Or
How The Dwarves Learned Magic, And Lost It.This is the story of Edir Tantirist, a young dwarf who lives in the border fortress of Piss Spring, but let's just call it by it's Dwarven name, Odthistkigok. The fortress was founded a little over a year before she was born there on the 5th of Granite, 152. Today is the 15th of Moonstone, 164, so that means Edir will be thirteen in a few months.
The great Dwarven civilization of The Painted Torments built Odthistkigok on their south-easternmost border to protect a new trade route with the Gnomes of the coast, The Perplexing Kingdoms. If the Elves of The Crested Satins wanted to trade a bit too, that would be acceptable. Some even spoke of trade with the humans far to the south in The Union of Twigging.
But of course there were many dangers nearby: Orcs, Drow, Succubi, Goblins, Kobolds; all had a strong presence in these lands. Rumors said that Warlocks and Werewolves lurked nearby, and lately, a new threat had come from the west: Automatons, great clanking, steaming metal contraptions that used firearms with deadly accuracy. And so, Odthistkigok was built to protect trade with the friendly lands to the south and the east.
Odthistkigok:
http://mkv25.net/dfma/map-12402-odthistkigokProtect, it did, and the trade came. So too did the dangers, to wash against the walls of Odthistkigok, and break, and flee. For these lower lands at the base of the dwarven mountains proved rich in iron and marble, which the dwarves quickly fashioned into good solid steel weapons and armor; and gold, which they traded for most anything they needed.
Odthistkigok grew and prospered. Trade with the Gnomes and Elves inspired new ways of thinking, and Odthistkigok became not just a border fort, but a center of science and magic.
Edir's father, Od Zanthikut, helped found the first Dwarven School of Magic as a younger Windkin. All great schools of magic are named in the "animal-disease" tradition, and he wanted to call it the school Dogmumps, because dogs are exotic and foreign, something humans have, along with mumps, or so he'd heard. But the other wizards, Onul the Arcane (one of the founding seven) and Astesh the Waterkin, were having none of it, "We discovered the potion that cures Craqtooth Boar Flu! We're naming the school Boarvomit." But let's just call it by it's Dwarven name, The Dustikoggon School of Wizardry. Dwarven is such a poetic language.
Edir's mother, Melbil Sesokshem, is a Marksdwarf, Second Bow of the First Crossbow Squadron, with eleven confirmed kills. Melbil hoped maybe Edir would be a Marksdwarf like her second daughter, Birut, or at least not a Farmworker like her oldest daughter, Genlath. But she took Edir to the Head-ologist who measured the bumps on her little head and pronounced Edir to be a tiny baby Legionnaire. Melbil felt proud, but worried. Legionnaires form the front line of battle, and thus, they die or get mangled in combat much more often than archers. Od was too busy becoming a Skymage to think much about his burgeoning family.
Dwarves in the Masterwork v6.2 universe grow up early, and Edir became an "adult" at six years old. She was immediately put into a training program of intensive study at the barracks war-libraries and workouts at the adjacent weight-bench. Eventually, she was drafted and set on an intensive training regimen of drills and sparring with the Second Melee Squadron.
Edir Tantirist Kunid Datan is now twelve going on thirteen, and Fourth Axe of The Mountains of Cradling, the newly formed fortress guard. She is a legendary warrior with twelve kills to her name, five of them notable.
Let's take a look at her.Edir Tantirist Kunid Datan has been happy lately. She had a satisfying sparring session recently. She slept in a great bedroom recently.
She is the daughter of Melbil Moltenplank and Od Artifactbooks. She is a dubious worshipper of Ral, a worshipper of Takuth Riftcave the Crystalline Jewel, an ardent worshipper of Ral and a faithful worshipper of Ber the Steely Ocean.
She is a citizen of The Painted Torments. She is a member of The Shacks of Lulling. She is an enemy of The Trussed Hates. She is an enemy of The Marked Poisons. She is an enemy of The Wandering Seductions.
She is twelve years old, born on the 5th of Obsidian in the year 152.
She is incredibly muscular. She is incredibly muscular. Her upturned short nose is broad. Her protruding eyes are round. Her hair is clean-shaven. Her free-lobed broad ears are extraordinarily broad. Her ears are somewhat short. Her skin is brown. Her eyes are heliotrope.
She is unbelievably strong, basically unbreakable, amazingly agile and indefatigable.
