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Author Topic: Waterlures - A Capybara Man Fortress & Adventure [DF 0.47.05]  (Read 72929 times)

Salmeuk

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Re: Waterlures - A Capybara Man Fortress & Adventure [DF 0.47.05]
« Reply #645 on: June 20, 2023, 03:42:49 pm »

funny how the goblin underling felt no particular urge to attack the party, but when you finally met the warlord, the fight came about quickly.

Oh, the other goblin wasn't an underling of the warlord. He was a legit soldier from a goblin civ and served under a different commander (had to check with Legends because it was sort of confusing). The warlord however was a bandit, so a target for our heroes.

oh, i see. you know, DF has this issue where titles mean squat when it comes to actual power. How many 'kings' have you met that ended up being destitute peasants squatting in an abandoned castle? its one of the problems that come from assigning roles according to the institutional structures or hereditary bloodlines while ignoring almost all other social or material contexts (beyond the fell blade of a violent coups, not much will shake a king's power)

then again, it also allows for insane situations where royalty appears out of nowhere, and that can segue into interesting story. .

say, do you have the most recent un-retired Waterlures save available? I wanted to check the place out and maybe do a tourist POV screenshot tour with a bunch of different ASCII tilesets.

too much premium has me bored. . most fortresses look very samey, wheras the ASCII gave each biome and cavern it's own color and tone, depending on which stone layers were present, which in an ironic way ends up being highly aesthetically pleasing. this feeling I miss most from the new version, so maybe clicking around Waterlures would be a joy in it's own right
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brewer bob

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Re: Waterlures - A Capybara Man Fortress & Adventure [DF 0.47.05]
« Reply #646 on: June 21, 2023, 01:14:55 am »

say, do you have the most recent un-retired Waterlures save available? I wanted to check the place out and maybe do a tourist POV screenshot tour with a bunch of different ASCII tilesets.

Yes, I always tend to make backups before adventuring in case something goes awfully wrong. I'll upload it (link at the end of post) and you're welcome to mess around with the town. :)

too much premium has me bored. . most fortresses look very samey, wheras the ASCII gave each biome and cavern it's own color and tone, depending on which stone layers were present, which in an ironic way ends up being highly aesthetically pleasing. this feeling I miss most from the new version, so maybe clicking around Waterlures would be a joy in it's own right

I've actually been giving Premium several tries lately, but nope, have to wait for complete keyboard control and other fixes until it'll be playable,

ASCII has lots of benefits compared to graphics. Like, in Premium stairs look always the same, but with ASCII it's just a symbol and you imagine them to look different depending on their placement. Sometimes I think of them as normal stairs, but sometimes they're more like ladders in my mind. Graphics just gets in the way when trying to imagine things.

Here's the save, hopefully you'll have a fun time as a tourist (or whatever) Waterlures:

https://dffd.bay12games.com/file.php?id=16756

(Edit. Next update might take some time. It's been quite hot here and can't really concentrate on playing & writing.)

King Zultan

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Re: Waterlures - A Capybara Man Fortress & Adventure [DF 0.47.05]
« Reply #647 on: June 21, 2023, 02:25:46 am »

I've actually been giving Premium several tries lately, but nope, have to wait for complete eyboard control and other fixes until it'll be playable,
Those are the same reasons I haven't tried the premium version, also the lack of adventure mode since that's what I prefer.

Also I agree with your thoughts on ASCII VS graphics. Graphics = Limited, ASCII = Infinite.
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Superdorf

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Re: Waterlures - A Capybara Man Fortress & Adventure [DF 0.47.05]
« Reply #648 on: June 21, 2023, 09:37:32 pm »

A human hammerman named Rope Villagemurdered offered shelter for them. They accepted, though the hammerman's name caused Dimbulb to be somewhat uneasy. But it was a good night's sleep and nobody was murdered.

This is very funny to me for some reason
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brewer bob

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Re: Waterlures - A Capybara Man Fortress & Adventure [DF 0.47.05]
« Reply #649 on: June 22, 2023, 02:41:32 am »

A human hammerman named Rope Villagemurdered offered shelter for them. They accepted, though the hammerman's name caused Dimbulb to be somewhat uneasy. But it was a good night's sleep and nobody was murdered.

