Pyrefly - And added for the next wave.
TALLPANZER - I don't even know what happened, I think Meinhard sorta trailed behind everyone else then saw the forgotten beast in the water and went for it instead of staying with the rest. Made for a heroic battle, but I'm sad to lose him.
Justice - Yep, Nomekast is still going, got a plot to get through, so stops for nothing, just pauses for months at a time.
endlessblaze - Just go ahead and write if you like, don't worry.
Limestone and Sandstone 679Meinhard's funeral took place the next day, his body and arms brought back by the militia and laid to rest in the cemetery. With him the last of the Jagers had died, a whole squad that had achieved fame within the community for their rough training, eager fighting, and the mutation they undertook, all gone.
The mood in the fort was subsumed in quiet for the rest of Limestone and into Sandstone, broken only by another tragedy when the body of Arsethotheles was found besides the forges in the Fiery Cistern, having apparently died from dehydration, refusing to drink.
Work continued on the many projects within Nomekast. The library had been completely furnished, and several shelves had already been filled with books, scrolls, and manuscripts people had salvaged and saved with them when they'd come to Nomekast. Some were precious indeed, rare volumes and codices, philosophical, religious and scientific tracts, a treasure-trove for those inclined.
The barracks had seen large progress, with Mifava's original plan adapted to fit the confines of the underground. A training yard and archery range had already been prepared, and the rest of the barracks were under construction. A farm split across three vertical layers was being prepared, the soil being readied with water. Once finished the militia would be completely self-sufficient within the barracks themselves. Double-walls of thick rock would keep the inner barracks past the training yard safe, soon to be closed by large iron doors. Once finished, the place would be more of a fortress than mere barracks.
During the work, several masons had found themselves distracted by a friendly spar between Justice and Tragarus Helmbolt, the pair almost dancing around the yard as Justice's axe and Tragarus' sword flashed in the light. When this had led to part of the wall collapsing and work having to be redone, a small joke arose about how their weapons were hypnotic. That evening, a drunk Justice had decided to name his axe
Elbem, "Swayedtrance". Elbem itself had prestige enough to have the name stick, having been the axe to fell Thudel the Hollows of Bone, a beast that had attacked four years ago. The axe had a long history, having originally been the axe of the dwarf Rion Truthax, one of Nomekast's original founders, its first militia commander, and its first loss, over 3 years ago now in 676, though his name still brought respect from the older members of the militia and from the community, as one of the founders of Nomekast.
3rd Opal 679 - NoonThe sounds of picks against rock rung in the air from behind him as Sheodir Redsage quietly made his way away from the excavation site. He had been escorting prospecting and mining excavations for a month now, posing as nothing more than a maceman looking to help, an act which had already helped him make friends amongst the militia and miners, friends he could use. Right now they were excavating a tetrahedrite vein, the ore destined for silver and copper - and eventually bronze - bars.
He'd been hoping to find the beasts that Meinhard had mentioned upon the late Jager's return from the depths. Odd creatures, like crundles but organised, intelligent, clearly led by something. The world was a mess, the favour of Armok was shifting, changing, his curse lay upon the dwarves and their false gods. It could have been that these new creatures were part of the plan the God of Blood had set in motion.
So far though, he'd seen nothing.
There was definitely something off in the depths, some malign influence, an odd feel in the air, similar to that which had accompanied the mages of the human empires. He had no doubt there was
something there, but it seemed to be hiding, attempting to be kept unseen. It could have been that Meinhard had gotten lucky in seeing those creatures, or that they'd hoped to be able to take a single lone human, mutant though he was. That didn't bode well, if whatever force was out there was building up its strength.
Or maybe it does, if this is Armok's plan, he thought. But if they
were building up their strength, who knew how long this had been going on? He sighed, the sound barely audible over the grunts of the miners and the cracks of pick against rock. Whatever those creatures had been, they were gone for now, and only time would tell whether they'd return or not.
20th Opal 679 - Afternoon"Speak fast, Stronghammer. I am needed for rites which are far more important than this ridiculous meeting," Imiwa sniffed, shifting on the cold metal of the marble chair. Opposite her Stronghammer restrained a sigh. He, Ibruk, Imiwa, and Brosso 'the Magnificent' were all seated in Stronghammer's office, the dwarven mayor having brought them all together.
With another restrained sigh, he began. "It is no secret that Nomekast has been...growing more tense, so to speak. All of you have some sway in the community and-"
"And you would have us speak with everyone and croon to them that'll it'll be ok, ad they should do as you say?" Imiwa spat, "even as you tolerate a heretic such as Fori who preaches obscenity? And even as you continue to cut trees-"
"Tree-cutting overland is banned-"
"Spirits are Spirits, overland or underground!"
And with that and a furious sentence in elven, Imiwa was the first to leave. Stronghammer did sigh then, as did Ibruk to his left.
"I am sorry, Pilgrim Stronghammer. It is difficult for some to see the truth. I can assure you that such tensions will be overcome, the Prophet of the Broken Rock himself divined so, six centuries ago."
"Ibruk, please, you are a well-respected amongst much of the dwarves here, we need peace and calm, we need people to unify if we're to survive-"
"You'll get nowhere, I've told you, every meeting of the Alliance I've told you," Brosso interrupted, the dwarf harrumphing.
