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Live stream and video. Newfangled technology must be applied to everything!

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Total Members Voted: 28

Voting closed: January 19, 2012, 06:50:05 pm

[Archereon]

BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!!!

[Mego]

Journal of Mego, Chaos Crafter

I am not crazy. Crazy people think that other people have issues, and that they are normal. That's not me. I know doing everything in my power to make this fortress hard to manage in the future is evil. I'm okay with that. I call it "job security". Also ‼FUN‼.

Some people just want to watch the world burn.


It is now canon that my dwarf inspired the Joker.

Any suggestions for decimating the population? If it's not ‼FUN‼, it's not happening.

[Reudh]

We've got magma open, yes?

Release a captured enemy into a tiny room backing onto a channel leading to magma.
Drop a dwarf in. The dwarf either kills the enemy or rolls into the magma. BOOM.

[Eric Blank]

Well then, let the Epic of Aluonra commence!

I was bored so I've begun writing it. Here's what I've got so far:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Epic of Aluonra

Chapter One: The Birth and Death of the Windy World.

To the sound of battle
Did dance the undead rabble
Who sought the flesh of mortals
Broken hearts, shattered minds, of men and mer.

From ages past did they come,
The evil darkness before there were worlds.
Heaven erupted with light and songs of delight
As the first gods gave birth to the worlds

Aluonra did rise,
A land bathed in the divine winds.
Below, beasts emerged
Touched by the gods’ own souls.

Dwarves, Elves, and Men,
Goblins, Kobolds, Gremlins,
Civilization leapt to and unfurled
The Golden Age struck this world.

But behold, within three score millennia
The Windy World devolved into chaos
As gods did battle upon the heavenly winds
Their beasts of war savage, now dragons

And from this Age of Death did come
The Foul One, cruelty unfathomable,
Touch mortal souls, it did,
And threatened all the world

For a millennia war did wage
Goblins joining it’s rage,
Kobolds broken of mind and culture,
While Gremlins thought dead in the dank caves below.

The day it was done
Winter solstice, before sun
The world declared dead, date set in stone
Granite first, year Zero.

Darkness driven back
Sealed within the world below
The Gods did swear, for their hubris and greed,
The mortal realm free of their breed.

Chapter Two: Rebirth and Fall from Grace.

From the ashes, of a winter of death
Did spring forth the survivors,
Ruins forgotten, borders as dust
In the divine wind that still blew strong.

The Age of Myth it was called;
Great Beasts of the Gods’ armies stood fast,
To harass the soul-touched
As they lay foundations for a Second Golden Age.

So, what's next? I'm trying to research part of the history of the world before Battlefailed was founded. Then will come the battles of Battlefailed and Failcannon, the Second Age of Death, death of the world and the Third Rise of Civilization, then finally the Battle of Hellcannon, bringing us up to present day.

[Reudh]

Question, is the current world, Xemorid considered Aluonra for canon's sake?

[Mego]

Yes and no.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

In Xemorid, Aluonra is a legend, a fairy tale told to young dwarves. But, the activities at Hellcannon are starting to raise questions about whether Aluonra is really a fictional world, or if all the time-travel and demon-summoning shenanigans really went on. I intend to answer those questions by the end of my turn.

[Eric Blank]

The time travel was certainly shenanigans, but Xemorid most certainly is the same landscape and history as Aluonra, over a millenia after the second collapse of civilization into the darkness, and may well directly preclude a third. The RNG was not kind enough to maintain the name.
Now, whether or not there was mention of demons being summoned besides Ura and the Foul One she hosts is a good question...

In other news, during the last year at battlefaield there lived a dwarf by the name of Urist Boatclobbered. That's a very dorfy dorf if I've ever seen a dorf!
There was also Fikod Boatscarnage the Rough Boredom of Nature, most certainly a legendary militiaman.

Boats and Oars seemed very popular in Dastot Cog's history...

[EmeraldWind]

The time travel was certainly shenanigans, but Xemorid most certainly is the same landscape and history as Aluonra, over a millenia after the second collapse of civilization into the darkness, and may well directly preclude a third. The RNG was not kind enough to maintain the name.
Now, whether or not there was mention of demons being summoned besides Ura and the Foul One she hosts is a good question...

In other news, during the last year at battlefaield there lived a dwarf by the name of Urist Boatclobbered. That's a very dorfy dorf if I've ever seen a dorf!
There was also Fikod Boatscarnage the Rough Boredom of Nature, most certainly a legendary militiaman.