This is very funny to me for some reason

Made me chuckle when the hammerman said his name. Sometimes DF generated names are just brilliant.

brewer bob

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Re: Waterlures - A Capybara Man Fortress & Adventure [DF 0.47.05]
« Reply #650 on: September 11, 2023, 07:49:23 am »

Part VII:
Travelling and Bickering




25th of Slate, 383

The sun had set and the darkness of night fallen when the companions made camp in the wilds. They had not lingered in Healgear any longer and set forth to the east after their brief meeting with the elves. It might have been wiser to rest at the hillocks and continue in the morning, but the companions were restless and eager to continue towards adventure.

They walked through the Dipped Hills, following a stream all the way over the Prim Point, through which the river wound. There in the low mountains they were beset by rain, all drenched when they arrived at the Contained Field.

Their plan was to visit several hamlets that were in the plains before continuing east towards the Scaly Mire -- a vast wetland said to stretch all the way to the end of the world in the east.



“Stupid ostrich,” Dimbulb grumbled and sat down next to the fire, crossing his arms in front of him and looking grumpily at the flickering flames, “Always arguing and making fun of me, Dimbulb. I am so angry now!”

Tanzul stoked the fire silently as the hamster woman Coni stood up, walked to Galel and patted the smiling ostrich man on the shoulder saying, “You know it's a gamble, right? Poking at Dimbulb that way. Some day you'll be unlucky and his temper will cost you.”

“Speak for yourself,” Galel smirked with a smug expression, “It's you who has almost had Dimbulb's fist rammed in your gullet, not me. I don't gamble. I work with skill. Luck has nothing to do with it.”

Before Coni could answer, Tanzul hopped in, “Let's not bicker with each other. We need to get some rest before tomorrow. There's a long journey ahead of us. Best start it with a rested body and a good mood, not a sour one.”






26th of Slate, 383

The next day dawned with a clear sky, and the fair weather continued as the companions traveled east, passing through several uneventful hamlets, finally coming to the Scaly Mire. From here on their plan was not all that clear, but they would head east and south, towards lands of dwarves the elves of Healgear had spoken of. Perhaps it was a place to find proper adventure?

As they headed away from the last hamlet, Fragrantworth, they saw a thin trail of smoke rising from a nearby hilltop.





On the hill's slopes they came upon a tent with a group of dwarves and a goblin in it. A curious lot they were: nobles and the like, dispossesed and landless after a war with the Granite Alchemies -- a  group of evil sorcerers by what Tanzul and the others gathered from the dwarves' stories. They were not a talkative lot, and the aid of the would-be adventurers was apparently not needed, despite their predicament.

So the journey eastward continued.





As the sun drew towards the west, the companions had traveled far into the swamp, making their way through fields of cattail and reeds. Old, gnarled fruit trees grew plentiful in wetland, offering shade under their boughs. But fortunately the day was not hot, though warm it was.

There was not much talk between the companions, except for the constant arguing between Dimbulb and Galel, and Coni's occasional flattering remark of this and that.





When the sun set, the group made camp next to a stream. A campfire was lit on a muddy patch in the midst of reeds, close to a young citron tree.

“This swamp sure goes on and on,” Coni said as they sat around the fire. “There seems to be no end to it!”

“Well, if the stories are true, it continues all the way to the great sea in the east,” Tanzul replied, “But we should not go that far east. Soon we will have to turn south if we want to arrive at dwarf lands.”






27th of Slate, 383

The following day was with fair weather gain, but it was not as warm as a cool breeze blew from the west. It was still early morning when movement in the east was seen, and after a brief discussion, it was decided to investigate it. Perhaps there lay adventure ahead?




But whatever it was in the distance, it moved swifter than the travelers. And after a brief chase they stumbled upon something that appeared to be a camp.



A group of goblins appeared to have made their lair here. Tanzul approached a sunken-eyed goblin with an iron war hammer in her hand. However, when he greeted the goblin, she responded with a yell to the goblins behind her, “Intruders! To arms!”

