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[Tezcatli]

Sure, just give me a name and gender and I'll add you in. I'm guessing you want to be a speardwarf? ^^

[Dermonster]

just use my screen name.

male.

completely insane without being "insane."

i want (but dont expect) my dwarf to get into a hole lot of hijinks what with being the only speardwarf and spears apparently having a reputation of being a bad weapon.

will randomly scream PEANUTS.

[Lawec]

We could use a few strong hands in the resistance.. Maybe you could carve out a place of refuge in some part of the fortress?

[Tezcatli]

Chapter 2
La Belle Époque

The Count Urdim and his Consort Thikut shortly after the formation of the Ossek. Dated early 264.

22th Granite 264

The months following the announcement of the forming of the Ossek council and the election of Ilral as Midor had bought little revolutionary change to Niltosed. Chambers for the Ossek to meet in were being carved out, Hetros' coliseum was being built under the mechanic's watchful eye. Kogan's labs had been finished and the scientist spent much time there, though he occasionally wandered the halls asking strange questions to random Dwarves. The Count consort Thikut had given birth to another daughter, named Kikrost, while the Captain of the Guard, Jurvana had given birth to another son, Olon. Tribute from Rigothallas bolstered the economy, ensuring all Dwarves had at least a thousand monies, while the farmers found themselves rolling in money as the excess food they produced was sent off. And apart from the Hammerer Tulon demanding a brass table, there were no mandates from the nobility. All in all, things seemed to have not started in the usual bloodbath that was often expected of these situations.

It was only when towards mid-Granite that anything particularly strange happened. Despite the unexplained losses of almost three caravans, the Elves of the Shores of Romance had once more returned, this time with a diplomat.

"Greetings from the woodlands, I am Rifafa Yonalielale. We have much to discuss." the Elf told the Count. Count Urdim nodded slowly,

"Of course." he sat himself down at his seat, motioning for Rifafa to do the same, the diplomat refused, preferring to stand.

"Ignore the engravers," the noble said, "we're just in the process of having the nobles' quarters engraved."

"Now, Count Urdim. We Elves of Thiliri Lidava have lost one caravan, had one vanish mysteriously, and had another almost charred to ash by a dragon, all in this very place. Can you explain that?"

"Well I imagine it must be sheer clumsiness on your part, my dear Reefaha."

"That's Rifafa, Count. Now, the Druids are very clear, if you cannot ensure the safety of our caravans, then we will cut off our trade links with Niltosed and possibly demand compensation for lost goods."

"You can't blame us for a freak of nature happening! It's not our fault that caravan vanished!" The Elf's nostrils flared at the words 'freak of nature'.

"I have given you the Druids' message. Do with it what you will. But there is another, gentler matter. We Elves are partial in particular to the trees in the forests surrounding your lands. Although we loathe to spare a single branch to your senseless slaughter, we are willing to ask that you cap your tree-fells at 100 until we next meet. I will try to return next year as I am able."

It was the Count's turn to look angry,

"How dare you! These lands are sovereignty of the County of Niltosed and therefore of Dibeshsolon. We certainly won't waste our time doing what a band of slack-jawed, half-assed, tree-hugging, flower-wearing pansies tell us to!"

The Elf looked affronted, standing up and leaving without a single word. The Count simply shrugged, leaving his office where he was accosted by a peasant,

"Milord Count! Migrants have arrived, about 20 of them!"

"Wonderful!" the Count rumbled. Further on, another peasant rushed up to him,

"Milord Count! Two traders have disappeared from the Elven caravan, they've left before Sava began trading with them!"

"Excellent! Put out a notice that if anyone finds them, they'll suffer a hammerstrike,"

--------------------

2nd Slate 264

"You want to join the army...as a speardwarf?" the captain laughed. Captain Kib, leader of the Squids of Winding, and de facto general of the armies chuckled heartily as Dermonster, wielding a steel spear he had had Tlo make for him, asked to join the military.



"You realize spears are cursed to get stuck in things at the worst moment? Cursed like...lethal cursed." Kel asked him, his voice muffled by the complete suit of armour he had insisted on wearing, even when off-duty. By the woodcutter's side sat his trusty axe, wet with some blood he had accidentally drawn during a sparring accident. Dermonster made a 'pfff' sound, rolling his eyes,

"Oh yeah? Well....PEANUTS!" this didn't provide the wanted reaction so the speardwarf waved his spear under the noses of the two soldiers,

"If you don't want me in your squad, I'll make my own. The...er...the Geared Spells!"

