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Author Topic: Apexwhips - Convicts at large  (Read 24003 times)

The_Fool76

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Re: Apexwhips - Convicts at large
« Reply #45 on: October 06, 2009, 01:35:06 pm »

Fiesta in the Fortress

Akigagak settled in with no real troubles. The rest of the dwarves were hesitant at first but once she called the queen a “Pathetic waste of a decent set of ears.” the ice was broken. Akigagak spent most of her time, when she wasn't out hunting mollusks, engaged in the typical military action of waiting around for something to happen. This time was spent coming up with new insults while sitting on the wagon. She would share these with any dwarf passing by much to the amusement of everyone.

All in all, life was actually pretty good now. Certainly better than they had enjoyed back at Axegrind that's for sure. It was so good in fact that one day upon entering the dining room Mandy was treated to a sight that nearly made her drop her roast on the floor.


(Loki dances on the tables while Gear and Art cheer her on.)

Mandy stood there for a moment just gaping. “What in the name of Armok's big toes are you doing?” she finally managed to sputter.

Loki pause in mid kick, “Dancing?” she responded.

“On the tables?” asked Mandy while eying all the boot pints across their surface.

“I made them.” Said Loki defiantly.

“And where did you learn to dance like that anyway?” asked Mandy

“Oh, here and there.” replied Loki waving her arm vaugely.

“Leave her alone Mandy.” said Gear

“Yea.” added Art. “It was getting dull around here. Nice to have some entertainment.”

Mandy shook her head. Crazy, they were all crazy. “Fine, whatever. Carry on, just not on this table.” she said as she took a seat with her roast.

Loki stuck her tongue out at Mandy and proceeded to resume her cavorting. Gear and Art meanwhile attempted to replicate some folk dances without much success as they spun around the outside of the room barely avoiding the chairs. As she watched Loki dance Mandy had to admit the lass was rather good at it. Loki spun her beard like a real pro. Mandy again wondered where Loki had learned it. Maybe she had been some noble's pet entertainer or something.

Mandy sometimes wished she knew more about everyones' background before they met at Axegrind. None of them ever really talked about their pasts. Then again, given her own background, Mandy figured it was probably for the best that they didn't. It was safer to be curious than it was to be informed.


(Summer 216 and Loki's party in the dining room is going strong. Art, Brick, and Gear are attending.)
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The_Fool76

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Re: Apexwhips - Convicts at large
« Reply #46 on: October 07, 2009, 06:08:32 pm »

You Snooze, You Loose?

The party eventually wound down and life returned to its normal routine at Apexwhips. Even the slug and snailmen infestations had gotten to be routine. Someone would spot a group while out cutting trees, hauling wood, or hauling the remains of the last group. They would then run over to the wagon where Akigagak liked to sit and let her know. Akigagak would then hop down and go out to remove the pests from the world.

This carried on through most of early Summer until one day Gear came running over to Mandy at her Still, “Akigagak is missing and there is a group of snailmen just outside the fort!”

“Akigagak is sleeping you mean. I saw her go into the hovel just a moment ago. “ Mandy replied. “Just let me finish this barrel and I'll go myself.”

Gear nodded and waited patently while Mandy finished up and then hoisted her axe. “The snailmen were to the west.” Gear commeted.

Mandy strode out the door next to the refuse pile and sure enough there was a group of the man-mollusks.


(Mandy goes to deal with some snailmen while Akigagak snores away in bed.)

Akigagak was dreaming pleasant dreams of a palace made from soap surrounded by smooth polished limestone with a pure marble road leading up to it, when there was a loud booming peal of thunder that made her think of laughter. The sky darkened and thunder echoed across it. Rain started pouring down on her palace causing the sides to foam. Dwarven bodies started raining down like enormous hail marring the white and cream colored palace with blood and vomit as they exploded into chunks upon hitting the ground. Akigagak gasped and ran around washing off the blood and vomit stains by tearing chunks of soap out of the palace walls.