And so battle began.

The goblin swung at Dimbulb, hitting him in the upper leg, and deftly parried the strike of Dimbulb's sword and dodged Tanzul's spear.



Another blow from Tanzul's spear struck the goblin, tearing deep into her flesh from behind, lodging the weapon in the wound. But despite it, the goblin swung her hammer again at Dimbulb, hitting him hard in the leg with a thud and crack.

Dimbulb fell down and yelled in rage.

Tanzul pulled out the spear and before the goblin managed to do any more damage to Dimbulb, he thrust it. And he hit the goblin straight in the head, tearing through skull and brain.

The goblin fell dead.




The rest of the goblins rushed to the fray and things took a turn for the worse when Dimbulb was punched in the head with a heavy blow by one: he fell unconscious.

Fortunately, Tanzul and Coni were next to the hippo man and they immediately slashed and stabbed at the goblin, taking him down before more damage was done to Dimbulb.

The rest of the goblins scattered and fled with haste into the swamps.





“Who do you think they were?” Coni looked at her companions, shaking still a bit after the conflict. As soon as Dimbulb regained consciousness -- which was surprisingly quick -- they had left the camp, heading east and slightly south. They dared not pursue the goblins, for they were shocked by how easily Dimbulb had been knocked out.

A group of capybaras ran through the reeds, frightened by the party of animal people who had stopped at one of the swamp pools to rest.

“You ask me, they were up to no good,” Galel replied, twirling his whip in his hands. “Served them right that we sent them scampering in fear and leaving several of them dead. We should have chased and run down all of them.”

“It could have gone really bad, Galel!”, Tanzul said, turning to the ostrich man. “It was good they fled. There was quite a few of them further away.”

“Pfft. They got in one lucky blow. Right Dimbulb?” Galel smirked.

“Uh... I guess so? I still don't get it what happened,” Dimbulb said with a humble voice, rubbing his bruised head.

“You got knocked out. You were lucky me and Coni were next to you. But we should get moving before the goblins gather their courage and come hunting us,” Tanzul said, looking in the direction they had come from.





The journey east continued along the banks of a stream, eventually turning southward and hopefully soon out of the Scaly Mire.



It did not take long before the wetland gave way to fields of grass and gentle slopes.  The sky was shrouded in dark, heavy clouds, and in the distance they saw signs of civilization: what looked like buildings or other structures.





The companions walked across fields and slopes of wet, dense grass as a heavy rain fell from the skies, their clothes soaking and moods dour. They approached a building, walking past a shrine dedicated to some god -- they didn't really care which god this monastery was dedicated to. All they wanted was to get inside away from the rain.

The building turned out to be a dormitory and there were three dwarves there. Tanzul approached and greeted them.



But perhaps it would have been wiser to check which god was worshipped here: for a brass eyed dwarf with a long white and gray beard greeted them with the words “Life is, in a word, murder.” Clearly these were monks worshipping one of the darker gods.

However, it turned out that the dwarves staying here were not actually monks. In fact, there was nothing organized in the monastery and all of the three dwarves were there for their own different reasons, each worshipping a different deity. Tanzul decided it was best not to press them for details, just in case.

So, after waiting for the rain to calm down a bit and sharing stories of their adventures to the dwarves, who in turn told them what little news they had of the world, the companions continued their journey.





The journey continued south with the companions avoiding several hamlets a short distance from the monastery. The dwarves had said that it was best to keep away from them, for they had long since fallen under the shadow of death when the sorcerers and their foul undead swept across these lands.




The downpour grew in intensity as they walked across the soggy grasslands, everything covered in a dull grey hue due to the dark clouds and the little bits of light that came through fading as the sun set west. The short stay at the monastery had hardly lifted their spirits, and what little it had helped, was already lost and the adventurers shared a dour mood, saying nary a word to each other.

They came to a peat road heading east-west. Without hesitation they headed east, hoping to reach some semblance of shelter before it was too dark.






No proper shelter was to be found along the road, but to the relief of the adventurers, the sky cleared as the sun set, and the stars came out, shining brightly and lighting the way until they came upon a bridge.

