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[LegoLord]

25th Moonstone, Winter, 107
   Ezum sat in the chair of her office.  Before her stood all the dwarves with close encounters with major possessions; Bubbles, Sheena, Zasit, and those who had channeled the ghosts of great crafters. 

   “It’s startin’ ta look like a major issue, these ghosts n’ goblins,” Ezum said, her voice low, “but we can’t talk about it here.  There’re too many civilians walkin’ around.”

   “Why can’t we use the mayor’s office?” Sheena asked.

   “The mayor is just a simple planter; she only has her position because she’s so popular.” Zasit said.  “She’d probably panic and lose her head over all this.”

   “So where then?  Outside isn’t exactly safe, and that’s the only place that doesn’t have everyone running through it all the time.”  Morul stated.

   “Aye, but people don’t like goin’ near the prison, and Ai just fancy maybe havin’ a new office.  This staircase is gettin’ awful cramped.  I was thinkin’ maybe put me new office under the jails.”  Ezum stated.  “When that’s done, we’ll go an’ talk about this – in private.  Now go on about yer business.”

19th Opal
   Ezum the clerk found herself spun around by Ezum the Clothier as she was hauling a load of solid protodermis.  She turned and saw that he had that certain glaze to his eye of those that were possessed by spirits from the beyond.

   The dwarf was hauling a second bolt of emerald green rope reed cloth by the time Ezum made it to the stairs.  She was going to need soap . . .

   “Bubbles!” she shouted, “where the hell are ye?!”

25th Opal
   Bubbles looked on with interest.  Though Ezum had technically had to bribe him with a bar of soap, he was interested in guarding the dwarf for other reasons.

   Ezum the clothier had gathered three bolts of emerald green rope reed, some gabbro and basalt blocks, two turtle shells, some orthoclase and kimberlite stone, and some raw green glass.


   “Er, I was wondering . . .” Bubbles began.

   “Lolokud!” Ezum the clothier shouted.

   “Uh, well, y’see, there’s my great grandad, an’-”

   “Lolokud!”

   “Right, well, he’s dead, but he possessed me t’other day-”

   “Lolokud!”

   “-in the middle of a battle, an I was wonderin’ if you could, y’know-”

   “Lolokud!”

   “-tell ‘em I said thanks?”

   “LOLOKUD!!!!”

   “Alright, alright, I’m goin’.  Sheesh.

Hm.  I think that spacing might look a little funny.

[Heron TSG]

I like it. can't wait to see what Ezum makes out of a bunch of expensive junk 

[LegoLord]

Keep in mind the guy possessed is a different Ezum than the one we know and . . . well, the one we know, anyway.

2nd Obsidian
   Ezum the clothier opened his eyes.  He looked in front of him and saw Lolokud, a rope reed right glove.

   “Where the hell did this come from?  Armok, I wouldn’t want to get hit in the face with this.”
   “There’re worse places ta get in the face wit’ that,” Ezum the clerk said, stepping out from behind the wall, “19,800 dollars, I’d say.  It’ll make a fine addition ta the Arenaseum.”

   “Er . . . okay, but where’d it come from?”  The clerk sighed.  Some dwarves just weren’t too bright.  Well, okay, most weren’t too bright.  But some were exceptional cases.

   “Ye made it, ye dafty.  Now get back ta work.”

Edit:  Forgot the picture.

[Heron TSG]

why do they always make it out of the easiest-to-melt material?!

[LegoLord]

Who knows?  They're dwarves, after all.
Anyway, I better warn you all that this next update contains game spoilers.

Spoiler: New update (click to show/hide)

18th Slate, Spring, 108
   Kogan Postrumors opened his eyes in the medical bay of the barracks, his eyes white as pearls.  The dwarf tending to him gave him an uncertain smile.  She knew Kogan had been shot by the goblin Stasost last winter, but she was sure people’s eyes weren’t supposed to look like that.  Maybe the bolt was infected or something, she thought.

   “Gnahahahaha!” Kogan cackled.  He got up, iron bolt still stuck in his leg, and began walking.  “Death . . .” he muttered.

