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[Arkbrik]

Divinequested

Part 1

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Ineth awoke from nothingness. She became aware of her mind, her body, and her existence. A moment ago, she had not existed. Now she did.

Ineth opened her eyes and saw darkness. She was lying on her back, on a cold, hard surface. She sat up. In the gloom, she could make out others like herself. Short, sturdy creatures, waking up and looking around in amazement.

Light filled the space they were in. Nine shining beings stood before them - similar to Ineth and the other creatures, but so much... more. They radiated might and truth. They spoke, and Ineth understood their words.

“You are the Dwarves. You are our children. We are your Gods.”

---

The gods taught the dwarves about the caverns, the surface, and the sky. They taught them about rock and metal, earth and water, life and death, building, smithing, crafting, farming, brewing, and a hundred other things.

When the dwarves had learnt it all, the gods told them it was time for them to face the world on their own. The gods would still be with them, always, but unseen. Egul, the god of order, chose the dwarf Logem Cryptswords to be queen. She would rule the dwarves in place of the gods.

But before the gods said their final farewell, Vetek the goddess of fortresses took Ineth aside, and spoke to her.

“Ineth, know this: The Dwarves were created for a purpose. You will help them bring about that purpose. Go to the southwest end of the Axe of Wishing, and build there a fortress. The truth will become clear to you.”



The wagon passed over the shallow brook, and came to a halt. Ineth Canyonnet drew a deep breath. She was finally here.

If it had been up to Ineth, she would have left immediately after Vetek gave her the mission. But there had been so many things. Queen Logem insisted on building up Stakeshins, the capital, before letting anyone run off to found new fortresses. And then Ineth had to find willing followers, get supplies together... The first year of her life had passed before she could set out.



But now, they had made it. The southwestern end of the Axe of Wishing mountain range. Ineth examined the mountainside. Magnetite and dolomite; promising materials. Her companions were unpacking their equipment, eager to get to work. There were three miners: Orbbones, Unionshield, and Lenswane. Geniusgold and Ragpelt were farmers. Riddleddaggers was a woodcutter and carpenter. Ineth trusted their skill. They had, after all, learnt from the gods themselves.



“Vetek told me that us dwarves have a purpose in this world”, Ineth said. “Our journey towards that purpose begins at this place. Divinequested!”

“Strike the earth!” Unionshield shouted, raising his pick. The dwarves cheered.



Unionshield and the other miners got to work, digging out a large chamber in the mountains. It would shelter the dwarves and their supplies for now, and then they could expand the fortress as needed.



Before long, the great chamber was finished, and the dwarves started setting up smaller workshop chambers.



A tunnel was dug under the brook to find soil, where farm plots could be tilled.



Bedrooms were dug out a floor below the great chamber. Divinequested was quickly becoming more comfortable, and the dwarves thrived.



The farmer Ragpelt found time for romance... multiple romances, in fact. She got involved with both Geniusgold the farmer and Unionshield the miner.



Around midsummer, two more dwarves arrived at Divinequested, eager to work. Ineth welcomed them, but she had hoped for more than two. There were lots of things that needed doing, and far too few dwarves around.

Ineth couldn’t help but feel a sting to her zeal (or pride). Wasn’t the founding of this fortress a mission from the gods? Shouldn’t every dwarf want to help?

Not every dwarf saw things her way, she guessed. Not yet.


To be continued

---

This is a story of gods, dwarves, and purpose.

Let me know if you want to be dwarfed.

[Salmeuk]

nice early design.  give me one of the miners as 'Salmeuk' if you would!

[King Zultan]

That's a nice looking entrance you've made, also PTW.

[Arkbrik]

Part 2

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The two newly arrived dwarves were a weaver called Voicepulleys, and a lye maker called Treatyweb. There was not much demand for either profession in Divinequested at the moment. However, both dwarves had some skill at smoothing and engraving rock, which would help turn the fortress from a rough mine into a proper dwelling.



Salmeuk Unionshield and his fellow miners chipped away at the rock, digging out a new room that would house a brewery. He enjoyed the work, as always, but these days he felt that something was... missing.

Salmeuk had learnt the art of mining from Ór, goddess of mountains. He had hewn rock by her side, surrounded by her awesome presence. It had given him a sense of belonging, and a clarity of purpose that he had not felt since. And probably would never feel again.

