Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Kagus]

What a fitting message to be hidden inside a cipher that wasn't cracked...

[Xofrevlis]

OMG. I guessed right. She lives again.. The horror.

I'm silently hoping for a new drawing. The undead Likot..

Well I was thinking about it before, but now I almost feel obligated. 

Xofrevlis: Awesome work, absolutely awesome!  I've got to admit, when I think "mace", I think of the cartoonish round spiky thing stuffed onto the end of a stick, but the one you've given Stravitch seems more realistic and much more menacing.  I'm absolutely flattered you like this story enough to spend time drawing characters from it  

From what I've gathered, if it has spikes it's technically a morning star, but they're pretty closely related as far as weapons go.
And I'm just glad my drawings appear to be holding up to your story. I'd been in a bit of a drawing rut, but it looks like drawing something different from the usual is slowly getting me out of it.

I have some other stuff to catch up on at the moment, but I'll try to get a drawing done before monday. ...Of course, I'm mostly setting a deadline because if I don't I'll end up doing something silly to waste time, like trying to beat Kaizo Mario World 2 or making a fortress out of glass. 

[Zako]

Hi! I just joined recently and i was wondering if you can name a male dwarf for me!

If you can, call him Zak and make him a x-bow user! He should be emotionally tough yet compassionate, and have a quiver if possible.

Great thread, keep it up!

[Makrond]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

So how do you solve it, with the letters mixed up like I had it?  You make it easier.  Think back to your algebra classes, where you make a hard equation simpler by assigning repetitious parts single-letters.  Assign a single letter to each group of five A's and B's. 

a        b        c        d       e          f   
BAAAB AAABB BAAAA ABBAB AAAAA BABBA

g         h       g        e         j         k        g
AAAAB AABBA AAAAB AAAAA ABABA ABBBA AAAAB

That gives you, with the character break:

ABC DEFG HGEJ KG

From  here, it's little more than running a substitution to get:

YOU HAVE BEAT ME

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

...The hell?! How were we supposed to think of that?

The worst part is, I actually went through that step whilst looking for patterns, except I used numbers instead... I can't believe I didn't think of using letters... Grr...

[Heavy Flak]

Insomnia has hit me hard, bringing with it the joy of never sleeping and the pain of never sleeping.  So, I'll take the time to respond to a couple posts!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

...The hell?! How were we supposed to think of that?

The worst part is, I actually went through that step whilst looking for patterns, except I used numbers instead... I can't believe I didn't think of using letters... Grr...

I was trying to push you guys in that direction.  The biggest hint I gave out was something ham fisted, like, "I think everyone is tired of looking at A's and B's."  In my mind, that was a gentle push towards the right direction.  Numbers would have worked I believe, but for me at least they would have been harder to read.

Zako: I'll add you to the list of those waiting for Dwarves.  I'm quite sure Sparrow will be happy to have someone join him in any future marksdwarves squad.

Xofrevlis: Hehe, there's a little more of my ignorance coming through, I suppose.  I've always thought Morning Stars were the balls on chains with the spikes at the end, though... I suppose those are just weighted flails. 

Kagus: That message IS a little mocking, isn't it?  My reputation as a jerk should hopefully keep standing, then

[Jools]

Bah! They killed those poor horses. If I find out who did that, I'll... I'll... I'll not be very nice to them.

Bringing Likot back is a very cool move.

With the cypher, doh! I must try not to read too much into the next one, and hence let slip devilish ideas for future ones. But would it be possible to have a bit more of a message to crack with the next one? 10 different characters in a 13-character message isn't a lot to play with or guess from...

[Heavy Flak]

Bah! They killed those poor horses. If I find out who did that, I'll... I'll... I'll not be very nice to them.

Bringing Likot back is a very cool move.

With the cypher, doh! I must try not to read too much into the next one, and hence let slip devilish ideas for future ones. But would it be possible to have a bit more of a message to crack with the next one? 10 different characters in a 13-character message isn't a lot to play with or guess from...

