Life Weaver (ASOIAF / WORM-OC SI)

[Hordac]

Great Idea. Thank you

 

[Hordac]

Lw 20

Erik's Philosophy in building a city from nothing revolced around two famous quotes he's once heard in his previous life.

The first one was:

"For everything we don't like to do, there's someone out there who's really good, wants to do it and will enjoy it." Josh Kaufman

While the second one was:

"Don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results."

- George S. Patton - United States army General

Knowing he had very little desire to play city builder and civilization uplifter while also realizing there were things that could only be done by him alone, he decided to the time-honored thing that great and wise leaders did.

He delegated tasks to the people who were best at it.

He did so by simply briefing them on what he desired them to accomplish then dumped the relevant knowledge into their brains and told them not to disturb him unless it was an emergency.

Gonir was given two tasks.

The first was to train up a large team of carpenters as they would need them almost everywhere in the city. Gonir showing that even though he was a little crazy , he was smart enough to follow his boss's example and promptly delegated the task of carpentry schooling to his most experienced pupil while he himself only taught the advanced students the art of shaping wood.

His other task was the one Gonir focused most of his efforts on as it was his passion. Ship building , more specifically Large ships that he'd seen The Night's watch use in Eastwatch by sea castle to patrol the waters.

Erik had chosen the byzantine Dromond as the first ship to be built as it was similar yet superior to the common galley . This would give them naval superiority without letting them stand out too much and become too noticeable to the wider world

The Byzantine Drummond had offensive capabilities, including a ram and ballista, and its design for carrying marine infantry into combat. The Drummond featured to banks of ores typically with a single mast and a lateen sail optimizing it for both sustained travel and rapid tactical movements in both calm and windy conditions. Furthermore, its ability to deploy the balistas mounted at the Prow gave it an unparalleled edge devastating enemy wooden ships from a distance. The vessel also incorporated raised fighting platforms called a folil and after castle, which provided elevated positions for archers and other marines. In naval engagements, the Drummond's design allowed for versatile tactics. Commanders could use its speed and maneuverability to outflank opponents, employ the ram to puncture hulls, or close the distance for grappling and boarding actions by its marine contingent. Its unique combination of propulsion, advanced weaponry, and design for infantry combat enabled the Byzantine Empire to defend its vast maritime borders, project its influence across the Mediterranean, and effectively deter its adversaries for hundreds of years.

Halldis storm was put in charge of the fishing team. Their duties were to go out to fish, bring back the catch, and smoke the fish for preservation. They were also responsible for building and maintaining fishing nets. All aspects of the fishing operation—fishing, netting, smoking, and the smaller tasks required to keep the process running smoothly and efficiently—fell under her authority.

She was also placed in charge of the salt operation, a task just as vital as fishing itself. Using seawater drawn from the shore, her team boiled and evaporated it in wide, shallow pans, harvesting the salt crystals that formed as the water was driven off. This salt became essential for preserving fish and meat, curing hides, and storing food for the long winters. She managed the gathering of seawater, the cutting of firewood and peat for the salt fires, and the storage and rationing of the finished salt so none of it was wasted.

With Erik's help, she also oversaw the construction of fish traps along the river that marked the southern edge of the valley. These traps were set into the riverside and shaped to guide fish with the current into narrow holding chambers from which they could not escape. They worked day and night, catching not only river fish but also eels, shellfish, and other river-borne marine life that followed the tides inland. The traps were checked, repaired, and reset with care, ensuring a steady supply of fresh food even when the seas were rough or boats could not sail.

Jacob, ever the free spirit and natural scout, had no desire to remain in one place for long. Restlessness followed him as closely as his shadow, and so he was placed in charge of the scouting parties and sent out to range across the surrounding lands. His task was to observe, map, and identify anything of value—resources, dangers, game trails, fertile ground, defensible terrain, or anything else that might one day strengthen the village.

