![[Steve.Hammer.png]] For Steve, the year at the keep was not about war or politics, but about joy, mischief, and making the world just a little brighter in her own peculiar way. The Goblin Village Project The goblins, once scattered and disorganised, soon found themselves swept into Steve’s latest obsession: building a proper village. She insisted on helping them “upskill” as she called it, teaching them crafts, trades, and the basics of community building. The result, however, was a curious blend of cultures. Steve’s gnomish roots inspired her designs—spiral rooftops, too-small doorframes, and overly elaborate pulley systems—that the goblins gamely tried to recreate. The houses looked ridiculous, half-whimsical and half-wobbly, yet the goblins adored them. It was impractical, hilarious, and exactly the kind of chaos Steve thrived in. Learning Goblin In her efforts, Steve picked up more than hammer and nails; she started learning Goblin. Her accent was atrocious, and her phrasing often left goblins howling with laughter, but they understood her all the same. By the end of the year, she could cobble together simple phrases—enough to bark orders at a building site or share a joke around the fire. **Mastery of Mold Earth** Steve also spent time perfecting _Mold Earth_. Though she never cast it more powerfully, she learned to use it more cleverly. One trick she mastered was carving little animated shapes in the dirt—rudimentary gnome faces, goblin caricatures, or a crude hammer rising up from the ground like a puppet. It wasn’t grand magic, but it delighted the children and added a touch of playfulness to the work. The Hammer’s Shadow She enlisted the help of Zoltan do repair her hammer, who in turn enlisted the help of Isolde, together they were able to build a hammer that was magnificent and emit a pure radiance for combat, although it missed the heart of her father's, he would be proud. Love and Companionship Amidst the building and experimenting, Steve found time for her heart. She and Big Guy spent their evenings together, sharing quiet meals, stargazing, or sparring for fun. Their dates were simple but heartfelt—proof that joy could bloom even in dark times. Modeng’s Training And of course, there was Modeng. Steve devoted herself to teaching her companion fun tricks. Modeng never reached Peanut’s legendary level of mischief, but she learned to fetch tools, to sit patiently during council, and even to play little games Steve invented. Each trick became another source of laughter in the keep, proof that small joys mattered as much as great victories. The Heart of the Keep By the year’s end, Steve had left her mark—not through treaties or battles, but through laughter, odd architecture, and small moments of light. The goblins had a village (crooked, chaotic, but theirs). Modeng had new skills. The keep had more warmth. And Big Guy had Steve. She had not fixed her hammer, not yet—but she had fixed spirits, and in her own way, that mattered just as much. **The Heart of the Keep** By the year’s end, Steve had left her mark—not through treaties or battles, but through laughter, odd architecture, and small moments of light. The goblins had a village (crooked, chaotic, but theirs). Modeng had new skills. The keep had more warmth. And Big Guy had Steve. her hammer fixed, fixed spirits, and in her own way, that mattered just as much. ![[gobo house.png]]