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Be honest with him.

16 (48.5%)

Lie to him.

5 (15.2%)

Show him the axe.

12 (36.4%)

Total Members Voted: 33

[magikarcher]

Please update, can't wait for more story. 

[Kinneus]

Heh, I said in my previous post that I've extended the voting to midnight, so people have plenty of time to get their votes in. You can expect an update later tonight, in the wee hours of the morning.
So far, "Enter the dark crack" is winning... pretty daring group we got here. Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained, eh?

[Kinneus]

Final Tally:
Try to get Quick and Dirk inside: 4
Enter the Great Stone Gearworks:1
Approach Puzzledportal: 2
Enter the dark crack: 4

Digger let loose a low whistle as she surveyed her situation. It looked like she had some serious digging to do if she was going to get her companions inside. Gathering up her pickaxe, she steeled her nerves and headed for the morbid pile of rubble and bones that blocked the great gates of Zonzocol.

The whole pile had a rank, fetid smell to it. Considering that the siege of Zonzocol had occurred only four years prior, it was quite possible that some of the poor souls were still festering in the cracks and crevices of the wreckage. This thought (and the accompanying smell) made Digger a bit nauseous as she approached.

Once she stood before the wreckage, however, it became clear that it was quite immovable. Many of the chunks of rubble were larger than she was. After all, if it was possible to clear the wreckage without collapsing the grand foyer, the dwarves of Zonzocol surely would have done so themselves and escaped their gruesome fate.

With no other options, Digger took some of the stones from the rubble and stacked them against the northern wall, allowing her to reach the collapsed tunnel that first granted her access to the ruins. Once she was up there, however, she smacked her forehead. “Armok’s bloody beard! I can’t very well dig up, can I?”

The rockslide that opened the path for her had been almost a vertical drop; digging it out had to be done from above, lest she risk killing herself in another collapse. Ther was no other viable point to dig, however; the walls were incased in steel, and digging further down into the earth would serve no purpose whatsoever. Shaking her head, Digger slung her pick over her shoulder and re-considered her options. She’d have to find another way to bring her companions inside… or else just hunt down Windtempted and keep the treasure for herself!

Sorry guys, that option was a red herring, a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure tradition. If a red herring option is selected by the voters (don’t worry, I won’t make too many of them), then we’ll default to the second-most popular option, or in this case, the tied option.

Figuring that Puzzledportal or the Great Stone Gearworks were likely trapped, Digger dusted herself off and made for the lower crack in the northern wall. Upon entering, it was immediately noticeable that this tunnel had never known the touch of a dwarven tool. It was either a natural formation, or dug by some lesser race. Either way, it was dark and the floor was quite uneven, making slow going for the dwarven adventurer. Thankfully, it was also quite short, and she soon stepped out into what appeared to be an immense tower-cap grove.

The massive mushrooms towered over her, the largest ones even taller than the pines and oaks above ground. The room looked to be a natural cavern, but carefully controlled and irrigated by the citizens of Zonzocol. Digger could hear the sound of falling water somewhere to the east, and small, alabaster-lined channels criss-crossed the cavern floor, providing moisture to the mushrooms. Every twenty yards or so, a graceful column of granite sprouted from the ground, engraved with patterns of vines and leaves, almost eflin in their delicacy. Whether these were set here to support the ceiling or merely placed for aesthetic pleasure, Digger could not tell, but she enjoyed them all the same as she strolled through the grove, skipping over the occasional babbling irrigation rivulet. Moss covered every surface like grass, and the whole area was lit up by patches of bioluminescent fungus growing on the ground, granting the entire cavern an eerie, blue-green beauty.

Walking through this breathtaking union of dwarven engineering and natural beauty, Digger couldn’t help but smile. When she first began to suspect that Zonzocol was her ancestral home, her original response had been despair. Even in the human cities, it was common knowledge that great Zonzocol now lied in shambles. Digger feared that she was an orphan in the truest sense of the word. Rather than being a dwarf who simply did not know her family, she could have been a dwarf whose entire family, whose entire clan, whose entire history had been reduced to dust and ghosts. But now, seeing the wonders they left behind, Digger felt she could be proud to be the last surviving dwarf of Zonzocol.