"You'll regret it when a horde of hideous unearthly monsters are besieging us, and your spear is stuck in one of their arms." Kel told him. Kib simply sighed,

"Bah, if he wants to run around with a pole, I say let him. What's the worst that could happen?"

[shadowclasper]

Hetros was quite pleased with work on the Colosseum going so well, hopefully yet another bloody dragon would attack, or some other dastardly beast. Or maybe one of the caravans that came from those blasted elves would turn up with something interesting and the beast could be looted once the elves were slain.

In the mean time, until the colosseum was complete, he would work on designs for various other devices. Including an automatic obsidian factory that could double (in an emergency) as a defensive structure or execution chamber.

He also knew of the quiet rebellion growing against the nobility. He had let it be known, very quietly amongst those he knew to be rebels, that provided it wasn't Iral or Lawlec who were to be targeted, the he truly didn't mind that much. He even knew of a way to keep the Hammerer alive, and better yet, incapacitated. It would be tricky, but it WAS possible.

He planned a very special place, a bed that could be offered to the hammerer.The room would be quite small and out of the way, but he'd personally see to a well being installed, as well as a shoot to drop in food from a hidden location within the halls known only to those who wished to keep the Hammerer incapacitated.

Everyone knew that as long as the Hammerer didn't die, a new one wouldn't arrive. The gods alone knew how anyone knew when a Hammerer died, even if his corpse was never found, but provided he was alive, even if he were never seen again, a new Hammerer wouldn't come.
-----
Basically, the idea is that you can make a shoot to dump food and such down (I forget how, anyone remember?) but the best part is that if done right, there can be a well in the room, making sure he never dies of thirst. It's possible he'll just go mad eventually, but that's not really a problem provided he stays alive by having food and booze dropped in and a steady supply of water.

Flood gates to seal him in, then just brick up the wall in front of the flood gate. Fool proof, and permanently sealed away.

edit: Also, could you post a picture of the Colosseum?

edit2: OH! remember that there MUST be clear glass walls (not windows) between the crowd and the arena. This is so that they don't go running in terror. They'll see the action, but be removed from it :3 make the areas surrounding the arena into a dining hall meeting area, and too top it all off, WATER FALLS! There must be water falls INSIDE this magnificent arena viewing area! just make sure it drains not into the river, but outside completely, and that there's 3 spaces of drainage for every 1 space of water fall (to keep from flooding the inside). To make perfectly sure no one is hurt, put grates over the holes in the floors. PERFECT! BUWAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAAHAHAHA!

If this isn't possible. Mist generators will have too do.

[Lawec]

Journal of Lawec the mayor
Year 263

Finally something good. Hetros has told us how to trap the hammerer, and keep her alive at the same time. I shall find some trusty masons to help me, I cannot leave the office for too long... Ilral will notice.
*Hastily scribbled words followed*
I shall update soon, I heard Ilral knock on the door.
The resistance will prevail.

[Tezcatli]

Hetros - Screw glass windows, for maximum effect, we'll have gem windows! (That, and I don't have any sand, as the count consort refuses to acknowledge). It'll take a while longer, but the dwarves are already bringing gems with them next autumn, and I'll make sure the humies know that we need cut gems.

And here is the wonderfully blurry picture of the coliseum at the moment.

[Tezcatli]

7th Slate 264

Fortis was passing by the trade depot, his arms laden with sun berry seeds when he heard it. He could faintly thumping...almost as if coming from below him. He put the seeds in a neat pile on the floor and put his ear to the ground. Yes, he could hear a faint, rhythmic thumping, from underneath the road. He looked round, and his attention was caught by a well-hidden staircase that had been carved down into the mountain. Curious, he moved towards it. The stairway led down into a small passage that ended with a rock wall. Listening attentively, he could hear the thumps, coming from the other side of the wall. A pick had been carelessly left by the side of the wall. Due to the Count's consort's continuous demands for picks to be smelted, the fortress was full of the tools, and they could be found wherever digging had previously occurred.

The Elf took the pick, intent on discovering what was on the other side of this rock face. Though certainly no Dwarf, the months spent toiling at the farms and even being press-ganged into working on masonry on the Great Wall, had not left him without some considerable strength. He hacked at the wall mercilessly, until it collapsed in a mess of stone. What he saw almost revolted him.

Bones, Elven and animal bones, strewn across the small cavern. Decaying cloth had been spilt out of bins, and lay all over the place, their colours fading. Worst of all, a huddled figure, sat besides a still-laden donkey.

