Short update because, well, my internet is shitting itself so uploading images has been a challenge. For example:
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Tell Me Of The ElphoThis is a amethyst-bound codex.
The written portion consists of an essay entitled Tell Me Of The Elpho authored by Deler Cogthikut. It concerns the Journal of Kikrost “Elpho” Usthuthdeleth. The writing is scathing and cruel. Overall, the prose is amateurish at best.[Excerpt]I will have you know, dear reader, that it was just the very end of Spring when the foul beast arrived, menacing in the night and lusting for blood. The swine-man, the werepig, the hog of the night it rushed poor Vucar without warning or any sign of decency in its core. But no, the stout and stable stock of Smallhands are not so simply squashed! Vucar was aided immediately by the Swamp Hunters, who slew the beast without giving it a chance to place its venomous tusks where it so lusted; the flesh of the finest dwarves the realm has ever seen! Let me elucidate the tale for you, dear reader...
The scene which Elpho paints is one of simple victory. However, the words, “the very end of Spring” struck me as odd, as we all know that the full moon falls on the 21st of Felsite, hardly “the very end”. This could be (and often has been) chalked up to Elpho's grandiose style of writing, and merely fantasy. Still, I believed it deserved closer examination, so in a few interviews I asked the residents of Smallhands from the time what they recalled.
Reg, a being consisting purely of bees and who at one point was the overseer of the fortress, had this to say, “The hive [Smallhands] has two invaders in Spring. As is your dwarven tradition, both were killed.” It seems that our friend Elpho left out quite a bit to his story. Journals from the days note what happened in greater detail. A member of the military, Domas Subilast recounts the details of the first “invader”.
Domas's account suggests that Vucar was taken unawares “right at the front gates.” Orders went out to put everyone in a burrow – an outdated form of safe-room that many fortresses of the age still held on to. The Siegebreakers were sent to deal with the Werebeast. Her journal reads, “the Ghouls were all training right near the gates, so I knew they'd be there soon to support. I just happened to be hauling some cloth nearby when I heard Vucar shouting. It was a thrill, though I'm sorry to see Captain go.” The plot thickens as we see the first mention of a death which Elpho failed to inform us of. Captain Keshandegel was the head of the Siegebreakers, a Smallhandsian militia. According to Imic's report, he didn't stand a chance of survival.
Domas's military report explains what happened in detail. It seems that the werepig ripped into Vucar immediately, then was distracted by Domas's brave actions. Captain Keshandegel came to support, but was immediately struck with a fatal blow. Both dwarves were brave until the very end.
Domas struck a killing blow to the werepig, but Vucar's lifeblood was pouring out on the black sand. Domas's journal continues, “I saw Imic and Reg rush up and grab Vucar. I didn't know if he'd make it or not, but there was work to be done and I couldn't keep focusing on that.” Here, the plot gets difficult to follow. Vucar, I would suggest, almost certainly was infected by the werepig curse, though why wasn't his death reported? Why are there no records of him?
Many in the Smallhands military have no notes in their journals or anything in the official reports which would illuminate this event for us further. Though, as many of the military were ghouls, several unable to speak, this was not an infrequent error in the recordkeeping of the fortress. Was there some greater purpose to keeping this a secret?
Perhaps we can be illuminated by what Elpho does focus on. Seemingly as a distraction, he goes into a 17 page description of a golden barrel, made by the same Domas not a day later. As unbelievable as this is, all signs suggest it is correct.
Elpho finishes the Spring section with a short explanation of the conquering of Stonesnarls; “Nay, not even the elven elite eliminate their entry into the enlightened enticement that is dwarven society, for at the end of Spring in 170, those fine long-eared fellows at Stonesnarls asked to join our civilization! What could a humble overseer do but to acquiesce and, for the betterment of all dwarves, have the sylvan scholars join us.”
It should be noted that in 171, Stonesnarls was occupied by goblins, who were killed by a Smallhandsian militia and the site was conquered.
Elpho changes topics so quickly, perhaps to distract the audience from deeper analysis of the werepig events. Was this Elpho's greatest crime and the whole reason for obfuscation?
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OOC:
My heart. I can't take the anxiety of watching a werepig wander the halls of the fort completely free.
I tried to wall Vucar in, but the instant the last wall went up, Imic AND Reg jumped in to start treating Vucar's wounds. Not willing to lose two named characters, I re-opened the wall in the hopes to patch it back up but then Vucar could walk, and boy did he. Down 5 levels for a cup, then up to the Tall Bar to drink, then all the way down to the caverns to "pick up equipment" which I hadn't assigned him. In the long run, this was beneficial since he changed in the caverns and only encountered military on the way up.
the *3 rum roast*
Oh, you mean vacation breakfast.
Author
Topic: Smallhands - nearly 40 years and still tiny! (Read 441779 times)