Journal of Grim of Chamberdrums
21st Slate
I have sent out an order to step up the loading of the trap. With the king here we haven't much time. We have made a verdict and I will carry it out no matter my misgivings.
I spent much of today watching the king meet his extended family here. It was a touching scene, though I allowed it mostly to distract the old man. To further the illusion of welcome I am having some rooms dug out for him near the trap.
I feel... relaxed. In a way I haven't for quite some time. I spent a little while cutting gems yesterday. It was nice.
16th Felsite
A caravan of Elves arrived today. The King went out to speak with them, I accompanied him of course. He was the very picture of friendliness. I stood there, crossbow in hand, as he chatted amiably to the Elves. I could taste a tang in the air... My hands felt slick and my heart thundered in my ears as I stared at one of the elves. The soft pulse of the veins in his forehead. The jugular in his neck.
I snapped. My hands whirled about my crossbow. I loosed a bolt. The Elf dropped gurgling. Blood sprayed. Screams. Cries. The sound of my squad loosing bolts into the traders. The king's face as he stood there shocked.
I turned to him and coldly told him to go to his throne room while we cleaned up. One of the wounded Elves reached out to grab his leg. I crushed it's skull with my crossbow. To think I nearly lost myself to my old ways.
17th Felsite
As midnight struck we stood gathered around the shaft at the top of the king's throne room. No hoods. No masks. No disguises. Nothing but the smell of that insufferable weed. The wretches around here really need to quit that habit.
As one we turned to look at the Countess. Our leader. The one who was ultimately responsible for several of us being here. Not that it mattered anymore. Each of us had been bought and sold, one way or another, since we first came here. Not one of us was who we were originally.
We conversed for a while. I do not remember what was said. Only the final words. Monitor silenced us with a wave.
'It is time, time for revenge.'
We could hear the king pacing in the room below us. It had been locked behind him hours ago. He had yelled for a while. He gave up on that eventually.
With trembling hands I reached towards a lever. The enormity of this kill, the value of the blood I was about to spill, it made my heart sing.
I seized the lever. I pulled.
A creak.A crash. A roar. The sound of falling rock, clanging metal, tinkling gemstones. In the midst of the tempest of noise and dust: A scream.
I turned, brushed past the others, pelted down the stairs like a man possessed. I flung apart the doors to the kings chamber and beheld the fruits of a decades labour.
The blood of a monarch stains gold so bright on this schemer's night.
18th Felsite
I have decided, in light of the change in management, that we are going to retake the caverns from the monsters we have allowed to roam within. As I cannot make heads not tails of the passages already around the caverns I am having a new one dug down into them. We Dwarves are free to go where we please and no beast from before time has the right to stop that. I will see our halls painted with their blood before I bow to them.
22nd Felsite
I was walking through a hallway and heard some babbling from the other side of a wall. When I asked about it I was told that the mayor was kept locked on the far side due to him being a vampire. I had the wall removed and the door was immediately flung open by a wild eyed figure gibbering like a fool. I suspect that his mind has broken from his captivity.
14th Hematite
I have begun the creation of a new project. One that will shake the very foundations of the earth. I only hope it is complete before anyone realizes what I am doing.
17th Hematite
A forgotten beast rose against us from the depths today. It was dispatched by just two of our soldiers and killed only some pathetic bonecarver, His blood stains the walls around the tunnel mouth from which the beast emerged. Even now as I gather more of our soldiers there I hear more of the monsters gathering, like rats around a drainage pipe.
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Kings dead. I took 3 screenshots of that, will post them up in a bit. Am working to clear out or beast infestation and clean up junk.