Print

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

[Heron TSG]

hehe, my guy is both nervous and confident.

wait a sec... indecision and a preference to follow makes for a good second in command?

[Glacies]

Female dwarf's fine. Just make sure she doesn't carry her offspring, if any, into battle with her.

[Paulus Fahlstrom]

((Sure Barbarossa. If you worship a goddess of death how do you think you get promoted if all the spots above you are filled? It means Led doesn't worry about him having to try and take over or subvert the cult.

No problem Glacies. As she's not married, nor has any lovers I don't think it'll be a problem any time soon. Probably. To be honest, I've never, ever, had a couple get married in any of my forts.))

Summer 09 Journal of Led, High Priest

The warmer seasons are upon us again, as evidenced by the increase in thieves paying us a visit. Paulus has been standing guard at the entrance and has driven all unwanted visitors off. He even ran down the only goblin that came, finally catching up with it below in the swamp as it sought for a quick path through the mires. I've made a crossbow from it's remains for him to help Fre with and the pair have been hunting the game in the area with a zealous energy.

Thesaurusaurus seems to be doing fine in his position, and has been alternating between updating our cult's records and picking our underground crops. I was a little concerned that he and Paulus would clash over the latter's tendency to organize things as he sees best, but it hasn't been that much of an issue, thankfully. T's (his name is too long to continually spell while I write) children have been somewhat unhappy here lately and we've taken a few steps to cheer them up, allowing them to have their own designated bunks. They're unaccustomed to the hardships of life and losing their mother to the plagues that swept through the old cities wasn't easy. It was this loss that brought them to us though, and as such I can only praise Mondul that, in her wisdom, she both accomplishes her role as goddess and sees to her servant's needs at the same time.

I have no doubt that with proper instruction T's children will grow up to be devout followers.

Both the humans and Avarii have arrived to trade again. Or perhaps I should just include the humans. The winged ones are ... strange and unwordly, and frankly, disturbing. The mountains themselves seem to exert some sort of unnatural effect upon them and another went bezerk as they were leaving.

Trade with the humans was, as always, profitable. We were able to get basically everything we wanted from them, what with the supplies the thieves have been bringing to augment our own trade goods. I've not needed to waste bone on mundane tasks like trade goods and we are continuing to expand our home to fit our needs.

After the humans left we removed the Depot from the peak and set it up in the newly excavated cavern at the base of the peak. It's much closer to our living areas and craftshall and should, according to Paulus, minimize the travel distances, while still remaining fortifiable.

[Paulus Fahlstrom]

Autumn 08 Journal of Led, High Priest

The dwarven traders have arrived again. They claimed that they didn't see our Depot on the peak any more and so assumed that we'd been overwhelmed by undead. But some of the independant merchants that tag along with the wagons came by and were treated to our hospitality, such as it is.

In honesty, the Depot has now been completely moved underground, something I hope will be made known now and we'll eliminate such unpleasantness in the future. I suspect that the merchants simply didn't want to come and used that as an excuse.

((In reality I forgot to widen the entrance tunnel to accomodate for wagons, after moving the Depot below.))

In any case they brought some useful supplies and we traded away many of our stonegoods and equipment obtained from the thieves that come. There seemed to be an unusual amount of large red-backed tarantula silk clothing. It's quite pretty and I can understand why it's sought after. Almost all the workshops have now been installed into the craftshall, south of the central chamber. But there is always so much to do that little crafting seems to be getting done at the moment.

Paulus and Fre continue to hunt and supplement our plants and salted meat with fresh food. And work continues well, though I'm eager to begin construction on the vaunted monument to Mondul that Paulus keeps referring to. He doesn't want to begin construction until we have sufficient material and he's asking for an vast amount of blocks to be made.

[Frelock]

((Good to see you back, I was starting to get worried.

This monument, you will post screen shots right, perhaps with 3D Dwarf Visualizer?))

[Paulus Fahlstrom]

((Yeah, sorry about the longer-than-normal delay. School started up again and it's kept me busy for the last few days. And I definitely plan on using Dwarf 3D for a picture of it when it's finished. I fear it may take some time though. And I don't know how to use the program, but that'll come once I've got something to model.))

Mid-summer 8, Journal of Led, High Priest

A perplexing circumstance has arisen to make me question our stance regarding injuries. A goblin thief, while attempting to enter our fortress ran into one of the faithful and in the ensuing pile of dwarf and goblin one of our followers was injured before the goblin fled the scene. He's currently resting in a bed in the barracks and we've had some buckets made to fetch water, but none dare approach the underground lake that is our source of water. The resident undead there are unpredictable.

