UnDwarven: A Memoir by Iden Ataklorbam
Prologue
When I was but a young dwarf, life in the fortress had proven to be the most boring time of my life. Sure there are a lot of things to do in the fortress, but most of them were activities for the adults. I couldn't mine, I couldn't gather herbs, I couldn't fish. Hell, I couldn't even help my mother with hauling stone up to the trade depot. Therefore I had to keep myself entertained as best I could.
The fortress I lived in, Debbenmomuz, was the home of the Asaskulet Clan. It was a grand fortress, and had the best military on this side of Enxah. As such, the king was able to maintain a steadfast grip on the fortress. We have had our fair share of trouble with goblins and such, yet we unmercifully tortured them for fun, or as the king labeled it, "Dwarven Science". Every season, the king dropped some poor goblins into the "Happy Fun Hole". If the fall didn't kill the goblin, the bronze colossus within would.
Yet this bronze colossus was my only friend in Debbenmomuz. As every other child had either grown up or had been snatched, I sat at the lip of the pit and talked with the Bronze Colossus. I had talked about how my mother had recently had the honor of hauling an artifact platinum bed to the kings quarters. I talked about how My father had made me a puzzle box for my thirteenth birthday, and the message hidden inside. Through all of this, the bronze colossus stayed in the pit, and stared up at me. I had always pretended his stare to be full of warmth and understanding. But deep inside, I knew that he was a beast, and would crush me in a second if he could. I was but one of his captors, and he hated me as much as he hated the king.
One of the things my mother had told me was never to mess with old Sarvesh Stunkenled. For more than a hundred years he had been dispensing "justice" with the blunt end of his hammer. Despite his job being incredibly messy, there was a rumor that he has never washed his beard in his life. Due to the amount of dried blood in his beard, There was more fact in that rumor than fiction.
Despite Mother's warnings I had once sneaked into his room and stolen his hammer. After hiding it in the bushes outside, I came back home to a scene of bloody chaos. Sarvesh had noticed his missing hammer and was going berserk trying to find it. Several unconscious Dwarves were laying on the side of the hall. In his hands was the crushed head of my father. Apparently, in his drunken rage he had thought the toy hammer my father had made was his own. He then swung my father around like a flail and finally ended his life for good. Crying, I told Sarvesh where his hammer was. he shoved me forcefully against the wall and headed outside as I stood there, paralyzed by fear and hatred. The next day, he had gotten the kings permission to dispense "justice" on my mother for "poor parenting".
I was alone now, an orphan in the only place I had ever known. I had stolen a pick from the trade depot and managed to mine a little hole next to my only friend. His groaning and the grating sound from his movements put my mind more at ease. I once again felt as if I had a home, my life was great. Eventually though, I was going to leave that mountain. I made a promise to myself that I would run away from Debbenmomuz once spring arrived.
My life in Debbenmomuz was cut short soon enough. I had just woken up to feel a cold, bony hand against my mouth. I tried to scream for help, but his hand was quickly replaced by a cloth rag to muffle any sounds I tried to make. I couldn't even struggle much, as my arms and legs were bound tightly with trained quickness. I realized in horror that I was going to be yet another child stolen by the goblins. He slung me over his back with surprising strength, and soon enough I felt the cold wind of the night upon my skin.
My last view of the mountain-home was one I will never forget. It represents perfectly my life in Debbenmomuz. At the entrance to the fortress was the face of a grinning Sarvesh, both hammer and middle finger raised. I look back upon my leaving not with sadness, but with joy. It was the day when I left the bureaucracy of the dwarves, and begun my life anew.
Author
Topic: UnDwarven, a DF based story (Read 1210 times)