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[Heavy Flak]

The events of the 21st of Granite, 1062

"Mister Estetar," Diplomat Deerowl began happily.  Her voice was strong and melodious, the standard for the elven race.  Dressed in the finest silks of her forest home, she sat at the table in the Duchess's room, across from Duchess Rocksmortal and Aryn.  "We of the higher races have been very pleased indeed with your ability to keep to our sanctions."

"Of course!  We would do nothing that might keep us from being honored with your presence," Aryn said, his normal tones of disdain dropped.  The Duchess was shocked at this about-face, at the almost sniveling way Aryn fawned on the Diplomat.  "Our haulers are bringing goods to the trade depot as we speak and I'm certain you'll find their quality - and their make! - to be to your liking."

"I'm sure we will, at that," Said the Diplomat with a smile.  "Now, let us discuss this years sanctions... what with your forests being so prized, so full of life, we couldn't bare to let you harm more than ... say, a hundred of our tree-kin?"

The Duchess could no longer hold her tongue.  "This is absurd.  Were you aware of your surroundings when you came upon this fort or were you blinded by the silk screens in your litter?  There isn't a tree for almost a hundred leagues, and those are in YOUR forest! What foolishness to-"

"Quiet, Noble," Aryn hissed.  His eyes darted in her direction, anger flashing in them. "The Elves of Ilecavcalovi have been honored guests of this fortress for over a decade now and I've had the pleasure of dealing with them far in the past.  I'd warn you to hold your tongue."

"So well spoken," crooned the Diplomat.  "Please, control your short temper Duchess.  You're attendance is perfunctory, the real person of interest is our Dear Aryn here.  Now if you'd be so kind,"

With a noise of disgust, the Duchess rose from her chair.  "I'm ... sorry.  I have something important to oversee in the workshops.  I'll leave you two to your talks."

They paid her no mind as she stormed out, continuing with their discussion in private.

***

"Archin!  Back!" Johnny shouted, an arrow whizzing by his face to clatter against the rock wall behind him.  The goblin ambushers had caught them unaware, and while Sulari and her Axe's were tending to the goblin axemen on the slopes, their Bowman leader had snuck past.  He was laughing, his terrible face screwed up as he took his potshots at the scattering Dwarves.  "Get back t'the fortress, I'll ... I'll take carra' this one."

"No, Johnny!  C'mon, we can out run him, we'll let Sulari take him down."

Another arrow clanged off the rock.  Johnny shook his head quickly, waving a hand back behind him.  "Jus' feckin' go!  Ya' can outrun him, but not his Arrows!"

Archin paused for just a second, weighing her options.  With a shout of "good luck!" she turned, sprinting towards the stairs.  Johnny waited until the goblin loosed the string before charging forward, his pick held high above his head with both hands.  He miscalculated the Goblin's speed, another arrow flying at him as he neared.

The metal sank into his right hand, forcing a grunt of pain from his lips.  It went cleanly through, embedding itself into the haft, pinning his hand to it.  Trying to notch another arrow, the goblin's left elbow was shattered with the blunt end of the pick.  

Screeching, the goblin tried to back peddle but caught his foot on a rock.  As he toppled, Johnny's pick came down hard, piercing through his thigh.  Returning the favor, it was embedded into the ground, pinning the hapless goblin.  Cursing and fighting with his stuck hand, Johnny twisted the pick around to try and free it, kicking at the goblin as he tugged on the haft.   Torrents of blood gushed out from the arterial wound, and gibbering and thrashing, the goblin bled out.

Falling backwards, Johnny managed to pop the pick from the ground finally.  Breathing hard, he stared at his hand, closing his eyes as he grabbed the arrow by the shaft.  With a hard scream, he snapped it in the center and slowly pulled his hand backwards.  Slowly, he tore his shirt with his teeth, making a small bandage to wrap around the bleeding hand.  

"Jus' feckin' great," He said to no one.  Standing up, he wiped his forehead, giving the goblin corpse one last kick, "Ah'm not even safe out here..."

