My... well, you see, my...
My second fortress has fallen.
Yes, indeed - 'twas a fine bastion, that of Avalsazir, and one resplendent with golden treasures and skilled craftsmen. Though blighted by vampires and infants aplenty, it nonetheless proved a fine trading haven for merchants the world over, and never suffered the indignity of a single siege. Savanna Titans felt the unchecked wrath of its military, and rumours went that its meat and food reserves filled the storage rooms from floor to ceiling.
What a fine fortress it was! But then...
But then joyous word came from a humble mining team that the most rare and precious of substances, superb raw adamantine, had been struck! Cries of triumph rang out throughout the city, as its inhabitants ceased toiling to toast with dwarven wine their new-found fortune! Surely, a golden age was dawning, one of prosperity and unmatched might!
Deeper and deeper the miners dug, filling their pockets and those of their companions with the priceless ore. Indeed, I could help but wonder as to what glorious secrets might lurk even deeper below, and hastily ordered the task force to dig to the very depths of the world in search of exciting discovery!
And then... a most wonderful and unforeseeable thing took place.
The chief miner broke through to a veritable wonderland! Seeing it was filled with glowing lights and spectacular sights, he paused briefly to shed a tear of happiness - both he and his fellow workers!
Surely, cries of hearty laughter could be heard ringing forth from the new-found depths! I heard, too, tell of amusing circus performers bringing warmth to the hearts of all, and hurriedly sealed off the single entrance to the marvellous place so that its delights and treasures could saved and sampled at a later date!
This task completed, I returned quite calmly to the manufacturing of glorious adamantine weapons. This, I mused, would mark the founding of the mighty empire of Avalsazir!
It was approximately at this moment that I noticed, in a passing glance, the entertaining of a waylaid dwarf by a jolly performer! The clown laughed heartily, his eyes shedding tears of salt as he did so, and soon 'twas not one clown, but five - and then ten!
Naturally, I sent forth my finest welcoming party to dine and make merry with their new companions, and so they did. One at a time they shared laughs and told jokes, until only three or four of the twenty remained in a sober state!
I pondered upon this splendid happening as I mused that clowns could even find a way past solid stone floors! This, indeed, was remarkable. At that moment, I casually reassigned the contents of the fort to an above-ground location, as the bright sights and sounds of the circus made their way into the main fortress chambers from beneath!
The entire fortress and surrounding areas thus thoroughly entertained and covered in circus balls, flickering neon lights and scattered popcorn, I find myself writing this happy missive in the hopes that...
On the next embark
The seven dwarves of madness
Shun the great circus!
Author
Topic: The Fall of Zocolral: a story of woeful tragedy (Read 1563 times)