MEN WHO NEED THERAPY

The treeline broke and the land opened into rolling hills, and Kelainos could clearly see clusters of lights in the darkness, dotting the land like a blight. It was the light of troll civilization, but as he drew closer he could see that the lights were even-toned and steady, not flickering and dancing like torchlight.

There was no magic he could sense either, similarly with the troll's small vehicle- It was a marvel to him, indicating great advances in craftsmanship which allowed the mundane to produce items that normally would have required a mage.

Lights lined the streets, which were paved in smooth black stone, no sign of a single loose cobble or puddle.

Kelainos circled a small town, flying lower to get a closer look. He spied a pair of lights moving along the road and curiosity got the better of him- He squeezed himself between the buildings to land, and the lights- Attached to another metal vehicle- Came to a sharp halt.

He lifted up the vehicle, turning it over in his paw. The troll inside flopped and flailed wildly, seemingly secured in place with a wide band over their chest, attached to the vehicle's seat. So, it was like a self-propelled carriage. Apart from metal, Kelainos could make out some sharp chemical smell, and he could see all sorts of mechanical workings on the underside of the carriage.

His curiosity largely sated, Kelainos set the carriage back down roughly where he'd taken it from, and eyed the smooth stone buildings before taking off into the air again.

Kelainos flew until he reached something more familiar: An old ruin of ordinary cut stone, some long-forgotten noble's castle, seated on a hill. He circled it once, twice, before landing.

It was little more than a heap of overgrown rubble, but there was enough good stone here for his purposes. Kelainos traced an arcane spell ring in the air with his talon, and then cast the sigil towards the stones. The air and stone shimmered, and Kelainos gestured with his talons as though painting, the stones following his command. They shifted and transformed themselves into archways and walls once again, reforming into solid stone brickwork as he built himself his own little castle.

The entryway and main hall were large enough for his dragon form, but the rest of the rooms were more for one of troll size- He would probably take a troll form later, to explore this new world. For now, Kelainos entered his new home and settled down, drawing another sigil on the stone floor.

This one was far more complicated than the first, but easy with his skill and knowledge. On casting, the spell produced two troll-forms, clothed in black and veils- Simple servants to follow his command.

They were mere dolls, a thin veneer of flesh and the illusion of breath and pulse to make them seem alive. It was more than likely they'd be destroyed by something or another, so Kelainos did not care to spend more time and energy to make them seem truly real under scrutiny.

A keen-eyed mage might notice the lack of soul, or lack of flesh, blood, and organs beneath the skin. But being that they were formed with his magic- Primal energy, the energy of the universe itself- Rather than the arcane energy of trolls, they would not seem to be constructs at first.

Kelainos sent both servants out to explore the surrounding area as trolls, while he considered his next actions.

He had long since been driven from his last den, his hoard of knowledge surely lost. Trolls were obsessed with reciprocation to the point of creating little tokens to trade amongst themselves, assigning value to all things, and Kelainos had gathered gold for its use in these trades.

He would surely need gold again, if he were to rebuild his hoard.