Since they had two weeks there was no rush to do anything, they had gotten beds, and the tools they requested. Susan had made a bunch of requests. And Jerry had started talking with the gnomes and started on building a proper stable. Until then he wouldn't get any horses, no reason to if they had nowhere to stay. But he assured Kurt that Carl would take care of fees if they needed to go anywhere, and realistically they didn't.
Generally speaking after the conversation with Carl, Kurt thought of himself as fairly wealthy already. More than he could have ever before. He had very few worries, the mining of the ore, yeah it would take work but with powers he possessed, it wouldn't be too hard.
Kurt had found that his house on the top of the pillar was mostly completed as well, so he was still sleeping in a room on one of the abandoned floors, as well as Sara. It seemed bigger than he needed. But he had made sure to talk to the gnomes about making a workshop like area, and kitchen. Plumbing was not actually much of a problem, since they had a water source, the room that created the water fall. Which was off limits mostly because it was dangerous. But there was an ample supply of running water. And the gnomes had put a water tower up top of the pillar as well, and there was a bigger one being made. This started to become a common sight, a smaller thing being replaced by a bigger, or nicer variation, in various parts of the Pillar. It seemed that the gnomes and goblins knew a way to pump water using some manna stones. Kurt really didn't understand it all, he wasn't arguing though.
The gnomes were always weird to talk to, it was like they had leaders, but not a leader. It was more like a system of small to large groups of gnomes that didn't always interact with each other. So it was often best to find the closest one to where you wanted something, then look for any gnome in particular. He still felt weird just asking them to build stuff, but they always seemed more than happy to, or said they had something needed to finish first and it always eventually came. They had crude workmanship, there seems to be no true artists among the gnomes.
He had gotten himself the start of a little workshop in an adjacent room to the room he was sleeping in, light, tables, chairs. A few burners and a bunch of pots. Kurt was going to try to focus on making the vegetation more valuable if he could find a good process to make potions for people. The potential was enormous. Also, Kurt felt it was just a good hobby if he fell flat.
Kurt didn't intend to fall flat and asked Joe to talk about poisons. He had thought about the poison fist before that it could be more deadly to his opponents than himself.
"Well, I'm not exactly focusing on poisons, if we can find some health, or strength benefits we can sell."
"Hmm," said Joe, "there are some things we have, but most would require some enchantment to be fully effective."
"But that's the thing," Kurt said pulling up the small book, "humans have ways to make pure samples. And you have starting places."
"What are you trying to say."
"You know certain materials have certain effects, and that has nothing to do with the magic."
"I guess…"said Joe.
"And we might be able to find a way to extract it out, I don't think it will work for everything."
"So you're saying you could get the effects without the spell casting."
"Yes and no, I think it will always be more effective with you putting power into it, but that doesn't matter, what matters is can we make something that partially works."
"I see."
"I think what happened is you never needed to make the potions, you could just bring out the purity with your magic so you never really had a need to make proper potions, but humans we never had any of it, so we were making medicine without any power at all."
"That sounds impossible."
"But we have a unique opportunity, because what happens when you combine it?"
"I don't know, but it does sound interesting. So you just need to know what materials do what."
"Exactly."
"But you're oversimplifying it, we have experimented ourselves while it is true some materials will be more useful for power, or knocking out a creature. But the best variety still took time for us to process, some of the spells are completely different concepts, and use virtually the same materials. Tantrum root can be used for a plethora of things that seems contradictory."
"Well, I have this book. It has methods humans use, you have methods goblins use. If we have similar recipes, maybe we can work out a better, different way," handing Joe the book.
"You know I can't read this right?"
"Ohh, sorry, the translation…."said Kurt.
"Only apply to verbal communications." said Joe.
"So that's why we need each other."
"It is intriguing, what is in it for me though?"
"Umm…"
"Don't get me wrong sir Kurt being friends with you, if I could be allowed to say that," Kurt nodded back, "does have its advantages."
"Go on."
"But really I would like the goblins to get something out of it. If I were to share some of our recipes, I think I might also need some permission from the High Shaman. I would feel better after seeking his wisdom in this matter regardless, if you understand. The more basic and common recipes shouldn't be a problem, they are well known."
"You know, I am going to need a lot of goblins help, what do you all want?"
"Alcohol," said Joe, smiling.
That was not the answer Kurt necessarily expected, but it didn't feel unexpected at the same time. He wasn't sure if the goblins drank or if wine or beer was a common thing on this side."
"Wine? Beer? Or the strong stuff?"
"Yes, yes and yes,"
"Do goblins make alcohol themselves?"
"Ohh yes sir, we haven't found something here that can produce it though, we do believe we can make a vineyard, or rather the ground seems to allow fruit like that, but none have grown so far, so if I could bring back some drinks, I would basically be a hero." Joe continued, "And if you want some help getting some minerals, various suitable meats and pleats, and alcohol would usually suffice for payments as well. I was told to pass some of that along, also the blacksmith told me that if they could make ingots of some of the metals it would make his job a lot easier, not having to process it to a metal then work on it. I know the goal was to sell all of it, but the goblins need their armaments too, we do mine metal. You probably would have gotten a similar conversation with Hank and Tom eventually if they were here. We are not completely unaware of your plans on the other side, to sell things. We don't have an internal currency ourselves, since our breed are more specialized to perform certain jobs than you humans are, ranking and privileges are more based on merit and deed, trade happens though, we are not unaware of the concept of money, and how it can help the horde as a whole. We are of Layla's domain though. We just see little need to pay a warrior to be a warrior, and scout to be a scout…the goblins are all siblings after all, besides mother."
"That's good to know, I definitely can get us some booze, I'll be sure to the next time I'm on the other side. You shouldn't be afraid of asking me for this type of stuff, I was feeling bad about the whole arrangement, I feel like I got too much."
"Yes, Lord Kurt, I believe I would feel similar in the same situation, but I am just a low shaman you understand, I believe I will be promoted when the next brood comes along mind you, I am basically guaranteed the role because of our relationship, the role technically doesn't exist yet until then, Tom and Hank should get similar promotions as well. And I also, feel a little like, we didn't deserve it, we could not help you with the Horror Rabbit, and came back as…what sometimes feels like false glory."
"I don't think that at all, you did find, catch and return those rams, and it was impressive to watch you work."
"Thank you, I am very proud about that, it was practically flawless taming, but you understand that is not what we were welcomed back as. I'm not complaining, but as a goblin the true glory was with the Horror Rabbit which ran from, without so much as even trying to injure it. And even beyond that help capture the entire forest to them which I don't feel we even had a part of, we have the right to claim for just being in the cohort because it was the result. But we were completely unable to help you, I thought you were going to run out soon after."
"You should have run from it, and I never planned to take the forest, and he sort of trapped me."
"I know that, but…after you came back as you were and we were in the party as the only goblins."
"You feel you've been elevated to a status you didn't earn."
"Yes sir, by the time we got back to bring reinforcements you had already won, somehow, and we were seen as war heroes as a result."
"I feel the exact same way, I was panicking the entire time with that vile thing. And I have no idea how any of my status really happened or fully means anymore. Lord Kurt, is a strange thing to be called for me. I'm mostly just not arguing with people about it."
"Victory is victory, and glory is glory. Sir. From my understanding none of this place would be possible without you. From the pillar, to the forest and beyond, even mother seems surprisingly fond of you for one of another species."
"Yeah, Carla can't wait to see her after she's done."
"Don't worry it's happening as we speak. Any day now and that of the brood will be born."