The current story can be found here:
When the Carp CryClick on the link and ignore the below.
After deciding that I'm too impatient to actually play a full community game of Dwarf Fortress, I remembered the awesome works put up by JackRabbit, Iiutem, and MetalMillita, the ones that used entirely ASCIIDraw to tell their tales. ASCIIDraw, I have some experience with already, and it seems a much easier medium to work with than Dwarf Fortress itself. It sounds heinous, I know, but I don't have the necessary patience to play out a full game of Dwarf Fortress. Thus, I have decided to do this:
This will be a mystery/action adventure/war tale made using ASCIIDraw, with inspiration from the anime When the Cicadas Cry (or Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni). I apologize for bad quality pictures, I'm not exactly the best with ASCIIDraws interface. I also apologize for cliches or the fact that this has been done by others before, but I think that unlike most things I've started before, I might actually not abandon this. (To the players of my RTD, it seems as if I'm still going strong with that one. Time will tell). And so I present...
When The Dwarves Cry : Episode 0 ; Before"Cue anime theme music:"
Higurashi OP 1
The
thing stood on the edge of the cliff, looking out from his vantage on top of the world to the lands below. High winds rustled through the mountain top, sending cold chills through his body. But he was unmoved. Instead, he scanned his surroundings, idly, as if bored. The mountain was bare, only a few hardy grasses and weeds able to brave the rocky soil and billowing winds. A gust of wind whipped across his face, leaving it a pinkish red. He scowled, annoyed, and drew his fur closer to himself, then returned to his gazing beyond the cliff, into the abyss.
The view, considered the best in the whole empire, moved him little. He watched the minute figures scuttle about on the ground like ants, happily oblivious to just how large the world was.
Fools! How sickening it was to be amongst them, to listen to their mindless banter, to force himself to stomach their disgusting faces, filled with hope, optimism, and lord-knows what else. And yet... it touched him, in a vague sort of way. He knew the thought was weak, for those who seek comfort, not power, who's ambitions ranged to nothing more than feeding themselves and their families. But he could not suppress it. But even as the thought nagged at him, he knew the time was coming soon where he would have to dismiss it for good.
"And the time is soon... He mused to himself. The world as they knew it would change, so very soon, a mere blink for Mother Nature herself. He looked one last time upon the valley, the very one that holds... no,
held his people.
He also took this time to examine himself. Short and stocky, barely standing above a Kobold in stature, his beard, long and unkempt, covered the vast majority of his face. Well kept bears were a sign of beauty and health amongst his people, and letting his beard go as wild as his had was a sure sign of madness. But to him, it just signified how far gone he was, from his people, from the world itself. He had little time. Rousing himself, he coldly turned his back to his homeland, perhaps for the last time...
"You sure this is the house?" The pikeman prodded at the ground beneath his feet, metal blade making a distinct, thudding noise on the wooden path. Before them stood a good sized log cabin, the type of house that a man of his upbringing would neither want, nor could afford. The dwarf grimaced, the sun beat mercilessly down upon his head, making him feel a vague nausea in the pit of his stomach. He would have loved to go into the burrows and have a nice ale, but he had a job, unfortunately, and he had already taken his break last month.
The child nodded. He was small and wiry, unusual traits for a dwarf, but his eyes possessed a keen glint that hinted at an awareness and intelligence potentially rivaling that of his much older fellows. He was of great interest to the courts, and it was hoped that he could grow to an advisory position, perhaps in the King's throne, as an adult.
"Right." The pikeman grunted and gestured at the door. "Lets take it down." His fellows stowed their hammers, pikes, or whatever, and proceeded to take turns, bashing at the door with their elbows, the door shaking with each blow.
While his companions were heaving and grunting and hurling themselves at the door, the leader took this time to examine his surroundings. The path was neat and tidy, the shrubs lining the path were in order. And yet, something seemed amiss, but he couldn't put his finger on it... As he walked around the house, he took the time to admire the supple wood that the trees had, noting the fine beds that could be made with such wood... but it seemed strange that the trees had never been harvested, despite their proximity to the Empire's domains...
The trees. It suddenly dawned upon the dwarf what was wrong with the scenery. The trees did not grow near the house. Now, trees were all but gone in the lands near the Empire's fortresses and outposts, but they always left some sign... a sapling or stump, so that the forests could grow for more harvesting. But here... they were gone. The pikeman scratched at his beard, wondering at the faintly disturbing fact, until a resounding crash came from the houses front, followed by shouts of success.
They were in.
They filed in in single file, the child and the leader taking up the rear. As he entered, he felt a keen disappointment. There was plenty of wooden furniture, a large table and some chairs. But there were no bodies, there was no blood. Just an empty house.
"But... I'm positive that I last saw my friend in here..." The child seemed stupefied. The pikeman ordered his men to spread out and search the rest of the house. He and the child went into the adjacent kitchen. There was one of those new gadgets, the tinderbox that brought up a flame to heat food, and an ice tray on which things were keep cool until eating. But again, no bodies. The child sighed, and in his head, the pikeman sighed as well.
"Looks like we came this way for nothing."
He turned to take the child and go back into the main hall and reunite with his men. That's when he heard the door shut.
That's it. Go ahead and request characters if you want, I'll incorporate them. Hope you liked it, and their's more coming soon.
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Topic: When the Carp Cry : Definition of the Perpetual Witch (Read 25664 times)