Edir Tantirist Kunid Datan likes fire, bloody, fossil, wood wood, fire sprite horn, shadoweaver silk, the color iridescent, eggs, mail gauntlets and cave tortoises for their shiny shells. When possible, she prefers to consume hawk and swamp whiskey. She absolutely detests fire ants.
She has an unbreakable will, an astounding feel for the position of her own body, a stunning feel for spatial relationships, awesome intellectual powers, good intuition, good creativity, a feel for music and a good feel for social relationships.
She is concerned about rejection and ridicule. She only rarely feels strong cravings or urges. She can handle stress. She is very energetic and active. She doesn't need thrills or risks in life. She appreciates art and natural beauty. She dislikes intellectual discussions. She is slow to trust others. She keeps her voice very quiet when she is nervous. She needs alcohol to get through the working day. She is getting used to tragedy.
*LEGIONNAIRE* Having undergone the garrison training, this dwarf has learned the fundamental rules of war. Legionnaires learn to handle all melee weapons, military tactics, leadership and situational awareness. They are used to pain, have a higher willpower and recuperation than civilians. The legion training also encompasses rigorous fitness exercises, raising their strength. Five Notable Kills
Smunstu Agedhated the goblin, d. 163
Bosa Woodedlie the goblin, d. 163
Lirmurire Unthinkablejoin the succubus, d. 163
a automaton, d. 163
a sharpshooter, d. 163
Seven Other Kills
One barghest () in Pissspring
Two honey bears () in Pissspring
Three mechanical horses in Pissspring
One dingo () in Pissspring
She writes in a diary every now and then, let's take a peek.
5 moonstone 164
They finally let us off of cavern patrol. I was about ready to pass out right on some moss. Ugh, it was the worst, the whole area is still mostly burnt out with ash everywhere and you can still smell where that poor kid Nurom got melted.
I remember that day. It was us, the mages, and 1st crossbow stationed in the storeroom below the spike hall when we heard that thing roasting Nurom out in the caverns. We all ran out, and the whole cavern was already on fire, you couldn't see a thing so whenever the thing spat fireballs at us, we'd block them (our new tower shields are great!) while the mages and mom's squadron returned fire. We don't really know who killed it, but we got out of the caverns just in time and nobody got badly burned. The bath at the end of the spike tunnel felt so good!
This time we were just out there twiddling our thumbs watching the masons tell everyone else where to put the block walls. Twiddling our thumbs and trying not to breath in too many dwarf kid ashes, haha. Genlath says I'm growing up too fast and getting too used to death.
That whole time in the caverns waiting I'm thinking about that day and how I couldn't do anything because of the fire. Now Dustikoggon is officially open and Queen Angzak issued a decree that any dwarf age nine to fourteen could go there and see if the wizards could teach them magic even if they were already in a guild and most especially if they were warriors.
If I was a mage I could have done something more than cower behind my shield when that thing spat fire at us! The new school is so nice. It's huge and they haven't even finished the Silver Tower yet, or the Founder's Houses where the students will sleep but my bedroom is just one floor above the new classrooms and magical altars so I probably won't move into one of the Founder's House dorms unless they make me.
I'm sure dad will want me to join his House but "Fluffy Wambler House?" He says "Fluffy Wamblers best represent the essence of White Magic and Air Magic, which is the focus of our House" and then he goes off on that crazy story about a fluffy wambler killing a collosus again.
But I could join Onul's House. That's the House for rock and fire mages and they have the best name, "Magma Crab House!" Rock wizards make the best warriors, I could go right back into The Mountains with a volcanic great-axe in both hands! First Mages already said they'd take me, too, if I want to learn staff and I could still keep one axe but I'd have to use one of those stupid little auras instead of my nice new tower shield.
If I really wanted to make dad mad I guess I could join Astesh's House, "Cockatrice House." I remember the last fight he had with dad over the name of the house. "Od, remember that we need to teach all aspects of magic, even the dark arts, in order to defend against them and the Cockatrice is not "Evil" per se, no more than a magma crab! The Cockatrice freezes, it lives in water underground, it is the perfect mascot for a house that teaches water and black magic, and black magic isn't evil unless someone makes it evil."
Well diary I am getting sleepy and tomorrow it is back to more sparring in the yard again. Will Edir join Dustikoggon and become a mage?
What other young dwarves will take advantage of this opportunity?
What's with the flask, and why is it so frosty?
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Topic: Edir Tantirist and the Flask of Frost (Masterwork v6.2 Community Wizard School) (Read 1065 times)