----------------Mulch Diggums, Peasant----------------------
The trip was hard. No less so because the two gemcutters coming with us kept quibbling about who owned what bit of foraged food. They love to make decrees. Things like “When we get there, my palace will be twelve dwarfits across!” or “I will bathe in the holy waters and never be covered in mud and vomit again!” These two idiots have probably never known a time of hardship before this trip. It’s kind of sad. They cling to the idea of reaching this Ottem Nom desperately; seemingly convinced that it will solve all their problems to reach the place. That never works. Always have to work to get anything in life.
The last leg of the trip was the hardest. A scorching-hot fetid swamp filled with crocodiles, midges, and… gorillas? What the hell? In fact, some of the gorillas seem to be standing on top of a merchant wagon. Some of the gorillas seem to be chasing… merchants? Heh, look at the poor saps running for their lives. No matter. We see our destination soon against the sky. Wow. They’re building UP and building balanced on a single strong support. I’ve never seen anything like it.
*sigh* I figured something bad would happen here. So now we can’t get in because it’s sacrosanct. Well, there’s plenty of… mud. Maybe we can live in the mud. This Lumen fellow didn’t seem all that impressed by my offer to help carry things around. Temple building probably involves lots of heavy lifting. First consideration is food. Got to make sure not to be
Stunned by the situation. The gemcutters still don’t get it and are fighting over a biscuit. Morons. I could take that biscuit from either of… huh. That Lumen guy’s calling me over. Probably saw me going for their biscuit. Oh well, the powers that be are. Some deference would probably sway him over to at least letting me work for food.
I’m leading the others? Since when does that happen? They’re all professionals! Haha, “Hey gemcutters! Come here and carry this donkey over there! If you don’t the gods will smite you!” Oh, this is going to be fun! Actually, they’re listening to me. Are they so desperate for direction that they’ll listen to anyone? Huh. I can use this…
In order to get my reward, the priests want me to sacrifice an animal and deliver the pelt to their sanctum gates. I just hope there is easier prey in the mountains than in the swamp. I set off to find out as everyone looks at me, questions screaming from their eyes. The metalsmith even seems accusatory, but I know what I’m doing. I know how to do myself a favor. Right now, that means throwing some unsuspecting critter off a mountain.
I run around a bit through the swamp and the mountains. Not really sure what I’m looking for. Only seen a saltwater crocodile so far and no WAY am I going to try my hand at that. I move up the mountains. A goat. Sure, why not. They don’t say what I have to catch. Maybe this will appease the gods. The damn thing is standing next to a precipice chewing on some hardy grasses of this altitude. It doesn’t even see me coming until I solidly connect my foot with the thing’s tail. The goat flies five dwarfits out into thin air, its bleating fading as it falls. I walk down to where it’s unconscious with a broken tail and mangled skull. I strangle the thing to death.
The other migrants are amazed when I drag back the goat corpse. Using my teeth, I tear a strip of skin off down the middle of the goat and then I pry the skin off of the creature. I go over to the “tannery.” I’ve never really understood how this works, but the tannery’s only made of rock, how hard could it be to use rock? So, I take the bloody skin and just start wailing the tanner’s table with it, making a wet smacking sound every time and leaving big imprints of abstract goats on the table in blood. That ought to make future generations question what we do. Finally, when pretty much the entire skin is covered in rock dust, I plop it in front of the gates and offer up my prayer to the gods above.
“Please, accept this sacrifice and grant me deliverance from absolute destitution.” Then, I walk back to the others where they’re tearing chunks off of the goat to cook over a small fire or to eat bloody and raw. At this point, they just don’t care.