[ May 28, 2008: Message edited by: Heavy Flak ]

[Kuli]

I love the way you handle the elves, and how Aryn sucks up to them.  I find it highly amusing.  That sort of thing happened at Zoden Zefon, too, where there weren't any trees.
"We demand you not cut down any more than 100 trees this year."
"You got yerself a deal, elfy!"

Can you please post the solution to the cipher?  I want to be able to learn from it.

[ May 28, 2008: Message edited by: Kuli ]

[Heavy Flak]

quote:Originally posted by Kuli:
<STRONG>I love the way you handle the elves, and how Aryn sucks up to them.  I find it highly amusing.  That sort of thing happened at Zoden Zefon, too, where there weren't any trees.
"We demand you not cut down any more than 100 trees this year."
"You got yerself a deal, elfy!"

Can you please post the solution to the cipher?  I want to be able to learn from it.

[ May 28, 2008: Message edited by: Kuli ]</STRONG>

You've got it chief!  I'm going to leave the cryptogram encrypted because for story purposes, it will be solved eventually.  However, I'm fine posting the solution and if you'd like to work out for yourself what the message is, by all means, have at it.  I just request you refrain from posting the answer for those who want to wait until it pops up In Game.

I used the bifid encryption scheme, which is based off of the polybius square.  The two keys I gave were what I had hoped would be both a small clue as to what type it would be (with the bi in the name and all), and a way to give you guys more letters in the square.  This is what the square looked like:

code:

  1 2 3 4 5
1 F L A S H
2 V E X P N
3 J B K I Y
4 O T Q D C
5 G M W R U

Because of the encryption scheme, each block of text was run through the bifid.  That means that the first block doesn't actually affect the second and so on.  I'll demonstrate on the first block of text.

code:

Step 1: Figure out what the letters are as numbers
S  U  U  U  P
14 55 55 55 24
Step 2: Combine all the numbers without spaces, then cut into half and drop down
14555
55524
Step 3: Read down the columns, and figure out the corresponding letter
H  C  U  M  R
15 45 55 52 54

Lastly, because I'm a jerk, I reversed each word in the puzzle.  That leaves us with

"MUCH R" as the first block of text once it's been decrypted and mirrored.  Most of the blocks, because of the 5 letter size, turned out to be total gibberish unless the whole puzzle was looked at together.  With that in mind, I made sure there were four blocks that were correct five letter words that hadn't been broken up so hopefully they could be seen in reverse.

EDIT: Thanks Rice for pointing that out, I keep using quotes where I should use code

[ May 28, 2008: Message edited by: Heavy Flak ]

[ricemastah]

code:

 
  1 2 3 4 5
1 F L A S H
2 V E X P N
3 J B K I Y
4 O T Q D C
5 G M W R U 

I believe that should make it readable

[ricemastah]

EDIT: Man I'm stupid... Electrum I didn't post nothing

[ May 29, 2008: Message edited by: ricemastah ]

[Electrum]

quote:Originally posted by Heavy Flak:
<STRONG>
Lastly, because I'm a jerk, I reversed each word in the puzzle.  That leaves us with
</STRONG>

*buries face in hands* Agh! At least I know now that I'd interpreted the clues correctly, I just couldn't figure out the letters that made up the rest of the table. I gave up on it eventually since it was producing nothing but gibberish, and thought you were being more evil than you actually were. So I went on to foursquare cyphers, since it did say "multiple squares" and I thought the cypher might actually be just 21 letter pairs, the UUU serving the same role as the XXX in the previous one.

Or maybe you weren't a jerk, but a sucker for "Sup, nymphs?" jokes. Regardlessly, I'll get you next time, Mr. Flak.  

[Electrum]

Mhh? Who mentioned anything about posting something?

[ May 29, 2008: Message edited by: Electrum ]

[Heavy Flak]

From the journal of Johnny Fountainspring
25th of Granite, 1062

Being put on bed rest for my perforated hand has been a bit of a godsend.  I'm finally able to unwind and relax a little, and it's apparent, going over my actions and journals of late, that I've been dangerously close to the edge.  Having my Fishery Workers doting on me hand and foot is a stellar way to spend my time, and Stravitch has been instructed, on pain of death, to trade only the elf-friendly goods.  Regardless of how many of the pointy eared bastards he's killed their only here to trade, and we're only here to turn a profit.

