Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[mcclay]

As Reno slept in his room something came down the hallways, it waas moew shadowy this time, having almost lost control of its form. It reminded its self to spend some time lying low before it would do its work again. That morning as the dwarves woke up they saw posters frmo both sides on the walls. However thes poster made arrows to the great hall and were fundmentally diffrent. All the creatures showed signs of rot and decay the the darkness was filled with red eyes. The closer they got to the great hall the worse thry became, withe the living figures becoming corspes and the darkness forming into all to famliar forms. The ding hall was clean of them expect for one wall in whic posters showing dwarf ans other races skeletons and Nothing attacking them. The posters spelled out these words: ssssup Bro. Reno stood before them, shriking the same lines over and over again " HE'S IN, HE'S IN, HE'S INININININ!"

[Aequor]

Guys, you're all awesome. That is all.

Voting stands at 7 for Stronghammer, 6 for Fori, 1 for Ocade. The voting'll close next update, which should be in a few days (no promises though, I'm too unreliable).


20th Obsidian 677

The elections were heating up as Stronghammer and Fori became clear leaders neck-and-neck. Posters for both sides and neither had been pasted up, torn up, pasted up, burnt down. Issues of the day became political credit, the issue of the forge became a weapon in the hand of Fori's supporters, while Stronghammer's supporters exploited the Iron Guard as a grand protective force for Nomekast. All three candidates were making their speeches, their policies and more. Nomekast not being a traditional Dwarven fort with a nobility attached, it was expected that the Mayor would have even more power here than in other Dwarven fortresses. As things seemed, Fori had currently captured a lot of the non-Dwarven vote, but Stronghammer had a strong base amongst the large Dwarven population, and many non-Dwarves besides. Though behind his two election rivals, Ocade for his part had ensured a sizeable chunk of the Goblin vote, who agreed with his idea of a stronghanded government, a lot of those more thirsty for revenge against the Nothing also flocked to his banner, and he also had a good part of the Elven vote, specifically those who distrusted Fori due to her revelations on the spirits.

With a multicultural fort, it was a more intense election campaign than any remembered from the mountainhomes or towns. To others still, it seemed a joke to have elections while the world above was still being torn apart piece by piece.

Outisde the election there was little happening, a Dwarf going by the name Felix had been seen beginning to smooth the halls, when asked why, he replied something along the lines of 'just doing my job'.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The clarification on the Iron Guard's membership had seen a few people join, Konith the Kobold and Ahra the Human, all while the dispute over the forge wall and cage traps continued to blaze, and several Elves swore bloody murder at what they saw as calculated attacks on their community, dismissing the Iron Guard and the Alliance's forge protections as baseless accusations against peaceful Elves protesting the murder of trees.

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

"No, I tell you, it's a disgrace." came Brosso the Magnificent's booming voice. The large Dwarf was sidling down past the training grounds towards the hall, a none-too-enthusiastic Derm besides him, "Such bile and vile propaganda! Those posters that-that spread such lies throughout the fort! Then there's that insane 'Reno' and those crazed posters about the Nothing. No, Sheriff, this won't do one bit! It is highly inappropriate for such things to happen under your so-called watch!"

"If I remember," Derm replied, his voice firm and hard, "there were posters about voting for Stronghammer too."

"Not my concern. Nothing to do with me. And anyways, they promoted peace and unity, as opposed to fearmongering about searing cages. Scientists across the world have conclusively proved that the heat from magma pools never heats cages to the point of burning flesh!"

"Nothing was proved! They tested it on fire imps!"

"Nonsense. Irrelevant anyways, these anti-Iron Guard posters are just fearmongering, racism, lies, propaganda and insults!"

"Posters are hardly against Dwarven law!"

"But libel is!"

Derm sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation,

"Electioneering Law of 348, 133rd year of King Logem Stilledboard's reign. 'Anything put out by an electioneering campaign - including therein anything written, drawn, spoken and others - for Mayorship is not covered by the Libel Law of 197, 3rd year of King Litast Shieldanguish, unless they target a prescribed Royal Organisation, a member of the Ancient and Grand Nobility, a member of the Royal Government - excluding the incumbent Mayor but only if they are seeking reelection - or a member of the Holy and Timeless Eternal Temples of the Broken Rock.

This means, Brosso, that seeing as the Iron Guard is not a 'prescribed Royal Organisation, nor members of the 'Ancient and Grand Nobility' nor of the 'Holy and Timeless Eternal Temples of the Broken Rock' and neither part of the 'Royal Government', the posters are not libel."