Boats and Oars seemed very popular in Dastot Cog's history...

For the next part of the epic you can go into how the human Queen Led became leader of the dwarves (also maybe the roots of her racism particularly against the dwarves) and how the capital came to at a goblin fortress. Also how Led started to worship Ura. I imagine there is a potential chapter there all of its own.

I also had an idea for explaining the Foul One and its taint. Not to mention its real goal. I was going to try to work it into my turn if it happens. But I might as well mention it if it gives ideas.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The Foul One isn't actually in the world, but outside of it.

I wrote something(http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=96005.msg2839364#msg2839364) a bit ago about the worlds created in DF being fruit of the Mother Tree. The Tree's fruit acts as the great god Armok's only source of nourishment (in the form of a divine booze) and Armok in turn care-takes the tree and gives it nourishment (in the form of a divine hangover).

The Foul One is attempting to kill Armok by tainting the Mother Tree. Aluonra is a rotten fruit on the branch. It is still clinging to the source of life, but continues to rot from the inside out. This is because of the Foul One's attack on the Mother Tree.

I like this because we don't need anymore men behind the man plot twists.

I also like to think that Ura was taking advantage of the "dying" world due to her domain being death that she wasn't actively serving the Foul One. Similarly, I wrote a little epilogue (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=64258.msg2739329#msg2739329) at the end of Failcannon that showed that all the dwarves involved in Fail Day managed to be reincarnated afterwards. (Which as it hasn't been contradicted, I guess could be considered canon.) In that epilogue, the god Thoth appears to the reborn Andreas. I decided his power over dusk, twilight, and dawn gave him more power during the "dusk" and "twilight" of Aluonra as well as gave him power in the new world's "dawn".

[Ieb]

It should be noted that our current dorf civ isn't the one led by Led.
Make of that how you will.

[Darvi]

I just realized that we should've changed the word "shake" into "Zeppelin".

[SethCreiyd]

I think EmeraldWind's got it spot-on.

Going by the history of Aluonra in the Battlefailed legends files, I'd like throw in a few ideas:

Spoiler: History of Aluonra (click to show/hide)

Led inherited the Sword of Boots from her mother Minkot Hammerweights, daughter of Zaneg Talllabors.  His mother was Iteb Enjoyedrims, and she was of unknown parentage.  The dwarf Thob Coastalguilds was made King of the Sword of Boots in 402, and died in 435 without a legitimate heir (his only son, Risen Blockadegem, ended up a manager in the old capital Nationsracks).  Risen worshiped both Ura and Lur Thiefwitch, and Thob worshipped Ura.  Minkot was a ranger in Graspedseduce and a member of the Staff of Artifices, a vassal of the Sword of Boots, when Thob died, and she became the new queen.

This is strange.  Ura is listed as a skeletal female human goddess of the Realm of Rooms, a human civ.  The first human worshiper of Ura that I found was Tekud Toderakfil, who was abducted from Releasebusts in year 6 (at age four) by the goblins of Graspedseduce.  Tekud became a member of the Order of Death at age 17 and at 24 he became a Priest of Ura.  He settled in the far off town of Nightmareequal at the Castle of Ghouls where he was killed by a cyclops.

Graspedseduce was founded by the Torment of Spears of the Doom of Innocence.  Now, in year 6, following Tekud's arrival there, a cinnamon brute named Emene Drivenages the Radiance of Funerals settled in Graspedseduce.  Emene was a great hairy monitor twisted into humanoid form, associated with youth, rebirth, longevity, blight and birth.  Emene created the position of master in the Doom of Innocence by popular support.  I'm willing to bet that the cinnamon brute carved those engravings of Ura in Hell, him being a member of the Doom of Innocence and capable of engraving their symbols.  The demon explored the Underworld taming monsters and ruled Graspedseduce until year 104, when he was killed by attackers from the Realm of Rooms.  After that, the masters of Graspedseduce were human.

The Sanctum of Skulls was built in year 15, preceding Tekud's conversion.  The Order of Death was founded the same year.  The following year, a human named Rimtil Quietshocked moved to Graspedseduce, and ruled from the Sanctum of Skulls as the leader of the Order of Death.  There were a couple of goblin rulers afterward but it seems that by the year 100 the humans had completely displaced the goblins within their own civ.

