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[Vactor]

chiming in with IronValley, I think you've got a lot of silent support from the readers here Heavy Flak,  Even if we aren't posting we're reading and hoping the best for you in your own adventures.

[ricemastah]

Yea HF, you got the support of everyone on here. Anyway, I'm guessing you're just taking a break from DF, and that makes sense to me. DF is busy and chaotic, sometimes life is a really nice break from that lol

[Heavy Flak]

It warms my heart to see you guys concerned, and supportive.  I appreciate it a lot. <3 

You're right, things HAVE been hectic here.  I'm a twenty seven year old who's now back to living in his mothers basement - hooray.  Girlfriends doing great though, I've managed to get everything from my house unpacked or stored, and I'm finally feeling settled in and beginning to take the next steps forward: seeking some type of short time income, and trying to figure out what I want to do long-term for cash. 

To pay my rent, I'm doing farm work - mucking stalls, feeding horses, cutting down trees, etc, etc.  But I do have a lot more time on my hands before the job hunt / book submissions start, and that means during the week I should hopefully (seriously guys, I really mean it this time!) be back to updating relatively consistently. 

[Mad Larks]

Heavy Flak lives! Joyous joy!

Hope things turn out the way they should and looking forward to future updates. Still wondering when/if my dwarf will make it in, though.

[Luke_Prowler]

It warms my heart to see you guys concerned, and supportive.  I appreciate it a lot. <3 

You're right, things HAVE been hectic here.  I'm a twenty seven year old who's now back to living in his mothers basement - hooray.  Girlfriends doing great though, I've managed to get everything from my house unpacked or stored, and I'm finally feeling settled in and beginning to take the next steps forward: seeking some type of short time income, and trying to figure out what I want to do long-term for cash. 

To pay my rent, I'm doing farm work - mucking stalls, feeding horses, cutting down trees, etc, etc.  But I do have a lot more time on my hands before the job hunt / book submissions start, and that means during the week I should hopefully (seriously guys, I really mean it this time!) be back to updating relatively consistently. 

Now you just need to grow a neck beard and The Circle will be complete.

[Heavy Flak]

The events of the 21^st of Galena, 1070

The clatter from the hallway began to rouse Jools, at least at first.  The first time in nearly a week he'd actually attended training had taken it's toll and his limbs felt stiff as iron, the muscles knotted and tense from the exercises Merkil had forced the soldiers to complete.  Groggily he lifted both hands up, pressing the heels of his palms against his eye sockets, and pressed hard, trying to forcibly remove the sleepiness from his head.  Perhaps a drink of wine, a hearty stew for breakfast...

Something jostled against his foot as he moved in the bed.  Sleepiness gave way to confusion.  Blinking away the cottony feeling behind his eyes, Jools sat up in his bed and looked down.  The roughspun sheets were stained red, a bulgy lump tenting up the fabric near the other end of the bed.  With growing horror, the soldier gripped the sheets and yanked them free. 

A flutter of fabric obscured his view briefly.  When they settled on the stone floor beside him, Jools looked down the length of his bed.  At the blood - all the blood.  He screamed.

***

"Who would do this," Jools raged.  "Who would do this"
"Quiet, please, quiet," Adol said quietly.  "You're making it hard to concentrate, friend."

Jools paced in circles, his hands folded over his chest.  he had gotten mostly dressed, though his legs were bare and his shins were still coated in tacky blood.  When he neared the door, and Maggarg's side, he turned to stare at the donkey's head laying on his bed.  It had been severed crudely, bits of meat dangling from the wound.  Most disturbingly, it had been painted up, a leering smile smeared over it's mouth with a thick paste of berry, ash, and urine. 

"Other than a saw used to remove the head, probably one from a woodcutter, and the... decorations, I can't see anything."
"You're not lookin' in the right place," Maggarg said, smugly.
"Oh?  And you fancy yourself an investigator now, do you?" Adol said reproachfully. 

"Aye, in this matter.  Look," the swordsdwarf strode over to the head, and placed a meaty palm onto the flesh between it's ears.  He slid his fingers into the fur and with a little tug, popped out a small shard of metal, bent and bloody. 

"I saw it glint in the torch light.  More of 'em in there.  Which I 'magine means..." tangling his fingers into the fur, he yanked it free.  A large flap of fur and skin flopped over, revealing shards of pottery held into place with dried mud.  Maggarg laughed, unable to help himself. 

