Part VIII:Entering Dwarf Lands
28th of Slate, 383The 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, 383In 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!
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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).
Author
Topic: Waterlures - A Capybara Man Fortress & Adventure [DF 0.47.05] (Read 74076 times)