Sulari came to visit and check on my hand, and it was then I noticed the small white strand of cloth, dotted with blood, tied around her upper arm.  In jest, I asked if one of the recruits managed to get in a "killing blow", and much to my surprise she told me another ambush hit, a full squad of Goblin Bowmen.  Before she could get down there, a miner and a mechanic were both filled with arrows.  According to her, the saddest thing about the attack was the mechanic's death.  he's a father of seven and with his wife a lowly clerk there could be issues with housing for them.  

To that, I say good riddance.  There are too many children underfoot already, and perhaps one or two starving out will lead to less noise in our halls.  

Or, perhaps, I could get into the meal-making business, selling gruel to the unfortunate... Hmm... now there's an idea...

[Heavy Flak]

From the files of Aryn Estetar
25th of Slate, 1062

Deerowl has left the fortress, and on some level I'm sorry to see her go.  Her grace, her cleanliness, her eye for real aesthetics were such a change from the ... the standard that I've learned to deal with.

We've got quiet the bounty of all natural, free range logs this year.  These, of course, were euthanized in a humane fashion, their wooden corpses treated with the utmost respect.  Perhaps we mountain folk can learn something from our woodland brethren - though out here, I'd sell out ever Dwarf that's in my charge to just get a patch of grass, a shrub, to... By the Blood Red Sun God, I'd kill one of them myself for a single day of rain.  

Rice and Lucy have taken to the idea of an eastern roadway with outposts like camel bones to sand dunes, and they're already drafting up plans.  Rice has seemed burnt out lately, his workdays filled with beautifying projects in the courtyard and getting back to his roots of building actual walls seems to have cheered him up.  That, or scraping up enough money to move into the Duchess's old room.  It's larger than the one he's in now and with the Duchess having been pushed to the large rooms by the barracks for "safe keeping", I saw no reason at all to deny him this further upgrade.  

Much talk has been made of Dodik-Come-Lately's, which is slowly beginning to pick up what seems to be a steady clientèle of our young soldiers and guardsmen.  There's talk she's taken on a half-blind human missing half his legs but I've yet to see this oddity, and frankly, there isn't any way I could care less about who she hires or who visits - including the Budseal brats, now that their supervision has been splattered all over that worthless temple.

No, this in itself isn't, and has never been, an issue.  If anyone in this hellpit deserves some happiness, it's the Dwarves who are keeping me from getting the Double Smile from a goblin assassin.  What bothers me is that by basing itself outside of the fortress gates, that drab hussy and her harlots have effectively created a tax-free zone.  Yes, I could take my cut from their earnings, but in doing so that raven-haired slut would increase her rates, and the soldiers would pay more for their services... something that would get back to ME.

[ May 30, 2008: Message edited by: Heavy Flak ]

[Kuli]

From the memoirs of Kuli Problemwalled.

We stood before the goblin dark fortress debating how to approach it.  Kogan favored sneaking in silently so we might find the temple without needless fighting.  Erush favored a bolder plan, suggesting that we simply charge in and cut down any foul creaure that stood in our way.  It was Erush's plan that I chose.  Perhaps it was not the more intelligent approach, but all I could think about was the words on the altar - "Fight evil."  I gripped the masterful adamantine sword and trusted in the power of Zefon to guide me in battle.

We marched steadily at the dark hole that was the entrance to the obsidian castle.  Several goblins outside spotted our group and immediately attacked.  They had not been expecting an invasion, however, and many of them were not even armed.  The goblins fell easily to Erush's axe, Kogan's hammer, and my sword, thus boosting our confidence.

By the time we reached the entrance, the whole fortress had been alerted to our presence and we began to face some real resistance.  An entire mob of armed goblins greeted us as we stepped over the threshold into the dark castle.

Things quickly became confusing as we were swarmed by dozens of goblins all at once.  I lost track of Kogan and Erush as I too focused on fending off the goblins that had surrounded me.  Kogan disappeared from my sight completely and I know not where he went after that.  Several minutes later I did manage to catch a glimpse of Erush.  She was slumped against a wall with a goblin sword buried in her chest.

