Zorrin_Drake - Sure thing! It'll be interesting to see how people'll react to a necromancer, even one who isn't evil. I'll put you in with the next migrant wave.
Slate and Felsite 678Many philosophers across many civilisations had remarked upon the apparent ability of people to quickly adapt to new situations and return to routine; nowhere did it seem more true than Nomekast. No adverse effects from the blood had yet been seen, though all of the people who had fought had gone to the hospital. The hospital itself had a full complement of staff nowadays; it was no longer just Reg and Steve, help now came from the Human surgeon Grau and Kingfisher, another Dwarven doctor. Neo - the spirit now inhabiting the Dwarf once known as Kadol - seemed to have been - if grudgingly in parts - accepted by the community, and he could often be seen in the past month learning glass-making from Muenster McCheeseMaker, the fortress' expert glass-smith. The Thieves' Guild was nowhere to be seen, and nothing had been stolen, though Bounce in conjunction with Meinhard and Derm now led a permanent investigation.
Stronghammer had continued on with his mayoral policies he had been elected on. With the Elven shrine finished, he began work on a Human temple.
The Kobold Bayar had approached the Mayor with the idea of acquiring some of the forges' cobaltite to build statue of in his small shrine to the Kobold folk-heroes the 'Ascended Ones'. This had been well-accepted, as if he worked on his shrine, that meant the Kobold place of worship would be taken care of, and then there would only be the Goblin - if such a thing was even necessary - and the Bogeyman - which would hardly be large or time-consuming. Furthermore, his alliance with Imiwa in his mind, Brosso had approached Stronghammer with the plan of banning woodburners - at least temporarily. So far this had met with no agreement from the industrialist.
Outside of that, Stronghammer had ordered the expanding of Nomekast's prison. The original prison had been set up when the community was dealing with the murder-attempt on Derm and Fori. It had just been a rough room carved out with four sets of chains on the walls, now Stronghammer expanded it into separate cells. Lead doors were being forged for them, and an interrogation room to question suspects would be dug out and fitted out with tables and cells.
The mayor had also been had several memos for his attention; one from Ugo Sosleng requesting that the next time flying Nothing or infect Goblins attacked, they should be caged, so that they could be studied, while the other came, another from Steve about some journals from BranRhi detailing some theories on 'physical gods'.
The Jagers - despite the loss of Kadol - continued their work under Meinhard's supervision, slowly starting the arduous linking of mechanisms that would link the large spear-filled room.
Meanwhile, under Ibruk's careful supervision, the Temple faithful continued their work on carving out their grand cathedral.
While down on the Fiery Cistern the stone was finally being hauled out of the future Alliance for Dwarven Survival's headquarters in Brosso's vast complex.
And in the midst of this all, Felix the engraver calmly and quietly continued on with his work, having finished smoothing the main hall, he now began to work on the bridge to the mayoral quarters and cathedral.
5th Hematite 678 - Noon"So." Grau said.
"So?" Neo asked. The possessed Dwarf was sat on the ledge overlooking the farms by one of Fori's watchtowers, a plump helmet biscuit in one hand. Grau was sat two feet away or so.
"You're a spirit. Possessing a Dwarf. And not leaving."
"Yes?" Neo said hesitantly. He hoped Grau wouldn't be another one of those calling for his immediate death or imprisonment or what have you.
"I...I am a Dwarf of science above all. I don't much like religion - much less Ibruk's version or Imiwa's version or whoever we have who are religious nutters around here."
Neo felt himself relax, he knew where this was headed.
"No, I don't really know how it happened, one moment I wasn't here the next I was. I can' exactly come and go on a whim between life and death."
"But at least we're not talking about some god appearing in front of you and saying 'Neo, thou shalt return to life that though may do this and this and say that and so on and so forth'?"
"No, none of that. Why exactly?"
"Because...because I don't like the though that Ibruk with all his insane preachings might be right that the gods are actively interfering with life. I think of things in relation to what I know, in relation to the science I know. If a stone falls, I know its because all things fall, not because a god specifically pulled it down from the air."
"I see."
"And I don't like the idea of spirits being sent back to inhabit peoples' bodies. So if it's just one case, that's good, we can relax but-"
"Figures that would the thing that would bother you. A spirit in a Dwarf's body? Oh no, panic! Meanwhile I can float around forever and no one gives me time of day." came a morose voice. Neo and Grau sighed simultaneously as Mosus Ingtakcatten, the community's very own depressed ghost floated by them.
