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[Quaksna]

"Guys, *hic*, you heard that? Someone *hic* stole our greatest relic, severed leg of Tarmid *hic* Ugokkirun!"

"Tha *hic* s terrifying!"

"Shhhhhh*hic*! Do you *hic*that?"

"Da da da dum, Tarmid's back, boiiiiis!"

"*Gasp* *hic* It's Tarmid!"

It's too important moment, I just had to share it. Come, dorven brothers, and rejoice, for Tarmid was lost, and has been found!

[Quaksna]

"Heeeee-roooooo-iiiiism and nothing mo-o-ore!"
"Are all of your dwarven songs like this?" asked Len. "Not that our are any better, but still..."
"Why did you guys in Copnutgashi learn dwarven?" asked Berath. "You broke prejudices about foreign barbarians!"

"Hey, languages are pretty good thing to learn! You can chat with locals. And uncover that their songs don't make sense!"
"Huh, how do you mean it, don't make sense?" said Olmul and frowned a little bit.
"And they sang muscles, really? Is that meaningful?"
"You know "And they sang muscles"? But that's in traditional dialect!"

"That's even biggerin' the weird effect of the song." said Len with a smile. "Anyway, I've got my choppah, and you've got pig sticker, you've got blade... It would be pity to not use that pig sticker to stick some pig, you know! If you don't like grazing..."
"There are boars in this forest?" asked Berath.
"Boars are everywhere! And they just keep nuzzling my beautiful grass plot!"
"You've got a grass plot? I thought they banished you or something..." said Olmul.
"They couldn't. I banished myself in advance. Just for case."
"And your great warrior skills, isn't that just developed woodcutting?"

Len turned back and frowned.
"What's up with you guys? You're talkin' like if I was nuts! I'm not nuts! Though they form majority of my diet, I'm not!"
"Hey, calm down!" said Olmul. "Of course you're not nuts! We are just used to troll our fellow travelers!"
"Are we?" asked Berath. "You are! I don't get it, you don't mind grazing, yet you still don't understand him! This will be jolly journey..."

For a while they were silent, angrily staring at each other. Then Olmul felt guilty, so he started conversation again.
"What were you before you became a rebel, Len?"
"A woodcutter."
"Oh, I forgot. My bad. What about these... Eh... Guards in your hamlet! You know, Rane Eguleba the Mothrorjoddo and his fellas. What view you have on them?"
"They're fine, but they're just too loyal. They stand by the side of lord Dazelosric all the time, I had to look out for them. I tried spread my thoughts and opinions throughout the hamlet, unsuccessfully. Then kiddos called me names, like "The Mad Master Splint Shredder", better got out of there. So here I am."

"Hope we won't meet another ogre..." said Berath. "That thing was nasty!"
"Hope we'll meet some frogos! Those were adorable!" said Olmul.
"You mean that big-mouth flat lizard things?" asked Len. "Yeah, they're waddling around Copnutgashi sometimes... Better not trifle with them, they're slow but very strong."

"What is this??? Some hippie sorcery! Bin growing from a tree! This must be enchanted forest!" said Olmul.
"Excuse me, hippies?" said Len, scratching his head.
"Elves, you know." said Berath.
"Ahh... No elves around. But nowadays, anything's possible..."

Then there was another while of silence. Olmul noticed that...
"You know any travel games?" he asked.
"Marbles?"
"Not marbles! Like, I don't know... Betting on animals, and so!"
"You're that bored? You need to bet on animals? What you dwarves don't need for survival!"
"Are you insulting potato beer?!!" yelled Olmul.
"Definitely not, I love potato beer. I'm just not used to travel with dwarves, you know..."

"You'll get used to!" said Berath. "On the other hand, with Olmul, you can never be sure."
"Too bad for me, then!" said Len with a sigh.
They continued their way to northeast, where Len, as he claimed, saw lord Oli alive.