Strangely, I had no reaction to Erush's death.  All feeling and thought had escaped my mind, replaced by one blinding and overriding prerogative:

Fight evil!  Destroy evil!

The goblin mob thinned out over time.  My adamantine sword rended goblin iron, goblin flesh and goblin bone with the utmost ease until I was the only living thing left in the room.  Forgetting Erush's body and the missing Kogan, I charged deeper into the castle slaying every poor green-skinned creature that had the misfortune of entering my sight.

Eventually I found my way to a large, open courtyard in the middle of which stood a short tower.  On every inch of the tower was engraved images of demons, goblins worshipping the demons, and goblins conducting foul rituals.  There could be no mistake - this was the temple the humans had mentioned.  A small bit of rationality returned to me as I looked at the temple.  I remembered Kogan's original plan and I decided to stealthily sneak into the temple so I could find and slay the demon without any more interruptions.

I crept toward the temple which appeared to be empty on the ground floor.  I entered and made my way up the stairs to the higher floors.  All was dark and eerily silent.  In the middle of temple was a pit which led all the way back to the ground floor, and I made every effort to stay away from its edge.  Just when it seemed that I had explored every corner of the temple only to find it completely empty, a cold and bone-chilling voice called out to me.

A goblin stepped out of the shadows toward me.  He was dressed in ostentatious clothes woven of giant cave spider silk decorated with various gems.  Perched on his head was a tall black hat with an image of a demon woven into it.  The goblin spoke again, identifying himself as Ngoso Onestotho the high priest of "The Sanctuary of Plagues."  The goblin priest demanded to know why I had come to his temple.  My emotions returned then, for I felt a profound fear of his cold voice.  For a few moments I was too frightened to respond.  Then I suddenly blurted out an answer without thinking.

I said I had come to find Olsmo.

The priest laughed with a laughter that was even more chilling than his voice.  After a few moments he turned serious again and told me not to interfere with things I did not understand.  Regaining some of my courage just then, I raised my sword to strike down this creature that stood in the way of my mission.  However, I had hardly taken a step toward the priest when he muttered a chant and a ball of dark energy shot from his hands.  I barely dodged in time, but I was driven back.  The priest began chanting again and I realized I would never get close enough to use my sword.  Then I remembered my other weapon.  Quickly I grasped the masterful adamantine spear and hurled it at the priest with all of my strength.

My aim was true and the goblin priest was struck down instantly.  I ran forward to retrieve the spear and check to make sure the goblin was truly dead.  Just as I grasped the spear, however, there was a great noise around me.  All of a sudden dozens of goblins poured out of the shadows.  I was surrounded in moments and was being attacked on all sides.  I defended myself with my sword but I was gradually being pushed back - back toward the pit.  When I reached the edge I was forced to dodge a goblin spearthrust, and before I knew it I was in the air.  I fell.  Then I hit the ground.  Hard.

As I lied on the floor of the dark temple I saw an engraving.  It was an image of a demon and a dwarf.  The demon was laughing.  The dwarf was dead.  That was what I saw before I lost consciousness and I knew no more after that.

I awoke in a bed.  I recognized the room as the human tavern where we had stayed the day before.  Standing over me was Kogan who bore some minor injuries but looked to be in good condition.  He explained how he found me unconscious surrounded by goblins, and how he managed to drive them back long enough to carry me away and escape from the dark fortress.  Kogan said I was lucky to be alive.  Was I alive?  I felt like I had died, or at least deserved to be dead.  I had allowed a mad obsession to control me, and I had lead Erush to her death.  Although she was one of the faithful I doubted she could ever be reborn having died in the very heart of evil, and there was no telling what the goblins would do with her body.  A great despair washed over me as I realized how wrong I had been about my supposed "divine mission."

I stayed in the human town for several days, despondent to everything around me.  Kogan tried to pray with me and lift my spirits, but I ignored him and he eventually went back to the mountainhomes on his own.  After some time I decided to return to Zoden Zefon to seek some answers.