In 110, the Sword of Boots, led by the dwarf Rigoth Ringwax attacked Graspedseduce.  Rigoth had completely decimated the other strongholds of the Doom of Innocence and when they cleared out Graspedseduce they instituted a new government, the Staff of Artifices, to replace the Torment of Spears.  In year 111, Rigoth's forces defeated the last of the goblinized humans in Nightmareequal, and put in a new government there called the Clean Seal.

The Order of Death is listed as a goblin religion centered around the worship of Ura, but it was formed by the human captives of the Doom of Innocence.  The first goblin member came in year 16, a year after the Order's founding.  Aside from a few goblins pre-76, almost all of the members are human.  It seems the Order was founded by its first priestess, Turot Wetrounded.  She was brought to Graspedseduce in year 14, when she was stolen from Releasebusts at eleven years old.  It is not recorded when Turot started worshiping Ura, and she was probably murdered by Rimtil for the position of leadership, though this is not recorded.

So here's what I think happened.  The girl was traumatized by her ordeal, perhaps encountered the demon ruler, perhaps was inspired by Ura herself, and started a religious order at thirteen years old, convinced some of her fellow oppressed humans to follow her, and must have impressed the goblins enough that they followed her.  Ominously, Turot is listed as becoming a 'butcher' along with her priesthood.  Gods only know what she was butchering.  She has got to be related to Led in some fashion.

Through the years, humans gradually take over their captors by breeding alone, then the dwarves come in and put an end to their civilization, and for three hundred years they are subjected to distant and foreign rule by strange beings with stranger customs, beings that stand the light of day just long enough to collect their tribute... until, by a curious arrangement of blood and fate, the dwarven ruling line fails and the humans inherit the realm.  By this time the cultures had mingled enough that even the last dwarven king was a follower of Ura, the dwarven and human belief systems becoming entangled.  Unless the King was a secret follower of the goddess of death, Led's devotion to Ura would not have been a political anomaly.

So the picture of Led starts to become clear:  the second human ruler of a cosmopolitan civilization; that worships the ancient death goddess of her ancestors, a religion borne of oppression with a streak of human supremacism.  She is a ruthless necromancer in command of a kingdom filled with subjects she deems sub-human, and she's all to eager to dispose of them all in the service of her Lady.

Spoiler: Ideas for Story and Setting (click to show/hide)

To extend the metaphor of the fruiting tree, you could say the Foul One is an infection of that tree's fruit.  It is indeed older than existence and is a "thing" the way an outbreak of fever is a thing.  Its will is not that of a sadist but of a predator; it does not want to kill the Tree but it wants to propagate itself, and this can only be done by the Tree's sacrifice.  The boogeymen and night creatures could be symptoms of this rot, or they could be the individual agents (viruses and bacteria) that make up the blight at lower levels of organization.  In this allegory the FBs and other eldritch things could be viewed as opportunistic pathogens invading the damaged organism of the mutiverse from without.

I also believe that Xemorid is a bubble-universe surrounding the Windy World, born not of Armok's natural exchange with the Tree, but of the corruption of the Adversary and the events of Failday.  I think that the sudden release of souls flooded the barrier between worlds and finally broke it down, the difference between living and dead ceased; but that meant Ura and Thoth rise into the world as well due to their mortal forms' end.  I see Xemorid as Thoth's measure to save the rest of existence, by sealing the rupture again with a new world built from the energy of the old.  The two gods remain trapped with all the resurrected inhabitants in the entombed husk of a putrefied world.

I realize this may conflict with plans for this current arc, but that's just my take on it so far.

_{argh spelling}

[CatalystParadox]

That sounds pretty good to me.

Also, why have there been like 50 pages since last time I was here?  0.0

[Darvi]

Also, why have there been like 50 pages since last time I was here?  0.0

I only see 32 total.

[Vgray]

Journal of Tasrak Priest of Armok. Somewhere near Hellcannon.

Bloody Migrants. No respect for a servant of Armok. I wonder if this fortress has magma, these migrants would make a good sacrifice. I'll have to speak with the Overseer.