Brosso went purple in the face, dabbed at his forehead with a cave spider silk handkerchief, and bit down so hard on his cigar his teeth chomped straight through like a guillotine and the severed part fell to the floor where it smoked,

"Antiquated laws of a collapsed dynasty!" he cried, spitting out the bit of cigar he still had and waving a hand grandly with fury, "It's incomprehensible that such old laws made by a king whose reign was such a disaster that it ended with the collapse of his dynasty that-"

"That king is also the longest-reigning Dwarven monarch, and his reign is commonly seen as the golden age of the Kingdom of the Grizzly Vessel. And the law allowing planning permissions to be granted from Mayors and not just aristocracy also dates from his reign. Now, you wanted us all to play by the law yes? If not, then your wall and traps in the forge is also illegal."

"This is legal blackmail!"

"No, this is law, full stop. If that's all, Brosso, I need to go see about getting some more cabinets made."

And with that, Derm left the circus-director steaming with anger in the hall.

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

"And now they place traps, build walls and form gangs of thugs, that they might prevent us from saving the spirits!" the Elf cried. Calls of agreement rose. Fori sighed, the Elf, who went by the name Imiwa, was her main opponent in trying to convince her fellow Elves that the trees were only a link to the spirits, not the spirits herself. She had good support from the Elves, and as she had been on the cusp of being made an acolyte when the Nothing struck, the more conservative religious Elves flocked to her.

While originally these meetings of the Elven community were to convince them of the spirits' message, they had quickly become just a focus for the Elves to talk about happenings and problems. None of them noticed the small Kobold hiding behind a pillar, listening to their every word. Imiwa continued her little speech,

"And who are we to go to to protect us? You, Fori? The Elf who's more Dwarf than Elf nowadays?" a few laughs came up, while some of Fori's supporters booed what was traditionally viewed as a deep insult to an Elf's honour. Fori knew better than to respond, and sat there silently. "Or maybe Stronghammer, the Dwarven industrialist?" laughs now echoed around the cave clearing, "No, I fear we can only count on Ocade."

Fori raised her voice now,

"Imiwa. I'm sorry that you see me as more Dwarf than Elf." she turned to the assembled Elves, "I'm sorry that I came here and told you that all we'd been told was false. But the spirits gave me the message, I'm but the messenger. I'm sorry that things have flared up, that the Dwarves in the forges are acting so. But violence isn't the way, we all know that. I'm sorry that we cannot agree on everything. But insults and a schism in the Elven community isn't the way. The only winner there will be the Defilers that destroyed our forests, our homes, our lives and families. The spirits-"

"The spirits are the trees. This is what all Elves grow up learning, is it not?" came a curious voice. It was a newcomer by the name of Kuro. He had attended the previous meeting but was for the most part ignored. After all, he was a Goblin. He was a curiosity amongst them, though there were tales of Goblins, Humans, Kobolds or even Dwarves being raised in Elven society, for most of them this was the first of such specimens they'd seen.

"Even the Goblin knows the truth!" Imiwa spat.

"I'm not picking sides, I just wa-" Kuro began, only to be cut off by Imiwa,

"You've just abandoned the ways of your ancestors Fori, that's what it is, no need to truss it up as revelation."

"The spirits-" Fori tried to continue.

"The same spirits you accept the destruction of! And now Stronghammer dares to say he - a Dwarf whose ancestors grubbed around under rocks while ours crafted living cities and spoke with spirits - will create a place of worship to the same spirits he kills!"

"And what would the spirits say? What would they say about the fact that you want to split the Elven people in fighting factions, that you insult Elves between every breath, that you want to collapse the only community that has a chance of pushing the Defilers back and saving the forests that are left?"

"Pah!" Imiwa spat, "You speak of the spirits as though you weren't aiding their deaths!" and with that, she stormed from the clearing, her supporters soon leaving after her. Fori sighed deeply, if she was making progress, she couldn't see it.

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

Everyone was going mad as far as Reg was concerned. Both literally mad and - actually, nope, just literally mad. First the idea of voting in an Elf in a Dwarven fort. Next this 'Reno' who apparently had a nervous breakdown and seemed to think something terrible had sneaked into the fortress.

"Something terrible - hah. Maybe several." Reg muttered to himself, washing his hands before turning to his latest patient. Things had been calm the past few months. He only had check ups to do on those still affected by the poison of the forgotten beasts, sort a few colds. Small-scale stuff, no death. No more.

