Back to civilizationBecause the day was now well into evening and because the travellers were exhausted by their daring escape from Bosangasma, they did not push the effort and soon found shelter in one of the Kodsakzul's hillside villages, spread like dandelions around the mountains of the region.
Dwarves of Kodsakzul had been suffering for a long time of Osme's exactions – many of the evil dwarves fielding imperial hordes were of Kodsakzul decent due to the excursions of child snatchers over the years. When the little team explained the villagers who they were, and where they came from, they were received with open arms.
One of them, a chubby cattle farmer, boasted proudly that they – the dwarves of Kodsakzul – were waging a war in the north against the rival empire of Ansgekistozu. They were specifically led by a very competent general, who earlier in his life had been a vagrant, an adventurer and a musician, but whose skills at leading soldiers and planning battles were second to none. Every now and then, he would leave the mountainhall with the royal army, and come back unscathed from the ice-carved fortress of Dongmustu, with the heads of its garrison in tow.
« A few years before Ansgekstozu falls ! » the herder rejoiced. « Maybe only months, or who knows, maybe even weeks ! Good times indeed ! »
How many lives could have been saved, Kashi thought, had the efforts of that General Olin been directed against Osme instead!Comparatively, the nothern empire of Ansgekstozu was weak, impovrished and depopulated – the war waged against it by all the neighbouring kingdoms was less a war than it was a feeding frenzy.
Osme – which in passing was also part of said feeding frenzy – had a large army and its conquest effort, both in the north and in the south, was still in full effect, its warlords were power hungry and pushed by sheer overpopulation pressure from Bosangasma to the civilized world.
The little troop fell asleep very quickly.
After an uncomfortable, but well resting night spent in the small dwarven hole on the hill and a disgusting breakfast made of dried lettuce, the group resumed its travels – their first goal would be to rejoin the relative security of the civilized land by reaching Thomocemir.
Uquur, the small man with golden hair, was reserved at first, talking only when talked to and otherwise keeping to himself. By contrast, Aslu, the girl from Egapesor with deep black skin and piercing blue eyes, was very lively and would start conversations with anyone, on any topic.
You: Tell me about your family.
Aslu (to Takru): Hello Takru. It really is a pleasure to speak with you again.
Uquur: I had a cousin named Ca¤ar Tightnessclosed. In the early autumn of 125, Ca¤ar married Enthep Mileflights.
Takru (to Aslu): Hello. It is good to see you. It really is a pleasure to speak with you again.
You: Tell me about your family.
Aslu (to Takru): There's more to life than becoming great at just one thing, but being good at several isn't bad!
Uquur: I have a cousin named Kusut Twinkledspoons. In the early summer of 134, Kusut married Histek Oakphantoms.
Takru (to Aslu): I don't want to argue.
You: You look like a mighty warrior indeed.
Aslu (to Takru): I require a substantive reply. There's more to life than becoming great at just one thing, but being good at several isn't bad!
Uquur: I am a peasant.
Takru (to Aslu): I don't know what to say.
Aslu (to Takru): There must be something else to discuss.
Takru (to Aslu): So, the giant hoary marmot and the flounders...
Aslu (to Takru): You can be powerful or powerless. The choice is yours, until somebody makes it for you.
The bark of Thomocemir's domesticated capybaras interrupted the argument. The travel was much shorter than they thought.
From Thomocemir to KonlimonesBeing the most fortified place in the region, the border fort of Thomocemir allowed the travellers to rest and to prepare to the rest of their journey – as a long walk home was still to be made. But where was home ?
For Uquur, it was simple – Konlimones, in the nothern kingdom of Amegil, was where he had to go. His family was controlling the whole city – his father was a small nobleman, his grandfather the local lord. Kashi already knew the way to Konlimones – it was a long, arduous, but eventually comparatively safe journey.
But quid of Aslu ?
You: Where should I take you?
Aslu: My father Orid Braidedisland lives in Cathated.
Cathated – the translation was clear enough – it was a dark pit by the name of Sestobûb dug and occupied by goblins. Kashi frowned. What was the meaning of that ?
