e&tg 10

N'Jeet clapped his hands together.  "Well!  That's all settled, then.  I suppose you're eager to get on the road, yes?  I'll walk you out of here.  Come this way."  I somewhat sullenly followed him.  He turned to me and, seeing my expression, said, "You seem a bit put out."

I snorted.  "You manipulated me.  Forgive me if i'm not giggling like a gnomish prankster."

He looked away and snickered.  "That's the circle of life, Ser Mwaele.  That's how i get my jollies as a Master Druid; i make things happen, usually by having young people do them.  I shape things to ensure that nature is not thrown out of balance.  That's my job, and manipulation is just one of the tools of the job."  He looked sideways at me.  "Some of the other Master Druids argue that there is no good or evil, and that people like Teraad — was that his name?"  I nodded.  "People like Teraad are not evil, but just another predator.  What do you think?"

I shook my head.  "I know what he's done.  I saw some of what he'd done in his keep before we took him down.  His actions were no mere predation."

"I agree with you."  He sighed.  "We — humans, dwarfkin, the fey, the little ones — are part of nature.  We must not separate ourselves from it.  But that's what cities do, what cities are.  They declare a border between man inside and nature outside.  And the city acts like a festering carbuncle on the face of the planet.  Every city does this; it pollutes the air, the water, the earth.  The people in it live out of harmony with their surroundings."  He grunted.  "The elves, with their long life, understand this better, but even they are not above it.  The dwarves just dig larger holes.  And the goblinkin..."  He shook his head.  "They act like insanity is a racial touchstone.  They should have never survived this long.  That they did and still do is a curse, a blight."

"I have heard rumors," i said, "of civilized goblins, hobgoblins, and orcs.  Living like we do, in a constructive manner, not like barbarians."

"I hope they are true.  If they are, i hope that the civilized goblinkin thrive.  But, in the meantime, i must tend to Local 87 and our protectorate."  He pulled a waterskin from his belt and drank.  "You know, when i sent Feren to that grid where he found you, he was supposed to meet up with the druid in charge.  I got notice from our avian intelligence network that she had been killed by wandering orcs the day before you arrived."  He snorted.  "I imagine Feren will remember sometime today that he was supposed to meet her and panic.  Ah, well... silly boy."  He took another drink.

e&tg 10

N'Jeet clapped his hands together.  "Well!  That's all settled, then.  I suppose you're eager to get on the road, yes?  I'll walk you out of here.  Come this way."  I somewhat sullenly followed him.  He turned to me and, seeing my expression, said, "You seem a bit put out."

I snorted.  "You manipulated me.  Forgive me if i'm not giggling like a gnomish prankster."

He looked away and snickered.  "That's the circle of life, Ser Mwaele.  That's how i get my jollies as a Master Druid; i make things happen, usually by having young people do them.  I shape things to ensure that nature is not thrown out of balance.  That's my job, and manipulation is just one of the tools of the job."  He looked sideways at me.  "Some of the other Master Druids argue that there is no good or evil, and that people like Teraad — was that his name?"  I nodded.  "People like Teraad are not evil, but just another predator.  What do you think?"

I shook my head.  "I know what he's done.  I saw some of what he'd done in his keep before we took him down.  His actions were no mere predation."

"I agree with you."  He sighed.  "We — humans, dwarfkin, the fey, the little ones — are part of nature.  We must not separate ourselves from it.  But that's what cities do, what cities are.  They declare a border between man inside and nature outside.  And the city acts like a festering carbuncle on the face of the planet.  Every city does this; it pollutes the air, the water, the earth.  The people in it live out of harmony with their surroundings."  He grunted.  "The elves, with their long life, understand this better, but even they are not above it.  The dwarves just dig larger holes.  And the goblinkin..."  He shook his head.  "They act like insanity is a racial touchstone.  They should have never survived this long.  That they did and still do is a curse, a blight."

"I have heard rumors," i said, "of civilized goblins, hobgoblins, and orcs.  Living like we do, in a constructive manner, not like barbarians."

