Entry FourThe stockroom was rundown and had a couple of holes in it's ceiling. It wasn't really a stockroom either. It was a house that had been abandoned since even before Maloy had been in the town and so he decided to claim it for his purposes. Sacks of gold, silver and copper coins laid in neat piles across the room with the occasional gemstone knife amongst them: It was all the loot from the villages he had cleaned out.
They had no use in a world in collapse. Society had retreated entirely into a trade and barter system and most people kept the coins as mementos and collectibles, but Arthur had an idea: Keep the coins and hand them out to anybody at all. Soldiers, workers, even people just looking for a loan and just keep giving it out to reforge it's value and use as a tradeable item.
Course Arthur wasn't here and he was the one good with economics and numbers. So Maloy was scrawling on paper all the numbers messily. It severely hurt his brain to do this sort of work, but there was no one else and he had really called on Arthur too much over the years.
"This is the sort of work for an underling" The ear groaned interrupting Maloy's math and requiring him to start over on a particular line.
"Can't keep handing everything I hate doing off to somebody else" He responded simply
"One day our treasures will fill an entire castle" Maloy grimaced at the thought of that although the ear seemed to be in one of it's dreamy wanderings of the future. Who could blame it?
"That sounds like far too much work" Maloy said and the Ear jumped on the comment "That's why you give this to underlings! You think I did bookkeeping?"
Maloy put the quill down "Did you ever lose anything?"
"Absolutely not!" The ear beamed triumphantly
"How do you know you didn't?"
"What?"
"How do you know you didn't lose anything? Someone else did your books and could have just been stealing from you the whole time or making mistakes."
"Th-That would never happen!" The ear continued with a tirade about the absolute loyalty of it's subjects while Maloy was able to ignore him now. Maloy had won the round even if the ear insisted on the final word.
From there the wolf and ear settled into a routine: They'd spend the first half of the day in a village clearing it of blight victims. Maloy would lose extremities that would regenerate later. It seemed the goddess of torture was getting her wish with him.
The second half of the day was spent burning bodies and gathering treasure before sleeping in the forest at night to pick up the same routine the next day. Villages that were totally destroyed were claimed by the wolf-lord to be administered and resettled personally through him. This was the case for practically every village, but a few notable exceptions.
Clenchedportent was the new capital of the High Confederacies. The lawmaker and all other nobles were present in it's mead hall although they seemed to have no military. It was a cordial meeting.
Incenseorder was an entirely human town that had no dwarf presence, but it was actually historically a Walled Dye settlement. Legally speaking Maloy was a Dwarf-Lord.
Of course the High Confederacies relied on the town for essential trade and so could do nothing and with the blight and the destruction of their military? Maloy had no reason to not leave these men to rule this village.
Lakestrot was still vibrant. The blight had only just reached it and Maloy cut it out, at the cost of his teeth again, but it was good to know Incenseorder wasn't alone.
Busyshank was occupied by a military force that had rooted out the blight in the area. This was exciting for both the ear and Maloy who needed more manpower desperately. He was only able to convince one warrior to join him for the time being though.
Wandering empty villages was depressing. dirt roads long undisturbed, collapsed houses and just quiet. Was there anyone alive for this future kingdom the ear prattled on about? He saw a pack of wolves digging through a house and decided to see if they'd receive a distant cousin
they did not.
Another castle was found, although abandoned now. Corpses strewn all about "They died before they could turn" whispered the Ear
Within the castle was a terrifying creature sitting upon a throne:
Maloy had not fought a blight victim yet that had been a warrior and had armor. They fought speed for speed. The empowered wolf-lord and the thrall-warrior would each trade five blows before the warrior behind Maloy could even land one. The thrall would swing slamming a blow into her and pushing her back while Maloy kept swinging and blocking, but she never gave up. Likely the only reason Maloy won was because of the woman taking attacks from the thrall meant for Maloy, but alas both thrall and warrior died to blood loss.
"There's far too few people left in this world for the loss of this woman's life to be acceptable" Maloy lamented as he carried bodies to the soon to be pyre
"Until I am restored and can stop it you must do anything you can to slow it's advance"
"How does one stop the blight?"
"One spreads it. We've seen his personal thralls. Those missing heads or other parts that should not have survived their transformation. They were infected after death being brought back"
"Is that what we're doing with you? Are we releasing something else on the world?"
"There's no joy in ruling a destroyed world, otherwise I would have returned home. That should comfort you more than any promise I make"
surprisingly, it did.
From there Maloy fought alone. Beachstood was his last village and it had a pair of surgeons with knives having turned a house into a mess of gore. They seemed to be operating on a blight victim that had lost it's head at this point. Maloy creeped into view for them and they turned. Also blight victims.
This was the closest battle. The creatures were substantially faster than any other victims and would spin and dodge out of every hit despite the fact that Maloy had no mastered swordsmanship. One would dodge out of the way and the other surgeon surged in and sliced and forced Maloy to block or dodge himself. It took him an hour to kill one through a repeated stabs to her liver until she bled out.
The second had cut out one of Maloy's eyes. Maloy stabbed again and again taking out the heart and lung as blood gushed from the creature's foul chest.