19th Slate
   Ezum walked around the new office, admiring its smooth walls.  In the room with her were Zasit Galleywindy the Moral Songs, Sheena Tombsball the Scarce Trouble, Morul Bellstired the Branded Lamentation of Mechanisms, Chappy the miner and Morul the miner, Bubbles Glazestream the Scarce Memory of Dawn, and Thob Channeledmachine, creator of the protosteel warhammer Ziksiskab.

   Ezum sat on the soft but firm tissue of tower-cap bed, bouncing up and down a few times.  “Alright.  So we’ve had these ambushes from gobbos what don’t know why they’re there, aye?”

   “Yessir,” Zasit said, “only while possessed they had battlecries calling for the death of our champions.  Including me.” he added reproachfully.

   “Right.  An’ then we got people gettin’ possessed by ghosts o’ their forefathers, aye?”

   “Yessir.” Bubbles and Thob said in unison.  Bubbles continued, “It seems like they’re trying to help protect us, sir.”

   Ezum nodded, moving on to look at her new windows.  “Who made this window?  Looks like a masterful piece o’ work.”

   “Barbarossa did, sir.” Morul said.  “There was also the last siege and ambush sir.  The goblins leading them spoke of these so called ‘Dark Ones.’  They claimed that they were getting strength from them.”
   
   “Right.” Ezum said, inspecting the gold table and chair of her office.  “Well then, I think it’s time Chappy ‘n Morul here tell ya why we were sent here.  It wasn’t jus’ any minin’ operation, I know that much.”

   Chappy and Morul the miners nodded.  Chappy stepped forward.  “Before he died, the King was visited by a wizard.  At first he seemed mad, talking of terrible demons coming, but then he showed the King a map.  It showed what is our approximate location right now.  Including depth to dig.  It was a map leading to Adamantine.”

   “Whut?!  The King sent us her ta look fer that crap!” Ezum shouted angrily.

   “Wait!” Morul the miner shouted quickly, “here, look at this.” She pulled a small lump of gabbro rock laced with blue out of her pocket and held it up.  “The wizard had this rolled up with the map.”

   Ezum looked at it carefully.  “But that’s the same gabbro we’ve got ‘round here!”

   Chappy continued, “Yes.  We were supposed to dig up Adamantine.  The King knew it would take time, so he sent us, his two best miners, along with a camp crew.  We became ‘The big Sabre of Rulers.’  The King had decided to name the mine ‘The Axe of Authority.’  He wasn’t expecting to have another settlement on his hands.  It turned out living in the wild does something to one’s willingness to get digging done fast and still save some stone for the finer pleasures.”

   “So these dark ones . . .” Bubbles began, “they’re supposed to be demons?”

   “Maybe,” Morul the miner said, “but we can’t be sure.”

   “Well this explains a lot.” Sheena said.  “Back when Zasit got injured and I nearly fell off the skyway, the warrior that brought me down shouted ‘death will come from inside.’”

   Chappy stared at her for a second.  “Well, not really.  Aside from this lump of rock and the map, we haven’t found any sign of Adamantine.  The King finally decided that the wizard was just mad and let the settlement stay.  He died the next day.”

   “So we’ve got a mad prophet, a tiny lump of rock full o’ blue thread, gobbos an’ skaks wit’ they’re eyes all wrong, plastic little doodads running around the place, and a failed mission ta find a legend.” Ezum said.  “Sounds like we’re gonna have some fun ‘round here soon.”

[LegoLord]

20th Slate, Spring, 108
   Kogan the mechanic hobbled into a workshop.  He fell unconscious after hauling a piece of alunite to the workshop.  A passing farmer decided to pull the bolt out of his leg.  The pain woke him as the dwarf went to dump the bolt.  Kogan remained in the control of nether spirits, however.

   He retrieved two more pieces of alunite, some basalt blocks, another short nap, two bolts of rope reed cloth, a quick rest, honest, a bundle of giant cave spider chitin, some goblin bones, some rough clear plastic, a few moments of rest for his eyes, really, and finally, a turtle shell.  He set to work.