[Quaksna]

"Just as I thought. Loooong and boring journey." said Limulsheget. "At least they gave me this cool gear!"
"This is a conquest, not adventure." said Uxzoustug. "If we manage to defeat Zomus, what shall we do with the Mountainhome?"
"I think when we defeat Zomus our... Your task here is done. Then, it'll be problem of Gostus. He wanted to be ruler of goblins... I would personally return it to dwarves, but I don't think goblins like that idea..."
"That's right, they're trying to conquer it over and over... Even when victory should bring peace, they won't stop. Hey, and what are you going to do if we succeed?"
"I'll keep this cape for sure. Well, I think I'll earn my place in Alsmustspċs, finally, won't I?"
"Oh yeah, you'll do."

They were staring forward for a while, on the army camp. Uxzoustug was thinking, then he asked his companion.
"How old are you? Or, how much older than we are?"
"Oh boy, that's couple of years... I think, like... Four generations before? Yeah, something like that. World used to look very different back then."
"How did you manage to stay here for so long? Nearly all the older ones were banished by the newcomers."
"Nearly all, except for the capable ones." said Limul with a smile. "Well, it wasn't easy. You finally become a mover of this world and suddenly you're surrounded by some puny younglings, that'll spoil your work you're workin' on for centuries!"

"And do you have some friends of... Your age?"
"Maybe. Haven't seen them in decades. Also, I'm short of fans, and I don't like it! But I'm getting used to it..."

"That's why you infiltrated to our pantheon? To gain goblin fans?"
"Sort of. You know what's funny? Out of all these new sane races, I thought dwarves were the last ones that would help me, and their help had... Wide range of effects."
"Maybe it's another Age of Dwarves that's coming."

"Heh, wonder what toads are doing."
"Toads?"
Limul looked at Uxzoustug with suprise in his face.
"You don't know toads? Tarone the Great? Rëîm the trickster toad? Nothing?"
"Ehhh... I guess not. Never heard that before."

"It's pity that people keep forgetting important stuff..." said Limul with a sigh. "It's important to learn from what passed... So that the same mistakes won't be repeated. It's okay to make mistakes. As long as you can take something from the experience..."

Uxzoustug closed eyes, and contemplated. He had many things on mind, what would be if Rulasm wasn't freed, if Razes hasn't insulted Ongngnuutgub...


If they accepted Limul...

[Quaksna]

Hello there, guys, the DF +Papercrafts+ team sends their regards from vacation! I can't make episodes for the time being, I thought I could fetch some inspiration and stuff, make army of figures... Well, I got some nice thoughts, but due to high temperatures paper's kinda soggy here, so papercrafting is poor... I must sustain on doodles...


Yeah, after avalanche of mad posting, here's our first long pause. But don't worry, as soon as I get back, I've got something prepared for Lolor...

Merry holidays, Bay 12 Forums!

[Quaksna]

"Eh, guys? Anybody in here? Man, this is annoying, everyone's down in caverns again! It was just a little rumbling, who cares? Earth's rumbling all the day lon..."

"Oh, Muz! Where are all the materials we hauled here? Muz? Muz, do you hear me?"

"Hah, he fainted after that artifact rush. Let's take a look what have you crafted..."

"It's... A box? Rock box? With something inside..."

"It's straw! So it's a nest box! Acöbkegeth... Get it! Hah! Nice work. Man, you stuffed all pretty stones you found there, eh?"

"Let's tell Adur we have a nice and ceremonial nest box! Finally our birds can lay something... I'll just open the back door..."

"Argh! Help! This is an assault! Stupid little crimson drakes!"

"Ow boy, your prophecies have been fullfilled! Phew... Pets or not, I'm going to tell something to Alak about these little pests!"


Meanwhile, down, down, many layers underground...

"I'm waiting. And waiting. And wait I shall and wait I will. Oh come on, speed up a little bit, miners!"
From the tunnel, voices were coming closer. Two voices, one manly, another deep and growling.
"Where's the rat and the bat?" asked the manly one.
"We lost 'em in struggle with that jabberer, boss!" answered the growling one. "Who knows where they are now... What's the plan anyways?"

"Gah. stupid voices, now I'm curious! Well, thank you!" thought Lolor. "I'll just peek a little..."

There were three figures, passing through the tunnel. One plump helmet man, one gorlak, and one... Dwarf! He was old, bare-chested, with unkempt hair and long beard, a very damaged bronze pickaxe.
"The plan is simple." started the dwarf. "On the other side of this shaft should be Eser and his serpent boys. They'll join us, and we can carry on!"

