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Author Topic: Age of the Castle: A New Dwarven Hope  (Read 1580 times)

Heydan

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Age of the Castle: A New Dwarven Hope
« on: April 18, 2018, 09:03:41 pm »

Out-Of-Character:

If you would like the game files please ask and I can send you the folder or seed. I exported it before I started playing and made three untouched saves one for adventure, fort, and legends. As I progress through building this fort if you want an export of the fort just ask, but be warned it is the entire square because well... you'll find out why soon enough....

Screenshots and videos for reference will be numbered and super scripted. Also AMK stands for Armok, I explain it below...

Orukstrasp, "The Infinite Planet"
World Size: Large
History: 1050 years
Civilizations: Low
Sites: Very High
Beasts: Medium
Savagery: High
Resources: Frequent

In-Character

In the early years before arrival of the horse devil named the Castle and the rise of "The Strange Monster"1 the dwarven people were proud and strong holding not one, but two mountain homes to be proud of. Fearing the destruction of the people the dwarven tribes elected Edzul Rinseoil to leaded them dubbing him the king of The Named Room in the first year of the Castle. The coronation was held in Pillarsparks as part of The Walled Festival and included all sorts of entertainment from acrobats, banners, images, a recital of the Cyclopean Blossom, a performance of The Play of Adoring and a telling of the ascension of the first dwarven king along with a series of games and sports.2 & 3

The Clasp of Chants4 was the first to leave to find a new mountain home in case Pillarsparks and The Named Room was attacked by the Castle. They left almost immediately after the king Edzul Rinseoil became aware of the Castle. These dwarven pioneers chose one of the most hated spots on all of Orukstrasp settling right under a Roc's nest in Parchgate. Within the first year they were beset by four Rocs, but they did not perish then. Once the family of Rocs had been dealt with the dragon The Branded Taxes became angry with the Clasp of Chants and sought to destroy them but was outwitted by Vucar Tundraflags in the second year of the Castle. Fearing the defeat of dragonfolk the dragon Luto Wealthsparched the Luxries of Gold became the enemy of the Clasp of Chants and sought to destroy them, but after making no advance against the Clasp of Chants by the fourth year of the Castle the dragon Luto Wealthsparched the Luxries of Gold recruited the hydra Renownedgall the Youthful Perfection to their side and attacked with vigor. Meanwhile the Clasp of Chants sent a scout to the south who had returned with news of an army Ice Goblins5 who had over taken the frozen wastes there. Vucar Tundraflags was named the leader of The Scorching Lance of in the sixth year of the Castle and founded Silverybows after retreating from the might of the dragon Kima Gildbrands the Flickering Wealth of Jewels who utterly destroyed Silverybows after raining destruction on Parchgate. Those that remained from the Clasp of Chants retreated to Pillarsparks as refugees; several were eaten by the dragon Kovest Sizzledgolds the Flickering Spark along the way.

In the seventh year of the Castle The Thin Rooms of The Named Rooms launched an expedition to reclaim Rooffur from the dragon Kovest Sizzledgolds the Flickering Spark to serve as a permanent home to their new refugee population. The dragon  Kovest Sizzledgolds the Flickering Spark routed The Thin Rooms of The Named Room and destroyed Rooffur entirely killing all remaining members of the Clasp of Chants but a single wife and husband who were with the original expedition to settle Parchgate. They were survived by children who would go unrecorded as in the 8th year of the Castle as the dragon Stettad Taxwealths the Furnaces of Glowing routed The Boulder of Inching of the Named Room and destroyed Pillarsparks.

The dwarf Urvad Broadblockade became the king of The Named Rooms in the 9th year of the Castle. Surrounded by enemies sent from The Strange Monster several dwarven generals attempted to mount one last defense of their homes. They were besieged by several hyrda, dragons, and roc until in the 19th year of the Castle the roc Anthil Budstreams routed The Brushed Furnace of the Named Room to destroy the last dwarven bastion of Booksandaled.6

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Since then the dwarves have been living in a great diaspora led astray from AMK, The True Lord, their loyalty only changed through having been deceived. Several atrocities had been committed upon the dwarves during this time apart from AMK by other races. Making themselves more agreeable, the dwarves let themselves be led astray by the other races which had come to enslave or otherwise oppress them if only to survive, albeit as a broken people and without honor, and this is how they had remained into the year 1010 of the Castle; whereupon, a band of dwarves who could no longer live under the foreign customs of the elven and human empires which took them in as refugees or took them over as slaves. For too long the dwarves had made themselves meek and fearful of war and death, what was life if the dwarves would only leave a memory of a weak and shattered people. The dwarves a race of ancients whose forefathers beat back a legion of dragons, roc, and hydra a thousand years ago!