7th Felsite
   “Oh Armok, no . . .” Chappy said while working on the Great Green Tower.  He stopped what he was doing right there and ran down the staircase.  He flew through the dining hall, searching frantically, not finding what he was looking for.  He went to the old well and rang the bell.  He ran down to the housing quarters and down the hall to Ezum’s new office.  She sat eating dinner.

   “What’s wrong, Chappy?  Goblins siegin’ us again?”

   “No sir, it’s worse!”

   “How can it be worse?  It’ not a dragon is it?”

   “No, even worse than that!”

   “Not a Tahtorak, is it?!” Ezum said, starting to panic.

   “Worse still!  It’s the tax collector!  You know what that means!  We’re-”

   “NO!  Don’t say it-”
   
   “-We’ve been made a barony!”

   “Aw, shit!”

Once this thread hits page 8, I'm going to stop hiding game spoilers (there aren't going to be any story spoilers).  So anyway, we now have a tax collector, hammerer, and baroness.  Baron not for claim.  We also have, in the way of legendaries, two more miners, one engraver, an armorer, two bone carvers, one weaver, a brewer/cook (The former mayor), a planter (one of the original 7), and two pump operators ready to start military training.  A new miner, axedwarf (who has a female cat ), and a hammerdwarf came with the last migrant wave.  Population now 165.

[LegoLord]

14th Felsite, Spring, 108
   Ezum sat in her new office, waiting.  She was starting to get impatient.  The door opened.

   “Well it’s about time ye got here.” she said, “you were supposed to see me three days ago.”

   “My apologies.” the baron said, “I’ve been trying to get settled in.  I am Lord Lego, at your service.”  He bowed.

   “No yer not.  You nobles don’t do any messy work.  So why’d ye come all the way here?  Things were jus’ startin’ ta get good.” Ezum said, grimacing at the nobbyness of him.

   “This location, Ezum Paintedtrade, is one of the richest in all the kingdom.  Word of its vast resources have spread far and wide.  I was simply the first baron to get the message, and requested the position before the King died.  He refused, but the new Queen was more than willing to let me have this place.”

   “So ye thought ye needed ta bring along some hammer totin’ thug an’ a bookkeeper?  We already have plenty o’ those, only they actually do some work.  An’ I’m the manager of this here fort.”

   “Yes, but you are still of the peasantry.  And, last I heard, there was fairly slackened law enforcement here.”

   “Bugger off.” Ezum said.

   “I beg your pardon?  The Queen herself sent me here.  I cannot leave.  Besides, why would I want to?  Plenty of stone, a seemingly endless supply of ore and glass, safe areas underground in which to harvest towercaps – by the way, I saw the artificial forest area.  It looks very nice – there’s just so much wealth here.  So I think I shall be staying, thank you very much.  Oh yes, I nearly forgot.  My wife and the tax collector would like some coins minted.”

   Ezum slammed her fist against her table.  It sank into the gold and stuck.  “Don’t think jus’ ‘cause yer a fancy noble here ye can go orderin’ me around.  Get out of me office.  Now!”

   “Indeed, I think I shall.  I will fetch someone to get you fist out of that slab, too, shall I?” Lord Lego said spitefully.  Ezum glared at him as he left, slamming the door behind him.

   “I wonder if he’s even seen the bottom floor o’ that forest.” she said.  It was coming along nicely, last she checked.  The river bed was completely carved out, and they had secured a breeding pair of giant leopards, alligators, and gazelles from the elves.  Most of the mechanisms needed to flood it were ready.

21st Felsite
   “The Dark Ones shall rise” Kogan the mechanic said with a double voice.  “We shall rise . . . and the dwarves shall fall . . .” He was finished with the artifact.  “Kongulas shall be the fall of this place.”  He fell forward, unconscious, and the box of mechanisms fell to the floor.

[Omnidum]

Somehow, your style of writing makes me keep coming back to see if there's updates on all o' this.

[LegoLord]

Thanks, I appreciate that.  To be honest, I used to hate writing.  Standard thing to say, I know, but 'tis true.

[LegoLord]

24th Hematite, Summer, 108
   Zan Sabreclaw was not but a simple planter.  She had never expected much more out of life than the occasional exceptional booze.  She was now finding that he should have expected more.  She should have expected to need a weapon.