I marched through the desert in a daze and I soon found myself in front of the House of Zefon again.  I entered the cathedral and knelt before the great fountain to pray to Zefon.  How could I have been so wrong?  Had I misinterpreted the message on the altar?  Was I at fault for Erush's death?  I prayed for hours, but no answers came.  I could no longer feel the love of Zefon.  I stood up and simply stared at the old stagnant waters of the baptismal fountain for a while.  Feelings of guilt and despair assaulted me until ultimately I felt nothing but a dull sense of numbness.

I jumped into the fountain, intending to drown myself.  As I began to pass out from lack of oxygen, my only thought was that I probably deserved a more painful death.  But then something happened.

A miracle occurred.

I suddenly found myself gasping for air as I regained consciousness.  The stagnant water had turned clear and fresh.  All of my despair and guilt was washed away and once again I could feel the love of Zefon.  At that moment I was born again.

I understood everything I had done wrong.  I had been far too literal in my thinking.  Nothing can be gained from destruction.  My mission was to restore the faith, not participate in a bloodbath.  The true way to fight evil is to spread the love of Zefon so that no one will have to fear death.  I pulled myself out of the fountain, understanding clearly the message of Zefon for the first time.

Reinvigorated in my faith, I returned to the mountainhomes immediately with a sense of purpose.  My first act was to reclaim Master Logem's abandoned forge.  There, I melted down the adamantine weapons into wafers, which I then sold to the very same Duchess whose desire for adamantine had lead to Master Logem's death.  With the money I received I built a small chapel and began gathering a congregation.  I also undertook a good deal missionary work, traveling from mountainhome to mountainhome spreading the word of Zefon.  Not only that, but I lead a number of pilgrimages to Zoden Zefon as well.  Because of my travels, many people took to calling me Bomellegon or "The Remarkable Wanderer."

But fame and reputation did not matter to me.  The only thing I cared about was restoring the faith, and because of my honest effort my congregation began to grow.  Still, I was left with the feeling that there was something else I could do, some possibility I had not yet considered that would strengthen the faith.

One day, a certain Aryn Estetar came to the mountainhall where I lived.  He preached wild stories about a "utopia in the wastes" and I could not help but think of Zoden Zefon - a pure jewel amidst a harsh desert.  That was when I realized what I needed to do.  I would go with this Aryn Estetar to seek a new life and a new home.  There I would build a new House of Zefon and the faith would truly be reborn.  At last Master Logem's dream would be fulfilled, and I would not let any hardship or opposition stop me from achieving it.

And that is all there is worth writing about my life before coming to Migrursut.  Everything after that should already be quite well known.  I thank you for reading.  May Zefon's love go with you.

[Heavy Flak]

The events of the 24th of Felsite, 1062

ThEy'RE lAuGhINg at yOU
"What?"
aLl of tHEm, SEE thEM oUtSIdE, OUt tHE wINdOwS?
"Yes... but those are my friends..."
HAhaHAhahA, tHey'VE bEEn MoCKinG yOu. PuNIsH tHEm
"Are you sure?"
YeS, PUnISh ThEM.  WhAT haVE thEy DoNE to HelP yOU?
"Nothing..."
THaT's RiGHt.  ShoW THem.  shOW theM alL.

***

While the other Dwarves slept, Sulari was on constant patrol.  With attacks on the rise and Dwarves dying in two's and three's each season, it was imperative the others were able to live their lives safely and without incident.  

Tonight, while moving from the south to the west through the court yard, she saw a light on in the Temple.  A curious affair, as Kuli had taken to sleeping in the common halls and Vash generally across the billows of his furnace.  And here light, faint but there, was spilling through the stained glass by the large oak doors.  

Tip-toeing across the bridge, Sulari leaned over the water and peered through the windows, her eyes growing wide in horror.  A horse was dead inside, blood smearing the floor of the temple in ancient, evil patterns.  Tendrils snaked out towards the watery eyes of the mosaic, leading towards the lone Dwarf, kneeling there.  Her hands were wrapped around the throat of a foal, and with little effort she jerked her right hand back, ripping it out completely.  