"So." he said, his voice dripping with skepticism. "Just a bad dream you say?"

The Human nodded.

"I'm a doctor, not a dream psychologist, but dreams don't make you put up posters and stand in the middle of the hall screaming about someone getting inside the fortress."

"I didn't put the - it was a vivid dream."

Reg noted the unfinished sentence. Psychology wasn't his forte, but this man was obviously hiding something.

"Right. A vivid dream."

"Uh, can I leave now?"

"Hm." Reg absent-mindedly drummed his fingers on the stone table. Reno was hiding something, and the fact he was hiding something told Reg nothing good - as if he needed more of a reason to start distrusting the other races more. Reno took that as a yes and left, leaving the Chief Medical Dwarf alone, frowning deep in thought, only moving when Steve came in.

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

"That's quite a tale, my good fellow." Ugo said, stirring his cup of tea. Reno sat opposite him, his own cup of tea lonely on the table. "And if it's true, it brings many questions to mind. You say your brother was like a humanoid Nothing?"

"Yes, but he can sort of change himself a bit."

Ugo held up a finger, rose out of his seat, a cup of tea still in his hand, and began digging through a pile of rolled papers,

"Anything like this?" he asked, showing Reno a rough sketch of a Goblin who seemed to be completely covered in the darkness of the Nothing,

"Yeah, like that."

"My kinsmen seem to have been infected by the same thing the Nothing are made out of, possibly even by the Nothing themselves. It's possible that your mother was infected, thus transmitting itself to you and your brother."

"Can it be cured?"

"Oh yes, a simple knife to the throat is most effective, clears the problem right away." it took a second for Reno to realise Ugo was serious. He remained, after everything, a Goblin. Ugo leant forward, "I'm currently experimenting on our mutual monster friends, with the help of Fori - the Elf running for Mayor, you know? - and I'd be most happy to have your help, to run some tests. Strictly safe of course! Not going to put a good man and interesting case in danger."

"Uh, well. I'd be happy to, the more we know the better we can take them down."

"Just one thing; you said your brother's here. Why don't you warn Derm?"

"If anyone knew of my case...well the Alliance for Dwarven Survival is only getting stronger by the day. Please, don't tell anyone."

"Don't worry, I'll keep mum about this. Now, about the tests..."


Remember when this had more DF gameplay than abstract story in it? Yeah neither do I.

[Dermonster]

Derms Log.

That was the best day I've had in a long while. I suppose I should clarify. Bosso came storming up to me while I was going to have a small spar with one of the dwarves in the training hall, I've got to keep my skills sharp after all, and he starts ranting and raving about the posters that have gone up lately. I'm not much fond of them myself, but they aren't illegal. We had a bit of a back and forth before I completely shut him down and turned his argument right back on him. I did this with a complete poker face, mind you, left him sputtering in the dust behind me.

I made if about three more hallways down before I burst out laughing. I will treasure the look on his face forever. Had a decent spar too, but nothing special. These laws really came in handy today. I wonder what else... hmm.

Still somewhat peaceful, non-political side. Haven't had a forgotten beast or nothing incursion in what feels like months. Good thing too, the visions really take a toll on me. I still wonder at times about the axe and the duels, but for now it's none of my concern.

In any case, I'm feeling a bit cramped. I think I'll go for a stroll down in one of the caves, like back in the good old days when I was a celebrated explorer and milita man instead of the unpopular sheriff.

[Tarran]

Tarran's random log:

"Observations 1: Someone is insane.
Observations 2: Someone was laughing at the top of his lungs. Hmmm.
Observations 3: Someone seemed pissed. Hmmm.
Observations 4: The elves seem riled up. I only hope that they take their anger out on our common enemy, the Nothing.
Observations 5: We have not been attacked recently by Nothing.

Conclusion: Everything is A Ok. No problems in this fort. Nope. No siree."

[Kurotabo]

Kuro sits in the corner of the dining hall, scanning the crowd with a weary eye. He sighs, opening a pouch around his neck, and fishes out his whetstone. He draws one of his steel swords, and begins to sharpen it, as he does when he thinks deeply. "This isn't what I expected my new home to be... A big debate over how to run things, especially when those abominations are right outside! A dwarf bumps into him, nearly causing him to drop his whetstone. He just barely catches it. "Sure wish I had a room, wouldn't have to spend so much time in this burning dining hall!" His mood soured by the earlier meeting with the elves,he needs something to hit. Sheathing his sword, he stands up and heads off to the sparring room.