You: You look like a mighty warrior indeed.
Aslu: I am a peasant.
You: Who do you work for?
Aslu appears to acquiesce.
Aslu: I serve no one.
Kashi investigated her – because her story felt dubious and unrealistic – she was just saved from Osme...and now she wanted back ?! He pressed her further, and finally understood.
Both her parents were travellers – her mother was a mercenary until her death, and her father was a travelling bard. When she was kidnapped as a teenager, her father spent his life looking for her, assuming multiple identities – investigating dark pits in order to free his daughter. The last time he was sighted – according to the informations she had – it was in Sestobûb. He was under a false identity, but she was positive she could recognize him.
Kashi did not promise to help her out any further – going back to Osmite territory was not an idea he was fond of at all. After walking Uquur home – he'll see.
Aslu was out of other option and accepted to accompany them to Konlimones – freedom and the perspective of seing her family again had filled her eyes with sparkles.
The rest of the morning was spent scavenging the battlefield east of the fort. They found copper shields, a fitting armor set and a couple weapons. All of that, they gave to the two rescuees to protect them during the travel.
It was probably an unecessary precaution – the travel was safe and they were under the protection of two very good fighters – but Kashi decided to wear belt and suspenders on that trip. There is no way, he thought, that I'd accept losing those two rescuees to starving wildlife after what they just went through.
Because he wanted to sette his debts to the border fortresse, Kashi gave his bronze sword back to the armory. His old copper sword, he gave to Uquur and found a longer, two-handed goblin blade rusting away on the battlefield to replace it. It was a blade of poor quality made of low-tin bronze – widely known to lose their egde extremely fast and bend easily – but compared to the big knife he used until then, it wasn't all that bad a weapon.
As soon they were done settling debts and scavenging, they left Thomocemir and once again, took the northern road that leads to Konlimones.
A monstruous, uniform, colorless cloud was obstructing the sky, and long, cold, needly raindrops were soaking the muddy road. It was dark, it was cold, but Uquur and especially Aslu were like two small sunbeams.
« Soon, I'll be home ! » rejoiced Uquur. « You'll see – my family is wealthy, you will not regret your heroic deeds ! »
The rest of the road to Konlimones was uneventful. Uquur opened up a little after a couple attempts at discussions. Takru talked a lot about the history of the diverse groups forming Osmestobûb – she knew a lot about the history of her country, and was more than happy to share her vast knowledge.
Aslu was gregarious – almost to the point of servility, which distressed the young clerk.
Kashi couldn't help but suspect her of some ill-intent. However, his suspiscions remained suspiscions, and he decided not to act on them. Even if Aslu was a spy – what harm could she possibly do ? She was an unskilled laborer and certainly not a professional killer. Maybe she simply had taken up some Osmite « fleas » due to a lifetime of of serving them, and protecting oneself under a mask of agreableness was a behavior she had to learn to survive in Bosangasma.
Two things were certain : there was something under that hood of agreableness, and Aslu was making every effort to not let it appear.
They nonetheless continued their trip north, which took them two additional days of walk. They slept comfortably at a small Bomreki tavern, then crossed a Wulemaapasi elven retreat – the elves climbed in their trees like squirrels as soon as they saw humans. The olive-skinned elves of Wulemaapasi are not known for their fondness of humanity.
The travellers pressed-on.
They arrived at Knolimones during the night, where they met yet another challenge : their poor sense of orientation. They could not find Lord Athem's manor ! They roamed in around the village for multiple hours – the night was now advanced, the companions were exhausted and wanted to rest.
« Look – said Takru, we're not in a hurry, are we ? We need to sleep before we can leave this place anyway. Let's find shelter in the village, and go to Lord Athem tomorrow »
And so it was decided. They went to the village and hit at a peasant door, to ask for shelter. A small, chubby farmer with graying hair opened, to the relief of the group – on all but Uquur's face, where a mix of surprize and joy could be read
The peasant Uquur Anlarhob: Father, is it really you?