Akigagak had no idea how long this profane rain continued. She did not notice when it stopped as she was too busy with her scrubbing. When she finally finished scrubbing off the last stain she looked up and was dismayed by the sight before her. Where had once stood her glorious soap palace now stood a single room. Her bedroom was all that remained. She tiredly walked up to it planning on sleeping off her exhaustion. When she opened the door though, a thick red liquid poured out of the flooded room washing her off her feet. “BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!” boomed the thunder as Akigagak let out a scream.

Akigagak woke in a cold sweet. She had nightmares before this but nothing like this. Her normal nightmares usually consisted of faceless nobles ordering her to scrub the floors and the walls and everything else until her hands were bloody stumps. She eyed the wooden walls. It must be all this living above ground, it was no wonder the elves were crazy. Shaking off the last bits of the dream, Akigagak picked up her axe and walked outside.

“Oh hey, you are up.” said a voice from under the wagon as Akigagak sat down in her normal spot. Jumping off the wagon she peered under it to see Gear yawning at her.

“What in earth are you doing under there?” asked Akigagak

“Just keeping from falling off while I take a nap. You might want to go out to the west and see if Mandy needs any help.” said Gear

“Why?” said Akigagak trying to figure out what Gear meant by falling off.

“Some snailmen showed up while you were snoring.” responded Gear.

“Oh.” said Akigagak hoisting her axe. “Where?”

Gear pulled herself out from under the wagon, “Off to the west. At least that's where they were when I saw them, who knows where Mandy chased them to.”

Akigagak nodded and headed out into the woods. She had just gotten away from the fort when a snailman charged out of the woods straight at her, it's eye-stalks waving in fear. It barely had time to register Akigagak before she had swung down with her axe, taking first it's right and then left arms off. It halted and looked down with a puzzled expression at the limbs now lying on the ground before the blood loss caught up to it and it collapsed on top of them.

Akigagak looked down at the axe in her hands and thought about the dream and how the blood and gore had washed away the soap. That hadn't been a nightmare. It was a sign, a sign of her new life. The days of being a soap maker were behind her and now she would follow the path of the axe. Woe any noble who thought to ever tell her otherwise again.


(Akigagak wakes up just in time to kill the last snailmen, thus becoming a full fledged axedwarf)
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The_Fool76

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Re: Apexwhips - Convicts at large
« Reply #47 on: October 09, 2009, 12:07:47 am »

Meh, suffering from a bit of writers block while trying to deal with the human caravan. 
So in the meantime, here is Mandy's info along with that for the two non founders.



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Jervous

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Re: Apexwhips - Convicts at large
« Reply #48 on: October 09, 2009, 08:29:17 am »

Akigagak doesn't care about anything anymore?!

Oh, and thank god it's not light pink that I love. I HATE fuchsia. Too many missing textures on Oblivion..
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The_Fool76

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Re: Apexwhips - Convicts at large
« Reply #49 on: October 09, 2009, 10:02:12 am »

Akigagak doesn't care about anything anymore?!

Oh, and thank god it's not light pink that I love. I HATE fuchsia. Too many missing textures on Oblivion..

I think the not caring about anything is from the killing of the slugmen and snailmen.  Mandy has it too.  From what I have been able to figure out, all that means is that they have seen a lot of things die. 
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elizar

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Re: Apexwhips - Convicts at large
« Reply #50 on: October 09, 2009, 02:36:04 pm »

At least it will be much harder for them to tantrum ;)

I'm interested in a dorf. I haven't really checked the stories thoroughly other than Nish Akath, and I think you got potentional. Let me know what kind of info I need to PM you to get on the list.
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A quick scan of the stocks menu shows that one of the dead pack animals has a bin full of silk cloth!  It is speedily unforbidden, and my moody glassmaker sprints off to retrieve his prize amongst the smoking, charred, blood-soaked ruin that is the outdoors, totally oblivious to the carnage that was instigated on his behalf.

The_Fool76

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Re: Apexwhips - Convicts at large
« Reply #51 on: October 09, 2009, 04:14:07 pm »

At least it will be much harder for them to tantrum ;)

I'm interested in a dorf. I haven't really checked the stories thoroughly other than Nish Akath, and I think you got potentional. Let me know what kind of info I need to PM you to get on the list.

Yay for potential!