"They don't see me..." thought Lolor. "But... It's a dwarf! Argh, what should I do?"

[Superdorf]

Welcome back!

We could continue to hide, but we risk getting our head smashed in by yonder disgruntled dwarf if he spots us! Better to step out, and explain ourselves as best we can. Hopefully this guy isn't feeling too homicidal today.

...Hopefully.

[Quaksna]

"Well, we should better get going!" said the gorlak. "Caverns are full of nasty things..."

"Run, run!" said Lolor, climbing up from his hideout. "Roof may fall on our head any minute now! Run!"
"Dimple plumps, who are you?!!" asked the dwarf, surprised. He stroke a defensive pose.
"Watch out!"

Many rocks fell down onto the boulder pile, scattering them. The party barely dodged onto safe ground.
"The dusty dwarf is right, let's run!" said the gorlak.

They heard rumbling. Afraid of another cave-in, they ran as fast as they could through the tunnel. The plump helmet man was doing strange squishy noises.
"Noble dwarf, without you there, we could have been all crushed! What's you..."
"Shut up, we're not in safety yet!" cried Lolor.

Lolor started coughing. He breathed cave-in dust for some time, he wasn't looking very well.
"Otin, help him!" ordered the dwarf. Plump helmet man gave Lolor support, until the rumbling stopped.

"Whoa, *cough* thank you!" said Lolor.
"We thank you!" said the gorlak.
"Okay, I guess we can introduce ourselves." said the old dwarf. "I am Id. This is Bufut and Otin, my companions. Who are you?"
Lolor was... Thinking. How should he introduce himself?

[mightymushroom]

"My name is Lolor, I'm part of a dwarf fortress that's been newly founded somewhere above our heads. After two cave ins, though, I'm not sure I can get back they way I came down."

Since they aren't wearing Official Fan Club Members Only Cloaks, don't mention anything else just yet. But maybe try to steer the conversation toward topics of club interest. And they have cooperation among species, is this the cavern that the toad wanted to breach??

[Superdorf]

"My name is Lolor, I'm part of a dwarf fortress that's been newly founded somewhere above our heads. After two cave ins, though, I'm not sure I can get back they way I came down."

Since they aren't wearing Official Fan Club Members Only Cloaks, don't mention anything else just yet. But maybe try to steer the conversation toward topics of club interest. And they have cooperation among species, is this the cavern that the toad wanted to breach??

+1

[Quaksna]

"My name is Lolor, I'm part of a dwarf fortress that's been newly founded somewhere above our heads. After two cave-ins, though, I'm not sure I can get back they way I came down."

"New fortress? Just above?" said Id, astonished. "You hear that? We can finally escape these caverns!"
"Eh, these caverns are our home!" said Bufut. Otin nodded with his broad cap.
"Oh, I mean, to civilization! Stop living like savages!"

"There are more dwarves down here?" asked Lolor. "How?"

Id sat down on a rock, puffing. He stroke a storytelling pose.
"When I was little boy, mother told me stories... About the past. She told me about halls encrusted with gold, taverns full of plump helmet wine, engravings on every wall..."
"Sounds like Mountainhome." said Lolor. "But you're exaggerating."
"Oh, I was never there myself, you know! Our ancestors lived there. But... Our ancestors were miners. And then, some mad organisation murdered the king and sealed the tunnels, trapping them beneath. "Beware of dwarves wearing red!" mother told me. And then the miners wandered, they had picks, so they went wherever they wanted..."
Lolor nodded, silently. He could have been scared, he wasn't.

"And Id's family came this far!" said Bufut. "What about that mad organisation? You never told me much about them!"
"Mother said they were fiery wizards, scorching their foes to ash, and that they had some powder that when ignited, went BOOM!!! They called themselves Kâdoli... Wait."
Now Id has turned to Lolor.

"You're Kâdolite!"
Lolor chuckled. "Yeah..."
Id's eyes were hopping here and there, widening and shrinking.
"Oh noes, here we go..." whispered Bufut and made with Otin few steps back.
Then Id opened his wrinkled mouth.

"Woohoo!!!"
Everyone gasped.