The family was, indeed, controlling the whole village.
The group slept in the farmer's house for the night – they would part ways with Uquur in the morning.
The master-at-armsMorning came soon enough, and it was time for the group to leave.
- That's where I have to leave you, Uquur said. Thanks for all.
-What will you do now ?
-I don't know exactly – the man with golden hair hesitated. But I will do something. Maybe I will rouse the people of Amegil against the tyrants of Osme – maybe I will become a fighter myself. Maybe – even – I will become the next Prince Ahthal ! Now that I am a free man, the amount of choice is a bit dazzling. But I shall recover soon, and get started on a large scale project. »
« Then I look forward to hear your name pronounced in awe throughout the land ! Kashi smiled. Farewell, Uquur – may your gods watch over you and your own.
-Farewell, Kashi ! You shall be welcome in Konlimones always »
Diplomacy with Bomrek-Laltur has been a complete failure – but at least, their travels succeeded in establishing stronger bonds between the Kingdom of Kima and the Kingdom of Amegil.
Now remained one last issue – what to do with Aslu ? Kashi really didn't wanted to go back to Osme...maybe there was an alternative ? He saw that, earlier in her life, she was living in the small lakeside town of Bugikawe. Maybe they could just.... go there and see if she has family still living there ? Maybe they would just lead her there and just...Let her start her new life ?
That sure would help a lot. And if that's not the casen Bugikawe happened to be on the road leading to the dreaded pit of Sestobûb, where her father should be.
With their plan so prepared, they started to walk south east, in the direction of he large lake ontgo which the town of Bugikawe was settled.
The trip, however, had to cross the wild freezing plains between the civilized world and Osme – far more dangerous than the straight north-south they had been taking until now.
It is on those snowy plains that they were stopped by a single man, coming to them armed with a large decorated copper battle axe. By his deep black skin and piercing blue eyes, he was easily identified as a man from Egapesor – by his white silken cloak and his sharp accent, he was recognizable as an Osmite. By his presence alone in the freezing plains, he was assured to be a bandit, and by his straight colorless hair, his straight white beard, his confident demeanor and the decorations on his garments, he appeared to be a master-at-arms.
When he saw Kashi and Takru, he walked toward them, pointing his large war axe toward them.
« This is a fight ! » he yelled picking up the pace. « Unsheath your blade and fight me ! »
You draw the copper two-handed sword with your Right hand.
You attack the straight-hair Axe Lord but He jumps away!
You miss the straight-hair Axe Lord!
You catch The straight-hair Axe Lord's ®ðcopper great axeð¯ with Your left hand!
You struggle for the ®ðcopper great axeð¯.
They struggled for the weapon – but Kashi was younger and more well-fed. He disarmed the bandit and gave him a couple strikes with his sword – through wich the bandit weaved without an issue. The man was a master-at-arms and was not to be triffled with – even disarmed.
Kashi tried to maintain the man at a distance with his two handed sword, but he kept advancing. The young clerk could not understand his behavior – what was he after ? Loot ? Kashi's bonze armor surely was valuable but more valuable than one's life ? A fight ? How could he expect to win, disarmed after the first engagement ?
Now Takru joined the fight, flanking the bandit. Her spear made of dwarven iron – she borrowed it it from Bomrek-Laltur – piercing effortlessly through the master-at-arms thick clothing. Aslu cheered, undisturbed by the violence.
The straight-hair Axe Lord misses Takru!
You attack the straight-hair Axe Lord but He jumps away!
Aslu (to Takru): We grow through debate and struggle, even chaos and discord.
The straight-hair Axe Lord misses Takru!
Takru (to Aslu): Despite some minor reservations... I confess your stunning argument overwhelms me!
Takru strikes at the straight-hair Axe Lord but the shot is blocked!
You miss the straight-hair Axe Lord!
Like most fights, the quality of contact determined the direction of engagement. The bandit lost the first exchange, he was disarmed and wounded.
A lucky hit to the back throw him on the ground.
You: You must yield!