You just need a reason that the dwarf wants to avoid being in a 'normal' fort.  PMing it to me isn't a requirement but it does allow your dwarf's background to remain mysterious thus avoiding any possible spoilers.

In case folks haven't figured it out by now, Athel (the liaison) is going to be my main method for working new immigrants into the story.  She wants the fort to grow so she can improve her profits so she is looking for dwarves who want to vanish (and who she can potentially blackmail) to send to Apexwhips. 

For example, in the event that I wind up with more new dwarves than people who want them, the rest are just going to be assumed to be running from failed production orders.

Basically, I'm looking to have folks give me more than just a name.  I think it makes for a more interesting story that way.  Both for the readers who now are perhaps a little more invested and for me as I try to work whatever folks gave me into the story. 
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Argonnek

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Re: Apexwhips - Convicts at large
« Reply #52 on: October 09, 2009, 04:55:00 pm »

I think I might join this.
My Name? Argonnek
My Gender? Male
My Backstory? I'll PM it.

The_Fool76

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Re: Apexwhips - Convicts at large
« Reply #53 on: October 09, 2009, 06:16:01 pm »

Yay more folks!
Now all I need are more dwarves in the game.

Current list of people waiting on dwarves.
Metal Militia
Grendus
Elizar
Argonnek
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The_Fool76

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Re: Apexwhips - Convicts at large
« Reply #54 on: October 09, 2009, 06:19:53 pm »

The Humans are coming! The Humans are coming!

Ibid turned and looked at her companion. “Are we there yet?” she whined with a grin on her face.

Em turned and stuck her tongue out at the caravan driver. “No and every time you ask adds another hour.”

“What? Don't tell me that last stream you had us detouring around was just because of the last time I asked.” said Ibid with her best mock-frown.

Em laughed, “No but the chasm before that sure was!”

“Crazy pointy eared wench. Just how did you talk me into this anyway?” said Ibid.

Em did a little swaying dance, “By seducing you of course! Its well known that you humans can't resist elven maids like little ol' me.”

Ibid nearly fell off the wagon laughing. “Oh please, no. Whatever am I to do against your boyish good looks?”

“Boyish!? Your just envious of my slender frame.” Em said with a pout.

“And you are envious of the fact that my chest and hips are bigger than your entire body so I suppose we are even.” replied Ibid grinning from ear to ear. “Seriously though, shouldn't we be about to this fort of yours by now?”

Em nodded, “We should be seeing signs of it fairly soon if these dwarves hold the forests in the same regards as the rest of their race. Unfortunately, the directions I managed to get out of that rather drunk grove of elves were somewhat vague and this place doesn't appear to be on any of the main routes.”

Ibid shook her head, “Yea they were out of it. They really should have known better than to eat dwarven made roasts like that. Some of those roasts are basically just concentrated booze with more kick than drinking a whole barrel of sewer brew.”

Em placed her hand over her heart and gave an exaggerated sigh, “I so weep for the depths that my poor people have sunk to. We were once a proud and noble race but now we lay about stoned out of our gourds by foul dwarven cooking.”

“Oh stop it, you are almost worse than dwarves are when it comes to caring about other elves.” said Ibid chuckling.

Em put her hand over her head, “Alas that is the fault of my tragic upbringing, raised as I was by hairy beasts.”

“What you were raised by wolves now?” said Ibid.

“Worse, humans.” replied Em.

“Hey, at least it wasn't dwarves.” said Ibid “And I think we have arrived.” she added noticing the disappearance of the woods and the appearance of a field of stumps with a wooden wall at the far side.


(The human caravan and their Elf o.O representative.)

Mandy peered over the pond at the caravan heading their way. She had spotted them on her way to get an empty barrel from the pile by the wagon. It looked like they were a human caravan but they had an elf with them. What in the earth was an elf doing with the humans?

“Hey, you there!” Called out the lead wagon driver.

Mandy looked back at the carts with a start. She had been so focused on the elf she hadn't noticed that they were now practically on the other side of the pond. “Yes?” asked Mandy.

“Where is your trade depot? Oh and tell whomever is in charge that a trade caravan from Kolobbehal has arrived if you would.” responded the driver.