Consumed in these thoughts, Digger almost did not see the hulking figure in front of her before it was too late. The creature released a guttural grunt as it stooped to drink from a channel, slurping loudly. The sounds alerted the pensive Digger to its presence, and she reacted as quickly as she could. Ducking behind a young tower-cap sapling, Digger drew her axe and watched the monster carefully. Slowly, the lumbering beast stood to its full height- over three times Digger’s own. Digger gulped hard. She wasn’t sure, but with what she could make out in the dim light, the creature looked to be a troll. Its long, drooping nose and brutish profile, under-sized head and tree trunk-like biceps seemed to match the stories Digger had heard from the older kids at the orphanage. From what she had heard, the brutes were positively ferocious in combat, and she had no desire to face one. But as it lumbered nearer and nearer, Digger began to fear she wouldn’t have any choice in the matter…

A troll!
1. Fight it!
2. Run deeper into the tower-cap grove, and try to lose it amongst the mushrooms.
3. Run back into the foyer, where she knows it’s safe.
4. Continue hiding and hope it passes by.
Voting closes at midnight EST on Wednesday. As always, thanks for voting!

[Kinneus]

Fighting the troll currently has a 3-point lead over the contenders. Looks like we're going to see some limb-chopping action here, soon.
In light of this, allow me to elaborate on the combat system a little bit more. I'll be using the online dice-roller at http://invisiblecastle.com/. I'm not entirely satisfied with it, so if somebody knows of a better dice-roller, don't hesitate to speak up. It should serve our purposes fine, though.
In general, low rolls indicate success, while high rolls indicate failure. For example, Digger will have a 50% chance of hitting the troll. If she rolls 1-49, she hits. If she rolls 51-100, she misses. In the event that the roll lands of exactly 50 (or whatever the threshold number is), I will always rule in the player's favor.
Which person attacks first will depend on the circumstances of the battle. If Digger takes the troll by surprise, she will attack first. If the troll takes Digger by surprise, it will attack first.
Let's go with an example. Let's say a kobold is sneak-attacking Digger, so the kobold attacks first. Combat will look like this:
Kobold: 1d100 → [5] = (5) Kobold hits!
Digger: 1d100 → [92] = (92) Digger misses!
Kobold: 1d100 → [3] = (3) Kobold hits!
Digger: 1d100 → [49] = (49) Digger hits!
Kobold: 1d100 → [84] = (84) Kobold misses!
Digger: 1d100 → [33] = (33) Digger hits!
Link: http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1709126/

In this example, each combatant took two hits. Combat isn't over until all but one of the combatants are dead, and a creature doesn't die until it's been hit three times in a single combat scene. So, combat would continue in this case. For the sake of argument, let's say these are the next two rolls:
Kobold: 1d100 → [50] = (50)
Digger: 1d100 → [50] = (50)
Since, in the event of a 50 or other threshold number, I'll always rule in favor of the player, this means the kobold's attack misses while Digger's lands. This means Digger wins (though just barely). Tough break, kobold.
And, in the event that you think this is stupid or it bores you tears, rest assured that I'll put all dice-rolling as a spoiler, allowing you to skip it entirely if you so please.
So that's combat summarized. You guys have another couple hours to vote, and then the adventure continues!

[Kinneus]

Final Tally:
Fight it!: 4
Run deeper into the grove!: 1
Run back to the entrance hall!: 1
Continue hiding: 2

Digger’s mind raced as she weighed her options. Her first instinct was to run, but she had no idea how fast the brute was. For all she knew, the troll was more than capable of hunting her down and twisting her head off her neck like it was simply opening a wine bottle.

She wanted to keep hiding, but no, the troll was coming closer and closer, and it was sure to spot her soon enough. Digger pressed her back against the tower-cap trunk as she listened to the creature approach. The vibrations of its lumbering footfalls travelled up her spine, making her teeth chatter with each step. The beast paused a few feet away from Digger to take a ponderous sniff at the air, its crooked nose twitching.