You're absolutely right on that.  As I was mocking Stravitch and working it out myself, and seeing just how few letters repeated ... well, yeah.  10 unique letters out of thirteen ISN'T much to go on at all.  From now on, I'll give you all more a message to help you all out solving these.

It's so much easier writing these then solving them, I sometimes forget that the short ones are incredibly challenging. 

Edit: Oh, yeah - and with Sgt. Pepper and Valania back, along with Likot, I think I can be proud to say I'm the only community fortress that still has all it's named dwarves alive in Year 12! 

[Daniel Charms]

A major d'oh! from me as well. I totally had all the right ideas at one point or another (that the letter size doesn't really matter, and that it's simple substitution), but I never put two and two together. I actually tried rot13 on it, but since it didn't work, I just gave up.

[Heavy Flak]

The events of the 3^rd of Timber, 1063

Aryn and Duke Bomrek sat opposite each other in the Duke's study.  They drank coffee and snacked on little prickle berry tarts, though Aryn's remained untouched.  Across the room sat the Duke's wife, silent and unobtrusive as always, and beside the table, standing uncomfortably at attention was the mechanic Glacies. 

"I don't quite see what the problem is," The Duke said jovially.  "So we have some Mummers showing up, prancing about in their coats and masks.  Let them entertain, what is it us?  We have food enough for three more."

Aryn spoke, his voice muffled since his face was in his hands. "You don't understand.  This is a nightmare.  An absolute nightmare.  These aren't traveling fools, these are Dwarves that have been dead for years.  It was bad enough when Likot was alive..."
"I don't quite follow you, Aryn old chap.  You're saying these are corpses walking around, talking and eating our food?"
"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying!  Likot and Sgt. Pepper have been training alone and are out of the way, but Valania has demanded to take her post back in the Engravers Union, stealing half the workforce from Rice... and now we have six engravers who are terrified and sick as they follow behind the capering corpse.  If she thinks she can take back her position... Oh god, Likot might want the Mayors job back."

Aryn sat back heavily in his chair, eyes wide.   The Duke was unimpressed, stuffing another of the tarts into his mouth before wiping his hands off on his beard. "And I still don't see the problem.  You're saying she's dead?  Any Dwarf with the stones enough to ignore death should be allowed a spot of authority.  I've died before."

"...what?"
"Oh, yes.  At least" The Duke paused, looking towards the ceiling as he thought.  "At last three times, I'd wager.  Maybe more.  It's hard to keep track these days.  How did they go?"
"Likot was ripped in half by a horde of zombie goblins; how she's standing I don't know.  Sergeant Pepper was trampled to death by a herd of Dread Camels-"
"Yes, I killed a good dozen of those before the missus and I hit your entranceway."
"-and Valania was given The Crimson Smile by some mustachioed thief before be blew himself up."
"Ahh, of course.  That happened to me once, a cannon misfire, took me days to get completely over it.  I spent nearly a week waiting for that hand to grow back."

"For the love of all the Gods, Old and New, can't you take this seriously!  We need to go into damage control.  First things first, I want you to start locking your doors at night, I can't swear that she or her honor guard won't go looking for trouble.  Secondly, if she DOES go for her mayors position again, killing Ineth Orbsbarb will also get rid of our book keeper... that can't happen, we need to know what our stocks and worth are.  Otherwise we'll get robbed blind by the next merchant that arrives.  They'll just ... misplace some crafts, or underestimate what our gears are worth.  That's where you come in, Glacies."

"Me, sir?" The Mechanic asked, startled.  He had been looking more and more lost as the two nobles talked, and being addressed brought him back to attention quickly.  A cold bead of sweat trickled down his temple.
"Yes.  You're our new book keeper.  You handled yourself well against those Camels, and the fact that you lived AND healed shows the kind of strength we need.  Finish your tasking for Lucy to get those pumps up and running, and then get to your new job as master of the hoard."

"W-...why, thank you, sir!  I'm honored you'd choo-"
"Yes.  Wonderful, now leave, and finish the pumps.  And do NOT run afoul of Likot, stay far away from her."
"I did before she was dead, sir."
"Then you're smarter than most.  Get to it."

