((Foreword: The following method of story telling borrows from the recent thread of SirHoneyBagers "The Birth of an Artifact", so all credit of this style of writing goes to him.))
Gaarash opened his eyes to yet annother day of cold trecking across the frozen ground. It seemed like an age before his departure from the security of Mountainhome but it was in fact only four months. The Dwarfs who accompanied him were equally as tired and dismayed over the long treck in such unforgiving conditions.
They had started with over thirty Dwarf men and women from the capital, banded together for their various skills in Mining, Farming, Mechanics and so on, however they were now down to a meagre twleve. The Northernlands were hardly a safe place by anyones standards, however year after year Dwarfs were lured to the area due to the high yeilds of Gems and Various metals in the Mountain Belt creating the Dwarven kingdom's established Northern Frontier.
During the treck the group had been attacked by Goblin bandits and Carp during a trechorous river crossing following the discovery of a collapsed Bridge, but the real killer of the party was the hard going. Sixteen of the group had died from a mystery illness, six deserted and the remaining died of wound infections from the bandits blades. It was always a soul crushing experience to watch a Dwarf die that way and it took a huge hit on the groups moral. This was seemingly somthing Expedition Leader Lock'Nesh seemed not to notice, acting as if all the deaths and desertions had not even occured.
Garrash pulled his cloak tight around his Chest and grumbled when once again his socks had failed to dry from the previous days march. It was unnatural that such high winds that bit through the flesh, failed to do somthing as trivial as dry a sock, although it would not be much longer before he and his companions reached their destination. It was only the though of the waiting reception of Oak Fires, lavish meals and the endless nights of Booze ups which kept Garrash going, and he was damned if he was going to give up now. He'd break down the entrance doors himself if he had to.
"We march in five minutes, we 'aint more than a two days walk away so get yer' gear in order" Bellowed Lock'nesh far too alertly
"How can he always be so damn chirpy? He must have only been awake ten minutes" Though Garrash
"Give them the title Leader and they think they're the Queen" whispered Miner Barrin
Garrash gave a low chuckle, glad that someone finally gave him reason to be amused in this frozen hell. Laughter was somthing hard to come by these days.
Just on the edge of the horizion the Northern mountains could finally be seen, almost like a mirrage as the faint mist in the air made them hover in and out of view. The mountains held almost mysical qualities to the group, the potential for riches there were great, the rumors of gems falling out of the cave walls, of the heat inside the mountains despite the conditions outside, and of course the quality of the metals were unrivialed.
It was no wonder then that Gaarash and the group were selected for this mission, the economic importance of this region was of growing importance to the Queen and her advisors, there were already a number of high yeilding Nothern Fortresses and trade routes now accounting for nearly a quarter of the Dwarven economy. However it was not one of these fully established Fortresses the team was heading, such important Fortresses would not be assigned to this group, a group that Lock'nesh was becomming more certain was scrambled together as an afterthough by some corrupt beurocratic Noble.
"Deserters, Cowards and Vagabonds, the prefect group to lead into a Gem mine" Lock'nesh thought sarcastically.
The objective was a relativley new Fortress, only five years of age, established in a large cave in the Mountains providing an exellent natural defences with potential for even greater improvements. This was the deepest any Fortress had ever gone into the region, an area told by Human merchants in the North who braved a Mountain crossing to be both Haunted and even Cursed by the many who's lives were taken in this forsaken land. This was universally beleived by all Trading towns that operated near this region, particualry the land deepest in the Mountains which was dubbed "The Cursed Earth".
Although this was scoffed at by the Dwarven migrants who established the Fortress, the traders insisted on an outdoor Trading Depot encircled with walls and fortifications, and kept visits as short as possible. The Traders were an esential means of aquiring Wood, Seeds and Booze due to the poor terrain, and the Traders alway made huge profits on the Gems. It was also these same traders who raised concerns over the last two years, saying how the Dwarf's simply haven't responded the the Traders approach. Every time they appeared the Entrance doors were sealed shut, and the Trade Depots gates were locked tight. The Traders have warned they will soon abandon the route if the issue was not resolved by the end of next year.
This therefore was Lock'nesh's groups mission, to investigate the reason for the Fortresses 'lockdown' and to re-establish full scale mining operations and Trade immediatley. Also in order to avoid annother similar incident detailed reports from the Book Keeper must be copied and sent to Mountainhome via regular liasion visits. This was to be accompanied by reports as to what happened in the Fortress and for Lock'nesh to assume command of all operations until more professional administration arrive. This last order particuarly irritated Lock'nesh who felt the running of the Fortress should be his task alone.
The group packed their belongings, the two remaining scouts returned claiming no sighting of any animal or plant life, just more frozen ground and the odd rock waiting to break a Dwarfs leg.
"If it wasn't for this dirt path we'd all be limping our way to the damn place" Garrash though bitterly to himself.
So in poor but determined spirits the various mesh of Dwarven professions trudged North eating the decaying rations purchased at the last Trading town they paseed nearly two weeks ago. They walked onwards to the Fortress that will become the intertwined Dwarf legacy of greed, fear and death. This Fortress set in the shadows of the Mountains was Jokingly called "Coffin Gate" due to the already enclosed feel of the mountains natural cave system, but the name would take a far more sinister meaning as the group would soon discover...
Author
Topic: The Cursed Earth (Read 666 times)