In the winter of 232, as construction in the deep continues, Nish Evenedknives, chief engraver of Weatherwires, is possessed by the angry ghost Ilral Boltedday. Ilral, already responsible for the deaths of many dwarves since his first days of undeath, shows no mercy now, during the twilight of the dwarves.
At this time, Nish was among many dwarves who stood along the catwalk of bridges that led from the hole, left by the extraction of as much adamantine as possible, to the flooded area atop the hill to the southeast. Possessed by the angry spirit, the chief engraver turned to the merchant Aban Singlestandards and threw a punch or two. Ilral soon found, however, that Nish's body was built for finer work - engraving and smoothing of stone surfaces, specifically - and so turned the possessed dwarf's attention to the bismuth bronze bridge upon which both of them stood.
The two dwarves fall three z-levels to the slade floor, each breaking a few bones upon landing. With most other dwarves occupied, Nish and Aban crawl to the stairwell and begin their long ascent. They climb up and up, Nish constantly retching, but upon reaching the portion of the stairwell that passes between the expansive second cavern layer, Aban passes out from pain.
At that moment, an antelope fiend found its way into the shaft between the dome and the abyss. It is there, in the portion of the shaft which is constructed through the open air of the second cavern layer, that the fiend callously struck down Nish Evenedknives, chief engraver and acting manager of Weatherwires. Aban Singlestandards soon follows him into blessed oblivion.
The Urns of Work, stationed atop the hill nearby, rush to the stairwell to defeat the beast. Commander Ézum was asleep in the dome far above, so Érith Minedtribe, elder of the two surviving children of clan Gearguild, was left in charge of overseeing the military operations in the abyss. Érith was no fool - he was already possessed of legendary skill in combat, and as he was still relatively young, was being groomed as a replacement militia commander should old Ézum pass in his sleep.
As they approach the curtain wall, an antelope fiend emerges from the mess of discarded bins and barrels. The dwarves rush forth to do battle, and though the beast proves to be extremely resilient, Érith Minedtribe eventually manages to land the killing blow, decapitating the fiend and neutralizing the threat to the fortress.
As the warriors stand triumphant over the fallen beast, a scream echoes from the stairwell beyond, and the horror of realization flashes across their faces - the antelope fiend they defeated was not the one that slew Nish and Aban. The beast they seek, appropriately named Puzzleveiled, is nowhere near the curtain wall - it is already in the dome.
As the rest of the Urns of Work clamber up the stairwell, slick with noxious fluids, commander Ézum rises from his slumber and rushes towards the engraved antechamber. The antechamber itself consists of an open cylindrical area, 3 z-levels high and 6 tiles wide, located just off the hallway in which the great battle of 126 took place. Two adamantine doors separate it from the rest of the fortress, making it's location unmistakable to passerby. The entrance is at the top z-level, with a short stairwell leading down to the floor - it is here, next to the stair, where the lever that controls the hatches sealing the stairwell is located. The top of the stairwell itself is located at the end of an engraved hallway beyond the antechamber.
Ézum opens the adamantine doors and comes face to face with the antelope fiend which sits atop the stairs just beyond. With lightning quick reflexes, the commander stabs the Puzzleveiled in the left front leg with his weapon of choice - Clinchlulled, a masterful steel short sword, crafted by the legendary weaponsmith Iden Sabreroom. The strike chips the bone, and the demon charges Ézum and strikes - but the commander dodges out of the way, off of the stairwell, and onto the engraved floor 3 z-levels below. Unlike Nish or Aban, he lands lightly, shaking the stun from his head, while the antelope fiend smashes into the stairwell above him. The fiend rushes down the stairs and corners the commander against the engraved wall, knocking him prone repeatedly.
The sounds of battle echo down the stairwell, reaching the ears of the rest of the Urns of Work.
Moments later, Érith Minetribe bursts into the antechamber - and finds commander Ézum standing over the lacerated body of the antelope fiend Puzzleveiled, surrounded by pools of demonic goo.
The commander casually leads his squad back into the deeps. Three dwarves have died this day - it is his intent that no more should do so. There is still work to be done.
The most notable of those that have fallen is Nish Evenedknives. A resident of the fortress for 92 years, Nish has created innumerable masterful engravings since he reached legendary skill sometime in the early 150s. Only two dwarves had been living in the fortress for longer than Nish - Doren Ledkan, weaponsmith and creator of the Orb of Fires (an adamantine spear), and militia commander Ézum Openeddoors the Robust Stoker of Lances. Nish has long held the unofficial position of chief engraver - in all likelihood, he is responsible for the majority of the artwork in the fortress.
Now, there is only one legendary engraver left in the fortress: Mistęm Oilytaut, a merchant by profession who has been learning the trade of engraving since she was inducted into the fortress. It falls upon her shoulders to record the final struggle of the Diamond Cloisters - she is the last historian of Weatherwires.
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Topic: The Saga of Weatherwires: Children of Dwarves (spoilers + image heavy) (Read 159508 times)