Stronghammer pursed his lips, running one hand through his beard. "Brosso, please, you too. We need everyone's help. Nomekast stands on an axeblade right now, people are angry, one wrong move and we could have deaths."
"My poor man-"
Ibruk interrupted whatever Brosso was to say then, giving Stronghammer a little nod and a small, sad smile. "I will leave you two to discuss, but rest assured Pilgrim Stronghammer, my congregation are reminded every week that survival will come only by unified devotion to the gods that set this in motion, regardless of race."
And with that, he was the second to leave.
For a moment, Stronghammer thought Brosso was about to leave, but he simply harrumphed again, one hand tracing the hem of his tophat and the other holding his customary cigar he'd left unlit in a small show of respect and goodwill towards Ibruk and Imiwa. He lit it now though. "As I said, you'll get nowhere, you're going about this wrong, and if you won't listen to my advice, Nomekast will continue down this road." He raised a hand as Stronghammer opened his mouth. "That's not a threat, my poor dwarf! That's a prediction, and not a happy one."
"Then where did it all go wrong, Brosso? Please, help me at least. We were allies once, friends."
Brosso said nothing for a while, leaning back in his seat, his large form pushing against it as he lit his cigar before taking a long puff on his cigar, seeming more...calm, composed, melancholic than Stronghammer could remember ever seeing him. Somehow that was more worrying that Imiwa storming out or Ibruk trusting in the prophecy of a single dwarf dead 600 years ago. "Stronghammer... What do you see? When you look at Nomekast?"
The mayor frowned, drumming his fingers on the table. "What do I see? A community that has survived everything thrown at it. A tinderbox ready to light right now, yes, but also a miracle that has brought together so many races in one cause-"
"It's a tinderbox alright. That part is right. And not a miracle." Brosso interrupted. He sighed, taking a kerchief of pig tail cloth from his pocket, dabbing lightly at his forehead. The circus-director turned politician didn't sound his usual bombastic self, rather, his voice was quiet, almost resigned but with a steel edge beneath it. "Gods, almost 700 years of bloodshed, Stronghammer! Families, lovers, friends, children, my brother..." His face hardened. "Where were your pretty speeches when the goblins kidnapped thousands of our children to raise as slaves and assassins and send back to kill us in mockery? Where was your talk of tolerance when the elves sacked our cities and ate our dead because we needed wood to fuel our industries to protect us from the goblins just to keep our children and families safe? Where were the humans when the elves and goblins drove us from our homes, tortured us, razed our cities and slaughtered our people?"
He leant back, staring up at the ceiling for a few moments and blowing out a cloud of smoke before gazing back to Stronghammer his eyes holding none of their usual charismatic brightness. "You cannot wipe everything we have suffered with a few pretty speeches, Stronghammer. And do you think
they forget? Armok save me, I had such respect for you Stronghammer, but I can't support you. This is naive, reckless." He waved a hand out, face rather dejected. "Just look! What has all this achieved? We're turning our back on our history, our ancestors, our traditions, and for what? Everyone is still as unhappy as before and it's a moment away before the riff-raff riot. You cannot meet in the middle over these issues. You cannot please everyone."
"But with the Nothing-"
Brosso interrupted him with a short, sharp laugh. "With the Nothing what? We'll unite in the face of a common foe? My poor man. Is that happening now? Did that happen with the goblins? When they swarmed the Golden Bud and piled their dead women and children into a pyramid? When they invaded the Humble Nations and threatened to take the capital? When they razed countless fortresses? Did the humans and elves come to us and ask for peace to save us from them?" He spat. "No. They came with soldiers, burnt our cities and slaughtered our families. That is why this will never work."
Stronghammer was leaning over the table now, his face grim. "Brosso, you cannot allow bitterness and revenge lead you. What do you hope to achieve this way? All you will do is unite a few dwarves to you while spiting the other races. Nomekast is balancing on an axeblade, bringing up the past will help
no one, least of all us. Yes, tragedies, horrors occurred, but do you think they forget when we retaliated and sacked
their own cities, killed
their people? I am not suggesting we abandon our ways, Brosso, I am suggesting we make some sacrifices for peace, as
everyone has. How do you expect peace if you constantly live in the past-"
"I am not living in the past! I am making a stand. For
us, for peace and
true unity. The rabble that bay outside this door, you think they care for your pretty speeches? This is a dwarven fortress, no matter what you or any others say. This place was founded by dwarves, built up by dwarves, we built Nomekast, even Ibruk's talk of unification is done under the aegis of following
our gods,
our prophets. And I see no reason why our traditions should be trampled upon because others have come. You give them a nook they take a cavern. What will we do next? You've already banned cutting trees aboveground and Imiwa - yes I know the two of us have an understanding, but not on this - Imiwa will refuse to talk to you unless you ban cutting those underground too, soon even logs bought from caravans will be off-limits. What next? Will you let the elves start eating the dead? No. Enough. Have you never lost anyone to the goblins or the elves?"
"Of course, everyone ha-" Stronghammer bit his tongue, stopping himself as Brosso just gave a grim nod.
"Everyone has," he finished for the mayor, getting up and striding off to the door, replacing his top-hat onto his head with a small sigh and leaving the other dwarf alone to fume.
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Topic: [Community] Nomekast - At War with Nothing (Read 177121 times)