McBarsky read through the note, grubby as it was, just delivered to him by the incoming caravan. Alcohol-stained hands seeped through the parchment, as he struggled to decipher the
excruciatingly cursive script. A clear mark of higher education, which never did noone any good.
Amidst the garbled mess, one name jumped out. Bearskie. He’d trawled through enough memorials in this place to know that name. The infamous first overseer of the tower, savaged by werebeasts in winter’s come. Says so on his tombstone.
“Ere’, I think you’ve got the wrong dwarf,” he said after a while.
“Shys shoo on de'anvelope, mate. Beerski. Init ‘zat you?” asked the postdwarf, already halfway on the road to death by inebriation. Really should've served him the milder rum instead.
“Nope. That’s BEARskie, who someone somehow spelled with a goddamn awful Æ. M’name’s McBarsky. Tholtig McBarsky.”
“Well shaaat. Giss I’m going ter’ ave to… send this'un back then. Baaaakh into the wildlife, that’s where me got this missiege. Shy, y'sure yer not 'm?”
“Probably not. Still got my upper body intact, you see.”
“Shame about that,” the postdwarf mumbled sleepily. “Real shame, b'guess I’ll just… just… do summin 'bout it. Once I go for a knocker, that is. G'night.”
The postdwarf crumpled to the ground, his tankard clattering madly along with him. McBarsky tutted. Waste of good alcohol. With the cats coming to lap it up, McBarsky settled on deciphering the elusive handwriting.
Refugees… book… bookkeeper? Goblins, elves (he'd recognise that in any handwriting), guards… Scorched…drafted? Wait, did he mean Scorchedcrafted? Home to the Lancers of Justifying? Well, former home at least.It took McBarsky several minutes to reread the note, just to make sure he hadn’t misunderstood its contents. The right thing to do, of course, was to pass it to the overseer to decide. Unfortunately, overseer Immortal-D hadn’t been seen in weeks, despite the rapid construction works going on at the Casa de Pallo. It was rumoured that Queen Fath was about to blow her top off anytime soon. Plenty of the Casa work was unsanctioned, with raw materials being requisited from unknown sources. No, not Immortal-D.
Hmm...
Well the letter was addressed to a certain Bearskie afterall. He was pretty sure nobody would mind an extra bunch of refugees. Just more fodder for the tower's build.
Besides, there were answers that he seeked. Answers that he could only get through a Lancer.
Hmm…
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Greetings Master Ryukan,
> We look forward to your group’s arrival at Constructivory. Do visit the bar once you have the time. Safe travels; beware the night.
Regards,
Tholtig McBearskie
Welcome aboard Ryukan! Any dwarf you have a preference for? There's a list on the front page
. Also, overseering: aye or nay?