"Hello?" he ventured. The figure gave a startled jump, spun round, and almost cried her words out with relief,

"Oh! Oh, thank Nefola! I though I was going to die...li-like them!" she collapsed in Fortis' arms, ripping his false beard off in the process. Looking up, she gave another startled cry,

"You're an Elf!" Fortis gave a half-smile,

"Yes," he nodded, "but don't tell them that. But what were you even doing down here!?"

"I was crossing the bridge into the Dwarves' depot, when the drawbridge flew up, throwing me and my donkey down here, under the bridge."

"But that means you've been here for almost an entire month!" Fortis cried, shocked.

"I don't know, I just want to go home! Please help me, I am Inefa Amayienade, daughter of the Druid, Eslome."

Fortis patted her arm reassuringly,

"Don't worry, don't worry, there's nothing to fear. I'll just get my beard back on, and then we can go to the stockpiles and get you food and dirnk for the journey back."

--------------------

Diary of Ilral Arakrovod - 8th Slate 264

So that's where the Elven traders have been disappearing to, under the depot drawbridge. Something is rotten in Niltosed, we are being drawn closer and closer to outright war with the Elves, and I fear it is only a matter of time before more than simple greenskins besiege us. I have ordered Jurvana to be on the lookout for anything suspicious.

All seems to have gone smoothly with the proclamation of the Ossek. I am back where I should always have been - at the head of Niltosed. All is good, there was no resistance, as we had hoped (and it is actually rather surprising) and life has organized itself as ever it does. Hetros' coliseum is well underway, and he has been seen talking with the wise Kogan over some mechanical or something matters of which he refuses to talk about. I can only imagine it has something to do with the channels he has dug in his coliseum arena. Well I won't pry unless it becomes dangerous not to.

Solon informed me today that Niltosed now officially has over 2 million in amassed wealth. I can only imagine the Count's decision to have the entire nobles' quarters engraved has been an contributing factor to this. When I remember the early days of the fortress, when we had nothing but picks, an axe, and our courage, it really brings a tear to the eye to see how far we've come. We vanquished the Enemy in their magma, beat back the constant threat of the Goblins, allied with the Humans, we grew from 7 to 162, brave Dwarves, all of them, all of us. I can only imagine what the future has in stock for us, one day, my revenge against the tyrant King Bembul shall be complete, and Niltosed shall stand proud, leaders of Dibeshsolon.

--------------------

12th Felsite 264

Haspen trudged slowly along, dragging the cage behind him. Three Goblin thieves had got themselves caught in cage traps, and the Ossek had demanded they be looked after so that they could compete in the coliseum once it was finished. He understood that, but why did he have to drag the damned things into the stockpile? He rounded a corner, and the cage got caught on the cornerstone, ripping it out of his hands. Swearing angrily, he turned round to get it back...only to find it had vanished. He looked round, the hallway was empty, he hadn't heard anything, but the cage was gone. He wondered what to do, before simply shrugging and leaving, less work for him at any rate.

[Lofn]

The diary of Tlo Sokanthob, date unknown.

ruddy nobles.  just askin for axes n spear.  more work more rules more hammersstirkes.  well get them quietlike.  hammererer first.


Below the text, several crude stick drawings grace the page, depicting crowned and robed figures being bloodily dismembered by a variety of vicious weapons of war.

[shadowclasper]

NO! O_O WINDOWS BAD!!!

Windows mean people will run screaming in terror from whatever is inside rather than watching and enjoying. Also unhappy thoughts from witnessing death. Glass walls MUCH better.

AND WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE DON'T HAVE SAND O_O

Of course... if we get uncut gems those can be fashioned into walls too and imagine that people can see through them...

[Tezcatli]

That's a good point, looking over the wiki now, I've just realised Dwarves CAN see through windows, despite the fact I was sure gem windows didn't count. Ah well, I'm sure something will turn up involving a strange amount of sand appearing from nowhere...

[shadowclasper]

... >_> well as I said, if you can get uncut gems they can be used to construct walls.

But is there really no sand on this map? like at all? There's usually SOME sand somewhere o.O I've never been on a sandless map really.

[Tezcatli]

Well I've looked everywhere, and all we've got is useless soil (and hordes of granite and microcline), so I'm guessing there's no sand. The Humans to the north are in a desert, they'll lend us some sand, surely (if only we could trade sand).