There they set camp next to it, building a fire under the shade of a willow tree with sagging branches and the leaves rustling in the cool breeze. It was a soothing breeze for the day had been warm and only now it began to cool down a bit.

“...but laws are a necessity. Something needed to keep the rabble in line and the wicked in check,” Tanzul said to Galel as they sat around the fire. The two of them had got into a debate after talking about the wars that had ravaged these lands (or what little they had heard of them in rumours and old tales); how the lands had fallen into lawlessness after rulers fell and people were desperate to find means to survive.

“Keep the wicked in check? Hah!”, Galel laughed at Tanzul. “Hardly so. Now I do understand that laws might be a necessity sometimes, but one should perhaps not see them as anything else but a tool or a guideline. Following and enforcing them strictly... Well, that leads to tyranny: for are not laws nothing but the means of whoever happens to be the ruler to have the people submit to his whims? To 'keep them in line', as you said.”

“No, no. Not at all like that. You are thinking this all wrong!”, Tanzul argued, feeling slightly agitated by the ostrich man scoffing at him. “A society can not function and prosper without a set of rules and laws that are enforced! Of course the laws must not be there to allow the ruler to do whatever he pleases with his subjects.”

“Think more on it, Tanzul,” Galel replied with a sly grin on his beak, “Do you really think we would be at each other's throats without said laws? That all of us would stab their friends in the back without them? Why, our group does not have a leader nor a set of 'laws', yet we work perfectly well together.”

Coni, who had so far not paid much attention, lifted her head and joined in, “Well, I wouldn't be so sure of that...”

Galel turned to Coni, cocked his head and laughed, “Fair point. Let us forget this discussion and drop the argument, no?”

He extended his hand to Tanzul as a sign of truce. Reluctantly the fox man reached it and gave a shake.

“Fine. I'm going to sleep now,” Tanzul grumbled and lay down, feeling bitter. Sometimes he really didn't like that Galel fellow. Stupid ostrich man always looking for a fight.



=====

Finally got an update!

Not a very long one and this has been written during quite a number of very short sessions with long breaks in between, so sorry if it's a bit disjointed.

I think I sort of lost motivation for DF for a while there (due to several reasons), but Waterlures has been still constantly on my mind. But before you all get excited about updates, I'm not sure how often I'll be doing these. While I do like this world and want to know what happens next, there's several things that drag me down (for instance: the animal population bug in Hellsieges and limits of DF such as you can't join a necromancer faction (afaik), which sort of blows up my plans for Cañar)... So, it might be that there will be only now and then updates or this might end up being the last (let's hope not!)...

But I've been thinking of maybe starting something similar to Waterlures. Not yet sure of the concept, but probably nothing as "taxing" for me. Or perhaps start an actual community game and not claim complete of ownership of it this time? Seems like it's been quiet on the community game front lately, which is a crying shame.

Also, still conflicted whether I should give 0.5 a go or stick to 0.47.05 with which I know what I can do and what not.

Blah, enough of my incoherent ramblings. Hope you enjoyed this one despite not much happening!

(ps. finally got a new semi-decent laptop, so I don't have to constantly worry when the old one blows up!)

King Zultan

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Re: Waterlures - A Capybara Man Fortress & Adventure [DF 0.47.05]
« Reply #651 on: September 12, 2023, 05:21:21 am »

Huzza it has returned!

I was just thinking of this fort recently, and I'm willing to wait as long as it takes for a new part to come out so no need to feel any pressure on that front from me.


Also I'd stick to 0.47.05 until Toady gets adventure mode into the new version.
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brewer bob

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Re: Waterlures - A Capybara Man Fortress & Adventure [DF 0.47.05]
« Reply #652 on: September 12, 2023, 10:41:23 am »

Also I'd stick to 0.47.05 until Toady gets adventure mode into the new version.

Yeah, that's what I'll probably end up doing.

(Although, at some point I'll have to learn the new interface if I want to keep up to date with DF, so might be better to do it sooner rather than later... But there's just way too many issues with the Steam version for me compared to older ones, so dunno. Maybe I'll just stick with 0.47.05 forever then?)