Tan strikes at the straight-hair Axe Lord but the shot is blocked!
The straight-hair Axe Lord strikes Tan in the head with his *copper shield*, but the attack is deflected by Tan's small copper helm!
Tan attacks the straight-hair Axe Lord but He rolls away!
The straight-hair Axe Lord strikes Tan in the upper body from the side with his *copper shield*, bruising the muscle through the small cougar leather armor!
Tan strikes at the straight-hair Axe Lord but the shot is blocked!
Straight-hair Axe Lord: I yield! I yield!
Takru however kept coming at him, giving him the wacking of a lifetime, and sending him running and screaming.
Poor soul, Kashi thought. In normal conditions, he would probably have tried to appease the man, but with Takru and Aslu under his protection, Kashi had to keep his priorities straight – the man was close to his camp, he would make it and recover.
They resumed their travels, but ten to twenty minutes later, they saw the man coming back. Still disarmed, to attack them again.
« What in Ino's name ? » Exclaimed Kashi, unshealting his blade again. « Is it death that you seek ?
The scuffle resumed, this time even more one-sided. The man was wounded multiple times then left in pain on the ground.
« Then do it yourself ! » Kashi would not kill that old bandit. « Or find someone else ! I don''t care, but stop bothering us now. »
Kashi stopped Takru from finishing the man, and they left.
The sermon of BugikaweThe travellers arrived at Bugikawe a couple hours later. The rain had subsided for a moment, and was now but a light freezing shower.
As the group was wandering through the streets, Aslu grew confused. Sure, she said, I lived here when I was a kid – she said – but my father lives in Sestobûb.
« Don't you have family here aswell ? » Kashi enquired. He really didn't wanted to go to Sestobûb. But to his horror, she shook her head.
After the fight against the master-at-arms, the group was exhausted anywhay. Better stop for a few hours, find a tavern, have a drink and assess the situation.
They entered a small tavern, where a macedwarf was busy yelling a story about the corronation of the first queen of Kodsakzul. He spoke of her crown, of the throne, of the crowd and of their cheers. It was the start of Kodsakzul's calendar, he said, and the first moment the dwarves of autumns, masters of the central mountains of the eastern subcontinent, stood in unity.
« Didn't last long » mocked a tavern patron. « Now, half of them are with Osme »
It was a lancer in his late fourty, wearing a pearlite leather armor over gray reed robes. He replaced his standardized conic hardhat by a full helmet, and thick leather cloak was wrapped around him to keep him from the cold. His long two-handed spear was sitting next to him, and he played with an empty wooden mug, listening to the dwarf's story without particular interest.
Surprized to find a pearlite fighter in Bugikawe, Kashi sat next to him.
You: Greetings. My name is Kashi Whiskerdweller.
The pikeman Ebka Cikoaslu: Ah, hello. I'm Ebka Sweetnesscircles.
You: You look like a mighty warrior indeed.
The pikeman Ebka Cikoaslu: I seek fortune and glory by offering my skill at arms in Braidedwarded. I have taken down one grizzly bear while stalking Hairyoracle.
By interrogating him further, he understood Ebka to be an elf-hunter. That breed of men determined to stop the elven raids on civilized settlements, going wherever they can to offer assistance to whoever would fight them. In total, Ebka fought in ten battles, sprayed over four different wars. While he never achieved greatness, every city he helped to defend managed to repel their elven invaders and their armies of entralled beasts.
Kashi and Ebka discussed a bit, until the storyteller tried to describe the dress of the queen using an extended metaphore, which happened to be vulgar and unsound. The inavertantly blasphemous style figure made quite a commotion among the other Kodsakzul listeners who were now booing him.
« A quite nice dress indeed ! » The storyteller tried to land on his feet, but understood he was testing the patience of his audience. He resolved to finish his story quickly
Narrow-ears dwarf poet: This storyteller stinks!
The pikeman Ebka Cikoaslu: This storyteller? Awful.
The splayed-ears dwarf macedwarf stumbles over the details.
The upturned-nose dwarf bard stands up.