[Stronghammer]

Stronghammer sighed when he looked at the many reports and updates on the workings of the forges as well as the vote. He had heard about the confrontation between Brosso and Derm. He knew tensions were bound to become raised with the campaign, yet he didn't like how it was tearing the community apart. And the problem Fori was having with the elves, being split. He almost wondered if he should shut down the wood furnaces......almost. But no he must remain strong and efficient as he always had and continue on his course, yet he wondered if it would tear the community apart. Stronghammer sighed once more and opened the desk drawer, to indulge himself in the one thing he ever would indulge in and give his efficientcy up for. He pulled out his small gem collection, and marveled at the many cuts and facets of the gems, perfection and harmony in each one. As he gazed upon them he was able to relieve some of the pent up stress. He also remembered a time when his collection was bigger, a time when his family's mines prospered and the sound of hammer on anvil sounded throughout the hall. He glanced back at his gems and gave a sad smile only three gems remained, a diamond, ruby, and topaz. He would have had more made and then purchased the best but he dared not divert the resources of the fort for such a pitiful reason. No he would wait for a time when the fort prospered more to do that. He rose from the desk locking away his gems once more as well as the door to his office. He made his way passed the many forges and workshops of the industrial area, nodding and shaking hands of the many workers, dwarven craftsmen bent over thier work creating works of art. His gaze came to the destroyed furnace still being cleaned up and he felt a small amount of anger rise before quickly being suppressed by his mental disapline once more, no time for anger on his part. He exited the foundry area passed the Iron Guard who greeted him and passed the wall and hidden traps. He slowed his walk as he passed some of the wonders of Nomekast, the cottage on the lake, the underground fields, the great temple to the gods lead by Ibruk, the grand dining hall, and the many other wonders of the city of Nomekast. As he walked he realised how out of place he was in the city, covered in soot and wearing workmans cloths. In fact Stronghammer realised that he rarely actually left the industrial sector at all. He gave himself a small smile and went over to the lake and took a seat on one of the rocks sitting around it. He pulled out the one gem he had brought with him and just sat playing with the stone stareing out into the lake thinking of his home and his place in Nomekast.

[mcclay]

Something in the night grinned, it was in, it would prove his self. He would prove to his brother he was better than him. Reg's office was a mess. Medical equipment strewen everywhere and what appeared to be dead vermin covering the floor. It was the walls that drew the attetion of a viewer. They were covred in vermin blood that spelled over and over agian: you tink i'm not real reg, LIESLIESLIESLIESLIESLIESLIES. A trial of vermin blood and debries led to Umo's room. His door had been locked but it was covred with graftii saying: HE KnOWS, HE KNWSKNOWSKNOWSNOWS. the trial of blood led to a screaming Reno's room covred in blood grafitti saying:HIBROHIBROHIBRO and stuff like that. OCC: this good or am I annoying people?

[Tarran]

Tarran's random log:

"Someone is definitely insane... Someone is spreading vermin blood all over the place. I'm going to have to get someone to clean that up, because as a weaponsmith I'm pretty sure I could be doing more important things... like making weapons. Oh, and I'm going to have to inform the militia or whoever is in charge of the protection of the fort, about said insane person's presence."

OCC: this good or am I annoying people?

Ehh, people's mileage may vary. Your posts are slightly annoying to me, though it's likely more due to your spelling mistakes (11) than your post's intentions. That's just me, though.

[mcclay]

OCC: the spelling mistakes are because all of this done on a Kindle Big thumbs + small buttons equals lotsa errors.

[TALLPANZER]

In the lab, Meinhard had placed a set of plans on the main table. The plans were for an automated training room. Derm then received an order for 30 fugi wood training spears, 10 more wood training spears, 30 stone mechanisms, 30 stone mechanisms, and 30 stone mechanisms. A request was delivered to the miners for seven Urist by seven Urist room be dug out far from the main area of the fort. New posters went up in key places around the fort, they only stated "Jägers now recruiting. Meet in the new training room"

[Ahra]

jagers?