Anyway, in Waterlures news, I've managed to play quite some today, so perhaps you don't have to wait for the next update for several months? (No promises though.)

Maloy

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Re: Waterlures - A Capybara Man Fortress & Adventure [DF 0.47.05]
« Reply #653 on: September 12, 2023, 10:49:59 am »

Similar feelings about .50!
Tbh I'm hoping to B-Line it and at least reach age of twilight in my Adelaathira game before new adventure mode comes out!

Glad to see the update! These adventures make for a cozy read that I really enjoy

brewer bob

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Re: Waterlures - A Capybara Man Fortress & Adventure [DF 0.47.05]
« Reply #654 on: September 12, 2023, 12:40:08 pm »

Tbh I'm hoping to B-Line it and at least reach age of twilight in my Adelaathira game before new adventure mode comes out!

Looking forward to see where Adelaathira goes!

Glad to see the update! These adventures make for a cozy read that I really enjoy

Thanks! I'm often wondering if these are too repetitive with all the traveling and (weird) discussions between the adventurers, and nothing much happening. But good to know it's cozy. It's a quite relaxed playthrough going like this, seeing what the game throws in front of you (which is often nothing or then some oddity with site ownership) with no real plans.

brewer bob

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Re: Waterlures - A Capybara Man Fortress & Adventure [DF 0.47.05]
« Reply #655 on: September 13, 2023, 03:50:11 am »

Part VIII:
Entering Dwarf Lands




28th of Slate, 383

The companions had been traveling since first light, climbing the road up the lower slopes of the Walls of Spray when they came to a crossroads. They would turn south from here, for the heart of the dwarven kingdom of the Bent Spears lay there.

From what they had heard it was a land not completely decimated by the old wars, and that the dwarves there did fairly well, keeping hold of their lands against their foes.

And there they hoped to find adventure and glory.





The road soon turned southwards, descending down from the foothills and leading through the fields of a hillocks surrounded by what appeared to be towers of goblin make. The companions hurried through, for they feared there might be a larger troop of goblins that might cause problems.

But they didn't see a soul as they walked through the hillocks. Perhaps it was abandoned or the houses and burrows were not next to the main road?





As they headed south a pack of coyotes tried to attack Galel and Coni who were walking some distance behind Tanzul and Dimbulb. The coyotes soon realized that they had made a mistake and fled to the hills in the east, but one of them was slain by the ostrich man and the hamster woman.

Coyote meat was to be served this night.





The foothills of the Axe of Radiances were much steeper and higher than those of the Walls of Spray. The peaks rose higher to the east, but to the west there opened a view of sand dunes and a river snaking through them to the south.






It was nearly midday as the four marched over a bluff of rock salt, the wind blowing dry and dusty air from the west. Fortunately it was a rather cool day, or perhaps the climate was different here to the south, so their mouths were not parched. For they had not that much water with them.

It had been an easy going this day, though Tanzul was still bitter due to the argueing from the previous night. It didn't help that Galel continued to constantly pick fights with the others as they walked. And it was particularly easy with Dimbulb who every now and then became infuriated, only to be calmed by Coni's flattery, forgetting the stinging words of Galel soon.

Until Galel decided to taunt him again, of course.





From atop a hill they saw another crossroads ahead of them, and the center of it there was a large, sturdy structure: a fortress of some kind. They were uncertain what it was, but thought it must be one of the fortresses of the dwarves of the Bent Spears, for they were certain they had crossed into their lands some time ago.

From the crossroads they saw a road lead south and another rise to the north-east into the mountains. The one south would be the one they would take, since it led into the heart of the dwarven domain according to their maps.

But first they would visit the fortress and see what it had to offer.





The sun was shining directly from above as the companions approached the walls of the fortress from the north. They had never seen anything like it: walls made of fine, smooth stone blocks of a bright green color. The stone reflected the light of the sun brightly and the walls looked nigh impenetrable.

Yet the gates lay wide open and no guards in sight. Either the dwarves welcomed visitors openly or this place was abandoned.




“No. Galel you are wrong,” Dimbulb said relatively calmly to the ostrich man as they walked towards the gates. While Tanzul and Coni were eyeing the fortress carefully, the hippo man was distracted by yet another argument with the ostrich.

