Chapter 113: The Qohorik Woodcarver

The sons of Glassmaster Ortega arrived at Winterfell one after another from Braavos.

Ortega's sons and apprentices, over ten people in total, were all skilled glassworkers, and they also brought several wagons of glass.

Back then, in order to persuade Ortega to settle in Winterfell, Eddard had rewarded him with several estates. Ortega, who had been a slave from Myr, transformed into a minor noble under the rule of Winterfell, and Ortega chose "Glass" as his surname.

In the Great Hall of Winterfell, Ortega enthusiastically introduced his sons and apprentices to Eddard.

"They are all skilled, sturdy lads. They have no trouble making glass; of course, to become masters of making glass panes, they still need to hone their craft for many more years."

Finally, Ortega pointed to a person standing at the end of the line.

"Lord Eddard, please allow me to grandly introduce to you the Woodcarver from Qohor, Guzan!"

Guzan was about fifty years old, a slightly plump, bald man with a ruddy complexion and a thick, golden beard. He wore a black velvet robe embroidered with gold thread in the patterns of forests and the Black Goat of Qohor, and he wore white fox-fur gloves on his hands.

Eddard exchanged warm pleasantries with Guzan, "Master Guzan, I have long heard from Ortega that you possess hands capable of heaven-defying craftsmanship. In your hands, wood can turn into all sorts of lifelike monsters, gods, castles, and palaces."

Nowadays, the wooden toy workshop in Winterfell can produce all kinds of toys, such as knights and dolls. The wooden toys crafted by the toy carpenter Douglas, along with his sons and apprentices, can bring huge profits to Winterfell.

In fact, because of their exquisite workmanship, the wooden toys produced in Winterfell have already become collectibles for the children of many nobles and wealthy merchants in The Vale, the Crownlands, the Riverlands, The Reach, and other places.

The timber from the Wolfswood is also used to make ships, various wooden tableware, barrels, and more.

However, sitting on the Wolfswood, Eddard was not satisfied with merely using the wood from the Wolfswood to make toys and ships. He felt that a Woodcarver could use the high-quality timber in the Wolfswood to bring more wealth to Winterfell. Just like that, Ortega recommended the Woodcarver from Qohor, Guzan, to Eddard.

Qohor is located on the continent of Essos and is an inland Free City. Qohor is the gateway to the East; countless merchants traveling between East and West, as well as Dothraki tribes, must pass through the territory of the Qohorik, and Qohor thus makes a fortune from trade.

In Westeros, the common folk generally call Qohor the "City of Sorcerers." Many fire mages, Cloud Mages, and Red Priests are active there, and it is rumored that mysterious Blood Magic, necromancy, and summoning arts are still prevalent in this place.

The Black Goat worshipped by Qohor is viewed as an evil deity in many other places. It requires blood sacrifices every day; cows, horses, and sheep may all become offerings to the Black Goat. There are even living humans; some death-row inmates are escorted to the altar of the Black Goat to be killed by hooded priests with sharp blades as a blood sacrifice to the Black Goat.

Besides strange gods and Magic, the handicrafts of Qohor are also world-renowned. The tapestry carpets of Qohor are as famous as Myrish textiles, though cheaper in price, and the works of the woodcarvers here are common in temples and palaces all over the world. The forging technology of Qohor is peerless; the Smiths here still hold the secret of using spells to forge Valyrian Steel.

Eddard had the Woodcarver Guzan and the Glassmaster Ortega sit at the long table, and servants immediately brought venison, Boar Meat, and beef with onions, all brushed with honey. The Direwolves, Night-Walker and Sunlight, were eating bones under the table.

Guzan looked at the small Direwolves and was greatly astonished.

"I thought Direwolves had long been extinct. I never expected that the people of House Stark would keep Direwolves as pets in the Great Hall."

"We have Unicorns in our stables," Eddard told Guzan. "Legend has it that there are still Children of the Forest, giants, and the Undead beyond the Wall. Our North has always been an ancient and magical place."

Guzan rubbed his calloused hands together, "It is good that Winterfell is a magical place. After all, our wood carving craft also requires a little bit of spellwork."

Eddard was somewhat surprised, "I thought only the sword-smiths of Qohor used spells."

"Woodcarvers need them too," Guzan told Eddard. "Qohor is a city under the Black Goat; if there were no Magic, the craftsman's skill would be greatly diminished."

Glassmaster Ortega said: "When Guzan was in Qohor, he completed many great works. It is said that some of the wood carvings in the Black Goat Temple came from those hands of his that create miracles."

Guzan drained the ale in his cup in one gulp, "I was originally a slave in Qohor, and my master was a relative of the Qohor Governor. I relied on wood carving to help my master earn money, and my master eventually agreed to let me buy my freedom. Afterward, as a free man, I operated a wood carving business in Qohor."

"I have carved the supreme shepherd god of the Lhazareen, and I have carved the horse lords of the Dothraki. Whether it was Jeke Khal, or Khal Drogo, Moso Khal, or Jom Khal, whenever a Khal passed through the Qohor forest, the Governors would always send out much gold and silver, plus a wood carving of the horse lord."

"I feel that none of these Khals know how to appreciate the art of wood carving, but they all love wood carvings of horse lords; after all, everyone has vanity. I have also made some wood carvings for the Bearded Priests of Norvos, and my clients even included the Magister of Pentos, Illyrio, and the Archons of Volantis."

A servant filled Guzan's cup, and Eddard said: "With so many clients in Qohor, your wood carving business must have earned you a lot of money. Why did you leave Qohor?"

Guzan sighed, his voice filled with helplessness.

"Later, I met a client, he was a..." Guzan's throat began to bob nervously, his voice filled with unease, and the hand holding the wine cup began to tremble, "a necromancer."

Eddard sensed Guzan's abnormality, "Just because you took a job from a necromancer, you were driven out of Qohor? That shouldn't be! Isn't Qohor the City of Sorcerers? It should be normal for necromancers to appear there."

Guzan drained the ale in his cup and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, as if to hide his fear.

"There are some necromancers active in Qohor, and wise people stay far away from them. It is just a pity that I was blinded by money at the time. The necromancer brought high-purity gold bars and wanted me to carve a statue of a god for him. I wanted to expand my business to Volantis at the time and was in urgent need of money, so I agreed."

"That wooden statue, oh, that wooden statue was the mortal enemy of the Red God, the Great Other."

(End of chapter)