From the Journal of Glacial Urnprinces, Kíddirimush, 10571st Galena, 1057After inviting Ustuth to my workshop for another morning interview over a barrel of dwarven whiskey, I received a rude surprise when she informed me:
She dragged in a rather baffled-looking mechanic, and kissed him on the cheek. "Whatever you may believe or be planning," she told me, "you should know that Sakzul and I love each other dearly. Don't we, dear?"
"Uh," the stunned mechanic agreed, a helpless look in his eyes as Ustuth hauled him out of the office. The war jaguar gazed up at me with feline amusement and followed her through the door.
2nd Galena, 1057After drinking myself into a stupor, I did what any reasonable dwarf would do under the circumstances:
9th Galena, 1057
I sent Ustuth the black coal and horse leather earring I crafted. I hoped it would remind her of me.
Bah.
16th Galena, 1057After a week locked in my workshop, I eventually opened the door to discover the mayor had urgent news to report.
Red-eyed and sullen, I told the mayor, "Fifteen hammergoblins and one speargoblin? Is that all the goblins brought? Lure them in and crush them." Confident after the results of the ambush, I left my workshop to watch the battle from the walls.
As I climbed out into the nauseating sunlight, my blood ran cold. I felt a premonition of doom as one dwarven voice bellowed, "Limul Rosatnish!"
The mayor turned to me in disbelief, "Limul is charging the goblins alone."
At that point, I made a serious mistake. "We can't let her go in and be slaughtered. Send all four squads out against the goblins."
22nd Galena, 1057I learned later that Limul had sighted the goblins over the walls while descending the stairs, and rather than waiting behind the field of traps, had chosen to charge into battle. In the tradition of dwarven tragedies, the remaining squads had trickled out rather than charging en masse against the onrushing goblins, including a squad of marksmen that mistook their crossbows for hammers. The one bowdwarf among them fared best; he ended up inside one of our cage traps instead of on the front lines. For the third time this year, the traps seem to have done as much damage to our forces as to the enemy. As much as I'd like to blame the traps, though, the truth was that our troops barely knew one side of an axe from another. I placed too much faith in their fine steel armor and overlooked their inexperience.
I have had the hospital substantially expanded, and returned to my binge drinking.
5th Sandstone, 1057"Glacial. Glacial Urnprinces!"I opened my eyes and found myself on a meadow dotted with a spectrum of flowers. The voice was coming from beside me, where I saw--
"Goddess!" I quickly prostrated myself before Her, then unprostrated myself to look up at Her. There was a great deal worth looking at.
"I know this is a difficult time for you," Alil Âtasttölún Totmonàlil told me,
"but be brave and receive my blessing. You still have work to do.""As you command, my goddess!" I declared fervently.
...and later, after being extremely well consoled, I gathered my courage and asked, "Oh divine one, how did we of the Whirling Girders become so fortunate as to have a goddess of consolation? Other dwarven civilizations have such different divinities."
Alil Âtasttölún Totmonàlil smiled at me gently.
"Some mysteries are not meant to be known by mortals, my devoted follower.""No, really, please tell me. I've always wondered. I mean, we have you, and:
...isn't the pantheon a little, I don't know, girlish? Not that I'm complaining, but we're dwarves. Where are all the
beards?"
Alil Âtasttölún Totmonàlil's smile vanished.
"Devoted worshipper, We do so have beards! Consider the males of our pantheon:
...and of course, there's:
...who may be a she-dwarf, but isn't particularly... girlish," She finished, sounding cross.
"But, revered goddess, I've heard that Arceth won His place in the divine mountain hall in a game of chance with some sort of olm god, and that Kovest Bridgedeast purchased it for a handful of diamonds--" I noticed Alil Âtasttölún Totmonàlil surreptitiously flip Her braids over Her divine ears, hiding a pair of shining earrings, "not to mention, of course:
...I mean, a male god of birth, pregnancy, marriage, and oaths. Really? What do you all have going on up there?" I asked, searching for enlightenment.
The goddess Alil Âtasttölún Totmonàlil passed Her hand before my eyes.
"Enough with the questions! Go do your job, Glacial Urnprinces."...
I woke up, feeling profoundly refreshed and ready to take on the world again. Taking a morning stroll through the storage hall where we keep our captive invaders, an idea struck me, and I quickly began scribbling out a diagram...
The mayor stopped by to remind me, "Limul was also our bookkeeper. We need a replacement."
With a chuckle, I replied, "I appoint TauQuebb our bookkeeper. That should be most interesting to watch."
19th Timber, 1057The outpost liaison and trade caravan from Estilthob arrived. I mustered the troops to help get them inside the fortress safely. They had become a key part of my plan for the rest of the year.
4th Moonstone, 1057Rather than assisting with the transfer of goods to the trade depot, one of the farmers chose to slack off.
Busy with preparations, I didn't see where he ended up: I was busy carting the queen's offering up the stairs to the depot. As I counted, I noticed the mayor was twisting his beard into ever-tighter knots. I didn't feel at all nervous about what I was about to do. "...twenty-nine, thirty. With the cage, the earring, and the totem, that makes 10311☼. Tell the queen I picked these out because they make me think of her, and that I'm making her an offer she can't refuse: make Kíddirimush a barony."
The outpost liasion looked at the offerings, wiped the sweat off his brow, and said, "Every one of these outposts goes crazy in the end. If I make it out of here alive, I'll see your message is delivered to the queen."
To be continued...
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Topic: Ardentdikes - Absolute disaster - (31.25) (Succession)(Need Players!) (Read 222330 times)