This is the story of my time, Heydan second born to the Seegil clan last of the Clasp of Chants chronicler of the dwarven people and led by Iton Almoshral7 and Atolosor; The True Kingdom in the tongue of man, which included myself along with: Cerol Lilarkubuk8 who was learned in dwarven dietary law as well as modern medicine, Momuz Lakishkol9 our chief architect and stone mason, Lorbam Melbilmorul10 our carpenter and fighter, Zasit Becorablel11 our farmer and clothier, Rigoth Matulber12 our ranger and bee keeper, and finally Kogan Ildomasmel13 who captained our ship and was an excellent fisher dwarf. On the 16th of Granite 1010c; the 'c' is for the Castle which is years since the horse devil known as "The Castle" took control as "The Strange Monster" or 3870a by the dwarven calendar; the 'a' is for AMK, which is the date that the dwarves received the AMK, although this is truthfully the date that the AMK was written down as there were several thousands of years in which the AMK was kept orally which are unrecorded even by our dwarven calendar. We all met in a small tavern in just outside The Forest Retreat of Dropletbudded, an elven port along The Admired Continents hidden in The Beloved Jungle. Kogan had a ship which we had all put in to purchase and we nearly ready to make our voyage back to where our people had long ago set to root in the Pillarspark. The elves detested the ship because it was made of lumber and so we were not welcome in their city and were forced to put the ship ashore up the beach from the port; of course we never were welcome having been frequently the subject of several cannibalistic elven inquisitions against any who followed AMK. The humans were nicer and then again much worse being so short lived that they were seemingly chaotic to some of the older dwarves and they too would rob us when they had the chance for quick riches or trade us to The Strange Monster as a sort of offering in lieu of being assaulted.

Our ship was loaded with all that we could muster to afford between us, myself having put up the entirety of the capital for the expedition's essentials and the rest with what they could not part with. We took some animals as well and some petrified wooden blocks from the dragon scorched ruins of the Rooffurwhich I had kept safe as is the tradition of the second born of the Seegil clan last of the Clasp of Chants. In the morning we left and sailed for seven days before a fog overcame us. Kogan was able to still navigate by focusing the sun crystal, but progress was slow as we made our way due north.14

On the twelfth day a storm struck our boat and the sun crystal we used to navigate was knocked over board. No one blamed Kogan for it was during these lost years that AMK,  The True Lord forced us to cast aside our false idles. The first among us was Kogan as she shed her idols of Mashus overboard fourteen days since we had left port while in the eye of the hurricane that took us and bellowed, "A-M-K BE PRAISED FOR OUR DELIVERANCE IS AT HAND!" and a thundering struck across the sky which blotted out the morning sun and the idols of Buzat that Iton and Rigoth held lite ablaze in flame although it was made of stone along with the idols of Orshar held by Cerol and Momuz and the idols of Conngim held by Zasit and the idols of Eral held by Lorbam. All of which were cast overboard and although the water would normally consume them they continued to burn until there was no more not even smoke escaped the holy flame of AMK the blessed who led us, The True Lord after our wondering. The eye of the hurricane passed then AMK roared to create mountains in the sea. Our ship fell down and rolled over each one, these would our mountains and as the day darkened with the overcast of the hurricane we came to learn through the will of AMK how to climb them. We spent then forty years without hope in an unescapable blue desert interrupted by black skies and cliff-faces of water. The mountains we now knew now were not stone but of water which was just as hard on our rough skin and soul.

The salt of the sea found a hold in the cuts that form after the sun, the curse of the Castle, blistered it to burst and this was the punishment of AMK upon his people for following the false gods of man and elf for through this we will always remember who caused us to be destroyed. The fish would jump aboard our ship without cause and fed us and this was the blessing of AMK upon his people so that they would be sustained despite our falseness. This was the story of our people for forty years as we wondered the sea our desert of mountains without a handhold.