Seconds later, the door to the temple was thrown open wide.  Sulari stood in the frame, her axe in hand.  "Stop, Heathen!" she called.  "In the name of the Fenced Lakes, I'm placing you under arrest.  Raise your arms fiend, and come quietly."

The Dwarf rose from the floor in one quick motion, a shudder running down Sulari's spine.  She moved... unnaturally, her arms and back spasming and twitching.  When she turned, a wide cruel grin plastered on her face.  Sulari's gaze was drawn up higher, to the fully-white eyes, twitching in the sockets.

Her resolve was momentarily broken as she recognized the Dwarf before her.  It was Stukos the glassmaker.  And here she stood, twitching and leering, her eyes rolling in her head, mouth and beard coated with horses blood.  After all the killing she had done, Goblin, zombie scorpions, skeletal jaguars and dread camels, the simple thought of horror at the condition of her fellow Dwarf was a small comfort that there was still specks of humanity left in her soul.  

It was these specks that allowed Stukos to rush her, sending her sprawling to the floor.  The possessed glassmaker wrapped her fingers around Sulari's throat, nails raking at the skin as she began to tighten her grip around the champion's windpipe.  

Starbursts exploding in her peripheral vision, Sulari groped with her right hand at the ground beside her.  She found the hilt of her axe and swung her arm upwards, the razor-sharp blade singing through the air.  

Though the Glassmakers head landed on the floor beside her, it took nearly a minute before the hands at her throat slackened.  The floor, and Sulari, were coated in blood, another thick spurt of red splattering the tiles as she kicked the corpse off of her.  Shuddering in disgust, she quickly walked from the temple.  

The report of this incident could wait.  She needed to clean the blood of the possessed off of her, she felt foul already.

***

OOC: Kuli, I'm really impressed with how your story turned out.  Stellar work!  I've been meaning to ask, would you want me to put Kuli through a crash-course with sword and spear?  Not enough to get legendary, but a few levels to show the work that he's done in the past?  If you want to say his skills have degraded after his turn to peace, that is fine too, I'm just looking to keep options open.

For the record, Glassmaker Stukos got possessed in the early spring.  Instead of claiming a workshop, she spent her entire time standing in the center of the temple unmoving.

[Kuli]

Sure, go ahead and train Kuli with some weapon skill if you want.  Only swords, though.  Kuli never had any spear skill, just spear-throwing skill.  Just please don't let him get badly hurt training.

In my adv-mode game, Kuli never got above Proficient Swordsdwarf.  So his skill level should be at that level or lower.

[ May 30, 2008: Message edited by: Kuli ]

[Kuli]

From the memoirs of Kuli the forum poster, not the dwarf guy.

Here's a little post-story bonus content.

I had a rough outline of how I wanted the story to go before I even started.  The hard part was just getting an adventure mode game to line up with my intentions so I could get some appropriate in-game images.  My original intention was to end the story with Kuli fighting a demon instead of a goblin priest, but things didn't quite go as planned:

   

   

Where's your God now, Kuli Problemwalled?!

I didn't realize demons could fly and throw fireballs.  I thought it was just Spirits of Fire that did that.  Live and learn.  Well, in DF it's more like die and learn.

Speaking of death, it was always my intention to have either Kogan or Erush get killed.  I originally intended it to be Kogan, and when I generated him as an adventurer I made him drop all of his equipment except for his hammer before retiring him.  I was quite surprised when both he and Erush started killing gobbos with frightening efficiency.  I actually had to have Kuli murder one of them to accomplish my purposes.  I chose Erush because she was simply standing closer to me than Kogan was.  Poor girl!  I then had to murder Kogan too because he didn't appreciate having his friend stabbed in the chest with an adamantine sword.  The screenshot where Erush dies was doctored to make it look like a gobbo was responsible.  All of this will be our little secret, okay?!

[ May 31, 2008: Message edited by: Kuli ]

[Heavy Flak]

From the journal of Johnny Fountainspring
18th of Hematite, 1062

A month of "bed rest" was just what the doctor ordered.  In that time, I was able to better organize the fishers and work out a schedule with Stravitch.  Idols are selling like hotcakes, as always, but the real money, the REAL money, is in the military.