“You know, sometimes you have to barter to get something,” he continued. “It can be good for both. A fisher gets bread from the baker, the baker gets fish from the fisher. But other than that... There's better things to do.”

“Like what? Think, Dimbulb,” the ostrich man scoffed, “It is precisely trade, which keeps us alive, our societies thriving and flourishing. It is the life-blood, the very essence of our existence. I know you would have everything just be granted and all 'oh the Nature and Gods provideth', but that is not how things work--”

“Please! The two of you, cut it out!”, Tanzul snapped. “I'm sick and tired of listening to your bickering. We're here at the fortress gates -- if you didn't notice -- and it would be best if you focused on what we have ahead of us.”





The grand entry hall of the dwarven fortress was empty of life. The tavern next to the gates had its barrels still full of dwarven ale and beer, but the tables and floor were covered in dust and cobwebs were in the corners. The temple past the trade depot was empty too, its walls engraved with designs depicting kings and queens of old.

But despite the apparent emptiness, there were muffled sounds heard from below.



So the companions descended the ramp in the center of the hall.

...And once they stepped down they saw a bald dwarf with a long, grey orange-flecked braided beard and a neatly combed moustache.

The dwarf motioned the companions to follow him further into the halls.



There they met also a human and a goblin, and asked about the place from them.

“Ah, this is Shockedhelms, an old fortress of that used to be owned by the Bent Spears,” Solon Mirrortalk, the human, said. “But that is a long, long time ago from what I've heard. This place is now governed by the Laborious Daubs and Tislur Humidattics is their commander. She can be found here, if you want to know more, I'm certain.”

Other than that Shockedhelms was mainly isolated from the rest of the world -- at least in the trade -- they learned not much from these three.

So Tanzul began recounting their tales, of what they had encountered on the way here.






“Identify yourselves, strangers!”, a thin and very muscular woman with pale skin and almost unnaturally long hair walked to the companions, just as Tanzul finished telling how Coni had killed Ica Tubsyawned, the villain and self-proclaimed 'lord' of Padbolted.

Tanzul hesitated, but then greeted the woman who had an odd, unsettling look in her eyes.

But she did not react to his words and kept staring at the four. Yet she did not make any move of aggression or otherwise.



Confused of the encounter the companions continued to look around the upper halls for a while, meeting again the dwarf they had met first and exchanged a few words him.

However, where ever they went, soon the unsettling woman came to them, standing silent and eyeing them eerily.



Eventually she ushered them back up to the trade depot and with her wordless expression made it clear the travelers were not welcome here.

So they left the fortress.






The sun had reached the western sky when the four arrived at a hillocks not far south of the fallen fortress, now ruled by a group whose allegiance they knew not. These were unfamiliar lands to them, and the politics of the place even less familiar -- not that they knew much even of the politics of their own beloved Relieved Realms!

They walked past a small hillock and a disturbing statue in the center of a small crossroads of the paths leading to and fro around the hillocks and their fields. The statue depicted a dwarf, kneeling in front of a ghastly, skeletal dwarf, offering praise to her. It was obviously a scene from some myth related to one of the death gods.

Tanzul shuddered as he swiftly walked past it.





But they found nobody in the hillocks. It was empty.

Yet, they were certain they had heard that Greaturn was still in the hands of the Bent Spears, one of their northernmost settlements. Perhaps it had been old news and since then it had been abandoned?

So, their journey continued south and they came to yet another crossroads as the sun began to reach the lower western sky.

“East,” Coni said as Tanzul stopped and began to dig out his map.

“East? Are you certain? Why?”, Tanzul asked.

“Isn't that the road that leads to Controlledseal, the capital of the Bent Spears?”, she replied. “I am certain that is what Thîkut said back there before the creepy lady came to drive us away.”

“Coni is right,” Galel hopped in, rather cheerfully and not with a hint of an argument coming, “He said several things, but I have to admit, it was difficult with that freak coming to us all the time to glare at us.”