His first and most important priority was clear: to locate auroch herds. Now that the group had settled, they could afford to think beyond simple survival. If auroch could be found, captured, and tamed, they would become a living resource. Their milk could be used for dairy, their meat for food, and their long, thick hair—along with the dense fur that covered much of their bodies—could be shorn and spun as an alternative to wool. Worked on handlooms, these fibers would produce warm, durable clothing suited for cold winds and harsh winters.

Beyond this primary task, Jacob was instructed to note migration routes, water sources, and seasonal changes, and to watch for signs of other tribes, raiders, or creatures that might pose a threat or present an opportunity. He marked paths that carts could travel, passes that could be defended, and valleys that might one day support farms or outposts. Whenever possible, he sent runners back with reports, hides marked with charcoal maps, and samples of plants or fibers he believed useful.

Of all the people he had rejuvenated and gathered into his core team, only Skaldi had demonstrated both a sharp tactical and strategic mind and a genuine fondness for combat. That rare combination made him not only suitable, but the obvious choice to place in command of their armed forces.

Skaldi was given full responsibility over everything related to military affairs. All training, all defenses, and all armed personnel fell under his authority. It was his duty to ensure that everyone was properly drilled, that all four entrances and exits to the valley were guarded at all times, and that scouts and patrols were constantly ranging outward. Any information gathered beyond the valley ultimately flowed back to him. Above all, he was responsible for maintaining military balance, discipline, and readiness.

To aid him in this task, Erik shared with Scalding a large amount of military knowledge from his previous life—information on organization, structure, discipline, and command. This ensured that their forces would grow into something far more effective than a loose medieval tribal warband.

Using this knowledge, Skaldi reorganized their growing army into a modern hierarchical structure. He formed squads of eight led by a sergent. Three of such squad formed a larger platoon led a lieutenant, three squads then formed company led by a captian. This way he created clear chains of command. He established ranks such as sergeants, lieutenants, captains, and majors so the army could function smoothly even as it expanded. They were far from the proper military of his old world but they were much better than the barbaric horde they used to be.

Skaldi ensured that everyone trained regularly, that no one was allowed to slack off, and that the soldiers were properly armed, fed, and cared for. Discipline was strict, corruption was not tolerated, and instability was stamped out early. This was especially important when dealing with the former raiders, those forced to serve as penance. They were watched closely, integrated carefully, and kept firmly under military oversight to prevent any threat to the unity and stability of the growing force.

The quiet sharpshooter of the group, Orvar, was placed in command of the cavalry archers. The mounted archers formed the backbone of their fighting force and were counted among the most numerous of their warriors. It was made mandatory for all to learn mounted archery with basic proficiency, ensuring that anyone could help organize defenses or, when needed, be folded into a great host of cavalry archers to unleash waves of arrows and lightning raids.

Orvar, though a man of few words, excelled in his role. He loved to shoot, and he loved to do so while riding. That passion carried into his command, and under him the unit became disciplined, proud, and fiercely loyal. His riders believed that they were the finest warriors in the land and a key pillar of both the defensive and offensive strength of their rising nation.

His wife, Yrsa, was given charge of the woolly-rhino assault cavalry. Though they numbered only a dozen, the beasts more than compensated with sheer mass, rage, and brutality. Towering, thick-framed, and perpetually furious, the rhinos were living weapons, perfectly suited for close-range shock charges. Where southern kneelers relied on armored skittish horses and lances, these riders needed no such tools—the rhinos' colossal horns and crushing bodies did the lancing themselves. The rider's role was to finish the work, delivering sweeping cuts and thrusts with heavy glaives as the enemy line collapsed. Yrsa loved her command. She was offense incarnate and the rhinos suited her perfectly.

Turik the tanner was placed in charge of what he knew best. All leatherworking fell under his authority: tanning hides, curing pelts, and crafting leather goods such as cloaks, boots, belts, and shoes. His workshops quickly became essential to both daily life and military supply.

In addition to this, Turik was made responsible for assembling armor. He oversaw scale armor units assembly according to the methods Erik had taught to the villagers. As with those earlier efforts, Erik provided the advanced materials, carbon fiber sheets, resins, spider silk and binding compounds, while the workers assembled them into scale armor and reinforced composite plates. Through this system, Turik ensured that every member of the armed forces was properly equipped with functional, standardized armor.