And why shouldn't it be?  These are hard times, and even though we've been blessed with a few years of peace with the elves and the Humans have been knocked down from their former glory, we must still contend with the goblins and their ilk.  Over the years they've grown over from the petty annoyance before, and it makes me sick to think that instead of working with them to deforest leagues of the HolyWoods, our time is spent working with the pointy-eared bastards.  If we have to suffer their pride, we might as well profit from the sale of ballistas, and swords, and shield.  

Though we live long lives, our brethren are quick to forget.  How can those in Nish Neth, or in Stukos Matul, or even in the far northern reaches of Lolumzasit, forget the decades of war with the elves Araliinefa?  How could they forget the hundreds of thousands of Dwarves murdered as they slept by Elven Assassins?  How can the elves forgive their forests burned, their women raped and gutted?  

Perhaps the elves haven't forgotten.  I hear they never do, that their senses of time are just warped compared to reality and that forgiveness is easier when you can't remember if the Dwarf your speaking to is the same from a century before.  But we have.  We have completely.  Perhaps selling them armor now will hurt us in the future, but I'd like to imagine that the money I make now will safeguard me from that eventual war.  

Take our Mayoral situation.  Melbil, daughter of Insane Likot, was elected after a sham race.  She grew bolder over time, eventually balking her mothers advice from the shadows, and began to make absurd demands.  "NO trading Iron!", "Construct Lead Crafts!", "No Trading Lead!"  This resulted in Likot staging another race, beating her daughter for the position.  And how did she win?  

Because the Dwarves who voted her, the goggle-and-mask wearing horror, into office had forgotten that only a few years earlier she was sentencing their kin left and right to hammerings.  They can only see The Now, of the Ex-Mayor making absurd demands and once she was beaten, starting a bar fight in Dodik-Come-Lately's.  She punched out one of Dodik's new "serving" girls and wrecked a table before Stravitch put a stop to it all.  

I've got a sure-fire fix for this situation.  If the Dwarves around me aren't willing to remember, I will for them, and I'll make sure that Mayor Likot and her brood will get what they deserve.

[Heavy Flak]

The Events of the 6th of Malachite, 1062

"Major DayCovering, do I have to continue working on the screw pumps?" asked Merkil.  He was covered in sweat, having spent the two weeks after his arrival working the pump almost without break.  Major ---- DayCovering, showing interest in something other than his horse shoes for the first time since he took up residence in the fortress, was now busying his days sleeping in a chair by his working apprentice.

Opening one eye, he peered suspiciously at the youth.  He pushed the cap on his head up with a thumb, slowly pulling out of his nap-time slouch.  "You need to build strength, then our training can begin."

Merkil dabbed at his forehead with a handkerchief, leaning heavily against the pump's arm.  Things just weren't turning out exactly as he had expected.  Having traveled from an outlying hall at the edge of Stukos Matul, Merkil was expecting to see royalty and high courts, justice done, a massive trading hall.  But what was here?  A mangled mountainside, an ants nest of hallways and rooms carved seemingly at random.  And where was Queen Risen?  Dead, he'd been told, after an accident that took her, her court, and her retainers.  

He'd wanted to join the Queen's Guard, using the hammer he'd swung back home to dispense The Queen's justice.  He'd been told by the old bear he now served under, "The only Guards are Aryn's personal jackboots.  Or Stravitch's broken and beaten peace keepers.  You're better off with me.  I'll show you the ropes.  We'll make it far together, you and I."

Oh, he'd made it far.  Three thousand revolutions in the past five hours...
   

***

"C'mon, Son!" Stravitch called over his shoulder.  "Yer' lolligagging is holding us back!"

Varen sighed, the spear he was dragging behind him drawing uneven, curved lines in the red sand.  Sergeant Towersacks spent the evenings with her child and her boyfriend, her instructions to her charge, "Listen to the Veterans.  We of the Spear need all the help we can get; Take their advice.  Do their bidding.  Learn from them, to bring honor to our profession."  