At the end of these forty years our ship was crashed in the twilight of sunset when it is hard to see upon the rocks of an island15 clouded in smoke and brimstone. The water was turned white through the smoke and threatened to dash us against the rocks a second time and so Iton urged us to pull the ship ashore. Still it was violent at the tide came the threaten us after but an hour of respite so once again we labored to pull the wreckage of our ship further up the cliff of the shore. Then again we did this time after time for twelve full hours up and up high and higher as the tide rose at our feet, this was an unnatural tide Kogan who was the expert of the sea would come to remark as it has thrust us several stories above the normal sea level of any island; but this was the work of The True Lord and after the twelfth hour it drove us once more as the voice of The True Lord rained fire down up on all around us so that we would be purified before AMK. Although we were unharmed by this sundering Iton urged us on upward away from the red hot rage that poured forth from The Mouth of The True Lord16 until we were upon the upper lip and this is where we rested; for if AMK should want his people to work for twelve hours then we should want to work for two more for we are the people of AMK of stone, steel and sea!

In the morning of the next day after The True Lord finished dispelling the falseness created by The Strange Monster to enslaved his people we awoke and named our new island after AMK, but because we never in name should refer to AMK fully for AMK is blessed and to be revered for AMK is great and the powerful and for AMK voice is so holy that not even the full name of AMK can be truly spoke for we the people of AMK have seen the rage of AMK and felt the blessings of AMK and heard the voice of AMK on this day!

In the night I made us a symbol to mark our arrival and seeing the light from our sun encircled by the smoke and fire of AMK's blessings.17 Meanwhile Iton took Momuz around the Island to scout for a suitable location for us to build our Fortress while Rigoth looked for game and Kogan marked off trees to be cut down. After midday the part all returned to the hulk of our ship to eat lunch and discuss what we had all done. Iton and Momuz found a suitable location to build our courtyard naming it The Crown of The True Lord18 and we would wall it off and build a temporary settlement along with a trade depot there until we could construct a bridge to The Finger of The True Lord19 which would lead down into the permanent Fortress. We dwarves have been beset by several large monsters in the past, most of which could fly so there was some debate about using the mountain top as a location but Momuz assured us the stone under The Finger was solid and prime for building into so we agreed for now so that Momuz could start planning. Kogan meanwhile marked off the trees in the Crown and the trees around The Finger. Although lumber was not exactly dwarfish material to make things out of it would have to do for now. We were shipwrecked here by our Lord AMK so I am sure they will provide for us once we dig deep. Rigoth meanwhile found a nice little lagoon20 that might prove useful and is fun to swim in. We named it the Bath of The True Lord.

The remaining portion of the day was spent sketching plans and mapping the rest of the island.

EDIT: Map of the forty years of wondering: https://ibb.co/cCPmMn

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* * *

After spending several days if not weeks analyzing the soil and stone around The Finger of The True Lord Momuz finally stuck at the earth to dig out a underground courtyard1, office for our record keeper, and a temporary warehouse that would later become our staging area for goods we plan to transport up to the Trade Depot once we build one. None of us had even been on an island before and even Kogan felt a little unsure about our new environment, but AMK delivered us here so it will be our home and promised land. Lorbam became our Woodcutter during the this time before Momuz struck at the earth and in little time they had cleared the Crown of The True Lord2 as well as The Finger of The True Lord. Still before Momuz had struck at the earth Zasit became our Herbalist after clearing the Crown of The True Lord of all plants and seeds. We had not lost any provisions on the voyage here, but we still had little to survive on in an unfamiliar environment.

There was a light tropical rain that started on the 10th of Felsite, 1050C. It was the first time we had felt a rain while not being tossed around on a boat in the last forty years. Rigoth did a dance and rejoiced in an attempt to get the rest of us excited about our new home, but no one found it amusing so Iton interjected to spur our construction onward so that we could make it indoors before the season's change. Momuz who was having none of this left long before Iton's speech but remarked that she had heard it echoing through the halls she had recently dug from above. She obliged by crafting some stone doors while the rest of us continued to move the several stacks of lumber to the stockpile Iton had designated. AMK is reminding us of our time at sea lost in the rains and waves.