A flash. Maloy saw his right arm go flying off still holding his sword. For a moment he could see the alligator that swallowed his foot.
He fell to the ground with blood spurting everywhere as the surgeon closed. It would soon die and it might even know that as it moved to end him.
Maloy rolled and crawled away totally helpless. The floor already covered in blood received a new layer as he crawled across helplessly dodging the faster creature as it stabbed him in his spine and cut one of his feet off. It raised the knife and he wondered if this was where his dream ended.
It collapsed on top of him from blood loss.
Census Report:
Mastered Griffon: 5 Survivors
Homeagemoons:
2 1
CrushedSmile: 0
ClenchedPortent: 8 (all nobles of the High Confederacies)
Bindviper: 0
Rubbeddwelling: 0
Brightnessmatches: 0 (resettled with 10 gremlins)
Granitehoods: 0
Suitorroom: 0
Lakestrot: 16 survivors
Dimplesubmerge: 0
Fountainnamed: 0
Partnerankle: 3
Raintouched: 0
Wrathcrafts: 0
Beachstood: 2
The new "Kingdom" of the wolf-lord was a mere 37 survivors(not including the nobles of the High Confederacies who would never be part of his reign)
It all seemed so vain to Maloy and so pointless. Following his many triumphs he gained a title: The Barricaded
The southern border would be the castle of Lord Juvar who was to be left undisturbed and would serve as a reasonable buffer to southern invasion
The eastern border was the hillocks of Granitehood
North-western was the monastery of Couragespray where Maloy was cursed
MeanwhileThe return trip was filled with much excitement between the four and was still full of cheer despite the many detours their wagon carrying the dragon had to make.
Arthur and Mirai didn't address the change in their relationship and they might well wait decades before they did, as such was a relaxing amount of time for elves, or maybe never? They were some of the only elves in this part of the world. What was between the two of them seemed like it didn't need to be said to anyone else.
On their way back north they found something interesting. A hand sat in the jungle by a river and did...nothing? But it was clearly reanimated as it occasionally motioned things with it's fingers.
Mirai had an arrow at the ready as Arthur recalled "This is the way the hermit from the tower asked us not to go when going southways. He must have known about this creature"
"I've had enough undead to last a life time. Let's shoot this one and be on our way" Said the she-elf
"No. I think this might be important. Let's take it with us" The team spent a good hour chasing the hand across the jungle before finally stuffing it into a cage and putting it into the wagon.
At one particular junction as the jungle gave way for the northern tundra Mirai asked the two humans to take over the wagon as she went forward to join Arthur at the front of the group
"This adventure has been exciting, hasn't it?" she said as he placed a hand on his back
"It really has although I'm surprised we are still alive!"
"Yes, the whole thing is...morbid isn't it? Why are we gathering the parts of this dead dwarf? It can't be for anything other than necromancy"
"I fear you're correct and it seems as if a lot of effort was put forth to prevent this dwarf from being brought back."
"It's an abomination, Arthur. We've seen with our own eyes the horrors necromancy has done to this world. I have stuck close to our friend over the years and he has always been strange, but what if he truly has lost it? How long are wolf-men supposed to live anyway? He's far too old"
Arthur assumed a pensive posture "I don't want to turn against Maloy. Let's just trust he has the best of intentions and be ready to support him if something goes wrong"
Arthur expected a sharp retort from Mirai, but instead she seemed calm as she spoke "I trust you. When this is over can we keep doing this?"
"I'm sure Maloy will have any number of half-mad tasks for us to help with" Arthur laughed, but Mirai remained serious "No I don't wanna wander the lands unearthing bodies or doing such questionable things. I want to explore with you and see all the beautiful sights in this world."
They were both quiet for awhile "We'll see" Arthur said. In the distance ahead of them a blizzard loomed
Herograves was a serene sight. The many burial sites were well-placed and maintained despite the location seeming uninhabited. Whoever built it seemed to be a kind soul. The coffin they sought was not amongst them nor the pile of empty ones in the adjacent building. The forest had books lying around and after looking at one or two Arthur decided they didn't interest him and left them, but as they turned the corner they saw the books disappear!
They wandered the forest for hours and whenever they'd see a book, or weapon on the ground and turn the corner it would disappear completely! "This is the enchantment that old human mentioned!" Arthur exclaimed
They spent hours wandering the forest before finding a stone sarcophagus, but they had to go around a tree to reach it and then it disappeared. Hours turned into days as they wandered the forest only finding the sarcophagus once more before it disappeared again.
Arthur decided to call on his merchant contacts in the form of the Walled Dye who had many connections and citizens in the region. Seven dwarves agreed to help them search the forest together for free in fact, which immediately aroused suspicion in Arthur but none of the others. In fact, there was only one price. The dwarves would take over Herograves.
While suspicious to Arthur's merchant senses it also wasn't a loss for him so he accepted.
Mirai and Arthur climbed to the top of trees and helped spot the many treasures lost to Herograves magic. Weapons, armor, books and the sarcophagus and finally a dwarf caught it. He opened it and saw the mangled head of a dwarf. If the head was in better condition he might recognize whose grave he just defiled, but the dwarf did not and placed the head upon a pedestal for the elves to find.