"I saw a dwarf from legends! I saw a wizard! I spoke with a wizard! Can you show me magic? Can you show me that miraculous powder? Ca..."
"Shhhh. Don't shout." said Bufut.
"I thought you'll blame me for trapping your ancestors!" said Lolor. "People tend to do that in the first place..."
"They may had trapped us, but you'll free us again!" said Id, smiling.
"Well, as I said, I can't go back! The passage is blocked, filled with boulders. Friends are digging through it, but it'll take some time..."
"What about Eser?" asked Bufut. "He's still waiting."

"You're right!" said Id. "We must meet him, tell him about this, and distribute the information to rest of us!"
"How many of you?" asked Lolor.
"Well, every dwarf at least. There's... Ummm... Something about ten of us. The rest are tribes who oppose Wġrv."
"Who's Wġrv?"
"Leader of the amphibian men. They're mad, want to kidnap us all and use us in some weird plan..."

"Kidnap?"
"We're stuck underground!" said Bufut. "Caverns are harsh, my friend. Everyone's that useful count. And dwarves are especially useful."
"There's light... Are we close to magma pools?"
"Yep!"

They saw four figures standing before them in the tunnel. They all had tails, three of them arms. There were serpent men, and a helmet snake.

"Took you long enough..." said the tallest of them.
"Cave-ins." said Id. "This dwarf, Lolor, helped us. He's a wizard!"
"Interesssting..."
"This is Eser? He looks very... Civilized. Like, not savage at all." said Lolor.
"I'm Essser indeed."
"You have metal gear... And cloth?"

"Mine!" hissed the one with the cloth. "Ssstep back."
"Where are the others?" asked Id.
"Jabberer ssstormed our camp." hissed Eser.
"That bird again!" said Bufut. "It's the same old bird!"
"Anyways, any valuable informations?" asked Id.
"Wġrv'sss men ravaged through kobold town, they took Deilik."
Id has turned red, started grunting and spitting on ground.

"Who's Deilik? Is he someone important?" asked Lolor.
"Who hasss Deilik, hasss alssso koboldsss on hisss ssside." said Eser.
"How's that? Kobolds are on no one's side. Maybe stray eggs, but kobolds like a nation..."
"He talks." said Id.
Now Lolor bursted out laughing.
"Hah! Kobold! Talking! That was a good one. Hey, but this is too much light for a cavern. Hope the cave-ins didn't let magma where it shouldn't be..."

"You have sssomething on heart?" asked Eser, and turned back towards Id.
"Lolor is from a fortress, that lies above us." said Id "If we manage to get there..."
Eser was thinking.
"Interesssting..."
"Hey, did you hear that?" said Bufut.

"Hear what?" asked Lolor.
"Six legs colliding with floor, occasional seventh bang, much louder than the legs."

"Oh, I see."

A gigantic one-eyed ant. It has large mandibles. Its crimson scales are sleek and smooth and set close apart. Beware, for it has noticed you!

[mightymushroom]

Oh dear. Superdorf is the fighter, not me. *Then why am I still typing?* Um, I guess go for the eye? I see one spear there, and one pick. The other weapons are a club and a hammer, I think? But to reach the eye you'll have to get one of the fighters on top of that thing and I've no idea how you'll manage such a trick.

*Don't ants have natural climbing ability? The ones who invade my house sure do, I hope this one's too big to hold itself up or they're really in trouble. It'd be pretty funny, though, if the crimson ant tried climbing above them and fell onto its back, vulnerable. Not everything has to be an epic fight with half a dozen close calls.*

*And if Lolor really does have some magic powder, this is as good a time as any to be a wizard.*

[Superdorf]

Superdorf is the fighter

This somehow makes me very happy.

A gigantic one-eyed ant. It has large mandibles. Its crimson scales are sleek and smooth and set close apart. Beware, for it has noticed you!

This... less so.

We must know: how good of a miner is Id?

[Quaksna]

"Yikesss."
"Well, this is maybe the worst thing that could happen." said Id.
"Not the worst!" said Bufut. "I heard about golden eagle with four wings that spits..."
"Id, are you a good miner?" asked Lolor.
"I'm the greatest miner that ever lived." said Id, striking menacing pose. "And warrior! You know, these professions are coming along very well! Have you tried to mine something in a martial trance? The thrill, the..."
"Okay, okay. That's enough."