Beyond outfitting the military, Turik also managed the quality and storage of hides. He was specifically instructed to set aside the finest and most pristine pelts. These were carefully preserved for future trade, once a ship could be built and sea routes opened. High-quality furs and leather would serve not only as protection against the cold, but as valuable trade goods and a cornerstone of their emerging economy.

Turik also oversaw several of the handlooms. This technology was used by the free folk people even in earlier generations, were large and crude machines. Eric refined and expanded them, making the looms larger, faster, and far more efficient. They were still entirely hand-driven, demanding great manpower and long hours, but they were vastly superior to what had existed before. As they lacked sheep, they turned to auroch and wooly rhinos for raw material. Auroch and wooly rhino wool proved to be a strong and practical alternative, well-suited for producing thick warm clothes on the handlooms. There didn't have much auroch wool as their captured herd of wild aurochs was small but Jakob kept finding more aurochs and capturing more and more for them. Both animals were alsp undergoing an expedited breeding program with Erik's help.

When it came to animal husbandry, there were no obvious candidates with prior experience suited for the task. But Erik had spent time observing his people, and one man stood out. Ketil stone-slinger had a natural fondness for animals. He lingered among the elks and the warg-bonded beasts, speaking to them softly, petting them, and tending to them without being asked. More importantly, the animals responded to him, calm, receptive, and trusting.

Seeing this natural affinity, Erik decided that Kevil was the right choice to oversee their animal husbandry. Kevil was placed in charge of all living stock: the elks, the woolly rhinos, and the other beasts that supported both labor and war. His duty was to ensure they were healthy, well-fed, and properly cared for.

Beyond their war animals, they had also begun capturing aurochs and bringing them into the valley to be bred. aurochs proved to be an excellent resource, providing milk, meat, and thick fur that could be worked into wool and clothing. Alongside this, Kevil oversaw the taming and domesticating of other wild animals native to the region, including goats and other tundra animals, gradually expanding their herds.

The tundra offered little in the way of traditional farming, but it was well suited for grazing animals. Plans were already underway to clear the forests beyond the valley and convert that land into open pasture. There, captured and bred animals would be raised in large numbers to support the growing settlement.

Kevil, though inexperienced at first, embraced the responsibility with enthusiasm. Whenever he faced difficulties, Erik guided him, teaching, correcting, and sharing knowledge from his photographic memory. In time, Kevil grew confident and capable, carrying out his duties not only successfully, but with genuine passion.

Helga was entrusted with two responsibilities by Erik. As one of the few among them with genuine experience in cultivating plants, she was well suited to oversee farming efforts. Though her knowledge came from tending a small personal herb garden rather than large fields, she possessed a true understanding of plants and a green thumb that set her apart.

Under Erik's guidance, Helga began transforming her modest gardening experience into the foundation of large-scale agriculture. Together, they planned extensive fields of hardy tundra crops, carefully chosen for survival in the harsh climate and further enhanced by Erik to withstand cold, wind, and unpredictable weather. Barley and hardy rye formed the backbone of their grain supply'fast-growing, cold-resistant staples that could be harvested reliably. Oats were planted as well, serving both as food for the people and as essential feed for animals.

To ensure dietary variety and resilience, Helga oversaw the cultivation of root vegetables such as turnips, carrots, and beets, all of which thrived in cool soils and stored well through long winters. Frost-tolerant greens like cabbage and kale were added to the fields, providing vital nutrition even late into the cold season. Alongside these, peas and broad beans were planted not only for food, but for their ability to enrich the soil itself, restoring fertility to the land and supporting future harvests. They also started some mushroom farming in the warm, dark and damp tunnels under the mountains.

Helga's second task was far more spiritual and very influential. She was appointed High Priestess of the Old Gods for the growing nation. Among all their people, she was one of the most zealous in faith and devotion, and she held Erik in reverence that went beyond admiration. To her, he was more than a man, someone chosen, and elevated by powers greater than the world itself. She was not alone in this belief, but she was the one best suited to give it form and structure.