[Fortis]

From the Log of Fori:

   The race has evened up a little bit, and I’m closer to overtaking Stronghammer in the election. Not bad for an elf who has never even voted in one before I think. There’s lots of posters for both sides, I don’t think I need to add more of my own. Rather, I’m trying for a more personal approach. I’ve begun holding sessions in the dining room to talk about the election and what I’ll do once I’m elected. I use it as an opportunity to field questions from the various citizens. I do my best to answer them all, as truthfully as I can. One common question was ‘will I shut down the furnaces?’ usually voiced by elves. To which I answer that I won’t. If anything, I want to expand the magma based forges and furnaces, so that there would be less need for burning wood. But at times, the dwarves need wood, and in these cases, I would seek a compromise with the elves. Perhaps they could follow derm’s suggestion, and simply use the mushrooms from underground instead. Or there are ways for elves to ethically harvest wood (indeed, wooden tools and weapons are preferred among the elves.) Perhaps they could do so for the dwarves? I’m not certain how that will go over though. At any rate, I would remove the cage traps, but allow the walls to stand. After all, it is a pool of liquid rock, we wouldn’t want any of the children here stumbling around in that area.

   Another common question is what will I do about the nothing, and how I will reclaim the surface. To risk another battle with the defilers, especially the winged ones, would be dangerous. But Torvold has schematics and plans for several magma based traps. I think that they should be expanded on and implemented, to let the life sap of the mountains burn the defilers to ashes. As for reclaiming the surface, I’m not sure how just yet to be honest. I haven’t shared it with anyone, but I’ve been thinking about a solution though. I’ve looked at the glass that the dwarves have made. I’m just wondering that if we make enough of it, we can roof over the walled portion of the fort, yet let the sunlight down to nourish the plants. Make an indoor forest of sorts, and preserve this bit of the wilderness to serve as a seed to regrow the forests once the defilers are destroyed.

   Election aside, I wish Imiwa would just leave me be. I know she won’t accept my belief of the spirits and the trees. Still, she keeps showing up to argue with me and insult me. I’ve tried to accept her criticism with good grace, but I admit that my patience is starting to wear a little thin. Not only that, she’s been doing her best to slander me in the campaign and drum up support for Ocade. It’s true, I’ve lost a lot of the elf vote due to her. But on the other hand, her claims that I’m more dwarf than elf has served to reassure a lot of the dwarf vote, especially among the more moderate and least xenophobic ones.  Either way though, win or lose, I’ll be glad when the election is done.

[TheOddDemon]

"I'm sorry, Eldrich, but I cannot do anything."

"But these posters are slander against my kind!"

"It only shows a man in a hood. Just a coincidence."

The two were sitting in Derm's office, looking at each other across the messy table. It had many papers and books of law stacked haphazardly on its surface. Derm look worn and overworked. His beard was going gray prematurely and he looked to be completely sober. He sighed.

"Look, Eldrich, its just a poster. I don't think Stronghammer even knows you're here."

"I know it's just a poster, but it still enforces the sterotype against my kind. Are you sure there is nothing you can do?"

Derm shook his head. The Bogeyman sighed.

"If you're sure, then I shall not bother you further. For what its worth, you have my thanks for at least hearing me out."
The Bogeyman left the office.


As he returned to his makeshift bed in the "tower" that overlooked the hill, he ran into a group of three elves. They looked pissed off and the shunned Bogeyman was a perfect outlet for their anger. The tallest one shambled up to him, though he was still considerably shorter than Eldrich.

"Hey boy's, look what we have here." The elf shoved him. "Not so tough now that you don't have friends to help you huh?" The elf laughed. "We were gonna teach that Dwarf-fucker Fori a lesson, but I think we have time to take you down a notch too.

The elf then spied Eldrich's dagger. "Hey, nice dagger, think I'll take it." He grabbed for the knife, his fingers closing around the sheath-

Hewasoverapurpleforestandhewasburningandburningandhelaughedandhissiblingslaughedtootheywereswoopingdownontherunningcreaturesandhekilledandlaughedandkilledandlaughedandkilledandlaughed -Light burst from the dagger, and runes wove themselves from the light and were covering him-Hewasinaredcastleandthequeenwascryingandthechildrenwerecryingandthequeenwasbegginghimtosparethembutherippedthemopenandpouredtheirbloodoverherandshecriedandhelaughedandlaughedandlaughedandlaughed-

The elf shot away from the Bogeyman and slammed into the ground, breaking his skull. However, the elf didn't seem to notice and rolled into a ball and started to whimper. The other two elves cried out in horror and rushed to their fallen kin, while Eldrich continued on his way.

[Trapezohedron]

Is it a tad bit too late for me to join this?

[Dermonster]

New (Race)'s are always welcome, if you can keep up with the politics (Fori for Mayor 11/11/11!). Becoming one of the 'major' players however, is a different story.

Still not quite sure how I pulled it off here, as I can barely remember anyone ever.