By summer the rains had cleared and we made ourselves some bunks in-doors3. Momuz built a Masonry inside the bunk room outside what we had voted to become Iton's temporary office so that they could take record of everything we have and draft plans for the wall. I will also share this office for my writing from time to time and even though it will be Iton's at first I got to choose the door. I chose an alunite Door because it was the only Momuz had made thus far. AMK be praised and bless this dwelling that will become Iton's office!

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* * *

As Momuz cleared out the warehouse space for goods to be exported Lorbam started working on the draw bridge1 that would allow access into our fort. Lorbam worked tirelessly the night before setting to work putting the finishing details of the design so that Iton could approve them. Lorbam was probably our best dwarf for military tactics so they were clearly the best choice for assisting in designing our fortifications. Although the our ancestral forts were both destroyed by flying beasts Lorbam still chose to place our entrance as high as possible to make invasion over the land from the coast nearly impossible. Then after being reassured by Momuz that the earth was strong enough to support it Lorbam chose to design in our blue prints a single-file bridge what would make it impossible for larger beast to cross. At first Rigoth was dismayed because it meant he could not transport large equipment or beast for training into our fort, but Iton assured him we could settle on a solution for all that when the time came; right now it is more important that we develop basic defenses and get ourselves underground before AMK wraps us in their wintery embrace.

By mid-day as Lorbam finished a portion of the bridge we found ourselves being discovered by a group of dwarven migrants. We all dropped our tools and went out to greet them after being alerted by Rigoth that we had been found. The first Zefon Momuzthidas a cheese maker by trade was also a competent fighter and eagerly chatted away with Lorbam about the defense plans while the rest arrived. Nish Ducimtomem came next and he was a brewer by trade who was so talkative that it was hard to meet the rest of their party; we all liked Nish despite how much they talked but this might be due to the fact that he is exceptionally talented at brewing and brought beer with him upon arrival. A peasant Lor Kivishlam came next and after Iton had spoken at great length it was decided that they would soon become our military leader as Lor had been forced into slavery by the humans who trained him as a pit fighter and gladiator. Litast Lektadonul followed behind Lor and was a well known and competent dwarven armor along with Ilral Zimiton a well recognized dwarven clother and Reg Ildomiden who was apprenticing under her as a Leatherworker. Next came Unib Gatindegel a blacksmith and her pet chicken Sigun Logemtad. Finally the last Id Vabokmudun arrived and instantly made quick friends with Momuz admiring her work as a fellow Stonecrafter.

That night we sacrificed their idols to AMK tossing them into the Mouth of The True Lord from the Upper Lip of The True Lord. The idols of Conngim and Tosid Usenatast were scarificed by Zefon; Eral Solonsodel and Conngim were sacrificed by Nish; Mashus and Conngim were sacrificed by Lor; Iklist Nomonul and Limar were sacrificed by Litast; Buzat and Limar were sacrificed by Ilral; Tosid Usenatast and Eral Solonsodel were sacrificed by Reg; Mashus and Buzat were sacrificed by Unib; Conngim and Buzat were sacrificed by Id.

After digging out the exportation warehouse, Momuz set to work smoothing the stone2 while Lorbam continued building the bridges that would secure the fortress from invasion3 Id planned out the Trade Depot4. Iton was not sure about the Trade Depot placement, but we decided we could move it later if needed. Later after leveling the ground for it Iton at the advise of Cerol considered the placement again finding it satisfactory as we could section off this portion of the above ground fortifications by digging a channel where the Crown of The True Lord is thinnest. By the time all this was planned all the bridges were completed and Iton started planning the wall with Lorbam. There would be further adjustments to the shape of the Crown of The True Lord so that a wall encircling it would be easier to build, but the originally shape would mostly be maintained.

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With the bridge finished Momuz set off to smooth off the ramps and hand-holds that covered the Finger of The True Lord and The Crown of the True Lord. Iton called a meeting just before Momuz started and gave each vote a say in what space they would need atop the Crown of the True Lord after which point we all decided it's shape. Lor who came to us as a peasant was the one who inspired Iton to reshape it seeking to give our fortress a tactical invasion should we ever find an invasion up on our shores. Iton has since been pondering the notion of conscripting all the peasants to the military who should come, but currently Lor is still needed as an all around helper too much to spare. We've finally cleared the first interior rooms of our fortress of stone and Momuz completed smoothing the floors they could; there are a few spaces where there is sand, but there is still quite a bit of haulage when it comes to lumber.