Digger was out of options. And so the First Axe of Zonzocol lashed out in the gloom.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Digger: 1d100 → [24] = (24) Digger hits!
Troll: 1d100 → [70] = (70) Troll misses!
Digger: 1d100 → [58] = (58) Digger misses!
Troll: 1d100 → [55] = (55) Troll misses!
Digger: 1d100 → [43] = (43) Digger hits!
Troll: 1d100 → [94] = (94) Troll misses!
Digger: 1d100 → [63] = (63) Digger misses!
Troll: 1d100 → [46] = (46) Troll hits!
Digger: 1d100 → [86] = (86) Digger misses!
Troll: 1d100 → [65] = (65) Troll misses!
Digger: 1d100 → [80] = (80) Digger misses!
Troll: 1d100 → [86] = (86) Troll misses!
Digger: 1d100 → [80] = (80) Digger misses!
Troll: 1d100 → [100] = (100) Troll misses!
Digger: 1d100 → [18] = (18) Digger hits!
Links: http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1709262/
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1709264/
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1709266/

The troll, taken quite by surprise, practically walked into Digger’s blow. The axe sunk into the troll’s gut, buried almost to the grip. There was a brief moment of stunned silence as Digger stared in astonishment at what she had done, and the beast stared back, pale blue blood flecking its lips. Slowly, Digger pulled her axe free, leaving a wedge-shaped hole in the troll’s belly. The monster placed a meaty palm over the wound, howling piteously and backpedalling away from its tiny assailant. For a moment, Digger almost pitied the creature. Had she acted too rashly? Was the troll actually friendly?

This moment of hesitation cost her dearly. The troll’s expression of bewilderment quickly melted into a hideous rictus of rage. With an unearthly howl that echoed through the cavern, the troll sent Digger sprawling with a mighty haymaker. She lost her grip on her axe, and her vision went blurry momentarily as she cracked her skull against the stony ground. The troll saw an advantage and took it, reaching for the prone dwarf’s neck.

The beast’s grip was stronger than steel, and fuzzy gray dots swarmed Digger’s vision as her air was cut off. She scrabbled about desperately for something, anything to grab on to, something to use, something to dig through the mountain of flesh suffocating her…

Through luck or divine intervention, Digger’s fingers found their way around a jagged rock. With her last bit of strength, she swung. And, quite suddenly, the troll’s undersized head was replaced with a hideous paste composed primarily of blood, gray matter, and chips of bone.

The troll screamed in pain, releasing its grip on Digger to claw helplessly at the place where its face used to be. Shuddering violently as it sneezed up gobs of blood and bone, the troll made no attempt to stop Digger from regaining her feet. She took a few moments to appreciate her enemy’s agony, watching with a cold and detached expression as its great, wart-covered shoulders heaved with silent sobs.

When she could stand no more, she reached for her steel pickaxe, its blades glinting dangerously in the dim light of the tower-cap grove. And, without further ceremony, she summoned all her dwarven fury and womanly grace and drove her pick deep into the troll’s spine, right where the base of the skull met the neck.

A mist of teal blood erupted into the air, shimmering oddly in the blue-green glow of the mushrooms. And then it was over.

It was only after Digger stooped to pick up her axe, now stained with troll viscera, that she noticed her hands were trembling. She had little time to grapple with the moral ramifications of what she had just done, however (Digger had never taken the life of so much as a cockroach before). As soon as the troll had fallen, a new threat reared its tiny head, peeking out from its hiding place behind a mossy rock.

A squeaky, mournful wail pierced the silence as one of the two kobolds began to cry. “Rosco! Stumpy-thing kill Rosco! No!”

Its companion, a slightly bulkier kobold clutching a bronze dagger, tried to clap his claw over his friend’s mouth, but it was too late. Digger squinted sharply at them and took a step forward. Seeing her advance, the cowardly kobolds scrambled several feet backward, watching her in horror.

At first, Digger was somewhat puzzled by this. She wasn’t used to small animals fleeing in her wake. She quickly realized, however, that these two kobolds had just witnessed her cut down a creature the size of a tool shed. Covered in gore as she was, and holding a still-dripping hatchet, she must’ve presented quite the imposing figure to the tiny, verminous thieves.

As they sized one another up, Digger realized that these kobolds may prove to be a useful source of information. Due to their cowardly nature, she could easily intimidate them into telling her all they knew of the ruins. On the other hand, showing them a bit of kindness might prove more effective.

