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[Deon]

>>> DWEMER FORTRESS MOD <<<

HellHeart: Shashzanor

Dwemer Military Outfit

Overview
[[[ DFMA MAP: Hellheart ]]]

Spoiler: Details (click to show/hide)

Immigration waves: status:

• Year 2, spring.

Population:
Kagrenak: Mayor/Clerk/Treasurer [1]
Yagrum Bagarn: Founder miner/Crafter [1]
Onion: Founder miner/Engraver [1]
Derm: Mason/Mechanic/Traps&mechanisms engineer [1]
Linka: Master Carpenter/Woodcutter [1]
Kanna: Chief Farmer/Chief cook/Supply advisor [1] [2]
Metalmil: Siege engineer/operator [1]
Khamero: Soldier/probable sheriff [1] [2]  [Kills]

Artifacts:
None

Famous engravings:
Ubomrilem - the first orc siege, autumn of year 1.
Bibaratis - sniper dwemer caravan guard in year 1.
Shem Sidos - unlucky dwemer caravan guard in year 1.

Chapter 1: The preparation

Spoiler: "Chapter 1: The Preparation" (click to show/hide)

  The skies were red on the horizon. The wind carried strange ashen fug which started to speck the boots of the bearded guard. He looked at a group of people who were chatting at the fortress entrance.

  "Move all your belongings into the wagon! Faster! You depart soon!"

  The people started to grumble at the guard but they immediately fell silent as a tall figure appeared on a wall above.

  "Listen, my good dwemer! This journey is long and the spies are everywhere! We have to take as small as we can and move in small groups, because you know how important it is to conceal our target as long as possible! This is going to be a long journey, but the reward will pay off! I will come out in ten minutes and we will depart! Say farewell to your home, you will probably not see it again."

  He looked at a paper in his hand, clenched his fist and disappeared inside of the building.
Thus has begun the last and the greatest journey of Dwemer race.

Chapter 2: Where Kagrenak overlooks the documents while the wagon rolls on.

Spoiler: "Chapter 2: World info" (click to show/hide)

  Dwemer leader sat in his mechanical chair inside of a wagon which carried dwemers to their fate. There was a heap of papers in front of him. Dark thoughts dimmed his mind. He started to look over the papers to drive them away.

  The first document was a map of the world, it was an old parchment covered in small descriptions and it was quite hard to read. Kagrenak (which is the leader's name) unrolled the parchment and looked at the map.

  It was an old world where the civilizations were battling each other for a piece of rock or an unsolved dispute. Lots of creatures died on the battlefield, and even while the current times are quite peaceful, there's still the threat of orc raiders, and strange reiklings from the north abduct people from time to time and send ambushing parties. Kagrenak overlooked an old book he held in his hands. "The Nations of Cyclopean Universes". It was a miscellany of articles which depicted current and fallen nations and their leaders. He turned the first page.

The Nations of Cyclopean Universes

  The wagon was carried away by a pair of guars. The swemer were silent, everyone occupied with his own thoughts. They will have enough time to chat during the work when they arrive.

Chapter 3: We have arrived at the 'Hellheart'!

Spoiler: "Chapter 3: Shashzanor" (click to show/hide)

  The time has come! The wagon finally stopped. Kagrenak opened the back door and stepped on the dry grass. The wagon parked on a slope of a high mountain. The prospecting information told dwemer that this mountain appears to be a volcanic formation thus the blood of the earth may be found inside. Let the construction begin!

...
The journal of Kagrenak
 The spring passed quick. Two centurion spiders we took with us helped alot to build the tunnel system. We've found a magma pool which should help us when we will start our metalworks.
The barracks, main halls and workshop area along with a dining hall are all planned out.

 Our hunter Gyron supplies us with fresh Cliff Racer meat. I don't know what would we do without him because now it's obvious that our starting supplies were unsifficient and the crops grow too slow...

The journal of Kagrenak, 1st Felsite, late spring.
  We've finished to dig out major front part of the fortress. Things are going quietly, and we should expect a caravan from Nchuleft in a season or two.
 
  However I am worried about Gyron. He said that he's running low on dwemer bolts and he was going to use wooden ones instead... He said that it's ok but we haven't seen him for 3 days already. We start to suspect the worst...

Fortress Map
Felsite 1st: Year 1 : Fortress Status

Chapter 4: The revenge of Linka!

Spoiler: "Chapter 4: Betwitchedancient dies" (click to show/hide)

  Linka was walking through the forest, marking the trees to chop them later. Then she smelt a strange smell. It was a sweet smell which reminded of old pork and berries.

  As she walked to the source of the smell she saw a terrifying picture: the hunter and protector of the expedition, Gyron, laid dead near the tree. The grass was red with the blood which started to dry. And chunks... There were chunks at ground, chunks on bushes, chunks on the branches of the trees! He was terribly eviscerated.

