Olin Oltaros moved to the front of the statue garden amid cheers from the other dwarves. The celebration bringing in the new year had been in full swing for more than two days now, all of the dwarves excused from their labors for the duration. He stood next to the exceptional solid platinum statue that Hat had crafted of Malfol, the first Queen of the Braided Lenses and slayer of many goblins and orcs in combat, and surveyed the fortress population before him. He was glad to see everyone, even Tosid, had managed to attend. He raised his mug of dwarven ale for silence, and an expectant hush fell over the party-goers.
"Friends! Today marks more than just the first day of 112! Today marks four years to the day since Tosid, Flint, Skjald, Shoruke, The Duke, Hat, and Stinthäd first struck the earth at Lanternwebs!"
Thunderous applause greeted him, and a scattering of mugs were raised in toasts. Olin motioned for quiet.
"And what have we done in those for year? We have struck the earth, and struck it hard! We have taken this land of gray mountains, dark forests, and murderous beasts and turned it into a sanctuary. We have food, drink, and steel without limit. We have the finest craftsdwarves in all of dwarfdom, and the goods to show for it. We have an army capable of standing against any foe. And we have the fine companionship to share it with, for what good is a mug of ale without a hall full of friends to enjoy it with?"
More applause and cheers broke out at this last statement, but it quickly died down.
"Of course, there are some who would try to take this from us. Kobolds come with their sneaky ways, trying to steal trinkets that we have left unguarded. And how many have been successful?"
"None!" came the deafening reply from the rest of the dwarves.
"Goblins too, seeking to steal our children and kill our brethren. But how many of those have been successful?"
"None!" again shook the dolomite walls.
"And the Orcs, most fearsome of enemies, have now three times attempted to breech our walls and commit vile acts upon us all. But together, we drove them back and killed the best among them. Now for a year and a half they have dared not show their heads! Lanternwebs still stands!"
"Lanternwebs still stands!" echoed the assembled dwarves.
"And stand it shall, for all time. No force can break our walls, no sword can pierce our armor, and no plate can stand against the force of our warriors. I'd like to take this opportunity to recognize one of the warriors now. Kol Entrancedmirrored, one of our axe lords, displayed exceptional courage and skill in combat against the goblins this winter, and so I dub her Kol Entrancedmirrored the Lost Bane"."
Again, cheers went up from the crowd, and Olin saw Kol beaming with pride as her squad heaped congratulations on her.
"The Orcs will continue to assault us, of this I am sure. The goblins, too, will grow tired of their ambush party's failures and march on us in force. But we will not bend! We will not break! We will meet them on the field of battle and emerge victorious!"
"And within, we will continue to grow. New shafts will be dug, new metals and gems smelted and cut. Our hallways will be paved and smoothed with the finest dolomite blocks, for Lanternwebs is destined to become a Mountainhome. Already, barons at the court are competing over who will have the honor of administering us when the time comes, and under their leadership we shall rise to even greater heights!"
The cheers this time were even louder than before: For a baron to leave the safety of the mountainhome for Lanternwebs had been a dubious prospect in and of itself, and the idea that there were many of the court barons competing for the position was more than they had hoped to dream of, especially within so short a time of the founding.
"And so, friends, I propose a toast to the people who have made it possible for us to come so far in so little time. To the Founders!"
"To the Founders!" echoed the rest of the dwarves, raising their mugs high as they remembered the tales that the seven who had founded Lanternwebs had told them: Of the long and dangerous journey through desert, swamp, and plains from the Mountainhomes; Of the founding of the fort, batmen and giant eagles without flesh on their bones menacing them as they struggled to move their valuable supplies into what was little more than a hole in the ground; Of the first orcish siege, and watching the orcs watch them huddle inside for safety.
"And to Kib and The Tooninator, champions of the Theater of Beards, for leading our armies against all that has threatened us!"
"To the champions!" came the response, as each dwarf raised their mug and remembered the many battles that had been fought on the doorway to Lanternwebs, all of them brought to victory by the leadership of The Tooninator and Kib.
"Now, we must look to the future. To Lanternwebs, all that it shall become, and all that live here!"
A last cheer from the dwarves of Lanternwebs rose to the Unnamable Point as Olin stepped away from the statue and the party resumed, drink flowing freely as the dwarves celebrated a new year in Udilorshar.
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Topic: Lanternwebs (The End!) (Read 80070 times)