Chapter 0: First Snow
The year is 255, and the Dwarven civilization The Greatest Girdle is well. The mountains that they call home are deep and wealthy, and each strike of the pick unveils new dangers and riches.
But as they are wont, easy life leads the dwarves to greater greed. But the riches of mountains fill the halls, and goods of the humans and elves flow freely. There is nowhere new to grow.
It took a single dwarf - C.D. Lulltrumpets, a dwarf with just enough foolhardiness to voice a good idea. He was an innovative genius they said, a brave dwarf who shall push The Greatest Girder beyond the wildest dreams of wealth.
As the first snow crystals crunched under his leather shoes, Lulltrumpets shivered miserably. It took a real idiot to make a breakthrough, he reasoned. He was such an idiot. Who knew that the thorny gray plant from the frozen north would catch his kin's wealth-lusting eyes? A real idiot, indeed. Before this, he did not even know what "snow" was! And now, his "discovery" led him to be named the leader of the Oil of Lights, and sent out on his way to found Iceguild, a new frontier for the dwarven civilization, the crown jewel of the Greatest Girdle, and the world's only source of silver dye.
Crown jewel be damned. More like the back arse of the Greatest Girdle. The thought brought a sideways smile to his face, which was immediately punished with blowing ice.
And what does a humble dyer know about life outside the Mountainhome? They called him a pessimist once, and it really stuck. What in Tithleth's name was he doing in this hellho...
His thoughts were interrupted by a loud crunch. Apparently, the wagon hit snow - real deep snow, the kind that breaks wheels so you can't fix them anymore. And just at the foot of the mountain, too.
This is it, thought C.D. That's far enough for sure. Kicking the wagon for good measure, he looked at his fellow dwarves - who he barely knew, really.
"This is surely a sign from the mountain that we are welcome!" - he was really trying - "This is our new home, Iceguild. By the decree of the King, strike the earth!"
It really did sound better when others did it. Oh well, this will have to do.
And what do you know, it is really quiet here in the north. The wind blows to your bones and back, but at least no living thing is crawling out to eat him whole. Then again, who would want to come out here? Me, he told himself. So I could lead the Iceguild. He almost had himself convinced.
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After many hours of reading, it's prime time for my first community fortress! I have never been able to successfully extract silver dye, and this fortress will be my very first attempt at running a successful silver clothing industry! It just happens to be in Cold, Haunted northern reaches.
Enjoy the reading, and feel free to claim a dwarf! As of the moment, we have:
Mistem Floodtorch, expert miner and brawler
Kadol Oartunnel, a carpenter, architect and suturer
Lorban Templewound, an adept mason, who dabbles with leather and knows a thing or two about setting bones
Sodel Braveceilings, the metalsmith of the group - tasked presently with crafting the mining pick & wood-cutting axe; also, a doctor of some renown
Rakust Mergedlances, an outside type who knows how to cut trees (he prefers tower caps), collect herbs (imperative for this operation) and is also trained in fighting with axes
Atir Copperknives, an all-round useful dwarf who brews mean ale, likes gems, sets traps and calls himself a "great surgeon"
Author
Topic: Ushildomas, a community fortress: Chasing Silver (Read 1744 times)