Shaking his head, Salmeuk tried to cast his gloomy thoughts aside. He was going to finish up this room, then go and see what Ragpelt was up to. He smiled at the thought of her. The gods had taught the dwarves about love, like all other things, but to experience it himself... it was beyond anything he had imagined.

And Ragpelt loved him back! She was also in love with Geniusgold. That was a little unusual. Most dwarves only loved one person at a time, from what Salmeuk had seen. Oh well. He didn’t think that would be a problem.



In autumn, the promised caravan from Stakeshins arrived, accompanied by the outpost liaison Rovod Dwellerfloors.

“This place is already looking impressive”, he told Ineth. “You must have been working hard.”

“Indeed we have”, Ineth said. “But there is still much to be done. Tell queen Logem that we need more workers!”

“I will let her know.”



Then there was the import agreement. Divinequested was not in need of any particular resource, but in the spirit of co-dependence, Ineth asked Rovod to bring some nice cuts of meat next year.



The fortress did not have much to trade with the merchants this year, but Ineth gave them a couple barrels of Divinequested’s own ale in exchange for some cloth. It might come in handy.



Queen Logem must have listened to Rovod, because a few weeks after the merchants had left, nine more migrants arrived at Divinequested. Of particular note was a highly skilled armorsmith named Lashpaints. Soon the dwarves would put the mountain’s ore to use.



In the meantime, another migrant named Wheeledlucky had begun making rock crafts. Salmeuk had some skill at jewelry, and started cutting agates to decorate Wheeledlucky’s crafts.



In winter, the engravers finished up their work. Furniture was set up in the main chamber, making it a proper great hall. The dwarves decided to name it the Circle of Songs.



Winter passed uneventfully, and spring arrived. It was the beginning of the third year since the creation of the dwarves, and the beginning of the second year since Ineth and her companions had founded Divinequested.

Ineth was satisfied with the development of the fortress so far. Work had proceeded at a good pace, and there hadn’t been any major problems. But... she had still not understood the true purpose of the fortress: the purpose of dwarvenkind.

Vetek had told Ineth: “The truth will become clear to you.” Ineth trusted the goddess. She resolved that she would find that truth in the new year.


To be continued

[AvolitionBrit]

Dwarf me in, so kinda of scholar of you get one. If not any old dwarf

[Maloy]

Divine quests, overturning the balance of power in the world, complex building designs, certainty of death and madness?

What are waiting for? PTW

[brewer bob]

Haven't seen a dwarf with two lovers before (a couple of ones with a spouse and a lover I've had several times).

Since dwarfings are up, I'd like to be the lyemaker (Melbil), maybe with the name 'Bobbil' or 'Melbob' (or anything you come up with), if possible?

[King Zultan]

If dwarfings are a thing I'd also like one, profession doesn't matter just use the first dwarf you find when you have time.

[Arkbrik]

Part 3

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The first project of the new year was a metalworking hall. The ore of the mountain would be turned into steel and put to use.



While the forges were being set up, visitors arrived outside. Elves. Ineth had seen elves before - a few had visited Stakeshins while she lived there - but she had never had a conversation with one. She was curious about them.

The elves led pack animals carrying various goods, so Ineth had the newly made crafts brought out for trade.



The elves were willing to trade, but Ineth found them strangely melancholic. They had no enthusiasm about anything, and kept gazing off into the distance. Eventually, Ineth grew concerned.

“I’m sorry, but... is there something wrong?” she asked Vinena, the leader of the elves.

“Do you think the world is coming to an end?” Vinena said.

“What... Huh?” Ineth was taken aback.

“There have been so many strange new things these last few years. And so much death.”

“I don’t understand...”

“For ages, the world has been at peace. The animals, the plants, and the elves have lived in harmony. But suddenly these new beings have appeared. Dwarves, humans, and goblins, slaughtering all that they see.”

“Slaughtering?”

“The goblins have come to attack us, again and again. Many, many elves and animals have been killed. Soon we will all be gone, and the world will be forever out of balance.”

“That is terrible, but... We dwarves are not goblins! We’re not here to kill anyone!”

“Really?” Vinena looked over at the forest on the other side of the brook. There were several stumps by the treeline. “Then who killed those trees?”

“But that was - We had to get wood! For beds, barrels...”