“Look,” Galel pointed at the map that Tanzul had just unfurled. “We're here. Controlledseal is slightly to the east and south, and then to the south and west... That's where Clubmalign is. You know, 'There are some foul going-ons in the fort of Clubmalign', as the dwarf said when he marked it on our map.”

“You mean we should go investigate the happenings at that fort?”, Tanzul asked, raising his brows.

“Well, I don't mean anything. Yet. But I think even if we were to decide to go there, it might be for the best to go to Controlledseal first,” the ostrich man said. “We're bound to learn more there. We better learn more there. Not knowing practically anything of these parts makes me...uncomfortable.”

So it was decided they would head to Controlledseal first and there make more precise plans.






The sun began to set before they arrived at Controlledseal. Ahead, in the southwest, they saw several clusters of smaller buildings, which looked like the typical monasteries found around Minbazkar.

They went to the one more to the south to look for a place to sleep. But the monastery was empty, yet it didn't appear to be completely abandoned. After a brief discussion, they headed back to the road and decided to make camp there.



They lit a fire next to a date palm and small coffee tree and huddled close to the flames. It was a cold night: their breaths steamed and waterskins had ice. They were not used to such a cold climate, but in a sense it was exciting for them that even though it was almost late spring, there was a lingering of winter in these lands.



“What is that you have in your paws, Coni?”, Tanzul looked suspiciously at the hamster woman who was leaning against the trunk of the coffee tree, shuffling through a book. As far as Tanzul knew, Coni took no books for their journey -- nor did she own any. “Is that a book? Coni... You didn't take it from the monastery, did you?”

Coni turned to look at Tanzul from the pages and smiled, scratching the sparrow sleeping on her shoulder. “Well... Um, it is a book, yes. Steal? No. More like borrow, if you will.”

“Coni...”, Tanzul sighed disappointedly.

“Look, I'll return it, if it's such a big fuss,” the hamster woman said, shutting the tome. “But it's not like it'll be missed. We're bound to stay around Controlledseal for a while, so there'll be plenty of time to read through it and then take it back. Sound fair?”

“Well... Ah, never mind,” Tanzul sighed again. “Just keep your paws away from things that don't belong to you when we reach the fortress, ok?”

“You have a deal, Tanzul,” Coni replied, a gleam of satisfaction in her eyes. “But let's get some sleep now.”






1st of Felsite, 383

In the morning the companions found out to their surprise that a small coating of snow had fallen from the skies, shrouding everything in a pure white. The air was cold and crisp, but the first rays of the sun carried a warmth with them and already some of the snow was melting.

They took their time to wake up and get ready for the last leg of their journey.

When they finally continued their way, the frosty loamy road crunching beneath their feet, they soon came upon an odd structure next to the road. A small slope-roofed shelter with a wall open to the south and a wooden casket in it. A wooden altar or pedestal stood next to the opening, with an assortment of tattered clothes on display.




Tanzul stepped closer to the structure, taking a better look at it.

“Tanzul?”, Dimbulb began nervously from further off. His thoughts began to trail here and there, and as the fox man turned to face him, he had forgotten what he was about to say. “I... Uh... I-- I forgot what I was about to say...”

Coni eyed the structure with interest, too, and she joined in the conversation, “What do you think it is? A memorial? A shrine? A grave?”



“I haven't the faintest of ideas,” Tanzul replied. “But if I'd bet on something, I'd say it's a wayside shrine.”

“A shrine? With a coffin?”, Galel chuckled. “Don't be a fool, Tanzul. It's a grave. Just open up the casket and see for yourself. I'll bet you'll find some old bones in it.”

“I thought you didn't gamble,” Coni stabbed at the ostrich man.

“Haha. Very funny. It was only a manner of speech,” Galel grimaced at the hamster woman's pitiful attempt.

“Well, I'm not certainly opening the casket. We're not grave robbers -- if it is a grave,” Tanzul said. “But someone is bound to know about it in Controlledseal. It's not that far off from here.”





And indeed, they had not continued but for a short while south when they saw at the feet of the Walls of Spray the walls of the fortress rise.



The sand road led to the fortress. This one, too, had straight, strong and sturdy walls made from impossibly large stone blocks, hewn to perfection. The stone itself was a beautiful, silverish-white one with a metallic sheen to it.