As Glacies left the room, grinning at his promotion, he heard The Duke say something.  As he closed behind him, he heard the beginnings of yet another argument between Aryn and The Duke start - glad to not be a part of it.


***

edit: Oops, forgot to include Glacies profile!

[Heavy Flak]

The events of the 9^th of Timber, 1063

Dodik-Come-Lately's was abuzz with conversation, the tables filled with Dwarves drinking hearty, playing tiles, or waiting on the whores to free themselves up.  At one table sat Varen and Merkil, the former drug in by the Captain of the guard, the latter accompanying his friend in the few hours he had off after training. 

"So the old Captain comes barreling through the barracks," Varen started. "Dragging this screaming metalworker behind him.  The guy's gettin' locked up in the clink, and he starts trying to fight against him, which is ... is a bad move.  So Stravitch grabs the guy by the shirt and hauls him over to the screw pump, yanks the front away to give it some play, and stuffs this poor sods head in there between the threads and the wall.  He starts working the crank, and eventually the guy starts screaming again, sobbing, sayin' he'd be happier in jail.  He gets thrown in there with a huge hole in his head and a broken neck, then he grabs me to go get a drink and a whore..."

"I heard..." Merkil said, shuddering, "That the Duke saw his wife was pregnant, so he looked through her skin - no, don't look at me like that - he said he looked through her skin, saw the kid was going be weak, and shoved her down the stairs to toughen it up.  And the miscarriage she had from it?  Made him so mad he sentenced the first dwarf he saw to the jails."

Across the room, Erith and Istrath were discussing art - of the fine work the jeweler had been doing on the Bronze Collosus, and of the 'fine works' the Pornographer had been littering the fortress with. 

Erith took a heavy swig of beer, grimacing.  "I wish they'd just let me cover the fort with images of Sulari.  Now there's a tart you can't get enough of seeing, yeah?  Instead, Valania's back and is adding her chisel to the mix.  You know what she engraved the other day?  'The Dregs of Rising.'  It's a picture of Likot filling rotting goblins full of bolts, her entrails hanging out her stomach."

"I saw one the other day," Istrath said, smirking.  "It was an engraving of a heap of bodies, all wearing party hats and masquerade masks.  Stravitch was standing on them, his mace held high and a party hat on his head, and Queen Braidsabres was screaming and begging at his feet.  She titled it 'The Scandal of Celebration"... quite the sense of humor on that one..."

The conversations died as the door to the pub slammed open.  Mookie rushed in, out of breath, the food she'd been sent to get for Stravitch missing somewhere between the kitchen and the brothel.  Her face was flushed, bonnet askew.  Her voice rang out shrilly, in a panic, "Where's the sell-sword!  Why isn't he guarding the entrance?  Madam Dodik has been caught by the dreadcamels, she needs help!"

Chairs were knocked over in the patrons haste to stand, a tankard of ale clattering to the floor after a table was pushed a foot aside.  Varen was already grabbing for his spear, and Merkil cursed the fact that he knew the sell-sword had vanished to pilfer real drink from the storerooms.  The Dwarves rushed to the door to aid, but they were stopped in their tracks by the soft scrape of steel on stone. 

The Madam rounded the corner, a heavy wood-splitting ax dragging at her feet.  She looked tired, her wide-bottomed black dress streaked with dirt.  Bits of meat clung to the blade. 

"When the sell-sword returns, have him sent to me at once.  Miss Mookie, go fetch the Captain one of Dojango's most impressive meals on my tab to thank him for waiting patiently.  You all?  So sweet to think to come to my rescue," her lips spread into a wide smile, and she hefted her ax on high - the first hint of real joy on the generally dour Madam's face.  "But I was trained as a wood cutter first, a wood carver second, and a wood worker third.  But in appreciation, the next round of drinks is on the house."

The roar of approval was deafening.  For Dodik-Come-Lately, a poor girl who arrived without friend or family and an obsolete profession, this approval from so many was more intoxicating than any of the liquors in her stores.