[EmeraldWind]

Spoiler: History of Aluonra (click to show/hide)

Led inherited the Sword of Boots from her mother Minkot Hammerweights, daughter of Zaneg Talllabors.  His mother was Iteb Enjoyedrims, and she was of unknown parentage.  The dwarf Thob Coastalguilds was made King of the Sword of Boots in 402, and died in 435 without a legitimate heir (his only son, Risen Blockadegem, ended up a manager in the old capital Nationsracks).  Risen worshiped both Ura and Lur Thiefwitch, and Thob worshipped Ura.  Minkot was a ranger in Graspedseduce and a member of the Staff of Artifices, a vassal of the Sword of Boots, when Thob died, and she became the new queen.

This is strange.  Ura is listed as a skeletal female human goddess of the Realm of Rooms, a human civ.  The first human worshiper of Ura that I found was Tekud Toderakfil, who was abducted from Releasebusts in year 6 (at age four) by the goblins of Graspedseduce.  Tekud became a member of the Order of Death at age 17 and at 24 he became a Priest of Ura.  He settled in the far off town of Nightmareequal at the Castle of Ghouls where he was killed by a cyclops.

Graspedseduce was founded by the Torment of Spears of the Doom of Innocence.  Now, in year 6, following Tekud's arrival there, a cinnamon brute named Emene Drivenages the Radiance of Funerals settled in Graspedseduce.  Emene was a great hairy monitor twisted into humanoid form, associated with youth, rebirth, longevity, blight and birth.  Emene created the position of master in the Doom of Innocence by popular support.  I'm willing to bet that the cinnamon brute carved those engravings of Ura in Hell, him being a member of the Doom of Innocence and capable of engraving their symbols.  The demon explored the Underworld taming monsters and ruled Graspedseduce until year 104, when he was killed by attackers from the Realm of Rooms.  After that, the masters of Graspedseduce were human.

The Sanctum of Skulls was built in year 15, preceding Tekud's conversion.  The Order of Death was founded the same year.  The following year, a human named Rimtil Quietshocked moved to Graspedseduce, and ruled from the Sanctum of Skulls as the leader of the Order of Death.  There were a couple of goblin rulers afterward but it seems that by the year 100 the humans had completely displaced the goblins within their own civ.

In 110, the Sword of Boots, led by the dwarf Rigoth Ringwax attacked Graspedseduce.  Rigoth had completely decimated the other strongholds of the Doom of Innocence and when they cleared out Graspedseduce they instituted a new government, the Staff of Artifices, to replace the Torment of Spears.  In year 111, Rigoth's forces defeated the last of the goblinized humans in Nightmareequal, and put in a new government there called the Clean Seal.

The Order of Death is listed as a goblin religion centered around the worship of Ura, but it was formed by the human captives of the Doom of Innocence.  The first goblin member came in year 16, a year after the Order's founding.  Aside from a few goblins pre-76, almost all of the members are human.  It seems the Order was founded by its first priestess, Turot Wetrounded.  She was brought to Graspedseduce in year 14, when she was stolen from Releasebusts at eleven years old.  It is not recorded when Turot started worshiping Ura, and she was probably murdered by Rimtil for the position of leadership, though this is not recorded.

So here's what I think happened.  The girl was traumatized by her ordeal, perhaps encountered the demon ruler, perhaps was inspired by Ura herself, and started a religious order at thirteen years old, convinced some of her fellow oppressed humans to follow her, and must have impressed the goblins enough that they followed her.  Ominously, Turot is listed as becoming a 'butcher' along with her priesthood.  Gods only know what she was butchering.  She has got to be related to Led in some fashion.

Through the years, humans gradually take over their captors by breeding alone, then the dwarves come in and put an end to their civilization, and for three hundred years they are subjected to distant and foreign rule by strange beings with stranger customs, beings that stand the light of day just long enough to collect their tribute... until, by a curious arrangement of blood and fate, the dwarven ruling line fails and the humans inherit the realm.  By this time the cultures had mingled enough that even the last dwarven king was a follower of Ura, the dwarven and human belief systems becoming entangled.  Unless the King was a secret follower of the goddess of death, Led's devotion to Ura would not have been a political anomaly.

So the picture of Led starts to become clear:  the second human ruler of a cosmopolitan civilization; that worships the ancient death goddess of her ancestors, a religion borne of oppression with a streak of human supremacism.  She is a ruthless necromancer in command of a kingdom filled with subjects she deems sub-human, and she's all to eager to dispose of them all in the service of her Lady.

Whoa. That is actually a pretty interesting sets of events and sets a good background for the Queen. You must have done a lot of working getting that together.