Adol frowned, and picked at some of the pottery, prying it free with his thumbnail.  His brows knit together, "Death most likely caused by a blow to the head, between the ears, and it was sawn after after death.  Probably caused by a hammer, or maybe a large rock, or..."

"Or a mace..." growled Jools.  "A large mace, from the largest ass in the fortress... where's Stravitch been hiding lately?"

[sdp0et]

Ah, right.  Mule head.  My mind went in a different direction at first.  I was happy for Jools, though, becoming a woman and all.

[Jim Groovester]

Yes, an update!

I was happy for Jools, though, becoming a woman and all.

Huh, I didn't notice any gender bender's in this update. Though that's happened before.

Let's not talk about it.

The journal of Former Lieutenant Hikan Riddlewire,
Entry for the week of 22nd Galena, 1070

Assface got a bit of surprise in the morning. Namely, an asses' face. Naturally, he was horrified, but I couldn't stop laughing about it the whole time he was telling me.

Assface thinks its Stravitch who did the donkey in. Given our association, I have reason to think that I could be on the list of people to be intimidated. Our costumes don't really conceal our identities very well, so Stravitch probably knows that I'm running around in a mask with three other idiots.

I'm rechecking all the traps to my room. May not sleep there for a few nights. If I'm not there to be intimidated, or somebody gets a bolt in their chest while trying to, it takes the power out of the message.

This assumes he'll try doing something in my room to intimidate me. Hell, he could have a walkway collapse while I'm underneath it, or send Aryn nasty letters, or something. I can't prepare for anything like that, other than walking around with even more caution and paranoia.

And I'm already walking around with a lot of both. Stressful, but I like living.

[Maggarg - Eater of chicke]

Diary of maggarg
Jools finds a great big half-flattened donkey head in his room.
It's full of bits of metal and pottery and stuff. That means that someone hit it with pretty fantastic force, right? Also, there's not many weapons that are made of pottery. All of this points to an individual of god-like strength with a weird mace. We only have one of those, and that's Stravich.
Ergo, he was even more pissed than usual and killed a donkey, chopped of the head, and stuck it in a room. Knowing him, there is no reason at all.
I guess the upside of this is that everyone will get occupied with this and forget about me.
I goddamn hope so.

[Heavy Flak]

The Events of the 1^st of Limestone, 1070

"Deeply entrenched in a world of violence and intrigue, Aya fears for her life.  But what is the life of a single dwarf, compared to The Truth?  No, she must be resilient, and she must continue with her research.  She must... discover the truth..."

"Who are you talking to?"
Aya blinked, the leaves of the potted plant she was hiding behind rustling as she glanced back over her should.  Mookie stood behind her looking bewildered, carrying a large roast on a platter.  Aya coughed and closed her little notebook, tucking the charcoal pencil behind her ear.

"I'm following up on a story, and I'd ask you to be quiet while I research."
"You're hiding outside of Madam Dodik's office..."
"Yes, because, ah!  There, coming down the stairs!"

The Hammerer Postrose slouched down the steps, his ropes swirling around his feet.  He carried his hammer in both hands, the gems and designs glittering in the torchlight.  Aya began mumbling to herself, frantically scribbling in her now-opened notebook, but with a shriek she was tugged backwards.

"You can't be spying on Madam Dodik!" Mookie hissed. 
"Hey, HEY!  Let go!  This is IMPORTANT!" 

Postrose spared them a single glance, a pair of tarts wrestling out front of the whore-chambers.  His attention waning, he turned and opened the door to the office, stepping inside unannounced.

***

"Ah, you're both here.  Excellent."
"Err, Hammerer, how unexpected," Madam Dodik said, her face paling. 
"Yes.  You're hard to find, I'm sure you know.  We have to talk.  About securities."

"There's nothing to talk about, then.  Security as at it's highest," Rinsesilver said quietly. 
"Not for your little establishment.  For the fortress itself.  Since arriving, I've heard some interesting things about... terrorists.  How absurd, yes?  Terrorists!  Where could one hide within our sanctuary and not be caught... and as I thought it over, it dawned on me.  One would hide outside, away from prying eyes.  Perhaps somewhere outside the prying eyes of the law. 
"Perhaps the propriators don't know of any such vermin hiding in their little homes.  That is always a case - or maybe they do, and are just ... scared of repercussions.  I can respect that.  If information is given that can lead to finding these villians, why, that would be seen as a very favorable action."