  Linka started to walk back slowly when suddenly she heard a deep growl behind her back. She turned around to confront a big heap of spotted fur covered in blood which jumped on her. The reflexes of a talented woodcutter made the work: she pulled out the axe with lightning speed and hacked at the approaching death. The axe met the flesh with a deep "smack". Then the force threw  Linka back at the corpse of poor Gyron. Her legs slipped over the bloody arm of the dead and fell on her back.

  She tried to get up but the earth was slippery with blood so when she managed to do it she turned around ready to embrace the death. But all she saw was a huge spotted beast which tried to crawl away in the bushes. There was a huge wound on its chest where she saw broken ribs and a beating heart.


  With a single jump Linka leaped at the beast and hacked its head off. Then she went to the camp to tell others of the terrible loss.

...

  Kagrenak ordered to make quick funeral and to prepare everything needed to send the dead where it belongs. He also ordered to construct a burial chamber for Gyron right above the magma pipe, for others to remember the one who gave his life for the good of the fortress and to remember that this mission is very dangerous so everyone should stay alert all the time.

Chapter 5: The face of the enemy, the shoulder of the ally.

Spoiler: "Chapter 5: Friends and foes" (click to show/hide)

4th Sandstone, Late-Autumn
  We've got our first contact with the mountainhome. They've sent a quite big caravan of merchants with well-trained bodyguards. At first I wondered why did they send so many well-trained thugs with them, it looked like a small army. But the moment we saw the caravan we knew why.

  Linka was in the woods, chopping oaks for new furniture, when she saw the caravan. She waved to them and they started to fiercely wave to her. She stayed on a hill and continued to wave to them. Then she noticed that they yelled something, it was pretty hard to get. A minute later when they were close enough for her to hear them she heard their yells again: "Run, fool, run!" And then she saw Them.

  A heap of stout figures appeared on a hill. They were running after the caravan. Their leader was a huge armored creature riding a giant white boar. Linka never saw such creatures before but she heard of them: those were orcs.

 Orcs noticed Linka and a group of three warriors, a swordsman and three macemen, detached from the main group (which was about a dozen) and headed to our woodcutter. She turned her back and ran towards the mountain brook, the place she knew well (because they had to go there every morning to drink because of the lack of booze) and where she wanted to puzzle her persecutors.

  Meanwhile, the caravan almost reached the depot. The liaison who led the caravan commanded traders to hide in the fortress and stationed guards at the entrance. Four swordsmen in the door, two macemen behind them and two crossbowmen behind them to cover the group.

  The fight was fierce, but the orcs couldn't use the advantage of their number in a tight entrance, and their leader was slain with the first bolt, so the remaining two retreated while being persecuted by triumphant dwemer warriors. Sadly one of the guard was wounded in the throat with a poisoned dagger and he died in two minutes. Our leader Kagrenak promised to bury him as the dweller of the fortress along with his gear and armor.

Image: Lots of gore at our doorstep

  Half an hour later Linka appeared, sweaty and tired. She told her friends that she was able to hide from orcs in the bushes in the mountain brook. Orcs who went after her retreated after they heard the dying screams of their brethren and joyous yells of dwemer.

  The trading session was conducted, and masterwork craft of Yagrum Bagarn impressed the traders very much. They've bought them all, so we were able to get a lot of gems and useful tools along with food and some drinks. It was a long and hard day.

  In the memory of this event Onion has engraved the actions in our dining room. The first one is related to a precise marksman who was able to snipe the orc leader. The second one shows the sad death of the caravan guard. The third one is a depiction of the whole battle.

Bibaratis
Shem Sidos
Ubomrilem

Chapter 6: It's getting crowded...

Spoiler: "Chapter 6: Nords, Bosmers, Khajiits, Imperials, Orcs... Why do they even come here?!" (click to show/hide)

14th Hematite, Early summer, 2nd year

  This has been a year since our arrival. During the winter we've got a single trading party from strange men from the north who call themselves "nords". They didn't have anything interesting to  trade but we've bought their goods anyway to encourage further trading. Their weapons seem to be finely crafter.

  In the spring we've got a caravan of the cursed Bosmer. Who dared to call those bastards our brothers? They totally detest the good of technology and live on trees in wildlands! And they didn't bring anything spectacular, what would you get from such low creatures... Well, at least they had some copper gear, we will melt it and turn into tools later.

  Bosmer traders were followed by Khajiits. Cats, that's all dwemer can say... We've asked them to bring some pets next time, animals are good at routine labor. Khajiit should know it anyway.