"I am insssisssting, don't attack that beast." hissed Eser. "My men aren't ssso ssskilled yet. If Id isssn't sssome beassst ssslayer..."
"I am telling you, we have a wizard with us!" said Id.
"Wizard? Well, what kind of power do you wield? How are you ussseful? Ssshow us."
"Unfortunately, I have only one pouch of the powder left, so no blowing the beast to oblivion today..." said Lolor.
Id got a bad thought. He was looking forward for it...
"Apart from that, I can ignite stuff."
"Ignite ssstuff?" asked Eser. "Boysss, think fassst, it'sss getting clossser!"

"Well, you saw fire imp or fire man, nah? Something like that. The problem is, I can't corner it with fire, it can climb. I can't set it on fire now, it has chitin armor. I could hurl a fireball..."

"Scorch the eye!" said Bufut.
"That's another, though lesser problem. I must hurl the fireball. I'm not grand master thrower... Or I could send a firejet. But we need to engage it first, get close to it!"
"And what about cave-ins?" asked Id. "We could cause one, where the walls are damaged!"

"We would have to get past the beast, back the way we came! And stop planning, it's here!"

[Superdorf]

Huh. We've got kind of a... strange assortment of allies to work with here, but maybe we can figure something out...

Id says he's "the greatest miner he ever lived"? Maybe that's empty boasting, but I'm gonna take him for his word.
Have Lolor blast "Wazantski" in the eye with a firejet. Then have Id rush in and drive his pick into that thing's brain while it's off-kilter (blinded? Stunned?) from the firejet.

[Quaksna]

"Hey, don't stand here like dorfs on break and do something!" cried Lolor. "Id, climb on that beast and smash its head!"
"You heard, boysss, climb there too..." hissed Eser.

The ant made a sudden charge towards Otin, and knocked Eser down on the ground. Confused helmet snake crawled under the beast. Serpent spearman grabbed closest leg and climbed. Id did the same.

Soft fungal body of Otin stood no chance against big, sharp mandibles.
Otin was struck down...
Serpent knife user helped Bufut, who was biting the beast in lower leg. Lolor was slowly and carefully coming closer. Id and the spearman were already on beast's back.

Lolor mutters an incantation and a jet of fire comes from his palm!
The ant was making angry ticking noises. Knife user went to help Eser. The beast squeezed Bufut with its giant leg. Id and his companion rushed towards head.

Angry ticking noises were getting more and more intense. Bufut was panting, lying on ground. It seemed the beast can't see anymore, fortunately for the party.

Id stood on the head, serpent man was just behind him.
Id strikes the forgotten beast in the head with his xBronze Pickaxex, but the blow glances away!
"Quickly, drag your leader away, if the beast falls, it'll crush you!" shouted Lolor.
The ant wasn't paying much attention to its foes now, except unlucky Bufut who was squeezed again.

The ant was blindly staggering around the place, knocking both serpent men again.
Id strikes the forgotten beast in the head with his xBronze Pickaxex, but the blow glances away!
"Oh c'mon! I'll mine this! I will!" shouted Id.
Id has entered martial trance!
Bufut was knocked unconscious.
Helmet snake bites the forgotten beast in the right back upper leg!
Helmet snake latches on firmly!

"Eat this!"
Lolor hurls a fireball!
Id strikes the forgotten beast in the head with his xBronze Pickaxex, shattering the chitin!

The ant swallowed the fireball, and started to wildly shake its head. Id fell down, the spearman was balancing with his spear, but he fell on the back of the beast.

Id grappled with his pick over the hard mandible, and was swinging to left and right.
"I made a hole between the scales, Lolor!" shouted Id.
Lolor was thinking for a brief moment, then he came forth.
"I'll climb over you."
"What?"

Lolor jumped climbed over Id, knocking him down in the process. But he managed to grab the mandible, and now he was hanging there.
The serpent spearman stood up again. He was stabbing in the hole Id made.
The rest of party tried to crawl away.

The beast wasn't stupid, and felt that something is touching the mandibles. So it decided to snap. Lolor saw the other mandible getting closer to his hand... It's almost there! What now?!!