While we toiled at moving logs off the Finger of the True Lord and the Crown of the True Lord Momuz paused from their laboring at improving our natural defenses to construct a temporary trade depot and we are luck they did it when they had as a caravan of traders from the mainland made land fall just near the Bath of the True Lord by Autumn1. It took them most a couple of weeks to unload their boat and make it up the cliffs to the Crown of the True Lord, Iton and Rigoth considered their goings in order to plan a road. It is a long way off, but possibly we might have the resources to build at least a dirt road from the Bath of the True Lord up to the Crown of the True Lord. A long way off if what Iton said before the expedition with Rigoth was completed.

Upon our return Iton met with Dodok Onshen, one of the last from "The Clasp of Chants" at the trade depot while several of the new dwarves without labor were sent off to assist the caravan with their ascent. The talks that took place between Dodok and Iton were bittersweet. They were at first grim with the treacherous tale of the sea voyage they had made to come here, Kogan was called in at one point to be asked to make copies of our maps and assist their captain with sailing. Dodok then cut the tension briefly by remarking how obscure and strange we have become we "island dwarves" while a feast was prepared. In the middle of dinner Dodok reviled to us that they had no true outpost of their own and that the goods they had were from his own travels. Thus we could not negotiate contracts of future trade and prices would be without discount, at least for now. At this point the talks grew heated but friendly as Iton requested to trade a number of our peach logs for a barrel of dwarven rum, a slate bee hive for the bee hive Nish found recently, and 10 plump helmets. At first we were to receive two barrels of dwarven rum, but Dodok could not be moved to make the deal so they settled for just the one and by morning the caravan had made it to the trade depot to start unloading their goods2.

The last months of Autumn the new migrants who had travelled with the caravan to us finally settled and we held a second feast as they came to feed A-M-K the false idols forced upon them while in bondage from the Upper Lip of the True Lord. First the new Woodworker Urist Febrinal tossed both Mashus and Buzat in followed by a Farmer named Bim Kubukkulet who threw in an idol to Buzat and Iklist Nomonul without a second thought. As a Brewer named Geshud Oslanbekar tossed his idols to Conngim and Tosid Usenatast it began to rain and a refreshing steam encircled the celebration as a Clerk named Nil Rovodstukon chucked in an idol to Orshar Alensherik and pushed a statue they had brought of Tosid Usenatast in with the help of …….



THIS IS WHERE MY COMPUTER CRASHED A COUPLE OF TIMES. IT WAS THE LARGEST EMBARK POSSIBLE SO I AM A BIT SURPRISED IT MADE IT THIS LONG. I HAVE BACKED-UP MY FILES AND IF I GET A BETTER COMPUTER I'LL CONTINUE THIS STORY, BUT FOR NOW I AM GOING TO MAKE A SMALLER EMBARK.
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« Last Edit: June 16, 2018, 11:03:34 pm by Heydan »
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Imic

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Re: Age of the Castle: A New Dwarven Hope
« Reply #1 on: April 20, 2018, 04:35:28 am »

Watchin
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Heydan

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Re: Age of the Castle: A New Dwarven Hope
« Reply #2 on: April 24, 2018, 10:38:37 pm »

Not such a long post I only meant to play for a short while after work tonight. I did not account for the embark size which was maximum. The two seasons I played through Spring and Summer, while being fluid played slow. I'll have to set aside time on the weekend for it so I can really sit down with my fort, but I have some humble beginnings!

I'll edit the primary post with the story continuations and just bump as I post so it's easier to read from here on out.  ;D
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Heydan

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Re: Age of the Castle: A New Dwarven Hope
« Reply #3 on: April 29, 2018, 03:19:06 pm »

I stopped where I did today so that I could plan out what I'm am going to cut to make the wall nice and neat around the Crown of The True Lord. It was getting a bit messy and I spent a bunch of time looking over my new dwarves so I figured that it was a decent stopping point. I got the upper most level of the inner fort done and after I plan out the cliff face around the Crown I'll work on workshops and warehousing as I've now dug deep enough that I'm in solid stone. Not sure what I am going to do with the magma from the volcano yet because I've never played with it before, but I'm thinking it'll make a good power source and I want to try to find a way to get it up to the top of my fort so I can build lava cannons along the walls for my dwarves to shoot enemies with. Should be FUN trying to get that right!
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