Fre herself went to fetch some water and upon seeing the thrashing zombie in the pool unloaded her entire quiver into the creature to no affect. Daunted she too returned without water.

My quandry is, since we are worshippers of Mondul, do we nurse our fellow back to health if possible or do we consign her to her eventual fate early. I've prayed for guidance and the goddess has comforted me regarding this concern. She is patient goddess and allows us our time while alive, knowing that in the end she will come to claim us.

I've asked Paulus and Ragnar to come up with a plan and they've drawn up some ideas to try. It will involve a little mining, and the construction of a well, eventually, but is possible and might allow us to save our fellow sister in the faith before she perishes of dehydration. Only time will tell.

((I've now got three buckets stuck near the edge of the lake. No one can pick them up without seeing the dead and dropping them again. Sigh. Pansies.))

[Paulus Fahlstrom]

Fre's eyes surveyed the far peak across the way from her vantage point on the level ground where the old depot once stood. Several blocks still lay scattered about, two of them of pure platinum, but so heavy no thief would dare take it lest he be run down. They made a good sized mound from which to scan for animals to hunt for but today she was looking at something else. She called down below and soon Paulus joined her up above.

"What is is? A new flock of herons fly in?"

"No, something strange. Over there just south of the peak."

"Where..."

"There, did you see the movement?"

"Aye, looks like a pack of undead mountain goats."

"Aye, indeed. But where are they headed?"

The pair watched on as the four goats seemed to be drawn inexhorably north towards something. Perhaps something living.

And as if they had materialized out of air the goats were set upon by the ambushers. Mandibles clicking audibly in the late autumn air the six insectoid ambushers wreaked havoc upon the goats, tearing them to shreds in seconds.

"That's a problem."

"Mmhmmm. Fancy taking on that lot?"

"Not a chance. I've seen them fight up close before. You remember the siege back in Onol Lened. It was three on fifteen, sure, but we had steel then. High steel too, and full sets of plate."

"We'll need to prepare better then. That could have just as easily been one of us."

Paulus was silent for a few seconds as the pair headed off to the south to hunt waterfowl.

"I know. Let's hope they aren't here for us then."

[Paulus Fahlstrom]

The insight came to her in a dream. Her goddess, Mondul, spoke to her in whispers throughout it and in it she was a servant of death. A blade-wielding hurricane of metal and herald of their order.

She was a vessel.

In her vision the ice and snow covered mountains were surrounded by dwarven persistence and ingenuity. The chill wind cut through the peak and whipped across their walls, only dim outlines in her sight. It was the peak that was the entrance to their home that drew her gaze. She couldn't imagine a better symbol for what they stood for and yet, inwardly, she knew it hadn't come to pass.

Yet.

Was a vessel.

In a flash of insight she knew then that she would be one of the fortunate to help construct that monument to their goddess. The architect had already been chosen, plans were already being made. It remained then begin work. Her goddess had chosen her to personify an aspect of worship, and the cold no longer chilled her, but comforted her in it's frigid embrace.

A vessel.

Her name would change. Would become a sign for what she believed.

It was then that she awoke, lying in the common barracks that she so despised. The lack of privacy was repugnant to her but at the moment she remembered still the faintest of whispers from her dream. She rushed out towards a workshop, claiming it as hers while she constructed her task. A single block of felsite and a turtle shell would be sufficient, but worked so cunningly it seemed as if they blended into each other. The hinges were hidden and worked effortlessly.

She finished her creation in a surprisingly short time and in a sudden flash of insight knew what she'd been doing wrong with the stone previously. She could feel, now, how the stones went together, how they acted in concert.

She gave a silent utterance to thank her goddess and dedicated her newest creation to her who carried them all into the next life. Before her stood her creation.

A vessel.



She would have to go see Led about her vision. And show him what Mondul had seen fit to show to her. He of all people would understand. Him and the Architect.

And she would have to tell him her new name. The name that symbolized the coldness of death.



Glacies.

[Maggarg - Eater of chicke]

Egad!
That's actually quite a cool artifact, despite the simplicity and price.

[archivis]

I'd like to request a dwarf - Sarah, a female dwarf.  A miner who longs to delve deep into the mysteries of the depths of stone and death.  Enjoys fishing and farming as  stress relief, as she isn't very social with things that can talk back.

[Paulus Fahlstrom]

(( You're in Archivis. Or rather Sarah is. I've give you one of the founders, the metalcrafter. She's been doing mining most of the time already and I'll work you into the story here in a bit. I'm afraid I've been a bit busy so I've not been able to post as consistently as before, but I'll do what I can to remedy that situation.

Here's the profiles for the two recent additions.))

[Glacies]

You know what? You're an awesome writer.