[Heavy Flak]

From the notes of Bertrand the Mad
21^st of Timber, 1063

That no one is more distraught about the resurrection and assimilation of three of their neighbors is the most terrifying thing of all.  What has become of us, as a society?  If this was to happen in any of the human settlements, if their aged mayor, ripped apart weeks previous by a pack of wolves was shuffle back into town and start making demands like nothing had happened, he'd be set upon with torches and pitchforks!

Our sanity should be called into question when, instead of acting rationally, we've taken walking corpses back.  The only offense taken is that someone may be put out of a job, and that the engravers are being forced to work  harder by a corpse than by a pornographer...

I don't know if they will be coming for me.  I've been spending less time in my lab, it's door locked, it's torches put out.  With the failure of the halfbreeds to be used as automate, we did indeed try bringing a Dwarf back from the grave.  After robbing the tombs and seeing the dried conditions of the corpses, it was a Godsend when Likot was killed, and it was nothing to secret away her body from the scene of battle.  Akroma is handy with a needle and thread, and Dojango surprisingly efficient with splint and twine, and in less than a days time she was sewn together, her broken bones on the mend.

She must have been biding her time on that table until she had been fully patched up, her innards stuffed with powder.  And then she hauls off the corpses of her fellows and a bucket of the powder... and brings them back to. 

Johnny hasn't been seen in weeks now, and the rumors are he's either been killed by Likot herself, or he's in hiding from her.  If the second is true, I feel he has the right of it... I plan to spend as little time outside of my room as possible.  My assisstants have been trying to no end to "meet with me", but after seeing them at the edge of the pond chanting... I'm just not sure if I trust them anymore.  What do they know?  What have they been seeing in their dreams...

[Kuli]

Bertrand doesn't seem to acknowledge that he's the cause of all this.  At least a regular Philosopher would just harmlessly take up space and nothing more.

[Kagus]

Ah, the timeless rift between science and religion...

[Heavy Flak]

The events of the 10^th of Moonstone, 1063

Glacies sat at his "desk", head in his hands.  Since being promoted to the Master of the Hoard, his stress levels had increased tenfold.  Unwilling to give him even the smallest of seats in his room, Glacies had taken up position in the mess hall, the tables in front of and beside him covered in ledgers and loose sheafs of paper.  He talked quietly to himself, his pen scratching endlessly on the paper.

"Oh, by Lenod's fiery rage, do we honestly have twenty-thousand rough stones to count and cataloge?  Where do we even keep them all?   Oh, this is going to be a long week, maybe I need an apprentice..."

His thoughts were interrupted by a clearing of a throat beside him.  Looking up, he saw a leather wearing hunter, his outfit streaked with dust and sand.  He carried a crossbow, and a hopeful look. 

"What is it, Sparrow?"
The Hunter shifted his crossbow to the other shoulder, eyebrows raising as he smiled.  "With Ineth out of the position, I was hoping maybe you could put in a good word for me, hey?  Let me get out of the fields, I could be much more help as a marksman, not a hunter."
"How many bolts would you say you use in an average week?"
"Bolts?  Maybe ... sixteen, depends on if I see a camel or not."

"It doesn't matter," Glacies said with a sigh.  "I ... I could probably get you set up in a marksmans' squad.  I believe Likot has brought hers back, and-"
"Woah!" Sparrow said, eyes widening.  "You can't be serious.  No way."
"That's all we have a budget for, you can't start a NEW squad, not now, I haven't even gotten to the barracks yet to take tally of our armor."

A scream from the hallway silenced them both.  They caught a glimpse of a child running at breakneck speeds, carrying a stone almost as large as he was.
"Is... that Mayor Ineth's middle son Kulet?" Sparrow asked.
"I believe so... did you hear him say that no one was allowed in the crafts workshop?"
"Yeah... I did."

Glacies threw up his hands, his pencil flipping into the air, soon lost amid the clutter on the ground. "Just great, ANOTHER priceless artifact that I'm going to have to account for..."

[Glacies]

I'm pretty happy the way my personality has come out. Thanks.