The kobolds watched, spellbound in terror, waiting for her to speak or strike.

How should Digger deal with the kobolds? Should she…
1. Intimidate them.
2. Be (relatively) nice to them.
3. Ignore them, and continue to explore on her own.
Voting closes at midnight EST on Friday, August 29th. Thanks for voting!

[Mohreb el Yasim]

for the dice you could just use real world dices so it is sure that it makes the real effects. i think we all will belive you
and now i make add for my choice ... be nice with kobolds they are civilisaid beings too

[Deathbane]

Great! Story is fantastic so far, and great to read. I know it sa little early, but at the end it may be worthwhile to record all the posts into one long story? Would be easier to do as you went along. My vote is up!

[Kinneus]

I know it sa little early, but at the end it may be worthwhile to record all the posts into one long story? Would be easier to do as you went along.

I've been keeping all the posts in a Word doc and then just copy/pasting them over, so yeah, that shouldn't be a problem at all.
Anyway, you've all got a few more hours to vote. Last I checked, the vote was tied, so go ahead and break it.

[magikarcher]

Hope somebody doesn't pick the bottom one 

Too bad I already voted. 

[Kinneus]

Sorry this is late, folks, but real life intervened.
Final Tally:
Intimidate them: 6
Treat them fairly: 4
Ignore them: 0

Digger hefted her axe before taking another step forward. This had the unfortunate side-effect of causing some left-over troll goo to dribble onto her shoulder, but she ignored it for the time being. In fact, it may have added to the overall affect. “Don’t move, you skulking filth. Your life still hangs in the balance.”

Four eyes widened in terror as they watched Digger slowly advance.

“Names.”

“Jak,” squeaked the smaller kobold. “Dak,” grunted the larger kobold with the dagger.

“I’m Digger. I’m the person that decides whether you live or die. Understood?”

The kobolds nodded uneasily.

“Good.” Digger paused for a moment, thinking. After a beat, she pointed at the crumpled heap of flesh she’d left behind. “You knew this thing, right? You called it ‘Rosco.’”

Jak nodded, blinking back tiny tears. “His name Rosco. Rosco keep bad things away.”

“He worked for you, then?”

Jak shook his head, and Dak spoke for him, in slightly firmer tones. “Rosco not work for us. Rosco too big, Rosco not listen. We just stay out of Rosco’s way, live in cave with Rosco, and we safe.” Dak narrowed his eyes slightly. “Were safe.”

Digger’s expression softened somewhat, despite herself. “I’m sorry, but it was either him or me. What sort of ‘bad things’ did Rosco keep you safe from?”

Dak shrugged in a surly manner. “Cow-man-things, frog-man-things, dead-moving-things, stumpy-things…”

“Wait, wait,” Digger interrupted him. “Stumpy-things? You mean other dwarves?”

Dak looked at Digger like he was speaking to a very dull, but very dangerous child. With a mixture of fear and condescension, he slowly nodded. “Yes… other stumpy-things. Digger lives with them in the smooth rocks, yes?”

Stunned, Digger allowed her axe to drop just a little bit. The kobolds very kindly remained petrified, allowing her time to think. Other dwarves? How? Had the Moutainhomes sent in a reclamation crew? If so, how had they entered? Could they be survivors, some of the original citizens of Zonzocol? Could they really have survived for four years in utter isolation? Or was it possible that another, nearby outpost had somehow tunneled into the ruins?

“Can you take me to them?”

Dak continued to stare at her like she was a mentally-challenged minotaur.

“Let me rephrase that: take me to the other dwarves, and I won’t kill you.”

Dak and Jak exchanged a look of trepidation, and then stood up and began marching eastward, toward the sound of running water. Digger followed anxiously behind, still clutching her axe.

Soon they had reached the other end of the cavern, arriving at the mouth of a long marble channel, carved in the elegant-but-stolid style that seemed to characterize Zonzocol. The water gushed forth with considerable force before branching off into smaller irrigation rivulets. Along both sides was a narrow stone walkway built from slippery and polished marble, which Digger’s diminutive guides immediately began to cross without hesitation. Digger begrudgingly followed, careful not to lose her footing on the dangerous ledge. The channel did not look particularly deep, but the water was moving uncomfortably fast.