Narrow-ears dwarf poet: This storyteller couldn't be much worse.
Feering the audience would force him to stand down, the poor dwarf left the stage in a heart crushing annoyed indifference.
« You said you were a clerk and a philosopher, Kashi ? » asked the pikeman. « Why don't you show the Kodsakzul how pearlites adress crowds ?
-I don't have a lot of experience with crowds...Kashi admitted, but refusing now would be disgraceful. Let me say a public word or two. »
He stood up from his stool and walked toward the empty space the last speaker was occupying.
« Peace » he said, clearing his throat. « The state of Minbazkar as the gods created it- is the highest possible value »
No other even compare – liberty ? What's liberty to a dead man ? Kindness ? How kind can a man willing to kill his brother can be ? Compassion ? Truth ? Knowledge ? Small deities in the pantheons ruled by Peace. Peace – he repeated – who gives birth to all virtues, is also the greatest of them all.
Kashi pontificated about the absolute value of peace so and so – but did it with such a way with words that his audience did not counted the minutes he spent talking, nor did they remarked the number of wars waged by Kima against its neighbours.
Was Kashi an hypocrite ? A bit. His position as a royal agent implied his support for the royal approved wars Kima was waging against Pilalene, Wulemaapasi, Osmestobûb and Desoruzol. It also implied his consent to the sell of weapons of war to the elves of Iferifiyopi, waging a war of their own in the south.
Kashi thought of Peace as the greatest ideal, but also as something abstract, foreign, far away – maybe inatteinable. He was trying sincerely to promote pece between the people of the Land of Oak, but now he had some diplomatic experience, he was beggining to doubt it was achievable – in his lifetime or maybe at all.
You conclude your performance.
Narrow-ears dwarf poet: I saw Kashi Whiskerdweller preach on peace. It's boring.
Upturned-nose dwarf bard: I saw Kashi Whiskerdweller preach on peace. It's boring.
It wasn't the cheers Kashi expected, but at least he didn't endured the epidermic reaction the previous storyteller have. Maybe there's ground for improvement, he thought.
He went back to his seat.
« I don't want to linger here very long » he explained to Ebka. « I have a very long trip to reconnect my Egapesor companion with her father.
- It was nice to meet you, clerk Kashi. If you're leaving, I advise you to pay a visit to the court beforehand. Paying respect to Bugikawe's nobility goes a long way »
Seing the wisdom behind the advice, Kashi gathered his companion and walked with them to the gigantic stone castle.
The lord was absent – but the court was being held in his absence. In this Egapesor city, almost all noblemen were from other ethnicities. There, two Kodsakzul dwarves and two Dezoruzol, a Dencothi swordswoman – here, an Amegilian sworncaptain and her husband, a pearlite fencer.
When he saw Kashi, something illuminated the pearlite's face. Kashi was well received and questionned for news of the homeland. The pearlite swordsman was very eager to learn more about the happenings in the kingdom of Kima, and when Kashi revealed he was coming from Thomocemir, the man's interest grew again.
« Thomocemir ! » he exclaimed. « Ino bless their souls. Without them, and without their knights, I would have been killed – and most probably devoured by a creature of the night – seven years ago. »
« Islas, Erith and Uzu – they saved me from certain death » he exclaimed. « If you see them – please tell them that I recovered, and am now a happy man ».
Kashi promised to do that much, and soon took his leave. Now was the time to march toward Sestobûb.
Peaceful walk along the shoresNow that they were at Bugikawe, half of the trip to Stestobûb was already done. All they had to do was to follow the shore of the lake – a long walk on beaches of black sand. The waves, washing the black banks, produced a soothing mist, washing away the worries of the three companions. Above them, the clouds had dispersed.
« It's a bit cold still » Kashi remarked to Takru. « We should come back in summer – when there's peace in the region. Then it'll be perfect.
The naivity of the statement was probably intentional, but it made Takru smile.
However, even if the future was uncertain, the present moment felt right, enjoyable and happy. Perhaps enough, Kashi thought, to keep on going – there would certainly be more evening like this – spent walking along the black banks washed by the tides.