[Heron TSG]

You know what? You're an awesome writer.

agreed.

[archivis]

(Yay!  Take your time, your work is worth the wait )

(( You're in Archivis. Or rather Sarah is. I've give you one of the founders, the metalcrafter. She's been doing mining most of the time already and I'll work you into the story here in a bit. I'm afraid I've been a bit busy so I've not been able to post as consistently as before, but I'll do what I can to remedy that situation.

Here's the profiles for the two recent additions.))

[Paulus Fahlstrom]

Early Winter, 08

Cerol grumbled a bit as she looked at the blank orthoclase wall at the foot of the stairs. It's not that she was truly unhappy, but with all the effort being put forth on the construction of their home she would have expected a little more detail to be put into personal housing for each of them. The dining room up near the farms was adequate, but only barely so and seemed more crowded each day as the temperatures dropped.

This commonality simply wasn't the way she'd grown up. It wasn't the way things should be done, at least in dwarven fashion. But she'd kept her opinions to herself. Led had enough things to worry about, what with rumors of enemies lurking and patrols of insectoids having been spotted above.

She spat on the ground before her.

And Led had insisted that they install a specific workshop at the base of the stairs for him to work on 'glories' to Mondul. She hefted her pick and dug in. Despite her personal depravations, she did feel that they could all use more of the 'glory' aspect in their home. There was still so much unfinished that grated on the eyes and nerves.

Her pick struck rock and she began carving the entrance.

Not far in, much to her surprise her pick broke through the rock into a pocket of air and as she pulled it back out the wall in front of her crumbled into the rough stone floor of a smallish cave. The stale, putrid air of it washed over her but she paid it no thought as, curiosity overcoming common sense, she walked forward along the line she'd intended to mine to see what was there. Several paces in front and to the north the small cavern ended abruptly, dropping off on three sides into blackness. Only the roof remained within view, stalactites dripping moisture into the chasm below.

Behind her and around a corner the hulking beast raised it's awkward head, gazing out of white filmed-over eyes through it's cloud of stench and decay. It could sense the change in the air, though not through ordinary means and the presence of living flesh nearby sent it shambling on it's way. Had it been alive it might have been overjoyed to see a smallish dwarf dropping a rock into the chasm that had been it's home in life. Dwarves were once one of it's favorite meals. But such things no longer mattered now. It was life itself that it longed to feast upon and it slowly advanced.

A sound behind her alerted her to movement and turning, she could tell in an instant that it was no natural creature. It was one of the abomination, one of the anathema of Mondul. A cry escaped her lips as the creature cut off her escape back down the very tunnel she'd just made.  She looked around at the smallish cave for anywhere she could hide where it could not reach and found nothing. Nothing but the chasm itself.

It advanced slowly, almost cautiosly, and Cerol tripped as she backed up and the thing before her let out a howl. That noise snapped her out of her stupor and she shouted out.

"Help! Troll!"

Her voice was no longer panicked and driven into a corner she grabbed her pick tightly to herself, thinking the tool a meager choice of a weapon to face down an undead troll but as the thing advanced she caught the flash of silver or steel from the tunnel  and knew she was not alone. The pair struck at the same time, her with her pick from the front and the Hound of Mondul from behind, his mighty warhammer crashing into flesh and breaking bone. Her pick seemed ineffectual indeed but that distraction seemed enough. She dodged an awkward blow from the zombie as her rescuer struck a mighty blow to the side of the beast, sending it flying into the cave wall where she'd tripped moments before. It struck the wall with force and disintegrated into various parts, the foul magicks no longer holding it together against it's will.

Paulus nodded at her as she came to stood next to him.

"Thank you."

He simply nodded once and awkwardly commented, "You're welcome, ... uh ... "

She turned to him. They had after all never been formally introduced. She didn't even know his full clan name. Everyone simply called him 'The Hound of Mondul' or the Hound for short.

"Cerol, but my friends call me Sarah."

"Sarah, nice name."

"And you?"

"You can just call me the Hound. It's simpler that way."

With that comment he walked back the way he'd come, stalking off quickly to speak with Led, doubtless about her discovery. She glanced back towads the chasm as he left. He obviously didn't make friends easily. Walking over to it again she peered into the darkness and called out.

"Oi!"

The sound echoed back from the walls for a long, long time. Accompanied by the unnatural shrieks of undead cave swallowmen. Whatever it was, the chasm had one true descriptor. It was vast.

Absolutely vast.



((There's an updated survey map with chasm included now that I've found it. When I say vast I'm not kidding. And chock full of undead. No wonder my FPS was slow. I'll be spending years (in game) working on cleansing it.))