This and Arthur's deftness with the spear earned him a title: The Light Eagle
MeanwhileMaloy did not know where he was. It was a dwarven city and that much was clear, but it was long abandoned and covered in dust. How did he arrive here?
He wandered halls for hours and found only the occasional spiderweb made by some giant beast. He feared encountering that beast here and redoubled his efforts to find a way out. He did not know the time, but eventually he became too tired and rested.
He awoke and totally forgot where he was. The halls he had wandered and memorized the day before were forgotten and now he had to start over trying to narrow down the way through. He was sprinting up and down halls desperate to find the way out. He found a dwarf and had to chase him around the fortress before the dwarf stopped to rest and noticed him.
The dwarf seemed blissfully unaware of the fact that they were both trapped in a maze. The mad dwarf prattled away about his mayorship, but when asked about anything about the outside world or access denied any knowledge!
Maloy left him eager to find a way out and not waste too much time. He began to grow tired but pressed on and did so for many hours until he was on the verge of collapse. If he didn't sleep soon he would simply fall over.
He found one of the countless empty bedrooms. No beds so it looked more like a cell. He ate more of his dwindling food supply and passed out.
The next day he had forgotten the whole design again and had to start over.
This time he spent his day chasing the mad dwarf around thinking "Surely this mad man will pass an exit at some point?" the ear was silent and refused to speak with him no matter how urgently he pressed at it.
He chased the dwarf all day and eventually the dwarf simply laid down in the hallway and fell asleep. Maloy sat and seriously considered ending the dwarf, but then he would be alone. He went to sleep too with only enough food left for two more days.
When he awoke the dwarf was gone. He wandered the maze all day and the next ending his food supply and he was at the edge of sanity. Locked in total darkness with the webs of some giant beast filling the corners and a mad dwarf running about.
He sat and wept. He did not hear the dwarf approach, but the dwarf spoke in a different far deeper voice. "Why do you seek to leave?"
"I'm going to die here. I want to just go home"
"Home?" the creature paused "This is your home. You've never left this place before nor will you"
Maloy looked up "No. I'm Maloy Craftsroars Lord of Incenseorder. That is my home!"
"No. You've always been here. You've always been here with me and you always will be"
Maloy woke up
He was in the forest north of Incenseorders. Memory returned. He had fallen asleep in his werefox form and must have transformed back while sleeping. He got up and retrieved his equipment from the tree left it in.
The Most Sin had attempted to move into the abandoned villages in the recent weeks. One chief wandered right into a placed filled with blight and he and his men were all turned. They killed the villagers, but began pillaging the area and put Maloy through a miserable battle before he killed them and claimed the village.
Another had moved in leading an expedition of monks to conquer his far south-eastern border.
Maloy killed the chieftess and the monks acknowledged his rulership leading him to spare them.
His real excitement though was his own idea he was implementing. He showed up at the tavern to see. Humans and the occasional dwarf were prattling stories and the occasional song here at the location of the new Bard's College!
There were practically no artists left alive in the world and it would be many years before anyone could do anything other than farm and fight, but he could still do this.
Those who dreamed of creativity would have their chance to train here. It suited him more to help other artists since his own skills were sorely lacking.
He assumed his roost at the southern watchtower, a remnant of a previous goblin occupation centuries previous, and saw travelers in the distance heading to the town. Two elves.
"They're here!" Maloy was ecstatic to see his friends
"Yes, in a matter of days I will be free" the ear purred
Maloy grew solemn "Yes. free."
OOC:
So recall that Maloy has a bug related to his werefox form. If he loses a limb, becomes a werefox and then turns back it initiates a game breaking bug that affects anyone in the same area as him. So I have to regenerate after battles if I'm 100% sure I'll survive it! This roleplay wise turned out to work great because he was cursed by the goddess of torture and he suffers intense physical agony regularly in his blight purging
The census is accurate according to Maloy's experience and not the legendsviewer and so the blight has been culled in that area, but I would not venture to say that it is entirely gone.
Those surgeons gave me a heart attack. It was the LAST VILLAGE before I was done and there I was about to die on the ground spurting blood everywhere
I thought that Maloy was unable to get hearthpersons due to a glitch since he is the undisputed lord of multiple places now and everyone would tell me no. I realize now in retrospect it's because I had already reached the maximum number! I regularly found patrols of people coming from Incenseorder and patrolling the lands. They're my hearthpersons even though I did not recruit them myself! So I can't recruit more, because of that. It was great and encouraging seeing! Incenseorder is a very diverse place now species wise
One of Moldath's legendary weapons is in Herograves and teleports by the way
I switched between Arthur and Maloy basically whenever one story started to seem dull to me, and so when I unretired Maloy for some reason he was in that fortress that I couldn't find an exit. I don't know why he was there or what he was doing, but he really was there!
It worked though because everything there was pretty symbolic of his story to me
Author
Topic: Museum III, adventure succession game (DF 0.47.05) (Read 474939 times)