The people of the North were deeply religious, bound by old customs and beliefs, and they required guidance as their society began to change. Helga became that guiding hand. Through sermons and quiet instruction, she shaped belief in ways Erik deemed necessary for a more civilized nation. She taught cleanliness and hygiene as sacred duties, respect for personal rights as divine law, and condemned old barbaric customs—wife-stealing, blood feuds, and unchecked cruelty that had once been accepted as part of northern life. Slowly, through faith rather than force, the people began to change.

Beyond her public role, Helga also oversaw something less visible. Around her gathered the most loyal and fervent believers, men and women who trusted her absolutely and saw her as Erik's chosen voice. These people spoke to her in confidence, bringing word of dissent, quiet resentment, or those who secretly opposed Erik's rule or sought to undermine the new order.

No great threats had yet emerged, but Helga understood the danger of unchecked ambition, personal vendettas, and lingering attachment to the old ways. She instructed her followers to observe such individuals closely, not to act, but to watch and report. In this way, an informal network took shape: a quiet system of internal vigilance that ensured stability, foresight, and control.

Thus, Helga became not only the spiritual heart of the nation, but also its unseen guardian, ensuring that faith, order, and loyalty grew together as one.

Responsibility for education was placed in the hands of Eldri Runetongue and her own student, Einar. Though Einar was a prodigy in mathematics, his knowledge of other subjects was limited. Still, he possessed more learning than nearly anyone else available, and so the task fell to him. His first duty was to gather a group of grown adults and teach them the fundamentals, basic reading, writing, and arithmetic, so that they, in turn, could pass this knowledge on to children and to any others willing to learn.

Einar did not enjoy the role. It was forced upon him not by desire, but by necessity. He was the most qualified, the most capable, and more importantly the most available, as everyone else who could read and write was already burdened with other essential duties. Despite his reluctance, he carried out the task diligently. And from time to time, Eric himself instructed Einar in higher mathematics and advanced knowledge, ensuring that the young prodigy continued to grow beyond the limits of his current role.

Alongside him, Eldri guided the deeper and more esoteric side of education. While Einar focused on practical literacy and mathematics, Eldri devoted herself to teaching runes. She observed all their young students and indeed the wider population searching for those who possessed even the faintest touch of magic. Anyone who showed the slightest potential was selected for mandatory runic training.

These few would later form the foundation of a runic guild, one destined to enchant weapons, tools, and structures with runic magic. For now, they were few in number and still in the early stages of learning, but Eldri trained them carefully and methodically.

Compared to the duties entrusted to others, the task given to Hjalti Berserkir's was neither glorious nor extremely honored but it was essential. He was placed in charge of all lumber and timber operations. Under his authority fell the forests to the north, west, and north-northwest, and even those stretching south beyond the Antler River. These woods were to be felled and processed so their timber could be turned into houses, boats, tools, firewood, kindling, and the countless other necessities upon which a settlement depended.

Hjalti though a berserker by nature and a lover of combat, proved surprisingly well suited to the work. Cutting trees demanded strength, endurance, and relentless force,qualities he possessed in abundance. Swinging an axe into living wood was not so different from smashing shields or cracking skulls, save that the forest did not bleed or fight back.

He did not find the work glorious, but he found it relaxing. A quieter outlet for his fury, a peaceful alternative, however dull to his fierce and violent ways.

An equally vital responsibility was entrusted to Sigurd. Already serving as the group's chief cook, she was formally appointed quartermaster as well. In this role, she oversaw supplies, storage, and distribution, ensuring that nothing was wasted and that every need was met. She also commanded the cooks and chefs responsible for preparing the communal meals, making certain that the food was not only filling, but healthy, nutritious, and well prepared.

Sigurd was a severe taskmaster, but an effective one. A mother many times over, she ruled the kitchens and storehouses with firm discipline and sharp eyes. Order, cleanliness, and accountability were demanded at all times. Nothing went missing under her watch, mistakes were swiftly corrected, and waste was not tolerated.