“Actually, I'm in charge.” responded Mandy. “The depot is on the other side of the fort, I'll go meet you there.”

The driver nodded and turned the cart to the south to go around. The elf however walked right up to the door and let herself in much to Mandy's shock. “Nice little place you have here. Reminds me a bit of back home actually. I didn't know dwarves built with wood.” the elf commented.

Mandy just gaped, “Er... what?”

The elf looked down at Mandy and grinned. “Sorry, I should introduce myself. I am Em Añusamo representative for the human civilization of Kolobbehal.”

“What is an elf doing representing the humans?” asked Mandy.

Em shrugged, “Hard work and perseverance. That and my ancestors got captured in some war sparing me from growing up hugging trees and eating grass.”

“And the wood doesn't offend you?” asked Mandy trying to wrap her mind around the idea of an elf who didn't go into hysterics over trees being cut down.

Em laughed, “Fraid not. This place has a certain rustic charm to it actually. Though like I said, I'm surprised to see you building with wood instead of stone.”

Mandy frowned, “We would have used stone if we could. Heck we wouldn't even have built above ground. Truth is we don't have any picks due to … an oversight.”

“Ah, we might be able to help you there Miss.... ?” Em said with a raise of her delicate eyebrow.

“Mandy” replied Mandy. “Though if you do have picks you could call me a Kobold's aunt and I'd still be willing to trade.”
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elizar

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Re: Apexwhips - Convicts at large
« Reply #55 on: October 09, 2009, 07:20:48 pm »

Hm, no title. Usually when I get Caravan from race X with representative of race Y, I make a backup save, abandon and go to legends to find out what the Liason has done. Though the lack of title doesn't make for a very fun history page for that guy.

Also for fun, check the civ screen and see if there is any 'race X, leader Y' communicating with you ;)

And the drunk elves :D
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A quick scan of the stocks menu shows that one of the dead pack animals has a bin full of silk cloth!  It is speedily unforbidden, and my moody glassmaker sprints off to retrieve his prize amongst the smoking, charred, blood-soaked ruin that is the outdoors, totally oblivious to the carnage that was instigated on his behalf.

The_Fool76

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Re: Apexwhips - Convicts at large
« Reply #56 on: October 09, 2009, 10:19:32 pm »

I actually checked up on the legends as soon as I got the elf rep since I hadn't seen that before.
(Said checking up is how I goofed up my save earlier actually.)

The only thing of note the rep has done is kill an elf in the civ the humans have been fighting (her home civ actually).
Well that and she apparently worships a dragon that burned down part of the town she lives in.

The story Em gave Mandy about her ancestors being captured was a bit off.  She was the one who got captured as a child when the humans took over her home town (killing both her parents in the process.) 

The elf kill she got was while she was in the guard in her human occupied home town.  The elves from her home civ attacked the town and were repulsed by the defenders.  A year after that she left and moved to another human town. One year after moving she became part of the merchant nobility.

She is actually only 23 years old when she shows up in the story.

No civilizations in contact with the fort have leaders from another race.
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Grendus

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Re: Apexwhips - Convicts at large
« Reply #57 on: October 12, 2009, 09:44:36 pm »

Looking forward to the next installment of this. Excellent story.
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A quick guide to surviving your first few days in CataclysmDDA:
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121194.msg4796325;topicseen#msg4796325

MrLobster

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Re: Apexwhips - Convicts at large
« Reply #58 on: October 13, 2009, 01:07:13 am »

Really liking this story. Thanks for all the screenshots as well, it is cool seeing the fortress grow.

I'd like to sign up for a dwarf too. I'll wait to see what's available for the migrants so I can think of something that fits.
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The_Fool76

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Re: Apexwhips - Convicts at large
« Reply #59 on: October 13, 2009, 05:55:33 pm »

Yay for more people liking it!
:D

Sorry for not updating over the weekend but I just needed a bit of a break.
(And I haven't built my buffer back up, bad me. *thwapps self with a wet noodle*)

Anyway next post is arriving as soon as I finish this post and copy-paste it in.
;)
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