Vinena didn’t say anything more, but Ineth could tell she was not convinced. Feeling a little shameful, Ineth bought a few of the elves’ “grown” wooden barrels.

The elves went on their way, and Ineth was left to ponder what Vinena had said. Surely the world wasn’t ending. For the dwarves, it had just begun! But what about those other beings, goblins and humans? Were they also created by the gods? If not, then where had they come from? And what was their purpose?



Bobbil Treatyweb chiselled away at the bedroom floor, turning it smooth and flat. She had become a true professional at this job since arriving at Divinequested. Though her skill at lye making had not seen any use here. She had been taught that art by Ór the goddess of earth and water, and it seemed a shame to let it go to waste. Still, there were many things the fortress needed more than lye right now. Maybe in the future.

Ast Portalsneaked, Bobbil’s pet turkey, came over to gobble at her. Bobbil smiled and scratched his head.



Later in spring, a great number of migrants arrived at Divinequested, more than doubling the population. There were several metalworkers among them, who would soon find plenty of work.



One day, the glassmaker Webbedbasement began acting strangely. He started pacing around the Circle of Songs, talking to no one in particular.

“It will be made of green glass, and it will be perfect... It will be the ink that writes truth burned into reality... But I must have green glass...”

Ineth tried to calm him down.

“We don’t have any green glass right now”, she said. “But maybe we’ll start an industry when - “

“I must have green glass!”



Webbedbasement seemed truly desperate, so Ineth had a glass furnace set up. The glassmaker occupied it and kept raving about green glass, but wouldn’t let anyone in to actually produce some.



The dwarves had to set up a second furnace to make some glass. Eventually, Webbedbasement seemed to be satisfied, and started working at a frightening pace.



After days of nonstop work, Webbedbasement finally finished his creation. A crown of green glass of absolutely sublime quality. The dwarves were in awe. No one had ever seen such a beautiful artifact.

Ineth wondered if this was a sign.

“Webbedbasement”, she said, “you talked about ’truth burned into reality’. What did you mean by that?”

“I don’t know”, Webbedbasement said. “To be honest, I don’t remember much of anything I said... just what I did.”

Ineth was sure that this was a supernatural event. Was this the purpose of the dwarves: the creation of incredible artifice? Or was it a hint of a deeper purpose?



While Webbedbasement had toiled on his artifact, the metalworking hall had been finished. Divinequested was now producing steel.

In the summer, more migrants arrived, bringing the population of the fortress to forty-four.

Ineth decided that a militia should be established. According to the elves, armies of goblins were waging war to the south. Who could say they wouldn’t turn their attention to Divinequested? She asked Zultan Partnerhame to be the militia’s commander, and he agreed. He was a recent arrival with some skill at axe fighting.

Steel was turned into armor and weapons, and Zultan recruited two dwarves called Ivorycraft and Womanrocks as soldiers. The militia would be expanded as soon as the smiths could produce more armaments.



Zultan had travelled to Divinequested with his wife Bridgedclans, and their two daughters Shotmartyr and Foundseals. Shotmartyr was adopted - she had been created by the gods as a toddler. Foundseals, on the other hand, was one of the first dwarves to be born, not created. She had never met the gods. Zultan hoped she would still be able to prosper. He and his wife had been taught by the gods. Their daughters would have to be taught by mortals.



Avoliti Mirrorbanner had mixed feelings as she watched the children of Zultan and Bridgedclans run around the fortress. No dwarf in the world was older than two and a half years. Then why had the gods made some of them, like Shotmartyr, so youthful, and others, like Avoliti, so elderly?

Avoliti had wrinkles on her skin, and flecks of gray in her hair. She knew she had fewer years to live in this world than most other dwarves. Like all others, she had learnt the rules of mortality from Momuz the goddess of death.

Avoliti would use the years she had well. She wanted to know more about the world, the gods, the dwarves, everything. She went and asked Ineth for a chance to pursue knowledge, for the good of all dwarves. Ineth agreed. Perhaps Avoliti’s research would provide a clue to the divine purpose she sought.



A chamber for experiments and scholarly discussion was dug out, and named the Treasury of Learning.



Soon, Avoliti could devote her time to questions she had always wondered about, but not had time to study. Did the sun revolve around the world? Or did the world revolve around the sun?


To be continued