Chapter 2: The Black Year
255 was the blackest of the early years for all but a select few. One of those select few was mayor Ritemetal; he had married one of the Usurper's daughters and ensured the fortress would be properly supplied for years to come. Even now enough booze was being brewed to keep the dwarves afloat for years without replenishing their stocks; prepared meals already would take the decades to eat their way through.
The rest of the fortress, however, was miserable. A black stain had been placed on their honor as they allowed human merchants to die for them. The militia took this especially hard, as they had at this point yet to take a single casualty. News from the human lands, however, was disturbing. It is said that they had appointed some terrible demon masquerading as one of their gods as their law-giver. Fear of human retribution runs high.
Ritemetal clearly decides that the fortress's security is of paramount importance. The archery tower is completed during this year, as is a fortified entrance to the second level of the caverns. A series of trenches, bridges and roads is dug - invaders will be forced to cross these bridges to assail the main gate of the Citadel, and many might be sent to their (rather comical) deaths when the bridges catapult them.
Exploration of the caverns intensifies - it is known that if they dig deep enough, the Northholders will come across a second layer of rock, one that might be useful to them. Equipping the army with useful gear is the priority of most of the fortress. Eventually, they do manage to dig deep enough to find a new geological layer, but what they find only intensifies the despair of those who plan the fortress. Though they find marble, there is no iron.
Amongst the nobility, abandoning Northhold is seriously discussed. It is the high morale of the commoners that makes up their mind for them. With the exception of those who lost family and friends to the recent raids, the mood in the fortress is universally high. It is decided that if there is no iron in the fortress, it shall be imported, whether by the caravans of friends of the still-warm bodies of foes.
The mood is only improved when an invading cyclops is killed without a single casualty. The medical staff probably feel under-appreciated during this time, though they'll soon miss the relative quiet of the first four years.
The killing began in the caverns. Many troglodyes had been captured by traps. Perhaps this lulled the dwarves into a false sense of security. In any case, two dwarves are soon killed. The militia is summoned, and a great slaughter of the cavern wildlife begins.
It is then that the Jabberer migrates into the lower levels. One can imagine what capturing this beast would have meant for the fortress. A self-renewing source of warbeasts and large as an elephant, quick as a wardog, aggressive as a goblin! The Jabberer was not engaged in hopes of luring it into a cage trap. It decided not to cooperate. Before anything could be done, three dwarves had been slain, among them the wife of Sakzul Dawnbanner. A lone hunter brought down the great beast, but not even such improbable heroics could change the truth of what had occurred. The loss of a member of what many still consider their ruling family hits the dwarves hard.
Not helping matters in Ritemetal's demand for the production of maces. It seems that arming the military was taken so seriously the lack of appropriate facilities for metalworking was not considered. A dwarf is jailed for failing to produce the maces. An innocent administrator, but of course once the Usurper had been an innocent administrator too. Authority was not to be questioned in those days. Perhaps if we'd been a bit more steadfast, there's be more dwarves left today. But I digress.
All of the above happened in a single spring. Perhaps more to take their mind off their losses than anything else, the nobility orders construction of a monument down in the tombs. A great circular room is dug. On the floor will be built a rising sun in orthoclose. Ritemetal's response to this is not recorded, but his marriage speak volumes of where his sympathies lie.
The military blows of steam killing troglodytes, for what good it does. The broker blows of steam by fleecing the elves - while Northhold burns through lumber at an accelerated pace, more must be cut or purchased, and can be with cut gemstones alone.
The fortress concerns itself with the production of trade goods for purchasing arms and armor and on the construction of fortifications or morale-building amenities. In later years, these would prove to be wise decisions.
The caverns continue to fill with dangerous creatures, among them monsters like blind cave ogres. Ritemetal makes a choice. All dwarves will be recalled from the caverns, which will remain sealed until such a time that the masons can be spared to create a system of walls to ensure the security of the cavern workers. The resources below are too tempting to simply ignore, but Ritemetal would not tolerate further casualties on the worst year Northhold had yet seen.
It was just after this decision had been made that the forgotten beast came. Lushob was an enormous finch with a trunk in place of a beak. Although it has no visible mouth, legends speak of its poisonous bite. That however was of no use to it as Northhold's militia arrived in the caverns in full strength. The beast was unable to harm a single being in the end.
With that, it seemed like the Black Year had ended, and the summer of 255 began. Rooms were dug, fortifications built, gems were polished. A new melee squad was formed under the command of Ingiz Highpost, inducting him into the nobility.
These two bleak seasons had been more taxing on the dwarves than any would have suspected a year ago. Morale in the fortress remained excellent, but the nobility feared greatly for the future survivability of the fortress. They vowed two things; that the Citadel be raised yet another level and secured further, and that the caverns would one day be made safe for dwarfkind.
Yet another beast came, this one much more dangerous. Ado, the famed Seer of Terror, was a creature who defies description, beyond its feathered nature and that is spit webs.
The fortress, for the first time in its history, attracted no migrants. Not that the dwarves complained - they had yet to furnish rooms for all the newly born infants. Northhold survived and prospered, but it's image as a utopia was shattered.
The Black Year however would simply not end. A siege arrived, and the Northholders let their pride triumph over their common sense. Though they only lost three soldiers outright, scores more were wounded. Civilians were caught by the attack as well.
The siege was hard fought and bitterly contested. Receiving wounds, many goblins fled. Others were outright slaughtered. The Northholders were said to have run out of metal bolts mid siege, and had to resort to using inferior bone ammunition generally reserved for the hunters. The siege continued all winter, attrition grinding down the goblin forces. In the end, thought the cost was higher than any attack before, Northhold stood fast against the hordes and they dashed themselves against its walls.
It was only the beginning of Northhold's trials.
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Topic: Northhold - Legend of the Dawnbanners (Read 1629 times)