Fortis - We've got varying shades of gray, microcline blue, cobaltite blue, a sort of brownish colour schist, purple pitchblende, and yellow orthoclase.
3rd Granite 675 - Afternoon"TROOOLL!" the scream reverberated throughout the cavern, echoing back and forth. Everyone looked up, as a Dwarf came barrelling past, pursued by a huge, fat troll intent on goring him. There was a panic as everyone dropped whatever they were doing and piled for wherever was furthest away from the monster. Unlucky, Rovod didn't have enough time and the troll charged into him, knocking him down onto the floor. The troll wasted no time, grabbing the Dwarf's right shoulder and breaking it in one fluid motion. With it's other hand, it sent a fist into his stomach and while he was winded grabbed Rovod by the pelvis, trying to crush his hip. Rovod attempted to grapple the troll off, but it grinned toothily and slammed a fist into his head, knocking the marksdwarf out cold.
The monster then grabbed him by his left arm, snapping the bone, and tried to pull him apart, but was suddenly stopped by an axe to the lower body.
Surprised at the pain, it dropped Rovod's unconscious body onto the hard rock and turned round, just in time to see Rion's axe swing into its shoulder and slice it clean through. It roared in pain, swinging its other good arm in a frenzy and sending Rion flying into Derm, knocking the two over. With a grating shout, a green blur leapt past them. It was Bax, wielding a shortsword. The Goblin ducked under the troll's flailing arm and stabbed the sword into its left knee, causing it to fall down. Finally, Johan, after much hesitation, delivered a solid slam of his hammer onto the troll's skull. There was a crack and the troll stopped moving. Bax retrieved his sword, and delivered several smart stabs at the troll's heart,
"You've got to make sure. I've seen trolls in their pens get up after being pincushioned by arrows." he told Johann gruffly as he moved past, leaving the hammerdwarf to look almost sickly at the dead troll, before suddenly remembering Rovod and sprinting to get him.
"Rovod? Rovod!" he cried, moving down to the wounded Dwarf. Rion picked himself up and moved over,
"Damn, looks like broken bones." he commented. There was a shout and another Dwarf came sprinting past, pursued by three cave crocodiles. After their first prey escaped they made for the soldiers. Rion dived for his axe, grabbing it in one fluid motion and slicing into one cave crocodile, sending it flying away with the force of the blow. Johann sent his hammer into another crocodile's face, wincing as the crocodile fell down. Derm made for the third crocodile, stabbing it through the guts. As the crocodiles died, their blood running with the troll's, Johann looked round at the corpses,
"All this death. And for what?" he muttered. Rion growled,
"Get Rovod to the hospital and leave philosophising to the priests or the Elves."
- - - - - - - - - -
"Both arms broken. A broken left hip, broken left leg. Broken nose and possibly organ bruising. Bruises all over the place. Bleeding from both arms. You'd think he'd just come back from the wars." Reg said, washing his hands on a cloth. The military had gathered before the marksdwarf's hospital bed, along with Ibruk and a few other curious bystanders. Ibruk sighed, shaking his head and opening his mouth to speak,
"Even now the gods wi-"
"Now," Doc. Steve interrupted, "the bruising is nothing important, that'll clear up in a few days or weeks. But the broken bones will all need setting. Luckily we still have some splints, despite the fact a few have vanished, probably the Elf burying them in hopes of growing trees or something. However they'll also need dressing and sutures. Which is a trouble, because we have so little cloth and no thread at all."
"Exactly as my colleague says. If Rovod is to make a quick and full recovery we need thread and cloth, preferably pig tail." Reg affirmed.
"We don't have any pig tail seeds." Bounce protested, "Only plump helmet and cave wheat."
"I can probably find some in the caverns." came a voice. They all turned round, it was Fori, standing at the doorway, a concerned look on her face as she saw Rovod.
"Please. A Dwarf can recognise an underground plant better than a tre-" Reg began, before being interrupted by Derm,
"There's no pigtails in the caverns, or pigs for that matter. Plenty o' tails though." he said.
"What about the lower levels?" Fori asked, "You said yourself that there was a passage down into even lower levels of the caverns."
"O' course! We go to the lower levels, get the pigtails and save Rovod!" Derm exclaimed, brandishing his axe and waving it through the air.
"Too dangerous." Ibruk said definitively, "There may be any number of monstrous abominations born from the nightmares of gods who-"
"So its settled! The miners dig us a passage and we'll find the pigtails! Fori, you wanted to come on my next expedition, didn't you?" Derm asked the Elf, she nodded, "Perfect! Then onwards and downwards to glory!"
4th Granite 675 - MidnightNight had fallen on Nomekast and across the community every Dwarf was asleep. Except Ibruk, braving the possible monsters of the night, he sat before the temple, meditating upon matters. A single torch stood nearby, illuminating only the temple in a mesmerizing glow. A second torch joined this torches light as another Dwarf came towards the temple,
"Master Ibruk?" came a tentative voice,
"Brother Kadzar. Please, feel free to take a seat." Ibruk said warmly. Kadzar took a seat besides the prophet, "I often come here at night to ponder," Ibruk explained, "And there is much to ponder on."
"I-I just wanted to ask. Must we really suffer a Goblin in our midst? The Book of Ikeng, goddess of family, clearly states that a Goblin poisons the family and that spreads through to the community, destroying it."
"Ah, but here there is no distinction. Look at Nomekast, Brother Kadzar, we are both a family and a community at the same time. The Gods spoke their plans to me through Slyshaken the Noble Disembowelment. What is a Goblin? A creature of flesh, no different from a Dwarf or an Elf or a Human. It is the mind and soul that matters, we must make of Bax's Goblin soul a Dwarven one, that is the will of the Gods."
"But what of The Guild of Glitters, that idol that Melagius made? A Goblin being killed by an alligator, what is the will of the Gods upon that?"
"We must take care Brother Kadzar. Every pilgrim to Nomekast is not of pure heart, some are here only to escape the righteous fury of the Nothing. The Guild of Glitters is a warning, the Gods will not tolerate this, they will send not only Nothing, but also the natural wildlife. We saw it four days ago, when three cave crocodiles attacked, along with a troll."
"But, then what must be done, Master Ibruk?"
"What indeed? That is the question." Ibruk mused, "Soon it will be time for the just to act, Brother Kadzar. Train your crusaders, your warrior-priests, if we do not act soon then Nomekast will fall just like any other settlement."
5th Granite 675 - Morning"OK! We're all ready!" Derm exclaimed cheerfully. He had filled his flask with beer, had his trusty axe and his iron breastplate on, and enough rations to last them several days. Fori on her side had her sword, along with a specially-crafted breastplate by Muenster. Both were ready. Delta gave them a grim grin,
"Watch yourselves." he said, hefting his pick and moving away. The miners had toiled the past few days to get the tunnel to the lower levels ready, and now it was complete.
"Yeah, watch out for Darksquids!" Spartan chuckled. Fori tutted,
"I doubt the defilers will be underground," she turned to Derm, "We must be quick in finding the pigtails, or Rovod's bones may set wrong."
Reg gave a snort,
"Oh please," he exclaimed, "A Dwarf's bones do not
set wrong. They're either treated or they stay broken. Though they may get better in time, they're useless if not treated."
"Because they've set wrong-" Fori began,
"Onwards!" Derm cried, interrupting the coming argument between the two. He turned to the assembled Dwarves, "Fear not, we shall return with tales of wonders and treasures of the exotic lower levels!"
And with that, he plunged into the dark tunnel, followed by Fori, down into the dark depths of the earth.
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Topic: [Community] Nomekast - At War with Nothing (Read 177045 times)