Rinsesilver started to open her mouth, but closed it.  She glanced at Madam Dodik, eyes narrowed, lips pursed, on the verge of speaking anyway.  Madam Dodik looked miserable.  Her eyes downcast, she rung her hands together, chewing on her lower lip.  Eventually, she gave the smallest of nods.  Rinsesilver looked as if she would explode from glee.

"Stravitch," She said.  "He's harboring the terrorists.  Or he is the terrorist.  It doesn't matter - Stravitch Fillwhip is the man you're after."
"Mmm, that's a lofty accusation.  And how have you come by this information?"
"My... associates have seen him with their own eyes.  A burly dwarf, a miners build, wearing a steel wielding mask - he stole from us, and from the caravans, and was aided by the Good Captain."
"And you would be willing to testify before the nobility with such information?"

Postrose was met with silence.  His smile was thin and grim, his dark eyes glittering.  "Oh, I see how it is... wanting to protect yourselves, something illicit was being done when you met this unfortunate soul... well, perhaps as a worshiper of the lady Zefon - however dubious her existence my be - I should examine the other churches in the area, pay tribute to the other Gods that contend for my prayers.  Thank you, for your time."

[Jim Groovester]

I like this Hammerer. He goes straight for the dark underbelly of Migrursut, and seeks to tear out the dark heart from within, by force, if necessary.

Can he stand up to Stravitch, though?

Probably not.

[Heavy Flak]

The events of the 4^th of Limestone, 1070

Sgt. Pepper, and Stravitch's bulk took up considerable amount of room in the small underground bunker.  Stravitch lounged in a chair tilted onto it's back legs, his feet propped up against the wall.  Sgt. Pepper sat at the edge of an ornate coffin, cleaning meat from the Dread Camel's out from under his nails while Archin rubbed at the back of his neck.  Telamon sat at a desk, drumming his fingers upon the stone surface, his eyes gleaming behind the wielding mask he wore. 

"How's th'procurment of booze goin'?" Telamon asked quietly.
"Decently," Archin said.  "I skim a barrel off the loads for the military with lovey's help, and since I'm back to working in the gardens, I have access to the storage.  We've been piling it all in the pois- in the Temple of Lenod."
"An' yer alright w'this?" Telamon asked, glancing towards Stravitch.

The old goat glared at him, slowly folding his arms over his chest.  "Of course I'm not alright with it.  Total travesty is what it is, an ... an effacement of the one true God in this damnable desert."
"I believe you mean defacement" Sgt. Pepper pointed out. 
"I don't give a damn what the word is," Stravitch barked, "I care that it's bein' done, I ain't allowed to drink any of it, and that if anyone searches the damned place I'm most likely going to have to murder them to keep it from being reported to the new Baron, or Aryn and his lackey, or Sulari for theft of military goods."

"Why dunnae' ya' two leave," Telamon suggested.  Archin thought this over for a minute, and nodded.  She and her partner left, Sgt. Pepper's shoulder plates scraping the smoothed walls as he squeezed down the passage.  Telamon cleared his throat, his voice harsher.  "Dunnae tell me yer' gettin' cold feet 'bout the whole feckin' thing.  Tis' not th'time."
"It's one thing to blow up parts of the fortress, to damage Aryn.  It's another to cause strife with the nobility.  A whole nother to stick it in the craw of those damnable fishers that abandoned you - Us! - in our time of need, but to make my temple a possible death-trap?"

"It already is, ya' daft fool, ya' built it outa' cinnabar, that'll rot yer' feckin' brains and lungs if ya' inhale any of it."
"I'm through with this plan," Stravitch snapped.  The feet of the chair creaked as they slid across the floor.  Heavy boots slammed into the stone floor.  "You need some help bustin' skulls?  Fine.  You want to gather some wealth from the fishers?  We'll go tear up Dodik's now, haven't been in there for years thanks to her ban.  But I'm not puttin' up with this in MY temple."

"Ya'rn't now?" Telamon said, bemused.
"No.  I've put up with your shenanigans and your plots for years, and this is goin' too far."
"It's only goin' too far, 'cause it's somethin' a'yers risked to fer' once.  I coulda' lost my life on that trapped excursion I was sent on.  By wits an' luck, I got back here.  Go get a drink, friend, and think this over.  You'll see I'm right - we can fill Oceansbled wi' a great temple when we take it over - it's our little oyster bein' built down there, and we can fill it to the brim with sweet, sweet pearls if you'll just listen t'me."

[Vactor]

although i knew it was coming i must *GASP*

[Argonnek]

I wonder how "Telamon" got back.

[Maggarg - Eater of chicke]

 
I wasn't expecting that.