[shadowclasper]

Yeah... hmmmm damn... this is going to be a problem unless we can get enough uncut gems to make "solid gemstone walls"

Also. is there enough room in the hammer's room to completely block off his door with a raised bridge? (AKA: build a bridge, that once raised, will prevent the hammerer from accessing it either from an adjacent or diagonal square?) If so, and the oubliet plan to keep him alive but neutralized isn't possible, that's the next best thing. Every hammerer gets assigned to the special room with the "safety gate" placed there. Which can be closed in the event of an invasion to protect the nobility from attack. See? ingenious >:3

[Tezcatli]

14th Hematite 264

"What is this?" Sava exclaimed, looking over the huge number of barrels that the Human traders had bought, each one full to the brim of sand.

"Why, it's sand." the trader replied, raising an eyebrow quizzically.

"Yes, I know that. But why have you bought the equivalent of a desert with you?"

"Why, we were told you wanted sand."

"Eh? Who told - " the Dwarven broker was interrupted mid-sentence as Hetros arrived, a grin on his face,

"Ah, is that the sand?" he asked, clapping his hands together enthusiastically. Sava sighed,

"I might've known."

"Well, anyway, get buying, or whatever it is you do, Soaper."

"S-A-V-A. Sava, not soaper." the broker said slowly, as if to a child.

"Whatever, just get the sand. It's vital to the safety of the fortress!"

"So is starting wars with Elves, according to you."

"Meh, just get the sand and have it bought to the smelting works. Watch out for Tlo, though. He's taken a forge and is refusing to let anyone else use it. He's having one of those strange moods or something, and it would be a shame if you were to accidentally fall into the magma when you accidentally got too close to his forge."

"How did the Humans even know to bring sand!?"

"Pff, I have to explain everything to you. Remember that...Elf," he spat the word out, like a curse, "That Fortis found? Well I asked..it to tell the caravan to bring plenty of sand when they came here, as it was passing through a Human town on it's way home."

At that moment, Tulon the Hammerer arrived, twirling her steel hammer happily,

"Sava!" she cried joyfully, "We were looking for you, and Tulon thought you'd be trading and you are!"

"Well, erm...why are people looking for me?"

"Haven't you heard!? You've been elected Mayor! This means you're an honourable noble now, just like Lawec!" The broker, now Mayor, turned back to Hetros,

"What was it you were saying, Hetros?" he asked, a grin filling up his face. Hetros looked like he was going to retort, but only frowned and muttered,

"Never mind, just get those barrels of sand to the forges."

--------------------

22nd Hematite 264

They met in Atis' shop, in the dead of night. The ex-Mayor's lover had recently bought the clothing shop, and with Sava's shops dominating the market, it ensured that there was little chance of being disturbed, especially so late at night. Lawec, back in his old hunter's costume, presided over the meeting. Tlo, face red from working at the forges all day, was there too, still smiling at his recent masterpiece, the silver cabinet known as 'Okunidith Azuzngotol' Shrinesystems the Sombre Ghost. As well, as, to everyone's surprise, a nervous-looking Alath Razlor, Ilral's secretary, who had taken back her job now that Ilral had been declared Midor. Outside of them, there were two masons, three farmers and a soldier. The resistance had yet to truly take form yet. Whispering in the dark, Lawec greeted them,

"Friends, Dwarves, Comrades, we can't go two ways about it. We stand at a crossroads. One one side, the noble's paradise, where the common Dwarf is forever trapped as a faceless worker in a system, forced to obey the slightest whims of the nobility. One the other side, we have the true paradise, where each Dwarf is free, has a say in their government, and no Dwarf rules others through hereditary dictatorship."

The others nodded, that dream, the 'Noble-less Paradise' as it was often known, had been sought for since the roots of aristocracy began to set into Dwarven culture. Lawec pursued his speech,

"Many have said that things are better now, less mandates because the nobility are happy, no more changing leaders every year. But that is bound to change. What we have just experienced is a coup d'etat, make no mistake. The nobles are trying to keep us docile while they slowly begin to assert their authority. If we do not act quickly we will be forfeiting our freedom."

"Damn straight!" Tlo whispered loudly, "They say less mandates, but them nobles have almost tripled our workload." There was a murmur of agreement. Lawec nodded,

"Dwarves, Dwarfettes, if we want to save Niltosed, we must act now. Take one noble out at a time. Starting with the most dangerous of all." Lawec laid some plans out on the table before him, one a map of the Hammerer Tulon's quarters.

"Friends, may I present the Hammerer-stop Plan?"