Soon they entered the tunnel proper, where smaller tributaries branched off of the main aqueduct every so often. Eventually, the pair of kobolds paused before one such smaller tunnel. Dak turned to address Digger. “We need to go this way, to trap-place. Only safe place for us now, otherwise bad-things get us. Digger needs to go that way,” and he pointed further down the channel. Digger could not see the end of it. “Stumpy-thing place is straight that way. Should be safe for Digger, but is not safe for us.”

Digger frowned as she considered her tiny guides. Could this be some sort of trick? Dak regarded her warily, but Jak looked at her beseechingly, practically groveling. “Please… we take you to stumpy-things. It safe! We promise. Now you let us go?”

Should Digger…
1.   Let the kobolds go.
2.   Force them to take her all the way.

[Kinneus]

I'll be updating tonight. The vote is very close right now, so be sure to submit yours.

[Deathbane]

the only trap place is where digger is going

i hope they dont have the weapon traps like my old fortress did hiding in the murk further along that tunnel! 

[Kinneus]

Final Tally:
Let them go: 5
Force them to take Digger all the way: 4
Close one.

After a moment of consideration, Digger dropped her head in a simple nod. “Get out of here.”

Jak gave her a grateful smile, and soon the two scampered down the darkened tunnel, and out of sight. With a shake of her head, she continued down the walkway, wary of any traps.

As Digger slowly moved along the slippery walkway, she noticed the soft yellow glow of torchlight at the end of the tunnel. “It seems the little rats were telling the truth,” she muttered under her breath.

Continuing along her path, Digger began to feel more relaxed, becoming more and more convinced with each step that she wasn’t going to run into any traps. She began to slow her pace once she came across a disturbing thought. Digger realized, quite suddenly, that she’d never seen another dwarf in her life.

Her whole life, she’d been surrounded by humans. She glimpsed only the occasional elven trader in her hometown, but was otherwise much too far from the Mountainhomes to ever see one of her own kind. She was always a loner, an oddity to be gawked at. The idea that she would soon be amongst her own people made her feel giddy with both expectation and fear.

A rather strange concern came over her, just then: am I pretty? It was such a ridiculous thing to be worried about that she stopped dead in her tracks for a moment. She knew that, among the humans away, she was not terribly attractive. Too short, too squat, too muscular. She grew a bit of hair along her upper lip, but she kept that shaved in order to fit in the with the smooth-faced too-talls. She knew that dwarves had incredible beards, but was that only the men? Or was she supposed to have one too?

While these thoughts were swirling in her head, Digger finally emerged from the channel and entered the light. The floor and walls were built of the same perfectly-polished marble of the walkway. The gleaming stone reflected the light of the torches lining the walls; most appeared to be recently lit. A waterfall dominated the center of the room, tumbling from the low ceiling and filling the air with a fine, refreshing mist. The waterfall seemed to be the source of the channel Digger had just emerged from.

The sound of running water echoed off the walls of the hollow chamber, creating an all-but-deafening din. The western wall appeared to be a massive drawbridge, perhaps the same one Digger saw in the grand entrance. But, alas, there appeared to be no way of lowering it from here. To the north was the channel, still gurgling away as ever. To the east was a massive arch, emblazoned with a symbol of two crossed axes. To the south was a very similar tunnel, marked with a very similar symbol of two crossed picks.

What should Digger do? Should she…
1.   Take the path of crossed axes.
2.   Take the path of crossed picks.
3.   Rest here for a while.

[Kinneus]

Just wanted to say, you guys made some good choices back there. If you'd been too nice to the kobolds, they wouldn't of let anything slip about the other dwarves. If you'd been too mean, and refused to let them go, they would've activated a trap back in the channel for you to contend with.
(Yes, I actually do think of all the outcomes ahead of time).
Anyway, thanks for reading and voting. The plot is about to thicken somewhat, I assure you.

[Kinneus]

I'm going to be updating either tonight or tomorrow night, and the vote is rather close at the moment. Be sure to get your vote in soon.