The ghost had appeared several months ago and all attempts to lay him to rest had failed. He himself had apparently been depressed by his inability to leave the world for good, and now could be found floating around the fort or in the main hall, bemoaning his fate. There was another ghost of course, Ablel Cattenakum, but he was a poltergeist and flitted around the fort, misplacing things, making snide comments and - in several people's words - 'encouraging immoral behaviour'.
Mosus floated out over the farms before either could respond. Grau gave a pained sigh,
"Well." he said, a wry smile on his face, "At least you aren't like that one."
10th Hematite 678 - AfternoonThe two Forgotten Beasts were there, dead and ready for autopsy, as Ugo stepped into the room, his arms carrying a stack of journals. These were BranRhi's father's journals, given to Doc. Steve, who'd given them to Stronghammer, who'd given them to the Goblin scientist.
The journals themselves were fascinating things, describing ideas and theories on physical gods or creatures so powerful as to be gods in their own right. The idea of living gods - gods living in the mortal world - were widespread of course, the Empire of the Humble Nations, the largest and most powerful of the great civilisations was - or had been at least, the latest news indicated civil war and total Nothing invasion - ruled by the 'Eternally Divine Emperor of the Heavens and Earth, He who Shaketh the Firmament and who Ruleth All Planes of Existence' Ngostong the Rumour of Terrifying, who was believed to be a manifestation of Onmo the Will of Snakes, the god of lies, trees, rain, thunder and storms. Of course, it was only really the people of the Humble Nations that believed that, whereas the journals were more succinct in their description of these physical gods.
He set the journals down on his desk to peruse later as Fori came in. Ugo greeted her as he prepared his kettle. He had had one made so that he could hang it above the lava pool in the lab to boil water for his habitual tea. Once he had his tea, Ugo got down to business.
"Now, if you remember, today we were going to autopsy the Forgotten Beasts. We'll start with the bird, Opeya, I think." he told Fori cheerfully, tapping one carefully gloved hand on Opeya's corpse. The two of them were wearing suits that covered them near-totally. With the blood apparently dangerous it was best not to take chances. "Right then, let's start with the chest cavity. Hand me the sword would you? No sense in using a tiny knife."
Fori handed the Goblin the knife and he got to work slicing open Opeya's chest. The work was gruelling as he sliced down vertically down into the belly and while Fori made a Y-shape up at the shoulders. Soon however the chest was cut open and the internal organs revealed.
"Yes..." Ugo pondered, noting some things down on a piece of paper, "Seems normal, no obvious extra or missing organs or strange arrangements. Let's try removing the heart, I'm interested in seeing that. Use the knife this time." Fori nodded, taking a deep breath. Like any Elf, she had a deep love for nature and animals. But Opeya - and indeed all Forgotten Beasts - were not of nature, they were monsters that deserved no pity after all those they'd killed. But still, slicing open the dead for reasons other than to get food and not let the corpse go to waste still took getting use to. She took the knife, and began to cut out the heart. That was when she noticed something was wrong.
"Ugo...there's-there's something here. It's like- oh by the spirits!"
The Elf was blown clear off the monstrous dead bird and flew into the tables, sending papers and vials flying. Ugo grabbed his - unfinished but still fireable - crossbow as Opeya's body gave a heave. The guards raised the weapons, eyes wide. Black...goo was seeping out of the half-removed heart. The goo began to flow round in a circle around the heart then suddenly rushed into it, floating up into a pillar of the black substance, with the heart carried at the top, tendrils of the liquid seeping in and out like blood. Then came the voice, like a million people speaking in perfect synchronisation;
ELEVEN REMAIN AND ONE IS MINE
TRAITORS FALL TO TRAITORS
I
AM
ALIVEThen as suddenly as it had started, the liquid streamed into the heart and it fell down, bouncing off Opeya's now-motionless corpse and falling to a stop on the lab floor. Breathing heavily, Ugo, Fori, and the guards looked at each other in turn.
"I-I think we need to warn everyone about this. It-it sounds serious." Fori said, her voice shaking.
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Topic: [Community] Nomekast - At War with Nothing (Read 180237 times)