Through her authority and experience, the daily meals became a stabilizing force for the settlement, quiet proof that survival was not only about strength and war, but about care, routine, and discipline.

Korb was appointed general overseer of all managers. Reasonably intelligent and gifted with a natural talent for solving problems and handling difficult situations, he acted as the steady hand that kept the many moving parts of the settlement working together. As his second in charge, he took on many of Erik's administrative responsibilities leaving Erik more time to experiment and learn new things.

Runa had appointed herself as Erik's personal assistant. The role had not been formally given to her; she had simply taken it upon herself, insisting that Erik needed someone to ensure he took care of himself. He was responsible for so many people, and she believed he must also look after his own well-being.

Beyond that, Runa was there to assist whenever Erik worked on experiments, offering help or a second set of eyes when needed. She was also a sounding board—someone who could listen, offer insight, and support him in decision-making. And, as his girlfriend, she provided him the rare chance for quiet, meaningful time together—a way for them to share moments of closeness and intimacy amidst the demands of leadership.

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Amid the hundreds of minor responsibilities that demanded Erik's attention, his true focus never wavered. Throughout this period, his mind remained fixed on a single undertaking, the culmination of his experiments to create a fusion between a weirwood tree and the thorium tree of his previous world. In that other reality, the thorium tree had been a vast, sentient plant capable of influencing living beings through spores. Erik did not intend to recreate it fully as such a thing would be far too invasive. He fashioned something controlled, restrained, and shaped to his will.

His experiments eventually reached a promising stage. The saplings he had cultivated evolved into pod-bound plants that showed clear signs of semi-sentience and emerging telepathic capability. They produced spores capable of bonding with living creatures—sentient and non-sentient alike. At the very least, this thorium–weirwood hybrid would be able to observe those it bonded with, and potentially exert subtle influence over them. The full extent of its abilities remained unknown; the plant was still young and would need to grow and bloom before its potential could be tested properly.

After months of tireless experimentation, Erik judged the hybrid ready. One day, he ordered the central clearing, designated as the administrative heart of the settlement to be completely evacuated. The yurts were moved beyond the great circular district, leaving the center bare. There, Erik planted the thorium–weirwood hybrid.

He empowered it through ritual and sacrifice: a single animal offering, his own blood, and a steady channeling of his personal power. Day after day, for months, he repeated the process. Each offering fed the tree, and each day it grew—slowly at first, then with terrifying speed. Within days it rivaled a great oak. Soon after, it surpassed even the largest redwood. Within a month, it became the largest tree any living soul had ever witnessed.

Its trunk alone reached nearly a hundred meters in radius. Its canopy stretched outward more than a kilometer, forming an almost perfect circle of deep crimson leaves that cast the entire settlement in red-tinged shade. The bark of the trunk was smooth, pale white, and perfectly straight.

During its growth, Erik shaped the tree from within. Gradually, he formed chambers, tunnels, and vast cavities—an interconnected internal network reminiscent of an ant colony. Hundreds of rooms were carved into the living wood, winding upward through the trunk and branches. These spaces became living quarters, offices, kitchens, workshops, and halls, every structure required for governance and life, all contained within the living body of the tree. The thorium-weirwood became Erik's home, palace, and seat of power, crafted entirely by his own hand from the moment of its birth.

Months later, the tree bloomed. Invisible, microscopic fungal spores were released into the air, drifting unseen through the valley. They entered every living being—human, animal, and war-beast alike—bonding seamlessly with their nervous systems. Through this bond, the tree became a vast sensory organ.

The hybrid itself was semi-sentient, its mind malleable under Erik's guidance. Though it could not think as a human did, it could sense all life within the valley and several kilometers beyond. Through the spores, Erik gained awareness of movement, presence, and intent. With focus, he could even glimpse surface thoughts—an ability reminiscent of a great cerebral mind, though one bound entirely to the living network created by the tree.

Thus, the thorium–weirwood stood at the center of the valley: a living palace, a watchful guardian, and the silent heart of Erik's growing dominion.

Author's notes

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