genuine and progressive thinking in the midst of all chaos and horror around.

This engineering feat, not working at the moment, was obviously his work! Grant was a huge number of steps behind his mentor but persistently and actively on his tail. One day that job will be finished.

If only he could get out of this jail...



Which eventually happened.

[pTxing]

SHORT LASTING

Time did not wait for Grant.
While imprisoned - only because of his clumsiness mind you - the world had moved on and this meant that others had left the Eden, for bad or for good. It became a habit seeing early relations turn ash and flame.

Not that Grant had any special charisma... or sense of humour.. or the social disposition to dedicate a decent amount of attention span to most people, that would allow him to convert such acquaintances into maybe... friendships. Although well mannered and polite, Grant's "human" touch was his weakness; his awkward approach was the natural side effect of his book worm type personality, completely obsessed with things and ideas and most certainly not amused with folks inquiring any sort of questions while holding back all the answers...

His devoted interest was to the laws and mechanics, the forces and reactions at play, from the simple but infinitely useful transformations of wood into paper, or sand into glass, to man's made more complex objects, tools, trinkets, gadgets, masonry and steel constructions, steam machines!!! With an utilitarian mindset Grant asked himself daily what would be the next great invention and whether he would find out a technological way to keep The Torment at bay.

So it was without great surprise that, once Grant was released from jail, he quickly built a small timber frame house with a front gabled slated roof, just outside the Fort, close to the river, the mines and a lake. Settled here he would a) storage his many work tools and resources, b) hire a merchant to sell all sorts of tools and kits for a low copper price, enough to keep him busy and c) have a space to focus on his projects and dedicate serious thinking researching and designing on the water purification device. Time was not waiting for anyone.

[pTxing]

FAST FORWARD PAST EVENTS to PRESENT ONGOING RESEARCH

And the moment you say Grant wanted to be alone for some deep researching... It so happened that he got caught, or rather surrendered himself to a wave of events that led him to, not only crack - a little bit - the shell of his personality, but most importantly, take a good step forward towards his end goal of rebuilding the Great Republic of once.

Words of a Medical Outpost for project Unity spread fast across the First Provinces, an honorable effort pointed to all sides(!): rebuilding the fishing houses the East in order to reinstate the refugees in the West camp; to the North a bridge to Tenebrae for access to resources and other communities, and South connecting to Briars Hollow road.



Appointed Quartermaster to the First Regiment, Grant set himself to the task handed by sir Vance Silvercrest, quickly approved by Galryth Architecti. Construction was underway! His grandfather would be proud!

The research on the water purification device could now be resumed, it had been on hold for a long time. Although Doctor Rigsby hinted to press the issue to the Froundry Reeve - and to also speak to the High Provost about any task given to Gibbs that was not completed -, Grant thought it would be wise to first investigate the device in the Fort and plan some tests, so he would not be empty handed when addressing the authorities.


TTTTTHHHHHIIIIINNNNNKKKKKAAAAABBBBOOOOUUUUTTTTWWWWWAAAAATTTTEEEERRRRPPPPUUUURRRRIIIIFFFFIIIICCCCAAAATTTTIIIIOOOONNNN!!!!!IIIIBBBBEEEELLLLIIIIVVVVEEEEIIIINNNNYYYYOOOOUUUUGGGGRRRAANT!WWAAAATTTTEEEEEERRRRRRIIIISSSSLLLLIIIIIFFFFFEEE

[pTxing]

THE ASSAULT

Ripples of stone and red cloth fell on the floor and blood splintered against the wall of Grant's house, upon being attacked from the back with what seemed a throwing weapon...

Three hours earlier Grant had been helping Margaret with shaping a sculpture for her studies of the Bhaskarian culture. I believe she wanted to have Gryhun entertained with other.. more profound matters, so he could forget about the scarecrow.

Two weeks before he tried sculpting these but failed every time until the recipe crumbled to nothingness, lord Decus! Why are we condemned to this limited number? Why don't you tease us more with infinity!? the engineer wondered.

This one time he would succeed, perfectly shaping twice a tall white sculpture with a golden bell into it and topped with a pyramid grey roof. Margaret was pleased for his effort, though busy with her chores, quickly she went away. I will stay and sculpt more!, he said. Traces of stones clinged to the red hooded robe upon finishing this task of the day.

Now returning to his house... nothing out of the ordinary at first. Then, as silent as one can be when one is concentrating super focused on his research, a door opens and shuts, a different breathing occurs, unnoticeable to Grant, inside his house!, behind a head wrap and scarf, and with no word shout or raged scream, the attack is launched! The two figures got laced in close quarters and surrounded by kettles, blocks of stone, crates, ingots and ore, flowers, the concealed opponent jumped from side to side, everything now being scattered around with the fight. Before being finally knocked out by his opponent one last shout of despair is heard from Grant WHAAA... while hitting the floor unconscious.

Only to wake up - somehow he lived through it -, to realise what was missing had a special value to him and others.

[pTxing]

SIDE INVESTIGATIONS