He followed her orders as directed, though he wasn't quite sure how getting drug to the brothel by the highest-ranked soldier in the Fortress would teach him how to better survive in battle.  

Walking through the petrified wood doors, they were immediately assailed with the smells of heavy incense and perfume, and meats being fried.  The bar was lively, multiple voices shouting and laughing from inside.  It seemed Ex-Mayor Melbil's tantrum and bar room brawl hadn't decreased the popularity of the brothel; if anything, it had increased thanks to the stories told.  
   

They passed the stunted oddity sitting in the chair, Stravitch waving his hand contemptuously in the bouncers direction.  He was making a bee-line for the large set of doors at the end of the hallway, and the attractive girl in front of them.  Her beard was in braids, a simple and small leather-and-bone outfit covering her.  She smiled demurely as he approached, giggling as he gave her a slap on the rump.

"You're eye's looking a lot better, Mookie.  I can't believe that Melbil caught you with that right hook."
"Well, it's thanks to you that she didn't do anything worse," purred the working girl.  
"Now how could I let her go and hurt you, huh?  Now c'mon.  I'm on leave and want to use it well."
   

As Stravitch vanished behind the doors with his girl, Varen sighed again.  He supposed he'd go and get a greasy meal at the bar and have a couple drinks, listening to the arguments over a card game.  He glanced over his shoulder towards the bored bouncer, stopping after a few paces.

He turned and stared at him, eyes narrowing.  He was ratty looking in his mottled leather armor, a thin line of stubble running along his jaw.  Long, unkempt hair was pulled back with a bandanna, weathered face asymmetrical thanks to the large eye patch.   Varen smiled faintly, remembering the old...

"Snake?"
The Bouncer snapped his gaze over quickly, the one good eye widening.
"...Snake?!"
He lifted his hand up, pressing a finger to his lips.  Varen silenced immediately, dread filling his stomach as one of the Hero's of Old, long missing, gestured towards the room beside his chair.

***

They sat in Snake's small room, taking turns pulling from a silver flask of whiskey.  Varen had listened to the story of his exile, how he'd been shaved and sent away for being a traitor, how Sulari had begged for him to be spared the hammer.  He talked of his years living by the river, living off of turtle meat and the occasional live camel that he could hunt.  

"I thought it would be easy to leave," He said softly.  He blew a plume of smoke, ashing into a small bowl on the table.  "I'd already sold the place out, I'd been caught, and it was Zefon's grace that I wasn't sent to sleep in the crypt.  But I couldn't, I just couldn't bring myself to cross that stream.  And no.  I hold you no ill will, you didn't know what you were bringing me."

Varen sighed, the question on his lips dying as Snake went ahead answering it.  Instead, he asked, "But... why did you do it?  Why did you send the nobles all that information?"

"Because Aryn is ruining this place.  He's power hungry, anyone can see that, but...I don't think he's all there.  He's selfish and has no honor.  He wasn't 'sparing my life', he thought he was giving me a prolonged execution.  I sent those messages to the Budseals because I was hoping that getting the nobility interested, they could come in and shape it up.  Reign him in.  Make sure nothing drastic happened, and ... look what it got us.  He had The Queen killed, and cared as much about doing it as he did leading cats to the butchers.

"Do me a favor, kid.  Don't let the others know I'm here.  They've already forgotten me, I can see it in their eyes when they walk in here to get their jollies.  That useless ass Sodel - my apprentice! - just sees me as the sawed-off human I've been posing as.  Years training him, and he doesn't even recognize my voice.  Just... just keep this between us, alright?  I make a decent living, I get room and board.  This is enough."

Varen nodded his consent.  "I, uh, I won't say anything to the others.  But I hope you don't mind if I talk with you when Captain Stravitch drags me here.  You were a legend, and Sergeant Towersacks instructed I needed to learn from the Veterans we had on hand.  Who better than you?"

Snake laughed, snuffing out his cigarette.  "That would be fine, kid.  If you want to learn how to get your beard hacked off and your ass kicked out of your home, I'd be the right Dwarf to teach it to ya'."

[ June 01, 2008: Message edited by: Heavy Flak ]