  At least we've got our magma channels filled, and now we can use the heat on the whole floor. Also it looks nice.
Magma pits in the Statue Garden look really warm and comforting.

Image: Statue garden and magma channels

  A few days later we've got a first group of immigrants from our outposts. It looks like they didn't try to sort groups by profession... Time to re-arrange the jobs. Our garrison now has 25 dwemer, and 6 are in military. They are training in wrestling and crossbow shooting. Linka made a few fine arbalests for them to use.

  Summer offered us a contact with an imerial nation. They were moving along and they've spotted our outpost. Now the guard tower which can see all around and which can be seen from afar doesn't look like a good idea... And the caravan brought to us the attention of a third party: an orcish raiding group again.

  A group of mounted creatures appeared on a hill and moved after the caravan. All of them were riding big hairy boars, and they are led by a big terrifying orc with a sword.

Image: Orcish raiders

  We've got our military stationed at the entrance. waiting for the imperial caravan guards and ready to repel the ambush. Also it looks like a good time to test the Derm's "trap section" which he planned and constructed during his sleepless nights. All of us hope that the traps will work. Khajiit merchants look nervous, even our War Centurion Spiders stationed at the entrance do not make them to feel safe.

Image: Trap entrance

  There's going to be a fight... We've just set up the tomb, let's hope it doesn't get another inhabitant...

Image: Tomb level

Chapter 7: Battlegrounds.

Spoiler: "Chapter 7: Derm's traps" (click to show/hide)

16th Hematite, Early summer, 2nd year
  These documents describe the event of an orc ambush in the summer of 2nd year of this fortress, 152 year by the global calendar.

  Imperial traders arrived just in time to hide in the fortress from the orcs. Two brave guards jumped on them despite of our yells to stay inside. They didn't know about the traps Derm installed...

Image: A fight with orcs on boars

  They were slaughtered by now joined forces of two orc parties at place. Then orcs started to pour into the fortress entrance. Their victorious yells were ended by loud screams when they started to fall in cage pits which opened under their feet.

  Immediately the walls of the trade depot ahead of them were raised and our guards encountered suprprized orcs with sharp harpoons out of their arbalests.

  It was quick. Two dozen of orcs failed miserable in a moment. The death of imperial men was sad but none of dwemer were wounded so we count it as an success. The pile of orc iron gear in the armory starts to become too big. It's about time to smelt it into useful bars...

  After the battle we've found out that we've caught the aforemented swordsmaster, the leader of a first orcish wave.

Image: Caged orc leader

  Now we have a few orcs in cages and a few boars which are dirty and fierce but look tasty. Boars were ordered to be butchered while the orcs sit in a deep pit... We think what to do with them. Kagrenak tried to interrogate them but they refuse to speak and just yell and shake their fists... We were victorious today but everyone noted hom much numerous was the second ambush... It looks like they target our fortress as a gold of big raids now, which is not good.

Chapter 8: No season without a fight.

Spoiler: "Chapter 8: It never ends..." (click to show/hide)

24th Limestone, 152, Early Autumn

  The fight went as we expected. Even while they had 41 orc (at least it's how many we saw) they retreated after 20 of them were slain. They need better groups and organization to pose a real threat. However they've managed to get two caravan guards and wound pack mules of the traders. Our tomb is going to get more corpses. It looks like we build a graveyard for traders...

Image: Dead caravan guards

  Also they've managed to get one of our guards. This time they've brought a squad of crossbowmen, and they sniped one trader out of the trading post and one of our guards. The guy is extremely tough though, he's got one bolt in his leg, he fell on his knees but continued to shoot. He's got another bolt in his shield arm, dropped his shield but continued to fire his arbalest. Finally he's got a bolt in his chest and we saw how the blood fountained from the wound, but he continued to try to stand up as he passed out, and the bloot shooted from the wound with each of his raging battlecry.

Image: Wounded soldier

  After the battle was over we had to use a brute force to calm him down and drag him to barracks to rest, even in his uncoscious state he tried to fight with imaginary orcs. Our 'Doc' Windblowing looked at him and carefully cared of the wounds. He told us that the guy is gonna live despite of a severe blood loss, he must be strong as a guar to get over it.

  Khamero showed bravery and personally shot two orcs and their beasts. If he continues to command his squad in the same manner and protect the fort, he's going to recieve a promotion soon. The influx of immigrants led to small crimes here and there, so it looks like there's a need of a new sheriff... And new prison cells are being dug up already.

Image: Khamero's kills

  It appeared that not all of the orcs ran away. A single axe lord continued to duel a caravan axeman even while his leg was badly cut. It was a fierce duel of two axemen. We sent our squad to help the caravan soldier.

