This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.
The original was posted on /r/hfy by /u/Undercover_Dragon1 on 2026-04-18 20:46:55+00:00.
A little bit of more of a relaxed chapter today! Enjoy!
— Chapter 85 —
The workshop had been expanded, molded and altered to fit the duo’s needs and an arrangement of devices had all been laid out for him when he arrived. The new armaments were impressive and tailored to a variety of fighting styles. There were a few different types of armor on display at this point. The first prototype consisted of a metal light belt that helped protect the midsection and most importantly acted as a connection between the wearer's flesh and the embedded lesser gemstone. These belts were worn in combination with leather and fabric armor and were mainly going to be used by the scout Zephyr’s and other light footed kobold look outs.
Two gemstones were specifically designated for them: the basic fire and water ones. Each had a use outside of combat that complimented a scout. The fire affinity gemstone could be used to light a campfire and maintain a fire for warmth. It also had the added benefit of letting the user redirect the fire and burn an attacking enemy. The water, by far the most popular, could supply water pulled directly from the air at a moments notice and had revolutionized logistics when it came to keeping everyone hydrated. David was impressed with their clever implementation and had no complaints.
The next piece was a direct inspiration of Red’s shield but reduced in size to be far more manageable. It was layered with a very thin sheet of steel backed by hard but flexible woods provided by the bark folk. The hand grip was where the innovation came in as it could be easily removed and locked into a new shield base if the current one was destroyed. This gemstone was of earth affinity and held the defensive reactive earth armor that David himself carried. These could only be produced by Emerald at this time so only a select few gifted individuals would be assigned one.
The next were the weapons and they were varied but the majority were blades and spears. Each weapon was made sturdier than the standard warrior’s weapon with a special compartment at the base where the gemstone was stored. Fire and earth were the most numerous of offensive armaments. Fire affinity could be projected in a number of different ways based on the user who imbued the stone. Earth was harder to use but appealed to the clever types as projectiles could be sent flying, walls raised or simply holes conjured underneath your enemies feet. Water was rarer because only Okraz’s affinity was strong enough to produce effects that proved deadly like concentrated jets of water. Lighting was still rarer because Wuja’bath was the only user and was difficult to convince to make more without excessive amounts of bribes. David had to admit that he adored the lightning gemstones as they had proved vital in not only his but also Red’s survival in the last few battles.
Lastly, Light was also available and was quite popular amongst the bow and crossbow users. Light was easy to cast, took very little affinity in comparison to even fire, and proved to be a masterful gemstone to stun, distract and create distance between you and your enemy. The Zephyr’s that tested the stones had become especially skilled with blinding enemies as they lobbed arrows into their weak points.
As he had examined and listened to the explanations of each he finally settled onto his haunches and nodded his head in approval, “You have kept the gemstones simple and designed the equipment to easily accommodate them. It is brilliant. You have both done a fantastic job.”
Blaze smirked and Emerald beamed as they both bowed then Emerald spoke, “Thank you Master! We are excited to expand what they can do and bound more and more affinities soon!”
“I know there will be a demand for more speciality gemstones once both the affinity users and the gemstone owners become more skilled. Blue and Red will work out a system that is appropriate but we need to focus on keeping things standardized for the sake of efficiency.” David rumbled out in thought.
Emerald cocked her head as she spoke back up, “We were hoping to get more gemstones of your wide variety of abilities, Master. Are you against it?”
David rumbled a bit as he glanced down at the pair, “Of course not. I am simply reminding you that most kobolds that will use these weapons won’t have the reserves you have. How many kobolds does it take to activate Rapid Growth in the nests?”
Blaze chirped up, “Five or more usually. Though I heard Elder’s Blue’Yellow and Yellow’Brown together are capable of activating it with just the two of them now!”
David blinked a bit. He had not heard of that small detail but was impressed as he continued, “Exactly my point. If you have a weapon with similar requirements as Rapid Growth you may kill the user. The fact that Blue’Yellow and Yellow’Brown are able to activate it as a pair speaks to their hard work and long years working for the clan.”
Emerald nodded, “I understand, Master. That is why you have kept the affinities bound to gemstones limited in most cases.”
David nodded, “Exactly. We have hundreds of warriors to equip. Spending time to make gear with unique affinities for every single one is not what we need right now. Red and Red’Blue do not even have unique abilities on their equipment right now. I am not saying we cannot push the boundaries but we need to mass produce what we have now.”
They discussed a few other minor points after that but settled on pushing what they had into mass production. He gave both of them permission to experiment but only after their production needs were met. They needed to focus all of the smith kobolds and affinity users into mass production so they could have impact now.
He then spent the rest of the evening imbuing lesser gemstones and the few ambers they had with his affinity. He had suggested, to the excitement of the pair, that they make larger tougher belts designed for the Brute and Draco kobolds. They could then add in a personal healing gemstone to their belts to keep them going. Chirp and Otlo were the first to come to mind and he suggested as much.
David was finally pulled away by Blue when she announced that they had a pair of kobolds emerging from their stone cocoons. Lately this had become a common occurrence but this time it was something special. These two, Okbo and Dash, had just emerged with a new type of dragon form. They had each landed the final blow on lessers that were of similar type as Wuja’bath.
David rumbled in thought as they walked through the long halls of the lair, “Let us call these new types Hermes.”
“Hermes, Master Onyx?” Blue gave him a curious look.
David nodded his head with a rumble, “A figure of my old world that was very, very fast. It is fitting.”
Blue cocked her head in thought before nodding, “Hermes it is.”
They entered the hall and were greeted with a fascinating sight. The two kobolds were tall, very tall. Their newfound height was mostly contributed to by their long muscular legs. In many ways it reminded David of the extreme human runners from his old life. If he had to guess they would be able to run faster than any kobold and have the endurance to back it up.
“Master Onyx and Matriarch Blue!” Cried out the pair as they dropped to their knees.
David had to stop himself from growling at their immediate desire to bow before him. Blue, knowing David’s dislike for it, quickly ushered them to their feet. David calmed himself before speaking, "Congratulations Okbo and Dash. You are the first of the Hermes. Now have you tried out your new bodies yet?”
They nodded as Dash spoke up, “Yes! We would like to demonstrate for you both?”
Blue nodded and Dash immediately took off. Okbo huffed then followed closely behind. They sprinted around the large hall with an impressive gate easily twice as fast as David had seen even Red run. They lacked wings, like some of the other types, but their long legs meant they would be good scouts. David rumbled in amusement as they simply didn’t stop moving with an almost endless bound of energy as they shifted to running laps around David and Blue.
“You are quick and your legs are strong. You both should continue to practice running to build your endurance.” David rumbled to the pair before glancing down at Blue, “Blue. We need to see if we can find appropriate traits for these two. I have a few ideas for them that will make them exceptional.”
Blue grinned up at David, “I knew you would Master. I also wanted to ask if you had any suggestions for equipment for them?”
David rumbled a bit before nodding, “Light armor obviously. They would make fantastic skirmishers, scouts and messengers. In the same vein as most of the Zephyrs is a good place to start.”
Blue nodded then smirked, “Not all the Zephyrs are scouts.”
David grinned down at Blue, “Your mate is a rare exception. Though the Ascended kobolds are stronger in general so it's hard to compare Red to most other Zephyr. Okbo and Dash are of course welcome to find what works for them. Once they produce children though I have a feeling the lighter gear will benefit them the most.”
They talked about a few minor details before David finally excused himself. He needed some time to figure out what more he could do with the ...
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