The belly of the beastSestobûb ressembled Bosangasma in its architecture : long trenches connected by stophouses at their intersections. But where Bosangasma had a clear dungeon, an obvious entrance at its core, the pit of Sestobûb did not. The group spent hours roaming from trench to trench, looking for a path leading downward, for goblins homes were always dug underground.
For a long time, no such luck. Takru wasn't helping – she did not know this pit.
« The entrance can be anywhere » she said. « You need to look in the stophouses – one of them will lead downward.
-But which one ?
-I don't know – the speargoblin responded. That's the point ! Every second an army spends confused in the trench is a second the defenders of the pit can use to rally and gather. »
They were so, completely lost in the trenches. Until Aslu, looking around, spotted a hooded figure in the distance. It was a woman of a certain age, of Egapesor ancestry, wearing Osmite silken robes, and wielding a two handed silver hammer.
A guard, no doubt. If she emerged from the ground – she must be near the entrance. We only need to follow her as she comes back inside, and the maze trap of Sestobûb would have been overcome.
They came a bit closer, watching the movements of the woman in white – clearly, she was walking toward one of the stophouses. The group already had investigated this one...had they miss something ? They came closer still...and were spotted soon after.
With no question asked and no warning given, the hammerguard ran at full speed toward the group, lifting her heavy maul in a furious blow, that Kashi narrowly dodged. The two fighter tumbled inside the trench.
Quick like the wind, Takru joined the fight, jumping from the top of the trench, jamming her knee in the guard's face. The hit, softened by her helmet, was enough to throw her onto the muddy ground.
You: Let us stop this pointless fighting!
The skinny hammerman strikes at Takru but the shot is deftly parried by the +steel spear+!
Takru stabs the skinny hammerman in the lower body from behind with her +steel spear+, tearing the muscle and tearing apart the right kidney through the xcave spider silk cloakx!
The +steel spear+ has lodged firmly in the wound!
Takru: I cannot just stand by. There is no need to feel vengeful.
The skinny hammerman misses Takru!
Takru pulls on the embedded +steel spear+.
Takru gains possession of the +steel spear+.
Skinny hammerman: I will fight no more.
Kashi snagged the hammer out of her hands, and soon after, the guard ran for her life – wounded but alive.
The three companion went into the stophouse and investigated it anew – one trapdoor, easily missed, was hidden in the shadows of the building. Kashi went in first, followed by his two companions.
Inside of it was an expensive network of tunnels and corridors, spanning over three levels. It was a bit uncomfortable for Kashi – the tunnels were not ment to accomodate human heights.
Hours they spent in those tunnels, looking for someone that may very well have left or have died. With no access to the sun, they quickly lost their sense of time – Kashi greeted everyone he met – man, goblin, or barn owl beastman – as he saw one in the corridors. It was important, he thought, that I am recognized as Uno, the travelling philosopher, as not to be attacked again by a zealous guard again.
« I think I have your man ! » eventually excvlaimed Takru. « It's an egapesor dude wearing green ».
Green clothes are usually the sign of human civilizations, Amegil or Egapesor, as they are one of the few in Minbazkar to dye their clothes green. Goblins, that much was clear, do not use dies, preferring the gray of troll furs, the white of silk and the splattering of colors of beak dog leather.
Aslu grew more excited and pulled Kashi toward the man in question.
When they eventually saw themselves, all doubt vanished.
The peasant Aslu Ibonitni: Father!
Narrow-chin bard: Child!
The narrow-chin bard embraces the peasant Aslu Ibonitni.
The peasant Aslu Ibonitni: Father!
Narrow-chin bard: Child, is it really you?
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Well, that concludes our adventure on a positive note. We'll be embarking soon – to try to finish the bridge and to transform it into a real, impregnable fortress this time.
People who want to be dorfed (humaned?) as one of the fundings seven can make their requests right now.
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Topic: Mong Kima - The Nation of Pearls (DF 0.47.05) (Read 254615 times)