Image: A duel of two axemen

  The guard hailed our squad as they ran towards the scene of battle and it was his fault. The orcish axelord used the breach in his defence and with one mighty swing cut his arm off, and his axe stuck in the right side of the caravan guard's torso.

Image: Mortal wound

  Khamero and Athel who were close grabbed the weaponless orc by two arms and tore him apart in their rage. Thus ended the life of Shrilisleelbus, an orcish axelord who took two guards with him, the first one laid dead near him and the second one was dying without an arm and we couldn't do anything for him already.

[Deon]

We're the greatest minds of the expedition and our goal is ultimate.

To discover the heart of Lorkhan.

We have left the outpost of Nchuleft

We are on our way to the mountain to dig out the unstable point where the bones of the earth are cracking and the Oblivion is pouring out. There is the artifact we must find.

After that we must build the Anumidum, the Brass God, and install the Heart of Lorkhan inside. This is the ultimate goal.

For now let's discuss the equipment we take and how much automatons do we need for protection.

[Duelmaster409]

Kanna, female dwarf farmer/cook if possible.

[Deon]

Yes. What kind of advisor and which scientific field do you want to occupy? You are going to become the leading cook with time and you must have a way to train your mind.

I want to make an orrery for myself, although I may change my mind.

Also we are dwemer, not dwarves .

[Dermonster]

mason/mechanic.
derm.
Area of advisory: traps and general layout. especially traps. very... very big traps.

Edit: also, whats the TES mod?

[Gyron]

Name: Gyron
Gender: Male
Profession: Any

This looks pretty interesting.

[Beanchubbs]

Name: Yagrum Bagarn
Gender: Male (preferably)
Profession: Crafter

Background: He is a master crafter, and has many theories about life and mathematics. He is also somewhat sick, and his disease progresses as time goes by.

[xdarkcodex]

Name: Onion
Gender: Male
Profession:engraver

Edit: also, whats the TES mod?

^^I want to know what that is too^^

[Beanchubbs]

The Elder Scrolls. I've never heard of the mod itself, but I've played Morrowind far too much. 

[rickvoid]

I don't want to kill this thread, because it looks like fun. But I want to say this first.

Dwemer are, as the name suggests, Mer, or Elves. In fact, all the races (with the exception of the four human types, and WTF is up with that anyway?) are Elves. Even the Orcs were originally fricken elves.

There are no dwarves on Tamriel, which is sad.

All that aside, this looks fun, and I look foreward to reading it.

[insectcalm]

I wanna dwarf! I want to be a woodcutter/carpenter. Call me Linka. I'll be whatever sex you need.

[Deon]

7 are ready. I will show our starting location soon with a short story about arrival. Any suggestion on the original setup? I am now genning multiple worlds to find one with an interesting history. A war with some of dunmer houses would be cool and challenging. For now in all worlds I've genned dwemer got into war with beast races (which are not that challenging because they wear no helmets and no boots), every time (porobably because they try to chop all the multiple trees on the argonian marshes and also they try to chop the remaining few trees in the khajiit steppes). I may have to tweak entity ethics a bit.

Dwemer are, as the name suggests, Mer, or Elves.

I didn't say anything about us being dwarves, I said opposite:

Also we are dwemer, not dwarves .

We are of the same size as other -mer so we can buy their gear if we want (or loot it from their dead bodies), the only difference between us and them is that our bodies have beards:

Spoiler: dwemer body (click to show/hide)

[BODY:HUMANOID_REAL:ORGANS_REAL:2EYES:2EARS:NOSE:MOUTH:THROAT:HUMANOID_JOINTS:JAW_JOINT:NECK_JOINT:SKELETON_REAL:BRAIN:5FINGERS:5TOES:32TEETH:BEARD]

Edit: also, whats the TES mod?

A mod I was going to release for the long time but didn't make it due to some required touches here and there. Finally I fell in love with my previous dwemer fortress but it lacked chasm or HFS so was pretty boring, thus I decided to try this challenge. We have to clear HFS from daedra and build a huge brass golem if we survive.

[Khamero]

Reporting for duty!

Name: khamero
gender: male
prof: woodcutter, axedwarf and novice swimmer
role: nature advisor and head of the peoples militia. We keep the peace. I wanna be sheriff when that day comes.

[Keita]

Hazzar for Tales of the Eldar Scrolls. Played Morrwind to death (no really, my first cd got worn out from over use) and love Oblivion (but Morrowind is still better in my mind.

Will be watching this. Also are you thing of releasing this mod? The TES mod at the moment is...lacking.

[Deon]

As I said, it lacks soem things (i.e. graphics for some creatures, and I am working on khajiit full graphic set). I will release once it's done if there's an interest in it.

Khamero: we have 7 dwemer colonists already . We will get immigrants so you will be the first in the wave.