   She stared horrified into the face of the goblin warrior that had ambushed him.  Its eyes terrified her; they were pearly white with a vacant look to them.  She turned and ran.  The goblin hit her in the right leg, bruising her and causing her to stagger, but she moved on.

   She managed to get away from the small force, but ran away from the exit.  She couldn’t think straigt; she was simply too scared.  She discovered a goblin snatcher and fled from it as well.  Upon reaching the borders at the bottom of the hill, she realized he was still being pursued.  She knew he couldn’t run away forever.  She turned to confront the goblins.

   Upon reaching the first wrestler, she acted instinctively, grabbing it by the head in both hands and bashing her skull against it.  She heard bone crack against his superior dwarven skull.  The now dizzy goblin attempted to flee.  Zan grabbed it by the left arm and tossed it, breaking the arm in the process.  She then followed the goblin and proceeded to break its right arm as well.  The goblin passed out.  It was bleeding heavily and soon died under the onslaught of blows from Zan.

   She felt exhilarated.  Though several goblins seemed to be fleeing, she engaged a lasher, punching it in the stomach, even though she was beginning to feel dizzy from the sunlight.  Before the goblin could react, she rammed it in the lower body with her head.  Its lower spine snapped.  Some of the other goblins joined in at this time.  One landed a mild blow to her lower body, stunning her, but not injuring her. 

   Another lasher whipped her in the head.  Her right eye suddenly felt as though it was on fire.  She was struck again, her left eye going aflame.  She could not see.  A blow from a wrestler had knocked the wind out of her.  She was in pain.  She felt a tugging at her right arm, and then searing pain at her elbow as a sense of touch and pain left her right upper arm.  She passed out, vaguely aware of someone trying to strangle her.

   Bubbles arrived on the scene, a determined look across his face, closely followed by Sheena.  He immediately bashed three of the goblins off the ramp in an arc, sufficient in strength to send them flying over the new walls.  Sheena stabbed a lasher to death, leaving one more.  Bubbles beat the life out of it.

   The two paused and looked at Zan.  They could hardly recognize her.  Bubbles draped a large, torn shirt over her, and they both walked away.


Man, Zan was awesome.

[Heron TSG]

Dang, why is it always the food service dwarves who get ambushed and slaughter their ambushers, only to be slaughtered in return?

[LegoLord]

I wish I knew.  In other news, we now have a legendary glassmaker; it's a she, and part of the first couple I ever saw get married and actually have a party.  All she ever did was pump out green glass blocks and some floor hatches, though.  Now she's going to make the doors for the artifacts in the arena-museum. 

[LegoLord]

22nd Galena, Summer, 108
   Flint hauled his work down the hall towards Ezums office.  It wasn’t his favorite job – of course, his favorite job was no job at all – but it was technically considered an honor to be chosen to make the annual scale model of the fort.  It was an ancient tradition.  No one knew why it was done, but they did it simply because they saw no reason not to.  Once, the dwarf chosen valiantly pursued his task in spite of a goblin siege coming down the hall that had killed most of the other occupants of the fort.

   He pushed open the door and plopped the stone on Ezum’s desk.  Ezum happened to be signing off on work orders at this moment.

   “Gah!  Tha’s me hand ye daft dwarf!”

   “Shut it, yo, you lucky I even done this, dog.” He glared at Ezum, but it was a strangely friendly glare.  The two were both known to hat nobles.  That made Flint okay by Ezum’s book, even though he was too cowardly to do anything about them.

   “Looks better’n last year, I’ll give ye that, Flint,” she said as she inspected it.  “Ye can get back ta doin’ whatever it is ye do.”  Flint nodded and left.  Ezum noticed a paintbrush sticking out of his back pocket as he left.  “An’ don’t go makin’ anymore graffiti.  Takes ages ta clean that up.”

And here's the "model."  I think I'm going to take a break from this for a bit;  at over 160 dwarves, it becomes rather slow-paced.  PM me if it takes more than a month for another update.

[LegoLord]

Huzzah!  We now have PoI's for all the maps!  Okay, I'm done with this for now.

[Heron TSG]

thank you!