They circled around the walls, admiring the craftsman-- No, the craftsdwarfship. Truly the dwarves were masters when it came to working stone and ore.

They found the gates of the fortress to be open and with hearts pounding, their spirits full of awe, they stepped in: a magnificent large entry hall opened before them and directly ahead of them was what looked like a trading post with dwarves, humans and other peoples. This place was inhabited!

They had arrived at Controlledseal!



=====

Update time!

Didn't remember that Controlledseal was completely made out of native platinum. That's one rich fortress the Bent Spears have there.

We also got to visit Lór's grave. I'd forgotten that it was on the way to Controlledseal. Seems like we're getting closer to home all the time.

Now, next parts I might take a slight sidetrack to see what's up with Rivermine and maybe check on Cañar, too. Not sure of that yet, but I'll do some testing first.

Anyway, now is a good time to get a named character for yourself and be part of the Waterlures story. I've been thinking that possibly the companions could meet some folk in Controlledseal who're headed to Waterlures and join them. Mainly just to get a reason for them to head there and not just wander around the world.

So, just holler if you want to be 'dorfed' as some new character (ideas welcome).

King Zultan

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Re: Waterlures - A Capybara Man Fortress & Adventure [DF 0.47.05]
« Reply #656 on: September 13, 2023, 05:41:45 am »

Dang that's a fancy fortress they've got there, wonder where they got all that platinum?

I'm often wondering if these are too repetitive with all the traveling and (weird) discussions between the adventurers, and nothing much happening. But good to know it's cozy. It's a quite relaxed playthrough going like this, seeing what the game throws in front of you (which is often nothing or then some oddity with site ownership) with no real plans.
I don't mind the traveling and conversations, it's interesting and you get to see the character dynamics and extra lore!
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Maloy

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Re: Waterlures - A Capybara Man Fortress & Adventure [DF 0.47.05]
« Reply #657 on: September 13, 2023, 08:12:15 pm »

I like traveling segments and discussions with character development more myself! I'm kind of used to df writings having epic battles of grand and ridiculous scale so I've developed a particular taste for seeing worlds fleshed out as well as individuals!

Also would take a dwarfing! If its for an adventurer maybe an elephant-seal spearman?

brewer bob

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Re: Waterlures - A Capybara Man Fortress & Adventure [DF 0.47.05]
« Reply #658 on: September 14, 2023, 12:51:14 am »

Also would take a dwarfing! If its for an adventurer maybe an elephant-seal spearman?

Maloy the elephant-seal man spearman it is then. Any civilian skill preferences or what kind of deity you'd prefer?

Salmeuk

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Re: Waterlures - A Capybara Man Fortress & Adventure [DF 0.47.05]
« Reply #659 on: September 14, 2023, 01:17:45 pm »

A lovely set of updates! Glad to read the name of Waterlures again.

never forget to have fun while writing. the minute you make a chore of it, everything comes into question and the process itself becomes torturous. that being said, if your torturous labor produces more of the above writing, then perhaps we can arrange for a few iron spikes here and there to keep you working hehe

dwarf me as a certain 'Edzul the Silent.' This male dwarf is mute, excluding statues, with whom he holds full conversations on various topics including philosophy, art, and hunting for mythical creatures....

Edzul will occasionally be compelled to produce statues of his own, after dangerous adventurers or close battles, upon reaching the peaks of mountains or the depths of lakes, or simply for the hell of it. No one really knows much about Edzul but they are a loyal companion, and a competent wrestler and mason. Edzul communicates through nonverbal means including hand signals and expressive eye contact. Occasionally, he will create a small figurine to demonstrate complex subjects. Edzul purports to be an atheist, but secretly believes in any and every god he hears about. He is addicted to religions, you might say. He talks to statues of gods as if they are the real thing.

note: the antics of this mute sculptor may, in fact, be annoying to write. if that is the case, an honorific (and purely accidental) death can be arranged at a time when the writer's patience grows most thin.
« Last Edit: September 14, 2023, 01:19:17 pm by Salmeuk »
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