22nd Limestone: The commune debated our courses of action. On one side were the purists who held that if we were to take these things by force, we'd be no better off than the aristocratic bourgeoisie we were going to overthrow.
On the other side were those who said that our goals were true, and if we had to undertake unsavory tasks to bring about our utopia, then so be it. In addition, it was reasoned, the nobles had traded away plenty of the production that belonged to the people to these wizards, and we were simply reclaiming what was ours.
The vote was close, but final. While Legolord went to the Trade Depot, the rest of us suited up in armor, grabbed crossbows and bolts, and clambered onto the roof of our house, which provided an excellent view of the Trade Depot below. We took careful aim.
There was some concern about the wizards' reactions -- might they turn Legolord into a frog? -- but they simply said, "Take what you wish. I can't stop you," and left shortly thereafter, minus their possessions. It was impossible for me to read their emotions; I couldn't even tell if they were angry.
Trading with the dwarves went smoother. They didn't comment on what they had just seen us do, just acted like it was business as usual. We exchanged our supplies of bone crafts for three of their picks, and that was that.
We stowed our weapons and armor, and everything went on as normal.
23rd Limestone: While unpacking the goods from the Trade Depot, Legolord stumbled over a tiger man thief! He scared it off before it could steal anything, but Ratepe goes on and on about how we must start taking better care of our supplies.
We begin moving our weapons, ammunition, and armor onto the roof of the house. In addition, with our newly acquired picks, we begin digging an underground farm.
13th Sandstone: The dwarven merchants leave. I turn out to have a knack for mining, evne if I can only swing the pick with one hand while I hold my daughter in the other.
2nd Timber: The underground farms are completed, and all of our food and drink moved inside. I remember how much effort and agony went into building our first still and our first barrel...now we throw three of them together with no trouble at all. The commune could now lock itself into the house if needed and have everything required to survive.
5th Timber: Dwarves arrived today, but not too trade. No, they came and demanded that we hand over control of the house, and all of its supplies to them, "in the name of the Mountainhome."
They numbered six; by the clothes they are wearing, they are all guild members, no peasants or proletariat amongst them. The commune is undecided about what to do. Giving up our dream is not an option, but we are not so savage that we will split another dwarf's head open with an axe. Indecision reigns.
1st Moonstone: Winter. The newcomers are still here, and they are aghast that we perform any jobs that we want. "Do you not have woodcutters to cut the wood, and carpenters to shape it?" When we reply that we do all of these things, they laugh amongst themselves. They eat our food and sleep in our house, all the while talking about how much better it would be if it were done "properly". I hate them.
Legolord has a plan, however, that we have begun.
5th Moonstone: The second house is finished. We inform our "new lords," as humbly as can be managed, that our house, being made of wood, is not fit to hold them. They agree. We say that we have been mining out rooms for them, out of rock, and that they're ready. They eagerly follow us to the second structure we have created. As they go inside, Legolord slams the door behind them and locks it.
There is confusion inside for a moment. "There's no stairway leading down!" "What's going on?" Then there is banging on the door. But our carpentry is strong, whatever they may say. Martian begins operation of the pumps, and within minutes the pounding on the door stops. Our carpentry is also watertight.
15th Moonstone: Another tigerman thief driven off. Part of the roof of the death house is opened, and the water inside is pumped out.
17th Moonstone: *Another* tigerman thief driven off. Where are all of these thieves coming from? Rapete is glad that the last three thieves have not managed to steal anything, but the interruptions they cause are quite annoying.
2nd Obsidian: Digging further down underneath the house, we find damp stone and other evidence of an aquifer. Inaluct, who seems to also know something about mining, talks about how the aquifer can be breached in stone, but not in sand, like here. We commence digging through the obsidian around the volcano.
23rd Obsidian: The aquifer has been bypassed by digging near the volcano. We now have access to stone. The breaching stairs are linked by an underground passage to the house, so that we can continue to access the rock even if put under siege. This passage is filled with coffins to honor the dead. They may been idiots, like the merchants, or usurpers, like the guild members, but they were still dwarves, and deserve a final resting place. Our comrades who died fighting in the riots at Mountainhome were given as much; it's the least we can do.
11th Granite: Humans have arrived to trade, during the spring, no less. I had been led to believe they would only appear during the summer. Still, they kill a tiger man thief as they approach, for which Ratepe is somewhat grateful.
13th Granite: The wizards return...to trade! I suspect treachery, but none seems to be afoot. It is the same wizards from last time, even! But, still...they have ridden up to our Depot and are unloading their wares, just as last time. Odd.
15th Granite: A Skalassi cavern...they seem to be a type of humanoid fish...has arrived. We are knee deep in merchants, and our Trade Depot overflows with riches...
The humans seem to be offering us some incredibly good deals on some of their iron items:
But the Skalassi...the Skalassi have items made of adamantium!
Interestingly enough, none of the merchants want what we rightfully took from the wizards last year. But, they're all willing to take these items if we put them into a bin, first...the hypocrisy of it all...
(OOC:
I do believe the capt. posted in a different thread (and apologized) about The Steel. Its supposed to be a steel circlet that would go around your head in place of a helm. You could always pretend its a steel that you use to hone and sharpen blades though.
Oh, it doesn't bother me. Just found it amusing. Much like the humans willing to sell me most of their iron items for zero dwarf bucks...
)
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Topic: Tombquills: A Grand Experiment in Equality (Community) (Read 5612 times)