"I hope they are true.  If they are, i hope that the civilized goblinkin thrive.  But, in the meantime, i must tend to Local 87 and our protectorate."  He pulled a waterskin from his belt and drank.  "You know, when i sent Feren to that grid where he found you, he was supposed to meet up with the druid in charge.  I got notice from our avian intelligence network that she had been killed by wandering orcs the day before you arrived."  He snorted.  "I imagine Feren will remember sometime today that he was supposed to meet her and panic.  Ah, well... silly boy."  He took another drink.

e&tg 11

Suddenly, i remembered something.  "Hey!  Feren said i could get a beer when i got here!"

"Did he now."  N'Jeet chuckled.  He stopped walking and whistled a little tune and a scrub jay flew down.  He whispered at it and it flew off.  "Let's wait here while he comes back with something."  He snapped his fingers.  "Oh, damn, i had a point earlier, but i digressed.  Cities?  Pollution?"  I nodded.  "Kromalir.  It is the largest city, by far, on the continent, in both area and population.  Do you know how bad its pollution is?"

I shrugged.  "I imagine it's pretty bad."

He shook his head.  "It is practically immaculate.  The Wyrmsbreath River runs through the city, and it is as clean at its mouth, where it runs into the Great Ocean, as it is when it first enters the city.  A city that size should be burning down a forest every year as fuel, but the forests nearby show little use, and some of that is nearby towns and settlements.  The fuel spent should be choking the air above it with soot, but the air is clear.  The city should be surrounded with farms to feed it, but there are only a few."  He shook his head again.  "It is a mystery.  I hear that there are certain magics in place that deal with the city's needs, but i know of no magic that can do it on such a scale, and in so many respects."

"Huh.  I had no idea," i said.  "It sounds pretty cool, i guess."

"Cool?"  He sighed.  "It is a marvel, a miracle.  A great source of envy for me, i'll tell you.  And, no doubt, for others.  Which raises more questions: If these magics exist, why have they not been shared with other cities?  Why hasn't the Empire of Tashpar invaded Kromalir?  How does a city as diverse and populated as Kromalir remain stable politically, and why has it remained independent and unallied with any nation?"  He fell silent.  After a while, a very tired scrub jay returned with a wineskin, which it dropped into N'Jeet's hands.  He gave it to me.  "Your ale, lad.  You deserve it, certainly, for letting an old man ramble."

e&tg 11

Suddenly, i remembered something.  "Hey!  Feren said i could get a beer when i got here!"

"Did he now."  N'Jeet chuckled.  He stopped walking and whistled a little tune and a scrub jay flew down.  He whispered at it and it flew off.  "Let's wait here while he comes back with something."  He snapped his fingers.  "Oh, damn, i had a point earlier, but i digressed.  Cities?  Pollution?"  I nodded.  "Kromalir.  It is the largest city, by far, on the continent, in both area and population.  Do you know how bad its pollution is?"

I shrugged.  "I imagine it's pretty bad."

He shook his head.  "It is practically immaculate.  The Wyrmsbreath River runs through the city, and it is as clean at its mouth, where it runs into the Great Ocean, as it is when it first enters the city.  A city that size should be burning down a forest every year as fuel, but the forests nearby show little use, and some of that is nearby towns and settlements.  The fuel spent should be choking the air above it with soot, but the air is clear.  The city should be surrounded with farms to feed it, but there are only a few."  He shook his head again.  "It is a mystery.  I hear that there are certain magics in place that deal with the city's needs, but i know of no magic that can do it on such a scale, and in so many respects."

"Huh.  I had no idea," i said.  "It sounds pretty cool, i guess."

"Cool?"  He sighed.  "It is a marvel, a miracle.  A great source of envy for me, i'll tell you.  And, no doubt, for others.  Which raises more questions: If these magics exist, why have they not been shared with other cities?  Why hasn't the Empire of Tashpar invaded Kromalir?  How does a city as diverse and populated as Kromalir remain stable politically, and why has it remained independent and unallied with any nation?"  He fell silent.  After a while, a very tired scrub jay returned with a wineskin, which it dropped into N'Jeet's hands.  He gave it to me.  "Your ale, lad.  You deserve it, certainly, for letting an old man ramble."